#Montevideo Department

[unteriors]

Colón, Montevideo (Uruguay).

[manessha545]

Montevideo, Uruguay: Montevideo is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. Montevideo is situated on the southern coast of the country, on the northeastern bank of the Río de la Plata. The city has preserved European architecture, being considered one of the cities with the most art deco influence. In 2018, it was classified as a beta global city ranking eighth in Latin America and 84th in the world. Wikipedia

[kafkasapartment]

Stand Selling Empanadas, Rte. 6, Montevideo, Department of Montevideo, Uruguay, 2010. Jim Dow. Digital pigment print.

[miracleintheandes]

What is the “Miracle in the Andes”?

On October 12th 1972, a Fairchild FH-227D left Carrasco International Airport in Montevideo headed towards Chile. It was the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, chartered by an amateur rugby team called Old Christians. The plane carried 40 passengers and 5 crew members. Among the passengers were members of the team and a few of their friends and family.

The purpose of the trip was to play a friendly rugby match against a local team plus a short vacation of a few days in Santiago. Friends and family were brought along in order to fill the remaining seats on the plane, so that each ticket could be sold at a more affordable price.

As it turned out, the Fairchild would never reach its destination. After an unplanned layover in Mendoza, at the foothills of the Andes on the far west of Argentina, the plane departed for Santiago in the early hours of the afternoon of Friday 13th.

Caught in the middle of thick clouds and strong winds, the pilots miscalculated their position and began to descend when the plane had yet to cross the mountains, some of which were over 15.000 feet high.

The right wing crashed against a peak, severing the fuselage in the process. Subsequently, the same thing happened to the left wing. A handful of passengers and two members of the crew fell off the back of the plane and disappeared in the mountains.

photo taken inside the plane before the disaster

What remained of the fuselage slid down the mountainside at just the perfect angle so as to not come undone in a million pieces. When it came to an abrupt stop, passengers were violently thrown to the front of the plane still attached to their seats. Several more died, some crushed instantly and others a few minutes or hours later due to their injuries.

Sixteen of those that remained beat all odds and survived for 72 days in the freezing cold with no food or water. This blog aims to share information about what is undoubtedly the greatest survival story of all time.

[herstory-storiesaboutwomen]

Paulina Luisi was a prominent Uruguayan feminist leader, and also the first Uruguayan woman to graduate as a physician.

Paulina Luisi Janicki (1875–1950) was a leader of the feminist movement in Uruguay. She was born in Colón into a family of educators. In 1909, she became the first Uruguayan woman to earn a medical degree.

Born: Paulina Luisi Janicki, 22 September 1875

Colón Department, Entre Ríos, Argentina

Died: 16 July 1950 (aged 74)

Montevideo, Uruguay

Occupation(s): Physician, teacher, activist

Her mother, Maria Teresa Josefina Janicki, was a women's suffrage activist of Polish descent and her father, Angel Luisi, was a socialist and educator of Italian ancestry. Via Wikipedia

[47burlm]

Australia says discovery of WW2 shipwreck ends 'tragic' maritime chapter

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Saturday that the wreck of a Japanese merchant ship, sunk in World War Two with 864 Australian soldiers on board, had been found in the South China Sea, ending a tragic chapter of the country's history.

Marles said the SS Montevideo Maru, an unmarked prisoner of war transport vessel missing since being sunk off the Philippines' coast in July 1942, had been discovered northwest of Luzon island.

The ship was torpedoed en route from what is now Papua New Guinea to China's Hainan by a U.S. submarine, unaware of the POWs onboard. It is considered Australia's worst maritime disaster.

The long-awaited find comes ahead of April 25 commemorations for Anzac Day, a major day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand for their troops killed in all military conflicts.

"This brings to an end one of the most tragic chapters in Australia's maritime history," Marles said in a video message.

The search for the wreck, found at a depth of more than 4,000 metres (13,123 feet) was led by a maritime archaeology not-for-profit and deep-sea survey specialists, and supported by Australia's Defence department, according to the government.

"The absence of a location of the Montevideo Maru has represented unfinished business for the families of those who lost their lives until now," Marles said.

