News: Putin Meets With Erdogan, China Economic Concerns, Mexico Politics

The Globalist Podcast (September 4, 2023) – Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meets with Vladimir Putin in Sochi to discuss grain deals, we get the lowdown on the Chinese economy with Patricia Thornton and Mexico’s opposition selects a female candidate with Indigenous roots to run for office.

Plus: France debates the height of ceilings, we get a roundup of news from the Nordics with Helsinki correspondent Petri Burtsoff and we check in with Seattle’s Bumbershoot festival.

The New York Times — Monday, September 4, 2023

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Zelensky Replaces Defense Minister, Citing Need for ‘New Approaches’

The Ukrainian defense minister wearing  a green jacket and standing with his arms crossed in a doorway.

The fate of the defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, had been the subject of increasing speculation in Ukraine. It was the biggest shake-up in Ukraine’s government since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The Never-Ending Nightmare of Ukraine’s Dam Disaster

Environmentally, economically and in terms of pure human suffering, the destruction of the Kakhovka dam unleashed untold damage. Months later, many communities are still reeling.

Amid Rain and Mud, Climactic ‘Burn’ Is Delayed at Burning Man Fest

Officials urged campers to conserve food and water on Sunday, as the police investigated one death. The annual burning of a manlike figure was postponed.

China to Its People: Spies Are Everywhere, Help Us Catch Them

As Beijing tries to enlist the “whole of society” to guard against foreign enemies, the line between vigilance and paranoia fades.

Art Profiles: California Painter Jodi Bonassi’s “Spectacular” Bird Series

ERIC MINH SWENSON ART FILM (September 3, 2023) – Jodi Bonassi is a Los Angeles native and a professional artist who for over 3 decades has explored nature and the environment. The works often include animals so the transition to the bird series was a smooth one. 

The Museum of Modern Art and HIstory in the MOAH Cedar Annex gave her a solo exhibit “Bird By Bird”  in February 2022. The birds have led to many other exhibition opportunities. 

“I think of myself as a drawing informed painter.  This means that I mainly draw my images  beforehand and during the painting process.  My desire to contribute to society on a deeper level  drives me in the nature series to create narrative stories around my birds.  I wish to connect humans to nature and to each other.  Even in nature I desire to record history and people and how we all connect to nature.  It is important to preserve our wildlife  and question the environment that humans create.”

Jodi Bonassi: ‘Bird Series 2019 – 2023’ 

Travel Tour: Heidelberg In Southwestern Germany

DW Travel (September 3, 2023) – A tour of Heidelberg, located on the Neckar River in southwestern Germany. It’s known for venerable Heidelberg University, founded in the 14th century, the Gothic Heiliggeistkirche church towers over the cafe-lined Marktplatz, its Altstadt (Old Town) and the red-sandstone ruins of Heidelberg Castle, a noted example of Renaissance architecture, stand on Königstuhl hill. 

Video timeline: 00:00 Intro at the Old Bridge 00:43 Heidelberg’s old town and the Neckar 01:52 Why students love Heidelberg 02:42 The Ruprecht Karl University 03:10 Meeting Ariel Noriega from Mexico, Philosophy student, visiting the campus 05:08 The historic auditorium 05:44 Caféteria Zeughaus, how to find accomodation 07:35 Heidelberg castle 08:35 Old student prison, Studentenkarzer 09:39 Meeting Áine Fellenz from Ireland, Politics student

Culinary Views: A One-Day Foodie Tour Of Seville

TOPJAW Films (September 3, 2023) – A walking tour of the best, local favorite, non-touristy spots in Seville! Chef Jose Pizarro visits his top 3 authentic tapas spots, which is then followed by an incredible wine bar and one of the most exceptional (but affordable) restaurants in the city.

Video timeline: 00:00 Las Teresas 01:53 Casa Morales 03:17 Bodeguita Romero 04:47 P&O Cruises (Arvia) 07:19 Lama La Uva 08:53 Marabunda

Seville is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula.

Travel: A Tour Of Genoa In Northwestern Italy (8K)

Travel HDefinition (September 3, 2023) – An 8K tour of Genoa (Genova), a port city and the capital of northwest Italy’s Liguria region. It’s known for its central role in maritime trade over many centuries.

Video timeline: 0:00 Raffaele de Ferrari Square 0:24 Opera Carlo Felice 0:34 Raffaele de Ferrari Square 0:50 Via XX Settembre 1:26 Cristoforo Colombo’s House 1:33 Chiostro di Sant’Andrea 1:39 Porta Soprana 1:50 Streets of Genova 2:32 Santi Ambrogio e Andrea Church 3:05 Streets of Genova 3:15 San Lorenzo Cathedral 3:58 Streets of Genova 4:03 San Giorgio Palace 4:19 Port area 4:26 San Giorgio Palace 4:35 Santissima Annunziata del Vastato 4:42 Streets of Genova 5:59 Corvetto Square 6:07 Streets of Genova 6:19 View from the top

In the old town stands the Romanesque Cathedral of San Lorenzo, with its black-and-white-striped facade and frescoed interior. Narrow lanes open onto monumental squares like Piazza de Ferrari, site of an iconic bronze fountain and Teatro Carlo Felice opera house. 

