On Tilt – America’s new gambling epidemic
The Sanctuarium – The Philippines reckons with its war on drugs
Another London – Excavating the disenchanted city
by Hari Kunzru
Tag Archives: Politics
THE NEW YORK TIMES – WEDNESDAY, JAN. 21, 2026
Justices Seem Poised to Reject Trump’s Attempt to Fire Fed Governor
During arguments, the Supreme Court appeared concerned that the president’s efforts to oust Lisa Cook could imperil the central bank’s independence.
Trump Assails Europe and Demands Control of Greenland
- Newsom says he was blocked from entering the U.S. pavilion at Davos.
- Trump seems to confuse Greenland and Iceland.
- Trump calls out Mark Carney’s Davos speech in a rebuke to Canada.
U.S. Pivot in Syria Leaves an Old Ally in the Lurch
A Kurdish force that helped defeat the Islamic State is collapsing as the Trump administration turns to back the new Syrian government.
U.S. Starts Moving ISIS Detainees From Syria to Iraq
Israeli Strikes in Gaza Kill 11, Including Three Journalists
THE NEW YORK TIMES – TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2026
European Leaders Push Back as Trump Reinforces Greenland Threats
President Trump fired off a series of mocking social media posts overnight that underscored his designs on Greenland and risked damaging a longstanding diplomatic alignment.
A Venezuelan Political Prisoner Finally Comes Home
Ángel Godoy was jailed after writing columns that angered the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Now his family is trying to make up for lost time.
With Threats to Greenland, Trump Sets America on the Road to Conquest
After a century of defending other countries against foreign aggression, the U.S. is now positioned as an imperial power trying to seize another nation’s land.
Trump’s First Year Could Have Lasting Economic Consequences
President Trump’s policies have so far done little to change the state of the American economy, but economists warn they will ultimately weaken the U.S.
Supreme Court to Hear Case Testing Limits of Hawaii Gun Law
The justices will hear arguments over whether a Hawaii law that imposes restrictions on carrying concealed weapons violates the Second Amendment.
THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE – JANUARY 26, 2026
THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE: The latest cover features Adrian Tomine’s “Post-Vacation” – Staying warm.
Why Trump Supports Protesters in Tehran but Not in Minneapolis
During the President’s second Administration, universal principles such as self-determination and due process are wielded only opportunistically.
By Benjamin Wallace-Wells
The Lights Are Still On in Venezuela
After the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro, some residents fear that one unelected despot has been swapped for another.
By Armando Ledezma
THE NEW YORK TIMES – MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2026
Starmer Tells Trump Tariff Threat Over Greenland Is Wrong
Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain told President Trump that it would be wrong for him to tariff NATO allies as part of a campaign to control Greenland.
After Trump Reignites a Trade War Over Greenland, Europe Weighs Hitting Back
Europe’s dependence on the U.S. for NATO security limits its options. Its strongest response would be a trade “bazooka,” and other options are possible.
Noem Denies Use of Chemical Agents in Minnesota, Then Backtracks
Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said officers had not used pepper spray and similar measures before being confronted with a contradictory video.
Pentagon Tells 1,500 Troops to Prepare for Possible Deployment to Minnesota
n+1 Magazine – Winter ’26
n+1 Magazine: The latest issue features the ‘Winter 2026 issue, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS’ – H is for hawks. Trump’s cleavage: a semiotic investigation. Haters, waiters, trash containers. Emily Callaci and Dayna Tortorici on intra-feminist debates. Matthew Porges on new space odysseys.
Sinophobic Sinophilia
In the contemporary Chinese context, the idea that crucial parts of the central government could simply cease to operate for more than a month, as part of a procedural standoff between rival governing factions, would beggar belief. And in turn, to an American observer, the thought that miles of new high-speed rail lines could simply materialize by bureaucratic fiat, unencumbered by years of legislative horse-trading, environmental review, suburban backlash, and budgetary overshoot, is no less astonishing.
