Members phkrause Posted January 28 Author Members Share Posted January 28 January 28, 2024 By Desiree Ibekwe Good morning. China was once a big moneymaker for Hollywood. Last year, no American movie broke the Top 10 at the Chinese box office. A multiplex in Beijing. Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times Changing tastes “Barbenheimer” — the portmanteau given to the same-day release of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” last summer — was a genuine cultural phenomenon for much of the world. Cinemas were filled with outfits in various hues of pink. Social media frothed with opinions. And the films brought in a combined $2.3 billion globally. The “Barbenheimer” story played out differently in China, though. Neither movie cracked the nation’s top 30 releases last year. In fact, as my colleagues Claire Fu, Brooks Barnes and Daisuke Wakabayashi have reported, it was a bad year for all of Hollywood at the Chinese box office, where no American movie broke the list of top 10 highest-grossing movies. The numbers must be chastening for Hollywood studios; China has often been a salve for declining domestic revenues. In 2012, seven of the top 10 releases in China were American, and Chinese companies were soon investing billions of dollars in U.S. entertainment. Studios went out of their way to appease the Chinese market, amending scripts for censors and shoehorning in Chinese product placements. In the past few years, though, as tensions grew between the countries’ governments, China began to look inward. It invested in domestic filmmakers and filmmaking technologies like C.G.I., Claire Fu told me. And it began the construction of thousands of new movie screens, in part to expand the reach of movies that “exhibit the Chinese national spirit,” officials said. This investment appears to be paying off — the top grossing films last year were Chinese-made productions like “The Wandering Earth II,” a sci-fi movie heavy on special effects and themes of collectivism. Chinese audiences are shunning Hollywood for domestic film options that are improving in quality, and reflect their own societal issues and values. “Chinese films have the content that Chinese audiences can relate to, culturally and emotionally,” Claire told me. Examples include “No More Bets,” based on a real-life scam in which people were kidnapped and forced to work online fraud jobs in Southeast Asia, and “The Battle at Lake Changjin,” the country’s top-grossing movie of all time, about a Chinese triumph over the U.S. during the Korean War. Hannah Li, a 27-year-old Marvel die-hard who grew up watching Western movies, told Claire that Hollywood needs to change its approach if it wants to succeed in China. “If you don’t want to get off your high horse to see what we like, then it’s natural that you will be washed-out,” Hannah said. Will Hollywood studios double down in China and adapt to a new normal, or cut their losses? The change in the Chinese audience has already altered the calculus in Hollywood more broadly. Studios have decided to spend less money on the kind of franchise movies that have historically relied on the Chinese market to recoup their large budgets. “If they want to meet the Chinese market’s requirement and make the audience feel like they can relate more,” Claire said, “then Hollywood will need to weigh up the losses and gains.” Read the full story by Claire, Brooks Barnes and Daisuke here. For more: After a decade collaborating with top filmmakers, the Chinese authorities have figured out how to make watchable propaganda films, The Economist reports. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS 2024 Election Nikki Haley returned to South Carolina, her home state, in search of support in high places for her flagging campaign for president. She’s finding little. A coalition of Black faith leaders, partly spurred by their parishioners, is pressing the Biden administration to push for a cease-fire in Gaza. Representatives from the Donald Trump and Haley campaigns are expected to make their pitches to a network of Republican megadonors. The 2024 election campaign is set to be one of the longest in modern history. The Trump and Biden campaigns face unusual strategic decisions in the weeks ahead. More on Politics E. Jean Carroll Sarah Blesener for The New York Times “We’re going to do something great with this money”: E. Jean Carroll, who won $83.3 million in defamation damages against Trump, speaks with The Times about the verdict. Arizona Republicans chose a hard-right Trump supporter as their chair after a scandal forced the former leader to resign. The array of high-profile political fights taking place in New Jersey has created an overheated campaign atmosphere. Israel-Hamas War Negotiators are closing in on a deal in which Israel would suspend fighting in Gaza for about two months in exchange for the release of more than 100 hostages. Top American, Israeli and Arab officials are trying to answer the divisive question of how Gaza will be governed after the fighting stops. Britain, Germany and at least four other countries said they would join the U.S. in suspending funding to a U.N. agency that aids Palestinians after Israel accused some of its employees of participating in the Oct. 7 attacks. The head of the U.N. agency urged the countries to reconsider. “The lives of people in Gaza depend on this support and so does regional stability,” he said. A significant number of weapons Hamas used in the Oct. 7 attacks and in the war in Gaza came from the Israeli military, according to Israeli military and intelligence officials. War in Ukraine A Ukrainian mobilization bill has catalyzed discontent about the army recruitment process after nearly two years of war. Long lines have popped up in Russia to get an antiwar candidate, Boris Nadezhdin, on the ballot for the country’s presidential election in March. More International News In Shanghai. Qilai Shen for The New York Times Interview coaches and dozens of applications: Read what it took for these young people in China to get jobs in the nation’s toughest job market in years. On Germany’s Holocaust Memorial Day, tens of thousands demonstrated in support of democracy and against the rise of a far-right political party. A Kenyan court blocked a U.N.-backed plan to deploy the country’s officers to help pacify violence on Haiti’s streets. There doesn’t appear to be a Plan B. Other Big Stories Since a freight train carrying hazardous material derailed a year ago in East Palestine, Ohio, no legislation has passed to prevent similar disasters and accidents have increased. A man in Washington State has pleaded guilty to making 20 “swatting” calls to the police in several states and Canada. Aryna Sabalenka beat Zheng Qinwen to win her second straight Australian Open tennis title. FROM OPINION China should do more to protect trade routes in the Red Sea instead of criticizing the U.S. response to the evolving crisis there, Isaac Kardon and Jennifer Kavanagh write. Here are columns by Nicholas Kristof on a war with China and Maureen Dowd on Trump. The Sunday question: Does Gov. Greg Abbott’s border fence in Texas constitute self-defense? Texas claims a right to defend itself against “invasion” regardless of federal policy. “When the federal government isn’t enforcing the law, and it’s quite clear they’re not, it leaves Texas with difficult choices to make,” The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nicole Russell writes. But “if he’s right, then each state could use a finding of an ‘invasion’ as a pretext for waging war against whomever it wants to — presumably including the federal government,” Stephen Vladeck writes in The Houston Chronicle. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS In Paris. Pierre Mouton Je suis un rock star: Maxim’s in Paris has started a new chapter after 130 years in the restaurant business. Can the forgotten hot spot reclaim its cool? Out there: What do you call a galaxy without stars? Dark galaxies have joined dark energy and dark matter in the cosmic lexicon. Word through The Times: Though the word “pose” is associated with the dance style voguing, it is less a part of the vocabulary and more a part of the movement. Vows: In 1998, they fell in love fast. Once gay marriage became legal, they were too busy raising daughters and building a life to make it official. Lives Lived: David Skal was a witty historian of horror entertainment who examined the cultural significance of movies meant to scare us. He died at 71. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT TALK | FROM THE TIMES MAGAZINE John Malkovich Photo Illustration by Bráulio Amado By David Marchese I spoke with the actor John Malkovich, who co-stars in the upcoming Apple TV+ series “The New Look.” You first became known for your Steppenwolf Theater Company work: emotionally confrontational, pushing audiences. I’m curious how you think contemporary audiences are different from audiences back then. Hey, each generation is entitled to do their thing. There are things my kids like that I don’t quite grasp, but that is the natural flow of life. Things seem crazy sometimes, and unrecognizable, but I’m 70 years old. It’s perfectly natural that they seem unrecognizable because part of the thing of aging is, as Linda Loman said in “Death of a Salesman,” “Life is a casting off.” You’ve done a lot of disparate work, and yet there’s always some Malkovich-ness that comes through. You’re not one of these actors who people talk about as subsuming themselves into the character. There is a kind of technical actor who does often fantastic and pretty purely technical things. I’m not really that, and I’m not sure how much it fascinates me. I can appreciate it, especially when somebody’s very good at it, but I don’t think there are 50 characters like that in an actor. There are, like, five. I want to go back to the line from “Death of a Salesman”: “Life is a casting off.” What are you casting off? You have to let go of the past, of connections. At this age, there are people who are dead now that were very close to me. There are people I love to have a conversation with — who I sometimes dream of and have the conversation in dreams — that I’ll never see again. That’s a natural part of life. It’s cast off in the sense that it’s allowed to float away. It’s also not weighing you down. It’s gone. Read more of the interview here. More from the magazine The explosion of e-commerce has created an opportunity for a strange 21st-century revival: the train robbery. A powerful Republican lawmaker devised a bribery scheme that led to a trial and a death — and showed why corruption has become harder to prosecute. Read the full issue. BOOKS Dan Jones Rebecca Clarke By the Book: Dan Jones, the prolific historian, British TV personality and author of the Hundred Years’ War trilogy, turned to fiction after a dinner with George R.R. Martin. Our editors’ picks: “Not Here to Make Friends,” a full-on villain romance novel filled with lying, scheming and blazingly tumultuous sex, and eight other books. Times best sellers: Jamie Lee Curtis’s “Just One More Sleep,” which tells the story of a young girl waiting for her next birthday, is new on the children’s picture book best-seller list. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Make a meal shine. Add coconut milk. Keep your pet safe during cold weather. Identify plants with these apps. Level up your carry-on luggage. THE WEEK AHEAD What to Watch For A Hong Kong court will consider a petition tomorrow to liquidate the property developer China Evergrande, which defaulted on offshore debt in 2021. A decision in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial is expected to be reached Wednesday. What to Cook This Week Eggplant adobo Julia Gartland for The New York Times. In this week’s Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter, Emily Weinstein suggests making a versatile dish that could work for breakfast as well as dinner: Tejal Rao’s eggs Kejriwal, a spicy egg-and-cheese on toast dish with roots in Mumbai. Other recipes featured on this week’s list include a one-skillet eggplant adobo, an easy Los Angeles-style burrito and a chicken piccata that can be made in under 30 minutes. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was cornball. Can you put eight historical events — including the first speeding ticket, the rise of chocolate, and the creation of A.T.M.s — in chronological order? Take this week’s Flashback quiz. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted January 30 Author Members Share Posted January 30 January 29, 2024 By David Leonhardt and Lauren Jackson Good morning. We’re covering the hunger crisis in Gaza — as well as Evergrande, A.I. and the Super Bowl. Rafah, in southern Gaza. Fatima Shbair/Associated Press ‘Almost everyone is now hungry’ Mothers in Gaza are struggling to find clean water and baby formula for their newborns. Families are selling their possessions to buy sacks of flour. Some people are eating animal feed to survive. In the northern city of Beit Lahia, Mahmoud Shalabi said his neighbors have brought cattle feed — made of corn or oat — to a mill to grind it into flour. It is barely edible, said Shalabi, 38, whose children are 7 and 9, but is preferable to starvation. “If you find it now,” he told us, “you will be able to have something to eat and feed your kids.” Famine has become a central concern in the humanitarian calamity in Gaza, with nearly all households regularly skipping meals, according to the U.N. On a per capita basis, Bob Kitchen of the International Rescue Committee said, “It is the most intense hunger crisis I have ever seen.” He added: “Almost everyone is now hungry.” In today’s newsletter, we will explain the crisis in Gaza — and the concern among experts that starvation has again become a tool of war. The siege Gaza’s food shortage stems mostly from Israel’s blockade, which has been especially intense since October. Gaza is an arid strip of densely populated land where the economy depends on imports to produce enough food. For years, Israel has limited the flow of goods into Gaza, largely to prevent Hamas from gaining access to military supplies. The limits also restricted the entry of food and other basic items. After the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, Israel ordered what its defense minister called a “complete siege” of Gaza. The goal was both to weaken Hamas fighters and to ensure that no military supplies could enter. Israeli officials claim that they are still allowing food and other humanitarian supplies into the enclave, but that aid groups have not distributed them efficiently. On Twitter, Israel’s government recently posted a photo of aid trucks sitting idle at Gaza’s border and wrote, “Stop spreading accusations and start doing your job.” Israel has also accused employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the U.N. agency that aids Palestinians in Gaza, of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks. (On Friday, the U.N. fired several employees of the agency and began investigating accusations that they had participated in the Oct. 7 attacks. Read the latest details.) Still, many human rights experts dispute that inefficient aid distribution is the main cause of the food shortage. Israel, these experts say, has been too slow to inspect supplies and approve them for entry. Only 20 percent to 30 percent of what people need has been crossing into Gaza, according to the World Food Program. “Israel says the reason is security,” Stephanie Nolen, who covers global health for The Times, told us. “But the net result is that you can’t actually get food in.” In a ruling on Friday, the International Court of Justice — an arbiter of international law, based in the Netherlands — found that many people in Gaza have “no access to the most basic foodstuffs, potable water, electricity, essential medicines or heating.” The court ordered Israel to allow more supplies to enter Gaza immediately, although the court has little ability to enforce the ruling. Hamas and Egypt also bear some responsibility for the hunger crisis. Western and Arab officials have said that Hamas has kept a large stockpile of food, fuel and medicine for the group’s own members to use. Egypt, for its part, shares a border with southern Gaza yet has blocked most Gazans from fleeing the war zone. Egypt’s actions contrast with the refugee policies of other border nations during wars, including in Ukraine and South Sudan, where neighboring countries have prioritized civilian lives. Gaza’s food situation is dire enough to have become part of the negotiations between Israel and Hamas over the release of Israeli hostages and a possible cease-fire. Officials from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar are participating in the talks, and some have grown hopeful that they are close to a deal. (Related: Israel yesterday stepped up efforts to prevent Israeli protesters from blocking aid into Gaza. The protesters say no aid should enter until Hamas releases hostages.) Feckless law Our colleague Stephanie Nolen has noted that the world seemed to be moving away from starvation as a weapon of war in the late 20th century. The tactic was common during World War II, when a Nazi strategy called “Hungerplan” helped kill millions of Soviets and the U.S. military conducted Operation Starvation to block the delivery of food to Japan. In 1998, however, a new statute of international law criminalized the use of civilian starvation as a military tactic. Still, several countries have evidently used the tactic over the past seven years, including Saudi Arabia against Yemen; Syria’s own government against its people; and Ethiopia, to fight rebels in its Tigray region. These governments have suffered few consequences. Palestinians accuse Israel of repeating the pattern in Gaza. For more: Stephanie explains the dire — and sometimes lasting — effects of starvation on the human body. News on the war Three U.S. soldiers were killed in Jordan in what the U.S. said was a drone attack from an Iran-backed militia. President Biden vowed to respond to the attack. “Have no doubt — we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing,” he said. Biden must decide how far he is willing to go in terms of retaliation at the risk of a wider war, Peter Baker writes. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, called for the F.B.I. to investigate protesters demanding a cease-fire in Gaza. She suggested without evidence that some activists may have ties to Russia. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS 2024 Election The Biden campaign is banking that fears of another turbulent Trump administration will outweigh worries about the Biden’s age. Nikki Haley is trying to diminish Donald Trump without alienating Republican voters. She largely avoids discussion of his legal troubles and focuses on his mental and physical agility. Some Democrats don’t think Biden is making a strong enough case for his climate policy achievements. More on Politics Senate Democrats are making some headway in advancing judicial nominees in states represented by Republicans. House Republicans released two articles of impeachment against the homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, over his handling of migration at the border with Mexico. Young people are disillusioned with politicians and more concerned than previous generations about their educational prospects. new surveys show. Europe Finland’s presidential election, its first since joining NATO, is headed for a runoff after no candidate secured a majority yesterday. European nations are concerned that Russia could invade a NATO nation in the coming decade and that the U.S. might not support them. Ukraine accused a defense company of embezzling $40 million. Watch a video in The Wall Street Journal that shows an ambush on Russian forces in Ukraine. More International News At an Evergrande showroom. Gilles Sabrie for The New York Times A Hong Kong court ordered the liquidation of Evergrande, once China’s biggest real estate firm, which has huge debt. Military juntas in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso said they were withdrawing from a West African regional economic bloc because of sanctions it imposed in response to coups. Two masked gunmen killed a man at a church service in Istanbul. ISIS claimed responsibility. Mexico City held its first bullfight since 2022. The Supreme Court revoked a decision in an animal rights lawsuit, the BBC reports. Tech Many fear that A.I. will cost jobs, but in corporate America, it has given rise to a new role: the senior executive in charge of A.I. Tech giants like Microsoft are reliant on Nvidia for a special kind of chip to power its A.I. systems. The companies are racing to cut into Nvidia’s market dominance. Ring, the Amazon-owned security camera company, said it would stop letting police departments request users’ footage on its app. Other Big Stories In Highland Park, Ill. Taylor Glascock for The New York Times In recent weeks, buses from Texas have avoided Chicago and dropped hundreds of migrants in suburbs. The popularity of GoFundMe has grown as climate-fueled disasters destroy more American homes. A study found that site donations disproportionately benefit the wealthy. Opinions Republicans say Haley’s gender has had no effect on their decision to vote for her. They’re giving up on an opportunity to paint her as a trailblazer, Michelle Cottle writes. Here are columns by David French on a Southern Baptist pastor and by Lydia Polgreen on international law. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Chiappini’s service station. Kate Medley Fill the tank, feed the family: A new photography book explores the gas stations of the South, temples of commerce and community. Joriwons: In Seoul, new moms can enjoy three weeks of pampering and sleep in postpartum care centers. Room 117: One man would rather live on the street than take antipsychotic medication. Should it be his decision to make? Cannabis questions: Are edibles safer than smoking? Metropolitan Diary: Drive-by book review. Lives Lived: Marlena Shaw, who cultivated a sultry stage presence and husky voice from the final echoes of the big-band era, frequently performed in intimate venues, where she regaled audiences with tales of old love affairs. She died at 84. SPORTS Super Bowl: The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will meet in the Super Bowl. A.F.C. Championship: The Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens, 17-10, thanks to a strong defensive performance that slowed down the Ravens’ dynamic quarterback, Lamar Jackson. N.F.C. Championship: The 49ers scored 27 consecutive points in the second half to defeat the Detroit Lions, 34-31, spoiling what would have been the Lions’ first Super Bowl berth. Taylor Swift: Yes, the pop star and girlfriend of the Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce will be on tour in Japan. But she can still make the game. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS Hieronymus Bosch’s “The Conjurer” and an image of Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis. Tyler Ross/NBAE, via Getty Images; Hieronymus Bosch The art and absurdity of sports: LJ Rader is the creative force behind the Art But Make It Sports accounts on social media, where Rader — a largely self-taught art aficionado from Upper East Side — uses his gift of instant recall to pair sports photographs with works of art that mirror them. Recently, the N.F.L. tagged him in a post asking him to turn his talents to a photograph of offensive lineman Jason Kelce screaming shirtless and clutching a can of beer at a Chiefs game. Rader’s choice: “The Feast of Bacchus” by the 17th century Dutch painter Philips Koninck. More on culture Two environmental protesters hurled pumpkin-colored soup on the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. A federal jury ruled in favor of the celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D in a copyright trial over her tattoo reproduction of a portrait of Miles Davis. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgpeth. Pile grated cheese, chiles, red onion and cilantro on toast to make eggs Kejriwal. Navigate awards season with the help of podcasts. Try one of these Stanley tumbler copycats. Get Super Bowl ready with a new TV. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was vulpine. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David and Lauren Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted January 31 Author Members Share Posted January 31 January 30, 2024 Iran is at the center of the current turmoil in the Middle East. To help you understand why, my colleague Alissa Rubin, who has spent years reporting from the region, takes over today’s newsletter. — David Leonhardt By Alissa J. Rubin Good morning. We’re also covering Israel, tech layoffs and stingless bees. Tehran Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times A more assertive Iran Iran has emerged as the chief architect in multiple conflicts strafing the Middle East, from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf. It trained and helped arm the Iraqi militias that killed three U.S. service members with a drone in Jordan this weekend. It supplied Hamas and Hezbollah in their clashes with Israel. It launched missiles at anti-Iranian militants inside Pakistan in response to the bombing of a local police station in December. And it has helped Houthi warriors in Yemen attack container ships in the Red Sea to protest the war in Gaza. All of which, taken together, threaten a wider war. Why is Iran suddenly involved in so many conflicts? Today’s newsletter will try to answer that question. Since the 1979 takeover of Iran by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the country’s Islamic revolutionary government has had one overriding ambition: to be the lead player shaping the future of the Middle East. Seen another way, it wants Israel weaker and the United States gone from the region after decades of primacy. Like Israel, Iran sees existential threats everywhere and seeks to counter them. Iran, which has a Shiite majority, has wary, if not hostile, Sunni Arab neighbors. Its archenemy, Israel, has the reach to damage Iran. And since 2003, Iran has been surrounded by U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Persian Gulf and more recently in Syria. The troops in Afghanistan are gone now, but the rest remain, including the ones attacked by drone on Sunday. To achieve regional hegemony and safeguard its theocracy, Iran has responded on three fronts: military, diplomatic and economic. Those efforts have become more assertive in the past year, especially since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Military power Militarily, Iran’s government wants to project strength without drawing fire on its own territory, which could jeopardize its already tenuous popular support. Its strategy has been to build up regional proxy forces so that it rarely launches attacks from its own soil. Those forces include Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza and a handful of Shiite militias in Iraq. Each has its own goals, but all are in agreement with Iran about combating Western troops in the region and diminishing Israel’s standing. The United States designates each of them as a foreign terrorist organization. Since the October attack on Israel, these groups have targeted Israel’s northern front, U.S. positions in Iraq and Syria, U.S. warships and international cargo ships in the Red Sea. Israel is the region’s only nuclear-armed power. But in the past year, Tehran has accelerated its uranium enrichment efforts — bringing it close to creating a nuclear bomb if it wants. Iran insists it doesn’t want one. But it’s clear that the government sees the ability to make one as both a deterrent and a claim to pre-eminence among other Middle Eastern countries. Diplomatic power Iran’s foreign policy is designed to try to reverse its image as an isolated nation — particularly after the U.S. intensified sanctions in 2018. Even before Oct. 7, it was cultivating its Arab neighbors as well as Russia and China. Early in 2023, for the first time in decades, Iran normalized relations with Saudi Arabia, repairing a rift between the two countries in a deal brokered by China. Iran is a vocal defender of the Palestinian national cause. It believes it draws legitimacy from the contrast with its neighbors, many of which have opened friendlier relations with Israel while Iran’s proxies are still fighting it. Iran has worked since late fall alongside its neighbors — including formerly hostile Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — for a U.N. cease-fire resolution for Gaza. Economic survival Economically, Iran has had far more limited success dodging U.S. sanctions, leaving many Iranians poorer and more resentful of the government. The regime faced widespread protests in 2022 and 2023 over hijab mandates, and the nation’s supreme leader has been urging women to vote in upcoming elections, signaling his concern that the government has antagonized them. Still, Iran has found ways to take advantage of a rising tide of anti-U.S. feeling among many countries. Tehran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which is led by Russia and China, and another partnership that includes Brazil and India. These deals open the door to investment and trade opportunities, although they supply few short-term economic solutions. “There’s a good case to be made that Iran is a major winner from this conflict,” said Dalia Dassa Kaye, a political scientist at the Burkle Center for International Relations at the University of California, Los Angeles. “The war is in many ways boosting Iranians’ domestic, regional and global situation.” She added, “So far, Iran has been able to gain all these benefits without paying direct costs.” More on the drone attack American forces spotted the Iraqi militants’ drone before the attack but mistook it for a U.S. aircraft and did not shoot it down, officials said. The U.S. identified the three slain service members as Army Reservists from Georgia, part of an engineering company trained to build infrastructure for the military on short notice. An Iranian official rebuffed accusations that Iran had ordered the strikes and said militias acted independently to oppose “any aggression and occupation.” Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Israel-Hamas War Qatar, representing Egypt, Israel and the U.S., is expected to propose a six-week pause in fighting for Hamas to exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The U.N.’s main agency in Gaza may soon run out of money, officials said. Donors halted funding over accusations that some employees took part in the Oct. 7 attacks. Communication blackouts and restrictions placed on foreign journalists make it difficult for the people outside Gaza to grasp the true scale of destruction there. In the face of rising antisemitism, a Holocaust survivor who has dedicated her life to remembrance wonders if her work was in vain. Politics Donald Trump Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times Typos, math errors and a $48 million loan: Accusations of financial reporting problems at Trump’s family business could worsen the penalty in his civil fraud trial. Future First, the main super PAC supporting President Biden, began to reserve $250 million in advertising across battleground states. A former I.R.S. contractor accused of leaking Trump’s tax returns to The Times received a five-year prison sentence. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin returned to the Pentagon more than a month after he was hospitalized with surgery complications. Voters face a bewildering set of dates and procedures in this year’s primaries. The confusion risks reducing participation and fueling distrust, Maggie Astor writes. Europe French farmers blocked main roads to Paris with tractors, intensifying a protest over wage levels, regulations and other issues. The main Protestant party in Northern Ireland said it would return to government nearly two years after walking out over Brexit trade rules. Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister, said he would ban disposable vapes to curb underage vaping. More International News Imran Khan Arif Ali/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Imran Khan, Pakistan’s former prime minister, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, days before an election. Experts saw the verdict as part of a campaign by the military to sideline him. The downturn in China’s real estate market, already the longest on record, is accelerating. Dozens of wildfires have burned across Colombia, fueled by drought and its hottest January in decades. South Africa’s governing party, the A.N.C., suspended the former president Jacob Zuma after he endorsed a rival party. Three Japanese citizens, including a man of Pakistani descent, sued the nation’s police accusing them of racial profiling, The A.P. reports. Canada delayed plans to offer medically assisted death to people with mental illness. A panel cited a shortage of psychiatrists. Business and Economy Tech giants like Amazon have been on a layoff spree. The cuts are more targeted than last year’s mass reductions. (Workers are recording their layoffs and sharing them on social media.) Elon Musk said his Neuralink company, which is developing brain implants to control computers, had placed its first device in a person. The Fed is expected to cut interest rates this year, raising a question: Why lower borrowing costs when the economy looks strong? X lifted a block on searches for Taylor Swift. It stopped them while people were searching for explicit fake images, The Wall Street Journal reports. New York City The subway system is testing new fare gates to stop turnstile jumpers and metal platform barriers to improve passenger safety. They may not work. Williamsburg, once a neighborhood of mills and meatpacking, is now a prime destination for developers. See a four-decade timeline of its transformation. Other Big Stories Rain in Santa Barbara, Calif., last month. Eugene Garcia/Associated Press A massive plume of moisture, called an “atmospheric river,” is set to bring heavy rain to the West Coast. A judge declined to grant a new trial for Alex Murdaugh, the former South Carolina lawyer convicted of murdering his wife and son. Reports of hate crimes in schools and colleges nearly doubled between 2018 and 2022, according to the F.B.I. Teenagers who use drugs and alcohol are more likely to have underlying psychiatric symptoms than peers who don’t do so regularly, a study found. Opinions Biden should campaign by making a strong populist case for a future in which ordinary Americans can prosper, Chris Whipple argues. Gail Collins and Bret Stephens discuss why they each want Nikki Haley to stay in the race. Here are columns by Paul Krugman on conservatives’ fears and Jamelle Bouie on Jan. 6. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS In Marontoari. Brenda Rivas Tacury In the Amazon: Deforestation is destroying the habitat for stingless bees. Read about the mission to save them. Mrs. World: A Utah homemaker with a big social media following participated in a beauty pageant weeks after giving birth to her eighth child. Downsizing: The Times’s chief fashion critic, Vanessa Friedman, on how to dress while losing weight. Lives Lived: N. Scott Momaday’s “House Made of Dawn” portrayed a disaffected World War II veteran’s journey to spiritual renewal. It won a Pulitzer Prize, the first for a Native American novelist. Momaday died at 89. SPORTS N.F.L.: Sunday’s N.F.C. championship game was the most-watched television event since last year’s Super Bowl. “All in good fun”: The Ravens kicker Justin Tucker downplayed a pregame spat with Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, attributing it to gamesmanship. Women’s basketball: Baylor is retiring Brittney Griner’s jersey number after a decade of tension between the school and its former player. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS February reads: Find your next book with the help of the Book Review, which has highlighted 17 notable titles coming out next month. Their picks include: “Fourteen Days,” edited by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston: Thirty-six writers, including John Grisham and Celeste Ng, collaborated on this novel about residents of a Lower East Side building at the beginning of Covid. “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story,” by Kara Swisher: Swisher, a tech writer, has written a memoir that also serves as a history of — and reckoning with — big tech. “Wandering Stars,” by Tommy Orange: This novel chronicles a young survivor of a 19th-century massacre of Native Americans. It is a sequel to “There There,” a Pulitzer finalist in 2019. More on culture “Bluey” was the most-streamed children’s show last year, while viewership for “Friends” expanded yet again, according to year-end Nielsen data. A man who stole Dorothy’s slippers from the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota said he believed they were adorned with real rubies. (They’re sequined.) “Great for the N.F.L. and for dads who struggle to bond with their teenage daughters”: The late night hosts discussed Taylor Swift’s game appearances. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Ryan Liebe for The New York Times Pour sizzling oil over red-pepper flakes, orange peel and peanuts when making these chicken noodles. Increase your couch’s life span by cleaning it regularly. Here’s how. Use a screwdriver recommended by a professional carpenter. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was tailwind. