Aurelia Butler

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    Kehlani Concert in Central Park Is Canceled After Pressure From Mayor

    The singer, a vocal critic of Israel, had been scheduled to perform in June as part of Pride festivities. Two weeks ago, Cornell dropped a plan to have her headline a concert.The nonprofit group behind the SummerStage concerts has canceled a scheduled Central Park performance by the popular R&B singer Kehlani under pressure from the administration of Mayor Eric Adams.The move came on Monday after a top New York City official warned the group, the City Parks Foundation, that its license to stage the long-running concert series could be at risk if it did not “promptly take steps” to address “security concerns” raised by the planned show.Billed as “Pride With Kehlani,” the concert was to take place on June 26 as part of the city’s broader Pride festivities. It was the second scheduled Kehlani performance to be canceled in recent weeks amid a furor over the singer’s pro-Palestinian stance.Unlike Cornell University officials, who explicitly cited what they said were Kehlani’s antisemitic and anti-Israel views when they dropped the singer two weeks ago as the headliner of an annual campus concert, the city official, First Deputy Mayor Randy M. Mastro, did not invoke the singer’s personal opinions.Instead, he said in a letter to the foundation’s executive director, Heather Lubov, that the Adams administration’s concerns were based on “the controversy” surrounding the scheduled Cornell performance, as well as the security demands posed by such an event in Central Park and by other Pride events around the city.Mr. Mastro wrote that the police would conduct a security assessment of the concert. If the department determined that the event posed “an unacceptable risk to public safety,” he added, there could be implications for SummerStage’s future. The series began in 1986.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Kim Kardashian, Demi Moore and Others Flaunt Dramatic Trains on the Met Gala Carpet

    Some gowns required small teams to manage vast amounts of fabric and help their wearers up the Met steps.They’re long, dramatic and a potential tripping hazard. More than a dozen guests at the Met Gala on Monday night wore looks with giant, appendage-like trains flowing behind them.The gala’s dress code, “Tailored for You,” was intended to spur creative interpretations of classic tailoring techniques and coincide with the Costume Institute’s new exhibit about the history of Black dandy fashion.While many stars chose suiting variations worn close to the body, others dragged behind them swathes of fabric so long that they blanketed large portions of the carpet. Demi Moore, Shakira, Megan Thee Stallion, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Taraji P. Henson and the K-pop star Rosé all arrived in the silhouette — many of them in the form of sweeping overcoats that could presumably be removed once inside the Metropolitan Museum for the gala’s dinner.The Met Gala has always been a venue for theatrical looks, but trains have a relatively recent history at the event. In 2015 when the Met’s Costume Institute staged an exhibit about the influence and ingenuity of Chinese design, Rihanna seemed to set the agenda with a yellow dress by the Chinese designer Guo Pei with a vast train that cascaded down the steps.This year, Rihanna’s fashion influence was felt even among musical artists who were famous before she was born. Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder both wore trains that swallowed whole sections of the Met’s famous steps. (Rihanna herself, who showed up at the event’s tail end, did not wear a train this year and instead opted for a suiting-inspired looked.)Ms. Ross wore a white feathered overcoat embroidered with the names of her children and eight grandchildren that reportedly included a 18-foot train, requiring several people to assist her up the stairs.Mr. Wonder’s black beaded suit included a heavily embellished train that also called for the help of multiple stewards as he moved about the carpet.Shakira’s monochromatic bubble-gum pink look was accessorized with a Gobstopper-size gem necklace. But the jewel paled in comparison to the size of her train, which, in images, appears to be the same length of about 15 photographers lined up on the gala’s carpet.Megan Thee Stallion’s billowing white furry coat also extended far behind her, much like the black train skirts worn by the actress Cynthia Erivo and the model Vittoria Ceretti.The burgundy overcoat worn by the singer and actor Teyana Taylor draped over the Met’s flower-speckled carpet as she posed for photographs, and Serena William’s sea foam look included a ruched top that also cut a dramatic, long shape.Other guests, including Lana del Rey, Nicole Scherzinger, Lauryn Hill, Charli XCX, Tyla and Amelia Gray Hamlin, also appeared in the silhouette — all before Rihanna even arrived. More

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    NYT Crossword Answers for May 6, 2025

