Tag Archives: The New York Times

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.

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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.

The New York Times Book Review – August 13, 2023

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THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW – August 13, 2023: The annual thrillers issue features – a tense murder mystery set aboard a cruise ship; a heist novel involving rough diamonds, crooked lawyers and masters of the double cross; and an especially creepy serial-killer novel, to name just a few.

Being Underestimated Was Her Secret Weapon

A black-and-white photograph portrays the head and shoulders of a woman with dark hair, elegantly dressed in furs.

In “Flirting With Danger,” Janet Wallach tells the story of Marguerite Harrison, who traded a life of privilege to become America’s first international female spy.

By Chloe Malle

FLIRTING WITH DANGER: The Mysterious Life of Marguerite Harrison, Socialite Spy, by Janet Wallach


Anyone complaining about a canceled Delta flight would do well to channel Marguerite Harrison. The United States’ first international female spy, Harrison crisscrossed the globe by rickshaw, propeller plane, camel, inflated goatskin raft and rail freight car and once brightly described a trans-Siberian voyage, in which she was wedged between sacks of tea and oats on the back of a troika in a blizzard, as “a rare and delightful experience.”

Chasing a World Record, They Endured Storms, Sharks and Freak Waves

There are two vintage black-and-white photos next to one another here. The one on the left portrays a man in a white T-shirt squinting past the camera; the one on the right shows a man on a boat giving himself s shave. He is shirtless and his face is covered with shaving cream.
From left: John Fairfax; Tom McCleanCredit…From left: Daily Mail/Shutterstock; Tom McClean

In “Completely Mad,” James Hansen tells the stories of two men who in 1969 vied to be the first to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

COMPLETELY MAD: Tom McClean, John Fairfax, and the Epic Race to Row Solo Across the Atlantic, by James R. Hansen


The day before the Apollo mission landed two men on the moon, a British man named John Fairfax waded into Hollywood Beach, Fla., greeted by masses of cheering fans, having been the first person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Eight days later, another Briton, Tom McClean, pulled his dory up a deserted beach in Blacksod Bay, Ireland, having rowed solo across the Atlantic in the opposite direction. While Fairfax was acclaimed and feted, McClean walked to the closest pub, alone.

The New York Times — Friday, August 11, 2023

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U.S. Reaches Deal With Iran to Free Americans for Jailed Iranians and Funds

President Biden has made bringing home detained Americans a priority.

Five American detainees will eventually be allowed to leave Iran in exchange for Tehran gaining access to $6 billion for humanitarian purposes and the United States freeing several jailed Iranians.

Israel’s Supreme Court Prepares to Rule on Its Own Fate

Chief Justice Esther Hayut and fellow Israeli Supreme Court judges attend a hearing at the High Court in Jerusalem in January.

The justices will be scrutinized as never before at a hearing in September on the first part of a judicial overhaul that the government pushed through Parliament, angering many Israelis.

Supreme Court Pauses Opioid Settlement With Sacklers Pending Review

A federal appeals court had signed off on the agreement, which would shield members of the wealthy Sackler family from opioid-related lawsuits in exchange for billions to resolve thousands of claims.

Dozens of Children Die Every Year in Hot Cars. Could Technology Save Them?

A moment of forgetfulness by a distracted or sleep-deprived parent can be devastating. Experts and child-safety advocates have called for interior motion sensors in all vehicles.

The New York Times — Thursday, August 10, 2023

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Biden Orders Ban on New Investments in China’s Sensitive High-Tech Industries

An order by President Biden will prohibit venture capital and private equity firms from pumping money into Chinese efforts to develop semiconductors and other microelectronics.

The new limits, aimed at preventing American help to Beijing as it modernizes its military, escalate a conflict between the world’s two largest economies.

Special Counsel Obtained Search Warrant for Trump’s Twitter Account

Former President Donald J. Trump departing an airplane. He is wearing a blue suit, red tie and white shirt.

The warrant, obtained in January, is the first known example of prosecutors directly searching Donald J. Trump’s communications in the federal inquiry into the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

Maui Town Is Devastated by Deadliest Wildfire to Strike Hawaii

At least six people were killed in an inferno that tore through Lahaina, leveling entire neighborhoods.

Heat Singes the Mind, Not Just the Body

Hot weather can destabilize mood, exacerbate mental health disorders and complicate drug treatment. Climate change itself is a stressor, scientists say.