News

Reading books is the only way to gain the knowledge and power to navigate the world’s most complex challenges. International Relations has become a crucial field because of the rising need for cordial relationships between countries as the world becomes more interconnected. There have been more collaborations between countries in an attempt to promote peace and economic prosperity. War and rising tensions have also developed in certain regions increasing the need for mitigating efforts. This can only be done by reading extensively.

The complexity of international relations requires a keen analysis of historical events and an exploration of key theories and concepts that have been beneficial. Leaders, professionals, and students in this field must understand its fundamentals to solve arising issues in global politics.

The allure of the Internet has often reduced the reading of books. Many prefer to read a few articles and, perhaps, a video on YouTube...

“Mr. Biden is not the man he was four years ago,” the New York Times said today in the understatement of the moment as it a called for the incumbent to bow out of this year’s race against Donald Trump before it’s too late.

“The president appeared on Thursday night as the shadow of a great public servant,” the paper’s Editorial Board wrote late Friday in a piece headlined “To Serve His Country, President Biden Should Leave the Race.”

“(T)he greatest public service Mr. Biden can now perform is to announce that he will not continue to run for re-election.”

Read the full Nyt Editorial Board piece calling for Joe Biden to exit the race below

The unprecedented insistence by the Grey Lady comes after nearly 24 hours of hand wringing and calls for an intervention as the weak voiced 81-year-old Biden stumbled and croaked through his...

Update: Elton John joined President Joe Biden in New York later today at the opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center.

The Pride month celebration was part of a series of post-debate stops Biden has planned today and over the weekend.

John decried the “misinformation” and “senseless scapegoating” that threatens to “turn back the clock” on LGBTQ+ rights.

“No f–ing way,” John said. “…In this moment too we must take pride and fight on.”

Joe Biden and Elton John

Previously: President Joe Biden was more energetic and forceful at a rally Friday afternoon following his dismal performance at Thursday night’s debate with Donald Trump.

Biden acknowledged as much, as he told the crowd today, “I don’t walk as easily as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know.

In “Golda,” Helen Mirren, acting with deft skill and control beneath one of those startling transformative prosthetic makeup jobs, portrays Golda Meir during the three-week cataclysm of the Yom Kippur War, which shook Israel to its bones in the fall of 1973. As the actor stands before us, we can believe our eyes that this is the Iron Lady of Israel. For here is that frown, those beetle brows, that coarse wavy hair tied into a bun like challah bread, that pugnacious nose, that stare of implacability designed to bore a hole in its beholder. Here, as well, is the woman who lit a thousand cigarettes, chain-smoking her way through the war-room anxiety and through the secret medical treatments she was undergoing at the time for lymphoma.

Yet the voice that emerges from this formidable figure is not what we might expect. It’s light, fast, and American, and Mirren gets it exactly right.

Russia’s top box-office grosses for 2021 reflect something we rarely see on international charts: near-total domination by major U.S. studio releases. (#1 was “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.”) The two local titles in the top 10 — “Upon the Magic Roads” and “The Last Warrior: Root of Evil” — were Sony and Disney co-productions, respectively.

A check of key Moscow theaters’ websites shows multiple venues set to open Warner Bros. release “The Batman” on March 2, with tickets on sale for specific showtimes. Top films usually open in Russia parallel to worldwide release as they often do in Ukraine, including “Uncharted” last weekend. Per IMDb Pro, Ukraine had not set an opening date for “The Batman” prior to the invasion.

The invading country has been kicked off the Eurovision Song Contest. Formula 1 canceled the Russian Grand Prix. Ukrainian filmmakers are asking that Russian films be denied access to international festivals. Twitter has blocked...

By Yajurvindra Singh

A popular schoolboys' riddle to denote a newspaper as 'Black and White and Read All Over' has become relevant to the social media world of today. The digital world that we live in has made the life of every individual far more transparent and open.

The world is flat was stated by Thomas Friedman very aptly in his book. One's actions, verbal or written or comments, as well as one's movements are now available with just the click of a finger. The length and breadth of our universe can now be easily accessed with the enormous knowledge, material, and content floating in the internet cloud hovering around us.

The internet has transformed our very existence. Celebrities, unfortunately, are balancing on a double-edged sword. They need to be or become a part of the fast interactive world. They cannot afford to behave like an Ostrich by burying their head into the ground,...

