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From our Contributers
AP Photo Did a Scandal Sink the U.S.S. Palin?
Max Blumenthal is a senior writer for The Daily Beast and writing fellow at The Nation Institute, whose book, Republican Gomorrah (Basic/Nation Books), is forthcoming in Spring 2009. Contact him at maxblumenthal3000@yahoo.com.
The suddenness of Sarah Palin’s resignation raises questions about whether a coming scandal caused her to leave office. Max Blumenthal looks at one possibility.
Courtesy of Universal Pictures How ‘Public Enemies’ Kills Its Gangsters
Stanley Crouch's culture pieces have appeared in Harper's, The New York Times, Vogue, Downbeat, The New Yorker, and more. He has served as artistic consultant for jazz programming at Lincoln Center since 1987, and is a founder Jazz at Lincoln Center. In June 2006 his first major collection of jazz criticism, Considering Genius: Jazz Writings, was published. He is presently completing a book about the Barack Obama presidential campaign.
In his new film, Michael Mann manages to take 1930s gangster culture—rendered so vividly and compellingly by author Bryan Burroughs—and render it flat as a pancake. By Stanley Crouch
AP Photo The Next Graceland? No Chance.
Gerald Posner is the award-winning author of 10 investigative nonfiction bestsellers, ranging from political assassinations, to Nazi war criminals, to 9/11, to terrorism (www.posner.com). Posner lives in Miami Beach with his wife, the author Trisha Posner.
A top executive overseeing Neverland Ranch tells The Daily Beast’s Gerald Posner it will not become a public Michael Jackson museum, and that the real estate firm already turned down a $100 million private offer.
The Great American Summer
Rachel is a photographer and writer who recently left her blogging post at Photoshelter's Shoot! The Blog. Previous to that she worked as a photo editor at Nerve.com, Rolling Stone online, and Radar, among others. Her work can be seen at rachelhulin.com.
Palin Resignation: 11 Theories Why
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
Soraya's Warning to the Mullahs
Steve Emerson is Executive Director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism and author of 5 books and countless articles on terrorism. His most recent book is Jihad Incorporated: A Guide to Militant Islam in the U.S.
How Her Mind Works
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, causes, and individuals, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today’s rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
Lance Is Back in France
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong returns to the race he has dominated this weekend. View photos of the man in yellow’s remarkable life and career.
The $1,000 Coffee Table Book
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
On the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Taschen is releasing an art book whose ambition is worthy of the original event itself. VIEW OUR GALLERY.
How 'Public Enemies' Kills Its Gangsters
Stanley Crouch's culture pieces have appeared in Harper's, The New York Times, Vogue, Downbeat, The New Yorker, and more. He has served as artistic consultant for jazz programming at Lincoln Center since 1987, and is a founder Jazz at Lincoln Center. In June 2006 his first major collection of jazz criticism, Considering Genius: Jazz Writings, was published. He is presently completing a book about the Barack Obama presidential campaign.
In his new film, Michael Mann manages to take 1930s gangster culture—rendered so vividly and compellingly by author Bryan Burroughs—and render it flat as a pancake. By Stanley Crouch
Soraya's Warning to the Mullahs
Steve Emerson is Executive Director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism and author of 5 books and countless articles on terrorism. His most recent book is Jihad Incorporated: A Guide to Militant Islam in the U.S.
The Stoning of Soraya M. is more than a movie about a wronged Iranian woman. The film’s timing, writes Steven Emerson, can help a nation rally against its iron-fisted Islamic rulers.
How Constant Change Killed Jackson
Lee Siegel has written about culture and politics and is the author of three books: Falling Upwards: Essays in Defense of the Imagination; Not Remotely Controlled: Notes on Television; and, most recently, Against the Machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electronic Mob. In 2002, he received a National Magazine Award for reviews and criticism.
Michael's fate bears resemblance to Elvis' and Marilyn's, writes Lee Siegel. From his dance moves to his plastic surgery addiction, Jacko’s need to transform drove him—and did him in.
The Next Graceland? No Chance.
Gerald Posner is the award-winning author of 10 investigative nonfiction bestsellers, ranging from political assassinations, to Nazi war criminals, to 9/11, to terrorism (www.posner.com). Posner lives in Miami Beach with his wife, the author Trisha Posner.
A top executive overseeing Neverland Ranch tells The Daily Beast’s Gerald Posner it will not become a public Michael Jackson museum, and that the real estate firm already turned down a $100 million private offer.
