Commentary Magazine – January 2025 Preview

Commentary Magazine (December 12, 2024) The latest issue features ‘The Anti-Woke King Of Hollywood Lets Loose’ – Taylor Sheridan’s shows explain how and why we got Trump again…

The Anti-Woke King of Hollywood Lets Loose

Taylor Sheridan’s shows explain how and why we got Trump again by Rick Marin

Israel Chose, and the World Changed

by John Podhoretz

The Trumpmoon

by Matthew Continetti

The Times Will Stop at Nothing

by Christine Rosen

The Economist Magazine – December 14, 2024 Preview

All weekly editions | The Economist

The Economist Magazine (December 12, 2024): The latest issue features ‘What Now?’…

How the new Syria might succeed or fail

The end of the house of Assad. Much will go wrong. But for now, celebrate a tyrant’s fall

What Spain can teach the rest of Europe

Our number-crunching suggests it was the best-performing rich economy in 2024

America’s searing market rally brings new risks

Financial innovation is just as much to blame as the technological sort

Multilateral institutions are turning away from the poorest countries

Even bail-outs are getting expensive

Future Technology: Can AI Build Cities In Space?

The Economist (December 12, 2024): The EconomistFast forward into the future, when building in space is normal, from huge satellites and spacecraft in orbit, to entire cities on the Moon and Mars. Could robots guided by AI make it happen?

Video timeiine: 00:00 – Future of building in space 00:43 – Machina Labs 02:15 – Could we 3D print in space? 02:44 – Infrastructure on the Moon 03:25 – AI & robotics on Mars 04:41 – History of AI in space 05:41 – Challenges to space technology

Video supported by @mishcon_de_reya

News: Rebuilding Syria After 13 Years Of Civil War, Ukraine-Russia War

Monocle Radio Podcast (December 12, 2024): What will it take to resurrect Syria’s once-stunning built environment? Also in the programme: the humanitarian view from Odessa with Jan Egeland, the secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the results of a new poll from the European Council on Foreign Relations on attitudes towards EU-UK relations.

Plus, we examine the global implications of Kenya’s illicit gold trade and take a dram from the seasonal whiskey menu at the Fife Arms.

The New York Times — Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024

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Syria’s New Leaders Balance Huge Struggles Amid Disorder

The rebels who seized control called for foreign help in prosecuting atrocities, while trying to restore order in a fractured country.

Power, Intimidation and the Resurrection of Trump’s Support for Hegseth

The president-elect became convinced that letting Pete Hegseth fail would set off a feeding frenzy among senators. What followed was a MAGA swarm that helped salvage his bid, at least for now.

Recent Immigration Surge Has Been Largest in U.S. History

Under President Biden, more than two million immigrants per year have entered, government data shows.

The Gold Rush at the Heart of a Civil War

Heavily destroyed streets.

Famine and ethnic cleansing stalk Sudan. Yet the gold trade is booming, enriching generals and propelling the fight.