Tag Archives: October 2023

The New York Times — Saturday, October 28, 2023

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Israel Intensifies Gaza Strikes and Says It Is Expanding Ground Activity

Clouds of gray smoke rise amid buildings.

Cellular and internet service abruptly vanished for much of the territory, stoking fears that a full-scale invasion was imminent — or already underway.

Saudi Arabia Warns U.S.: Israeli Invasion of Gaza Could Be Catastrophic

Israeli troops during an artillery drill in southern Israel on Monday.

In discussions with their American counterparts, Saudi officials have framed a ground war as a potentially devastating blow to stability in the Middle East.

U.S. Airstrikes Contain Twin Messages to Iran, American Officials Say

The airstrikes were the latest gamble by the United States to modify Iran’s behavior, few of which have worked in the past.

Dave Chappelle and the Perils of Button-Pushing Comedy

His comments on the Mideast conflict have been the subject of news reports, but the polarizing coverage has ignored how comics have treated the situation.

Finance Preview: Barron’s Magazine – Oct 30, 2023

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BARRON’S MAGAZINE – October 30, 2023 ISSUE:

It’s Time to Stop Crying About Bonds—and Buy Them Instead

It’s Time to Stop Crying About Bonds—and Buy Them Instead

Treasuries have had one of their worst three-year stretches on record. Why it can’t get much worse.

Investors Are Worried About U.S. Spending. That’s No Reason to Avoid Bonds.

Investors Are Worried About U.S. Spending. That’s No Reason to Avoid Bonds.

Rising levels of national debt are scary, but higher rates make government bonds your friend.

Big Money Pros Are Split on the Outlook for Stocks. But They Are Fans of Bonds.

Big Money Pros Are Split on the Outlook for Stocks. But They Are Fans of Bonds.

Nearly half of poll respondents consider the U.S. stock market overvalued at current levels.

Byron Wien Had Wall Street’s Attention. The Creator of the 10 Surprises List Dies at 90.

Byron Wien Had Wall Street's Attention. The Creator of the 10 Surprises List Dies at 90.

The longtime market strategist vowed never to retire and worked right up until his death.Long read

HSAs Are a Powerful Tool—for Nearly Everyone, Study Finds

HSAs Are a Powerful Tool—for Nearly Everyone, Study Finds

The Voya Financial analysis assumes employers are contributing to workers’ health savings accounts.

Reviews: ‘The Week In Art’

The Week In Art Podcast (October 27, 2023): This week: the first Kyiv Biennial since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year is taking place in various locations across the wartorn country as well as a host of neighbouring European states.

We talk to the co-curator, Georg Schöllhammer, about this year’s event. As refugees and displaced people continue to dominate the news, a global sound art project, Migration Sounds, aims to explore and reimagine the sounds of human migration and settlement.

We speak to Stuart Fowkes, the founder of Cities and Memory, who has conceived the project with the University of Oxford’s Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (Compas). And this episode’s Work of the Week is Rebirth of a Nation, a mural made for Brixton Underground Station in London by the Ethiopian-Italian artist Jem Perucchini, which is unveiled next week. Jessica Vaughan, the senior curator of Art on the Underground, tells us about the commission.

The Kyiv Biennial continues to unfold into 2024, visit 2023.kyivbiennial.org

Cities and Memory’s Migration Sounds project, citiesandmemory.com/migration; compas.ox.ac.uk

Jem Perucchini: Rebirth of a Nation, Brixton Underground Station, London, from 2 November.

Israel-Hamas War: The Threat Of Hizbullah

The Economist (October 27, 2023) – Hizbullah has been shooting rockets across the Israel-Lebanon border. If it intervenes in the Israel-Hamas conflict, it could lead to serious escalation.

Video timeline: 00:00 – The origins of Hizbullah 01:06 – Its political rise 02:00 – How big a threat is it?

Tours: Italianate ‘Maison Bodega’ In Minneapolis

The Local Project (October 27, 2023) – Liz Gardner of creative studio Bodega Ltd. buys and renovates this heritage house as she had aspired to, having admired it from afar for many years.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Dream House 00:27 – A Hybrid Building In A Historic Location 01:08 – A Walkthrough of the Space 02:03 – The Process of Obtaining the Space 02:35 – The Original Live Work Space Brief 03:40 – Specific Requirements and Constraints 05:22 – An Interesting Material Palette 06:39 – A Focus on Lighting 07:34 – Creating an Accomodation Space

Perched on a hill in a leafy neighbourhood near downtown Minneapolis, the home illustrated a unique style of architecture and boundless potential to renovate. Liz had always felt a long-term draw to the property after witnessing it having been on the market and taken off years prior to her and her partner acquiring it. She describes the building as being dreamlike and perfectly contrasting the hustle and bustle of the city. To her, the dwelling is an anomaly – its style cannot be easily identified.

Exuding notes of Italian-style architecture and a twist of contemporary features, this physical state of the building mirrors the way in which her and her team inhabit it. Amid a location known for its historical heritage homes, Maison Bodega reflects both the past and the present. Looking to the future she, and partner Josef Harris, buys and renovates the house, transforming it into a home and creative space known as Maison Bodega. Taking various design cues from the existing architecture, the hybrid live-work space is a thoughtful blend of heritage and modern interior design sensibilities that caters to parties, workshops, family life for Liz, Josef and their dogs and, most recently, a house tour with The Local Project. Downstairs, the kitchen is undoubtedly a social space.

The New York Times Magazine – Oct 29, 2023

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THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE (October 29, 2023): The latest issue features The Scientists Watching Their Life’s Work Disappear; Can We Save the #Redwoods by Helping Them Move?; ‘It’s Like Our Country Exploded’: #Canada’s Year of #Fire and #ClimateChange Is Keeping Therapists Up at Night….

