Tag Archives: The New York Times

The New York Times Book Review – April 16, 2023

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The New York Times Book Review – April 16, 2023:

She Taught Us to Do Nothing. Now Jenny Odell Wants to Save Time.

This image shows the hands of a clock set into a circle of melting ice, suggesting time is fluid and ephemeral.
Credit…Ricardo Tomás

The author’s new book, “Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock,” urges readers to revise their conceptions of time and the world to nurture hope and action for a better future.

In Russia’s War in Ukraine, ‘Nature Has Also Suffered.’

This is a black-and-white photo of a series of manmade wooden columns sticking out of a tranquil body of water.
Early-1900s wooden poles used for salt mining on the Kuialnyk Estuary, on the northwest coast of the Black Sea.Credit…Yevhen Samuchenko

A book of photographs taken before February 2022 reveals formerly breathtaking landscapes that may never be the same.

A Time-Travel Novel Whose Thrills Go Beyond the Speculative

In this abstract illustration, three figures in an astral plain try to hold onto the flow of time, which is artistically rendered as a colorful, flowing stream.
Credit…Changyu Zou

In Jinwoo Chong’s debut novel, “Flux,” a time-warping discovery impacts the lives of three people coping with personal and systemic traumas.

Preview: New York Times Magazine – April 16, 2023

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The New York Times Magazine – April 16, 2023:

The R.T.O. Whisperers Have a Plan

A photo illustration of an empty chair surround by confetti.
Credit…Photo illustration by Derek Brahney

A niche group of consultants is trying to get you back to the office. It’s not going too well.

Being the boss doesn’t mean you get exactly what you wish for. That’s what Craig Knoblock discovered when he tried to get his employees to come back to the office in the fall of 2021.

You Call This ‘Flexible Work’?

Credit…Illustration by Brian Rea

Labor fought for a long time to draw a bright line between work and home. It took almost no time at all to erase it.

When Your Boss Is an App

A color illustration of a person working under an overhead lamp that is shaped like a large phone screen.
Credit…Illustration by Derek Abella

Gig work has been silently taking over new industries, but not in the way many expected.

For most Americans, the concept of “gig work” has been synonymous with a handful of Silicon Valley giants — companies like Uber and DoorDash, Instacart and TaskRabbit. There was a moment in the 2010s when pundits told us to expect the “Uberization of everything”: a future in which the typical worker would move from job to job or task to task, finding either independence and flexibility in freelancing or, more realistically, the precarity of working for platforms that may be light on benefits and aggressively exploitative of labor.

Front Page: The New York Times — April 14, 2023

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F.B.I. Arrests National Guardsman in Leak of Classified Documents

Law enforcement personnel outside the home of Airman First Class Jack Teixeira’s mother in North Dighton, Mass., on Thursday. The F.B.I. had been zeroing in on him for several days.
CREDITHALEY WILLIS/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Authorities say Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, posted sensitive materials in an online chat group.

VISUAL INVESTIGATIONS

The Airman Who Gave Gamers a Real Taste of War

CREDITWCVB-TV, VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS

The group liked online war games. But then Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old National Guard airman, began showing them classified documents, members say.

Abortion Is Back at Supreme Court’s Door After Dueling Orders on Pill

The justices are poised to consider whether the most common method of ending pregnancies can be sharply curtailed in states where abortion remains legal.

Politics Rooted in Protest Fuels ‘the Justins’ of Tennessee

The young Black Democrats expelled from the legislature bring an activist approach, and model themselves after civil rights leaders of the past.

Front Page: The New York Times — April 13, 2023

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E.P.A. Lays Out Rules to Turbocharge Sales of Electric Cars and Trucks

The new rules would require nothing short of a revolution in the U.S. auto industry.
CREDITMADDIE MCGARVEY FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

The Biden administration is proposing rules to ensure that two-thirds of new cars and a quarter of new heavy trucks sold in the United States by 2032 are all-electric.

The Final Blocks: Inside Ukraine’s Bloody Stand for Bakhmut

Ukrainian soldiers at a frontline position in southern Bakhmut on Friday, watching the horizon where Russian troops are stationed.
CREDITMAURICIO LIMA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Pushed into a shrinking corner of the devastated city, the Ukrainian military is determined to hold out for strategic reasons, even as allies question the cost.