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 1 Author Members Share Posted February 1 January 31, 2024 By German Lopez Good morning. We’re covering San Francisco’s addiction crisis — plus Donald Trump’s legal bills, the West Bank and Truman Capote. Needle exchange in San Francisco. Aaron Wojack for The New York Times Cultural shift For some San Franciscans, a drug crisis is just part of city living. They see people shooting up in front of their homes and businesses. They often find someone dozing on a sidewalk, high. Sometimes, they check for a pulse. “That’s how I found my first dead body,” said Adam Mesnick, owner of a local deli. But the city’s drug crisis is relatively new. In 2018, San Francisco’s overdose death rate roughly matched the national average. Last year, its death rate was more than double the national level. Source: CDC WONDER | Chart shows 12-month rolling averages. Death rates for 2023 are provisional. | By The New York Times I recently spent time in San Francisco to understand what is going on. In today’s newsletter, I want to explain one of the factors that has contributed to the city’s crisis: culture. Culture can sound like an abstract concept, but it matters for drug policy. Consider smoking. In 1965, more than 42 percent of American adults smoked cigarettes. In 2021, less than 12 percent did. The country did not criminalize tobacco. And while policy changes like higher taxes played a role, much of the drop happened through a sustained public health campaign that led most Americans to reject smoking. In San Francisco and other liberal cities, the opposite shift has happened with hard drug use. The culture has become more tolerant of people using drugs. When I asked people living on the streets why they are in San Francisco, the most common response was that they knew they could avoid the legal and social penalties that often follow addiction. Some came from as close as Oakland, believing that San Francisco was more permissive. As Keith Humphreys, a drug policy expert at Stanford University, told me, San Francisco “is on the extreme of a pro-drug culture.” Destigmatizing drug use San Francisco’s change is rooted in a broader effort to destigmatize addiction. Some experts and activists have argued that a less punitive and judgmental approach to drug use would help users get treatment — a “love the sinner, hate the sin” attitude. Over time, though, these efforts in liberal cities have expanded from users to drug use itself. Activists in San Francisco now refer to “body autonomy” — arguing that people have the right to put whatever they choose into their veins and lungs. They no longer want to hate the sin. They say it’s no one’s business but the drug user’s. One example of this shift: In early 2020, an advocacy group put up a billboard downtown to promote the use of naloxone, an overdose antidote. It showed happy young people seeming to enjoy a high together. “Know overdose,” the billboard said. “Use with people and take turns.” Here, drug use wasn’t dangerous as long as users had someone to check on them while high. The shift is also present in drug-related service providers in San Francisco. Michael Discepola, director of health access at the program GLIDE, said that his organization wants people to use drugs more safely. Abstinence is not always the correct goal, he argued. When one client declared that he wanted to quit drugs, Discepola explained, GLIDE suggested “more realistic goals.” Stigma without criminalization Other countries’ experiences show it is possible to relax drug laws, as many liberals want to do, without relaxing attitudes. In 2000, Portugal removed the threat of prison time for drug use. But it’s still a predominantly Catholic, socially conservative country that largely looks down on the practice. Portugal’s system reflects those attitudes by pushing people to stop using drugs. Even its harm-reduction programs, which aim to keep people alive over getting them to quit drugs, work with the country’s treatment system to help people stop using. In San Francisco, harm-reduction programs such as GLIDE do not require staff to guide people toward treatment. They argue that such pushiness could scare away clients who are not interested in quitting drugs. They often cite the drug policies of British Columbia, a global leader in harm reduction. But British Columbia set a record for overdose death rates last year. I go into more detail about the differences between San Francisco and Portugal in this new story for The Times’s Upshot section, including a chart that compares overdose death rates across Europe. Related: Oregon officials declared a 90-day state of emergency over fentanyl in Portland, part of an effort to reduce public drug use. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Israel-Hamas War Israeli forces dressed in civilian clothes inside a hospital. Israeli forces stormed a Palestinian hospital in the occupied West Bank and killed three militants, including a Hamas commander. “We are not very far from an explosion”: Anger and resentment is mounting in the West Bank. Israel said its military had begun flooding Hamas tunnels under Gaza. More on the Middle East The militia that the Pentagon said was likely responsible for killing three U.S. soldiers in Jordan — a group based in Iraq but linked to Iran — said it was suspending military operations. Biden said he had decided on a response to the attack. International China is censoring criticism of its struggling economy. The war in Ukraine has corroded Vladimir Putin’s power and let the U.S. recruit more Russian spies, Biden’s C.I.A. director said. Imran Khan, the former Pakistani prime minister, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison, the day after receiving a 10-year sentence in a different case. The moves have been described as political. Critics fear a new Hong Kong security law will further limit civil liberties. The measure sparked major protests when the government first considered it in 2003. French lawmakers voted to enshrine abortion rights in the Constitution, a first step in a long legislative process. 2024 Election Donald Trump’s political action committees spent about $50 million on legal bills last year. President Biden’s campaign hopes Taylor Swift will endorse him. Trump’s allies are spreading conspiracy theories about her. The Illinois board of elections ruled that Trump’s name could appear on Republican primary ballots, rejecting an effort to disqualify him over Jan. 6. Patagonia, the outdoor apparel brand, is funding conservation. It’s also giving money to register voters and elect Democrats. How has immigration policy become such a problem for Biden? Three Times reporters have spent weeks reporting the story. Read their conclusions here. More on Politics Alejandro Mayorkas Kenny Holston/The New York Times A House committee approved articles of impeachment accusing Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden’s homeland security secretary, of refusing to enforce immigration law. There is no evidence that Mayorkas committed impeachable offenses. The Justice Department is investigating whether Representative Cori Bush, a Missouri progressive, mishandled campaign funds. Fair Fight, the voting rights group that Stacey Abrams founded, is laying off most of its staff after incurring debts through prolonged court battles. Jean Carnahan, who in 2001 became the first woman to represent Missouri in the Senate, died at 90. Business A judge struck down Elon Musk’s Tesla pay package, currently worth about $50 billion. She sided with a group of shareholders who called it excessive. UPS, struggling with increased competition, plans to cut 12,000 jobs and require many employees to come to the office five days a week. Microsoft reported a 33 percent rise in profit, two weeks after it topped Apple as the most valuable public company. Online Safety The chief executives of TikTok, Meta, X and other tech companies will testify to Congress today about children’s online safety. Ahead of the testimony, lawmakers released internal Meta documents that show how it rejected efforts to address the issue. A tech industry group that represents Google and Meta among others is trying to block state laws that seek to protect young people online. A.I. will help perpetrators create more images of children being sexually abused, law enforcement officials said. Other Big Stories Students have rebounded from pandemic learning loss, but are nowhere close to caught up, a study said. The gap between rich and poor communities has widened. The New York City Council overrode Mayor Eric Adams’s veto of two criminal justice bills. Police officers will be required to record the race, age and gender of most people they stop and the city’s jails will ban solitary confinement. An escaped monkey is on the loose in the Scottish Highlands. See how and when the latest atmospheric rivers will hit California and the Pacific Northwest. Opinions E. Jean Carroll’s defamation trial against Trump represents an older woman’s declaration that she still has value, Jessica Bennett argues. Americans recovered from the pandemic’s social isolation. But they still don’t trust the institutions that abandoned them, Eric Klinenberg writes. The U.N.’s Palestinian refugee agency perpetuates conflict and needs to be abolished, Bret Stephens argues. Here are columns by Ross Douthat on Taylor Swift and Thomas Edsall on Biden and immigration. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Sunday Nobody Meron Tekie Menghistab for The New York Times 394 hot dog ice sculptures: The artist Sunday Nobody has found millions of viewers with his elaborate absurdist projects. St. Moritz: Rich people wanted to watch polo on a frozen lake. But Switzerland was too hot for the “hottest ticket in town.” Ask Well: Is my lip balm making things worse? Lives Lived: Chita Rivera dazzled Broadway audiences for nearly six decades, including as Anita in “West Side Story” and Velma Kelly in “Chicago.” In 2005, Newsweek called her “the greatest musical-theater dancer ever.” She died at 91. SPORTS College football: The N.C.A.A. is investigating the University of Tennessee over claims of recruiting violations, including whether boosters funded a private jet flight. M.L.B.: The Angelos family agreed to sell the Baltimore Orioles to two private equity billionaires, pending the league’s approval, a source told The Athletic. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS The cast of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. Thea Traff for The New York Times Birds of a feather: The producer Ryan Murphy spent years searching for the perfect rivalry to dramatize in the second season of his TV series “Feud.” He considered Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and William F. Buckley and Gore Vidal, and a half-dozen others. Then he discovered the story of Truman Capote and his “swans” — New York society women whom the writer befriended, then betrayed in a tell-all magazine article. “It’s very easy to do a show where people are just nasty to each other,” Murphy told The Times. “But feuds are never about hate. They’re about love.” For more: Maureen Dowd profiled Calista Flockhart, the former “Ally McBeal” star who plays one of the swans. More on culture A jury in a New York civil trial decided in favor of Sotheby’s, rejecting a Russian oligarch’s claim that it helped a Swiss dealer who he said defrauded him out of millions of dollars. Pandora, the world’s largest jewelry company, said it had switched to 100 percent recycled silver and gold. The company said it was trying to reduce its carbon emissions. Universal Music Group is threatening to pull songs by Taylor Swift, Drake and many others from TikTok today after failing to strike a licensing deal with the platform, The Hollywood Reporter reports. “This nonsense is now everywhere your angry grandpa goes”: Jimmy Kimmel broke down conspiracy theories about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Johnny Miller for The New York Times Make Pierre Franey’s chicken breasts with lemon, which first appeared in The Times in 1992. Deep clean your remote control. Turn on a new iPhone feature that makes it harder for thieves to ruin your life. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was diffract. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — German Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 1 Author Members Share Posted February 1 February 1, 2024 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We’re covering Mexico’s immigration crackdown — as well as children's online safety, campaign funding and Apple’s new headset. Mexico’s president meets with the U.S. secretary of state. Fernando Llano/Associated Press Government isn’t powerless On the Thursday before Christmas, President Biden called Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and asked for help. The number of migrants crossing into the U.S. — about 10,000 per day — had reached the highest level of Biden’s presidency. The surge was creating major problems, including lockdowns at a New Mexico high school where migrants were streaming across the grounds and the closure of a rail bridge over the Rio Grande that carried commercial goods. López Obrador responded by telling Biden to send a delegation of top officials to visit him in Mexico City. The next week, that delegation, led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, arrived for talks. Partly in response, Mexico soon began to enforce its own immigration laws more strictly, making it harder for migrants from other countries to use Mexico as a route to the U.S. Among other things, López Obrador’s government has increased deportations of migrants to their home countries and disrupted bus networks run by cartels that funnel migrants from other countries toward the U.S. border. The crackdown has made a noticeable difference, too. Migration flows at the U.S.-Mexico border fell more than 50 percent in early January, according to data that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency released last week. The numbers have since risen somewhat, officials have told me, but are still well below the December levels. Mexico’s crackdown doesn’t come close to solving the migration problem, of course. Illegal immigration remains far higher than it was in the 2010s. Many migrants now believe that they will be able to remain in the U.S. for years, so long as they reach the border — regardless of what of the law says. Voters are unhappy about the situation. So are mayors and governors from both parties who are struggling with housing and social services. Nonetheless, Mexico’s recent efforts offer a reminder: Stricter enforcement of immigration laws really does tend to reduce migration flows. Cost vs. benefit That point may seem obvious, but it’s one that many politicians from both parties question. In recent days, House Republicans and Donald Trump have criticized the outlines of a bipartisan Senate deal that would significantly tighten border security. Trump suggested it was “worse than no border deal.” (The most plausible explanation for his stance is politics — namely, that continuing border chaos could increase his chances of beating Biden in November.) Many progressive Democrats, for their part, argue that border security is ineffective at stopping illegal immigration. The way to make a difference, they say, is to reduce poverty and oppression in other countries and to make people less interested in moving to the U.S. But the evidence belies these arguments. The security of the border both directly and indirectly affects migration flows. In the short term, a less porous border allows fewer people to enter the U.S. For example, the migrants whom Mexico recently deported — including some who had arrived by airplane from outside the Western Hemisphere — might otherwise have made it to the U.S. Longer term, a more secure border changes the calculation for people contemplating a harrowing journey toward the U.S. If entry to the U.S. — a far richer country than most — seems likely, many more people will attempt it. If it seems unlikely, the costs of the journey will dissuade more. Biden’s novelty Mexico’s recent crackdown is merely the latest evidence of this pattern. Biden’s presidency is an even bigger example. In response to Trump’s extreme opposition to immigration — including his lies and racist insults about immigrants — Biden and other Democrats moved far in the other direction. As The Economist recently wrote, Trump “radicalized” some Democrats on immigration. The party’s 2020 platform said nothing about border security and was devoted largely to making entry into the U.S. easier, mostly through legal pathways but also by going easier on illegal immigration. I want to emphasize that most Americans have long believed, and still believe, that their country should be a haven for people fleeing political repression. The Biden administration’s approach has gone further, however. In the name of humanitarianism, it has broadened policies that were historically focused on political refugees, changing them to admit more migrants who are attracted to the U.S.’s high living standards. “What’s novel about the Biden years has been the vastly expanded use of parole and asylum in boosting immigration by those who could not hope to get through normal legal channels,” John Judis has written for the Liberal Patriot newsletter. In response, migration jumped far above the levels during Trump’s or Barack Obama’s presidencies. (Social media videos, showing migrants who have made it to the U.S., also play a role, my colleague Miriam Jordan points out. Her latest article focuses on migrants’ belief — often accurate — that the country’s dysfunctional asylum system will allow them to stay indefinitely.) A new approach In recent months, Biden has begun to change his initial approach, recognizing the problems with a more open border. Last week, he promised to “to shut down the border” if Congress passed a bill that allowed him to do so. It remains unclear whether Republicans will agree to such a deal — or, mostly for political reasons, will choose to let the problem fester. Without a deal, Biden is likely to look for ways within current law to tighten border security. They exist but are more limited. Either way, the Biden administration appears to be on the verge of doing the same thing that it recently urged Mexico to do: enforce existing immigration laws more tightly. For more House Republicans accuse Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden’s homeland security secretary, of breaking the law by failing to enforce immigration rules. But federal law gives the administration broad discretion over border policy. Read how Biden has struggled to enact his immigration plans and failed to manage a rise in arrivals. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Online Safety Hearing Mark Zuckerberg addresses the families of child abuse victims. Kenny Holston/The New York Times In a contentious hearing, senators from both parties pressured executives from Meta, X, TikTok, Discord and Snap to apologize for their companies’ role in harming children. Senators told the executives that their products were “killing people,” and that the companies had “blood on your hands.” Read takeaways from the hearing. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s chief executive, stood to address abuse victims’ families in the hearing room. “I’m sorry for everything you have all been through,” he said. Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican, repeatedly pressed the C.E.O. of TikTok, Shou Chew, about his ties to the Chinese government. Chew, who is from Singapore, denied any connection. 2024 Elections Biden’s campaign is beating Trump’s in fund-raising, with about $46 million in cash on hand at the end of 2023 compared with $33 million for Trump. Nikki Haley’s campaign entered 2024 with more than $14 million, enough for a prolonged race. Ron DeSantis’s failed presidential campaign cost more than $160 million — that’s about $6,800 per vote received. Senator Kyrsten Sinema, the Arizona independent, hasn’t said whether she will seek another term. She’s running out of time. “Don’t get involved in politics!”: Fox News hosts are warning Taylor Swift not to endorse Biden for re-election. (Swift hasn’t said anything about endorsing.) More on Politics The House passed a bill that would expand the child tax credit and revive Trump-era corporate tax breaks. The bill — rare bipartisan legislation in an election year — moves to the Senate. John Podesta, a longtime Democratic adviser, will replace John Kerry as Biden’s top climate envoy. Tennessee and Virginia sued the N.C.A.A., saying that it has no right to block wealthy boosters from paying to attract college athletic recruits. Many athletes at the New College of Florida, recruited to play sports, had no idea they were part of Ron DeSantis’s attack on “woke ideology.” Then the semester began. Israel-Hamas War In Khuza’a, Gaza. Hatem Ali/Associated Press See videos and photos of Israel’s controlled demolitions, which are razing entire neighborhoods in Gaza. The U.N. told donors that funding for its main agency in Gaza is essential to the survival of millions of civilians. Israel has accused some of the agency’s employees of aiding Hamas. “You wrote a book on genocide”: USAID staff confronted Samantha Power, the head the agency, about her stance on Gaza, The Washington Post reports. Volunteers for an Israeli charity that supports Palestinians were killed on Oct. 7. The group is grappling with how to move forward. Other Big Stories Federal Reserve officials held interest rates steady and suggested they wanted inflation to ease before lowering borrowing costs. Stocks fell. The F.B.I. director said that Chinese hackers plan to target U.S. power and water systems if a conflict breaks out over Taiwan. Specialists Kennedy Sanders and Breonna Moffett, two of the U.S. troops killed in a drone attack in Jordan, were young Black women who spoke proudly of the life they had made in the Army. The Messenger, a national news startup that launched less than a year ago, is closing down after losing most of its investment funding. Criminal summonses ignored, long wait lists for therapists: Maine is failing to provide enough help to troubled youth. American students are recovering from the pandemic, but new data shows school districts are improving at different rates. See how yours is doing. Opinions The trial against the parents of a Michigan school shooter has less to do with justice and more to do with finding someone to blame, Megan Stack writes. Here are columns by Gail Collins on Dean Phillips’s presidential campaign and Thomas Friedman on the U.S. and the Middle East. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Sheer sock, chunky shoe combo. Alycee Byrd for The New York Times Style: Millennials don’t know what to wear. Gen Z, defining cool on TikTok, has thoughts. Finds: An exceptionally well-preserved gauntlet from the 14th century turned up in an archaeological dig near a Swiss castle. Vision Pro: Apple’s new headset made our technology columnist feel “genuine wonder.” But at $3,500, he also wonders who’ll buy it. Mystery: An explorer claims to have found Amelia Earhart’s lost plane. Lives Lived: Anne Edwards published best-selling books about Katharine Hepburn, Judy Garland and Ronald Reagan, among others. Kirkus Reviews called her “the queen of biography.” Edwards died at 96. SPORTS N.F.L.: The Seattle Seahawks hired Mike Macdonald, the Ravens’ defensive coordinator, as the league’s youngest head coach. Caitlin Clark: The Iowa superstar jumped two spots in one game to reach No. 2 on the all-time women’s college basketball scoring list with 35 points in a win. She’s projected to become No. 1 next month. Gio Reyna: The young American soccer star is heading to the English Premier League on loan to Nottingham Forest, where he should see expanded playing time. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS A Hello Kitty installation at Somerset House. David Parry/Press Association for Somerset House Kawaii: “Cute,” a new exhibition in London, has porcelain dolls and an array of Hello Kitty merchandise. But the show is more than a collection of cute commodities: It explores the power of apparently powerless things and the fantasies that cuteness enables. More on culture Nelson Mandela’s daughter wanted to auction his belongings. South Africa’s government filed court papers to stop her. The Rubin Museum in Manhattan will close after two decades of championing art from around the Himalayas. Late night hosts talked about Trump’s attacks on Taylor Swift. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Craig Lee for The New York Times Dip a grilled cheese into a simple yet satisfying tomato soup. Prevent exercise injuries with these three tips. Drink better-tasting water with this under-sink filter. Try an espresso machine for beginners. Reduce Super Bowl broadcasting delays. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was ladybug. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 3 Author Members Share Posted February 3 February 2, 2024 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We’re covering a new Times analysis of the presidential race — as well as Ukraine aid, the 2024 election and a pyramid in Egypt. President Biden Kenny Holston/The New York Times A turnout advantage For the many Americans who are nervous about the polls showing that President Biden may lose to Donald Trump in November, there is one big source of comfort. Since Trump took office in 2017, Republicans have lost many more elections than they’ve won, sometimes even when the polls looked bad for Democrats. The list of recent Democratic victories is striking: In the 2018 midterms, the party retook the House. In 2020, Biden beat Trump, and Democrats retook the Senate. In the 2022 midterms, Democrats fared better than many pundits expected. Last year, Democrats did well in Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. They have also won many special elections to fill political offices that unexpectedly came open. Voters may express dissatisfaction with Biden in surveys. When the stakes have been real, however, a crucial slice of these voters prefers Democrats to Trump-aligned Republicans. The pattern is a legitimate reason for Democrats — and others who fear the consequences of a second Trump presidency — to be hopeful about the 2024 election. The U.S. may indeed have an “anti-MAGA majority.” But there is also one clear reason to question this narrative. In the latest edition of his newsletter, my colleague Nate Cohn — The Times’s chief political analyst — explains why Democrats shouldn’t take too much comfort from recent results. 2024 isn’t 2022 Nate’s key insight is that the electorate in a presidential race is different from the electorate in midterms or special elections. In off-year elections, fewer people vote. Those who do are more likely to be older, highly educated and close followers of politics, as this table shows: Source: Upshot analysis of voter files | By The New York Times As a result, midterms and special elections often revolve around turnout, rather than persuasion. And Democrats now have a turnout advantage. In part, this advantage stems from the class inversion in American politics — namely, the shift of college graduates toward the Democratic Party and working-class voters toward the Republican Party. But the Democrats’ new turnout edge is not only about the class inversion. More broadly, Democrats of all demographic groups have been more politically engaged than Republicans since Trump won the presidency in 2016, at least when Trump himself is not on the ballot. “This energy among highly engaged Democrats has powered the party’s victory in special elections, and in 2022 it helped the party hold its own in the midterms,” Nate writes. A presidential electorate, though, is much larger. It includes many more voters who don’t follow politics closely. These less engaged voters are more likely to be independents and more open to persuasion. A presidential electorate also includes more young voters, more voters of color and more voters who didn’t graduate from college. These are precisely the voters with whom Biden is struggling to match his support from 2020. A thin margin Here’s one way to think about the situation: Biden won the 2020 election by a very small margin. Nationally, he beat Trump by seven million votes, but the Electoral College margin was much narrower. If the right mix of about 50,000 people across a few swing states had switched their votes, Trump could have won. By almost any measure, Biden’s standing seems to be weaker today than it was in November 2020. Only 41 percent of Americans viewed him favorably in a recent Gallup poll, down from 46 percent shortly before the election four years ago. This deterioration is arguably more meaningful than the string of Democratic victories since 2020. In November, Biden won’t be facing the electorate that shows up for midterms and special elections. He will be facing a presidential electorate that is less favorable to his party — and less favorable to him than it was four years ago. The big question is whether Biden can come close enough to matching his 2020 support in 2024 to win re-election. Nate is careful to explain that the answer may well be yes. One reason is that Trump also has weaknesses he didn’t in 2020, including his role in the Jan. 6 attack on Congress and his criminal indictments. The safest conclusion, I think, is the 2024 race will be so close that the events of the next eight months are likely to determine the outcome. But Democrats shouldn’t assume recent history will repeat itself. I encourage you to read Nate’s piece. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Middle East Biden imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinians in the West Bank, cutting them off from the U.S. financial system. Biden also lamented “the trauma, the death and destruction in Israel and Gaza,” saying he was “actively working for peace, security, dignity” for Israelis and Palestinians. Social media posts with opposing views of the Israel-Hamas war cost two New York doctors their jobs. Then their fates diverged. For many Palestinians in the West Bank, life is now subject to even more restrictions, like at checkpoints. Iran trained and funded the militia groups targeting ships and U.S. troops in the Middle East, Biden’s defense secretary said. Iran is sending more conciliatory signals, sensing a line has been crossed. Its supreme leader wants to avoid war. Aid to Ukraine Ukrainian military training. David Guttenfelder for The New York Times The E.U. will create a $54 billion fund to support Ukraine’s economy after leaders from Italy, France and other countries pushed Hungary into dropping its opposition. Ukraine is one of many issues that Viktor Orban, Hungary’s leader, has used to antagonize what he describes as Europe’s liberal elite. 2024 Election Biden is publicly urging grocery chains to lower food prices, accusing them of ripping off shoppers. Allen Weisselberg, who ran the finances of Trump’s family business for years, may plead guilty to perjury. It could strengthen prosecutors’ hand in Trump’s New York criminal trial. More on Politics Senator Chuck Schumer Valerie Plesch for The New York Times Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, promised a vote next week on a bill to secure the border and aid Ukraine. Bipartisan negotiators are yet to release text for it. Twice in two decades, senators of both parties have tried together to change immigration law, and failed. Will that happen again? The Biden administration made opening offers to drug companies whose products face Medicare price negotiations. Impeachment was once seen as a serious check on corruption. It’s at risk of becoming another partisan weapon, The Times’s Peter Baker writes. China In Sriperumbudur, India. Atul Loke for The New York Times India is quietly trying to steal more of China’s iPhone business. China and the U.S. are meeting to discuss restricting the flow of fentanyl into America. Other Big Stories A dire shortage of guards in Wisconsin’s prisons has left inmates with monthslong lockdowns and miserable conditions. Officials knew for years that the crisis was building. Witnesses say a man executed with nitrogen gas in Alabama last week stayed conscious for minutes, jerking and gasping. State officials had sworn that wouldn’t happen. After five days of freedom in the Scottish Highlands, an escaped monkey has been recaptured. Elon Musk is unfathomably rich. The Washington Post explains where he holds his money. An atmospheric river has drenched California. Opinions The new “Mean Girls.” Paramount The latest adaptation of “Mean Girls” pretends the world has gotten nicer, Jessica Bennett writes, while failing to acknowledge the ways it has gotten nastier. Pollution is contributing to a Black American exodus in the North, and Southern states are unprepared for the influx, Adam Mahoney argues. Here are columns by Ezra Klein on Democrats and the working class and Paul Krugman on a “Goldilocks” economy. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Photo illustration by The New York Times; Photographs by Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times Dog years: All dogs go to heaven, but which live longest? See a table of breeds. Garbage trucks: Trash in New York has been collected in much the same way for a century. That changed this week. Try again: February might be the best month for resolutions. Minus 35: See the northern lights in Canada. Cholesterol: Managing your levels is critical for preventing serious health problems. Here’s how. Flip Phone February: Read a practical guide to quitting your smartphone. Lives Lived: Toni Stern, a sunny California poet, became a trusted lyricist for Carole King, on “It’s Too Late” and other songs during King’s chart-topping career. Stern died at 79. SPORTS N.F.L.: The Washington Commanders hired Dan Quinn, the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, as head coach. Mark Andrews: The Ravens’ tight end was feted as a hero for helping a woman with a medical emergency during a flight. M.L.B.: Days after the team was sold, the Baltimore Orioles traded for the 2021 Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes. Lindsey Horan: The U.S. women’s soccer captain said most American soccer fans “aren’t smart” and “don’t know the game” in a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS The Pyramid of Menkaure. Khaled Elfiqi/EPA, via Shutterstock Ancient wonders: The Egyptian authorities recently announced a plan to cover the Pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of Giza’s three main pyramids, with granite blocks of the kind that once clad part of its exterior. It has revived what experts say is a constant debate in conservation: whether to try to return ancient structures to their earlier splendor, or minimize intervention. More on culture Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. Julio Cortez/Associated Press Is it real love? On social media, body language experts are discussing Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Our tech columnist explains why he swapped Google for an A.I.-powered search engine. “I’m 33 and Botox messed up my face”: The Cut addresses concerns. Stephen Colbert joked about Biden’s approval ratings. “Ladies love Cool Joe,” he said. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … David Malosh for The New York Times Serve turmeric-black pepper chicken with asparagus over a bed of rice. Learn how alcohol affects your gut microbiome. Wash your clothes with the best detergent. Eat the best bowl of beans our cooking writer has ever had. Give the most sophisticated chocolates this Valentine’s Day. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was humbled. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 6 Author Members Share Posted February 6 February 5, 2024 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We’re covering a policy change by Dartmouth College — as well as California weather and the Grammys. Sian Beilock, the president of Dartmouth. Caleb Kenna for The New York Times ‘Convinced by the data’ Dartmouth College announced this morning that it would again require applicants to submit standardized test scores, starting next year. It’s a significant development because other selective colleges are now deciding whether to do so. In today’s newsletter, I’ll tell you the story behind Dartmouth’s decision. Training future leaders Last summer, Sian Beilock — a cognitive scientist who had previously run Barnard College in New York — became the president of Dartmouth. After arriving, she asked a few Dartmouth professors to do an internal study on standardized tests. Like many other colleges during the Covid pandemic, Dartmouth dropped its requirement that applicants submit an SAT or ACT score. With the pandemic over and students again able to take the tests, Dartmouth’s admissions team was thinking about reinstating the requirement. Beilock wanted to know what the evidence showed. “Our business is looking at data and research and understanding the implications it has,” she told me. Three Dartmouth economists and a sociologist then dug into the numbers. One of their main findings did not surprise them: Test scores were a better predictor than high school grades — or student essays and teacher recommendations — of how well students would fare at Dartmouth. The evidence of this relationship is large and growing, as I explained in a recent Times article. A second finding was more surprising. During the pandemic, Dartmouth switched to a test-optional policy, in which applicants could choose whether to submit their SAT and ACT scores. And this policy was harming lower-income applicants in a specific way. The researchers were able to analyze the test scores even of students who had not submitted them to Dartmouth. (Colleges can see the scores after the admissions process is finished.) Many lower-income students, it turned out, had made a strategic mistake. Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. Caleb Kenna for The New York Times They withheld test scores that would have helped them get into Dartmouth. They wrongly believed that their scores were too low, when in truth the admissions office would have judged the scores to be a sign that students had overcome a difficult environment and could thrive at Dartmouth. As the four professors — Elizabeth Cascio, Bruce Sacerdote, Doug Staiger and Michele Tine — wrote in a memo, referring to the SAT’s 1,600-point scale, “There are hundreds of less-advantaged applicants with scores in the 1,400 range who should be submitting scores to identify themselves to admissions, but do not under test-optional policies.” Some of these applicants were rejected because the admissions office could not be confident about their academic qualifications. The students would have probably been accepted had they submitted their test scores, Lee Coffin, Dartmouth’s dean of admissions, told me. That finding, as much as any other, led to Dartmouth’s announcement this morning. “Our goal at Dartmouth is academic excellence in the service of training the broadest swath of future leaders,” Beilock told me. “I’m convinced by the data that this will help us do that.” It’s worth acknowledging a crucial part of this story. Dartmouth admits disadvantaged students who have scores that are lower on average than those of privileged students. The college doesn’t apologize for that. Students from poor neighborhoods or troubled high schools have effectively been running with wind in their face. They are not competing fairly with affluent teenagers. Source: Cascio, Sacerdote, Staiger, Tine (Dartmouth) | Disadvantaged students are low-income, first-generation college or enrolled at a challenged high school. | By The New York Times “We’re looking for the kids who are excelling in their environment. We know society is unequal,” Beilock said. “Kids that are excelling in their environment, we think, are a good bet to excel at Dartmouth and out in the world.” The admissions office will judge an applicant’s environment partly by comparing his or her test score with the score distribution at the applicant’s high schools, Coffin said. In some cases, even an SAT score well below 1,400 can help an application. Questions and answers In our conversations, I asked Beilock and her colleagues about several common criticisms of standardized tests, and they said that they did not find the criticisms persuasive. For instance, many critics on the political left argue the tests are racially or economically biased, but Beilock said the evidence didn’t support those claims. “The research suggests this tool is helpful in finding students we might otherwise miss,” she said. I also asked whether she was worried that conservative critics of affirmative action might use test scores to accuse Dartmouth of violating the recent Supreme Court ruling barring race-conscious admissions. She was not. Dartmouth can legally admit a diverse class while using test scores as one part of its holistic admissions process, she said. I’ve heard similar sentiments from leaders at other colleges that have reinstated the test requirement, including Georgetown and M.I.T. And I asked Beilock and her colleagues whether fewer students might now apply to Dartmouth. Coffin, the admissions dean, replied that such an outcome might be OK. He noted that the test-optional policy since 2020 had not led to a more diverse pool of applicants and that Dartmouth already received more than enough applications — 31,000 this year, for 1,200 first-year slots. “I don’t think volume is the holy grail,” he said. Finally, I asked Beilock whether she was satisfied with Dartmouth’s level of economic diversity, which is slightly below that of most similarly elite colleges. She said no. “We have aspirations to bring it up,” she said. Reinstating the test requirement, she believes, can help Dartmouth do so. For more: Compare economic diversity at hundreds of colleges through our College Access Index. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS California Weather Santa Barbara, Calif., yesterday. Mario Tama/Getty Images Intense rain and wind is lashing California, and hundreds of thousands of people are without power. Read our updates. Drivers were stranded in floodwaters in Los Angeles, mudslides covered a stretch of highway in Ventura County, and flights were grounded at Santa Barbara Airport. The storm is expected to linger over the Los Angeles area until tomorrow morning. Track it here. Middle East Antony Blinken departing for Saudi Arabia. Mark Schiefelbein/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, will visit the region today to continue talks on a possible Gaza cease-fire deal. Hamas is still considering a proposal to halt fighting. After days of military strikes, President Biden has ordered further retaliation over the killings of U.S. soldiers, officials say. See the dignified transfer of one soldier, returning home in a coffin. The Houthi attacks on commercial ships are driving up freight costs. Read how business leaders are responding. 2024 Election During an event in Las Vegas, Biden tried to energize voters in a key swing state. Nikki Haley’s husband, Maj. Michael Haley, is a National Guardsman deployed in Africa. He still has a presence on her campaign. Donald Trump pushed immigration conspiracy theories and mass deportations in an interview. War in Ukraine Senate Republicans and Democrats released a compromise border deal to unlock Ukraine aid, but it faces an uphill path to enactment. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, hinted at a government shake-up. He said “a reset” was needed to revive the war effort. Business Boeing found a new problem with 737 Max fuselages. Badly drilled holes will require work on 50 jets and could delay deliveries, The Wall Street Journal reports. X, formerly Twitter, is investing in original video content — paying celebrities and influencers to try to revive the platform. Samsung’s top executive was acquitted of stock price manipulation and accounting fraud. Other Big Stories Viña del Mar, Chile. Cristóbal Olivares for The New York Times Wildfires in Chile killed 112, and hundreds more are missing. See photos of the fires. Big companies vowed to fix Mississippi cities’ water issues and save them millions. But a Times investigation found that they left many worse off than before. Remnants of a nuclear missile were found in a garage in Washington State. Opinions Grace Powell Janick Gilpin for The New York Times Pamela Paul writes about people who thought they were trans as kids — but no longer do. Wolf repopulation efforts used to be unpopular. But as policymakers focused on building trust, public opinion shifted, Erica Berry writes. Misinformation and fearmongering about drug use in Oregon are threatening to bring back the old-school drug war, Maia Szalavitz writes. Choosing a woman as his vice president could help Trump win. But a V.P. pick should be someone who can win and govern, Kellyanne Conway writes. Gail Collins and Bret Stephens discuss the 2024 election and Taylor Swift’s potential endorsement. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Cleaning a sewer drain in New Delhi. Rebecca Conway for The New York Times India: Bezwada Wilson was born into a caste assigned to remove dried human waste from latrines by hand. Read about his life’s work to eradicate the practice. “Dalifornia”: In a mountain town in China, young people can escape the competition of the country’s megacities. Grieving the loss of a pet? These groups want to help. Medical meditation and clinical yoga: Alternative therapies are becoming mainstream in the U.S. Metropolitan Diary: They lived about 10 blocks away. Lives Lived: Michael Watford helped birth a subgenre of club music known as gospel house. He died at 64. SPORTS N.B.A.: The Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid will undergo corrective surgery on his left knee. N.F.L.: Kliff Kingsbury is the new offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders, a splashy hire. Soccer: MetLife Stadium, outside New York, will host the 2026 World Cup final, FIFA announced. Dallas will field the most matches. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS Taylor Swift Valerie Macon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Women win: It was a big night for women at the Grammys. Taylor Swift won her fourth album of the year award, breaking the record for the category. Billie Eilish won song of the year, Miley Cyrus won record of the year and Victoria Monét was named best new artist. Tracy Chapman and Joni Mitchell performed. Here’s what else happened: Celine Dion, coping with neurological disorder, presented the Grammy to Swift. Swift announced a new album, coming out in April. Elle reports that fans online are scouring her relationship history to explain the title: “The Tortured Poets Department.” Jay-Z, speaking with his daughter onstage, implied the Recording Academy had snubbed Beyoncé, CNN reports. “She has more Grammys than anyone, and never won album of the year,” he said. See the most over-the-top outfits. (The Cut covered the worst and wackiest.) Read more takeaways from the show and a complete list of winners. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Armando Rafael for The New York Times Caramelize onions for French onion soup, a labor of love. Watch “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” an Amazon series based on the 2005 blockbuster film of the same name. Get silk pillowcases for Valentine’s Day. Make perfect stovetop rice. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was tenacity. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 6 Author Members Share Posted February 6 February 6, 2024 With many congressional Republicans opposed to a bill that would send more aid to Ukraine, my colleague Julian Barnes uses today’s newsletter to help you understand the state of the war and what may happen next. — David Leonhardt By Julian E. Barnes Domestic Correspondent Good morning. We’re also covering extreme weather, King Charles III and Monster Jam. The Donetsk region last month. Tyler Hicks/The New York Times Peace in Ukraine Last year’s Ukrainian counteroffensive was a failure. Russia’s defenses in the territory it has captured look impenetrable. Republicans in Washington are blocking further Ukraine aid. President Volodymyr Zelensky is on the precipice of firing his top general — who may well become his chief political rival. It’s a difficult moment for Ukraine. And another year of frontal assaults on the trench lines could make 2024 look like 1916, a year in World War I that brought harrowing loss of life but few battlefield gains. The question now is what Ukraine can reasonably still hope to achieve. In today’s newsletter, I’ll explain what a negotiated settlement might look like — whenever it comes — and what a better and worse version might look like. It’s still possible that either Ukraine or Russia will mount a more successful military drive this year than experts expect. But the most likely outcome of this year’s fighting is a continued stalemate. That impasse will shape how the war ends. A bleak picture Ukraine wants all its territory back. That is not likely to happen. Ukrainians believe in their ability to fight back. They defended Kyiv, retook Kherson and pushed Russia away from Kharkiv in 2022. Their military is more battle-hardened than anything else in Europe, made more sophisticated by its adoption of American and allied technology. They have avoided the worst outcome: an outright defeat, an overthrow of their democratic government, the installation of a Russian puppet. Many Ukrainians now believe concessions to Russia would mean their compatriots had died in vain. But the situation is grim. The country has lost nearly one-fifth of its territory. In 2014, Russia took Crimea and orchestrated a separatist rebellion in parts of the Donbas. It grabbed the rest since the current phase of the war began in 2022. Source: Institute for the Study of War | Map is as of Feb. 4, 2024. | By The New York Times Ukraine has lost a generation of young men — killed and wounded — to the war. It is also running out of ammunition, supplies and equipment. While Europe just approved $54 billion in economic assistance, it is American money that delivers Kyiv’s military might. But most House Republicans now oppose further Ukraine aid. And even pro-Ukraine Republicans are asking Biden administration officials what strategy can break the current battlefield stalemate. Meanwhile, the funding is ensnared in a border policy debate. If Ukraine can’t get what it needs to beat Russia, what kind of deal could it make? Ukraine’s futures Vladimir Putin may accept a peace deal that gives him the territory he occupies now and that forces Ukraine to stay neutral, halting its integration with Europe. Ukrainians call this bargain a capitulation. But without additional American aid, they may be forced to take it. A better deal for Ukraine would give it back at least some of its land, plus a promise that the United States and Europe would help defend it against Russia. Perhaps then Putin would think twice about further attacks. In this scenario, Ukraine might not join NATO or the European Union immediately, the prospect of which helped drive Russia’s invasion in the first place. But to make that deal possible, Ukraine would need a stronger military to erode Russia’s might. The Russian Army has been damaged, its most advanced weaponry lost, its modernization drive set back years. If the proposed $60 billion U.S. aid package ever comes through, it could enable more audacious Ukrainian strikes behind Russian lines — the kinds of operations that keep Moscow off balance. The money from Congress, in short, could be the difference between a bad deal and a better one. Having it would strengthen Ukraine’s hand at the negotiating table. Without it, Putin may prove right in his theory that he can outlast the West. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Extreme Weather A mudslide in Ojala, Calif. Philip Cheung for The New York Times Over 120 mudslides in Los Angeles spread soggy dirt and debris through hillside neighborhoods. A meteorologist warned that a small amount of rain could cause more. President Biden promised aid to California after rains flooded the state and hundreds of thousands of people were left power. Wildfires consumed nearly all of Chile’s national botanical garden. Visitors survived by huddling on a lawn. This year’s El Niño is intensifying the threats of climate change. Immigration Republicans demanded a border crackdown. Then they rejected a bipartisan plan to impose one. Biden is pleading with Congress for new authority to shut down the overwhelmed southern border. The House will vote today on impeaching the homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, over border policy. Experts say he has not committed acts that meet the constitutional threshold for impeachment. 2024 Elections Nikki Haley Travis Dove for The New York Times Nikki Haley’s campaign said she raised more money in January than in any previous month of her presidential race. More small donors contributed to Donald Trump’s campaign than Biden’s last year, according to a Times analysis. Biden’s approval ratings are low but developments in the economy and on immigration, his two weak points among voters, have provided openings for a comeback, Nate Cohn writes. Trump is wielding presidential imagery on the campaign trail and using his former position as a defensive measure in the courtroom. A group of Democrats in Michigan are urging voters unhappy with Biden’s approach to the war in Gaza to mark “Uncommitted” on their primary ballots. Israel-Hamas War Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, met with the Saudi crown prince to rally support for a Gaza cease-fire proposal and is expected to visit leaders in Egypt and Qatar today. Benjamin Netanyahu is unpopular in Israel, but an election isn’t required until 2026. See ways he could be ousted earlier. Amnesty International accused Israeli forces of killing Palestinians in the occupied West Bank with “near total impunity” since the Oct. 7 attack. The war in Gaza is endangering a U.N.-backed process to end a nine-year conflict in Yemen. A bond between Black and Palestinian activists grew through protests over police brutality and the war in Gaza. International King Charles III Hollie Adams/Reuters King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer and suspended his public engagements to undergo treatment. The Senegalese Parliament voted to delay this month’s elections until December. The president announced a postponement last week, in a move critics called an “institutional coup.” A Haitian prosecutor recommended charges against several people for the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse — including, unexpectedly, his first lady. The Chinese authorities declared an Australian writer and businessman guilty of espionage and gave him a potential death sentence. Business Google offices in Cambridge, Mass. Sophie Park for The New York Times Fun once defined Google’s work culture. Recent job cuts have created a grim mood. CNN, under a new chairman, has a new morning strategy: less banter and more news. The F.A.A. — once nicknamed the “tombstone” agency because of its slow action on safety issues — has taken a harder line on Boeing since last month’s door plug error. Other Big Stories Library in Pella, Iowa. Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times Librarians, caught in the middle: In Idaho, Iowa and Tennessee, conservatives have tried to remove books involving gender and sexuality from local libraries; at a 228-year-old library in a liberal part of Maine, transgender rights advocates tried to remove a book. A former day care director who fed children melatonin received six months in jail. A retired N.Y.P.D official admitted that he had directed illicit donations to New York mayor Eric Adams’s 2021 campaign. Receiving multidose vaccinations in both arms, instead of just one, may produce a more powerful immune response, a new study suggests. Toby Keith, the country singer-songwriter behind hits like “Who’s Your Daddy?” and “Made in America,” died on Monday at 62. Opinions A utility company threatened Alabama’s wetlands. Its settlement with the E.P.A. is good news, even if it’s only a start, Margaret Renkl writes. Over 60 countries have elections this year. But voters in countries like Pakistan are asking how effective democracy really is, Bina Shah writes. Here are columns by Paul Krugman on immigration and Michelle Goldberg on Poland. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS A ferret receiving CBD in Mexico City. Luis Antonio Rojas for The New York Times Mammal munchies: Medical cannabis is starting to be used in veterinary sciences. Ecotherapy: Mental health practitioners are hiking, camping and braving the elements with clients. Health trends: Companies are selling cow colostrum — the milk-like substance produced shortly after giving birth — as a supplement. Read about the benefits and risks. Nursing homes: Moving your spouse into long-term care can relieve the burden of caregiving but introduce new stresses. Infinite scroll? TikTok once seemed in tune with individual tastes. Recently, it’s felt like fumbling in the junk drawer, Jon Caramanica writes. Lives Lived: Bob Beckwith, a retired firefighter, catapulted to fame when a photograph of him standing with President George W. Bush at ground zero after 9/11 became a symbol of the nation’s grit. He died at 91. SPORTS College sports: A federal official ruled that Dartmouth men’s basketball players are university employees and can form a union. The ruling is likely to be appealed. M.L.B.: The Kansas City Royals signed the star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to an 11-year, $288 million contract extension, signaling a new direction for the small-market franchise. N.F.L.: Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the Eagles will open next season in São Paulo, Brazil, the league’s first game in South America. Ads: For a second year, the average cost of a 30-second Super Bowl ad is $7 million. In a fragmented media landscape, it’s a rare chance to reach a mass audience. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS Monster Jam in Newark. Bryan Anselm for The New York Times Big trucks: Monster Jam has grown significantly since its founding in 1995. It now runs six tours — five in the U.S. and one overseas — selling millions of tickets, by its own account. The trucking events have become faddish with Gen Z-ers and millennials whose attendance, one fan posits, began as an irony that has now tipped into genuine enthusiasm. Read a dispatch from a recent event in New Jersey. More on culture Explicit A.I.-generated images of Taylor Swift that circulated widely on social media originated on the message board 4chan, according to a new report. Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert discussed the extreme weather in California on their late night shows. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Linda Xiao for The New York Times Swap out spaghetti for smooth, velvety orzotto alla carbonara. Pick a good bottle of wine for Valentine’s Day. Wear compression socks on the plane. Use these sunscreens on your face. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was bamboozle. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 7 Author Members Share Posted February 7 February 7, 2024 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We’re covering Republicans and the border bill — as well as Trump, Michigan and vintage sportswear. The border in December. Paul Ratje for The New York Times Harder to enter The United States has had a porous border with Mexico for decades, and the situation has worsened in the past few years, with more than 10,000 people entering the U.S. on some days. Many then remain for years, even without a visa or citizenship. Mayors, governors, and immigration experts — as well as voters — have long urged Congress to fix the problem. This week, a bipartisan group of senators released a plan for doing so. And for anybody who has grown cynical about Washington, the plan offered reasons for both surprise and further cynicism. The surprising part is that productive bipartisanship seems to be alive, even on an issue as divisive as immigration. A wide range of experts say that the Senate plan — negotiated by James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican; Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat; and Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent — would strengthen border security and reduce illegal immigration. The measure has the support of business lobbying groups as well as the organization representing the mayors of every U.S. city with a population above 30,000. The labor union for border-patrol agents, which endorsed Donald Trump in 2020, supports the plan. So do the editorial boards of The Washington Post, which leans left, and The Wall Street Journal, which is deeply conservative. “This doesn’t fix everything,” Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, told me, “but it goes a long way to creating an institutional structure that makes sense.” What, then, is the cause for further cynicism about Washington partisanship? Despite the bill’s bipartisan roots and all the praise it’s received, its chances of passage look slim. Political benefits Many Republicans, including Trump and members of Congress, have decided to oppose the plan for political reasons. They think they are likely to do better in this year’s elections if the immigration problem festers and they can blame Biden. “Let me tell you,” Troy Nehls, a House Republican from Texas, told CNN last month, “I’m not willing to do too damn much right now to help a Democrat and to help Joe Biden’s approval rating.” Republicans justify their opposition mostly by pointing to one provision: an emergency measure that would forces the president to virtually shut the southern border when undocumented daily migrant encounters rise above 5,000. This measure, the critics say, would authorize 5,000 illegal entries every day. But that claim is misleading: By the same logic, the current system allows unlimited daily entries. Even more important, the Senate proposal includes many other measures to make entry harder. Among them: The bill would raise the standard for migrants to pass an initial asylum screening. Today, even many with weak asylum claims can remain in the country. The bill would also allow U.S. officials to deport more people who fail the screening within a week of their arrival. Congress would pay to hire thousands of additional border personnel and 100 more immigration judges, who in turn could reduce the backlog of cases. Faster resolution would allow admitted migrants to get on with their lives, while the government could send others home more quickly. The bill would finance the purchase of 100 new machines for detecting fentanyl at the border and increase penalties for trafficking. Separately, the bill would expand legal immigration by a modest amount and allow admitted migrants to receive work permits more quickly. (Here’s a Times summary of the bill.) Together, these measures would shift the calculus for potential migrants. Because the chances of illegal entry would fall, fewer people would likely try — and more would instead try a legal pathway. Biden’s border Republicans do have other legitimate reasons to criticize Democrats on immigration. Since Trump’s presidency, many Democrats have embraced the idea of a more open border. If you want to understand the extent of the shift, I recommend reading the party’s 2020 platform: It talks almost exclusively about steps to expand immigration, even outside of legal channels. Biden, who was once a moderate on immigration, is part of the change. As a presidential candidate, he signaled that he would welcome many more arrivals. As president, he loosened the standards for asylum. Combined with political turmoil in parts of Latin America, the strong U.S. economy and other factors, Biden’s approach fed the migration surge. “There are a lot of people coming because they’re pretty sure that they can get in and stay,” Selee said. Now, though, Biden has recognized the downsides of his initial policies. He has embraced a bipartisan immigration bill that includes many Republican priorities and few Democratic ones. (In exchange, Democrats insisted on aid for Ukraine.) As Carl Hulse, The Times’s chief Washington correspondent, put it, Democrats made “substantial — almost unheard-of — concessions on immigration policy without insisting on much in return.” Republicans have largely won the recent debate over immigration. Polls show most voters prefer their approach. And nonpartisan experts say the Senate plan would improve the situation, using the policies Republicans have long advocated. Yet those same Republicans are now blocking tougher border security from becoming reality. For more Biden hopes to make Republicans pay a political price for their opposition to the border bill. In a speech, he said Trump would “rather weaponize this issue than actually solve it.” “America does not need a ‘border’ bill that does nothing to deter illegal immigration,” a Trump spokeswoman said. “We need a president who will use his executive authority to shut the border down.” Lankford, the bill’s lead Senate Republican negotiator, has been rebutting attacks from members of his own party while trying to keep the legislation alive. With the border deal collapsing, aid to Ukraine and Israel is also in jeopardy. Yesterday, the House failed to pass a bill that would have sent aid to Israel alone. House Republicans’ effort to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden’s homeland security secretary, over border policy failed after a handful of Republicans opposed it. New York’s governor offered $2.4 billion to help New York City care for migrants. Mayor Eric Adams says the city needs nearly twice that amount. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Nevada Primary Nikki Haley was embarrassed in Nevada’s Republican primary. Trump wasn’t on the ballot, but the option for “None of These Candidates” beat her. Biden easily won Nevada’s Democratic primary. Trump’s Court Cases Donald Trump Doug Mills/The New York Times Trump is not immune from prosecution over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, a federal appeals court ruled. The judges rejected Trump’s arguments forcefully, and while he’s likely to appeal to the Supreme Court, it’s not certain to take up the case. See the next steps. The judge overseeing Trump’s civil fraud case is asking whether a key witness, the Trump Organization’s ex-finance chief, lied during the trial. More than 60 House Republicans signed a resolution declaring that Trump’s actions on Jan. 6 didn’t amount to insurrection, as courts and officials weigh his eligibility to hold office. More on Politics Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, plans to step down this month. Trump is likely to back a 2020 election denier to replace her. A Texas company was behind robocalls that impersonated Biden and urged Democrats not to vote in New Hampshire’s primary, the state’s attorney general said. The U.S. government is putting more detained migrants in solitary confinement, an analysis found. Middle East An Israeli strike on Rafah, in southern Gaza. Mahmud Hams/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Hamas has answered a proposal that could halt fighting in the Gaza Strip, but has yet to make a deal. Israeli intelligence officers believe at least a fifth of the hostages captured during the Oct. 7 attacks have died since the start of the war. For years, Iraq has allowed armed forces tied to both the U.S. and Iran to operate on its soil. The fallout from the war in Gaza is making that even more uncomfortable. Argentina’s new president, Javier Milei, visited Israel and promised to move his nation’s embassy to Jerusalem. International A Russian missile and drone attack on Ukrainian cities killed at least five people, local officials said. Kenyan authorities charged a cult leader, who they say ordered followers to starve themselves to death, with the murder of 191 children. Sebastián Piñera, a former president of Chile who helped strengthen its democracy, died in a helicopter crash at 74. One year after an earthquake in southern Turkey, survivors are still displaced and struggling with injuries. The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, helped push Hungary to go along with a landmark Ukraine fund. That has solidified her credentials in Europe. Business Four bolts appeared to be missing from the Alaska Airlines plane that lost a door plug mid-flight. The F.A.A. said it would increase monitoring of Boeing, which made the plane. Major U.S. companies including McDonald’s and Costco said they are taking steps to eliminate child labor in their domestic supply chains. Other Big Stories Jennifer Crumbley Bill Pugliano/Getty Images The mother of a Michigan school gunman was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter over her son’s killings. The conviction offers prosecutors a new tactic in mass shooting cases. Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host, said he would interview Vladimir Putin in Russia. A report into a wildfire that destroyed the Hawaiian town of Lahaina six months ago found a third of the victims lived on a single street. Read more takeaways. Opinions The MAGA right’s conspiratorial feud with Taylor Swift shows how weird the movement has become, David French writes. Here are columns by Thomas Edsall on Biden vs. Trump and Bret Stephens on colonialism. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS In Abidjan. Joao Silva/The New York Times A pair of lêkê: In Ivory Coast, plastic sandals are the preferred gear for pickup soccer — and almost everything else. Staying power: Los Angeles has struggled to establish lasting dance companies. Several young outfits are trying hard to change that. Commiserating: Hundreds of journalists have been laid off in the last month. Last week, they gathered to grieve at the National Press Club. Lives Lived: Clyde Taylor was a leading figure in Black studies in the 1970s and ’80s, identifying and elevating Black cinema as an art form. He died at 92. SPORTS Teaming up: ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery are joining forces to create a sports streaming app, expected to launch in the fall. M.L.B.: Clayton Kershaw will return to the Dodgers next year. He spent the offseason deciding between Los Angeles and the Rangers, his hometown team. Basketball: Caitlin Clark’s competitiveness, no-look passes and 3-point bombs have made Iowa games a must-see. What happens when she leaves? Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS Vintage sportswear for sale. Lanna Apisukh for The New York Times Fan favorites: Google search interest in vintage N.F.L. items has nearly quadrupled in the last year — with the most intense interest in Missouri, home of the Kansas City Chiefs (and Taylor Swift’s boyfriend). The market for vintage sports apparel is growing, as fans seek looks that stand out. “If you have a grandpa or grandma who is a sports fan, and they have a piece from when they were growing up, that is something you have to get your hands on,” said Lily Shimbashi of Sportsish, a pop-culture newsletter and podcast for female sports fans. “That is so valuable right now.” More on culture Elon Musk is funding the wrongful termination lawsuit of an actress who was dropped from “The Mandalorian” after she posted baseless conspiracy theories on social media. “It was a devastating moment for Trump, especially when Melania started clapping”: The late night hosts joked about the immunity ruling. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Testani for The New York Times Feed a crowd with the cheesy, crunchy Tex-Mex classic known as Frito Pie. Clean your ears without cotton swabs. Stop mindlessly scrolling on your phone. Declutter your fridge. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were coffined, confide, confided, confidence and confined. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 8 Author Members Share Posted February 8 February 8, 2024 With the Gaza war testing the U.S.-Israel relationship, my colleague Michael Crowley uses today’s newsletter to explain why each partner sees the next phase so differently. — David Leonhardt By Michael Crowley Diplomatic Correspondent, Washington Good morning. We’re also covering Congress, Pakistan’s elections and Constantine the Great. Antony Blinken and Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli Government Press Office/EPA, via Shutterstock An awkward dance It’s a tough time for the U.S.-Israel alliance. The death toll from the Gaza war has shaken Washington officials. President Biden wants Israel to recognize a Palestinian state, something its current government opposes. Top Israeli officials openly criticize Biden. Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, is just concluding a trip there to seek common ground — his seventh visit to the country since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. In today’s newsletter, I’ll explain the strain that the Gaza war has placed on the U.S.-Israel relationship, how serious it is and what might come next. A deepening distrust In the days after Hamas’s surprise attack, which left about 1,100 Israelis dead, Biden and Blinken rushed to Israel. They proclaimed their support for the country and its “right to defend itself.” But the U.S. tone changed as Israel’s response destroyed much of Gaza and killed at least 25,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. Biden reportedly called the bombing “indiscriminate.” He is said to be exasperated with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who yesterday rejected Hamas’s response to a new cease-fire proposal. The American public is not happy either. Polling shows widespread disapproval of Israel’s campaign and of the way Biden has handled it (although some of those who disapprove believe Biden is too hard on Israel). Younger Americans are far more sympathetic to Palestinians than older generations are. Anger at Israel is mounting in Congress, as well. Many Democrats want an immediate cease-fire, which Israel and the Biden administration oppose. Members of Israel’s right-wing government have watched all this with mounting rage. “Instead of giving us his full backing, Biden is busy with giving humanitarian aid and fuel, which goes to Hamas,” Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister of national security, told The Wall Street Journal this week. The coming tests Atop all those frustrations, a new one is looming for the two countries: the long-term fate of the Palestinians. Before Oct. 7, the Biden administration didn’t do much to help create a Palestinian state, even though the U.S. has long supported the idea. But the mayhem of the past few months has convinced Biden officials that they can’t wait — the status quo just isn’t working. Now they say a “pathway” to such a state is a priority. In Qatar on Tuesday, Blinken said that it needed to happen quickly. This is especially important because the Biden administration wants to broker a deal under which Saudi Arabia and Israel would normalize relations, a move that could ensure greater stability and prosperity in the Middle East. But Saudi Arabia won’t agree if Israel doesn’t help improve Palestinians’ lives and give them a chance at statehood. Saudi rulers are concerned that anger over the issue could undermine their own support at home. Yet Netanyahu says he will never allow the creation of such a state. His conservative allies, and many Israelis, agree. That may not stop the White House. Sources tell me the U.S. could soon recognize a Palestinian state, albeit one with borders and other details to be determined later. One way that could happen is through a United Nations resolution that the United States would, at a minimum, not block. The U.S.-Israel relationship has weathered storms before. Both Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan had major disagreements with the Israeli prime ministers at the time. Still, for the first time in decades, each side is pushing ahead with little regard for what its partner wants. A U.N. vote on Palestinian statehood would be only symbolic so long as Israel occupies much of the Palestinians’ territory. But it would signal that American patience with Israel on the issue had reached its lowest point in decades. Shadowing it all is enormous political uncertainty. Biden is running for re-election against a former president who shares Netanyahu’s hard line toward the Palestinians. Netanyahu is clinging to power himself. If he can outlast Biden, he may find in Donald Trump a tolerant counterpart who will reset U.S.