Tag Archives: Opinion

Arts & Literature, Books, Magazines, Opinion, Reviews

The New York Review Of Books – February 13, 2025

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THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS (January 23, 2025): The latest issue features…

Urgent Messages from Eternity

An exhibition of Franz Kafka’s postcards, letters, and manuscript pages rekindles our sense of him as a writer deeply connected to his own time and place.

Franz Kafka – an exhibition at the Bodleian Library, Oxford, May 30–October 27, 2024, and the Morgan Library and Museum, New York City, November 22, 2024–April 13, 2025

Guatemala: Democracy Imperiled

Bernardo Arévalo’s inauguration last year as president of Guatemala symbolized the revival of democracy in a notoriously corrupt country. A concerted effort by obstructionist elites now threatens to oust him on specious grounds—and bring repression back.

Farmer George

Bruce Ragsdale’s Washington at the Plow examines the connections between the first president’s commitment to agricultural innovation and his evolving attitudes toward his enslaved laborers at Mount Vernon.

Washington at the Plow: The Founding Farmer and the Question of Slavery by Bruce A. Ragsdale

Foreign Affairs, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Reviews

The Guardian Weekly —- January 24, 2025 Preview

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THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY (January 23, 2025): The latest issue features ‘Ready or Not’ – The return of Trump….

He returned much as he had departed (not that he ever really did), beneath a pall of controversy. In a Capitol ceremony drenched with quasi-religious fervour, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th US president, simultaneously pledging a new golden age for America and a radical shake-up of the global order.

Amid a barrage of unnerving executive orders that will surely set the tone for a new era of disruption and division, David Smith was in Washington DC to witness a dark moment for many, while diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour lays out the fears of a world hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

From the Middle East came a moment of hope. Bethan McKernan’s dispatch on the first day of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire encapsulates the emotion and relief felt by millions. But will it lead to lasting peace? Don’t celebrate too soon, warns Peter Beaumont.

Spotlight | Has South Korea witnessed its own January 6 moment?
Protesters who stormed a Seoul court at the weekend may not have worn animal skins, but the similarities are striking, explain Raphael Rashid and Justin McCurry

Environment | Why did LA’s wildfires explode out of control?
A combustible combination of factors laid the groundwork for disaster. Will LA learn the lessons from the fires as it moves forward? Gabrielle Canon and Lois Beckett report

Feature | Can the British Museum survive its omni-crisis?
Beset by colonial controversy, difficult finances and the discovery of a thief on the inside, Britain’s No 1 museum is in deep trouble. Can it restore its reputation? Charlotte Higgins investigates

Opinion | Trump and Musk have launched a new class war
Across the world, societies are reverting to oligarchies. How to resist? Fight for democracy with all we’ve got, argues George Monbiot

Culture | An inside job: the return of Severance
Who is in charge? What are they working on? And why is there livestock in the office? Hannah J Davies meets the cast and creator of Apple’s deliciously weird workplace drama

Business, Foreign Affairs, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Reviews

The Economist Magazine – January 25, 2025 Preview

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The Economist | Independent journalism

THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE (January 23, 2025): The latest issue features ‘Project 1897’ – The Imperial Presidency….

America has an imperial presidency

And in Donald Trump, an imperialist president for the first time in over a century

Chinese AI is catching up, posing a dilemma for Donald Trump

The success of cheap Chinese models threatens America’s technological lead

Tariffs will harm America, not induce a manufacturing rebirth

Donald Trump’s pursuit of tariffs will make the world poorer—and America, too 

To make electricity cheaper and greener, connect the world’s grids

Less than 3% of the world’s power is internationally traded—a huge wasted opportunity

News, Opinion, Podcasts, Politics

News: Israel-Hamas Truce Is Still Holding, World Economic Forum In Davos

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MONOCLE RADIO (January 23, 2025): The Israel-Hamas ceasefire, which began at the weekend, appears to be holding. Hannah McCarthy joins Andrew Mueller to discuss what we have seen during the first week and where it could go next. Plus: the latest at #WEF25 at Davos, the future of Austria’s political sphere and how artificial intelligence will affect the workplace.

News, Newspapers, Opinion, Politics

The New York Times – Thursday, January 23, 2025

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Justice Dept. to Investigate Local Officials Who Obstruct Immigration Enforcement

A memo asserts that state and local officials are bound to cooperate and could face criminal prosecution or civil penalties if they fail to comply.

From Day 1, Trump Tests the Limits of His Authority

It is unclear how much is left in Washington to restrain him.

