Category Archives: Views

News, Newspapers, Views

The New York Times — Thursday, Dec 21, 2023

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Gaza Truce Talks Bog Down Over Disputes on Aid Inspections

Diplomats at the Security Council were engaged in intense, behind-the-scenes negotiations on Wednesday over a resolution calling for a pause in fighting in Gaza.

In Cairo and at the U.N., negotiators struggled to come up with plans for pausing the fighting, freeing hostages and speeding up help for Gazans.

Amid Gaza War and Red Sea Attacks, Yemen’s Houthis Refuse to Back Down

Armed men standing on the beach as the commercial ship Galaxy Leader, which was seized by the Houthis last month, was anchored off the coast of Yemen this month.

The militia, which has targeted ships it says are connected to Israel, has vowed not to stop until the siege in Gaza ends and claims that a new U.S.-led maritime task force cannot deter the attacks.

Trump Cases Crashing Into Supreme Court Could Reshape 2024 Election

The ruling that Donald Trump is not eligible for the ballot in Colorado is the latest election-related issue likely to land before the justices. The implications for 2024 could be profound.

Inside the Booming Business of Cutting Babies’ Tongues

Dentists and lactation consultants around the country are pushing “tongue-tie releases” on new mothers struggling to breastfeed.

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The New York Times — Wednesday, Dec 20, 2023

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Trump Is Disqualified From 2024 Ballot, Colorado Court Says in Explosive Ruling

Former President Donald J. Trump at a rally in Durham, N.H., last week. His political opponents have sought to keep him off the 2024 presidential ballot by citing the 14th Amendment.

The decision, the first by a court to find that Donald Trump is ineligible to hold office again because he engaged in insurrection, is likely to put a monumental case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Red Sea Attacks Pose Another Threat to Global Economy

Ships awaiting passage through the Suez Canal in 2021. When shipping companies avoid the canal, they often must spend millions of dollars more on fuel to transport their goods on longer routes.

Already hampered by problems at the Panama Canal, shipping companies are now steering clear of the Suez Canal to avoid being attacked in the Red Sea.

7 Months Inside an Online Scam Labor Camp

A man was abducted by a Chinese gang and forced to work in a scam operation. He gathered financial information, photos and videos and shared the material with The New York Times.

In Iceland, a Fiery Show of Lava and Smoke

Icelanders had been girding for an eruption. When it happened, they wanted to see it.

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The New York Times — Tuesday, December 19, 2023

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U.S. Urges Israel to Do More to Spare Civilians in Gaza and Pushes Hostage Talks

Two military officials standing at lecterns against a backdrop of American and Israeli flags.

The American defense secretary reiterated “unshakable” support for Israeli security, but said protecting Palestinians was a “moral duty and a strategic imperative.”

How Putin Turned a Western Boycott Into a Bonanza

If companies want to leave Russia, the president is setting the terms — in ways that benefit his government, his elites and his war.

Pope Francis Allows Priests to Bless Same-Sex Couples

A church official said the blessings amounted to “a real development” that nevertheless did not amend “the traditional doctrine of the church about marriage.”

Chimps Can Still Remember Faces After a Quarter Century

Long-term memories may have been vital to our own evolution, suggests a new study of chimpanzees and bonobos.

Cities, Travel, Videos, Views

Cinematic Travel: Tour Of Granada, Andalusia, Spain

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Matteo Bertoli Films (December 18, 2023) – Granada is a city in southern Spain’s Andalusia region, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s known for grand examples of medieval architecture dating to the Moorish occupation, especially the Alhambra.

This sprawling hilltop fortress complex encompasses royal palaces, serene patios, and reflecting pools from the Nasrid dynasty, as well as the fountains and orchards of the Generalife gardens.

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The New York Times — Monday, December 18, 2023

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Israel’s Allies Urge Restraint as Netanyahu Vows ‘Fight to the End’

Dark smoke rises from Gaza, seen from southern Israel.

The U.S. defense secretary was headed to the Middle East as two top European officials called for a scaled-back war against Hamas.

Why Democracy Hasn’t Settled the Abortion Question

Post-Roe voting might bring America to a new consensus — but only if the voters keep getting their say.

Campus Crackdowns Have Chilling Effect on Pro-Palestinian Speech

Universities are under tremendous pressure to stamp out antisemitism, but some say that is causing fear and curbing free expression.

More Than 100 Members of This Gaza Clan Have Been Killed in War

Family trees have been dismembered, and whole branches obliterated, since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on Oct. 7.

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The New York Times — Sunday, December 17, 2023

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Israel Found the Hamas Money Machine Years Ago. Nobody Turned It Off.

