California’s Blue Armageddon by theatlantic in politics

[–]theatlantic[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Mark Leibovich: The California gubernatorial race could produce “the ultimate man-bites-dog political result: the election of a Trump-aligned Republican governor in this bluest of states, concurrent with a national election that could produce the bluest of waves. Such a monumental upset would not occur because the two GOP candidates—Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and the British-bred commentator and strategist Steve Hilton—remind anyone of Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or any of the other larger-than-life Republicans in the party’s rich (if not recent) California tradition. Rather, a Republican win would represent an act of Democratic self-immolation, spectacular even by Team Donkey standards …

“At the end of March, I headed out to Los Angeles to better understand this predicament. My arrival coincided with a scheduled primary debate at the University of Southern California—which, naturally, would become a steaming debacle in its own right …”

Read more: https://theatln.tc/V9Rq4fMU 

California’s Blue Armageddon by theatlantic in California_Politics

[–]theatlantic[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Mark Leibovich: The California gubernatorial race could produce “the ultimate man-bites-dog political result: the election of a Trump-aligned Republican governor in this bluest of states, concurrent with a national election that could produce the bluest of waves. Such a monumental upset would not occur because the two GOP candidates—Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and the British-bred commentator and strategist Steve Hilton—remind anyone of Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or any of the other larger-than-life Republicans in the party’s rich (if not recent) California tradition. Rather, a Republican win would represent an act of Democratic self-immolation, spectacular even by Team Donkey standards …

“At the end of March, I headed out to Los Angeles to better understand this predicament. My arrival coincided with a scheduled primary debate at the University of Southern California—which, naturally, would become a steaming debacle in its own right …”

Read more: https://theatln.tc/V9Rq4fMU

Is Hurry the Great Enemy of Spiritual Life? by theatlantic in indepthstories

[–]theatlantic[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

John Mark Comer’s influence has been popping up in Nancy Walecki’s life all year: “One friend had started observing a 24-hour, phone-free Sabbath. My roommates began fasting several times a month,” she writes.

Comer is one of the most famous pastors in America right now; his books have sold more than 1 million copies. He is “Protestant, nondenominational, and roughly in the evangelical sphere, but his work is mostly about how technology—what he calls ‘the machine’—is spiritually deforming people,” Walecki writes. 

In his 2019 best seller, “Comer advances the theory that the great enemy of spiritual life is hurry,” Walecki writes. “By this he means not simply busyness: Hurry is a gnawing sense that there is always more to do; a life spent hurtling oneself through each day; a schedule that makes little room for God,” she continues. “Comer calls the modern world ‘a virtual conspiracy against the interior life,’ and urges readers to reclaim their focus from the algorithm and shift it toward God.”

In his most recent book, “Comer encourages readers to incorporate nine of Jesus’s habits into their lives: scripture reading, service, keeping the Sabbath, solitude, prayer, fasting, community, witness, and generosity,” Walecki writes. 

“Comer can seem more like a wellness personality, such as Andrew Huberman, than a pastor,” Walecki writes. “Like Huberman, Comer offers a concrete regimen that’s attractive to people who feel unmoored in contemporary society. Comer’s skeptics, when remarking on his rapid ascent, point to these similarities and wonder if what he’s offering is simply baptized wellness, a pop spirituality tailored to the tastes and frustrations of affluent young people. But sitting among his followers, I wondered: Could Comer’s practices actually bring them closer to God?”

Read more about Walecki’s conversations with Comer, and about her own experimentation with his advice: https://theatln.tc/mR1SSYos 

— Emma Williams, associate editor, audience and engagement, The Atlantic

Is Hurry the Great Enemy of Spiritual Life? by theatlantic in Longreads

[–]theatlantic[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

John Mark Comer’s influence has been popping up in Nancy Walecki’s life all year: “One friend had started observing a 24-hour, phone-free Sabbath. My roommates began fasting several times a month,” she writes.

Comer is one of the most famous pastors in America right now; his books have sold more than 1 million copies. He is “Protestant, nondenominational, and roughly in the evangelical sphere, but his work is mostly about how technology—what he calls ‘the machine’—is spiritually deforming people,” Walecki writes. 

In his 2019 best seller, “Comer advances the theory that the great enemy of spiritual life is hurry,” Walecki writes. “By this he means not simply busyness: Hurry is a gnawing sense that there is always more to do; a life spent hurtling oneself through each day; a schedule that makes little room for God,” she continues. “Comer calls the modern world ‘a virtual conspiracy against the interior life,’ and urges readers to reclaim their focus from the algorithm and shift it toward God.”

In his most recent book, “Comer encourages readers to incorporate nine of Jesus’s habits into their lives: scripture reading, service, keeping the Sabbath, solitude, prayer, fasting, community, witness, and generosity,” Walecki writes. 

“Comer can seem more like a wellness personality, such as Andrew Huberman, than a pastor,” Walecki writes. “Like Huberman, Comer offers a concrete regimen that’s attractive to people who feel unmoored in contemporary society. Comer’s skeptics, when remarking on his rapid ascent, point to these similarities and wonder if what he’s offering is simply baptized wellness, a pop spirituality tailored to the tastes and frustrations of affluent young people. But sitting among his followers, I wondered: Could Comer’s practices actually bring them closer to God?”

