The office of the special counsel accused the former president of seeking to delete security camera footage at Mar-a-Lago. The manager of the property, Carlos De Oliveira, was also named as a new defendant.
The department will examine allegations of pervasive problems with excessive force and unlawful stops of Black residents that were amplified by the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols.
Study of Elite College Admissions Data Suggests Being Very Rich Is Its Own Qualification
Elite colleges have long been filled with the children of the richest families: At Ivy League schools, one in six students has parents in the top 1 percent.
Amid Shared Pain Over Synagogue Massacre, Divisions on Death Penalty
Since the 2018 attack that left 11 people dead, Jews in Pittsburgh have weighed whether the government should seek the execution of the killer.
Harvard GSD – HARVARD DESIGN MAGAZINE S/S 22 (SUMMER 2023) – ISSUE 50: TODAY’S GLOBAL – How is design advancing the definition of globalization beyond the mere movement of capital to a more nuanced, projective, and equitable discourse and practice? Our world’s ugly histories and daunting challenges—environmental, political, social, ethical, and economic—have compelled new forms of cooperation, motivated by the vital optimism of those inheriting our shared planet.
Lewis Mumford in introducing his now-classic study The City in History wrote, “This book opens with a city that was, symbolically, a world: it closes with a world that has become, in many practical aspects, a city.”1 He saw among the chief functions of the city the conversion of energy into culture. Indeed, the city of old was the anchor of the surrounding culture and synonymous with it. However in the decades since he wrote, the energies of cities have been fueled by an increasingly diverse population with increasingly diverse cultures. Cities are the very places where we see the effects of global migration and face the questions of identity in a complex multicultural society. Today there are a multitude of cities that are, symbolically, the world with all its diversity. Not just New York and London, but Minneapolis and Leeds are today’s world-cities. And the globalization of people, communications, and transportation has created a world that is, in many ways, a city.
The architectural profession is in the midst of a long-overdue ethical reckoning. For years, it could ride the tidal wave of globalization to bigger and better commissions while still claiming that it was fighting the good fight. Nowadays, architects are more likely to be on the defensive. Our most celebrated architectural minds are routinely chastised in the media for placing personal vanity above the interests of the general public. And the fact that many of them have been far too willing to brush aside a client’s dubious ethics for the right commission has done little to dispel that perception.
Federal Reserve officials lifted borrowing costs by a quarter-point after pausing in June. Rates could rise more, but the central bank is not ready to commit.
Judge Maryellen Noreika sent the two sides back to try to work out modifications that would address her legal and constitutional concerns and salvage the basic contours of the agreement.
Gov. Abbott’s Policing of Texas Border Pushes Limits of State Power
The governor brought in razor wire, floating barriers and state troopers to deter unauthorized migration. The federal government mounted its first legal pushback this week.
Giuliani Concedes He Made False Statements About Georgia Election Workers
Rudolph W. Giuliani said he still had “legal defenses” in a case brought by two election workers who said he had defamed them as he asserted that the 2020 election was marred by fraud.
DW Travel (July 26, 2023) – DW’s Diana Piñeros travels along the country’s most scenic route, the Golden Circle. Diana will explore highlights on this circular sightseeing route such as the Gullfoss waterfall, the Thingvellir National Park, where two tectonic plates meet, and the legendary Blue Lagoon.
Video timeline:00:00 Intro 00:28 Roadtripping the Golden Circle – what you need to know 01:12 Gullfoss waterfall 03:19 Haukadalur valley with the Strokkur geysir 04:39 Þingvellir National Park 05:52 Silfra reef 06:10 Blue Lagoon
President Biden’s decisions on when to speak out forcefully for democracy can prove tricky.
Warming Could Push the Atlantic Past a ‘Tipping Point’ This Century
The system of ocean currents that regulates the climate for a swath of the planet could collapse sooner than expected, a new analysis found.
How War Destroyed a ‘Long and Happy Marriage’
The conflict in Ukraine has split apart millions of families. The story of Andrii Shapovalov and Tetiana Shapovalova reveals how a couple’s bond can become a casualty.
