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
World war z author new book
New movies to stream this week: ‘Pamela, a Love Story’ and more
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
Hasty Pudding to fete Bob Odenkirk as its Man of the Year
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Award-winning actor and bestselling author Bob Odenkirk will be feted Thursday as 2023 Man of the Year by Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals. Odenkirk, best known as shady lawyer Saul Goodman on “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” is scheduled to receive his Pudding Pot award at a celebratory roast after which he will attend a preview of Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 174th production, “COSMIC RELIEF!" “When choosing our 2023 Man of the Year, I immediately knew we better call Bob Odenkirk,” producer Aidan Golub said in a statement when the award was announced last month. Hasty Pudding Theatricals, which dates to 1844 and calls itself the third-oldest theater group in the world, has handed out a Man of the Year Award since 1967. Last year’s recipient was Jason Bateman, and previous honorees include Bob Hope, Dustin Hoffman and Sean Connery. The … [Read more...] about Hasty Pudding to fete Bob Odenkirk as its Man of the Year
F1 Fanatic round-up: Alonso wants to race at Le Mans after F1
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
Extremist Israeli group halts fund-raising effort in US
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 LAKEWOOD, N.J. (AP) — An Israeli group that assists Jewish prisoners convicted in some of the country’s most notorious hate crimes has halted its fund-raising efforts through a U.S.-based Jewish charity following an investigation by The Associated Press and the Israeli nonprofit news organization Shomrim. The fund-raising through the Lakewood, New Jersey-based World of Tzedaka had allowed American donors to make tax-exempt contributions to the hard-line Israeli group, and suggested that Israel’s far right was making new inroads into the U.S. World of Tzedaka confirmed that it was no longer working with Shlom Asiraich, while a fund-raising link on the Israeli group’s website that connected donors to the American nonprofit has stopped working. “We don’t do any business with them anymore, so we don’t have anything else to do with them,” said Yaakov Cohen, who identified himself as a … [Read more...] about Extremist Israeli group halts fund-raising effort in US