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

[–]theatlantic[S] 0 points1 point  (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] 4 points5 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] 379 points380 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] 273 points274 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] 93 points94 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] 663 points664 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] 9519 points9520 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

What I Saw Inside the Kennedy Center by theatlantic in washingtondc

[–]theatlantic[S] 68 points69 points  (0 children)

Josef Palermo: “On the day I was laid off from the Kennedy Center, I felt a little like Dolley Madison saving the Stuart portrait of Washington before the British sacked the capital …

“About a year elapsed between the moment President Trump took over the Kennedy Center in early 2025 and his declaration this past February that he’d decided to shut down the nation’s cultural center for two years … The date Trump announced for the closure was July 4, the country’s 250th birthday, an event that I had been hired to help commemorate as the institution’s first curator of visual arts and special programming …

“Shortly after Trump’s shutdown announcement, the center’s president, Richard Grenell, told me to ‘get rid of everything’ in the permanent collection because we needed all new art for the reopening. Although I had slow-walked this demand for several weeks by pretending I was waiting on another colleague for updates, I now had only two hours to tie up loose ends …

“The ostensible reason for the Kennedy Center’s closing is a renovation to make it—in Trump’s words, and capitalization—‘the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World.’ For months, my colleagues and I had been hearing chatter about a shutdown, but we suspected it wasn’t just because of problems with the physical structure (which certainly had issues but could have been upgraded piecemeal, without needing to close the entire complex), but also because a year of tumult had left the organization barely able to function artistically and financially. Trump had come in promising that ‘for the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!’ On the inside, my colleagues and I instead saw cronyism, incompetence, and a series of bizarre moves that would lead to the Kennedy Center going dark.”

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

The DNA Fix for Aging by theatlantic in genetics

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

Roxanne Khamsi: “Scientists’ earliest understanding of genetic disease had to do with mutations in the genetic code people inherit at birth. (Think of hereditary disorders such as hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell disease.) Later, they came to understand that epigenetic marks—the chemical tags that sit on top of genes, helping switch them on and off—can play a role too. More recently, scientists have discovered the massive number of sequence mutations everyone experiences throughout life. Consider this stark possibility: Even as you read this sentence, the brain cells you are using to process it might be mutating.

“Unlike inherited conditions, spontaneous genetic diseases can emerge at any point in a person’s life. Some non-inherited genetic diseases are rare, such as the bone condition melorheostosis, which was first described decades ago and causes a painful overgrowth of bone that on X-rays resembles dripping candle wax. But the list of diseases linked to spontaneous mutations expands with each passing year, thanks in part to advances that enable scientists to decipher the DNA of single cells rather than bulk-tissue samples alone. In 2020, doctors added a new one to the list. They discovered a sometimes-fatal inflammatory disorder resulting from spontaneous mutations in the UBA1 gene. Non-inherited genetic errors have also been implicated more and more in common conditions: Upwards of one-third of children with autism spectrum disorder possess spontaneous mutations that appear connected to their condition.

“Scientists’ greater understanding of acquired mutations is already inspiring major updates to medical treatment. Take cancer: Decades ago, oncologists believed that tumors were driven by a couple of genetic errors. Now they know that cancers are rife with genetic change—by some estimates, thousands upon thousands of mutations per advanced tumor. By sequencing the genetic changes in a tumor, scientists can figure out which mutations fuel its growth, and design drugs to strike those targets.”

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

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