Monocle Radio Podcast (December 23, 2024): We hear the latest from the war on Ukraine as Olga Tokariuk joins Emma Nelson from Chernivtsi. Plus: the search for flight MH370 continues and best-selling author Tim Marshall joins Andrew Mueller to discuss what goes into a decent quiz about geopolitics.
All posts by She Seeks Serene
The New York Times —- Monday, December 23, 2024
Germany Tries to Untangle Complex Profile of Market Attack Suspect
The authorities said they were struggling to understand the motives behind ramming a car into a Christmas market in the eastern city of Magdeburg, which left a 9-year-old boy among the five dead.
From Liberal Icon to MAGA Joke: The Waning Fortunes of Justin Trudeau
Canada’s prime minister gained global renown 10 years ago for his unabashedly progressive politics. But at home, voters turned sour on him long ago.
Behold! ‘Christmas Adam’ Is Born.
First there was Christmas Eve … and then a new celebration was created.22h agoBy Elizabeth Dias
Hoover Institution: Best Books On Politics In 2024

Hoover Institution (December 22, 2024): The depth of Hoover’s scholarship is reflected in the numerous books published by our fellows on a broad variety of topics and issues.
The Boiling Moat: Urgent Steps to Defend Taiwan

Edited by Matt Pottinger (Hoover Institution Press) Publication Date: July 1, 2024
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has openly expressed his intention to annex Taiwan to mainland China, even threatening the use of force. An invasion or blockade of Taiwan by Chinese forces would be catastrophic, with severe consequences for democracies worldwide. In The Boiling Moat, Matt Pottinger and a team of scholars and distinguished military and political leaders urgently outline practical steps for deterrence.
the full proceedings from this conference—the presentations, responses, and discussions. In it, participants debate the meaning of getting monetary policy “back on track,” the significance of recent bank failures, and how to improve forecasting and oversight.
The End of Everything: How Wars Descend into Annihilation

By Victor Davis Hanson (Basic Books)
Publication Date: May 7, 2024
In The End of Everything, military historian Victor Davis Hanson narrates a series of sieges and sackings that span centuries, from the age of antiquity to the conquest of the New World, to show how societies descend into barbarism and obliteration. In the stories of Thebes, Carthage, Constantinople, and Tenochtitlan, he depicts war’s drama, violence, and folly. Highlighting the naivete that plagued the vanquished and the wrath that justified mass slaughter, Hanson delivers a sobering call to contemporary readers to heed the lessons of obliteration lest we blunder into catastrophe once again.
At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House

By H.R. McMaster (HarperCollins Publishers)
Publication Date: August 27, 2024
At War with Ourselves is the story of helping a disruptive president drive necessary shifts in US foreign policy at a critical moment in history. H.R. McMaster entered an administration beset by conflict and the hyperpartisanship of American politics. With the candor of a soldier and the perspective of a historian, McMaster rises above the fray to lay bare the good, the bad, and the ugly of Trump’s presidency and give readers insight into what a second Trump term might look like.
Documenting Communism: The Hoover Project to Microfilm and Publish the Soviet Archives

By Charles G. Palm (Hoover Institution Press) Foreword by Condoleezza Rice, Introduction by Stephen Kotkin
Publication Date: June 1, 2024
In late 1991, the Soviet Union was officially dissolved. Over the next 12 years, the Hoover Institution microfilmed and published the newly opened records of the Soviet Communist Party and the Soviet State. Charles Palm, who led this mission, details how he and his colleagues secured a historic agreement with the Russian Federation, then launched and successfully carried out the joint project with the Russian State Archives and their partner, Chadwyck-Healey Ltd.
The New York Times Book Review – Dec. 22, 2024
THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW (December 22, 2024): The latest features…
When Stephen Sondheim Transformed Theater, and Theatergoers, Forever
An incisive new book, “How Sondheim Can Change Your Life,”
The Books Readers Loved in 2024
Memorable characters, delightful nonfiction and poignant novels stuck with people across the world.
Why One of the World’s Most Elusive Writers Still Haunts Readers
Newly translated letters reveal the inner life of Paul Celan, offering clues to his enigmatic poems.
Foreign Affairs Magazine: The Best Essays Of 2024

