“Meet the Hartford Yard Goats, now playing anywhere but Hartford,” The New York Times
Like the Port Ruppert Mundys of Philip Roth’s fictional Patriot League, The Hartford Yard Goats (yes, the Yard Goats) of the all-too-factual Eastern League are cursed to play the entire season on the road. Gary Santaniello of the New York Times tells their tragic tale. —Peter Callaghan, local government reporter
“Is it rude to leave the theater early?” Town and Country Magazine
“To stay or not to say, that is the question. Increasingly, the answer has become not to,” writes Bob Morris for for Town and Country. He confesses to his own early exits and considers this issue from both sides. IMHO, one should never, ever walk out during a live performance. Even if it’s offensive, that’s not necessarily the artists’ fault, and they’re the ones who will see you stand up and slink down the aisle. Leaving at intermission is generally OK, unless it’s your kid on the stage. Although Morris makes the excellent point that especially with theater, things often don’t really get going until the second act, so it’s worth staying even if the first act drags a little. —Pamela Espeland, Artscape columnist
“The First Time Hillary Clinton Was President,” Politico Magazine
Centrist. Cautious. Respectful of authority. Those are the words that former classmates used to describe Hillary Clinton in this piece, which paints a picture of her leadership style when she was student body president at Wellesley College in Massachusetts 48 years ago. At the time, young American activists throughout the country were on the streets demanding an end to the war in Vietnam, and seeking racial justice and women’s rights. Clinton, on the other hand, was teaching her peers that change is best achieved through meaningful discussions in the decision-making process. Today, at a time when many people seem so obsessed with Clinton’s dark side, writer Michael Kruse offers a rare glimpse into Clinton’s leadership the first time she was a president — in 1968. —Ibrahim Hirsi, immigration and workforce reporter
“Olympic executives cash in on a ‘Movement’ that keeps athletes poor,” The Washington Post
The Olympics may be a fading memory at this point, but it’s never a bad time to be reminded what the games are really about: money. This story, by the Post’s Will Hobson, offers a fascinating tour through the “movement,” one that lays claim to a set of lofty ideals while essentially exploiting the people who are actually responsible for the whole thing: the athletes. —Andy Putz, executive editor
