But Astor, now 105 and out of the public eye, isn’t remembered for her books but for her philanthropy and her gilded name. As Frances Kiernan’s gracious new biography, “The Last Mrs. Astor,” makes abundantly clear, Edith Wharton wasn’t so much her role model—Wharton could have invented her. Brooke Russell Kuser Marshall Astor was a classic Wharton heroine—a vivacious girl from a family with manners but no money, who married well and then married better....

According to a statement from Hochul, the state budget will provide $600 million of that sum, and Erie County will contribute $250 million. The team and the NFL will pay another $550 million. The deal will guarantee that the Buffalo Bills will remain in Buffalo for the next 30 years. The stadium will be the largest construction project in western New York history, the statement said, as well as the largest taxpayer commitment to an NFL facility, according to the Associated Press....

Tsarnaev’s defense team cites evidence from a recent survey of prospective jurors that suggested it would be difficult to create an impartial jury in the city where the April 2013 bombings took place. According to the Boston Globe, the filing from Tsarnaev’s lawyers state 85 percent of the prospective jurors either believe Tsarnaev is guilty, have some self-identified connection to the case, or both. Meanwhile, start of the trial has been pushed back....

A civil rights complaint was filed against Kristina Graper, and the complaint filed in Strafford County Superior Court alleges that she threatened the 9-year-old boy who was playing with her son in a neighborhood park on May 10, the Associated Press reported. Graper’s alleged threat to the boy that she would “kneel on his neck” was in reference to George Floyd’s death last year, Attorney General John Formella said in the complaint....

IndyCar officials also said Friday there will be points incentives that have yet to be announced. MORE: Kurt’s Indy plans | Las Vegas picks | Kyle Busch: Where’s the love? | Danica needs luck Qualifying for the Indy 500 this year will begin on May 17 when the fastest 33 cars are locked into the field. All entries will be guaranteed at least one four-lap attempt to qualify, and the fastest nine drivers will move into the shootout....

10 weeks into Maria Santa Maria’s pregnancy earlier this year, tests revealed her fetus had exencephaly, ABC 7 reported. The rare cranial condition usually results in stillbirth. Dr. Tim Vogel, director of pediatric neurosurgery of North Jersey Brain and Spine Center told the broadcaster: “The skull doesn’t form so the brain is exposed to the intrauterine environment and usually that causes a lot of damage.” As no children have been known to survive the condition long-term, doctors advised Santa Maria to terminate her pregnancy....

Gregory R. Martucci, a former teacher and principal for Linden Public Schools, as well as a former Democratic City Council member, said in an email to MyCentralJersey.com Tuesday that “This was an ‘offensive’ comment which does not reflect who I am in both my private and public lives.” Martucci sent the apology letter after the outlet published a story outing him for his comments about Harris. “My actions to this point have always reflected a positive support for all women and for all cultures,” he continued....

Lookers Men’s Club in Elizabeth received the citation for having up to 400 people inside, with a majority of them not wearing face coverings, according to authorities. “Elizabeth (police) responded to Lookers, that reportedly had 300 to 400 people inside, many without masks,” New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick Callahan announced at a Wednesday briefing. While Callahan did not specify when the incident occurred, his coronavirus update was for the “past few days....

On October 8, Anthony Ribeiro, a 17 year-old student at Toms River North High School, had a Trump 2020 flag in the background for his virtual classes. He told Jersey Shore Online that he arrived early for his final class of the day: chemistry, when the teacher asked that he remove the flag. Ribeiro told NBC News that he “looked up at him and kind of just looked back down like he didn’t hear him,” but the teacher told him that he’d need to leave if he didn’t remove the flag, and he left....

Gov. Martinez presented Lobos head coach Craig Neal with the check at Santa Fe’s Capitol Rotunda on Monday. MORE: Coach K’s 10 best players | Best states for hoops | DeCOURCY: Relax, UK and KU fans “I am donating $10,000 from my inaugural committee to the ‘Pink Pack’ because the only way we will find a cure for cancer is by joining together, pooling our resources, and focusing on the lifesaving mission that everyone can fight back against cancer,” Martinez told the Albuquerque Journal....

“Bob Boughner impressed us like no one else,” Tallon explained, while introducing the 15th head coach in franchise history at a South Florida press conference Monday. “His performance, his preparation, his passion knocked us out of the park.” According to Tallon, the 46-year-old Boughner showed up to the interview with “two stacks” of detailed information, one focused on his coaching style and philosophy, the other filled with analytics and notes on the team he hoped to one day coach....

The latest survey from Reuters and Ipsos, which was conducted from April 15 to 21, showed that 47 percent of registered voters backed Biden while just 39 percent said they’d support Trump in the presidential election. That’s an increase of 2 percent support for Biden since the poll was conducted the previous week, and an increase of 4 percent from two weeks back. Additionally, the polling by Reuters and Ipsos has shown growing discontent with Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic....

So he wooed Fuller away from Us (paying her a reported $3 million in salary and incentives) and sank $50 million into upgrading the magazine. He moved the Star to a better newsstand neighborhood, too. Instead of positioning it with its sister publications, the Globe and the National Enquirer, the Star is now displayed next to People, In Touch and, of course, Us. To offset expenses, Pecker raised the price–from $2....

Paired with a new Xtronic transmission, the combo puts out 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque, representing an 11 percent and 24 percent increase, respectively, over the 2021 model. The engine is expected to net a combined fuel economy of 33 mpg, a 3 mpg increase over the previous year’s model with the traditional four-cylinder engine. The company is building the engine at its powertrain assembly plant in Decherd, Tennessee, which supplies the engines and electric motors to its U....

The new policy states “All persons representing a Federation national team shall stand respectfully during the playing of national anthems at any event in which the Federation is represented.” WATCH: Pulisic scores as Dortmund routs Leverkusen Previously there was no official policy. This became controversial when women’s national team star Megan Rapinoe decided to kneel during the national anthem before games in solidarity with quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who did the same prior to NFL games, to protest social injustice in the United States....

Vanderbilt introduced its new football coach Saturday, a week after starting a search to replace James Franklin, who left for Penn State. "This job means everything to me," Mason said before a packed room. "This is where I want to be, this is where I plan on spending the rest of my career. We will win. Make sure of that. Make no doubts about that. I understand what college football's about....

A newly released video shows the moments after the ex-Dolphin fullback swam nine miles to shore after he fell overboard during an all-day fishing trip Jan. 7 in South Florida. MORE: Pats could pursue Percy Harvin | Ravens willing to move on from Torrey Smith (Source: Andy Slater/YouTube) Around 4:30 the next morning, the 38-year-old turned up on the near West Palm Beach, where he rang the doorbell of an oceanfront home asking for help....