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☆ R.F.K. Jr. Is a Walking, Talking Conspiracy Theory - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Gail Collins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

And while he isn’t going to win, he’ll certainly draw a lot of attention. Even loyal Democrats have gotten kinda bored with our current president, and nobody really loves the idea of him celebrating his 86th birthday in the White House. It’s very clear that many of the folks who’ve told pollsters they want to nominate R.F.K. There was a time — a very long time ago — when the world knew him mainly as a battler for the environment. And even though he must realize his anti-pharmaceutical ranting is not going to win him the nomination, he doesn’t seem quite able to contain himself.

Persons: Kennedy, Joe Biden, he’ll, who’ve, pollsters, R.F.K ., he’s, Oprah, Clinton, “, spasmodic dysphonia, ”, we’ve Organizations: Democratic, Waterbury Democratic, Committee Locations: Waterbury, ”, Connecticut

☆ Social Security phone service disruptions led to dropped calls, longer wait times, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Callers who have sought help from the Social Security Administration in recent years have reported long wait times, dropped calls and inability to access the agency's services. A new report from the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General finds the agency experienced more than 40 telephone system disruptions between May 2021 and December 2022. During that time, the telephone was the "primary option" for the public to interact with the agency's employees, the report notes. The office oversees the Social Security Administration's programs and operations on the public's behalf. The unanswered rate reached its highest among the service disruption dates identified in the report — 80.4% — on Feb. 22 and 23.

Persons: General Gail Ennis Organizations: Social Security Administration, Social Security Administration Office, Finance, GOP, Social Security

Bret: I’d have a much easier time accepting affirmative action if the principal criterion was class, not race. Gail: You can’t leave race out, but yes, it’s important to mix it with other parts of a biography. Diversity is also about making sure universities don’t become ideological monocultures where people look different but share nearly all the same opinions and assumptions. Gail: To me, diversity is a very, very important goal — you don’t want to be living in a world in which all the folks of one race or class never interact with folks from another. Bret: Diversity can be a virtue, but it doesn’t have to apply in every conceivable setting or override other considerations, especially academic excellence.

Persons: Bret, I’d, Gail Locations: East, South Asia

☆ Opinion | Coming Out Late — and Finding a New Life in Midlife
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Charles M. Blow | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Born, bred, toasted, buttered, jelly-jammed and honeyed in Harlem.”That’s how Audrey Smaltz, a former model and fashion industry veteran who turned 86 this month, introduced herself to me years ago at a Midtown Manhattan reception. She was the grande dame of the room, floating through it, incandescent, fun and unabashedly flirty. “I had fabulous men in my life,” she told me recently, but in 1999, the Olympic basketball star Gail Marquis, 17 years Smaltz’s junior, asked her out to dinner. Smaltz didn’t think of it as a date and said she had no interest in women at the time. But when Marquis kissed her good night, Smaltz recalled, “it was like kissing a man.” She said, “I couldn’t believe myself,” then laughed, punctuating the thought: “Whoa!”They married in 2011.

Persons: “, ”, Audrey Smaltz, Gail Marquis, Smaltz didn’t, Marquis, Smaltz, Gallup Organizations: Olympic, Pew Research Center Locations: Harlem, Manhattan

☆ Gail Collins on ‘The Most of Nora Ephron’ - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Gail Collins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Enter writers like Nora Ephron, a fighter for the cause who was a genius at using wit to handle any woe. “The Most of Nora Ephron” is a tome that includes so much of what she published, from current affairs journalism to food blogging to Broadway plays. “I hope that you choose not to be a lady,” she told the 1996 graduates at her alma mater, Wellesley. “I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. Pointing out how ridiculous the status quo is breaks its spell and gives us the freedom to dream up something better.

Persons: topick, Nora Ephron, Nora Ephron ”, Nora, “, Carl Bernstein, Gail Collins, ”, ” Doris Lessing’s, Miss, Nick Pileggi, Clarence Thomas, it’s Organizations: Broadway, White, Disney Locations: America, Washington, mater, Wellesley, “

Under the terms, Vodafone will own 51% and Hutchison 49% of the combined group, which will be led by current Vodafone UK boss Ahmed Essam. The finance chief of Hutchison's Three UK, Darren Purkis, will take the same role in the new group. The combined operator will have about 27 million customers, overtaking BT's (BT.L) EE and VM O2, jointly owned by Telefonica (TEF.MC) and Liberty Global (LBTYA.O). Vodafone, which is currently Britain's third-biggest mobile operator, and fourth-placed Hutchison will have options which would allow Vodafone to acquire the Hong Kong-based conglomerate's 49% stake in the future. Shares in Vodafone, which fell to a 25-year low of 71 pence on Tuesday, rose 3.6% after the deal was announced.

