Yale University gave honorary degrees yesterday to peace envoy George Mitchell, film director Martin Scorsese, and writer Joan Didion. At the Ivy League university’s 310th commencement exercises, Yale President Richard Levin called Mitchell a model US senator who played a key role in the successful peace talks in Northern Ireland. Mitchell served in the Senate as a Democrat from Maine from 1980 to 1995.(AP)
Conaway critical
Jeff Conaway is in critical condition, his manager said yesterday. The actor has been hospitalized since May 11, when he was found unconscious from what manager Phil Brock said was a drug overdose that may have involved pain pills. Conaway, 60, who starred in TV’s “Taxi’’ and the movie musical “Grease,’’ has pneumonia and sepsis, a potentially deadly blood poisoning caused by a bacterial infection. To aid his recovery, Conaway was in a medically induced coma, Brock said. (AP)
Songwriter suicide
The New York medical examiner’s office has ruled that the death of an Oscar-winning songwriter awaiting trial on rape charges was suicide. The cause of death for Joseph Brooks, who wrote “You Light Up My Life,’’ was asphyxiation. Brooks was discovered in his apartment Sunday by a friend. (AP)
