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Alan Tudyk brings voice talents to Disney’s ‘Wish’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:58 GMT

Disney celebrates a century of culture-defining animation with its latest feature, Wednesday’s “Wish.”Here, the plucky heroine, 17-year-old Asha (voiced by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose), bonds with her three-week-old pet goat Valentino (Alan Tudyk). “He’s just a kid,” Tudyk noted with a laugh.Where, Tudyk, 52, was asked in a phone interview, did he get that name!  He’s certainly not an Italian goat (even though he will soon be in Walmart as a cuddly plush toy).“I think you need to ask Asha. She named him. He seems much more like a Rupert to me,” Tudyk answered.Set centuries ago in a small mythical kingdom, “Wish” finds the country’s founder King Magnifico (Chris Pine) to be a nasty, narcissistic wizard prone to the dark side. He holds captive the wishes of his people, which prompts Asha to wish so strongly, a mighty, tiny star named Star appears to help her in the fight against tyranny.But what, Tudyk was asked, is “Wish” really about?“It’s about the wishes inside of us. That wishes c...

TV Q&A: Will Prime’s ‘Three Pines’ return?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:58 GMT

You have questions. I have some answers.Q: Will Amazon Prime continue “Three Pines”? It ended with a cliffhanger.A: And the cliffhanger remains unresolved. The Quebec-set policy mystery starred Alfred Molina and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and originally ran for eight episodes on Prime Video in December 2022. A second season was not ordered.Based on novels by Louise Penny, the show had admirers besides you. Brian Tallerico of rogerebert.com called it “a very solid procedural” and said that “cases are elaborately ridiculous in a way that pushes on the edge of disbelief, but Molina sells them.”Still, according to TV Insider, showrunner Emilia di Giorlamo was told that Prime and the production companies “all wanted to bring the show back but were unable to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.”That, by the way, means that two series with Indigenous actors in major roles have been canceled after a single season this year, the other being “Alaska Daily.” Of “Three Pines,” Tailfeathers said,...

Rising star to watch: ‘Naughty Nine’s Winslow Fegley

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:58 GMT

Everyone knows Santa’s got a sleigh full of Christmas presents for youngsters, depending whether they’ve been Naughty or Nice.Now meet “The Naughty Nine,” an ingenious 9-member pack of troublemaking kids led by Andy (Winslow Fegley), who decide to rip off Santa’s headquarters in a brazen move to get even with Claus for skipping their gifts.Elaborately lavish, this holiday entry offers an unusual twist on cranky Ebenezer Scrooge in young, bright, charismatic Andy who, as played by 14-year-old Fegley with the dynamic energy of a young Jimmy Cagney, seems ready to conquer not just the North Pole but the world. He’s an unrepentant schemer.Fegley, a high school freshman, comes to this naturally: His parents and older siblings are all actors.  Did he always, Fegley was asked in a Zoom interview, know he’d act?“Well, of course. Yeah,” he answered. “Like you said, I come from a family of actors — my whole family. I grew up seeing my brother Oakes being in plays, stuff like that....

Elijah & Jeremiah share close bond

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:58 GMT

Elijah and Jeremiah are brothers with a close bond in search of a forever family. Elijah, the oldest, is sweet and very charming with a beautiful smile. Jeremiah, the youngest, is very loving. They both really enjoy spending time together, wrestling, and imaginary play. Elijah likes watching movies during his chill time and Jerimiah loves pizza.Elijah attends an ABA center-based program that provides him the one-on-one support he needs to thrive and continues to make progress with the support of an IEP. Like his brother, Jeremiah was originally enrolled in a center-based ABA program, however, he has recently enrolled in pre-school to develop and foster peer relationships. Both Elijah and Jeremiah are placed with the same foster family with whom they have established a strong relationship.Elijah and Jeremiah would thrive with a loving and committed family of any constellation with older children in the home. They require a family experienced and equipped to support their special need...

Husband’s ex won’t stop calling him

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:58 GMT

Q. My husband and his ex share equal custody of their kids. However, she calls constantly, whether the kids are here or not. We have asked repeatedly, politely and firmly not to call except in cases of emergency, but today she called to tell my husband that William lost his first tooth. A tooth? He’s got tons of them! It’s driving me crazy. What’s good ex-etiquette?A. Sounds like you are expecting to have very little interaction with his ex and if mom and dad are co-parenting, that is completely unreasonable. They SHOULD be calling each other — everyone (including you) should be doing their best to follow the first rule of good ex etiquette, “Put the children first.”Personally, I think mom was acting appropriately by calling dad about their son losing his first tooth. I think she should have texted him, as well, and included a picture. Losing your first tooth is a big deal and definitely something that should be shared by co-parents.It also sounds a little like you may be dict...

