Morning Meeting

This week, in lighter matters, John Lahr joins us from London to give us his take on the new stage version of Dr. Strangelove. Then Emilie Hawtin joins us from New York City to tell us about the fashion item that has been a favorite of the doyennes and uptown gents for the past 70 years but suddenly is being snapped up by Gen Z–ers and Hollywood actors.

This week, Graydon Carter and Alessandra Stanley explain why this election is the final legacy of the baby-boomers—and why Trump is the most lasting and unpleasant legacy of this generation. Then Clara Molot joins us with her shocking report revealing how an employee at an elite boarding school allegedly downloaded photos from 70 under-age female students’ laptops. And finally, Piet Mondrian is seen as one of the supreme artists of the 20th century. Yet in many ways, he’s as elusive and walled off as his revolutionary paintings. But a new biography pulls back the curtain on the Dutch painter, and its author, Nicholas Fox Weber, will join us to share his insights.

Lili Anolik looks at a question that’s always intrigued the literati—what exactly was the nature of the relationship between Joan Didion and her husband, John Gregory Dunne? Then our man in Paris, John von Sothen, reports on one poll that has been quite reliable at predicting the winner of the U.S. presidential election: it’s conducted at Harry’s Bar among expats. And finally, it was 25 years ago that anarchists stormed a meeting of the World Trade Organization in Seattle to protest globalization. At the time, they were seen as left-wing extremists. Yet, as Michael Moynihan tells us, their radical cause has now become a rallying cry for the far right. How did it happen? Michael will explain.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

This week, Mark Seal brings us part two of his story about Sergio Pino, the millionaire real-estate developer at the center of a murder case that has shocked the seemingly un-shockable home of bizarre and scandalous crimes: Florida. Then, speaking of scandals: What happens when one of New York’s tony private schools decides that a homeless shelter will take over one of its buildings? Well, the neighborhood’s long-standing liberal pieties are put to the test. Sage Lattman will take us inside the conflict. And finally, we have a special guest. No doubt many of you are fans of the show The West Wing. It’s celebrating its 25th anniversary, and Janel Moloney, who played the idealistic assistant Donna Moss, joins us.

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.

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.

Does she or doesn’t she? This week, Linda Wells, the Editor of Air Mail Look, has the scoop on Gwyneth Paltrow’s “holistic” plastic surgeon. Then Henry R. Schlesinger shares the wild story of how the U.S. Navy used the lavish yachts of New York’s richest robber-baron families—replete with Tiffany interiors—to fight German submarines in the North Atlantic during World War I. And speaking of wild stories, Marta Represa has one that’s like something out of an Almodóvar film: how a group of chocolate-making Spanish nuns, a fake bishop, a mixologist, and a former Vatican ambassador with ties to Steve Bannon are trying to MAKE CATHOLICISM GREAT AGAIN. You’ll have to hear it to believe it.

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.

Kamala Harris announced her choice of running mate this week, but right now we need to talk about J. D. Vance. And who better to lead that chat than Andy Borowitz, who will explain why Mr. Hillbilly Elegy is so bad. Then Bruce Bozzi tells us about his recent sit-down with one of Hollywood’s most elegant and handsome men, George Hamilton. And finally, Johanna Berkman reveals what she learned in her special investigation into Hamas in America.

This week, it’s all about scandals. First, John von Sothen reports from the French Riviera on what feels like a real-life Saltburn. Then Pippa Cuckson joins us from the U.K. with her insights into the news that’s rocked the Olympics—how one of the brightest stars of equestrianism was caught whipping a horse. And finally, Daphne Merkin looks at Nobel Prize–winning writer Alice Munro and her daughter’s shocking claims that Munro’s husband sexually abused her as a child.

As summer hits high season and the global smart set decamps to Martha’s Vineyard, the Amalfi Coast, or Jeff Bezos’s yacht, Harrison Vail reveals what your media-branded canvas tote bag (The Paris Review? A24? How Long Gone?) says about you. Then we have a terrific story courtesy of Alan Cowell, who tells us about a rather curious distinction he holds: in particular, he is the last correspondent to file a war-zone dispatch via carrier pigeon. And finally, Jensen Davis will join us to explain why the hashtag #toxictampons is everywhere on social media and what it means for women.

