Tag Archives: The New York Times

Views: The New York Times Magazine – August 20, 2023

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THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE (August 20, 2023) – In this week’s cover story, what are “forever chemicals” and what are they doing to us? Plus, inside the racism scandal that rocked an affluent town’s high school and checking in with the dancehall star Sean Paul.

‘Forever Chemicals’ Are Everywhere. What Are They Doing to Us?

PFAS lurk in so much of what we eat, drink and use. Scientists are only beginning to understand how they’re impacting our health — and what to do about them.

By Kim Tingley

The Faroe Islands, an incongruous speckling of green in the North Atlantic, are about as far away as you can hope to get on Earth from a toxic-waste dump, time zones distant from the nearest population centers (Norway to the east, Iceland to the west). Pál Weihe was born in the Faroes and has lived there for most of his life. He is a public-health authority for the nation, population around 53,000; chairman of the Faroese Medical Association and chief physician of the Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health in the Faroese hospital system. He is also vice chairman of the Faroe Islands Art Society; a widower; a grandfather. A crumpled funeral program and half-empty juice boxes share space in the back seat of his Land Cruiser.

The ‘World’s Happiest Man’ Shares His Three Rules for Life

By David Marchese 

Matthieu Ricard is an ordained Buddhist monk and an internationally best-selling author of books about altruism, animal rights, happiness and wisdom. His humanitarian efforts led to his homeland’s awarding him the French National Order of Merit. (Ricard’s primary residence is a Nepalese monastery.) He was the Dalai Lama’s French interpreter and holds a Ph.D in cellular genetics. In the early 2000s, researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that Ricard’s brain produced gamma waves — which have been linked to learning, attention and memory — at such pronounced levels that the media named him “the world’s happiest man.”

The New York Times — Friday, August 18, 2023

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At Camp David Summit, Japan, South Korea and U.S. Present a United Front

The summit at the presidential retreat in Maryland on Friday will be the first time President Biden hosts foreign leaders there.

President Biden will host the leaders of the two Asian nations to overcome historical grievances and present a united front in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

Defend Trump and ‘Hammer’ Ramaswamy: DeSantis Allies Reveal Debate Strategy

The main super PAC backing Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, Never Back Down, has effectively taken over his presidential campaign. Super PACs are barred by law from strategizing in private with campaigns, so they sometimes post documents in the open.

Hundreds of pages of blunt advice, memos and internal polling were posted online by the main super PAC backing the Florida governor, offering an extraordinary glimpse into his operation’s thinking.

We Know Where New Weight Loss Drugs Came From, but Not Why They Work

The empty auditoriums, Gila monsters, resistant pharmaceutical executives and enigmas that led to Ozempic and other drugs that may change how society thinks about obesity.

Officials Investigate Threats Against Trump Grand Jurors in Georgia

Some of the jurors’ identities have been shared on social media, with suggestions that they be harassed or made “infamous.”

The New York Times — Thursday, August 17, 2023

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Trump’s Indictment Has Georgia Republicans Fearing Replay of 2020

Former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election in Georgia was rigged will now likely be on trial in the state — and in its most populous county, Fulton — as the presidential election of 2024 gets underway.

State officials who rejected Donald Trump’s calls to subvert the election results say the party must move on from 2020 in order to defeat President Biden in 2024.

From ‘America’s Mayor’ to Criminal Defendant: Giuliani’s Long Tumble

Rudolph W. Giuliani speaking about voter fraud in November 2020. His efforts to undermine the election led to criminal charges on Monday.

An indictment in the Georgia election conspiracy case marked perhaps the lowest point in the career of Rudolph W. Giuliani, who had staked his legacy on blind allegiance to the Trump administration.

After Maui’s Wildfire Horror, Residents Search for a Way Forward

As the search effort continues more than a week after the disaster, Maui’s residents try to balance helping friends and families with the tourism work needed to support themselves.

Scathing Letter Reveals Tension Among New York Democrats Over Migrant Crisis

The letter, responding to New York City’s list of demands for state help, said the city had already rebuffed some of the state’s offers and had been slow to aid migrants.