Persons: CK Hutchison, Canning Fok, Ahmed Essam, Darren Purkis, Hutchison, Vodafone's Essam, Robert Finnegan, Gail Cartmail, Paul Sandle, Clare Jim, Kate Holton, Sharon Singleton, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Vodafone, CK, HK, Hutchison, Hutchison's, BT's, VM O2, Telefonica, Liberty Global, Britain's Competition, Markets Authority, CMA, Unite, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Britain, Hong Kong, China, London

☆ Opinion | Your Summer Politics Quiz
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Gail Collins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Hey, guys — we’re heading into summer! The year’s almost half over, so let’s see if you’re caught up on current affairs. (There’s always time for remedial reading over vacation.) Anyhow, here’s your checkup. We’ll start with — well, you know.

Persons: you’re

☆ Where Presidential Hopes Go to Die - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Gail Collins | Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

But speaking of forest fires, shall we get to that latest Trump indictment? Gail: We’re obviously in history-making territory — first former president indicted in a criminal case brought by the federal government. And this one, which involves trying to stash away official papers he’d been told were government property, is certainly a classic Trump combination of shocking and stupid. That may be about as close to a slam dunk, legally speaking, as we’re ever going to get in a case like this. Bret: The second thought is that a special counsel appointed by President Biden’s attorney general is bringing a criminal case against the president’s presumptive opponent in next year’s election.

Persons: Gail, We’re, he’d, Bret, I’m, ” Gail, Jack Smith, Trump, Biden’s, Damon Organizations: Georgia

☆ Who’s Running in the Republican Presidential Primary? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Gail Collins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Whenever I want to put myself to sleep at night, I run through the names of all the former vice presidents. Back when Donald Trump announced it all seemed sorta life-as-usual, but now the race is definitely on. All the major names are men except Nikki Haley, who’s arguing that “it’s time to put a badass woman in the White House.” Well, yeah. There’s very little chance Haley’s campaign is going anywhere, but I think we can all agree she could really perk things up. Rather than dodging the whole Donald Trump matter whenever possible, Christie stresses that he’s running to save the country from a former close colleague who he now calls a “lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog.”

Persons: I’ll, Donald Trump, Republicans eyeing, Nikki Haley, who’s, We’re, Chris Christie, Christie Organizations: Republicans, House

☆ Review: In ‘This Land Was Made,’ Huey Newton Walks Into a Bar
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Jesse Green | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In Oakland, Calif., in 1968, Huey P. Newton, the Black Panther leader, was convicted of killing a white police officer. In 1971, after two more trials and nearly two years in prison, he was cleared of all charges. That’s the question at the heart of “This Land Was Made,” the gutsy but murky new play by Tori Sampson at the Vineyard Theater. Most successful is the sitcom element, which could be titled “Trish’s,” an Oakland bar where everybody knows your name. For about 25 minutes, Sampson serves up something warm and piquant at Trish’s: an interplay of zingers, flirtations, spats and politics.

Persons: Huey P, Newton, Tori Sampson, Taylor, ”, Trish, Pugh, Antoinette Crowe, Sampson, Sassy, Matthew Griffin, Gail, Yasha Jackson, Drew, Leland Fowler, Ezra Knight Organizations: Panther, Vineyard, Mr Locations: Oakland, Calif, Libya, New Orleans, Trish’s, Troy

☆ James Beard Award 2023 winners announced
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Marnie Hunter | Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The awards have been presented in the Windy City since 2015 and are set to remain there through 2027. Like last year, much of the 2023 show was focused on showcasing the new push for greater diversity. The James Beard Foundation has been mired in controversy over the past few years. The winner of the South category, Natalia Vallejo, is the first Puerto Rican native to win a James Beard Award. Here’s the full list of the 2023 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards nominees.