City of Meh
Adams will be remembered for his petty corruption, his self-mythologizing, and his ignominious dealmaking with the Trump White House; but he should also be remembered as the mayor who got New Yorkers to stop tossing giant bags of trash onto city sidewalks as if there were no alternative. You can laugh at a New York mayor who walks into a press conference wheeling out a trash can, beaming as if he invented the contraption, while “Empire State of Mind” blares triumphantly in the background. But truly, Adams’s proclaimed “trash revolution” represented a tremendous advance over abysmal past practice.
Mere Domination
“Men make their own history,” Marx wrote, “but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past.” That may be broadly true, but Dick Cheney got to make history under the exact circumstances he would have chosen.
THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE- January 18, 2026
THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The 1.18.26 Issue features Robert Draper on Marjorie Taylor Greene; Ferris Jabr on a science experiment to help make the oceans less acidic; Jonathan Mahler on Christian Zionism and MAGA; and more.
Kílian Jornet on What We Can Learn From Pushing Our Bodies to Extremes
Imagine yourself on an isolated mountain pass. The wind is whipping, the air is thin, there is nothing around you except the sky and the sound of your feet hitting the craggy ground. Many of us have experienced the wonder and exertion that comes with a great hike in a wild landscape. These are places we may love to visit, but for Kílian Jornet, this is where he is most at home.
The MAGA Plan to Take Over TV Is Just Beginning
Under Trump, the F.C.C. has used obscure regulatory powers to crack down on network TV. Some conservatives are pushing back. By Jim Rutenberg
Trump’s Fight With Minnesota Is About More Than Immigration
The state embodies a civic ideal that the administration in Washington wants to discredit. By Charles Homans
THE NEW YORK TIMES – SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 2026
After Trump Reignites a Trade War Over Greenland, Europe Weighs Going All-Out
Europe’s dependence on the United States for NATO security limits its options. Its strongest response could be retaliating with its own trade “bazooka.”
Why It’s Hard to Run Venezuela
Venezuela sprawls over terrain twice the size of California, with vast tracts of treacherous jungles, steep mountains and cities filled with guns.
Under Patel, F.B.I. Scours Its Records to Discredit Trump Opponents
As the F.B.I. has added payback to its portfolio, Republican lawmakers have emerged as a clearinghouse for leaks and whistle-blowers.
D.H.S.’s Role Questioned as Immigration Officers Flood U.S. Cities
The Department of Homeland Security was formed after 9/11 amid international terrorism threats. Now, its most visible targets are domestic.
Conservative Rally Organizer Chased From Minneapolis Streets by Counterprotesters
How Many People Has the Trump Administration Deported So Far?
An analysis of government data reveals it was the nature of the deportations, rather than their number, that changed the most.
THE NEW YORK TIMES – SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 2026
Justice Dept. Is Said to Begin Criminal Inquiry Into Minnesota Leaders
The investigation into Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey is a major escalation in the state-federal battle over the conduct of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
The People of Minneapolis vs. ICE: A Street-Level View
Video Analysis of ICE Shooting Sheds Light on Contested Moments
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Unbending Over Time
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has built his 37-year rule on uncompromising repression. His answer to the current protests is no different.
What to Know About the Protests in Iran
Trump Has Machado’s Nobel Prize, but Neither Got What They Really Wanted
President Trump has María Corina Machado’s medal, but he is not recognized as the Nobel laureate. She did not win his endorsement to become Venezuela’s president.
In Spain’s ‘Little Caracas,’ Venezuelan Exiles Are Still Waiting
In the largest Venezuelan community outside the Americas, many cheered Nicolás Maduro’s capture, but were adapting to the fact that his allies remained in charge.
THE NEW YORK TIMES – FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2026
Battles Over Truth Rage Online Amid Iran’s Internet Blackout
The shutdown of online discourse within Iran has allowed both the government and its critics to flood social media with disinformation campaigns and fake images.
A Ragtag Network of Activists Is Piercing Iran’s Digital Barricades
Venezuelan Opposition Leader Gives Trump Her Peace Prize Medal
The opposition leader María Corina Machado gave the prize to President Trump at the White House. The Nobel Committee has said that the honor is not transferable.
C.I.A. Director Meets With Venezuela’s Interim President in Caracas
Emergency Call Transcripts Record a Crisis Unfolding in Real Time
The killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent was instantly reported to the Minneapolis Police. The calls reflect shock, fury and confusion.
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