Why China Could Dominate the Next Big Advance in Batteries

China is far ahead of the rest of the world in the development of batteries that use sodium, which are starting to compete with ubiquitous lithium power cells.

Inflation Cools Notably, but It’s a Long Road Back to Normal

Fed officials are debating how to set policy after bank blowups. Fresh inflation data are unlikely to make such decisions easier.

Front Page: The New York Times — April 12, 2023

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California Economy Is on Edge After Tech Layoffs and Studio Cutbacks

While the California economy maintains its powerhouse status, the state’s most powerful sectors — including tech companies and supply chain logistics — have struggled to keep their footing.
CREDITJASON HENRY FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

As recession fears persist, the troubles in major industries have hurt tax revenues, turning the state’s $100 billion surplus into a deficit.

Pressured by Their Base on Abortion, Republicans Strain to Find a Way Forward

A conservative judge’s ruling on the abortion pill mifepristone, available for decades, underscored the anti-abortion movement’s efforts since Roe v. Wade was struck down last year.
CREDITERIN SCHAFF/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Some in the party are urging compromise, warning of dire electoral consequences for 2024, while other stances, on guns and gay rights, also risk turning off moderates.

An Online Meme Group Is at the Center of Uproar Over Leaked Military Secrets

Youth culture and national defense collided in a community known for edgy jokes. The YouTube celebrity it was dedicated to seemed as surprised as anyone.

Biden Administration Proposes Evenly Cutting Water Allotments From Colorado River

As the river shrinks, the Biden administration is getting ready to impose, for the first time, reductions in water supplies to states.

Front Page: The New York Times — April 11, 2023

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The Real-World Costs of the Digital Race for Bitcoin

Bitcoin mines cash in on electricity — by devouring it, selling it, even turning it off — and they cause immense pollution. In many cases, the public pays a price.

Drug Company Leaders Condemn Ruling Invalidating F.D.A.’s Approval of Abortion Pill

A letter signed by senior executives of pharmaceutical and biotech companies condemned a ruling by Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk that invalidated the Food and Drug Administration’s 23-year-old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone.
CREDITSENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS

More than 400 executives said that the decision ignored both scientific and legal precedent and that, if the ruling stood, it would create uncertainty for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.

Bank Turmoil Squeezes Borrowers, Raising Fears of a Slowdown

Borrowing and raising money are more difficult and expensive now, said Sarah Puil, the chief executive of the upscale boxed wine company Boxt.
CREDITTAMIR KALIFA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Economists are watching for the aftereffects of recent bank collapses across many industries. How bad could it get?

DeSantis Pushes Toughest Immigration Crackdown in the Nation

The Florida governor is pushing an aggressive proposal to penalize those who aid undocumented immigrants and to track costs for providing them with health care.

Front Page: The New York Times – April 10, 2023

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Leaked Documents Suggest Ukrainian Air Defense Is in Peril if Not Reinforced

Russian police officers watching military aircraft fly over the Kremlin. Moscow could decide it is finally safe to unleash its prized fighter jets and bombers if Ukraine’s air defense systems are depleted.
CREDITSERGEY PONOMAREV FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

A huge influx of munitions is needed to keep Russia’s air force from changing the course of the war, according to U.S. officials and newly leaked Pentagon documents.

How the Latest Leaked Documents Are Different From Past Breaches

Leaked documents leave no doubt about how heavily the United States in involved in the war in Ukraine.
CREDITSTEFANI REYNOLDS FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

The freshness of the documents — some appear to be barely 40 days old — and the hints they hold for operations to come make them particularly damaging, officials say.

Will North Carolina Be the ‘Beginning of the End’ of the Medicaid Expansion Fight?

Intense patient advocacy, shifting politics, a determined Democratic governor and a handful of maverick Republicans led the state to join 39 others that have expanded Medicaid.

El Salvador Decimated Its Ruthless Gangs. But at What Cost?

In the year since El Salvador declared a state of emergency, the government has delivered a stunning blow to the gangs that were once the ultimate authority in much of the country.

