Category Archives: Politics

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE – Dec. 14, 2025

In this Great Performers issue, some of the year's best actors show us how they conjure feelings on cue; Wesley Morris invents his own categories of awards; and more.

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The 12.14.25 Issue features Great Performers issue, some of the year’s best actors show us how they conjure feelings on cue; Wesley Morris invents his own categories of awards; and more.

We Asked 10 of the Year’s Best Actors How They Conjure Feelings on Cue

Teyana Taylor, Liam Neeson, Rose Byrne and more of our best actors on how they summon the emotions that move us.

This Year’s Film Performances Were So Good, We Had To Invent New Awards

Best Acting in a Helmet, Best Nervous Breakdown, Craziest Charm—the film performances so good Wesley Morris had to invent his own categories. By Wesley Morris

Why Won’t Senators Stand Up to Trump? We Asked 3 Who Called It Quits.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SATURDAY, DEC. 13, 2025

Venezuela Oil Tanker Seized by U.S. Was Part of Effort to Finance Cuba

Firms with ties to Cuba are getting a larger share of Venezuelan oil exports, as the island’s security agents boost President Nicolás Maduro’s defenses.

Behind the Venezuelan Opposition Leader’s Daring Escape to Oslo

An American firm with experience in special operations spirited María Corina Machado out of the country in a secretive land, sea and air operation.

In Trump’s Justice Dept., Failing in Court Might Be Better Than Bucking the Boss

Thursday demonstrated an emerging reality for President Trump: Commanding the Justice Department is not the same as controlling the justice system.

Biden Has Raised Little of What He Needs to Build a Presidential Library

Former President Biden’s library foundation has told the I.R.S. that it expects to bring in $11.3 million — not enough for a traditional presidential library.

THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE – DECEMBER 13, 2025 PREVIEW

THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Europe’s populist right’

Can anyone stop Europe’s populist right?

Apocalyptic warnings by mainstream politicians are doomed to fail

More reasons for America’s friends to plan for the worst

A strategy that scorns Europe, bullies Latin America and is vague on Asia

Don’t fear China’s trillion-dollar trade surplus

It is a problem not for the rest of the world, but for China

America’s Supreme Court should strike down Donald Trump’s tariffs

The judges’ credibility is at stake

The battle for Warner Bros is a prelude to the real streaming war

Professionally made shows face tough competition from independent makers

THE NEW YORK TIMES – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2025

From Chips to Security, China Is Getting Much of What It Wants From the U.S.

For China, President Trump’s moves to loosen chip controls, soften U.S. rhetoric and stay silent on tensions with Japan amount to a rare string of gains.

Historic Shift Is Underway in China’s Economy as Investment Slump Deepens

Investment in manufacturing, infrastructure and property is expected to fall this year, a remarkable turn for an economy whose growth reshaped the world.

Indiana Lawmakers Reject Trump’s New Political Map

Many G.O.P. lawmakers defied President Trump’s wishes, voting against a map aimed at adding Republicans in Congress.

What Indiana’s Defiance Means for Trump

U.S. Issues New Sanctions Targeting Maduro’s Family and the Oil Sector

The United States is escalating its pressure campaign on Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, after seizing an oil tanker off the coast.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – THURSDAY, DEC. 11, 2025

U.S. Steps Up Campaign Against Maduro in Seizing Tanker Off Venezuela

President Trump has labeled President Nicolás Maduro a drug cartel leader and has suggested that U.S. strikes could expand to Venezuelan soil.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Machado Vows to End Maduro’s Rule in Venezuela

María Corina Machado appeared in Oslo as the Trump administration ramped up its pressure campaign against President Nicolás Maduro.

Trump Doesn’t Want to Talk About Affordability. Democrats See That as a Gift.

As President Trump continues to brush off the issue, Democrats believe one of the biggest strengths in his first term could now become a major vulnerability.

How a Manosphere Star Accused of Rape and Trafficking Was Freed

Barred from leaving Romania, Andrew Tate courted powerful figures on the American right, from Tucker Carlson to Barron Trump. Then an extraordinary order let him go.

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY – DECEMBER 12, 2025 PREVIEW

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY: The latest issue features ‘Blocked!’ – Why Australia banned kids from social media (and what they think of it)

Millions of teenagers in Australia woke up on Wednesday to find themselves locked out of social media accounts after the government introduced a ban for under-16s – the first of its kind – on the platforms.

Far from being a kneejerk response to a moral panic, it’s a move backed up by detailed investigation into the effects of unfettered online access on children – and one that several other countries are poised to follow. Australian eSafety research found seven in 10 children aged 10 to 15 had encountered content associated with harm online. Three-quarters of those had most recently encountered that – including misogyny, violence, disordered eating and suicide – on a social media platform.

“We are seeking to create some friction [in the] system to protect children where previously there has been close to none … We are treating big tech like the extractive industry it has become,” Australia’s eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, told an audience earlier this year.