In the latest socially distanced episode of our Useful Idiots podcast, hosts Matt Taibbi and Katie Halper are joined by friend-of-the-podcast Glenn Greenwald.

Matt and Katie cover Neera Tanden’s contentious confirmation hearing to become the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Omb). Our hosts break down the exhaustive GOP questioning of Tanden, in which lawmakers notably cited troves of her old, shit-talking tweets, many of which were aimed at Sen. Bernie Sanders and his supporters. This included a debate around the phrase “ignorant slut.”

“You just had...

In this week’s quarantine episode of our Useful Idiots podcast, hosts Matt Taibbi and Katie Halper are joined by former Congresswoman Katie Hill, who spoke about life after her resignation from Congress.

For Republicans Suck, Matt offers his take on what’s going on with the U.S. Postal Service, mail-in voting, and new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. “You could easily make the argument that undermining the Post Office is going to make fewer Democratic votes counted,” says Matt, who also points to longstanding financial assaults on the Usps,...

It was the politics of pandemic that took over Real Time with Bill Maher tonight with Michael Moore as the marquee guest.

“The only way they are going to pull it off is if he’s able to cancel the election or postpone it,” the Fahrenheit 9/11 director said of Donald Trump’s chances at the ballot box in November against Joe Biden after this Covid-19 spring that has seen almost 100,000 deaths so far from the respiratory ailment. “I’m certain that’s what’s going on in his head right now,” Moore worried as he has before, pledging that people will need to take to the streets on January 20, 2021 to “get this motherfucker out.”

“The only way Republicans can win is if they cheat,” Moore declared to Maher as he stated that most Americans are actually in sync fundamentally with progressive policies.

Not that the Oscar winner was advocating to...

Animated anchor James Smartwood will start mocking the news later this month after CBS All Access set a premiere date for Stephen Colbert-exec produced cartoon series Tooning Out The News.

The show will launch on the digital platform in the U.S. and Canada on Monday March 16.

More from DeadlineStar Trek: Picard Podcast: Reunion With Riker & Building The BorgIsla Fisher To Star In 'Guilty Party' Dark Comedy Series Ordered By CBS All AccessStar Trek: Picard Podcast: Return To The Borg Cube & Why Riker Thinks Romulans Are Cool

Colbert and The Late Show showrunner Chris Licht are teaming up with Rj Fried and Tim Luecke, who co-created Showtime’s Our Cartoon President on the series.

Produced by CBS Television Studios, it will feature short daily segments leading up to a weekly full episode that includes a cast of animated characters mocking news of the day, and interviewing real world guests and newsmakers.

What a catastrophe Wednesday night was for Mike Bloomberg. The New York plutocrat was kicked in the teeth by Elizabeth Warren in the first minutes — she denounced him as a Trump-like “arrogant billionaire” who called women “horse-faced lesbians” — and never made it back to his feet.

Bloomberg stood in mute fury as his $400 million campaign investment went up in smoke. His contempt for democracy and sense of entitlement surpass even Donald Trump, who at least likes crowds — Bloomberg’s joyless imperiousness makes Trump seem like Robin Williams.

That Bloomberg has...

Tim Cook, Lachlan Murdoch, Shari Redstone, Brian Roberts, Mark Zuckerberg and Bob Iger are among the media and technology moguls who will be touching down in Sun Valley, Idaho, in July for Allen & Co.’s annual media conference.

The invite-only confab is a chance for the one-percent of the one-percent to break out their windbreakers and jeans, and give the power suits a rest while biking and hiking in alpine splendor. It’s also historically been the locus of deal-making. Comcast’s purchase of NBC/Universal, the Washington Post’s sale to Jeff Bezos and Disney’s pact for Capital Cities/ABC were all hatched at Sun Valley. The conference was also the birthplace of some less successful mergers, namely AOL’s disastrous marriage to Time Warner.

In recent years, as technology and streaming have upended the traditional entertainment business, the biggest stars at Sun Valley have hailed from Silicon Valley.

Apr 25, 2019

Avengers: Endgame, Game of Thrones, Trevor Noah, and more in today's daily Link Tank!

Avengers: Endgame is set to be the biggest Marvel film in the franchise's history.

