MONOCLE RADIO (January 24, 2025): As Russia responds to Donald Trump’s sanctions, Charles Hecker joins Andrew Mueller to discuss how weak Vladimir Putin’s economy really is. Plus: more highlights from Davos, Paris Fashion Week Men’s, Oscar nominations and a very educational week for ‘What We Learned’.
The New York Times —- Friday, January 24, 2025
Senate Pushes Hegseth Toward Approval as G.O.P. Discounts New Allegations
All but two Republicans voted to advance Pete Hegseth’s nomination as secretary of defense to a final vote, as Democrats raced to bolster fresh allegations about his personal conduct.
Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s Plan to End Birthright Citizenship
A federal judge in Seattle has issued a temporary order halting the president’s plan.
House G.O.P. Floats Medicaid Cuts and More to Finance Trump’s Huge Agenda
President Trump wants a massive tax cut and immigration crackdown bill. Now Republicans must decide what to cut to help pay for it.
How Trump Was Persuaded to Pardon an Online Drug Kingpin
Libertarian and crypto allies of Ross Ulbricht, who was serving a life sentence for distributing drugs on his Silk Road website, leveraged President Trump’s desire for political support to secure his release.
Science Magazine —- January 24, 2025 Preview
SCIENCE MAGAZINE (January 23, 2025): The latest issue features ‘Maniforld Males’ – Genetic orchestration of breeding morphs in ruffs…
Private fusion firms put bold claims to the test
Amid skepticism, companies bet that speed and innovation can realize fusion’s promise
The parting of water
Green hydrogen is key to decarbonizing the world. But the costly, finicky devices that make it need dramatic improvement
Misreported meals skew nutrition research data
Survey-based studies linking diet patterns to health may be fatally flawed, paper suggests
Reason Magazine – March 2025 Opinion Preview
REASON MAGAZINE (January 23, 2025): The latest issue features ‘You Can’t Evict Polly’ – How the Fair Housing Act enabled the rise of emotional support parrots, frogs and emus….
Javier Milei Deregulates Food Imports and Exports
The move “seeks cheaper food for Argentines and more Argentine food for the world.”
Trump’s Tariffs Will Make Americans, Mexicans, and Canadians Poorer
American tariffs will increase the price of final and intermediate goods, hurting our own consumers and domestic manufacturers.
History Today Magazine — February 2025 Preview
HISTORY TODAY MAGAZINE (January 23, 2025): The latest issue features the destruction of medieval England’s Jews, British soldiers in the American Revolutionary War, unreported murder in East Germany, ‘mad duchess’ Elizabeth Cavendish, and more.
Portugal, the Mamluks, and the Age of Discovery
For the Portuguese empire to rise, an old world had to give way. Rivals in Europe’s lucrative spice trade, how much did they know about the powerful Mamluk sultanate?
Behind Donald Trump’s Palace Walls
The vagaries of palace politics are notoriously difficult to record. Historians should pay attention to rumour.
Who to Blame for Early Modern Climate Change?
The changing climate of the Little Ice Age forced radical thinkers to reconsider humanity’s place in the universe.
‘Man-Devil’ by John J. Callanan review
Man-Devil: The Mind and Times of Bernard Mandeville, the Wickedest Man in Europe by John J. Callanan revels in the making of the controversial satirist and philosopher.
The New York Review Of Books – February 13, 2025
THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS (January 23, 2025): The latest issue features…
Urgent Messages from Eternity
An exhibition of Franz Kafka’s postcards, letters, and manuscript pages rekindles our sense of him as a writer deeply connected to his own time and place.
Franz Kafka – an exhibition at the Bodleian Library, Oxford, May 30–October 27, 2024, and the Morgan Library and Museum, New York City, November 22, 2024–April 13, 2025
Guatemala: Democracy Imperiled
Bernardo Arévalo’s inauguration last year as president of Guatemala symbolized the revival of democracy in a notoriously corrupt country. A concerted effort by obstructionist elites now threatens to oust him on specious grounds—and bring repression back.
