Clarisonic’s growing line of cleansing brushes have been hugely popular for years—with good reason. The brush’s vibrations remove dirt and debris on the outer layer of the skin, giving you a better clean than washing your face the old fashioned way. “There is data showing that Clarisonic can more fully remove pollution from the skin than washing your face without the device,” says Dr. Zeichner, adding that it is gentle enough to be used across all skin types. “If you are acne prone this is one of the best tools you can get for at-home use,” dermatologist and RealSelf contributor Michele Green, M.D., tells SELF. “Because the brush cleans the skin and pores so well, it makes absorption of skin-care products easier.” Cosmetic dermatologist Anna Guanche, M.D., recommends the brush along with prescription cleansers for patients with acne and rosacea. She notes that some rosacea patients may be too sensitive to use it, but for those with oily, acne-prone skin, the method show really good results. The rave reviews are across the board. “I highly recommended the skin cleansing system, Clarisonic,” board certified dermatologist Debra Jaliman, M.D., tells SELF. “A Clarisonic brush can help you achieve smoother, healthier, and more radiant skin.”

Liberty Mutual Global risk appointee

Liberty Mutual Appoints Janelle Edem Chief of Staff for Global Risk Solutions BOSTON, April 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Mutual has appointed Janelle Edem Chief of Staff, Global Risk Solutions (GRS), Liberty Mutual's global commercial and specialty lines (re)insurer, which provides a full range of innovative traditional insurance, specialty and reinsurance risk solutions to businesses around the world. Reporting to Dennis Langwell, President, GRS, Edem will organize, prioritize and move forward critical strategic issues to facilitate efficient decision making for GRS' executive office. "Throughout her 14-year career at Liberty, Janelle has excelled at many key positions, from managing one of our largest global accounts, to heading Claims Analytics & Reporting," notes Langwell. "Her experience developing, running and continuously improving sophisticated programs, and her strong business knowledge across the organization, will help make her the ideal Chief of Staff." Most recently, Edem served as General Manager, UPS Distribution and Service, for GRS' National Insurance operation. She joined Liberty Mutual after graduating from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, with a Master of Business Administration. Edem has also been active in Liberty Mutual's Employee Resource Groups (ERG), which bring employees together while fostering an inclusive culture, enhancing personal development and supporting broader business objectives. She served as the first Co-Executive Sponsor of the Liberty Employees of African Descent and Allies ERG, and currently co-chairs the Careers subcommittee of the WE@Liberty + Allies ERG, which helps empower women and allies through programing and mentorship programs. Edem – recognized in 2015 by Wharton School's Boston chapter with the Joseph Wharton Alumni Leader Award – also participated in the Next Generation Leadership program from The Partnership Inc., a leading organization that supports multicultural professionals at all levels in an increasingly diverse and global workforce. About Liberty Mutual Insurance Liberty Mutual's purpose is to help people embrace today and confidently pursue tomorrow. The promise we make to our customers throughout the world is to provide protection for the unexpected, delivered with care. In business since 1912, and headquartered in Boston, Mass., today we are the fifth largest global property and casualty insurer based on 2017 gross written premium. We also rank 68th on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2017 revenue. As of December 31, 2018, we had $41.6 billion in annual consolidated revenue. We employ nearly 50,000 people in 30 countries and economies around the world. We offer a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, specialty lines, reinsurance, commercial multiple-peril, workers compensation, commercial automobile, general liability, surety, and commercial property. You can learn more about us by visiting www.libertymutualinsurance.com CONTACT: Richard Angevine (617) 574-6638 (Office) (617) 833-0926 (Cell) richard.angevine@libertymutual.com Liberty Mutual Insurance. (PRNewsFoto/Liberty Mutual) (PRNewsFoto/) (PRNewsfoto/Liberty Mutual Insurance) More Story continues

The built ford tough never sounded so true as in the case of this lucky couple!

