Category Archives: Uncategorized

The New York Times – Tuesday, January 14, 2025

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Once the Fires Are Out, California Must Remove Tons of Dangerous Debris

Clearing the toxic remnants of burned buildings around Los Angeles will require a complex and expensive mobilization. California has been there before.

This Is Where the Palisades Fire Started

In the hills above Pacific Palisades, there is crime scene tape and scattered debris, clues to what may have caused the initial fire that eventually raged through thousands of structures.

Biden Aides Warned Putin as Russia’s Shadow War Threatened Air Disaster

The White House scrambled to get a message to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia last year after U.S. intelligence agencies said a Russian military unit was preparing to send explosive packages on cargo planes.

Battles Rage Inside Russia, With Waves of Tanks, Drones and North Koreans

Ukrainian soldiers are describing fierce clashes as Russian forces try to retake territory in the Kursk region that could be key in eventual cease-fire talks.

The New York Times —- Friday, January 10, 2025

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In the Palisades, an Evacuation Disaster Was Years in the Making

Some Pacific Palisades residents said the community had long asked for more detailed fire preparation plans. When a fire raged through the community this week, gridlock ensued.

‘It Was Biblical’: Ash and Flame Upend Life in Southern California

Wind-whipped wildfire blew through communities of every socioeconomic status and stripe, merging, psychically if not physically, into a kind of mega-catastrophe.

Carole Wilbourn, Who Put Cats on the Couch, Dies at 84

When cats bite or scratch, they’re trying to tell you something. Ms. Wilbourn, a cat therapist, was a pioneer in the art of listening to them.

Science: Nature Magazine – January 9, 2025 Preview

Volume 637 Issue 8045

NATURE MAGAZINE (January 8, 2025): The latest issue features ‘Skin Deep’ – How the crocodile’s head got its scales…

This digital-memory device keeps its cool even at 600 °C

A battery-like technology uses a metal called tantalum to create an equivalent of digital 0s and 1s.

Fancy birds decorate nests with a natural pattern: snakeskin

The use of shed skins might help to ward off predators, experiments suggest.

A blood test detects aged cells

Proteins could serve as biomarkers for senescent cells, which have stopped dividing but have not yet died.

That Christmas jumper is a marvel of complicated physics

Models and experiments demonstrate what happens when a knitted fabric is deformed.

The New York Times – Tuesday, January 7, 2025

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Four Years After Capitol Riot, Congress Certifies Trump’s Victory Peacefully

Vice President Kamala D. Harris presided over the certification of her own loss without disputing it, and Democrats made no move to challenge the results.

Trudeau to Resign as Canada’s Prime Minister: ‘It’s Time for a Reset’

Justin Trudeau announced Monday that he was also stepping down as leader of Canada’s Liberal Party. He will remain in both roles until a replacement is chosen.

Massacre Upon Massacre: Haiti’s Bleak Spiral Into a Failed State

In Haiti, gangs have killed hundreds of people and shot journalists at a news conference, exposing the country’s fragility and the government’s failures.

N.Y. Judge’s Ruling Shows How Legal Issues Will Follow Trump Into Office

Donald Trump may not face a penalty for his conviction in the hush-money case, but he could still be the first felon to be president — and civil proceedings against him continue.

The New York Times —- Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024

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How Drone Fever Spread Across New Jersey and Beyond

The first sighting was at a military site in New Jersey, then the phenomenon spread into neighboring states. Government assurances that most “drones” were not drones at all have not tamped down curiosity.

Trump Will Confront a More Vulnerable but Determined Iran

“Coercive diplomacy” could leave Tehran to choose either a negotiated disassembly of its nuclear capability, or a forced one.

Fighting to Avoid Her Mother’s Fate, for Her Daughters’ Sake

A mutant gene is coming to steal Linde Jacobs’s mind. Can she find a way to stop it?

Bath & Body Works Needs Holiday Shoppers. Do New Scents Draw Them In?

Every year, Bath & Body Works introduces a scent that it hopes will break through during the shopping season. It doesn’t have to smell like gingerbread.

The New York Times —- Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024

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Congress Approves Spending Extension, Ending Shutdown Crisis

The Senate passed the measure, sending it to President Biden’s desk, shortly after the midnight deadline for funding to lapse.

Insurers Are Deserting Homeowners as Climate Shocks Worsen

Without insurance, it’s impossible to get a mortgage; without a mortgage, most Americans can’t buy a home.

Weight Loss Drugs Changed Their Lives. Then They Lost Coverage.

In Michigan, the state’s largest insurer has tightened restrictions around medications like Wegovy. Patients are panicking.

Al-Assad’s Soldiers Hope for Amnesty. First, They Have to Take a Number.

Syria’s new rulers say they will spare conscripts of Bashar al-Assad and pursue those who oversaw his regime’s abuses. Hundreds are lining up to learn which promise applies to them.

The New York Times —- Friday, December 20, 2024

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Elon Musk Flexes His Political Strength as Government Shutdown Looms

The world’s richest man led the charge to kill a bipartisan spending deal, in part by promoting false and misleading claims about it.

Government Lurches Toward Shutdown After House Tanks Trump’s Spending Plan

Dozens of right-wing Republicans joined Democrats in opposing a bill ordered up by President-elect Donald J. Trump to tie a government funding extension to a two-year deferral of the debt limit.

The Once Booming Drug Town Going Bust Under Taliban Rule

Funding its war against the United States, the Taliban reaped millions from boom towns trading opium, heroin and meth. Victorious, the group crushed the trade, leaving ghost towns in its wake.

With Guilty Verdicts, Rape Victim’s Ordeal in France Becomes a Message of Hope

Dozens of men who abused Gisèle Pelicot were convicted, including the man who invited them to do so: her husband of 50 years. She wanted the public trial to show rape victims they were not alone.

THE NEW YORK TIMES —THURSDAY, DEC. 19, 2024

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Giant Companies Took Secret Payments to Allow Free Flow of Opioids

Drugmakers including Purdue Pharma paid pharmacy benefit managers not to restrict painkiller prescriptions, a New York Times investigation found.

A Weary Biden Heads for the Exit

Still stinging from the election, President Biden is pushing for his final priorities but has largely absented himself from the national conversation about Donald Trump after warning repeatedly that he was a threat to American democracy.

The Wrath of Trump: House Republicans Map a Case Against Liz Cheney

President-elect Donald J. Trump has never been shy about his desire to see his enemies punished. But he often shows a measure of caution about taking credit for potential prosecutions himself.

A Rift in Trump World Over How to Make America Healthier

Statements by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Elon Musk tap into a dispute over whether lifestyle changes or drugs are a better way to treat obesity.

Times Literary Supplement December 20, 2024 Preview

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Times Literary Supplement (December 18, 2024): The latest issue features ‘Faithful unto Death’…

France Culture: Périgord Castles & Gastronomy

FRANCE 24 English (December 20, 2023) – With a thousand castles and almost as many churches, France’s south-western Périgord region is a paradise for lovers of ancient stones. Aude, 32, has inherited the fortress of Commarque.

The young Parisian left everything behind to protect this 12th-century monument. Gastronomy is also a key part of life in the Périgord. In this region that cherishes quality produce, chef Pierre Corre cooks black truffles like no one else.

Read more: https://f24.my/A0gb.y