-Israel relations — on Netanyahu’s terms. For more Netanyahu rejected a Hamas cease-fire proposal and said Israeli troops would advance into Rafah, a city that has become a refuge for more than a million Palestinians. There will not be a clear line between war and peace in Gaza, even if a negotiated settlement is reached, Steven Erlanger writes. Protesters against the war in Gaza have become a regular presence outside Blinken’s Northern Virginia home. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Congress Chuck Schumer Anna Rose Layden for The New York Times Senate Republicans blocked a bill that paired aid to Ukraine and Israel with new border-security policies, killing a compromise they had previously demanded. Senate Democrats promised a vote today on a separate foreign aid bill without border policies. Speaker Mike Johnson, around 100 days into his tenure, faced back-to-back defeats in the House this week. It highlighted the litany of issues he inherited — and his inexperience. House Republicans said they would try again to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, after their first attempt fell one vote short. A congressional committee investigating campus antisemitism accused Harvard of obstructing its work. Ukraine could start losing the war this year if Congress fails to pass more aid. Western officials have begun discussing backup plans. 2024 Election The Supreme Court will hear arguments today about whether Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election disqualify him from serving again. Nikki Haley criticized Trump for trying to skew Republican delegate and primary rules. “It’s ironic for somebody who says that the election was stolen from him,” she said. Biden, who visited New York to court big donors, largely focused on Trump and framed himself as the last line of defense against his re-election. Marianne Williamson, the self-help author, suspended her long-shot primary campaign against Biden. No Republican presidential candidate has won Nevada since 2004, but it’s likely to be a battleground this fall. More on Politics Florida’s Supreme Court is considering whether to allow a ballot measure that would legalize abortions through about 24 weeks of pregnancy. The state legislated last year for a ban after six weeks. For a second week, U.S. deportation flights to Venezuela failed to depart as planned. The E.P.A. tightened restrictions on fine industrial particles, a common and deadly air pollutant. The special counsel investigating Biden’s handling of classified documents has sent his final report to the White House, suggesting it’s close to release. Climate A monarch butterfly. Raquel Cunha/Reuters Monarch butterfly numbers in wintering areas in Mexico have hit a record low after hot, dry conditions in the U.S. and Canada reduced caterpillars’ food supply. Last month was the hottest January ever measured, the E.U. climate monitor said. International The U.S. says it killed a commander of the Iran-backed militia in Iraq that officials say struck American troops in a drone attack last month. Pakistan headed to the polls in an election that human rights monitors have condemned. The military has spent months cracking down on a former prime minister’s party. “We applaud the iron fist”: Ecuador’s war on gangs has widespread support but experts warn it could endanger civil liberties. A 43-foot statue of Constantine the Great has returned to Rome. A digital art group reconstructed it using scans of 10 fragments of the original. A volcano system in Iceland erupted for the third time since December. Other Big Stories In Lahaina. Brendan George Ko for The New York Times Six months after the Maui wildfire, businesses are still reeling and there are divisions over how much the local economy should rely on tourism. The U.S. imported more goods from Mexico than from China last year, for the first time in 20 years. Rescuers found a military helicopter that went missing in a snowy, mountainous area east of San Diego, but are still searching for the five Marines who were on board. Long Covid is less prevalent among children than adults, a study found. Symptoms can still disrupt kids’ schoolwork and social lives. Opinions Toby Keith, who performed for presidents of both parties, showed it is possible to be political without being partisan, Michael Patrick Smith writes. There is a reason filing U.S. taxes is such a burden, and it’s not the I.R.S., Johnny Harris and Binyamin Appelbaum explain in a video. Here are columns by Nick Kristof on children’s rights and Pamela Paul on Trump’s V.P. pick. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Edith Ceccarelli is the oldest known person in America. Alexandra Hootnick for The New York Times Life at 116: Edith Ceccarelli has outlived her daughter, her granddaughters and both her husbands. But her neighbors adore her. KGAY: This California radio station’s call letters say it all. The Great Read: Who invented butter chicken? Two families are fighting over it. Nigeria: Read your way through Lagos. Remote work tips: “I work from home and I can’t focus.” Lives Lived: As the bass player and musical director for the Wailers, Aston Barrett crafted hypnotic rhythms and complex melodies that helped elevate reggae to international acclaim. He died at 77. SPORTS Ella Hamlin Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press Women’s basketball: After T.C.U. had so many injuries that it couldn’t field a team, the coaches held an open tryout for students. Now Ella Hamlin, a freshman nursing major, finds herself in a situation she never imagined. W.N.B.A.: Candace Parker is returning to the Las Vegas Aces next season, which will be her 17th in the league. ESPN: Nick Saban, the former Alabama coach, will be a full-time contributor to “College GameDay” next season. N.H.L.: The Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev left the ice on a stretcher. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS Pickleball in Arlington, Va. Alyssa Schukar for The New York Times Get fit on the court: For three years in a row, pickleball has been the nation’s fastest-growing sport. Selena Gomez “dinks” on the regular; so do Jenna Bush Hager and Michael Phelps. But is it a good workout? Pickleball can boost cardiovascular health, agility and hand-eye coordination. But it doesn’t build much muscle, so experts advise supplementing the sport with body-weight exercises such as squats and lunges. Here’s a full workout routine. More on culture Sushi Park, a modest-looking restaurant in a Los Angeles strip mall, has become an unlikely celebrity spot. Henry Timms, who led Lincoln Center and helped complete the $550 million renovation of David Geffen Hall, will step down this summer. “You know how they say, ‘You’re second to none?’ She finished second to none”: The late night hosts joked about Haley’s performance in the Nevada primary. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Testani for The New York Times Mix blanco tequila, lime juice and carbonated mineral water to make Ranch Water. Take a romantic trip. Wash your comforter and your blankets. Use these vacuums on your carpet. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was girlhood. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 9 Author Members Share Posted February 9 February 9, 2024 By David Leonhardt and Ian Prasad Philbrick Good morning. We’re covering the Supreme Court arguments on Trump and the ballot — as well as a special counsel report, a Putin interview and poets. The U.S. Supreme Court. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Supreme skepticism There are still court cases that could upend this year’s presidential election, but the one involving Donald Trump’s eligibility to be on the ballot doesn’t seem likely to do so. In a two-hour oral argument at the Supreme Court yesterday, nearly all justices appeared skeptical of Colorado’s effort to keep Trump off the ballot. Colorado officials have argued that his role in the Jan. 6 attack on Congress makes him an insurrectionist and that the 14th Amendment bars insurrectionists from the presidency. Maine has also moved to bar Trump, and other states would likely follow if the Supreme Court were to allow it. The legal issues are complex, and we walk through them below. But the justices are surely considering a larger political question, too. As Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court for The Times, told us yesterday: Donald Trump is accused of doing grave wrongs in trying to overturn the election. But who should decide the consequences of that? Should it be nine people in Washington? Should it be individual states? Should it be Congress? Or should it be the electorate of the United States, which can, for itself, assess whether Trump’s conduct is so blameworthy that he should not have the opportunity to serve another term? As Neal Katyal, a former Obama administration official who argues before the Supreme Court, said yesterday, “This argument did not go well for the Trump challengers.” Officially, the case involves Colorado’s Republican primary, which is scheduled for March 5, less than four weeks away. Many legal experts expect the court to rule quickly (as this story explains) and to issue a broad decision that applies to all states. Here is our guide to the three biggest legal questions: 1. Who is an officer? The best known parts of the 14th Amendment, which was ratified after the Civil War, bestowed citizenship on people who had been enslaved and said states must provide equal legal protection to all residents. But the amendment also included a provision to prevent former Confederates from holding office. The provision said that any “officer” of the U.S. who had taken an oath to support the Constitution and then “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” could not hold future office. Part of the debate at the Supreme Court yesterday revolved around whether the president is an officer. To some legal scholars, the answer is obviously yes. “The meaning of ‘officer’ in the 1780s was the same meaning that it has today,” said Jason Murray, the lawyer representing Colorado voters who want to bar Trump. Other legal scholars take a different view, and several justices seemed open to this argument. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson noted that the amendment lists many jobs that count as officers, including senators and representatives — but not president. Justice Neil Gorsuch emphasized that the Constitution elsewhere used the term to refer to appointees to an office, rather than to presidents. 2. What can states do? The Constitution bars several categories of people from serving as president, including anybody who is under 35 or who already served two terms as president. Murray argued that officials who engaged in insurrection are likewise ineligible because of the 14th Amendment. But several justices questioned whether the 14th Amendment in fact gave states the power to bar officials from federal elections. If it did, individual states might have outsize power over national elections. “The question that you have to confront is why a single state should decide who gets to be president of the United States,” Justice Elena Kagan told Murray. John Roberts, the chief justice, pointed out that the drafters of the 14th Amendment wanted to restrict state power, and Jackson seemed to agree. The justices instead seemed to believe that only Congress could bar candidates from federal elections. “The consensus at Thursday’s argument seemed to put the ball in Congress’s court,” Adam Liptak told us. “But since the chances of action from that body are nil or close to it, it will be up to the voters to decide whether Trump is fit to be president.” 3. What is an insurrection? Another major issue involves Jan. 6: Did it count as an insurrection, and did Trump take part in it? Murray argued that the answer to both questions was yes. Jonathan Mitchell, Trump’s lawyer, countered that the events of Jan. 6 were “shameful, criminal, violent” — but not an insurrection. Mitchell defined an insurrection as “an organized, concerted effort to overthrow the government” with violence. Some justices seemed open to that interpretation. Justice Brett Kavanaugh noted that there was a federal statute making it a crime to incite an insurrection — and that Trump has not been charged with it. Still, yesterday’s argument did not dwell on the issue, suggesting that the ruling may focus on other questions. What’s next The Supreme Court may soon hear a separate case involving Trump: whether he is immune from prosecution over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. A federal appeals court ruled this week that Trump can be charged. If Trump asks the Supreme Court to take the case, as is likely, its ruling may determine if any trial will finish before the election. The timing is important: In polls, some voters say they would be less willing to vote for Trump if he were convicted. Read two Times reporters explain their takeaways from yesterday’s arguments. Related: On late night, Seth Meyers discussed the hearing. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Biden Documents Case President Biden Kent Nishimura for The New York Times A special counsel investigating President Biden concluded that he should not be charged over his handling of classified materials after leaving the vice presidency. The counsel’s report also described Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory” and included details that Biden’s political opponents are sure to use against him. Biden responded with a news conference. “I know what the hell I’m doing,” he said, adding, “My memory is fine.” Biden was angry that the report suggested he had trouble remembering when his son Beau died. “I don’t need anyone to remind me,” he said. Among the report’s revelations: Biden shared personal notebooks that also contained sensitive government material with the ghostwriter of his memoir. Read our takeaways. More on Politics The Senate voted to begin debating a bill that would provide military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. But hurdles to passing it remain. Trump easily won the Republican caucuses in Nevada and in the Virgin Islands. White House officials traveled to Dearborn, a Michigan city that has a large Arab American population, to discuss the Gaza war with Arab American leaders. The F.C.C. banned spam robocalls using A.I. voices, citing concerns about misinformation. Executives of three major pharmaceutical companies defended the prices they charge U.S. patients before a Senate committee led by Bernie Sanders. Carlson-Putin Interview Tucker Carlson and Vladimir Putin. Russian state media released this photo. Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik, via Shutterstock Vladimir Putin, speaking to Tucker Carlson in an interview from the Kremlin, said the war in Ukraine would not end until the U.S. “made an agreement” to cede Ukrainian territory to Russia. Carlson asked Putin to release Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in Russia for nearly a year. Putin was noncommittal. Carlson and Trump have made Putin a sympathetic figure for Republicans who once considered Russia to be America’s chief rival, Peter Baker writes. War in Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky removed his top general, Valery Zaluzhny, replacing him with the head of Ukraine’s ground forces. Russia banned an antiwar candidate from its presidential race. He was also the only candidate who had openly contested Putin’s hold on power. Israel-Hamas War Biden called Israel’s military operations in Gaza “over the top.” U.S. intelligence officials told members of Congress that Israel had hurt Hamas but was not close to eliminating it. More International News Jair Bolsonaro in 2022. Victor Moriyama for The New York Times Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s former president, planned a coup with his allies, the police there said. Japan’s first foreign-born beauty queen had a short reign: She resigned after two weeks over an affair with a married man. Olympic medals in Paris this summer will carry pieces of iron from the Eiffel Tower. Other Big Stories In New York. Andres Kudacki for The New York Times Construction workers are more likely to die of a drug overdose than workers in any other industry. Google launched Gemini, an A.I. smartphone app that responds to voice requests like a digital assistant. Two JetBlue planes collided on the tarmac at Boston Logan International Airport. No one was injured. New York City is in its worst housing crunch for more than 50 years. The market is particularly tight for lower-cost apartments. Opinions Math offers evidence of a higher power, Alec Wilkinson argues. Bonnie Tsui writes about her grandfather’s dracaena plant, which has thrived for decades and generations. Here are columns by David Brooks on Trumpism and Paul Krugman on the Republican Party. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Self-portrait, Paris, 1964. Paul McCartney Beatle’s eye view: See the 1960s through Paul McCartney’s long-lost photographs. 36 Hours: Visit bazaars, dine under the stars and go to the Jewish quarter in Marrakesh, Morocco. Wrong orders and fakes: Return fraud hurts shoppers and retailers. It also results in viral videos on TikTok. Notifications off: Australia is expected to pass a law giving workers the right to ignore calls and messages outside working hours. Lives Lived: The singer and radio host Mojo Nixon was known for intentionally offensive songs that satirize celebrity culture. He once described himself as a voice of “the doomed, the damned, the weird.” Nixon died at 66. SPORTS Caitlin Clark Matthew Holst/Getty Images Caitlin Clark: The Iowa superstar sits 39 points shy of the N.C.A.A. women’s basketball scoring record after tallying 27 in a win against Penn State. N.F.L.: Lamar Jackson won the league M.V.P. award, his second. Only 10 other players have won it twice. N.B.A.: The New York Knicks were aggressive before a trade deadline, acquiring Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS Taylor Swift Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy Tortured poets: The title of Taylor Swift’s next album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” brought strong responses from a typically quiet bunch: poets. Some couldn’t tell if she was mocking, celebrating or identifying with them. Others decided that, ultimately, it didn’t matter. “If this gets more people to write poetry, I’m all for it, because I want there to be more jobs to apply to,” said Sasha Debevec-McKenney, a poet at Emory University. More on culture Models at Marc Jacobs. Simbarashe Cha/The New York Times Fashion month begins in New York today. See a preview. Jonathan Majors had a history of abusive behavior in relationships, a Times inquiry found. The actor denied accusations of physical abuse. Lip readers have become popular on social media, guessing celebrities’ gossip at events, The Cut reports. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Julia Gartland for The New York Times Microwave this recipe for gooey chocolate pudding cake. Shift your perspective with the self-help books that therapists read. Charge your phone anywhere with this power bank. Use less dish soap. Let a robot vacuum your floor. Brush with a good electric toothbrush. Buy a new mattress at the right time. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were adorably and broadly. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David and Ian Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 11 Author Members Share Posted February 11 February 11, 2024 By The Morning Team Good morning. Today is the Super Bowl, and we’ve got a guide to the game. Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Doug Mills/The New York Times A national holiday Nothing brings together more Americans — not awards shows, not television series finales, not even presidential debates — than the Super Bowl. Will this year’s game, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, be the most watched ever? By one measure — the total number of people watching — it seems likely to be. Last year’s game set the record, with 115 million viewers in the U.S., and it did not have Taylor Swift. Swift’s expected presence at the game, to cheer on her boyfriend, the Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce, has the potential to help it break the 1982 record for the highest proportion of Americans who watched: 49 percent. In the rest of today’s newsletter, we’ll tell you what you need to know about this year’s Super Bowl; the teams, the strange bets, the halftime show and more. The teams Kansas City Chiefs: If you’re someone who watches football only on Super Bowl Sunday, it may seem unremarkable that the Chiefs are playing today. They’ve reached the Super Bowl in four of the past five seasons. Yet this season was not a great one for the Chiefs. They lost six games, the most they have since Patrick Mahomes took over as starting quarterback. Their offense struggled with turnovers and dropped passes. Kelce’s performances seemed to falter even as his celebrity grew; he failed to score a touchdown in the final six games of the regular season. Since the playoffs began, though, the team has looked more like the Chiefs of old. Kelce has scored three touchdowns in the past two games. And the defense has been excellent all season. San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers, on the other hand, were great during the regular season, but have looked beatable in the playoffs. The star of their offense is Christian McCaffrey, a running back who led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns, and who is also an option on passing plays. The team is full of such multiskilled players: George Kittle, a tight end who is also a great blocker; Deebo Samuel, whose ability to both catch and run led him to create a new name for his position, the “wide back.” At the center of the operation is the quarterback, Brock Purdy. Less than two years ago, the 49ers drafted Purdy 262nd — making him the last pick in the last round, a distinction known in the N.F.L. by the nickname “Mr. Irrelevant.” Now, after a season in which he was, by some metrics, the league’s best quarterback, Purdy will be the first Mr. Irrelevant to lead his team at the Super Bowl. The setting Las Vegas is hosting its first Super Bowl today. The city has a fraught history with professional sports because of its association with gambling, and leagues have kept teams away to maintain their sports’ appearance of integrity. That changed in 2018, when the Supreme Court cleared the way for legalized sports betting. Vegas officials, eager to boost tourism, lured professional baseball and football teams to the city. Hosting the Super Bowl is a crowning achievement. Not everyone is happy about the transformation, though. Officials provided $750 million in subsidies to help build Allegiant Stadium, where the Super Bowl will take place, even as the city’s public schools have languished. “It just represents that we don’t care,” LaTasha Olsen, who works at a local elementary school, told my colleagues Ken Belson and Jenny Vrentas. The halftime show Usher, the headline act at halftime, is a showman made for the Super Bowl. He sings, he dances, he boasts a three-decade-long catalog that makes for recognizable medley fodder. But tonight’s performance is more than a nostalgia trip. Usher has experienced a recent renaissance, prompted by a Las Vegas residency. (Last year, videos of him serenading celebrities, including Keke Palmer and Issa Rae, spread widely on social media.) Usher has framed his performance as a celebration of his career. It’s also a moment in the spotlight for his genre: “This night was specifically curated in my mind to have R&B take the main stage,” he told Vogue. The bets Industry experts expect this year’s Super Bowl to be the largest sports betting day in American history, with more than 67 million people wagering on the event. The most traditional type of bet is predicting the victor, with the underdog — in this case, the Chiefs — spotted a few points. But a growing trend in recent years has been making so-called prop bets, which allow you to gamble on just about anything, including: Whether the game’s shortest touchdown play will be under 1.5 yards. Whether it will take Reba McEntire under 90.5 seconds to sing the national anthem. Any number of Swift-related uncertainties: Will her lipstick be red? How long will it be before she appears onscreen? And which of her songs will the announcers refer to first? The favorite is “Bad Blood.” The Athletic put together its own prop bets, which you can play along with here without risking your money. What to cook Editors from Cooking suggest three recipes, depending on where you’ll be watching. If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party: This turkey chili from Pierre Franey has over 15,000 ratings — and is ready in under an hour. If you need a dish to bring to a friend’s party: Show up with charred scallion dip with lemon and herbs. If you’re watching at home: Whip up a tray of baked Buffalo wings. They come out of the oven crisp and tender, as though they were deep fried. More Super Bowl coverage Bark Purdy, right, and Athena. Animal Planet The other big game: This year is the 20th outing of the “Puppy Bowl.” A Times reporter went behind the scenes to learn how the Animal Planet show comes together. The Athletic asked N.F.L. coaches to predict who would win. They gave the edge to the Chiefs. The N.F.L. promised to compensate former players for medical problems stemming from concussions. But the settlement routinely fails to deliver money and care, a Washington Post investigation found. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS Politics Donald Trump Sean Rayford for The New York Times Donald Trump said that as president he told other NATO leaders that he would encourage Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to countries that owed the alliance money. An emergency funding bill for Ukraine and Israel faces a critical vote in the Senate today. Both Trump and President Biden are over 75 — but voters seem more worried about Biden’s age than Trump’s. The two largest Black churches in Georgia are, for the first time, planning to combine their resources to mobilize voters. Israel-Hamas War Israeli airstrikes in Rafah and other parts of southern Gaza killed more than two dozen people. Benjamin Netanyahu has described the city as the enclave’s last Hamas stronghold. Israel’s plans to expand the ground invasion into Rafah, where millions are sheltering from fighting, has concerned aid groups and left Gazans questioning where else there is to go. “This is where I want to be”: A couple returns to Kfar Azza, a kibbutz that was evacuated after more than 60 residents were murdered during the Oct. 7 attacks. The main U.N. agency in Gaza said it has long investigated accusations of infiltration by Hamas. Israel says the agency is too weak and needs to be replaced by a more neutral aid group. War in Ukraine A Russian attack on a fuel depot in Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine caused homes to catch on fire, killing seven people from two families. Ukraine needs to relieve exhausted troops who have been fighting for nearly two years. But a potential expansion of the military draft has become a politically charged issue. International The party of the imprisoned former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan won the most seats in parliamentary elections, despite the military’s attempts to suppress support. Hungary’s president resigned amid a public outcry over her pardoning of a man implicated in a sex abuse scandal at a children’s home. Brazil has a dengue emergency. Public health experts say the outbreak could signal a coming surge in cases across the Americas. Other Big Stories Peter Wang’s gravesite in Florida. Scott McIntyre for The New York Times Linda Zhang and Kong Feng Wang lost their son in the Parkland shooting. Language and cultural differences with other victims’ parents meant they grieved in isolation. More migrants are entering the U.S. through the less fortified and more expansive Canadian border. A winter storm is forecast to move through the Northeast, with the heaviest snow expected in parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and southern New England. FROM OPINION Arts institutions should be treated as though they are public infrastructure, Laura Raicovich and Laura Hanna write. Biden should withdraw from the presidential race — but not right away, Ross Douthat writes. The Sunday question: Is Biden too old to be president? A special counsel report on Biden’s handling of sensitive documents highlighted his poor memory. “That does not sound like someone capable of executing one of the world’s most important jobs,” USA Today’s Ingrid Jacques writes. But Biden’s old age also means a long, experienced political career. “Aging brains make more connections, perhaps because they have more history to work with,” Bill McKibben writes for The Los Angeles Times. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. A celebration through time: One man has collected thousands of film photos and negatives that reveals the history of Rio’s carnival. Vows: They became good friends before she proposed becoming something more. He took three months to consider. Lives Lived: John Bruton was an Irish former prime minister who played a central role in ending decades of sectarian violence and securing peace in Northern Ireland. He died at 76. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT TALK | FROM THE TIMES MAGAZINE Jon Stewart Bobby Doherty for The New York Times By David Marchese Jon Stewart will return to “The Daily Show” as a once-a-week host, beginning on Monday. Ahead of that, I’m revisiting my 2020 interview with him, in which he examined the show’s legacy. We used to have news and we had entertainment. Now those categories are totally intertwined. I don’t think it’s too far off base to suggest that, unintentionally or not, “The Daily Show” played a part in that transformation. What do you think about those changes and what they’ve wrought? The news didn’t become “The Daily Show,” because at its core, “The Daily Show” was a critique of the news and a critique of those systems. If they’d taken in what we were saying, they wouldn’t be doing what they’re doing now: creating urgency through conflict. The entire system functions that way now. We are two sides — in a country of 350 million people. That reminds me of the old George Carlin joke about how in America you have 23 kinds of bagels to choose from but only two political parties. Politically in this country, you have Coke or Pepsi. Every now and again, Dr Pepper comes along and everybody is like, “You ruined this for everyone else.” Dr Pepper is Ralph Nader, let’s say. When you were doing “The Daily Show,” part of what made you unique was your last-sane-man-in-Crazytown quality. You would actually say that someone in power was telling a lie when the nightly newscasters wouldn’t. Now they will say that. Is that a step in the right direction? The media’s job is to deconstruct the manipulation, not to just call it a lie. It’s about informing on how something works so that you understand the lie’s purpose. The media shouldn’t take the political system personally, or allow its own narcissism to rise to the narcissism of the politicians, or become offended that the politicians are lying — their job is to manipulate. Read more of the interview here. More from the magazine The untold story of Mark Meadows, Donald Trump’s former chief of staff, and his role in the prosecutions that may determine the 2024 election. Read the full issue. BOOKS Joel Sheldon III Daniel Dorsa for The New York Times Since 1894: The longtime owner of Vroman’s, a 130-year-old bookstore and community landmark in Pasadena, Calif., says he’s ready to turn over the reins. Our editors’ picks: “The Storm We Made,” a sweeping novel exploring the fallout of a Malayan woman’s decision to become a spy for Japanese forces in World War II, and eight other books. Times best sellers: A struggling stand-up comic tries to work out why the woman he loves stopped loving him in “Good Material,” one of the new titles on the hardcover fiction list. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Watch a celebrity documentary that’s worth your time. Try a Wirecutter-tested laundry detergent. Show your friends love with a Galentine’s Day gift. THE WEEK AHEAD What to Watch For Finland’s presidential runoffs are today. King Abdullah of Jordan visits the White House tomorrow. A Florida judge is holding a closed hearing on Trump’s classified documents case tomorrow. Wednesday is Valentine’s Day. Indonesia holds elections on Wednesday. NATO defense ministers meet in Brussels on Wednesday. On Thursday, a Georgia judge will hear Trump’s argument that the prosecutor in his election interference case should be disqualified. A New York judge will decide on Thursday whether to dismiss the hush-money criminal case against Trump. Greek lawmakers will vote Thursday on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. What to Cook This Week David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff. The microwave is not only useful for cooking vegetables. In this week’s Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter, Emily Weinstein offers up a recently added recipe in which it could be used to poach a “buttery” salmon. Other new arrivals suggested by Emily includes chimichurri meatballs that could work as an appetizer or as part of a meal; and brussels sprouts bathed in a tart and sweet tamarind-maple glaze. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were archival, archrival and chivalric. Can you put eight historical events — including the moon landing, the Golden Gate Bridge and the 19th Amendment — in chronological order? Take this week’s Flashback quiz. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 12 Author Members Share Posted February 12 February 12, 2024 By German Lopez Good morning. We’re covering the decline of the N.R.A. — as well as the Super Bowl, Trump’s NATO comments and Gaza. The N.R.A. headquarters in Fairfax, Va. Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA, via Shutterstock ‘A shell of itself’ A decade ago, the National Rifle Association seemed like an unstoppable force in American politics. A shooter had killed 20 children at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., in 2012. Democrats and Republicans in Congress appeared ready to pass new restrictions on guns. The N.R.A. called on its members to contact their representatives and voice their opposition, and the bills died. Today, the N.R.A. has shed hundreds of thousands of members and large sums of money. It is standing trial for fraud and self-dealing in New York. “The N.R.A. is little more than a shell of itself after hemorrhaging hundreds of millions in legal fees,” Joshua Powell, a former top N.R.A. official who settled with the state before the trial, told The Times. The organization’s fall is not a death knell for Second Amendment advocates, but it is a blow. Today’s newsletter will explain what went wrong with the group. Loss of trust The N.R.A.’s troubles began with a feud with its advertising agency, Ackerman McQueen. The agency was effectively the public face of the N.R.A. for decades, spearheading the group’s online channel NRATV and campaigns like “I am the N.R.A.” But the relationship between the company and its client deteriorated. They disagreed about political messaging. At one point, N.R.A. leadership accused Ackerman McQueen of trying to oust the group’s leader, Wayne LaPierre. Wayne LaPierre Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times The N.R.A. and Ackerman McQueen fought out their differences in court and settled in 2022. But the infighting drew government officials’ attention. After an investigation, New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, filed a lawsuit in 2020. She has cited exorbitant spending by the N.R.A.’s leaders, particularly LaPierre’s use of the nonprofit’s funds to cover millions of dollars in expensive clothes, travel and other luxuries. Many of the N.R.A.’s members lost trust in the organization and quit, which meant they also stopped paying their dues. To deal with shrinking revenue and mounting legal expenses, the N.R.A. cut programs that were popular with members, such as gun training and education. The result: The N.R.A. has lost more than one million members, out of six million at its peak in 2018. Its revenue has dropped by more than 40 percent since 2016. Lasting effect For many liberals, the N.R.A.’s troubles are a cathartic dose of good news. But its decline may not lead to an immediate shift in gun politics, in part because the N.R.A. was so successful in the past. First, the organization has already transformed American politics and culture around guns. In 1959, 60 percent of Americans supported banning civilian handgun ownership, according to Gallup. Last year, just 27 percent did. Republicans in particular have embraced the N.R.A.’s agenda. Second, the Supreme Court has cemented gun rights into law. Over the past two decades, it has ruled that Americans have an individual right to bear arms and that restrictions on firearms must cross new legal hurdles. Even if lawmakers overcome political opposition to pass new gun laws, they may not survive the courts. The N.R.A. “does not have much else left to do,” said Mike Spies, who has investigated the group for ProPublica and The Trace. “It already turned the gun issue into a tribal issue, and gun ownership into not just a matter of owning a gun but a set of values and lifestyle.” Finally, other groups — some much more strident — have risen to take the N.R.A.’s place. Gun Owners of America, which has described the N.R.A. as “too liberal,” has in recent years spent millions lobbying against gun control. The Second Amendment Foundation has focused on the legal battles, challenging the constitutionality of local and state laws. Still, the N.R.A.’s decline does not help the gun rights movement. Already, the N.R.A.’s opposition was not enough to stop Congress from passing a bipartisan gun safety law in 2022. Some state and federal lawmakers hope to pass additional measures that expand background checks, ban assault weapons and remove guns from dangerous people. In the past, the N.R.A. could call on its members to defeat such bills. It is now less able to do so. Related: On “The Daily,” listen to an interview with a man who counts every shooting in America. