Premium summer big reads: How I fell in love with serial killer Ted Bundy

The New Zealand Herald is bringing back some of the best stories of 2020 from our premium syndicators, including The New York Times, Financial Times and The Times of London.

Today we look at the woman who dated Ted Bundy, the financial impact of Covid-19 on millennials, NZ’s warming oceans, the man who killed Hollywood and a chat with Bob Geldof.

The devastating impact of dating a serial killer

Elizabeth Kendall’s relationship with Theodore “Ted” Bundy lasted six years — during which time he raped, tortured and killed at least 30 women across America. The true number of his victims is feared to be far higher. Once describing himself as “the most cold-hearted son of a b**** you’ll ever meet”, he practised necrophilia and kept some of the women’s skulls as trophies. Until his death in the electric chair in 1989 aged 42, he wrote to Kendall professing his love.

Kendall and her daughter tell Laura Pullman of The Times of the devastating impact he had on their lives.

The Recessionals: Why Covid-19 is another cruel setback for millennials

Few events have exposed such a sharp generational divide as the pandemic. Despite all the mysteries surrounding the virus, one of the few certainties is that people over 70 are much more vulnerable to Covid-19. Yet, amid the economic onslaught that coronavirus has wrought, it is those under 40 who have suffered the biggest economic blow.

In effect, the young feel they have had their lives upended in order to save as many of the old as possible.

The Financial Times looks at the double blow of the financial crisis and the pandemic for those under 40.

All at sea: The danger of NZ’s warming oceans

The ocean has buffered us from the worst of climate change by soaking up most of the heat and carbon dioxide we are generating. But new studies show this process is rebounding on us – with extreme consequences.

Veronika Meduna of the Listener looks at the areas of New Zealand expected to be most affected by rising sea levels.

The man who killed Hollywood

Does it feel good to be the man who killed Hollywood?

“No,” says Reed Hastings, who nurtured Netflix into the Godzilla of the entertainment world. “But, of course, we haven’t killed Hollywood.”

At 59, the slender, grey-haired Hastings remains a mystery in the industry he dominates.

He started a delivery system for movies and now his company is one of the most powerful forces in movies.

The New York Times talks to streaming pioneer Reed Hastings.

Bob Geldof on family tragedies and why he has no desire to be liked

He’s the rock’n’roll singer who became a global hero, the outsider who mixed with world leaders, the husband and father whose life has been overshadowed by tragedy. The one thing Bob Geldof has always been is bloody difficult. And that’s just the way he likes it.

Will Hodgkinson of The Times meets him.