March 31, 2023: Ex-President Trump is indicted by New York grand jury, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will meet with Xi Jinping in China and other top news.
All posts by Intellicurious
Front Page: The New York Times – March 31, 2023
Trump Is Indicted, Becoming First Ex-President to Face Criminal Charges
The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, has not announced the charges that former President Donald J. Trump will face when he is arraigned next week.
A President Faces Prosecution, and a Democracy Is Tested
For more than two centuries, American presidents were effectively shielded from indictment. But the case against former President Donald J. Trump breaks that taboo and sets a new precedent.
This is what will happen when Trump is arrested in the coming days.
Donald J. Trump will likely face standard processing when he is taken into custody, but the unprecedented arrest of a former commander in chief will be anything but routine.
Republicans Erupt in Outrage and Rush to Defend the Defendant
Many in the party said Donald Trump could benefit from a wave of sympathy among Republicans, with his base of supporters likely to be energized by a belief in a weaponized justice system.
Research Preview: Science Magazine – March 31, 2023
Horse nations: Animal began transforming Native American life startlingly early
Sweeping new study based on archaeological evidence, chemical isotope analysis, and ancient DNA “totally changes the game”
Straight from the heart: Mysterious lipids may predict cardiac problems better than cholesterol
Drug developers are now trying to target ceramides, which appear to contribute to a range of metabolic disorders
Modernist Architecture: John Lautner 1962 Garcia House Tour, Los Angeles
For John McIlwee, living in John Lautner’s Garcia House has been nothing short of life-altering. “It’s been empowering and substantial,” he tells AD. An entertainment business manager, McIlwee and his partner, Bill Damaschke, bought the 1962 modernist masterpiece from Vincent Gallo in 2002, who told them the property would change their lives. McIlwee says it did. “John Lautner has kind of a cult following with people from all walks of life, so it’s been an amazing way to be part of a bigger collective world of art and architecture,” he says. Now, it’s time to pass the torch—or, better phrased, the keys—to a new owner.
Art: ‘Must-See Museum Exhibitions’ – April 2023
First up, the Los Angeles County Museum. This museum has long been a hub for cutting-edge contemporary art, and this month’s exhibition is no exception. Featuring the artwork of women representing the Islamic community, this show promises to be a feast for the senses.
Next, we’re off to London’s Design Museum, where we’ll be exploring the art of famous artist and architect Ai Weiwei. With interactive exhibits and immersive installations, this show is a must-see for anyone interested in the future of architecture as art.
From there, we’ll be making our way to the Baltimore Museum of Art, where we’ll be exploring the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. With works spanning the decades, this exhibition offers a fascinating insight into the ways in which artists have represented themselves and others throughout the story of this unique and popular music genre.
Last but not least, we’ll be heading to the Kunsthaus Zürich, where we’ll be exploring the fascinating intersection of Alberto Giacometti and Salvador Dalí. From the bold, colorful works of the Dalí to the chiseled and lapidarian aesthetic of the Giacometti, this show is a celebration of one of Europe’s most profound and innovative surrealist artists of the 20th century.
Previews: The Economist Magazine – March 25, 2023
Why the China-US contest is entering a new and more dangerous phase
Chinese officials rage at what they see as American bullying
You may have hoped that when China reopened and face-to-face contact resumed between politicians, diplomats and businesspeople, Sino-American tensions would ease in a flurry of dinners, summits and small talk. But the atmosphere in Beijing just now reveals that the world’s most important relationship has become more embittered and hostile than ever.
How to fix the global rice crisis
The world’s most important crop is fuelling climate change and diabetes
The green revolution was one of the greatest feats of human ingenuity. By promoting higher-yielding varieties of wheat and, especially, rice, plant-breeders in India, Mexico and the Philippines helped China emerge from a famine and India avoid one. From 1965 to 1995 Asia’s rice yields doubled and its poverty almost halved, even as its population soared.
Israel should not squander the opportunity for meaningful constitutional talks
The government’s retreat has pulled Israel back from the brink. But its people remain deeply divided
Israel’s citizens have won a rare victory after marching, week after week, to defend judicial independence and the character of their democracy. On March 27th they forced their prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to suspend his plan to rein in the courts. Yet, although the crisis has abated, it has not passed.
The New York Review Of Books – April 20, 2023
‘Binding and Building’ America
Maxine Hong Kingston: The Woman Warrior, China Men, Tripmaster Monkey, Hawai‘i One Summer, Other Writings edited by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Maxine Hong Kingston’s best work has a timeless quality, fresh, beautiful, horrifying, bursting with myth and fantasy and nagging reality.
The British Broadcasting Conundrum
The BBC: A Century on Air by David Hendy
This Is the BBC: Entertaining the Nation, Speaking for Britain? 1922–2022 by Simon J. Potter
World War II was the BBC’s finest hour, but its history since then reflects the corporation’s gradual loss of primacy in British life.
Refill the Swamp!
Fen, Bog and Swamp: A Short History of Peatland Destruction and Its Role in the Climate Crisis by Annie Proulx
Wild by Design: The Rise of Ecological Restoration by Laura J. Martin
Two recent books show that the concept of ecological restoration is a fuzzy one: even practitioners rarely agree on what is being restored, or to what end.
Hikes: Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa
Video timeline: 00:00 View to City Bowl of Cape Town 00:28 Devil’s Peak View 03:15 Other side of the plateau 05:00 Twelve Apostles View 07:40 Restaurant Area on Mountain Top 08:30 Beautiful Bird – What’s the name? 08:53 Camps Bay Beach View 09:20 Lion’s Head | Clifton Beach and Sea Point View 10:30 Waiting Line to go down at cableway station 11:51 Cape Town Cityscape & Table Bay View
Also the City Bowl with its vibrant city centre and business area and even Robben island are visible from the highest point in Cape Town.
Literary Journal Preview: 3rd Wednesday – Spring ’23
3rd Wednesday Literary Journal (Spring 2023)
Sea Otter Cove / Lucy Mitchem
Silent Hearing / Lynn Gilbert
FIGHTING DINOSAURS / ROBERT FILLMAN
Exhibition Tours: ‘Mirror Mirror – Reflections On Design At Chatsworth’
Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth
18 March 2023–1 October 2023
Called Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth, the exhibition brings together a collection of furniture and objects displayed throughout and responding to Chatsworth House and its gardens. In total, 16 international designers and artists created pieces that respond to the interiors of the building.
Some responded by sourcing materials from the property itself, while others focussed on themes and ideas taken from decorations within the interiors.