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Donald Trump Donald Trump Sean Rayford for The New York Times After Donald Trump said he told NATO allies that he would urge Russian aggression against countries that don’t meet their financial commitments, some top Republicans supported him. Trump’s comments signal the potential for major changes in the international order if he wins in November, Peter Baker writes. European officials have been pondering the prospect of a NATO without the U.S., and Trump’s comments might force the debate into a more public phase, David Sanger writes. 2024 Elections New York Republicans are relying on old-school tactics ahead of tomorrow’s special House election to replace George Santos. Here’s what to know. A group focused on child care will spend $40 million to help elect Democrats. During the Super Bowl, a super PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rebooted a John F. Kennedy campaign ad from 1960, using the same jingle and cartoons. More on Politics Chuck Schumer Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times The Senate, in a bipartisan vote, moved an emergency aid bill for Ukraine and Israel past a critical hurdle. But steep barriers remain in the Republican-led House. Defense Secretary is in a critical care unit for a bladder issue. Doctors said it was not clear how long he would be hospitalized. The Biden campaign has joined TikTok, The Washington Post reports. In the campaign’s first post — captioned “lol hey guys” — Biden answered questions about the Super Bowl. (See it here.) Israel-Hamas War Rafah, southern Gaza. Said Khatib/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Israel said it had struck Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, to provide cover as its soldiers freed two hostages. The rescue was one of the few successful such attempts during the war. The hostages, two men aged 60 and 70, were in good condition and were undergoing tests at a hospital in Tel Aviv, the Israeli authorities said. Dozens of Palestinians were killed in Rafah overnight, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Biden warned Benjamin Netanyahu on a call that a ground assault in Rafah should not proceed without a plan to protect the more than a million Palestinians there. Netanyahu told ABC News his government was working on plans to evacuate people from the area and rejected calls to abandon the offensive. “Those who say that under no circumstances should we enter Rafah are basically saying, ‘lose the war, keep Hamas there,’” he said. International Finland elected a center-right politician, Alexander Stubb, as president in its first national election since joining NATO. The Ivory Coast beat Nigeria to win the African Cup of Nations. The soccer tournament’s final was played in a Chinese-built stadium, a sign of Beijing’s reach into Africa. BYD, a Chinese electric car company, has passed Tesla in worldwide sales of fully electric cars. Read about its rapid growth. The party of the imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan used social media to overcome a military crackdown and win the most seats in the Pakistani Parliament. Khan’s supporters have produced speeches using artificial intelligence to simulate his voice. Other Big Stories Pronghorns in Arizona. Nina Riggio for The New York Times The boom in solar panels endangers animal habitats. Measures to make installations less harmful are not used enough by developers. A woman opened fire in a Houston megachurch that is led by the televangelist Joel Osteen, and off-duty officers shot and killed her. A boy was critically injured in the gunfire. A New York state law will require businesses to clearly display the cost of purchasing items with a credit card, including any surcharges. Opinions As the memory of Indonesia’s 32-year dictatorship fades, a strongman candidate threatens to return it to form, Gordon LaForge writes. Commentators accuse voters of being cynical about the economy. But the data shows they’re actually being quite rational, Nate Silver writes. Gail Collins and Bret Stephens discuss Biden and Tucker Carlson. Here are columns by Maureen Dowd and David French on Biden’s age. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS A funerary mask. EPA, via Shutterstock “Head of mysteries”: A recent archaeological expedition unearthed three ancient Egyptian death masks that are at least 1,800 years old. Fashion: B Michael has dressed Beyoncé and Halle Berry. But the brand isn’t a household name. Tarp, lumber and a garden hose: People around the U.S. are building personal ice skating rinks. Food fights: What happens when you love your partner but hate their cooking? Metropolitan Diary: “Why are you naked?” Lives Lived: Steve Ostrow was the founder the Continental Baths, an extravagant gay men’s sex club and performance space that became a pivot point in Manhattan’s gay history and a launchpad for a young Bette Midler. He died at 91. SUPER BOWL Touchdown! Bridget Bennett for The New York Times Winners: The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in overtime, 25-22. The Chiefs are the first team in almost two decades to take back-to-back Super Bowls. The final play: Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs’ quarterback, was named the game’s most valuable player after throwing the game-winning pass. See the play. The other M.V.P.: Yes, Taylor Swift was there. No, Travis Kelce did not propose after the game. More on the show Usher Bridget Bennett for The New York Times Halftime: Usher’s performance, which touched on more than a dozen songs, showcased an artist who can nail the details, Jon Caramanica writes. He roller-skated onstage. Tribute: See a video from CNN of a high school dance team’s own version of Usher’s halftime show. An announcement: Beyoncé used a Super Bowl commercial to promote new music — a country-themed album scheduled for release on March 29. Best to worst: The Times’s television critic ranked all of the Super Bowl ads. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS In Slovakia. David W Cerny/Reuters Heartfelt: Slovakia’s Love Bank museum is operated out of a medieval building that was once home to Marina Pischlova, the muse for “the world’s longest love poem.” Beneath the building is its Love Vault, where visitors can rent a box to place symbols of affection for a year — or in perpetuity. This Valentine’s Day, however, the bank will be closed as it recovers from a fire. With the help of benefactors, it hopes to reopen for Valentine’s Day 2027. More on culture Cher Harry Langdon/Getty Images Cher, Mariah Carey, Sinead O’Connor and Oasis are among the first-time nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2024. Thousands of fans attended a listening party for Kanye West’s first album since a string of antisemitic remarks in 2022. Whether the industry will recognize his new music remains a question. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Julia Gartland for The New York Times Bake a giant chocolate chip cookie in a skillet. Strengthen your tooth enamel with these tips. Take this as a sign to finally buy a kitchen scale. Keep your home safe with security cameras. Try online therapy. Gift flowers this Valentine’s Day using an online delivery service. Use a fish turner as an all-purpose spatula. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was unjamming. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — German Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 13 Author Members Share Posted February 13 February 13, 2024 SUPPORTED BY UPWAY By David Leonhardt Good morning. We’re covering U.S. policy on Covid shots for children — as well as Gaza, Indonesia and a winter storm. A Covid-19 vaccine. James Estrin/The New York Times The C.D.C., ignored Much of the world has decided that most young children do not need to receive Covid booster shots. It’s true in Britain, France, Japan and Australia. Some countries, like India, have gone further. They say that otherwise healthy children do not need even an initial Covid vaccination. In Germany, public health experts don’t recommend vaccines for any children, including teenagers, unless they have a medical condition. Scientists in these countries understand that Covid vaccines are highly effective. But the experts have concluded that the benefits for children often fail to outweigh the costs. The benefits are modest because children are extremely unlikely to become seriously ill from Covid and are less likely to transmit the virus than an adult is. The costs include the financial price of mass vaccination, the possibility that a shot’s side effects will make a child sick enough to miss school, the tiny chance of more serious side effects and the inherent uncertainty about long-term effects. The U.S. — as American readers have probably realized by this point in the newsletter — is a global outlier. The C.D.C. urges booster shots for all children six months and older. Yet the recommendation has failed to accomplish much. Instead, most American parents have chosen to overrule the C.D.C. Only about 40 percent of children under 12 have been vaccinated against Covid, and only about 5 percent are up to date on their boosters. This situation makes for a case study of the shortcomings in U.S. Covid policy: A strict approach to a nuanced issue has backfired, fostering skepticism of scientific expertise while doing little to improve public health. Dr. Francis Collins, the retired head of the National Institutes of Health, acknowledged the larger problem last year when he said that experts erred during the pandemic by taking a “very narrow view of what the right decision is.” Monthslong school closures that harmed student learning were one example. Extended mask mandates that many people ignored were another. A continuing C.D.C. recommendation that conflicts with international practice — and that most Americans have dismissed — has become yet another. What’s reasonable? Dr. Sandro Galea, the dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, recently published a book making a detailed version of this argument. The book is titled, “Within Reason.” During the pandemic, as Galea told me, health experts sometimes adopted “an illiberal ideology.” This ideology imagined people as robots who existed merely to minimize the chances of contracting a virus. In reality, as Galea pointed out, society regularly decides that some amount of additional safety isn’t worth it. Car drivers and passengers would be safer if they wore helmets, for instance, but who wears a helmet in a car? In the case of Covid, there are indeed benefits to giving booster shots to children. Some of the benefits are probably greater for American children, too. They are more likely to be obese or lack health insurance than children elsewhere. “Even though kids are at a lower risk, they are not at zero risk,” Dr. Nirav Shah, the C.D.C.’s principal deputy director, told me when defending the booster recommendation. But there are also downsides to urging health measures that most people oppose, Galea notes. Only when the benefits of doing so are large (as was the case with perceptions of smoking in the 20th century) should experts try to change people’s minds. The scientific data — and the expert consensus in other countries — make it hard to argue that the benefits of boosting children are large. “I don’t think in the U.S.A. they have got the risk-benefit equation correct for children,” Dr. Peter Collignon of the Australian National University told me. (C.D.C. data shows that the children at highest Covid risk are newborns, who aren’t eligible for vaccines even in the U.S. They can instead benefit from a mother’s prenatal vaccination.) The value of candor Galea believes that the biggest drawback to the U.S. booster policy may be its effect on the C.D.C.’s credibility. When people who are already skeptical of expert advice, as many Americans are, see the C.D.C. insisting on a vaccine with a marginal benefit, they have more reason to question other C.D.C. guidance — such as the urgent importance of childhood vaccines against measles and diphtheria. “There is a real cost to our not being honest,” Galea said. When I’ve asked public health experts off the record what they are doing with their own children, they tend to be honest. Almost all have vaccinated their children, for the sake of both those children and other people. At the same time, some experts told me that they had not boosted their children. Why? The benefits seem small, for everybody. The costs — like a child’s fear of needles or a missed day of school from side effects — also seem small. With such a close call, reasonable parents will make different decisions, and that’s OK. Maybe the C.D.C. would have a bigger impact if it conveyed a similarly candid message. Lauren Jackson contributed reporting. Continue reading the main story A MESSAGE FROM UPWAY Make every ride electric with Upway Explore Upway, the #1 e-Bike provider, offering a range of top-tier brands such as Specialized, Giant, or Aventon at up to 60% off retail - all delivered to your home within a week, and backed by a 1-year warranty. Just in time for Valentine's Day, find the perfect match on wheels for your loved one (or yourself)! Use code LOVEONWHEELS for an extra $100 off on your next e-bike. Shop now THE LATEST NEWS Trump Trials The U.S. Supreme Court Kenny Holston/The New York Times Donald Trump wants the Supreme Court to weigh in on his claim that he is immune from federal prosecution over Jan. 6. It’s an effort to further delay a trial. A judge in Georgia this week will hear evidence on the romantic relationship between two prosecutors leading an election interference case against Trump. Trump attended a closed-door hearing in the case accusing him of illegally retaining classified documents. Here’s a guide to the cases against him. 2024 Election Trump suggested that Nikki Haley’s husband, who is deployed with the National Guard, left the U.S. to escape her. Haley accused Trump of mocking soldiers. For many in South Carolina, Trump’s accusations that Haley is opposed to tough immigration policies run counter to her record as governor. A Super Bowl commercial for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which echoed a famous John F. Kennedy campaign ad, upset some members of his family. Trump’s NATO comments took the focus away from a conversation about Biden’s age. Trump’s attention-seeking may be the key to Biden’s campaign, Peter Baker writes. Nancy Pelosi’s hometown paper, The San Francisco Chronicle, endorsed her re-election bid but implied that she should make way for younger Democrats. More on Politics Senate Minority Whip John Thune Kent Nishimura for The New York Times The Senate appears on track to pass a bipartisan bill to aid Ukraine and Israel. But Speaker Mike Johnson criticized its lack of border security measures and suggested that he wouldn’t bring it up in the House. Seventeen Senate Republicans broke with Trump and the majority of their party to back Ukraine aid. Read about who they are, and what’s motivating them. Trump endorsed Michael Whatley, who has supported his false election fraud claims, and Lara Trump, Trump’s daughter-in-law, to lead the Republican National Committee. A House committee is investigating U.S. spy agencies’ work on cases of Havana syndrome, a mysterious illness that affected U.S. officials abroad. Israel-Hamas War The New York Times A Times investigation found that Hamas maintained tunnels under Gaza’s largest medical complex, Al-Shifa, and likely used the hospital grounds as cover. The new evidence falls short of proving Israel’s claims that there was a command center there. Palestinians sheltering in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, “need to be protected,” Biden said during an appearance with Jordan’s king at the White House. Biden said the U.S. was helping to negotiate a deal that would free hostages and pause fighting for at least six weeks. The C.I.A. director is expected in Cairo today for talks. Israel’s military described how special forces conducted an operation to rescue two hostages, which was accompanied by airstrikes in Rafah. Palestinians in Rafah described the atmosphere of fear as strikes pummeled the area. “To simply put it, it was a night full of horror, strikes, death and destruction,” one said. Dareen, an 11-year-old Palestinian girl, lost dozens of family members in a single airstrike. This video tells her story. International A campaign rally in Jakarta. Yasuyoshi Chiba/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Indonesia, which was under a dictatorship until a few decades ago, calls the election a “Democracy Party.” Read about tomorrow’s vote. A deadly cholera outbreak has hit areas of central and southern Africa. Experts blame severe storms, a lack of vaccines and poor sewer systems. Finland’s incoming president was elected on a promise to bolster the nation’s new role in NATO, just as Trump’s threats have thrown the future of the alliance into doubt. Winter Storm A winter storm is expected to dump several inches of snow and disrupt daily life in major cities in the Northeast. New York City could experience its heaviest snowfall in more than two years. Mayor Eric Adams said that public schools would hold classes remotely today. Parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts were forecast to see as much as 12 inches. How much snow will fall where you live? Enter your city or town here. Other Big Stories At the Super Bowl. Doug Mills/The New York Times This year’s Super Bowl was watched by 123.4 million people, a record high, according to preliminary data. By last month, Denver had received the most migrants per capita of any city in the country. Some states are expanding their Medicaid coverage to include help with food, housing and transportation, The Washington Post reports. A man was killed and five others were wounded in a shooting at a Bronx subway station during the evening rush hour. Opinions Domestic violence shelters should leave behind their tradition of secrecy to allow survivors to connect to their communities, Rachel Louise Snyder writes. It’s good to help one another. But when it is for the sick and disabled, help becomes grace, Valerie Pavilonis writes. Here are columns by Paul Krugman and Michelle Goldberg on Biden’s age. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Here’s Johnny. A 12-foot Travolta: Olinda, Brazil, has become famous for its giant puppets during Carnival, including one made just after “Saturday Night Fever.” Our first kiss: Meet the married researchers whose investigation pushed back the earliest documentation of kissing by 1,000 years. The Great Read of the day: What happens when an influencer thrusts your small business into the spotlight? The Pink Stuff found out. Health: There is growing evidence that exercise is an important part of preventing prostate cancer. Ask Well: Am I taking too much Advil? Experts explain what’s safe. Lives Lived: For nearly a quarter-century, Bob Edwards, the host of the NPR news program “Morning Edition,” was “the voice we woke up to,” a colleague said. He died at 76. SPORTS College basketball: Arthur Dukes Jr. had set his basketball dreams aside and taken a security job when he was spotted at a pickup game. Now he’s a junior college star. Running: Kelvin Kiptum, who set the world marathon record in Chicago last year, died in a car crash in Kenya. He was 24. N.F.L.: The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to terms with the former Vikings coach Mike Zimmer to make him their defensive coordinator, according to a league source. N.B.A.: Victor Wembanyama sealed his second triple-double — the first for a rookie that included blocked shots in 34 years. Golf: Tiger Woods unveiled his new lifestyle brand Sun Day Red, which will include apparel, one month after ending his 27-year relationship with Nike. ARTS AND IDEAS Cake drive-through. Bryan Tarnowski for The New York Times Fat Tuesday: Just outside New Orleans, a tire shop parking lot has been transformed into a bustling destination for king cakes, the traditional Mardi Gras treat. A drive-through shop there offers cakes from more than a dozen bakeries, ranging from the traditional to the experimental — some filled with strawberries, ice cream, even crawfish. During this year’s king cake season, there was often a line of cars waiting for the shop to open at 7 a.m. More on culture “Now where was I?”: Jon Stewart kicked off his temporary return as host of “The Daily Show” with a mixture of silliness and righteous indignation. Beyoncé’s new songs — two country- and Americana-themed tracks — are a salute to the tradition of Black country music, The Washington Post reports. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Craig Lee for The New York Times Use your oven’s broiler to make a rich and elegant crème brûlée, with only five ingredients. Update your millennial style. Exercise with a doorway pull-up bar. Vacuum your hardwood floors. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were clarify and farcically. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 15 Author Members Share Posted February 15 February 14, 2024 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We’re covering the unsettling inflation report — as well as Alejandro Mayorkas, a New York election and Valentine’s Day. Shoppers in New York. Amir Hamja/The New York Times Four phases The economy is probably headed toward a recession. No, it’s actually booming again. Inflation is plummeting. No, it has started rising again. If you find the cacophony of economic indicators to be confusing, don’t feel bad. It is confusing. Some numbers point in one direction, while others point in the opposite. Partisans from both political parties have an interest in promoting one type of news and downplaying the other. Yesterday’s inflation report added to the muddle. Inflation — a major concern for many families and already a 2024 campaign issue — has been falling for the past year and half. Americans’ economic mood has improved slightly as a result. But the numbers released yesterday showed inflation to be higher than forecasters had expected. In response, the S&P 500 index fell 1.4 percent, its second-biggest daily decline this year. In today’s newsletter, I’ll give you a framework for thinking about the state of the U.S. economy by describing the four main phases of the past several years. I can’t tell you what will happen next, but I do think the picture is simpler than the swirl of economic indicators sometimes suggests. 1. The pre-Covid boom The American economy has been disappointing for much of the past half-century. Income and wealth growth has been slow for most families, and inequality has soared. Perhaps the starkest sign of the problems: Life expectancy in the U.S. is now lower than in any other high-income country, and it isn’t especially close. Still, there have been a few brief periods when the economy has boomed. One of them began late in Barack Obama’s presidency and continued during Donald Trump’s term. The country finally emerged from its hangover after the housing crash, as businesses expanded and consumers spent more. The unemployment rate fell below 5 percent in 2016 and below 4 percent in 2018. The tight labor market — combined with increases in the minimum wage in many states — raised income for all income groups. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics | By The New York Times By early 2020, the U.S. economy’s short-term performance was as healthy as it had been since the dot-com boom two decades earlier. 2. The Covid crash Then the pandemic arrived. People stayed home and cut back on spending. Businesses laid off workers, and the unemployment rate exceeded 10 percent. Experts understandably worried that the economy could fall into a vicious cycle, in which companies went out of business, families couldn’t make loan payments and banks went under. Many economists believed that the federal government had been too timid with stimulus after the early-2000s housing crash. During the pandemic, members of Congress vowed not to repeat the mistake and passed huge stimulus bills, which both Trump and President Biden signed. 3. The too-hot recovery Those stimulus programs worked — a bit too well. For all the misery that Covid caused, it ended up being less economically destructive than the housing crash. The unemployment surge was temporary. And thanks to the stimulus, the typical American family’s finances improved during the pandemic — a very different situation than the aftermath of the housing crash. In effect, Washington overlearned the lesson of the previous crisis. It pumped so much money into the economy during the pandemic that families were able to go on a spending spree. Businesses, in response, raised prices. The pandemic’s supply-chain disruptions played a big role, too. This combination — high demand and low supply — led to sharp price increases. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics | By The New York Times 4. The healthier recovery Once inflation rises, it can remain high for years (as it did from the late 1960s to the early 1980s). Workers demand bigger raises, and businesses, facing higher costs, raise prices even more. The dynamic is reinforcing. When inflation soared in 2021, some economists thought the pattern was repeating. They predicted that only a deep recession would bring a return to normalcy. These dark predictions turned out to be wrong, though. Instead, inflation started falling rapidly in 2022. The end of the stimulus programs, combined with the end of most supply-chain problems, was enough to reduce price increases. For the past several months, the economy has again looked healthy, with both employment and wages growing nicely. Yesterday’s report doesn’t change that: Annual inflation fell to 3.1 percent in January, from 3.4 percent in December. It’s just that forecasters had expected it to fall more than it did. Why didn’t it? Maybe last month’s number was just a statistical blip. But maybe it is a sign that the economy has again become too strong for inflation to keep falling. “Hiring picked up in January, wage growth was solid, and consumers continue to spend,” as my colleague Jeanna Smialek explains. “Some analysts have suggested that in an economy this hot, wrestling inflation the rest of the way to normal will prove more difficult than the progress so far.” Economists generally consider the ideal inflation rate to be around 2 percent. By almost any measure, the economy is in better shape today than most forecasters predicted even a year ago. Still, it hasn’t fully recovered from the pandemic. Related: The American economy has seen a burst of productivity recently. Read more about economists’ views on whether it will continue. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Alejandro Mayorkas Alejandro Mayorkas Kenny Holston/The New York Times House Republicans impeached Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden’s homeland security secretary, despite no evidence that he had committed impeachable offenses. He is the first sitting cabinet member to be impeached. Read what could happen next. The number of migrants illegally crossing into the U.S. from Mexico has dropped by half in the past month. More on Politics Tom Suozzi Anna Watts for The New York Times Tom Suozzi, a Democratic former congressman, won a special House election to replace George Santos in a Queens and Long Island district. Suozzi’s strategy offers a playbook for other Democrats. Biden criticized Trump for suggesting that he would let Russia attack NATO countries that don’t spend enough on defense. “It’s dumb, it’s shameful, it’s dangerous, it’s un-American,” Biden said. Biden urged Speaker Mike Johnson to let the House vote on a bill to aid Ukraine and Israel. If Johnson refuses, House members may use a procedural trick — a discharge petition — to go around him. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been released from hospital after his admission for a bladder issue. A diamond ring and a “James Bond” phone: Court filings revealed new details in Senator Robert Menendez’s bribery case. Top Senate Republicans endorsed Kari Lake for Senate in Arizona. Lake refused to admit her loss in the state’s 2022 governor’s race. Israel-Hamas War Arab governments are privately discussing a new vision for governing Gaza, according to a senior adviser. Their idea includes an independent Palestinian leader and an Arab peacekeeping force. Negotiations in Cairo over a pause in fighting in Gaza have been extended by three days, according to Egyptian officials. Hezbollah fired missiles into northern Israel, injuring at least two people. Two Michigan students have opposing views on the war. Read about their civil, if awkward, conversation on campus. Asia Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Linh Pham for The New York Times After a crackdown on drunken driving, motorbikes are filling impound lots in Vietnam. A South Korean court found three former police officers guilty of destroying evidence tied to a Halloween crowd crush that killed nearly 160 people in Seoul in 2022. Two major parties in Pakistan agreed to form a coalition government. They withheld power from candidates aligned with former Prime Minister Imran Khan, even though his allies recently won the most seats. Myanmar’s junta said it would impose a military draft to replenish forces that have been depleted fighting pro-democracy rebels. China, faced with declining foreign investment, is trying to soften its image abroad. One Communist Party official has played a prominent role. Other Big Stories The East Coast is sinking, research has found. A major culprit: overpumping of groundwater. Better memory: OpenAI is releasing a new version of ChatGPT. It will store what users write and apply the information to future chats. A vehicle crashed into a hospital emergency room in Austin, Texas, killing at least one person and injuring five others. Opinions As artificial intelligence takes over technical tasks, the human side of work — collaboration, empathy, communication — will become more valuable, Aneesh Raman and Maria Flynn argue. Don’t buy flowers for your valentine. There are more environmentally friendly ways to show love, Margaret Renkl says. Here are columns by Ross Douthat on inflation and Thomas Edsall on isolationism. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Photo Illustration by Shirley Yu for The New York Times Anti-Valentine’s Day: Single, anti-consumerist or just not a romantic? There’s a market for you, too. Small acts: Times readers shared the little things they do to show affection all year long. Your brain on love: Roses are red, violets are blue. This is how romance can mess with you. Modern Love podcast: Hear how a couple navigated getting “un-married” while staying together. New gig: Grover, the furry blue Muppet from “Sesame Street,” is becoming a reporter. Journalists aren’t optimistic. Lives Lived: Bob Moore leveraged his grandfatherly image to turn the artisanal grain company Bob’s Red Mill into a $100 million-a-year business. He died at 94. SPORTS N.F.L. draft: Read about the top 100 prospects in this year’s class. N.B.A.: The Knicks are said to be filing a protest to dispute their 105-103 loss to the Rockets. No. 32: The Orlando Magic retired Shaquille O’Neal’s jersey, making him the second player in N.B.A. history to have a jersey retired by three different franchises. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS Taylor Tomlinson Chona Kasinger for The New York Times The closer: When the comedian Taylor Tomlinson began her tour, she was happy with everything in her set except for her closing joke. So, over months of live shows, she refined it, adding punchlines and tweaking details. A new story by the Times comedy critic Jason Zinoman follows her through the process, showing how small changes led to big laughs. More on culture Meghan Markle has found a new podcast partner. Markle and Prince Harry’s deal with Spotify ended after they delivered just one show, Variety reports. The creators of “Six,” about the six wives of Henry VIII, announced that their second musical, “Why Am I So Single?,” will premiere in London in August. Paramount, which owns Nickelodeon and MTV, is laying off hundreds of employees as it moves away from traditional television. Late-night hosts discussed Trump recommending Lara Trump for co-chair of the R.N.C. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Linda Xiao for The New York Times Combine just a few ingredients to make a simple, romantic spaghetti carbonara. Listen to love songs about crushes. Shop more sustainably. Clean your blankets. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were applicable and clippable. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with this month’s bonus crossword puzzle, which has a rom-com theme. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 16 Author Members Share Posted February 16 February 15, 2024 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We’re covering the lesson from Tom Suozzi’s victory — as well as Gaza, a Kansas City shooting and off-duty actors. Tom Suozzi Anna Watts for The New York Times Listen, then talk Tom Suozzi’s victory this week in a special election for a House district in Long Island and Queens has allowed other Democrats to dream about what success might look like in November. Yes, Suozzi’s race was atypical. Above all, voter turnout in special elections is much lower than in presidential elections, and low turnout now benefits Democrats, as my colleague Nate Cohn has emphasized. Still, Suozzi’s campaign offered an early glimpse of messages that Democrats plan to use against Donald Trump. And in those messages is a larger theme. It’s a theme with a rich history, including in Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign. In today’s newsletter, I’ll explain. Voting your conscience A common lament from Democrats is: Why do so many Americans vote against their economic interests? It’s an understandable question in many ways. Even though the Republican Party favors tax cuts for the rich and cuts in government programs that benefit most Americans, Republican candidates now win most working-class voters (defined as people without a bachelor’s degree). But the question also exposes a lack of self-awareness on the political left. After all, many liberals vote against their economic interests, too. The country’s wealthiest suburbs, as well as vacation spots like the Hamptons, generally vote Democratic despite the party’s belief in taxing the rich. These patterns are a reminder that Americans, across ideological groups, care about more than just economic policy — and voting on these other beliefs is not irrational. Climate change, for instance, matters enormously. So do abortion, guns, crime, education, immigration and foreign policy. ‘Meet the conservative’ Robert Kennedy understood this reality better than many other Democrats. Today, Kennedy is remembered as a progressive hero. No wonder: His economic policy was so populist that C.E.O.s disliked him more than any presidential candidate since F.D.R., as Fortune magazine wrote during the 1968 campaign. Kennedy also emphasized civil rights even when speaking to white audiences. A poll found him to be the most popular white politician among Black Americans. But Kennedy believed that it was madness to tell voters to ignore social issues and focus only on economic ones. His main rival during the 1968 primaries, Eugene McCarthy, tried to do exactly this on the biggest social issue at the time. In the 1960s, crime was rising sharply, yet McCarthy avoided the topic. He refused to use the phrase “law and order,” because he considered it a racist dog whistle. Kennedy took the opposite approach. He ran as the law-and-order Democrat, knowing that both Black and white voters worried about crime. He described himself as having been “the chief law enforcement officer of the United States” (as attorney general), and an aide joked that he sometimes seemed to be running for sheriff. If Democrats wouldn’t talk about crime, Kennedy believed, crime-wary voters would abandon them for Richard Nixon, the Republican nominee in 1968, or George Wallace, the segregationist running as an independent. “We’re going to talk about what people will listen to,” Kennedy explained. “You have to get them listening by talking about what they’re interested in, before you can start trying to persuade them about other matters.” Other liberals were aghast. The New Republic and The Village Voice criticized him. A New York Times headline announced, “Kennedy: Meet the Conservative.” (You can read that Times story in our archives, and I tell the story of the 1968 campaign in my recent book.) Kennedy, however, recognized something vital. Working-class Americans tend to be more socially moderate than the affluent, highly educated Democrats who shape the party’s strategy. It’s impossible to know what would have happened if Kennedy had not been assassinated in June 1968. He might not have won the presidency. But he was beating McCarthy in the primaries. Echoes of Bobby As I watched Suozzi’s campaign, I was struck by its Kennedy-esque approach — with immigration playing the role that crime did in 1968. Suozzi set himself apart from many national Democrats by describing the recent surge of illegal immigration as unacceptable. He also criticized Republicans for opposing a bill that would have strengthened border security, suggesting that they cynically wanted to prolong the crisis for political advantage. And he criticized Republicans on both crime (normally a Democratic weakness) and abortion (a Democratic strength). He talked about economic policy too, but he did not treat voters as irrational for caring about social issues or for having moderate views. Other Democrats, including President Biden, have tried to avoid talking about immigration — much as McCarthy tried to avoid crime in 1968. Suozzi, by contrast, echoed Kennedy (unknowingly, I assume). “You want to try to respond to what the people are hungering for,” Suozzi said last month. “This is what the people are hungering for.” In the upcoming campaign, this strategy will be harder for Biden and other incumbents. Unlike Suozzi, who has been out of office, they will need to explain what they are already doing to solve the immigration problem. Nonetheless, there is a lesson here — be it for Democrats on immigration or Republicans on abortion. When politicians tell voters to stop caring about an issue, voters often hear it as a sign of disrespect. People rarely vote for a candidate who doesn’t seem to respect them. For more How Senate Democrats flipped the border issue on Republicans: The Times’s Carl Hulse takes you behind the scenes. Immigration officials say they may need to cut detention capacity after Republicans blocked new border funding. Suozzi’s victory narrows Republicans’ thin House majority. Once he’s sworn in, Republicans can afford only two defections on party-line votes. Jimmy Kimmel joked about Suozzi’s win. He said the results had to be verified “to make sure the winner wasn’t George Santos in disguise.” Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Israel-Hamas War Israeli forces have entered a hospital complex in southern Gaza. Israel accused Hamas of hiding fighters and possibly the bodies of hostages inside. Read a father’s story from inside the hospital. Biden used his immigration authority to shield about 6,000 Palestinians in the U.S. from deportation. Kansas City Shooting Fleeing Union Station in Kansas City. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images One person was killed and at least 21 others were wounded in a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration. The police detained three people in connection with the shooting, but many details, including a motive, were still unknown. Here’s what we know. Nine children were injured by gunfire, hospital officials said. None of them were in critical condition. Chiefs players, who had left on buses after the rally, expressed sorrow and shock. “Praying for Kansas City,” Patrick Mahomes wrote. Politics Russia may be developing a space-based nuclear weapon to threaten satellites, U.S. officials believe. A Republican congressman urged more public information. Trump’s comments about NATO reflect a shift in America’s position as an international leader, Peter Baker writes. The Senate is planning to quickly reject the House’s impeachment articles against Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden’s homeland security secretary. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a former White House adviser, said he wouldn’t serve in a second Trump administration. Nikki Haley trails Trump in her home state, South Carolina, by 36 points, a poll shows. Trump Trials Jack Smith Doug Mills/The New York Times Jack Smith, the special counsel prosecuting Trump on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election, urged the Supreme Court to let the trial start soon. The New York judge overseeing Trump’s criminal case over hush-money payments to a porn star is expected to rule today on whether the case can move to trial next month. International In Indonesia, a former general who was found responsible for the kidnapping of political dissidents is projected to win the presidential election. Russia often keeps its wounded soldiers out of public view to avoid an increase in antiwar sentiment. Investors are losing confidence in Beijing’s ability to turn the Chinese economy around, Li Yuan writes. Greece is set to become the first Orthodox Christian country to allow same-sex marriage. Mysterious cave markings are the oldest rock art found in Patagonia. Other Big Stories Some violent acts by migrants in New York have made headlines, but police statistics do not point toward a crime surge. A lunar lander named Odysseus, made by a private space company, launched overnight. Opinions Republicans want to weaken vaccine mandates for children. Their success would mean more measles outbreaks, and more deaths, Zeynep Tufekci writes. Cities and states are stripping rights from transgender people, Chase Strangio writes. One key to a happy, stable marriage: having strong friendships besides your spouse, Rhaina Cohen writes. Here are columns by Pamela Paul on Biden and Nicholas Kristof on addiction recovery. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane stadium. Mary Turner for The New York Times Sheffield: An English city gave soccer to the world. Now it wants credit. Social Qs: “My oldest friend is being paroled from prison. Can I dump her?” The oldest-known wild platypus: Scientists say the animal could help them preserve the species. Keep calm: Fighting in the Red Sea has disrupted tea shipments to Britain. “How did you meet?” The Times hit the street with the team behind Meet Cutes NYC, which shares miniature stories of love on social media. Lives Lived: William Post, a bakery manager in Michigan, worked with Kellogg’s to create Pop-Tarts in 1964. The snack became an American classic, growing from four flavors to more than 30. Post died at 96. SPORTS A long-running saga: The Golden State Warriors tried to acquire LeBron James at the trade deadline, ESPN reported. Here’s the latest on his future. Caitlin Clark: The Iowa superstar will probably become the N.C.A.A. women’s basketball scoring leader tonight. She sits eight points shy of Kelsey Plum’s mark. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS Marc Summers George Etheredge for The New York Times Slime time: Marc Summers, the exuberant host of “Double Dare,” the Nickelodeon game show from the 1980s and ’90s, is the subject (and star) of a new Off Broadway production, “The Life & Slimes of Marc Summers.” The show includes serious topics one might expect from a biography — like Summers’s journey through show business and his struggles with O.C.D. — but also a recreation of “Double Dare” that puts audience members through the show’s messy obstacles. More on culture Bradley Cooper James Nachtwey for The New York Times The Times Magazine interviewed actors off-duty. See what stars do when they aren’t shooting films. In Paris, booksellers on the Seine will be allowed to remain during the Olympics. They had threatened to barricade their stalls. Jeffrey Wright recently earned his first Oscar nomination, for “American Fiction.” Read his story. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Testani for The New York Times Marinate chicken thighs in soy sauce, garlic, ginger and pineapple juice to make Seattle-style teriyaki. Give your photos a vintage look. Wash your comforter. Use sound machines to help you focus at work. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was evolving. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 17 Author Members Share Posted February 17 February 16, 2024 Readers of this newsletter may remember when we cited experts who expected the economic sanctions on Russia to hobble its economy. That hasn’t happened. Today, my colleague Ana Swanson explains why not. — David Leonhardt By Ana Swanson Trade Reporter Good morning. We’re also covering Fani Willis, Iran and Open AI’s video generator. A commercial port in Vladivostok, Russia, in August. Tatiana Meel/Reuters When sanctions fail After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Western nations imposed the most extensive sanctions and trade restrictions in history on Moscow. Today, Russia appears to be doing OK. Its economy is growing steadily. Russia can’t buy much from the West but has found new providers for drones, surveillance gear, computer chips and other gear. Its oil and gas sales are still strong, despite attempts to stop them. Russian officials say they have plenty of money to pay for their war. Moscow’s continued strength is a humbling result for the U.S. and its allies. These nations make up more than half of the global economy, and they tried to weaponize their influence over trade and finance to weaken Russia. They hoped to make President Vladimir Putin a pariah and maybe even stop the war. Today, I’ll explain why those efforts have fallen short — and whether they can be made to work again. Absorbing the blows The measures against Russia go far beyond traditional sanctions, which historically have targeted banks and elites. Those rules limit how much tech Russia can import, and they direct shipping companies and insurers to cap the price of Russia’s oil at $60 per barrel — well below market rate. The sanctions took a toll. They raised the cost of many items for Russian civilians and forced the military to buy shoddier missiles and semiconductors. For Russian energy companies like Gazprom and Rosneft, exports to the West have plunged. But the Russian economy has proved surprisingly adaptable, thanks partly to its relationship with China. It may seem surprising that Russia could so quickly replace so much of its trade with the U.S., Japan and the E.U. But the rest of the global economy — especially China’s — is large enough that the shift didn’t take long. China already makes much of what Russia needs and can buy much of what it sells. Trade between China and Russia hit a record high last year as Russians turned to Chinese cars, electronics and weapons components. “China has to a large extent blunted the pain,” said Eswar Prasad, a trade economist at Cornell University. Source: Silverado Policy Accelerator, Global Trade Tracker, UN Comtrade, ASEANstats, and national statistics offices | Data through the third quarter of 2023. | By Ashley Wu Another change has been the rise of a network of shipping companies, insurers and oil traders that does not answer to Western rules. This network, based in countries like China, India and the United Arab Emirates, has expanded since the war began to provide new channels for Russian oil. Thanks to this shadow fleet, Russia can get around the Western price cap on its oil by using shipping companies that don’t comply with it. And Russians are still getting TVs, chips and cellphones through traders in Central Asia and the Middle East who buy them from the West and sell them at a markup. The West chose not to put in place some tough measures, such as a full oil embargo, for fear they could disrupt the global economy. Unlike some nations the U.S. has penalized before — think of Cuba, Iran and Venezuela — Russia is better integrated into world trade. It exports commodities other countries need, such as steel and fertilizer. And it still provides much of Europe’s energy. Pain aimed at Russia would be felt well beyond its borders. The limits of Western power Finally, the newest sanctions — the ones that try to constrain Russia’s access to technology and its oil sales — have not been as effective. The U.S. wields much less influence over these sectors than it does over the banking sector, which is tethered to the dollar. The new measures, imposed in 2022, made it harder and more expensive for Russia to do business abroad. But they haven’t wounded its economy enough to make most Russians question the war. “The mood in Russia is, the whole world is against us, but we are managing quite well,” said Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. U.S. officials acknowledge all this. Still, they say they imposed costs that other nations will have to weigh before violating international law. Officials call that a win, even if the measures didn’t send Russia into a recession or end the war. Putin sees it differently. “The instruments and the policies of the United States are ineffective,” Putin bragged during his interview last week with Tucker Carlson, according to a Russian government translator. He is surely not the only leader to notice the U.S. failure to cripple Russia. When China wants to menace Taiwan or India wants to assassinate perceived enemies on foreign soil, they will know that Washington couldn’t turn Russia into a pariah when it broke the rules. In that way, sanctions in Russia have exposed the limits of U.S. power. For more Russia has found ways to flout global technology bans. Read how India profits from its neutrality in the Ukraine war. Aircraft parts made by Boeing, Airbus and others are flowing to Russian airlines, despite sanctions. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Trump Trials Donald Trump Jefferson Siegel for The New York Times A judge set Donald Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial over hush-money payments to the porn actress Stormy Daniels for March 25. That trial, the first of four faced by Trump, will test the limits of what benefits his campaign can yield from his legal troubles, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan write. A New York judge could deliver a ruling in Trump’s civil fraud trial today. Trump could be hit with hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties if found guilty. Trump is consolidating control of the Republican Party even as he faces 91 felony charges, Michael Bender writes. Georgia Fani Willis Pool photo by Alyssa Pointer At a hearing, Fani Willis, the district attorney leading the Georgia criminal case against Trump, rejected an accusation that she had lied about a romantic relationship with a fellow prosecutor. Willis testified for more than two hours, accusing the defense lawyers of spreading lies. The hearing, over whether Willis and her office should be disqualified from the case, will continue today. In interviews, Black women were conflicted about Willis’s behavior and the treatment of her. Politics President Biden’s lawyers objected to passages in the special counsel report questioning Biden’s memory before its release, but the Justice Department rejected their complaints. A grand jury charged a former F.B.I. informant with lying about Biden and his son Hunter’s business dealings — a setback for Republicans who had seized on the claims. The space-based antisatellite technology Russia is developing poses no immediate threat, a White House spokesman said. A House committee said it would subpoena Harvard for documents related to the university’s handling of campus antisemitism. International A ship near Kharg Island, Iran. The New York Times Tankers insured by an American company transported billions of dollars of oil out of Iran in the past year, a Times investigation found The governing Conservative Party in Britain lost seats in two parliamentary elections, a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The Greek Parliament legalized same-sex marriage and parental rights. The Orthodox Church had opposed the legislation. Senegal’s highest court ruled that an election must be held as soon as possible after the president postponed a ballot scheduled for this month. New York Mourners at St. Patrick's, New York. Sarah Blesener for The New York Times St. Patrick’s Cathedral was once a flashpoint in conflicts between gay activists and the Catholic Church. This week it hosted the funeral of a transgender activist. F.B.I. agents searched the homes of two New York Fire Department chiefs as part of a corruption investigation. The New School wants to sell its Manhattan presidential residence for $20 million, becoming the latest small college offloading real estate to shore up budgets. Other Big Stories Woolly mammoths rendered by Sora. via OpenAI OpenAI previewed Sora, an A.I. video generator. The technology could speed up the work of moviemakers — and the creation of online disinformation. The authorities in Kansas City said they were keeping two teenagers in custody after the Super Bowl celebration shooting. The city has one of the highest murder rates in the nation. A cancer surgeon at Columbia University pumped out studies he said could lead to better treatments. They were riddled with errors, investigators found. California will require ethnic studies classes in high school next year. There are already fights over how the discipline addresses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The U.S. repeatedly handed over migrant children to sponsors without thorough vetting and often failed to conduct timely safety checks, an independent watchdog said. Opinions For most of human history, work was divided into fast and slow seasons. If workers returned to that system, it would improve their output and their lives, Cal Newport writes. Since the pandemic, baking sourdough bread has become a way for people to both pass the time and gain control in their lives, Lexie Smith writes. Here are columns by Carlos Lozada on political memoirs and David Brooks on a healthy democracy. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Greenpoint, Brooklyn, during the filming of “Daredevil.” Mimi d’Autremont for The New York Times And … action: After pauses for Covid and the Hollywood strikes, film sets have returned to the streets of New York. Art in space: Jeff Koons packed 125 miniature sculptures onto a Space X rocket headed for the moon. Falling out of flavor: Vanilla chocolate chip ice cream, once a best seller, is disappearing from stores. 36 hours in Phoenix: Eat dinner while enjoying a mountain view, and hike among the red rocks of Papago Park. Lives Lived: Joel Belz founded World, a pioneering magazine for a largely evangelical Christian readership. It sometimes cast a harsh light on religious figures whose behavior was less than holy. Belz died at 82. SPORTS Caitlin Clark Matthew Holst/Getty Images Record breaker: Iowa’s Caitlin Clark officially became the leading scorer in N.C.A.A. women’s college basketball history. Women’s soccer: Lindsey Horan, the U.S. women’s national team captain, apologized for saying most American fans of the sport “aren’t smart” in an interview with The Athletic this month. Exit: The French soccer star Kylian Mbappé will leave Paris St.-Germain at the end of his contract this summer. Signs point to Real Madrid as the striker’s next stop. M.L.B.: The league’s commissioner, Rob Manfred, announced that he will step down in January 2029. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS The god Jupiter as an eagle. The Trustees of the British Museum Stolen treasures: Last year, the British Museum announced that one of its curators had looted thousands of artifacts from its stores and sold them online. Six months later, more than 350 of the treasures have been recovered, and 10 of them will be displayed in a new exhibition, “Rediscovering Gems.” More on culture The foundation that administers the National Book Awards announced that the prizes would be opened to non-American citizens who live in the U.S. “The only way to follow all of the action was to have multiple TVs”: The late-night hosts discussed Trump’s multiple criminal cases. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Matt Taylor-Gross for The New York Times Make a lasagna soup that delivers all the comfort of a classic with very little of the work. Apologize like you mean it. Splurge on upgrading your bedroom. Take a perfect nap on the couch. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was continuum. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 18 Author Members Share Posted February 18 February 17, 2024 By Melissa Kirsch Good morning. It’s a long weekend. How will you balance the urge to accomplish with the urge to go climb back into bed? María Jesús Contreras Rest stop Saturday morning of a long weekend and there is, for the moment, enough time. You play that trick: If Monday is a holiday, then today is really Friday, and if today is Friday, then the weekend hasn’t even begun yet! Three full days, an almost embarrassing bounty. The unrun errands will be vanquished. You’ll spend time with your family and your friends, take on an ambitious cooking project, finally address that creaky cabinet door. See a movie in the actual theater? Read a whole book from start to finish? Yes and yes! Right now, it’s all possible. Of course, it’s early still. You might, for the moment, stay here, under the covers, and ponder. When faced with the boundless possibility of a long weekend, there is nothing so perversely tempting as staying in or returning to bed. All this time to gloriously and productively fill; why not waste a little? It’s not really “wasting,” is it? It’s self-care, it’s seizing agency, as a sleep psychologist told The Times. If this time is really and truly yours, then it’s yours to spend or squander as you choose. Last year, a regrettably named trend belched up from the dark cauldron of TikTok: bed rotting. To “rot” is to spend the day under the covers, scrolling one’s phone, napping, bingeing a show, staring at the ceiling. Some doctors praised the practice as a necessary form of rest; others warned it could signal depression. Recently, the more Seussian-sounding notion of the “hurkle-durkle,” a 19th-century Scottish term for lingering in bed when one should be up and about, has risen in popularity. Both practices are concerned with defiance of worldly cares, with the tension between being a responsible member of society and snuggling beneath layers of blankets. This is a grim continuum on which to exist, skating between the poles of high-achieving hustler and dissolute layabout. Even as successive generations take to social media to grapple with this tension in real time, even as a pandemic-intensified thoughtfulness regarding burnout and work-life balance suggest that a holistic embrace of deep relaxation without guilt might be possible, our bias for getting things done over getting cozy persists. We love checking things off lists, we disdain any behavior with a whiff of laziness. Still, I think it’s worthwhile to destigmatize deliberate inactivity. My friend Cusi introduced me to the “lie-down,” a mode of relaxation that, at least in terms of branding, comes off as a bit more respectable. A favorite practice of her British mother, the lie-down is just what it sounds like: a short stint off one’s feet. It’s a form of rest that manages to borrow the restorative benefits of the nap, and of bed-rotting, without the suggestion of sloth. Cusi’s mom endorsed a lie-down whenever one had been on their feet too long, or the world had become too much. One does not change out of one’s street clothes for a lie-down. This is not a full-on, take-to-the-bed retreat, but a deliberate if lavish recharge before one rises, refreshed, to resume living. A lie-down could involve reading or snoozing or just contemplating the world outside the window. The only important thing is that one is not standing or sitting. Perhaps because the term is so plainly descriptive, I’ve always seen a lie-down as something necessary and sensible, rather than indulgent or lazy. So: This weekend. How will you spend it? I hope you’ll find some soothing balance between getting things done and getting nothing done at all. Perhaps you’ll check everything off your list or perhaps you’ll leave it all unchecked. If things become too much, a lie-down is available to you. So is hurkle-durkling, and so is that timeless standby, the long winter’s nap — no judgment here. It’s still likely Saturday morning of a long weekend as you’re reading this (or Saturday afternoon! I said no judgment!). There is still plenty of time. For more Sleep experts offer napping tips. “For many Americans, work has become an obsession, and long hours and endless striving something to aspire to.” From 2019, “Young People Are Going to Save Us All From Office Life.” Just how bad is smashing the snooze button? If you’re up for a cooking project this weekend, try these recipes. What is Presidents’ Day? Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV Jon Stewart returned to the “Daily Show” desk on Monday. Matt Wilson/Comedy Central Jon Stewart returned as host of “The Daily Show.” His performance was so sharp and familiar, the Times critic James Poniewozik wrote, “you’d think he’d been away for a long weekend instead of more than two presidential terms.” Marvel announced that Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn will play the lead roles in a “Fantastic Four” reboot, The Hollywood Reporter reports. “Madame Web,” the latest movie set in the world of Spider-Man, was released. Read Manohla Dargis’ review. Music Usher married his longtime partner in Las Vegas on Sunday, hours after performing at the Super Bowl. A country music station in Oklahoma reversed its decision not to play Beyoncé’s new country-themed song after receiving emails pointing to the exclusion of Black musicians from the genre. Apple Music briefly removed Kanye West’s new album from the platform without explanation. The release has been dogged with accusations of unauthorized samples. Art The Pace Gallery will show the final portraits made by Chuck Close, who was accused of sexual harassment in 2017 and largely sidelined by the art world before his death in 2021. At a retrospective of seven decades of Yoko Ono’s work at London’s Tate Modern, visitors are invited to draw their own shadows and imagine paintings in their heads. Theater Second City, the Chicago-based improv theater group that incubated stars like Tina Fey and Steve Carrell, has opened an outpost in New York. Shakespeare in the Park will tour other New York City parks while its home, Central Park’s Delacorte Theater, is under renovation. Other Big Stories “I was never bored at a Bouley restaurant”: Times critic Peter Wells remembers David Bouley, a pioneering chef who died on Monday at 70. Muscle tees and boss-lady coats: At New York Fashion Week, after seasons in thrall to femininity, women’s power was a major theme. THE LATEST NEWS Navalny’s Death Aleksei Navalny in 2013. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times Aleksei Navalny, the most prominent critic of Vladimir Putin in Russia, died in prison at 47. His death was confirmed by his political allies. Officials said Navalny had fallen ill while on a walk, but offered few details. President Biden said Putin was likely responsible. Navalny was being held in a prison near the Arctic Circle, where he was subjected to harsh punishment. He had recently been sentenced to 19 years, on charges of “extremism” that his supporters said were fabricated. Navalny began his career as an anticorruption blogger and rose to prominence leading protests against the Kremlin. See a timeline of his life. Israel-Hamas War Gaza officials said five patients died because of power outages during an Israeli raid of a hospital. Israeli officials said the raid led to the arrests of 20 militants who participants in the Oct. 7 attacks. Israel’s defense minister said that Israel wouldn’t try to force Palestinian civilians from southern Gaza into Egypt. Israel covertly attacked two Iranian gas pipelines this week, an escalation of the two countries’ shadow war. Other Big Stories A New York judge found Donald Trump liable for fraud and ordered him to pay a $355 million penalty. With interest, the cost will be around $450 million — potentially wiping out his entire stockpile of cash. Trump privately supports a national abortion ban after 16 weeks of pregnancy with exceptions for rape, incest or to save the mother’s life. He has avoided taking a public position. Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, won’t run for president this year as a third-party candidate, saying he didn’t want to be “a deal breaker or a spoiler.” At a hearing over the relationship between the prosecutors handling Georgia’s Trump case, a potential star witness offered no new details, frustrating Trump’s lawyers. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. CULTURE CALENDAR By Desiree Ibekwe 📚 “Splinters” (Tuesday): This memoir by the writer Leslie Jamison explores her divorce and single motherhood. In it, she interrogates the contradictions of identity and desire. “Part of me yearned for my daughter,” she writes. “But another part of me wanted only to be a woman on an open highway — with her feet on the dashboard and a man’s hand on her thigh.” 🎥 “Drive-Away Dolls” (Friday): This queer comedy follows two friends who set off on a road trip in a rented car, but are pursued by criminals who left something in the trunk. It is Ethan Coen’s first film since the end of his creative partnership with his brother, Joel, and was first conceived by Coen and his wife, Tricia Cooke, almost 20 years ago, as the first of three “queer B movies.” (They’ve said the second is already written.) Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT RECIPE OF THE WEEK Christopher Simpson for The New York Times By Melissa Clark Roasted Tomato and White Bean Stew One of the easiest and most fragrant ways to warm up an icy February weekend is with a simmering pot of garlicky beans. Colu Henry’s roasted tomato and white bean stew is just the thing. In this 30-minute recipe, she calls for fresh cherry or grape tomatoes, which she roasts until they condense and caramelize. These are added to the pot along with canned white beans, garlic, onion, red-pepper flakes and olive oil, and then everything is briefly stewed to let the flavors deepen. A final topping of chopped parsley and lemon zest adds brightness and color. Serve this with toasted crusty bread for a satisfying, cheery meal. REAL ESTATE Steven and Gina Brown in Brooklyn. Andrea Mohin/The New York Times The hunt: Two childhood friends reconnected and married, 49 years after they had met. Now they’re looking to make a fresh start in Brooklyn. Which home did they choose? Play our game. What you get for $820,000: A recently renovated 1910 cottage in St. George, Utah; a 2019 three-bedroom townhouse in Asheville, N.C.; or an 1820s farmhouse in Lakeville, Conn. Greenwich Village: The New School’s presidential residence is now on the market. Take a look inside. LIVING Penelope Gazin, the founder of Fashion Brand Company. Gabriella Angotti-Jones for The New York Times Surreal and silly: Penelope Gazin built a fan base by straddling the line between pranks and product merchandising. Weighing in: The 75 Hard program, which calls for indoor and outdoor workouts, a gallon of water daily and no “cheat meals,” has a cultlike following. But is it worth the effort? Love and furniture: Meet couples who spent Valentine’s Day at Ikea. On purpose. Scam or not?: Is there anything I can do to reverse dark eye circles? ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER A travel pillow so ridiculous it works Peaceful sleep on a plane can be elusive. There are countless gadgets which promise to help, yet most will do no such thing. Ahead of Wirecutter’s Sleep Week, though, I tested one such product that pleasantly surprised me: a strange-looking “pod,” which is an all-in-one neck pillow, eye mask and hoodie. It certainly made me look dorky. But on a recent flight from Los Angeles to London, it also allowed me six blissful hours of sleep. My colleague, another frequent flier, feels similarly about a different goofy-looking travel pillow, which she says is the “only way she can sleep on flights.” Our findings? If you are a poor plane sleeper, it’s fine to look ridiculous — as long as you get some shut-eye. — Dorie Chevlen GAME OF THE WEEK Victor Wembanyama, left, in a game this week. Jerome Miron/USA Today Sports, via Reuters Con N.B.A. All-Star Saturday: Grab some snacks and enjoy the most fun all-star event in professional sports. The night begins with a team skills competition featuring Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 rookie phenomenon. In addition to the usual 3-point shooting competition, there will be a special shoot-off between Stephen Curry and the W.N.B.A. all-star Sabrina Ionescu. The evening concludes with the dunk competition, a reliably entertaining combination of athleticism and creative gimmickry. 8 p.m. Eastern on TNT. More on sports Caitlin Clark, who broke the N.C.A.A. women’s basketball scoring record this week, can make shots from anywhere. These charts prove it. M.L.B. players reporting to spring training have said this season’s jerseys — designed by Nike, manufactured by Fanatics — are not up to big league standards. The 2024 NASCAR season kicks off this weekend with the Daytona 500. Here’s a season preview from The Athletic’s experts. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was excavated. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week’s headlines. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 20 Author Members Share Posted February 20 February 19, 2024 Good morning. On this holiday Monday, my colleague Wesley Morris, a cultural critic, takes over the newsletter to talk to you about movies. — David Leonhardt By Wesley Morris Critic at Large We’re also covering Ukraine, Aleksei Navalny and first ladies. Top left to bottom right: Paul Giamatti, Viola Davis, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Seacia Pavao/Focus Features, Ana Carballosa/Amazon Studios, Searchlight Pictures, Warner Bros. Best, weirdest, wildest They call the annual parade of prizes for art “award season.” It lasts for months and reliably culminates in somebody standing on a stage saying “thank you” (or sometimes “no thank you”). Meanwhile, we at home might understand that we’re looking at a winner, but almost never do we know why they’ve won. Lots of hardware, no citation. So, since its inception, The New York Times Magazine’s Great Performers issue has tried to be enlightening about what makes certain good acting stand out. This year, we went in a different, deeper, slightly weirder direction by identifying a specific aspect of a piece of acting (a gesture, a facial expression, a back; how good somebody’s performance was in a car, on a phone, in a group). On its own, that one element might be a singular achievement, but it also helps explain why the rest of a performance is so impossible to forget. Here are some highlights. Best Acting Above the Nose: Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers” If a middle-aged actor has ignored the call to seek facial rejuvenation — if his entire face still works — special attention will be paid. Even then, who but Giamatti could use his face to travel from indignity to indignation with a mere narrowing of the eyes, from resting to rage? Paul Hunham, the fallen prep-school teacher he plays in “The Holdovers,” slouches his way through the film, his quiver stocked with embitterment and tweedy hauteur. The movie puts Hunham’s distasteful, explosive qualities to moral, altruistic ends, and you can measure the emotional magnitude of his righteousness by the creases, lines and squiggles that striate Giamatti’s forehead. What he’s after is richer than plain fury. Yes, he can give you Vesuvius. But here, in the most deeply inhabited, most sharply etched use to which that brow has yet been put, Giamatti has also located Lake Placid and charts a course toward it. Best Acting on a Landline: Matt Damon, Viola Davis and Chris Messina, “Air” The kick of a memorable phone sequence comes from the pleasure an actor has obviously found in the yakking. “Air” is set in 1984, when the landline still ruled telecom. Damon spends the movie neck-cradling a handset and, if Messina is howling at him on the other end, holding it at a comical distance and grimacing. Messina is playing Michael Jordan’s ulcerous agent; Damon’s character works for Nike. Messina screams into his phone’s transmitter as if Damon were trapped deep inside. When Damon is on the phone with Davis (playing Jordan’s mother), he holds it very close to his head, as if her voice were pain relief. Davis’s grip implies delicacy and, because every phone call in “Air” is a negotiation, full commitment to the firmness of her terms. Best Gonzo Performance: Emma Stone, “Poor Things” It doesn’t feel good saluting actors for courage. Courage is the whole job. But if you’re playing an adult corpse and the corpse is reanimated with the brain of an infant and the reanimated, baby-brained corpse has to not only learn to remain upright, grip objects, feed itself and speak but also find a way of conveying to an audience the development of those faculties — in gradients! — well … then you are still only in acting class. However, if you’re Emma Stone doing corpse work, the technique required to go from lumpen to living gets a magic wand’s ting. And still the movie needs you to apply a comedian’s sensibility — to every step, flub, bite and orgasm. On your way from savant to simpleton to sophisticate, you have to make every thought, every experience feel like an epiphany. You have to be ravished. Yet you have to ravish us. And you’ve got to have the courage — yes, there it is, the courage — to look ridiculous, powerfully ridiculous, as ravishment is achieved, to repossess it. And Emma Stone, you do. “Ridiculous” is yours now. Best Theft of a Movie: Ryan Gosling, “Barbie” For an audience to leave a movie theater convinced that one actor has pocketed the film implies that something went wrong, that a movie that wasn’t about that character became about the actor playing that character. Famously: Anthony Hopkins and his almost 25 minutes of screen time in “The Silence of the Lambs.” And now: Gosling — controversially, for stealing candy from a Barbie. He goes so hard at the joke that Ken is supposed to be telling on men: Strength is weakness, coolness is lame, knowledge is ignorance, twinkle is shadow. You watch Gosling’s face for some sign of a wink, but he is committed. He could have played Ken as an idiot. But the comedy of the performance, the danger of the part and perhaps the point of the movie is that the actor playing this narcissist has installed in him a soul. Read the full story here, which includes nearly two dozen awards, as well as video clips that can elucidate the picks, even if you haven’t seen the movies. Related: “Oppenheimer” won seven awards including best film and best director at the BAFTAs, Britain’s equivalent of the Oscars. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Ukraine and Russia Ukrainian forces training near the eastern front line last month. Finbarr O'Reilly for The New York Times Ukraine is running low on ammunition and troops and will probably have to cede more ground to Russia, which recently captured the eastern city of Avdiivka. Western leaders gathered in Munich. They discussed Vladimir Putin’s ambitions and the unreliability of U.S. support. The Russian authorities detained at least 366 people, as thousands of Russians publicly mourned the death of the opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. Navalny’s death has stunned Russian dissidents. 