This week, Joseph Giovannini explains how Paris turned the requirement to build an Olympic Village into an opportunity to create a new, socially equitable and eco-friendly neighborhood that will be a shining legacy of the Games. Then, on the other side of housing, we have a report on what we call the “migration patterns of the very rich.” Elena Clavarino joins from Milan with her story on why the global 1 percent is relocating—and the cities they are flocking to. And finally, James Kirchick has a wise perspective on what we need more of right now, not less.

This week, Todd S. Purdum, a longtime political reporter for The New York Times, explains why Democrats have only themselves to blame for the Mexican standoff they’re now locked in with a very stubborn octogenarian. Then, we all know how Ozempic and Wegovy have reduced millions of waistlines around the world in the last few years. But in Denmark, where the drugs are exclusively manufactured, Ozempic and Wegovy have made many people very, very wealthy. In fact, the drugs have added almost 2 percent to the country’s G.D.P. So what are these people doing with their money? Mary Holland tells us about the beautiful coastal town where all these newly rich Danes love to escape to. Finally, Stuart Heritage will explain why Neil Gaiman, one of the most popular writers of the past three decades and the creator of such hits as The Sandman, finds himself accused of sexual assault.

This week, Graydon Carter joins us to talk about what’s next for Joe Biden. Then, if you find yourself longing to be like the super-wealthy, floating on a massive yacht in the Mediterranean, our colleague Jonathan Margolis has some bad news: the market for a new yacht is booming. Which means long waiting lists. He’ll tell us why. Then, if you don’t have the money for a yacht, maybe you have the money to buy some Beatles memorabilia? Mike Lafavore explains why, nearly 50 years after the boys from Liverpool called it quits, the frenzy for all things Fab Four continues, generating millions every year through auctions and private sales. And finally, we have a gripping cold-case murder. In 1973, Cynthia Bouron, a notorious Hollywood hanger-on who had affairs with everyone from Cary Grant to Frank Sinatra, was found murdered. More than 50 years later, her death is still unsolved and Hadley Meares reveals why.

It’s summer and for some that means golf. Lots of it. And Andrew Zucker tells us why, in the super-wealthy enclave of Palm Beach, the ritzy residents who usually play at their exclusive and expensive country clubs are now teeing up at a municipal course that’s open to commoners. Then, not everyone is happy that summer travel season is here. We’re talking specifically about Buzz Bissinger, who tells us why this is the time of year he dreads. And finally, Adam Hay-Nicholls has an incredible story that puts the adventures of Indiana Jones to shame. It’s about how, during the Spanish Civil War, everyone from Spanish revolutionaries to M.I.6 agents tried to plunder the Holy Grail from a cathedral in Valencia.

This week, Alessandra Stanley explains why prominent tech and finance tycoons are giving piles of money to Donald Trump—and why their behavior might be similar to that of certain German bankers and industrialists in the 1930s. Then Rachel Hodin joins us with her report on Rebecca Minkoff. For the past two decades she’s promoted herself as a designer and girlboss. Now she’s a Real Housewife. But as Rachel will tell us, behind Minkoff’s cultivated public image are rumors of a mismanaged business, dysfunctional professional behavior, and links to the Church of Scientology. Finally, Griffin Dunne has a new book out, The Friday Afternoon Club, an enchanting memoir about his friendship with Princess Leia, taking writing cues from his aunt, Joan Didion, and much, much more. He joins us to talk about his amazing life.

It’s summer and it’s travel season, and if you live on the East Coast of the United States, your travel will likely intersect with I-95, the great interstate that runs from Miami to Maine. Everybody knows it. Everybody hates it. And Rich Cohen explains why. Then Dana Brown will join us from New York to tell us about something that, unlike I-95, will soothe your mind and your stomach—a terrific restaurant that aspires to be, wonderfully, nothing more than that. And finally, Rebecca John joins us from London with her sobering report on how Big Oil companies give millions to cultural institutions from Masterpiece on PBS to the British Museum in order to launder their reputations.

