NewsMAKERS

October 26, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

NewsMAKERS

Lauer to interview ex-President Bush

NEW YORK

Former President George W. Bush is giving the first one-on-one television interview about his presidency since leaving the White House to NBC News’ Matt Lauer. NBC News said Monday that Lauer will interview Bush for a one-hour prime-time show Nov. 8, the day before Bush’s book “Decision Points” is released. Bush also will appear live on NBC’s “Today” show Nov. 10.

Bush will discuss the defining decisions he’s made in his personal and political lives.

Bush was the nation’s 43rd president. He left office in January 2009 deeply unpopular. He has kept a low profile since returning to his home in Texas, working on his memoir and appearing only occasionally at paid speeches. His daughter Jenna Bush Hager is a correspondent who files reports for the “Today” show.

NPR chief sorry over handling of firing

NEW YORK

NPR’s chief executive says she’s sorry for how analyst Juan Williams’ dismissal was handled — but she’s not sorry for firing him.

Vivian Schiller sent an apology to NPR staff members Sunday night. She says Williams deserved a face-to-face meeting to hear that his contract as an analyst was being terminated over remarks he made on Fox News Channel.

Williams was fired for saying he gets nervous when he’s on a plane and sees people in clothing that identifies them as Muslim. Washington-based NPR’s management, which had long been troubled by Williams’ dual role as an analyst on Fox, said the remarks violated its standards of not giving his opinion on the air.

Schiller writes: “I stand by my decision to end NPR’s relationship with Juan, but I deeply regret the way I handled and explained it.”

After the firing, Schiller said publicly that whatever feelings Williams had about Muslims should be between him and “his psychiatrist or his publicist — take your pick.” Schiller later apologized for that remark.

Reggae singer Gregory Isaacs dies

LONDON

Gregory Isaacs, the Jamaican reggae singer whose smooth style earned him the nickname “Cool Ruler,” has died. He was 59.

Isaacs’ manager, Copeland Forbes, said the singer died Monday at his London home. Isaacs had been diagnosed with lung cancer a year ago but continued performing until weeks before his death.

Born in a Kingston, Jamaica, slum in 1951, Isaacs began recording in his teens and went on to produce scores of albums. With his sinuous baritone and romantic songs, Isaacs became a leading proponent of the mellow “Lovers Rock” style of reggae. He hit his stride in the mid-1970s with ballads such as “Love is Overdue” and “All I Have Is Love.”

Isaacs was best known internationally for the title song from his 1982 album “Night Nurse,” a club favorite that later became a hit for Simply Red. His career was stalled by a cocaine habit that landed him in jail on several occasions.

Refugees get donation after Jolie’s visit

ROGATICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina

A U.S. government donation will provide housing for the last 15 people living in a Bosnian refugee camp that movie stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt drew attention to by visiting. Radomir Jovicic, the mayor of the eastern Bosnian town of Rogatica, said Monday the nearly $500,000 donation will be used for the construction of an apartment building for the refugees who could move in by September.

Jovicic says he had lobbied for donations for the refugees for years but the Jolie and Pitt visit to the camp in April was the turning point leading to last week’s U.S. donation agreement. Jolie, a UNHC ambassador, has visited some of the projects of the agency, which helps the 117,000 refugees who were left homeless by fighting in Bosnia, which ended 15 years ago.

Associated Press