More than 1,000 men - POWs and civilians from several countries - are thought to have lost their lives in the tragedy.

[oliviab-scstudyabroad]

Uruguay, Papá! (Part I)

Hey everyone! I apologize for the delay in blog posts; I’ve been sick this past week! Study abroad can really take a toll on you physically since you’re always on the go, so I took some time to reset and recover. That being said, I wanted to write about a road trip that I took a couple of weeks ago to visit the interior of Uruguay! The interior refers to all the departments (like the states in the U.S.) except Montevideo. The interior is rich with culture and nature, so I was glad I got to spend the long weekend there!

There were five of us that went (all international students studying abroad): one from France, two from two different parts in Mexico, and one from England but was born in Palestine! I loved that we were a mix of all different nationalities. On Thursday afternoon, we picked up our car rental and drove 3.5 hours to Minas, the capital of the department Lavalleja. We arrived late in the evening, so we went grocery shopping, arrived at the Airbnb, and cooked a delicious dinner of chorizo with homemade chimichurri, grilled potatoes, and Michelada, a traditional Mexican drink. We ate like kings and stayed up playing games and chatting.

The next morning, we made a breakfast of yogurt and fruit with honey and budin (sweet bread). We wanted to explore a little bit of Minas/Villa Serrana before heading to the department of Treinta y Tres, so we visited the Obelisco (Obelisk? It’s basically a tall skinny pyramid that most departments have). It was way smaller than we expected, but we had to laugh because we drove 15 minutes on bumpy roads in a stick-shift car to visit it. On the way, we also found a little free library where people could take and leave a book, write poetry, and give book suggestions! The books were in a refrigerator painted in all sorts of colors, so of course I had to take pics.

We then headed to the Salto del Penitente where we walked to a series of lagoons and waterfalls. I wanted to jump in, but it was impossible to get close enough to the lagoon without basically scaling the rocks/cliffs! We decided to play if safe and tan next to the waterfall. After soaking in the sun, we had a late lunch and tried croquettes (more like egg rolls) with jabaldi (warthog). It tasted just like regular pork, and I can say that that’s the most “exotic” thing I’ve ever tasted! We then decided to pack up and drive the three hours to Treinta y Tres. We passed by an olive orchard along the way, so we stopped and bought olive oil to cook with and fizzy wine in a can made from grapes grown in the area! There were also so many cats roaming around; we each wanted to steal one and take them back to Montevideo. When we were driving, we also drove past a fox that was sleeping on the side of the road! We slowed down and he sat up and just stared at us for a couple of minutes! He was clearly used to seeing humans because he just had this look of curiosity on his face. I wanted to steal him too but thought better of it 😉

Once we got to our Airbnb in Treinta y Tres, a few people went to the store while my friend Cleo and I started the fire! I was so proud of us that we got it going and that we could start cooking dinner right away. We had another delicious dinner of chorizo and grilled potatoes. The next day was Cleo’s birthday, so we stayed up to sing to her in Spanish, English, and Arabic! How neat is that?

Part two is on its way! Stay tuned!

[eopederson]

I have given this map more attention than it perhaps deserves, but I find it fascinating. It does not correspond to my levels of difficulty learning the languages. I learned some Norwegian as a child, and thus I have at least a minimal comprehension of Danish, Swedish and even Icelandic from that. If I had to start from scratch, however, I think Danish and Icelandic would be among the most difficult West European Languages to learn, especially to speak.

I studied German for about a decade as a child and young adult, and while I consider myself somewhat fluent, it is painful on occasion to follow or contribute to conversations. By contrast I picked up a tolerable level of French fairly rapidly, and minimal proficiency in Spanish came even more quickly. I have subsequently used Spanish a great deal, so it is now my "second language," and after a few days in a French speaking area I can "get by." In contrast, I still have not mastered even a tolerable minimum level of spoken Italian despite much more effort than I remember investing into learning French or Spanish. I have invested no formal effort into learning Portuguese, but it is similar enough to Spanish that reading it is no problem and simple conversations can be followed. Ditto for Gallego and even Catalan. [Unlike those, I am having fun trying to learn a little Euzkara (Basque) a language totally different from all of the others I have been in contact with. Euzkara is not included on the State Department list, as it is not used in international relations.]

