Tag Archives: Opinion

Reason Magazine – February 2026 Preview

Reason magazine, February/March 2026 cover image

REASON MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘New York Turns Red’ – What Zohran Mamdani’s rotten ideas could do to the Big Apple.

Mamdani Can’t Ruin New York

Mayors come and go, but New York City remains fundamentally itself. Katherine Mangu-Ward

Zohran Mamdani’s Socialist Housing Plan Could Crash New York’s Rickety Rental Market

The city has the nation’s most regulated housing sector and the largest stock of government-owned and subsidized housing, and yet progressives blame its real estate troubles on the free market. Howard Husock

Is Zohran Mamdani Coming Around to Housing Deregulation?

New York’s new mayor has moved away from some of his far-left beliefs, acknowledging that private businesses play an important role in homebuilding. Christian Britschgi

NYC Schools Are Losing Students and Burning Cash. Mamdani Could Make the Situation Worse.

New York schools need more choice and better curricula, but the city’s new mayor wants to take choices away. Danyela Souza Egorov

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE – January 5, 2026

Current cover

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The 1.4.26 Issue features the untold story of how Jeffrey Epstein got rich; the Rhinelander v. Rhinelander trial, one of the most scandalous trials of the Jazz Age; Supreme Court lawyer Thomas Goldstein’s double life as a high-stakes gambler; and more.

In Ukraine, a New Arsenal of Killer A.I. Drones Is Being Born

As the war grinds on, sophisticated Russian defenses have pushed Ukraine to develop a frightening new weapon: semiautonomous killing machines.

‘I Was Just So Naïve’: Inside Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Break With Trump

How the Georgia congresswoman went from the president’s loudest cheerleader to his loudest Republican critic. By Robert Draper

A Rupture Over Israel Is Tearing MAGA Apart

For 40 years, Christian Zionism was a powerful force in American politics. A new generation on the right is taking cues from elsewhere. By Jonathan Mahler

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026

U.S. CAPTURES MADURO, TRUMP SAYS


Venezuelan Leader Flown Out of Country After ‘Large-Scale’ Attack

Trump to Address the Nation This Morning

  • The Trump administration had been working for months to oust Nicolás Maduro, who has led Venezuela since 2013.
  • In an interview with The Times, President Trump said “a lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops” were responsible for the mission’s success.

Why Haven’t Trump’s Tariffs Had a Bigger Economic Impact?

Steep import taxes have raised prices and affected U.S. businesses, but not quite as much as expected. A new report offers some reasons.

Mamdani Acts on Vow to Protect Renters With Move Against a Big Landlord

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said New York City would intervene in the Pinnacle Group’s bankruptcy case. Tenants have long complained about the company’s properties.

A Burning Ceiling, a Pulse of Heat and ‘I Felt Like I Was on Fire’

Right before the blaze that killed 40 people at a Swiss bar, fireworks attached to Champagne bottles sent up sparks that appeared to have ignited insulation.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2026

Swiss Authorities Say Sparklers Probably Caused New Year’s Fire

An official said the sparklers were attached to bottles of champagne held too close to the ceiling. Forty people died and more than 100 were injured. Many of the victims were teenagers.

Zohran Mamdani Revokes Executive Orders That Adams Signed to Support Israel

Former Mayor Eric Adams and some conservative-leaning Jewish leaders criticized the revocation of his executive orders.

Trump Says U.S. Is ‘Locked and Loaded’ if Iran Kills Protesters

President Trump’s remarks that he was ready to come to the protesters’ “rescue” were a sharp escalation as demonstrations over economic hardship turned deadly.

With Obamacare’s Higher Premiums Come Difficult Decisions

As enhanced subsidies expire, many Americans covered under the Affordable Care Act are having trouble paying for insurance.

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY – JANUARY 2, 2026 PREVIEW

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY: The latest issue features ‘Payback Time’ – Europe’s very big, very expensive problem with state pensions.

As populations age, the number of younger people entering the workforce is shrinking – and that’s a big problem for “pay as you go” state pension schemes where employees fund the pensions of an expanding cohort of retired people.

Confusingly, a new poll of six European nations reveals how most voters can see this problem and realise their state pensions will soon become unaffordable. But at the same time, they also believe state pensions are too low, and are unwilling to support reforms to them.

Where do governments under increasing pressure from populists go from here? For our first big story of 2026, the Guardian’s Europe correspondent, Jon Henley, reports on a ticking timebomb for the continent’s social contract.

