Latest news with #TheDeathofStalin
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Original Sin' Outlines the Plot Against the American Voter
Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's deeply reported book, Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, takes a sledgehammer to Joe Biden's legacy, already in grave disrepair. Claiming to have interviewed more than 200 sources around the 46th president, the CNN anchor and the Axios correspondent have written a necessary and deeply disturbing account of the Biden White House. For anyone interested in politics and Shakespearean tragedy, there's something on every page. For supporters of Biden's presidency and its considerable legislative achievements, this is an extremely grim read. Biden is both the most effective Democratic president since Lyndon Johnson and the man who helped usher Donald Trump back into the Oval Office by not stepping aside for a stronger candidate. The Biden presented in the book is both familiar and tragic, a King Lear on the Potomac with a Lady McBeth at his side in Jill Biden. The small cohort of longtime aides, dubbed the Politburo by insiders, protecting the president from the press, the American people and, it seems, reality, could be cast in a community theater version of The Death of Stalin. 'I blame his inner circle and I blame him,' one senior administration official told Tapper and Thompson after the election. 'What utter and total hubris not to step aside and be a one-term president, as he said he would, and have an open primary when there was time to let the process play out.' Hubris is a theme that runs throughout the book. Tapper and Thompson present compelling evidence for a plot to cover up for an octogenarian politician in steep physical and mental decline. It was an ineffective and inane effort, but the president's team, it seems, really did try to prop up a visibly aged man, who had carried decades of personal grief and was facing new family drama that would have broken most. There is an unforgettable eyewitness description of Biden as Mr. Burns from The Simpsons, all skin and bones, and short of breath. One can't help but wonder how Team Biden thought running for reelection was the best thing for the man, not to mention the country. It was malpractice and a scandal of the highest order. Given what's depicted in these pages, it's more than fair to ask: Who was leading America after 4:30 p.m., when, sources told Tapper and Thompson, the president's workday often ended after the early bird special? 'Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board,' one person in the know told Tapper and Thompson. Most presidents delegate some authority, but this sounds almost like Woodrow Wilson-in-a-stupor-level stuff. One of the many questions that haunts the pages: How far back was Biden sliding into infirmity and no longer up to the task? Aging is a complicated process that differs for everyone. But family tragedy seems, understandably, to have played a role here. There is some evidence in the book that points to the death of Beau Biden, back in 2014, as an inflection point. 'Before Beau died, he was 100 percent sharper,' one senior Biden White House official told Tapper and Thompson. 'Beau's death wrecked him. Part of him died that never came back.' At the 2020 Democratic National Convention, signs were there as well, according to the book. One top Democrat described seeing videos of Biden and thinking, 'This was like watching Grandpa who shouldn't be driving.' But the real cliff seems to have been reached in 2022 or 2023, when Biden's shuffling and other physical effects of his age became pronounced and inescapable. Descriptions of a confused and forgetful Biden fill these pages. Most of the sources here seem to be folks sympathetic toward the president, but he comes off more addled and confused as his presidency continues. Time comes for us all, but not all of us have the responsibilities of the presidency. Understandably, the stress of his son Hunter Biden's scandal-ridden life seems also to have taken a toll on the president. One cabinet secretary described Hunter's trial for gun possession to Tapper and Thompson as a 'five-hundred-pound weight dropped on the president's head.' Joe Biden's story of personal loss — his first wife and infant daughter killed in a car crash, the death of Beau — has been one of the things that made him an empathic figure. No one could doubt he understood and felt pain; it was there on his face. For much of the last decade or more, Joe Biden has had to worry about losing a third child, first to drugs and then to the criminal justice system. The pressures Biden faced, on the job and in his home, would age any human being. The debacle of the 2024 presidential