​Families, a Dean, a Young Swimmer: ​​Lives Lost in the Turkish Ski Resort Fire

Some had returned to the hotel year after year. Their deaths — amid dozens of others at the hotel — have stirred grief and outrage.

Fighting Alongside Russia, North Koreans Wage Their Own War

Ukrainian forces described a different kind of enemy, fighting with unfamiliar tactics and little option to retreat.

News, Opinion, Podcasts, Politics

News: South Korea Trial For President Yoon, Goals For Trump Foreign Policy

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MONOCLE RADIO (January 22, 2025): As Yoon Suk Yeol makes his first public remarks in constitutional court, Steven Borowiec joins Andrew Mueller to discuss where the trial will go next. Plus: Chris Cermak explores Trump’s foreign policy, Carlota Rebelo discusses the highlights from the World Economic Forum in Davos and Samantha Tse brings us the latest from the world of design.

Nature, Newspapers, Opinion, Politics

The New York Times – Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025

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Trump Starts Immigration Crackdown, Enlisting the Military and Testing the Law

The president’s Day 1 actions included directives that fly in the face of legal limits on involving the military in domestic operations and the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship.

‘A Betrayal, a Mockery’: Police Express Outrage Over Trump’s Jan. 6 Pardons

More than 150 officers from the Capitol Police and the D.C. police were injured when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol four years ago.

Trump Wants to Unleash Energy, as Long as It’s Not Wind or Solar

Legal experts said the president was testing the boundaries of executive power with aggressive orders designed to stop the country from transitioning to renewable energy.

Trump Is at the Peak of His Power. The Question Is for How Long.

Republicans are defined today more by a single man than perhaps either party has been in decades, even as the clock starts ticking on Donald Trump’s tenure.

News, Newspapers, Opinion, Politics, Uncategorized

The New York Times – Tuesday, January 21, 2025

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Trump Cites His Own Victories as Sign He Will Lift a Country in ‘Decline’

In his second inaugural address, the president reprised dark themes from his first and laid out an expansive policy agenda.

For Trump, a Vindication for the Man and His Movement

Donald John Trump took the oath of office again during a ceremony in the Capitol, promising a new “golden age of America” four years after he was evicted by voters.

Biden in Final Hours Pardons Relatives and Others to Thwart Trump Reprisals

President Biden used his executive clemency power to protect people targeted by Donald J. Trump, including five members of his family as well as Liz Cheney, Anthony S. Fauci and Mark A. Milley.

A Determined Trump Vows Not to Be Thwarted at Home or Abroad

Wiser about the use of power, the newly sworn-in president suggests that this time he will not take no for an answer, whether in enacting an ambitious domestic agenda or in his expansionist worldview.

Arts & Literature, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Reviews

The New Yorker Magazine – January 27, 2025 Preview

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Palm trees against a fiery sky.

THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE (January 20, 2025): The latest issue features…

Climate Whiplash and Fire Come to L.A.

Firefighters address a burning landscape.

Climate change has brought both fiercer rains and deeper droughts, leaving the city with brush like kindling—and the phenomenon is on the rise worldwide. By Elizabeth Kolbert

Traversing the Metropolitan Museum’s Eight Hundred Galleries, One by One

Dan and Becky Okrent spent seven years on the Met Project, a labor of love that took them from ancient Sumer to Synchronism. By Ben McGrath

After the Fires, a Slow Night in Hollywood

The freeways were traffic-free, and so were hotels, where a handful of forlorn locals waited for what would come next. By Sheila Yasmin Marikar

News, Newspapers, Opinion, Politics

The New York Times – Monday, January 20, 2025

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Defiance Is Out, Deference Is In: Trump Returns to a Different Washington

As Donald J. Trump prepares to take the oath of office for a second time, much of the world seems to be bowing down to him and demoralized opponents are rethinking the future.

Gazans and Israelis Dare to Hope as Cease-Fire Takes Hold

After the fighting paused, Hamas began to free some of its hostages, releasing 3, and Israel said it had released 90 Palestinian prisoners.

As Truce Takes Hold, Gazans and Israelis Express Elation Tinged With Doubt

After 470 days of death, a tentative cease-fire began on Sunday in Gaza. But Palestinians could not be sure that the war had ended, and Israelis fear that many hostages will still remain in Gaza.

Biden’s Presidential Legacy: An Era of Change, Forever Marked by Trump

After four years in office, President Biden has a long list of accomplishments he takes pride in. But he struggled with inflation, illegal immigration and his own advancing age.