FOREIGN AFFAIRS MAGAZINE (December 22, 2024): The top essays of the year include…
The Self-Doubting Superpower
By Fareed Zakaria
America shouldn’t give up on the world it made.
Why Gaza Matters
By Jean-Pierre Filiu
Since antiquity, the territory has shaped the quest for power in the Middle East.
Israel’s Self-Destruction
By Aluf Benn
Netanyahu, the Palestinians, and the price of neglect.
Russia Is Burning Up Its Future
By Andrei Kolesnikov
How Putin’s pursuit of power has hollowed out the country and its people.
The Trouble With “the Global South”
By Comfort Ero
What the West gets wrong about the rest.
Sunday Morning: Stories From Zürich, London & Helsinki
MONOCLE RADIO (December 22, 2024): Andrew Tuck, Sophie Grove and Emma Nelson join Monocle’s editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, for a festive edition filled with holiday spirit. It also features festive updates from Petri Burtsoff in Helsinki and Rob Bound in London.
The New York Times — Sunday, December 22, 2024
Deception and Betrayal: Inside the Final Days of the Assad Regime
President Bashar al-Assad, who wielded fear and force over Syria for more than two decades, fled the country under the cover of night — and a fake political address.
Biden Administration Weighs Putting Up Roadblocks to Trump’s Deportation Campaign
The administration may extend protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants whose legal status is set to expire near the start of the Trump administration.
3-Minute Christmas Market Rampage Shakes Germany
At least five people, including a 9-year-old child, were killed in the attack, which took place in the eastern city of Magdeburg. The authorities are still seeking a motive.
Death on the Night Shift at Frozen Pizza Factories in Chicago
Undocumented workers help feed America’s hunger for prepared foods, but some take jobs with staffing agencies that expose them to hazardous conditions.
The New York Times Magazine – Dec. 22, 2024


THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE (December 21, 2024): The 12,22,24 issue features ‘Escape From Gaza’…
For a Desperate Few, a Hectic Escape From Gaza
The war is nearly impossible to flee — except for a small number of sick and wounded who are offered a dramatic path to safety. By Nicholas Casey
Is Mikhail Baryshnikov the Last of the Highbrow Superstars?
Fifty years since he left the Soviet Union, he insists on using his huge fame to bring attention to difficult, esoteric art. By Jason Diamond
Another New Twitter? Good Luck With That.
Users are now flocking to Bluesky. But every social media platform becomes a wasteland in the end. By J Wortham
Finance Preview: Barron’s Magazine – Dec. 23, 2024
BARRON’S MAGAZINE (December21, 2024): The latest issue features ‘Buy Now, Cry Later’…
She Blew Her Life Savings. How Tech Hooks Shoppers.
The rise of affiliate links, Buy Now buttons, and other technology has made it easier than ever to binge, often with dire consequences.
Sell Costco Stock. It’s No Bargain.
The company is firing on all cylinders, but its valuation has become concerning. Shares now trade for 53 times projected earnings.
Farewell to the Smooth Ride for Stocks. How to Prepare Your Portfolio for a Bumpy 2025.
Trump’s policies are a wild card for markets. Making these portfolio moves could help smooth your ride.
The Super-Rich Invest in Some Wild Things. A 20% Return Is Very Real.
Some wealthy families look elsewhere to invest as private-equity funds become too big. The strategies aren’t for the average investor.
Saturday Morning: News And Stories From London
Monocle on Saturday (December 21, 2024): Join Georgina Godwin and Charles Hecker reflect on the week’s top news stories and cultural highlights.
Plus: an engaging conversation with Ferdia Lennon, the winner of the prestigious Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Comic Fiction Prize.