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☆ US Hits Chinese, Russian Firms Over Moscow Military Aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By David Shepardson and Alexandra AlperWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on Monday imposed new trade restrictions on 11 Chinese and five Russian companies, accusing some of supplying components to make drones for Russia's war effort in Ukraine. The Commerce Department, which oversees export policy, added a total of 28 firms, including some Finnish and German companies, to a trade blacklist, making it harder for U.S. suppliers to ship them technology. The investigation found that Hong Kong-based exporter Asia Pacific Links Ltd. has been among the most important suppliers to Russia's drone program. The firm, along with import company SMT iLogic, were the target of an earlier round of U.S. sanctions in May. The United States has aggressively used a trade blacklist known as the entity list to target China's tech sector and attempt to stymie Russia's war in Ukraine.

Persons: David Shepardson, Alexandra Alper WASHINGTON, Joe Biden's, Alan Estevez, Barack Obama, Alexandra Alper, Rami Ayyub Organizations: The Commerce Department, China's, Links Ltd, Technology Center, Russia's Main Intelligence, General Staff, Reuters, Royal United Services Institute, Special Technology, Asia Pacific Links, SMT, Commerce, Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Company, Commerce Department, U.S, United Locations: Ukraine, Russian, London, St . Petersburg, Russia, Hong Kong, Iran, United States

☆ Zadie Smith Drops In; Drew Barrymore Is Eased Out
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Zadie Smith’s new novel, “The Fraud,” is set in 19th-century England, and introduces a teeming cast of characters at the periphery of a trial in which the central figure claimed to be a long-lost nobleman entitled to a fortune. Smith drew many of the book’s details from the historical record — the trial and the main characters all existed much as they appear in the novel — but as she tells Sarah Lyall on this week’s episode, her archival research was far from dusty or dutiful. “‘Research’ makes it sound really heavy,” Smith says. “It was actually a joy to read about this period and to read books set in the period. We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general.

Persons: Zadie, ”, Smith, Sarah Lyall, “, ” Smith, Alexandra Alter, Julia Jacobs, Drew Barrymore, Gilbert Cruz Organizations: Times, Hollywood Locations: England

The Authors Guild lawsuit is the latest in a series brought by writers against OpenAI. “It knew everything, and that’s when I got a bad feeling.”A representative for OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Since OpenAI introduced ChatGPT in November, authors, publishers and retailers have been trying to rein in the rampant and increasingly disruptive incursion of A.I. Amazon has taken steps to monitor and curb the influx of A.I.-generated books. to its customers, but it may do so in the future, according to an Amazon representative.

Persons: David Baldacci, Jodi Picoult, George R.R, Martin, George Saunders, Michael Connelly, Douglas Preston, ChatGPT, “, ‘, ”, OpenAI Organizations: OpenAI, York Mycological Society Locations: A.I

"I think the potential for unintended harm from the use of AI exists in any federal agency and in any use of AI," said DHS Chief Information Officer Eric Hysen. And when we interact with people, it can be during some of the most critical times of their lives." Historically, academics have flagged the dangers of AI regarding racial profiling and because it can still make errors while identifying relationships in complex data. The guidelines will also require that facial recognition matches discovered using AI technology be manually reviewed by human analysts to ensure their accuracy, according to a new directive that the agency plans to release alongside the AI memo later on Thursday. Another area where DHS has already uses AI technology extensively is on the southern border, where the agency has deployed more than 200 surveillance cameras, said Hysen.

Persons: Marco Bello, Alejandro Mayorkas, Eric Hysen, Hysen, Alexandra Alper, Christopher Bing, Chizu Organizations: U.S . Department of Homeland Security, REUTERS, Rights, Department of Homeland Security, Customs, Border Patrol, DHS, Thomson Locations: Mexico, U.S, Del Rio , Texas, California's San Isidro Port

☆ Michael Cunningham Couldn’t Help but Write a Pandemic Novel
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Alexandra Alter | More About Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

With his fourth novel, “The Hours,” Cunningham repaid his debt to Woolf, and established himself as one of the country’s most talented and ambitious literary writers. Cunningham set out to write a modern update of “Mrs. He did something almost equally audacious, casting Woolf in his novel and burrowing into her psyche, a choice he knew was presumptuous. Cunningham’s audacity paid off: The novel won a Pulitzer Prize and was adapted into a star-studded feature film and an opera. Cunningham sank into depression, convinced that “it can only be downhill from here,” and struggled to start a new novel.

