Category Archives: Newspapers

The New York Times Book Review – March 19, 2023

Image

The New York Times Book Review – March 19, 2023:

In Matthew Desmond’s ‘Poverty, by America,’ the Culprit Is Us

This illustration, in shades of red, white, blue and black, shows the silhouetted figures of a family around a table. The parents hover over a large tureen containing black liquid, while, on either side of them, smaller figures — their offspring — lean over smaller bowls filled with the same substance. In the background, red and white vertical stripes are visible, suggesting an American flag.
Credit…Ola Jasionowska

The new book by the sociologist and author of “Evicted” examines the persistence of want in the wealthy United States, finding that keeping some citizens poor serves the interests of many.

Read Your Way Through São Paulo

A woman is reading a book on a bench in a park with the cityscape of São Paulo in the background. A cat is sleeping next to her.
Credit…Raphaelle Macaron

Brazil’s ultra urban megacity overwhelms the landscape and the imagination. Paulo Scott recommends books that peel back its layers.

With Karl Lagerfeld, the Clothes Were Only Part of the Story

A photograph of Karl Lagerfeld surrounded by models, several of them in black sequined dresses. Lagerfeld is wearing sunglasses and has his hair pulled back in a white ponytail. He is in a black suit and tie, a white shirt with a high stiff collar, and is carrying an open fan in his right hand.

The fashion world’s hunger for larger-than-life figures glorified the designer. But a cozy new biography shows him to be more business whiz than artist.

Front Page: The New York Times – March 17, 2023

Image

Macron, Risking Backlash, Pushes Through Law Raising Retirement Age

Lacking parliamentary support, the French president used a special measure to circumvent a vote, a step likely to further enrage opponents.

Wall Street’s Biggest Banks Rescue Teetering First Republic

A plan led by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and JPMorgan Chase’s chief executive led to a $30 billion infusion by 11 of the largest U.S. banks.

As Plundered Items Return to Wounded Knee, Decisions Await

The Oglala Sioux Tribe recently secured the return of cultural objects kept for over a century in a tiny Massachusetts museum. Now it is seeking consensus on their final resting place.

Florida Scoured Math Textbooks for ‘Prohibited Topics.’ Next Up: Social Studies.

Behind the scenes, one publisher went to great lengths to avoid mentions of race, even in the story of Rosa Parks.

Front Page: The New York Times – March 16, 2023

Image

Bank Fears Go Global, Sending a Shudder Through Markets

CREDITBILL MARSH/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Stomach-churning volatility in stocks, bonds and other assets on Wednesday reflected renewed worries about the state of the economy and the risks lurking in the financial system.

Federal Reserve and Lawmakers Eye Bank Rules After Collapse

The stunning demise of Silicon Valley Bank has spurred soul-searching about how large and regional banks are overseen.

Credit Suisse to Borrow Up to $54 Billion From Central Bank

The announcement came after investors, fearing that the bank would run out of money, began dumping its stock.

Seaweed Is Having Its Moment in the Sun

Seaweed is being reimagined as a plastic substitute, even as cattle feed. But can it thrive in a warming world?

Front Page: The New York Times – March 15, 2023

Image

Russian Warplane Hits American Drone Over Black Sea, U.S. Says

The MQ-9 Reaper drone is a staple of the United States’ military air fleet and is used both for surveillance and for attacks.

The incident was the first known physical contact between the two militaries since the war in Ukraine began last year.

Stubborn inflation makes the Fed’s interest rate decision fraught.

CREDIT

The Consumer Price Index cooled to a 6 percent annual increase in February, but a closely watched monthly index climbed quickly.

Inside the Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank

While its leader extolled innovation and the future of tech, the bank paid less attention to risk management and was caught flat-footed by economic change.

How Washington Decided to Rescue Silicon Valley Bank

Officials were initially unsure about the need for the measures they eventually announced to shore up the financial system, but changed their minds quickly.

Front Page: The New York Times – March 14, 2023

Image

Regional Banks Slammed by Fear of a Broader Financial Crisis

Across the country, banks of various sizes are battling market turmoil as customers rushed to withdraw their deposits and investors, worried about more bank runs, dumped bank stocks.

Back-to-Back Bank Collapses Came After Deregulatory Push

On Sunday, regulators shut down Signature Bank, fearing that a sudden exodus of deposits had left it on dangerous footing.

Officials with Signature and Silicon Valley banks, which regulators seized in recent days, called for looser financial requirements for midsize banks.

Federal Reserve’s Path Is Murkier After Bank Blowup

The Fed has been rapidly raising interest rates to fight inflation. But making big moves could be trickier amid instability.

‘Russia Outside Russia’: For Elite, Dubai Becomes a Wartime Harbor

In the exclusive neighborhoods and palatial shopping malls of the United Arab Emirates’ biggest city, wealthy Russians can build a new life without having to cut ties to their home country.