    The air is sweet in Enrique Henestroza Anguiano’s crossword.Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky CluesTUESDAY PUZZLE — Some puns roll right off the tongue, light as air and witty as anything. Others feel so heavy-handed and strained that you almost resent yourself for understanding them. Today’s carnival-themed crossword, constructed by Enrique Henestroza Anguiano, walks the tightrope between these two extremes. The wordplay that solves the puzzle is certainly silly — I might even call it pure fluff — but the grid is well worth the groan.Today’s ThemeThe circled letters represent a certain [Carnival confection … or, when re-parsed, a hint to what appears three times in this puzzle]. We’ve got to solve a few regular clues in order to fill those letters in (emphasized in bold here). 18A’s [Orange-colored fruit pastry] is an APRICOT TART, and a [Mistake in logical reasoning] at 21A is called a FALLACY. Solve another pair of stacked clues, like 49A and 52A, and you’ll see that the pattern repeats itself. A [Dairy product with curds] is COTTAGE CHEESE and [Looks that might send a chill down one’s spine] are ICY STARES.What could these strange little cones of COTT/CY mean? Get this: The carnival confection at 62A is COTTON CANDY. When re-parsed, it explains how the letters C-O-T-T can be found ON top of the letters C AND Y.I prefer to call this treat “candy floss” because the second part of the term reads as a dentist’s caveat for the first.Tricky Clues58A. Since when is a [Disposable coaster at a bar] not called a coaster? Today I’m learning that it can also be called a BEER MAT. I’ve heard of a bar mat. Are we sure we’re not talking about that?We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat and Others Go Pants-Less at Met Gala

    Stars at the Met Gala, including Sabrina Carpenter, took an opportunity to show some leg. A lot of leg, actually.On Monday night, celebrities and stars descended on the Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” a history-making look at the Black dandy.While plenty of guests took the theme as a moment for sharply constructed pantsuits, a few attendees opted for a little less fabric on their legs. Almost no fabric, in a few cases.Perhaps most notable was Sabrina Carpenter, the “Espresso” singer whose maroon ensemble consisted of a bodysuit underneath a skimpy topcoat with tails designed by Louis Vuitton. The musical artist Doja Cat sported a similarly scant ensemble, donning a pinstriped suit-inspired one piece complete with sharp shoulder pads. The blazer and bodysuit hybrid, designed by Marc Jacobs, featured a leopard print bustier. Lisa, the K-pop star of Black Pink who recently appeared on the latest season of “The White Lotus,” also appeared in a pants-less Louis Vuitton look, complete with monogrammed sheer black tights. (Helen Lasichanh, a designer and the wife of Pharrell Williams, one of the event’s co-chairs, stepped out in the same stockings.) Arriving later in the evening, the actor Taraji P. Henson opted for an ivory fit without, well, you know.While not technically fully forgoing bottoms, the “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo’s voluminous black tulle overskirt featured an open panel in the front revealing tiny shorts beneath. The model Hailey Bieber wore a thigh-grazing black blazer as a minidress over pantyhose.The no-pants look is, of course, nothing new. Edie Sedgwick perfected it way back in the Warhol-era. And much more recently, in 2022, bare legs appeared in runway shows by Bottega Veneta and Miu Miu.Consider the evening’s minimal leg wear a step away from the more skin-revealing trend that took over red carpets earlier this year: naked dressing. More

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    AOC Won’t Seek House Oversight Committee Role

    Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Democrats’ emphasis on seniority led her not to seek a leadership role on the powerful Oversight Committee.Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said on Monday that she would not pursue becoming the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, citing her party’s emphasis on seniority as an obstacle.“It’s actually clear to me that the underlying dynamics in the caucus have not shifted with respect to seniority as much as I think would be necessary,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, told reporters.Ms. Ocasio-Cortez initially sought the position last year but lost in an internal contest to Representative Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia, 75. Mr. Connolly announced last week that he would step back from his duties as he faces cancer, leading younger, more progressive lawmakers to start pitching themselves for the position.Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, who was elected in 2018, is one of the most prominent young Democrats. Her decision not to pursue the position would seem to clear the way for others in her mold to jockey for it. The Oversight Committee’s top Democrat is one of the party’s most visible opponents to the Trump administration.But her remarks cast doubt on whether House Democrats might buck their long adherence to the seniority system, even as many members of their party clamor for generational change.Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s failed bid last year was seen as a setback for those in her party eager to break a long-established but unwritten rule that seniority should determine who gets prominent leadership roles, even as other younger members replaced older colleagues on some lower-profile committees.Weeks after the internal vote, she left the Oversight Committee for a spot on the influential Energy and Commerce Committee. That move would have complicated any effort that she might have made to succeed Mr. Connolly: House Democrats’ rules allow lawmakers to lead only committees they sit on.But Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, who has been speaking before big crowds on a tour with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, is one of her party’s brightest stars. Several Democrats on the Oversight Committee said last week that they were waiting to see whether she was interested, saying that she was a skilled messenger who would make a good foil to the Trump administration.Mr. Connolly’s position is not vacant. At a recent hearing, Representative Stephen F. Lynch of Massachusetts fulfilled his duties. Mr. Lynch, 70, has said he is interested in succeeding Mr. Connolly. More

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    With His Met Gala Look, Ryan Coogler Fulfills Lifelong Fashion Dream

