Latest news with #RobertCohen
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
World-class musicians to perform in north Norfolk festival
A festival featuring world-class musicians is set to grace churches in north Norfolk. The Five Churches Festival will bring classical performers to the churches of Glaven Valley, which include Blakeney, Cley, Glandford, Letheringsett, and Wiveton, starting from July 9. Lotte Betts-Dean, an international mezzo-soprano, and Greek guitarist Dimitris Soukaras will be performing together. The London Central Brass Quintet will also take the stage. Robert Cohen, an internationally acclaimed cellist who has made East Anglia his base, will also be performing during the events. Sharing the limelight will be young talent, including violinist Tristan McCardel, named Norfolk Young Musician for 2025, BBC Young Musician finalist and oboist Ewan Millar, and 14-year-old violin prodigy Isaac Schaad from Norwich School. The festival is set to culminate on July 13. Tickets for the event can be purchased from which also contains full details of all the events.
Forbes
24-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Verano Tests 'Bodega' Concept In Arizona
A rendering of Verano's new "bodega-style" store. Most cannabis consumers are familiar with the shopping experience typically found at a licensed dispensary. Regulations differ state-to-state, but in general, customers are kept separate from product until the actual purchase takes place. Part of the reasoning behind this restrictive format is loss-prevention and product tracking. State regulations, particularly those in states that were early to legalization, often emphasis securing product, so that it does not go out the back door and onto the illicit market. But that concern may be starting to diminish as more state markets came online, and prices dropped in maturing markets, undercutting the appeal of illicit product. Verano, a multi-state operator, is planning to test those waters, with the unveiling of what it calls a 'bodega-style' dispensary at its Zen Leaf location in Phoenix-Cave Creek. The grand re-opening of the reconfigured dispensary on June 27 is part of a two-day Summer Festival, which will feature DJs, local artisan pop-ups, food trucks, a mobile consumption lounge and a giveaway for the first 50 customers on each day. 'The dynamic cannabis landscape requires constant innovation and differentiation to push the boundaries of possibility, and today's unveiling of a completely new dispensary shopping experience at Zen Leaf Cave Creek delivers on that mission,' said Robert Cohen, Verano Executive Vice President of Retail Strategy in a released statement. Verano operates eight dispensaries throughout Arizona, while also operating in 13 other states, under the Zen Leaf and MÜV brands. If its new bodega-style dispensary is successful, the company plans to convert more of their Arizona shops into the new format, before considering a similar move in other states, depending on what local regulations allow. The inside of the new shop days before its grand reopening on June 27. "Our initial intention is to scale the bodega-style concept across our eight Arizona dispensaries following what we anticipate will be a successful rollout at Zen Leaf Cave Creek, and from there, the opportunity for other states that may not currently allow this concept to consider the benefits bodega-style shopping offers consumers/patients, businesses and communities/state from a convenience, freedom and revenue POV," said Verano spokesperson Steve Mazeika. Ironically, bodega-style cannabis often referred to the format of quasi-legal gray market shops that have been a fixture of New York City for decades, and became more common after the state legalized adult-use in early 2021 and before the first legal sale from a dispensary took place in December, 2022. In that context, bodega-style usually meant small storefront that sold snacks and drinks along with cannabis. At this point, cannabis was still illegal to sell, but not to possess, so most of the product was kept behind counters or in glass cases. Similarly, many states without legal adult-use cannabis have seen hemp markets flourish as an after-effect of the 2018 Farm Bill, which made most hemp-derived cannabinoids legal, such as those that were just protected in Texas by Governor Greg Abbott's June 22 veto of a hemp ban. Given the lack of comprehensive regulation for hemp shops in many states, those retail locations are often similar to what Verano is introducing in Arizona. Products can be perused on shelves, with the difference being that they also often comingle with other quasi-legal or as-yet-unregulated products such as kratom or various types of mushroom-derived products. Early medical states, such as Maine and California initially allowed consumers to purchase cannabis deli-style, which means product was kept in large jars, and individual orders were weighed out and packaged on the spot. This method allows customers to see and smell their flower before they purchase, but that style is also more tedious for the retailer and creates more opportunity for waste when left with a layer of unwanted shake at the bottom of spent jars. Oklahoma's medical market exploded fast under relatively light regulations. In recent years the Sooner State has cracked down on its market amid numerous reports of illicit grow operations in licensed facilities. As of June 1, 2025 stores in that state are actually no longer allowed to sell deli-style, with the state opting for pre-packaging requirements. Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Missouri, Alaska, Colorado, Maryland and New Mexico are among the states with legal adult-use that also required pre-sealed packaging. In the other direction, some states are starting to allow deli-style, much like Oregon, Arizona and Michigan. High Profile x Budega, which has three locations in Boston, Massachusetts, is a rare exception for its state in that it offers deli-style product. As the industry becomes more normalized and illicit trade between states diminishes, more regulators may consider relaxing requirements for retail models.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cobie Smulders on 'Super Team Canada': 'Cool to be part of something that is made by Canadians, for Canadians'
