Opinion: Burdens Of CEOs, Weather Guesses, The Gen Z Guerrillas Of Myanmar

‘Editor’s Picks’ Podcast (July 31, 2023) Three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week:  what to do about overstretched CEOs, how to better predict the weather (9:00) and we meet Myanmar’s Gen Z guerrillas (15:00).

Sweden Travel: Biking & Canoeing On Lake Vänern

The Times and The Sunday Times (July 31, 2023) – Simon Parker saddles up for midnight sun, pine trees and cinnamon buns along a challenging 400-mile gravel bike route in West Sweden.

Lake Vänern is the largest lake in Sweden, the largest lake in the European Union and the third-largest lake in Europe after Ladoga and Onega in Russia.

Medical Technology: AI To Live Longer And Healthier

DW News (July 31, 2023) – While large language models like chatGPT have captured global attention, a more hidden but equally revolutionary application of AI is unfolding in the realm of science.

Renowned researchers like Nir Barzilai have long advocated for a shift in focus towards curing aging itself, but recent advancements could allow us to harness the power of AI to living not just longer, but healthier lives.

In this video, we talk with the scientists behind the groundbreaking discoveries of new anti-aging molecules and visit a lab in Berlin where similar discoveries are made.

Previews: The New Yorker Magazine – August 7, 2023

A person who is wearing a bathing suit and a hat in a pool with lush greenery around them.

The New Yorker – August 7, 2023 issue: On the cover is Gayle Kabaker’s “In The Swim of Things”…

Inside the Wagner Group’s Armed Uprising

A photo collage of Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russian soldiers.

How Yevgeny Prigozhin’s private military company went from fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine to staging a mutiny at home.

By Joshua Yaffa

Revisiting My Rastafari Childhood

Photo collage of Safiya Sinclair's family.

Babylon was everything forbidden, and looming all around us—and my father tried to protect us from it at all costs.

By Safiya Sinclair

How an Amateur Diver Became a True-Crime Sensation

Two scuba divers approaching a car underwater.

As the founder of Adventures with Purpose, Jared Leisek carved a lucrative niche in the YouTube sleuthing community. Then the sleuths came for him, Rachel Monroe writes.

By Rachel Monroe

Portugal Travel: Walking Tour Of Alfama In Lisbon

Frank in Portugal Films (July 30, 2023) – The steep streets of Alfama, one of Lisbon’s oldest areas, are lined with shops selling traditional crafts and cafes. Passengers pack the historic no. 28 tram, which winds through Alfama on its way up to 11th-century São Jorge Castle.

Views from Miradouro da Graça terrace stretch over the city to the River Tagus. In the evening, melancholy Fado music can be heard in some of the area’s long-running restaurants. 

#Lisbon #Portugal #Walkingtour

News: Niger Junta, Trump Obstruction Indictments, Hunter Biden Plea Deal

The Globalist Podcast, Monday, July 31, 2023: We discuss the fate of Niger as experts fear that the situation could exacerbate regional instability.

Plus: the latest charges against Donald Trump, Brazil’s ambitious green transition package and a roundup of Asia-Pacific stories.

The New York Times — Monday, July 31, 2023

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Trump Crushing DeSantis and G.O.P. Rivals, Times/Siena Poll Finds

The twice-indicted former president leads across nearly every category and region, as primary voters wave off concerns about his escalating legal jeopardy.

Who Paid for a Mysterious Spy Tool? The F.B.I., an F.B.I. Inquiry Found

A branch of the hacking firm NSO in Sapir, Israel. The Biden administration put the company on a Commerce Department blacklist in 2021.

After a Times report, the bureau canceled its contract with a government contractor that used the tool on its behalf. But questions remain.

Amid the Counterattack’s Deadly Slog, a Glimmer of Success for Ukraine

Recapturing the village of Staromaiorske was such welcome news for the country that President Volodymyr Zelensky announced it himself. But formidable Russian defenses have stymied progress elsewhere.

Heat Is Costing the U.S. Economy Billions in Lost Productivity

From meatpackers to home health aides, workers are struggling in sweltering temperatures and productivity is taking a hit.

Travel: Tour Of Ushguli In The Caucasus Of Georgia

DW Travel (July 30, 2023) – A tour of Ushguli, a village in Georgia. The World Heritage Site sits some 2,200 meters above sea level in the Caucasus Mountains.

Only 70 families live in the village up on the country’s highest mountain – the Shkhara. During the summer, tourists love visiting the village to see its unique tower houses – an old medieval defense method.

Sunday Morning: Stories From London & Merano

July 30, 2023 – Emma Nelson, Latika Bourke and David Bodanis on the weekend’s biggest talking points.

We are joined from the Alps by Monocle’s editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, and also speak to our North Africa correspondent, Mary Fitzgerald.

The New York Times — Sunday, July 30, 2023

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The Secret History of Gun Rights: How Lawmakers Armed the N.R.A.

They served in Congress and on the N.R.A.’s board at the same time. Over decades, a small group of legislators led by a prominent Democrat pushed the gun lobby to help transform the law, the courts and views on the Second Amendment.

A Climate Warning from the Cradle of Civilization

How extreme temperatures and dwindling water are pushing the Fertile Crescent toward the brink.

U.S. Hunts Chinese Malware That Could Disrupt American Military Operations

American intelligence officials believe the malware could give China the power to disrupt or slow American deployments or resupply operations, including during a Chinese move against Taiwan.

New York City Had a Migrant Crisis. It Hired a Covid Expert to Help.

DocGo, a medical services company, received a $432 million no-bid contract to move hundreds of asylum seekers outside the city. Many say they have been threatened, mistreated and lied to.