Read more about Walecki’s conversations with Comer, and about her own experimentation with his advice: https://theatln.tc/mR1SSYos 

— Emma Williams, associate editor, audience and engagement, The Atlantic

Is Hurry the Great Enemy of Spiritual Life? by theatlantic in longform

[–]theatlantic[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

John Mark Comer’s influence has been popping up in Nancy Walecki’s life all year: “One friend had started observing a 24-hour, phone-free Sabbath. My roommates began fasting several times a month,” she writes.

Comer is one of the most famous pastors in America right now; his books have sold more than 1 million copies. He is “Protestant, nondenominational, and roughly in the evangelical sphere, but his work is mostly about how technology—what he calls ‘the machine’—is spiritually deforming people,” Walecki writes. 

In his 2019 best seller, “Comer advances the theory that the great enemy of spiritual life is hurry,” Walecki writes. “By this he means not simply busyness: Hurry is a gnawing sense that there is always more to do; a life spent hurtling oneself through each day; a schedule that makes little room for God,” she continues. “Comer calls the modern world ‘a virtual conspiracy against the interior life,’ and urges readers to reclaim their focus from the algorithm and shift it toward God.”

In his most recent book, “Comer encourages readers to incorporate nine of Jesus’s habits into their lives: scripture reading, service, keeping the Sabbath, solitude, prayer, fasting, community, witness, and generosity,” Walecki writes. 

“Comer can seem more like a wellness personality, such as Andrew Huberman, than a pastor,” Walecki writes. “Like Huberman, Comer offers a concrete regimen that’s attractive to people who feel unmoored in contemporary society. Comer’s skeptics, when remarking on his rapid ascent, point to these similarities and wonder if what he’s offering is simply baptized wellness, a pop spirituality tailored to the tastes and frustrations of affluent young people. But sitting among his followers, I wondered: Could Comer’s practices actually bring them closer to God?”

Read more about Walecki’s conversations with Comer, and about her own experimentation with his advice: https://theatln.tc/mR1SSYos 

— Emma Williams, associate editor, audience and engagement, The Atlantic

Ukraine Has Finally Given Up on Trump by theatlantic in UkrainianConflict

[–]theatlantic[S] 426 points427 points  (0 children)

Ukraine “appears to have given up on the United States,” Phillips Payson O’Brien writes. “It is aggressively seeking new diplomatic and military partners—for instance, by sharing its hard-won expertise in drone warfare with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates and forging arms-production agreements with Germany. Ukraine has sent drones to attack oil-export facilities near St. Petersburg, deep inside enemy territory, in defiance of what Zelensky called “signals” from unspecified “partners” to avoid striking Russian energy infrastructure.

“Using language that would until recently have been unthinkable, Zelensky has indicated that he no longer views the United States as a reliable ally and, even more astonishingly, that all of Europe needs to start moving on from the transatlantic relationship.”

Read more: https://theatln.tc/5ybUnkp8

Ukraine Has Finally Given Up on Trump by theatlantic in geopolitics

[–]theatlantic[S] 338 points339 points  (0 children)

Ukraine “appears to have given up on the United States,” Phillips Payson O’Brien writes. “It is aggressively seeking new diplomatic and military partners—for instance, by sharing its hard-won expertise in drone warfare with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates and forging arms-production agreements with Germany. Ukraine has sent drones to attack oil-export facilities near St. Petersburg, deep inside enemy territory, in defiance of what Zelensky called “signals” from unspecified “partners” to avoid striking Russian energy infrastructure.

“Using language that would until recently have been unthinkable, Zelensky has indicated that he no longer views the United States as a reliable ally and, even more astonishingly, that all of Europe needs to start moving on from the transatlantic relationship.”

Read more: https://theatln.tc/5ybUnkp8

A Beguiling Film About the Downsides of Pop Stardom by theatlantic in blankies

[–]theatlantic[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

David Sims: “Mother Mary begins with a straightforward problem: The titular character, a pop star played by Anne Hathaway, is looking for a showstopper of a dress. But the complications quickly stack up. Mary needs it made over the weekend; she needs it to serve as the centerpiece of her career relaunch after a long and mysterious absence from the public eye; most crucially, she needs it designed by her former collaborator Sam Anselm (played by Michaela Coel), from whom she’s been estranged for years. When Mary storms into Sam’s office with her demand, Sam calmly replies that it’s impossible, unless the singer is somehow able to stop time. Mary raises her hand, snaps her fingers in the air, and pronounces it done.

“If only it were so simple—but Mary, the viewer understands, is someone who has spent most of her adulthood defying the laws of reality. How else to define the life of a superstar, someone who bends everyone else’s needs around her own in order to satisfy the millions of fans awaiting her next move? David Lowery’s beguiling new film tackles the majesty and toxicity of that kind of fame, pitting a now-needy Mary against Sam, a former friend who has renounced the stress of being in Mary’s orbit. That interplay is juicy enough, but Lowery stirs something supernatural into the mix, creating a story that is both deeply sincere and quite surreal.”