Cobie Smulders has expanded her superhero experience, going from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Maria Hill in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to voicing the superhero Niagara Falls in the animated Crave series Super Team Canada. In the show Niagara Falls, described as the "mighty maiden of moisture," stops bad guys by controlling water. The 10-episode show, created by Emmy-winning brothers Robert Cohen (The Big Bang Theory) and Joel H. Cohen (The Simpsons), is about a team of six Canadian superheroes. Unlike what we see in the MCU, these superheroes are definitely not famous, but they still come together to save the world from evil threats. Other stars voicing superheroes include Will Arnett as Breakaway, Charles Demers as Poutine, Brian Drummond as Sasquatchewan, Veena Sood as RCM-PC (Robotic Crime Management Polite Computer), Ceara Morgana as Chinook, and Kevin McDonald as the voice Canada's Prime Minister, who oversees the work of the superheroes. Smulders highlighted that she agreed to participate in this show "pretty much immediately." "I just loved it from the get go. I think it's such a great group of characters. It's such a funny concept, and I was excited to jump on board," Smulders told Yahoo Canada. Instead of this being a show with Canadianisms, as Smulders described, the entire "landscape" of the series is Canadian. "It's cool to be part of something that is made by Canadians, for Canadians," Smulders said. "The references in the show, ... they hit me pretty hard, because there are jokes and references from my youth that I thought only I knew." One thing that had to be sorted out is exactly how Canadian each character should sound, with some superheroes having a more aggressive Canadian accent than others. "We had discussions about, how hard do you want to push it as Niagara Falls. Because I feel like Breakaway, ... that accent is strong," Smulders said. "And I think we decided somewhere in between, which is maybe my voice, the way I talk after I've had like two beers, and really just kind of letting the accent be a little loose. And maybe there will be a word or two that sounds different, but not trying to make it sound too comically Canadian. But just having a little colour to it." What's interesting about working in animation is that Smulders gets to see the final product almost like an audience member herself. While the script isn't completely new to her, she gets to see how similar, or different, the show looks, compared to what she imagined in her head. "It is truly so fun to see the finished project product on a project like this, because it's just all existing in your mind," Smulders said. "You're going through the scenes and you're kind of imagining what it looks like, but when you really get to see the amount of art and talent and creativity that goes into the drawing of this, it's really quite magical." Notably, Super Team Canada is being released during a particularly tense time between Canada and the U.S., from the existing tariffs to U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to tariff movies produced outside the U.S.. That has caused some Canadians to think local a little bit more, and that can extend to entertainment. While Smulders found great success in American productions, including How I Met Your Mother and recently appearing in the Apple TV+ hit Shrinking, the Vancouver-born actor still loves working in Canada, and hopes there are more Canadian projects made in the future. "I have always been a very proud Canadian," Smulders said. "I've always wanted to work up here and love working with the crews up here, and love the content that comes out of Canada." "So I hope that when the show comes out, which is the first original animated series that's been on Crave, I hope that just means that there's more coming."
13-05-2025
- Politics
Campus protests flare on a smaller scale than last spring, but with higher stakes
WASHINGTON -- Campus activism has flared as the academic year winds down, with pro-Palestinian demonstrations leading to arrests at several colleges. Compared with last spring, when more than 2,100 people were arrested in campus protests nationwide, the demonstrations have been smaller and more scattered. But the stakes are also much higher. President Donald Trump's administration has been investigating dozens of colleges over their handling of protests, including allegations of antisemitism, and frozen federal grant money as leverage to press demands for new rules on activism. Colleges, in turn, have been taking a harder line on discipline and enforcement, following new policies adopted to prevent tent encampments of the kind that stayed up for weeks last year on many campuses. More are pushing for the same goal that drove last year's protests — an end to university ties with Israel or companies that provide weapons or other support to Israel. Protesters who took over a Columbia University library this month issued demands including divestment from 'occupation, apartheid and genocide' and amnesty for students and workers targeted for discipline by the university. About 80 people were arrested at the protest, which also called for police and federal immigration officials to stay off campus. A protest at the University of Washington days earlier demanded the school end ties with Boeing, a supplier to the Israeli Defense Forces. Activists wanted the school to return any Boeing donations and bar the company's employees from teaching at the school. Thirty people were arrested. Other protests have sparked up at schools including Swarthmore College, Rutgers University, the University of California, Los Angeles and Brooklyn College. The timing of recent protests may owe to developments in the war itself and the approaching end of the school year, said Robert Cohen, a professor of history and social studies at New York University. Cohen said activists may be energized by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's discussion of an escalation of the war, at a time many Palestinians already are at risk of starvation amid an Israeli blockade of food and other goods. 'And the fact that it is the end of the semester — maybe it seems like the last chance they have to take a stance, to publicize this,' he said. Still, he sees the latest flare-up as a return to the kind of protests that campuses occasionally saw even before the Israel-Hamas war. As colleges have imposed stricter rules, many students may be unwilling to risk punishment, he said. 'Essentially, you have a small core of people, and the larger mass movement has been suppressed,' he said of the latest activism. 