Aurelia Butler

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    in Elections

    South Korean Actress’s Suicide Spurs Scrutiny of Ex-Boyfriend

    The death of the actress Kim Sae-ron has plunged her former boyfriend, the superstar actor Kim Soo-hyun, into the biggest crisis of his career.When Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in February, she joined a growing list of South Korean entertainers who have ended their own lives. But the actress, who was 24, has generated more headlines in death than in life as her relationship with an older male superstar has come under scrutiny.The tragedy and scandal has embroiled Kim Soo-hyun, 37, one of ​South Korea’s best-known actors,​ and is packed with allegations worthy of a K-drama story line: A former child prodigy and a man 13 years her senior started dating. Not long after they broke up, the actress got into a drunk-driving incident that proved fatal to her career and suffered financial troubles, while the actor became one of the country’s richest stars. She tried but​ failed to ​stage a comeback​. Then she took her own life.The scandal also raised more serious accusations. Since Ms. Kim’s death, her family has said Mr. Kim started dating her when she was a minor, and that after they parted, a talent agency he founded had pressured her over a ​debt she was unable to repay. Mr. Kim has denied the accusations ​against him, and filed a defamation lawsuit against Ms. Kim’s family.But the scandal has already begun burning Mr. Kim’s career and highlighted the perils of ​celebrity in South Korea, where personal lives can come under unforgiving scrutiny. Stars have seen their careers ruined — or even ended their own lives — because of aggressive and sometimes malicious online rumors over everything from plastic surgeries to their romantic life.“South Koreans treat entertainers like public figures who must live up to textbooklike ethical standards,” said Bae Kug-nam, the author of several books about South Korea’s entertainment industry.That culture ​has created a deadly trap when combined with YouTubers and other influencers who have dished out sensational details of ​a star’s personal life, Mr. Bae said.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    in Elections

    How Are Trump’s Tariff Rates Calculated?

    As he unfurled his list of tariffs targeting most of America’s trading partners, President Trump repeatedly stressed that each nation’s rate was reciprocal — reflecting the barriers they had long erected to U.S. goods.He said little about the methodology behind those calculations, but a possible answer emerged later on Wednesday. Each country’s new tariff rate appeared to be derived by:Taking the trade deficit that America runs with that nation and dividing it by the exports that country sent into the United States.Then, because Mr. Trump said he was being “kind,” the final tariff number was cut in half.James Surowiecki, a financial writer and book author, first pointed out the trend in a post on X. His comment set off widespread speculation, given that Mr. Trump previously said each nation’s tariff rate would be “the combined rate of all their tariffs, non-monetary barriers and other forms of cheating.”Those non-monetary barriers include a host of hard-to-quantify laws and other policies that Mr. Trump sees as the primary reason that the U.S. experiences such trade imbalances in the first place. (There are exceptions: Some nations face only a standard 10 percent minimum tariff starting this month.)In an earlier briefing with reporters, White House officials said the figures were calculated by the Council of Economic Advisers using well-established methodologies. The official added the model was based on the concept that the trade deficit that we have with any given country is the sum of all the unfair trade practices and “cheating” that country has done.The White House later clarified its methodology in this post. Though it uses some mathematical symbols that might be hard to parse, it confirms that the formula is essentially based on the U.S. trade deficit with a foreign country, divided by the country’s exports.“It was always going to be a really difficult exercise to come up with a very precise reciprocal tariff rate,” said Emily Kilcrease, the director of the Energy, Economics and Security Program at the Center for a New American Security and a former deputy assistant U.S. trade representative.“Given what seems to be their desire to get something out quickly, it appears what they’ve done is come up with an approximation that is consistent with their policy goals,” she said. More

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    in European Politics

    The Conversation

    Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland, US.

    Will Oliver/EPA-EFE

    David Jeffery, University of Liverpool

    The evidence suggests traditional parties that ape the populist radical right’s policies risk boosting their rivals instead of reclaiming voters.

    MDV Edwards/Shutterstock

    Vera Trappmann, University of Leeds and Felix Schulz, Lund University

    The environment is less of a priority to German voters than it used to be.

    Shutterstock/gopixa

    Francesco Grillo, Bocconi University

    The European Union has locked itself into a rigid structure instead of adapting to survive.

    Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders arrives at a meeting of Patriots for Europe in Brussels.

    EPA/Olivier Matthys

    Rui Silva, University of East Anglia

    People who are dissatisfied with their lives are more likely to turn away from mainstream political parties.

    We’re gonna need a bigger acronym.

