LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Fourteen years after television political drama “The West Wing” shut down its White House set, the show is back with its idealized version of a U.S. president and a mission to get Americans to the polls on Nov. 3 to choose a real one.
FILE PHOTO: Actor Martin Sheen speaks inside Madison Square Garden where Pope Francis will give a mass later in the day, in New York September 25, 2015. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
Martin Sheen – who played the liberal-leaning U.S. President Jed Bartlet on the show – reunites with fictional White House staffers portrayed by Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, Rob Lowe, Dule Hill, Janel Maloney and Richard Schiff for a one-off special to promote voting.
“A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote,” to be broadcast on HBO Max on Thursday, is a staged theatrical performance of an episode from 2002, called “Hartsfield’s Landing,” in which the cerebral Bartlet plays chess with his aides while awaiting the results of a state primary election and dealing with a brewing crisis over Taiwan.
“West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin said it was chosen “because the episode ended with a feeling that we wanted the audience to have. A feeling about voting.”
While Sorkin wrote no updates to the script, the likes of former President Bill Clinton, former first lady Michelle Obama and “Hamilton” musical creator Lin-Manuel Miranda will appear during commercial breaks “giving information about voting, knocking down some untruths about voting, and doing it in their own style,” Sorkin said.
Sorkin said he was a firm believer in the influential power of movies and television in shaping ideas, but said “The West Wing” would be no different if he was writing it in today’s political environment.
“What the show was always about was a workplace drama set in a very interesting workplace,” Sorkin said.
“In our popular culture, our elected leaders are portrayed either as Machiavellian or as dolts. So I thought, what if there is a show where these people are every bit as confident and dedicated as doctors and nurses on a hospital show or the lawyers on a legal drama.”
“The West Wing” ended its seven-year run in 2006 after winning more than 20 Emmy Awards. The special was shot as a play in an empty theater in Los Angeles under coronavirus guidelines.
“This Is Us” star Sterling K. Brown takes the role of chief of staff Leo McGarry following the death in 2005 of actor John Spencer.
“It was moving to have everybody back together,” said director Thomas Schlamme. “What was stunning to me was how quickly these actors slipped right back into their characters.”
Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Richard Chang
FREDERICTON – A look at Blaine Higgs, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.
Born: March 1, 1954.
Early years: The son of a customs officer, he grew up in Forest City, N.B., near the Canada-U.S. border.
Education: Graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1977.
Family: Married his high-school sweetheart, Marcia, and settled in Saint John, N.B., where they had four daughters: Lindsey, Laura, Sarah and Rachel.
Before politics: Hired by Irving Oil a week after he graduated from university and was eventually promoted to director of distribution. Worked for 33 years at the company.
Politics: Elected to the legislature in 2010 and later served as finance minister under former Progressive Conservative Premier David Alward. Elected Tory leader in 2016 and has been premier since 2018.
Quote: “I’ve always felt parents should play the main role in raising children. No one is denying gender diversity is real. But we need to figure out how to manage it.” — Blaine Higgs in a year-end interview in 2023, explaining changes to school policies about gender identity.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
OTTAWA – The pressing issues of climate change and food security join more familiar ones like violent extremism and espionage on a new list of Canada’s intelligence priorities.
The federal government says publishing the list of priorities for the first time is an important step toward greater transparency.
The government revises the priorities every two years, based on recommendations from the national security adviser and the intelligence community.
Once the priorities are reviewed and approved by the federal cabinet, key ministers issue directives to federal agencies that produce intelligence.
Among the priorities are the security of global health, food, water and biodiversity, as well as the issues of climate change and global sustainability.
The new list also includes foreign interference and malign influence, cyberthreats, infrastructure security, Arctic sovereignty, border integrity and transnational organized crime.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
GATINEAU, Que. – Treasury Board President Anita Anand will take on the additional role of transport minister this afternoon, after Pablo Rodriguez resigned from cabinet to run for the Quebec Liberal leadership.
A government source who was not authorized to speak publicly says Anand will be sworn in at a small ceremony at Rideau Hall.
Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos will become the government’s new Quebec lieutenant, but he is not expected to be at the ceremony because that is not an official role in cabinet.
Rodriguez announced this morning that he’s leaving cabinet and the federal Liberal caucus and will sit as an Independent member of Parliament until January.
That’s when the Quebec Liberal leadership race is set to officially begin.
Rodriguez says sitting as an Independent will allow him to focus on his own vision, but he plans to vote with the Liberals on a non-confidence motion next week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
