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☆ A White-Collar Indictment Shatters a Congressman’s Blue-Collar Image
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Kenneth P. Vogel | Kitty Bennett | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Over the years, Representative Henry Cuellar often harked back to the small house in Laredo, Texas. It was there that his parents, one-time migrant workers who spoke no English, raised him and his seven siblings to value hard work and beware the dangers of debt. The references in speeches, campaign advertisements and interviews were intended to forge affinity with the largely Hispanic residents of his hometown. Mr. Cuellar had become the hub of a bustling small enterprise that blurred the lines between his political operation, his businesses and his family, affording him trappings of affluence even as he sometimes strained to make ends meet. He took on an increasing amount of debt, and his net worth declined.

Persons: Henry Cuellar, ”, Cuellar Organizations: Navy Locations: Laredo , Texas, Laredo, Nationals

☆ Biden’s antisemitism speech leaves no doubt he’s standing by Israel despite tension with Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —The political rawness of the moment, as Israel pounds Gaza and outrage rocks American college campuses, means President Joe Biden’s big speech Tuesday condemning antisemitism is most notable for what he left unsaid. The speech was closely watched given the turmoil in the Middle East and its stunning political reaction in the US. “My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad. While praising the right to free speech as a fundamental American value, he condemned reported instances when some Jewish students have faced antisemitic taunting. Understanding history and preventing it from being manipulated for political gain was a major focus of Biden’s speech, which was delivered on the 79th anniversary of VE Day, when the allies defeated Nazism in World War II.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, movingly, you’re, ” Biden, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Joe ”, We’re, Biden’s, Donald Trump, Trump, Stormy Daniels, “, ” Johnson, Netanyahu, —, Mike Johnson, ’ Organizations: CNN, Jewish, Hamas, Holocaust Memorial, Capitol, Arab, Israel, Gaza Health Ministry, Democratic, Trump, Republicans, Republican, Louisiana Republican, White, GOP, Nazism Locations: Israel, Gaza, Nazi, Rafah, Michigan, Manhattan, Nazi Germany, United States, Louisiana, Charlottesville , Virginia, Gestapo

☆ Two Trump courtroom dramas could help shape the tone of a future presidency
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Prosecutors have framed the trial as more than a simple case of falsifying business records — the offense with which Trump has been charged. But the results of Trump’s pending cases — and whether they even come to trial — could help decide the tone of a future presidency. But at the same time, Trump is using the privileges of appeals available to any defendant to their full extent. “We’re writing a rule for the ages.”It’s always hazardous to speculate how Supreme Court justices will rule based on their questioning in oral arguments. This could mean the case returns to lower courts for more litigation — a move that could delay the federal election trial for months, far beyond the November election.

Persons: Donald Trump, George Washington, David Pecker, Trump’s, Trump, —, Trump —, Republican nominee’s, Jack Smith’s, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Jackson, Pecker, didn’t, Matthew Colangelo, he’s, Joe Biden, Biden, “, Benjamin Franklin, inoculate Trump, CNN’s Zachary B, Wolf, Marquis de Lafayette, demagogue, George Conway, ” Conway, CNN’s Wolf, ”, Neil Gorsuch, “ I’m, Amy Coney Barrett, David Sauer, Sauer, Elena Kagan, Kagan, ” Kagan Organizations: CNN, National Enquirer, Republican, Trump, GOP, Prosecutors, Supreme, White House Locations: New York, Georgia, Florida, — Washington, Washington, Philadelphia , Washington

☆ 19 Looks That Did the Most at the Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( The Styles Desk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday, the red carpet showed not only its true color but also its reputation as a vehicle for elegant, over-the-top and even political fashion. Though there were bright moments — Cynthia Erivo’s dress was a “Wicked” shade of green, Taylor Zakhar Perez wore powder blue Prada — many of the gowns and tuxedos that graced the carpet were black. Some stars’ ensembles harked back to attire they wore at prior Oscars ceremonies. Sparkling brooches were among the most visible accessories on both men and women, as were tiny red pins calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. The Israel-Hamas war also influenced action off the carpet, with protests taking place as celebrities were arriving at the ceremony.

Persons: Cynthia Erivo’s, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Marlee Matlin, Lupita Nyong’o Locations: Gaza, The Israel

☆ Paris Fashion Week: Fashion, feminism and a fake Kate Moss
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Alice Pfeiffer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesEqually at Rabanne, tartan blazers were given a grungier edge with leather-trimmed sleeves and fasteners. The rise of ‘Les People’Traditionally, showing interest in celebrities (“Les people” in Parisian slang) was a big no-no amongst the proudly snobby French fashion press. For busy women, multitasking women, women who can. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesStockman-style coats in colored, patent and soft leather were everywhere at Chloé, as were thigh-high boots and wafting, chiffon dresses. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesTraditional preppy skirt suits were given an edge with "Miss Dior" emblazoned in a graffiti style scrawling.

