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Here are the takeaways from day 15 of the Trump hush money trial:Cohen is on deckCohen is expected to take the stand Monday, putting him face-to-face with his former boss. With Cohen’s testimony implicating Trump, however, comes all of the baggage that accompanies the former president’s longtime fixer. Judge to Cohen: Please stop talkingAhead of Cohen’s expected testimony, Trump attorney Todd Blanche urged Judge Juan Merchan to order Cohen to stop talking about the trial and Trump. Video Ad Feedback Pollster: Trump's trial won't affect votes in November 03:46 - Source: CNNMerchan has already said he cannot gag witnesses in the case. Prosecutors introduce key text and call records into evidenceAfter Westerhout left the stand, prosecutors spent the rest of the day calling a series of custodial witnesses to introduce cell phone records into evidence.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Michael Cohen, Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Cohen, Daniels, He’s, Alvin Bragg’s, Cohen’s, Todd Blanche, Judge Juan Merchan, Blanche, ” Blanche, Joshua Steinglass, ”, CNN Merchan, Merchan, “, ” Cohen, White, Madeleine Westerhout, Susan Necheles, Westerhout, didn’t, ” Westerhout, she’d, Allen Weisselberg, ” Necheles, she’s “, Weisselberg, Cohen reimbursements, Stormy Daniels ’, Gina Rodriguez, Dylan Howard, Howard, Rodriguez, David Pecker, “ We’re, ” Rodriguez texted Howard, “ Keith, Davidson, ” Howard, ” Rodriguez, Steinglass, ” Merchan, wasn’t Organizations: CNN, White, Prosecutors, Trump, Manhattan, White House, Trump Org ., National Enquirer, American Media Inc, Trump Org Locations: Manhattan

☆ Bankrupt Steward Health puts its hospitals up for sale, discloses $9 billion in debt
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Schrock said Steward has real value, despite carrying a $9 billion debt load. “It never really stabilized the company,” Schrock said. Steward is putting all of its hospitals up for sale. It intends to hold auctions on June 28 for its hospitals outside of Florida and July 30 for its nine hospitals in Florida. Schrock said those timelines were negotiated as part of the new $75 million bankruptcy loan, and that Steward would seek more time to sell its hospitals if necessary.

Persons: Steward, Ray Schrock, Chris Lopez, “, ” Schrock, “ There’s, Schrock, Lopez, ” Organizations: Health Care, Stewardship Health, Care, Medical Properties Trust Locations: Houston, Massachusetts, Florida

☆ Real Madrid earns crucial draw against Bayern Munich in Champions League semifinal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“We didn’t see the best Real Madrid today,” he told reporters after the game. “Let’s hope we see it in the second leg. Bayern, cheered by the ever-passionate Allianz Arena, roared back in the second half and equalized through a moment of solo brilliance from Sané in the 53rd minute. Alex Pantling/Getty ImagesWhile Madrid will be happy with the result, there were concerns over star player Jude Bellingham who came off in the second half. “We caused Real a lot of problems, especially in the second half.

Persons: Carlo Ancelotti, Blancos, Ancelotti, ”, “ It’s, Vinícius Jr, ’, Bayern’s Leroy Sané, Harry Kane, Vinícius, “, ” Harry Kane, Angelika Warmuth, Toni Kroos, Kim Min, jae, Kroos, Andriy Lunin, Jamal Musiala, clumsily, Lucas Vázquez, Dani Carvajal, Kane, Kim, Madrid’s, Alex Pantling, Jude Bellingham, He’ll, hasn’t, he’ll, ” Kane, Germain Organizations: CNN — Real Madrid, Champions League, Bayern Munich, Bayern, Allianz Arena, Madrid, ”, Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint, Wembley Locations: Santiago, Germany, Spain, Real Madrid, Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris

BOSTON (AP) — Financially embattled hospital operator Steward Health Care has struck a deal to sell its nationwide physician network to Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, as it works to stabilize its finances. Maura Healey has said state monitors are keeping eye on the nine health care facilities operated by Steward Health Care in Massachusetts, including hospitals in some of the state’s poorer communities. Emails to Steward Health Care and Optum seeking comment were not immediately returned. Democratic U.S. Sen. Edward Markey said for-profit companies that participate in the health care system must understand that their decisions have direct impacts on patients and communities. “After years of gross profiteering and mismanagement, Steward’s latest plan raises more serious questions about the future of the Massachusetts health care system," Warren said in a written statement.

