The New Yorker (October 7, 2024): The latest issue featuresVictoria Tentler-Krylov’s “New Heights” – Sunlight flickering on the hustle and bustle of the streets.
Trump’s Dangerous Immigration Obsession
The daily stream of racism and mendacity has had a numbing effect. But the question of what Trump might actually do is a prospect that voters cannot afford to ignore. By Jonathan Blitzer
Silicon Valley, the New Lobbying Monster
From crypto to A.I., the tech sector is pouring millions into super PACS that intimidate politicians into supporting its agenda. By Charles Duhigg
Sleep Essential for Health
Donald Trump is lying next to you in the bed, wearing snug cotton pajamas printed to look like his signature blue suit. You want to tell him a few things you think he ought to know, but his fake snoring drowns you out. By Ian Frazier
Events in the Middle East were moving so rapidly this week that the stunning assassination of the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut last Friday, killed by an Israeli heavy bombing raid, already feels quite distant. By Tuesday morning Israeli forces had launched what was called a “limited, localised and targeted” ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Hours later, Iran responded with a barrage of ballistic missiles aimed at targets across Israel.
To put things in some kind of perspective, the coming week also marks the first anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel, setting in motion the brutal chain of events leading to the deaths of more than 41,000 Gazans by Israeli bombing, last week’s dramatic events in Lebanon and Iran’s military response which many now fear leaves the region close to full-blown war.
Five essential reads in this week’s edition
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Spotlight | The ‘marriage competition’ that divided South Sudan Underage marriage is illegal in South Sudan yet so commonplace it rarely attracts attention. But the case of Athiak Dau Riak, who her mother says is only 14, has gone viral, polarising her family and the country. From Juba, Florence Miettaux reports
2
Science | Telescopes that could save us from death by asteroids The existential threat from a large meteor is real, but two next-generation telescopes are about to make us safer, writes Robin George Andrews
3
Feature | The shapeshifter: who is the real Giorgia Meloni? She’s been called a neo-fascist and a danger to her country. But the Italian prime minister has won over many heads of Europe. Should we be worried? By Alexander Stille
4
Opinion | Trump v Harris and a battle between the sexes There are clear reasons why women are running from Trump, but men are flocking to him – and it’s vital to understand why, argues Jonathan Freedland
5
Culture | Will Ferrell’s road trip of trans discovery Saturday Night Live writer Harper Steele came out as a trans woman in 2022 at the age of 61. Her friend of 30 years Will Ferrell had questions. So what else to do but jump in a van, cross the US, and make a documentary about it? Guy Lodge reports
In the first of a new series exploring England’s varied landscapes, John Lewis-Stempel discovers a paradise for wildlife amid the bleak desolation of the estuary
Pretty Chitty-Bang-Bang, we love you
Mary Miers reveals the origins of Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, as Ian Fleming’s beloved magical flying car prepares to turn 60
Travel
Rosie Paterson digs out some private hideaways
Steven King experiences how the other half lived as he stays in the homes of some illustrious names
A trip to Tuscany is the perfect tonic for Pamela Goodman
The rest is history
Michael Hall examines the noble art of history painting through the output of such masters as van Dyck, Rubens and Fuseli
Inigo Lambertini’s favourite painting
The Italian ambassador picks a profound classical work of art
Homesick for the olden days
Carla Carlisle takes a wistful look at history and admits we didn’t realise we had it so good
A Georgian triumph
John Goodall reveals the eight winners in this year’s Georgian Group Architectural Awards
Handsome and genteel
In the second of two articles, Jeremy Musson charts the revival of George Washington’s Mount Vernon mansion in Virginia
The legacy
Carla Passino hails the founders of the peerless Wallace Collection
Our last hurrah
October is the time for filling up winter stores, says Lia Leendertz
Bury me in a willow-shaped coffin
English osier beds are enjoying a revival, finds Jane Wheatley
Another string to the bow
Harry Pearson meets Britain’s master luthier Roger Hansell
The good stuff
Hetty Lintell goes wild for jewellery
Interiors
Bright and beautiful paint and wallpaper, with Amelia Thorpe
London Life
Rosie Paterson follows the V&A’s precious cargo
Samantha Cameron is in the hot seat
Jack Watkins relives Primrose Hill’s Death Pyramid plan
John Goodall asks whether enough is enough for the capital’s skyline
The world on the doorstep
Caroline Donald visits the gardens of China, Italy and Africa without leaving Seend Manor in Wiltshire
Kitchen garden cook
Melanie Johnson on quince
Foraging
John Wright gets imaginative in the kitchen with sweet chestnuts
The show must go on
James Fisher can’t see beyond an England cricket win in Pakistan
The Vice-President has displayed the basic values and political skills that would enable her to help end, once and for all, a poisonous era defined by Donald Trump. By The Editors
Has Social Media Fuelled a Teen-Suicide Crisis?
