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Hadley Hall Meares

@hadleymeares.bsky.social
48 followers 28 following 65 posts

Journalist focusing on history, art and culture. Bleeding heart liberal and lover of grand adventures.

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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
On “Tail between his legs,” the 4th episode of the GERBIL podcast, out now, I talk about the disturbing history of LBGTQI+ prejudice, which led to the creation of some of the most sordid rumors in Hollywood history. Link in bio.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
In my latest for Vanity Fair, the sexy- and salacious-stories of royals who fell for their bodyguards. www.vanityfair.com/story/royals...
vanityfair.com
A Brief History of Royals Who Fell in Love With Their Bodyguards
Dating all the way back to the 18th century, many royal women and their bodyguards have crossed the line between work and play.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I’m thrilled to announce ”America Obscura,“ the latest book from Atlas Obscura, for which I was a contributing writer, is now available for pre-order. Get it today and start exploring! www.atlasobscura.com/hubs/america...
atlasobscura.com
America Obscura
An Explorer’s Guide to the Hidden Wonders of the United States
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
In my latest "Old Hollywood Book Club" for Vanity Fair, the triumphant but of so tragic love story of Laurence Oliver and Vivien Leigh. www.vanityfair.com/story/vivien...
vanityfair.com
Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh’s Romance Was a Shakespearean Tragedy
They were the greatest actors of their generation—and as Olivier wrote in his memoir, their scandalous love rocked Hollywood.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"The Mad Monk's Daughter: The Many Mysterious Lives of Maria Rasputin," is now off to the copy editor and officially in production! I feel like I just sent my baby off to kindergarten, gonna go cry some happy tears!
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
In my latest for Vanity Fair, the mystery of the lost jewels of the Romanov dynasty. www.vanityfair.com/story/missin...
vanityfair.com
The Mystery of the Missing Romanov Jewels
The fate of the hidden jewels, which were carefully sewn into the grand duchesses’ garments during imprisonment, haunts heirs and historians to this day.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
In my latest for Vanity Fair, the unbelievable story of the Koi-i-Noor diamond, tainted by a supposed curse and the horror of British colonialism. www.vanityfair.com/story/the-cu...
vanityfair.com
The Haunted Jewel of the British Crown: The Curse of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond
The sparkler’s true story may be crazier than any of the legends associated with it.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
In my latest for Vanity Fair the award for worst royal neighbor goes to...Princess Margaret, of course! www.vanityfair.com/story/royal-...
vanityfair.com
Princess Margaret Was a Princess. She Was Also, Apparently, a Terrible Neighbor
And her greatest pet peeve? Princess Diana.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
In my latest for Vanity Fair, a history of royal engagment rings. www.vanityfair.com/story/royal-...
vanityfair.com
A History of the Most Fabulous Royal Engagement Rings, From Princess Diana’s Trendsetting Sapphire to Grace Kelly’s 10-Carat Sparkler
Royal marriages were once brokered through ambassadors and diplomats, but now, the promise of a lifetime together can come with rare gems, colorful stones, and family heirlooms galore.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
In my latest "Old Hollywood Book Club" for Vanity Fair, the amazing, almost unreal life of a true American genius- Quincy Jones. www.vanityfair.com/story/quincy...
vanityfair.com
You’ll Have to Read Quincy Jones’s Autobiography to Believe It
‘Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones’ is brimming with incredible anecdotes about the polymathic music savant, from his horrifically traumatic childhood to his work with Michael Jackson and encounter...
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
In my latest for Vanity Fair- what it's really like to live in a royal palace (hint: not as glamorous as you might think.) www.vanityfair.com/story/what-l...
vanityfair.com
Life In a Royal Residence: The Truth About “Damp” Digs, Cheap Rent, and Nosy Palace Guards
The multibillion-dollar royal real estate portfolio is a tangled web of different residences that includes an estimated 100 grace-and-favor homes, where royal inhabitants pay favorable or symbolic ren...