The New York Times — Wednesday, AUG 16, 2023

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With Racketeering Charges, Georgia Prosecutor Aims to ‘Tell the Whole Story’

Donald J. Trump speaks behind a lectern at night.

Prosecutors have found racketeering laws to be powerful tools in targeting not only foot soldiers in a criminal enterprise, but also high-level decision makers.

‘Biased.’ ‘Corrupt.’ ‘Deranged.’ Trump’s Taunts Test Limits of Release.

Judge Tanya S. Chutkan has made clear that the boundaries of former President Donald J. Trump’s free speech rights would have to give way to the rules of the court.

Some lawyers have said that if the former president were an ordinary citizen issuing these attacks, he would be in jail by now. The question is whether he will face similar consequences.

Who Has Been Charged in the Election Inquiry in Georgia

The indictment Georgia prosecutors filed Monday in an election interference case targeting former President Donald J. Trump and his associates includes 41 criminal charges against 19 people who are accused of helping him seek to overturn his 2020 election loss.

How Fire Turned Lahaina Into a Death Trap

When a historic coastal town in Hawaii was overrun by fire, many residents fled for their lives — but there was nowhere to go.

The New York Times — Tuesday, August 15, 2023

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Trump Indictment, Part IV: A Spectacle That Has Become Surreally Routine

Former President Donald Trump was indicted on Monday for trying to reverse Georgia’s 2020 election results. This is his fourth indictment in four months.

The former president has sought to systematically drain the suspense from his criminal cases. But the Trial(s) of the Century loom.

Sentenced to Life as Boys, They Made Their Case for Release

A man with a full gray beard and bald head looks down at photographs arrayed on a table. His eyebrows are knit together and he is wearing a light, button-down shirt. Shadows from a window cross his face and body.

At age 17, Donnell Drinks was one of many young men in Philadelphia who went to prison for life without parole. Today, the city has resentenced more of those prisoners than any other jurisdiction.

Judge Rules in Favor of Montana Youths in a Landmark Climate Case

The court found that young people have a constitutional right to a healthful environment and that the state must consider potential climate damage when approving projects.

AI Poetry Books: Werner Herzog Reads “I Am Code”

I Am Code: An Artificial Intelligence Speaks: Poems
By Joseph Bernstein, August 14, 2023

THE NEW YORK TIMES – If artificial intelligence had a voice, what would it sound like? Calm, like HAL 9000? Perky, like Alexa? Polite, like C-3PO?

A young man stands next to Mr. Herzog. Both are looking into the camera lens.
Brent Katz, an editor of the A.I.-generated poetry collection, with Mr. Herzog at a Los Angeles recording studio.Credit…via Brent Katz

For the editors of “I Am Code: An Artificial Intelligence Speaks,” a collection of poems generated by A.I., the answer was obvious: Werner Herzog.

The 80-year-old German director, actor and author is a titan of independent cinema whose films often concern the hubris and folly of humankind. His speaking voice, known to audiences mostly through the stark, literary voice-over narration that accompanies many of his documentaries, carries an existential pathos and Teutonic gravitas that have made it a pop culture trademark.

Something like this, anyway, was on the minds of Brent Katz, Josh Morgenthau and Simon Rich, the editors of “I Am Code,” when they reached out to Mr. Herzog to ask if he would lend his formidable instrument to the audiobook version of their project.

READ MORE

The New York Times — Monday, August 14, 2023

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Two Months in Georgia: How Trump Tried to Overturn the Vote

Former President Trump in the White House briefing room after making a statement on Nov. 5, 2020.

The Georgia case offers a vivid reminder of the extraordinary lengths Mr. Trump and his allies went to in the Southern state to reverse the election.

How Trump Benefits From an Indictment Effect

After Donald J. Trump’s first indictment, the priorities of the conservative movement and its media ecosystem shifted.

In polling, fund-raising and conservative media, the former president has turned criminal charges into political assets.

As Inferno Grew, Lahaina’s Water System Collapsed

Firefighters who rushed to contain the Maui wildfire found that hydrants were running dry, forcing crews to embark instead on a perilous rescue mission.