debate is traced in great detail. For this was the moment when the jig was up. America saw what had been kept hidden: a man long past his prime, but still inexplicably auditioning to retain the most important job in the world. It was undeniable and damning and not just a bad night. This was one of the most stunning moments in recent presidential history, when the scales fell from a nation's eyes. A high-powered Democratic operative described it to me as 'like watching someone die.' Tapper was a moderator and writes that the performance was even worse in person. At one point, after another horrific Biden gaffe ('Look, if… we finally beat Medicare'), Tapper's colleague Dana Bash passed him a note that read: 'He just lost the election.' Some who dared to speak the uncomfortable truths about Biden's condition are owed an apology for the backlash they faced. Congressman Dean Phillips, who rang the alarm and tried to run against Biden in a primary last year, only to be shut out and shunned by the party. Special Counsel Robert Hur, who declined to prosecute Biden for his mishandling of classified documents, and described the president as 'a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.' Hur's integrity was attacked by partisans on both sides of the aisle — simply for being honest and doing his duty. The figure looming off-camera for much of the book is Donald Trump, and part of the story here is how destructive the negative partisanship of the MAGA moment has become — the political equivalent of a toxic speedball of rage, fear, and resentment. The ends justify the means, the thinking goes. Trump was such a danger to democracy that any tactic necessary was needed to keep him out of office. When reporters or public officials like Phillips and Hur brought up Biden's age, they were set upon in, well, Trumpian style. Team Biden's playbook: Deny, deflect, and attack. But deceiving the American people about a candidate's health and mental acuity was sure to backfire. They were asking the American voter to believe the White House, not their own lying eyes, about a man deteriorating before them. (Biden's stage IV cancer diagnosis, announced the day before Original Sin was released, only raises more questions and eyebrows.) If a candidate other than Trump had been running, would they have really tried such an outrageous ploy? At least in part, Biden seems to have convinced himself that only he could beat Trump and thus was not ready to honor his campaign pledge to be a 'bridge' to the next generation and pass the torch. Gov. Jerry Brown may have said it best, when reflecting on Biden's decision to stick around: 'Politics is addictive. It's exciting. It's a kind of psychic cocaine.' History will judge Biden's long-term impact, and Original Sin is but the first draft. His role in the Senate, as vice president, and as president will be chewed over for decades to come. There's a lot there, much of it very good, some bad, and more than a little bit ugly. He's been one of the most consequential politicians of his era. His achievements are real and profound. But this last chapter was brutal, unfortunate, and entirely preventable. More from Rolling Stone Jasmine Crockett: 'It's Time for Republicans to Question Trump's Mental Acuity' Mike Johnson Insists It's 'Moral' to Throw People Off Medicaid Trump's Crypto Grift Is the Latest Corruption Mike Johnson Says He's Too 'Busy' to Care About Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Actor Michael Pitt arrested on sexual abuse charges
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways "Boardwalk Empire" actor Michael Pitt was arrested and indicted in Brooklyn on Friday on charges of sexual abuse, criminal sex act, assault and strangulation, according to court documents. The actor pleaded not guilty and was released until his next court date in June. Steve Buscemi on his role in the new satirical comedy 'The Death of Stalin' The charges stem from alleged incidents that occurred in 2020 and 2021, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. The indictment alleges Pitt sexually abused an unnamed individual in April 2020 "by means of forcible compulsion." PHOTO: Michael Pitt seen at 'Day Of The Fight' Special Screening at DGA Theater Complex on December 06, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Eric Charbonneau/KCFEOLA PR via Getty Images) In August 2020, the indictment claims he allegedly forced oral sex on an individual. The indictment claims Pitt allegedly injured an individual with "a four by four" that same month. In June 2021, the indictment claims Pitt allegedly assaulted an individual with a cinderblock. In August 2021, the indictment claims he allegedly tried to strangle someone. Individual identities are redacted in the