How Her Mind Works
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, causes, and individuals, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today’s rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
Mark McKinnon, who helped prep Sarah Palin for her infamous debate with Joe Biden, says he never saw her bombshell resignation coming—and insists there's another surprise up her sleeve yet.
Born on the Fourth of July
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
From Hawthorne to Geraldo, VIEW OUR GALLERY of famous Americans who share a patriotic birthday with the United States.
The 10 Foxiest First Ladies
Piers Morgan worked as a gossip columnist for the Sun before going on to edit the News of the World and then the Daily Mirror, where he stayed until 2004 when he was sacked following his decision to publish photos of British soldiers apparently abusing Iraqi prisoners of war. Since then, he shot to fame as a judge on the top-rated show America's Got Talent and was the first winner of Celebrity Apprentice. His new book, God Bless America: Misadventures of a Big Mouth Brit has just been published.
From Grace Coolidge and Helen Taft to Jackie O and Michelle O, Britain’s Got Talent judge Piers Morgan ranks the hottest presidential spouses in American history.
Did a Scandal Sink the U.S.S. Palin?
Max Blumenthal is a senior writer for The Daily Beast and writing fellow at The Nation Institute, whose book, Republican Gomorrah (Basic/Nation Books), is forthcoming in Spring 2009. Contact him at maxblumenthal3000@yahoo.com.
The suddenness of Sarah Palin’s resignation raises questions about whether a coming scandal caused her to leave office. Max Blumenthal looks at one possibility.
Palin Resignation: 11 Theories Why
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
Sarah Palin's holiday-eve decision to resign as governor blindsided TV commentators and bloggers who scrambled to come up with an explanation. The Daily Beast's presents a roundup of insta-reactions.
GOP Implosion
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
In a matter of weeks, three of the Republicans' most promising presidential contenders—Palin, Sanford, Ensign—have tripped up, leaving the party’s leadership more adrift than ever. A Daily Beast roundup of what happened.
Why I Love Wimbledon
Condoleezza Rice is the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution and professor of political science at Stanford University. From January 2005 to 2009, she served as the 66th secretary of state of the United States. Before that, she served as assistant to the president for national security affairs (national security advisor) from January 2001 to 2005.
As the fortnight comes to an end, The Daily Beast’s Condoleezza Rice reflects on Roger Federer’s hunt for a 15th Grand Slam event, the Venus and Serena’s sisterly rivalry, and the classic Wimbledon matches of her youth. Plus: View our gallery of Classic Wimbledon
How Palin's Resignation Makes Her the True Frontrunner
John Batchelor is radio host of the John Batchelor Show in New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
UPDATE: Rather than a blow to a career, Palin's decision to resign underlines her self-awareness, writes The Daily Beast's John Batchelor. She is now unmatched for the 2012 primary.
Lance in France
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, causes, and individuals, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today’s rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
In preparing his Tour de France comeback tomorrow, Armstrong is taking on the skeptics, his own fear of losing, and a young rising star. “I’m ready,” he says.
When France Adored Us
Jill Jonnes is the author of Eiffel's Tower: And the World's Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, the Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count. She is also the author of Empires of Light and Conquering Gotham and holds a degree from Columbia Journalism School and a Ph.D. in American History from Johns Hopkins University.
In an excerpt from her new book, Jill Jonnes shows Paris on July 4, 1889—with cowboys firing guns in the air, raucous Champagne bashes, and Old Glory flying atop the brand new Eiffel Tower.
Maha Gaber Abouelenein is the principal of communications firm Organizational Consultants. She focuses on US politics and bridging understanding with Arab cultures, media, and government. She is an active member in the World Economic Forum and the co-Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee of the US Chamber of Commerce.
Dan Abrams is CEO of Abrams Research, an attorney, and chief legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.
Bruce Ackerman is Sterling professor of law and political science at Yale, and the author of 15 books on political philosophy, constitutional law, and public policy. His works include Social Justice in the Liberal State, the multivolume constitutional history, We the People, The Failure of the Founding Fathers and Before the Next Attack.
Edward Adams (1933-2004) was a Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist best known for his war coverage. He mostly worked for The Associated Press, Time and Parade. His photographs of human rights defenders from 36 countries were published in a book with Kerry Kennedy, Speak Truth to Power.
Mark Adams is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in many of America’s leading magazines, including GQ, Outside, the New York Times Magazine, Fortune and National Geographic Adventure, where he is a contributing editor. Adams wrote New York magazine’s popular column “It Happened Last Week” and once ran 26 miles alone through the streets of Manhattan for an assignment. Originally from Oak Park, Illinois, he now lives near New York City with his wife and their three sons.
