Notes and Essays -- John Brown

  The Economist today A Sunday edition of our daily newsletter Adam Roberts Digital editor Hello from London, How vulnerable is Volodymyr Zelensky? It’s not only winter that is closing in. The closest aide to Ukraine’s president was compelled to resign on Friday, as anti-corruption investigators continue to expose a scandal in the energy sector said to involve kickbacks worth $100m or more. The loss of Andriy Yermak as chief of staff is undoubtedly a painful blow. Mr Yermak had been in charge of handling diplomatic pressure from America and Russia—countries trying to impose a grim-sounding peace deal on weary Ukraine. Read our story on  the fall of Mr Yermak . Add fears that Russia, bit by bit, is gaining the upper hand on the battlefield. In a war of attrition Russia’s economic and manpower advantages are starting to tell. Its more recent advantage in drone firepower looks worrying, too. None of that means any sort of decisive military breakthrough is likely. It’s still no...

is human writing headed for extinction?   Published: November 24, 2025 8:32am EST, The Conversation O riginal article contains a chart,  " Proportion of new articles on the internet generated by AI" Author Francesco Agnellini Lecturer in Digital and Data Studies, Binghamton University, State University of New York Disclosure statement Francesco Agnellini does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Partners Binghamton University, State University of New York  provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation US. View all partners DOI https://doi.org/10.64628/AAI.hq7x5xseg We believe in the free flow of information Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. Republish this article Preserving the value of real human voices will likely depend on how people adapt...

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner plan to travel to Moscow on Monday for more talks about a possible peace plan  By Deborah Acosta and Robbie Gramer, The Wall Street Journal , Updated Nov. 30, 2025 6:19 pm ET From left, the U.S. delegation of Steve Witkoff, Marco Rubio and Jared Kushner meeting with Ukrainian negotiators during Sunday’s talks in South Florida.   CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES Quick Summary -- U.S. negotiators, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jared Kushner, held productive talks with Ukrainian officials on Sunday. -- Discussions covered potential timetables for new elections in Ukraine and the prospect of land swaps between Russia and Ukraine. -- K ey issues remain unresolved, such as U.S. and Western security guarantees for Ukraine and Russia’s demand for recognition of seized territories. HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.—U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators said Sunday’s meeting on ending the war with Russia—which included talks on possible elections, land swaps...

Misha Firer  ·  Follow Writes about Russia on patreon.com/mishafirer What were the biggest improvements in living conditions that the Soviet Union brought compared to the Russian Empire, and how did they affect everyday life? I’m not gonna waste time hemming and hawing and will fess up: every single Russia’s improvement in living conditions has been a (shoddy) copy of some Western technology or clever invention, from pharmaceuticals to electronic gadgets. Regardless of how, everything comes with a price tag. The unearned goodies have been accompanied by the importation of European loose and decadent mores that the inhabitants of this Orthodox nation disapproved of and have been mortally terrified of. In the midst of the holy battle for the revival of the traditional family values that have fallen sideways by the onslaught of the neoliberal economy, The Trojan Horse of wireless communication has brought upon us this powerful influencer, a shady bachelor, founder and CEO of the ...