Spanish may be considered more difficult by the FSI because has a number of variants/dialects (ditto French). After an initial introduction via Mexican Spanish, I was fortunate to study Andean Spanish (Peru/Ecuador/Bolivia) which may be the easiest to master. I later even picked up some porteño, the peculiar dialect of Buenos Aires and Montevideo heavily laced with borrow words, mostly from Italian, and unusual pronunciations. With several extended periods in España I can also do a tolerable imitation of castellano, as the language is called there. I make no pretense of being truly fluent, however, emphasized when I am attempting conversation with a woman of Honduran origin who works for us for a few hours every couple of weeks.

About my only agreement with the map would be Dutch-Flemish which, if one speaks English and knows some German, is fairly easy if a little difficult to get out of the mouth. Aside from knowing the Cyrillic alphabet and the words for beer in Polish and Russian, I am ignorant of Slavic languages. I do not even know the word for beer in Finnish and Hungarian. Do not get me started on English. I sometimes feel I need an interpreter listening to a white person with a "southern accent." Despite having lived at the northern edge of the South for much of my adult life, I find the dialect of "Dixie", and the cultural references embedded in it, more alien and harder to understand than idiomas from almost any West European country save the Basque Country, Finland and Hungary.

US State Department moves Spanish to a higher difficulty ranking (750 hours) than Italian, Portugese, and Romanian (600 hours).

[cmp-geo-world]

Canelones

Canelones is a city in southern Uruguay and serves as the capital of the Canelones Department. Here are some key points about Canelones: Location: Canelones is situated approximately 50 kilometers north of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. It is part of the larger metropolitan area of Montevideo. Population: The city is one of the larger urban centers in the department, contributing to the…

[cffabioblog]

Media Hora/Middle Hour: "Los Ñoñesqueteros o mas bien The Canadians Musketeers

Dediquet to #TurningRed 's Fans

Reference for more info...

Here Goes...

Parody bassed in the Alexandre Dumas novel "The Three Musketeers" how part of the serial "Teatro en la 1", Inside a "Che Copete's Middle Hour". In this scennes, the five (Meilin, Pryda, Abby, Miriam and Tyler) How a "The News or how said theys The Ninthsketeers to service of the maxime person, the "Presidente De La Nacion" some of to care the "The Princess and Prince of the PIT-CNT Of Downtown East", in special to "El Niño" to bizzarre and ridiculous places, some of protect the that said the Princess-Prince.

In this, scenne, in the Ontario's Intendence, theys listen and talks about a letter for the Cardenal Misseur Caillou. The Regidor Of The Ontario's Department, Sir Olw from the happy and nices tales. Thanks to theys for the notice, latter the group goes to care to the Princes to large travel for stop the posibble war in San Remo and Viña Del Mar.

Note:

In this episode, recording outside of the studio (Studio 3, CPdRCATV Of Prado Del Rey, or most good, Los Estudios De Prado Del Rey. The Meilin's Mother (Ming Lee), supervice that all are in correct work and the dress desings of the characters, was desingned literarely in italy for the famous House Versace.

In Spanish:

Parodia del famoso libro y clásico de la literatura universal de la novela de Alejandro Dumas "Los Tres Mosqueteros" (The Three Musketeers), donde en esta versión, 5 por accidente asumen como guardias reales de la nación.

Como mosqueteros Meilin, Priya, Abby, Miriam y Tyler, cumplen con la difícil labor de cuidar a la entonces Princesa-Principe Lady Mi Chalo (Gonzalo Caceres), y "El Niño". Ademas Durante el temible viaje, luchan para proteger a ellos, como de evitar posibles guerras como entre Viña Del Mar y San Remo.

Ahí, se encuentra con un terrible obstáculo, uno de los peores males que afecta al hemisferio norte: "El Gran Carnaval De Montevideo". Ellas (Mei), le pregunta y le pide, si puede pasar la caravana para llegar al cuartel y castillo de Moe.