Liberty Leaf

Liberty Leaf's Signature Cannabis Retail Launches Accessories Website VANCOUVER, April 8, 2019 /CNW/ - Liberty Leaf Holdings Ltd. (CSE: LIB) (OTCQB: LIBFF) (FSE: HN3P) ("Liberty Leaf" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the launch of Signature Cannabis Retail's e-commerce website, an online shopping experience offering quality cannabis accessories to consumers. On the Signature site – https://signaturebylibertyleaf.com – discerning customers will be able to browse a complementary array of cannabis-accessory products, including vaporizers, grinders, storage items and more. "From all expert indicators, the accessories share of the cannabis market is poised to boom," says Will Rascan, President and CEO of Liberty Leaf. "We've anticipated this boom and are excited to be part of it by building this accessories e-commerce website through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Signature Retail Cannabis." The Signature offering is a discriminating selection of choice accessories. As Rascan emphasizes, "In carving out a top-grade accessory niche, we'll be offering products we've carefully sourced and can confidently attest to." "The thoughtful, thorough planning that's gone into Signature puts Liberty Leaf in an immediate position to start generating revenues," Rascan adds. Moreover, this new Signature site is an ideal platform to build on in throughout Canada and internationally: "The branding process we're developing now will carry forward to future online initiatives. We're confident that consumers will come to know and trust the Signature brand – and keep looking to it for quality and reliability." Curated, Specialty Cannabis-Accessory Products Every item in the Signature accessories online shop has been carefully curated, explains Ceri Willott, Liberty Leaf's Special Projects Manager. "We're excited to unveil our product line to consumers, because we've devoted time and TLC into selecting only the very best for them. As well, visitors will find our site welcoming, friendly and easy to use." "The whole team is enthusiastic about building and expanding an online retail presence for the Company and its affiliates," says Rascan. "Our focus is engagement: to create and grow a Signature community of sophisticated customers and, to provide them with the finest in customer service, including innovative – and fun – programs of loyalty, education and referral." Watch for Signature's presence on social media - Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. About Liberty Leaf Liberty Leaf Holdings Ltd. is a Canadian-based, public company whose focus is to build and support a diversified portfolio of cannabis-sector businesses, including cultivation, processing, value-added CBD products and accessory products within this dynamic and fast-growing sector. For further info on the Company please visit https://www.libleaf.com or email info@libleaf.com On Behalf of the Board Will Rascan, President & CEOLiberty Leaf Holdings Ltd.Phone: 778-819-0244Toll Free: 1-833-LIB-LEAF (542-5323) Twitter: @LibertyLeafCSEFacebook: LibertyLeafCSE Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results. Such statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to revise or update such statements.

Elvis Costello&the imposters and Blondie on tour!

Elvis Costello and Blondie music,books and videos Here Elvis Costello & The Imposters and Blondie Embark on Co-Headlining Summer Tour Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the nonprofit cultural center located at the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival, today announced that Elvis Costello & The Imposters and Blondie will perform at the center on Saturday, July 20th as the first stop on their coast-to-coast co-headlining tour. Elvis Costello and Blondie shared spots near the top of the UK Singles Chart 40 years ago when Blondie's "Heart Of Glass" sat neck-and-neck alongside Elvis Costello & The Attraction's "Oliver's Army" in the company of The Bee Gees, Gloria Gaynor and ABBA. The same week, Blondie's seminal album Parallel Lines reached #1 on the Album Chart while Costello's Armed Forces landed at #3. Elvis Costello & The Imposters' last tour in late 2018 found the combo reaching new live performance peaks. The band "came out swinging" (Star Tribune) in Minneapolis, were "unstoppable" in Anaheim (OC Register) and played an "epic and euphoric" (Variety) show in LA that even at nearly three hours "[left] 'em wanting more." The Imposters are: Steve Nieve (keyboards), J*Davey Faragher (bass) and Pete Thomas (drums). In 2017, Blondie hit the road in support of their most collaborative album yet, Pollinator (BMG). Their spectacular live shows drew acclaim for their "flair and precision" (Rolling Stone), while being called "formidable" (LA Weekly) and "artful, rocking" (City Pages). Pollinator was praised by the likes of New York Times, Rolling Stone, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork and many more for its dynamic blend of Blondie's trailblazing sound and new influences from some of modern music's greatest innovators including Sia, Dev Hynes, Charli XCX, Dave Sitek, Joan Jett, and more. It features the euphoric disco-infused single "Fun," the propulsive 80s-esque anthem "Long Time," and the irreverent "Doom or Destiny." Elvis Costello's wide-ranging recording career began in 1977 with the release of My Aim Is True in a catalogue that include such diverse highlights as This Year's Model, Get Happy, Imperial Bedroom, King Of America, Blood & Chocolate, The Juliet Letters with the Brodsky Quartet, The River In Reverse with Allen Toussaint and Wise Up Ghost with The Roots. The 1998 release, Painted From Memory contained the first of more than thirty songs composed with Burt Bacharach, while the 2017 box-set re-issue of Paul McCartney's Flowers In The Dirt includes 15 demo duet recordings made by McCartney and Costello prior to the release of the albums