'These are small, scattered protests.' Colleges navigating protests risk losing federal grants for research if their response runs afoul of the government. The handling of last year's protests has been at the center of the Trump administration's fight with Columbia, Harvard and other universities. Some schools have had money frozen for what the administration calls a failure to root out campus antisemitism. Federal officials have demanded tougher action against protesters, new limits on protests and other changes aimed at pro-Palestinian activism along with diversity, equity and inclusion policies. After the University of Washington protest, a federal antisemitism task force said it was launching a review. It applauded quick action from police but said it expected campus leaders to 'follow up with enforcement actions and policy changes that are clearly necessary to prevent these uprisings moving forward.' The stakes are also higher for international students as the federal government moves to deport students with ties to pro-Palestinian activism. After calling police to clear the library occupied by protesters last week, Columbia University suspended 65 students and barred 33 others from campus. Columbia's response drew praise from the Trump administration's task force, which said it was encouraged by the university's 'strong and resolute statement' condemning the protest. Even before the latest protest, Columbia had agreed to other changes amid pressure from federal officials, including a ban on face masks used to conceal identities and the hiring of new public safety officers empowered to make arrests on campus. The University of Washington protest also drew a swift response, with 21 students later suspended.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Campus protests flare on smaller scale but with higher stakes this time
Compared with last spring, when more than 2,100 people were arrested in campus protests nationwide, the demonstrations have been smaller and more scattered AP Washington Campus activism has flared as the academic year winds down, with pro-Palestinian demonstrations leading to arrests at several colleges. Compared with last spring, when more than 2,100 people were arrested in campus protests nationwide, the demonstrations have been smaller and more scattered. But the stakes are also much higher. President Donald Trump's administration has been investigating dozens of colleges over their handling of protests, including allegations of antisemitism, and frozen federal grant money as leverage to press demands for new rules on activism. Colleges, in turn, have been taking a harder line on discipline and enforcement, following new policies adopted to prevent tent encampments of the kind that stayed up for weeks last year on many campuses. What are protesters demanding? More are pushing for the same goal that drove last year's protests an end to university ties with Israel or companies that provide weapons or other support to Israel. Protesters who took over a Columbia University library this month issued demands including divestment from occupation, apartheid and genocide and amnesty for students and workers targeted for discipline by the university. About 80 people were arrested at the protest, which also called for police and federal immigration officials to stay off campus. A protest at the University of Washington days earlier demanded the school end ties with Boeing, a supplier to the Israeli Defense Forces. Activists wanted the school to return any Boeing donations and bar the company's employees from teaching at the school. Thirty people were arrested. Other protests have sparked up at schools including Swarthmore College, Rutgers University, the University of California, Los Angeles and Brooklyn College. Tensions break out as the academic year ends The timing of recent protests may owe to developments in the war itself and the approaching end of the school year, said Robert Cohen, a professor of history and social studies at New York University. Cohen said activists may be energized by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's discussion of an escalation of the war, at a time many Palestinians already are at risk of starvation amid an Israeli blockade of food and other goods. And the fact that it is the end of the semester maybe it seems like the last chance they have to take a stance, to publicize this, he said. Still, he sees the latest flare-up as a return to the kind of protests that campuses occasionally saw even before the Israel-Hamas war. As colleges have imposed stricter rules, many students may be unwilling to risk punishment, he said. Essentially, you have a small core of people, and the larger mass movement has been suppressed, he said of the latest activism. These are small, scattered protests. The stakes are much higher this spring Colleges navigating protests risk losing federal grants for research if their response runs afoul of the government. The handling of last year's protests has been at the centre of the Trump administration's fight with Columbia, Harvard and other universities. Some schools have had money frozen for what the administration calls a failure to root out campus antisemitism. Federal officials have demanded tougher action against protesters, new limits on protests and other changes aimed at pro-Palestinian activism along with diversity, equity and inclusion policies. After the University of Washington protest, a federal antisemitism task force said it was launching a review. It applauded quick action from police but said it expected campus leaders to follow up with enforcement actions and policy changes that are clearly necessary to prevent these uprisings moving forward. The stakes are also higher for international students as the federal government moves to deport students with ties to pro-Palestinian activism. Colleges are cracking down aggressively After calling police to clear the library occupied by protesters last week, Columbia University suspended 65 students and barred 33 others from campus. Columbia's response drew praise from the Trump administration's task force, which said it was encouraged by the university's strong and resolute statement condemning the protest. Even before the latest protest, Columbia had agreed to other changes amid pressure from federal officials, including a ban on face masks used to conceal identities and the hiring of new public safety officers empowered to make arrests on campus. The University of Washington protest also drew a swift response, with 21 students later suspended. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
