Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The Kennedy Center Honors returned to tradition this year with a real-life gala Sunday night and the presence of the president for the first time since 2016.
The lifetime achievement awards for artistic excellence were presented to Motown Records creator Berry Gordy, "Saturday Night Live" mastermind Lorne Michaels, actress-singer Bette Midler, opera singer Justino Diaz and folk music legend Joni Mitchell.
This year's event at the Kennedy Center's main opera house represented a return to political normalcy, with U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden attending.
U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump skipped the show the first three years he was in office after several of the artists honoured in 2017, his first year in office, threatened to boycott a White House reception if he participated. Last year, the pandemic forced a delay and major changes to the program.
The Bidens drew a sustained standing ovation when they entered the presidential box at the opera house. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed the national anthem and encouraged the audience to sing the final lines together.
The theatre was packed to capacity and there were no social distancing restrictions, but vaccinations and recent negative COVID-19 tests were required for all who attended.
The tributes featured testimonials and performances that were kept secret from the honorees.
Mitchell's tribute featured performances of her songs by Nora Jones, Brandi Carlile, Ellie Goulding and Brittany Howard. Diaz was honoured with a performance from the opera "Carmen" and a song from his two daughters, Katya and Natascia.
For Michaels, organizers put together three "Weekend Update" segments onstage with multiple generations of mock news anchors -- Kevin Nealon, Seth Myers and Amy Poehler, and the current duo of Michel Che and Colin Jost.
Che joked that Biden would be asleep before the end of the show and Poehler poked at the Toronto-born Michaels by proclaiming that Joni Mitchell had been declared "the best Canadian of all time."
Midler received testimonials from close friends Goldie Hawn and Barbara Hershey, and a performance by Tony Award winner Billy Porter of her iconic song, "The Wind Beneath My Wings."
Gordy's career was celebrated with performances of multiple Motown hits by Andra Day and Stevie Wonder and an extended tribute from close friend Smokey Robinson. The event ended with several of the night's performers joining for a performance of Wonder's hit "Higher Ground."
Prior to the Kennedy Center event, Biden revived another tradition that had gone dormant under Trump and held a White House reception for the honorees.
"We welcome everyone back," he told a crowd of about 150 seated in the East Room, decked out with Christmas trees and wreaths. Guests included Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Caroline Kennedy, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Chita Rivera, Steve Martin and Herbie Hancock.
"Our nation is stronger, more dynamic and more vibrant because of you," Biden told the honorees.
Biden praised the work of the artists, their "sixth sense" that helps them create and move so many people, saying: "I don't think you fully appreciate what you do for so many people."
He spoke of Diaz's "sound of soul," Gordy's creation of "one of the most iconic businesses" in American history with Motown Records.
With Michaels, he joked: "Finally, it's my turn to say something about him," poking fun at Michaels' SNL show, which routinely mocks presidents, including the current commander in chief.
"You make me laugh at myself a lot," Biden said, then went on to say Michaels was auditioning actors right now to play him next on SNL. Biden asked Steve Martin to stand as an example of the type of talent Michaels has cultivated over the past decades.
Martin paused and asked the president, "Do you want me to play you?" The crowd erupted in laughter.
Biden then professed his admiration for both Mitchell and Midler, telling Midler that "people will never forget how you make them feel. That's your gift, it's incredible."
And lastly: "Joni. Your words and melodies touch the deepest parts of our soul," Biden said.
Last year, the pandemic forced organizers to bump the annual December ceremony back to May 2021. Performance tributes to the artists were filmed over several nights and at multiple locations on campus.
This year's main COVID-related modification was shifting the annual Saturday ceremony, where honorees receive their medallions on rainbow-colored ribbons, to the Library of Congress instead of the State Department.
Sunday's ceremony, which will be broadcast Dec. 22 by CBS, is the centrepiece of the Kennedy Center's 50th anniversary of cultural programming. The centre opened in 1971.
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.