“Interview with the Vampire” might be one of the best TV shows of the decade in part because it understands certain basic tenets of solidly crafted television in a way that too many series (especially those based on books) simply do not.

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It’s also probably one of the most under-watched by Emmy voters; the first season received zero nominations. That’s one of the more head-shaking omissions I’ve seen in recent memory, because AMC’s adaptation of the Anne Rice novels is just so richly written, so thrillingly inhabited by its cast, so effortlessly funny. The first season premiered two years ago and if you missed it and want to catch up, it’s worth subscribing to AMC+ for this show alone. I don’t even like vampire stories and I’m in the bag for this one.

A key choice at the outset by show creator Rolin Jones was to shift Rice’s timeline forward, beginning the story in 1910 rather than 1791, when Louis de Pointe du Lac (a wonderfully miserable Jacob Anderson) is turned into a vampire by Lestat de Lioncourt (the equally wonderful and louche Sam Reid).

Their toxic affair falls apart viciously 30 years later — the homoerotic subtext of the book is no longer merely hinted at — which is where Season 2 picks up, with Louis and his quasi-spawn Claudia (Delainey Hayles, ably replacing Season 1’s Bailey Bass) traveling through Europe during World War II in search of other vampires. They haven’t been human for decades, but their human needs and compulsions remain. They’re looking for community, driven by the desire to be known and to be understood.

Eventually, the pair settle in Paris after the war and find their way to Théâtre des Vampires, where the grand guignol on stage is all too real. Everyone in the troupe is a vampire, but the audience is blissfully unaware, which is why these nightly performances are such a handy way to hide in plain sight. Claudia is instantly drawn to this world. Louis is mildly disgusted (he really has not come around to the whole vampire thing!) so he keeps a respectful distance while she immerses herself in this twisted little community where “Who’s your maker?” passes for small talk the same way someone might ask, “Where are you from?”

Assad Zaman as Armand in Season 2 of “Interview with the Vampire.” (Larry Horricks/AMC/TNS)

Beneath the cheery, circus-like surface of the theater troupe, power plays and schisms abound, some of them fueled by the sly, dangerous and excitingly diva-esque Santiago (Ben Daniels), whose over-the-top ego is only matched by his opportunism. He’s a riveting, hilarious menace! Louis finds him lacking: “I nodded off one night while Santiago was hamming it up. Apparently that made me persona non grata with the leading man.”

Overseeing the theater company’s operations is the elegantly serene Armand (Assad Zaman), whose romance with Louis creates yet more tension within the troupe — tension that will ultimately come to a head. But before all that can happen, there’s a quiet moment of flirtation between the two as they stand outside a sprawling country villa. Inside, havoc is on the menu as the theater troupe feasts on humans who likely deserved it, not that these vampires seem concerned about such distinctions. But the contrast — romance in the foreground, chaos in the background — is emblematic of the show’s sense of humor.

Where is Lestat during all of this? Vanquished — or so we’re meant to believe. But he haunts Louis’ psyche like an invasive thought, always showing up at inopportune moments, because Louis can be tedious and self-pitying if left to his own devices, leading you to wonder: Can a vampire be a nihilist?

The story’s framing device — the interview of the title — is just as thick with that blend of intrigue and comedy, as journalist Daniel Molloy (an amusingly sour Eric Bogosian) tries to wrangle something approximating the truth from both present-day Louis and Armand, who live together in expensive domestic bliss. Their penthouse in Dubai is where the interview takes place. Cranky as always, Daniel is impatient and unimpressed with Louis’ ramblings and Armand’s polite reticence. But eventually he gets at something messier than expected: The real story about his first attempt to interview Louis in San Francisco back in 1973, when both were fried on coke and quaaludes.

The show understands how to build emotional stakes that make all this timeline jumping so gripping. Other small nuances stand out, like the way a couple can fight and then somehow also bicker within said fight, like a nesting doll of anger and frustration. “Interview with the Vampire” is always atmospheric, whether it’s the calming concrete and right angles of the modernist Dubai abode, or the ancient catacombs of the theater’s bowels. The show’s minimalist title sequence is such a stroke of genius, mimicking the sound of an orchestra tuning its instruments. The performance is about to begin. And what a performance it is.

“Interview with the Vampire” Season 2 — 4 stars (out of 4)

Where to watch: 8 p.m. Sundays on AMC (and streaming on AMC+)

Nina Metz is a Tribune critic.

Nada Hassanein | (TNS) Stateline.org

A new policy that allows states to provide Medicaid health care coverage to incarcerated people at least a month prior to their release has drawn bipartisan interest and a slew of state applications.

Federal policy has long prohibited Medicaid spending on people who are incarcerated in jails or prisons, except for hospitalization. As a result, when people are released, they typically don’t have health insurance and many struggle to find health care providers and get needed treatment. In a population that is disproportionately likely to have chronic conditions such as heart disease and substance use disorders, that can be deadly.