"For San Diego resident Shawn Richter, Avengers: Endgame is more than the conclusion to a monumental period in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the West Coast branch chair of Avengers Initiative, a cosplay charity that raises money for causes like the Ronald McDonald House Children’s Charities, the comics of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby are deeply woven into Richter’s identity. On Monday, Richter and girlfriend Lisa Lower were invited to the world premiere of “Endgame.” As they walked down the purple carpet packed with everyone from Chris Hemsworth to Brie Larson, Richter popped the question. Spoiler alert: she said yes."

Read more at Variety.

Here's why Gendry may be the legendary Azor Ahai on Game of Thrones.

"Gendry might...

Thomas Friedman, metaphor Jedi, is back.

After years of what’s seemed like a concerted effort to ease back on his famed use of mixed imagery, the New York Times columnist delivered a classic in, “Is America Becoming a Four Party State?”

The piece is designed to set the stage heading into the 2020 election. The premise: Both parties are in schism, and the schism is defined by how we view pie. The “Green New Deal” plan touted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, he says, highlights:

…the most important fault line in...

Turkey, one of the most heavily surveilled countries in the world, reportedly has an audio recording of the torture and murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. According to an unnamed senior Turkish official who claims to have heard the recording, the 15-man hit squad beat Khashoggi, cut off his fingers, chopped off his head, dismembered him with a bone saw and threatened the hapless Saudi consul when he tried to protest. “If you want to live when you come back to Arabia, shut up,” one of the agents told the consul,...

While America was consumed with the Brett Kavanaugh drama last week, the Washington Post unearthed a crazy tidbit in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (Nhtsa) latest environmental impact statement.

The study predicts a rise in global temperatures of about four degrees Celsius, or seven degrees Fahrenheit, by the year 2100. Worse, it asserts global warming is such an inevitable reality, there’s no point in reducing auto emissions, as we’re screwed anyway.

“The emissions reductions necessary to keep global emissions within this carbon budget could not be achieved...

With its plummy accents, couture gowns and clumsy merging of cultures, this ‘tale of empowerment’ is just Sex and the City in Singapore

Crazy Rich Asians opens with Napoleon Bonaparte and Louis Vuitton. “Let China sleep,” the film quotes the great Frenchman saying, “for when she awakens she will shake the world.” An opulent London hotel refuses to honour Singaporean matriarch Eleanor Young’s reservation, as her children slump across their Lv suitcases, suggesting perhaps she might be happier somewhere in Chinatown. An enraged Young, played by Michelle Yeoh, makes one phone call to her husband, who buys the hotel – an act that has been hailed as Asian empowerment. We never see nor hear from Young’s husband, whose sole function seems to be the revenge purchasing of hotels, again. But many more vignettes of ostentatious acquisition and wealth follow. Even the pet dogs are called Astor and Rockefeller.

In a recent op-ed,...

Almost two years ago, after New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman used a graph to conquer the space-time continuum in his book Thank You For Being Late, I had to sift through over 3,000 hilarious submissions to name a “Most Meaningless Friedman Graph” contest winner.

It took hours to settle on “Amount of Relish, per ounce, vs. Degree of Nonsense, now and then, relished by the wisest men, vs. Frequency of Relish” as the winner.

Last week, I asked readers to send in entries for another contest, in honor of Friedman...

Thomas Friedman goes to the movies, sees Crazy Rich Asians. What column is he inspired to write after two hours following the adventures of Rachel Chu and Nick Young?

The New York Times Twitter caption about Friedman’s next column provides the answer:

“Crazy Rich Asians versus Crazy Poor Middle Easterners — one has invested in education, trade, infrastructure, and human capital, the other has not.”

If “Crazy Poor Middle Easterners” isn’t the greatest Thomas Friedman column of all time, it’s pretty close. The only thing it’s missing is a taxi driver.

The title of Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 11/9” clearly suggests that it’s going to be a sequel, of sorts, to “Fahrenheit 9/11.” And since the earlier film was Moore’s freewheeling satirical grab-bag essay about the presidency of George W. Bush, it seemed likely that Moore would take something of the same tack with the presidency of Donald Trump. I went in expecting a fair amount of finger-in-the-eye newsreel satire, with Moore offering a clever rehash of Trump’s greatest hits of infamy.

