Новости за 01.09.2020

When Hurricane Laura hit last week, all I could think about was Katrina. The world considers August 29 the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. For New Orleans residents like myself, that date marks the mere beginning of a disaster that unfolded over the course of a week and then reverberated for years and years. It’s a trauma we relive with each new storm. And despite climate scientists’ many warnings to prepare for more storms ahead, the fundamental pattern of human suffering and inequity seems to repeat itself. Читать дальше...

In a major speech in Pittsburgh on Monday, Joe Biden condemned President Trump for fueling the last few months of unrest in cities across the country, including the murder of two protesters last week in Kenosha, Wisconsin. “This president long ago forfeited any moral leadership in this country,” he said. “He can’t stop the violence because for years he has fomented it. He may believe mouthing the words law and order makes him strong, but his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting... Читать дальше...

At last week’s Republican National Convention, the GOP made its election strategy very clear: It would do everything in its power to amplify violence and cheer on disorder in order to reelect Donald Trump. “The more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence, the better it is for the very clear choice on who’s best on public safety, law, and order,” senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News. With over six million confirmed Covid-19 cases in the United States and the economy in tatters, the GOP’s only hope was to pray for mayhem. Читать дальше...

Much of the public discussion about Tuesday’s Democratic Senate primary in Massachusetts has focused on an unusual question: Why is four-term Congressman Joe Kennedy III attempting to unseat Senator Ed Markey, a local fixture whose uniformly liberal views offer almost no contrast with his own?

Viewers who tuned in to the Democratic National Convention a few weeks ago could have been forgiven for assuming that the spectacle they saw unfolding on their screens wasn’t so much the coronation of their own party’s nominee but rather a homecoming bash for Republicans. Democrats sure rolled out the welcome mat: Speakers at the event included GOP leaders like former Ohio Governor John Kasich and former George W. Bush officials such as Colin Powell and Christine Whitman.

The other day my landlord mentioned that he was having trouble filling several open apartments in the building. “It’s the first time the units have been vacant in 20 years,” he said glumly. Though the building happens to be attractively located near a park, several train lines, and a cluster of restaurants and bars, the lack of prospective renters wasn’t much of a shock. According to Curbed, the supply of available apartments in Brooklyn now outpaces the demand for them. As the pandemic drags on... Читать дальше...

In the wake of Brexit and Trump’s election, many Americans began to ask if the United States might soon break apart. In 2016, progressive activists in Portland, Oregon, submitted a petition calling for a statewide vote on secession; that same year, a poll showed that 26 percent of Texans supported state independence. In a 2018 survey, 31 percent of Americans believed a civil war was possible within the next five years. A cohort of national security experts put the chances of a civil war within the next 15 years at 35 percent. Читать дальше...