Names and faces
■ Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has a twobook deal with Scribner, starting with a book in which she will reflect on her years in government and offer advice on both public and private communication. Scribner announced Monday that Psaki’s “Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World” is scheduled for May 7. “Effective communication is about empathy and explanation. It is about connecting with your audience, whether it is the President, your partner, your colleagues, or even your kids,” Psaki, now an MSNBC host, said in a statement. “This is a book I wish I had at many stages in my career, and my hope is that it will equip anyone with the practical advice and skills to be a more powerful and impactful communicator.” Psaki, 44, was a State Department and White House communications official during the Obama administration and White House press secretary for the first 16 months of the Biden administration. According to Scribner, she will write about “navigating an array of bosses … walking readers through the most difficult conversations, and those where humor saves the day whether with preschoolers, partners, or presidents.” Psaki also plans an illustrated children’s book, which does not yet have a release date.
■ Spotify announced Friday in a post on X that Taylor Swift’s newly released re-recording of “1989” — called “Taylor’s Version” — became the most streamed album in a single day so far this year. Swift also set a single-day record for streams by an artist on the 15-yearold music streaming platform. The Republic Records release is a new edition of the 2014 LP, which includes Swift’s signature hit “Shake It Off.” The original sold 9 million copies in the U.S. and earned a Grammy for album of the year. The new version has 13 songs from the original plus five previously unreleased tracks. Swift has been re-recording her early albums since 2021, following the sale of her previous label, Big Machine Records, to music manager Scooter Braun. The acquisition gave Braun the rights to Swift’s masters, enabling him to profit by licensing them for use on TV shows, commercials and movies. Swift, who tried unsuccessfully to buy the masters, was unhappy with the deal.