Baboon con un triciclo infantil lleva la "Carroza Real" (Un Tráiler o Camper).

Nota:

Información resumida del libro, vía Wikipedia:

- https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_tres_mosqueteros

En refencia al carnaval de Montevideo, les dejo una gran cancion que habla del tema, en forma melancólica, de Emiliano y El Zurdo "Noche De Vereda"

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=H8h5Kfrms70

(© Agadu / Montevideo Music Group )

Uno de las escenas grabadas fuera de estudio (incluido al de Pixar), mas precisamente en la Calle Florida n° 1497, pleno centro de la ciudad de Montevideo,

- https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.903659,-56.1995174,3a,90y,102.58h,98.11t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s0C32FJKWJTRXPeyrWeQz5w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu

(© Google / Intedencia De Montevideo).

Merida, Henry y Veeta, vestidos como unos murgueros, esta palabra, significan, La murga uruguaya, manifestación dramático-musical polifónica y de integración tradicionalmente masculina, surgió en el carnaval de Montevideo a fines del siglo XIX, a partir de diversos aportes hispánicos, en especial el de las murgas de Cádiz.

- English-

In One of the finales battles or scennes, fights to the villain, The Conde Of Dark Kingdon From The Rosaio's City, Santa Fe Province (Ren Hoek), in they, he, insults to DarthaMei (Meilin), when shes angries, Fred is humilled with a simple touch for Athya Mangal From La Baviere (Priya), Porthos'T (Tyler) scare with the roourr for The Bad Griffin's Dog (Brian), while that Aramir (Miriam), disturd to The Lyon's Mutalt Duck (Edward From Camp Lazlo), in midle of the Perú-Quebec's Square in Canelones City. Messier Park (Abby) resques the "El Niño" (Che Copete), while the Messier Cardenal Caillou angries with fury in view this.

In the battle, ends a disaster, whit example, cabaret's and NightClubs peoples while a Tourist (Mr. Fumble), wants can to the Cast reptain the battle of now.

Recorded in The Studio3 "Avery-Jonnes" From Prado Del Rey Studios.

PS: For swords use, Merida (Brave) learns tho theys in how to use with many care.

Of the battle latter, Hoek Kills with beer and drugs to The Big Elmo, when he die. Alls consternned, incluide to the coffe's chieff also.

Recorded in The Studio3 "Avery-Jonnes" From Prado Del Rey Studios.

In reference to "Prado del rey"

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prado_del_Rey_(studios)

From Wikipedia

From Various or many battles latter, in the "Alexandra Palace" in Miami, The "Presidente De La Nación", The President Peron thanks with the Lady Chalo for all the work. But theys doesn't this honors and goes to the

"Damas De Amarillo" in can to help tho the fight agaist the Polio.

Recorded in The Studio3 "Avery-Jonnes" From Prado Del Rey Studios.

Copyrights

Merida and Angus (Film Brave), Buyselle (Film Toy Story), Mei (Meilin), Miriam, Abby, Priya and Tyler (Turning Red)

© Pixar / Domee Shi. Alls Rigths Reserved.

Caillou

© PBS / Wild Brain. Alls Rights Reserved.

Olw (Winnie The Pooh), Maximus (Tangled), and Henry Hugglemonster

© Disney. Alls Rights Reserved.

Babbon

© Cartoon Network / WarnerMedia-Discovery / David Feiss. Alls Rights Reserved.

Vegeta

© Akira Toriyama / TOEI. Alls Rights Reserved.

Mr. Horse (Ren And Stimpy)

© Paramount / Nickelodeon / John K. Alls Rights Reserved.

Canción:

© Agadu / Montevideo Music Group. Alls Rights Reserved.

Mr. Resse (Clarence)

© Cartoon Network / Warnermedia-Discovery. Alls Rigths Reserved.

Ren Hoek (Ren And Stimpy)

© Nickelodeon / Paramount / Jon K. Alls Rigths Reserved.

Fred Flintstone (The Flintstone)

© WarnerMedia-Discovery / Hanna-Barbera. Alls Rigths Reserved.