    Mike Hutchings/AFP via Getty Images)

    Jorge Heine, Boston University

    NATO member Turkey’s intention to join the 9-member body that functions as an alternative to the Western-led order shows Ankara’s global ambitions.

    Dariusz Matecki, a conservative lawmaker in the Polish Parliament, displays a poster showing a fetus during a vote on abortion on April 12, 2024.

    AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski

    Patrice McMahon, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

    Many Poles were outraged by abortion restrictions put in place during the previous government. That doesn’t mean they agree on the path forward.

    Prime Minister Robert Fico’s shooting sent shock waves through Slovakia.

    Zuzana Gogova/Getty Images

    Alexandria Wilson-McDonald, American University School of International Service

    The shooting of Robert Fico was ‘politically motivated,’ authorities say.

    EPA/Olivier Hoslet

    Richard Youngs, University of Warwick

    Ad-hoc responses to the situation in Ukraine don’t amount to a coherent vision.

    Henri Lajarrige Lombard / Unsplash

    Pierre Bréchon, Auteurs historiques The Conversation France

    The French have an ambivalent relationship to the European Union, expressing a strong feeling of European belonging on the one hand, and Euroscepticism toward institutions on the other.

    People in Hamburg, Germany, protest against right-wing extremism and the AfD party on Feb. 25, 2024.

    Hami Roshan/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

    Julie VanDusky, Boise State University

    Hundreds of thousands of people in Germany are taking to the streets to push back against the far-right, nationalist policies of the AfD, which currently holds 11% of the seats in parliament.

    microstock3D/Shutterstock

    Aurelien Mondon, University of Bath and Alex Yates, University of Bath

    Extremists benefit when we use euphemisms that confer on them an air of legitimacy.

    Shutterstock/Pictrider

    Dorje C. Brody, University of Surrey

    In an uncertain world our natural instinct is to seek out answers that reassure, even when they don’t make sense.

    europawahl.

    Marina Costa Lobo, Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme (FMSH)

    The Treaty of Lisbon celebrates its 15th anniversary on 13 December. Looking back, experts agree that it played a big part in structuring the EU as we know it. It reinforced the role of Commission President…

    EPA/Robin Utrecht

    Aurelien Mondon, University of Bath

    Extremists are not ‘capturing’ our systems – they are part of them.

    Unsplash/Jon Tyson

    Stefan Müller, University College Dublin and Sven-Oliver Proksch, University of Cologne

    Nationalist parties are the most likely to be found dreaming of a glorious past in their campaign literature, especially in central and eastern Europe.

    French citizens celebrate Emmanuel Macron’s victory in the country’s 2017 presidential elections.

    Lorie Shaull/Flickr

    Emmanuel Destenay, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and Leighton Walter Kille, The Conversation France

    Opposition forces in France are using the president’s unpopularity to push for a new constitution. It’s a dangerous game.

    Shutterstock/Federico Cappone

    Ilaria Scaglia, Aston University

    For the Italian president, the region is where his nation’s constitution was born.

    The stage of the 67th annual Eurovision Song Contest at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.

    Adam Vaughan/EPA Images

    Lara Maleen Kipp, Aberystwyth University

    2023 sees the UK host the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine. But what role does the stage itself have to play in the musical spectacle?

    file hhkleh.

    Mathias Bernard, Université Clermont Auvergne (UCA)

    Far from an exception, 16 March marked the 100th time under the Fifth Republic that France’s president chose to use a special constitutional measure to force through unpopular measures.

    Ettore Ferrari / EPA-EFE

    Vincenzo Galasso, Bocconi University

    Italy’s next prime minister promises a lot on the campaign trail but the reality of government will prove a shock.

    Sweden Democrats Jimmie Akesson celebrates on election night.

    EPA/Maja Suslin

    Anamaria Dutceac Segesten, Lund University

    The Sweden Democrats have become the second largest party nationally, making it harder to argue against including them in government.

    Mario Draghi has resigned after his unity party lost its unity.

    Fabio Frustaci / EPA-EFE

    Vincenzo Galasso, Bocconi University

    The latest political chaos in Italy is the result of a series of political manoeuvres by varying parties.

    Celebration at the Budapest pride march in 2018, years before Hungary adopted its ‘paedophile law’.

    Marton Monus / EPA-EFE

    Koen Slootmaeckers, City St George’s, University of London

    The EU commission is taking legal action against Hungary may not be a sure win for LGBT rights in Europe.

    Mario Draghi: prime minister of a unity government in disunity.

