Tag Archives: Politics

THE NEW YORK TIMES – WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30, 2026

After Two Decades, U.S. Forces Leave Iraq to an Uncertain Future

The U.S. military formally withdrew from Iraq, ending a presence that stoked years of bloodshed, and leaving behind a battered nation trapped between warring allies.

A Way Out of the A.I. Arms Race?

New research points to how the world could stop short of the brink of disaster. Even with the agreement signed at the White House by tech leaders, it won’t be easy.

Ukraine’s Naval Drones Are Remaking War at Sea

They began as modified motorboats. Now, Ukrainian sea drones act as miniature aircraft carriers, and other countries want in.

Hispanic Voters on the Texas Border Have Soured on Trump

In 2024, these voters were an essential part of the winning Republican coalition. Now, many feel abandoned, complicating the party’s chances in November.

Ken Paxton Privately Said Trump’s Convention Hurt His Campaign

The top Texas Senate candidate and Trump loyalist said “everybody’s numbers dropped” after the event, according to audio obtained by The Times.

How Meta Uses A.I. Data Centers to Avoid Billions in Federal Taxes

Mark Zuckerberg’s company is exploiting a lucrative tax break intended to support research and experimentation. Its own accountants say the gambit is risky.

CLAREMONT REVIEW OF BOOKS – FALL 2026

Claremont Review of Books: The latest issue features ‘The Ruling Class At Stanford’….

Tune In, Drop Out, Start Up

by Michael Anton

Because I’m going to be quite critical of Theo Baker’s How to Rule the World, it feels only right to start with three pieces of sincere praise: the book held my attention all the way to the end, I learned things from it, and I read it twice. These are not reactions I expect most new books to generate, let alone one written by someone not yet of legal drinking age. Hence on this basis alone, I would have to concede that Rule (borrowing Baker’s shorthand for a “secret” Stanford class, about which more below) is a real achievement.

The Married Vine

by Sam Schneider

The first marriage in Tuscan history was not between a man and a woman but between a vine and a tree. Before the Etruscans cleared these hills, they were dense with oakwood, through which wild grape vines climbed naturally toward the canopy, wedded to the forest in which they grew. The Etruscans formalized that marriage. Vines were trained up living maples, elms, and poplars. Grapes were cut from ladders or with long sickles. Later Italians called it the vite maritata—the married vine.

Blowing Off The Odyssey

by Martha Bayles

After watching Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey in a sold-out IMAX theater, my husband and I were heading for the exit when we were attacked by smiling employees brandishing free rolled-up posters. Raising our shields, we broke through their phalanx, leaped aboard our vessel moored in the parking lot, and sailed homeward with only a few posters glancing off the moonroof.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – TUESDAY, SEPT. 29, 2026

Mideast Oil Exports Rebound Even as Prices Remain Elevated

More tankers are moving through the Strait of Hormuz as shippers gain confidence, but the global supply of oil is still below demand

The World Has Adapted to the Loss of Gulf Oil and Gas. At Least for Now.

Six months after the start of the Iran War, the biggest buyers of Middle Eastern energy have secured alternative supplies.

Bomb by Bomb, the Slow Death of My Hometown in Ukraine

It was possible, for a time, to think that Kramatorsk, where I was born and raised, would survive the war mostly unscathed. Not any more.

Democratic Turnout Surged in the Primaries. Will It Matter in November?

A voter enthusiasm gap provides another signal that Democrats are favored this fall, though Republicans still have key advantages.

The Russian Prison That Evan Gershkovich Carried Home

In an interview, Mr. Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who was imprisoned in Russia for 16 months, described his ordeal and the moment that nearly broke him.

The Rescuers Keeping Two Ukrainian ‘Fortress Cities’ Alive

Emergency workers have to move fast after Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine. Another could come at any moment.

POLITICO MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER 28, 2026

POLITICO MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Serving At His Pleasure’ – What its really like to serve in Trump’s Cabinet.

