Category Archives: Views

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

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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

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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?

Tours: Inside France’s Most Beautiful Gardens

FRANCE 24 (March 15, 2023) – The most beautiful gardens in France are the fruit of monumental work by men and women, in partnership with Mother Nature. In the north of Corsica, the magnificent floral paradise of Parc de Saleccia was born from the ashes of a terrible fire in 1974.

Much further north, near Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, the Château de La Ballue is most remarkable for its listed gardens, where geometric shapes abound. Finally, on the French Riviera, the luxurious Eilenroc villa is especially famous for its rose garden, with varieties named after film stars.

Aerial Views: Island Of Santo Antão, Cape Verde

March 15, 2023: Santo Antão is the westernmost island of Cape Verde. At 785 km², it is the largest of the Barlavento Islands group, and the second largest island of Cape Verde. The nearest island is São Vicente to the southeast, separated by the sea channel Canal de São Vicente.

Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an archipelago and island country in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about 4,033 square kilometres.

Filmed and edited by: Fabian Wüst

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

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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.

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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.

Travel: The Historic Trans-Bhutan Trail Is Reopened

BBC News (March 14, 2023) – Once the lifeline of Bhutan, the 403km Trans-Bhutan Trail connected the affluent western districts of Haa to the remote far eastern Trashigang. The trail dates back to the 16th Century, and was used by monarchs, traders, pilgrims and messengers for hundreds of years, but fell into disuse soon after Bhutan developed its highway in the 1960s. Now, more than 60 years later, the historic trail has reopened.

Trans Bhutan Trail
A local walks in a field in Paro; 70 percent of the kingdom is covered with greenery.

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

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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.

Italy Travel: The ‘Via Di Linari’ Pilgrimage Route

Emilia Romagna Tourism (March 13, 2023) – Walking along the Via di Linari, an ancient pilgrimage route towards Rome (alternative to the Via Francigena) which connects Fidenza to the Linari Abbey, a religious settlement that once stood on the mountain ridge between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna.

It was established as a safer route to Tuscany compared to the Via Francigena, and it soon became an important road both for pilgrims on their way to Rome and as a trade route for the city of Parma. Like the  St Vicinio Way, the Linari Way was dotted with parish churches and hospitalia, places where travellers could find shelter from the elements and bandits.

Cambodia Walks: Food Markets In Phnom Penh

Sina NSN Videos (March 12, 2023) – Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s busy capital, sits at the junction of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers. It was a hub for both the Khmer Empire and French colonialists. On its walkable riverfront, lined with parks, restaurants and bars, are the ornate Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum, displaying artifacts from around the country. At the city’s heart is the massive, art deco Central Market.

The eight most popular and central markets are Russian MarketCentral MarketOlympic MarketOrussey MarketBoueng Keng Kang MarketKandal MarketOld Market and Night Market.

Most markets have a wide selection ranging from fresh food to clothes to households supplies to motor parts, but the markets still differ a lot and they are specialize in different areas.

The most popular market among expats and tourist is definitely Russian Market, where you can find; souvenirs, handicraft, western sized clothes, handmade silk, fake bags and English DVDs. This is also the market where you will need to bargain the most.

Central Market, which is housed in a beautiful Art-Deco building, is the most spacious and cleanest market in Phnom Penh. Central market has the biggest supply of jewelry and gemstones of all markets and probably the freshest food section. You can also find a lot of shops selling electronics and household electronics around the market.

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

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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.