Tag Archives: Culture

Culture: The American Scholar – Autumn 2024

THE AMERICAN SCHOLAR (September 10, 2024): The latest issue features ‘Queen of the Night’ – Behold the wonders of a Carolina moonflower…

Moondance

Experience the marvel that is night-blooming tobacco By Leigh Ann Henion

In western North Carolina, the mountain growing season is short, and autumn is already tossing yellow-and-red confetti against my windshield as I drive the back roads to my friend Amy’s homestead. Curve after curve, I find locust trees that are a few shades lighter than they were last week. Buckeyes also seem well on their way to change. It is now hard to tell the difference between orange leaves falling and monarch butterfly wings rising. The signs of summer and fall, all intertwining.

Thoreau’s Pencils

How might a newly discovered connection to slavery change our understanding of an abolitionist hero and his writing?

By Augustine Sedgewick

Look Out!

Why did it take so long to protect spectators of America’s favorite pastime?

By Debra Spark

Teach the Conflicts

It’s natural—and right—to foster disagreement in the classroom

By Mark Edmundson

Arts/Politics: The Atlantic Magazine – October 2024

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The Atlantic Magazine – September 9, 2024: The latest issue features Trump’s antidemocratic actions, and the Republican politicians who bent to his will

Hypocrisy, Spinelessness, and the Triumph of Donald Trump

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He said Republican politicians would be easy to break. He was right.

Trump Promises a ‘Bloody Story’

His latest comments about mass deportation are a revelation about how he feels—and a troubling reminder of the sources of his appeal.

Finding Philanthropy’s Forgotten Founder

Julius Rosenwald understood that charity is not just about giving, but about fixing the inequalities that make giving necessary.

Preview: The New Yorker Magazine – Sept. 16, 2024

Surrounded by cats a woman reads in her apartment.

The New Yorker (September 9, 2024): The latest issue features Mark Ulriksen’s “Childless Cat Lady Inexplicably Enjoying Life” – The artist celebrates the subjects of J. D. Vance’s disparaging comments.

“In the Dark” Reports on the Lack of Accountability for a U.S. War Crime

The podcast investigates the events in Haditha, Iraq, and compiles a database to show the inherent problem of the military judging its own members. By Willing Davidson

Are Your Morals Too Good to Be True?

Scientists have shattered our self-image as principled beings, motivated by moral truths. Some wonder whether our ideals can survive the blow to our vanity. By Manvir Singh

Russia’s Espionage War in the Arctic

For years, Russia has been using the Norwegian town of Kirkenes, which borders its nuclear stronghold, as a laboratory, testing intelligence operations there before replicating them across Europe. By Ben Taub

Politics: The Guardian Weekly – September 6, 2024

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The Guardian Weekly (September 5, 2024) – The new issue features Telegram’s collision course – The legal showdown between social networks and nation states. Plus: Tony Blair’s top leadership tips

1
Spotlight | Ukraine’s troops on their audacious incursion into Russia
Soldiers say they had no warning of what they were undertaking before the morale-boosting attack began, finds Shaun Walker in Sumy.

2
Science | The flying scientists showing migrating birds the way home
Extinct in central Europe for 300 years, a flock of northern bald ibis is following a light aircraft on a migration route from Austria to Spain, reports Phoebe Weston.

3
Feature | Tony Blair on the art of leadership
The former UK prime minister speaks to Andrew Rawnsley about relinquishing power, why he wouldn’t be fazed by a second Trump term – and why he’s an AI evangelist.

4
Opinion | Why does Macron insist on playing king?
The French president’s refusal to appoint a new PM from the left displays breathtaking arrogance – and undermines democracy, argues Rokhaya Diallo.

5
Culture | Look who’s back in anger
Will an Oasis reunion be a success? Definitely. Will it be worth it? Maybe, say Guardian arts writers.


Preview: The New Yorker Magazine – Sept 9, 2024

While babysitting small kids at a park a woman shows another nanny who is wearing a yellow shirt and holding a pink...

The New Yorker (August 26, 2024): The latest issue features R. Kikuo Johnson’s “A Mother’s Work” – A glimpse into the lives of New York’s caretakers.


Do Celebrity Presidential Endorsements Matter?

It’s hard to empirically determine whether they drive voters to the polls. But they might have less measurable effects.

The Magazine for Mercenaries Enters Polite Society

Susan Katz Keating, the editor and publisher of Soldier of Fortune, discusses how she’s changing the publication and assesses the threat of political violence.

How Machines Learned to Discover Drugs

The A.I. revolution is coming to a pharmacy near you.

By Dhruv Khullar

Politics: The Guardian Weekly – August 30, 2024

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The Guardian Weekly (August 29, 2024) – The new issue features ‘Game Changers’ – Will the Paralympics make a difference for disabled people?

1
Spotlight | Families on the frontline of the mpox outbreak
Carlos Mureithi and Ruth Alonga report from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where 96% of Africa’s 17,000 reported cases of the viral disease this year have occurred.

2
Health | The quest to end the menopause
Women’s ovaries affect everything from metabolism to mood – so some scientists are trying to slow the way they age. But is it a good idea? Amy Fleming investigates.

3
Feature | The evolution of Kamala Harris
After Kamala Harris’s triumphant speech at last week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Janell Ross’s profile tells the story of the vice-president’s rapid rise to become a US presidential contender.

4
Opinion | Escaping Russia’s legacy
Ukraine marked its independence day last weekend with the country still facing an uncertain future. Olga Rudenko’s eloquent piece explains why it was a bittersweet celebration of a defiant nation that refuses to bow to a tyrant and his armies.

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Culture | The podcast that made true crime truly popular
On the 10th anniversary of the streaming hit Serial, the show’s founder Sarah Koenig talks to Fiona Sturges about how it tapped into the amateur sleuth in us all.

Preview: The New Yorker Magazine – Sept 2, 2024

A person riding on a bicycle in warm glowing sunlight seen through some trees.

The New Yorker (August 26, 2024): The latest issue features Pascal Campion’s “The Last Rays of Summer” – Biking into the first signs of fall. By Françoise MoulyArt by Pascal Campion

Can Kamala Harris Keep Up the Excitement Through Election Day?

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At the Democratic National Convention, the sense of relief was as overwhelming as the general euphoria—but the campaign against Donald Trump has only just begun. By Jonathan Blitzer

The Death of School 10

How declining enrollment is threatening the future of American public education. By Alec MacGillis

Why Was It So Hard for the Democrats to Replace Biden?

After the President’s debate with Trump, Democratic politicians felt paralyzed. At the D.N.C., they felt giddy relief. How did they do it?

Politics: The Guardian Weekly – August 23, 2024

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The Guardian Weekly (August 21, 2024) – The new issue features ‘Counter Punch’ – Can Ukraine’s big gamble in Kursk pay off?; Is Threads the new social media safe haven?; The festivals that went disastrously wrong…

1
Spotlight | 40,000 deaths: another grim milestone for Gaza
As faltering ceasefire talks continued this week, Malak A Tantesh and Emma Graham-Harrison report on how the death toll given by Gaza’s health officials fails to tell the full story of Palestinian grief.

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Technology | Is Threads a new safe haven for those leaving X?
Elon Musk’s frequently inflammatory online remarks have left many seeking a less toxic alternative. James Ball explores whether Meta’s Instagram spin-off provides it.

3
Feature | Audrey Tang, the good hacker
The activist turned hacker is used to breaking boundaries as the world’s first minister for digital affairs. Now, she tells Simon Hattenstone, she wants the world to learn how to detoxify the internet.

4
Opinion | Caution needed over Kamala Harris’s flying start
The Democratic vice-president has enjoyed a spectacular launch to her presidential campaign. But, warns Jonathan Freedland, it is far too early to write off her rival Donald Trump.

5
Culture | Snogs away! The crazy world of UK dating shows
There’s much to be gleaned about British culture from analysing its TV dating shows, finds Daisy Jones – and, it stands to reason, about other countries’ via theirs.

Preview: The New Yorker Magazine – August 26, 2024

Kamala Harris Donald Trump and their running mates ride a roller coaster.

The New Yorker (August 19, 2024): The latest issue features Barry Blitt’s “Roller Coaster” – The highs and lows of the campaigns for America’s highest office.

The Kamala Show

The Kamala Show

How Vice-President Harris’s public persona has evolved, from tough prosecutor to frozen interviewee to joyful candidate. By Vinson Cunningham

Trump’s Got Troubles

Trump’s Got Troubles

His campaign is careening, his poll numbers are slipping, and, after something of a summer lull, he is due for several confrontations in court.

Our Very Strange Search for “Sea Level”

As the oceans ebb and surge, staggering ingenuity has gone into inventing the measure. By Brooke Jarvis

Politics: The Guardian Weekly – August 16, 2024

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The Guardian Weekly (August 15, 2024) – The new issue features Has mass tourism gone too far? – Why holiday hotspots have had enough. Plus: America’s Kamala and Tim show

1
Spotlight | On the road: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz re-energise Democrats
The US vice-president and her running mate have hit the ground running in their campaign for the White House. Can they keep the momentum going, asks Lauren Gambino.

2
Technology | The fragile world of underwater internet cables
Deep-sea wires are the veins of the modern world. What if something were to happen to them? Jonathan Yerushalmy investigates.

3
Feature | Beautiful, bruising and complex female friendships
Ahead of her new book examining women’s friendships, the Observer’s Rachel Cooke reflects on two pivotal ones of her own, as well as some notable literary attachments.

4
Opinion | The Olympics showed France’s far right what true patriotism is all about
Despite a febrile political backdrop, the Paris Games reminded a nation of what it means to be proud of one’s country, says French sports writer Philippe Auclair.

5
Culture | The second act of Sam Neill
He is one of the world’s most famous actors, but the New Zealander – whose cancer is thankfully in remission – can still go to Starbucks without anyone recognising him, finds Zoe Williams.