The chief executive of the Recording Academy, which organises the Grammy Awards, has been removed from her position just 10 days before this year’s ceremony in Los Angeles. Deborah Dugan was placed on administrative leave following an allegation of misconduct, the Academy said in a statement.

Dugan had replaced former chief executive Neil Portnow, who caused controversy in 2018 when he suggested female artists should “step up” if they wanted to be recognised at the Grammys. She was the Academy’s first female president and, in an interview published this week, called her role “the best job on the planet“.

In a statement, the Recording Academy said: “In light of concerns raised to the Recording Academy board of trustees, including a formal allegation of misconduct by a senior female member of the Recording Academy team, the board has placed Recording Academy president and CEO Deborah Dugan on administrative leave, effective immediately. “The board has also retained two independent third-party investigators to conduct independent investigations of the allegations.”

It continued: “The board determined this action to be necessary in order to restore the confidence of the Recording Academy’s membership, repair Recording Academy employee morale, and allow the Recording Academy to focus on its mission of serving all music creators.”(bbc)…[+]

US congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has revealed she is completely bald because of the hair-loss condition alopecia. The Massachusetts Democrat told The Root that she started noticing her hair was falling out last autumn.

She eventually went totally bald in December, the night before Congress voted to impeach Donald Trump. Sharing the video on social media, Ms Pressley later said: “As a Black woman, the personal is political. My hair story is no exception.” Ms Pressley, 45, is a member of the so-called “Squad” of four progressive Democratic congresswomen of colour.In an interview with The Root website, Ms Pressley said she first got her signature hairstyle – Senegalese twist – four years ago.(bbc)…[+]

As relations between the US and South Korea fray, the American ambassador to the country has brushed off criticism of an increasingly hairy matter: his moustache. Harry Harris, a retired navy admiral, has ruffled feathers in South Korea since becoming US ambassador in 2018.

But recently, it’s his facial hair that has left South Koreans bristling. To some South Koreans, it evokes memories of Japanese colonial rule over the country from 1910 until 1945. Those who feel affronted say his facial hair is reminiscent of the moustaches worn by Japan’s governor-generals in that era. Mr Harris, the son of a US Navy officer and a Japanese mother, has previously raised tensions by demanding that South Korea pay more for hosting US troops. But speaking to reporters on Thursday, he suggested the criticism stemmed from his heritage.(bbc)…[+]