Persons: ” Cunningham, Woolf, Cunningham, Dalloway, Clarissa, ”, Walt Whitman, “, Covid Locations: California, New York, United States

The network said that the show would be returning on Sept. 18 without written material that is “covered by the W.G.A. strike,” a similar approach to that taken by “The View,” which began airing episodes from its new season this month, circumventing union writers. Barrymore, who had stepped down as the host of the MTV Movie and TV Awards in May in solidarity with the striking Hollywood writers, was greeted by a wave of critical backlash online after the decision to go back on air. Representatives for Barrymore and her show did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Recent hosts include the author and TV host Padma Lakshmi, the author and comedian Phoebe Robinson, and actors like LeVar Burton, Nick Offerman and Cynthia Nixon.

Persons: Barrymore, ”, Colson Whitehead, gestured, Ms, Padma Lakshmi, Phoebe Robinson, LeVar Burton, Nick Offerman, Cynthia Nixon Organizations: MTV Locations: United States

☆ For John Green, the Battle Over Access to Books Has Gotten Personal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Alexandra Alter | More About Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For about as long as he’s been a published author, John Green has faced efforts to censor his books. His debut novel, “Looking for Alaska,” a coming-of-age story that includes references to drug use and sex, has been challenged in schools for at least 15 years, and has frequently landed on the American Library Association’s most banned books list. Last year, it received more than 50 challenges in schools across the country. But a recent dust-up over whether his books are appropriate for teens feels more personal, and like an escalation of a growing movement to ban and restrict access to books, Green said. A public library in his home state of Indiana implemented a new policy earlier this year requiring library staff to remove any books with sexually explicit content from the children’s and teens section and re-shelve them in the adult collection.

Persons: John Green, Green, Judy Blume, Laurie Halse Anderson, ” Organizations: American, Hamilton East Public Library Locations: Alaska, ”, Indiana, Indianapolis

☆ Authors and Booksellers Urge Justice Dept. to Investigate Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Alexandra Alter | More About Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

appears to be closing in on its decision to bring an antitrust case against Amazon. Amazon representatives are expected to meet this week with members of the commission to discuss the possible suit, a sign that legal action may be imminent. Even as books have become a smaller slice of the company, Amazon has become an overwhelming force in the book market. It accounts for at least 40 percent of physical books sold in the U.S., and more than 80 percent of e-books sold, according to an analysis released by WordsRated, a research data and analytics group. With its purchase of Audible in 2008, Amazon has also become one of the largest audiobook producers and retailers.

Persons: Lina Khan, Jonathan Kanter, It’s, Mayer, WordsRated, beholden Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Department’s Antitrust, Amazon, Metro, Goldwyn, Markets Institute Locations: U.S, United States

☆ Obsessed With the Ocean, Susan Casey Takes the Plunge
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Alexandra Alter | More About Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Her deep sea adventures were exhilarating, and occasionally harrowing. Given how massive and important it is, why do you think we’ve paid so little attention to the deep ocean? It took a really long time for people to understand that there is life throughout the entire water column. When you hit the seafloor, there’s a whole other ecosystem that extends even below the seafloor. So, this vast, vast, vast, vast majority of our world is down there in the dark.

Persons: Casey, Vescovo Locations: Hawaii, Bahamas, Hudson

In the past two years, book bans have surged in the United States, driven by conservative activists who have targeted books about race and racism or L.G.B.T.Q. While the fight has largely centered on books that are available in school classrooms and libraries, the legislation in Texas has drawn booksellers directly into the conflict. “Some school libraries have books with sexually explicit and vulgar materials,” he said during the bill signing session. But the plaintiffs said that the Texas law would take decisions out of the hands of schools and parents and put the burden on vendors instead. The law’s opponents also argue the legislation will increase the number of book bans in Texas, which already leads the country in removing books from schools, according to an analysis by the free speech organization PEN America.