indictment, so it is unclear if one or more persons is making allegations against Pitt. In a statement to ABC News on Wednesday, Pitt's attorney James Goldman said, "Unfortunately, we live in a world where somebody like Mr. Pitt -- an accomplished professional who would never so much as contemplate these crimes -- can be arrested on the uncorroborated word of an unreliable individual. In reality, this baseless claim is suspiciously raised some four or five years after the alleged incident, from a time when the two parties were in a completely consensual relationship. We have already uncovered exonerating evidence and this case will be dismissed." Pitt is best known for his role as Jimmy Darmody in the hit Atlantic City-based period crime drama "Boardwalk Empire." Haley Joel Osment arrested at California ski resort for alleged public intoxication In his role, Pitt starred opposite Steve Buscemi as an up-and-coming gangster in the underground crime world portrayed in the show. Pitt, who also appeared in "Dawson's Creek" earlier in his career, has taken on several television roles since the end of "Boardwalk Empire," appearing in several episodes the NBC show "Hannibal." He's also starred in film roles such "The Dreamers" and "Last Days." Actor Michael Pitt arrested on sexual abuse charges originally appeared on
Sydney Morning Herald
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Masterly chaos as Steve Coogan stars in stage reboot of Dr Strangelove
DR. STRANGELOVE ★★★½ CTC. 150 minutes. In cinemas Armando Iannucci's latest excursion into the wackiest regions of the political world is here. The man who brought us The Death of Stalin has revived Stanley Kubrick's absurdist classic, Dr. Strangelove or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb, judging quite rightly that its particular brand of insanity is in tune with our times. He and director and co-writer Sean Foley have produced it as a play for Britain's National Theatre and the filmed version of one of its West End performances is in the cinemas as part of the NT LIVE series. Steve Coogan, Iannucci's collaborator on the satirical British TV series featuring Alan Partridge, is cast in the roles originally played by Peter Sellers, including both Strangelove, a former Nazi scientist, and the US president, whom Strangelove likes to call 'Mein Fuhrer'. Old habits die hard. As you can tell, subtlety was never part of the film's appeal. Its caricatures are broad, as are its jokes, but it presents a masterly display of choreographed chaos set in motion by Jack D. Ripper (John Hopkins), a deranged American general who is about to send a squadron of B-52s off to Russia with orders to drop a nuclear bomb. A man of many obsessions, General Ripper strikes a contemporary note with his belief that water fluoridation is a Russian plot aimed at robbing him and other similarly macho males of their 'natural bodily fluids'. Ripper is in charge of a US Air Force base in Britain when he makes his momentous decision and the first person to hear about it is Group Captain Mandrake (Coogan again), a mild-mannered and very English Englishman who manages to contact the Pentagon. A clutch of five-star generals then start falling over one another in their competing efforts to find the nuclear recall code and avert the end of the world. Filmed theatre is a strange hybrid. No matter how artfully it's shot, it leaves you feeling rather remote from the action. Nonetheless, Strangelove is, in essence, so overblown that theatricality is all part of the experience. We move between the British base, the Pentagon war room and one of the B-52s and in each place, the craziest person present is getting the upper hand. The B-52 has a gung-ho pilot set on carrying out his mission despite the protests of his crew. Loading
The Age
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Masterly chaos as Steve Coogan stars in stage reboot of Dr Strangelove
DR. STRANGELOVE ★★★½ CTC. 150 minutes. In cinemas Armando Iannucci's latest excursion into the wackiest regions of the political world is here. The man who brought us The Death of Stalin has revived Stanley Kubrick's absurdist classic, Dr. Strangelove or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb, judging quite rightly that its particular brand of insanity is in tune with our times. He and director and co-writer Sean Foley have produced it as a play for Britain's National Theatre and the filmed version of one of its West End performances is in the cinemas as part of the NT LIVE series. Steve Coogan, Iannucci's collaborator on the satirical British TV series featuring Alan Partridge, is cast in the roles originally played by Peter Sellers, including both Strangelove, a former Nazi scientist, and the US president, whom