For 20 minutes or so, that’s exactly what it is. Moore replays all the pre-election liberal smugness about how America couldn’t possibly elect Donald Trump. Then comes election night, and Moore replays, once again, how hope collapsed like air draining out of a balloon. He makes the point that Donald Trump has always committed corruptions and outrages in plain sight. It’s not that we don’t...

New York Times features writer Elizabeth Williamson apologized for and deleted a tweet on Thursday that was critical of her new colleague, Sarah Jeong.

“I just deleted my earlier tweet about this column. It was inappropriate,” she said in a statement. “I apologize.” Williamson also included a link to Times opinion columnist Bret Stephens’ most recent piece in which said he was willing to look past the Jeong outrage.

I just deleted my earlier tweet about this column. It was inappropriate. I apologize. https://t.co/Z6tNMHHzMD

— Elizabeth Williamson (@NYTLiz) August 9, 2018

Also Read: NY Times' New Hire Sarah Jeong Trashed Paper's Op-Ed Writers in Old Tweets: 'Absolute Nitwit'

The tweet that sparked the retraction also shared the Stephens piece, but instead of contrition, carried a sharp summary of Williamson’s thoughts on her new colleague.

“Here’s @BretStehensNYT offering a classy welcome to a colleague who has yet to prove she deserves one,...

Things could get awkward at Sun Valley, the annual gathering of moguls and media barons taking place next month in Idaho.

Shari Redstone and Leslie Moonves, currently locked in a fierce battle for control of CBS that has them trading legal jabs and corporate put-downs on a daily basis, have both been invited to the one-percent confab. By the time Sun Valley takes place in July, Moonves may have succeeded in his plan to dilute the Redstone family’s control of CBS and prevent a shotgun merger with Viacom. If he fails, he could be out of a job.

Viacom CEO and Redstone favorite Bob Bakish’s name does not appear on the list.

Redstone and Moonves aren’t the only big names gassing up the private jets and hitting Idaho for Allen & Co.’s annual media conference. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon head Jeff Bezos, General Motors CEO Mary Barra,...

The set of “Morning Joe” warned viewers Tuesday that they should to vote Democrat in the 2018 midterms or else it could be the end of American democracy.

“These midterms are soon to be upon us and I only have one piece of advice for people. You have to vote for a Democrat,” said New York Times opinion writer Thomas Friedman on Tuesday.

The moment elicited an instant “yeah” from co-host Mika Brzezinski.

Also Read: Michael Avenatti Teases 'At Least 2' More Women Signed NDAs With Trump (Video)

Friedman said that he has a lot of “very conservative leanings” on a number of issues and that his warnings were only motivated with the country’s best interests in mind.

“The man sitting in the Oval Office today is the greatest threat to our democracy,” Friedman continued. “If you see the norms that he is violating, the way that he is trashing our most cherished institutions.

‪The Pulitzer at 100 director and Oscar-winner for Strangers No More, Kirk Simon, has died. Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

The Pulitzer At 100 director and Oscar-winner for Strangers No More, Kirk Simon, died at the age of 63 on April 14 in New York.

For his most recent documentary, Kirk assembled a grand cast plus authors, journalists, composers and photographers who have won Pulitzers, to create a vivid portrait of the importance of Joseph Pulitzer's brilliant idea to establish the School of Journalism at Columbia University and award prizes.

Kirk Simon documented Jane Goodall's work in Chimps: So Like Us Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Kirk Simon documented Jane Goodall's work in Chimps: So Like Us, Ingmar...

Washington — Tony Gilroy, the screenwriter of the new political thriller “Beirut,” says that he originally completed the script in the early 1990s, thinking that production company Interscope would give it a green light.

Instead, “it just disappears and goes in a bin,” Gilroy tells Variety‘s “PopPolitics” on SiriusXM, before the company, searching for material that it already owned, finally revived it two decades later with Brad Anderson directing.

Jon Hamm plays Mason Skiles, a diplomat in 1972 Beirut, then a thriving, cosmopolitan center of the Middle East, whose life is upended when a group of terrorists kills his wife. Ten years later, having switched careers, he reluctantly returns to the city, torn apart by civil war. The CIA convinces him to help negotiate the release of one their agents, one of his former colleagues, who the Reagan administration fears will give up intelligence secrets.

Gilroy thinks that the politics were...