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Happy 65th birthday to the late Princess Diana! In my latest for Vanity Fair I take a look at Althorp, her final resting place, and ancestral home. www.vanityfair.com/story/althor...
vanityfair.com
At Althorp, Princess Diana Could Be Herself: Dancing, Cooking, Hanging With Staff. Now Her Brother Is Keeping the Estate Alive
The story behind Althorp, the 13,000-acre Spencer family estate with an awe-inspiring art collection and priceless library, that became Princess Diana’s final resting place.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Just found this out.. what a tragedy Vox. Some of my most important reporting was with Curbed....devestating for so many journalists, and what a loss for the community. www.archpaper.com/2026/02/curb...
archpaper.com
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
In my latest for Vanity Fair, the fate of Princess Diana's iconic jewels. www.vanityfair.com/story/what-h...
vanityfair.com
What Happened to Princess Diana’s Most Famous Jewels?
From her sapphire and diamond engagement ring to her yellow gold Cartier Tank Française, some of the late princess’s most beloved pieces have ended up with her daughters-in-law, while others haven’t b...
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
God willing and the creek don't rise, in June 2027 "The Mad Monk's Daughter", my biography of the amazing Maria Rasputin will be published by Flatiron! What a labor of love this has been over the years.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Audrey Hepburn wasn’t only enchanting, she was also a remarkably resilient warrior fighting for children all over the globe. In my latest Old Hollywood Book Club for Vanity Fair a look at her son’s touching memories of their marvelous mother. www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/st...
vanityfair.com
Audrey Hepburn’s Sons Recount Her Remarkably Resilient Life
Sean Hepburn Ferrer and brother Luca Dotti have feuded in the past over multiple issues related to their mother—but the books they’ve written about her agree that Hepburn was one of a kind.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
I had so much fun writing about the often amusing visits English royals have made to the White House. The pictures are really fun! www.vanityfair.com/style/story/...
vanityfair.com
From Princess Diana and John Travolta to Queen Elizabeth and Eisenhower: A History of British Royals Visiting the White House
Before King Charles and Queen Camilla embark on a state visit to “celebrate the historic connections and the modern bilateral relationship” between the UK and the US, learn more about the president wh...
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
In my latest Old Hollywood Book Club for Vanity Fair, a look at the autobiography of a personal hero of mine- Jane Fonda. www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/st...
vanityfair.com
Jane Fonda’s Dishy Memoir Proves She Walks the Walk
“The failures are what deliver us to ourselves. You don’t get real by playing it safe,” writes the Oscar winner in her fascinating 2005 autobiography. And nobody is realer than Jane Fonda.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
My latest for Vanity Fair! I loved speaking with the brilliant Justine Picardie about her new book Fashioning the Crown! www.vanityfair.com/style/story/...
vanityfair.com
From the Queen’s Tweeds to Kate Middleton’s Zara, Justine Picardie Reveals the Soft Power of Royal Dressing
Picardie, author of Fashioning the Crown: A Story of Power and Couture, explores the influence and importance of the royal wardrobe in her new book.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
I had an absolute blast speaking with the top realtors in Los Angeles about their favorite historic homes in the city. My latest for The Hollywood Reporter! www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/re...
hollywoodreporter.com
The Most Historic Homes in L.A. (and No, That’s Not a Contradiction)
For all the snark about its mishmash of styles, L.A.’s classic architecture is no joke. Here, according to its top brokers, are the city’s most iconic homes (some of which are for sale).
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Just in time for Valentine's Day! In my latest for Vanity Fair a brief history of the most scandalous royal romances of all time. www.vanityfair.com/style/story/...
vanityfair.com
The Most Scandalous Royal Love Stories of All Time
From King Edward abdicating the throne in the name of love to the risky pursuit by King Henry VIII of Anne Boleyn, forbidden royal relationships have captured the public’s imagination for centuries.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
In my latest for Vanity Fair, bad boy Robert "the Kid" Evans looks back on his legendary life. www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/st...
vanityfair.com
Robert Evans’s Legendary Memoir Captures an Epic Hollywood Rise and Fall
The man behind ‘Chinatown,’ ‘The Godfather,’ ‘Rosemary’s Baby,’ and endless anecdotes recalls his high highs and low lows with characteristic swagger in ‘The Kid Stays in the Picture,’ his peerless au...
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
How I loved writing the latest "Old Hollywood Book Club" for Vanity Fair- a look at the memoirs of the undisputed Queen of Inspiration- Ms. Dolly Parton. I dare you not to have a smile on your face and a song in your heart while you are reading! www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/st...
vanityfair.com
Dolly Parton’s Divine Dogma: “You Better Get to Livin’”
The national treasure spins a heck of a yarn across her five folksy memoirs.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
I loved speaking with Press Play about the evolution of MacArthur Park! Listen below! www.kcrw.com/shows/press-...
kcrw.com
Why AI data centers are the ‘new American factory’ | KCRW
Plus, Los Angeles plans to spend $2.3 million to build an iron fence around MacArthur Park. The Hammer Museum is back with its biennial Made in LA exhibition. And celebrity gossip website TMZ turns…
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Hey y'all! I will be on @kcrw.com Press Play at noon PST talking about the history of MacArthur Park (the park, not the song- which rules btw).