Aravind Adiga is the bestselling author of The White Tiger, which won the 2008 Man Booker Prize.
Jerry Adler is a contributing editor at Newsweek, where he writes about medicine, science, and ideas. He is the author of High Rise: How 1,000 Men and Women Worked Around the Clock for Five Years and Lost $200 Million Building a Skyscraper.
Prashant Agrawal is CEO of Indipepal.com, India's only social portal. He previously worked at Skadden Arps, McKinsey, and a hedge fund, and is a contributing editor to GQ India and the magazine’s business columnist.
Liaquat Ahamed is the author of Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World, a book about the causes of the Great Depression. After working as an economist at the World Bank, he spent 25 years as a professional investment manager in London and New York.
Lee Aitken is an editor and writer who has worked at Time Inc., the New Yorker, Condé Nast Traveler, and the International Tribune, among others. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her daughter.
Anne Marie Albano, Ph.D., ABPP, is an associate professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry at Columbia University and the director of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Columbus Circle in Manhattan.
Linda Alcorace is a writer and Adjunct Professor of English at Santa Monica College. Her work has also appeared in The Los Angeles Times and The Copley Press.
Nelson W. Aldrich Jr. is a freelance writer and editor. Formerly Paris editor of The Paris Review, a senior editor at Harper’s magazine, and a reporter for the Boston Globe, he is a frequent contributor to The Atlantic, Harper’s, The Nation, and Vogue, among other publications.
Matthew Alexander is a pseudonym for a 14 year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. As the leader of an elite interrogations team in Iraq, he conducted more than 300 interrogations and supervised more than 1,000. He served in three wars and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal in 2006. He is the author of How to Break A Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq.
Paul Alexander is the author of Machiavelli’s Shadow: The Rise and Fall of Karl Rove and Man of the People: The Life of John McCain, among others. A member of The Authors Guild and PEN American Center, Paul has been a fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, and escaped an arranged marriage by immigrating to the Netherlands in 1992. She served as a member of the Dutch parliament from 2003 to 2006 and is currently a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Her autobiography, Infidel, was a 2007 New York Times bestseller.
Anita L. Allen is the Henry R. Silverman professor of law and professor of philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. She writes about everyday ethics, health, and the right to privacy for scholarly journals and the popular press.
Eric Alterman is a professor of English and journalism at Brooklyn College and a professor of journalism at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. He is the author, most recently, of Why We're Liberals: A Handbook for Restoring America's Important Ideals.
Ronnie Sue Ambrosino is a retired computer analyst originally from New York. She has traveled the country for the last 4 years in a motor home experiencing all the country has to offer. That ended abruptly on Dec. 11th when her only source of income, Bernard Madoff, confessed to running the largest Ponzi scheme in history. Ronnie Sue is proactively involved in joining together other Madoff victims in an effort to find restitution and recovery at bernardmadoffvictims.org.
Kurt Andersen's new book, RESET: How This Crisis Can Restore Our Values and Renew America will be published by Random House in July.
Nicole Ankowski writes about television, pop culture, and—on occasion—more frivolous matters. She lives in Brooklyn.
Taylor Antrim is a critic for The Daily Beast and the author of the novel, The Headmaster Ritual.
Gustavo Arellano writes the syndicated “AskaA Mexican” column for OC Weekly and is the author of Orange County: A Personal History, recently published by Scribner.
Reza Aslan, a contributor to the Daily Beast, is assistant professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside and senior fellow at the Orfalea Center on Global and International Studies at UC Santa Barbara. He is the author of the bestseller No god but God and How to Win a Cosmic War.
Shaun Assael is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. He is the author of three books, including, most recently, Steroid Nation.
James Atlas is the president of Atlas & Co. and founder of the Penguin Lives series. His books include Bellow: A Biography and the memoir My Life in the Middle Ages, and his biography of Delmore Schwartz was nominated for the National Book Award.
Bernard Avishai splits his time between Jerusalem and New Hampshire. He is the author, most recently, of The Hebrew Republic: How Secular Democracy and Global Enterprise Will Bring Israel Peace at Last (Harcourt). A former editor of the Harvard Business Review, he blogs at www.bernardavishai.com.
John P. Avlon is the author of Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics. He writes a weekly column for The Daily Beast and is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Previously, he served as Chief Speechwriter for New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and was a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun.