The set of “Morning Joe” engaged in some happy speculation Tuesday about how special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Donald Trump was likely to end. New York Times writer Thomas Friedman was on hand to warn of a coming “constitutional crisis” when Mueller finally drops the hammer. “I believe the Mueller investigation, when it is finally put on the table before us, will trigger some form of constitutional crisis,” said Friedman. “I don’t know what it’s going to find about the president, whether it’s collusion, whether it’s financial impropriety, I have no idea what it’s going to find, but I think...

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman is currently deep into a coast-to-coast U.S. charm offensive. Leading figures from the worlds of politics, business, entertainment and media are being lined up and are lining up to meet the most influential figure from the world’s leading oil exporter. But who exactly has made the cut?

We know the Saudi heir met with U.S. President Donald Trump and key members of the Trump administration soon after his arrival just over one week ago. In a refreshing move he also reached out to New York’s leading rabbis. But details of his itinerary have been kept largely under wraps. That is until yesterday. According to a 36-page leaked document reportedly seen by UK national newspaper The Independent, alongside political honchos such as Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, John Kerry, Gen David Petraeus and Condoleezza Rice,...

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof in The Pulitzer At 100

In the second installment of my conversation with The Pulitzer At 100 director Kirk Simon we discussed where Michael Cunningham (The Hours) and Michael Chabon (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay which is also read by Martin Scorsese) keep their Pulitzers, multiple winners Thomas Friedman and Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times on working hard every day, a Tony Kushner Angels In America accent, Paula Vogel's (How I Learned to Drive) winning headline, Ayad Akhtar (Disgraced), and paying homage to Walter Hill's The Warriors when filming Tracy K Smith's reading of Life On Mars.

In The Pulitzer At 100, Michael Cunningham, with a sheepish grin, states that where his Pulitzer is kept is connected to the fate of Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? and The Great Gatsby.

Pulitzer winner Paula Vogel taught Ayad Akhtar,...

The Pulitzer At 100 director Kirk Simon on the man Liev Schreiber portrayed in Tom McCarthy's Oscar-winning Spotlight: "You do not mess with Marty Baron!" Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Kirk Simon has assembled a grand cast (Helen Mirren, Natalie Portman, John Lithgow, Martin Scorsese, Yara Shahidi, and Liev Schreiber) plus authors, journalists, composers and photographers (including Paula Vogel, Toni Morrison, David Remnick, Wynton Marsalis, Tony Kushner, John Adams, Carl Bernstein, Nicholas Kristof, Jeffrey Eugenides, Thomas Friedman, Michael Cunningham, John Adams, Michael Chabon, Martin Baron, Junot Díaz, Ayad Akhtar, Robin Givhan, Sheri Fink, John Filo, Nick Ut, and Robert A. Caro) who have won Pulitzers, to create a vivid portrait of the importance of Joseph Pulitzer's brilliant idea to establish the School of Journalism at Columbia University and award prizes.

In The Pulitzer At 100, Helen Mirren has a Long Day's Journey Into Night with Eugene O'Neill Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze...

Richard and Maurice McDonald revolutionized the way that billions of people around the world eat – and produce – fast food.

The business they started in the 1930s as a hot dog stand near a racetrack is now valued at over $110 billion with more than 36,000 locations in over 100 countries around the world.

But McDonald’s wouldn’t be the global force it is today if not for the man who bought the family business and turned it into an empire.

The Founder, starring Michael Keaton, tells the story of Ray Kroc, a one-time traveling salesman who joined McDonald’s as a franchise...

NBC News is feting Tom Brokaw again. This time, it will celebrate the 50th anniversary at the network of the former anchor, and these days special correspondent. And it will include appearances of celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Jon Stewart, Lin-Manuel Miranda, David Letterman, Lorne Michaels as well as Bill Gates, Nikki Haley, Colin Powell, Sheryl Sandberg, Jim Webb, Wes Moore, Thomas Friedman and Maria Shriver. Lester Holt, who now anchors NBC Nightly New…...

Bill Maher spent the opening portion of the first post-election Real Time, and the first episode with President-elect Donald Trump, discussing how the mogul became commander-in-chief despite getting 500,000 (and counting) less votes than Hillary Clinton.

"One other little detail about the election: Hillary won," Maher said in his opening monologue. "She won popular vote, probably by a million and a half. It's just that there were more Trump voters in the places that it counted, like Moscow."

