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NEW YORK (AP) — Eddie Izzard is returning to a New York stage this winter for an ambitious version of “Hamlet.” It's ambitious because the actor-comedian will be the only one on stage. Izzard will play all the William Shakespeare parts in a one-person staging adapted by Izzard's brother, Mark, and directed by Selena Cadell. Performances at Greenwich House Theater run from Jan. 25-March 3. “You’re just at the edge of your skill set and pushing out even further.”This “Hamlet” will ask Izzard to play noblemen, women, ghosts, soldiers, courtiers, lovers and fools. Earlier this year, Izzard said she was adding Suzy to her name but would remain known as Eddie Izzard in public.

Persons: — Eddie Izzard, ”, Izzard, William Shakespeare, Izzard's, Mark, Selena Cadell, “ It’s, ” Izzard, “ You’re, “, Cadell, Charles Dickens, of, Mick Perrin, John Gore, Victoria, Abdul ”, Judi Dench, Joe Egg ”, don’t, Suzy, Eddie Izzard, ___ Mark Kennedy Organizations: Greenwich House, Associated Press, WestBeth Entertainment, Mick Perrin Worldwide, Broadway Locations: New York, London’s, of Denmark, “

☆ Amazon announces Q, an AI chatbot for businesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon on Tuesday announced a new chatbot called Q for people to use at work. The Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Duet AI for Google Workspace for business workers both cost $30 per person per month. As a result, with Q, people can discuss information that's stored in Microsoft 365, Dropbox, Salesforce and Zendesk, along with AWS' S3 data-storage service. Administrators will be able to determine whether Q can answer people's questions about general topics, said Deepak Singh, an AWS vice president. WATCH: The market now sees Amazon as more of a cloud and generative AI company, says Needham's Laura Martin

Persons: James Bond, Salesforce's Slack, Adam Selipsky, Selipsky, Steven Dickens, Q, Deepak Singh, Needham's Laura Martin Organizations: Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google, Star Trek, Futurum, AWS Locations: Las Vegas

☆ Rosalynn Carter: President Biden and former president Jimmy Carter to gather to honor former first lady
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Zoe Sottile | Christina Maxouris | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The Carter family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Carter Center Mental Health Program or the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. Members of the public pay their respects to former first lady Rosalynn Carter as she lies in repose at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta on Monday, November 27. Austin Steele/CNN Members of the Carter family watch as Rosalynn's casket arrives at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library on Monday. On the left, wearing the necklace, is Amy Carter, the daughter of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. Rosalynn Carter also devoted her time to the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, which she founded at Georgia Southwestern State University’s campus.

Persons: Rosalynn Carter, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Melania Trump, Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn, Kamala Harris, Brian Kemp, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Carter, Brynn Anderson, Shannon Boone, Boone, Will Lanzoni, Vincent Wimbush, Wimbush, Vickye Terry, Terry, Austin Steele, Dora Moore, Mike Stewart, Amy Carter, Jimmy, Jack, Jeff, Jason Sheedy, Sheedy, John Lewis, John Bazemore, Phoebe Sumter, Alex Brandon, ”, Georgia’s, “ Rosalynn, “ Organizations: CNN, Georgia Southwestern State University, Jimmy Carter Presidential, Carter, Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church, Emory University, Georgia Gov, Atlanta Mayor, Humanity, Maranatha Baptist Church, White House, Mental Health, Plains High School, Carter Presidential Center, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Atlanta, Morehouse College, Carter Center, CNN Atlanta, CNN Chicago, John Lewis Freedom, Carter Health, Human Services, Secret Service, Phoebe Sumter Medical, Georgia Southwestern State University’s Locations: Atlanta, Georgia, Plains, mater, California, Americus , Georgia, Americus, United States, Cuba, Sudan, North Korea, Guinea

☆ I charge up to $25,000 to decorate homes for Christmas. It's exhausting work but I love creating beautiful environments for people to celebrate the holidays.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementLots of my residential design clients become Christmas decorating clientsAt first, I started working out of my home. It's usually, "We want to do Christmas really big this year" or "We're having a party and we want our home to look really nice." A Christmas tree that Warren designed. Jarrod EstesIf they are going to hire me, they want to get the most bang for their buck, and for 99% of people, that means a decorated Christmas tree. Warren and a Christmas tree she designed.