Persons: Greg Abbott, ”, “ Organizations: PEN America Locations: United States, Texas

☆ TikTok Sells A Lot of Books. Now, Its Owner Wants to Publish Them, Too.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Elizabeth A. Harris | Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Many of TikTok’s users — more than 150 million in the United States alone — are interested in books. In the past year, videos with the #BookTok hashtag have been viewed more than 91 billion times, up from nearly 60 billion views the year before, according to the company. Posts tagged #ColleenHoover have been viewed more than 4.2 billion times, and her books have sold more than 24 million copies. “To say it’s hugely important is an understatement at this point,” said Bess Braswell, a senior publishing director at Harlequin. According to the description, it would create an ecosystem where people could find, buy, read, review and discuss books.

Persons: — Colleen Hoover, Circana, “, ”, Bess Braswell, ByteDance Organizations: Harlequin, Press Locations: United States

☆ How Review-Bombing Can Tank a Book Before It’s Published
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Alexandra Alter | Elizabeth Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But she didn’t expect a backlash to strike six months before the book was published. In January, after a Goodreads user who had received an advanced copy posted a plot summary that went viral on Twitter, the review site was flooded with negative comments and one-star reviews, with many calling the book anti-Black and racist. Some of the comments were left by users who said they had never read the book, but objected to its premise. “It may look like a bunch of one-star reviews on Goodreads, but these are broader campaigns of harassment,” Rabess said. As a cross between a social media platform and a review site like Yelp, the site has been a boon for publishers hoping to generate excitement for books.

Persons: Cecilia Rabess, Goldman Sachs, ” Rabess, Goodreads Organizations: Twitter

☆ Taking a Late-in-Life Victory Lap, Thanks to His Novel’s ‘Lunatic Energy’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Robert Plunket was living in a trailer park in Englewood, Fla., with his pug, Meatball, when an email interrupted his life of quiet retirement. “I did feel like an obscure has-been,” Plunket said, “because that’s what I was, technically.”Now, Plunket is relishing his new status as a former has-been. This month, the independent publisher New Directions reissued his novel, “My Search for Warren Harding,” a biting comedy about a scholar who goes to extreme, morally questionable lengths to access letters Warren Harding sent to his mistress. What’s even more unusual about Plunket, and his unlikely return, is how stealthily influential his fiction has been over the decades. His admirers include writers like the novelist Ann Beattie and the journalist Frank Rich, comedians like Amy Sedaris and Larry David.

Persons: Robert Plunket, Meatball, Plunket, ” Plunket, Warren Harding, ”, Danzy Senna, Ann Beattie, Frank Rich, Amy Sedaris, Larry David, Madonna, Ian Organizations: New Locations: Englewood, Fla, New York

☆ Russia is asking its schoolchildren to knit socks for soldiers and write poems about the Motherland in an all-out effort to get support for the war
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Peter Gelling | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian schools are introducing programs promoting the military to encourage support for the Ukraine war. Russia asked students to knit socks for soldiers and write poems about military history, NYT reported. Russia is now asking its students to knit socks for Russian soldiers, a seemingly antiquated effort that feels like a throwback to the Soviet era. Russian Ministry of EducationWith Russia stagnant on the battlefield, propaganda steps inRussia first invaded eastern Ukraine in February 2022. But much of the Russian military equipment is outdated, and soldiers have complained of equipment shortages.