Persons: Saint Laurent, —, Wim Wenders, “, ” Balmain’s, Ester Manas, Nina Ricci, Kate Moss, Denise Ohnona, Serre, Arnel Dela, Alessandro Vigilante, ”, Coco, Kroes, Pascal Le Segretain, Chemena, Sienna Miller, Gaby Aghion, preppy Kristin Scott Thomas, Miu Miu, Farida Khelfa, Carine, Julia Roitfeld, Victoria Beckham, Anna, Pat Cleveland, Jerry Hall, Georgia Jagger, Kiernan Shipka, Georgia May Jagger, Julien de Rosa, ’ ’, Charles de Vilmorin, Aldama, Loewe, Dior ” —, Jackie O, Salma Hayek, Kim Kardashian, Naomi Campbell, Penelope Cruz, Hari Nef, Emily Ratajkowski, Victor Aubry, Sipa, JM Haedrich, Alexandre Maras, Louise Trotter, Sophie Abriat, Valentino, Givenchy, Laurent, Demna, BFRND, scupltor, Jaanisoo, Rémy Brière, Nicolas Di Felice, Louis Sullivan, Justin Shin, McQueen, Seán, Ib Kamara’s, Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton, Stockman, Jonas Gustavsson, Coco Chanel, Casey Cadwallader's, Albert York, Dior, Victor Virgile, Kristin Scott Thomas, Miu, Olivier Rousteing, Ik Aldama, Chloe —, Miller's, Arnold Jerocki, Filippo Fior, Gonzalo Fuentes, Thierry Chesnot, Ester Manas's Organizations: CNN, Paris, Paris CNN —, Eiffel, Saint Laurent Museum, Chloé, Victoria, Getty, Loewe, Dior, Monde, Saint Laurent, The Washington Post Locations: Paris, Trocadero, British, Deauville, Normandy, Mugler, Chloé, Georgia, AFP, Balenciaga, Chanel, Estonian, Courrèges, Dior

☆ London Fashion Week: Highlights from the Fall-Winter 2024 runways
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Fiona Sinclair Scott | Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Ben BroomfieldFaux furFleecy, fuzzy or fine: Faux fur was a key textile on the London runways. Ben Broomfield/Ben Broomfield @photobenphotoRobyn Lynch gave the white anorak a romantic silhouette during her Fall-Winter 2024 show. Maja SmiejkowskaStaged in a Gothic Revival church in East London, Dilara Findikoglu's show was a twisted fantasy. Dilara FindikogluSinead O'Dwyer, whose collection was inspired by a not-so-appropriate take on office wear, led the charge on diverse casting this season. Chris YatesModel on the runway at Molly Goddard RTW Fall 2024 as part of London Ready to Wear Fashion Week held at the Cecil Sharp House on February 17, 2024 in London, England.

Persons: scrappy, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Jonathon Ferris, John Malkovich, Maximilian Raynor’s, Harris Reed, Victoriana, — Conner Ives, Sinead Gorey —, Ives, Gorey, Maria Callas —, JW Anderson, Jonathan Anderson, ”, Amy Winehouse’s, Lily Cole, Agyness Deyn, Edward Crutchley, Stephen Jones ’ millinery, Molly Goddard’s, ” Goddard, ” Molly Goddard, Ben Broomfield, Broomfield, Simone Rocha, Jean Paul Gaultier, Queen Victoria, Conner Ives, Precious Lee, Sinead Gorey, Johanna Parv, Parv, Daniel Lee, moleskin, Henry Nicholls, Robyn Lynch, Lynch upcycled outerwear, Ben Broomfield @photobenphoto Robyn Lynch, Chris Yates, Naomi Campell, Joe Maher, Daniel Lee's, Filippo Fior, Burberry Erdem, Giovanni Giannoni, Jason Lloyd Evans, Jason Lloyd Evans Harris, Marc Hibbert Jonathan Anderson's, JW Anderson “, ” Anderson, ” JW Anderson, Ben Broomfield Sinead Gorey, Eamonn M . McCormack, Aldama Precious Lee, Maja Smiejkowska, Dilara, Dilara Findikoglu Sinead O'Dwyer, Chris Yates Lottie Moss, Kate Moss's, Sinead O'Dwyer, Molly Goddard RTW, Cecil Sharp, Aitor Rosas Sune, WWD, Rosas Sune, Molly Goddard's frilly, Ahluwalia Organizations: London CNN, Central Saint Martins, Tate, JW, Fashion, Burberry, British Vogue, Jean Paul Gaultier couture, Getty, ., Company, British Museum, Getty Images Locations: London, Tate Britain, East London’s, Paris, AFP, Irish, East London, England, Nigeria