Persons: Courtney Warren, Warren, —, Courtney Warren Home, I've, It's, Courtney, Jarrod Estes, they're, it's, Warren ., we've, couldn't, haven't, I'm Organizations: Service, Dallas metroplex Locations: Dallas, New York, Texas

ATLANTA (AP) — An Atlanta police officer responding to a minor car crash deployed a Taser on a church deacon who disregarded multiple commands to sign a traffic ticket, shocking the man after he repeatedly said he could not breathe, police body camera video released Wednesday shows. The roughly hour-long video shows Kimbrough arriving at the scene of the crash and gathering information from Hollman, the other driver and a passenger before the confrontation. In the video, Hollman repeatedly insists the other driver hit him, but otherwise follows Kimbrough’s orders to move his car and stay by it. “The Atlanta Police investigation confirmed Officer Kimbrough deployed his city-issued TASER and used force in a manner consistent with his training and Georgia law.”In the video, Hollman says he will sign the ticket after Kimbrough steps closer to him. Schierbaum said Kimbrough, who like Hollman is Black, violated department policy when he didn’t wait until a supervisor arrived to arrest Hollman.

Persons: Johnny Hollman, Kiran Kimbrough, Kimbrough, Hollman, “, ” Kimbrough, Lance LoRusso, Mr, ” LoRusso, ”, Hollman's, ” Hollman, Darin Schierbaum, Schierbaum, LoRusso, doesn’t, Fani Willis, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Dickens Organizations: ATLANTA, Chevrolet Silverado, Atlanta Police, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Fulton, Atlanta Mayor Locations: An Atlanta, Hollman, Atlanta, Georgia, Fulton County

ATLANTA (AP) — Reactions to the death of Rosalynn Carter, former first lady and global humanitarian:___President Joe Biden said the Carters “brought grace” to the White House. “There was no greater advocate of President Carter, and their partnership set a wonderful example of loyalty and fidelity. “The State of Georgia and the United States are better places because of Rosalynn Carter," Ossoff said in a statement. “Georgia Democrats join our entire state, nation, and the world in mourning the loss of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter – an extraordinary humanitarian, fierce mental health advocate, and beloved daughter of Georgia," Williams said. In lieu of flowers, Carter requested that those wishing to honor her memory do so through contributions to the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program or the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, the statement said.

Persons: Rosalynn Carter, Joe Biden, “, ”, ” Biden, Jimmy Carter, ___, George W, Bush, Carter, ” Bush, Laura Bush, Sen, Jon Ossoff, Ossoff, ” ___, Donald Trump, Carter “, ” Trump, Melania Trump, ” Melania Trump, Nancy Pelosi, Lady Carter, ” Pelosi, Bill, Hillary Clinton, Andre Dickens, ” Dickens, Georgia —, Lady Rosalynn Carter, Michelle Obama, I’ll, Obama, Nikema Williams, Rosalynn Carter –, Williams Organizations: ATLANTA, Air Force, U.S, Navy, Georgia, Carter Center, Habitat, Humanity, Truth, World Health Organization, Carter, Atlanta, White, Rep, Democratic Party of Georgia, “ Georgia Democrats, Mental Health Locations: Norfolk , Virginia, Georgia, The State, United States, Latin America, Atlanta, “

☆ Team Biden barely responds to Democrat Dean Phillips' longshot primary challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Allies of President Joe Biden barely acknowledged Phillips' formal entrance into the race this week. In a prepared response to Phillips' announcement, Biden 2024 campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz did not even mention him by name. WASHINGTON — For team Biden, Rep. Dean Phillips , the Minnesota Democrat who launched a longshot primary challenge against the president, is barely a blip on the radar. "I'm not running against Joe Biden. I'm not running against President Biden," he said on MTP Now.

