Four days after a nuclear bomb was first detonated over the Pacific islands of Bikini Atoll in July 1946, the French designer Louis Réard launched a provocative two-piece swimsuit at a poolside party in Paris. The two events might not seem to be connected. But Réard, who had been looking for a name for his … Read more
I am a proud American, although that notion has been politicised to death in this country, where you’re not considered patriotic unless you’re a Republican. For my Spina Americana series, I chose to explore a part of the US where people are solidly conservative and won’t budge – partly because they feel abandoned by the … Read more
This book arrives at an interesting moment. Elon Musk has declared himself a “free speech absolutist”. JD Vance worries that free speech in Europe is “in retreat”. Donald Trump issues an executive order “restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship”. Meanwhile, journalists are routinely abused, threatened with lawsuits and branded enemies of the people. … Read more
‘I had an epiphany recently,” FKA twigs says. You have to love a conversation that starts like that. “Where I sit in the industry now is where I sat when I was at school. I was a little bit of an outsider then. And I thought, if I did this job, I’d be on the … Read more
The new Jason Statham movie is based on a novel called Levon’s Trade, which is a pretty good title. But A Working Man is a better Jason Statham title, because who’s better, or at least more reliable, at punching in for duty at the genre factory than Stath? Pushing 60, he’s still throwing those punches, … Read more
For more than 20 years the action adventure genre has been dominated by open-world games. They started in quite a constrained way, with titles such as Shenmue and Driver offering miniature cities to wander about, but during the 21st century, they grew to encompass whole kingdoms. Now we have titles such as Legend of Zelda: … Read more
It’s another blow to late-night television. CBS said on Wednesday that it was canceling “After Midnight,” the network’s 12:30 a.m. comedy show, after the host, Taylor Tomlinson, decided to return full time to stand-up comedy. The late-night comedy genre confronts significant financial challenges as the entertainment world transitions away from traditional television to streaming. The … Read more
Dennis McDougal, a prolific author, Hollywood muckraker and Peabody Award-winning documentarian, died on Saturday from injuries sustained in a car crash in Southern California. He was 77. His death, in a hospital near Palm Springs, was confirmed by his stepson, Dennis Fitzgerald Dearmore. Mr. McDougal’s wife, Sharon (Murphy) McDougal, 76, who was also critically injured … Read more
One is a veteran TV executive. The other emerged from the world of digital media. Both are now chief executives of major public media organizations appearing before Congress on Wednesday, where they will face tough questioning from lawmakers. Here’s a look at their backgrounds. Katherine Maher C.E.O., NPR Ms. Maher, 41, has spent much of … Read more
In her opening remarks at Wednesday’s hearing on public media, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene accused PBS of using “taxpayer funds to push some of the most radical left positions like featuring a drag queen on the show.” The Republican from Georgia pointed at a photo of Lil Miss Hot Mess, a drag queen, calling her … Read more