Persons: —, Maura Healey, Optum, David Seltz, ”, ” Seltz, Ronald Mariano, Democratic U.S . Sen, Edward Markey, ” Markey, “, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Steward’s, Warren, Steward Organizations: BOSTON, Health Care, UnitedHealth, Steward Health Care, Department of Public Health, Steward, Democratic Massachusetts, Democratic U.S ., Health, Education, Labor, Primary Health Locations: Massachusetts, The Dallas, Boston, U.S

☆ Five Takeaways From Nikole Hannah-Jones’s Essay on the ‘Colorblindness’ Trap
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Nikole Hannah-Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Conservatives are interpreting the court’s ruling broadly, and since last summer, they have used it to attack racial-justice programs outside the field of higher education. These challenges to racial-justice programs will have a lasting impact on the nation’s ability to address the vast disparities that Black people experience. Though the civil rights movement is celebrated and commemorated as a proud period in American history, it faced an immediate backlash. The progressive activists who advanced civil rights for Black Americans argued that in a society that used race against Black Americans for most of our history, colorblindness is a goal. In the affirmative-action decision, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing for the majority, embraced this idea of colorblindness, saying: “Eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it.”

Persons: colorblindness, John G, Roberts, ” Organizations: Times, Howard University, Black Locations: ’

☆ He’s visited every corner of the Earth. Now he wants to try a very different challenge
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Richard Collett | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Standing on the South Pole at the start of the year with the wind whipping across the Antarctic, travel blogger Johnny Ward felt a surge of relief. Years before, in 2017, he’d become the first Irish person to visit every country in the world. Life goalIrish explorer Johnny Ward has climbed the seven summits, reached the North and South poles, and visited every country in the world. And originally I thought the freest you can be is to visit every country,” he said. Costly challengeWard cycling in south east Asia while completing the epic challenge of visiting every country in the world.

Persons: Johnny Ward, he’d, Ward, Johnny Ward “, ” Ward, ”, “, who’ve, Mount, didn’t, wasn’t, “ I’m, He’s, Mariana Trench Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, UN, Antarctic, ” Locations: Thailand, Palestinian, Taiwan, Kosovo, Oman, Socotra, Yemen, Cairo, Cape Town, South Korea, Australia, Denali, Asia, Galway, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Spain, Florida, New York, Mauritania, Africa

☆ Prince Harry makes surprise appearance at NFL Honors ceremony in Las Vegas, leaving players starstruck
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Prince Harry left players starstruck after making a surprise appearance at the NFL Honors ceremony in Las Vegas on Thursday. Before he announced the award’s recipient, Harry took the time to take some humorous jabs at the differences between American and British sports. “Oh man,” Heyward said on stage. Prince freaking Harry. That’s Prince Harry!”Keegan-Michael Key, Heyward and Prince Harry pose for a photo after the Pittsburgh Steelers DT won the Man of the Year award.

Persons: Prince Harry, Duke, Sussex, Harry, “, ”, let’s, Cameron Heyward, ” Heyward, Prince, Man, That’s Prince Harry ! ” Keegan, Michael Key, Heyward, Todd Rosenberg, I’ve, “ I’ve, I’m, “ Cameron, Roger Goodell, Walter Payton, King Charles III Organizations: CNN, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Steelers DT, Steeler, Foundation, Walter Payton NFL Locations: Las Vegas, British, Pittsburgh

When two Native American boys from Nebraska died after being taken to a notorious boarding school hundreds of miles away in Pennsylvania, they were buried there without notice. After it opened in 1879 in an old Army barracks, thousands of Native American children were sent by train and stagecoach to Carlisle. In 1990, Congress passed the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet secretary, has pushed the government to reckon with its role in Native American boarding schools. At least 500 children died at some of the schools, including Carlisle.

Persons: Samuel Gilbert, Edward Hensley, Samuel, Edward, weren't, Jan, ”, Greg Werkheiser, Richard Henry Pratt, Jim Thorpe, —, Deb Haaland, “, Beth Wright Organizations: Nebraska, Army, Carlisle Indian Industrial School, “, Cultural Heritage Partners, Department of Interior, War Department, Medical Field Service School, American, Protection, United States Congress, Interior, Native American, Native American Rights Fund Locations: Pennsylvania, Winnebago, Carlisle, Nebraska, Servicemembers, Lake, Washoe, Umpqua, Ute, Rosebud Sioux, Northern Arapaho, Blackfeet, Oglala Sioux, Oneida, Omaha, Modoc , Iowa