The Local Project (July 25, 2023) – From the moment the gates opened, client and interior designer Gillian Wynn knew Palms Residence was the secret garden house she had been looking for. After enlisting the help of Olson Kundig for the architecture and design of her home, Gillian delivered a brief that asked for something that was unlike the past work of the studio.
Video timeline:00:00 – Introduction From The Homeowner 00:57 – Collaborating With The Architect 01:28 – Intertwining The Indoors And Outdoors 02:43 – Venice’s Natural Light 03:14 – The Unique Kinetic Sculpture 04:09 – A Modest Palette 04:56 – Disappearing Into The Garden 05:27 – The Deconstructed Geometry Of The House
As the agenda of the residence was mostly focused on emphasising the garden, both Tom Kundig, Principal and Founder at Olson Kundig, and Gillian knew that in order to make her vision come to life, the home needed to be manipulated around nature. Seen throughout the house tour is a yoga studio, living and dining areas and a couple of bedrooms, each space blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor living and taking advantage of the paradise-like climate of Venice. Employing a number of design techniques,
Olson Kundig treats architecture like “layers of clothing,” in that there are multiple ways to open and close the home and manipulate how one can enter and exit. Yet it is how the garden is shaped around the home to encourage light to trickle through the trees and inside to complement the interior design that turns Palms Residence into a secret garden house. With the focal point of indoor and outdoor living, the home is complemented with wide glass doors and a glass-walled stairwell that invites the light in and creates a warming character.
Moreover, due to the home’s location, there is a magical quality of natural light that emphasises the architecture and interior design from the moment the sun rises and until it sets. Additionally, the home’s private yoga studio features a Gamelatron installation, a kinetic sculpture designed by the owner’s close friend Aaron Taylor Kuffner. Composed on site, the sculpture emits a sound bath via Indonesian gongs, which sets the tone of meditation and flow for the rest of the secret garden house.
Complaining of an unaccountable judiciary, the far-right governing coalition, despite months of mass protests, voted to strip the court’s power to override “unreasonable” government actions.
The Israeli prime minister has pushed through the first part of his judicial overhaul, but in doing so has deepened a rift in Israeli society and propelled the country into an uncertain new era.
What the Collapse of Spain’s Far Right Means Going Forward
About the only thing clear from Spain’s muddled election results was that Spaniards were turning away from the political
Seeking Full Honors, Some Ukrainian Families Wait to Bury Their Dead
Thousands of families have buried soldiers in cemeteries across Ukraine in “Alleys of Heroes.” But some have held off, awaiting a version of Arlington National Cemetery.
Little Big World (July 24, 2023) – Schloss Elmau is a five-star hotel and national monument, situated between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Mittenwald in a sanctuary of the Bavarian Alps, Germany.
It lies at the foot of the Wetterstein mountains. It’s the only venu, that has hosted the G7 Summit twice. I was lucky enough to be invided by them to shoot footage from the summer activities in the valley sourrounding the hotel. Thanks to Naomi Jödicke for making this episode happen.
Lawmakers are set to vote Monday on whether to limit the Supreme Court’s power as one element of a government plan to overhaul judicial authority. It is part of a profound rift over Israel’s nature and future.
President Biden has cautioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against pursuing a proposal to rein in Israel’s judiciary, a plan that has deeply divided Israeli society.
How a Drugmaker Profited by Slow-Walking a Promising H.I.V. Therapy
Gilead delayed a new version of a drug, allowing it to extend the patent life of a blockbuster line of medications, internal documents show.
As Inquiries Compound, Justice System Pours Resources Into Scrutinizing Trump
For all their complexity, the Trump-related prosecutions have not significantly constrained the ability of prosecutors to carry out their regular duties, officials have said.
The Flying Dutchman (July 23, 2023) – Spiez is a town and municipality on the shore of Lake Thun in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss canton of Bern. It is part of the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district.
Besides the town of Spiez, the municipality also includes the settlements of Einigen, Hondrich, Faulensee, and Spiezwiler.
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