In a sit-down interview with Eric Holder, the former Attorney General said flatly,...

On this episode of Years of Living Dangerously, Tom Friedman examines the plight of climate refugees and Don Cheadle investigates California’s water shortage. Journalist and three time Pulitzer Prize winner Friedman, looks at ow climate change together with soaring population and globalisation is straining the traditional farming lifestyle in parts of Africa. This is driving an exodus of people to urban areas and then to other countries as they try to escape the unsustainable. Friedman points out the ongoing migrant crisis in Europe and even America is partly the result of this exodus and the climate change is driven by our emissions. He...read more...

National Geographic Channel (Ngc) is bringing back documentary series “Years of Living Dangerously,” a collaborative effort with The Years Project that dives deep into climate change. The new season of the critically acclaimed series will air exclusively on Ngc next year in 171 countries and 45 languages, and will once again feature some of Hollywood’s biggest influencers who are passionate about environmental issues, as well as reveal emotional and hard-hitting accounts of the effects of climate change from across the planet. This time around, correspondents will include Jack Black, Ty Burrell, James Cameron, Thomas Friedman, Joshua Jackson, David Letterman, Aasif Mandvi,...

Telluride — "Birdman" has arrived stateside and made as significant an impact as it did at the Venice Film Festival last week. You won't run into too many people who have managed to catch it at one of its packed screenings who weren't completely blown away by the accomplishment, and for director Alejandro González Iñárritu, it was clearly a much-needed exercise in self-reflection away from the somber fray of his filmography to date. From "Amores Perros" to "21 Grams," "Babel" to "Biutiful," González Iñárritu has marinated in heavy drama. And it's not that "Birdman" is without its own profound gravity — quite the opposite, in fact — but it gave him an opportunity to finally have fun and get outside his own head a bit, albeit through a film that very much exists as an exploration of his own midlife considerations. That made sitting down with him all the more enjoyable. Jet-lagged from Venice...

Ian Somerhalder is clearly more than just a pretty face. He's a pretty face who's trying to make the world a better place. During an appearance on Thursday's Chelsea Lately, the Vampire Diaries star talked about how he became involved with Years of Living Dangerously, the new Showtime documentary series focusing on climate change. "When your manager calls you and tells you James Cameron, Jerry Weintraub and Arnold Schwarzenegger are producing a show for Showtime that's Harrison Ford, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Lesley Stahl, Thomas Friedman, and then says you, I jumped out of my chair," the 35-year-old actor recalled. He explained, "It's a nine-episode docu-series [that] shows...

Showtime has announced its return dates for two award-winning dramas, plus new horror thriller "Penny Dreadful."

"Nurse Jackie," starring Emmy-winning actresses Edie Falco and Merritt Wever, and "Californication," starring Golden Globe winner David Duchovny, will return Sunday, April 13 at 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., respectively. It will be the start of "Nurse Jackie's" sixth season and "Californication's" seventh and final season.

The returning dramedies will serve as a lead-in for "Years of Living Dangerously" at 10 p.m. The docu-series follows celebrity correspondents as they travel the globe and explore a range of subjects all having to do with climate change. The correspondents include Jessica Alba, Mark Bittman, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, America Ferrera, Harrison Ford, Thomas Friedman, Michael C. Hall, Chris Hayes, Olivia Munn, Dr. M. Sanjayan, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ian Somerhalder and Lesley Stahl.

Premiering the following month is "Penny Dreadful," a psychosexual thriller that features...

Alex Trebek lit up Twitter with his dry delivery of classic hip-hop lyrics on Monday’s “Jeopardy.” It was a Notoriously E.A.S.Y. category ever for anyone with a passing fondness for hip-hop. But Trebek livened it up by breezing through lines like, “Never let me slip, ’cause if I slip, then I’m slippin’.” Also read: Alex Trebek Q&A: How Pulitzer Prize Winner Thomas Friedman Lost on ‘Jeopardy’ Never did he slip as he delivered rhymes from the Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, Public Enemy, Grammaster Flash and the Beastie Boys with his flawless Canadian diction. This...

