Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” (1908) must rate as one of the bleakest short stories ever written, a kind of Winterreise gone wrong that wears its air of resolute determinism like a Red Sox sweatshirt. A tenderfoot, accompanied by a wolfish dog, is making his way along the Yukon Trail. It is 75 degrees below — too cold to be out, so cold that spittle freezes in the air before it reaches the ground — but the newcomer marches on regardless. And then, all too foreseeably, disaster strikes: Our man fails to notice the sinister, candy-textured surface of the ground beneath him, and, without warning, his feet plunge through the ice into an underground stream.
The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) announced Thursday that it would be endorsing Mazi Pilip for the seat vacated by former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.). Pilip, a relatively unknown local lawmaker, has become the top candidate for the New York Republican Party looking to hold on to the slim majority in the House after Santos was...
First lady Jill Biden released a video of Dorrance Dance members performing their interpretation of “The Nutcracker Suite,” and it has drawn mixed reviews. “A bit of magic, wonder, and joy brought to you by the talented tappers of Dorrance Dance, performing their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite. Enjoy!” Biden wrote in a post...
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the White House knows a that a two-state solution in the Israel-Hamas war is going to be “elusive,” but the administration will continue to negotiate. “I’ll let [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] speak for his own intent here, I can only tell you that President Biden still believes...
Ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson sent billboard trucks to the offices of major media outlets Thursday to advertise his new subscription-based website. Tucker Carlson Network (TCN) set up photo-ops with the trucks outside of CNN, NBC News, The New York Times and The Washington Post. The advertisement on the billboard reads, “Corporate Media is...
A new Biden administration directive instructs federal employees to prioritize making sustainable choices while on official travel. The directive tells civil servants to rent electric vehicles on official travel when the cost of that vehicle is less than or equal to the most affordable comparable option. It also directs them to use rail, rather than...
Soon after he delivered his final floor speech Thursday, ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) offered critiques on his replacement’s legislative strategy, unloaded on Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), and said he is open to serving in a second Trump administration. McCarthy is resigning from the House before the end of the year rather than serving the...
National Security adviser Jake Sullivan will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday to discuss reforming the beleaguered body as part of preparations for a day-after scenario in the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s commitment to destroy Hamas. Sullivan’s travel to Ramallah follows meetings in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior...
The Illinois NAACP president is facing backlash after she referred to migrants as “savages” in a Tuesday meeting with NAACP leaders from around the state. Teresa Haley was reportedly responding to a question from a participant in a Zoom call when she spoke about migrants arriving in Chicago who are living on the street. She...
The fate of a contentious plan to reintroduce a gray wolf population into Colorado will be decided Friday, a federal district court judge declared at a Thursday hearing in Denver. The forthcoming decision follows a week of litigative clashes between Colorado ranching groups and wildlife officials regarding the upcoming release, which was mandated under a voter-approved ballot...