Some states terminate residents’ Medicaid coverage when they’re incarcerated, while others just suspend it. Either approach can cause delays in seeking health care for people recently released from incarceration, with sometimes disastrous outcomes: A seminal 2007 study found that former prisoners in Washington state were 12 times more likely to die from all causes within two weeks of release, compared with the general population. The leading causes were drug overdoses, cardiovascular disease, homicide and suicide.

Because a disproportionate number of Black, Native and Hispanic people are incarcerated, lowering their death risk after release might reduce racial health disparities in the overall population.

In 2022, about 448,400 people were released from prison, according to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Under federal guidance released a year ago, states can connect prisoners with case managers 30-90 days before they are released to develop plans based on their health needs. The case manager can help the person make post-release appointments with primary care doctors, mental health counselors, substance use programs, and housing and food assistance.

States that want to extend Medicaid coverage to people in prison or jail must request a federal waiver to do so. At a minimum, participating states must provide case management, medication-assisted treatment for people with substance use disorders and a month’s supply of medication upon release, though states are free to do more.

The Health and Reentry Project, a policy analysis organization focused on health care for former prisoners, called the new policy “ groundbreaking.”

“What these waivers enable states to do is build a bridge to access to health care — a bridge that starts before someone’s released and continues after their release,” said Vikki Wachino, executive director of the Health and Reentry Project and a former deputy director of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

“It’s about starting the process before they leave prisons and jails, so that they can have stronger connections to health care providers and treatment providers after they leave prison and jail.”

As of last month, federal officials had approved waiver applications from four states — California, Massachusetts, Montana and Washington. Nearly 20 other states are waiting for approval, according to health research organization KFF.

Jack Rollins, director of federal policy at the National Association of Medicaid Directors, said states that want to participate are focusing on different incarcerated populations and medical conditions. Some would start with jails, others with state prisons or youth detention facilities. Some states would provide coverage to all inmates, others just to those with a substance use disorder.

Washington, for example, will cover people incarcerated in jails, prisons and youth correctional facilities beginning three months before they are released, an estimated 4,000 people each year. It will connect them to community health workers, bring in doctors and counselors for consultations, and provide lab services and X-rays.

Montana will limit its program to people in state prisons who have a substance use disorder or mental illness and will provide services beginning a month before release. It did not give an estimate of how many people would receive help each year.

California, where an estimated 200,000 people will be covered each year, also included community health workers in its plan. Dr. Shira Shavit, executive director of the Transitions Clinic Network, a California-based national network of clinics focused on formerly incarcerated people, said ex-prisoners are especially well suited for that role.

Shavit said her group consults them on where to locate new clinics and on strategies to reach recently released inmates, because the workers are adept at “knowing where people are when they come out into the community and finding them there.”

Research suggests that connecting recently released people with others who know what it’s like to be incarcerated makes it less likely that they will end up in the emergency room.

“They know how to connect with people, and people trust them, and will follow them to come to clinic and feel comfortable coming,” Shavit said.

Alfonso Apu, director of behavioral health services at Community Medical Centers Inc., a California network of neighborhood health centers that serves patients in San Joaquin, Solano and Yolo counties, said it’s easy to “lose” people once they are released.

“The complexity of these patients is so intense that they are going to need three, four, five hours of encounters with primary care every month, at least,” Apu said.

“Imagine if we had three months to prepare,” he said. “Having a plan of action and even having appointments already scheduled for their needs — it’s going to be game changing.”

Dr. Evan Ashkin is a physician who founded the Formerly Incarcerated Transition Program at the University of North Carolina, a network of community health centers that works with local health departments, clinics and community health workers to connect former inmates with health care. He agreed that employing community health workers who share the experience of previous incarceration is essential.

“I’m hoping we’ll be able to expand this workforce,” Ashkin said. “In our state, North Carolina, there’s not a lot of folks focusing on access to health care for people post-release.”

North Carolina is awaiting word on its application.

Ashkin added that “racial equity issues are really important.”

“We have to have our eyes wide open on the type of services we provide, that they are set up to bring in the communities most impacted,” he said.

____

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit news organization focused on state policy.

©2024 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — North Dakota men’s hockey coach Brad Berry and Minnesota coach Bob Motzko repeatedly expressed confidence an agreement was on the way for the longtime rivals to play future games.

That deal is now done.

UND and the Gophers have signed a four-year agreement for future rivalry games beginning in the 2025-26 season.

The teams will play in Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks in 2025-26 to start the deal.

They’ll play in Minnesota’s 3M Arena at Mariucci in 2026-27.

They’ll return to Grand Forks for a series in 2027-28.

The contract closes with a two-game set in Minneapolis in 2028-29.