Persons: Joe Biden, Georgia Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock, Phillips, Biden, Kevin Munoz, Dean Phillips, David Scanlan, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Dickens, Donald Trump, Dean, Brendan Boyle, Boyle, Kristen Welker, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jean, it's, I'm Organizations: Democratic U.S, New, Democratic, Democrats, Democratic National Committee, South Carolina, WASHINGTON —, Minnesota Democrat, U.S . Rep, Statehouse, Biden, CNBC, Atlanta Mayor, Republican, Press, White House Press Locations: Georgia, Atlanta , Georgia, Granite, South, WASHINGTON, New Hampshire, Concord , New Hampshire, United States

☆ Bologna's 'leaning' tower, the Garisenda, closed off amid subsidence fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

And now the medieval Garisenda “leaning” tower in Bologna is sparking very modern publicity, with concern that it might be subsiding. But it leans at an angle of four degrees – only a little more upright than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, set at a tipsy five-degree angle. Shortened in later years, it sits in the city center beside the Asinelli – a tower twice the height, which tourists can climb. Lepore said that the tower “has been leaning for several centuries, and it has been the subject of various interventions over decades.”The Garisenda, seen next to the higher Asinelli tower, leans at a four-degree angle. Lepore represents the center-left Democratic Party, and his council opposition has cast him as failing to protect the tower.

Persons: we’ll, Stanley Tucci, CNN — Dante Alighieri, Charles Dickens, Dante, Matteo Lepore, ”, Lepore, Genoa’s, ” Lepore, “, Lucia Borgonzoni, Borgonzoni, Fabio Bergonzini Organizations: CNN, intel, Northern League, Democratic Party Locations: Italy, Bologna, Manhattan, Pisa, Emilia, Romagna, Lepore, “

Like many other Black Protestant churches, Calvary Baptist struggled economically during the coronavirus pandemic. But the church has transformed its parking lot to accommodate game-day fundraisers, with volunteers from the congregation staffing the lots and selling spaces for $15 per vehicle. All 250 parking spaces at the Calvary lot were full when Messi’s Inter Miami played the Union. Sometimes, rival fans park at the church. The church parking lot is often full on game days.

Persons: Martin Luther King Jr, Keith Dickens, Calvary, ”, Dickens, Lionel Messi, Jeffrey Scholes, “, Scholes, ” Scholes, King, ” Abe Gitterman, Lisa Lewis, Leslie Cranford, RVs —, Jones, Cranford, Kevin Ness, Jill Connerym, Connery, Taylor, Kevin Ulmet Organizations: Eagles, NFL, Calvary Baptist Church, Major League Soccer, Philadelphia Union, Subaru, Union, Calvary Baptist, Green Bay Packers, MLS, Messi’s Inter Miami, Sports, Chester’s Crozer Theological Seminary . Chester, John’s United Methodist Church, Texas Tech, Red Raiders, T, ”, Christian Science Church, Red Sox, Christian, Christian Science, Bethany Church, Packers, Nashville, Church, Nazarene, Nissan, Tennessee Titans, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: CHESTER, Pa, Philadelphia, Delaware, Calvary, Lubbock , Texas, St, Boston, Fenway, Green Bay , Wisconsin, Nashville, Haiti, Kenya, “

☆ We asked Elon Musk's dad what he thought about the new book out on his son. He had a lot to say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Errol Musk told Insider he isn't happy with what he's heard about the new biography on his son. AdvertisementAdvertisementErrol Musk isn't happy with Walter Isaacson's recent biography about his son, Elon Musk. Isaacson's biography on Elon Musk is filled with accounts of incidents where the Tesla CEO and other family members claim Errol Musk bullied and demeaned Elon. In the book, Isaacson wrote that Elon Musk and his brother Kimbal Musk have cut off communication with their father — an assertion Errol Musk denies. Isaacson, Elon Musk, and Kimbal Musk did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication.

