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FOUR-YEAR MARK PASSES FOR LAS VEGAS FESTIVAL SHOOTING
LAS VEGAS (AP) – People who are healing – and some still struggling – gathered this past Friday to remember those killed and injured during the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history – at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip four years ago. Dee Ann Hyatt attended the memorial. She said, “I was wounded. Those physical wounds have healed. But the lasting scars for our family remain.” Hyatt’s brother died in the Oct. 1, 2017 shooting and her daughter was injured. The event Friday was the first of several scheduled in Las Vegas and elsewhere to observe the four-year mark since Stephen Paddock rained bullets on fans at a county music festival, killing 61.

ANI DiFRANCO TO PERFORM AT JOHN LENNON BENEFIT CONCERT
NEW YORK (AP) – A group that holds a John Lennon benefit concert has chosen Ani DeFranco to perform his music at this year’s event. The group will give DiFranco its John Lennon Real Love Award Dec. 10 in New York. You could say DiFranco has been working toward this honor most of her life. When she was 9, her guitar teacher gave her a Beatles songbook – and she says playing from it is “a very dear, fond memory.” DiFranco says it will be “cool to be wrapping around full circle to a John Lennon tribute.”

BOB DYLAN TO RETURN TO LIVE PERFORMANCES
NEW YORK (AP) – Bob Dylan is ready to tour again – even as it appears we haven’t heard the last of the pandemic. The 80-year-old music legend has put concert tickets on sale for a tour in support of last year’s album, “Rough and Rowdy Ways.” His website bills it as a “World Wide Tour 2021-2024.” Dylan has toured every year from 1988 until 2019 – but the pandemic grounded what he calls his “Never Ending Tour.” It’s to begin Nov. 2 in Milwaukee. In all 21 dates are set, including stops in Chicago, New York, Boston, Washington and Knoxville, Tennessee.

BRITNEY SPEARS CASE PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON CONSERVATORSHIPS
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Most of us know about Britney Spears’ fight to end her conservatorship. That public battle is also putting the spotlight on efforts to reform state laws advocates often harm the very people they’re supposed to protect. This year alone, New Jersey reduced the number of people who could put someone put under a guardian. New Mexico created a review process to see how conservatorships are handled. Oregon has ensured anyone under guardianship gets free legal help. And in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law changes prompted by Spears’ case.

BOX OFFICE
NEW YORK (AP) – It’s probably the best news for Hollywood in more than a year and a half. The Marvel sequel, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” brought in a whopping $90.1 million in ticket sales over the weekend. Not only is it the best-grossing movie during the pandemic by far, but “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” has also out-grossed the original “Venom,” which came out in 2018. It’s a big, pleasant surprise for Hollywood, since the sequel was projected to earn only half its box office total. Even better, the “Venom” success comes a week before the new James Bond movie “No Time To Die” hits theaters in North America. Over the weekend, it posted huge numbers in its international debut – raising hopes it will do the same domestically.

“ALADDIN” SHUTS DOWN FOR NEARLY TWO WEEKS AFTER COVID OUTBREAK
NEW YORK (AP) – The Broadway hit “Aladdin” is taking a longer break to get some breakthrough COVID infections under control. After opening last Tuesday, it canceled the following day’s show – but quickly rebounded on Thursday. But now Aladdin is idle again. It pulled the plug on Friday’s show – and all performances through Oct. 12 – after more breakthrough cases were reported. A disease expert working with Disney on the show says the 12-day pause will give the company time to recover from breakthrough infections – and spot any other cases – before everyone returns. Breakthrough COVID infections occur in fully vaccinated people – and tend to be far less severe than those that occur in those who haven’t been vaccinated.

NAOMI CAMPBELL DOMINATES AT PARIS FASHION WEEK
PARIS (AP) – Naomi Campbell has seen more than a few calendar pages turn since her modeling career began. But, even at age 51, she’s still able to turn heads on the runway. She did so again yesterday, stealing the show at Paris Fashion Week. She strutted her stuff on the runway as she showed off parts of Lanvin’s (lahn-VAHNZ’) flower-themed collection. When Campbell sallied forth in a dramatic black cloak, she drew screams from the audience.

JUDGE: ALEX JONES LIABLE FOR DAMAGES FOR INFOWARS COMMENTS ON SANDY HOOK
UNDATED (AP) – A judge in Texas has ruled that Infowars host and conspiracy theory-peddler Alex Jones must pay damages to parents of two children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. Now, it’s up to a jury to decide how dearly he’ll have to pay. Jones has been insisting the shooting was a hoax, though he now concedes the incident did happen. When sued by parents whose kids died in the shooting, Jones and other defendants refused to provide documents to the plaintiffs. The judge called that “flagrant bad faith and callous disregard of court orders” – and issued a default judgment against the defendants. The cases now go to trial for juries to decide how much Jones and the others must pay.