The trailer for Showtime’s 2014 event series Years of Living Dangerously has been released online. The docu-series comes from executive producers James Cameron and Jerry Weintraub and examines the effects of climate change on a global scale with a particular focus on the human impact. Cameron introduces the trailer himself, but I was encouraged to see that the documentary doesn’t just jump right into the effects of climate change, it takes the time to lay out the facts and the “debate” at hand as well. Misinformation leads to ignorance, and it’s important that the audience is aware of the overwhelming facts and science pointing to the effects of climate change before diving into the actual, you know, evidence. The docu-series will unfold over “six to eight” hourlong episodes, with a number of celebrity correspondents visiting areas all over the world that have been effected by climat change. Notable appearances include Matt Damon,...

Enlisting the help of a celebrity narrator is a tried and true way for issue docs to try to get an extra boost of attention. Showtime is going one step further with "Years of Living Dangerously," an upcoming doc series slated for April 2014 that will bring in a slew of famous faces to serve as correspondents traveling the globe for an in-depth examination of climate change. The series, which will run six to eight hour-long episodes, also comes from some big names -- James Cameron, Jerry Weintraub and Arnold Schwarzenegger are the executive producers, alongside Joel Bach and David Gelber ("60 Minutes") as well as climate expert Daniel Abbasi. The correspondents are Jessica Alba, Mark Bittman, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, America Ferrera, Harrison Ford, Thomas Friedman, Michael C. Hall, Chris Hayes, Olivia Munn, Dr. M. Sanjayan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ian Somerhalder and Lesley Stahl. The topics they'll tackle include the aftermath of Super Storm.

The life of the Presidential Medal of Freedom-winning Washington Post cartoonist who took on Joe McCarthy and Richard Nixon is coming to HBO next year. The premium network said today that it has picked up U.S. TV rights to Herblock: The Black & The White. The Michael Stevens-directed and George Stevens-produced documentary will air January 27. Political cartoonist Herb Block also won four Pulitzer Prizes during his 55 years at the Post from 1944 to his death in 2001. The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, comedian Lewis Black and journalists Ted Koppel, David Brooks, Gwen Ifill, Tom Brokaw, Bob Schieffer, Jules Feiffer, and Tom Friedman are featured in the film. The 95-minute Herblock played at various festivals including this year’s Tribeca.

Showtime has announced plans to address climate change in a new documentary series.

“Years Of Living Dangerously” will address the impact of human-induced climate change through first-person narratives, exploring solutions for the future. The hour-long series, planned to premiere in 2013 in six to eight segments, boasts an all-star cast both in front of and behind the camera.

According to the press release, Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron and Jerry Weintraub are executive producers. As governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of the biggest supporters of environmental issues, and launched the largest greenhouse gas emissions trading program in the U.S. In his blockbuster film “Avatar,” James Cameron grapples with themes of environmental injustice, and is an advocate of clean energy practices on his film sets.

Emmy-winning "60 Minutes" producers Joel Bach and David Gelber and climate expert Daniel Abbasi are also on the “Years Of Living Dangerously" production team.

The release...

Showtime, currently in the midst of exploring "The Untold History of the United States" with Oliver Stone, will venture into the topic of climate change in the network's next nonfiction series, "Years of Living Dangerously." The project, which will run for six to eight hour-long episodes and will be broadcast in 2013, is a starry one being executive produced by James Cameron, Jerry Weintraub, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joel Bach and David Gelber of "60 Minutes" and climate expert Daniel Abbasi. Celebs who'll serve as on-the-ground narrators include Matt Damon, Don Cheadle and Alec Baldwin, with journalist Thomas Friedman, Nicholas Kristof, Mark Bittman and Chris Hayes reporting from the field. Read More: Oliver Stone Premieres His Daring New Showtime Series 'Untold History of the United States' in New York Climate change is particularly pressing topic in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, and in the announcement Cameron says of...

Showtime is tackling climate change as part of a multi-episode documentary series titled Years of Living Dangerously. The event series, which will explore the human impact, is a collaboration of high-profile producers, actors and journalists including James Cameron, Jerry Weintraub, Arnold Schwarzenegger and 60 Minutes producers Joel Bach and David Gelber. Climate expert Daniel Abbasi will join the group as an executive producer.  Stars including Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Alec Baldwin and likely Edward Norton will serve as first-person narrators on the ground. Other prominent names involved include three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman, two-time Pulitzer winner Nicholas Kristof, renowned

read more...