This week, Elena Clavarino takes us inside her story about a culture of alleged sexual harassment and alleged financial impropriety at the art world’s most prestigious design gallery. Then it’s election season … not just in the U.K. and the U.S. but also in the European Union, where the European Parliament is holding elections. For years, the parliament was the domain of faceless bureaucrats. No more, however. As our own George Pendle reports, it’s now become a finishing school for Fascists. And finally, Linda Wells will join us for a serious—yes, serious—talk about Paris Hilton. Linda will tell us why we’ve all been wrong in our national pastime of the past 20 years—underestimating Hilton and her business savvy.

Ashley Baker has thoughts on summer travel. Then, for more than a century, being selected as a Rhodes scholar, and given the opportunity to study at Oxford University, was seen as a great validation of one’s strength as a student and a future leader. But, as James Kirchick reports this week, it seems that is no longer the case. Then it’s summertime, which means cocktails on the beach and rosé all day. But Linda Wells tells us what happened when she tried a THC cocktail. And finally, on the eve of the 80th anniversary of D-day, Tim Bouverie reports from London on what he considers the greatest film about the Normandy invasion, The Longest Day.

We have a frightening article this week courtesy of Clara Molot, a Senior Editor here at Air Mail. Many people are not aware that across the U.S. and around the world rates of cancer in young people are rising with no clear explanation. And Clara looks at a mysterious cancer surge among a group of twentysomething alumni from a college in Virginia. It’s a heartbreaking story. And speaking of heartbreak: it’s been 25 years since John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, died when the plane he was piloting crashed into dark, fog-shrouded waters off of Martha’s Vineyard. We all knew J.F.K. Jr., but for many Bessette-Kennedy remains a mystery. A new book, Once upon a Time, looks at her life, and the author Elizabeth Beller will join us. Finally, you have surely heard that driverless cars are coming for us. Devin Friedman joins us from Los Angeles to tell what he discovered when he took one for a spin. (Or did the car take him for a spin? We’ll find out.)

The Cannes Film Festival is in full swing in the South of France, and one of the big stories everyone is following concerns Francis Ford Coppola. Forty-five years after he won the Palme d’Or for Apocalypse Now, he is back with his latest film, Megalopolis. He has spent more than $100 million of his own money on the film and is at the festival looking for a distributor. Our own Sam Wasson will tell us how one of the titans of moviemaking found himself hat in hand. Then Stuart Heritage will join us from the U.K., where he will tell us about what is known to be the worst hotel in Great Britain. And James Eli Shiffer has the incredible story of an American woman from Minnesota who discovered that she is the secret daughter of an Italian banker and senator who cavorted with Jackie Kennedy and Princess Margaret and was the face of the 1970s jet set.

Is your partner cheating on you with an A.I. companion? As Flora Gill tells us this week, many people, in search of physical and emotional intimacy, are increasingly turning to what are known as “A.I.-companion sites.” Then Alyssa Choiniere takes us inside the protests at Columbia University and tells us where this all might be headed. And finally, John Arlidge joins us from London with a new look at an extraordinary scandal. Ten years ago, high-profile members of the British Establishment—including a former prime minister—were falsely accused of sexually abusing children. In the effort to discover the truth, however, the country tore itself apart.

For decades, the Eurovision Song Contest has been a source of fun for millions. This year, people are bracing for other possibilities. Jonathan Margolis tells us why. Then Michael Gross has a revealing look at the scandal that sent New York’s bluebloods buzzing: when the son of Brooke Astor, the long-reigning queen of New York society, was convicted of stealing millions from her. (Or did he?) And finally, on strange stories of a different sort, Paulina Prosnitz tells us about Sarah J. Maas. You may not know her, but she is the Taylor Swift of book publishing and has conquered the best-seller list with a new genre called “romantasy,” which comes complete with kinky elves. (Yes, kinky elves.)

