The Latest From Afghanistan
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Spiritual: Harvard’s new chief chaplain is an atheist.
Modern Love: Why a writer’s daughter got (temporarily) married at 13.
Lives Lived: Inge Ginsberg fled the Holocaust, helped U.S. spies during World War II, wrote volumes of poetry and late in life became the frontwoman for a heavy metal rock band. She died at 99.
ARTS AND IDEAS
A new generation of dance
The world of competitive dance is more than the drama and sequins seen on reality shows like “Dance Moms.” Competitions and conventions have molded performers who went on to join elite dance programs and companies, as well as pop stars like Britney Spears and Beyoncé.
Still, the influential events have long been criticized for exclusionary costs, high-pressure environments and the sexualization of children. “I see how much my kids benefit from these events,” Siara Fuller, an artistic director, said. “But some competitions haven’t evolved at all in 15, 20 years.”
A new generation is attempting to reform the dance community, especially regarding issues of gender, predatory behavior and race, Margaret Fuhrer writes in The Times. Some are developing their own conventions to create a safer, more inclusive environment: The Embody Dance Conference, for example, features seminars for dancers on antiracism and mental health, and does not divide its students by gender in classes. Olivia Zimmerman, its founder, hopes other events can adapt such a model. “This isn’t proprietary,” she said. “We’re not trying to make money off ‘being the change.’ I want everyone to follow suit, so that in five years, we’re just another convention.” — Sanam Yar, a Morning writer
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Your Thursday Briefing
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Floods trap train passengers in China
At least 25 people died in and around Zhengzhou, a city of five million and the capital of Henan Province, when the heaviest rainfall on record caused severe flooding. Twelve of the victims were stuck on a subway train when waters rose.
The terror began on Tuesday evening when floodwaters breached a retaining wall near an entrance to the subway’s Line 5, which makes a loop around the city center. The water poured into the system between two stations, flooding the train.
Trapped passengers posted videos as the disaster unfolded. Other photographs and videos — some later apparently removed by censors — showed several lifeless bodies on a subway platform.
Passengers called relatives or emergency services while they waited to be rescued from chest-deep floodwaters. After two hours, survivors said, it became difficult to breathe in the remaining congested air.
Europe’s Vaccine Mess
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It is the latest sign of the power of the Covid-19 vaccines: The number of new cases is declining, often sharply, in countries that have vaccinated a large share of residents.
That’s the situation in Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Britain. Cases are also declining in the U.S., which is not as far along as those three countries but is well ahead of most.
And on the other end of the spectrum is the European continent.