To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement by Benjamin Nathans
By Michael Wood
London Review Of Books – October 24, 2024 Preview
Tag Archives: Politics
The New York Times — Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024
U.S. Warns Israel of Military Aid Cut if Gazans Don’t Get More Supplies
The demand from Israel’s closest ally came amid reports that the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip has grown still worse in recent weeks.
Lebanon’s Hospitals Buckle Amid Israel’s Offensive Against Hezbollah
The United Nations says “the targeting of health and relief operations is broadening” in Lebanon. Hospitals say they have been forced to close or are struggling to operate.
Trump’s Border Plans Are Light on Details but Strong on Fury
The former president’s sweeping immigration proposals face daunting challenges, but voters still trust his positions more than his opponent’s.
Kash Patel: The Magical Rise of a Self-Described ‘Wizard’ in Trump World
The MAGA loyalist Mr. Patel aims to run the C.I.A. if Donald Trump wins the presidency. But critics say his swagger masks deep inexperience.
Analysis: ‘The American Economy’ (Oct. 19, 2024)
The envy of the world
The American economy has left other rich countries in the dust. Expect that to continue, argue Simon Rabinovitch and Henry Curr
The American economy has left other rich countries in the dust
American productivity still leads the world
Is higher inequality the price America pays for faster growth?
The shale revolution helped make America’s economy great
Why the American stockmarket reigns supreme
China’s yuan is nowhere close to displacing the greenback
What can stop the American economy now?
Culture/Politics: Harper’s Magazine – November 2024
Revenge Plot
The GOP’s identity crisis by Lauren Oyler
The Seventy Percent
On minor characters and human possibility by Yiyun Li
The Thing Itself
From Mysticism, which was published last month by New York Review Books. by Simon Critchley
Military: U.S. Army Unveils Laser That Melts Drones
The Wall Street Journal (October 15, 2024): In Ukraine and the Red Sea, low-tech drones are changing the way wars are fought. The U.S. and other countries are investing in a new and inexpensive way to retaliate: lasers.
Chapters: 0:00 Laser weapon systems 1:03 The LOCUST 2:57 Targets 3:40 Weaknesses 4:56 Future challenges and deployment
Compared with traditional weapons, lasers present some key challenges: they have a shorter range, limited power and can be harder to fix when issues arise. WSJ explains how the BlueHalo LOCUST laser weapon system works and why the tech is so difficult to perfect.
The New York Times — Tuesday, October 15, 2024
How Israel’s Army Uses Palestinians as Human Shields in Gaza
Israeli soldiers and Palestinian former detainees say troops have regularly forced captured Gazans to carry out life-threatening tasks, including inside Hamas tunnels.
The Trump Voters Who Don’t Believe Trump
When the former president endorses violence and proposes using the government to attack his enemies, many of his supporters assume it’s just an act.
Harris’s Final Challenge: Restore a Splintering Democratic Coalition
Defections from Black and Latino voters are making Kamala Harris more dependent on white, suburban voters — and complicating her path to victory.
Attention Kmart Shoppers: It’s Closing Time
As the last full-size Kmart in the continental United States prepares to close, shoppers reminisced about the store that once sold everything, everywhere.
WSJ: “Killer Drones” On Ukraine’s Front Lines
The Wall Street Journal (October 14, 2024): “Darwin” is one of Ukraine’s deadliest drone pilots in its war against Russia.
Chapters: 0:00 A race to adapt 1:38 “Darwin” 2:48 Artillery strikes 4:01 Personal evolution 6:37 In the bunker 8:32 Drone strike 12:20 Just the beginning
But the 20-year-old must contend with his own personal evolution after hundreds of successful missions in a modern survival of the fittest.
Preview: The New Yorker Magazine-October 21, 2024
How Alarmed Should We Be If Trump Wins Again?
Even many of the ex-President’s opponents haven’t grasped the scale of the man’s villainy. By Adam Gopnik
What the Polls Really Say About Black Men’s Support for Kamala Harris
After the 2016 election, progressives blamed white women for Hillary Clinton’s loss. This year, Black men have come under special scrutiny. By Jelani Cobb
Alexei Navalny’s Prison Diaries
The Russian opposition leader’s account of his last years and his admonition to his country and the world. By Alexei Navalny
The New York Times — Monday, October 14, 2024
The Ground Game: Harris’s Turnout Machine vs. Trump’s Unproven Alliance
Both parties are frenetically chasing votes in the counties that could very well decide the election. In many places, inexperienced conservative groups are going up against a more tightly organized Democratic operation.
China’s ‘New Great Wall’ Casts a Shadow on Nepal
Nepalis have complained that China’s breaches of the border threaten their land and their way of life.
A Frustrated Trump Lashes Out Behind Closed Doors Over Money
Donald J. Trump is feeling aggrieved, unappreciated by donors and fenced in by security concerns in the final stretch of the race.
California Tries ‘Trump-Proofing’ Its Climate Policies
A second Trump administration would be expected to shred climate polices. California officials are devising ways to insulate its environmental regulations.
The New York Times — Sunday, October 13, 2024
Black Voters Drift From Democrats, Imperiling Harris’s Bid, Poll Shows
Vice President Kamala Harris is on track to win a majority of Black voters, and has brought many back to her party since taking over for President Biden. Still, a significant gap in support persists.
Secret Documents Show Hamas Tried to Persuade Iran to Join Its Oct. 7 Attack
The Times reviewed the minutes of 10 meetings among Hamas’s top leaders. The records show the militant group avoided several escalations since 2021 to falsely imply it had been deterred — while seeking Iranian support for a major attack.
Musk Is Going All In to Elect Trump
Elon Musk is planting himself in Pennsylvania, has brought his brain trust to help and may even knock on doors himself.
One of the Loneliest Countries Finds Companionship in Dogs
They have become pampered family members in South Korea, which has the world’s lowest birthrate and where much of the population lives alone.
Boomers Daily 