This week, Howard Blum, who has been following the story of the man accused of killing four students at the University of Idaho, has new revelations that could sink the case against Bryan Kohberger. Then Carrie Monahan reports on how the desire by one of New York City’s most notorious private clubs to open an outpost in East Hampton has local residents up in arms. And finally, many of you know the film Mommie Dearest, which stars Faye Dunaway as Hollywood legend Joan Crawford. Now there’s a new book looking at how a project with such big ambitions found itself an unintentional camp classic. The book’s author, A. Ashley Hoff, joins us to dish the dirt.

This week, Spike Carter has the wild tale of a man known as “the Zelig of Awful,” who went from being the boyfriend of Liberace to a pivotal witness in one of Los Angeles’s most gruesome murders. Then Linda Wells looks at why men with graying hair get such bad dye jobs—and she names names. Later, Lea Carpenter tells us about a fascinating new book by the legendary editor Michael Korda, and how it is a cautionary tale for our times. And finally, here at Air Mail we have some great news: we have opened a newsstand in New York City, and Anjali Lewis has the scoop on all the treasures you can find there and how you can enjoy the Air Mail universe in person.

It’s a dirty little secret that interior designers to the rich and famous love to make knockoffs of museum-quality furnishings, often with no penalty. Well, no more. And you can thank—who else?—Kim Kardashian. Dan Rubinstein reveals why she now finds herself tangled up in a messy lawsuit over a dinner set. Then, speaking of messy, Jack Sullivan tells us the temper tantrum Tucker Carlson threw at his alma mater, a very elite high school. And finally, Steve Garbarino tells us why New Orleans is now the Big Easy when it comes to finding great, new hot

This week, Kat Rosenfield explains how we are in the throes of a new sexual revolution. Yet where baby-boomers were obsessed with the practice of sex, Zoomers are more interested in the principle of it. Then the subject turns to Civil War, one of the most anticipated movies of the spring, from writer-director Alex Garland. It imagines what a second American civil war might look like. Michael Sragow has seen it and tells us about it. And finally, speaking of movies, Woody Allen has a new film out. His 50th, in fact. Sam Wasson, our man in Los Angeles, met with Allen about the movie, his career, and more.

This week, Jensen Davis reports on how Gwyneth Paltrow’s healthy-takeout restaurant chain—Goop Kitchen—is taking over Los Angeles. And even Gwyneth haters can’t get enough of it. Then John Arlidge reports from London to take us inside what might be called “A Tale of Two Royal Households.” How is it that Kate and William, the monarchy’s younger and—one would think—media-savvier generation, botched their communications about Kate’s illness, while King Charles of all people put on a master class in damage control. And finally, there is a big new vibrant musical that’s just come to Broadway. It’s called Hell’s Kitchen, and it’s based on the life of the singer Alicia Keys; one of the show’s producers, Mandy Hackett, will tell us all about it.

This week, Elena Clavarino has a fascinating and funny report on how English is conquering Continental Europe’s native languages. The problem is so pervasive that Germans can’t help but call it “ein shitstorm!” Then Louis Cheslaw joins from London with his report on the turmoil that has consumed one of the art world’s most influential publications, Artforum. And finally, from Washington, D.C., James Kirchick discusses the new book on gender by the writer Judith Butler.

This week, Andrew Ryvkin shares his thoughts on the election in Russia being held for Vladimir Putin. Then Pico Iyer gives us his review of A Very Private School, a new book by Princess Diana’s brother in which he details his brutal tenure as a young boy at a British boarding school rife with sexual and emotional abuse. And finally, the acclaimed documentarian Alex Gibney discusses the making of his poignant new film about the musician Paul Simon.

This week, Jeffrey Toobin explains how Stormy Daniels may just be the unlikely savior of American democracy. Then Alexandra Marshall joins us from Paris. Yes, the rest of the world is dreaming of seeing the Olympics sparkle in the City of Light when the Games open on July 26, but as Marshall reports, the construction and chaos have left the city and its residents on the verge of a nervous breakdown. And finally, John Mauceri shares the story of how an all-Black production of Hello, Dolly! in 1967 starring Pearl Bailey electrified audiences and ushered in a new era on Broadway.