Spike and Flowers In The Dirt, on which his co-written hit singles, "Veronica" and "My Brave Face," were first released. Costello previously appeared alongside Deborah Harry with composer/poet Roy Nathanson and the Jazz Passengers both in concert and on the recordings "Fire At Keaton's Bar and Grill" and "Individually Twisted" in the '90s. Elvis Costello & The Imposters' widely renowned Look Now was released by Concord Records in 2018 and of which Variety said, "It's so funny to be seeing him, after all this time, making a great cake of an album that doesn't really sound that much like any of the 30 before it." The catalogue will soon include the E.P., Purse, containing songwriting collaborations with Burt Bacharach and Paul McCartney and musical settings of lyrics by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. Since the release of their self-titled debut album in 1976, Blondie has brought the worlds of rock, punk, disco and ska together and racked up four indelible Billboard Hot 100 #1 hits - "Heart of Glass," "Call Me," "The Tide Is High" and "Rapture " - as well as six #1s on the UK Singles Chart including "Maria," "Sunday Girl," and "Atomic." Debbie Harry - genre-spanning visionary, complex songstress, incandescent front woman and style icon - and the band's boundary-pushing pop have shaped the look and sound of many chart-topping female artists who have followed and have made Blondie widely recognized as one of the most influential bands of our time. Debbie will reflect on this and more in her highly anticipated memoir out later this year. Blondie's Chris Stein recently released a photo book of his own entitled Point of View: Me, New York City, and The Punk Scene, following his successful first photo book, Negative: Me, Blondie, and the Advent of Punk. Selected as one of Amazon's best photo books of 2018, Point of View showcases Chris' brilliance as a photographer and documentarian, chronicling his life among his punk and new-wave peers and the downtown New York City scene in the 1970s through his insider lens. Elvis Costello, Pete Thomas and Steve Nieve are all members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Elvis Costello is an Oscar-nominated and BAFTA and Grammy award-winning composer and member of the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. Costello has received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from both the University of Liverpool and the New England Conservatory. Costello's unconventional memoir, Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink, was published by Blue Rider/Penguin in 2015. The New York Times review began, "Songs can be many things," Elvis Costello writes in his new autobiography: "an education, a seduction, some solace in heartache, a valve for anger, a passport, your undoing, or even a lottery ticket. Mr. Costello's book, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, manages to be all these things, and a pint of Guinness and a bag of chips. It's streaked with some of the best writing - funny, strange, spiteful, anguished - we've ever had from an important musician." The book went on to spend several weeks on the NY Times Best Seller List. Ever the bona fide international ambassadors of New York cool, Blondie - vocalist-songwriter Debbie Harry, guitarist and co-writer Chris Stein, powerhouse drummer Clem Burke, and long-time band members bassist Leigh Foxx, guitarist Tommy Kessler and keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen - has become and still remains a true national treasure; one whose influence both shaped and continues to inform the worlds of music, fashion, art and pop culture. Blondie's chart-topping success, fearless spirit and rare longevity led to an induction into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, a NME Godlike Genius Award in 2014, a Q Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 2016, and more than 50 million albums sold worldwide to date. The pre-sale for Bethel Woods Members begins Wednesday, April 3rd at 10:00 AM. To learn about additional member benefits and pre-sale access, please visit http://www.bethelwoodscenter.org/supportthearts/membership-opportunities. A limited number of 2019 Bethel Woods Season Lawn Passes are still available, fully transferrable, and guarantees your place on the lawn for every Pavilion concert. To learn more visit http://www.bethelwoodscenter.org/performances-festivals/seasonlawnpass. The Museum at Bethel Woods offers $8 admission when purchased with a concert ticket and $10 admission when purchased day of with a valid concert ticket. Discounted admission is valid the day of a concert through noon the following day. Presented by Orange Bank and Trust, the 2019 Special Exhibit We Are Golden: Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of The Woodstock Festival & Aspirations for a Peaceful Future, examines the desires of the youth of 1969, places the festival in the context of the positive societal changes it inspired and asks today's youth what THEY desire of the world now. To learn more, please visit http://www.bethelwoodscenter.org/the-museum. The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark is the proud sponsor of The Family Zone. Available during most Pavilion performances, the limited capacity area of lawn seating is devoid of smoking, alcoholic beverages and standing. No additional ticket needed or surcharge added. To learn more, please visit https://www.bethelwoodscenter.org/FamilyZone Bethel Woods' Season of Song & Celebration promises year-long programming and a uniquely memorable experience for those who journey to the historic site to celebrate the legacy of the greatest festival of all time. For more information about Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, please visit www.BethelWoodsCenter.orgor call 1.866.781.2922. Related Articles View More Music Stories More Hot Stories For You Visit the only place to shop online!Yomi,s site!

