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Morning Meeting
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Morning Meeting
Author: Air Mail
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© Air Mail LLC
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Welcome to Morning Meeting, where AIR MAIL’s Ashley Baker and Michael Hainey take you inside the stories people are talking about this week—and tip you off to the ones the editors are talking about for next week. We cover the people shaping your world that you want to know more about (and more often the stuff they don’t want you to know about). And we talk with friends of AIR MAIL—writers, reporters, and style-setters. So listen in every Saturday as Morning Meeting brings you what’s new and exciting from the world of AIR MAIL.
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It’s become a common worry in America: why can’t we listen to each other? Well, 60 years ago, the great American writer Studs Terkel showed us all what happens when we do listen to the stories and perspectives of others, when he wrote his landmark book, Division Street, and Ash Carter tells us why the book is more relevant than ever. Then Simon Mills joins us from London with his investigation into how and why Aperol has, like a bubbly orange tsunami, overtaken cocktail lounges from Naples to New York—and why Italians fear it’s keeping down birth rates. And finally, Jennifer Gould reports from New York City on how Trump is rolling out the red carpet for kleptocrats and anyone looking to bribe U.S. government officials.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Tom Goldstein was one of Washington, D.C.’s top lawyers, arguing 44 cases before the Supreme Court. Yet few knew he was also one of the world’s highest-rolling—and most reckless—poker players, racking up millions of dollars in winnings and losses. Then his worlds collided. Our writer George Pendle has the full, jaw-dropping account. Then, after an almost 10-year absence, a new Bridget Jones movie is coming to theaters, and two of our writers, Carolina de Armas and Victoria Herman, couldn’t help but wonder: How would Bridget navigate the Gen Z New York City of 2025? And speaking of movies, Stuart Heritage joins us from London with his report on the Prince Charles Cinema. For years, this independent movie theater has been beloved by such movie greats as Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson, who are just a few cinephiles who consider it perhaps the greatest movie house in the world. But now it is under threat of closure, and Stu will tell us if it is indeed the last picture show.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Under Donald Trump, crypto-currency is challenging the dollar’s supremacy, and Jacob Silverman is here to explain why, in doing the bidding of crypto’s boosters, Trump has inadvertently revealed the industry’s true face—and it’s not pretty. Then Howard Blum has an update on the story of Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students. And finally, Johanna Berkman tells us about her exclusive interview with Alice Nderitu, the former U.N. special adviser on the prevention of genocide. It’s a revealing conversation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week, David Christopher Kaufman explains why Trump’s first shot in the war on woke could backfire. Then, it was a cold-blooded murder that shocked the country when Luigi Mangione allegedly gunned down Brian Thompson, the C.E.O. of UnitedHealthcare. Bethany McLean will join us with her perspective on the case that’s riveted the nation. And finally, Nick Turse will tell us why a shot of a certain bourbon costs $300 and bottles of it trade for $100,000 on the black market.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Across the U.S. and Europe it’s ski season, and Simon Mills will join us with his report on an exclusive destination in France that was once the domain of oligarchs and that has now been taken over by a very different group of high-rollers. Then, if you were in New York in the 1980s, you surely remember the infamous “Preppy Killer”—a 19-year-old named Robert Chambers who met an 18-year-old Jennifer Levin in an Upper East Side bar and strangled her later that night in Central Park. It was a killing that captivated the city, and Cynthia Weiner is out with a new novel that revisits the crime. She’ll be with us to talk about her connection to the story. And finally, Linda Wells joins us to discuss the latest trends in health and wellness.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni—it’s the battle that has captivated Hollywood. But just what the hell’s going on and who is to be believed? Stuart Heritage gives us his insights. Then Carrie Monahan, who worked as a fact-checker at Facebook, has some thoughts about Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to kill off fact-checking at Meta. And finally, you may have missed some news on the street—Sesame Street, to be exact. The long-running series finds itself looking for a new home on television. Warner Bros. Discovery has opted not to renew its deal with the beloved children’s show, and David Kamp joins with a look at just where Bert, Ernie, and Elmo might end up.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
