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CURIOUSMINDS
A weekly serving of great articles we curate, and original content we produce. So, all you have to do is pick, read, watch and listen. |
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Issue #213 - JANUARY 2026
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Stories from Around the World that Affect Us |
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Is the United States being ushered off the international stage? The United States being ushered off the international stage affects the whole world. Like most sufferers of malignant narcissism, Trump is constitutionally incapable of recognizing that relationships, both interpersonal and international, are a two-way street. Gratitude can’t be extorted.
In a sad and seedy music-hall performance in DAVOS, a senile autocrat raged against the dimming of his country’s light, as well as his own. Trump’s Davos speech, like most of his recent public appearances, was an endless stream-of-consciousness recitation of preposterous lies, childish boasts, and angry insults, most of which we’ve heard before. The words said: I make America mighty; you Europeans make yourselves weak, plus you are so goddamned ungrateful, shame on you. The music said: I’m losing my wits, I’m losing my power, and I sort of know it
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 Are we returning to a pre-WW2 order?
BBC(Politics)
The United States and Imperial Rome. If you are lucky enough to live within the walls of the Imperial Citadel, (the US), you experience American power as something benign. It protects you and your property. It bestows freedom by upholding the rule of law. It is accountable to the people through democratic institutions. But if you live on the Barbarian fringes of Empire, you experience American power as something quite different. It can do anything to you, with impunity… And you can't stop it or hold it to account. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reminded an audience at Davos last week.
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 Another Fatal shooting by US Federal Agents
BBC (Human/Civil Rights/Politics)
Is the Wild-West era returning in the 21st century? Local officials identified the man as 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a nurse and US citizen who lived in Minneapolis. Videos show a scuffle between Border Patrol agents and the man in the lead up to the shooting. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the agents fired in self-defence after Pretti, who they say had a handgun, resisted their attempts to disarm him. Eyewitnesses, local officials and the victim's family have challenged that account, pointing out he had a phone in his hand, not a weapon. His parents accused the administration of spreading "sickening lies" about what happened. "Please get the truth out about our son," they added. |
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Air Pollution KILLS far more people annually than Car Accidents do Worldwide.
Air pollution denial is now EPA policy. And dirty air kills people. But Trump's EPA won't count the bodies.
Did you know? Air pollution regulations actually do more harm than good if you ignore all the lives they save. That sentence sounds deranged because it is. But it’s also the honest-to-God logic behind the Trump administration’s new approach to regulating air pollution, which kills more Americans every year than car accidents.
New York Times reported that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) plans to judge all future air pollution rules solely by their costs to industry—not by the number of hospitalizations, chronic illnesses, and deaths they prevent. Maxine Joselow reports: The EPA plans to stop tallying gains from the health benefits caused by curbing two of the most widespread deadly air pollutants, fine particulate matter and ozone, when regulating industry, according to internal agency emails and documents reviewed by The New York Times. … The change could make it easier to repeal limits on these pollutants from coal-burning power plants, oil refineries, steel mills and other industrial facilities across the country, the emails and documents show. That would most likely lower costs for companies while resulting in dirtier air.
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Quote of The Week
Has he given you anything in the settlement? Only a well-rehearsed pantomime.
- James King -
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Top Stories from our favourite publications to stimulate your curious mind, |
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Iran’s Real Revolution Might Be Coming
Scott Anderson is a veteran war correspondent and a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine. His latest book is King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution—A Story of Hubris, Delusion and Catastrophic Miscalculation. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Scott Anderson discuss whether the current protests could finally topple Iran’s theocratic regime, what role the Revolutionary Guard might play in determining the country’s future, and whether a democratic Iran could emerge from the ashes of the Islamic Republic.
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A Spell Against Stagnation
THE MARGINALIAN (Literature/Philosophy)
The story we have been telling ourselves about who we are and where our life leads is yet unwritten. Such moments come most readily at the beginning of something new. To begin anything — a new practice, a new project, a new love — is to cast upon yourself a spell against stagnation. Beginnings are notation for the symphony of the possible in us. They ask us to break the pattern of our lives and reconfigure it afresh — something that can only be done with great courage and great tenderness, for no territory of life exposes both our power and our vulnerability more brightly than a beginning. |
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Do Americans feel trapped by Party Division
PERSUASION (Human & Civil Rights/Politics)
Danielle Allen says: Imagine you are a bear in the woods being attacked by hungry wolves. And your paw is caught in a trap. The wolves are politicians. You are the bear. It doesn’t matter what side of America’s yawning political divide you stand on. Both sides feel like they’re being attacked by wolves. And so we are driven to close ranks. 91 percent of Republicans approved of the job that Trump is doing. Just 6 percent of Democrats did. Such a historically wide gulf tells us that each side fears it will get torn apart whenever the other side is in charge. Every two years, Americans spend an average of $15 billion on campaign advertising trying to fend off the wolves attacking them. But what’s the trap? |
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Sticks and Stones
He’s heard of abusive relationships. But he never expected this. It could be a narrow squeak. Alfie’s mood is black, bordering on suicidal. He’s never been treated with such disrespect. A less balanced person would have fled the country. Riddled with bitterness and memories of the empty wine bottles, visions of the post-it-notes on the fridge door, come rushing back. Dazed and confused, he fears for his sanity. He must get away from Nin and away from himself.So, he plans a journey of recovery by discovery, that will take him to new parts of Thailand.Will he see things clearer when makes his escape? How long will it take? Will he recover?