McGregor-Nurmagomedov Twitter war gets even uglier as Dana White steps in Cindy Boren Reporter covering sports, with an emphasis on politics and national stories Des Bieler Sports reporter covering national topics, including fantasy football, as well as supporting coverage of D.C.-area teams April 4 at 1:31 AM So much for any notion that the very, very bad blood between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov ended with McGregor’s announced retirement. The Twitter war between the two MMA stars got uglier Wednesday, even as UFC President Dana White called the situation “unacceptable” and said he was taking “steps” to rein in the antagonists. In response to a jab by Nurmagomedov on Tuesday, McGregor lobbed an insult at the wife of the UFC lightweight champion. After about 15 minutes, McGregor deleted the tweet and went on to call for a rematch with Nurmagomedov, who beat him via fourth-round submission in a UFC 229 lightweight title fight in October. “Your wife is a towel, mate,” he tweeted along with a photo from Nurmagomedov’s wedding in which the bride’s head and face are covered. McGregor’s tweet about the Russian fighter, a devout Sunni Muslim, was captured by MMA Junkie before being deleted. Nurmagomedov and his wife, whose name is not publicly known, have been married since 2013, and the couple has two children. Nurmagomedov responded by calling McGregor a “rapist,” referring to reports that the Irishman was under investigation for an alleged sexual assault in Dublin. Posting a photo Wednesday of his nemesis with a woman reported to be someone other than Dee Devlin, McGregor’s girlfriend and the mother of his two young children, Nurmagomedov added: “You are a hypocrite who is not responsible for your actions. Justice will find you. We will see.” That had White issuing a statement in which he said he was “aware of the recent social media exchange” between Nurmagomedov and McGregor. “The ongoing situation has escalated to a level that is unacceptable,” he declared. "As such, we are taking the necessary steps to reach out to both athlete camps and this situation is being addressed by all parties internally.” However, McGregor returned to Twitter after that and posted a comment suggesting that Nurmagomedov had married a goat. McGregor again deleted the tweet shortly thereafter, but not before getting an ominous-sounding reply from Nurmagomedov: “If you think that insulting entire religion you be safe, you are mistaken.” Nurmagomedov’s comment earlier Tuesday seemed to set off the latest round of vitriol between the two. Nurmagomedov compared McGregor to “a jealous wife” in expressing doubt about the sincerity of McGregor’s retirement, which he announced abruptly last week on Twitter. “I don’t think he’s finished,” Nurmagomedov said in a speech in Moscow. “Conor acts like a jealous wife who says ‘I will leave’ all the time but then comes back.” After deleting his first tweet, McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) pivoted to talking rematch with Nurmagomedov (27-0, 11-0). “Don’t be scared of the rematch you little scurrying rat,” he wrote. “You will do what you are told like you always do.” That kind of exchange between the two fighters wasn’t really surprising, no matter the status of McGregor’s retirement. Both men and their camps sparred verbally and physically with trash talk that reached a personal level during the run-up to UFC 229, when McGregor talked about Nurmagomedov’s father, his religion and his country. Nurmagomedov cited those comments in explaining why, after beating McGregor, he jumped out of the Octagon and went after McGregor’s corner, touching off a brawl that resulted in suspensions for both men. In early March, McGregor completed the terms of a plea agreement in New York that stemmed from an incident before UFC 223 last April in which McGregor attacked a bus bearing UFC fighters and staffers at Barclays Center. The agreement, which also involved pleading guilty to a count of disorderly conduct, enabled the Irishman to avoid a possible jail sentence and deportation. McGregor, according to the New York Post, performed “menial tasks” at churches to fulfill that part of the agreement. He still faces civil lawsuits stemming from the incident and was ordered to undergo anger-management counseling as part of the plea agreement. On March 11, he was arrested in Miami on strong-arm robbery and criminal mischief charges after he allegedly smashed and stole a fan’s cellphone outside a nightclub. “Patience in this world is a virtue I continue to work on,” he said on social media soon after that. Last week, McGregor announced his retirement, saying on Twitter, “I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition.” However, more than a few in the world of MMA doubted that he was completely serious about never fighting again. Later Wednesday, McGregor appeared to signal an end, at least for the time being, to his online battle with Nurmagomedov — and to his retirement — by tweeting, “I want to move forward, with my fans of all faiths and all backgrounds. All faiths challenge us to be our best selves.” He added, “Now see you in the Octagon.” Read more from The Post: Boswell: What, you thought this Nats season was going to be fun? Low scores and high tolerance: My memories of Virginia’s run to the 1984 Final Four Matthew Stafford’s wife needs surgery to remove brain tumor Sorry we doubted you, March Madness. Your latest was a masterpiec Limited Edition Licensed Michael Jackson Bobblehead Dolls, click here to order