☆ Thai court orders election-winning party to end its royal reform campaign in blow to voters who backed change
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Helen Regan | Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“This would effectively mean that the lese majeste law would become untouchable,” said Munin Pongsapan, associate professor at Thammasat University’s Faculty of Law. Sentences for those convicted under lese majeste can be decades long and hundreds of people have been prosecuted in recent years. Anyone – including ordinary citizens – can bring lese majeste charges on behalf of the king, even if they are not directly involved with the case. Protesters demanding royal reform wanted to abolish the lese majeste law, and to ensure the king is answerable to the constitution, with protesters scrutinizing Vajiralongkorn’s immense wealth and power. Move Forward’s predecessor, the Future Forward Party, came out of nowhere to win the third most seats in the 2019 election.

Persons: Pita Limjaroenrat, lese, ”, Munin Pongsapan, “, Munin, Parit Wacharasindhu, Stringer, Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, ’, Thitinan, ” Thitinan, lese majeste, Thais, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Maha Vajiralongkorn, Anusak, turfing, Pita, Wednesday’s Organizations: Thailand CNN, Wednesday, Party, University’s, of Law, CNN, Anadolu Agency, Chulalongkorn University, Forward Party, Legal, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, Lawmakers Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Thai

NEW YORK (AP) — One of the world’s largest and most influential publishers, Simon & Schuster, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The list tells many stories, through the books selected, not selected, and the evolution of what has been highlighted. “A group of Simon & Schuster staffers took on the daunting challenge of selecting 100 titles from our history that are believed to best represent the breadth and depth of the company’s publishing program, across imprints,” the publisher announced Wednesday. “That book actually had an influence on the course of events.”Like many leading publishers, Simon & Schuster began as an independently owned company and vastly expanded after the 1960s. Along the way, Simon & Schuster acquired numerous other publishers, whose books are now part of the S&S catalog and its centennial list.

Persons: Simon & Schuster, Simon, Gregory Hartswick, Prosper Buranelli, Margaret Petherbridge, Richard Simon, Max Schuster, ”, Schuster, Jonathan Karp, Sloan, veteran’s, Karp, “, — Ralph Ellison, Maya Angelou, Richard Wright, Harper, James Baldwin, Alex Haley, Langston Hughes, Toni Morrison, ” Karp, Ntozake Shange’s, Jenny Han’s “, ” Carlos Eire’s “, ” Siddhartha Mukherjee's “, ” Jason Reynolds ’, Safiya, Wendy Sherwin, didn’t, John Irving, Bruce Springsteen’s, Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Pulitzer, Franklin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, Rivals ’, Barack Obama’s, Hillary Clinton, Scott Fitzgerald’s “, ” Ernest Hemingway’s “, Alan Paton’s “, Scribner, Judy Blume’s “, Margaret ”, Walter Isaacson’s “ Steve Jobs, Frederick Backman's, Ove, Dale Carnegie’s, Leon Shimkin, David McCullough's, Wright, Blume, Woodward Organizations: Simon &, New York, HarperCollins, Dial Press, Doubleday, Knopf, “, Rivals, KKR, Win, Carnegie Locations: ”, Snow, Havana

☆ Thai Court Rules That Opposition Party Proposal Violated the Constitution
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | Muktita Suhartono | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But on Wednesday the Move Forward Party and its push for change were dealt a severe blow. Thailand’s Constitutional Court ruled that the party’s proposal to scale back the royal defamation law violated the Constitution because it was an attempt to overthrow the monarchy. The verdict, in effect, lays out explicitly that the royal defamation law is sacrosanct for Thailand’s conservative establishment, a nexus of royalists, military officials and wealthy elites. Wednesday’s ruling leaves Move Forward vulnerable to more legal challenges, which could pave the way for its eventual disbandment. It could also set the stage for a showdown between Thailand’s progressive opposition and the establishment.

Persons: Pita Limjaroenrat Organizations: Party Locations: Thailand

☆ Herbert Coward, Actor Who Played Toothless Man in ‘Deliverance,’ Dies at 85
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jesus Jiménez | More About Jesus Jiménez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Coward, who went by the nickname Cowboy, was best known for his role in “Deliverance,” which featured Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty and Jon Voight. The film is an adaptation of a novel by James Dickey about four Atlanta businessmen on a harrowing canoe trip in rural Georgia. In the movie, two of the businessmen come across two hostile mountain men in the woods, one of them being Toothless Man. The men tie one of the friends to a tree, and then force the other to strip down to his underwear and “squeal like a pig.”As the two men contemplate what to do with the friend tied up to the tree, Mr. Coward’s character delivers the line, “He got a real purty mouth, ain’t he?”The four friends are eventually reunited and escape by killing one of the men with an arrow and chasing off Mr. Coward’s character. The scene is brief, but Mr. Coward’s line became one of the more memorable movie lines of the 1970s and the most remembered of Mr. Coward’s career.