The New York Times — Sunday, September 3, 2023

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Auto Strike Looms, Threatening to Shut Detroit’s Big 3

Shawn Fain, the president of the United Auto Workers union, center, has said he is willing to call a strike against all three Detroit automakers, a step the union has never taken.

With their contract expiring Sept. 14, the United Auto Workers and the companies are far apart in talks. A walkout could take a big economic toll.

Officials in South Africa Knew About Problems at a ‘Bad Building,’ but Did Nothing

The scene of the fire in Johannesburg on Friday.

An extensive paper trail reveals that the authorities in Johannesburg were warned repeatedly about the dangers in the derelict building where 76 people died in a fire this week.

A Brutal Path Forward, Village by Village

As Ukraine pushes slowly forward in its counteroffensive, it’s relying heavily on the effort of hundreds of small-scale assault groups, each tasked with attacking a single trench, tree line or house.

Jimmy Buffett, Roguish Bard of Island Escapism, Is Dead at 76

With songs like “Margaritaville” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” he became a folk hero to fans known as Parrot Heads. He also became a millionaire hundreds of times over.

Books: Literary Review Magazine – September 2023

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Literary Review – September 2023: The new issue features Yoga Goes To Hollywood by Dominic Green; How England Lost France; Who’s Afraid of AI?; Don’t Mention Tiananmen; Anne Boleyn’s Ascent and Tastes of China….

Dates with Destiny

Turning Points: Crisis and Change in Modern Britain, from 1945 to Truss  eBook : Limited, Steve Richards Media, Richards, Steve: Amazon.co.uk: Books

RICHARD VINEN

Turning Points: Crisis and Change in Modern Britain, from 1945 to Truss By Steve Richards

In the good old days, dates were for foreigners. France, to take the obvious example, had repeatedly been turned upside down by war, revolution and changes of regime. But the English tourist in Paris rarely bothered to find out which of these distasteful events might be commemorated by, say, the rue du Quatre Septembre. The history of England (this was less true of Scotland and not at all true of Ireland) was a smooth and mostly benign progression. Educated people could tell you what the Glorious Revolution was but might be hazy about when exactly it had happened.

Cyborgs Old & New

The Handover: How We Gave Control of Our Lives to Corporations, States and  AIs: Runciman, David: 9781631496943: Amazon.com: Books

BLAKE SMITH

The Handover: How We Gave Control of Our Lives to Corporations, States and AIs By David Runciman

Artificial intelligence, it is commonly acknowledged, will pose one of the gravest challenges to humanity in the coming years. In the minds of some, it is already the most urgent problem we face. While there are a number of possible dangers that might bring about the extinction of our species, AI confronts us with a particularly dire situation, because it may well be that we have only a brief amount of time – perhaps a generation – in which to set up norms and constraints on the development of autonomous, non-human intelligences that may otherwise escape our control.

World Economic Forum: Top Stories – Sept 2, 2023

World Economic Forum (September 2, 2023) – This week’s top stories of the week include:

0:15 India lands a spacecraft on the moon – India made history by landing a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole for the first time. The mission, called Chandrayaan-3, is designed to search for water ice on the Moon. The data and images collected by the lander and rover will help scientists to better understand the Moon’s water resources and the future of Moon exploration.

1:11 These are the results of an 85 year study on happiness – The Harvard Study of Adult Development is the world’s longest-running happiness study. It launched in 1938, following 724 men from teenagehood to old age. Later, the study incorporated their spouses and 1,300 of their descendants. Participants answer regular questions about their health, habits, income and relationships as well as their hopes, joys, disappointments and regrets.

2:43 GPUs are powering the AI revolution – The H100 is a graphics processing unit (GPU) chip manufactured by Nvidia. It is the most powerful GPU chip on the market and is designed specifically for artificial intelligence (AI) applications. The H100 is in high demand due to its powerful performance and its ability to accelerate AI applications.

4:50 Britain builds its first women-only apartment building – It will offer 102 flats at affordable rates for women facing abuse or social disadvantage. The block will stand in Ealing, West London. The flats will be designed specifically for women with features such as lower kitchen counters and ventilation for menopausal women experiencing hot flushes. Only single women can take a tenancy. Men can live there too but only if they’re in a relationship with a tenant. Transgender women will be allowed but nobody with a history of violence against women.

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The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.