Rakuten says to book $990 million gain on Lyft investment FILE PHOTO: Rakuten's network facility for its under-construction mobile network is pictured in Tokyo, Japan, February 20, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-hoon/File Photo TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s Rakuten said on Monday it will book a 110 billion yen ($989.74 million) gain in the quarter through March on its investment in Lyft following the U.S. ride-hailing firm’s listing last week. Rakuten become Lyft’s largest shareholder with a 13 percent stake ahead of its IPO. Lyft shares closed 9 percent higher at $78.29 in their market debut on Friday, giving the loss-making firm a market capitalization of around $22.2 billion. Rakuten’s shares were down 3 percent by the midday break in Tokyo on Monday, underperforming the broader market. Its shares have climbed 38 percent this year on rising investor expectations of returns on its tech investments. Those bets include ride-hailing firm Careem, which is being acquired by Uber for $3.1 billion, and image sharing website Pinterest, which has filed for an IPO. Rakuten’s finances are being squeezed with falling margins at its core e-commerce unit and it is making an ambitious attempt to break into Japan’s mature telecoms market with the start of carrier services in October. (This story corrects first paragraph to show figure is in billion yen, not million) Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman

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01 Spotify acquires true crime studio Parcast to expand its original podcast content Spotify, the music streaming platform with 207 million users, is making good on its commitment to invest up to $500 million more into its new podcasting business — a promise it made in February after announcing the acquisitions of podcast networks Gimlet and Anchor for $340 million. Today, Spotify announced that it has acquired a small podcasting studio called Parcast, known best for true-crime and other factual serials in genres like mystery, science fiction, and history. Sample titles in the 18 it has produced to date include Serial Killers, Unsolved Murders, Cults and Conspiracy Theories and it recently also released Mind’s Eye, its first foray into fiction. Several of these have already clocked up millions of listens and have reached the top-ten ranks on iTunes’ podcast charts. Notably, in addition to iTunes, Parcast’s content can be found on other platforms like Pandora and Stitcher, and from what understand there are no plans to make any of it exclusive to Spotify . Spotify said that Parcast has about 20 additional programs in the works for this year. Terms of the deal — which is expected to close this quarter (Q2) 2019, subject to customary closing conditions — were not disclosed. The startup was completely bootstrapped; in other words it did not raise any outside funding. This deal is an obvious one to help it scale up its business on the back of what is currently the world’s biggest music streaming platform. “In three years, we have created a production house that has grown exponentially and hit a chord with mystery and true-crime fans, especially women, across all 50 states and around the world. We are proud to join the world’s most popular audio subscription streaming service and gain access to one of the largest audiences around the world,” said Max Cutler, founder and president of Parcast, in a statement. “Alongside Spotify, our ability to scale, grow and amplify the unique and tailored brand of content we create is full of fantastic possibilities.” Interestingly, in an interview only a month ago in the Podcast Business Journal, Cutler also confirmed that the company was working on TV shows to be made out of their podcasts. PBJ: Any chance one of your shows becomes a TV show?Max: Yes, there is a good chance. PBJ: Which one?Max: I cannot say right now but there are three we are really excited about right now. If Parcast was already in discussions for these shows, or those are already in the works, this could see Spotify becoming a video producer and making videos either for its own platform — something it has long tried to do but without much of a breakthrough so far — or becoming a licensing entity to produce these on other platforms, representing another revenue stream for it. Parcast was cofounded by Max and Ron Cutler — respectively father and son, and both repeat entrepreneurs. The elder Cutler is a veteran of radio programming who had worked with a number of well-known radio broadcasters of the 1980s and 1990s such as Rick Dees, Tom Joyner, and Cousin Brucie, and had founded Cutler Comedy Networks, which syndicated morning radio content to some 2,000 stations and was eventually sold to Premiere Radio Networks (now part of iHeartMedia). The younger Cutler had cut his teeth building a social media startup among other things. Parcast was borne out of the realisation that — alongside all the talk-radio-inspired programming you see across the podcast universe — there was a gap in the market for more Discovery-style true crime and other ‘factual’ programming that tells stories with dramatic twists. Indeed, when you consider the huge success of podcasts like Serial, it has been one of the most popular genres of podcasts of all and has arguably helped to put the medium on the map. In keeping with that, the acquisition also fits in line with what users are already searching for on Spotify, the company said. “The addition of Parcast to our growing roster of podcast content will advance our goal of becoming the world’s