WEATHER ALERT
Jill Biden carries out new mission in 2nd year as first lady
Read full article: Jill Biden carries out new mission in 2nd year as first ladyJill Biden barnstormed the country during her debut year as first lady as if on a one-woman mission to help her husband's administration tackle the problem of the moment.
California highway reopens but fire still a threat to homes
Read full article: California highway reopens but fire still a threat to homesA key Southern California highway closed for days because of a wildfire was reopened Thursday evening but authorities warned that flames still posed a threat to remote properties in a coastal mountain range.
'Philip Roth': Blake Bailey's story behind the story arrives
Read full article: 'Philip Roth': Blake Bailey's story behind the story arrivesFILE - In this Sept. 8, 2008, file photo, author Philip Roth poses for a photo in the offices of his publisher in New York. A biography of the late author, "Philip Roth: The Biography" by Blake Bailey, comes out April 7. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)NEW YORK – The life of Philip Roth was a story. Blake Bailey's “Philip Roth,” a volume Roth had imagined in some form for more than 20 years, comes out April 7. AdThe “real” Philip Roth has been a quest for countless critics — and the author himself — since his 1969 bestseller “Portnoy's Complaint” left many readers believing that Roth and his lusting narrator were one and the same.
New this week: Mariah Carey, Gloria Steinem & 'South Park'
Read full article: New this week: Mariah Carey, Gloria Steinem & 'South Park'Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. MOVIES— "The Glorias ": Julie Taymor's film, based on Gloria Steinem's 2015 book “My Life on the Road,” is a biopic with verve and flair. Johnson's latest, premiering Friday on Netflix, is a playful eulogy to her father as she slowly loses him to dementia. — AP Music Editor Mesfin FekaduTELEVISION— If laughter is good medicine, then it’s “South Park” to the rescue. Meanwhile, Randy deals with his alleged role in the viral outbreak that has the town of South Park on defense.
Melania Trump taking Rose Garden turn to pitch her husband
Read full article: Melania Trump taking Rose Garden turn to pitch her husbandMrs. Trump said months ago that she's ready for another four years. Only the second foreign-born first lady in U.S. history, Mrs. Trump is a native of Slovenia, a former communist country in eastern Europe. The first lady is set to speak Tuesday night from the renovated Rose Garden, despite questions about using the White House for a political convention. Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich said people appreciate that Mrs. Trump is her own person. Last week, after Mrs. Obama's forceful rebuke of Trump in an address to the Democrats' largely virtual convention, social media lit up with tongue-in-cheek speculation about whether Mrs. Trump would give the same speech.
Wildfire caused $500,000 in damage at Reagan Library
Read full article: Wildfire caused $500,000 in damage at Reagan Library(CNN) - A California brush fire that burned in the hills near Simi Valley last month caused $500,000 in damage to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, a spokeswoman said Tuesday. The Oct. 30 blaze, named the Easy Fire, spread up and down hills around the library, consuming trees and surrounding landscape and banners along Presidential Drive, according to library spokeswoman Melissa Giller. "The team worked for about 30 hours straight and had us fully operational when we reopened to the public that Friday," Giller said. The Easy Fire -- one of several California wildfires that burned in dry and windy conditions -- consumed nearly 2,000 acres, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. The library houses Reagan's presidential and California gubernatorial records, as well as the couple's personal effects, including most of Nancy Reagan's dresses dating back to the 1950s and her wedding ring.
A new wildfire has forced the evacuation of the Reagan Presidential Library
Read full article: A new wildfire has forced the evacuation of the Reagan Presidential Library(CNN) - A fresh wildfire is burning on a ridge near the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Southern California's Simi Valley city, forcing officials to order evacuations of the library and nearby homes and close schools. "The flames are licking right up the hills, right up to the parking lot," library Executive Director John Heubusch told CNN affiliate KLTA. Simi Valley police ordered evacuations of the library -- which also hosts the graves of the nation's 40th president and first lady Nancy Reagan -- and homes along a few nearby streets, police watch commander Adam Darough said. A skeleton library staff -- including security workers, the library director, the facility manager, and the head curator -- remained at the facility, trying to protect what they can, including artifacts and photographs, library spokeswoman Melissa Giller said. The Simi Valley Unified School District closed all schools Wednesday because of the fire threat.