An Ignoble Experiment: The Weekender: Dry January, Tom Smothers, dining trends

December 30, 2023

Welcome to the weekend.

We have a great edition lined up for you: The Chinese spy agency that's rising to challenge the C.I.A., a look at Donald Trump's 2025 trade agenda and more interesting reads from The New York Times.

So go ahead, get comfy and check out The Weekender.

Illustration by Chantal Jahchan; Photographs by Jim Wilson/The New York Times, Qilai Shen for The New York Times, Getty Images, and Associated Press. Illustration by Lorenzo Gritti. Ruth Fremson/The New York Times.

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A photo illustration with images of President Biden, President Xi Jinping of China, security cameras and semiconductor production.

Illustration by Chantal Jahchan; Photographs by Jim Wilson/The New York Times, Qilai Shen for The New York Times, Getty Images, and Associated Press

Chinese Spy Agency Rising to Challenge the C.I.A. →

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Donald Trump stands behind a lectern and speaks into a microphone on a stage.

Jordan Gale for The New York Times

A New Tax on Imports and a Split From China: Trump's 2025 Trade Agenda →

A teenage boy stands with his hands in the pockets of his black Puma hoodie. Behind him is a row of cows just beyond a fence.

Ruth Fremson/The New York Times

They're Paid Billions to Root Out Child Labor in the U.S. Why Do They Fail? →

A man sits on a desk in a room that has a single bed and a window.

James Estrin/The New York Times

The First Step to Get Off the Streets? A Room of His Own. →

The New York Times

2023: The Year in Visual Stories and Graphics →

In a black-and-white archival image, a man in a tuxedo is at a microphone. He's holding a guitar.

Mark Junge/Getty Images

Simpleton? Genius? Who was Tom Smothers? →

Two people stand in front of a wall projection of a Leonardo da Vinci drawing.

Sedat Suna/EPA, via Shutterstock

A.I. Can Make Art That Feels Human. Whose Fault Is That? →

In a 1960s portrait, Ms. Streisand wears a man-tailored glen plaid suit jacket and vest with a cream-colored shirt and narrow burgundy tie. Her brunette hair is cropped short.

via Getty Images

Barbra Streisand Talks Style →

illustration of a whiskey bottle, on the top of the bottle is a spiral calendar with some pages fluttering off the top; the background is blue

Lorenzo Gritti

Considering Dry January? Set Yourself Up for Success. →

A meatless cheeseburger on a white diner plate with a pickle and lettuce under a very toasted bun.

Karsten Moran for The New York Times

9 Predictions for How We'll Eat in 2024 →

In a museum, two people look at a glass case with models of crabs and a town.

Sam Bush for The New York Times

This Silly Museum About Crabs Has Serious Things to Say →

Continue reading the main story

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