    At his first Met Gala, the director fulfills a lifelong fashion dream.Ryan Coogler has always wanted to wear a cummerbund and tonight, he finally gets the chance to do so.“Today is the first day I actually put one on my body,” Mr. Coogler said about the shark colored waist sash, in a video interview from his fitting. “I’ve been to countless weddings and I never got a chance to pull one off.” Mr. Coogler was chatting from Jerry Lorenzo’s office, sitting next to Mr. Lorenzo, the founder and designer of Fear of God, who designed Gala looks for Mr. Coogler and his wife, Zinzi Coogler.This is Mr. Coogler’s first Met Gala. Many of the actors he is known for collaborating with have been guests at the yearly fete — from Michael B. Jordan to Chadwick Boseman to Letitia Wright. Still, he never quite felt like it was the place for him, he said.“I always enjoy seeing what they put on,” Mr. Coogler said. After the release of the first “Black Panther” movie, Mr. Coogler got a peek inside the exclusive event. “I think I had maybe like five or six cast members there. Somebody snuck a cellphone in and took a video. I remember getting that from Tish and, it made me smile.”The most important thing to Mr. Coogler is the community he gets to build through his films, and collaborating with Mr. Lorenzo felt like home — as far as fashion designers go. Before the fitting, the duo discussed spirituality, organized religion, the entertainment business and fatherhood.“The power of being around people who understand you, believe in you, value you, when you’re in a space with a lot of people like that, it kind of doesn’t matter where you are,” Mr. Coogler said.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Kamala Harris Is the Surprise Guest at the Met Gala

    The former vice president skipped the carpet, but slipped into the gala in a black silk gown in one of her first major public appearances since the 2024 election.That’s one way to make a (re-)entrance.Just days after delivering her first major speech since conceding the 2024 election, in which she condemned the actions of President Trump and warned of a constitutional crisis, former Vice President Kamala Harris was the surprise guest at the Met Gala.Though a tip sheet of all of the attendees had been distributed beforehand, her name had not been on it, and she sneaked into the gala without posing on the red carpet, according to a spokeswoman.However, even without the photo ops, the message sent by her asymmetric black silk gown with a choker neckline and one flowing white sleeve was pretty clear: “I’m back. Ish.”Unlike the Chloé pantsuits that Ms. Harris seemed to have adopted as a semi-uniform by the end of her presidential run, the dress — an Off-White look designed by Ib Kamara, who took on the brand after the untimely death of founder Virgil Abloh — was dramatic. It told the story of two sides. It was a return to the more inclusive dressing strategy Ms. Harris demonstrated during the 2021 inauguration events, when she wore work by all Black designers. And it will probably be controversial.“To me, the true core of dandyism is rooted in confidence and strength,” Mr. Kamara said. “There is no person who exemplifies these characteristics more than Kamala D. Harris, someone who has overcome adversity and continues to be a beacon for so many.”Still, political figures are relative rarities at the Met Gala, which tends to over-index on celebrities of all kinds — from Hollywood, in sports, from the art world — and the fashion brands that love them.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    As Backlash to Trump’s Tariffs Grows, Europe Boycotts American Brands

    A shifting perception of the United States amid President Trump’s trade war is prompting Europeans to pivot decisively away from U.S. goods and services.For motorcycle lovers in Sweden, Harley-Davidson is the hottest brand on the road. Jack Daniels whiskey beckons from the bar at British pubs. In France, Levis jeans are all about chic.But in the tumult of President Trump’s trade war with Europe, many European consumers are starting to avoid U.S. products and services in what appears to be a decisive and potentially long-term shift away from buying American, according to a new assessment by the European Central Bank.In April, Mr. Trump imposed a 10 percent blanket tariff on America’s trading partners, and threatened “reciprocal tariffs” on many of those, including the European Union. Companies like Tesla and McDonald’s are seeing customers in Europe put off by “Made in America.”“The newly imposed U.S. trade tariffs on European products are causing European consumers to think twice about what’s in their shopping cart,” the E.C.B. wrote in a blog post about its research on consumer behavior. “Consumers are very willing to actively move away from U.S. products and services.”Europeans had already begun testing grass-roots boycotts on American products, including Heinz ketchup and Lay’s potato chips, shortly after Mr. Trump took office. His threats to take over Greenland, part of Denmark, energized Danes to organize no-buy campaigns on Facebook. Tesla owners in Sweden slapped “shame” bumper stickers on their cars to distance themselves from Elon Musk, the Tesla chief executive who is one of Mr. Trump’s top advisers.Motorcycles in a Harley-Davidson dealership in Paris. The E.C.B. study said that even households that could bear the brunt of higher prices were moving away from U.S. goods.Gonzalo Fuentes/ReutersWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More