Front Page: The New York Times – March 13, 2023

Image

Regulators Close Another Bank and Move to Protect Deposits

The Treasury, Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation unveiled a plan to contain fallout from Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse, and said taxpayers would not bear the costs.

U.S. Steps In to Protect All Deposits at Silicon Valley Bank

Regulators also moved to contain damage, closing another bank. The Bank of England said HSBC would buy the British subsidiary of Silicon Valley Bank.

Ukraine Steps Up Calls for Evacuation of Kupiansk Under Relentless Russian Shelling

Attacks on the northeast town in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine continued on Sunday.

War in Ukraine Puts Centuries of Swiss Neutrality to the Test

The Alpine state makes arms that Western allies want to send to Kyiv. Swiss law bans this, driving a national debate about whether its concept of neutrality should change.

UPenn Accuses a Law Professor of Racist Statements. Should She Be Fired?

Amy Wax and free speech groups say the university is trampling on her academic freedom. Students ask whether her speech deserves to be protected.

Front Page: The New York Times – March 12, 2023

Image

Biden Administration Expected to Move Ahead on a Major Oil Project in Alaska

The decision would allow an enormous $8 billion drilling project in the largest expanse of pristine wilderness in the United States.

Inside the Global Race to Turn Water Into Fuel

Hundreds of billions of dollars are being invested in a high-tech gamble to make hydrogen clean, cheap and widely available. In Australia’s Outback, that starts with 10 million new solar panels.

Chinese-Brokered Deal Upends Mideast Diplomacy and Challenges U.S.

The agreement negotiated in Beijing to restore relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran signaled at least a temporary reordering of the usual alliances and rivalries, with Washington left on the sidelines.

Fox’s P.R. Woes May Not Directly Translate to Legal Ones

Some of the unflattering private messages among the network’s hosts and executives may never become evidence when Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation case against Fox News goes to trial.

Front Page: The New York Times – March 11, 2023

Image

Silicon Valley Bank Fails After Run on Deposits

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation took control of the bank’s assets on Friday. The failure raised concerns that other banks could face problems, too.

U.S. Employers Keep Hiring, but Signs of Easing Are Seen

CREDIT

The economy added 311,000 jobs in February despite higher interest rates. But hourly earnings rose more slowly as the pool of available workers grew.

Its Georgia O’Keeffe Is Worth Millions. And Its Dorms Need Updating.

In the face of declining enrollment, Valparaiso University in Indiana wants to raise money to renovate two dormitories by selling treasures from its art museum. Not everyone is on board.

Saudi Arabia and Iran Agree to Restore Ties, in Talks Hosted by China

The deal between regional rivals underlines China’s growing economic and political importance in the Middle East, and what some analysts say is waning American influence.

The New York Times Book Review – March 12, 2023

Image

The New York Times Book Review – March 12, 2023:

Big Money, Big Houses and Big Problems in Brooklyn Heights

This is an illustration — done in white, yellow and shades of blue — of a gaggle of fancily dressed people in a well appointed living room. Their faces aren't visible but their jewelry and hair accessories are.

In Jenny Jackson’s debut novel, “Pineapple Street,” readers get a tour of a world they might learn not to envy by the end of the book.

22 Works of Fiction to Read This Spring

Watch for reality-bending explorations of time and space, a Western horror novel from Victor LaValle and new fiction from Han Kang. Plus: Tom Hanks (yes, that Tom Hanks) releases his debut novel.

The Marquis de Sade’s Filthy, Pricey 40-Foot Scroll of Depravity

A new book by Joel Warner traces the fate of the parchment on which the infamous author wrote “120 Days of Sodom,” a trail involving scholars, aristocrats and thieves — and lots of money.

Front Page: The New York Times – March 10, 2023

Image

Biden’s $6.8 Trillion Budget Proposes New Social Programs and Higher Taxes

The president requested trillions in new spending that has no chance of passing a Republican House, even as he sought to reduce deficits by raising taxes on businesses and the rich.

Biden Moves to Recapture the Centrist Identity That Has Long Defined Him

In his latest budget proposal, President Biden is paying new attention to the nation’s fiscal health.

After two years championing progressive priorities, the president is speaking more to the concerns of the political middle as he prepares to announce a campaign for a second term.

Prosecutors Signal Criminal Charges for Trump Are Likely

The former president was told that he could appear before a Manhattan grand jury next week if he wishes to testify, a strong indication that an indictment could soon follow.

Weeks After Ohio Train Derailment, Health Concerns Mount

In a tight-knit town already skeptical of the government, the lack of concrete information, and the open-ended nature of the crisis, undergird anxiety.