This week, Dana Brown reports on how and why one of New York’s great institutions—the media power lunch—seems to have seen its last days. Then, Linda Wells, knower of all things beauty-and-wellness-related, looks at an extremely unhealthy behavior too many of us engage in: lying to our doctors. And finally, Johanna Berkman tells us about a woman at the United Nations who is optimistic that peace can be achieved between Israel and Hamas.

This week, Katya V. joins us from Moscow with her report on how those inside Russia’s opposition plan to confront Putin in the wake of Alexei Navalny’s death. Then Nicholas Griffin has the inspiring story of Rachel Silverstein, a determined environmentalist who went full Erin Brockovich on some of Florida’s most powerful players, and beat them. And finally, the always entertaining man of style George Hahn has answers to your burning questions, including: Has Joe Biden made Aviator sunglasses uncool? And WTF is happening to the wardrobes of leading men on the red carpet?

If you have been watching the limited series Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, you know the famed writer betrayed every one of his friendships with those women. Yet, as Joseph Rodota reveals, there was actually one woman Capote did not sell down the river; he tells us who she was and why. Then, speaking of feuds, Kurt Wagner has the untold story of the lengths to which Twitter founder Jack Dorsey went to sway his company’s acquisition in Elon Musk’s favor. And on the subject of the rise and decline of media properties, Bill Keenan has the crazy story of how a father and son created ESPN on a wing and a prayer—and then walked out with almost nothing to show for it.

It’s been a year of meltdowns in the media, and Brian Stelter has the scoop on how—and why—a start-up called the Messenger, which promised to re-invent journalism, burned through $50 million in funding in less than 12 months and went down the tubes. Then, we all know Vladimir Putin wants to win at all costs, but it’s not just with his troops in Ukraine. As Andrew Ryvkin reports, the Russian leader is now forcing Russian musicians to support his war in Ukraine. And finally, it wasn’t all that long ago that British Airways was known as “the world’s favorite airline.” Today, however, most Brits call it the Britney Spears of carriers. Mark Ellwood explains.

The new mini-series about Truman Capote and his destructive feud with “the swans” is out. Who better to tell us about the gossip behind the feud than Sam Kashner, who details how Capote committed social suicide when he spilled the secrets of New York’s most powerful and beautiful women. Then, speaking of beautiful, hard-to-please women, Paul Campbell tells us what you learn when you date a supermodel. And finally, it has now been more than three years since Jennifer Dulos disappeared. The body of the mother of five from Connecticut’s wealthy Fairfield County has still not been found, and the husband accused of her murder is dead by his own hand. Now his mistress is on trial, and many wonder, Will the truth ever be known? Rich Cohen, who has been following this story from the beginning, has the latest.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This week, Flora Gill discusses why all of us will soon be unable to avoid Kim Kardashian’s nipples. Then, while we’re on the subject of divas, it’s been impossible to avoid the new memoir by Barbra Streisand. Yet there’s one problem with the book, which clocks in at almost 1,000 pages: there’s no index. No way to find out if you are one of the thousands of people she mentions. Luckily, here at Air Mail, we’ve solved that problem for you, and George Kalogerakis will tell us all about our latest public service, the Streisand Index. And on the subject of obsessions: Sam Wasson, who knows the history of Hollywood like few other writers, shares with us how the famed director Stanley Kubrick tried to take on Napoleon, yet in the process suffered his own creative Waterloo.

This week, Graydon Carter takes us inside a special edition of Air Mail that is all about London, and he shares the places he loves there. Then the acclaimed writer Will Self will share his version of “the Knowledge”—London cabbies’ ability to navigate their streets without a map—by sharing treasures he’s discovered over a lifetime of walking his native city. And speaking of knowledge, Stuart Heritage tells us about his afternoon with the gentleman who is often called “the best-connected man in Britain.” And finally, it’s been said that the U.S. and the U.K. are “two nations divided by a common language.” Well, Hannah Betts swings by to discuss the four-letter word beloved by Brits but hated by Americans that validates this divide more than any other. And let’s just say it’s a word that we can’t even bring ourselves to utter. All this and more make it a show you won’t want to miss.