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
My latest for The Hollywood Reporter! www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/li...
hollywoodreporter.com
Stars Come Out to Support ‘All the Cool Girls Get Fired’: “We Want the Shame to Be Gone”
Laura Dern, Cindy Crawford, Monica Lewinsky, Zoey Deutch, Jurnee Smollett and Uzo Aduba were among the A-listers who joined Tory Burch to celebrate Kristina O’Neill and Laura Brown’s new book.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
In my latest for LAist, an important story about the first major public immigration raid in Los Angeles, and the heartbreaking terror and displacement that followed. laist.com/news/la-hist...
laist.com
Public immigration sweeps in LA are not new — similar tactics were used in the 1930s
Similar tactics to today's ICE sweeps were seen in the city 100 years ago.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
In my latest “Old Hollywood Book Club” for Vanity Fair, I review two memoirs by Anjelica Huston- one chic queen. www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/st...
vanityfair.com
Glamour and Grit: Anjelica Huston’s Cultured Coolness
The Oscar winner digs into her groovy youth in swinging London, her long entanglement with Jack Nicholson, and so much more in her two essential autobiographies.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
theatlantic.com
Lower Than Cowards
The surrender of America’s elites
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
My latest for THR: The Hilton Dynasty is on the move. www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/li...
hollywoodreporter.com
Real Estate Power Couple Barron and Tessa Hilton Move to Compass
The two are known for their innovative approach, turning open houses into major events. “This transition allows us to align with Compass’s unmatched scale, cutting-edge technology, and powerful market...
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
Oh Maria Rasputin, you continue to inspire and surprise me! I can't wait to share your amazing story with the world! (Biography coming via Flatiron, an imprint of MacMillian, circa 2027).
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
Oh what a night! My latest for The Hollywood Reporter. www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/re...
hollywoodreporter.com
The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Broker Awards Toast Winners and Unity in the Wake of L.A. Fires
The fifth annual event, presented by The Society Group, recognized the biggest names in Los Angeles real estate after a tumultuous year for the city.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Oh lord after months of work the annual Hollywood Reporter Top Real Estate Agents List is finally out. Fun old Hollywood stories included! www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/the-to...
hollywoodreporter.com
The 36 Top L.A. Real Estate Agents of 2025
It’s been a brutal year. But the town’s A-list’s most trusted Realtors — despite some having lost their own houses to the wildfires — are still notching nine-figure deals, including ones in cryptocurr...
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
My latest for Vanity Fair- Meghan Markle, royal sorrority girl. www.vanityfair.com/style/story/...
vanityfair.com
Meghan Markle Is But One of Many Royal Sorority Girls: A Brief History
Long before the Duchess of Sussex, a Swedish and Norwegian princess, who never lived or went to college in America, became the first royal sorority girl.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
In my second article of the day for Vanity Fair, Prince William and Catherine's many, many homes. www.vanityfair.com/style/story/...
vanityfair.com
Inside Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Real Estate Portfolio
Before the Prince and Princess of Wales relocate to Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park, revisit their house-hopping ways, which first started when they were students at St. Andrews University in Scotl...
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
In my latest "Old Hollywood Book Club" for Vanity Fair, the delightful, insightful Michael Caine. www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/st...
vanityfair.com
The Bon Vivant: Michael Caine’s Pursuit of the Good Life
In four effortlessly entertaining memoirs, the Oscar winner charts his journey from a South London slum to movie stardom.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 24/08/2025
I loved speaking with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation again, this time about the toxic tabloid culture of the early 2000s, which certainly shaped my teenage years. www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
abc.net.au
Cruel intentions: how toxic tabloids and celebrity culture changed the way we talk about mental health - ABC listen
If you opened up a magazine in the 2000s, you'd likely be met by countless images of celebrities on their worst days. And the conversation accompanying those images? Pretty toxic. We've come a long w...
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
Mothman! Synanon! Wild ladies, oh my! I talk all this and more on the new season of Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America. Now streaming on @hbomax!
