Category Archives: Opinion

THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS – NOVEMBER 20, 2025

Table of Contents - November 20, 2025 | The New York Review of Books

THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS: The latest issue features Fintan O’Toole on Kamala’s pointless campaign memoir, Jonathan Lethem on One Battle After Another, Anne Diebel on the trials of infertility, Colin B. Bailey on Watteau’s sad clowns, Linda Kinstler on the invention of sovereign states, Langdon Hammer on James Schuyler’s shimmering poetry, Samuel Stein on NIMBYs and YIMBYs, Miranda Seymour on Frankenstein’s mother, Adam Shatz on Alice Coltrane, a poem by Rae Armantrout, and much more.

The Lingering Delusion

107 Days by Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris’s memoir 107 Days succeeds at least in distilling the evasions and weaknesses of the modern Democratic Party.

Falling Off the Map

The Life and Death of States:  Central Europe and the Transformation of Modern Sovereignty by Natasha Wheatley

How States Die: Membership and Survival in the International System by Douglas Lemke

World War I set the stage a century ago for new ways of thinking about where states come from and what happens when they disappear.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2025

Trump and Xi, Hoping to Tone Down Trade War, Agree to 1-Year Truce

After a series of attempts to de-escalate the trade war, President Trump and Xi Jinping moved to roll back many contentious retaliatory measures.

Trump Threatens to Resume Nuclear Weapons Testing, Minutes Before Xi Meeting

Haiti and Jamaica Assess Damage as Hurricane Melissa Barrels Toward Bermuda

The storm, now a Category 2, passed through the Bahamas this morning. Officials said 23 people have been killed in Haiti, and five in Jamaica.

Syria’s Rocky Transition Brings New Waves of Displacement

More than 400,000 Syrians have been displaced in the year since the civil war ended, the U.N. says, driven by sectarian violence and property disputes.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29, 2025

Hurricane Melissa Makes Landfall in Cuba After Thrashing Jamaica

The storm caused widespread infrastructure damage in Jamaica and cut internet access for most of its people. Cuba evacuated about 750,000 people.

Trump Meets South Korea’s Leader With a Trade Deal in the Balance

President Trump was meeting with President Lee Jae Myung as the two countries tried to finalize a trade deal that they agreed to in principle in July.

How the 19th-Century Opium War Shapes Xi’s Trade Clash With Trump

China’s leader, Xi Jinping, draws on lessons from Lin Zexu, a Qing official whose defiance of Britain led to China’s defeat but made him a national hero.

Netanyahu Orders Strikes on Gaza, Saying Hamas Violated Cease-Fire

Hamas denied involvement in an attack on Israeli forces, saying that it remained committed to the cease-fire and accusing Israel of violating it.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2025

Jamaica Braces for Catastrophic Wind and Rain as Melissa Bears Down

The Category 5 storm is the most powerful in the Atlantic Ocean this year. Jamaica and Cuba have issued evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people.

Melissa’s Powerful Winds Could Be Even Worse in Jamaica’s Mountains

Gusts in higher elevations could be up to 30 percent stronger, the National Hurricane Center said.

Fanfare on Trump’s Japan Trip, but No Trade Breakthrough

Beyond Trade War, China’s Leader Looks to Press Trump on Taiwan

Xi Jinping wants to weaken American support for Taiwan. But first he will want clarity about President Trump’s stance toward the island.

Israel Conducts First Airstrike in West Bank in Months and Kills 3

A militant group allied with Hamas confirmed the deaths, which were part of an increase in fighting during a surge of settler violence.

THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER 3, 2025 PREVIEW

The cover of the November 3 2025 issue of The New Yorker featuring skateboarders pedestrians and scooter riders in front...

THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE: The latest cover features Victoria Tentler-Krylov’s “Racing Through Fall” – The city’s autumnal glow.

