Monocle Radio Podcast (December 23, 2024): We hear the latest from the war on Ukraine as Olga Tokariuk joins Emma Nelson from Chernivtsi. Plus: the search for flight MH370 continues and best-selling author Tim Marshall joins Andrew Mueller to discuss what goes into a decent quiz about geopolitics.
Tag Archives: Opinion
The New York Times —- Monday, December 23, 2024
Germany Tries to Untangle Complex Profile of Market Attack Suspect
The authorities said they were struggling to understand the motives behind ramming a car into a Christmas market in the eastern city of Magdeburg, which left a 9-year-old boy among the five dead.
From Liberal Icon to MAGA Joke: The Waning Fortunes of Justin Trudeau
Canada’s prime minister gained global renown 10 years ago for his unabashedly progressive politics. But at home, voters turned sour on him long ago.
Behold! ‘Christmas Adam’ Is Born.
First there was Christmas Eve … and then a new celebration was created.22h agoBy Elizabeth Dias
Foreign Affairs Magazine: The Best Essays Of 2024
FOREIGN AFFAIRS MAGAZINE (December 22, 2024): The top essays of the year include…
The Self-Doubting Superpower
By Fareed Zakaria
America shouldn’t give up on the world it made.
Why Gaza Matters
By Jean-Pierre Filiu
Since antiquity, the territory has shaped the quest for power in the Middle East.
Israel’s Self-Destruction
By Aluf Benn
Netanyahu, the Palestinians, and the price of neglect.
Russia Is Burning Up Its Future
By Andrei Kolesnikov
How Putin’s pursuit of power has hollowed out the country and its people.
The Trouble With “the Global South”
By Comfort Ero
What the West gets wrong about the rest.
The New York Times — Sunday, December 22, 2024
Deception and Betrayal: Inside the Final Days of the Assad Regime
President Bashar al-Assad, who wielded fear and force over Syria for more than two decades, fled the country under the cover of night — and a fake political address.
Biden Administration Weighs Putting Up Roadblocks to Trump’s Deportation Campaign
The administration may extend protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants whose legal status is set to expire near the start of the Trump administration.
3-Minute Christmas Market Rampage Shakes Germany
At least five people, including a 9-year-old child, were killed in the attack, which took place in the eastern city of Magdeburg. The authorities are still seeking a motive.
Death on the Night Shift at Frozen Pizza Factories in Chicago
Undocumented workers help feed America’s hunger for prepared foods, but some take jobs with staffing agencies that expose them to hazardous conditions.
The New York Times —- Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024
Congress Approves Spending Extension, Ending Shutdown Crisis
The Senate passed the measure, sending it to President Biden’s desk, shortly after the midnight deadline for funding to lapse.
Insurers Are Deserting Homeowners as Climate Shocks Worsen
Without insurance, it’s impossible to get a mortgage; without a mortgage, most Americans can’t buy a home.
Weight Loss Drugs Changed Their Lives. Then They Lost Coverage.
In Michigan, the state’s largest insurer has tightened restrictions around medications like Wegovy. Patients are panicking.
Al-Assad’s Soldiers Hope for Amnesty. First, They Have to Take a Number.
Syria’s new rulers say they will spare conscripts of Bashar al-Assad and pursue those who oversaw his regime’s abuses. Hundreds are lining up to learn which promise applies to them.
Politics: National Review Magazine – February 2025
NATIONAL REVIEW MAGAZINE (December 20, 2024): The latest issue features ‘William F. Buckley Jr. at 100’…
Why Bill Buckley’s Ideas Still Matter
An enduring fusion by Ramesh Ponnuru
The Elements of Buckley’s Style
Prose makes the man by Andrew Ferguson
Life of the Party
WFB as pop icon by James Rosen
Opinion & Politics: Reason Magazine – February 2025
REASON MAGAZINE (December 20, 2024): The latest issue features ‘Maga Musk’….
The Improbable Rise of MAGA-Musk
Is Elon Musk a reactionary with a defective bullshit meter or the best part of the second Trump administration?
Finding Trillions in Federal Cuts Is Easy. But Will Trump and Musk Follow Through?
DOGE won’t necessarily have to kill any of Republicans’ sacred cows—but they will have to be put on a diet.
‘The Constitution Is Not a Suicide Pact’
How a 1949 Supreme Court dissent gave birth to a meme that subverts free speech and civil liberties
The Pentagon Keeps Losing Equipment and Buying Stuff It Doesn’t Need
How the U.S. military busts its budget on wasteful, careless, and unnecessary ‘self-licking ice cream cones’
The New York Times —- Friday, December 20, 2024
Elon Musk Flexes His Political Strength as Government Shutdown Looms
The world’s richest man led the charge to kill a bipartisan spending deal, in part by promoting false and misleading claims about it.
Government Lurches Toward Shutdown After House Tanks Trump’s Spending Plan
Dozens of right-wing Republicans joined Democrats in opposing a bill ordered up by President-elect Donald J. Trump to tie a government funding extension to a two-year deferral of the debt limit.
The Once Booming Drug Town Going Bust Under Taliban Rule
Funding its war against the United States, the Taliban reaped millions from boom towns trading opium, heroin and meth. Victorious, the group crushed the trade, leaving ghost towns in its wake.
With Guilty Verdicts, Rape Victim’s Ordeal in France Becomes a Message of Hope
Dozens of men who abused Gisèle Pelicot were convicted, including the man who invited them to do so: her husband of 50 years. She wanted the public trial to show rape victims they were not alone.
The Economist Magazine – December 21, 2024 Preview
The Economist (December 18, 2024): The Holiday double issue features…
What to make of 2024
A turbulent year has shed fresh light on some important truths
Keep the Caucasus safe from Russia
The protesters and the president need help
Global warming is speeding up. Another reason to think about geoengineering
Reducing sulphur emissions saves lives. But it could also be hastening planetary warming
The Economist’s country of the year for 2024
The winner toppled a tyrant and seems headed for something better
THE NEW YORK TIMES —THURSDAY, DEC. 19, 2024
Giant Companies Took Secret Payments to Allow Free Flow of Opioids
Drugmakers including Purdue Pharma paid pharmacy benefit managers not to restrict painkiller prescriptions, a New York Times investigation found.
A Weary Biden Heads for the Exit
Still stinging from the election, President Biden is pushing for his final priorities but has largely absented himself from the national conversation about Donald Trump after warning repeatedly that he was a threat to American democracy.
The Wrath of Trump: House Republicans Map a Case Against Liz Cheney
President-elect Donald J. Trump has never been shy about his desire to see his enemies punished. But he often shows a measure of caution about taking credit for potential prosecutions himself.
A Rift in Trump World Over How to Make America Healthier
Statements by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Elon Musk tap into a dispute over whether lifestyle changes or drugs are a better way to treat obesity.
Boomers Daily 