Tag Archives: Writing

THE NEW YORK TIMES – THURSDAY, DEC. 18, 2025

U.S. Inflation Unexpectedly Slowed to 2.7% in November

The latest Consumer Price Index was below what economists had expected and likely reflects distortions caused by the government shutdown.

European Leaders Face Off Over Whether to Tap Russian Frozen Assets for Ukraine

The European Council convened on Thursday, and at stake is a contentious deal to back Ukraine and its war effort. The final decision is a major test of Europe’s ability to support Ukraine.

A Bellicose Trump Points Fingers in Defending Record on Economy

In an 18-minute address, President Trump said the economy was booming despite the public’s consistent concerns about prices. Here are six takeaways.

‘Don’s Best Friend’: How Epstein and Trump Bonded Over the Pursuit of Women

Documents and interviews reveal a complicated relationship in which chasing women was a game of ego and dominance, and female bodies were currency.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – WEDNESDAY, DEC. 17, 2025

Trump Dangles Cash Payments to Buoy Voters’ Views of the Economy

With tariffs unpopular and prices still high, the White House has teased the promise of tariff rebates and large tax refunds next year.

Reiner Family Associate Details Events Before and After Killings Were Discovered

A person close to the family provided a detailed account of what occurred in the Reiner house after a massage therapist received no response at the gate.

Warner Bros. Says Ellisons ‘Misled’ Shareholders in Takeover Bid

The claim was made as part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s dismissal of Paramount’s hostile takeover offer.

Trump Revised Chevron’s Venezuela Deal. Maduro’s Oil Trader Profited

.A firm controlled by a businessman tied to a seized tanker carrying Venezuelan oil has sold millions of barrels from a Chevron-operated oil field.

Trump Orders Blockade of Some Oil Tankers to and From Venezuela

THE NEW YORK TIMES – TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2025

U.S. Unemployment Rate Rises, a Warning Sign for the Economy

Employers added 64,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate rose to 4.6 percent, according to data delayed by the government shutdown.

Cooling Labor Market and Elevated Inflation Stoke Fed Divisions

Suspected Sydney Gunmen Were Motivated by ISIS, Australia’s Leader Says

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said two gunmen who killed 15 people at a Jewish holiday celebration were motivated by “Islamic State ideology.”

Australia Doubles Down on Gun Control After Mass Shooting

The country has long looked warily at the cycle of gun violence in the United States, where meaningful changes in policy have been rare

Nick Reiner’s Struggles With Drugs Left His Parents ‘Desperate’

Mr. Reiner, 32, who was arrested in connection with the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner, once estimated he had been in drug treatment 18 times as a teenager.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2025

Police Resume Search for Brown University Gunman After Releasing Person of Interest

The authorities said they were renewing their hunt for the gunman, who killed two people. Officials released a person of interest late Sunday.

Hollywood Director Rob Reiner and His Wife, Michele, Are Found Dead

The Los Angeles Police Department said it was investigating an apparent homicide at the couple’s home. The family said they were “heartbroken by this sudden loss.”

Rob Reiner: An Actor Who Went On to Direct Classic Films

Rob Reiner starred in “All in the Family” before directing films including “When Harry Met Sally …,” “The Princess Bride” and “A Few Good Men.”

Australian Police Plan to Charge Suspect in Bondi Massacre

Officials said a father and son killed at least 15 people at a Jewish holiday celebration. More than three dozen others were hospitalized, including a surviving suspect.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2025

At Least 11 Killed After Jewish Community Is Targeted in Sydney Attack

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the shooting on Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah celebration a terrorist attack. At least one gunman is dead and another is in custody.

Deadly Attack on U.S. Troops Exposes Growing Challenges for Syria’s Leader

The attacks further complicate President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s efforts to unify the country and rebuild international relationships, analysts say.

Person of Interest Detained Over Deadly Shooting at Brown

Mayor Brett Smiley of Providence said this morning that an individual had been detained a day after a shooting inside a classroom killed two students and injured nine others.

The S.E.C. Was Tough on Crypto. It Pulled Back After Trump Returned to Office.

An investigation by The Times found the administration’s change in enforcement benefited the industry, including companies that had ties to the president.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SATURDAY, DEC. 13, 2025

Venezuela Oil Tanker Seized by U.S. Was Part of Effort to Finance Cuba

Firms with ties to Cuba are getting a larger share of Venezuelan oil exports, as the island’s security agents boost President Nicolás Maduro’s defenses.

Behind the Venezuelan Opposition Leader’s Daring Escape to Oslo

An American firm with experience in special operations spirited María Corina Machado out of the country in a secretive land, sea and air operation.

In Trump’s Justice Dept., Failing in Court Might Be Better Than Bucking the Boss

Thursday demonstrated an emerging reality for President Trump: Commanding the Justice Department is not the same as controlling the justice system.

