The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century

To mark the first 25 years of the century, The New York Times Book Review sent a survey to hundreds of literary luminaries, asking them to name the 10 best books published since Jan. 1, 2000. Gilbert Cruz, editor of the Book Review, gives some highlights from the list.

Video by Gilbert Cruz, Karen Hanley and Claire Hogan

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Whether it’s reporting on conflicts abroad and political divisions at home, or covering the latest style trends and scientific developments, New York Times video journalists provide a revealing and unforgettable view of the world. It’s all the news that’s fit to watch.

This is What a Nuclear Strike Would Feel Like | NYT Opinion

A flash. A roar. A ball of fire. In this Opinion Video, we show you what would happen if even just one tactical nuclear bomb was used today. Drawing on extensive interviews with scientists and military officials, this scenario is a precise imagining of what it would mean to experience a nuclear explosion. The risk of nuclear conflict is higher now than any time since the Cold War, and a single warhead could leave thousands dead, exponentially more wounded and ecosystems scarred for years.

Over the past year, NYT Opinion has been reporting on threat of nuclear war through our series At the Brink.
Read more here: nytimes.com/thebrink

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Whether it’s reporting on conflicts abroad and political divisions at home, or covering the latest style trends and scientific developments, New York Times video journalists provide a revealing and unforgettable view of the world. It’s all the news that’s fit to watch.

What Happens When Undersea Internet Cables Snap?

The internet is made up of hundreds of cables crossing the floors and the canyons of the earth’s oceans. So what happens when the cables snap? James Glanz, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, explains what could go wrong with subsea internet cables and how these cables get fixed.

Video by James Glanz, Christina Shaman, James Surdam and Alexandra Ostasiewicz/ The New York Times

Read the story here: https://nyti.ms/3Zv1zdd
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Whether it’s reporting on conflicts abroad and political divisions at home, or covering the latest style trends and scientific developments, New York Times video journalists provide a revealing and unforgettable view of the world. It’s all the news that’s fit to watch.

1 in 3 Preteens Want to Be Influencers. Is It the New American Dream? | Op-Docs

Film and text by Faye Tsakas (https://fayetsakas.com/): Whenever I browse social media, I see advice and products for self-improvement — a deluge of elusive promises tethered to consumer goods. How to look more angular or more toned, feel more energized, age backward. Capitalism and modern technology have mixed to create an internet world where users are transformed into brands. As a filmmaker, I’m drawn to document this culture.

I first came across Peyton and Lyla, two preteen sisters and influencers on Instagram two years ago. (Since they are minors, their last names are withheld to protect their privacy.) From their rural Alabama home under their mother’s watchful gaze, they hawk fashion and beauty products to tens of thousands of online fans around the world. Every day, packages arrive at their doorstep for them to unbox and try out — deluxe makeup sets, floral dresses, exercise bikes — all free, as if delivered by a shopping mall Santa.

With their parents’ permission, I began filming the sisters’ daily lives as influencers; in this short documentary, “Christmas, Every Day,” they shift between performance and reality. Peyton and Lyla, who were 11 and 12 at the time of filming, see themselves as instilling confidence, positivity and a girl-power attitude for other girls — ideas that I wanted to explore within the broader context of modern consumerism.

Whether as creators or viewers or consumers, children are spending more time online at younger and younger ages. What kid wouldn’t want a stream of likes and gifts, waking up to the feeling of, as Peyton and Lyla’s parents put it, “Christmas, every day”? What does it mean to be participants in a larger social media system that encourages and even demands certain behaviors from its users, especially women and girls?

In a time of immense wealth disparity, influencer culture has created a more fantastical kind of American dream. (Perhaps that’s why nearly one-third of preteens say becoming an influencer is a career goal.) Seeing the field’s potential for a steady income — not to mention the prestige of an ever-growing follower count — some parents encourage it. I sought to go behind the scenes of this new creator economy with curiosity and a focus on the girls’ experiences, aiming to allow viewers to come to their own conclusions.

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Op-Docs is a forum for short, opinionated documentaries by independent filmmakers. Learn more about Op-Docs and how to submit to the series. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@NYTopinion).

Bad News, Democrats: America Is About to Get Even Redder | NYT Opinion

Every year, millions of Americans bounce around the country like electrons, moving from one state to another. But there are patterns in this chaos, and one of the clearest in recent decades is that Americans are moving from blue states to red states. As the Opinion video above explains, that has some big political implications for the Democrats.

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Whether it’s reporting on conflicts abroad and political divisions at home, or covering the latest style trends and scientific developments, New York Times video journalists provide a revealing and unforgettable view of the world. It’s all the news that’s fit to watch.