MONOCLE RADIO (March 21, 2025): Europe’s response to the plan for peacekeepers in Ukraine and developments surrounding the potential ceasefire with Russia. Then: the International Olympic Committee votes in a new president and the South Pacific looks to welcome in the world’s latest country. Plus: what to expect when Art Basel returns to Hong Kong.
Category Archives: Politics
The New York Times – Friday, March 21, 2025
Trump Signs Order Aimed at Eliminating Education Dept. ‘Once and for All’
Congress and federal law stand in the way of shutting down the agency, which manages federal loans for college, tracks student achievement and supports programs for students with disabilities.
With Orders, Investigations and Innuendo, Trump and G.O.P. Aim to Cripple the Left
The president and his allies in Congress are targeting the financial, digital and legal machinery that powers the Democratic Party and much of the progressive political world.
‘Captain Canada’ Takes On Trump
Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, is reinventing himself as one of Canada’s staunchest defenders against President Trump’s economic and sovereignty threats.
In Syria, Being Wanted Went From Something to Fear to a Badge of Honor
The ousted Assad dictatorship kept lists of millions of wanted people. Now, Syrians are openly asking whether they “have a name” on any of those lists and are sharing the news proudly.
The Economist Magazine – March 22, 2025 Preview
THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE (March 20, 2025): The latest issue features Rise of the superhuman….
How to enhance humans
Finding ways to live much longer—and better—shouldn’t be left to the cranks
The trap Vladimir Putin has set for Donald Trump
The Russian president wants to suggest that Ukraine is just a detail in a wider relationship
The judges Trump scorns should stand their ground
The rule of law is at stake
Dreams of improving the human race are no longer science fiction
But the “enhancement” industry is still hobbled by out-of-date regulation
The New York Times Magazine – March 23, 2025
THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE (March 20, 2025): The 3.23.25 Issue features Matt Flegenheimer and Dana Rubinstein on Eric Adams’s scandal-ridden mayoralty; Helen Ouyang on how airline pilots are pushed to hide their mental health issues; Parul Sehgal on progressives and solidarity; and more.
How Eric Adams Lost New York
He promised law and order. Instead, his scandal-ridden mayoralty became a symbol — and engine — of the city’s chaos.
Why Airline Pilots Feel Pushed to Hide Their Mental Illness
Is the F.A.A. really ensuring
How Generative A.I. Complements the MAGA Style
Online Trump supporters have embraced a unique form of irony that is hard to parse — and easy to deploy with new technologies.safety by disqualifying pilots who receive a diagnosis or treatment?
The Guardian Weekly – March 21, 2025 Preview
THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY (March 20, 2025): The latest issue features ‘Driven to Fury’ – How Tesla became a target for protest…
Lauren Gambino examines how growing difficulties for Musk have given heart to Democrats as they see his recognition factor and billionaire status as an easy rallying point to rebuild their own battered political fortunes.
Spotlight | On the frontline of the tariff wars
Leyland Cecco takes the pulse of Hamilton, Ontario’s steel-making hub, after the Trump administration imposed a 25% levy on imports of Canadian steel and aluminium
Environment | Loess regained
The Loess plateau was the most eroded place on Earth until China took action and reversed decades of damage from grazing and farming, finds Helen Davidson
Feature | A Syrian civil war survivor
Ghaith Abdul-Ahad chronicles the life of Mustafa, determined to succeed in the new Syria even with his past as a forced soldier for the Assad regime
Opinion | Trump’s every misstep brings chaos
The honeymoon is over for a president who seems to personify the law of unintended consequences, says Simon Tisdall
Culture | A painter in her own write
Celia Paul tells Charlotte Higgins about her relationship with Lucian Freud and the struggles of being out of step with the art world
The New York Times – Thursday, March 20, 2025
Zelensky Agrees to Halt Strikes on Russian Energy Targets in Call With Trump
President Trump also floated the idea of the United States taking control of Ukrainian power plants, according to U.S. officials. The Ukrainian president said he was not pressured about the proposal.
