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Arts, Culture, History, Magazines, Previews, Reviews, Travel

Arts/History: Smithsonian Magazine – June 2023

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Smithsonian Magazine – June Issue

Artist Joseph Stella Painted Nature in Vibrant Color

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Cities weren’t the only subject that fascinated this acclaimed Futurist

By Amy Crawford

He famously captured industrial America—the Brooklyn Bridge, Pittsburgh’s steel mills—with his monumental canvases. But the painter Joseph Stella (1877-1946) looked to nature for respite, escaping his Manhattan studio to visit the New York Botanical Garden and to paint in southern Italy, where he grew up. “My devout wish,” the artist wrote, “[is] that my every working day might begin and end—as a good omen—with the light, gay painting of a flower.”

Anne Frank’s Childhood Friend Recalls Their Years Before the Holocaust

After fleeing her native Germany, a young Jew found companionship and community as the Nazis approached

Culture, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Previews, Reviews, Society

Preview: New York Times Magazine – May 14, 2023

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The New York Times Magazine – May 14, 2023: Katie Engelhart reports on a family torn apart by dementia; plus, we take you inside the world of saildrones — the unmanned boats that measure superstorms at sea — and Jazmine Hughes reports on one woman’s efforts to ensure the conviction of the white supremacist who killed her sister in the Buffalo shooting last year.

Hurricanes of Data: The Tiny Craft Mapping Superstorms at Sea

Understanding the secrets of a warming ocean means steering straight into the biggest hurricanes. Enter the saildrone.

A Year After Buffalo: ‘There’s No Forgiveness for That. Ever.’

Barbara Massey-Mapps, wearing a t-shirt and a blue zip-up jacket, looking away from the camera.

Court hearings, media scrums, ruined holidays — Barbara Massey-Mapps suffered through it all to see the white supremacist who killed her sister convicted.

Culture, Magazines, Politics, Previews, Reviews, Society

Politics: The Guardian Weekly – May 12, 2023

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The Guardian Weekly (May 12, 2023) – The name Geof frey Hinton was little known outside the tech industry until last week, when the so-called “godfather of AI” gave an interview after leaving Google in which he warned that machine learning is leading us into uncharted territory.

So is now the time to get properly frightened about the capabilities unleashed by machine learning? Technology writer John Naughton in this week’s big story says an unequivocal yes as he explores a worrying near future, and what prompted Hinton to speak out. 

Britain spent last weekend watching avidly or determinedly avoiding the exuberant display of ancient ceremony around the coronation of King Charles III. Our coverage takes a fondly amused look at all the pageantry, personalities and gold braid with Rachel Cooke, while columnist Nesrine Malik unpicks the game of divide and rule, display and disguise through which the institution hangs on to popular support. We also visit Belize to find out how arguments about reparations for slavery are linked to its relationship to the British crown.

Climate Change, Culture, Documentaries, Short Films, Travel, Videos

Climate Change Films 2023: Switzerland- ‘The Last Ice’

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Alessandro Rovere Films (May 3, 2023) – The Last Ice showcases two cultures, laying on the same longitude on opposite sides of our planet, who have for generations relied on their deep connection with nature to sustain their way of life.

DIRECTOR / PRODUCER / EDITOR / DRONE: ALESSANDRO ROVERE
CLIENT: KLIMAHAUS BREMERHAVEN

However, the devastating effects of climate change have begun to threaten the future of a Swiss mountain village and the Yupik people, on a small island in the Bering Sea, Alaska.

The film was created in collaboration with, and exhibited at, the German Climate Museum, Klimahaus Bremerhaven, as a reminder of the common ground and concerns shared by communities worldwide in the face of climate change and humanity’s heavy dependence on nature.

Culture, Historical, News, Society, Travel, Videos, Views

Inside Russia: How Life Has Changed Since Invasion

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BBC News (May 5, 2023) – Life in Ukraine is unrecognisable since Russia invaded in February 2022. But how has life in Russia changed since the invasion? The BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg, who lives in Moscow, reports on the shift he has seen in the country from day-to-day life to how Russia portrays its history to its people.

Culture, Magazines, Photography, Previews, Reviews, Travel

June 2023 Cover: National Geographic Traveller UK

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National Geographic Traveller Magazine (June 2023). The latest issue features Canada’s greatest outdoor adventures, summer guides to Oslo and Lisbon, the quetzals and rivers of Costa Rica, and explores the Silk Road route of Central Asia.

Breaking bread: dining with sheep farmers in the Faroe Islands

Óli and Brim the dog, on the coast close to Velbastaður.
Óli and Brim the dog, on the coast close to Velbastaður.

​On their farm in the Faroe Islands, where the sheep roam the hillsides and the chickens put themselves to bed, Óli and Anna Rubeksen dish up a feast of local ingredients ranging from rhubarb to lamb hearts.