Serving at His Pleasure

What it’s like to be in Donald Trump’s Cabinet. By Myah Ward, Diana Nerozzi, Sophia Cai, Daniel Lippman and Marcia Brown

Trump’s economy polls terribly. It’s also surging.

Consumer sentiment is sagging, yet the economy is powering forward, driven by an AI investment boom and people still spending despite the strain of higher prices.

Poll: Trump’s MAGA loyalists don’t think he has an affordability problem

A recent POLITICO Poll found that cost of living concerns are reinforcing partisanship divides — and driving a wedge among Republicans.

Russia Said These Foreigners Wouldn’t Have to Fight. Then It Sent Them to the Frontlines.

One wounded Peruvian escaped and made his way home.

THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE – OCTOBER 5, 2026 PREVIEW

Image may contain Publication Book Person Garden Nature Outdoors Adult Flower Plant Face Head and Art

THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE: The latest issue cover features “Victoria Tentler-Krylov’s “Flower District” – An oasis in the middle of the city.

The President vs. the Press

Donald Trump’s behavior cannot be called unexpected at this point. What was noteworthy last week, however, was the way that the media responded. By Jelani Cobb

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

The quandary faced by government lawyers who think that the Trump Administration is subverting justice. By Eyal Press

Why America Looks the Way It Does

From vast grids to winding suburbs, Americans have spent two centuries remaking the landscape around property. By Daniel Immerwahr

How America Became Antifascist

Franklin D. Roosevelt was slow to confront the threat of Fascism. A new history explores how he—and the country—finally came around. By Beverly Gage

THE NEW YORK TIMES – MONDAY, SEPT. 28, 2026

Possible Terror Plot at U.K. Air Base Used by U.S. Raises Security Concerns

Conflicting accounts from a bystander who called the police and from President Trump have led to questions about whether security services knew about the possible plot in advance.

Trump Brought Venezuelan Gold to the U.S., but Refiners Won’t Touch It

The administration is brokering deals in a notoriously corrupt industry, including one with a company that the United States deems a security threat.

Who’s Winning the Race for Congress?

We’re 36 days away from the midterms. Here’s the state of play

Black Voters Are Warming to Talarico in Texas. Turnout Is the Bigger Test.

Black voters largely rejected James Talarico in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Recent interviews suggest the hard feelings may be wearing off.

China and the U.S. Pledge to Cut Tariffs on $60 Billion in Goods

Trump Offered to Sell Arms to China, U.S. Ambassador Says

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE- SEPT. 27, 2026

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Can It Be Put Back Together?’….

They Kept Outsiders Away for 500 Years. Their World Is About to Change.

My father dedicated his life to studying the Guna people of Panama, and they may soon allow unprecedented development through their land. I went on a trek through the jungle to find out why. By Ben Ryder Howe and Federico Rios

The Problem With Apocalyptic Thinking

From climate to Covid to A.I., we face a terrifying feeling of exponential growth spinning out of our control. Are we right?

Has a Dash of ‘Whimsy’ Become Less Whimsical?

The push to optimize the magic in our lives is starting to feel like a trick for consumers. By Mitch Therieau

Back to School With Bulletproof Backpacks

Three people trying to quell their school-shooting anxiety. By Coralie Kraft

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2026

The Surprising Reasons China Is Skeptical of A.I. Safety Calls

In China, A.I. doomsday warnings can feel distinctly Western or like a ploy to stop Chinese A.I. companies from trying to overtake their U.S. rivals.

Russian Foreign Minister Vows Russia Will See Ukraine War Through

Russia’s foreign minister met with his German counterpart during the U.N. General Assembly but spent part of his address defending his country’s war on Ukraine.

Small Flying Machines Become Weapons of War in Myanmar

Years after a coup, the military is increasingly using motorized paragliders and gyrocopters to bomb towns and villages in rebel-held territory.

As A.I. Accelerates, Governments Are Increasingly Being Left Behind

The gap between technology and policymaking has gotten wider with artificial intelligence, leaving a global policy vacuum as A.I. models advance.