    Riccardo De Luca/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

    Carol Mershon, University of Virginia

    The Italian parliament has been dissolved following the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Draghi. What happens next, and why is Italy’s politics so fragmented?

    Lukas Coch/AAP

    Adam Simpson, University of South Australia

    The new prime minister seems to have the temperament that would favour a collaborative approach. He could usher in a golden era of stable government, with more generous and compassionate politics. More

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    in Elections

    ‘The Cherry Orchard’ Review: A Captivating Take on Chekhov

    Nina Hoss stars as a melancholic matriarch in Benedict Andrews’s immersive rendition of the classic at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn.Every time it feels as if we’re nearing a state of Chekhoverdose, a great production rolls around to remind us of the Russian writer’s uncanny power to pull us into his fold.Andrew Scott’s solo performance of “Vanya” at the Lucille Lortel Theater, which the New York Times’s critic Jesse Green called “a reset,” seems to have that effect on many.For me, it’s Benedict Andrews’s electric take on “The Cherry Orchard” at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, which left me so emotional, happy — from being reminded of the power of theater to surprise and thrill — and plain revved up that I struggled to fall asleep that night.A brief recap for those who can’t tell their sisters from their seagulls: “The Cherry Orchard” is the one in which the head of a once-wealthy family visits her estate for the first time in five years, and everybody confronts the reality that the beloved piece of land in the title must be sold to settle debts.Usually that matriarch, Ranevskaya is the play’s magnetic center, a grande dame whose efforts to come to terms with her world’s downfall embody the changes brewing in an entire society. In Andrews’s adaptation and staging, Ranevskaya (Nina Hoss, all melancholy grace and understated charisma) feels more like a part of a true ensemble. When not doing a scene, she and the other characters sit in the audience, calmly watching the proceedings. The in-the-round staging reinforces the feeling that we are them and they are us.Chekhov plays lend themselves to almost infinite variations and approaches, and Andrews’s is relatively mild compared to some radical deconstructions that mauled Chekhov beyond instant recognition.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    in Elections

    NYT Crossword Answers for April 3, 2025

    Hanh Huynh’s puzzle gives main-character energy.Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky CluesTHURSDAY PUZZLE — I like Hanh Huynh’s crosswords. Today’s puzzle is his fifth in The New York Times, and all you have to do is go back to his past grids to see how much he enjoys playing with words.His debut puzzle, from 2023, is my favorite, but I think you’ll like this one, too.Today’s ThemeMr. Huynh’s crossword is a rebus puzzle, and solvers can enter either an asterisk (*) or the word STAR in the appropriate theme squares in order for them to be marked correct. If you are just joining us and solve online, here is how to enter more than one letter in a square.“But, Deb,” I hear you asking, “how can it be a rebus if we can just put a single character, the asterisk, in a square?” Excellent question. There are two kinds of rebuses: those where symbols (such as the asterisk) stand in for words, and crossword rebuses, where more than one letter is packed into a single square. Mr. Huynh’s puzzle does both, but the answers are read differently.There are six squares in which an * or a STAR is to be entered. (Three of them are in the central Down entry alone.) The Across answers are read using the rebus STAR, as in THE (STAR)RY NIGHT at 17A. The Down answers are read using the asterisk, as in Q*BERT (the entry that crosses 17A) at 13D.While you’re solving, take a moment to appreciate that central Down entry, M*A*S*H, and how Mr. Huynh was able to cross three rebuses within it. I marveled at it.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    in Elections

    Americans’ Reaction to Trump’s Tariffs Range From Worried to Enthusiastic

    President Trump’s announcement of sweeping universal and so-called reciprocal tariffs on countries around the world drew a swift rebuke on Wednesday from business groups, trade experts, Democratic lawmakers and many economists who warned that they would raise prices for American consumers and slow economic growth.“This is catastrophic for American families,” said Matt Priest, president and chief executive of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America. “We had hoped the president would take a more targeted approach, but these broad tariffs will only drive-up costs, reduce product quality and weaken consumer confidence.”Other reactions were more muted, and some positive, saying the move was long overdue.“Today is arguably the single greatest trade and economic policy action in the history of the country, and it absolutely cements President Trump’s legacy that he is trying to usher in a new golden age of economy production and prosperity,” said Nick Iacovella, executive vice president at the Coalition for a Prosperous America, a group that supports tariffs. He said the tariffs would contribute to “broadly re-industrializing the United States and creating working class jobs.”Mr. Trump insisted on Wednesday that experts had been wrong all along about his tariffs and that the anxiety about them now was misplaced. But those who will be forced to pay the tariffs were quick to raise concerns about the move, which will increase import taxes on products from some of America’s biggest trading partners including China, the European Union, Japan and India.The National Retail Federation said in a statement that the tariffs would “equal more anxiety and uncertainty for American businesses and consumers.” Tariffs are not paid for by foreign countries or suppliers but by U.S. importers, they said. They also added that “the immediate implementation of these tariffs is a massive undertaking and requires both advance notice and substantial preparation by the millions of U.S. businesses that will be directly impacted.”The National Association of Manufacturers said it was still parsing the details and exact implications of the president’s tariffs. But the group’s president, Jay Timmons, said in a statement that the high costs of new tariffs threatened “investment, jobs, supply chains and, in turn, America’s ability to outcompete other nations and lead as the pre-eminent manufacturing superpower.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    in Elections