‘His Name Was Bélizaire’: Rare Portrait of Enslaved Child Arrives at the Met

For many years, a 19th century painting of three white children in a Louisiana landscape held a secret. Beneath a layer of overpaint meant to look like the sky: the figure of an enslaved youth.

The New York Times — Sunday, August 13, 2023

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For President Biden, a Political Liability That May Not Go Away Soon

President Biden has defended his son Hunter in the past.

The collapse of a plea deal and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden mean the president could face political fallout for months to come.

Inexpensive Add-on Spawns a New Era of Machine Guns

Caison Robinson, 14, survived multiple gunshot wounds from a shooting near his home in Las Vegas.

Popular devices known as “switches” are turning ordinary pistols into fully automatic weapons, making them deadlier and a growing threat to bystanders.

The Iowa State Fair Saw Many G.O.P. Candidates but Only One Trump

Donald J. Trump asserted his dominance in Iowa on Saturday as he squared off against his closest rival, Ron DeSantis, in the Super Bowl of retail politics.

How Climate Change Turned Lush Hawaii Into a Tinderbox

Declining rainfall, rising temperatures and invasive species have left the islands more susceptible to wildfires.

The New York Times — Saturday, August 12, 2023

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Garland Appoints Weiss as Special Counsel in Hunter Biden Inquiry

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced he is appointing a special counsel to handle the federal investigation into Hunter Biden.

The attorney general said he decided to elevate David C. Weiss after the prosecutor informed him that the powers of a special counsel were necessary to continue the investigation.

A Journey Through Lahaina’s Endless Streets of Suffering

As residents slowly returned and sifted through the debris of their homes, many were finding little to salvage.

A historic Hawaiian town that was once home to 13,000 people is now a desolate ruin. With the death toll rising, the true scope of the tragedy is still unfolding.

Judge Limits Trump’s Ability to Share Jan. 6 Evidence

During a 90-minute hearing in Washington, Judge Tanya S. Chutkan also warned the former president against any attempt to intimidate witnesses or prejudice potential jurors.

Judge Limits Trump’s Ability to Share Jan. 6 Evidence

During a 90-minute hearing in Washington, Judge Tanya S. Chutkan also warned the former president against any attempt to intimidate witnesses or prejudice potential jurors.

Views: The New York Times Magazine – August 13, 2023

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THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINEThe 8.13.23 Issue: In this special issue, Wesley Morris on hip-hop’s 50th anniversary; Niela Orr on the ascendance of female rappers; Miles Marshall Lewis on how hip-hop changed the English language forever; Daniel Levin Becker on the history of bling; Tom Breihan on Too Short’s long career; and Danyel Smith on the rappers we lost.

How Hip-Hop Changed the English Language Forever

By MILES MARSHALL LEWIS

In just 50 years, rap has transformed the way the world speaks. Here are five words that tell the story of the genre’s linguistic power.

“I stay woke” — Erykah Badu, “Master Teacher” 

HOW HIP-HOP
CONQUERED
THE WORLD

By Wesley Morris

We’re celebrating hip-hop’s 50th anniversary this week. Wesley Morris traces the art form from its South Bronx origins to all-encompassing triumph.

THE FUTURE OF RAP IS FEMALE

As their male counterparts turn depressive and paranoid, it’s the women who are having all the fun.

By Niela Orr

Like American men in general, our top male rappers appear to be in crisis: overwhelmed, confused, struggling to embody so many contradictory ideals. As a result, the art is suffering, too. If the music were any more existentially morose, or stylistically comatose, mainstream hip-hop made by men might be headed the way of hair metal or disco. The narcotized indolence is everywhere; the recounting of opioid abuse is so blasé (the Percs, Xans and Oxys) that these pillbox litanies leave you wondering if the Sackler family sponsored a wing in the rap museum. And then there’s the sense of foreshortened future that’s baked into the genre but has been amplified as gangsta rap branched off into trap, drill and other grittier subgenres. Many of the male rappers are documenting social strife and commenting on the violence that comes with being young, Black, famous men. This thread can be moving and also heartbreaking. When listening to these songs, it is impossible to not ache for their makers, to be afraid right along with them. But the music bears the weight of all that anxiety and grief. Even the occasional Drake smash is not enough to disturb the disquiet.