The best actors of 2020. Barack Obama on his best-selling memoir. The rise and fall of a celebrity pastor. An attempt at counting Australia’s koalas. And more.
The best actors of 2020. Barack Obama on his best-selling memoir. The rise and fall of a celebrity pastor. An attempt at counting Australia’s koalas. And more.
Times editors have handpicked 11 stories for you to enjoy. Welcome toThe Weekender.
In a year of tragedy and isolation, the best screen actors gave us more than just diversion. These are the great performers of 2020.
By Wesley Morris & A.O. Scott

Holidays in a Pandemic? Here’s What Happened in 1918
By Jacey Fortin
The festive season fell between two deadly waves of the influenza outbreak. Families still gathered, often with empty chairs at the table.
Barack Obama spoke to Michiko Kakutani about his voice as a writer, the power of storytelling and his best-selling memoir.
By Michiko Kakutani

They’re Among the World’s Oldest Living Things. The Climate Crisis Is Killing Them.
By John Branch
California’s redwoods, sequoias and Joshua trees define the American West and nature’s resilience through the ages. Wildfires this year were their deadliest test.
ON BASEBALL
The Hall of Fame Kept Dick Allen Waiting. He Ran Out of Time.
By Tyler Kepner
The pandemic delayed a Golden Days committee vote that could have finally put Allen, who died on Monday, in Cooperstown.
The Rise and Fall of the Celebrity Pastor of Hillsong Church
By Ruth Graham
Carl Lentz was a charismatic pastor who helped build a megachurch favored by star athletes and entertainers. But some temptations became too much to resist.
Australia’s Great Koala Count
By Yan Zhuang
The marsupials are not easy to find or count accurately, so officials will deploy new methods, including drones and dogs.
In Poland, Protests Over Abortion Ban Could Revolutionize Politics
By Amanda Taub
The government’s conservative social policies, closely tied to the Catholic Church, have met with a backlash from women hoping to change a political culture that developed after Communism fell.
The Olive Garden Is Open, but Marilyn Hagerty Isn’t Eating There
By Pete Wells
At 94, the author of a North Dakota restaurant review that went viral is still at work. In the pandemic, she’s had to make a few changes.
Making a Home in the Swedish Hinterlands
By Gabriel Leigh
For some hardy souls, living far outside Sweden’s city centers is where it’s at.
The Highly Unlikely Yet Totally Predictable Return of Uggs
By Max Berlinger
The classic Ugg boot had lost its luster, but the company learned to play the high-fashion game. It started with Rihanna.
Thanks for reading
This edition of The Weekender was edited byJillian Rayfield.