Tag Archives: Writing

The New York Times — Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024

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Ukraine Fired U.S.-Made Missiles Into Russia for First Time, Officials Say

The attack came just days after President Biden gave Ukraine permission to use the weapons to strike targets inside Russia.

For Russia, Nuclear Weapons Are the Ultimate Bargaining Chip

The Ukraine war has not only shattered millions of lives and shaken Europe. It also has inured Washington to the use of nuclear threats as leverage.

Trump Defies the #MeToo Movement With Cabinet Picks Facing Accusations

Donald J. Trump, who was found liable for sexual abuse last year, appears determined to force a fight over the role of such allegations in society.

Hacker Is Said to Have Gained Access to File With Damaging Testimony About Gaetz

The computer file is said to contain testimony from the woman who said she had sex with Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be attorney general, when she was 17.

The New York Times — Sunday, November 17, 2024

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Biggest Donors Expect Returns On Investment

Moguls Look To Lifting of Regulations

In Hiring, Trump Follows Instinct More Than Ever

Prioritizing Loyalty and Not Seeking Advice Outside His Cirel

How A Broken Border Keeps Our Shopping Carts Full

Migrants Exploited As Staffing Agencies Meet Demand

World Economic Forum: Top Stories – Nov 16, 2024

World Economic Forum (November 16, 2024) – The top stories of the week include:

0:15 AI robot zaps weeds while saving crops – It’s called Concentrated Light Autonomous Weeding and Scouting or CLAWS for short. CLAWS uses AI-powered image processing to identify the crops, then targets weeds around the crop with blasts of concentrated light. This gets rid of unwanted intruders without damaging either crops or soil.

1:52 5 ways bioeconomy affects daily living – The bioeconomy uses renewable resources from land or sea to produce food, energy, and other resources. It focuses on leveraging nature’s processes and products to create sustainable economic outputs. The bioeconomy is already a part of our daily lives, influencing various sectors and industries.

6:08 Iceland sees benefit of a 4-day work week – The Nordic nation of 380,000 is rolling out a new way of working. Between 2020 and 2022, 51% of Iceland’s workers accepted an offer of shorter hours, such as a 4-day week for no loss of pay. The shift has had a positive impact on work-life balance and personal stress, new research shows.

8:17 Restored Amazon ecosystems beat logging – Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance is fighting to safeguard 35 million hectares of rainforest through a collaboration between 30 Indigenous nations of the Amazon basin. There’s an economic case for protecting the Amazon, says Atossa Soltani, Director of Global Strategy, Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance.

#WorldEconomicForum

The New York Times — Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024

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Trump Takes On the Pillars of the ‘Deep State’

The Justice Department, Pentagon and intelligence agencies were the three areas of government that proved to be the most stubborn obstacles to Mr. Trump in his first term.

Kennedy’s Vow to Take On Big Food Could Alienate His New G.O.P. Allies

Processed foods are in the cross hairs of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but battling major companies could collide with President-elect Donald J. Trump’s corporate-friendly goals.

Is a ‘Green’ Revolution Poisoning India’s Capital?

India promised to burn its trash mountains and safely turn them into electricity. But a New York Times investigation found hazardous levels of toxic substances around homes, playgrounds and schools.

Trump Immigration Targets: Ukrainians, Venezuelans, Haitians

The president-elect has vowed to end a program that allows thousands of people from troubled nations to stay in the United States.

The New York Times — Friday, November 15, 2024

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Trump Picks R.F.K. Jr. to Be Head of Health and Human Services Dept.

Whether the Senate would confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic who has unorthodox views about medicine, is an open question.

Gaetz, Gabbard and Hegseth: Trump’s Picks Are a Show of Force

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s cabinet picks show that he prizes loyalty over experience and is fueled by retribution.

Trump’s Cabinet Picks Test Senate G.O.P.’s Deference

The president-elect’s choice of combative loyalists who could have trouble being confirmed has raised constitutional questions about executive power and the Senate’s prerogatives.

