Opinion: Will the 'Blue Dogs' hunt for Obama?Healthcare reform hinges on support from several centrist Democrats in the House.Read Article 40 Dems in Play   

  
GETTY IMAGES Hollywood super-agent Agent Ari Emanuel (left) with Director Larry Charles   Ari Emanuel: 21st century Hollywood mogul He's a super-agent who is as glamorous as the stars he represents, the inspiration for a TV series and the envy of countless wannabe moguls. Now, says Guy Adams, he's planning to change the movie business for ever. In years to come, Ari Emanuel could go down as the first great Hollywood mogul of the 21st century: a colourful impresario who came to Los Angeles with a wonky smile and a suitcase full of dreams, then proceeded, through sheer force of his blistering personality, to reach the top of celebrity culture's greasiest pole. With a following wind, he may also end up being one of the entertainment industry's great visionaries: a man who created, in his own tenacious image, a company which would change the way that films, the most powerful and lucrative storytelling medium of our times, are made, packaged, and sold. Movie industry history is peppered with crazy stories. Plenty end in tears. But few have had as much promise as that of Emanuel, who not only founded the now-iconic Endeavour talent agency 15 years ago but has also just made an extraordinary public gamble on the future of showbusiness. This latest move has turned him into the public face of Hollywood "reps," a compelling breed who have for years been seen as secretive fixers – who manage the careers, maximise the incomes, and act as creative sounding boards to the most famous men and women on the planet. It has also transformed Emanuel's profile. He was already the most famous talent agent in Hollywood, thanks to the hit TV show Entourage (which begins its latest series on ITV2 tomorrow night). Now, he is also…

      Treasury’s Got Bill Gross on Speed Dial By DEVIN LEONARD Newport Beach, Calif. Every day, Bill Gross, the world’s most successful bond fund manager, withdraws into a conference room at lunchtime with his lieutenants to discuss his firm’s investments. The blinds are drawn to keep out the sunshine, and he forbids any fiddling with BlackBerrys or cellphones. He wants everyone disconnected from the outside world and focused on what matters most to him: mining riches for his clients at Pimco, the swiftly growing money management firm. Mr. Gross, 65, has long been celebrated for his eccentricities. He learned some of his lucrative investing strategies by gambling in Las Vegas. Many of his most inspired ideas arrived while he was standing on his head doing yoga. He knows he has to be well dressed for client meetings or television — but instead of keeping his Hermès ties neatly knotted, he drapes them around his neck like scarves so he can labor with his collar open. And with the collapse of Wall Street, Mr. Gross has emerged as one of the nation’s most influential financiers. His frequent appearances on CNBC draw buzz, as do his wickedly humorous monthly investing columns on the Pimco Web site. TreasuryWarren E. Buffett, the Berkshire Hathaway chairman, and Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve secretaries call him for advice. chairman, sing his praises. “He’s a very individualistic person. He doesn’t come at analysis or investment judgment in the words, terminology or ambience that I have been used to over the decades,” Mr.…

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 A Top Indonesian Lawyer May Be Honest to a Fault"In a country where bribes play an integral part in the legal system, where attorneys and judges usually hide part of their wealth to deflect unwanted attention, Mr. Hutapea has never denied gaming the system. On the contrary, he has reveled in his success by wearing fat diamond rings and carrying, until laws changed a couple of years ago, a gun in a hip holster."Read Article