Arts & Life

The family (CaitrÃÂona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Jude Hill and Lewis McAskie) goes to the movies in Belfast.

Arts

Kenneth Branagh's autobiographical 'Belfast' never quite finds its point of view

1:25pm November 15, 2021

by Justin Chang

In a rare dive into personal territory, Branagh details growing up amid the Troubles in Northern Ireland. But despite some lovely moments, Belfast feels guarded in its telling.

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Books
Arts

Fall is filled with celebrity memoirs. Read tales from stage and screen

11:19am November 15, 2021

by Mia Estrada

There are many paths to fame. You can read several this fall, as there are a number of celebrity memoirs hitting shelves — books from Mel Brooks and Jamie Foxx to Will Smith and Drew Barrymore.

Ernie, a muppet from the popular children's series "Sesame Street," appears with new character Ji-Young, the first Asian American muppet, on the set of the long-running children's program in New York on Nov. 1, 2021.

Arts

Sesame Street makes history with the debut of its first Asian American muppet

12:55am November 15, 2021

by The Associated Press

Seven-year-old Ji-Young is Korean American. She loves her electric guitar just as much as her skateboard, and she'll be introduced to the Sesame Street gang during Thanksgiving day special.

Roman (Kieran Culkin), Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) are all on tenterhooks at the shareholders' meeting.

Arts

'Succession' recap, Season 3, Episode 5: Keeping it in the family

10:10pm November 14, 2021

by Linda Holmes

On this week's episode, the family tries to hold on to Waystar Royco, and Logan's health takes an alarming turn for the worse.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., departs from the Senate chamber following a vote on Nov. 3 in Washington, D.C.

SNL uses its cold open to skewer Ted Cruz over his Big Bird vaccine tweet

1:29pm November 14, 2021

by Eric McDaniel

In a Saturday Night Live sketch, Sen. Ted Cruz, played by Aidy Bryant, hosts a right-wing alternative to the children's television program Sesame Street.

Victoria Sur nets a Latin Grammy nomination with airy lullabies she wrote for her kids

8:25am November 14, 2021

by Betto Arcos

Colombian singer-songwriter Victoria Sur has pursued a successful career for more than 20 years. Now, she's nominated for a Latin Grammy for her first children's music album, "Nanas Consentidoras."

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South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster sent a letter to the state's department of education this week about Gender Queer: A Memoir, a book he wants investigated.

More Republican leaders try to ban books on race, LGBTQ issues

1:40pm November 13, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

In the latest instance, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster calls on the state's department of education to look into banning a book about queer identity, saying the content is sexually explicit.

Ed Begley Jr. poses with his bike at Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank, Calif.

Arts

'Wait Wait' for Nov. 13, 2021: Ed Begley Jr. plays Not My Job

9:02am November 13, 2021

Actor Ed Begley Jr. is has appeared in over 300 projects over 55 years. But there's one movie he wasn't in, so we invited him on the show to play, "Ed Begley Jr., Meet Bee Movie Sr."

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Britney Spears at the Billboard Music Awards in 2016 in Las Vegas.

Britney Spears' conservatorship has finally ended

7:11pm November 12, 2021

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

After 13 years living under a legal arrangement that controlled both her personal life and finances, the pop star was released from her conservatorship Friday.

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William Jackson Harper and Jessica Williams in Love Life.

Books
Arts

What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading

2:00pm November 12, 2021

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the show Love Life, the podcast The Shrink Next Door and more.