☆ JW Anderson offers a twist on the nosy neighbor
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Fiona Sinclair Scott | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

London CNN —Next season’s style brief is to channel your gray-haired nosy neighbor, according to designer Jonathan Anderson. Moments after unveiling his latest collection for his label JW Anderson on Sunday, during London Fashion Week, Anderson told a huddle of journalists that he was interested in the rise of nostalgia as he thought about women “doing the washing in their neighbor’s garden.”A model walks the runway at the JW Anderson show during London Fashion Week. Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty ImagesBut the Northern Irish designer’s interpretation of this quintessentially British scene was devoid of the frump you might expect from a 1950s housewife. Salt and pepper permed wigs were paired with a striking red lip. Hair stylist Anthony Turner worked with the brand on the wigs worn by some of the models in the show.

Persons: Jonathan Anderson, JW Anderson, Anderson, “, Eamonn M . McCormack, ”, Anthony Turner, Victor Virgile Organizations: London CNN, London, JW Locations: British, Britain

General Motors' troubled robotaxi service Cruise on Tuesday endured a public lashing from a California judge who compared the company to the devious TV character Eddie Haskell for its behavior following a ghastly collision that wrecked its ambitious expansion plans. After a vehicle driven by a human struck a San Francisco pedestrian in early October, a Cruise robotaxi named “Panini” dragged the person 20 feet (6 meters) while traveling at roughly seven miles per hour (11 kilometers per hour). He also reminded Mason that Cruise could still face other repercussions beyond California, with both the U.S. Justice Department and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission probing the robotaxi service's conduct. But Mason indicated that he is leaning toward letting the case continue through the entire hearing process rather than approving a settlement. Tuesday's hearing came less than two weeks after Cruise released a lengthy report reviewing how the company mishandled things after the pedestrian was hurt.

Persons: Motors, Cruise, Eddie Haskell, Haskell, ”, Robert Mason III, Panini ”, Panini, specter, Mason, Jerry Mathers, ” Mason, Craig Glidden, Glidden, ” Cruise, ” Glidden, didn't, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart, Sullivan, Cruise’s, Kyle Vogt Organizations: Administrative, California Public Utilities Commission, General Motors, Cruise, U.S . Justice Department, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission Locations: California, San Francisco

While key issues like U.S. sanctions on chip exports remain unresolved, Chinese state media is now striking a different tone, focusing on Xi's smile during past trips to Iowa, fireside chats with its residents, and sharing chocolates with Biden. With official ties still strained, Chinese state media has focused on relations between the people and emphasised the potential for cooperation and importance of the summit for the Asia-Pacific region. Gary Dvorchak, an Iowan considered by Xi an old friend of China, said Xi's fondness for Iowa was genuine but that the Chinese leader also used his ties to the state for propaganda value. “It humanises him and it gives him an ability to show a connection to the American people and bypass the American media,” said Dvorchak. On the Weibo Chinese microblogging site, the most popular hashtag on Thursday still harked back to tension over Taiwan: "China must be and will be reunified."

Persons: Xi Jinping, Carlos Barria, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Li Mingjiang, Iowans, Gary Dvorchak, ”, Dvorchak, Albee Zhang, Michael Martina, Greg Torode, Robert Birsel Organizations: National Committee, China Relations, China Business Council, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Xinhua, Weibo, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Rights BEIJING, California, Iowa, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Pacific, Xinhua, Beijing, Washington, Hong Kong

☆ White House urges caution on polls showing Biden in trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The White House urged caution on Tuesday regarding opinion polls showing Democratic President Joe Biden lagging behind leading Republican candidate Donald Trump. A New York Times/Siena poll on Sunday showed Biden trailing Trump in five of six battleground states, with a year to go until the November 2024 presidential election. "There's going to be a lot of polls out there," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters when asked about them. She said they should be taken with a grain of salt and harked back to polls showing Republican Mitt Romney leading Democratic then-President Barack Obama ahead of the 2012 election, which Obama won handily. The Times poll showed Biden behind Trump in Nevada, Georgia, Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania and Biden ahead of Trump in Wisconsin.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Mike Segar, Karine Jean, Pierre, Republican Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, Obama, Biden, Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland, Chris Reese Organizations: Democratic, Belmont University, REUTERS, Rights, White, New York Times, Sunday, Biden, Trump, Republican, Senate, Representatives, Thomson Locations: coronavirus, Nashville , Tennessee, U.S, Siena, Nevada , Georgia, Arizona , Michigan, Pennsylvania, Trump, Wisconsin

