After Helene’s ‘historic’ damage, Appalachian Trail may need years to recover
(NYTimes) — As the scope of devastation caused by Hurricane Helene comes into focus, an American landmark that dozens of towns benefit from is facing historic destruction: the Appalachian Trail. The 2,200-mile trail along the East Coast and the Southeast attracts millions of hikers each year, and brings an economic boost to a host of towns along the route. But Helene became the most destructive natural disaster the century-old trail had seen, uprooting trees, destroying bridges and washing away rock steps, making large portions impassable, according to the conservancy that manages it. Damage from Helene was present in many of the 14 states that the route touches, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy said.
Campaigning for Harris, women share their abortion stories with neighbors
(NYTimes) — For months, Democrats have been training dozens of volunteers across battleground states to personally testify to the effects of Republican-led abortion restrictions enacted across the country since the overturning of Roe v. Wade two years ago. Some have taken on high-profile roles, appearing in television ads and speaking at the Democratic National Convention. Many others have shared their stories in lower-profile ways, with social media posts and at local events. The strategy is an attempt to cut through the noise of a divisive election by casting the abortion debate in relatable and wrenching terms.
Michigan father dies in Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, family says
(NYTimes) — Kamel Ahmad Jawad remained calm, even as Israeli missiles rained down around him in his hometown in southern Lebanon, thousands of miles from his other home, Dearborn, Michigan, according to a statement released by his family this week. Jawad, a U.S. citizen, husband and father, and resident of Dearborn, was killed Tuesday during an Israeli airstrike, his family said. Friends and family described him as committed to helping others, especially through his frequent trips to Lebanon, where he quietly paid off residents’ debts of people and supported those without the means to flee. He was also known for his devotion to his family; he is survived by his wife and four children.
Ukraine’s Donbas strategy: Retreat slowly and maximize Russia’s losses
(NYTimes) — Ukraine has lost a series of cities, towns and villages this year in its eastern Donbas region to Russia, typically withdrawing its troops after hard-fought battles that sometimes lasted for months. To outside observers, Ukraine’s slow retreat from the Donbas region, the main theater of the war today, may seem to signal the beginning of the endgame, with Russia firmly gaining the upper hand on the battlefield. But Ukrainian commanders say a more crucial fight is unfolding there. It is now a war of attrition, they say, with each side trying to exhaust the other by inflicting maximum losses, hoping to break the enemy’s capacity and will to continue fighting.
Villages spared a Soviet nuclear plant are split over a new one
(NYTimes) — In Choczewo — a district in northern Poland dotted with farms, forests and white-sand beaches — a debate over nuclear energy is very real. It started 40 years ago with an ill-fated communist-era plan to construct Russian-designed reactors. That effort buried a village in concrete and became a lightning rod for anti-Russian sentiment, but, aborted in 1990 by Poland’s first post-communist government, it never produced electricity. Poland is trying again and the project has already upset the placid rhythms of country life in Choczewo. Locals are divided on the plan, with some cheering the prospect of cleaner, cheaper energy and others aghast at having reactors on their doorstep.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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