Persons: James Beard, Eric Adjepong, Esther Choi, Andrew Zimmern, Gail Simmons, ”, ” Simmons, Gregory Gourdet, Kann, ” Sherry Pocknett, Sly Fox, James, Ellen Yin, J.B . Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, foodie, James Beard’s, “, Timothy Hontzas, Sam Fore, Mariah Carey, Monti Carlo, Natalia Vallejo, Rachel Miller, Nightshade Noodle, Lynn, Niki Nakayama, Erik Ramirez, NY Rob Rubba, Hajime Sato, Sozai, Celeste Noche, NY Don, Brandon Chrostowski, Greg Dulan, CA Aaron Hoskins, Sarah Simmons, Elie Yigo, Quynh Pham, WA Ellen Yin, Damarr Brown, Virtue, Rashida, LA Charlie Mitchell, Clover, NY Amanda Shulman, Angelo, Bakeshop, Zak, Baker, Baker Veronika Gerasimova, Elaine Uykimpang Bentz, Café Mochiko, Vince Bugtong, Margarita Manzke, CA Shawn McKenzie, Café, AL Lula Drake, Los Angeles , CA Spencer, Ann, Brownsville , TX Rob Roy, California Gilberto Cetina Jr, CA Kyle, Katina, Brandon Hayato Go, Hayato, Los Angeles , CA Justin Pichetrungsi, Carlos Salgado, Taco, Omar Anani, Saffron De, Diana Dávila, IL Tim Flores, Genie Kwon, IL Andy Hollyday, MI Sarah Welch, Marrow, Jesse Ito, Cantina La, Kate Lasky, Tomasz Skowronski, Michael Rafidi, Sanaa, Gregory León, Francesco Mangano, Osteria, Madison , WI Itaru Nagano, Andrew Kroeger, Madison , WI David Utterback, Salvador Alamilla, Amano, Caldwell, Michael Diaz de Leon, Suchada Johnson, WY Kris Komori, Ali Sabbah, Brooklyn , NY Mary Attea, Amanda Cohen, Dirt, Valentine Howell, Hunter, CT Sherry Pocknett, Renee Touponce, Joshua Dorcak, Vince Nguyen, Thomas Pisha, Gado, Beau Schooler, Bocca Al, AK Aaron Verzosa, KY Josh Habiger, TN Sam Hart, NC Terry Koval, Paul Smith, Ana Castro, Lengua, LA Timothy Hontzas, AL Henry Moso, Alex Perry, Kumi Omori, Cocina al, Oscar Amador, Kaoru Azeuchi, KAISEKI, Andrew Black, Jeff Chanchaleune, Ma Der, Justin Pioche, Texas Reyna, Painter, Houston , TX Emiliano Marentes, El Paso , TX John Russ, Clementine, San Antonio , TX Ernest Servantes, David Kirkland, Jim Embry, Valerie Horn, Savi ” Horne, Ira Wallace, Olivia Watkins, Karen Washington, Madur Jaffrey Organizations: Washington , D.C, Lyric Opera of, Illinois Gov, Chicago Mayor, Philadelphia, James Beard Foundation, James, New York Times, CNN, Foundation, WA Coracora, Sunday, of Culture, NY, Neng, EDWINS, Restaurant Institute, Hospitality, SC Yenvy, Street Hospitality, Mbaye, Dakar, WA Bottega, AL, SC, Beverages, Merchant, WA BEST, Sherman, Taco María, Selden, D.C, Madison , WI Itaru, Fairchild, Madison , WI, WY, New, New York State, NY Shaina Loew, Pacific, AK, TN, EDO, Food, Burnt Bean, Sustainable Communities Network, Cooperative Farming, Community Center, Southern, Sierra, Burgerville Workers Union, Black Farmer Fund Locations: Philadelphia, Haitian, Pacific, Washington ,, Lyric Opera of Chicago, livestream, Windy City, Boise , Idaho, Madison , Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Monson , Maine, Haiti, Charlestown , Rhode Island, Puerto Rican, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, NY, Washington, Clawson, MI, Seattle, West Hartford, Philadelphia ,, Lucia, Dallas ,, Cincinnati, Portland , Oregon, of Culture , New York, Mexican, Fort Worth , TX Kann, Portland, Milwaukee ,, Asheville , NC, Chicago, Houston , TX, Cleveland, Crenshaw, Columbia, WA, Rashida Holmes, Bridgetown Roti, Los Angeles ,, Dakar NOLA , New Orleans, LA, Clover Hill, New Orleans, Richardson ,, Kansas City ,, Miami, Billings, San Francisco ,, Café Cerés, Minneapolis, Cypress, Pullman, Birmingham, Quarry, Monson, IL, New York, Houston ,, Ann Arbor, Honolulu, Shawnee, KS, Las Vegas, Brownsville , TX, Healdsburg, Sherman Oaks, Costa Mesa ,, Lakes, Saffron De Twah, Detroit ,, Detroit, NJ, PA, , Philadelphia, Cantina La Martina, Apteka, Pittsburgh, Albi , Washington, Kalaya, MN, MO, Sioux Falls, Amilinda, Milwaukee, Osteria Papavero, Madison ,, Yoshitomo, Omaha, UT, WY, Salvador, BRUTØ, Denver, Teton, Teton Village, Boise, Salt Lake City, Sofreh, Brooklyn , NY, , New York, Hudson, Atomix , New York, NH, RI, Krasi, Boston, New Preston, Charlestown, Siu, Yunnan, The, MÄS, Ashland, Berlu, Gado Gado, Bocca Al Lupo, Juneau, Archipelago, KY, NC, TN, WV, Lexington, Bastion, Nashville, Charlotte, Decatur, Charleston, Lengua Madre , New Orleans, Homewood, Orlando, Springs, Cocina, Cocina al Fondo, San Juan, AZ, NM, Oklahoma City, Fruitland, Navajo Nation, Sandwich Hag, El Paso , TX, San Antonio ,, Seguin ,, City of Whitesburg

