Oscars Audience Size Poses a Test of Hollywood’s Cultural Relevance

Politics could also prove problematic. Most of the movies that Hollywood is poised to celebrate represent a cultural paradigm that was shattered by the presidential election. “Emilia Pérez,” a musical exploration of trans identity, has 13 nominations, the most of any film. In one way or another, “The Brutalist” (10 nods), “Wicked” (10), “Conclave” (eight), … Read more

Why Do S.U.V.s Look Like Trucks Again?

If any model symbolizes the ultimate victory of the S.U.V., Mr. Edwards said, it is the Mercedes G-Class, or Geländewagen. Built in Austria, it was conceived in 1979 as an unpretentious military or farm truck. Mercedes didn’t initially offer the G-Class in America, and a gray market of imports stoked demand. The federal government cut … Read more

‘Epstein Files’ Phase 1 Release, Hyped by Pam Bondi, Falls Short of Expectations

For days, Attorney General Pam Bondi had talked about releasing the “Epstein files,” supposedly secret documents the federal government has on some of the powerful men who were in the orbit of the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. But the roughly 200 pages of documents that Ms. Bondi released on Thursday contained little new information pointing … Read more