Persons: Coward, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Jon Voight, James Dickey, Coward’s Organizations: Atlanta businessmen Locations: Georgia

Herbert Coward, known for his "Toothless Man” role in the movie “Deliverance,” died Wednesday in a crash on a western North Carolina highway, according to authorities. The crash happened Wednesday afternoon as Coward and Bertha Brooks, 78, left a doctor’s appointment, North Carolina Highway Patrol Sgt. Coward and Brooks as well as a Chihuahua and pet squirrel were killed, he said. Coward, who lived in Haywood County, was famous locally for having a pet squirrel, he said. Authorities don’t believe speed or distraction were factors in the crash, Owens said.

Persons: Herbert Coward, ”, Coward, Bertha Brooks, M.J, Owens, Brooks, John Boorman’s, Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox Organizations: Patrol Locations: North Carolina, Chihuahua, Haywood County, Georgia

☆ Barcelona crashes out of the Copa del Rey in extra time, La Liga leader Girona also knocked out
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Samuel Joseph | Sam Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Barcelona suffered its second disappointing cup defeat in as many weeks on Wednesday, falling to a 4-2 quarterfinal away loss against Athletic Bilbao in extra time. The 16-year-old set a Copa del Rey record in the process, becoming the youngest player this century to score in the competition. Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty ImagesAn upset for the La Liga leadersThis season’s surprise package in Spanish football has been Girona, which is mounting the unlikeliest of title challenges in only the club’s fourth season of La Liga football. However, the Blanquivermells will not get the chance to do the league and cup double after losing 3-2 to Mallorca on Wednesday. Mallorca, which sits 14 places and over 30 points behind Girona in La Liga, raced into a 3-0 lead at home inside the first half to stun the league leaders.

Persons: Iñaki, Nico Williams, Iñaki Williams, “, Xavi, Ander Gillenea, Gorka Guruzeta volleyed, Yuri Berchiche’s, Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Oihan Sancet, Nico, Juan Manuel Serrano Arce, Antonio Raíllo, Cristhian Stuani, Rafa Babot, Sávio Organizations: CNN — Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, Bilbao, Africa, of Nations, Mozambique, Spanish, archrival Real Madrid, La Liga, UEFA Champions League, Napoli, ”, Athletic, ” Barcelona, Getty, Barça, Copa, Rey, La Liga football, Mallorca, Wednesday, Girona Locations: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Spain, La, ” Barcelona, AFP, Girona

☆ Pita Limjaroenrat: Thai court dismisses media shares case against popular progressive politician
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Thailand’s Constitutional Court dismissed a case against Pita Limjaroenrat, 43, that alleged he violated election rules by running for office while holding shares in a media company – the long-defunct broadcaster iTV. Thai law bans members of parliament from owning or holding shares in media companies. Ahead of Wednesday’s verdict, Pita expressed confidence outside the court in Bangkok. Move Forward won the most seats and the largest share of the popular vote in the May election. And most recently, Move Forward’s predecessor, the Future Forward Party, won the third most seats in the 2019 election.

Persons: Pita Limjaroenrat, Pita, ”, “, Thais, turfing, Srettha Thavisin, Samak Sundaravej, Thaksin Shinawatra, – Organizations: Thailand CNN, Constitutional, iTV, Party, Thai Stock Exchange, CNN, National Institute of Development Administration, Reuters, Lawmakers, Forward Party Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, “

She is one of this year's winners of an Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence, presented by the American Library Association. The fiction medal was awarded to Amanda Peters for her novel “The Berry Pickers,” a multi-generational story centered around the disappearance of a young Mi’kmaq girl from a blueberry field in Maine. “Amanda Peters’ stunning prose and evocative narrative enraptured us with the grief and longing of her characters. “I was 16 and sitting in the library and it changed the trajectory of my reading career," said Peters, who read the book at home. The Carnegie Medals were established in 2012 with the help of a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Persons: Roxanna Asgarian, ”, Andrew Carnegie, Roald Dahl's, Asgarian, Hart, Amanda Peters, “ Amanda Peters, Christina Wong’s, Daniel Innes ’, Jake Bittle’s “, Darrin Bell’s “, Peters, John Steinbeck's, “, ” Peters, ” Asgarian, Jennifer Egan, James McBride, Bryan Stevenson Organizations: —, Las Vegas, American Library Association, Carnegie, Dalhousie University, Acadia University, New York Public Library, History Research, Town, Carnegie Corporation of New Locations: Las, Dallas, America, Maine, San Diego, United States, Falmouth , Nova Scotia, Wolfville , Nova Scotia, New York City, New York, Carnegie Corporation of New York