Persons: Errol Musk, he's, Elon Musk's, —, Errol Musk isn't, Walter Isaacson's, Elon Musk, demeaned Elon, Isaacson, Errol, Vader, Elon's Luke Skywalker, Elon, Errol Musk's, Cyrus McCrimmon, doesn't, he'd, Pip, Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens, Dr, Jekyll, Hyde, it's, Stone, Jana Bezuidenhout, I'm, Kimbal, –, we'd, Joel Saget, Chris Saucedo, " Isaacson, Kimbal Musk, Bill Gates, Elon wouldn't Organizations: Service, Elon, Denver, AFP, Microsoft Locations: South Africa, Florida

☆ Here's why Target and Costco are having wildly different experiences with America's $41 billion shoplifting problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Costco and Target issued contrasting statements Tuesday about how retail crime is affecting them. Target said it would close 9 stores, citing crime – Costco said theft was "not a big issue for us." It also noted that theft incidents seem to be getting increasingly violent. Costco's success in skirting the impact of retail theft comes down to several operational factors that seem to run counter to Target's approach to business. AdvertisementAdvertisementAlthough Costco and Target are reporting almost opposite experiences with retail theft, the bigger picture resists superlatives.

Persons: Costco, —, Brian Cornell, Frederic J . Brown, Richard Galanti, Galanti, Cornell, Lindsey Nicholson, Charles Dickens, Dominick Organizations: Costco, Target, Service, Shoppers, Getty Locations: Queens , NY, Seattle, Kirkland, Portland, New York

☆ Walmart reduces hours at 5 Atlanta stores after announcing a police workspace in separate area store
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart has shortened the hours at five Atlanta stores, now closing at 9 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. The company cited feedback from store managers, employees, and shoppers in making the decision. Last month, city officials announced that another area store would include a workspace for police. Effective September 16, closing time at the stores is two hours earlier — at 9 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. — a Walmart spokesperson said, citing feedback from store managers, employees, and shoppers. Here is the full list of Atlanta-area Walmart locations closing earlier, effective September 16:

Persons: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens Organizations: Walmart, Service, —, Atlanta Mayor Locations: Atlanta, Wall, Silicon

ATLANTA (AP) — Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock on Friday urged Atlanta's mayor to be more transparent in how city officials handle a petition drive led by opponents of a proposed police and firefighter training center, saying he is “closely monitoring” the issue. Warnock's letter comes after weeks of calls from “Stop Cop City” activists who were furious that the state's top Democrats had stayed largely silent over the city's plan to adopt a signature-matching verification process. Activists and prominent voting rights groups have decried the restriction as voter suppression. The deadline had been previously extended until September by a federal judge, but an appellate court on Sept. 1 paused the enforcement of that order, throwing the effort into legal limbo. That announcement from the city prompted a federal judge overseeing the case to accuse officials of moving the goalposts on the campaign, saying they have “directly contributed” to a widespread sense of confusion over the matter.

Persons: — Democratic Sen, Raphael Warnock, Atlanta's, ” Warnock, Andre Dickens, “, Dickens, ” Dickens Organizations: ATLANTA, — Democratic, City ”, Atlanta Locations: Georgia, City, Atlanta

☆ A 'ferry house' made famous by Charles Dickens was converted into a 4-bedroom home with a private mooring. Now it's on the market for $2.8 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

A former ferry house just outside of London is on the market for £2.25 million, or around $2.8 million. The ferry house. DextersThe former ferry house on the River Thames was converted into a four-bedroom house in 2016 and comes with its own private mooring and a boat house, a spokesperson for real-estate agency Dexters told Insider. It has an open-plan reception, kitchen, and dining area, and an outdoor patio and terrace with views of the river, according to Dexters' press release. The property is located in Sunbury village, which is around a 45-minute train journey to central London, the press release states.

Persons: Dexters Locations: London, Sunbury

☆ Walmart is making an unusual move to deter theft by building a mini police station inside one of its stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An arson-damaged Atlanta Walmart store is slated to include a mini police station when it reopens in 2024. Walmart is tapping City of Atlanta funds to keep the store operating amid a rise in retail crime. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. More than 20 other Walmart locations in the US have shuttered this year so far, typically due to underperformance. Approximately one in four dollars spent at US grocery stores are spent at Walmart, according to retail data service Numerator.