leading audio platform,” said Dawn Ostroff, Spotify Chief Content Officer, in a statement. “Crime and mystery podcasts are a top genre for our users and Parcast has had significant success creating hit series while building a loyal and growing fan base. We’re excited to welcome the Parcast team to Spotify and we look forward to supercharging their growth.” The acquisition comes at a time when Spotify is doubling down on expanding and diversifying the kind of audio content that it can offer users beyond music. It’s doing this for a few reasons. Part of this is to cater to different tastes and moods. And part of this is to develop new revenue streams: podcasting both has freemium (ad-supported) and premium (a la carte or subscription) potential. And the third big area where Parcast will give Spotify a boost is in its efforts to develop its own original content. Spotify has a long-term mission to continue to differentiate itself from the rest of the music streaming pack — it has 40 million tracks today, but for the average listener, it’s a mix that is very comparable to what you might find on Pandora, Apple Music, Amazon and Google. That mission also gives it intellectual property of its own that Spotify does not have to negotiate licensing deals with third parties to use (see also: possible use of the content in other mediums like video). Conversely, since Spotify has no plans to make the content exclusive to its platform, this could represent a licensing opportunity for Spotify, where it now makes a cut when the content is used elsewhere. And considering that it is currently waging a legal battle against Apple over claims that its app stores are anticompetitive, having its own bedrock of original programming can only help its position as a standalone platform longer term. (Needless to say, having your own talent on staff comes with its own potential complications, too, such as the efforts Gimlet staff are making right now to try to unionize, which are being met with some resistence from Gimlet management.)

Today’s European Union, and its predecessor the European Economic Community (EEC), formed in 1957, emerged from the crucible of two world wars. But a century before that, there was another dream of European unity, born out of the ravages of the Napoleonic Wars in which up to 6 million people lost their lives. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had a plan that they hoped might play a part in steering Europe from a potential battlefield to a haven of peace and prosperity. Â After the Napoleonic Wars, British foreign policy aimed to achieve a balance of power in Europe; no single country should become sufficiently dominant to unleash such destruction across the continent ever again. In the mid-19th century, Prince Albert and Queen Victoria believed that dynastic marriages between their nine children and European royalty would provide a further safeguard. Each marriage was a form of soft power: a path to help spread British liberal values across the continent, and perhaps even push back against the destabilising forces of republicanism, revolution and war. Prince Albert glimpsed the possibility of a federal Europe, in which a series of strong, independent countries, stable under their own constitutional monarchies (and ideally modelled as closely as possible on the British constitution), could be united by common goals and interests. Â Their grand scheme began to take shape in the autumn of 1855, when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert invited the handsome second heir to the Prussian throne, Prince Frederick, to Balmoral. Although their beloved oldest daughter, Vicky, was just 14, they had long planned a great dynastic marriage for her. “Fritz” was looking very “manly”, the queen confided to her diary on 15 September, and she found the visit “makes my heart beat… as it probably will decide the fate of our dear eldest child”. Â Sure enough, the romantic feelings of their daughter obligingly developed over a two-week courtship to mirror Albert’s political and strategic vision of Europe. When the Prussian prince plucked some white heather from the moors and proposed, Vicky accepted. Â Queen Victoria and Prince Albert surrounded by some of their children at Windsor Castle. In the group are Princess Victoria; the future King Edward VII (as a young prince); Prince Alfred, Princess Alice and Princess Helena. (GL Archive/Alamy Stock Photo) Â The ‘threat’ of a unified Prussian power In the 1850s, Prince Albert grasped the potential of Protestant Prussia to unite all the German states under its banner, and the power this new country could wield in Europe. He did not want a newly unified Germany under Prussian domination to exert its influence as a military dictatorship or autocracy. Â Vicky’s brilliant marriage to the future Prussian heir aimed at nothing less than to fashion the political development of Prussia-Germany along British lines and then to facilitate an Anglo-German alliance to keep the peace. The young princess was to nurture the seed of enlightened, liberal thinking on Prussian soil and help steer the new state towards a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Her marriage in 1858 was not just a question of her health and happiness, Albert warned. At stake was “the future of your country and people and thereby, one might almost say, the welfare of Europe”. Â British people shared these high hopes, lining the streets despite the heavy January snowfall to cheer as Vicky departed for Prussia: “God Save the Prince and Bride! God keep