Mental-health struggles have risen sharply among young Americans, and parents and lawmakers alike are scrutinizing life online for answers. By Andrew Solomon
Is a Chat with a Bot a Conversation?
An artificial voice has long been a dream of tinkerers and technologists. Now that A.I. can talk, though, we may forget who we’re talking to.
In the space of a few days, the focus of Israeli military operations appears to have shifted decisively from Gaza in the south to Lebanon in the north.
A dizzying escalation between Israel and Hezbollah began last week with exploding pagers and walkie-talkies and culminated in a ferocious Israeli bombardment of alleged Hezbollah military targets, killing hundreds of people.
With Iran’s support, the Lebanon-based Shia militia has conducted a background conflict with Israel since the 1980s. Is this the intensification that finally signals all-out war?
Five essential reads in this week’s edition
1
Spotlight | The brutal truth behind Italy’s migrant reduction A Guardian investigation reveals EU money goes to forces involved in abuse, leaving people to die in the desert and colluding with smugglers
2
Technology | Why aren’t humanoids in our homes yet? The development of robots is dogged by technical and safety challenges. But the dream of a multipurpose domestic droid lives on, writes Victoria Turk
3
Feature | An Israeli and a Palestinian discuss 7 October, Gaza – and the future Could Couples Therapy’s Orna Guralnik and former participant Christine try to understand one another without the conversation breaking down?
4
Opinion | Zelenskyy needs Biden to back his plan to win peace In besieged Kharkiv, Timothy Garton Ash saw how Ukraine is approaching a perilous moment. To turn the tide, it needs to decisively knock back Russia
5
Culture | Chappell Roan on sexuality, superstardom and the joy of drag She’s gone from obscurity to the A-list, but not without struggle. Kate Solomon talks to the singer about teenage angst and her queer inspirations
Richard Negus reveals how the ancient art of hedgelaying plays a crucial role in creating countryside highways for British Wildlife.
Playing fast and loose
Matthew Dennison unmasks the tough-talking, gun-toting highwaywomen who brazenly ruled the roads of Britain
US Special
The latest in Stateside luxury on land and sea; Charles Harris Charts the birth of Liberty; Agnes Stamp relives the golden age of transatlantic travel; Charlie Thomas gets his kicks on Route 66; Russell Higham tunes up for Newport and all that jazz; Rosie Paterson checks in on New York hotels; Tom Parker Bowles finds out what’s hot in US food; and Melanie Bryan looks at Country Life across the pond.
The Legacy
Laurence Olivier takes centre stage once more as Kate Green applauds his crucial role in the founding of the National Theatre
Foraging
It’s a magnet for dirt and earwigs, but don’t let that put you off — anyone for cauliflower-fungus cheese, asks John Wright
Love in a dry climate
Kendra Wilson marvels at the innovative design of a desert garden at Ghost Wash in the Paradise Valley, Arizona
The swing of the pendulum
It’s high time we celebrated the golden age of British horology, suggests Huon Mallalieu, as he finds out exactly what made our master clockmakers tick.
A well-resorted tavern
In the first of two articles, Jeremy Musson charts the remarkable history and preservation of Mount Vernon, George Washington’s former home in Virginia
Singing the end-of-summertime blues
A does of digging is just what the doctor ordered for John Lewis-Stempel as he attends to shake off his gloomy mood
Navigating nostalgia
Joseph Phelan is at the tiller for a joyous canal-boat journey — to the Industrial Revolution and back — on Britain’s canal network
For years, the former President has claimed that undocumented immigrants vote illegally. That fiction is now the explicit position of the Party establishment. By Jonathan Blitzer
Don Luigi Ciotti leads an anti-Mafia organization, and for decades he has run a secret operation that liberates women from the criminal underworld. By D. T. Max
Lauren Boebert has a “tribal” design on her midriff, but there’s competition from John Fetterman and the tattoo caucus—and don’t forget John F. Kennedy or Theodore Roosevelt. By Charles Bethea
TRACKS – Travel Documentaries (September 21, 2024):Experience the thrilling journey through Egypt’s timeless allure, where you’ll discover ancient temples and pyramids while unravelling the secrets of mummification.
Witness how these grand traditions continue to resonate in modern Egypt, where ancient rituals blend seamlessly with contemporary faith, as the living pay tribute to the deceased with heartfelt prayers, vibrant processions, and the promise of a celestial afterlife.
The Good Life France Magazine – Autumn 2024: The latest issue features brilliant guides, features and stunning photos, mouth-watering recipes from top chefs, culture, history and much much more.
Discover Paris & its hidden gems and dodge-the-drizzle treats, beautiful Bordeaux and it’s secret seaside sensation, Cap d’Agde, Corsica and the off-the-beaten track Cele Valley in the Lot, Narbonne, Lyon & Languedoc and many more fabulous French gems.
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
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