It’s the beginning of a new year and a time of resolutions, and if you are thinking of taking time to reflect on what you want to do in 2025, Pico Iyer joins us from Tokyo to share what he learned during his time at a secluded monastery perched high above the Pacific. Then, if seclusion is less your thing and indulgence is where you live, Rob LeDonne joins us from Williamsburg, the New York neighborhood where almost everything has changed, except for Bamonte’s, the beloved 125-year-old Italian restaurant that is hotter than ever. And finally, Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms is one of the literary masterpieces of the past 100 years, and Amanda Vaill will share the story of unrequited love that inspired Hemingway to write his novel.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week, the man behind our infamous Attention-Whore Index, George Kalogerakis, takes us inside the year-end awards for the biggest winners—or, really, losers—of 2024. Then, it’s been 40 years since the television show Miami Vice debuted, and Josh Karp is going to tell us how a show about two cops in the modern-day Casablanca transformed television and set the mold for The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and more. And finally, Joseph Rodota has his report on Dr. Mary Calderone. In the 1970s, this woman, in her 60s at the time, helped lead American schools to teach sex education. Now the issues Calderone campaigned for are under fire again—this time from the far right. Joe’s going to tell us all about this fascinating woman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
What would it be like if Sigmund Freud were alive in the age of podcasts? Would he have one? Well, his great-granddaughter the fashion designer Bella Freud does, and she’s going to stop by to tell us all about how it’s become a must-listen. Then, Jackie Kennedy Onassis was one of the most sought-after women in the world in her day. Not just by men who wanted to court her, but by one man in particular—a paparazzo named Ron Galella, who was obsessed with photographing her and would go to any length to do it. Karen M. Dunak has the revealing story of what happened when Jackie, eager to protect her privacy, took the photographer to court in 1972. And finally, everyone talks about “quiet luxury.” Well, our own Linda Wells shares her thoughts on why quiet restaurants are the true luxury these days.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week, Jeanne Malle reveals the winners and losers of Air Mail’s 2024 Over-Under List, wherein we present the year’s most overhyped (and underhyped) people and things. Then, on the subject of well-deserved hype, Alex Belth reports on a magazine from the 1970s called New Times. It’s long forgotten, unfortunately, but Alex tells us how this short-lived publication’s impact endures in today’s media landscape. And finally, lots of people claim they can reform education in America, most recently Donald Trump. William D. Cohan joins us from New York with the cautionary tale of Chris Whittle, the charter-school entrepreneur who went from being one of the most acclaimed operators in the education sphere to losing everything. Can he make a comeback?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
It’s the holidays, which means entertaining and cooking, so who better to chat with than one of our favorite people who knows a bit about both: Ruthie Rogers, the owner of one of the world’s great restaurants, the River Cafe in London. Then, as the new Bob Dylan biopic, starring Timothée Chalamet, comes to theaters this month, Ash Carter has the story of the studio that revolutionized graphic design and left a lasting visual mark on the culture, thanks in part to that now legendary illustration of Dylan with his hair rendered as psychedelic curls. And finally, Andrew Ryvkin reports on why countries around the world, from Georgia to South Korea, are playing Fascist whack-a-mole.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
No one made New Yorkers feel better than Bobby Short. For 36 years there was no more quintessential New York experience than seeing him perform at the Café Carlyle, and Scott Asen remembers the great man on the occasion of what would have been his 100th birthday. Then Elena Clavarino reports on another side of living in Manhattan: losing a place you love. For more than 20 years, En Japanese Brasserie has served amazing food and attracted a Who’s Who of New York’s arts scene, from Lou Reed to Yoko Ono to Q-Tip. Now, however, it is closing—and not by choice. Finally, Linda Wells joins us to reveal everything new in the world of beauty and wellness.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