Gen Z–ers and millennials have grown up agreeing on where to stand on seemingly every social and political issue. But now they find themselves divided. Kat Rosenfield tells us how the fighting in Israel has become the first true wedge issue for those under 40. Then filmmaker Mickey Rapkin explains why he made a dark comedy about Anne Frank. And finally, Linda Wells reveals everything you need to know about looking good this fall. And if you’re getting ready for the new season of The Crown, Linda has the inside story on the man whom Princess Diana trusted above so many others. Who is he? You’ll want to find out. All this and more make it a show you won’t want to miss.

Can we all live to 100? The new Netflix hit Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones looks at areas on the planet where there are clusters of centenarians and makes it seem pretty easy. This week, the always funny Cazzie David reveals whether these secrets to living longer will (or will not) help her do so. Then John von Sothen reports on the court trial that has Paris buzzing. For four generations the Wildenstein family reigned over a colossal art-market dynasty in near-total secrecy. Now a legal case threatens to destroy it all. And finally, if you live in New York City, we hope you have seen the building that our critic Paul Goldberger has declared the best piece of new architecture along the New York waterfront right now, and, arguably, the most important. What is it? He’ll join us with his insights. All this and more make it a show you won’t want to miss.

This week, Jacob Silverman reveals why the chances of accused grifter/crypto bro Sam Bankman-Fried beating the government’s rap in his trial for fraud grow slimmer by the day. Then, speaking of revealing, William D. Cohan tells us about a rather curious law in France that he learned of the hard way. Let’s just say that it forbids men from wearing their own bathing suits in some public spaces. And finally, Jill Kargman shares everything you need to know about the under-the-radar outdoor music festival that’s become Coachella for the .01 percent. All this and more make it a show you won’t want to miss.

Here at Morning Meeting we love nothing more than a juicy grifter story. This week, our colleague George Pendle joins us to share a whopper of a tale that involves shifting identities and a shocking endgame. It’s a story we call “The Grift, the Prince, and the Twist,” and it needs to be heard to be believed. Then Jeffrey Toobin reveals how the key to understanding Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s quest for the Oval Office can be found in a nearly 50-year-old murder case. All this and more make it a show you won’t want to miss.

It’s been 11 months since four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death in the middle of the night, and this week Howard Blum has a riveting story about how the grieving father of one of the victims has turned amateur sleuth and made a surprising discovery. Then Nancy Jo Sales has a report on Wellington, Florida, a place she describes as like the twilight zone, but with horses, and how new-money real-estate developers there are duking it out with the old-guard horse set that calls it home. And finally, Linda Wells stops by to tell us all about what’s new in the world of beauty and style, and in the latest issue of AIR MAIL LOOK.

Trump is trouncing his Republican challengers; Democrats are fretting about Biden’s age. This week, Peter Osnos has a look at a woman who many believe is a future presidential candidate: Gretchen Whitmer. Then Flora Gill answers the question: Why do so many men think about the Roman Empire all the time? And she explains why this preoccupation among men has become the hottest trend on social media. And finally, George Kalogerakis will share what he’s learned about a woman whom you might call a “Real Housewife of the Senate.” That’s Nadine Menendez, the wife of Senator Robert Menendez. Both of them are facing corruption allegations, and the details are pretty wild.

This week, Alexandra Wolfe, daughter of the writer Tom Wolfe, reveals why her father excelled at the literary feud, skewering everyone from Norman Mailer to Anthony Haden-Guest. Then Alessandra Stanley explains why the people who just might save humanity are also the most loathed people on earth: lawyers. And finally, J. Clara Chan reports from Los Angeles on Harvard-Westlake, the prestigious prep school that has seen three student suicides in the past six months—and left administrators scrambling. All this and more make this a show you won’t want to miss.