Also inside this issue:

Oman: A rich history and striking landscapes, from the Arabian coast to the Hajar Mountains.
Costa Rica: Explore Central America’s wildest corners, where quetzals hide and rivers lead to jungle lodges.
Laos: In a corner of this Southeast Asian country, life is shaped by the flow of the Mekong River.
Lisbon: Tram rides, street art and al fresco meals: Portugal’s lively capital is best explored outdoors.
Oslo: Summer is the perfect time to discover Norway’s flourishing premier city.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Discover this Balkan country’s turbulent history, wild nature and surprising food scene.
Barbados: Inventive food and drinks projects are redefining the Caribbean island’s culinary landscape.
Paris: The French capital beckons with accommodation options to suit every pocket.

Plus, it’s the anniversary of Vienna’s World Fair; new exhibitions in London; a taste of Corfu; archaeology and Indiana Jones in Syracuse; Manila’s design-led hotels; family trips to the UK seaside; sand, sherry and Spanish history in Cádiz; a Cornish escape to Falmouth; great reads on British nature; and packing essentials.

Culture, Magazines, Politics, Previews, Reviews, Society

Politics: The Guardian Weekly – May 5, 2023

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The Guardian Weekly (May 5, 2023) – The awkward inheritance of Charles III. Plus: Ukraine readies for the counter-offensive…

Seventy years have passed since Britain last held a royal coronation. But, with polls suggesting public support for the monarchy is at a historic low, Charles’s big day this weekend comes at a moment when Britain feels more generationally divided than ever.

At 74, Charles is the oldest person ever to be crowned as a new British king. Opinion polls suggest 78% of the nation’s over-65s still strongly support the monarchy. But, in the 18-24 age bracket, enthusiasm dips to just 32%.

As Jonathan Freedland argues in an essay for our cover story this week, the new king faces an uphill challenge to establish his own legacy in the shadow of his mother, Elizabeth II, “who, even the staunchest republicans had to admit, barely put a foot wrong over seven decades”. Can he really offer a compelling vision to reunite the realm, and should he even try? It may be that his best hope is simply to lay the foundations for the next generation.

A calm before the storm has been felt in Ukraine ahead of a widely expected counter-offensive on the frontline with Russia. Emma Graham-Harrison and Artem Mazhulin report on a critical moment looming for the country and the war.

Culture, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Previews, Reviews, Society

Preview: New York Times Magazine – May 7, 2023

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The New York Times Magazine – May 7, 2023:

Kyrsten Sinema’s Party of One

Kyrsten Sinema, wearing a black-and-white polka dot two-piece jumpsuit, walking up a ramp directly toward the camera through an arcade of stone columns.
“I would never in my life crack under pressure,” the recently declared independent says. “Why would they think I’m going to do it?”Credit…Ashley Gilbertson/VII for The New York Times

What the Arizona senator’s breakup with the Democrats means for American politics.

Kyrsten Sinema was standing a few yards from the border wall with four Republican members of Congress. The men were staring balefully at a row of nearby portable toilets, wondering aloud if they could hold out for a proper bathroom on the way back to the airport. 

Culture, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Previews, Reviews, Society

Front Cover: The Atlantic Magazine – June 2023

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The Atlantic Magazine – June 2023 issue:

The Atlantic’s June Cover Story: “The Counteroffensive,” by Anne Applebaum and Jeffrey Goldberg

Bono illustrates President Zelensky for June cover

The Atlantic’s June cover is illustrated by U2’s lead singer, Bono, who sketches Zelensky and includes a quote from the Ukrainian president:

“The choice is between freedom and fear.”

In an editor’s note, also published today, Goldberg writes that, after learning Bono has a hobby of redesigning and reimagining  Atlantic  covers, he invited the singer and writer to create an original.

“Zelensky, a man we both admire, was a natural subject for his first go. Like Anne, Bono is preoccupied with issues of freedom and dignity, and, working with Oliver Munday, our associate creative director, he made a stunning cover that captures the resolve of Ukraine’s wartime president.”

Culture, Magazines, Previews, Reviews, Society, Tourism, Travel

CULTURE: FRANCE-AMÉRIQUE MAGAZINE – MAY 2023 ISSUE

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France-Amérique Magazine – May 2023 – Our publication was launched in New York City on May 23, 1943, during World War II – a period of intense political debate between supporters of the Vichy regime and those fighting for de Gaulle that our historian-in-residence,

1943-2023 – We’ll Always Have Passion

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This month, France-Amérique is celebrating its 80th anniversary – a miraculous example of longevity in today’s print media sector. This success is due to America’s longstanding passion for France, and the omnipresence of America in French controversies.

WORK TO LIVE? A French Pension Row with Deeper Implications

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The scale and intensity of the current protests reflect a deeper discontent relating to the very nature of work and its place in people’s lives. While these concerns may seem specifically French, they echo a much broader and long-standing debate in our societies.

By Anthony Bulger