The New York Times – Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025

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As G.O.P. Eyes Medicaid Cuts, States Could be Left With Vast Shortfalls

Republicans have proposed lowering the federal share of costs for Medicaid expansions, which could reshape the program by gutting one of the Affordable Care Act’s major provisions.

Justice Dept.’s No. 2 Targets Old Office Where He Rose as a Prosecutor

The forceful approach that Emil Bove III has taken toward the Southern District of New York underscores his own fraught relationship with the office that gave him the expertise to do so.

A Discovery of Lost Pages Brings to Light a ‘Last Great Yiddish Novel’

Editors waited decades for the final manuscript of Chaim Grade’s “Sons and Daughters.” Its appearance shook the Yiddish literary world.

As Francis Lingers in Critical Condition, an Anxious Wait Intensifies

Eleven days after the pope was hospitalized, speculation is mounting and prayers for his recovery verge on a vigil.

Foreign Affairs Magazine – March/April 2025 Issue

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FOREIGN AFFAIRS MAGAZINE (February 25, 2025): The latest issue features ‘The Center Will Not Hold’ – How an Order Ends…

The World Trump WantsAmerican Power in the New Age of Nationalism

Michael Kimmage

The Renegade OrderHow Trump Wields American Power

Hal Brands

The Fatal Flaw of the New Middle EastGaza, Syria, and the Region’s Next Crisis

Maha Yahya

The New York Review Of Books – March 13, 2025

THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS: The latest issue features:

From Comedy to Brutality

With his designs on Greenland and Gaza, Trump has signaled that his first term’s outlandish gestures are the second term’s savage demands.

Caravaggio Lost and Found

As two paintings by Caravaggio return to public view, it is possible to hope that his best-known lost work will reappear after almost half a century.

Caravaggio: The Ecce Homo Unveiled – an exhibition at the Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, May 28, 2024–February 23, 2025

Caravaggio: The Portrait Unveiled – an exhibition at the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica, Palazzo Barberini, Rome, November 23, 2024–February 23, 2025

Caravaggio, la Natività di Palermo: Nascita e scomparsa di un capolavoro [Caravaggio, the Palermo Nativity: Birth and Disappearance of a Masterpiece] by Michele Cuppone

Eden on Fire

The terrible fires in January were another reminder that urban planning in Los Angeles has long failed to protect the city from the natural disasters that repeatedly threaten the region.

The New York Times – Tuesday, February 25, 2025

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Europe Prepares to Face Russia as Trump’s America Steps Back

European leaders visited Kyiv to mark the war’s third anniversary. The show of solidarity in Ukraine on Monday comes at a head-spinning moment for the continent.

Three Years Into War in Ukraine, Trump Ushers In New World for Putin

Fresh possibilities have emerged for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia with a change of power in Washington.

Zelensky Sets Somber Tone as Ukraine Marks War Anniversary

For Ukrainians, Feb. 24 was a day to remember, without major ceremony, what has been lost in the three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Gaza Truce Could End in Days, With No Extension Agreed. What Happens Next?

Less than a week before it expires, Israel and Hamas have failed to agree to extend the cease-fire in Gaza. Here’s how the deal could still continue — and what happens if it doesn’t.

The New Yorker Magazine – March 3, 2025 Preview

The Founding Fathers are escorted out of their offices.

THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE (February 24, 2025): The latest issue features Barry Blitt’s “You’re Fired!” – The artist puts a historical slant on the current constitutional crisis.

The Chaos of Trump’s Guantánamo Plan

The confusion surrounding the detention of migrants at the base and their sudden deportation shouldn’t be mistaken for a broader lack of planning. By Jonathan Blitzer

Dredging Up the Ghostly Secrets of Slave Ships

A global network of maritime archeologists is excavating slave shipwrecks—and reconnecting Black communities to the deep. By Julian Lucas

The Population Implosion

Birth rates are crashing around the world. Should we be worried? By Gideon Lewis-Kraus

The New York Times – Monday, February 24, 2025

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Friedrich Merz, a Conservative, Is Poised to Be Germany’s Next Chancellor

The Christian Democrat, who appeared to have a path to a stable governing coalition, hopes to lead Europe’s response to President Trump’s reshuffling of alliances.

Republicans Face Angry Voters at Town Halls, Hinting at Broader Backlash

After a monthlong honeymoon for the G.O.P. at the start of President Trump’s term, lawmakers are confronting a groundswell of fear and disaffection in districts around the country.

Israel and Hamas Trade Accusations of Violating Fragile Cease-Fire

Hamas criticized Israel’s decision to delay the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, amid growing tensions and concerns for the future of the truce in Gaza.

Zelensky Pushes Back Against U.S. Mineral Deal and Announces European Summit

The Ukrainian leader also said he would step down if Ukraine was allowed to join NATO, though it was unclear if he was serious or not.

The New York Times Magazine – Feb 23, 2025

Current cover

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The 2.23.25 Issue features Jonathan Mahler and Jim Rutenberg on the Murdochs’ succession drama; David Yaffe-Bellany on the cryptocurrency scam that turned a small community on itself; Ismail Muhammad on the comedian Roy Wood Jr….

Six Takeaways About the Murdoch Succession Fight

Here are the main revelations about the battle for control from a secret Nevada trial.

The Comedian Looking for Something All of America Can Laugh At

Roy Wood Jr. performs in small clubs from Georgia to Wyoming, finding humor in the moments that leave us humbled and confused.

The Cryptocurrency Scam That Turned a Small Town Against Itself

How did a successful, financially sophisticated banker gamble his community’s money away?

Read this issue

Sunday Morning: Stories And News From London, Bangkok And Berlin

MONOCLE RADIO (February 23, 2025): Emma Nelson is joined by Latika Bourke and Stephen Dalziel to discuss the week’s biggest stories. Plus: Monocle’s editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, joins us from Bangkok and Monocle’s senior news editor, Christopher Cermak, reports on the latest German election news from Berlin.

The New York Times – Sunday, February 23, 2025

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Trump Fires Joint Chiefs Chairman Amid Flurry of Dismissals at Pentagon

The decision to fire Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., a four-star fighter pilot, broke a tradition in which the Joint Chiefs chairman remains in place with a new president.

The Unabashedly Provocative Youth Driving Germany’s Far Right

A new band of influencers unafraid of confrontation has helped elevate the Alternative for Germany party to second in pre-election polls.

Shocked by Trump, Europe Turns Its Hopes to Germany’s Election

Germany’s economy is stalled and its politics fractured. But it sees an opening for a new chancellor to lead Europe’s response to a changing America.

In Trump’s Alternative Reality, Lies and Distortions Drive Change

The New York Times – Saturday, February 22, 2025

Trump Plans to Use Military Sites Across the Country to Detain Undocumented Immigrants

The move would be a drastic escalation by the White House to militarize immigration enforcement.

F.D.A. Firings Decimated Teams Reviewing A.I. and Food Safety

Staff units evaluating high-tech surgical robots and insulin-delivery systems were gutted by Trump layoffs even though industry fees, not taxpayers, financed the employee salaries.

Russia Talks Peace While Troops Threaten New Region in Ukraine

Moscow’s forces are three miles from Dnipropetrovsk, a province they have never invaded. If they cross in, the advance would be a morale blow to Ukraine and complicate any territorial negotiations.

Fate of Bibas Family Recalls Trauma of Oct. 7, Renewing Fears for Gaza Truce

Hamas said it had returned the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two sons. The Israeli military announced that the boys were murdered in Gaza and that Ms. Bibas’s body was that of someone else.

News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious