Tag Archives: December 2023

The New York Times — Friday, December 29, 2023

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Israel Expresses Regret for ‘Unintended Harm’ to Civilians in Gaza Airstrike

Palestinians mourning their relatives, killed in an overnight Israeli strike on the Al-Maghazi refugee camp, during a mass funeral at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, on Monday.

The Israeli military said it was “working to draw lessons” from an attack in central Gaza that was reported to have killed dozens of people.

Earth Was Due for Another Year of Record Warmth. But This Warm?

Scientists are already busy trying to understand whether 2023’s off-the-charts heat is a sign that global warming is accelerating.

The Covenant Parents Aren’t Going to Keep Quiet on Guns

A group of parents reeling from a mass shooting at their children’s private Christian school believed no one was in a better position to persuade the G.O.P. to enact limited gun control.

Tour: Frank Lloyd Wright-Inspired Home In New York

Architectural Digest (December 28, 2023) – Today AD travels 2 hours north of New York City to tour 46 Ledgerock Lane, an immense 10-acre home perched on the Hudson River.

Inspired by the work of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the property is lined with five kinds of wood, and countless types of stone, while legions of windows offer uninterrupted views of the river beyond.

One of only a handful of properties built on the Hudson River, the house is a rarity since the law now prohibits building new homes less than 100 ft from the riverbank.

Previews: The Top Five Stories To Watch In 2024

The Economist (December 28, 2023) – What are the stories set to shape 2024? From the biggest election year in history, to how to control AI and even taxis that fly, The Economist offers its annual look at the world ahead.

Video timeline: 00:00 – The World Ahead 2024 00:33 – Vital votes 03:34 – Taxis take off 07:10 – AI rules 10:19 – Industry cleans up? 13:48 – BRICS build

The New York Times — Thursday, Dec 28, 2023

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Skepticism Grows Over Israel’s Ability to Dismantle Hamas

An Israeli artillery unit in October near Netivot, Israel, firing toward Gaza.

Israel has vowed time and again to eliminate the group responsible for the brutal Oct. 7 attack, but critics increasingly see that goal as unrealistic or even impossible.

Nearly Two Million Crowd Into Gaza’s South as Fighting Intensifies

As Israel’s ground campaign broadens in southern Gaza, thousands more people are pouring into areas that are struggling to offer shelter or security.

Michigan Supreme Court Decides Trump Can Stay on Ballot

After Colorado’s top court ruled that the former president was disqualified for engaging in insurrection, justices in Michigan considered a similar challenge.

Chinese Spy Agency Rising to Challenge the C.I.A.

The ambitious Ministry of State Security is deploying A.I. and other advanced technology to go toe-to-toe with the United States, even as the two nations try to pilfer each other’s scientific secrets.

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Dec 27, 2023

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Country Life Magazine – December 27, 2023: The latest issue features ‘This Splendid Land’ – Landscapes, Landmarks, Houses and Gardens; The Art of Knot Tying; Winston Churchill’s interior-design tips; A unicorn in the garden – fantastic beasts tamed…

Figs, wisteria, and the roses that ‘are ridiculously easy to grow’

Country Life’s 10 best gardens stories of 2023

By Toby Keel

The rose variety that’s ridiculously easy to grow: ‘Stuff some cuttings into the soil and two years later, they’ll be flourishing’

Long-standing Country Life contributor Charles Quest-Ritson is literally the man who wrote the book on roses — specifically The RHS encyclopedia of Roses — and back in June, he shared some tips on sharing and planting cuttings which proved enormously popular.

Reviews: The Race To Build America’s First High-Speed Railway – L.A. To Las Vegas

The B1M Films (December 27, 2023) – This new plan for a US bullet train might actually work.

The Los Angeles Times (December 2023) – A high-speed rail project between the Inland Empire and Las Vegas landed a $3-billion federal grant that sets it on track to be open by 2028, in time for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, officials said Tuesday.

Brightline, a private company that completed the final phase of the intercity rail line connecting Miami and Orlando, Fla., this year, secured the U.S. Department of Transportation grant as part of the historic infrastructure package, Nevada’s U.S. senators said. The rest of the funds for the $12-billion project are expected to be raised through private capital and bonds.

The trip on the 218-mile electrified line from Rancho Cucamonga to Las Vegas will take just over two hours, with stops in Hesperia or Apple Valley, according to Brightline. The trains can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour. The company already has the federal permits, the labor agreements and the land — a swath in the wide median of Interstate 15 — to build the line. Construction is expected to begin early next year.

The New York Times — Wednesday, Dec 27, 2023

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As World’s Gaze Shifts to Gaza, Israel’s Psyche Remains Defined by Oct. 7 Attack

An Israeli soldier at a road junction in the West Bank on Friday. The Oct. 7 attack shattered the idea that Israel’s blockade of Gaza and occupation of the West Bank could continue indefinitely without significant fallout.

Hamas’s brutal raid and taking of hostages has left Israelis deeply traumatized and is expected to reshape the country for years to come.

Chaos, Fury, Mistakes: 600 Days Inside New York’s Migrant Crisis

For more than 600 days, New York City has scrambled to house thousands of migrants arriving from the southern border. This month, some migrants hoping for a bed slept on the sidewalk.

More than 150,000 people have arrived in less than two years, throwing the city into crisis. Missed opportunities made things even harder.

A New Tax on Imports and a Split From China: Trump’s 2025 Trade Agenda

Donald J. Trump plans to sharply expand his use of tariffs if he returns to power, risking disruption to the economy in an attempt to transform it.

A Natural Gas Project Is Biden’s Next Big Climate Test

A proposed export terminal on the Louisiana coast highlights the tension between economic growth, geopolitics and the environment.