LIFE AT 1600
The Jan. 23 cover story examining life in the White House–which included advice from Obama Administration staffers to their incoming counterparts–was “informative, entertaining and inspiring,” wrote John Chomiczewski of Collingswood, N.J. Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush’s open letter to Malia and Sasha Obama struck a particular chord, prompting NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie to describe the two as “women of goodness and grace” and former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson to note that we need “more civility like this.” Their “words of wisdom,” wrote Vogue.com’s Madeleine Luckel, “would serve people at any stage of life well.”
PERILS OF THE PODIUM
David Von Drehle’s Jan. 23 story on Meryl Streep’s anti-Trump speech at the Golden Globes drew heated reactions. Sue Mattingly of Meriden, Conn., “appreciated” his idea that artists are most powerful when they stick to art, agreeing that the actor’s “strongest words have come through her acting.” The Rev. Valerie Ann Fons of Washington Island, Wis., however, argued that the speech was a reminder that Streep’s lifetime achievements involve not just acting but also “the courage and voice of real life.” Chicago’s Therese Hoesli was “surprised” by what she read as “vitriol” toward Streep but thought the star could do more. “If Meryl Streep is so passionate about making lives better for others,” she wrote, “maybe she could demand that half of the cast of her next movie be African-American.”
BACK IN TIME
Though not every Inauguration has merited a cover story, TIME has been covering the White House for nearly a century–including the quadrennial ritual of the President’s promise to “preserve, protect and defend” the Constitution. Here, editions featuring John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. See the full issues at time.com/vault
VIRTUAL REALITY
In “Home: A UN VR Film,” a new feature presented by Life VR–Time Inc.’s virtual-reality initiative–users go behind the scenes with former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (seen here watching a trailer for the film) on the final trips of his term. Learn more at time.com/lifevr
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