Mozo

© WordEditords S.A. / Pepo. Alls Rigths Reserved.

Edward (Camp Lazlo)

© Cartoon Network / WarnerMedia-Discovery / Joe Murray. Alls Rigths Reserved.

Brian Griffin (Family Guy)

© Disney / Twentieth Century Fox / Seth M. Alls Rigths Reserved.

Spirit Horse

© DreamWorks Animation. Alls Rights Reserved.

Toodee (Yo Gabba Gabba)

© WildBrain / Jacobs. Alls Rigths Reserved.

Elmo

© Sesame . Alls Rigths Reserved.

[dryedmangoez]

Recap: The Amazing Race 36, Episode 7 - "I hope you learn from this experience."

Recap: The Amazing Race 36, Episode 7 – “Walk and Chew Gum Baby” Teams get to use the Expedia app to choose what hotel they’ll be staying at in Montevideo, Uruguay. The 7th Leg will begin at Fortaleza del Cerro with Juan & Shane and Ricky & Cesar departing at 7:45am. Amber & Vinny and Rod & Leticia depart at 8:00am and Angie & Danny, Sunny & Bizzy and Yvonne & Melissa depart at 8:15am. Continue…

[guerrerense]

Luckiest Shot of My Life? por Bryant Kaden Por Flickr: A story to remember when I have bad luck along the tracks: once upon a December morning, I decided to drive to Montevideo to meet up with Jeremiah and see the Twin Cities & Western's West End Job working its way west. When they arrived in Montevideo, they dropped their train at the east end of town and proceeded west as light power to Appleton. First stroke of luck: they wouldn't be tying down in Appleton, but returning east with some grain loads. Second stroke of luck: the sun looked like it might start breaking through the clouds as we neared Appleton. We started a brief scouting trip along the line to pick out a couple of photo locations. After settling on getting a shot of them crossing the overpass just west of Milan, we headed toward Appleton to see how close the train was to departing. Biggest stroke of luck: as we drive along, we spotted a county highway department plow at one of the crossings. It hadn't snowed out this way for quite some time, so we jokingly said, "Maybe he's plowing the crossing for us!" Sure enough, we saw him start to back up and clear snow off of the crossing again. We didn't think there was any way he could've actually left a ridge across the tracks, but that's exactly what happened. It was like a railfan hijacked a plow and decided to set up the perfect drift busting shot for us. Everything had to line up exactly right. If the plow was 30 minutes earlier, the light power would've busted the drift on their way west. If they were 30 minutes later, it would've been after the train returned back east. And I still don't know what in the world a plow was doing out there clearing snow in the first place! To top it all off, the sun held on just long enough to capture what has to be the luckiest drift busting shot of my life. You can bet there was much rejoicing as we headed back toward Montevideo for a few more pictures and celebratory wings and beer at Duffy's. This is definitely one to remember.

[miracleintheandes]

An ominous picture, if I ever saw one (just an observation: Eduardo and Fito's name tags are switched).

I'm not sure if this was taken at the Montevideo airport or at the Mendoza airport. If I had to GUESS, I'd say this is Mendoza, right before they departed for good.

The reason I say this is because Susy is wearing a coat that Nando later wore in the final hike, according to his book.

BUT... she could have worn the same coat both days or he could have retrieved the coat from her suitcase.

Here's a picture we know is from their layover in Mendoza. From left to right: Carlos Valeta, Julio Martinez Lamas, Alvaro Mangino, Enrique Platero, Coche Inciarte, Numa Turcatti, Guido Magri, Juan Carlos Menéndez.

