Morning Meeting

If you hate lawyers, this week we have a story for you. Jeffrey Toobin will tell us how and why partners in New York City’s big law firms are now acting like players on George Steinbrenner’s New York Yankees. Then, if you are looking for a mid-winter-break destination that’s different from all the usual locales, Marcia DeSanctis has just the ticket: a long-overlooked place that’s rich with history, architecture, and dazzling new developments. Finally, Stuart Heritage joins us from the U.K. to tell us what happened when David Beckham’s nepo-baby daughter-in-law decided to become a movie director.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Alexandra Marshall joins us from France, to tell us about the dashing new prime minister who is 34 years old and why seemingly everyone in the country can’t stop talking about him—including the man who bullied him in high school. Then John Arlidge joins us from the U.K. with the shocking details about the worst miscarriage of justice in British history, when 700 people were convicted of a crime they didn’t commit. And speaking of the U.K., Ashley Baker has the scoop on the return of one of London’s most loved restaurants. And finally, Johanna Berkman reveals how the Ivy League has used its prominence to stand against various forms of racism in college sports, yet when it comes to speaking out about anti-Semitism against students who compete on behalf of Ivy League teams, the schools have been conspicuously silent.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 suffering from withdrawal from the end of The Crown and are in need of some monarchy drama, Joseph Bullmore has just what you’re looking for, with not one but two stories about dysfunction among European royalty and aristocrats. Then, speaking of drama, let’s talk about Angelina Jolie. The always insightful Dana Brown tells us how he sneaked into her new, invitation-only store in New York City and what he discovered once he got inside. And finally, David Christopher Kaufman shares his thoughts on one of the most distressing casualties of the war between Israel and Hamas: the bond between Black and Jewish Americans. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Alessandra Stanley looks at how Vladimir Putin punishes women in order to crush dissent. Then, speaking of bad behavior by prominent men, Alexandra Marshall joins us from France to tell us why #MeToo allegations have finally caught up with the country’s most decorated miscreant, Gérard Depardieu. And continuing on the subject of miscreants, Patrick Kidd joins us from London with the crazy story of a woman known as “Baroness Bra.” She made millions when she created the Ultimo padded bra. Now the government is suing her for millions. Finally, Corby Kummer has the bittersweet story of the decline and possible fall of New York City’s last great temple to classic French dining, La Grenouille.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you are an avid reader of Air Mail, you are surely familiar with our Attention-Whore Index, where we rank the most offensive attention-seekers of the week. As 2023 draws to a close, the man who compiles that list, our own George Kalogerakis, reveals who takes the prize as the biggest windbag of the year. Then George Pendle tells us how he and Elena Clavarino solved the battle between Gen Z and baby-boomers. And speaking of boomers, Sam Kashner takes us inside American Graffiti, the blockbuster film that no one wanted when it came out, 50 years ago. It was a movie about hormones, horsepower, and hamburgers that shook up Hollywood (and created the modern rock-music soundtrack, too).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Linda Wells tells us what you need to know about looking great in 2024 and why everyone seems to be very nosy these days. Then John von Sothen joins us from Paris with his report on a flamboyant Frenchman who rose to fame for saving and restoring lost film classics—but then found himself on trial for manslaughter. And finally, speaking of classic films, Josh Karp looks at the making of The Long Goodbye. Directed by Robert Altman and starring Elliott Gould, this reimagining of the Philip Marlowe character came out 50 years ago, and it set the stage for Chinatown and other modern-era noir classics.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Charles Leerhsen takes us back to the early 1990s and tells us what he learned while being a ghostwriter for a young (and friendless) Donald Trump. Then Alexander Lobrano joins us from Paris with a report on the reopening and rejuvenation of one of the city’s most treasured restaurants. And comedy writer Alan Zweibel has some thoughts on Jewish humor now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Johanna Berkman reports on the turmoil rocking Harvard. Then, Bill Keenan has the wild story of what happened when the Pittsburgh Penguins had the crazy idea to try to profit off of what remained of the vaunted Red Army hockey team following the collapse of the Soviet Union. And finally, Bob Colacello remembers Marina Cicogna, an Italian countess who transcended her gilded background to become Europe’s first major female film producer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Christopher Mason has the amazing story of how (and why) a trusted confidante to New York’s most elite and powerful hid her true identity. Then Dan Raviv discusses his jaw-dropping report from Israel: how the men who led the country’s vaunted security forces ignored intelligence alerts—because the reports were from female soldiers. Finally, the always witty Linda Wells stops by to talk about all the latest news in beauty and wellness.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Jensen Davis takes us inside her shocking story about an evangelical-based parenting program that has been operating for 40 years and teaches parents that babies are morally corrupt and must be broken of their waywardness. Then, speaking of incredible stories, acclaimed screenwriter Scott Z. Burns tells us just what A.I. gets wrong about creativity. And finally, John Mauceri has the tale of the unforgettable night Jacqueline Kennedy went to the opera and watched the inamorata of her future husband give an electrifying performance.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.