New England Sun-Times

Music megastar  Prince  was known for throwing parties that stretched into the wee hours of the morning, but his faith and the Bible could also keep him gabbing until sunrise, according to his longtime friend and “spiritual brother,” bassist Larry Graham. Prince,  who died last month at 57 , became a Jehovah’s Witness later in life, and that helped shape his music as well as his lifestyle, according to Graham, who first met the star decades ago and became a confidante and tour mate. Prince would knock on doors, talk with visitors at his studio-compound Paisley Park in suburban Minneapolis and even share his faith with small groups after a show, said Graham, the 69-year-old bassist best known for playing in the funk band Sly and the Family Stone and with his own group, Graham Central Station. “That brought him joy. That brought him real happiness,” Graham said in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday. Graham said Prince was a private person who didn’t discuss hi

PROVIDENCE, R.I.  -  Governor Gina M. Raimondo today announced her intent to nominate Diane Mederos and Dr. Isadore "Izzy" Ramos to the Rhode Island Board of Elections. Raimondo will submit their names to the Rhode Island State Senate for confirmation this week. "The Board of Elections is  important to our democracy , and we need to have strong leadership," Raimondo said. "Last month, I was proud to sign into law legislation that will allow Rhode Islanders to register to vote online. This is just one way we are working hard to make it easier for people to engage with government so that our state becomes a place of opportunity for all. I am confident that Diane and Izzy understand these priorities and will serve our state well, bringing their management experience and commitment to public service to this Board." "I also want to thank Frank Rego and former Senator Rhoda Perry for their years of service on the Board, and I wish them the very

BY  IAN CROUCH The  sorrowful bit of music  that plays at the end of each “Horace and Pete” episode, written for the Web series by Paul Simon, begins with a little dark humor: “Hell no,” Simon sings, “I can’t complain about my problems.” The joke is that everyone who visits Horace and Pete’s, a dive bar in Brooklyn that has been run by members of the same family for a hundred years, has a pile of problems and a lot to say about them. The series—which was Swiss-Army-knifed by Louis C.K., who wrote, directed, and paid for it, and played the starring role—is one of the great talky television shows in recent memory. It is full of extended monologues, indignant soliloquies, meandering apologies, harrowing confessions, and lacerating put-downs. The bar, which is owned by the family’s latest iteration of Horace (C.K.) and Pete (Steve Buscemi), along with their sister, Sylvia (Edie Falco), is not a place of comfortable silence or witty “Cheers” banter. Instead, it’s a dimly lit stage for

Alison Lynch The theme of the Met Gala 2016 was Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology. And the stars really ran with the whole futuristic vibe. There was more metallics, latex and chain mail on the red carpet than you could shake a stick at (and, don’t worry, Jared Leto did bring a stick). In terms of best dressed, Claire Danes pretty much stole the show in her light-up Zac Posen fairytale dress, Kendall Jenner looked out of this world in cut-out Versace, and Gigi and Zayn won best couple for their his ‘n’ hers Robocop look. While Bey rocked her Givenchy dress. Naturally. Here are all the weird and wonderful looks from the red carpet. Taylor Swift (Picture: Getty) Co-chair Taylor continued her cute Goth (yes, that’s possible) makeover in a mini Louis Vuitton dress. Beyoncé (Picture: George Pimentel/WireImage) Beyoncé bucked the trend for metallics in a peachy, floral, latex Givenchy dress. Kimye (Picture: Larry Busacca/Getty Images) Kim wore silver Balmai

On stage,  Prince  was still captivating audiences at recent performances in Australia and California. He hosted a pop-up party at his Paisley Park studio, and there were few outward signs in his final months that anything was wrong. But off stage, something was different. Prince began wanting meals that were easier to digest and was fighting off waves of sore throats and frequent upset stomachs, the musician’s personal chef told the Associated Press. A law enforcement official has told the AP that investigators are looking into whether Prince, who was found dead at his home on April 21, died from an overdose and whether a doctor was prescribing him drugs in the weeks before. The official has been briefed on the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Ray Roberts, who cooked for Prince nearly every day for almost three years, said in an interview that wasn’t the man he saw nearly every night, “not even a hint. N