[gorgietravel]

Exploring the Marvels of South America with Princess Cruises

Introduction: South America is a continent of breathtaking landscapes, rich cultures, and diverse adventures waiting to be explored. Princess Cruises offers an extraordinary journey to this captivating region. In this blog post, we'll take you on a virtual voyage through Princess Cruises' South America itinerary, including its destinations, departure ports, cruise duration, dates, and essential information for those considering booking this remarkable voyage. Destinations in South America Princess Cruises' South America itinerary takes travelers on a thrilling exploration of this vast continent, with stops at some of its most iconic and culturally rich destinations: - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Begin your journey in the vibrant city of Rio, known for its stunning beaches, Christ the Redeemer statue, and energetic Carnival celebrations. - Buenos Aires, Argentina: Experience the passion of tango in Argentina's capital, known for its historic neighborhoods, delicious cuisine, and lively dance scene. - Montevideo, Uruguay: Explore the charm of Montevideo, Uruguay's capital, with its beautiful coastline, colonial architecture, and welcoming atmosphere. - Chilean Fjords: Sail through the awe-inspiring Chilean fjords, surrounded by towering glaciers, snow-capped peaks, and pristine wilderness. - Santiago, Chile: Conclude your journey in Santiago, where you can discover the country's history, culture, and stunning landscapes, including the nearby Andes Mountains. Departure Ports and Cruise Duration Princess Cruises' South America voyages typically depart from and return to a variety of ports, including Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Santiago, and more. The duration of these cruises can vary, but a typical itinerary ranges from 10 to 20 days, allowing ample time to explore the region's diverse destinations. Cruise Dates and Booking Tips When considering a Princess Cruises voyage to South America, here are some important factors to keep in mind: - Booking Window: South America cruises are often scheduled during the Southern Hemisphere's summer months, typically between November and March. It's advisable to book well in advance to secure your preferred dates and stateroom category. - Travel Insurance: Consider purchasing comprehensive travel insurance to protect your investment and provide peace of mind in case of unexpected events. - Excursions: Princess Cruises offers a range of shore excursions that allow you to make the most of your time in each destination. Research and pre-book excursions that align with your interests. - Travel Documents: Ensure you have all the necessary travel documents, including passports, visas (if required), and any health-related documents. - Currency: Familiarize yourself with the currencies of the countries you'll visit and plan accordingly. Conclusion A Princess Cruises voyage to South America promises an unforgettable adventure through a continent of natural wonders, vibrant cultures, and fascinating history. Whether you're drawn to the energy of Rio de Janeiro, the romance of Buenos Aires, or the pristine beauty of the Chilean fjords, this itinerary offers a diverse array of experiences. To book your South America cruise with Princess Cruises or to learn more about available itineraries, dates, and pricing, visit the official Princess Cruises website or consult with a trusted travel advisor. Get ready to embark on a journey filled with awe-inspiring moments and create memories that will last a lifetime. South America awaits your exploration with Princess Cruises. Read the full article

[newstfionline]

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Volunteer Sleuths Are Out Hunting for Your Stolen Car (NYT) At the end of a quiet residential street in north Portland, Titan Crawford took a calming drag off his cigarette, and then shuffled past the gutted shell of a stolen Nissan pickup truck and into the patch of hulk-filled woodlands beyond. For much of the past year, Mr. Crawford, 38, has led a growing network of volunteer sleuths who scour Portland’s streets, alleys and forests, racing against time in hopes of finding stolen vehicles before they end up shredded for parts. There is no shortage of work to be done. Vehicle thefts in Portland are on track to reach well over 10,000 this year, more than triple the number the city recorded a decade ago, part of a nationwide trend that accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic. In Portland, the brazenness of the crimes, inattention from the police and desperation of residents who suddenly find themselves missing one of their most valuable possessions have led many to take matters into their own hands. Similar groups have popped up and grown around the country as vehicle thefts have soared. Neighbors share pictures of license plates, keep watch during commutes to work and hunt online for reports of stolen vehicles. Nearly every day, the group, PDX Stolen Cars, helps a resident reconnect with a vehicle in Portland or the surrounding suburbs.