☆ Angel Reese: Mystery still swirls around LSU forward’s absence as star is set to play high-profile game Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( David Close | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey said star player Angel Reese will return to the defending national champion’s lineup on Thursday against No. Reese has been mysteriously absent from the team since the Tigers faced Kent State on November 14. “She’s coming back after not being with the team,” Mulkey said. “Angel is back and we are happy, happy, happy. She’s happy, happy, happy.”The Tigers-Hokies tilt on Thursday night is a 2023 Final Four rematch between the two programs; LSU won that game 79-72 en route to the national championship.

Persons: Kim Mulkey, Angel Reese, Reese, Mulkey, “, Reese didn’t, “ She’s, ” Mulkey, “ We’ve, ”, Angel, “ Angel Organizations: CNN, LSU women’s, Virginia Tech, Tigers, Kent State, LSU, LSU’s, Niagara, Cayman, Iowa, NCAA, YouTube, Hokies Locations: Virginia, ”

☆ Mohamed Salah targeted by pitch invaders during Egypt match; escorted off by men in military uniforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Mohamed Salah was escorted off the pitch by men in military uniforms at the end of Egypt’s World Cup qualifier against Sierra Leone after pitch invaders targeted the Liverpool star on Sunday. In the 89th minute of the match, with Egypt 2-0 up, footage on social media shows stewards in high-vis yellow jackets running onto the pitch and tackling a pitch invader close to where Salah was standing. In another video on social media, a shirtless Salah could be seen being escorted off the pitch by men in military uniform, while some people tried to take selfies with the star. The match was also eventful, with Sierra Leone finishing the game with nine men after two red cards. Salah will now return to Liverpool ahead of a much-anticipated match against Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday.

Persons: CNN — Mohamed Salah, Salah, Samuel Kanyon, Salah hasn’t, Trézéguet Organizations: CNN, Sierra, Liverpool, of African Football, FIFA, FA, Sierra Leone, Manchester City, Premier League, Saturday Locations: Sierra Leone, Egypt, Paynesville, Liberia, Djibouti, Liverpool

Jesmyn Ward's 'Let Us Descend' Is Among the Finalists for an Andrew Carnegie Medal for ExcellenceJesmyn Ward’s slave narrative “Let Us Descend” and Jake Bittle’s exploration of climate change’s impact “The Great Displacement” are among the finalists for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in fiction and nonfiction

Persons: Jesmyn Ward's, Andrew Carnegie, Jake Bittle’s

☆ White Christian evangelicals: What it would take for them to leave the bubble
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —If you don’t realize how powerful White Christian evangelicals have become, consider this:A White Christian evangelical, who has been described as “the embodiment of White Christian nationalism in a tailored suit,” is now second in line to the presidency. White evangelical Protestants make up only about 14% of Americans, and that number has been steadily shrinking. The media tends to depict White evangelicals as foaming-at-the-mouth Christian insurrectionists like some of those who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The new speaker of the house is a White Christian evangelical and is second in the line for the presidency. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesYou seem leery of using the term ‘White Christian nationalism.’ Am I correct?

Persons: Mike Johnson, Roe, Wade, Trump, Jon Ward, Ward, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, “, ”, ” Ward, White, Ward’s, there’s, Johnson, Chip Somodevilla, ’, I’m, it’s, George Brich, You’ve, ‘, It’s, Joe Raedle, Nikki Haley, Haley, that’s, we’ve Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Yahoo, Air Force, Trump, ” CNN, White Christian, Jesus, South, Democrat, Republican Locations: White, America, Los Angeles, Miami , Florida, South Carolina, Trump, evangelicalism

ATLANTA (AP) — Dwight Howard has denied accusations by a Georgia man who says he was sexually assaulted by the former NBA star and another person. ___Former NBA star Dwight Howard has denied sexual assault and battery allegations filed against him earlier this year and asked a court to dismiss a civil lawsuit he is facing in Georgia. “The allegations against Mr. Howard are contested. The truth is Mr. Howard blocked Mr. Harper on social media and then was confronted with two options -- pay to protect his reputation or have a fabricated story made public. “This report was made following Mr. Harper being blocked on social media and after the first demand for payment was rejected,” Bailey said.

