Tag Archives: Politics

The New York Times — Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024

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Suspect in C.E.O. Killing Withdrew From a Life of Privilege and Promise

The suspect, Luigi Mangione, was an Ivy League tech graduate from a prominent Maryland family who in recent months had suffered physical and psychological pain.

How a Realtors’ Nonprofit Quietly Funds Conservative Advocacy Groups

The National Association of Realtors has created a nonprofit that gives more heavily to one side of the political aisle and to groups that have little to do with real estate and housing.

What to Know About Syria’s Notorious Sednaya Prison

Amnesty International described it as a “human slaughterhouse,” where, other rights groups say, tens of thousands of people were detained, tortured and killed during the 13-year civil war.

Rage Grows Over a Spate of Brutal Murders of Women in Kenya

Almost 100 women have been killed in the span of three months, the police say. Rights groups want President William Ruto to declare femicide a national crisis.

The New York Times — Tuesday, December 10, 2024

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Shock, Glee and Unease as Syrians Celebrate the Unthinkable

A day after the regime of President Bashar al-Assad fell, civilians poured into the streets of Damascus, weeping in disbelief. Many sought word of relatives held in a notorious prison on the outskirts of the city.

Daniel Penny Is Acquitted in Death of Jordan Neely on Subway

Mr. Penny choked Mr. Neely in a minutes-long struggle on the floor of an F train. The case reflected the pathologies of post-pandemic New York.

Suspect Is Charged in C.E.O.’s Murder After Arrest in Pennsylvania

Luigi Mangione was arrested after a tip from a McDonald’s in Altoona. On Monday night, Manhattan prosecutors charged him with murder.

Spying on Student Devices, Schools Aim to Intercept Self-Harm Before It Happens

New technology alerts schools when students type words related to suicide. But do the timely interventions balance out the false alarms?

Preview: The New Yorker Magazine – Dec. 16, 2024

Santa exits the subway.

The New Yorker (December 9, 2024): The latest issue features Eric Drooker’s “A Seasonal Delivery” – Santa Claus—he’s just like the rest of us.

President Emmanuel Macron Has Plunged France into Chaos

Lawmakers have toppled the government for the first time since 1962. How did we get here? By Lauren Collins

What Will Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy Accomplish with Doge?

Two political newcomers have arrived to slash big government, but so far the project seems less revolutionary than advertised.

The New York Times — Monday, December 9, 2024

The Campaign by Syrian Rebels to Topple Assad Was Swift

President Bashar al-Assad had kept opposition forces at bay for a decade with help from Russia and Iran. But rebels struck at a moment of weakness for those countries.

Syrians Mourn All They Have Lost, Even as They Celebrate

Thoughts of loved ones dead or missing complicate joyous relief at the prospect of Bashar al-Assad’s losing power.

Bogged Down in Ukraine, Russia Pays a Price in Syria

With the fall of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, Vladimir V. Putin has suffered one of the biggest geopolitical setbacks of his quarter-century in power.

Want a Job in the Trump Administration? Be Prepared for the Loyalty Test.

Applicants for government posts, including inside the Pentagon and the intelligence agencies, say they have been asked about their thoughts on Jan. 6 and who they believe won the 2020 election.

Reviews: Best Books On Foreign Affairs Of 2024

Foreign Policy Magazine (December 8, 2023): The Best of Books 2024  on international politics, economics, and history that were featured in the magazine this year, selected by Foreign Affairs’ editors and book reviewers.

Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy

by Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman

In a revelatory book, Farrell and Newman describe how the United States has turned its control over information networks into a hidden tool of economic domination—and warn of the risks of Washington’s weaponization of data power for ordinary people, as well as for the global financial system.read the review

To Run the World: The Kremlin’s Cold War Bid for Global Power

by Sergey Radchenko

In a major reconsideration of Cold War history, Radchenko examines the Soviet Union’s competing ambitions for revolution, security, and legitimacy—and how Soviet leadership, blinded by its own hubris and aggression, set the stage for the downfall of the USSR. read the review

Freedom From Fear: An Incomplete History of Liberalism

by Alan S. Kahan

Kahan argues that what unifies liberals across the centuries, including those involved in building and defending liberal democracy today, are their efforts to build societies free from the fear of arbitrary power. He sculpts a masterful and beautifully written history of liberalism’s long intellectual journey. read the review

Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point

by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt

In this sobering study, Levitsky and Ziblatt demonstrate how the United States’ enduring constitutional order—one forged in a pre-democratic age—increasingly thwarts the will of an expanding multicultural majority in favor of a shrinking rural white minority.read the review

Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World

by Anne Applebaum

Focused on the sophisticated and networked world of autocracy, dictatorship, and tyranny, Applebaum argues that what separates hardcore autocratic states, such as China and Russia, from softer illiberal and authoritarian regimes, such as those in Hungary, India, and Turkey, is the ruthlessness and reach of their dictatorial power and their deep hostility to the Western-led democratic world.read the review

The New York Times — Sunday, December 8, 2024

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Assad Flees Syria As Rebels Claim Damascus

Assad Has Resigned and Left Syria, Russia Says

How Notre-Dame Was Reborn

It took about 250 companies, 2,000 workers, about $900 million, a tight deadline and a lot of national pride.

The Silicon Valley Billionaires Steering Trump’s Transition

The involvement of wealthy investors has made this presidential transition one of the most potentially conflict-ridden in modern history.

Fraud and Fakery at the Country’s Largest Chain of Methadone Clinics

Acadia Healthcare falsifies records at its methadone clinics and enrolls patients who aren’t addicted to opioids, a Times investigation found.

The New York Times Magazine – Dec. 8, 2024

Current cover

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE (December 7 2024): The 12.8.24 Issue features William Langewiesche on the secret Pentagon war game how nuclear escalation spirals out of control; Daniel Bergner on a mysterious gap in psychosis rates; Alexis Okeowo on an endless war in Ethiopia; and more.

The Secret Pentagon War Game That ​Offers a Stark​ Warning for Our Times

The devastating outcome of the 1983 game reveals that nuclear escalation inevitably spirals out of control.

The Interview: Tilda Swinton Would Like a Word With Trump About His Mother

The Academy Award-winning actress discusses her lifelong quest for connection, humanity’s innate goodness and the point of being alive.

Ethiopia’s Agony: ‘I Have Never Seen This Kind of Cruelty in My Life’

A rare look inside a region still reckoning with the toll of war crimes, even as new conflicts roil the nation. By Alexis Okeowo

America’s Hidden Racial Divide: A Mysterious Gap in Psychosis Rates

Black Americans experience schizophrenia and related disorders at twice the rate of white Americans. It’s a disparity that has parallels in other cultures. By Daniel Bergner

Read this issue

Saturday Morning: News And Stories From London

Monocle on Saturday (December 7, 2024): Join Georgina Godwin and Charles Hecker for a round-up of the week’s news and culture. Plus: a conversation with Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls, writer and director of ‘Grand Theft Hamlet’.

The New York Times — Saturday, December 7, 2024

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TikTok Faces U.S. Ban After Losing Bid to Overturn New Law

The law will ban the video app in the United States by Jan. 19 if its owner, ByteDance, does not sell it to a non-Chinese company.

As Syrian Rebels Advance, Iran Grows Nervous and Neighbors Close Their Borders

The rebels’ gains prompted Lebanon and Jordan to close border crossings and Iran to begin withdrawing personnel from Syria.

How One of the World’s Richest Men Is Avoiding $8 Billion in Taxes

The chief executive of Nvidia, Jensen Huang, has taken advantage of popular loopholes in the federal estate and gift taxes, which have quietly been eviscerated.

How Childhood Tragedy Shaped the Doctor Trump Picked for Surgeon General

At the age of 13, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat said she accidentally knocked over a box in a darkened room. A handgun went off, leaving her father dead.

The New York Times — Friday, December 6, 2024

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Syrian Rebels Storm Another Major City

Opposition forces advanced on the city of Hama as their startling offensive moved quickly in the direction of the capital, Damascus.

Pete Hegseth’s Troubles at Work Raise Questions About Leadership

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice for defense secretary led two nonprofits into debt, and episodes of drinking continued into his days as a Fox News personality.

Images of Unmasked Suspect Emerge as the Police Track C.E.O.’s Killer

The man sought in the killing of Brian Thompson wore a hood and a smile in surveillance photos. Investigators visited a hostel on the Upper West Side as they mapped his movements.

Pam Bondi’s Journey From Traditional Republican to Warrior for Trump

The president-elect’s choice for attorney general is known for her charm and fealty to him.