Author: NY TIMES

There’s a moment near the end of the 2017 documentary “Mommy Dead and Dearest” where Gypsy Rose Blanchard is filming her boyfriend at the time, Nicholas Godejohn, as he lies nude in a hotel room bed. A day earlier, Godejohn had stabbed to death Gypsy’s mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. The killing was part of a plot the couple hatched to free Gypsy, who was then 23, from her mother’s grip so they could be together. In the short video, we hear Gypsy make a playful sexual comment amid her copious, distinctive giggling.Dee Dee Blanchard had abused and controlled her daughter,…

Marlena Shaw, who cultivated a sultry stage presence and husky voice from the final echoes of the big-band era, to the go-go Playboy Clubs of the 1960s, to the rise of funk, to disco and finally to the modern cabaret circuit, died on Jan. 19. She was 84.Her daughter MarLa Bradshaw announced her death on social media but did not share any further details.Ms. Shaw first came to public notice in the mid-1960s, when she performed at Playboy Clubs around the country. Describing one of those performances in 1966, The Los Angeles Times labeled her a “pretty girl singer” but…

American-led negotiators are edging closer to an agreement in which Israel would suspend its war in Gaza for about two months in exchange for the release of more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas, a deal that could be sealed in the next two weeks and will be the subject of talks in Paris on Sunday.Negotiators have developed a written draft agreement merging proposals offered by Israel and Hamas in the last 10 days into a basic framework that, if accepted, would transform the conflict consuming the region. While there are still important disagreements to be worked out, negotiators…

Ukraine’s intelligence agency said it had exposed a defense company’s $40 million embezzlement scheme, money that had been intended to procure mortar rounds, as the government sought to underline its commitment to fighting corruption at a time when U.S. military aid has stalled.Officials at the defense company, Lviv Arsenal, attempted to siphon off 1.5 billion Ukrainian hryvnias, or $40 million, from the state budget that had been designated for the purchase of 100,000 mortar rounds, said the intelligence agency, the Security Service of Ukraine. The Defense Ministry cooperated in the investigation, which implicated some of its current and former senior…

Haute couture is a celebration of artisanship — and one-upmanship — as the world’s top fashion houses gather in Paris to compete with one another and show off new designs.So, too, with the celebrities and socialites on the front row, who also have something to sell — movies, music, reality television, cosmetics. The season this week has been no exception, as a constellation of stars in some seriously flashy wares descended on the runway shows. Here is what — and who — was there.Jennifer Lopez was everywhere.Be it at Schiaparelli in a coat made from 7,000 real rose petals and…

Edward E. Crutchfield, who grew a small North Carolina bank into one of the nation’s largest through a deal-making spree that earned him the nickname Fast Eddie and helped establish Charlotte, N.C., as a national financial hub, died on Jan. 2 at his home in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 82.His death was confirmed by his son, Elliott, who said his father had dementia.When Mr. Crutchfield graduated from business school in 1965, he took a job as a credit analyst at the First Union bank in Charlotte. It was the lowest-paying job he was offered, but he thought he could…

Microsoft said Thursday that it would eliminate 1,900 roles in its video game division, including at Activision Blizzard, which it acquired for $69 billion three months ago.The job cuts will be made at Activision Blizzard, the maker of hit games like Call of Duty and Guitar Hero, as well as Xbox, according to a staff memo from Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft Gaming, that was obtained by The New York Times.The cuts amount to a reduction of nearly 9 percent of Microsoft’s 22,000-person video game division, but less than 1 percent of the company’s roughly 220,000 employees overall.“Looking ahead,…

This week’s episode of Popcast (Deluxe), the weekly culture roundup show on YouTube hosted by Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli, includes segments on:Will-they-or-won’t-they releases from Playboi Carti, Rihanna and Cardi BNew music from WaxahatcheeThe Atlanta rapper 2Sdxrt3allThe post-rage rappers Nettspend and XaviersobasedThe teenage SoundCloud rap elder Matt OxThe ambitious punk band Sheer MagThe sibling harmony group Infinity SongThe Mexican American singer-songwriter XaviThe Brooklyn drill trio 41The rustic roots-folk singers Sam Barber and Dylan GossettSnack of the weekConnect With Popcast. Become a part of the Popcast community: Join the show’s Facebook group and Discord channel. We want to hear from you!…

The U.N. agency that provides aid to Palestinians has been a vital lifeline in the Gaza Strip for generations — and it was a point of contention with Israel long before some of the agency’s employees were accused of involvement in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 assault on Israel.The allegation, made by Israel, is a serious blow to the reputation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, generally known as UNRWA. The claim was acted on by both the United Nations, which said on Friday that it had fired the accused workers and was investigating, and the…

When Russian troops and tanks invaded Ukraine in February 2022, tens of thousands of Ukrainians rushed to serve in the army in a surge of patriotic fervor. The influx of fighters who dutifully answered their draft notices or enlisted as volunteers helped to repel Russia’s initial assault and thwart the Kremlin’s plans to decapitate the Ukrainian government.But after nearly two years of bloody fighting, and with Ukraine once again in need of fresh troops to fend off a new Russian push, military leaders can no longer rely solely on enthusiasm. More men are avoiding military service, while calls to demobilize…