The Globalist (February 29, 2024): We get the latest from a Western Balkans summit that includes Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Then: the latest battle for Pacific Island influence between the US and China, what Japan can do about its record-low birth rate and how Christian nationalism is rising in the US. Also, technology news with David Phelan and fine wines in the Arabian Peninsula.
The long-serving Republican leader said he would step aside from the role at the end of his term but remain in the Senate, acknowledging that his views on national security had put him out of step with his party.
The former president’s trial on charges of plotting to subvert the 2020 election will remain on hold while the justices consider the matter.
Democratic unease with the president’s handling of the Mideast war will continue to trail him, but his allies hope that no other state on the primary calendar will present the same challenges.
New satellite-based research reveals how land along the coast is slumping into the ocean, compounding the danger from global sea level rise.
A major culprit: overpumping of groundwater.
By Adam Smyth
Sometimes we ignore a book’s material presence: absorbed, ‘good’ reading is often figured as a forgetting of the material conditions of book, body, room and time, even though these conditions affect how we read. With certain other books it makes no sense to separate text from object.
Bibliophobia: The End and the Beginning of the Book
by Brian Cummings.
By Geoff Mann
There are seventy million more privately held guns in the US – around four hundred million of them – than there are people. AR-15s comprise about 5 per cent of the total, but it is currently the best-selling rifle in the country.
American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15
by Cameron McWhirter and Zusha Elinson.
Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture and Control in Cold War America
by Andrew C. McKevitt.
and Bo Xia
Two RNA-editing therapies for genetic diseases have in the past few months gained approval for clinical trials, raising hopes for safer treatments.
Some palaeontologists want more rigorous guidelines for naming species, along with action to address problematic historical practices.
A system that edits RNA rather than DNA can give new life to exhausted CAR T cells.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Peaceful Lake Home 00:50 – Designing for the Landscape 02:19 – Accomodating for the Weather 02:44 – The Layout of the Home 03:51 – A Character Filled Material Palette 05:00 – An Extension of the Architecture 05:28 – Favourite Aspects of the Home
The architects, Paul Masi and Aaron Weil, whose personal affinity for this part of the world and appreciation for the site’s heritage enhanced the architecture and interior design of this peaceful lake home, have crafted a family house that will, over time, ameliorate the site’s natural conditions and deepen the residents’ connection to the landscape. Bates Masi + Architects were approached by the clients – a large family “whose love of this special place makes them stewards of the site more than just owners of it,” notes Paul – to conceive a peaceful lake home. “Previously, there was a home here and, frankly, it was contributing to the erosion of the property, so one of our goals was to look at a new design that would be beneficial to the property.”
Therefore, Bates Masi + Architects decided against a renovation or refurbishment, opting instead for a family house that takes cues from Arts and Crafts style architecture and contemporary design ideals. The result is a family house that pays deference to the landscape while responding to the clients’ patterns of living and briefing requirements. Stretching along the peninsula and oriented towards the water, the architecture encompasses five pavilions beneath an overarching roof structure, including a kitchen, dining and living area as well as bedrooms and bathrooms.
Times Literary Supplement (February 28, 2024): The latest issue features ‘Married to Mr. Hardy’ – The writer’s complicated relationships with women; Southern discomfort; a bad deal on Wall Street…
Hundreds of American children were poisoned last year. Records show how, time and again, the contamination went unnoticed.
The warning came in response to comments by President Emmanuel Macron of France, who said “nothing should be ruled out” when asked about the possibility.
Tehran, wary of igniting open warfare with Washington, has told militia groups it backs to curtail assaults on targets such as military installations, Iranian and American officials say.
Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator Mitch McConnell were upbeat about efforts to avert a government shutdown. “We are making some real headway,” Mr. McConnell said.
Country Life Magazine – February 27, 2024: The latest issue features ‘Britain’s Top Dogs’ – Our favorites, decade by decade…
The alliance’s expansion, with Finland last year and soon Sweden, was a consequence from the invasion of Ukraine that Russia’s president may not have calculated.
Despite death, destruction and deprivation, nearly 90 percent still believe in Ukraine’s ultimate victory — as long as Western aid continues.
Pandemic disruptions may have muddled the measurement of home prices in inflation data. That could complicate the Fed’s course on interest rates.
Ruth Gottesman, a longtime professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, is making free tuition available to all students going forward.
Workers sent from the country to Chinese factories describe enduring beatings and sexual abuse, having their wages taken by the state, and being told that if they try to escape they will be “killed without a trace.”
Disturbances on the sun may have the potential to devastate our power grid and communication systems. When the next big storm arrives, will we be prepared for it?
Boomers Daily 