Richard Bernstein, a former correspondent and critic for The New York Times whose deep knowledge of Asia and Europe illuminated reporting from Tiananmen Square to the Bastille, and who wrote things as he saw them in 10 books driven by unflinching intellectual curiosity, died on Monday in Manhattan. He was 80. His death, in a … Read more
President Trump’s announcement of sweeping tariffs on America’s trading partners has widened the rift between the United States and some of its closest allies while reconfiguring the global economic order. Mr. Trump’s plan, which he unveiled on Wednesday and is calling “reciprocal,” would impose a wave of tariffs on dozens of other countries. Among major … Read more
Trump announced sweeping global tariffs President Trump unveiled yesterday his most expansive tariffs to date, hitting all of the U.S. trading partners except Canada and Mexico with a 10 percent tariffs. Europe and China will face much higher rates. At a ceremony at the White House, Trump called the announcement “our declaration of economic independence.” … Read more
Democratic senators sent a letter to the Trump administration on Wednesday criticizing what they called the paltry U.S. aid response to the earthquake in Myanmar, where China and Russia have sent rescue and relief teams. The six senators said in the letter that the United States appeared to be failing the first test of its … Read more
The human costs of Russia’s war in Ukraine are enormous, measured in mass graves, nightly missile attacks, traumatized children and hundreds of thousands of soldiers dead or wounded. But Ukraine’s environment is also being devastated. The war may end, but damage from artillery shells, mines, drones and missiles will endure for decades, experts say, degrading … Read more
The Trump administration has abruptly laid off the entire staff running a $4.1 billion program to help low-income households across the United States pay their heating and cooling bills. The firings threaten to paralyze the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which was created by Congress in 1981 and helps to offset high utility bills … Read more
On an interrail trip across Europe in 1989, years before you could buy Cool Ranch Doritos in Copenhagen or Oreos in Amsterdam, supermarkets and convenience stores in eight countries were comforting for two 19-year-olds from Los Angeles. I know because I was one of them. The stores had a certain familiarity, with the same harsh … Read more
Already Seen Kyoto? Expand Your Itinerary in Japan
Many travelers are driven by a desperate desire to reach the last great undiscovered place before the rest of the tourist hordes. In 2025, though, that elusive location is becoming something of a mirage. That is particularly apparent in Saudi Arabia, which opened itself to tourism nearly six years ago (before, only Muslims, traveling for … Read more
Getting vaccinated against shingles can reduce the risk of developing dementia, a large new study finds. The results provide some of the strongest evidence yet that some viral infections can have effects on brain function years later and that preventing them can help stave off cognitive decline. The study, published on Wednesday in the journal … Read more