Editorial: Treat landlords as allies to fight housing crisis

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:58 GMT

Boston has a housing problem: the supply is limited, the demand is great, and the rent is too damn high.A new report shows that Boston ranked dead last among the nation’s ten largest cities when it comes to available rental units.“The past year has unfortunately offered more of the all-too-familiar story of high prices, low vacancy rates, and systems and regulations that are keeping thousands of homeseekers – particularly non-White families – from accessing affordable rental housing and homeownership opportunities,” said Lee Pelton, CEO and president of the Boston Foundation, which released the report.The report also showed that Boston is last among the nation’s largest cities when it comes to rental availability.Anyone who’s tried to find an apartment in their price range here knows that all too well.As the city works toward a solution, however, it can’t afford to treat landlords as adversaries.Mayor Michelle Wu made another push for rent control last week, as the Heral...

Can puppy enjoy some Thanksgiving treats?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:58 GMT

Dear Dr. John,With two kids in college and one of their friends coming home and with a new Labrador Retriever puppy in the house, what precautions do we need to take with Thanksgiving foods with the dog? He likes to get into all kinds of things and will eat just about anything! I have read that a little bit of turkey and stuffing can be safe to give to them. Are there other foods that might also be OK to give to the pup? I wonder if I also need to hide the garbage as he has knocked it over a few times already to get into things. J.F.Dear J.F.,Having a puppy makes it that more important to be careful and watchful of what they might ingest. Too many puppies and even adult dogs end up in emergency facilities during or just after Thanksgiving due to the ingestion of foods that have caused problems.One might see vomiting, diarrhea, choking on bones, pancreatitis, kidney issues, anemia, bloat, and more. Be sure to put the garbage in an inaccessible place so the smells of food scraps in th...

Ghosh: Arab states hold cards for two-state solution

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:58 GMT

That the recent meeting of Arab and Muslim nations in Riyadh was all talk and nothing more was surely a relief for President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, arguably, for the wider world. The last thing that the global economy needs is a repeat of the oil embargo that the Arab states imposed in 1973, to punish the US and some of its allies for having supported Israel during the Yom Kippur War.An appeal by Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi to impose sanctions on Israel (and to arm Hamas) went unheeded. Rather than cutting off the flow of oil, the leaders from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Countries settled for letting off steam. They condemned Israel for the military assault on Gaza and demanded an immediate cease-fire.Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest producer, has signaled that it will not use its oil exports as leverage to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza. And the Arab states that have recently normalized relations with Israel — the United Arab Emirate...

Music bridges differences in ‘The Band’s Visit’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:58 GMT

When a group of Egyptians are marooned in a small Israeli town, they need to find a connection that crosses borders: geographical and cultural. In “The Band’s Visit,” that connection — as it so often is — is music.“In this play, you are taking two groups of people, two very different groups, two groups from different cultures, religions, and countries,” actor Jared Troilo told the Herald. “You are putting them in the same room and they aren’t discussing politics. They aren’t discussing religion. They aren’t discussing where they differ. They are coming together through their relationships, and shared experiences, and most of all through music.”Troilo plays Itzik, one of the kind residents of the Israeli village who takes in some of the lost members of an Egyptian band of musicians. A language mix-up at a bus terminal has landed the band in a town too small to accommodate them so the residents must open their houses, and minds.Both a musical out of time and deeply needed today, “The ...

Thompson: Massachusetts workers need E-Verify

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:58 GMT

State lawmakers are trying to crack down on the unscrupulous employers who use cheap, illegal immigrant laborers to drive down Massachusetts workers’ wages.Their proposed bill, “An Act Protecting Massachusetts Workers” (H.1866/S.1169), would require businesses to use the federal government’s free E-Verify system to check whether newly hired employees are legally eligible to work in the United States.E-Verify is the most effective and humane way to deter illegal immigration and protect American workers. And it’s needed now more than ever, because Massachusetts’ migrant crisis is worsening by the day. Roughly 25,000 migrants have arrived in recent months — many of them illegally. Emergency shelters are so crowded that Gov. Healey is creating a waitlist.The humanitarian crisis extends well beyond homeless shelters. When employers fill job openings with illegal immigrants who’ll accept subpar wages and working conditions, it undercuts the ...