Author: NY TIMES

As the publicity about her anti-gay views died down, she returned to television in 1980 with a two-hour variety show special, “The Anita Bryant Spectacular,” smiling big but with what struck one media critic as a giant chip on her shoulder. “Miss Bryant’s cause is never defined too clearly,” John J. O’Connor wrote in his New York Times review of the show, “but seems directed at anyone who may differ from her particular concepts of godliness and cleanliness.”Mr. O’Connor added that, despite “careful projections of wholesomeness and benevolence,” Ms. Bryant’s message appeared to be “persistently hostile and aggressive.” The special…

Israeli security and policy chiefs were expected to arrive in Qatar on Sunday for high-level talks about a proposed cease-fire deal in Gaza that would see hostages released in the final days of President Biden’s term and before Donald J. Trump takes office.Biden administration officials have been pressing for a deal that would become part of the departing president’s legacy, and Mr. Trump has warned that “all hell will break out in the Middle East” if Hamas does not release the hostages before he is inaugurated on Jan. 20.Lower-level negotiations have been underway in recent weeks after months of deadlock.While…

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Before Mitch Jeter’s 41-yard field goal sent Notre Dame to the national championship game, before Christian Gray’s diving interception, or before Jeremiah Lowe’s Marcus Freeman stands in front of his team before Jeremiyah Love braces his right knee for a mutant performance Wednesday afternoon at the Diplomat Hotel on Hollywood Beach.Notre Dame’s head coach had just returned from his final press conference before kickoff, the kind of one-time media gathering that’s usually forgotten before the final bowl trophy photo is taken. This is not one of those times. That’s not the case for Freeman, the head…

Struggling to raise funds for the restoration of his cathedral’s antique organ, a priest from St.-Flour, a small town in France’s heartland, came up with a creative solution. He turned one of the bell towers into a curing workshop where farmers could hang their hams to dry.For nearly two years, after being blessed by a local bishop, pork legs swayed in peace in the dry air of the cathedral’s north tower, bringing in much-needed funds and delighting charcuterie lovers. Then an inspector for the organization that oversees France’s architectural heritage stepped in.After noticing a grease stain on the floor of…

As he waited for a call from his agent in September, Isaac Rochell, a professional football player looking for a team, watched the National Football League’s opening weekend games on television with his infant daughter. His wife needed a baby sitter.Allison Kucharczyk, Rochell’s wife and an online influencer with more than three million TikTok followers, was closer to the field than he was thanks to a partnership with NBC Sports. She was crisscrossing continents on a private jet with other content creators to document a weekend of rowdy tailgates, concession food and stadium environments at N.F.L. games in Kansas City,…

Paulette Lifton woke up on her 67th birthday on Tuesday morning in a panic to smoke pluming in the distance of her home in the Granada Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. The first person she called was her sister Annette.“What’s going on?” Ms. Lifton asked.“You have to download the Watch Duty app,” her sister responded.Ms. Lifton did just that, tracking the spread of the fire through the app’s map and updates as she packed her car with her most prized possessions — her favorite sequin jacket; her dogs, King Charles spaniels, Elle and Sansa; and the two Emmys she won…

In early 1988, the British neuropsychiatrist Peter Fenwick found himself drowning in letters from people who believed they had survived an encounter with death.“I slowly floated down a tunnel, not afraid in any way but looking forward to something,” one man wrote to him. “When it came I was absolutely at peace and going towards the most wonderful light. Believe me, it was great. No worries, problems or anything, just wonderful.”In another letter, a woman described walking down a country lane and coming upon golden gates.“Inside was the most beautiful garden, no lawn, path or anything else, but flowers of…

In reviews, in theaters and in group texts pinging across the country, “Babygirl,” the erotic thriller starring Nicole Kidman, has proved somewhat divisive. Who has the power, Romy, the high-powered tech executive played by Ms. Kidman, or the 20-something intern, to whom she willingly submits? Are certain moments supposed to be sexy or funny? Is Romy’s kink — which involves being told what to do — even that kinky?Audiences are far from agreement, but among some women — particularly those around Ms. Kidman’s age, 57 — these questions have been more than enough to begin titillating conversations about sex and…

Sam Moore, the tenor half of the scorching soul duo Sam & Dave — known for indelible hits like “Soul Man,” “Hold On, I’m Comin’” and “I Thank You” — died on Friday in Coral Gables, Fla. He was 89. His death, in a hospital after surgery, was confirmed by his wife and longtime manager, Joyce Moore. She said the exact cause was unclear.At their peak in the 1960s, Sam & Dave churned out rhythm-and-blues hits with a regularity rivaled by few other performers. When “Soul Man” topped the R&B charts and crossed over to No. 2 on the pop…

In his first official visit to Syria to meet with the new government there, the Lebanese prime minister on Saturday called for a way for the two countries to enable masses of Syrian refugees in Lebanon to head home.The prime minister, Najib Mikati, met in the Syrian capital of Damascus with Ahmad al-Shara, the leader of the new Syrian government, on Saturday afternoon, according to the Lebanese prime minister’s office. Mr. al-Shara leads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group that spearheaded the lightning offensive that toppled the decades-long rule of Bashar al-Assad, the former Syrian president, last month.At a news…