London, January 10, 2023 – Will new Western weapons help to turn the tide of the war in Ukraine? Plus: the latest on the attack on Brazil’s Congress; Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, visits Europe; and find out about Monocle’s latest paperback, ‘The Monocle Companion: Fifty Essays for a Brighter Future’.
Monthly Archives: January 2023
Front Page: The New York Times – January 10, 2023
House Narrowly Approves Rules Amid Concerns About McCarthy’s Concessions
After initially balking at a package of changes to House rules that enshrine concessions the speaker made to ultraconservative members, Republicans united to push them through.
Without Hesitation, Ukraine Goes Toe to Toe With Russia in Bakhmut
Earlier in the war, Ukraine’s leadership was more equivocal about pitched battles with high casualties. There’s no second-guessing this time. Some analysts say it makes sense strategically.
6-Year-Old Brought Gun From Home in Newport News School Shooting, Police Say
The wounded teacher went to the school office and said “call 911” before collapsing, a witness said.
Buffalo’s Unrelenting Tragedy: ‘We Haven’t Really Got a Chance to Heal’
As western New York prepares to bury more than 40 victims of a catastrophic storm, Black residents are reeling from a year of grief.
Preview: The Smithsonian Magazine – Jan/Feb 2023
The Misunderstood Roman Empress Who Willed Her Way to the Top
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A fresh view of Galla Placidia, who married a barbarian and ruled when the world power fell into chaos
Mesoamericans Have Been Using a 260-Day Ceremonial Calendar for Millennia
New research has the earliest evidence yet of when the timekeeping guide was used to mark the seasons
A New Discovery Puts Panama as the Site of the First Successful Slave Rebellion
Deep in the archives, a historian rescues the tale of brave maroons
Cinematic Travel: A Road Trip Through Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia. The city is located in west-central Peninsular (West) Malaysia, midway along the west coast tin and rubber belt and about 25 miles (40 km) east of its ocean port, Port Kelang, on the Strait of Malacca. It is the country’s largest urban area and its cultural, commercial, and transportation centre. In 1972 Kuala Lumpur was designated a municipality, and in 1974 this entity and adjacent portions of surrounding Selangor state became a federal territory.
Kuala Lumpur lies in hilly country astride the confluence of the Kelang and Gombak rivers; its name in Malay means “muddy estuary.” Malaysia’s Main Range rises nearby to the north, east, and southeast. The climate is equatorial, with high temperatures and humidity that vary little throughout the year. The area receives about 95 inches (2,400 mm) of rain annually; June and July are the driest months. Area federal territory, 94 square miles (243 square km). Pop. (2009 est.) city, 1,493,000; (2020) federal territory, 1,982,112.
Top Art Exhibition Tours: ‘Matisse In The 1930s’ (2023)
Matisse in the 1930s features a collection of the legendary artist’s work during a decade of artistic exploration—from experimentation, to failure, to renewal—with Philadelphia as a backdrop.
By 1930, Henri Matisse had achieved significant international renown, yet he found himself in a deep creative slump. The turning point came with a commission to decorate the main gallery of the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. The resulting monumental mural, The Dance (1930–33), turned Matisse’s artistic practice around.
Walking Tour: Glasgow In Southwestern Scotland
The city occupies much of the lower Clyde valley, and its suburbs extend into surrounding districts. Most important commercial and administrative buildings lie north of the Clyde. Area council area, 68 square miles (177 square km).
Preview: The New Yorker Magazine- January 16, 2023
How Should We Think About Our Different Styles of Thinking?
Some people say their thought takes place in images, some in words. But our mental processes are more mysterious than we realize.
The Crisis of Missing Migrants
What has become of the tens of thousands of people who have disappeared on their way to Europe?
Can UPS Still Deliver a Middle-Class Life?
The company offers steady jobs and is enjoying record profits. So why is a strike looming?
Opinion: China Reopens & Disrupts World, Britain-EU, Indo-Pacific Revived
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, how China’s reopening will disrupt the world economy, a realistic path to a better relationship between Britain and the EU (8:54) and reinventing the Indo-Pacific (17:35).
Front Page: The New York Times – January 9, 2023
Bolsonaro Supporters Lay Siege to Brazil’s Capital
Backers of former President Jair Bolsonaro ransacked government offices, denouncing what they falsely claim was a rigged election. Hundreds were arrested.
Biden Visits Southern Border Amid Fresh Crackdown on Migrants
A surge of migration has made El Paso one of the most vivid symbols of the decades-long breakdown in America’s immigration system.
Republicans Prepare New Rules, but Fixing Congress Isn’t So Easy
History suggests that the procedural plans of the new House Republican majority are likely to lead to more gridlock and legislative instability, not less.
Now Fighting for Ukraine: Volunteers Seeking Revenge Against Russia
Chechens, Crimean Tatars and people from the former Soviet republics, all with deep historical grievances against Moscow, are eagerly taking up arms for Kyiv.
Views: Whale Sharks Off Coast Of Cancun, Mexico
As the largest fish in the sea, reaching lengths of 40 feet or more, whale sharks have an enormous menu from which to choose. Fortunately for most sea-dwellers—and us!—their favorite meal is plankton. They scoop these tiny plants and animals up, along with any small fish that happen to be around, with their colossal gaping mouths while swimming close to the water’s surface.
Filter Feeding
The whale shark, like the world’s second largest fish, the basking shark, is a filter feeder. In order to eat, the beast juts out its formidably sized jaws and passively filters everything in its path. The mechanism is theorized to be a technique called “cross-flow filtration,” similar to some bony fish and baleen whales.
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