Telling stories books

Against the Wind: Edward Kennedy and the Rise of Conservatism, 1976-2009 By Neal Gabler Crown. 1,227 pp. $45 - - - By John A. Farrell Penguin Press. 738 pp. $40 - - - In his 47 years in the United States Senate - from the high promise of his brother Jack's presidency to the hard slog of Barack Obama's first months in the White House - Edward M. Kennedy accomplished as much as anyone who ever served in that body. During that half-century, Kennedy's large extended family was at the center of a cascade of unimaginable tragedies, including his brothers' assassinations, his near-fatal plane crash, cancer diagnoses for two of his children, divorce, drug addiction, sex scandals and the premature deaths of several other relatives. Perhaps most important, Ted Kennedy emerged after his brother Robert's death in 1968 as the chief torchbearer of American liberalism, even as it came under attack from an insurgent political right. Kennedy's rich, dramatic, consequential life … [Read more...] about Book World: Two books capture the messy, monumental life of Ted Kennedy

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 In the wake of Hulu's series "Pam and Tommy," it feels apt for Pamela Anderson to tell her story without talk show hosts interjecting jokes about her breasts. Coinciding with the release of Anderson's memoir, "Love, Pamela," the documentary "Pamela, a Love Story" strips Anderson down without sexualizing her, something that has been woefully missing from her narrative. Years of the "Baywatch" star's diaries, VHS tapes and personal photos provide unpolished snapshots of her life, leaving audiences with a rough portrait of the person behind the packaging. Director Ryan White ("Good Night Oppy") pieces together Anderson's life chronologically, though all roads seem to lead back to her ex-husband Tommy Lee. Their short-lived relationship blemishes so much of Anderson's story, which is punctuated by comments from the pair's two adult sons. It's not a happy story. Rather, it's the … [Read more...] about New movies to stream this week: ‘Pamela, a Love Story’ and more

In the round-up: Fernando Alonso says he would like to race in the Le Mans 24 Hours when he is done racing in Formula One. Links Your daily digest of F1 news, views, features and more. Alonso plans Le Mans move after F1 (BBC) “To win the Le Mans 24 Hours means a lot to any driver, so one day hopefully I will race there. I think I will – that’s 100% decided.” More car makers choosing WEC and Le Mans over F1 ‘Sparks’ test set for Austria practice (Autosport) “Ferrari will fit Kimi Raikkonen’s car with two skid blocks for the opening day of running at the Red Bull Ring, with Mercedes fitting some in a different position on Nico Rosberg’s car.” No more random spins – Raikkonen (ESPN) “When many things came together it can happen, we knew it after practice but probably didn’t put enough thought into it, but it will not happen again. We have made a lot of changes since the last race.” ‘Daniel not tougher than Mark’ (Sky) Sebastian Vettel : “I … [Read more...] about F1 Fanatic round-up: Alonso wants to race at Le Mans after F1

Rian Johnson's 2019 mystery "Knives Out" features an unlikely but convenient fact: The protagonist vomits whenever she lies. This advisedly clunky emphasis on fibs and their detection is something of a Johnson trademark. One non-villainous character in his 2022 Netflix film "Glass Onion," for instance, indicts some others with a tellingly ornate accusation: "You would lie for a lie, but you won't lie for the truth." The point isn't honesty, exactly; Johnson's approach is a little more complex. "Poker Face," Johnson's new Peacock series, takes this preoccupation - and the director's longtime love of mysteries and detectives - to its logical conclusion. Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne), the amateur sleuth in this case-of-the-week procedural, is a human lie detector. The show, which debuted last week, is delightful, nostalgic, surprising and funny. Animated by quick and effective world-building, it uses Lyonne's particular star power to great effect. As detective fiction, however, … [Read more...] about Natasha Lyonne soars in ‘Poker Face.’ If only the mysteries did.

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. - Some nights, Tara Boyd wishes she and her husband had just given up when the eight-foot storm surge from Hurricane Ian flooded their mobile home, forcing them to swim out into the storm. It would have been "easy to let go and just drift away," she said. But they fought to survive. And they've been doing that ever since. She hates to admit that living after Ian feels harder than living through its terror. She can't help it, especially on the really hard, frustrating days spent at a Federal Emergency Management Agency recovery center obtaining no real answers about the progress of their aid applications and then getting into their black Dodge Nitro, which they've been living out of since November. Boyd, 43, thinks about it when she watches her husband, Gerald Boyd, a veteran who was still recovering from a stroke when the storm hit in September, squeeze his long, hulking frame into the passenger seat at night to sleep. To deal with his cramping legs and … [Read more...] about For some, life after Ian is ‘more tragic than the hurricane itself’

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal authorities are investigating a military veteran's claim that U.S. Rep. George Santos raised $3,000 for life-saving surgery for his pet dog several years ago, then never turned over the money for the animal's care, according to a published report. U.S. Navy veteran Richard Osthoff told Politico on Wednesday that two FBI agents contacted him after he went public last month with his story about his experiences with Santos in 2016. Osthoff told the news site he gave the agents text messages he exchanged with Santos, who at the time was going by the name Anthony Devolder. “I’m glad to get the ball rolling with the bigwigs,” Osthoff said. “I was worried that what happened to me was too long ago to be prosecuted.” The local news site Patch reported last month that Osthoff, now 47, was living in a roadside tent in Howell, New Jersey, in May 2016 when his pit bull mix, Sapphire, developed a life-threatening stomach tumor. A veterinary technician connected … [Read more...] about Report: FBI investigating Santos fundraiser for sick dog