Tag Archives: October 2023

The New York Times — Thursday, Nov 2, 2023

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Limited Flight From Gaza Strip Begins, as Israelis Close In on Main City

Foreign passport holders at the Rafah border crossing check a list to see if they were permitted to leave the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.

Hundreds of people, including a few Americans, left the besieged territory for Egypt, the first group allowed across the border since the war began.

For Europe’s Jews, a World of Fear

Observing a minute of silence during a rally in solidarity with Israel in Berlin on Oct. 22.

The Oct. 7 Hamas assault on Israel and a surge in acts of antisemitism have awakened a repressed horror in Jewish populations across the continent.

In Protests Against Israel Strikes, G.O.P. Sees ‘Woke Agenda’ at Colleges

As the Mideast war escalates, the party’s politicians and activists are casting antisemitic incidents and progressive protests as part of a larger cultural battle over education.

Infant Deaths Have Risen for the First Time in 20 Years

The increases were particularly stark among babies born to Native American, Alaska Native and white mothers in 2022. Rates among Black infants remained highest of all.

The New York Times — Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023

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A Deadly Airstrike, and Gazans at the Breaking Point

The aftermath of the airstrike at the Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

Israel said it killed a Hamas leader at a refugee camp, but many other people were wounded and killed, Hamas said. The assault came as fuel, food and water shortages pushed civilians to the brink.

Israel Faces Hostage Dilemma in Gaza

Family members of the hostages held in Gaza and their supporters during a demonstration on Sunday in Tel Aviv.

The country has said there are two main goals in the war: Destroy Hamas and free the hostages held in Gaza. But are those goals compatible?

In Cyberattacks, Iran Shows Signs of Improved Hacking Capabilities

A monthslong hacking campaign targeted the governments of regional rivals, including Israel, and marked a turn, a new report says, as the attacks were used to collect intelligence, not just disrupt services.

Panel Says That Innovative Sickle Cell Cure Is Safe Enough for Patients

The decision by an advisory committee may lead to Food and Drug Administration approval of the first treatment for humans that uses the CRISPR gene-editing system.

Interior Design: 3 Artists Remodel A New York Cafe

Architectural Digest (October 31, 2023) – We gave interior designers Laura Hodges, Patrick Mele, and Xavier Donnelly a photo of the same empty NYC cafe—then asked each of them to transform the space in their particular style, however they pleased with no restrictions.

Video timeline: 00:00 Meet the Designers 01:04 The Plan 01:55 Flooring 03:20 Walls 05:50 Ceiling 06:31 Windows 08:21 Furniture & Fixtures 12:27 Lighting 13:59 Decor 15:56 Final Thoughts 16:46 Reveal

Three artists, one canvas, each bringing something different to the space. Which coffee shop do you see yourself cozying up in with a hot drink this fall?

Classical: Solo Guitarist Laura Lootens In Castilla

Deutsche Grammophon – DG (October 31, 2023) – Laura Lootens, a winner of the Andrés Segovia Competition in Spain, performs here Castilla, from the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz’s Suite Española. This work was originally written for piano, but Laura Lootens has arranged it herself for solo guitar.

This piece is a track from Laura Lootens album of works by Albéniz on CAvi music: Laura Lootens – Albéniz: Suite Española No. 1 Op. 47: No. 7, Castilla (arr. for solo guitar) and Laura Lootens / Albéniz: Suite Española Malagueña and Other Works

As a homage to well-known regions and towns of Albéniz’s home country, Spain, it is written in a Romantic, national style, and features typical dance rhythms of its corresponding localities. Born in 1860, Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz was mainly a pianist and wrote primarily for the piano.

More than any other musician, he succeeded in incorporating the Spanish guitar idiom and folklore into his style. Thus, for instance, his works contain allusions to rasgueado, a guitar technique that strums all six strings percussively in rapid succession, as we often hear in flamenco.

So it is no wonder that many of Albéniz’s piano works have also been performed on the guitar.