This agreement will begin after a one-year hiatus for the rivalry. UND and Minnesota won’t play in the regular season in 2024-25.

The North Dakota-Minnesota rivalry was arguably the most intense in college hockey during their days as Western Collegiate Hockey Association opponents.

In 2013-14, they split up. Minnesota moved into the Big Ten and UND to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Initially, there were struggles to get the rivalry games back on the books. They went three years without a regular-season meeting.

Since then, they’ve played seven years in a row — minus the pandemic-altered season of 2020-21 when nobody played nonconference regular-season games.

UND and Minnesota games have been highly competitive.

The past three series have ended in splits. One of them featured back-to-back overtime games.

Since 2012, there’s only been one series sweep in the rivalry. That came in 2019-20, when the Fighting Hawks won a pair of games in Minneapolis on Thanksgiving weekend.

UND and Minnesota have both been dominant in their new leagues. They’ve each won six conference titles in 11 years.

Both finished ranked in the top 10 last season.

Future schedules filling up

UND’s future schedules are filling up.

This upcoming season, UND will play exhibitions against Augustana and the University of Manitoba. It will open the regular season with the U.S Hockey Hall of Fame Game against Providence in Ralph Engelstad Arena.

UND’s home nonconference series will be against Boston University and Robert Morris. It will play Minnesota State and Cornell on the road. The Fighting Hawks also will take on Bemidji State — one game in Bemidji, one in Grand Forks.

With the Minnesota contract signed, UND’s 2025-26 nonconference schedule is now complete.

The Fighting Hawks are set to take on St. Thomas, Minnesota and Mercyhurst in two-game home series. They’ll play at Clarkson. They’ll also play Bemidji State — one game in Bemidji, one in Grand Forks.

There’s only one nonconference slot left open for 2026-27.

That year, the Fighting Hawks will play two-game series at Minnesota and St. Thomas. They’ll play at home against Clarkson. They’ll also play Bemidji State — one game in Bemidji, one in Grand Forks.

UND has the rights to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game in 2026 and is working on turning it into a destination game. The top candidate right now is Austin, Texas.

The last slot in 2026-27 will be a two-game home series. The opponent has yet to be determined.

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John Anderson’s remarkable and prolific career as Gophers head baseball coach will be coming to an end very soon.

And the University of Minnesota is getting out in front of his final game with another big day for Anderson on Saturday at the U’s Siebert Field, when Anderson’s No. 14 jersey will be retired in a pregame ceremony before the Gophers take on Michigan State at 2 p.m. Gates will open at 12:30 p.m. to give fans time to settle in and enjoy Anderson’s number retirement.

This will be the Gophers’ final home series with Anderson as head coach. The Spartans and Gophers play single games at 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

Anderson, who last December announced his intentions to retire at the end of the 2024 season, is the longest-tenured coach in the history of Gophers athletics. This season is his 43rd leading the Gophers and his 49th overall at Minnesota including his time spent as a player, student assistant coach, graduate assistant and assistant coach.

On Saturday, a mural of Anderson will be unveiled on the left-field wall at Siebert Field during the pregame ceremony.

Anderson, affectionately known as “14” in the baseball community, is the winningest baseball coach in the history of the Big Ten. During his tenure, the Gophers have won 11 Big Ten regular-season championships, 10 Big Ten Tournament titles and made 18 NCAA tournament appearances. The first postseason trip was during Anderson’s inaugural season in 1982 and the most recent was in 2018.

This season, Anderson’s Gophers are 21-21 overall and 7-11 in the Big Ten, with one final regular-season series at Northwestern next weekend, then the Big Ten tournament May 21-26 in Omaha, Neb.

Anderson has been named Big Ten coach of the year eight times, most recently in 2018 after leading Minnesota to a Big Ten championship and the Super Regionals of the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history.

Under his watch, 115 Gophers players have been drafted to the MLB. With two selections in the 2023 draft, the Gophers extended their draft streak to 36 consecutive years. The streak is the longest in the Big Ten, with Ohio State (12 years) and Michigan (10 years) as the next closest Big Ten teams.

Anderson has coached 28 All-America selections, nine Big Ten Players of the Year, three Big Ten Pitchers of the Year and four Big Ten Freshman of the Year during his tenure.

He has had a winning record in 36 seasons.

Anderson has been inducted into four different halls of fame — the American Baseball Coaches Association, the University of Minnesota “M” Club, the Minnesota High School Baseball Coaches Association and Hibbing Community College.

Anderson’s mural will be the seventh added to the wall in left field. He will join former Gophers Paul Giel (No. 34), Dick Siebert (No. 24), Dave Winfield (No. 31), Paul Molitor (No. 11), David Chelesnik (No. 26) and Herb “Ike” Isakson (No. 5) in having his number retired.