RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Judy Tenuta, a brash standup who cheekily styled herself as the "Goddess of Love" and toured with George Carlin as she built her career in the 1980s golden age of comedy, died Thursday. She was 72.
Tenuta died Thursday afternoon at home in Los Angeles, with her family around her, publicist Roger Neal told The Associated Press. The cause of death was ovarian cancer.
"She was a very funny, amazing performer," Neal said, and it was always a "happy time to be around her."
Tenuta had claimed her birthdate as Nov. 7, 1965, but she was born in 1949, Neal said. "She was old school so she would never tell her real age but now that she's gone we can tell her real age," he added.
Her heart-shaped face, topped by bouffant hair with a flower accent, conveyed an impression of sweet innocence that was quickly shattered by her loud, gravelly delivery and acidic humor, expletives included. The accordion she made part of her act was "an instrument of love and submission," as she fondly called it.
She was among a generation of performers who drove the popularity of live comedy in clubs nationwide including the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, Laff Stop in Houston and Caroline's in New York City. A typically male-dominated field found room for women, including Tenuta.
Tenuta gained national attention in 1987 with "On Location: Women of the Night," a HBO special in which she starred with Ellen DeGeneres, Paula Poundstone and Rita Rudner.
In 1988's "American Comedy Awards" TV special, Tenuta was named best female comedy club performer opposite male winner Jerry Seinfeld. Other honorees that year for their club or screen work included Robin Williams, Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler.
"I would trade it in a minute, if I could just be a wife and mother," wisecracked the gold lame-wrapped, gum-chewing Tenuta, who accepted her award from Carlin.
She was a frequent guest on late-night talk shows and game shows and with radio shock jock Howard Stern. Her acting and voiceover credits were eclectic, including appearances on "The Weird Al Show" and "Space Ghost Coast to Coast." She appeared onstage in "The Vagina Monologues" in Los Angeles and Chicago.
Tenuta grew up in the Chicago suburb of Maywood, attending Catholic schools that included one she dubbed "St. Obnoxious and Bondage." She said she was the "isolated, petite flower" -- Petite Flower becoming one of her stage nicknames -- in a Catholic family that included six brothers.
After graduating college, she worked at odd jobs that included wrapping meat and taking inventory at an outlet for Catholic religious attire.
"I got fired because they caught me trying the stuff on," Tenuta said a 1989 interview with The Associated Press. "So the boss came in, and I guess he got kind of upset. And I said, `Well, I have to see if they look good, pig. I'm trying to make improvements for these broads."'
Tenuta went on to join the Chicago comedy troupe Second City before starting her solo standup career. Despite her outlandish clothes and bizarre stage appearance, Tenuta said most people caught on immediately to her act, which included the self-centered religion she called "Judy-ism."
"In my religion, I'm the only one that gets to complain. The really nice thing about my religion is you can forget all about your problems and think about mine for a while," she told AP.
------
Associated Press journalist Mallika Sen contributed to this report from New York.
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Police in the U.K. are searching for a group of suspects seen on video using a forklift to steal a cash machine from a bank.
A tower crane operator alerted emergency crews after noticing a fire on a construction site in Halifax Tuesday morning.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly Knight, a Grade 4 student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.