The New Zealand Herald is bringing back some of the best stories of 2020 from our premium syndicators, including The New York Times, Financial Times and The Times of London.
Today we look at how female-led countries have fared during the pandemic, the stalking scandal at eBay, the comedian taking on Trump, what it's like to be a Playboy model and how PETA has developed over the years.
Lower Covid-19 death rates in female-led countries
Eight months ago, the toothfairy flitted into New Zealand politics. During a national address, the country's premier Jacinda Ardern declared that, although she was placing the population into a tight lockdown to combat Covid-19, "We do consider both the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny to be essential workers." The video of her speech went viral.
Was this just a piece of political theatre? Perhaps. But the humour, care and humanity it showed raise an intriguing question: have female leaders been better at rallying their voters to combat the pandemic than men?
In 2019, prosecutors say, a campaign to terrorise a blogger crawled out of a dark place in the corporate soul. Photo / Kako, The New York Times
How Sarah Cooper's Trump takedowns made her America's new comedy hero
A new champion has emerged from the ranks of America's comedians. Famous comics rave about her videos. "I'm a big fan," said Jimmy Fallon, when she appeared on The Tonight Show recently. "Man, you're making me laugh."
Her name is Sarah Cooper and she is being hailed, all over America, as the Trump slayer: the satirist who skewered the president.
American publisher Hugh Hefner with an entourage of Playboy Bunnies in June 1966. Photo / Getty Images
How PETA won its messy fight and took a seat at the table
PETA's mode of making social change has always been to inspire shock and ignite boycotts. For years, we've watched videos of screaming animals and seen red paint splatter fur coats. With these in-your-face and highly visual tactics, the activists helped win the culture war over fur.
Behind closed doors, PETA has embarked on a mission of corporate diplomacy. These days, much of its activism involves organising conference calls and sending forceful but respectful emails. Supporters don't flood the streets as often as they flood Twitter. The famously loud group, now 40 years old, is operating more quietly. More brands than ever are listening.
