I walked into James Mangold’s new Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, which adapts Elijah Wald’s Dylan Goes Electric!, with low expectations, largely because it seemed unthinkable that any film could do justice to Dylan’s towering legacy. But to my surprise, it quickly became not only one of my favorite films of the year but one of […]
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) on Tuesday commuted the death sentences of 15 inmates to life in prison without the possibility of parole, coinciding with New Year’s Eve and his final day in office. “These reviews are among the most difficult decisions a Governor can make, and the death penalty is the most severe...
France’s President Emmanuel Macron admitted that his decision to hold parliamentary elections early caused instability in New Year's Eve comments. “Lucidity and humility force [me] to recognize that at this stage, this decision has produced more instability than peace, and I fully own up to that,” Macron told the public in a televised address. “The...
Chief Justice John Roberts condemned elected officials who have intimidated judges and defied court rulings, highlighting them in his year-end report Tuesday as part of what Roberts called “illegitimate activity” that threatens the rule of law. Roberts did not name any specific person, but he did note a federal district judge “whose decisions in a high-profile...
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) on Tuesday warned of primary challenges for Republican incumbents in the state Legislature amid an ongoing battle over the Texas House Speakership. “Texans expect a Republican-led majority to elect a Speaker by a majority of Republican state representatives. Take this as a warning. If you’re making deals with Democrats...