Farmer George
Bruce Ragsdale’s Washington at the Plow examines the connections between the first president’s commitment to agricultural innovation and his evolving attitudes toward his enslaved laborers at Mount Vernon.
Washington at the Plow: The Founding Farmer and the Question of Slavery by Bruce A. Ragsdale
The Guardian Weekly —- January 24, 2025 Preview
THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY (January 23, 2025): The latest issue features ‘Ready or Not’ – The return of Trump….
He returned much as he had departed (not that he ever really did), beneath a pall of controversy. In a Capitol ceremony drenched with quasi-religious fervour, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th US president, simultaneously pledging a new golden age for America and a radical shake-up of the global order.
Amid a barrage of unnerving executive orders that will surely set the tone for a new era of disruption and division, David Smith was in Washington DC to witness a dark moment for many, while diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour lays out the fears of a world hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.
From the Middle East came a moment of hope. Bethan McKernan’s dispatch on the first day of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire encapsulates the emotion and relief felt by millions. But will it lead to lasting peace? Don’t celebrate too soon, warns Peter Beaumont.
Spotlight | Has South Korea witnessed its own January 6 moment?
Protesters who stormed a Seoul court at the weekend may not have worn animal skins, but the similarities are striking, explain Raphael Rashid and Justin McCurry
Environment | Why did LA’s wildfires explode out of control?
A combustible combination of factors laid the groundwork for disaster. Will LA learn the lessons from the fires as it moves forward? Gabrielle Canon and Lois Beckett report
Feature | Can the British Museum survive its omni-crisis?
Beset by colonial controversy, difficult finances and the discovery of a thief on the inside, Britain’s No 1 museum is in deep trouble. Can it restore its reputation? Charlotte Higgins investigates
Opinion | Trump and Musk have launched a new class war
Across the world, societies are reverting to oligarchies. How to resist? Fight for democracy with all we’ve got, argues George Monbiot
Culture | An inside job: the return of Severance
Who is in charge? What are they working on? And why is there livestock in the office? Hannah J Davies meets the cast and creator of Apple’s deliciously weird workplace drama
The Economist Magazine – January 25, 2025 Preview
THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE (January 23, 2025): The latest issue features ‘Project 1897’ – The Imperial Presidency….
America has an imperial presidency
And in Donald Trump, an imperialist president for the first time in over a century
Chinese AI is catching up, posing a dilemma for Donald Trump
The success of cheap Chinese models threatens America’s technological lead
Tariffs will harm America, not induce a manufacturing rebirth
Donald Trump’s pursuit of tariffs will make the world poorer—and America, too
To make electricity cheaper and greener, connect the world’s grids
Less than 3% of the world’s power is internationally traded—a huge wasted opportunity
News: Israel-Hamas Truce Is Still Holding, World Economic Forum In Davos
MONOCLE RADIO (January 23, 2025): The Israel-Hamas ceasefire, which began at the weekend, appears to be holding. Hannah McCarthy joins Andrew Mueller to discuss what we have seen during the first week and where it could go next. Plus: the latest at #WEF25 at Davos, the future of Austria’s political sphere and how artificial intelligence will affect the workplace.
The New York Times – Thursday, January 23, 2025
Justice Dept. to Investigate Local Officials Who Obstruct Immigration Enforcement
A memo asserts that state and local officials are bound to cooperate and could face criminal prosecution or civil penalties if they fail to comply.
From Day 1, Trump Tests the Limits of His Authority
It is unclear how much is left in Washington to restrain him.
Families, a Dean, a Young Swimmer: Lives Lost in the Turkish Ski Resort Fire
Some had returned to the hotel year after year. Their deaths — amid dozens of others at the hotel — have stirred grief and outrage.
Fighting Alongside Russia, North Koreans Wage Their Own War
Ukrainian forces described a different kind of enemy, fighting with unfamiliar tactics and little option to retreat.
Boomers Daily 