Persons: Andre Dickens, Doug McMillon, —, — Dickens Organizations: Atlanta Walmart, Walmart, Service, Atlanta Police Department, Merchants Association, MLK, Clark University Locations: Atlanta, Wall, Silicon, Vine City

☆ The parents hiking America’s longest trails with five kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Party of sevenOlen Netteburg (far left,) his wife Danae and their five children Lyol, Zane, Addison, Juniper, and Piper on the Continental Divide Trail. “We started reading some articles online to the kids about the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail,” says Olen. Once things had settled down, they began reading up on “everything about having a baby in the wilderness” in order to be able to take on the Continental Divide Trail with their newborn. But having to carry a newborn along with them didn’t slow this hiking family down at all. In fact, they were able to complete Continental Divide Trail in six months, a month less time than the Appalachian Trail had taken them.

Persons: Olen Netteburg, Lyol, Zane, Piper, Danae, Danae Netteburg, Olen, ”, “, they’d, “ pare, “ We’d, They’ve, “ They’re, Olen’s, they’ve, Charles Dickens ’, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s “ Anne of, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, Triple Crown, CNN Travel, Canadian Rockies, West, Triple, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s “ Anne of Green Gables, Association, Coalition, Distance, Camino Locations: America, Georgia, Maine, New Mexico, Montana, Addison, Juniper, Zane, Mexico, California , Oregon, Washington, Canada, Chad, Africa, Pennsylvania, Uinta, Utah, Mount Springer , Georgia, Katahdin , Maine, North America, Oregon, Piper, California, Santiago, Spain, New Zealand

Net borrowing, excluding state-owned banks, stood at 4.3 billion pounds ($5.49 billion) last month, less than the median forecast of 5.0 billion pounds in a Reuters poll of economists. In the first four months of the financial year, borrowing stood at 56.6 billion pounds. "As inflation slows, it's vital that we don’t alter our course and continue to act responsibly with the public finances," Hunt said in a statement after the data. Interest costs rose by 1.5 billion pounds compared with July last year to 7.7 billion pounds, the highest for July since records began in April 1997. The public finances were boosted by inflows of self-assessed income tax receipts which are typically strong in July, which stood at 11.8 billion pounds, 2.5 billion pounds more than in July last year.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss's, Ruth Gregory, Gregory, Gabriella Dickens, William Schomberg, Sachin Ravikumar, Andrew Heavens, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Bank of England, Conservative Party, Treasury, Capital Economics, Senior, National Statistics, Britain's, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ ‘Swifterature:’ Belgian university launches course to analyze Taylor Swift lyrics
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Poetry, prose and now songwriting: Ghent University in Belgium is launching a new literature course dedicated to the literary merit of Taylor Swift’s discography. “Highly prolific and autobiographical in her songwriting, Swift makes frequent allusions to canonical literary texts in her music,” the class syllabus explains. “Using Swift’s work as a springboard, we will explore, among other topics, literary feminism, ecocriticism, fan studies, and tropes such as the anti-hero. In 2016, the University of Texas launched an English Literature course unpacking Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade” and its relationship to Black feminism. “But if anyone can teach you a lesson in how to respond to trolls, it’s Taylor Swift,” she concluded.

Persons: Taylor, Elly McCausland, McCausland, Sylvia Plath, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare —, Geoffrey Chaucer’s “, Criseyde, Charlotte Brontë’s “, Margaret Atwood, Simon Armitage, “, Swift, Taylor Swift, ” McCausland, ”, Sylvia Plath’s, —, I’ll, “ I’m, There’s, it’s Taylor Swift Organizations: CNN, Ghent University, Oxford University, University of York, University of Oslo, New York University, Arizona State University, Berklee College of Music, Rice University, University of Texas, University of Copenhagen Locations: Belgium, Charlotte Brontë’s “ Villette, ”, ’, United Kingdom, Norway, Europe, United States, Houston

☆ A Novel Traces the Many Lives of a 19th-Century Romantic
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Charles Finch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

At just 15 he fibs his way into the army, and soon sees action at the Battle of Waterloo. For the remainder of his life this becomes his golden ticket: “The great revelation — Waterloo,” Boyd writes when Cashel starts meeting the Romantic poets in Italy. In prison, Cashel meets a working-class utopian who persuades him to take over a farm in Massachusetts. In this second half of Cashel’s life Boyd carefully lets us witness the hazards of Romanticism, including its practitioners’ susceptibility to selfishness. “He thought again of this pattern he had discerned in his personal history,” Boyd writes.