Spotlight | The prospects for peace in Ukraine in 2026
As Russia inches forward on the battlefield and – despite Donald Trump’s optimism – peace talks remain deadlocked, Kyiv’s best hopes of progress may be on the economic and political fronts, writes Dan Sabbagh

Science | How great a threat is AI to the climate?
The datacentres behind artificial intelligence are polluting the natural world – and some experts fear the exponential rise in demand could derail the shift to a clean economy. Ajit Niranjan reports

Feature | Returning to the West Bank after two decades
The former Guardian correspondent Ewen MacAskill used to report frequently from the Palestinian Territory. Twenty years after his last visit, he went back – and was shocked by how much worse it is today

Opinion | Need cheering up after a terrible year? I have just the story for you
A single act of kindness reminded columnist Martin Kettle that, despite so much evidence to the contrary, the better angels of our nature are not necessarily doomed

Culture | The Brit boom
Whether it’s Charli xcx or chicken shops, UK culture is having a moment. Can it be future-proofed from the diluting forces of globalisation? Rachel Aroesti investigates

THE NEW YORK TIMES – THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2026

Mamdani Is Sworn In as New York City Mayor After Remarkable Political Rise

Zohran Mamdani officially took office shortly after midnight, in a private ceremony held at a shuttered relic of the city’s subway.

Another New Year at War: Ukraine’s Troops Doubt It Will Be the Last

After a year of Russian advances, the goal for 2026 is simply to survive, said one officer in eastern Ukraine: “It’s hard to make any plans.”

Dozens Believed Dead After Fire at New Year’s Party in Switzerland

About 100 people were injured in the blaze in a ski resort bar, the police said. Officials were investigating the cause, but ruled out terrorism.

Trump’s Tangled Web of Deal-Making, Policy and Riches

President Trump, his family and some of their closest associates have engaged in a sprawling campaign of deals, stretching across industries and the globe.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31, 2025

They Died After Beatings by Prison Guards. No One Raised an Alarm.

Two brutal killings, less than three months apart, in New York State’s prison system raised troubling questions: Had other inmates met similar fates?

The Separation: Inside the Unraveling U.S.-Ukraine Partnership

As President Trump sought a peace deal and President Vladimir Putin sought victory, factions in the White House and the Pentagon bled the Ukrainian war effort.

Justice Dept. Is Now Said to Be Reviewing 5.2 Million Pages of Epstein Files

The number represents a more precise, potentially much larger, figure than earlier estimates. The department is seeking to enlist about 400 lawyers to help.

A.I. Held Up Wall Street in 2025. Will That Continue?

The boom in artificial intelligence was the biggest driver of gains in the stock market. That could pose a risk in 2026.

How Russia’s War Machine Brutalizes and Exploits Its Own Soldiers

Confidential complaints filed by troops and their families reveal patterns of wrongdoing in the ranks that are hidden from the Russian public.

THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE – JANUARY 3, 2026 PREVIEW

THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE: The latest issue features The angst over affordability


The truth about affordability

Voters in rich countries are angry about prices. Politicians could make things worse

OpenAI’s cash burn will be one of the big bubble questions of 2026

There is a dark side to the model-maker’s stunning growth

Cruise-ship catering

How to spend $1.5m on ingredients

Jane Austen, economist

It depends how you count their wealth

The sultans of slang

What street talk reveals about Anglophone civilisation

The origin of dogs

The strange symbiosis between two hyper-predators: humans and hounds

THE NEW YORK TIMES – TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2025

C.I.A. Conducted Drone Strike on Port in Venezuela

The attack last week did not kill anyone, people briefed on the operation said. But it was the first known U.S. operation inside Venezuela.

New U.S. Boat Strike Kills 2 in Pacific, Pentagon Says

The Cover-Up: Inside the Plot to Conceal Bashar al-Assad’s Crimes

Thousands of documents and interviews with Assad-era officials reveal how the regime worked to conceal evidence of its atrocities during the civil war.

How Russia and Ukraine Are Fighting to Shape Trump’s View of the War

Off the battlefield, each side is trying to influence President Trump’s perception as they look to negotiate a peace settlement in their favor.

China Fires Rockets Near Taiwan in Display of Military Power

China’s military also sent warships and aircraft during a second day of exercises designed to show its ability to claim the democratic island.

The Tiny Japanese Island on the Front Lines of China’s Feud

Yonaguni, a tiny Japanese island near Taiwan, is getting soldiers, radar and missiles. As Beijing’s dispute with Tokyo escalates, some residents are worried.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2025

With Critical Decisions Ahead, Netanyahu Faces Mounting Pressure

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has choices to make on issues including Gaza, conscription and a judicial overhaul, with elections looming.

For Zelensky, Just Keeping Trump Talking Counts as a Win

Though discussions produced little tangible progress, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at least avoided the type of setbacks that have blighted earlier meetings.

‘I Was Just So Naïve’: Inside Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Break With Trump

How the Georgia congresswoman went from the president’s loudest cheerleader to his loudest Republican critic.