Новости за 07.12.2020

Last week, New Zealand became the latest country to declare climate change an emergency. Across the planet, local, regional, and national emergency declarations including those in New Zealand, Japan, and the United Kingdom now represent some 820 million citizens. The United States following suit could tip the scales—and broadcast to the rest of the world, at a crucial moment, that the country is discarding President Donald Trump’s legacy and reclaiming its role as a global citizen. It could also usefully signal to Americans... Читать дальше...

For enslaved Black Americans contemplating escape before the Civil War, the North increasingly looked like a bad option. Though Northern states had abolished slavery by the early nineteenth century, free Blacks were denied the right to vote, had limited employment options, and endured legal segregation. Much of the Midwest restricted free Blacks from even entering. There were also two threats that, until recently, have received insufficient attention: the kidnapping of free and fugitive Blacks... Читать дальше...

Some people collect stamps in their free time. Others play chess or go bird-watching. David Perdue, the senior senator from Georgia, trades stocks. An analysis by The New York Times earlier this month found that Perdue reportedly accounts for one-third of all stock trades made by senators in recent years, and that taken together, his trades exceed those made by the next five senators put together.

During his speech at an Allentown, Pennsylvania, rally, a week before the 2020 election, President Donald Trump briefly became distracted by one of his favorite sights: big trucks. “By the way, nice trucks,” he said. “You think I could hop into one of them and drive it away? I’d love to just drive the hell out of here. Just get the hell out of this. I had such a good life. My life was great.”

When the Covid-19 pandemic arrived, it invited Americans to choose their path to salvation. Would it be scientific reason, predicated on patience with process and trial and error? If so, eminent minds like Bill Gates and Anthony Fauci were there on our screens to explain how viruses spread exponentially and why we’d need to alter our behavior for a while in order to save millions of lives. Study up and act for the common good, they kept telling us.