A recent CNN poll shows that 20 percent of Democrats favor Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for the party’s nomination, 8 percent want Marianne Williamson and another 8 percent want someone else. Do you think this is some kind of polling fluke or an ominous political sign for Joe Biden? Gail: I am absolutely sure that a lot of the people raising their hands for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or Marianne Williamson have no idea who either of them actually is. Obviously, they recognize the Kennedy name, but I’ll bet most don’t know about his new career as an anti-vaxxer. Williamson touched a nerve — or summoned a spirit — as the “dark psychic force” lady from the last Democratic primary.

Persons: Bret Stephens, Gail, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Marianne Williamson, Joe Biden, Gail Collins, Bret, it’s, he’s, Kennedy, ., Williamson Organizations: CNN, vax, Democratic Locations: America

It looks like we’ll be getting two new campaign launches soon in the race for the Republican presidential nomination: Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina and Gov. Gail Collins: Gee, Bret, I guess they could both could use a little help being faster on their feet when they’re surrounded by curious reporters. Bret: Gail! Gail: Scott hasn’t been a serious enough possibility for me to worry about. Give me a little more time to judge what looks like it will be a growing throng.

☆ JPMorgan, ex-executive spar in court over responsibility for Epstein
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JPMorgan wants Staley to cover some or all damages it might face in lawsuits brought by Epstein's accusers and the U.S. Virgin Islands over its ties to Epstein. The lawsuits accuse the bank of aiding in Epstein's sex trafficking by keeping him as a client from 1998 to 2013, the last five years after he pleaded guilty to a Florida prostitution charge. Had Staley "observed his obligations, Epstein would not have been a client," said Leonard Gail, a lawyer for JPMorgan. Staley, who later served as Barclays Plc's (BARC.L) chief executive, has expressed regret for befriending Epstein but denied knowing about his crimes. Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.

☆ Opinion | Remember When Trump and DeSantis Loved Each Other? Neither Do They.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Gail Collins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Our topic for today is — who’s worse, Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis? DeSantis made headlines this weekend when he showed up to campaign in Iowa while Trump canceled a rally because of bad weather. “Iowa is the Florida of the Midwest,” the governor of Florida claimed at one point in his burger-flipping, speech-giving trek. Now this was clearly intended as a compliment, but Iowans, do you actually want to be the Florida of the Midwest? Do your Midwestern neighbors ever mutter, “What our state needs is a heck of a lot more floods and sinkholes …”?

☆ Opinion | Ralph Nader and Others Clash Over the Value of Third Parties
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Tough,” by Gail Collins (column, May 4):Ms. Collins’s diatribe scapegoating me and the Green Party for the Democrats’ loss of the presidency in 2000 might have been tempered by consulting Al Gore. He has respected third-party candidates exercising their First Amendment rights to offer more voices and choices on the ballot. Third parties have had a galvanizing reform influence on our country from the antislavery Liberty Party in 1840 to the labor, farmer and populist parties. The major parties later adopted popular third-party issues to win more support. Ralph NaderWashingtonTo the Editor:Gail Collins’s column reminded me of why my reasons for voting have changed over the years.

Before we get to the border or the budget, though, let me admit I’m shallow and start with the Trump town hall on CNN. Bret Stephens: Not shallow, Gail. Gail: Trump lost your Republican vote a long time ago, but if you were still on the fence, was there anything on display that evening that would have had an impact? That said, I would guess that if you’re the sort of voter who liked 80-proof Trump, you’re gonna love 120-proof Trump. And that’s what he was in that CNN town hall: more mendacious, more shameless, more unapologetic, more aggressive, nastier.