Album page: https://dgt.link/lootens-albeniz

Video direction: Jure Knez

New Zealand Design: A South Island ‘Eco-Cabin’

The Local Project (October 31, 2023) – The Cabin by Johnstone Callaghan Architects is a tiny eco home located in Abel Tasman National Park, on the South Island of New Zealand.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Tiny Eco Home 00:34 – The Remote South Island Location 01:38 – The Layout of the Tiny Eco Home 02:41 – The Cabin Structure and Features 03:17 – A Unique Outdoor Shower 03:37 – Bespoke Design Elements 04:48 – A Sensory Experience

Connected to nature and surrounded by wildlife, the tiny eco home is one of four privately held properties that is reachable only by boat or a walking track. As The Cabin is positioned among the trees, the architects limited tree cutting as much as possible so the owners could help regenerate the land. Additionally, due to the remote nature of the property, the owners have been given the rare opportunity to live amid nature itself. When arriving at the site of the tiny eco home, the house tour begins at the bottom of the property.

The house tour then takes you up a winding staircase that bypasses nature, so one is continuously connected to the natural surrounds. In the main living space of the tiny eco home, there is a kitchen with warm timber tones that complements the interior design, which is then contrasted by the dark timber tones found in the main bedroom. The remainder of the home leads out to the deck area, where a concrete bunker houses a sunken outdoor toilet.

News: Israel-Gaza Assault, Nordic Council Meeting, US-South Korea Air Drills

The Globalist Podcast (October 31, 2023) – As Israel intensifies its attacks on Gaza, we assess the humanitarian situation on the ground.

Also, The Nordic Council meets in Oslo, the US and South Korea begin joint air drills and we speak with the mayor of Tromsø, Gunnar Wilhelmsen. Plus: Portuguese newspaper ‘A Mensagem’ unveils a mural in Lisbon’s port.

The New York Times — Tuesday, October 31, 2023

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Israelis Advance on Gaza City, as Netanyahu Rules Out Cease-Fire

An Israeli artillery position near the border with Gaza on Monday.

Israel’s leaders vowed to destroy Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, after the deadly Oct. 7 attack, and Israeli ground forces are closing in on the city from three directions.

Biden’s Support for Israel Now Comes With Words of Caution

The change in President Biden’s tone has occurred against the backdrop of global denunciations of Israel’s actions and an explosion of divisive protests in the United States.

The administration has become more critical of Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks, a shift that U.S. officials attribute to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

‘A Very Slow Game:’ Why the Pace of Israel’s Ground Operation Counts

Israel’s invasion of Gaza is proceeding more slowly than expected. That may suit the needs of its allies — and its adversaries, analysts say.

Police Were Told Maine Gunman Had Threatened to Carry Out Shooting Spree

The Army Reserve and a Maine sheriff’s department knew of a reservist’s deteriorating mental health five months before he carried out America’s deadliest mass shooting this year.

Culture & Politics: The Drift Magazine – Fall 2023

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The Drift Magazine – Fall 2023 Issue – Essays on dissidents, ecoterrorists, and mermaids; an interview with Veronica Gago, Dispatches on the future of the Supreme Court; also fiction, poetry, reviews and more…

Travel: Grape Harvest In The Loire Valley, France

FRANCE 24 English (October 30, 2023) – In the vineyards of France’s Anjou region, in the Loire Valley, a ritual takes place every year at the end of the summer. At harvest time, dozens of brave seasonal workers come from far and wide to pick the ripe grapes.

Some of them have been regulars for several years and their experience is invaluable to the newcomers. The grape picking is done by hand and in a good atmosphere, but has its own rules. Once collected, the harvest heads to the winery.

Exhibitions: Hans Holbein At The Court Of Henry VIII

Royal Collection Trust (October 30, 2023) – Explore the art of the image-maker of the Tudor court in the Royal Collection. Watch the film to discover the importance of the drawings, paintings and miniatures in the Royal Collection.

Discover how Holbein rose to become Henry VIII’s court painter and find out more about the techniques he used. See a rare moment where Holbein’s preparatory drawing and finished painting were reunited. Hans Holbein was one of the most talented artists of the 16th century. 

From his arrival in England in search of work he rose to royal favor, chosen to paint the portraits of Henry VIII, his family and leading figures, among them Anne Boleyn and Sir Thomas More. By his death, Holbein’s work was as admired by his contemporaries as it is today. His portraits inspired the next generation of artists in their depictions of Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.