Running to a reinforced concrete shelter in Ashkelon, Israel, moments after a rocket siren was sounded on Oct. 7.

Agents worried as millions poured in. Hamas bought weapons and plotted an attack. The authorities now say the money helped lay the groundwork for the Oct. 7 assault on Israel.

Israel Says 3 Hostages Bore White Flag Before Being Killed by Troops

Families and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas attending a rally calling for their return in Tel Aviv on Saturday.

The military said the mistaken killing of the three men, who had been shirtless, was a violation of its rules of engagement.

Behind the Scenes at the Dismantling of Roe v. Wade

This is the inside story of how the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion — shooting down compromise and testing the boundaries of how the law is decided.

The Overlooked Crisis in Congo: ‘We Live in War’

Six million have died, and more than six million are displaced after decades of fighting and the ensuing humanitarian crisis in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, drawing in neighbors, mercenaries and militias. An upcoming election is inflaming tempers.

Culture, Gardens, Travel, Videos, Views

Views: The Zen Beauty Of Japanese Gardens In Kyoto

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Yurara Sarara Films (December 15, 2023) – Collections of the beauty of Japanese gardens in Kyoto. There are many types of Japanese gardens, from the karesansui dry rock gardens that replicate the flow of water with rocks, to the strolling gardens that are built around a pond. Because of the relation these gardens have with Zen and the Japanese concept of wabi and sabi, they are most often found at temples, so this, of course, means there are many Japanese gardens in Kyoto.

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The New York Times — Saturday, Dec 16, 2023

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Zelensky Returns to Ukraine With Little Aid and a Raft of Needs

Residents removing their belongings on Wednesday after a Russian missile fell near an apartment building in Kyiv.

The European Union’s willingness to open accession talks will lift morale, but the more immediate prospects for financial support from allies is sobering.

Women at Fast-Growing Realty Firm Say They Were Drugged and Assaulted

In lawsuits, five women say eXp Realty long ignored complaints that two male agents were preying on their female peers at alcohol-fueled work events.

Private Gun Ownership in Israel Spikes After Hamas Attacks

In a country already bristling with armed soldiers and reservists, a new sense of insecurity is pushing civilians to seek more personal weapons.

Jury Orders Giuliani to Pay $148 Million to Election Workers He Defamed

Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, wrongfully accused by Rudolph W. Giuliani of having tried to steal votes from Donald J. Trump in Georgia, were awarded the damages by a federal court in Washington.

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The New York Times — Friday, December 15, 2023

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Washington Urges Israel to Scale Down Its War in Gaza

A soldier on an armored vehicle.

The call for a more targeted phase in the war appeared to be the most definitive effort yet by the United States to restrain Israel in its retaliation against Hamas for the attacks it led on Oct. 7.

How the Israel-Hamas War Tore Apart Public Defenders in the Bronx

The Bronx Defenders, who represent the borough’s most vulnerable in court, have been mired in furious debate over a faraway conflict.

The Bronx Defenders is one of the most influential public defense organizations in the United States. But allegations of antisemitism have dogged it and have grown louder since Oct. 7.

Who Gets the Water in California? Whoever Gets There First.

As the world warms, the state is re-examining claims to its water that have gone unchallenged for generations.

Losing Hair, Gaining Followers

Hair-loss influencers on TikTok say they are destigmatizing a common insecurity. Critics say they are cashing in on a vulnerable audience.

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The New York Times — Thursday, Dec 14, 2023

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In a First, Nations at Climate Summit Agree to Move Away From Fossil Fuels

Sultan Al Jaber, right, the president of COP28, at the summit early on Wednesday with COP28 and United Nations officials.

Nearly 200 countries convened by the United Nations approved a milestone plan to ramp up renewable energy and transition away from coal, oil and gas.

Under Rules of War, ‘Proportionality’ in Gaza Is Not About Evening the Score

Palestinians examining the rubble of destroyed buildings after an airstrike in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, in October.

The concept, important for determining the legality of an act of war, is about weighing civilian harm against military objectives, not about achieving a balanced number of casualties.

Held Hostage in Gaza, a Thai Worker’s Prayers for Freedom Come True

A Thai farmworker clung to hope during her nearly 50 days of captivity in Gaza by befriending a young Israeli girl and dreaming of reuniting with her boyfriend, who had also been abducted.

Tesla Recalls Autopilot Software in 2 Million Vehicles

Federal regulators pressed the automaker to make updates to ensure drivers are paying attention while using Autopilot, a system that can steer, accelerate and brake on its own.