A New York federal judge warned JPMorgan Chase that he might find the bank in contempt of court if it does not speed up in producing evidence related to late sexual offender and money manager Jeffrey Epstein for lawsuits by an Epstein accuser and the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, CNBC has learned. Judge Jed Rakoff suggested in a notice that JPMorgan and two law firms representing the bank have been slow-walking in turning over documents and other evidence to plaintiffs in the case, under a process known as discovery, according to a source familiar with the notice. "The Court also wishes to note that it is concerned that JPMorgan is not moving more expeditiously to produce responsive documents," Rakoff wrote in the notice, which has yet to appear on the public docket in the case in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. "So JPMorgan is put on notice that further expedition will be needed on pain of being put in contempt of Court," Rakoff wrote. A JPMorgan spokesperson had no comment on the notice.

☆ Repulsed by Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump? Tough. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Gail Collins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

This conversation took place when the country was bearing down on the 2016 election, and Nader vowed not to vote for either Trump or Clinton. “They’re not alike,” he acknowledged, but added, “they’re both terrible.”Think that was the last time I ever consulted Ralph Nader. Well, a few days before the election the Green candidate — have I mentioned her name was Angela Green? As senator, Sinema became an, um, unreliable Democratic vote. Another senator who frequently drives Democratic leaders crazy is Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who hasn’t announced his own plans.

You know I’m no fan of Kevin McCarthy’s. Gail Collins: Bret, with your strong feelings about fiscal responsibility, you of all people should be offended by McCarthy’s ploy. But McCarthy now wants to use it as a hostage — attaching his wish-list of spending cuts (weaken the I.R.S.!) Bret: I don’t think anyone wants Uncle Sam to default on his debts — except, well, the nuttier Republicans who hold the balance of power in the House. McCarthy had to pass a bill that could garner their support.

☆ I Had to Stop Asking Why
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Samantha Joseph | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I had been having a conversation in my head with David Schwimmer, who played Ross on the TV show “Friends,” for more than 10 years. Without giving it enough thought, I registered for the conference and booked my flight from Boston to New York. In my head, David Schwimmer always said exactly the right thing. When she died by suicide at 39 in November 1999, an episode of “Friends” was dedicated to her. When the lights go out and the black light comes on, his teeth practically illuminate the room.

Gail Collins: Well, Bret it looks like Joe Biden will be announcing his re-election bid this week. Gail: I know you disagree with him on many issues, particularly relating to the economy. But given the likely Republican presidential candidates, any chance you’ll actually be able to avoid voting for him? It says something about the state of the Republican Party that the two current front-runners — let’s call them Don Caligula and Ron Torquemada — are nonstarters for a voter like me. And I’m a guy who believes in low taxes, a strong military, broken-windows policing, entitlement reform, a border wall and school choice.

☆ Gail Christian, Trailblazing News Correspondent, Dies at 83
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Alex Williams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“I always wanted to be ‘the Black reporter,’ as in covering Black stories,” she said in an interview with The Chicago Tribune in 1986. “I felt that was the reason I was there. I didn’t resent it in the least. “And her pioneering role as a Black news reporter allowed young Black kids to see, many for the first time, someone admirable on TV who looked like them. That program featured several award-winning segments, including one about a banking scandal that hurt low-income communities and another about a chemical spill in Orange County that caused illnesses in the area, each of which won a Peabody Award.

☆ This Isn't What Millennial Middle Age Was Supposed to Look Like - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Jessica Grose | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +25 min

Things have been difficult for her family, she says, but one thing she isn’t worried about: a midlife crisis, looming just over the horizon. One of our questions was about whether they had experienced a midlife crisis and how they would define the term. Many people said they felt they couldn’t be having a midlife crisis, because there was no bourgeois numbness to rebel against. “Who has midlife crisis money?”The traditional midlife crisis, as presented in popular culture, at least, unfolds amid suburban ennui. We just increase our Lexapro.”Was the midlife crisis ever even real?

☆ British union suspends ambulance strikes for talks with government
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, March 5 (Reuters) - Britain's Unite trade union said on Sunday it had suspended ambulance worker strikes planned for March 6 and 8 in order to enter into pay talks with the government. The move by Unite follows the announcement on Friday by two other trade unions, GMB and Unison, that they had also paused national ambulance strikes in order to hold talks in a months-long dispute over pay. "Following further assurances from the government over the weekend Unite has in good faith agreed to pause the strike action," Unite head of operations Gail Cartmail said. "If the meeting doesn't meet these assurances strike action will resume," Cartmail added in a statement. Unite said the assurances related to confirmation that any deal would include new money, rather than putting pressure on existing budgets.

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