2024 Election Donald Trump Doug Mills/The New York Times Nikki Haley, J.D. Vance or Vivek Ramaswamy: See a list of potential contenders to be Donald Trump’s running mate. Democrats are trying to motivate an anti-Trump coalition. Some liberals say they are feeling fatigued. Trump appeared at a footwear convention to promote Trump-branded sneakers. A New York judge recently ordered him to pay about $450 million in a civil fraud case. More on Politics Jill Biden and Melania Trump. Left, Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times; Erin Scott for The New York Times As first lady, Jill Biden wanted keep teaching, while Melania Trump wanted to go home. Both women expanded the possibilities for first spouses, Katie Rogers writes. Tom Suozzi’s victory in a special House election ended a Republican winning streak on Long Island. Some Democrats believe it forecasts bigger gains there in the fall. Middle East The International Court of Justice began hearing arguments from about 50 countries on Israel’s policies in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Israel does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction. The U.S. said it struck more Houthi targets in Yemen, including an underwater drone. The American ambassador to the U.N. said the U.S. would not support an upcoming Security Council resolution that calls for a cease-fire in Gaza. International Grace Wangari Thuiya, who was killed in Nairobi in January. Natalia Jidovanu for The New York Times The killings of women in several African countries have set off protests and calls for governments to take action against gender-based violence. In Papua New Guinea, violence between more than a dozen tribal groups has been escalating. At least 26 people were killed in the highlands. A senior Pakistani official confessed to helping manipulate the results in the nation’s recent elections. Business The Biden administration awarded $1.5 billion to a New York-based chipmaker, GlobalFoundries. Wall Street firms, faced with Republican attacks and potential legal risks, are backing out of their climate commitments. Other Big Stories Jim Chilton Erin Schaff/The New York Times Desperate migrants and cartel violence: Read this story of one family ranch in Arizona that illuminates what the border crisis actually looks like. Millions of people are under flood watches, mostly in California. Follow the latest weather updates. A Washington woman spent hours in a jail cell, accused of driving under the influence. A delayed medical check revealed her brain was bleeding. Opinions Part-time work has become the default at large employers like Walmart, saving money for the companies but making workers’ lives worse, Adelle Waldman writes. Thousands of people in New York City collect cans to redeem them for cash. Raising the bottle deposit will help them pay the bills, Andrew Li writes. Gail Collins and Bret Stephens discuss Kamala Harris and Fani Willis. Here are columns by David French on swatting and Zeynep Tufekci on long Covid. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Gerard Gousman Jovelle Tamayo for The New York Times Equal parenting: More men are choosing to stay at home with their children. The stigma — and the notion that they’re just filling in for Mom — may finally be fading. Not-so-golden era: Decades ago, female flight attendants couldn’t get married or gain weight, and had to retire at 32. A key figure in a landmark lawsuit looks back. Metropolitan Diary: Tears without tissues. Lives Lived: Charles Hamilton popularized the term “institutional racism” and, with Stokely Carmichael, wrote a book in 1967 that was seen as a radical manifesto. He died at 94. SPORTS N.B.A.: The league’s All-Star Game, despite the glamour, wasn’t very competitive. One team scored 211 points. Men’s college basketball: Unranked Ohio State defeated No. 2 Purdue, days after firing its head coach. The Red Storm: After St. John’s loss to Seton Hall, coach Rick Pitino criticized his players and the teams’ facilities. He said his first season as coach was “the most unenjoyable experience of my lifetime.” Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS In Beijing. Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times Four nights in Beijing: In China, audiences are losing interest in Hollywood films and censorship of the arts has tightened, yet in Beijing last month, a four-night run of a stage adaptation of “The Shawshank Redemption” nearly sold out. The production, which features an all-Western cast, made changes to the script to get past Chinese censors, but some elements that may have been difficult to include in a contemporary Chinese play — like recitation of Bible verses and the sympathetic portrayal of prisoners — remained. Read more about the production here. More on culture Ye Fan for The New York Times A long rainbow-check scarf introduced by Acne Studios in 2019 has inspired a huge winter gear trend. Modeling’s silver wave: Older women walked the runways at New York Fashion Week. See photos in The Wall Street Journal. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Testani for The New York Times Pound chicken breasts and marinate for a weeknight Chicken Saltimbocca. Improve your mood with better sleep. Adjust the amount of dish soap you use. Buy a refrigerator for your garage. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were admonition, damnation, dominant, domination, intimidation, nondominant. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 21 Author Members Share Posted February 21 February 20, 2024 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We’re covering the latest battleground in Gaza — as well as the Houthis, Interpol and comic books. Rafah, southern Gaza. Mohammed Salem/Reuters Three questions The looming battle for Rafah — a city on the southern end of Gaza, farthest from where Israel’s invasion began — embodies the brutal dynamics of the conflict. The war is both a military operation against Hamas, an extremist organization that has vowed more terrorist attacks against Israel, and a humanitarian crisis that has brought death, hunger and displacement to Gazan civilians. The humanitarian crisis is clear. During its four-month invasion of Gaza, Israel has killed more than 29,000 people, many of them children. The civilian toll, as a share of the population, is among the highest from any modern war. Many more Gazans have fled their homes and are struggling to find food. An assault on Rafah, which has become a refuge for more than half of Gaza’s population, would worsen the misery. But the military importance of Rafah for Hamas is also real, experts say. On Oct. 7, Hamas invaded Israel, murdering, sexually assaulting and kidnapping civilians. Since the attack, Hamas’s leaders have refused to release dozens of Israeli hostages. With Israel having taken control of much of northern and central Gaza, at least some Hamas leaders and their weapons seem to be in tunnels under Rafah. By The New York Times Two things, then, are simultaneously true: To defeat a violent enemy, Israel may need to invade Rafah. And an invasion of Rafah would almost certainly worsen the war’s awful civilian toll. In today’s newsletter, I’ll examine three questions: What does Israel hope to accomplish by invading? What might forestall an invasion? And how might the civilian toll be reduced if an invasion happens? Israel’s goals Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, has set an ambitious goal: Eliminating Hamas. The goal is also contentious. Some Israelis wish their government would instead prioritize the release of hostages. Many U.S. officials, meanwhile, believe the elimination of Hamas is unrealistic. “Operations that kill militants often radicalize others,” my colleagues Julian Barnes and Edward Wong note. Still, an invasion of Rafah could debilitate Hamas. Without control of Rafah, as Yonah Jeremy Bob, The Jerusalem Post’s senior military correspondent, has written, “Hamas would lose its last major remaining battalions, its last large city for hiding its leadership and human-shield hostages, and its only remaining way to rearm and smuggle in weapons from outside of Gaza.” One sign of Rafah’s importance to Hamas came during a nighttime raid last week, when Israeli forces stormed a building there and rescued two hostages. Photos released by the Israeli military show two freed hostages, Fernando Simon Marman, left, and Louis Har. Israeli military, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Can it be avoided? The most likely path for avoiding an invasion would involve an extended cease-fire in exchange for the release of about 130 hostages that Hamas is still holding in Gaza. “Either our hostages will be returned, or we will expand the fighting to Rafah,” said Benny Gantz, a centrist Israeli politician who joined the government after the Oct. 7 attacks. There are certainly impediments to a deal. For one thing, Hamas’s leaders understand that the hostages give them leverage: Israel’s military might be even more aggressive if no hostages remained. For another, Netanyahu has often seemed more interested in destroying Hamas than winning the hostages’ release. Israel has also balked at releasing Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages. Still, Netanyahu faces domestic pressure to bring home the hostages. Hamas leaders, for their part, may be able to spare their own lives in a cease-fire. Protecting civilians If Israel does invade, officials around the world have called on it to protect civilians in Rafah. President Biden and the leaders of many other countries say Israel has been callous about civilian lives in the war’s first four months. Last week, the International Court of Justice declined to oppose an invasion of Rafah but reiterated its order that Israel protect civilians. The court has also ordered Hamas to release the hostages. How might Rafah’s civilians be protected? In many wars, civilians find safety in a neighboring country, but Egypt has largely refused to accept refugees. It is instead building a wall near Rafah. Some military experts say that Israel has already taken steps to protect civilians, such as creating humanitarian corridors that allow civilian Gazans to flee battle zones — even though disguised Hamas militants might escape too. “Israel has adjusted almost everything in their approach to evacuate civilians,” John Spencer of the Modern War Institute at West Point said. Over the past two months, the daily death toll in Gaza has declined to about 150 (including both fighters and civilians), according to Gazan officials, down from more than 400 per day in October. But 150 daily deaths is still a terrible toll, and many human rights experts say Israel could reduce it. In Rafah, that could involve several actions: less aerial bombing; the creation of both humanitarian corridors to leave Rafah and temporary safe zones within the city; and fewer restrictions on the humanitarian aid that Israel allows to enter. Biden administration officials are frustrated that Netanyahu does not have a clearer plan for protecting civilians in Rafah, according to my colleagues in Washington. Some congressional Democrats argue that the U.S. should interrupt its flow of weapons to Israel unless Israel gives a higher priority to protecting innocent Gazans. Inside Rafah, many people are simply scared. “We’re trying to live with the war conditions, but they are very difficult,” Salem Baris, 55, who has fled to Rafah, told Al Jazeera. Ten children in his family have been wearing white hospital coveralls — intended for adults — to stay warm. “I hope this nightmare ends, and I can go home soon,” Baris said. More on the war The U.S. is negotiating a U.N. resolution that warns Israel against invading Rafah and calls for a temporary cease-fire. Israel has said Hamas has been active in hospitals in southern Gaza. Military operations have left two medical facilities barely functioning. Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, recalled his ambassador to Israel, escalating a diplomatic dispute about the war. For many in Rafah, displacement is a recurring nightmare, Hiba Yazbek writes. Israelis, newly vulnerable after the Oct. 7 attacks, remain traumatized and mistrustful. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Russia Yulia Navalnaya via Alexei Navalny YouTube channel Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of the deceased opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, pledged to continue her husband’s work. Watch her speech. Navalny spent the end of his life in brutal prison conditions. He also read books and kept his mind active, letters from his cell show. Donald Trump spoke about Navalny’s death, but he didn’t condemn Vladimir Putin. Middle East Iranian-backed Houthi militants claim to have shot down a U.S. military drone off the coast of Yemen. A crew abandoned a cargo ship in the Red Sea after a Houthi missile attack. More International News Autocrats are abusing Interpol resources, like its database of lost and stolen passports, to pursue dissidents, a Times investigation found. French officials promised to use Olympic funding to transform a Parisian suburb known for poverty and crime. Government programs have failed there before. Doctors in South Korea protested a government plan to admit more students to medical school. A judge charged the widow of the assassinated Haitian president Jovenel Moïse with conspiring in his 2021 murder. Politics The New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. Gabby Jones for The New York Times Wall Street’s money managers are already thinking about how November’s election could alter the mood in the markets. Wisconsin’s Democratic governor signed new state legislative maps that reduced a Republican advantage, giving Democrats a chance to win control. Biden’s great-great-grandfather got into a brawl at a Union Army camp during the Civil War. Documents show how Abraham Lincoln pardoned him, The Washington Post reports. Business Electric vehicle charging stations near Detroit. Nick Hagen for The New York Times In Michigan, a hub for car manufacturing, the Biden administration’s embrace of electric vehicles has raised both hopes and concerns. Capital One announced it would acquire Discover, a deal that could combine two huge credit card companies. Anthropic, an artificial intelligence start-up, has raised more than $7 billion in a year — a sign of the A.I. investment boom in Silicon Valley. Other Big Stories Teachers in some school districts are taking more sick days since the pandemic, and there is a national shortage of substitutes. A 25-year-old man was arrested on murder charges related to the fatal shooting of two people in a Colorado dormitory. An atmospheric river brought heavy rain and thunderstorms to California. More rain is expected through Wednesday. Opinions Elizabeth Currid-Halkett’s son received treatment for a fatal neuromuscular disease. The F.D.A. should support getting the treatment to more patients, she argues. Ukraine wants to create a future with fewer graves and more art, Olena Stiazhkina writes. Here is a column by Paul Krugman on Tom Suozzi. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Shane Rose of Australia’s Olympic team. Julian Finney/Getty Images Shane Rose: An Olympic equestrian rode a horse in a “mankini.” His stunt has won him public support in Australia. Love story: Eliza and Miles’s love persisted through slavery and Civil War. Home cooking: Across the U.S., developers are transforming clusters of old homes into micro restaurants. Lives Lived: Rabbi Jules Harlow helped redefine Conservative Jewish prayer, translating it into English from Hebrew with a poet’s sensibility and a musician’s cadence. He died at 92. SPORTS M.L.B.: The Lerner family won’t sell the Washington Nationals, changing course after nearly two years of searching for a buyer. Women’s college basketball: A former Nebraska player filed a lawsuit accusing a coach of sexual grooming. “I made a mistake”: Sheryl Swoopes, the women’s basketball legend, addressed comments she made about Iowa guard Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking season. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS The cover of the comic book Epitaphs from the Abyss No. 1. Lee Bermejo/Oni Press It’s alive!: Comic books, known for subversive horror and sci-fi, will return with two new anthology series. William Gaines, EC Comics’ original publisher, closed the outfit amid the “moral panic” of the 1950s. The new anthologies, “Epitaphs From the Abyss” and “Cruel Universe,” will arrive in the summer featuring comic book writers including Jason Aaron and Rodney Barnes. More on culture The Met has opened its second survey of Black art, “The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism,” more than 50 years after its first such exhibition was criticized. Kanye West’s first album since a string of antisemitic comments in 2022, “Vultures 1,” a collaboration with Ty Dolla Sign, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200. Jon Stewart discussed Tucker Carlson’s interview with Putin on “The Daily Show.” THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … David Malosh for The New York Times Give fettuccine Alfredo a Cajun spin by adding spiced shrimp, celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic and jalapeño. Eat with your hands. The sense of touch can be a crucial part of dining. Try an eye massager. Dive into a duvet that feels like a giant marshmallow. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was validity. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 22 Author Members Share Posted February 22 February 21, 2024 Good morning. Today, my colleague Ellen Barry writes about promising news involving suicide prevention, an urgent public health issue that deserves more attention. — David Leonhardt By Ellen Barry Mental Health Reporter, Science We’re also covering Ukrainian troops, Aleksei Navalny and Volkswagen. Suicide barriers on the Golden Gate Bridge. Jim Wilson/The New York Times Suicide science “The bridge is sealed up.” Last month, with those words, the general manager of the Golden Gate Bridge announced the completion of a suicide barrier — stainless steel netting that extends about 20 feet out from the walkway for the length of the bridge, making a jump into the water below extraordinarily difficult. For decades, friends and family members of people who had jumped pleaded for a barrier. And for decades, my colleague John Branch recently reported, officials found reasons — the cost, the aesthetics — not to build one. But something is changing in the United States, where the suicide rate has risen by about 35 percent over two decades, with deaths approaching 50,000 annually. The U.S. is a glaring exception among wealthy countries; globally, the suicide rate has been dropping steeply and steadily. Barriers are in the works on the William Howard Taft Bridge in Washington, D.C., the Penobscot Narrows Bridge in Maine and several Rhode Island bridges. Universities in Texas and Florida have budgeted millions of dollars for barriers on high structures. Scores of communities are debating similar steps. Research has demonstrated that suicide is most often an impulsive act, with a period of acute risk that passes in hours, or even minutes. Contrary to what many assume, people who survive suicide attempts often go on to do well: Nine out of 10 of them do not die by suicide. Policymakers, it seems, are paying attention. I have been reporting on mental health for The New York Times for two years, and in today’s newsletter I will look at promising, evidence-based efforts to prevent suicide. A single element For generations, psychiatrists believed that, in the words of the British researcher Norman Kreitman, “anyone bent on self-destruction must eventually succeed.” Then something strange and wonderful happened: Midway through the 1960s, the annual number of suicides in Britain began dropping — by 35 percent in the following years — even as tolls crept up in other parts of Europe. No one could say why. Had medicine improved, so that more people survived poisoning? Were antidepressant medications bringing down levels of despair? Had life in Britain just gotten better? The real explanation, Kreitman discovered, was none of these. The drop in suicides had come about almost by accident: As the United Kingdom phased out coal gas from its supply to household stoves, levels of carbon monoxide decreased. Suicide by gas accounted for almost half of the suicides in 1960. It turns out that blocking access to a single lethal means — if it is the right one — can make a huge difference. The strategy that arose from this realization is known as “means restriction” or “means safety,” and vast natural experiments have borne it out. When Sri Lanka restricted the import of toxic pesticides, which people had ingested in moments of crisis, its suicide rate dropped by half over the next decade. Arresting an urge More than half of U.S. suicides are carried out with firearms. Guns are a reliably deadly means, resulting in death in about 90 percent of attempted suicides; intentional overdoses, by contrast, result in death about 3 percent of the time. When an attempt fails, “these folks generally survive and go on to get past these thoughts, go on to live happy, full lives,” said Dr. Paul Nestadt, a suicide researcher at Johns Hopkins. “If you are a gun owner, that brief moment where the suicidal thoughts exceed the desire to be alive for tomorrow, that’s all it takes.” Other countries, like Israel, have brought down suicide rates dramatically by restricting access to guns. But in the U.S., about 400 million guns are circulating in private hands, said Michael Anestis, who leads the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. “We don’t know where they are, and even if we did, we would have no way of getting them,” he said. Twenty-one states have passed red flag laws, which allow the authorities to remove firearms temporarily from individuals identified as dangerous to themselves or others. A follow-up study found that firearm suicides dropped 7.5 percent in Indiana in the decade after the law’s passage; Connecticut saw a 13.7 percent drop over eight years as the state began to enforce the law in earnest. Another promising approach is to change gun storage habits, which Anestis likened to public health campaigns around smoking or drunken driving. He threw out some ideas, including financial incentives, such as providing gun owners with a hefty coupon for a gun safe, and encouraging gun shops to install lockers so people could temporarily store their guns outside of the home. Even brief counseling sessions can change a gun owner’s habits, trials show. Anestis recalled one subject who was particularly dismissive of the counselor’s advice but returned six months later with a different outlook. “Since I was last here, I broke up with my fiancé and I let my brother hold my guns. If I hadn’t done that, I’m pretty sure I’d be dead,” the subject told researchers. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach a lifeline for help. More resources are available here. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS War in Ukraine Avdiivka, Ukraine, last week. Tyler Hicks/The New York Times Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers disappeared after Russian forces took the eastern city of Avdiivka last week. Officials believe the Russians may have captured them. In southern Ukraine, Russian forces are targeting land hard-won by Ukraine in a rare success of its counteroffensive last summer. A Russian pilot who protested the war by defecting into Ukraine aboard a helicopter last year is believed to have been shot to death in Spain. Russian authorities arrested a Russian American woman and charged her with treason. A lawyer said she had sent $50 to a nonprofit that supports Ukraine. Aleksei Navalny Outside the Russian Embassy in Washington. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images The Biden administration plans to impose more sanctions on Russia in response to Aleksei Navalny’s death in prison. Trump compared the legal cases against him to Navalny’s death. Trump called the Russian opposition leader’s death “very sad” but didn’t criticize Vladimir Putin over it. Israel-Hamas War The U.S. cast the sole vote against a U.N. resolution that would have called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. Officials said the resolution would have disrupted hostage negotiations. The U.N. suspended food deliveries to northern Gaza because hungry people had looted convoys. Israel ordered more evacuations in the area. Supreme Court The Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging admission rules meant to diversify an elite Virginia high school, letting the policy take effect. It is a victory for class-based affirmative action programs. Justice Samuel Alito again criticized the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage. He has previously suggested that the court should reconsider it, but most justices still seem to support it. More on Politics Nikki Haley promised to continue her presidential campaign past Saturday’s primary in South Carolina, her home state. “I feel no need to kiss the ring,” she said of Donald Trump. President Biden’s re-election campaign ended January with nearly $56 million on hand, growing his fund-raising advantage over Trump, whose campaign had about $30 million. A former F.B.I. informant charged with making false bribery claims about Biden and his son Hunter claims to have met with Russian intelligence officials. Eric Hovde, a wealthy Republican businessman, is challenging Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat, in Wisconsin. Democrats are beginning a multimillion-dollar effort to appoint more state judges. New York City One in four children in the city is living in poverty, largely because of the end of pandemic-era aid, a report found. The city plans to test drones carrying inflatable floats in beach rescues this summer. Other Big Stories A riot at a Brazilian jail in 2017. Andressa Anholete/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images In prisons across Latin America, guards aren’t in control — gangs are. They use that power to recruit. Two men face murder charges in the shooting at a Super Bowl rally in Kansas City, Mo. More arrests could follow, prosecutors said. A discovery of Down syndrome in the DNA of the ancient bones of infants could show how prehistoric societies treated children with rare conditions. A ship loaded with 19,000 cows brought a terrible stench to Cape Town. Opinions Fred Moore in an encampment in Nashville. Tamara Reynolds for The New York Times Listen to stories about homelessness in America — from those who live it. Putin silenced Navalny because he envied him, Nadya Tolokonnikova argues. Extraditing Julian Assange to the United States is a threat to press freedom, James Kirchick writes. Here are columns by Bret Stephens on Navalny’s death and Ross Douthat on aiding Ukraine. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Alona Hamova in her New York apartment. Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times Renters: After fleeing Ukraine, a tattoo artist is settling into life in Brooklyn. Stylist to the stars: Meet Danielle Goldberg, a stylist whom Hollywood cool girls like Ayo Edebiri and Olivia Rodrigo trust when they need to look their best. Most hated: Read how Tom Sandoval turned “Vanderpump Rules” into the best reality show in TV history — and ruined his life. Never too late: Lyn Slater became a fashion influencer at 70. Ask Well: Is there any truth to the “beer before liquor” rule? Lives Lived: Damo Suzuki was a Japanese vocalist best known as a member of the German experimental rock group Can. His singing often sounded like shamanic incantations in an invented language. Suzuki died at 74. SPORTS Basketball fans in Goyang, South Korea. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Different crowd: At sporting events in South Korea, women generally outnumber men in the stands. U.S. women’s soccer: The Americans shut out the Dominican Republic 5-0 in a match in the Gold Cup. With Mia Fishel lost to an injury, they inserted a team legend, Alex Morgan, in her place. Men’s college basketball: Creighton, ranked No. 15, beat the No. 1 team, UConn, 85-66. College Football Playoff: The new, expanded field will officially adopt a “5+7” format this year. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS Volkswagen’s Beetle was once the best-selling imported car in the U.S. Barney Ingoglia/The New York Times Nostalgia: Volkswagen has a plan to regain sales in the U.S. — revive old designs, like the Microbus and the Scout, but make them electric. It’s one of several foreign automakers viewing the electric transition as a way to challenge America’s dominant players. “Everybody’s starting from scratch,” Arno Antlitz, the company’s chief financial officer, said. “This is our unique opportunity to grow.” More on culture The director Sam Mendes plans to make four Beatles biopics, each telling the band’s story from a different member’s point of view. Brands like Burberry and JW Anderson celebrated London Fashion Week turning 40. See images from the shows. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Kate Mathis for The New York Times Simmer a chicken and rice soup that’s both cozy and fresh. Avoid scams when renting a car abroad. Fall asleep on a Japanese futon. Try these tips when putting your children to bed. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was menfolk. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 23 Author Members Share Posted February 23 February 22, 2024 Good morning. Today, my colleague Pam Belluck explains an aggressive and creative new strategy that some blue states are using to protect abortion access in red states. — David Leonhardt By Pam Belluck Health and Science Writer, Science We’re also covering President Biden, China and Yale admissions. Abortion pills prepared to be sent to patients in states where abortion is illegal. Sophie Park for The New York Times Abortion from afar Doctors in a handful of blue states have found a way to provide abortions to women in red states where it is banned or restricted. They are doing it with a new tool: laws that protect them from prosecutors elsewhere. These telemedicine shield laws block officials in red states who might prosecute or sue the abortion providers in Massachusetts, New York, California, Vermont, Colorado and Washington State. Those states won’t extradite doctors. They won’t turn over records. They won’t aid in any investigation. It’s a sharp break from the usual pattern of interstate cooperation, as I report in a news story today. I’ve been covering abortion for over a decade. Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade and triggered a wave of bans in conservative states, abortion rights advocates have worked to preserve access. They’ve used mobile clinics across the border from red states — and funds that cover the cost of travel to places where abortion is legal. In today’s newsletter, I’ll talk about one of the newest approaches. A new tool The providers started mailing abortion pills under the shield laws just last summer. But their reach has surprised even some advocates. They’ve already prescribed and mailed abortion pills to tens of thousands of women in Texas, Idaho and other places that banned abortion after the high court’s 2022 decision. Patients find them online and fill out forms about their medical history. Providers then evaluate whether patients are eligible. They can be up to 12 weeks’ pregnant and must have no disqualifying medical issues like an ectopic pregnancy or a blood-clotting disorder. Being able to receive abortion medication at their homes by mail saves patients the time, money and difficulty of traveling to a state where abortion is legal. It also avoids the weekslong wait for pills ordered from overseas. Shield law services charge $150 or $250, but they allow poorer patients to pay less or even nothing. Abortion opponents in conservative states are outraged. The shield laws are “really trying to completely sabotage the governing efforts of their neighboring states,” said John Seago, the president of Texas Right to Life. “It can’t stand, and we can’t be content with this new development.” The practice has not yet been challenged in court, but observers think it’s only a matter of time. Law enforcement officials in anti-abortion states may be waiting for a case they think will be persuasive. A senior government official in a conservative state told me about one possible strategy: State officials could first file charges or a complaint against a provider in a blue state. Then, when that state refused to cooperate, a red state could sue the shield-law state itself, claiming that the Constitution’s full faith and credit clause prevents one state from interfering with another’s laws. States with abortion bans will also watch a lawsuit the Supreme Court will hear next month, in which opponents of abortion have sued the Food and Drug Administration to try to bar abortion pills. (My colleague Emily Bazelon has written for The Morning about how much of the abortion struggle now revolves around pills.) If the justices uphold an appeals court ruling, patients might need in-person doctor visits to obtain the medications. Doctors tread cautiously Regardless of the court’s decision in that case, some shield-law providers say they intend to find a way to continue. Still, they are taking precautions. Most shield-law providers have decided not to travel to states with abortion bans, and some have established trusts to protect their assets from civil suits. Some identify themselves publicly, but others fly under the radar. I visited one Massachusetts operation in a tiny office behind an unmarked door and watched as Carol, a reproductive health consultant who asked to be identified by her middle name, carefully packaged the two abortion medications, mifepristone and misoprostol. She put them into plain envelopes lined with bubble wrapping so they don’t rattle when they are mailed to patients. I accompanied her to the post office, where she mailed dozens of envelopes across the country. “We’re a free country,” said Lauren Jacobson, a nurse practitioner at the Massachusetts clinic who sometimes writes 50 prescriptions a day. “So let’s put that to test. Here we are and we’re not going to be intimidated, and we have our states backing us.” For more A major Alabama health system paused most I.V.F. procedures after the state’s Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children, citing antiabortion language in the state constitution. “Embryos, to me, are babies,” Nikki Haley said in response to the ruling. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Politics The U.S. Supreme Court. Kent Nishimura for The New York Times The Supreme Court’s conservative majority seems poised to block a Biden administration plan to reduce air pollution. It would be another blow to the E.P.A.’s power. President Biden canceled another $1.2 billion in student debt for about 150,000 borrowers. In total, his administration has canceled $138 billion of such debt. Biden is considering taking executive action to stop migrants who illegally enter the U.S. from claiming asylum at times when the border is overwhelmed. Biden’s brother James told members of the House that the president wasn’t involved in his business deals, rebutting Republican allegations. Ron DeSantis said he didn’t want to be Donald Trump’s running mate and lamented Trump’s electoral “baggage” in a private call with supporters. A prosecutor in Arizona refused to extradite a murder suspect to New York City, saying Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, was too lenient on crime. Israel-Hamas War An Israeli organization for survivors of sexual abuse concluded that Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack “included brutal acts of violent rape, often involving threats with weapons” and often in front of an audience. At the U.N.’s highest court, the U.S. defended Israel’s decades-long occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Other nations continued to criticize Israel’s conduct in Gaza. China China is using private companies in campaigns to hack foreign governments in Asia and monitor ethnic minorities at home. Silicon Valley venture capitalists, faced with increasing scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers, are limiting their investments in Chinese start-ups. China is trying to develop more-advanced artificial intelligence than the U.S. has. One problem: Its A.I. systems still depend on American technology. More International News The success of candidates aligned with the expelled leader Imran Khan in Pakistan’s elections shattered the illusion of the generals’ grip on politics. Britain wants more nuclear plants as a way to help tackle climate change. Delays and soaring costs are complicating the effort. The U.S. and Europe have championed a new pipeline to bring gas to Bosnia and cut supplies from Russia. But feuding ethnic groups have stalled the project. Business Mosheh Oinounou of the Mo News Instagram account. DeSean McClinton-Holland for The New York Times People are turning to news influencers on Instagram, even as the platform tries to de-emphasize “political content.” The head of Boeing’s 737 Max program is leaving the company. The jets have been plagued by problems, most recently when a door plug blew off in flight. Nvidia, maker of computer chips that power A.I. systems, reported booming profits. Stocks in Japan rose to a record high, spurred in part by greater foreign investment and increased shareholder rights. The I.R.S. will crack down on corporate executives who use company jets for personal travel. BuzzFeed is selling Complex, a media start-up known for coverage of streetwear and pop culture, to pay off more than $60 million in debt. Education Yale will once again require standardized test scores for admissions, becoming the second Ivy League university to abandon test-optional policies that were embraced during the pandemic. The University of Arizona, in Tucson, is facing a $177 million shortfall. Local residents, many of whom work for the school, worry that budget cuts could lead to layoffs. Other Big Stories In Saugerties, N.Y. Lauren Lancaster for The New York Times Extreme weather is forcing animal refuges across the country to relocate. A private spacecraft, Odysseus, will attempt to land on the moon today. It would be the first private spacecraft to do so. CNN explained why, decades after the Apollo missions, it’s still so difficult. A bill to abolish daylight saving time in Oregon failed in the State Senate. Opinions Learn the lessons of a 17th-century heretic: Combating irrational ideas like racism takes reason, not dogma, Ian Buruma writes. Amazon’s assertion that the National Labor Relations Board is unconstitutional amounts to an attack on the entire labor movement, David Firestone argues. Ezra Klein believes Democrats should walk away from Biden. His podcast explains how they could pick a different nominee. Here is a column by Thomas Edsall on white working-class voters. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Ice skating in Alaska. Paxson Woelber Wild skating: Adventure seekers dared to test the frozen lakes of Alaska. “The Great Compression”: With housing prices soaring, the era of the 400-square-foot subdivision house is upon us. Carrying stones: A missing Scottish trophy will be awarded again after 95 years. Never happier: Some older Americans have given up on romantic love and are relishing being on their own. Social Q’s: “My brother’s ex-wife won’t return a family heirloom. Help.” New Orleans: Wildlife authorities seized a man’s pet opossum. Thousands have backed a petition to reunite man and marsupial. Lives Lived: Charles Stendig, an importer, traveled to factories throughout Europe, sometimes behind the Iron Curtain, to introduce avant-garde and modern furniture to American living rooms. He died at 99. SPORTS College football: Officials are already discussing expansion of the College Football Playoff — which broadened to 12 teams for the upcoming season — to either 14 or 16 in 2026. Men’s college basketball: St. John’s coach Rick Pitino apologized for criticizing his players over the weekend, saying they “have never failed” him. Advice: In an interview, W.N.B.A. legend Sue Bird encouraged Iowa star Caitlin Clark to turn pro after the season and said Clark could be an All-Star in her rookie year. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS A Pawnee drum on display. Evan Jenkins for The New York Times Native objects: The U.S. now requires museums to get consent from tribes before exhibiting certain cultural items from Native groups. As a result, museums across the country are removing objects from cases, covering displays and closing entire halls. See how this looks at one museum in Chicago. More on culture Alex Cooper, host of the podcast “Call Her Daddy,” has been building a media company with Matt Kaplan, a film producer and her fiancé. Read more about it. The essayist Leslie Jamison has become known for her careful balancing acts of self-exposure in her writing. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … David Malosh for The New York Times Assemble garlicky shrimp and white beans on a sheet pan for a quick meal. Use the best headphones. Eat like a nutritionist does (when she’s off the clock). Try a 3-D printer. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was flighty. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 25 Author Members Share Posted February 25 February 23, 2024 SUPPORTED BY APPLE CARD By David Leonhardt Good morning. We’re covering a new Times investigation into Instagram — as well as Alabama’s I.V.F. ruling, Boy Scouts and voice notes. Natalie Keyssar for The New York Times A door to abuse The evidence that smartphones damage children’s mental health has continued to grow in recent years. Feelings of loneliness and sadness began rising more than a decade ago, around the same time that smartphones and then social media became ubiquitous. The amount of time that teenagers spend socializing in person has declined on the same timeline. So has the number of hours they sleep. Academic research points in a similar direction. Many studies have found a correlation between the amount of time that teens — especially girls — spend on smartphones and the likelihood that they will be depressed or have low self-esteem. One study last year found a striking relationship between the age at which somebody first owned a smartphone and that person’s mental health as a young adult: Among people ages 18 to 24, based on the age they first owned a smartphone. Source: Sapien Labs | By The New York Times There is still much that researchers don’t understand about digital technology, and some smartphone use is clearly necessary and healthy. But the notion that smartphones are beneficial or harmless to mental health on the whole — an argument that technology executives sometimes make — looks much weaker than it once did. Two of my colleagues, Jennifer Valentino-DeVries and Michael H. Keller, have published a new investigation into an extreme example of the problems that social media can cause for children. Their article examines Instagram accounts that parents operate for their young daughters, often in the hope of turning the girls into influencers or models. Many of these accounts have attracted a following from men who acknowledge on other platforms that they are sexually attracted to children. As Jennifer and Michael write: Thousands of accounts examined by The Times offer disturbing insights into how social media is reshaping childhood, especially for girls, with direct parental encouragement and involvement. Some parents are the driving force behind the sale of photos, exclusive chat sessions and even the girls’ worn leotards and cheer outfits to mostly unknown followers. The most devoted customers spend thousands of dollars nurturing the underage relationships. … Interacting with the men opens the door to abuse. Some flatter, bully and blackmail girls and their parents to get racier and racier images. The Times monitored separate exchanges on Telegram, the messaging app, where men openly fantasize about sexually abusing the children they follow on Instagram and extol the platform for making the images so readily available. Obviously, many parents post photos of their young children in harmless ways — so that family and friends can stay updated. But Jennifer and Michael’s article avoided focusing on these instances by examining only accounts that had at least 500 followers and posted multiple images of children in form-fitting or revealing attire. Takeaways Among the article’s key points: Some children charge monthly subscriptions to their images and earn six-figure incomes. “With the wisdom and knowledge I have now, if I could go back, I definitely wouldn’t do it,” one parent said. “I’ve been stupidly, naïvely, feeding a pack of monsters, and the regret is huge.” The Times found men who used children’s Instagram pages to satisfy their fantasies and who exchanged information about parents considered receptive to selling “private sets” of images. An internal study at Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, run by Mark Zuckerberg — found that 500,000 child Instagram accounts had “inappropriate” interactions every day, court records show. Meta failed to act even after receiving multiple reports from parents of worrisome behavior. Instead, the company sometimes restricted parents who tried to block many followers. Former Meta employees described the company as overwhelmed by the problem despite having known about it for years. A Meta spokesman disputed the suggestion that the company’s safety and security efforts were underfunded, saying that 40,000 employees worked on them. He also said that Meta reported more suspected child abuse imagery to the authorities each year than any other company. “The Bible says, ‘The wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous,’” said the owner of a small clothing company who features young influencers in his online marketing. “So sometimes you got to use the things of this world to get you to where you need to be, as long as it’s not harming anybody.” You can read the investigation here. Continue reading the main story A MESSAGE FROM APPLE CARD Spend. Earn. See how it adds up. Every Apple Card purchase earns you real cash on every purchase — up to 3%. Terms apply. Apply now. THE LATEST NEWS Alabama I.V.F. Ruling Medications for I.V.F. treatments. Wes Frazer for The New York Times A second Alabama health provider halted I.V.F. after the state’s Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children. Democrats criticized the Alabama ruling. Vice President Kamala Harris accused its proponents of blocking “the right to start a family.” Even among anti-abortion politicians, opposition to I.V.F. is unusual. “I.V.F. allowed me, as it has so many others, to start my family,” said Representative Michelle Steel, a Republican who sponsored a national abortion ban in Congress. Alabama’s chief justice invoked God in the ruling, writing that “human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God.” Patients sue clinics for errors that destroy embryos, like faulty freezers. Alabama’s ruling raises the stakes of those errors. Politics The Boy Scouts settlement involves more than 82,000 claims. Mary Altaffer/Associated Press The Supreme Court allowed a $2.4 billion plan to settle sex abuse lawsuits against the Boy Scouts of America to go forward. Pro-Trump internet trolls are attacking Nikki Haley in sexist and racist ways, using artificial intelligence to manipulate her likeness and depicting her as Shiva, the Hindu goddess of destruction. State Republican parties in Arizona, Michigan and other swing states are struggling with dysfunction and debt. Most Democrats oppose teaching elementary school students about gender identity, polls found, though most do support teaching it and other L.G.B.T.Q. topics in high school. Business Nvidia headquarters. Ann Wang/Reuters Nvidia’s stock price rose after the company reported strong earnings. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones indexes both closed at new highs. An hourslong AT&T outage interrupted cellular and internet service in the U.S. Vice Media’s new owners plan to lay off hundreds of employees, including in its digital publishing division. Russia and Ukraine Lyudmila Navalnaya, Aleksei Navalny’s mother, and Alexei Tsvetkov, his lawyer. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters Russian officials say that the opposition leader Aleksei Navalny died of natural causes. But they refuse to release his remains unless he’s given a “secret funeral,” his mother said. President Biden met with Navalny’s widow and daughter. He also criticized Donald Trump for likening Navalny’s death to his legal troubles. Biden called Vladimir Putin a “crazy S.O.B.” during a California fund-raiser. The Kremlin called Biden a “cowboy.” Read how Putin has embraced his strongman persona. Brain injuries in Ukraine are less visible than other injuries, but a photographer spent time inside hospitals that treat them. See his images. More International News U.S. officials investigated claims that allies of Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, met with and took millions of dollars from drug cartels. López Obrador said the allegations were false and disclosed a Times reporter’s cellphone number on national television. Israeli, Qatari, U.S. and Egyptian officials will meet in Paris today to discuss a deal for a cease-fire and the release of hostages in Gaza. China uses a network of contractors to help hack computer systems in other countries, but economic problems and corruption are making those contractors vulnerable. Other Big Stories Odysseus over the moon. Intuitive Machines, via Associated Press Odysseus has landed: A spacecraft made by a Houston-based company touched down safely on the moon, becoming the first new American lander there in more than 50 years. New York’s attorney general called for stronger warnings about Singulair, an asthma medication that can cause suicidal thoughts, especially in children. (A Times story last month detailed the side effects.) Weather-related disasters forced more than two million people in the U.S. from their homes last year, census data shows. A Texas judge ruled that a school dress code used to punish a Black student for refusing to change his hairstyle did not violate state law. Opinions A paradox is stopping us from reaching our climate goals: As energy becomes more affordable, people tend to use even more, Ed Conway writes. Paul Krugman joined the Matter of Opinion podcast to answer the question: Why does the economy look so good to economists but feel so bad to voters? Here are columns by Krugman and David Brooks on Bidenomics. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Francesca Arena Leap-day love: For couples who aren’t big on anniversaries, a wedding on Feb. 29 is an attractive proposition. Rise and fall: Louise Blouin rose to the top tiers of society and made her name as an art-world mogul. This month she was in bankruptcy court. Voices in the blue: Unusual experiments suggest how baleen whales sing. Lives Lived: Hydeia Broadbent, born with H.I.V., was 6 years old when she began talking on television about her struggle with the virus, aiming to educate the public. She died at 39. SPORTS Revealing: There is growing discontent in the M.L.B. over this season’s uniforms, especially the pants — some of which look see-through. New York Mets: Kodai Senga will miss the start of the season with a shoulder strain. N.F.L.: The Kansas City Chiefs signed the punter Matt Araiza, who has not played in the league since a 2022 lawsuit accused him of sexual assault. No charges were filed. Childhood team: A billionaire bought a chunk of Manchester United. Now he has to fix it. Soccer: Dani Alves, once a star at Barcelona and on the Brazilian national team, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for sexual assault. Continue reading the main story A MESSAGE FROM APPLE CARD Spend. Earn. See how it adds up. Every Apple Card purchase earns you real cash on every purchase — up to 3%. Terms apply. Apply now. ARTS AND IDEAS Kyle Victory A private podcast: Voice notes are becoming a common way to talk with friends, especially among young people. They’re also deeply divisive. “If I have to listen to one longer than a minute, I get distracted and stop taking it in,” said Iris Meines, 29, who added that she often took notes while listening to keep track. Elaine Swann, an etiquette expert, said voice notes should be used only in cases where “tone is necessary, but a conversation is not,” like an apology. “Exercise self-control,” she said. “Don’t barge into someone’s life with a long-winded voice note.” More on culture Wesley Morris reviews “This is Me … Now: A Love Story,” Jennifer Lopez’s strange movie based on her latest album. Romeo Gigli, the minimalist ’90s fashion designer, is planning his next act in Marrakesh. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Kelly Marshall for The New York Times Roast cauliflower and a whole head of garlic to make a near-magical three-ingredient soup. Watch four great documentaries about the war in Ukraine. Store your bike neatly indoors. Drink a refreshing hard seltzer. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was abundance. Here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. And here’s a new feature from the Games team: The Puzzle Personality Quiz, which asks 10 questions to find your puzzle personality and then matches you with games you might enjoy. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 26 Author Members Share Posted February 26 February 24, 2024 Good morning. Today, my colleague Sam Dolnick writes about the delightful experience of realizing that one person’s trash actually is your own personal treasure. I’ll be back next Saturday. — Melissa Kirsch By Sam Dolnick We’re also covering Beyoncé, Russian sanctions and Israel. María Jesús Contreras Discarded gems My life, like yours, I suspect, can feel like it has been ingeniously designed for the sole purpose of strangling serendipity. Work days are built around back-to-back meetings and video calls; evenings revolve around children’s bedtimes; date nights have to be scheduled weeks in advance; even phone calls to catch up with friends can take multiple rounds of back-and-forth coordination by text. I have found a secret antidote to all that structure, a magic portal that has no clock or key. It is a neighborhood stoop, or rather, the discarded books that gather there. For you, maybe that translates into a bargain bin or a giveaway pile; wherever you can find books that are weathered, dog-eared and inscribed to someone else. They call out to me like porch lights to a bug. Why do I love other people’s books? Because they carry no obligation and no expectations, unlike that novel weighing down my night stand, from a friend who insisted that I love it. Or that other one, that won an award I should care about. Or the one I’ve been halfway through for a year. If you’re not on guard, your free time can easily become someone else’s. Found books, meanwhile, are blissfully dislocated from any hint of duty or “discourse.” They are deserted islands. Population: one. On a recent Sunday afternoon, I purchased two well-reviewed books that had long been on my reading list. That evening, while walking the dog, I found a Saul Bellow novel from 1982 sitting on a stoop. I had never heard of it, and the cover had an unappetizing illustration of a bald man’s forehead, but I scooped up “The Dean’s December” like I had won the lottery. Later that night, as I stayed up reading Bellow on communist Romania (why not!), I beamed while my carefully considered new purchases lay untouched in my bag. I delighted in each yellowed sentence: “The meat tasted of fire and suggested sacrifice. It carried a creaturely flavor; the smell of the stall, of the hide, was still there, and he had to suppress the unwanted feeling of animal intimacy that it gave him.” So great! Isn’t it? Or am I too smitten to see straight? Am I predetermined to love stoop books inordinately because of my gratitude for the kismet? Did Ann Beattie write one of the greatest novels of all time in 1976, or do I love “Chilly Scenes of Winter” because I found it by a fireplace in an old ski house? Is Vikram Chandra’s Indian gangster epic the richest thriller ever conceived, or do I adore “Sacred Games” because I discovered it in someone else’s guest room? My quest for gems hidden in plain sight makes me slow down as I walk the dog at night, exploring ordinary blocks that might otherwise pass in a blur. It has sparked my curiosity — a Spanish translation of Nicholas Nickleby? Huh! — and reliably rewarded me for it. Serendipity can be hard to summon, but when you manage to find it — on a stoop or anywhere else — pause to appreciate the alchemy taking place: humdrum artifacts start to glow, as the dutiful melts away. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet. Chantal Anderson for The New York Times Ahead of the release of “Dune: Part 2” next month, the actor Timothée Chalamet and the director Denis Villeneuve discussed their creative dynamic, and how they use French as their “second secret language.” (They avoided commenting on the viral Dune popcorn bucket.) Zelda Williams, daughter of the actor Robin Williams, spoke to The Times about making her feature filmmaking debut with the comedy “Lisa Frankenstein.” A group of directors that includes Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg bought the Village Theater in Los Angeles. George Santos sued Jimmy Kimmel, accusing Kimmel of using a fake identity to request videos from Santos on the celebrity video-sharing app Cameo, The Washington Post reports. Music Beyoncé became the first Black woman to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s country chart with her song “Texas Hold ’Em.” (You can listen to the song here.) The trial of three men accused of stealing notes that contained early lyrics to Eagles songs, including “Hotel California,” began in Manhattan. Online “Madame Web,” Sony’s latest addition to the Spider-Man franchise, was panned by critics. The internet is obsessed with it. “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood,” a decade-old mobile game from the reality TV star, will close in April, The Wall Street Journal reports. “I’m in mourning,” one fan said. A 50-part, nearly eight-hour series of TikTok videos in which a woman recounted her short-lived marriage to a “pathological liar” garnered millions of views, The Washington Post reports. Other Big Stories London Fashion Week turned 40 this month. See what people were wearing outside of the shows. The Metropolitan Opera announced the lineup for its 2024-25 season, which includes new stagings of Verdi’s “Aida” and Strauss’s “Salome.” Read five highlights. Neil Gaiman, author of the Sandman series, is auctioning original comic book art and collectibles. Ameen Sayani, a pioneering Indian radio presenter who was one of the first voices heard on the airwaves in Asia, died at 91. Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo and captivated the public as a free bird for more than a year, died after apparently hitting a Manhattan building. He was 13. THE LATEST NEWS War in Ukraine Ukrainian soldiers fired a howitzer at Russian targets last week. Tyler Hicks/The New York Times The U.S. imposed its most extensive package of sanctions on Russia since the war in Ukraine started, including on Russian government officials tied to Aleksei Navalny’s death. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, visited Ukraine to mark the war’s second anniversary and pressure House Republicans to pass more aid. Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, endorsed Sweden’s bid to join NATO after it agreed to give Hungary more fighter jets, ending a 19-month blockade. Other Big Stories Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, proposed retaining indefinite military control of Gaza after the war ends. Palestinians denounced his plan. A Manhattan jury found Wayne LaPierre, the N.R.A.’s former leader, liable for misspending charitable funds and ordered him to pay back more than $4 million. Many Republicans are distancing themselves from an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are children. Donald Trump said that in vitro fertilization should be legal, and Alabama lawmakers are weighing legislation to protect it. The U.S. government said it considered new Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Palestinian territory that Israel occupies, to be illegal under international law. Odysseus, the first private spacecraft to land on the moon, has toppled over but remains functional. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. CULTURE CALENDAR By Andrew LaVallee Arts & Leisure Editor 🏆 Precursor bonanza (Saturday and Sunday): The Academy Awards ceremony is March 10, but if you’re trying to win your office pool or are just an awards-show nerd, this is a weekend to watch. The Screen Actors Guild (aka SAG) Awards are streaming on Netflix Saturday, followed by the Film Independent Spirit (streaming on YouTube) and Producers Guild awards on Sunday. Since so many Oscar contenders are also up for these so-called precursor awards, you’ll get a sense of the front-runners and can bet accordingly. 📺 “Shogun” (Tuesday): The first two episodes of this 10-part series are set to air next week, so we’ll soon know what a TV show in the works for over a decade looks like. Anything to fill the “True Detective: Night Country” hole in our hearts! Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT RECIPE OF THE WEEK Sang an for The New York Times By Melissa Clark San Francisco-Style Vietnamese American Garlic Noodles How much garlic is too much? The answer depends on your adoration for Allium sativum, the garlic species, and mine runs very deep. Naturally I’m happy to make J. Kenji López-Alt’s excellent San Francisco-style Vietnamese American garlic noodles. A pungent paste made from 20 cloves is cooked in butter, which mellows it quite a bit, while oyster, fish and soy sauces add a complex, savory depth. (Watch Kenji make the dish on YouTube.) REAL ESTATE Chip Roberts and Debbi Calton-Roberts in Hudson, N.Y. Tony Cenicola/The New York Times The hunt: A couple wanted a place in upstate New York with space for art supplies, music gear and chickens. Which home did they choose? Play our game. What you get for $300,000: A 1920 two-bedroom cottage in New Braunfels, Texas; a one-bedroom condominium in Atlanta; or a 1925 Craftsman bungalow in Omaha. LIVING Getty Images “Unexpected red”: A viral TikTok theory offers a cure for a drab living room. Hello, doily! Young designers are giving lace, a fabric that evokes images of quaint cottage curtains or a grandmother’s bridal veil, a fresh look. Travel smart: How to pack for a two-week trip with just one small suitcase. Sweating Buckets: Saunas in Minnesota, part of a tradition with roots in the 1800s, have become especially popular as more people seek a shared, communal experience. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER Get a head start on spring planting Starting seeds indoors is a great way to get ahead on your planting, and to spend way less money than you would buying full-grown plants come spring. You’ll need a light source that’s strong enough to nurture baby seedlings through their first stages of life. But don’t be fooled by fancy packaging. After growing hundreds of seedlings in my living room, I can attest that standard LED shop lights (yes, the $20 ones you see in dingy basements or garages) are just as good as pricey grow lights. — Sebastian Compagnucci GAME OF THE WEEK Emanuel Sharp David J. Phillip/Associated Press No. 2 Houston vs. No. 11 Baylor, men’s college basketball: What’s that saying about an unstoppable force and an immovable object? Baylor’s offense is among the best in the country, while Houston has the No. 1 defense by a wide margin. The N.C.A.A. tournament is less than a month away; you might consider penciling in the winner of this one for a deep run in your bracket. Today at 12 p.m. Eastern on CBS. More on sports The Athletic’s Bubble Watch series breaks down which college basketball teams have a shot at making it to March Madness, for both the women’s field and the men’s field. After spring training in the Coachella Valley, the M.L.S. season began this week. Here are five story lines to watch, including Lionel Messi’s first full season with Miami. Season six of “Drive to Survive,” Netflix’s hit Formula 1 documentary series, is now streaming. Oddly, it overlooks Max Verstappen’s dominant year. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was workload. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week’s headlines. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Correction: Yesterday’s newsletter misidentified Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction, as a goddess. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted February 26 Author Members Share Posted February 26 February 25, 2024 By German Lopez Good morning. We’re covering one of this year’s biggest video games, plus the South Carolina primary, Sudan’s civil war and the SAG Awards. Rethinking the remake For years, video game fans clamored for a remake of the beloved 1997 game Final Fantasy VII. After all, we are in an era of sequels, reboots and remakes, with three different live-action versions of Spider-Man in theaters in the last 20 years. Why not do the same with one of the most acclaimed games of all time? The original Final Fantasy VII broke new ground for the franchise, as this Times video shows. It was the series’s first leap into 3-D graphics. It ditched Final Fantasy’s typical swords-and-magic setting for a more futuristic, science-fictional one. It simplified some of the gameplay to attract newcomers. And it told a story about eco-terrorism and corporate greed destroying the planet — themes that resonated with gamers and nongamers alike. Fans wanted to see how Square Enix, the company that makes Final Fantasy games, would revisit and update all of that with today’s technology. Square Enix listened. It announced that it would remake the game. It is coming in three parts: The first installment, Final Fantasy VII Remake, came out in 2020. The second, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, is coming out this week. (Read The Times’s review.) The final part is expected in the next few years. But the company did something weird. While it improved the graphics and gameplay to match modern standards, as expected, it also made changes to the story. And they are big changes. In the original game, for example, the player does not fight the main villain, Sephiroth, until the very end. In the remake, you fight him in the first installment. And the changes go even further. The remakes hint that Sephiroth is aware of what happened in the original Final Fantasy VII. In other words, he might know that he lost in the 1997 version, and be trying to change things to make sure he wins this time around. The game itself seems to be a metacommentary on fans’ expectations regarding remakes, and on developers’ desires to create something new. This possibility of change has sparked a sense of wonder among players that is not typically associated with remakes. In the original game’s most shocking moment, Sephiroth killed a major character, Aerith. Now, fans are debating whether that moment will occur at all in the remakes: Could Aerith survive? Gamers are largely embracing these changes. Remake, the first part, was a critical and financial success. And Rebirth is already one of the most anticipated games of the year. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS South Carolina Primary Donald Trump Travis Dove for The New York Times Donald Trump easily defeated Nikki Haley in her home state, South Carolina. See the results. Haley pledged to continue her campaign and said the results — she won around 39 percent of the vote — demonstrated that “huge numbers of voters” want an alternative to Trump and President Biden. Trump’s victory makes clear that the Republican primary contest isn’t a competition so much as a coronation, Lisa Lerer writes. Trump won nearly all the delegates in South Carolina, taking 60 percent of the vote. Delegate math helps explain why the Republican race might end quickly, Nate Cohn writes. Read more takeaways from the primary. Middle East Cabins in the West Bank settlement of Homesh. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times Right-wing ministers in the Israeli government are agitating to settle more land in the occupied West Bank. Homesh, a re-established settlement, symbolizes their resolve. The U.S. and Britain conducted large-scale military strikes against multiple Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen. Biden’s support of Israel’s war in Gaza has caught him in a political bind. War in Ukraine Kamianske, Ukraine. Lynsey Addario for The New York Times Independent polls found that a majority of Ukrainians — while weary of war — were optimistic about the future. More than a decade ago, the U.S. began nurturing a secret intelligence relationship with Ukraine. It is now key for both nations to counter Russia. Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Western leaders in Kyiv to mark two years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, The A.P. reports. A Russian soldier died in a strike in eastern Ukraine, but his remains were not found. A year later, his mother holds out a shred of hope for a miracle. Read her story. More International News Renk, South Sudan. Joao Silva/The New York Times Rape, killing, torture: A U.N. report detailed abuses during the civil war in Sudan. A giant fire that raged through a high-rise apartment complex in Valencia, Spain, killed at least 10 people. Toronto is experiencing an epidemic of car thefts. Some residents are turning to creative deterrence methods. Culture Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” took home three SAG Awards, including for best ensemble. See the full list of winners. The comedian Shane Gillis hosted “Saturday Night Live.” In 2019, he was fired before he ever appeared on the show. During his monologue, he asked viewers not to look up why. Other Big Stories Wayne LaPierre Mark Abramson for The New York Times The trial of the former N.R.A. leader Wayne LaPierre underscored how the organization became as much about money as about guns during his tenure. The end of a pandemic-era policy that barred states from pushing people off Medicaid is threatening the American safety net. A South Carolina man was found guilty in the killing of a transgender woman. The authorities said it was the first federal murder trial of someone charged with a hate crime based on gender identity. FROM OPINION When advocating for body positivity, remember to support women showing signs of aging, too, Alexandra D’Amour writes. People with post-traumatic stress relive trauma that’s behind them. Doctors are researching a different traumatic stress in Gaza, where the fear of bombs never ends, Yara Asi writes. Here are columns by Ross Douthat on “woke A.I.” and Maureen Dowd on Biden’s love life. The Sunday question: Did Russia’s anti-Putin movement die with Aleksei Navalny? The anticorruption activist and opposition leader’s sudden death “represents the extinguishing of all hope for Russia’s turnaround,” Sasha Vasilyuk writes for CNN. But if Navalny taught activists anything, it’s to not be afraid: “The courage he demonstrated will be required in abundance to carry on the mission,” Bloomberg’s editorial board writes. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Drevon Alston manages the dish pit at a Brooklyn restaurant. Amanda Choy/The New York Times On the job: See a day in the life of a New York City restaurant dishwasher. Two heroes, two cities: On a snowy trip to Rochester and Auburn, a writer explores the towns that Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman called home. Internet beef: For over two decades, the South Pacific island of Niue has been fighting for ownership of the lucrative .nu domain. Vows: Danni Liu embraced the joys and challenges of her relationship with David Choi, who has muscular dystrophy. Lives Lived: Henry Rono was a Kenyan distance runner who overcame a gruesome childhood leg injury to break four world records in just 81 days. He died at 72. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT TALK | FROM THE TIMES MAGAZINE Patric Gagne Bráulio Amado By David Marchese I spoke with the author Patric Gagne, whose coming memoir, “Sociopath,” details her experiences living with sociopathy, which is a mental health condition associated with a disregard for right and wrong and a lack of empathy. When I hear the word “sociopath,” I think of an antisocial, uncaring person who is interested only in satisfying his or her own desires. What’s a clearer or fuller picture? Sociopathy is a perilous mental disorder; the traits associated with sociopathy aren’t great. But that only tells part of the story. The part that’s missing is you can be a sociopath and have a healthy relationship. That’s a very uncomfortable reality for some people. People want to believe that all sociopaths are monsters and that all monsters are easy to spot. Are you able to describe how you’ve built a sense of morality? Just because I don’t care about someone else’s pain, so to speak, doesn’t mean I want to cause more of it. I enjoy living in this society. I understand that there are rules. I choose to follow those rules because I understand the benefits of this world. That is different from people who follow the rules because they have to, they should, they want to be a good person. Do you see your sociopathy as beneficial to you? I think my sociopathy is entirely beneficial to me. I see my friends struggling with guilt. On an almost daily basis I think, I’m glad I don’t have that. The psychological characteristics of sociopathy are not inherently bad. Lack of remorse and shame and guilt has been misappropriated to mean this horrible thing, but again, just because I don’t care about you doesn’t mean I want to cause you more pain. I like that I don’t have guilt because I’m making my decisions based on logic, based on truth, as opposed to ought or should. Read more of the interview here. More from the magazine As NASA prepares for a Mars mission, it’s conducting tests on what might be the effort’s greatest challenge: the trauma of isolation. Gorgeous, abundant onscreen visuals are pale imitations of what kids used to have: actual subcultures, with an actual scene. Read the full issue. BOOKS The first edition of Alasdair Gray’s “Poor Things.” Adaptation: “Poor Things,” starring Emma Stone and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, is a weird movie. It was a weird book first. A love song to his roots: “Remembering Peasants” presents a stirring elegy for a vanishing culture that bound us, relentlessly, to our agrarian origins. Our editors’ picks: “Cocktails with George and Martha,” about the making of the movie “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” and eight other books. Times best sellers: Marissa Meyer’s “With a Little Luck” finds good fortune on the young adult hardcover best-seller list. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Listen to these podcasts if you’re a foodie. Sleep bundled up in an adult swaddle. Wake up with the help of a calming sunrise alarm clock. THE WEEK AHEAD What to Watch For Belarusian parliamentary elections are today, the first since Russia’s war in Ukraine. Michigan primaries are Tuesday. Thursday is Leap Day. The deadline for Congress to avert a partial government shutdown is Friday. Iranian parliamentary elections are Friday. Idaho, Missouri and Michigan are holding Republican caucuses Saturday. What to Cook This Week Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Making soup is often about playing the long game, Krysten Chambrot writes in this week’s Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter. For those who don’t have time to wait, though, Krysten offers quick recipes: a red lentil soup that’s ready in 45 minutes, a twist on a classic Italian wedding soup and a vegetable soup featuring tortilla chips. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was unconvincing. Can you put eight historical events — including the first alphabets, the first I.V.F. baby, and the terra-cotta warriors — in chronological order? Take this week’s Flashback quiz. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.