Biden Has Raised Little of What He Needs to Build a Presidential Library

Former President Biden’s library foundation has told the I.R.S. that it expects to bring in $11.3 million — not enough for a traditional presidential library.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2025

From Chips to Security, China Is Getting Much of What It Wants From the U.S.

For China, President Trump’s moves to loosen chip controls, soften U.S. rhetoric and stay silent on tensions with Japan amount to a rare string of gains.

Historic Shift Is Underway in China’s Economy as Investment Slump Deepens

Investment in manufacturing, infrastructure and property is expected to fall this year, a remarkable turn for an economy whose growth reshaped the world.

Indiana Lawmakers Reject Trump’s New Political Map

Many G.O.P. lawmakers defied President Trump’s wishes, voting against a map aimed at adding Republicans in Congress.

What Indiana’s Defiance Means for Trump

U.S. Issues New Sanctions Targeting Maduro’s Family and the Oil Sector

The United States is escalating its pressure campaign on Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, after seizing an oil tanker off the coast.

Zyzzyva Magazine – WINTER 2025-2026

ZYZZYVA Magazine: The latest issue features…

Nonfiction

“The Fighters” by Joe Donnelly: on being transplanted as a boy from New Jersey to Ireland, and the grim school days spent at Willow Park primary school in Dublin.

“Fire Watching” by Harmony Holiday: a mediation on Los Angeles, its devastating fires, and finding meaning.

“The Deer” by Raia Small: “I have never killed anyone, so I can say that I don’t understand. But I am getting to know my own cruelties …”

Fiction

“A Long Line of Violence” by Tomas Moniz: A duo travels from the Mission District to Lassen Volcanic National Park to return a rifle to its battleground.

“Plums” by Feroz Rather: A young man steals as much time as he can with his beloved among the orchards and buses of his town in Kashmir.

“Viable” by Suzanne Rivecca: “The person I call in situations like this is Colette, the city government version of me, an abstinent ex-junkie disliked by the mayor, with a soft spot for schizophrenics, a love for lancing abscesses, and zero work/life balance.”

Poetry

Brian Ang, Nica Giromini, Kelly Gray, Michael Kennedy Costa, Kayla Krut, Maw Shein Win, Jared Stanley, and John Yau.

In Conversation

Chris Feliciano Arnold talks to Venezuelan scholar, journalist, and poet Boris Muñoz about literature, authoritarianism, and the importance of cronistas.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – THURSDAY, DEC. 11, 2025

U.S. Steps Up Campaign Against Maduro in Seizing Tanker Off Venezuela

President Trump has labeled President Nicolás Maduro a drug cartel leader and has suggested that U.S. strikes could expand to Venezuelan soil.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Machado Vows to End Maduro’s Rule in Venezuela

María Corina Machado appeared in Oslo as the Trump administration ramped up its pressure campaign against President Nicolás Maduro.

Trump Doesn’t Want to Talk About Affordability. Democrats See That as a Gift.

As President Trump continues to brush off the issue, Democrats believe one of the biggest strengths in his first term could now become a major vulnerability.

How a Manosphere Star Accused of Rape and Trafficking Was Freed

Barred from leaving Romania, Andrew Tate courted powerful figures on the American right, from Tucker Carlson to Barron Trump. Then an extraordinary order let him go.

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY – DECEMBER 12, 2025 PREVIEW

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY: The latest issue features ‘Blocked!’ – Why Australia banned kids from social media (and what they think of it)

Millions of teenagers in Australia woke up on Wednesday to find themselves locked out of social media accounts after the government introduced a ban for under-16s – the first of its kind – on the platforms.

Far from being a kneejerk response to a moral panic, it’s a move backed up by detailed investigation into the effects of unfettered online access on children – and one that several other countries are poised to follow. Australian eSafety research found seven in 10 children aged 10 to 15 had encountered content associated with harm online. Three-quarters of those had most recently encountered that – including misogyny, violence, disordered eating and suicide – on a social media platform.

“We are seeking to create some friction [in the] system to protect children where previously there has been close to none … We are treating big tech like the extractive industry it has become,” Australia’s eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, told an audience earlier this year.

Spotlight | Syria, one year after Assad
While country’s return to global stage has filled many Syrians with pride, domestically old grievances threaten efforts to rebuild the state. William Christou reports from Damascus

Feature | The inside story of the race to create the ultimate AI
In Silicon Valley, rival companies are spending trillions of dollars to reach a goal that could change humanity – or potentially destroy it. Robert Booth reports

Feature | On the trail of London’s snail farming don
Terry Ball – renowned shoe salesman, friend to former mafiosi – has vowed to spend his remaining years finding ways to cheat authorities he feels have cheated him. His greatest ruse? A tax-dodging snail empire. Jim Waterson caught up with him

Opinion | What words are left to describe Trump’s global rampage?
Deadly US boat strikes in the Caribbean are the latest example of a president corrupting both the law and morality, argues Jonathan Freedland

Culture | The best books of 2025
From fiction to food, people to poetry, science to sport: Guardian critics round up the year’s essential reads