Robert F. Kennedy is often remembered as a liberal icon who worked to heal racial strife, decrease poverty and end the war in Vietnam. But early in his career, biographer Larry Tye notes, Kennedy was a hard-edged anti-communist who worked for red-baiting Sen. Joe McCarthy, authorized the wiretapping of Martin Luther King Jr. and supported American intervention in Vietnam. Tye chronicles Kennedy's transformation.
Steven Spielberg's latest movie is an adaptation of Roald Dahl's 1982 children's book about a big friendly giant. Critic David Edelstein says the BFG is "pure joy" — especially in its second half.
The singer-songwriter brings a fluid sense of musical boundaries to her first major-label album. Critic Ken Tucker says Hero features "very good, state-of-the-art pop country" music.
Ross' new film, which he wrote and directed, is about a father living with his six children in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. "The movie is about choices we make, especially as parents," he says.
Critic at large John Powers remembers TV mogul Aaron Spelling, who died last week at age 83. Spelling created such TV classics as Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Charlie's Angels, Dynasty and Melrose Place.
New York Times reporter Eric Lichtblau discusses the FBI's investigation of shooter Omar Mateen prior to the Orlando attack, as well as the bureau's broader efforts to pinpoint suspected terrorists.
Cathleen Schine's new novel explores how one character's physical and mental decline ripples out to affect his whole family. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls it a mix of "fun and bad behavior."
The New Orleans-based musician completed recording his final album a month before he died last November. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead calls American Tunes a "fond last look" at Toussaint's talent.
What we do and don't know so far about the Zika virus from journalist Donald G. McNeil, Jr, who covers global health for The New York Times. He has a new book about Zika.
After starring in Broadway shows like The Music Man and Candide, Cook struggled with addiction, then staged a successful second career as a cabaret singer. Her new memoir is Then and Now.
Todd Solondz's new film consists of four episodes linked by a female dachshund, who has four different owners and four different names. Critic David Edelstein calls Wiener-Dog tragic and inspiring.
Journalist Evan Osnos who writes about the evolution of concealed carry in the current issue of The New Yorker, estimates that there are about 13 million people who are licensed to carry a concealed gun in the United States — more than 12 times the number of police officers and detectives in America. He says that gun manufacturers market a "concealed-carry lifestyle," which uses fear to sell guns.
On HBO's comedy Veep, Tony Hale plays Gary Walsh the loyal, put-upon, anxious aide to Selina Meyer, vice-president turned president. It's a part he relates to.
Did you know that a hard-luck band from California changed the rock-and-roll scene in London by being in the right place at the right time? Rock historian Ed Ward has the story of Eggs Over Easy.
American slavery predates the founding of the United States. Wendy Warren, author of New England Bound, says the early colonists imported African slaves and enslaved and exported Native Americans.
On the Netflix series, Ellie Kemper plays a woman who was kidnapped by an apocalyptic Christian cult leader and was rescued after living for 15 years in an underground bunker. Now free and forging a new life in New York City, Kimmy has to make up for lost time.
In his new book, What A Fish Knows: The Inner Lives Of Our Underwater Cousins, Jonathan Balcombe presents evidence that fish have a conscious awareness — or "sentience" — that allows them to experience pain, recognize individual humans and have memory.