Elon Musk Met With Iran’s U.N. Ambassador, Iranian Officials Say

The tech billionaire, a top adviser to President-elect Donald J. Trump, was reported to have discussed ways to defuse tensions between Iran and the United States.

The New York Review Of Books – December 5, 2024

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The New York Review of Books (November 14, 2024) The latest issue features The Second Coming – Disinhibition will be the order of the day in Donald Trump’s America.

The Second Coming

Disinhibition will be the order of the day in Donald Trump’s America. By Erin Maglaque

Soundscapes of the Silenced

In late Renaissance Florence one in five women lived behind institutional walls whose rule was sensory mortification. Historians are struggling to recover their inexpressible secrets.

“A Veil of Silence: Women and Sound in Renaissance Italy” by Julia Rombough

In Search of Fullness

In his new book, the philosopher Charles Taylor looks at modern poetry as a unique record of spiritual experience in a secular age.

“Cosmic Connections: Poetry in the Age of Disenchantment” by Charles Taylor

London Review Of Books – November 21, 2024 Preview

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London Review of Books (LRB) – November 14 , 2024: The latest issue features ‘The Democrats’ Defeat’….

The Democrats’ Defeat

By Adam Tooze

‘Being the party of normality has its appeal, but it reinforces precisely the wrong instinct. The polycrisis that is unfolding demands not a return to the status quo but urgent, progressive answers both at home and abroad. To formulate and articulate those, the Democrats need politicians, not algorithms. They need personalities capable of responding to the profound questions facing contemporary America.’

Ukraine’s Battle Fatigue

James Meek

‘Would the army as a whole rise up against a government that made territorial concessions to Russia? Perhaps. But the more widely the recruiters spread their net, the more the army reflects a society that is starting to talk openly, if bitterly, about swapping land for peace.’


Exit Wounds: How America’s Guns Fuel Violence across the Border 
by Ieva Jusionyte

Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling by Jason de León

The Economist Magazine – November 16, 2024 Preview

What’s about to hit the world economy?

The Economist Magazine (November 14, 2024): The latest issue features What’s about to hit the world economy?

Middle-class and minimum-wage – The strange politics of wage compression in Britain

Paying the climate bill – The energy transition will be much cheaper than you think

What to make of Trump’s picks – Loyalty, competence and an appetite for disruption are among the traits he is filtering for

Investing in Africa – Poor data and small capital markets make it hard to gauge risks and returns

Read full edition

The New York Times — Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024

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Trump and Biden Make Nice at the White House, at Least for 29 Seconds

President Biden and President-elect Donald J. Trump’s brief public display of civility was followed by a two-hour meeting behind closed doors.

Matt Gaetz Is Trump’s Pick for Attorney General

The Florida congressman, a polarizing figure on Capitol Hill, could give President-elect Donald J. Trump an ally at the top of the Justice Department who would not resist his directives.

Republican Senators Elect John Thune as Next Majority Leader

The institutionalist South Dakotan emerged victorious over a right-wing, MAGA-backed challenge from Senator Rick Scott of Florida.

New York to Revive Congestion Pricing With $9 Toll

Gov. Kathy Hochul is expected to announce the revised program on Thursday with the aim of putting it in place before Donald Trump takes office.

The New York Times — Tuesday, November 12, 2024

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Why Was There a Broad Drop-Off in Democratic Turnout in 2024?

Many Democrats failed to turn out to vote at the rate they did in 2020 when they ousted Donald Trump, according to an analysis of election data.

Europe Braces for Trump: ‘Worst Economic Nightmare Has Come True’

The United States is the biggest trading partner for the European Union and Britain, whose economies could be at risk from the president-elect’s policies.

California Counts Methodically as House Control Hangs in the Balance

Nine of the 16 races that will determine which party controls the House of Representatives are in California. No state takes longer to tally votes.

How a Colombian Influencer Made Recycling Cool

The character Marce the Recycler has created an enthusiastic dedication to proper waste separation among her devoted fans.