On March 29, 2023, Evan Gershkovich was on assignment in Russia when he was arrested by security forces and accused of being a spy, a charge vigorously denied by Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal, and the U.S. government. Look around the Wall Street Journal offices in Manhattan, and you’ll see Gershkovich, the hostage, everywhere – on buttons, cards, shirts, and …
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Husband of U.S. journalist detained in Russia: "Im not going to give up"
Fifteen-year-old Bibi Butorin has not been at home with her mom in Prague since last spring. Her mother, Alsu Kurmasheva, an American-Russian journalist, is now detained in Russia. “My mom is definitely my biggest inspiration,” Bibi said. “And I just miss her, like, more than I can possibly say. And I worry about her safety so much.” She said her …
Read More »Steve Martin: Comic, banjo player, and now documentary film subject
You don’t usually associate the sound of a banjo with a view of New York City, but with Steve Martin, it all seems to work. He played for “Sunday Morning” at his apartment last month, and to everyone there, he sounded amazing. But to him, it wasn’t quite good enough. “Oh, I blew it there!” he said. In some ways, …
Read More »Book excerpt: What Have We Here? by Billy Dee Williams
We may receive an affiliate commission from anything you buy from this article. In his new memoir, “What Have We Here?: Portraits of a Life” (Knopf), veteran actor Billy Dee Williams – whose roles have ranged from romantic leads to a swashbuckling “Star Wars” hero – writes about an early experience on stage. Read an excerpt below, and don’t miss …
Read More »Artist Michael Deas on earning the stamp of approval
Inside his home studio in New Orleans, artist Michael Deas can spend months working on a single oil painting. But collectors need only spend a few cents to own a print of his most popular works. His portraits sell for pennies. Deas has created 25 stamps for the U.S. Postal Service. “I have a friend who likes to call me …
Read More »The authentic Ashley McBryde
The Rusty Nail is one of those Nashville bars where songwriters come to celebrate songwriters. Country music is, after all, about stories, and Ashley McBryde had notebooks full of hopefuls. “When you’re playing in places like this, you’re trying to find out where you are in the pack,” she said. She was good! Unafraid to write lyrics that both struck …
Read More »Jason Carter on Jimmy Carters strength of spirit
Former President Jimmy Carter has been in hospice care for a year, and yet, the 39th President of the United States lives on. Thoughts on that from his grandson, Jason Carter: My grandfather was born in 1924. Had no running water, no electricity, and he grew up plowing fields behind a mule. He lived to see both his life and …
Read More »Redefining old age
There’s an old saying among doctors: if you’ve seen one 80-year-old, you’ve seen one 80-year-old. Some will act like they’re 60 or 70, while others seem a lot older. So, instead of asking How old is too old?, shouldn’t the question be, How old is too old for what function? “Absolutely. I could not agree more,” said Dr. Louise Aronson, …
Read More »Ukrainians fight for survival entering its third year
“I cannot get over the feeling that something terrible is going to happen to this city,” said Mystislav Chernov, in his documentary, “20 Days in Mariupol.” Something terrible did happen to the Ukrainian city, and Chernov, of the Associated Press, was there to witness it. “What I did not expect is that the bombardment will be so intensive,” he told …
Read More »The age-old question: How old is too old for Washington, D.C.?
The Washington Post’s Dan Balz is considered by many the dean of political reporters. Balz is 77 years old – the same age as former Presidents Trump, Clinton and Bush. He says the spotlight on President Biden’s age (81) is understandable, and nothing new. In 1984, when Ronald Reagan – then 73 – was running for reelection, he playfully used …
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