Persons: —, Wagner, Bakhmut, Alexandra Arkhipova Organizations: Service, The New York Times, The Times, Times, Russia's Ministry of Education, Russian Ministry of Education, Russia, Wagner Group Locations: Ukraine, Russia, The, Soviet, Crimea, Donetsk, Russian, Bakhmut, Ukrainian

☆ In Russian Schools, It’s Recite Your ABC’s and ‘Love Your Army’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Neil Macfarquhar | Milana Mazaeva | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Yet it also wants to avoid fanning too high a patriotic flame, lest it push Russians to start questioning the purpose of the war. Much the way Mr. Putin has refrained from enacting multiple conscriptions of soldiers to avert prompting antiwar sentiment, the Kremlin has left parents some leeway to avoid propaganda lessons. “They want enthusiasm, but they realize if they push too hard it could galvanize an organized opposition,” said Alexandra Arkhipova, a social anthropologist who studies public reactions to the war. The cornerstone of the initiative is a program called “Important Conversations,” started last September. Every Monday at 8 a.m., schools are supposed to hold an assembly to raise the Russian flag while the national anthem is played, and then convene an hourlong classroom session on topics like important milestones in Russian history.

Persons: Putin, ”, Alexandra Arkhipova Organizations: Kremlin Locations: Soviet, Communist, Russia

☆ Group Challenges Arkansas Law That Would Criminalize Access to Some Books
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Elizabeth A. Harris | Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A new state law in Arkansas that could send librarians and booksellers to prison was challenged on Friday in a federal lawsuit filed by libraries, independent bookstores and publishers who said the legislation was unconstitutional. The suit comes as states and counties around the country are increasingly restricting the availability of certain kinds of books, and as those who oppose such regulations are finding more ways to push back. The complaint, which was filed in the United States District Court for the western District of Arkansas, said the law “forces bookstores and libraries to self-censor in a way that is antithetical to their core purposes.”The Arkansas law, which is scheduled to go into effect in August, requires any material that might be “harmful” to minors, including books, magazines and movies, to be shelved in a separate, “adults only” area.

Organizations: United States, Court, of Locations: Arkansas, of Arkansas

☆ Mary Trump and E. Jean Carroll Are Collaborating on a Romance Novel. No Politics Allowed.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Earlier this year, Mary Trump, a niece and prominent critic of Donald J. Trump, had a bad bout of writer’s block. She was juggling several nonfiction projects and felt stuck, so she decided to write something completely different. Her latest book, “The Italian Lesson,” is a romance novel about an American woman with a secret past who tries to reinvent herself in Tuscany, where she opens a cafe and meets a handsome local vineyard owner. “It’s completely unlikely and weird and counterintuitive,” Trump said of the project. Later, they decided it would be fun to collaborate on a screenplay for a Hallmark-type romance movie as a way to stay in regular touch.

Persons: Mary Trump, Donald J, Trump, “, Donald Trump’s, “ It’s, ” Trump, Jean Carroll, Donald Trump, Jennifer Taub Organizations: Trump, Hallmark Locations: Tuscany

FRANKFURT, May 17 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) investors on Wednesday questioned the sustainability of the lender's growth plans and called for a shift of resources from the investment bank, even as they praised CEO Christian Sewing for stabilising the bank. Andreas Thomae of the Deutsche Bank investor Deka said that the bank's targets require a "tailwind" from the markets to be achievable, and rising interest rates have been "pure adrenaline" for the bank. Reuters GraphicsShe called on the bank to shift capital from its investment bank to other areas in the bank that yield higher returns. "Deutsche Bank is one of the European banks most dependent on investment banking, a poorly predictable, opaque business that is driving down its stock valuation," she said. Sewing, who won kudos from some of the investors for restoring profitability, responded that the bank was "robustly and sustainably profitable".

☆ Deutsche Bank investors raise questions, call for tweaks amid praise at AGM
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, May 17 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) investors on Wednesday questioned the sustainability of the lender's growth plans and called for a shift of resources from the investment bank, even as they praised CEO Christian Sewing for stabilising the bank. The statements, to be made at Deutsche Bank's annual general meeting, come after the bank booked 11 consecutive quarters of profit after years of losses, but also amid bank rescues on both sides of the Atlantic that have shaken confidence in the sector. Andreas Thomae of the Deutsche Bank investor Deka said that the bank's targets require a "strong tailwind" from the markets to achieve them, and rising interest rates have been "pure adrenaline" for the bank. Reuters GraphicsShe called on the bank to shift capital from its investment bank to other areas in the bank that yield higher returns. "Deutsche Bank is one of the European banks most dependent on investment banking, a poorly predictable, opaque business that is driving down its stock valuation," she said.

