Morning Meeting

This week, Sam Kashner reveals what happened when a huge luxury yacht owned by Mike Lynch, Britain’s first Internet billionaire, sank in 15 minutes during a freak storm off the coast of Sicily, killing Lynch, his teenage daughter, and five others. Then George Pendle explains why politicians now out-scandalize rock stars. And finally, our own Ashley Baker looks at Noor Alfallah, a 30-year-old woman who has notched relationships with multiple boldface names over the age of 80, including Clint Eastwood, Mick Jagger, and Al Pacino (whose baby she recently had).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When it was released just over 25 years ago, The Big Lebowski was a flop with critics. Now it is regarded as among the funniest movies ever made, one by which we all, well, abide. Josh Karp tells us how it came to be, the people who inspired it, and those who turned down roles in it. Can you imagine Mel Gibson playing the Dude? It almost happened. Then Melania Trump was in the news this week as her memoir entitled—what else?—Melania was released. Andy Borowitz has read it, and he tells us all about what’s in it. Finally, Katya V. joins us from Moscow with her report on how Putin is fighting one war in Ukraine but another one within Russia and against its citizens.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The presidential election is 31 days away, which means it’s crunch time for the candidates. And we have a special guest who knows all about crunch time and campaigns: political strategist James Carville. He’s the subject of a new documentary called Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid, and he shares his insights on the race, American politics, and more. Then, speaking of politics, there’s no place where they are more mixed up at times than Italy. Mattia Ferraresi joins us from Rome to explain why Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has turned to her big sister for help. Finally, it’s often been said that England and America are two nations separated by a common language. But as Joel Golby reports from London, they’re also separated by morning-television shows. He tells us why America’s morning TV shows are so boring, while their counterparts in the U.K. are so downright bizarre that they can’t help but delight viewers.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fifty years after Hunter S. Thompson brought us Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, we have a look at a 21st-century Vegas that is unlike anything you could ever imagine. Our writer Darius J. Rubin traveled to Laos, where an opulent casino lies at the heart of a vast human-drug-and-wildlife-trafficking operation, and he shares his report. Then, we all know Elaine May, who was Mike Nichols’s partner in the transformative comedy duo Nichols and May. She’s 92 now and has not retired, and Roger Friedman caught up with her recently over deviled eggs at Sardi’s. And finally, speaking of legendary duos, during World War II, Lee Miller and Dave Scherman were one of the great photojournalistic teams. Their story is now the subject of a new movie, with Kate Winslet portraying Miller and Andy Samberg as Scherman. Scherman’s son Tony shares his memories of his father and Miller and their exploits during the war. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you’re still trying to understand what exactly is, or was, a Brat summer, you are not alone. These days, “vibe trends” are increasingly incoherent—whether it is “the strawberry girl summer” or “hot rodent boyfriend.” Fortunately, the always wise Cazzie David joins us to make sense of all the madness. Then, many of you know the tragic story of Dorothy Stratten, the former actress and Playboy Playmate who was murdered by her husband in 1980. It was a horrible ending to her life, and this week her sister, Louise, tells her side of the story. Later, Ravi Somaiya explains how a turf war between rival gangs has turned Sweden into Europe’s most violent country. And finally, the new Labour government in the U.K. wants to hike taxes substantially on the tuition parents pay to put their children in a private school. Ashley Baker has her report on whether the proposed tax will level the playing field or wreck one more of the country’s revered institutions.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mark Seal, a storyteller focused on a shocking murder case, delves deep into the tumultuous life of Sergio Pino, revealing his dramatic attempts to manipulate the legal system. Then, Sage Lattman discusses the fallout from a New York private school's controversial decision to house a homeless shelter, igniting local tensions over community values. Finally, Janel Moloney from 'The West Wing' reflects on the show's enduring legacy and its idealistic take on politics, celebrating 25 years of camaraderie and cultural impact.

This week, Paulina Prosnitz and Carolina de Armas reveal the victims of the Vogue Wedding Curse and explain how it strikes. Then Mark Seal looks at a murder scheme that shocked the seemingly unshockable state of Florida—when a millionaire real-estate developer named Sergio Pino allegedly poisoned his wife of 32 years when she demanded a divorce. And finally, Bruce Handy tells us all about the most ill-advised sitcom in television history, which was canceled after a single episode—Heil Honey, I’m Home!, a domestic comedy about—yes—Adolf Hitler. You have to hear it to believe it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Howard Blum shares new details about Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students, and how the F.B.I. may have compromised the case against him. Then George Kalogerakis makes sense of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s now suspended campaign. And finally, India Hicks tells us all about the extraordinary life of her mother, Lady Pamela Hicks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Linda Wells, Editor of Air Mail, spills the tea on Gwyneth Paltrow's 'holistic' plastic surgeon. Henry R. Schlesinger shares a riveting tale of how opulent New York yachts were repurposed to battle German subs during WWI. Meanwhile, Marta Represa weaves an unbelievable story involving chocolate-making nuns, a con bishop, and a mixologist aiming to revitalize Catholicism. From celebrity beauty secrets to bizarre historical anecdotes, this conversation is a wild ride that defies belief!

This week, Carrie Monahan joins us from East Hampton with her fascinating story about a volunteer fireman, a reclusive old man who lived in a dilapidated mansion on one of the town’s most exclusive streets, and what happened to the man’s property after he died. Then, Samantha Leach will tell us how the television show Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is leading more than a few members of the Mormon church to choose pomp over piety. And finally, David Christopher Kaufman joins us with his story about how, at a time of growing discord between Jewish Americans and Black Americans, an often overlooked chapter in the history of America’s historically Black colleges and universities is providing a model for renewed cooperation between these once heavily allied minorities.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.