A masterpiece of movies, On the Waterfront, came out 70 years ago, and this week the writer Stephen Rebello reveals how the classic film almost did not get made due to a feud between Marlon Brando and director Elia Kazan. Then John Beck reports on foreign diplomats who turn to bootlegging, drug dealing, and more in order to keep the lights on at their consulates. And on the subject of foreign affairs and cloak-and-dagger exploits, Aatish Taseer joins us from Tokyo with an incredible yarn. It's the story of how, in the 1990s, the Iranian government traded a painting by Willem de Kooning for a priceless copy of an illustrated manuscript—and how the secret buyer of the painting was David Geffen.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week, Legs McNeil reports on the murder of Melvin Combs—the man who was Sean “Diddy” Combs’s father. As Legs reports, “Pretty Boy Melvin,” who had links to the notorious drug kingpin Frank Lucas, was gunned down in 1972, possibly by New York City’s Gambino crime family for being a snitch. Then Jonathan Margolis reports on why Londoners may find themselves with a shortage of drinking water. And finally, we have a look at a bookshop in London that is a favorite haunt of espionage agents.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week, in lighter matters, John Lahr joins us from London to give us his take on the new stage version of Dr. Strangelove. Then Emilie Hawtin joins us from New York City to tell us about the fashion item that has been a favorite of the doyennes and uptown gents for the past 70 years but suddenly is being snapped up by Gen Z–ers and Hollywood actors.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week, Graydon Carter and Alessandra Stanley explain why this election is the final legacy of the baby-boomers—and why Trump is the most lasting and unpleasant legacy of this generation. Then Clara Molot joins us with her shocking report revealing how an employee at an elite boarding school allegedly downloaded photos from 70 under-age female students’ laptops. And finally, Piet Mondrian is seen as one of the supreme artists of the 20th century. Yet in many ways, he’s as elusive and walled off as his revolutionary paintings. But a new biography pulls back the curtain on the Dutch painter, and its author, Nicholas Fox Weber, will join us to share his insights.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Lili Anolik looks at a question that’s always intrigued the literati—what exactly was the nature of the relationship between Joan Didion and her husband, John Gregory Dunne? Then our man in Paris, John von Sothen, reports on one poll that has been quite reliable at predicting the winner of the U.S. presidential election: it’s conducted at Harry’s Bar among expats. And finally, it was 25 years ago that anarchists stormed a meeting of the World Trade Organization in Seattle to protest globalization. At the time, they were seen as left-wing extremists. Yet, as Michael Moynihan tells us, their radical cause has now become a rallying cry for the far right. How did it happen? Michael will explain.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week, Sam Kashner reveals what happened when a huge luxury yacht owned by Mike Lynch, Britain’s first Internet billionaire, sank in 15 minutes during a freak storm off the coast of Sicily, killing Lynch, his teenage daughter, and five others. Then George Pendle explains why politicians now out-scandalize rock stars. And finally, our own Ashley Baker looks at Noor Alfallah, a 30-year-old woman who has notched relationships with multiple boldface names over the age of 80, including Clint Eastwood, Mick Jagger, and Al Pacino (whose baby she recently had).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
When it was released just over 25 years ago, The Big Lebowski was a flop with critics. Now it is regarded as among the funniest movies ever made, one by which we all, well, abide. Josh Karp tells us how it came to be, the people who inspired it, and those who turned down roles in it. Can you imagine Mel Gibson playing the Dude? It almost happened. Then Melania Trump was in the news this week as her memoir entitled—what else?—Melania was released. Andy Borowitz has read it, and he tells us all about what’s in it. Finally, Katya V. joins us from Moscow with her report on how Putin is fighting one war in Ukraine but another one within Russia and against its citizens.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The presidential election is 31 days away, which means it’s crunch time for the candidates. And we have a special guest who knows all about crunch time and campaigns: political strategist James Carville. He’s the subject of a new documentary called Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid, and he shares his insights on the race, American politics, and more. Then, speaking of politics, there’s no place where they are more mixed up at times than Italy. Mattia Ferraresi joins us from Rome to explain why Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has turned to her big sister for help. Finally, it’s often been said that England and America are two nations separated by a common language. But as Joel Golby reports from London, they’re also separated by morning-television shows. He tells us why America’s morning TV shows are so boring, while their counterparts in the U.K. are so downright bizarre that they can’t help but delight viewers.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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