Mexico City Bans Traditional Bullfights for Violence-Free Option
Showdowns between people and bulls can still go on, but the animals can no longer be hurt or killed. Some bullfighting proponents said the law imperils an ancient tradition.
Donald Trump Jr. Mixes Business and Politics in Serbia, as Protests There Rage
President Trump’s oldest son visited Belgrade, the site of a Trump International Hotel project, and pushed back on calls for the country’s president to resign.
White House Plans to Pause $175 Million for Penn Over Transgender Policy
The decision is the latest clash between a university and the administration as it pushes schools to end diversity programming and adopt stricter discipline, among other things.
The New York Times – Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Israel Resumes Strikes on Gaza, Killing Hundreds, as Cease-Fire Breaks Down
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had ordered the aerial attacks after Hamas’s “repeated refusal” to release the remaining hostages it holds. “This is just the beginning,” he said.
Judge in Deportation Case Draws Ire of Republicans as White House Pushes Back
The attacks on the judge, James E. Boasberg, elicited a rare public rebuke by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who essentially told critics to knock it off.
Putin Agrees to Limits on Energy Targets but Not Full Ukraine Cease-Fire
In a call with President Trump, Russia’s leader agreed to pause strikes on energy infrastructure. Ukraine also appeared willing to accept such a halt, though it fell short of the unconditional cease-fire the country had already agreed to.
Kennedy’s Alarming Prescription for Bird Flu on Poultry Farms
The health secretary has suggested allowing the virus to spread, so as to identify birds that may be immune. Such an experiment would be disastrous, scientists say.
Guernica Magazine – March 2025 Preview
GUERNICA MAGAZINE (March 17, 2025): The March Issue features Olivia Cheng’s short story Bathhouse Gossip…
Joli Petit Accent
“Indeed, growing up, moving between the United States and Palestine made me feel as if I shed one self and inhabited another, over and over again… But today, instead of observing the gaps in my knowledge and experience in either culture, I focus on my access to other languages and understandings.”By Jenine Abboushi
Bathhouse Gossip
“They’ve swung in the opposite direction and they’re all done with democracy and liberalism.”By Olivia Cheng
Taximen
“Trinidad was brewing with a sense of premonition, that time was either running out or coming to a head.”By Eskor David Johnson
The New York Times – Tuesday, March 18, 2025
DOGE Cuts Reach Key Nuclear Scientists, Bomb Engineers and Safety Experts
Firings and buyouts hit the top-secret National Nuclear Security Administration amid a major effort to upgrade America’s nuclear arsenal. Critics say it shows the consequences of heedlessly cutting the federal work force.
Justice Department Stonewalls Federal Judge Over Deportation Flights
The Trump administration tried to have the hearing canceled and sought to remove the judge overseeing it, as White House officials took a confrontational stance.
Israel’s Newest Army Recruits: the Ultra-Orthodox
Israel’s Newest Army Recruits: the Ultra-Orthodox
Nary a Critical Word: Bill Gates’s Close Bond With Narendra Modi
The relationship between the billionaire philanthropist and the Indian leader helps both men meet their missions. But it also papers over the erosion of rights under Mr. Modi.
The New Republic Magazine – April 2025
THE NEW REPUBLIC MAGAZINE (March 17, 2025): The April 2025 issue features ‘Democrats must become the Workers Party Again’
Democrats, This Is the Worst Possible Time for a Civil War
The party’s base is right to be angry at Chuck Schumer, but the country’s fate hinges on the fight against Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Michael Tomasky
Is the American Electric Car Already Dead?
Trump is cutting power to the EV industry. It’s unclear if it can recover.
Trump Is Fighting His Court Losses With a Surprising Legal Tactic
Legal skirmishes between the administration and lower court judges have highlighted the way the federal court system itself has become a thorn in the president’s side.
Boomers Daily 