Persons: — Dwight Howard, Stephen Harper, Howard, Harper, Howard texted, Kitty, ” Harper, Mr, “ Mr, ” Howard, Orlando Magic —, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy —, ___, Dwight Howard, ”, Olga Izmaylova, Justin Bailey, ” Bailey, “, ” Izmaylova Organizations: ATLANTA, NBA, Orlando Magic, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, Los Angeles Lakers, Lakers, ESPN, Gwinnett County Police Department Locations: Georgia, Atlanta, Instagram, Gwinnett County, Taiwan, Howard’s Georgia

NEW YORK (AP) — Oprah Winfrey's new book club pick highlights an author she has long admired, Jesmyn Ward. On Tuesday, Winfrey announced she had selected Ward's “Let Us Descend,” which comes out this week. “Let Us Descend” is a slave narrative set in the 19th century and follows a teenage girl's journey across the American South. Her previous works include the novels “Salvage the Bones” and “Sing, Unburied, Sing,” both winners of the National Book Award. “I have read all of Jesmyn Ward’s books and have been a fan of her writing for years,” Winfrey said in a statement.

Persons: Oprah Winfrey's, Jesmyn, Winfrey, ”, “, ” Winfrey, ” Ward Organizations: American Locations: Jesmyn Ward, Ward

OVIEDO, Spain (AP) — For Japanese author Haruki Murakami, the bloody conflict in the Gaza Strip is a horrendous example of how our world is divided by walls, both physical and metaphorical. And I’m also aware that the Palestinian situation that I saw when I visited Israel is miserable,” Murakami told The Associated Press in an interview. “In my novels, walls are real walls. But of course they are also metaphoric walls at the same time,” the 74-year-old writer said. “When I’m writing a novel, my head is filled with bugs, but I still write novels using the brain,” he said.

Persons: Haruki Murakami, “, I’m, ” Murakami, Murakami, Asturias, Princess Leonor de Borbón, Spain's King Felipe VI, Princess, ”, ” “ Kafka, Charlie Parker, Norwegian Jon Fosse, “ I’m, Mari Yamaguchi Organizations: Associated Press, AP, Bird Locations: OVIEDO, Spain, Gaza, Israel, Berlin, Spanish, Oviedo, Friday's, Asturias, Japan, Norwegian, Princesa de Asturias, Tokyo

☆ In Jesmyn Ward’s New Novel, Slavery Is Hell and Dante Is Our Guide
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Jennifer Wilson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Annis’s mother takes her into the woods at night to train her in hand-to-hand combat. Her mother’s mother, nicknamed “Mama Aza,” had been a Dahomey warrior, but was sold into slavery by her husband, the king — as punishment for falling in love with a soldier. “Annis?” her mother calls from the hallway, trying to prevent her daughter from repeating her own fate. “We done.” This brief expression of maternal protectiveness gets her mother sold, led away by a “Georgia Man” who takes her south to Louisiana. (This moment marks the end of any deep engagement with same-sex desire in the novel, making its brief appearance feel likes tokenism.)

Persons: Annis’s, “ Mama Aza, ”, Ward, Annis, “ Annis, protectiveness, Safi, Mama Aza, “, huff, ” Annis Locations: Dahomey, Georgia, Louisiana, New Orleans, ” New Orleans

☆ How Jesmyn Ward Is Reimagining Southern Literature
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Imani Perry | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Ward is classically beautiful — delicate and golden-skinned with her hair hanging in long curls. The town is important to Ward for another reason, though: Her great-grandfather Harry was the son of a white mother, Edna. Ward borrowed her family’s complex racial history in writing “Sing, Unburied, Sing.” That family history tells us something about how Ward thinks about history and its relationship to her fiction. The contours of Ward’s life were formed by two hurricanes. In 1969, Hurricane Camille struck, marking a terrible watershed in Black life on the Gulf Coast.

Persons: Ward, Black, wilder, ”, Brett Favre, Harry, Edna, Regina N, Bradley, She’s, Annis, Mitchell S, Jackson, Eddie S, Glaude Jr, Reagan, Hurricane Camille, Martin Luther King Jr, Camille Organizations: Hall of Fame, Gulf Coast, Bay Area Locations: Ward’s, Hurricane, Gulf, Oakland, Calif, Los Angeles, Bay

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