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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2021)
April 21, 2021 The Skanner Portland & Seattle Page 7 Arts & Entertainment LeVar Burton to be ‘Jeopardy!’ Guest Host; Petition Credited LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 200,000-plus LeVar Burton boosters who signed a petition calling for him to be the new “Jeopardy!” host will get to see him try the job on for size. Burton is among the fi- nal group of guest hosts for the quiz show, which lost its longtime host Alex Trebek to cancer last November and has put off announcing his successor. Burton’s supporters seized the opportunity to launch an online petition for the actor, who starred on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Roots,” and was the host of “Reading Rainbow,” the children’s educational program. In his career, Burton has “inspired and shaped the minds of several gen- erations of trivia-lov- ing nerds,” according to the petition that, as of Wednesday, had 246,000 and counting signers. In an email, a spokes- woman for Burton said he believes the petition drive and his social me- dia interactions with fans were factors in the invitation for him to be a guest host. There was no immedi- ate reply to a request for comment from producer Sony Pictures Television. TV anchors and jour- nalists George Steph- anopoulos and Robin Roberts of ABC and Da- vid Faber of CNBC and sportscaster Joe Buck are the other temp hosts getting one-week stints, Sony said Wednesday. The air dates weren’t an- nounced. LeVar Burton attends the 70th National Book Awards ceremony in New York on Nov. 20, 2019. Burton will serve as guest host on the game show “Jeopardy!” (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP, File) Burning Man Mulling Mandatory COVD-19 Vaccines for August By SCOTT SONNER Asso- ciated Press RENO, Nev. (AP) — Burning Man festival organizers have said that they are consider- ing requiring attendees to prove they have been vaccinated for COVID-19 if the organizers move forward with plans to hold this year’s count- er-culture festival in the Nevada desert. The organizers backed off an earlier statement indicating that they had already decided to make the shots mandatory. They say they won’t de- cide for sure until the end of the month wheth- er the event that was can- celed last year because of the pandemic will take place this summer. Burning Man CEO Marian Goodell said in a video message posted on the group’s web site on April 8 that “vaccines will be required to come to Burning Man.” She erroneously said at that time that the state of Ne- vada requires that peo- ple have proof of being vaccinated at large gath- erings. She acknowledged last weekend in an updated statement on the group’s web site that she “mis- spoke.” Citing a backlash from many long-time attend- ees at the annual event that draws more than 80,000 people to the Black Rock Desert about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Reno, Goodell clarified that organizers had been formulating their own guidelines on mandatory vaccinations as part of the health and safety plan they must submit to state and coun- ty officials. “We are weighing the gravity of what that does,” Goodell said. “And we know that challenges the concept of `radical in- clusion.’” She said civic respon- sibility is an important part of organizers’ guid- ing principles but that they realize people in some countries haven’t had access to vaccines, nor have most children. “That’s not quite fig- ured out yet. There are plenty of people that are challenging whether it is necessary,” she said. Goodell added: “We hear you. The question of vaccines and how to basically require them, and even from a logisti- cal standing, frankly — all of that, we’re taking a look at.” Goodell said organiz- ers also have not decided whether to require or pro- vide testing at the event. She said they hope to reach a decision by the end of this week and at the latest by April 30. “At this point, the gov- ernment agencies in- volved in collaborating with us have been really super supportive and super helpful. They are not putting up any road- blocks. We are all looking at the resources to have to make it happen and get this done,” Goodell said. Goodell said the appli- cation organizers must submit for a special use permit to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management by April 23 seeks an at- tendance cap of 69,000, down from the 80,000 cap approved for some past festivals. She said current input In this Sept. 2, 2004 file photo stilt walkers enjoy a sunset stroll at the Burningman counter culture arts festival in the Black Rock Desert 100 miles north east of Reno, NV. (Photo Scott Sady/The Reno Gazette- Journal via AP) from leaders of the larg- est theme camps indicate about 20% to 30% so far are committed to return- ing to the playa in Au- gust, which would sug- gest overall attendance in the range of 60,000 to 65,000.
