Dec 13 Master of espionage John le Carre dies at 89 By Jill Lawless, Associated Press In classics such as “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and “The Honourable Schoolboy,” Le Carre combined terse but lyrical prose with the kind of complexity expected in literary fiction. His books grappled with… Continue reading
Dec 12 Charley Pride, country music’s first Black star, dies at 86 By Mark Kennedy, Associated Press He had three Grammy Awards, more than 30 No. 1 hits between 1969 and 1984, won the Country Music Association’s Top Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year awards in 1972 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of… Continue reading
Dec 11 Disney’s new streaming plans include ‘Star Wars’ spinoff, Marvel series By Jake Coyle, Associated Press In a virtual presentation for investors, Disney chief executive Bob Chapek laid out super-sized ambitions for it direct-to-consumer efforts, leaning heavily on some of the company's biggest brands. Continue reading
Dec 10 Watch 6:37 Chef Marcus Samuelsson on celebrating Black cooking This is a time where cooking takes center stage, but often overlooked are Black chefs and cuisine. Marcus Samuelsson is a chef, restaurateur, and host of the PBS series, "No Passport Required." His new book, "The Rise" is a celebration… Continue watching
Dec 09 How the final days of an office job inspired this apocalyptic novel By Courtney Vinopal Our December 2020 pick for Now Read This, the PBS NewsHour's book club with The New York Times, is Ling Ma’s “Severance.”… Continue reading
Dec 08 A childhood accident didn’t impair James Thurber’s comic vision By Dr. Howard Markel This minor genius of mirth lost his left eye at the age of 6. Continue reading
Dec 08 Watch 2:23 Large mural pays tribute to the late John Lewis A tribute to John Lewis recently went up in downtown Rochester, New York. The 3,000-square-foot mural of the late civil rights leader and congressman is called “I Am Speaking.” James Brown and Max Schulte, of PBS station WXXI, reports. Continue watching
Dec 08 Breakdancing to debut at Paris Olympics in 2024 By Graham Dunbar, Associated Press The IOC executive board also confirmed skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing for Paris. Those three sports will make their Olympic debuts at the Tokyo Games which were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading
Dec 07 Virginia Military Institute removes Confederate statue By Sarah Rankin, Associated Press Around 9:45 a.m. Monday, a crane plucked the statue off its base and slowly hoisted it to the ground at the public military college in Lexington, where allegations of systemic racism roiled the campus this fall. Continue reading
Dec 07 Supreme Court to decide whether Nazi art case stays in U.S. court By Associated Press Heirs to Jewish art dealers say their ancestors were forced to sell the Guelph Treasure to agents of Herman Goering, Hitler's second-in-command, in 1935. Continue reading