☆ For Bill Ford, ‘Every Negotiation Is a Roller Coaster’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Neal E. Boudette | More About Neal E. Boudette | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As a 25-year-old junior executive at the car company that bears his last name, William Clay Ford Jr. had a bracing introduction to labor negotiations when a union official demanded that he stand up and vouch that he was made of the same stuff as his great-grandfather Henry Ford. Mr. Ford, now the company’s executive chairman, harked back to the moment in an interview this week about how he and his company are navigating one of their most difficult labor negotiations in decades. The United Automobile Workers union has shut down three Ford plants, including its largest, and other plants and distribution centers at General Motors and Stellantis, which owns Chrysler. He has referred to the companies as “the enemy,” and has said the union is fighting “corporate greed” and standing up to the “billionaire class.”In a speech this week, Mr. Ford said the strikes were helping nonunion automakers like Tesla, Toyota and Honda. Mr. Fain responded that workers at those companies were future U.A.W.

Persons: William Clay Ford Jr, Henry Ford, Ford, harked, Shawn Fain, Fain Organizations: United Automobile Workers, General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda

☆ Robbie Robertson, songwriting force in rock group The Band, dies at 80
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Matthew Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Musician Robbie Robertson arrives for the gala presentation of his biopic "Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band" on opening night at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 5, 2019. The Band included four Canadians - Robertson, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel - and was anchored by an Arkansas drummer, Levon Helm. Robbie Robertson later learned that his biological father was a man he described as a "card shark" of Jewish heritage named Alex Klegerman, who was killed in a highway hit-and-run accident before Robertson was born. Danko died at age 55 in 1999. Helm died of throat cancer in 2012.

Persons: Robbie Robertson, Mario Anzuoni, Robertson, Jared Levine, Robbie, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Levon Helm, Ronnie Hawkins, Bob Dylan, Martin Scorsese's, Helm, Danko, Manuel, Greil Marcus, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Walcott, Jaime Royal Robertson, Rosemarie Dolly Chrysler, Canadian Army enlistee, Jim Robertson, Alex Klegerman, Dylan, Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, Scorsese, Jodie Foster, Hudson, Matthew Lewis, Kanishka Singh, Diane Craft, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Toronto, Film, REUTERS, Canadian -, Hawks, Big, Beatles, Walcott Medicine, Canadian Army, Six Nations Indian Reserve, Canadian Broadcasting, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Canadian - American, Los Angeles, Arkansas, Woodstock , New York, San Francisco, America, Toronto, Canadian, Mohawk, Cayuga, Ontario, Florida, Chicago, Washington

☆ Paul Reubens, Creator of Pee-wee Herman, Is Dead at 70
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Neil Genzlinger | More About Neil Genzlinger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Pee-wee’s Playhouse” stands as one of the oddest, most audacious, most unclassifiable shows in television history. In one episode, Pee-wee married a fruit salad. The show arrived in the midst of Ronald Reagan’s presidential administration and harked back to another button-down era, the one Mr. Reubens lived as a child: the 1950s. ‘‘I saw it as very Norman Rockwell,” he told The New York Times in 2016, ‘‘but it was my Norman Rockwell version of the ’50s, which was more all-inclusive.”Laurence Fishburne, S. Epatha Merkerson and other actors of color were in the cast. “Not just anybody — the king!” Mr. Reubens said.

Persons: ”, “, —, Ronald Reagan’s, Reubens, ‘ ‘, Norman Rockwell, ‘, ” Laurence Fishburne, Epatha Merkerson, Gilbert Lewis, Mr Organizations: wee’s, CBS, New York Times Locations: Florida

CHARLESTON, S.C., Feb 15 (Reuters) - Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley is expected to focus on the threats China and Russia pose to the United States and the need for fresh blood atop the Republican ticket in the first stop of her campaign for the 2024 presidential nomination on Wednesday. China has captured renewed attention in the United States over the past week after the U.S. military shot down what officials said was a Chinese spy balloon off the South Carolina coast. She is scheduled to speak in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, at 11 a.m. local time (1600 GMT). Haley is later slated to swing through Iowa and New Hampshire, which will hold the first and second Republican nominating contests of the 2024 campaign cycle. She may not be the only South Carolina Republican eyeing the White House.

☆ Brazil markets tumble on Lula's first full day in office
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Anthony Boadle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Haddad, who is seeking to dispel market fears that he might not maintain fiscal discipline, took office on Monday, pledging to control spending. "The policies remind us of Dilma Rousseff's government rather than Lula's," Gracia said, referring to Lula's handpicked successor, who was impeached while in office. Allies said Lula's newfound social conscience was the result of his 580 days in prison, Reuters reported on Sunday. Lula kicks off his third presidential term after persuading Congress to pass a one-year, 170 billion-reais increased social spending package, in line with his campaign promises. Lula spent his first day in office meeting with more than a dozen heads of state who attended his inauguration.

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