This week, Lynn Q. Yu has an enlightening report on the rise of “chefluencers”—food-based content creators who have generated billions of views on social media and are turning that clout into real-life restaurants. Then, speaking of influence, Stuart Heritage reveals how Britain’s foremost soccer star has built a podcast empire. And finally, the writer Tom Wolfe was the pre-eminent chronicler of the United States in the late 20th century, dissecting social mores with razor-wire satire and pyrotechnic prose. Peter Stevenson will tell us why, five years after Wolfe’s death, a flurry of projects based on his life and work are being released. All this and more make this a show you won’t want to miss.

September means school is back. But this year something’s very different. Nicolaia Rips reveals why so many teenage girls no longer sound like squeaky girls from the movie Clueless, and instead sound like raspy-throated lawyers from Staten Island. Then the always enlightening James Wolcott discusses a new book that details the kaleidoscopic cultural influence of drag in New York City, from the Harlem ball scene to Stonewall, to Wigstock, to Kinky Boots on Broadway. And finally, last week was a sad one, with the passing of Jimmy Buffett at age 76, but his good friend Tom Freston shares his memories of the incomparable singer-songwriter. All this and more make this a show you won’t want to miss.

Every summer has its anthem, but this year it wasn’t a Beyoncé or Taylor Swift song that broke through; instead, it was a country ballad by a 31-year-old unknown that has already racked up 50 million views. Diana B. Henriques shares her thoughts on “Rich Men North of Richmond.” Then, on the subject of rich men, Joseph Bullmore comes to us from London with the story of an oligarch’s revenge. Specifically, what happens to an English socialite when her love affair with Putin’s banker goes sour. And finally, your summer travel may be winding down, but Alexander Lobrano has an idea for an exciting new hotel restaurant to escape to this fall. It is a meal worth flying for, so don’t put your suitcase in storage just yet. All this and more make this a show you won’t want to miss.

Summer is the time for camp—and shenanigans.

It would not be summer if there were not a bizarre, ego-fueled drama in East Hampton, and this one says it all. Linda Wells will tell us how—and why—the scene in posh exercise classes out East has gotten physical.

This week, Jeffrey Toobin reveals how a Harvard-trained lawyer nicknamed “the Cheese” laid out a plot to subvert the 2020 election—and helped spark the January 6 riot.

This week, Johanna Berkman shares the details of her shocking report on Leon Black, the billionaire titan of Wall Street who now stands accused of raping a teenager at sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s Upper East Side town house.

The murder of four students at the University of Idaho is an open-and-shut case, right?

This week, Beatrice Borromeo joins us from Italy with the shocking story of the prince who got away with murder.

Julian Sands, one of the great actors of the past 50 years, died while hiking in Southern California. This week, his friend and fellow actor Simon Callow shares memories of the man who left a mark on him, beginning with their time together while filming A Room with a View.

This week, Rich Cohen tells us about the time he was sent to Woody Creek, Colorado, to check in with the godfather of gonzo, Hunter S. Thompson.

This week, John Glatt has a shocking story of sex, drugs, and a bloody murder by a rich American playboy that sent shock waves through Swinging London in the late 1960s.

It was a crime and a trial that riveted New York and defined an era: the case of the Central Park jogger, when a young woman was brutally assaulted in the park in 1989. This week, Jeffrey Toobin discusses his eye-opening piece on how the fates of two people involved in that horrendous crime have taken shockingly div

How did it come to pass that we find ourselves living in “The Era of The Butt”? Linda Wells, the editor of Air Mail Look, explains all.

The 70s were the Me Decade, and the 80s were the Greed Is Good decade. But what is this strange decade of the 20s we are living in now? Here at Air Mail, we’re calling it “the Raging 20s,” and Bruce Handy explains why.

It’s officially summer, which means the blockbuster movies are here. But will any of them win an Oscar for best picture? As Sam Wasson reports, the gatekeepers in Hollywood just made it a lot harder for any movie to win an Academy Award for best picture.