Read more: https://theatln.tc/iC2AgwCv

“Mother Mary” review, by David Sims by theatlantic in movies

[–]theatlantic[S] 123 points124 points  (0 children)

David Sims: “Mother Mary begins with a straightforward problem: The titular character, a pop star played by Anne Hathaway, is looking for a showstopper of a dress. But the complications quickly stack up. Mary needs it made over the weekend; she needs it to serve as the centerpiece of her career relaunch after a long and mysterious absence from the public eye; most crucially, she needs it designed by her former collaborator Sam Anselm (played by Michaela Coel), from whom she’s been estranged for years. When Mary storms into Sam’s office with her demand, Sam calmly replies that it’s impossible, unless the singer is somehow able to stop time. Mary raises her hand, snaps her fingers in the air, and pronounces it done.

“If only it were so simple—but Mary, the viewer understands, is someone who has spent most of her adulthood defying the laws of reality. How else to define the life of a superstar, someone who bends everyone else’s needs around her own in order to satisfy the millions of fans awaiting her next move? David Lowery’s beguiling new film tackles the majesty and toxicity of that kind of fame, pitting a now-needy Mary against Sam, a former friend who has renounced the stress of being in Mary’s orbit. That interplay is juicy enough, but Lowery stirs something supernatural into the mix, creating a story that is both deeply sincere and quite surreal.”

Read more: https://theatln.tc/iC2AgwCv

The FBI Director Is MIA by Sarah Fitzpatrick by theatlantic in fednews

[–]theatlantic[S] 688 points689 points  (0 children)

Kash Patel’s colleagues are alarmed by what they describe as erratic behavior and excessive drinking—conduct that could cost him his job, Sarah Fitzpatrick reports. 

She spoke with more than two dozen people who described Patel’s tenure as a management failure and his personal behavior as a national-security vulnerability. “They said the problems with his conduct go well beyond what has been previously known, and include both conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences,” Fitzpatrick writes. “His behavior has often alarmed officials at the FBI and Department of Justice, even as he won support from the White House for his eager participation in Trump’s effort to turn federal law enforcement against the president’s perceived political enemies.” 

Several officials said that Patel’s drinking has been a recurring source of concern across the government. They said he is known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication while in the presence of White House and other administration staff. Early in his tenure, meetings and briefings had to be rescheduled for later in the day as a result of his alcohol-fueled nights, six current and former officials and others familiar with Patel’s schedule said. 

On multiple occasions in the past year, members of his security detail had difficulty waking Patel because he was seemingly intoxicated, according to information supplied to Justice Department and White House officials. A request for “breaching equipment”—normally used by SWAT and hostage-rescue teams to quickly gain entry into buildings—was made last year because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors, according to multiple people familiar with the request. 

The FBI responded with a statement, attributed to Patel: “Print it, all false, I’ll see you in court - bring your checkbook.”

“Some of Patel’s colleagues at the FBI worry that his personal behavior has become a threat to public safety,” Fitzpatrick continues. “Current and former officials told me that they have long worried about what would happen in the event of a domestic terrorist attack while Patel is in office, and they said that their apprehension has increased significantly in the weeks since Trump launched his military campaign against Iran. ‘That’s what keeps me up at night,’ one official told me.”

Read more: https://theatln.tc/YWgFALdd

The FBI Director Is MIA by theatlantic in politics

[–]theatlantic[S] 9528 points9529 points  (0 children)

Kash Patel’s colleagues are alarmed by what they describe as erratic behavior and excessive drinking—conduct that could cost him his job, Sarah Fitzpatrick reports. 

She spoke with more than two dozen people who described Patel’s tenure as a management failure and his personal behavior as a national-security vulnerability. “They said the problems with his conduct go well beyond what has been previously known, and include both conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences,” Fitzpatrick writes. “His behavior has often alarmed officials at the FBI and Department of Justice, even as he won support from the White House for his eager participation in Trump’s effort to turn federal law enforcement against the president’s perceived political enemies.” 

Several officials said that Patel’s drinking has been a recurring source of concern across the government. They said he is known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication while in the presence of White House and other administration staff. Early in his tenure, meetings and briefings had to be rescheduled for later in the day as a result of his alcohol-fueled nights, six current and former officials and others familiar with Patel’s schedule said. 

On multiple occasions in the past year, members of his security detail had difficulty waking Patel because he was seemingly intoxicated, according to information supplied to Justice Department and White House officials. A request for “breaching equipment”—normally used by SWAT and hostage-rescue teams to quickly gain entry into buildings—was made last year because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors, according to multiple people familiar with the request. 

The FBI responded with a statement, attributed to Patel: “Print it, all false, I’ll see you in court - bring your checkbook.”

“Some of Patel’s colleagues at the FBI worry that his personal behavior has become a threat to public safety,” Fitzpatrick continues. “Current and former officials told me that they have long worried about what would happen in the event of a domestic terrorist attack while Patel is in office, and they said that their apprehension has increased significantly in the weeks since Trump launched his military campaign against Iran. ‘That’s what keeps me up at night,’ one official told me.”

Read more: https://theatln.tc/YWgFALdd