Nearly 4 million in U.S. cut from Medicaid, most for paperwork reasons (Washington Post) The notice arrived in an envelope stamped “important information,” telling Kristin Fortner she needed to prove that she and her husband still deserved Medicaid. She filled out the form within a week of receiving it this past winter and mailed it back. So she was perplexed by a phone call almost three months later from the Arkansas Department of Human Services alerting her that she had neglected to renew the couple’s Medicaid and, unless she sent the paperwork, their health insurance would end. Fortner quickly resubmitted the same form, this time in person. Except Arkansas already had cut them off. She discovered in May that her insurance had vanished as she tried to pick up a prescription for Suboxone, the medicine that helps her stay off opioids. Suddenly, she owed $380. Her Medicaid coverage, the pharmacy’s records showed, had expired. A 33-year-old waitress earning $3 an hour plus tips, Fortner walked out of the drugstore without the pills. She is among nearly 4 million Americans who have been lopped off Medicaid since the end of a pandemic-era promise that people with the safety-net health coverage could keep it, requiring every state to begin a herculean undertaking of sorting out who still belonged on the rolls. Three-fourths of these people have been removed because of bureaucratic factors. Such “procedural” cutoffs—prompted by renewal notices not arriving at the right addresses, beneficiaries not understanding the notices, or an assortment of state agencies’ mistakes and logjams—were a peril against which federal health officials had cautioned for many months as they coached states in advance on how best to carry out the unwinding.

Uruguay/Argentina Drought fallout (Foreign Policy) The ongoing drought that has plunged Uruguay into a water crisis in recent weeks is also projected to severely hurt neighboring Argentina’s agriculture sector as well as its GDP. Citing the drought, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered Argentina’s GDP forecast for 2023, projecting a contraction of 2.5 percent, a reversal of its previous forecast for 0.2 percent growth this year. Argentina is already struggling to curb massive inflation and repay its outstanding IMF debts. Meanwhile in Uruguay, consecutive years of low rainfall and poor management of a key reservoir have caused water levels to dwindle, worsening the quality of tap water around the capital of Montevideo to a level that may be unsafe for people with hypertension and other medical problems. The government has bought bottled water for some 500 thousand people and is working to engineer new access to water resources from a previously untapped river.

Germany used to be the world’s export powerhouse. Now, it’s not growing. What happened? (AP) The German economy is still failing to grow, figures showed Friday, as the country that should be the industrial powerhouse for all of Europe struggles with high energy prices, rising borrowing costs and a lagging rebound from key trading partner China. The International Monetary Fund forecast this week that Germany would be the globe’s only major economy to shrink this year, even with weak economic growth around the world amid rising interest rates and the threat of growing inflation. In Germany, the economy has been buffeted by several challenges. Above all, its long-term dependence on Russian natural gas to fuel industry backfired when the invasion of Ukraine led to the loss of most of Moscow’s supply and to higher costs for energy-intensive industries such as metals, glass, cars and fertilizer. Higher interest rates from the European Central Bank have weighed on construction projects that depend on borrowing.

Ukraine’s Stepped-Up Assault Grinds Forward, but Scale Is Unclear (NYT) Battles raged in southern Ukraine on Thursday, as Kyiv’s stepped-up offensive against the Russian occupation made small gains, according to Russian, Ukrainian and Western analysts and officials, but the scope of the assaults and their toll remained unclear. There was minimal, and sometimes contradictory, information about how many troops and armored vehicles Ukraine had committed so far to its attempt to punch holes through Russia’s daunting defensive network. Crucially, it was also unclear what kind of losses either side was suffering, in soldiers and weaponry. What is clear is that Ukraine has significantly ratcheted up its seven-week-old counteroffensive, along two southward thrusts apparently aimed at cities in the Zaporizhzhia region: Melitopol, near the Sea of Azov, and Berdiansk, to the east, on the Azov coast. In both cases, the Ukrainians have advanced only a few miles so far and have dozens of miles to go. In the short run, success would mean getting behind Russia’s defenses, where its forces would be far more vulnerable, and taking major towns farther south. Longer term, it would mean taking back Melitopol, a major transportation hub, or Berdiansk, an important port, or both—effectively cutting the Russian-occupied territory in half, complicating Moscow’s strategy and logistics.