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
In my latest for Vanity Fair- the fascinating and touching story of Sir Ewan Forbes, a transgender man who became a Baronet. www.vanityfair.com/style/story/...
vanityfair.com
The Hidden Case of Sir Ewan Forbes, the Transgender Baronet
Despite Forbes’s deep privilege and proximity to the royal family, his journey was not an easy one.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 27/07/2025
My latest “Old Hollywood Book Club” for Vanity Fair. www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/st...
vanityfair.com
Power and Panache: Superagent Sue Mengers’s Rise and Fall
The ultimate Hollywood insider was ahead of her time—and, as Brian Kellow writes in an absorbing biography, a victim of her own hard-charging personality.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 27/07/2025
If you have the chance, check out the latest issue of the beautiful Four Seasons Magazine. I have a really fun feature all about wandering the wild west, as well a profile of famed ski- mountaineer Kit DesLauriers.
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MidCenturyCinema @midcenturycinema.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
BOTD George Sanders!!! MCCT5: 5)Rebecca (Hitch) 4)Journey to Italy (Rossellini) 3)City Sleeps (Lang) 2)Strange Affair Uncle H (Siodmak) 1)All About Eve (Mankiewicz) More: @sistercelluloid.bsky.social: sistercelluloid.com/2015/03/07/t... @hadleymeares.bsky.social: www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/20...
vanityfair.com
The Mask: George Sanders’s Weary Road
In the latest installment of Old Hollywood Book Club, learn about the life and times of the wildly entertaining George Sanders.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Vacations royal style. My latest for Vanity Fair. www.vanityfair.com/style/story/...
vanityfair.com
From Mustique to the Moulin Rouge, Here’s Where the Royal Family Has Liked to Unwind
Queen Elizabeth had a so-called floating embassy. Prince Harry romped in Vegas. Royal vacations have long been opportunities for the crown to enjoy sun, sand, and—often—a bit of scandal.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
In my latest “Old Hollywood Book Club” the remarkable, surprisingly hilarious Sidney Poitier. www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/st...
vanityfair.com
Breaking Down Barriers: Sidney Poitier’s Hero’s Journey
The Oscar winner’s candid, entertaining memoirs unveil the man behind the icon, from his rivalry with Harry Belafonte to Poitier’s struggle to live up to his own legend.
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @aoc.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
It is 100% carrying water for the opposition to participate in this collective delusion that Dems for some reason need to answer for every teen who throws a rock rather than hold the Trump admin accountable for intentionally creating chaos and breaking the law to stoke violence. They are in charge.
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @aoc.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
I will be damned if I allow a bunch of Confederate-waving January 6th apologists give the American people a lecture on flag waving. There is ZERO reason to enter an argument about patriotism with people who still worship traitors to America 150+ years later. They. Are. Breaking. The. Law.
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
In my latest for LA Public Press, how a century old LA orginization is helping immigrants and refugees under the terror of the Trump era. lapublicpress.org/2025/06/inte...
lapublicpress.org
At LA’s International Institute, caseloads surge under Trump’s new immigration policies
While immigration raids target Los Angeles communities, attorneys at the International Institute are racing against seven-day deportation deadlines to save clients who fled persecution from countries ...
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
In my latest for THR, an inside look at the MOCA Gala. Any time you get to hear Jane Fonda speak is an A+ time. www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/ar...
hollywoodreporter.com
Frank Gehry and Theaster Gates Earn “Legend” Status at Star-Studded MOCA Gala
Jane Fonda, Nancy Pelosi and Ava DuVernay bestowed the honors at the event, which raised $3.1 million for LACMA.
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 02/06/2025
“The administration is clearly trying to intimidate Democrats, in the same way that they’re trying to intimidate the country.” This past week, DHS police invaded the Manhattan offices of Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and briefly handcuffed one of his staffers.
motherjones.com
Homeland Security cops invade NY congressman’s office, handcuff aide
"The administration is clearly trying to intimidate Democrats, in the same way that they're trying to intimidate the country."
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Hadley Hall Meares @hadleymeares.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
In my latest for Vanity Fair, The Kennedy Family Tree! www.vanityfair.com/style/story/...
vanityfair.com
The Kennedy Family, In Tragedy and Triumph: A Brief Guide
After John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, the familial political dynasty continued on, experiencing both success and scandal.
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