Why Trump Tore Down the East Wing

The act of destruction is precisely the point: a kind of performance piece meant to display Trump’s arbitrary power over the Presidency, including its physical seat. By Adam Gopnik

Trump and the Presidency That Wouldn’t Shut Up

His posts and rants are omnipresent, ugly, and unhinged. Don’t look to history to make it make sense. By Jill Lepore

Inside the Data Centers That Train A.I. and Drain the Electrical Grid

A data center, which can use as much electricity as Philadelphia, is the new American factory, creating the future and propping up the economy. How long can this last? By Stephen Witt

THE NEW YORK TIMES – MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2025

Japan’s New Prime Minister Has an Advantage in Winning Over Trump

As Sanae Takaichi seeks reassurance from President Trump, she will likely play up her ties to Shinzo Abe, a mutual friend who was killed in 2022.

In Trump’s Visit, Asians See an American Democracy Under Pressure

Several of the leaders the president will encounter this week represent dictatorships and ailing democracies. Some are fans of his approach.

Putin Says Russia Now Has Nuclear-Powered Missile

Because of its power source, the Burevestnik can remain airborne far longer than other nuclear-armed missiles.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2025

The ‘Sleeper Issue’ at the Heart of Trump’s Trade War on China

Concern is increasing throughout Southeast Asia as U.S. officials, intent on slowing China, have yet to say how they will define the origin country of imports.

Chinese and U.S. Officials Reach Framework of a Trade Deal

Negotiators announced they had preliminarily agreed on several issues ahead of an expected meeting between President Trump and Xi Jinping this week.

Police Make Arrests in Louvre Robbery, Authorities Say

Four thieves broke into the famed Paris museum last week and stole over $100 million in historical jewelry. It is unclear how many people were arrested.

How Venezuela’s Leader Uses Crypto to Fight Trump’s Sanctions

President Nicolás Maduro’s opponents hope a new period of economic pain will finally topple his government. He is using cryptocurrency to hold on.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2025

Pentagon Accepts $130 Million Donation to Help Pay Troops During Shutdown

The move could violate a law prohibiting federal agencies from spending money in excess of congressional appropriations or from accepting voluntary services.

U.S. Deploys Aircraft Carrier to Latin America, a Major Escalation

The announcement came after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the military had killed six aboard a 10th boat that he asserted was carrying drugs.

Trump Leaves Behind a Reeling Washington to Chase a Deal With China

President Trump is embarking on a six-day diplomatic tour of Asia, testing his role as a statesman and negotiator as he pursues a trade deal with Beijing.

Asia, Caught in the Middle, Faces Trump and Xi’s Tug of War

President Trump’s trip, and visit with Xi Jinping, shows how the U.S. and China are vying for influence in Asia over trade, technology and Taiwan’s fate.

Justice Department Will Monitor Elections in California and New Jersey

The Trump administration said that monitors would watch elections in two Democrat-led states voting on key races and issues that could affect the balance of power.

Reason Magazine – December 2025 Preview

REASON MAGAZINE: The latest issue features

‘He Never Got To Go Home’

Justin Sanchez is one of more than 6,000 Americans indefinitely detained in a system that wastes money and doesn’t make us safer.

How Weed Surveillance Drones Destroyed the Lives of These Californians

California tried to use drones to find illegal marijuana operations, but they found building code violations instead.

You Can Thank This Ohio Klansman for Expanding Your Freedom of Speech

Brandenburg v. Ohio established the “imminent lawless action” standard. More than 50 years later, partisans keep trying to apply it selectively. Jacob Sullum

How the Punisher, a Murderous Anti-Hero, Became the Mascot for Increasingly Militarized Police Forces

“He is breaking the very laws…that cops are supposed to uphold.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2025

Trump Says He’s Cutting Off Trade Negotiations With Canada

President Trump said he was motivated by an ad, paid for by the province of Ontario, that featured Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs in a 1987 radio address.

With Power Move on Rare Earths, China Plays Both Victim and Bully

By weaponizing its dominance in rare earths, Beijing is echoing the same tactics it once decried, and is potentially alienating nations it wants to court.

U.S. Charges N.B.A. Coach and Players in Gambling Schemes

More than 30 people were indicted on Thursday in a case involving insider bets on basketball games and poker games rigged by Mafia families.

Vance Says International Security Force Will Take Lead on Disarming Hamas

Vice President JD Vance spoke from Israel, as he wrapped up a visit aimed at shoring up a fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.