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Greatest Dancers of All Time
JAMES KING BLOG (Performing Arts)
Dance and human culture have been integrated for centuries. From ballet to hip-hop, dance has evolved and diversified, to produce the greatest dancers of all time. They reached the status by captivating audiences with mesmerising performances, leaving an indelible mark on the dance world. Any list of the greatest dancers of all time is subjective and will vary from person to person. However, there are a few names that are unanimously revered as contenders for best dancer in the world. These dancers not only mastered their craft but also contributed to the evolution of dance. As examples Anna Pavlova and Michael Jackson left an impact that will be felt for many future generations. As dance evolves, we should recognise and celebrate those iconic performers who have paved the way for new generations of dancers. Their signature dance moves, and groundbreaking performances are legacies that inspire other dancers and tutors.
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Beautiful Minds on the Art of Growing Older
THE MARGINALIAN (Philosophy)
A great paradox of being alive in this civilization is that we have come to dread and devalue the triumph of having lived, forgetting that to grow old is not a punishment but a privilege — that of having survived the loneliness of childhood, the brash insecurity of youth, the turmoil of middle age, in order to begin the continuous creative act of holding on while letting go. This is not easy in a culture that fetishes youth, that clothes us in an invisibility cloak as life strips us of time. We could use all the help we can get — a psychological equivalent of what Eva Perón set out to do politically with her constitutional decalogue for the dignity of growing old. Here is the best help I have encountered over the years — a kind of decalogue for the constitution of the inner country.
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UPGRADE to PAID
CURIOUSMINDS content and opinions contain important information curated from reliable sources. We rely on reader support to keep it FREE. We want it to reach as many people as possible. If you value what we do and would like to help us sustain it, please consider a small monthly or annual contribution. Contributing subscribers get full access to all James King Publications including archives of CURIOUSMINDS, and a valuable BONUS: FREE ebook versions of all James King’s published books.Click - View them at Amazon · Donate via the - Choose a subscription plan - page. If you are not a subscriber already - Go to the Welcome page |
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James King Blog offers valuable resources for students of Arts and Humanities. Particularly those interested in Environments, Literature, Performing Arts, Visual Art, Philosophy, Travel, and Human Rights. The articles provide insights into complex interactions between humans and their environments, and the ethical and moral dimensions of environmental issues. The Blog is relevant to students of all ages and those who are just fascinated by the Arts and Humanities. |
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 Democratic Republic of Congo Human Rights – One of the Worst
The Democratic Republic of Congo human rights are one of the worst, as the country has grappled with huge problems. Despite its vast natural resources and immense potential for development, the DRC struggles with internal conflicts, political instability, and poor governance. |
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FREE BOOKS117 Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense FreebiesThis Promo Closes 31 January Thriller authors join forces in joint promotion campaigns to introduce themselves to readers. You can download as many books as you like.
I hope you find plenty to entertain you. |
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STICKS & STONES FROM - ALFIE GOES TO THAILAND - SERIES
Sticks and Stones highlights the clear case of abuse as the victim prepares himself for a journey of recovery by discovery. The journey will either bury him in his misery or raise him up from the ashes to challenge himself again and build a new life. All will be revealed in the final novel - A Million Roman Candles. The Series is a story of human challenge, manipulation, rejection, abuse, and a search for peace. |
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THE KENRIGHT CHRONICLES - SERIES
The Kenright Chronicles is a psychological thriller series. Jack Kenright, a young investment banker gets involved in an international art swindle. which cripples his business and threatens his life and his family. He ends up a recluse, working for the FBI undercover and exposes massive corruption in the gambling world. |
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xxxBy Valerie Perrin
An eccentric young caretaker brings exuberant life to a smalltown French cemetery in this #1 international bestselling novel: "Enchanting" (Publishers Weekly). Violette Toussaint is the caretaker at a cemetery in a small town in Bourgogne, France. Traversing the grounds by unicycle, tending to her many gardens—and being present for the intimate, often humorous confidences of visitors—Violette's life follows the predictable rhythms of mourning. But then Violette's routine is disrupted by the arrival of Julien Sole, the local police chief.Julien has come to scatter the ashes of his recently deceased mother on the gravesite of a complete stranger. It soon becomes clear that Julien's inexplicable gesture is intertwined with Violette's own complicated past."Melancholic and yet ebullient . . . An appealing indulgence in nature, food and drink, and, above all, friendships." —The Guardian, UK |
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The Throwback SpecialBy Chris Bachelder
Finalist for the National Book Award in FictionWinner of The Paris Review's Terry Southern Prize for Humor"Chris Bachelder is a witty, compassionate troublemaker, and we need more like him." —George Saunders
Here is the absorbing story of twenty-two men who gather every fall to painstakingly reenact what ESPN called "the most shocking play in NFL history" and the Washington Redskins dubbed the "Throwback Special": the November 1985 play in which the Redskins' Joe Theismann had his leg horribly broken by Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants live on Monday Night Football. With wit and great empathy, Chris Bachelder introduces us to Charles, a psychologist whose expertise is in high demand; George, a garrulous public librarian; Fat Michael, envied and despised by the others for being exquisitely fit; Jeff, a recently divorced man who has become a theorist of marriage; and many more. Over the course of a weekend, the men reveal their secret hopes, fears, and passions as they choose roles, spend a long night of the soul preparing for the play, and finally enact their bizarre ritual for what may be the last time. Along the way, mishaps, misunderstandings, and grievances pile up, and the comforting traditions holding the group together threaten to give way.
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Substack - Creative Xellence -
Join us at Creative Xellence where we are building a home for James King's Poetry, Short Stories and serialised Novels. Subscribe for Free and you will be notified of new content and recieve the Newsletter.
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Medium
At Medium we curate high value informative articles related to A&H from major publishers and authoratative sources. And we publish a smattering of selected articles from James King Blog and articles written by James King for Medium Publications.
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