This week, Lauren Bans tells us why the best thing on social media these days is the Instagram account of Michael Keaton, which is loaded with … dad humor?!

This week is our South of France episode, which coincides with the Cannes Film Festival. Graydon Carter, a Co-Editor at Air Mail, tells us about the inspiration behind this special issue and takes us inside our party at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc.

This week, William D. Cohan, our man on Wall Street, reveals why the head of Goldman Sachs has cozied up to a man who’s built super-exclusive homes for Tom Brady, George Clooney, and other big names.

This week, Howard Blum, who has been reporting for us on the horrific murders of four young college students in Idaho, reveals the series of improbable breakthroughs, as well as the unlikely cast of unsung heroes, that led to the capture of the suspect in those killings, Bryan Kohberger.

This week, as we prepare for King Charles’s coronation and Camilla prepares to succeed in becoming the first divorcée to be crowned Queen, Lois Rogers has the inside story on the machinations of the previous divorcée who aspired to that title, Wallis Simpson.

This week, Graydon Carter, Air Mail’s co-editor, shares his sharp-eyed take on the Fox News settlement, Donald Trump’s ever widening legal sinkhole, Clarence Thomas’s money pal, and more.

This week, Alessandra Stanley shares her idea on how a Sean Connery line from the 1987 movie The Untouchables shows us how to make Putin pay for his kidnapping of an American journalist.

This week, food-and-wine writer Alan Richman answers the question that’s nagging so many New Yorkers: why are restaurants so damn expensive all of a sudden?

This week, Air Mail Co-Editor Alessandra Stanley shares her insights on the protests that are roiling France and challenging President Macron’s government.

This week, John Lahr reports from London on the smash-hit re-staging of the beloved American musical that has West End audiences dancing in the aisles and screaming for encores.

This week, Stuart Heritage joins us from the U.K. to chat about the scandal that has embroiled two of the country’s institutions: the BBC and Premier League soccer.

This week, one of our favorite guests, the always witty movie director Paul Feig, stops by to tell us about something that’s really annoying him—something that you yourself might be guilty of.

This week, Brian Stelter looks at how Maria Bartiromo, once one of the most respected reporters on TV, became the mouthpiece of Trump's post-election lies, and finds herself at the center of a billion-dollar lawsuit against Fox News.

This week, Malika Browne has the riveting story of one of the most notorious serial killers of the 1970s, who is alive and well and living in Paris.

This week, Joseph Bullmore tells us why some Brits have their knickers in a twist due to rich Americans’ horning in on their slice of paradise.

This week, Howard Blum, who has been doing terrific reporting on the murder of the four college students in Idaho, discusses what role social media may have played in the manhunt for the killer, and tells Ashley and Mike the questions he would love to know the answers to.

Armie Hammer’s fall from grace, two years ago, was among the most sensational in recent Hollywood history. Accusations of violence, rape, and—most shocking of all—cannibalism triggered outrage, ridicule, and a criminal investigation against him. Now he has decided to tell his side of the story to AIR MAIL Writer at Large James Kirchick, and this week Kirchick joins us to take us inside his reporting.

Howard Blum has been doing outstanding reporting for AIR MAIL on the murder of four college students in Idaho that shocked the country.

This week, we have a special guest whom Ashley has been dying to interview for the longest time—Anna Delvey.

This week, Ashley and Mike are joined by Rich Cohen, who reports on the “Fitbit murder” and the Connecticut man who was sure he had the perfect alibi to his wife’s killing, only to be undone by the silent, technological tattletale on her wrist.

James Wolcott takes us inside The Way We Were on its 50th anniversary, and more …

This week, Paul Feig, the always witty film director, writer, and man of style behind Bridesmaids and Freaks and Geeks, stops by to discuss his other passion—mixology.

This week, James Wolcott stops by to reminisce about the wonderful pleasures he discovered as a young man in 1980s New York, when he spent the holiday alone in an empty and beautiful city.