Showtime has ordered Years Of Living Dangerously, a documentary series which explores the human impact of climate change. It is executive produced by James Cameron, Jerry Weintraub and Arnold Schwarzenegger, along with Emmy-winning 60 Minutes producers Joel Bach and David Gelber, and climate expert Daniel Abbasi. Matt Damon, Don Cheadle and Alec Baldwin will narrate the series, which will feature first-person accounts of those affected by — and seeking solutions to — global warming. Also expected to join the project is actor Edward Norton, with more names to be announced soon. Reporting from the field is a team of New York Times journalists including three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof, as well as columnist Mark Bittman, and MSNBC host and political commentator Chris Hayes, among others. Years Of Living Dangerously will air in 2013 as a six-to-eight-episode hourlong series. “The recent devastation on the East Coast is a...

There are few forms of journalism more entertaining than a really good bad review. But it has to be done right: here's how

Among the terrible reviews of Liz and Dick, this week – "stunningly cynical" (TV Guide), "unbearably hilarious" (Hollywood Reporter), "badly paced, cheap-looking and encrusted with a tinkly, preposterous soundtrack designed to make viewers go insane" (Huffington Post) – none was quite brutal enough to ascend to that category of criticism that sweeps the internet now and then, and warms the darkest recess of the heart: the magisterial takedown.

(David Wiegand in the San Francisco Chronicle gave it his best shot with "It's so terrible, you'll need to ice your face when it's over to ease the pain of wincing for two hours." but there wasn't quite enough artistry in his bitching.)

No. For a negative review really to fly, it must meet five broad criteria.

1. Have about it the...

Generally speaking, Sunday morning talk shows like NBC's Meet the Press take great care to have panelists representing both sides. It's become a staple of these shows to air rigorous debate among the big thinkers from both sides of the aisle. Today's panel offering was particularly interesting: former Republican Congressman Newt Gingrich, former Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina, New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman, and NBC reporter Tom Brokaw, and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. The panel was not only interesting for its subject matter, but because it begs the question: was the show effectively putting up two journalists (Friedman and Brokaw) as representatives of the left?...

Media watchers are having some laughs today over New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman's loss on "Jeopardy" last week. He lost to Anderson Cooper during the show's visit to Washington, D.C. for Power Players week.  But speaking to TheWrap on Monday, Alex Trebek said the loss shouldn't cause us to doubt the intelligence of Friedman, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner. (MSNBC's Chris Matthews also fared poorly last week, while Fox News' Chris Wallace won. On Friedman's episode, NBC News' Kelly O'Donnell came in second.) At the Peabody Awards ceremony, where "Jeopardy"...

Washington -- CNN's Anderson Cooper, playing on behalf of an organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for Lgbt youth, won Friday's "Jeopardy!" Power Players, beating New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman and NBC's Kelly O'Donnell.

The Trevor Project, Cooper's sponsored charity, won $50,000.

The 2012 Power Players series was taped last month at D.A.R. Constitution Hall in the nation's capital.

It was certainly a star performance by Cooper -- there was even one category titled "A.C."

Despite missing a Daily Double question about James Jones' "From Here to Eternity," Cooper answered another Daily Double correctly and had a considerable lead heading into Final Jeopardy -- but not a complete runaway.

All three of Friday's Power Players missed the Final Jeopardy question about cotton gin inventor Eli Whitney, though Cooper said he knew the answer was the inventor of the cotton gin but just couldn't think of Whitney's name.

Washington -- CNN's Anderson Cooper, playing on behalf of an organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for Lgbt youth, won Friday's "Jeopardy!" Power Players, beating New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman and NBC's Kelly O'Donnell.

The Trevor Project, Cooper's sponsored charity, won $50,000.

The 2012 Power Players series was taped last month at D.A.R. Constitution Hall in the nation's capital.

It was certainly a star performance by Cooper -- there was even one category titled "A.C."

Despite missing a Daily Double question about James Jones' "From Here to Eternity," Cooper answered another Daily Double correctly and had a considerable lead heading into Final Jeopardy -- but not a complete runaway.

All three of Friday's Power Players missed the Final Jeopardy question about cotton gin inventor Eli Whitney, though Cooper said he knew the answer was the inventor of the cotton gin but just couldn't think of Whitney's name.