Spotlight | Syria, one year after Assad
While country’s return to global stage has filled many Syrians with pride, domestically old grievances threaten efforts to rebuild the state. William Christou reports from Damascus

Feature | The inside story of the race to create the ultimate AI
In Silicon Valley, rival companies are spending trillions of dollars to reach a goal that could change humanity – or potentially destroy it. Robert Booth reports

Feature | On the trail of London’s snail farming don
Terry Ball – renowned shoe salesman, friend to former mafiosi – has vowed to spend his remaining years finding ways to cheat authorities he feels have cheated him. His greatest ruse? A tax-dodging snail empire. Jim Waterson caught up with him

Opinion | What words are left to describe Trump’s global rampage?
Deadly US boat strikes in the Caribbean are the latest example of a president corrupting both the law and morality, argues Jonathan Freedland

Culture | The best books of 2025
From fiction to food, people to poetry, science to sport: Guardian critics round up the year’s essential reads

THE NEW YORK TIMES – WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10, 2025

Inside the Pentagon’s Scramble to Deal With Boat Strike Survivors

Officials initially weighed sending survivors of U.S. attacks on boats suspected of drug smuggling to a notorious prison in El Salvador, to avoid American courts.

Democrats Say Hegseth Balked at Call for Full Video of Boat Strike

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed congressional leaders about the monthslong military campaign targeting people suspected of trafficking drugs at sea.

The Challenges to Europe’s Security Go Beyond Trump’s Lack of Support

Europeans find themselves stranded between hostile powers, Russia and the U.S., with key decisions looming over the future of Ukraine.

Trump Says Americans Are Doing Great, Even as Views on the Economy Sour

President Trump’s speech in Pennsylvania was meant to alleviate concerns about affordability. But he kept going off script and dwelling on issues like immigration.

Stephen Miller’s Stock Sale Raises Questions, Ethics Experts Say

House Democrat Seeks to Impeach Kennedy for Undercutting Public Health

THE NEW YORK TIMES – TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2025

Supreme Court Is Asked to Take Another Ax to Campaign Finance Limits

The case centers on efforts by Republican officials to lift limits on how much money political parties can spend in coordination with candidates.

A Key Question for the Supreme Court: What About the Fed?

On Monday, the justices seemed poised to allow President Trump to remove officials but appeared to struggle with how to insulate the Federal Reserve

Trump Insists Tariffs Will Buoy the Economy. For Now, He’s on Damage Control.

President Trump rolled out a bailout for farmers as he makes the case that his policy is working — or will soon.

A Frustrated Congress Pushes the Pentagon to Produce the Boat Strike Orders

In a sign of bipartisan vexation with the Defense Department, the defense policy bill aims to compel the Pentagon to share execute orders and documentation.

In Thailand and Cambodia, Taking Shelter (Again) as Fighting Reignites

Hundreds of thousands of people fled a deadly border conflict, the authorities said, some sheltering at a racetrack in Thailand and some near temples in Cambodia.

THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE – DECEMBER 15, 2025

The lights of traffic on a New York City avenue form a festive Christmas tree.

THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE: The latest cover features ‘Pierre-Emmanuel Lyet’s “Christmas Avenue”’ – The celebratory chaos of the season.

The Trump Administration’s Chaos in the Caribbean

Pete Hegseth’s conduct is a case study in how the government’s growing sense of heedlessness and unaccountability is shaping disastrous policy. By Jonathan Blitzer

Oliver Sacks Put Himself Into His Case Studies. What Was the Cost?

The scientist was famous for linking healing with storytelling. Sometimes that meant reshaping patients’ reality. By Rachel Aviv

How to Leave the U.S.A.

In the wake of President Trump’s reëlection, the number of aggrieved Americans seeking a new life abroad appears to be rising. The Netherlands offers one way out. By Atossa Araxia Abrahamian

THE NEW YORK TIMES – MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2025

Obamacare Users Face Higher Deductibles, Higher Premiums

People who have insurance under the Affordable Care Act are being asked to pay more for plans that will cover less of their care.

China’s Trade Surplus Climbs Past $1 Trillion for First Time

President Trump’s tariffs weren’t enough to hold back the global export flood by China, which pushed past last year’s record in just 11 months.

China’s Weak Currency Is Powering Its Exports, Drawing Criticism

Supreme Court Considers Trump’s Power to Fire Independent Officials

The Supreme Court has generally allowed the firings to take effect through temporary emergency orders. This case is an opportunity for a conclusive ruling.

These Independent Agencies Could Be Affected by a Supreme Court Case

Must the Military Disobey Unlawful Orders? Pam Bondi Has Said Yes.

As a lawyer, Ms. Bondi, now the attorney general, filed a Supreme Court brief last year saying service members who followed such orders were committing crimes.