The Willful Ambiguity of Putin's Latest Power Grab

Plus: Trump’s uneasy truce with China, Prince Harry’s hustle, and Jia Tolentino on Netflix’s "Cheer." View in browser | Update your preferences Our Columnists The Willful Ambiguity of Putin’s Latest Power Grab What Putin seems to be doing now is preëmpting the possibility of a challenge. Four years before the end of his term, he’s creating several avenues for staying in power. By Masha Gessen News Desk When Will Australia’s Prime Minister Accept the Climate Crisis? Scott Morrison has given no indication that he will change his policy stance and transition away from fossil fuels. By Carolyn Kormann Our Columnists The Uneasy Truce of Trump’s Trade Deal with China It looks suspiciously like Beijing, in signing the trade agreement, has bought off the President with some nice headlines. By John Cassidy Daily Comment The Dispute Between Warren and Sanders Little in this exchange bodes well for Democratic unity. By Amy Davidson Sorkin Newsletters Sign Up for the New Yorker Recommends Newsletter Discover what our staff is reading, watching, and listening to each week. Culture and More Annals of Appearances Even Prince Harry Has to Hustle It’s a relief to discover, from Prince Harry’s recently resurfaced “Lion King” clip, that even royals are a little bit grasping and loserish. By Naomi Fry Cultural Comment The Pathos of Netflix’s “Cheer” The new documentary series combines the savage thrill of watching an overdog dominate and the emotional pull of witnessing an underdog’s rise. By Jia Tolentino From the Archive: The Sporting Scene The Worrisome Reporting on Aaron Hernandez’s Sexuality This New Yorker article, from 2017, explores how the football player’s sexuality figured in coverage of his murder case, a theme in a new Netflix series. By Charles Bethea Life and Letters The Hunger Artist On this day in 1933, Susan Sontag was born. This piece, from 2000, asks: Is there anything Susan Sontag doesn’t want to know? By Joan Acocella Humor from The New Yorker Daily Shouts Honest Founder Narratives The true stories behind the launch of a menswear brand, a Kentucky distillery, a maid-service app, and other enterprises. By Jake Tuck Daily Cartoon Thursday, January 16th By Mort Gerberg Sign up for more newsletters from The New Yorker. Visit The New Yorker shop. Question about your subscription? Contact Customer Care. New Yorker digital subscribers get unlimited access to everything on newyorker.com. Log in to your account here. We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please send your thoughts and suggestions to TNYinbox@newyorker.com. This e-mail was sent to you by The New Yorker. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, NewYorker@newsletters.newyorker.com, to your address book. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2020. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.