The Scientists Watching Their Life’s Work Disappear

All the photographs in this article are black-and-white. David Obura holds finger coral.

Some are stubborn optimists. Others struggle with despair. Their faces show the weight they carry as they witness the impact of climate change.

Interviews by Catrin Einhorn

Amid the chaos of climate change, humans tend to focus on humans. But Earth is home to countless other species, including animals, plants and fungi. For centuries, we have been making it harder for them to exist by cutting down forests, plowing grasslands, building roads, damming rivers, draining wetlands and polluting. Now that wildlife is depleted and hemmed in, climate change has come crashing down. In 2016, scientists in Australia announced the loss of a rodent called the Bramble Cay melomys, one of the first known species driven to global extinction by climate change. Others are all but certain to follow. How many depends on how much we let the planet heat.

Can We Save the Redwoods by Helping Them Move?

Redwoods with foliage in a violet specturm. All of the photographs in this article have special color treatment to highlight the foliage.

The largest trees on the planet can’t easily ‘migrate’ — but in a warming world, some humans are helping them try to find new homes.

By Moises Velasquez-Manoff

When Philip Stielstra retired from Boeing in 2012, he needed something purposeful to do. He and his wife, Gay, were casual golfers, but Stielstra, an antiwar activist in college who refused to fight in Vietnam — he worked in a post office instead — wanted a pastime with bigger stakes. Before leaving his job, he received an email from the city of Seattle: The Parks and Recreation Department needed “tree ambassadors.” Tree canopy cover had receded in the city, and the department was responding by promoting an appreciation for its remaining trees. The volunteer ambassadors would learn about these trees and lead residents on walking tours to marvel at them. Stielstra, despite being a self-described introvert, signed up.

Architecture: A Scotland Farmhouse In Hebrides

House & Garden (October 27, 2023) – Saffron Aldridge and Scarlett Supple welcome us into their Scottish farmhouse located on a remote Hebridean island. This traditional farmhouse has been restored as a joint effort between business partners Aldridge & Supple, and sits perched above a tidal pool gazing over the surrounding Hebridean moorland.

As we tour the interior, we begin to appreciate the calm and comfort injected into this remote homestead — a stark contrast to the vast landscape of mountains, moors and machair. With startling features, such as the farmhouse’s tall windows and double-height ceilings, Aldridge & Supple forged a symbiotic relationship between the surrounding nature and interior.

‘Your whole relationship is with the nature outside,’ says Aldridge. ‘It’s very important that the inside and the outside work together.’ Watch the full episode of ‘Design Notes’ as we tour Saffron Aldridge’s remote farmhouse nestled in the Hebridean hills.

#SaffronAldridge #Garden #InteriorDesign #DesignNotes

News: E.U. Urges Pause In Israel-Hamas War, China Foreign Minister Visits US

The Globalist Podcast (October 27, 2023) – Can Europe’s leaders find common ground on the Israel-Gaza conflict?  We discuss the European Union’s fractured approach to the Israel-Gaza conflict. Will the bloc’s leaders come to an agreement on their stance?

Plus: Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to Washington and highlights from the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo.

The New York Times — Friday, October 27, 2023

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‘Dark Day for Maine’ After Gunman Kills 18 at Bowling Alley and Bar

Police officers outside Lewiston High School on Thursday. Schools and businesses were closed during the manhunt for the mass shooting suspect.

Businesses, schools and offices in the southern part of the state were closed on Thursday as the authorities sought a 40-year-old suspect.

Israel’s Army Is Ready to Invade Gaza. Its Divided Government May Not Be.

Israeli military vehicles near the Gaza Strip this week.

In the 20 days since Hamas attacked, Israel’s Air Force has pounded Gaza and its troops have gotten into position. But its leaders disagree about what to do next.

Thirst and Hunger Grow in Besieged Gaza Amid Israeli Bombardment

Residents wait in line for hours for bread and water, with fights sometimes breaking out. The United Nations has called the situation a humanitarian catastrophe.

Who Decides Penn’s Future: Donors or the University?

Some alumni want the president to resign. They are angry about a Palestinian conference and Penn’s response to the Hamas attacks — as well as D.E.I. and transgender rights.

Science Magazine – October 27, 2023 Issue

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Science Magazine – October 27, 2023: The new issue features The Hypothalamus – Coordinating basic survival functions; High hopes for low-growing corn plants; A quantum process in a laser microchip….

Small and mighty: The hypothalamus

By MAROSO & PETER STERN

If you pause for a second and think about the activities that occupy most of your day, presumably sleeping, eating, and engaging in social interactions are among the first that come to your mind. Perhaps surprisingly, a small area buried deep inside the brain, called the hypothalamus, is responsible for coordinating neuronal signals related to these activities. By controlling the homeostasis of the neuroendocrine, limbic, and autonomic nervous systems, the hypothalamus is a key brain region for many physiological and pathological processes. Despite its small size, the hypothalamus has a complex cellular organization and circuitry that determine its structural and functional organization. It is composed of 11 nuclei grouped by their location and has vast, mostly bidirectional connections with many neuronal and endocrine systems.

HIGH HOPES FOR SHORT CORN

Plants bred or engineered to be short can stand up better to windstorms. They could also boost yields and benefit the environment

To an interstate traveler—or anyone lost in a corn maze—the most impressive feature of corn is its stature. Modern corn can grow twice as tall as a person, but height has drawbacks, making the plants vulnerable to wind and more difficult for farmers to tend. Plant scientists think corn can be improved by making it shorter, and leading seed companies are doing that through both conventional breeding and genetic engineering. Bayer has launched a short variety in Mexico, another company is selling its versions in the United States, and more are getting involved.