Strangelove likes to call 'Mein Fuhrer'. Old habits die hard. As you can tell, subtlety was never part of the film's appeal. Its caricatures are broad, as are its jokes, but it presents a masterly display of choreographed chaos set in motion by Jack D. Ripper (John Hopkins), a deranged American general who is about to send a squadron of B-52s off to Russia with orders to drop a nuclear bomb. A man of many obsessions, General Ripper strikes a contemporary note with his belief that water fluoridation is a Russian plot aimed at robbing him and other similarly macho males of their 'natural bodily fluids'. Ripper is in charge of a US Air Force base in Britain when he makes his momentous decision and the first person to hear about it is Group Captain Mandrake (Coogan again), a mild-mannered and very English Englishman who manages to contact the Pentagon. A clutch of five-star generals then start falling over one another in their competing efforts to find the nuclear recall code and avert the end of the world. Filmed theatre is a strange hybrid. No matter how artfully it's shot, it leaves you feeling rather remote from the action. Nonetheless, Strangelove is, in essence, so overblown that theatricality is all part of the experience. We move between the British base, the Pentagon war room and one of the B-52s and in each place, the craziest person present is getting the upper hand. The B-52 has a gung-ho pilot set on carrying out his mission despite the protests of his crew. Loading
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Inside White Lotus star Jason Isaacs' life from addiction battle to family with TV wife
Jason Isaacs, known for his role as the nefarious Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter and a host of other memorable characters, has made quite an impact in the latest season of HBO's The White Lotus. Portraying Timothy Ratliff, a man on the FBI's radar for illicit financial activities, Isaacs' character is on a fast track to incarceration. The 61-year-old actor's performance, particularly in one standout scene, has been a hot topic among fans of the series. With a career spanning roles such as Georgy Zhukov in The Death of Stalin, Captain Gabriel Lorca in Star Trek: Discovery, and a turn in The Curse of Steptoe, Isaacs has certainly left his mark on both television and film. Away from the spotlight, Isaacs leads a tranquil life in London with his family, but there's more to his story than his acting achievements. READ MORE: This City Is Ours star Sean Bean admits family "rib him" over his divorce READ MORE: Inside boozy Quorn FC celebrations as league title secured - 'I'm so proud' Jason Isaacs has openly discussed his journey to sobriety after a long-standing battle with drug and alcohol addiction. On Rob Brydon's podcast, Brydon &, the actor candidly shared his past struggles, admitting that substance abuse initially provided an escape from feeling like an outsider. Isaacs confessed: "I liked being out of it, it was fun at first because it made me feel less other." "I always felt uncomfortable in my own skin, I always felt as if I was faking being with people, that they all seemed to be more comfortable. "When we were all high, or drunk, or whatever it was, we were all in the same state, it was an equalizer. And I loved the equalizer." When asked about the duration of his addiction, he revealed: "Oh for decades. Not only didn't it get in the way of work, I was working at a very high level, on stage and on camera - my career was great. "It was the personal life that wasn't great. I haven't taken drugs for 25 years. It's one of those professions, it may be less tolerant now, I don't see it now." After overcoming his addiction, Jason Isaacs found joy in simplicity, saying, "I have learned to find simple happiness in simple things." Jason Isaacs is happily married to Emma Hewitt, a former documentary filmmaker, since 2001. The couple first crossed paths while attending the Central School of Speech and Drama back in the late 1980s. Together, they are proud parents to two daughters, Lily and Ruby, born in 2002 and 2005 respectively. Emma Hewitt has a notable background in television, having worked on series such as Soldier Soldier, Jeeves and Wooster, Summer's Lease, Casualty, and other British TV classics. The Isaacs family resides near Queen's Park in north west London, where they've made their home for over four decades, as reported by the media. Jason Isaacs also has ties to Los Angeles, owning property there. In his downtime, Jason Isaacs enjoys simple pleasures like scouring local car boot sales with his daughters, grabbing a coffee at Starbucks, or catching a movie at the nearby cinema. The White Lotus can be viewed on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