their lands allied.” Â Portrait of Princess Victoria, daughter of Queen Victoria, and Prince Frederick William of Prussia, on their wedding day in 1858. From an engraving by John Sartain. (Photo by P. L. Sperr/Getty Images) Â Queen Victoria’s renewed mission When Prince Albert died on 14 December 1861, his inconsolable wife and eldest daughter both felt charged with a renewed mission to carry out his wishes. Suitable dynastic matches had already been identified for Albert and Victoria’s next two children. Queen Victoria’s second daughter, Alice, married another German prince, Louis of Hesse, while her oldest son, the wayward Prince Albert Edward, or ‘Bertie’, married a Danish princess, Alexandra. These matches soon brought connections to the royal houses in Denmark, Greece and Russia. Â Four more of Queen Victoria’s younger children would later marry into German royal houses. Each royal union seemed to hold great promise, a potential statement of allied national interests and ideas, bringing hope to the cheering masses – well before there was any concept of a ‘European Union’. Â As the years passed, Queen Victoria had no less than 42 grandchildren and, in the second half of the 19th century, she watched the progress of the next generation flourish into a cousinhood so large it formed a unique network – “the royal mob” as she called it – which occupied a singular place at the top of European society. Â Queen Victoria came to acquire an exclusive status in Europe; she was the great matriarch, the universal ‘mother figure’, her modest 4ft 11ins tall frame somehow growing in stature with Britain’s rising supremacy and known across the continent simply as ‘the queen’. And as her grandchildren reached maturity, she felt her own union with her beloved Albert took on even greater significance as royal connections could be extended and secured still further. Â But even as the royal family reached the zenith of its power, an unconsidered human element was making its destructive way into Albert’s perfect plan. Although Germany was unified by 1871, Albert’s ‘noble’ vision that had inspired Vicky’s marital alliance unravelled in ways that her father could never have envisaged. Traumatised and isolated in the German court, Vicky poured out her heart in her revealing correspondence to her mother. Â The two royal families of Great Britain and Russia sit for a portrait during Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight in 1909. It is not possible here to convey the scale of the tragedy that would engulf these royal first cousins or to describe all the events that would sweep away the Europe of their youth, says Deborah Cadbury. (Bettmann/Getty Images) Â The world’s most exclusive dating agency While Vicky’s experiences influenced Queen Victoria’s views on grand foreign alliances, her enthusiasm for matchmaking remained undimmed. The queen’s grandchildren gained automatic entry into what amounted to the world’s most exclusive dating agency, where one good-looking princess might find herself sought after by the heirs to several thrones. The queen felt uniquely placed to orchestrate the selection process and help her grandchildren navigate the mysteries of the European royal marriage market. Â Yet for all their purported obedience to ‘Grandmama Queen’, Victoria’s grandchildren often had plans of their own, fuelled by strong wills and romantic hearts. Researching in the royal archives at Windsor Castle and reading the correspondence between the queen and her grandchildren, I came across a compelling cast of central characters in this family saga. Queen Victoria’s oldest British grandson, Prince Albert Victor, or ‘Eddy’, was the second heir to the British throne at the height of its power; in the words of his Aunt Vicky in Germany, of all the princes in Europe, Eddy was “first prize”. Â But rumours of a most indelicate and unwelcome nature were beginning to wend their way down the corridors of Balmoral and Windsor. Eddy was accused of various unspecified ‘dissipations’ the records of which were destroyed by his Aunt Beatrice after the death of Queen Victoria. There were rumours of liaisons with ‘ladies of low standing’ or perhaps even affairs with men – a claim that has never been proved. Â Although Eddy knew how to charm the queen, she was not fooled. Her investigations revealed a young prince who was far removed from being a carbon copy of his namesake, the illustrious Prince Albert. The young man on whose shoulders the whole great edifice would eventually descend had to be taken in hand. Â The queen found much to concern her, too, in Eddy’s younger brother, Prince George. George’s most marked enthusiasms were for stamp collecting and shooting – neither pursuit enhanced by female company. Indeed, at first there appeared to be no princess available whose main interests quite matched those of George, whose daily life was agreeably free of the need to marry anyone. Â Queen Victoria and her great-grandchild, the future Edward VIII, c1898. (Photo by Print Collector/Getty Images) Â The queen soon alighted on a solution to the problem of Prince Eddy in her favourite German granddaughter: Princess Alexandra or Alix. With her great beauty and sound education (which had been personally supervised by the queen), she appeared to have the very attributes that made her the ideal consort. But the queen encountered opposition from Alix’s older sister, Elisabeth of Hesse, or ‘Ella’. Ella herself did the exact opposite of what her grandmother advised, even when the queen wrote quite bluntly that her own proposed