    Trump Administration Demands Additional Cuts at C.D.C.

    In addition to reductions at agency personnel, federal regulators are demanding $2.9 billion in contract cancellations, The Times has learned.Alongside extensive reductions to the staff of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Trump administration has asked the agency to cut $2.9 billion of its spending on contracts, according to three federal officials with knowledge of the matter.The administration’s cost-cutting program, called the Department of Government Efficiency, asked the public health agency to sever roughly 35 percent of its spending on contracts about two weeks ago. The C.D.C. was told to comply by April 18, according to the officials.The cuts promise to further hamstring an agency already reeling from the loss of 2,400 employees, nearly one-fifth of its work force. On Tuesday, the administration fired C.D.C. scientists focused on environmental health and asthma, injuries, violence prevention, lead poisoning, smoking and climate change.Officials at the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Abruptly cutting 35 percent of contracts would be tough for any organization or business, said Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, who advised the Biden administration during Covid.“Sure, any manager can find small savings and improvements, but these kinds of demands are of the size and speed that break down organizations,” he said. “This is not the way to do good for the public or for the public’s health.”The C.D.C.’s largest contract, about $7 billion per year, goes to the Vaccines for Children Program, which purchases vaccines for parents who may not be able to afford them. That program is mandated by law and will not be affected by the cuts, according to one senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity.But other C.D.C. contracts include spending on computers and other technology, security guards, cleaning services and facilities management. The agency also hires people to build and maintain data systems and for specific research projects. Over the past several years, contracts have also supported activities related to Covid-19, one official said.Separately, H.H.S. last week abruptly discontinued C.D.C. grants of about $11.4 billion to states that were using the funds to track infectious diseases and to support mental health services, addiction treatment and other urgent health issues.At least some of the contracts D.O.G.E. is now asking the agency to discontinue may no longer be implemented because the people overseeing them have been fired. This is not the first time D.O.G.E. asked the agency to cut funding. It previously asked the C.D.C. to cut grants to Columbia University and University of Pennsylvania, saying those institutions had failed to take action against antisemitism on campus. “Funding grants and contracts are the mechanism by which we get things done,” said one C.D.C. scientist who asked to remain anonymous because of a fear of retaliation. “They are cutting off our arms and legs.” More

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    in Elections

    Musk’s Task Force Begins Shutting Down Foreign Policy Research Center

    The head of the Wilson Center, a storied foreign policy think tank, resigned on Tuesday, a day after employees from Elon Musk’s government-overhauling team arrived at the group’s Washington headquarters to dismantle it, according to people familiar with the actions at the center.The resignation of the president, Mark Green, a Republican, and the visit from Mr. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team, indicated that the Trump administration was carrying out an executive order President Trump signed last month directing that the organization, a nonpartisan policy group, be largely dismantled.After DOGE team members visited the center on Monday and Tuesday, some of the leadership staff and senior government employees were ousted, including Mr. Green, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid retribution by political appointees in the Trump administration. The center’s dozens of federal employees, about a third of its work force, were also set to be placed on administrative leave.The apparent gutting of the Wilson Center would be the latest attempt by the Trump administration to bring federally funded institutions that have historically been independent under executive branch control, and in much diminished forms. Mr. Musk and his task force have helped lead efforts at slashing those institutions and various federal agencies.One person familiar with Mr. Green’s resignation said he had been offered a choice: Step down or be fired. Mr. Green, who has been a Wisconsin congressman, an ambassador to Tanzania and head of the now-defunct U.S. Agency for International Development during Mr. Trump’s first term, could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.Ryan McKenna, a spokesman for the Wilson Center, said on Wednesday that the center had no comment on Mr. Green’s resignation or DOGE’s visits. The White House declined to comment.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More