Category Archives: Views

The New York Times — Sunday, July 23, 2023

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The Steep Cost of Ron DeSantis’s Vaccine Turnabout

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida presents his Covid strategy not only as his biggest accomplishment, but as the foundation for his presidential campaign.

Once a vaccine advocate, the Florida governor lost his enthusiasm for the shot before the Delta wave sent Covid hospitalizations and deaths soaring. It’s a grim chapter he now leaves out of his rosy retelling of his pandemic response.

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Venezuela’s Oil Industry Is Broken. Now It’s Breaking the Environment

A home lit by gas flares from oil wells in Punta de Mata, Venezuela.

Gas flares and leaking pipelines from Venezuela’s once-booming oil industry, hobbled by U.S. sanctions and mismanagement, are polluting towns and a major lake.

In Belarus, the Protests Were Three Years Ago. The Crackdown Is Never-Ending.

Aleksandr G. Lukashenko brutally repressed those who opposed his claim of re-election as president. The crackdown on dissent has only deepened since.

Far Right May Rise as Kingmaker in Spanish Election

A messier political landscape has lent leverage to the extremes, leaving a hard-right party with a chance to share power for the first time since Franco.

Food Insider: Why Grade A Maple Syrup Is So Valuable

Insider Business (July 22, 2023) – Once pierced, century-old maple trees drip sap referred to as liquid gold. It will take roughly 50 gallons of these drops to make one 1 gallon of 100% pure Grade A maple syrup.

Farms in the Hudson Valley, New York State, can sell that gallon for over $200, almost 29 times more than popular imitation syrup. Despite the price, Grade A maple syrup is incredibly sought-after. So much so that C$18 million worth of it was stolen in one of the largest heists in Canadian history.

But why is Grade A maple syrup worth so much? And why is it so expensive?

Profiles: Photographer John Fielder In Colorado

CBS Sunday Morning (July 22, 2023) – Photographer John Fielder took a leap of faith that kickstarted his career. From department store worker to nature photographer, John shares how he lives and views life, Fielder, recently diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, looks back on his life with CBS News’ Barry Peterson.

John Fielder has been capturing the beauty of Colorado for 40 years. From majestic sunrises over the Rockies to colorful Colorado wildflowers  bordering alpine lakes, his photos portray Colorado in all its glory.

John Fielder is Colorado’s Premier Photographer

The New York Times — Saturday, July 22, 2023

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Trial in Trump Documents Case Set for May 2024

Former President Donald J. Trump speaking in Concord, N.H., in June.

Judge Aileen M. Cannon rejected former President Donald J. Trump’s request to delay the trial until after the election but pushed the start date past the Justice Department’s request to begin in December.

In Black Sea Showdown, Russia Batters Ukraine’s Ability to Export Grain

A devastated storage building as seen from above.

Russia held exercises demonstrating its power to sink ships and stop those that try to run its blockade. For Ukrainian food exports to resume, Moscow said, a list of demands must be met.

An Untested Judge in the Trump Documents Case

Judge Aileen M. Cannon.

Judge Aileen M. Cannon’s ruling to start the Trump documents trial in May 2024 showed, for now, that she is the jurist defenders have described: level-headed and not beholden to the man who appointed her.

Pressured by Biden, A.I. Companies Agree to Guardrails on New Tools

Amazon, Google and Meta are among the companies that announced the guidelines as they race to outdo each other with versions of artificial intelligence.

Modern Home Design: ‘Wurrungwuri’ In Sydney

The Local Project (July 21, 2023) – Exuding the immediate feeling of joy, Wurrungwuri by Carter Williamson offers a pleasant experience from the home’s heritage façade to its modern extensions to become the best modern home in the area.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro To The Modern Home 00:43 – Interpreting The Brief 01:43 – The Collaborative Process 02:27 – A Walkthrough of the Modern Home 03:53 – The Exterior Landscape and Garden 04:25 – Responding To The Site of the Home 04:58 – Balancing Natural Lighting And Voids 05:51 – Interweaving The Old And New Addition 06:59 – Creating A Sense Of Discovery in the Home 07:36 – The Internal Heating Process 08:01 – A Personal Art Gallery 08:36 – A Rewarding Resolution

As the clients desired a modern renovation to improve Wurrungwuri’s original from, Carter Williamson added a new addition that would respond to the heritage structure and rear harbour views as well as allow the owners to showcase their artwork.

