Crooked Bough News Round-up

— Come fly with me! Making paper airplanes with my grandkid sets my heart soaring

 

at 5/21/25 10:04am

During a treasured afternoon with his granddaughter, our writer appreciates a central truth: The most important things in life aren’t things at all.

— From Paris to Pemberley: French ‘Jane Austen Wrecked My Life’ revels in romance

 

at 5/21/25 9:29am

This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. An engaging new French film, “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life,” invokes the great writer and revels in romance and humanity.

— ‘Freedom Season’ uplifts the struggle for dignity and citizenship

 

at 5/21/25 7:52am

Historian Peniel Joseph’s “Freedom Season” raises up the work of Black activists seeking a more just society in the pivotal year of 1963.

— Team of economic rivals? The eclectic adviser mix steering Trump’s trade policy.

 

at 5/21/25 3:30am

Trump economic advisers range from mainstream allies to fiercely devoted friends to MAGA stalwarts. All share a strong loyalty to the president – even when it means defending controversial policies.

— For the few right whales left, technology and teamwork are showing promise

 

at 5/21/25 3:30am

North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered. But cooperation from towns, businesses, fishers, and ecologists to use new technology could create conditions in which the whale population can stabilize.

— George Floyd’s family lawyer thinks the path to justice is ‘more daunting than ever’

 

at 5/21/25 3:00am

Five years ago, the murder of George Floyd by police sparked a nationwide protest movement. Today, Ben Crump, the lawyer who represented Mr. Floyd’s family, says it’s “more daunting than ever to hold police accountable.”

— Goals of Israel’s renewed Gaza offensive are unclear, even to Israelis

 

at 5/20/25 3:55pm

Israel’s military operation in Gaza is facing increased opposition, abroad and at home. Yet even within the Netanyahu government, it’s unclear if the assault is focused on conquering territory or affecting negotiations.

— Compassion tempers a war’s impact

 

at 5/20/25 1:27pm

A civil war in Sudan has triggered community-led support for people displaced by fighting. This civilian response is rooted in a tradition of Islamic spiritual struggle and a “call to mobilize.”

— How Indigenous groups in Brazil are using virtual reality to reclaim their stories

 

at 5/20/25 11:39am

Can ancient traditions and new technology coexist? Members of the Indigenous Guarani Kaiowá group in Brazil say yes, creating a virtual reality museum.

— Trump strong-arms House Republicans. They’re not ready to cave (yet).

 

at 5/20/25 10:54am

President Trump’s second-term legacy rests on whether he can persuade enough Republican lawmakers to support his priorities. He has more to do to close the deal.

— How independence helps caregivers on the job and Indigenous people in Colombia

 

at 5/20/25 9:36am

Progress roundup: Philippine island boosts incomes and mangrove forests, Colombia protects isolated tribes, and U.S. home care workers thrive in co-ops.

— Two brothers use mangoes to help break the hunger cycle in a Ugandan village

 

at 5/20/25 6:19am

The nonprofit Mango Project is addressing food waste in a village that has a bounty of mangoes.

— Trump’s budget bill carries costs: Higher deficits and US debt

 

at 5/20/25 3:30am

President Trump promised to expand tax cuts while also slashing federal spending. So far, the math in Congress looks like a recipe for federal deficits to keep rising.

— Some military parents say DEI purge hurts their kids’ schools. They’re suing.

 

at 5/20/25 3:00am

Defense Department schools for service members’ children are removing books the Trump administration says focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Some parents are suing to keep the books.

— What makes a ‘good’ madrassa? Pakistan’s Islamic boarding schools under scrutiny.

 

at 5/19/25 2:30pm

As the India-Pakistan conflict brings these controversial boarding schools back into the spotlight, Pakistan is trying to improve the quality of madrassa education with new regulations.

— In Romania, clean politics clean up

 

at 5/19/25 1:17pm

A surprise win for a graft-fighting candidate to be the next president shows the top priority of young Romanians. All the better to fend off Russian influence.

— He used to rob people on Nairobi’s streets. Now he shows them to tourists.

 

at 5/19/25 12:04pm

Dennis “Typhoon” Mboya gives tours of the Nairobi, Kenya, informal settlement where he grew up, and uses his own story to inspire other young people in his community.

— This Illinois town aims for economic revival – but will Trump tariffs help?

 

at 5/19/25 3:00am

President Donald Trump’s tariffs aim to revive U.S. manufacturing and the cities where it happens. But in Belvidere, Illinois, the reality is complicated.

— Malcolm X at 100: The love that love produced

 

at 5/18/25 4:26pm

Malcolm X remains one of the 20th century’s most misunderstood activists. Ahead of the political icon’s 100th birthday May 19, our columnist went on a journey to get to know the civil rights leader better.

— FBI investigating explosion at a California fertility clinic as act of terrorism

 

at 5/18/25 11:13am

A law enforcement official said the person believed responsible for the attack posted online ramblings including a belief that the world should not be populated.

— When courage meets candor: Lessons from the Civil Rights Movement

 

at 5/18/25 4:35am

In the face of divisive rhetoric and a societal shift away from diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s have a lesson to share about perseverance and honesty.

As of 5/21/25 11:17am. Last new 5/21/25 10:37am.