Persons: Cashel Greville, Ross, Cashel, Waterloo, ” Boyd, “, Shelley, he’s, Dickens, Boyd, Raphaella Organizations: America Locations: County Cork, Ireland, Waterloo, Italy, Cashel, Massachusetts, Africa, Venice

"The culture wars are coming to UK businesses, including the financial sector," said Andre Spicer, dean of City University's Bayes Business School. It also cited "risk factors including... controversial public statements which were felt to conflict with the bank's purpose". However, data from watchdog the Financial Ombudsman Service showed complaints about account closures represented a tiny fraction of a bank's overall customer base. Experts say other banks will now be scrambling to ensure their own policies and committees are behaving appropriately, to avoid further scandals. The CEO of Britain's biggest domestic bank Lloyds said on Wednesday the bank's own policies did not include looking at customers' political or personal beliefs.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Coutts, Andre Spicer, Howard Davies, Alison Rose, Rose, Peter Flavel, Charles Dickens, Queen Elizabeth II, Spicer, Harriet Baldwin, Bill Winters, Samuel Gregg, Banks, Gregg, University's Spicer, Rupert Younger, ", Sinead Cruise, Iain Withers, Lawrence White, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Brexit Party, NatWest, Bayes Business School, Coutts, Treasury, Bank of England, BBC, Standard Chartered, Farage, American Institute for Economic Research, Facebook, Financial, Service, Barclays, Lloyds, Centre, Oxford University's Said Business School, Thomson Locations: America

The ousting of Flavel is one of the first actions taken by NatWest's interim CEO Paul Thwaite, after the group's former CEO Alison Rose quit on Wednesday over the same matter. NatWest has faced intense scrutiny over the decision by Coutts to sever ties with Farage. An internal review obtained by the politician-turned-TV show host showed Coutts' wealth reputational risk committee had said his values did not align with the bank's own. Australian-born Flavel, who previously served as CEO of JPMorgan Private Wealth Management in Asia Pacific region, took the top job at Coutts in 2016. Mohammad Kamal Syed will step into the role of interim CEO of Coutts and NatWest's wealth businesses, Thwaite said, adding that Flavel was stepping down by "mutual consent".

Persons: Coutts, Peter Flavel, Nigel Farage's, Flavel, Paul Thwaite, Alison Rose, Rose, she'd, Farage, Howard Davies, Charles Dickens, Queen Elizabeth II, Mohammad Kamal Syed, Thwaite, Iain Withers, Sinead Cruise, Lawrence White Organizations: NatWest, BBC, Reuters, JPMorgan Private Wealth Management, Thomson Locations: Asia Pacific

☆ Regarding North Bath, Richard Russo Saved His Best for Last
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Hamilton Cain | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

SOMEBODY’S FOOL, by Richard RussoWelcome back to North Bath, scrappy sibling to the larger, wealthier Schuyler Springs, down the road in woodsy upstate New York. While Schuyler Springs is famous for wine bars, pricey restaurants and a racetrack, North Bath (or “Bath”) prides itself on a rustic vibe, greasy spoons and scrapyards and grand Victorian fixer-uppers. Set over three days in February 2010, the novel opens with a bleak snapshot: The recession has wreaked havoc on local businesses and families. Russo reprises the cast from “Nobody’s Fool” (1993) and “Everybody’s Fool” (2016), framing their foibles as social comedy in the mode of Charles Portis or Charles Dickens. (There’s an allusion to “Great Expectations.”) As with both authors, tumult brews beneath sunny surfaces.

Persons: Richard Russo, scrappy, Schuyler, Richard Russo’s, “, Donald “ Sully ” Sullivan, Sully’s, Peter, Ruth, Russo, Charles Portis, Charles Dickens Locations: North Bath, Schuyler Springs, woodsy, New York, Bath

☆ Opinion | Barbara Kingsolver Thinks Urban Liberals Have It All Wrong on Appalachia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +58 min

It’s like there’s no point in asking who started this because it’s a really, really old antagonism. I think that’s probably what’s most critical right now is that all of our entertainment, our news media, it’s all made in cities. And he’s really pretty horrible, and he doesn’t feed them enough, and that’s really sad. You’re going to have a flat tire, and the guy that pulls up to help you is going to tell your dad within minutes. It’s not like most books you’re going to see.