White House Claim of Finding $250 Billion in Fraud Uses Questionable Numbers

The ledger used by a task force created by President Trump is difficult to verify and includes cases that went to trial during the Biden administration.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SATURDAY, SEPT. 26, 2026

At Summit, Xi Sought to Tilt Trump’s Stance on America’s Place in Asia

In his talks with President Trump, the Chinese leader used praise, warnings and wartime history to challenge American support for Taiwan and Japan.

China’s Xi Snubs a Troubled U.N. for Trump, Overshadowing Its Big Week

The U.S.-China summit offered a sharp contrast with the action at the faltering United Nations in a gridlocked New York.

You Get an Eagle, and You Get an Eagle: Xi Takes Home Trump’s Go-To Gift

The president has often reached for statues of the national bird on diplomatic occasions in his second term. (Ronald Reagan favored them, too.)

Heroine or Public Enemy? The Israeli Blocking Much of Netanyahu’s Agenda.

Gali Baharav-Miara, Israel’s first female attorney general, has stopped many of the government’s efforts to remove constraints on its power.

A 7-Day Standoff That Said So Much About Trump and the Media

An abrupt decree, a network boycott, a legal intervention and an uneasy détente: This was no typical battle between a president and his press corps.

White House Blocks CNN From Air Force One

In the latest twist, the news outlet won’t be able to accompany President Trump on a trip to Tennessee today.

DOES A SHIELD MAKE PEACE?

The Intellitake
One argument · Two sides · One verdict · Daily
Friday, September 25, 2026 · The Missile Defense Debate
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Geography no longer protects America. A shield over the homeland is not a provocation — it is a commitment to peace through strength.

The Thesis — Gen. Mike Guetlein, The Washington Post

THE ARGUMENT

In the Washington Post, Gen. Mike Guetlein — the U.S. Space Force general who directs Golden Dome for America — makes the program’s public case. For generations, he writes, Americans could believe that two vast oceans and friendly neighbors kept major conflict far from our shores; that era of quiet skies is over. His framing, consistent with his testimony to Congress: near-peer competitors, specifically China and Russia, are rapidly expanding and modernizing their strategic arsenals, while the old U.S. missile defense architecture was designed only for rogue-state threats. The shield — a network of sensors and interceptors against ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles — is, in his words, a commitment to peace through strength and deterrence: raising the cost of attacking America until no adversary tries.

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THE ANSWER

Veteran nuclear-policy analyst Joe Cirincione, in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, states the stability school’s counter-case: any missile defense stimulates an offensive arms race, because the cheapest answer to a shield is more spears — an adversary cannot assume the system will fail, so it must build enough missiles to overwhelm it. That, he notes, is precisely why Nixon and Kissinger paired the first offensive arms treaty with the ABM Treaty in 1972: you cannot limit offense without limiting defense. China’s missile buildup, on this view, is already partly a response to U.S. defenses — and analysts like Laura Grego add the arithmetic: intercepting even a handful of ICBMs could require tens of thousands of space-based interceptors. The shield, the critics conclude, doesn’t end the missile age; it accelerates it.

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THE INTELLITAKE

Both sides claim the same goal — deterrence — and prescribe opposites, because they disagree about what an adversary sees when it looks at a shield. Guetlein sees a wall that makes attack futile; Cirincione sees a promise that America means to strike first and block the reply, which makes an adversary build until the wall is irrelevant. This is not a new argument: it is the SDI debate of 1983 and the ABM debate of 1972, rerun with hypersonics and orbital interceptors. What is new is the author — not a columnist but the program’s own director, making his case to the public in a newspaper, which is itself a datum: shields need believers to deter. The unresolved question is the one the 1972 negotiators answered one way and this administration answers the other: is defense the end of the arms race, or its engine?

TODAY’S PROVOCATION

If a perfect shield existed, would you trust your own government more — knowing it could strike without fear of reply?

— THE EDITORS, INTELLICURIOUS —