U.S. to provide up to $345 million in military aid to Taiwan (Washington Post) The United States will provide Taiwan with up to $345 million in military assistance, using a similar presidential authority to the one in which it sends weapons to Ukraine, the White House announced Friday. The package comes as China continues efforts to increase its authority over democratically-governed Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory. “The drawdown includes self-defense capabilities that Taiwan will be able to use to bolster deterrence now and in the future,” Sue Gough, a Department of Defense spokesperson, said by email. Systems in the package “address critical defensive stockpiles, multi-domain awareness, anti-armor and air defense capabilities,” she added. The announcement follows complaints from the Taiwan defense ministry over delays in the delivery of U.S. arms that Taiwan already purchased. The new aid package marks the first time the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which expedites the process of supplying arms and pulls directly from stockpiles, has been used for Taiwan. It has been used dozens of times for Ukraine, under a separate provision allowing for emergency support.

Aid group official warns that impasse at the UN on border crossing puts 4.1 million Syrians at risk (AP) An impasse at the United Nations over a border crossing with Syria’s last rebel-held enclave is putting 4.1 million Syrian there in danger, the president of the International Rescue Committee warned this week. David Miliband’s comments came more than two weeks after the U.N. Security Council failed to renew the mandate for the Bab al-Hawa border crossing between Syria and Turkey, which secures aid for Syrians in the enclave. The vast majority of people in northwestern Syria live in poverty and rely on aid to survive—a crisis that was further worsened by a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria in February. The earthquake killed more than 50,000 people, including over 6,000 in Syria, according to the United Nations. The quake also displaced hundreds of thousands of others. The paralysis comes as donor fatigue has led to aid cuts in aid to both northwestern Syria and neighboring countries hosting millions of Syrian refugees who fled the ongoing conflict, now in its 13th year.

Unhappy With Right-Wing Leaders, Some Israelis Hatch Escape Plans (NYT) Naama Levin and her partner had always dreamed about taking a break from Israel and going on an extended vacation abroad. But they did not start making concrete plans until late last year, when Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power and formed a coalition with extreme right-wing and religiously conservative partners. In recent months, Netanyahu has put an ultranationalist who has been convicted of inciting anti-Arab racism in charge of national security, taken steps to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank and initiated an overhaul of the judicial system, angering secular Israeli Jews like Levin and setting off months of protests across the country. The passage of the new law was the last straw for some Israelis, who have been struggling with a high cost of living and underfunded schools. Businesses that help relocate corporations and families have seen a sharp uptick in demand in recent days. Financial advisers say they are being flooded with questions about how to move assets overseas and how to establish bank accounts abroad.

Jordan lawmakers move to criminalize some online speech. Rights groups accuse kingdom of censorship (AP) The lower house of Jordan’s parliament passed legislation Thursday to punish online speech deemed harmful to national unity, drawing accusations from human rights groups of a crackdown on free expression. The measure makes certain online posts punishable with months of prison time and fines. These include comments “promoting, instigating, aiding, or inciting immorality,” demonstrating “contempt for religion” or “undermining national unity.” It also punishes those who publish names or pictures of police officers online and outlaws certain methods of maintaining online anonymity. Lawmakers have argued that the measure, which amends a 2015 cybercrime law, is necessary to punish blackmailers and online attackers. But opposition lawmakers and human rights groups cautioned that the new law will expand state control over social media, hamper free access to information and penalize anti-government speech.

Aided by A.I. Language Models, Google’s Robots Are Getting Smart (NYT) A one-armed robot stood in front of a table. On the table sat three plastic figurines: a lion, a whale and a dinosaur. An engineer gave the robot an instruction: “Pick up the extinct animal.” The robot whirred for a moment, then its arm extended and its claw opened and descended. It grabbed the dinosaur. Until very recently, this demonstration, which I witnessed during a podcast interview at Google’s robotics division in Mountain View, Calif., last week, would have been impossible. Robots weren’t able to reliably manipulate objects they had never seen before, and they certainly weren’t capable of making the logical leap from “extinct animal” to “plastic dinosaur.” But a quiet revolution is underway in robotics, one that piggybacks on recent advances in so-called large language models—the same type of artificial intelligence system that powers ChatGPT, Bard and other chatbots. Google has recently begun plugging state-of-the-art language models into its robots, giving them the equivalent of artificial brains. The secretive project has made the robots far smarter and given them new powers of understanding and problem-solving.