match “will be her ruin”. Â Ella’s choices would have implications for her younger sister and to my delight, there was correspondence in the royal archives that shed light on just how Alix came to turn down the heirs to both the British and Russian thrones. The queen was strongly opposed to her marrying the Russian tsarevich, and Alix turned Nicholas down twice before changing her mind and reaching her final ill-fated decision. Â Queen Victoria’s views were not easily ignored; her authority among the princes of Europe sometimes extended far beyond her role as head of the family as she juggled potential matches. To the surprise of those involved, she thought nothing of interfering in long-held arrangements, breaking off an engagement, seeking an annulment to an unsuitable match and even encouraging one prince to marry his dead brother’s fiancé. Â A vision for stability The 19th-century vision at the heart of Victoria and Albert’s matchmaking did not end with her death, but collided increasingly with an overwhelming and urgent impetus for change. Their wonderful dream of constitutional monarchies spreading across the continent, bringing order, peace and a stable form of political governance, was irresistible. It was an idyll somehow tinged with all the innocence of village England, the sound of leather on willow, the puritan work ethic and British stiff upper lip. Â But in the early 20th century, this vision clashed with something altogether more brutal and immediate in which moderation was swept away by an overpowering impulse for change. The once distant threat of war could no longer be ignored as her grandchildren ascended Europe’s thrones in Germany, Russia, Norway, Spain, Greece and Britain. The seventh and last to accede to a throne became Queen Marie of Romania on 10 October 1914, “at a moment when the whole of Europe was on fire and flames were licking our every frontier”, Marie wrote in her memoirs. Â It is not possible here to convey the scale of the tragedy that would engulf these royal first cousins or to describe all the events that would sweep away the Europe of their youth. Queen Victoria’s crowned descendants found themselves pitched not just cousin against cousin, but husband against wife and sister against sister. Â Drawing on intimate letters and diaries, I explored how these seven grandchildren came to be elevated to their European thrones and how their marriages shaped history. At the heart of it all is Victoria herself: doting grandmother one moment; determined queen empress the next. Â Queen Victoria’s Matchmaking by Deborah Cadbury travels through the glittering, decadent palaces of Russia and Europe, weaving in scandals, political machinations and family tensions, all set against the backdrop of the tumultuous years in the lead up to the First World War (Bloomsbury, £25). Â This article was originally published by History Extra in January 2018

Art of recognition

Francis J. Greenburger. COURTESY TIME EQUITIES, INC. Art Omi, a nonprofit arts center in Ghent, New York, has chosen John Newman, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Ralph Lemon, Jennifer Bartlett, and Johannes Girardoni as the winners of its 2019 Francis J. Greenburger Award. Each artist will receive $12,500, and the prizes will be presented at the New Museum in New York on April 1. Francis J. Greenburger, founder of Art Omi and chairman of the real-estate firm Time Equities, Inc., said in a statement, “The spirit of the Francis J. Greenburger Awards is to celebrate under recognized artists for their lifetime achievements and significant contributions to the art community. While the world at large may not be familiar with the individuals being honored, leaders of the art world hold them in very high esteem.” Newman’s sculptures, drawings, and prints are part of the collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum, Tate Britain, and elsewhere. He has had over 50 solo shows during his career, and he previously served as director of graduate studies in sculpture at the Yale School of Art. Ukeles has been the official un-salaried artist-in-residence at the New York City Department of Sanitation since 1977, and she is best known for works about maintenance and service. The artist’s Manifesto for Maintenance Art 1969! and her Touch Sanitation Performance (1979–80) are among her most famous endeavors. Ukeles has shown work at New York institutions such as the Whitney Museum, MoMA PS1, and the Guggenheim Museum, as well as the Art Institute of Chicago and many other venues. A choreographer, writer, visual artist, and curator, Lemon is currently the artistic director of Cross Performance. He received a National Medal of Arts from Barack Obama in 2015, and he was the 2018 recipient of the Heinz Family Foundation Award. He is the first choreographer to receive the Francis J. Greenburger Award. Bartlett, whose work blends Abstract Expressionist, Minimalist, and Conceptualist strategies, creates installations, prints, and paintings. One of her early works, Rhapsody (1975–76), is now owned by the Museum of Modern Art, and her works also figure in the permanent holdings of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Met, among other institutions. In his practice, sculptor, photographer, and installation artist Girardoni experiments with material, light, and space. His pieces are in the holdings of the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York, the Margulies Collection in Miami, the Harvard Art Museums in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and beyond.