The shipping traffic and factories never stop in China’s port city of Ningbo, but the local housing market has crashed and nearby restaurants sit empty.
Is the worm turning against Trump? Last week saw a concerted pushback against the US president by western allies over Greenland. This week, it is on the domestic front where the Trump administration seems to be buckling – this time under intense criticism after the killing of another American citizen by federal agents in Minneapolis.
The massive winter storm that swept across North America last weekend could not obscure from the nation video footage of an ICE agent shooting dead Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse and father of three who was seemingly rushing to protect a woman as she was pepper-sprayed by Border Patrol personnel.
As our Washington bureau chief David Smith writes in this week’s big story, the events were seen by many as clear evidence of fascistic overreach and a potential moment of reckoning for Trump in the US. A wave of condemnation from politicians across the political spectrum led to a swift softening of tone from the White House, though not before leading administration figures had wrongly tried to pin the blame on the victim.
From Minneapolis, Rachel Leingang reports on the sense of shock and fury in the city, while in a stark commentary, Francine Prose voices her fears that the US may be on the brink of an authoritarian takeover.
Spotlight | Are Trump’s tantrums pushing America’s allies closer to China? After a week of diplomatic turmoil, some western nations are turning to a country that many in Washington see as an existential threat. Amy Hawkins reports
Science | Fly me to the moon, again Nasa is readying its most powerful Artemis II rocket for a new, 1.1 million km lunar circumnavigation flight – and lift-off could come as soon as next week. Science editor Ian Sample sets the scene
Feature | Secrets of the superagers Why do some people age better than others? Five extraordinary individuals – who scientists are studying – share their tips with Isabelle Aron
Opinion | It’s now clear. Labour needs a new leader – and quickly UK prime minister Keir Starmer’s dismal decision to block likely leadership challenger Andy Burnham from standing in a byelection has bought him time, but it won’t change his fate, says Polly Toynbee
Culture | Has Netflix killed our attention spans? Matt Damon has got it right, argues Stuart Heritage: the streaming giant knows we all just watch TV with one hand gripping our smartphones, which is why we need plotlines explaining to us over and over again
Efforts to curtail federal law enforcement tactics began last year, but with the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, Democratic lawmakers are pushing harder.
“He went out for freedom,” said the cousin of one of those who was killed when the Iranian authorities mounted a crackdown on protests across the country.
A frame-by-frame assessment of actions by Alex Pretti and the officers who shot him shows how lethal force came to be used against a target who didn’t pose a threat.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer hopes to boost his country’s lagging economy with a trip to Beijing. But he must carefully navigate between two superpowers.
THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE: The latest issue features Jason Zengerle on Tucker Carlson, Joshua Yaffa on Trump and Greenland, Hermione Hoby on David Foster Wallace, and more.
The President caused a crisis in NATO and deepened European distrust toward the U.S. to end up with basically the same set of options that existed months ago. By Joshua Yaffa
What MAGA Can Teach Democrats About Organizing—and Infighting
Republicans have become adept at creating broad coalitions in which supporting Trump is the only requirement. Democrats get tied up with litmus tests.
How Shinzo Abe’s Assassination Brought the Moonies Back Into the Limelight
A shocking act of political violence exposed the cult’s deep influence. By E. Tammy Kim
THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE:The 1.25.26 Issue features C.J. Chivers on semiautonomous killer A.I. drones in Ukraine; Jim Rutenberg on the MAGA plan to take over TV; Taffy Brodesser-Akner on seeing the musical “Operation Mincemeat” 13 times; and more.
Forty-five current and former employees on the changes they say are undermining the agency and making America less safe. By Emily Bazelon and Rachel Poser
Many current and former employees say Kash Patel’s first year as F.B.I. director was marred by vendettas, mismanagement and meltdowns. By Emily Bazelon and Rachel Poser
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
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