Front Page: The New York Times, Sunday, April 9, 2023

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Leaked Documents Reveal Depth of U.S. Spy Efforts and Russia’s Military Struggles

The new documents appear to show that America’s understanding of Russian planning remains extensive and that the United States is able to warn Ukraine’s military about Moscow’s future operations.
CREDITMAURICIO LIMA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

The information, exposed on social media sites, also shows that U.S. intelligence services are eavesdropping on important allies.

Georgia Looms Next After Trump’s Indictment in New York

For Donald J. Trump, the possibility of a second criminal indictment in another state underscores the blizzard of legal challenges he is facing, even as he emerges as the clear front-runner among Republican presidential candidates.

Former President Donald J. Trump now faces a very different legal challenge in the culmination of a more than two-year Atlanta investigation into election interference.

Live Music Is Roaring Back. But Fans Are Reeling From Sticker Shock.

Buying concert tickets has become a mess of high prices and surcharges, anxiety-inducing registrations and pervasive scalping as some of pop’s biggest acts hit the road again.

At Stanford Law School, the Dean Takes a Stand for Free Speech. Will It Work?

After a student protest, Jenny S. Martinez wrote a much-praised memo defending academic freedom. But that protest shows how complicated protecting free speech can be.

Front Page: The New York Times – April 8, 2023

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In Dealing With China, U.S. and Europe Take Different Tacks

President Emmanuel Macron of France shaking hands with President Xi Jinping of China in front of large Chinese and French flags.
President Emmanuel Macron of France talked with President Xi Jinping of China about strengthening commerce between Europe and China during a visit to Beijing this month.

The Biden administration says there is “convergence.” But trans-Atlantic leaders adopt different strategies on security and trade issues — including on Ukraine and Taiwan.

U.S. Job Growth Eases, but Extends Its Streak

CREDITELLA KOEZE

Employers added 236,000 jobs as the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate increases appeared to take a toll. The unemployment rate fell to 3.5 percent.

The Biden administration says there is “convergence.” But trans-Atlantic leaders adopt different strategies on security and trade issues — including on Ukraine and Taiwan.

Judge Invalidates F.D.A. Approval of the Abortion Pill Mifepristone

The Texas judge’s ruling was quickly contradicted by another federal judge in Washington State who ordered the F.D.A. to keep mifepristone available.

New Batch of Classified Documents Appears on Social Media Sites

Secret documents that appear to detail American national security secrets on Ukraine, the Middle East and China have surfaced online.

In A.I. Race, Microsoft and Google Choose Speed Over Caution

Technology companies were once leery of what some artificial intelligence could do. Now the priority is winning control of the industry’s next big thing.

The New York Times Book Review – April 9, 2023

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The New York Times Book Review – April 9, 2023:

It’s Like ‘Little Women’ — but With Basketball

This is a series of six small drawings of men and women dressed in white, standing in a hilly rural landscape.
Credit…Kristina Tzekova

In “Hello Beautiful,” Ann Napolitano puts a fresh spin on the classic story of four sisters.

“It is your God-given right as an American fiction writer,” Ursula K. Le Guin once said, to change point of view. But “you need to know that you’re doing it,” she warned, and “some American fiction writers don’t.”

Osamu Dazai, With Help From TikTok, Keeps Finding New Fans

A black-and-white photograph of the author Osamu Dazai, who is resting his chin on his hand and looking to his left.
The Japanese novelist Osamu Dazai.

The enduring appeal of a midcentury Japanese novelist who wrote of alienation and suicide.

The first thing you hear is an eerie synth tone, followed by a portentous, insinuating voice. “Tell me, Dazai,” it says. “Why is it you wish to die?”

“Let’s turn that question around,” someone earnestly replies. “Is there really any value to this thing we call … living?” Then a beat drops, accompanied by distorted shouts.

Real People, Reincarnated in the Pages of New Novels

This is an illustration featuring six coin-like drawings in orange, teal, purple in pink, layered over a monochromatic street scene.
Credit…Michelle Mildenberg

These hefty books explore the lives of a former poet, a polarizing artist and a Scottish rebel from unexpected angles.

One of the great attractions of historical fiction is its ability to approach the past from unexpected angles, allowing us to consider famous figures in surprising ways. It’s a tactic that pays off brilliantly in Stephen May’s elegantly acerbic SELL US THE ROPE (Bloomsbury, 240 pp., paperback, $18), which features a thuggish former poet who calls himself Koba. The world will later know him as Stalin.