Persons: Ezra Klein, ezra klein, —, Hernan Diaz, Barbara Kingsolver, “ David Copperfield ”, Dickens, It’s, barbara kingsolver, you’ve, ezra klein We’re, Nobody, I’d, I’ve, Bobby Ann Mason’s, “, — Wendell Berry, Robert Penn Warren, James Still, Harriette, Taylor Greer, you’re, George Washington, ” he’s, — he’s, he’s, I’ll, They’re, George W, Bush, they’re, barbara kingsolver You’re, we’ve, That’s, that’s, I’m, ” barbara kingsolver, barbara kingsolver Oh, barbara kingsolver ezra klein barbara kingsolver, ezra klein Yes, we’re, Charles Dickens, “ David Copperfield, ”, Tommy, ” It’s, ezra klein There’s, barbara kingsolver There’s, Tommy Traddles, Tommy Waddles, who’s, He’s, We’re, Tommy’s, she’s, it’s, Beth Macy, overdosed, ” ezra klein, There’s, grandkids, they’ve, Dori, doesn’t, Peggot, Frances Goldin, Arwen Donahue, She’s, Beth Macy’s, Lazarus, Laline Paull, ezra klein Barbara Kingsolver Organizations: New York, Fiction, Trump, Nicholas County High School, DePauw University, Walmart, The New York Times, . Times, New York Times, Farmers, “, Knoxville —, Purdue Pharma, Purdue, aha, Scots Locations: Appalachia, It’s, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, U.S, exploitations, Congo, Caribbean, Indiana, Nicholas, Arizona, Europe, Tucson , Arizona, Tucson, Paris, Athens, France, “ Shiloh, MAGA, America, Brazil, Eastern Europe, There’s, California, New York, “, Tommy, Pennington, Knoxville, there’s, nove, Lee County, that’s Lee County, that’s, United States of America, who’s, New York City

☆ After a Great Flood, a Struggle Between Faith and Reason
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Dwight Garner | More About Dwight Garner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Translated by Leri Price. The Syrian writer Khaled Khalifa’s novels have cruel titles, of the sort Jean Genet might have composed for William S. Burroughs, or Verlaine for Rimbaud. Khalifa, who was born near Aleppo in 1964, has published six novels in Arabic. He can also resemble Chaucer, for whom smell was indicative of a person’s moral state. This sense, so intimately linked to memory and desire, matters in fiction as it does in life.

Persons: Khaled Khalifa, Leri Price, Khaled Khalifa’s, Jean Genet, William S, Burroughs, Verlaine, Rimbaud, Khalifa, ”, antic, Philip Roth, Dickens, Chaucer Locations: Syrian, Aleppo, Syria

☆ Yusef Salaam Is Declared Winner of Harlem City Council Primary Race
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Jeffery C. Mays | More About Jeffery C. Mays | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Yusef Salaam, one of five Black and Latino men whose convictions were overturned in the 1989 rape and assault of a female jogger in Central Park, cemented his victory in a highly contested City Council primary race in Harlem, according to The Associated Press on Wednesday. Mr. Salaam, 49, held a commanding lead on Election Day, with more than twice the number of votes over his closest rival, Inez Dickens, a state assemblywoman. The New York City Board of Elections began tabulating ranked-choice votes on Wednesday, and the new ranked-choice tabulation now shows Mr. Salaam with almost 64 percent of the vote to Ms. Dickens’s 36 percent. “This is a victory for justice, dignity and decency for the Harlem community we love,” Mr. Salaam said in a statement. Mr. Salaam is not expected to face a serious challenger, if any, in November.

Persons: Yusef Salaam, Inez Dickens, tabulating, ” Mr, Salaam, “, ’, Dickens, Al Taylor Organizations: Council, Associated Press, Mr, New York, Assembly Locations: Central Park, Harlem, New York City

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