Miami

Robert A. Levinson was an overweight bear of a man who once worked as an F.B.I. agent and desperately wanted to recapture the life of international intrigue he relished as an expert on Russian organized crime. But as he sat in a hotel room in Geneva in early 2007, he was anxious about a secret mission he had planned to Iran. “I guess as I approach my fifty-ninth birthday on the 10th of March, and after having done quite a few other crazy things in my life,” he wrote in an email to a friend, “I am questioning just why, at this point, with seven kids and a great wife, why would I put myself in such jeopardy.” He would like some assurance, he added, that “I’m not going to wind up someplace where I really don’t want to be at this stage of my life.” Mr. Levinson gambled and traveled to an island off the Iranian coast to meet with an American fugitive he hoped to turn into his informant. There, his worst fears were realized — he disappeared, and has since been seen only as a prisoner … [Read more...] about A Disappearing Spy, and a Scandal at the C.I.A.

To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android. “Just close your eyes. We’re almost there. Well, not quite. But soon.” Nicolas Berggruen was trying to be helpful. We were in the Santa Monica Mountains, climbing the aptly named Serpentine Road in a Mercedes S.U.V. being driven by Berggruen’s personal assistant, a cheerful Frenchman named Cyril. I was riding shotgun and furiously scrolling on my iPhone, trying to ignore the fact that we were on a heavily rutted road with few guardrails, hundreds of feet above the 405 freeway. Berggruen, a German American investor and philanthropist, was in the back seat with the acclaimed landscape architect Mia Lehrer, whom he had enlisted to help with the project that had brought us here. The day before, I had confessed my dislike of heights while visiting Berggruen at his condominium, which is on one of the top floors of Sierra Towers, a luxury West Hollywood address. (He owns … [Read more...] about How the ​​‘Homeless Billionaire’ Became a Philosopher King

<u>THE 10 BEST GAMES TO BET</u> EAGLES at GIANTS 1 p.m., Eagles by 6 ½, 45 ½ HANK’S HONEYS: It’s tempting to take the points with the Giants 5-2 ATS at home and the Eagles 1-4 ATS on the road. But the Eagles’ explosive attack is tailor-made for taking the Giants out of their comfort zone and into a shootout they are ill-equipped to win. Philly’s maligned run defense stepped up big time against Derrick Henry last week and will be able to key on Saquon Barkley. Daniel Jones, with a banged-up WR corps, could be left trying to force things against an Eagles secondary that leads the league with 15 INTs. The strength of the Giants defense is up front but they are going up against the league’s best offensive line and a QB in Jalen Hurts who can elude pressure and make big plays with his legs. IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Eagles and the under. JETS at BILLS 1 p.m., Bills by 9 ½, 44 HANK’S HONEYS: Way too many points. The Jets should have plenty of confidence … [Read more...] about NFL Week 14 Bettors Guide: Jets defense won’t let this one be a Buffalo blowout

0 This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own. Arts & Entertainment Works by contemporary photographers Rosamond Purcell and Harry Benson on view Addison Gallery of American Art , Community Contributor Posted Reply Rosamond Purcell, Great Egret, Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Camarillo, California, 2007–2008, inkjet print, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist, © Rosamond Purcell Harry Benson, Ali Hits George, Miami, 1964. Gelatin silver print, 24 x 30 inches. Gift of Eileen and Jonathan Otto (PA 1975), 2020.1 This fall, the Addison, located on the campus of Phillips Academy, in Andover, MA, will present exhibitions of works by contemporary photographers Rosamond Purcell and Harry Benson. Rosamond Purcell: Nature Stands Aside September 1–December 31, 2022 The multifaceted work of Boston-based photographer and … [Read more...] about New exhibitions at the Addison Gallery of American Art this fall

When Hamish Bowles was a toddler walking down the street with his mother near their home in the leafy north London neighborhood of Hampstead Garden Suburb, an elegant Indian woman came toward them dressed in an elaborate sari. “Hamish rushed up to her and plucked at it,” his mother, Anne Bowles, recalled recently. “ ‘Mummy, mummy, look, it has gold threads,’ ” she remembers her small son saying. “It was a wake-up call, definitely, that Hamish was interested in fashion,” Mrs. Bowles said. Threads of all colors were not a passing fancy for Mr. Bowles, the dapper international editor at large for Vogue who has been tapped to fill the shoes (if not the billowing caftans) of André Leon Talley, the longtime columnist who left the magazine last February to edit Numero Russia . “We wanted to fill that void with another compelling voice that could bring you into the world of fashion, travel and all the extraordinary places Hamish goes and all the people he sees,” said Anna Wintour, … [Read more...] about Hamish Bowles, He Was Born Dandy

This is the time of year that we reach a decision on Dolphins rookie coach Mike McDaniel — crunch time — as Miami faces its final stretch of crucial games with so much at stake. Everyone likes McDaniel. We enjoy his wise-cracking answers during press conferences. He’s funny. He’s refreshing. We enjoy his creative offense. It’s unique. We applaud his innovative ideas such as rearranging the locker room seating so that running backs now sit next to linebackers and defensive tackles instead of other running backs, cornerbacks sit next to guards instead of other cornerbacks, and so on. It’s a way of forcing players out of their comfort zone and into getting to know other teammates. Yes, McDaniel, who wore Supreme x Nike Air Force Ones in the opener vs. New England, has been different. But the Dolphins don’t need different, they need a coach who can take them to the next level and, ultimately, on a path toward a Super Bowl. The next few weeks will determine whether McDaniel fits … [Read more...] about Chris Perkins: Mike McDaniel has proven he’s different, now he must prove he can take Dolphins to next level