Both architect and interior designer, Carter Williamson performed the perfect collaboration between the client, architect, designer and builder, which resulted in the delivery of the best modern home. From the front door, one experiences a warm welcome as they step into the original home, with living spaces to one side and bedrooms to the other.

Moving further into the best modern home, a threshold between the old and new acts as a gallery. With a double-height void allowing for a connection to the dining room below, the void becomes an important part of the home’s interior design. In the below new additions, Carter Williamson has placed darker rooms to the left that sit under the original home, whilst light-filled spaces sit to the right. The home then leads into the main entertaining rooms and kitchen as well as the dining room that sits directly under the void that features a Tom Dixon chandelier.

The New York Times — Friday, July 21, 2023

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House Overwhelmingly Passes Bill to Improve Air Travel

A fight over the number of long-distance flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Congress’s back yard, had threatened to hold up the legislation.

The House cleared away a number of potential sticking points that had threatened to hold up the bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. It goes next to the Senate.

For Europe’s Older Population, Heat Is the New Covid

Donata Grillo, 75, cooled herself with a damp sponge on Wednesday in Rome, where she lives alone without air conditioning or a functioning refrigerator.

Scorching temperatures have threatened the health of the elderly and pushed them inside, while governments are trying to take extraordinary steps to protect them.

She’s on a Mission From God: Suing Big Oil for Climate Damages

A lawyer started small with a creative tactic. It grew into an effort that could force fossil fuel companies to pay hundreds of billions in damages.

Quick to Mock MAGA, Biden Stays Silent on Trump Indictments

The president has taken swipes at Republicans, including a video playfully featuring Marjorie Taylor Greene as a narrator, but he and his allies are avoiding one target: his predecessor’s legal woes.

Sailing Yachts: 131′ Nautor Swan ‘Aristarchos’ (2006)

Fraser Yachts Films (July 20, 2023) – Built for global cruising, sailing yacht ARISTARCHOS will delight a keen and experienced sailor. The largest Swan built to date, ARISTARCHOS is a testament to the Nautor style and quality.

She was built for and by an experienced yachtsman and has been lovingly maintained by the same Owner with a rigorous and well-documented maintenance program since her delivery, leaving her in exceptional condition.

Bringing together Frers Naval Architecture and Rhoades Young interior design, the result is a sleek sailing yacht that is both luxurious and very comfortable. She can accommodate 8 guests in 3 staterooms and features ample deck space to lounge and connect with the sun and sea.

Travel: Walking Tour Of Bilbao In Northern Spain

Tourister Films (July 20, 2023) – Bilbao, an industrial port city in northern Spain, is surrounded by green mountains. It’s the de facto capital of Basque Country, with a skyscraper-filled downtown.

It’s famed for the Frank Gehry–designed Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, which sparked revitalization when it opened in 1997. The museum houses prominent modern and contemporary works, but it’s the curvy, titanium-clad building that receives the most attention. 

The New York Times — Thursday, July 20, 2023

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Russia Hits Grain Ports and Threatens Ships Headed to Ukraine

Hospital staff cleaning broken glass at the regional oncological dispensary hospital, following a Russian strike in Odesa on Wednesday. It was the second straight night of concentrated attacks on Odesa, Ukraine’s largest port, and other shipping centers.

Ukraine accused Moscow of specifically targeting the infrastructure for exporting food, after Russia pulled out of an agreement allowing ships carrying grain to sail past its Black Sea blockade.

China’s Xi Rebuffs Kerry’s Call for Faster Climate Action

China’s leader, Xi Jinping, visiting a coal yard of a company in northwestern China’s Shanxi Province last year.

John Kerry, President Biden’s climate envoy, emerges from talks in Beijing without a new agreement. But just talking is progress, he said.

Travel Tour: The Island Of Mykonos In Greece (2023)

Tourister Films (July 19, 2023) – A walking tour that starts in Mykonos Town, where you’ll see the iconic white buildings with their blue accents and charming alleyways. Then, the famous windmills and Little Venice, two of the island’s most photogenic spots.

Video timeline: 0:00:00 Intro Scenes 0:02:18 Mykonos

From there, we’ll venture out to some of the island’s beautiful beaches, including Psarou, Paradise, and Super Paradise.