☆ The Rise of FTX, and Sam Bankman-Fried, Was a Great Story. Its Implosion Is Even Better.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since they arrested Sam, I’ve been back three or four times, and it gets better and better because everyone gets looser and looser. When he was arrested, did you worry that it might blow up your book, or make it better? I did think, just how messy is this going to get, as the writer, because I’d been so involved. Nobody watched this the way I did, so, was I going to be dragged into this in some way? But I’ve been allowed to do my job, and it’s been one of the most exciting creative experiences I’ve ever had.

☆ She Wrote a Blistering Satire About Publishing. The Publishing Industry Loves It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

When Kuang sent the first 100 pages to Hannah Bowman, her literary agent, Bowman at first tried to dissuade her from pursuing the project, warning that nobody would want to publish it. “We did have a conversation where I said, ‘There are things in here that I am afraid could offend people you work with,’” Bowman recalled. After Kuang insisted, Bowman sent it out, and was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic responses. “For publishing insiders, it’s just catnip, it’s so dishy about the industry,” Bowman said. “We’re like ‘Wow, does she like us?’”For Kuang — who at 26 has built a devoted following for her deeply researched and thought provoking fantasy novels — publishing a scorched-earth satirical takedown of the publishing industry was creatively and professionally risky.

☆ Asked to Delete References to Racism From Her Book, an Author Refused
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Alexandra Alter | Elizabeth A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The book, called “Love in the Library,” is aimed at six- to nine-year-olds. Published last year by a small children’s publisher, Candlewick Press, it drew glowing reviews, but sales were modest. So Tokuda-Hall was thrilled when Scholastic, a publishing giant that distributes books and resources in 90 percent of schools, said last month it wanted to license her book for use in classrooms. Scholastic wanted her to delete references to racism in America from her author’s note, in which she addresses readers directly. Tokuda-Hall’s revelations sparked an outcry among children’s book authors and brought intense scrutiny to the editorial process of the world’s largest children’s publisher.

☆ Book Bans and What to Read in May
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“It is amazing to see both the upward trend in book bans but also the ways that the process of getting bans has evolved,” Alter says. And most of those were from concerned parents who had seen what their kid was reading in class or what their kid brought home from the public library. Now you have people standing up in school board meetings reading explicit passages aloud.”Also on this week’s episode, Joumana Khatib takes a look at some of the biggest new books to watch for this month. Here are the books discussed in this week’s episode:“Chain-Gang All-Stars,” by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah“King: A Life,” by Jonathan Eig“Quietly Hostile,” by Samantha Irby“Yellowface,” by R.F. KuangWe would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general.

WASHINGTON, April 28 (Reuters) - The Biden administration outlined efforts this week to address growing U.S. national security concerns on foreign companies' handling of Americans' data. Concerns about Chinese-owned TikTok have sparked new efforts in Congress to boost powers to address it or potentially ban the popular short video sharing app. Under Commerce Secretary for Industry and Security Alan Estevez was among those addressing information and communications technology supply (ICTS) chain threats, the department said. "I think it is a top priority and we need to move with urgency," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said at a Senate hearing on Wednesday of the legislative effort. Days before then President Donald Trump left office in 2021, the Commerce Department issued aimed at addressing ICTS concerns posed by China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela.

Proponents of the restrictions say their aims are to protect students from inappropriate materials and to give parents more control over their children’s education. In focusing on “parents’ rights,” Mr. DeSantis is trying to build on the popularity he amassed when he resisted Covid-19 restrictions, particularly in schools. His Parental Rights in Education law, for example, constrains instruction on gender and sexuality, which has led some districts to remove books with L.G.B.T.Q. Some teachers and librarians say the policies are vague, with imprecise language and broad requirements, leading to some confusion. “It is a whole new level of fear,” said Kathleen Daniels, the president of the Florida Association for Media in Education, a professional organization for school librarians and media educators.

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