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Soma Golden Behr, Longtime Senior Editor at The Times, Dies at 84

Published

2 days ago

July 1, 2024

Soma Golden Behr, a longtime senior editor at The New York Times who was a centrifuge of story ideas — they flew out of her in all directions — and whose journalistic passions were poverty, race and class, which led to reporting that won Pulitzer Prizes, died on Sunday in Manhattan. She was 84.

Her death, in the palliative care unit of Mount Sinai Hospital, came after breast cancer had spread to other organs, her husband, William A. Behr, said.

Ms. Golden Behr, whose economics degree from Radcliffe led to a lifetime interest in issues around inequality, was instrumental in overseeing several major series for The Times that examined class and racial divides. Each enlisted squads of reporters and photographers for intensive, sometimes yearlong assignments.

“How Race Is Lived in America,” overseen with Gerald M. Boyd, who would become the paper’s first Black managing editor, peeled away the conventional wisdom that the country at the turn of the 21st century had become “post racial.” Its deep dives into an integrated church, the military, a slaughterhouse and elsewhere won the paper the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting in 2001.

Another series, “Class in America,” was an examination in 2005 of how social class, often unspoken, produced glaring imbalances in society.

And earlier, Ms. Golden Behr oversaw a 10-part series in 1993, “Children of the Shadows,” which pushed past stereotypes of young people in inner cities. The reporter Isabel Wilkerson won a Pulitzer in feature writing for her searing portrait in the series of a 10-year-old boy caring for four siblings.

Hired by The Times as an economics reporter in 1973 after 11 years at Business Week, Ms. Golden Behr was often one of the few women, or the only woman, at the table. She was the first to lead the national desk, appointed in 1987, and after a promotion to assistant managing editor in 1993, she was only the second woman from the newsroom to appear on the masthead.

“At five feet, 10-and-a-half inches tall, her presence could fill just about any room, and she rarely had to worry about men talking over her, which gave her an advantage over many women at The Times,” Adam Nagourney wrote in “The Times,” a 2023 book on the contemporary history of the paper.

Mr. Nagourney described her as “cerebral, contemplative and explosive, all at once,” and quoted her in an interview: “I’m a word salad; I explode a lot.”

Jonathan Landman, a former deputy managing editor of The Times, whom Ms. Golden Behr plucked from the copy desk to edit national correspondents, said her style was markedly different from other desk heads.

“She wasn’t an editor who said we need x to write y,” he said. “She’d say, ‘We gotta think about housing!’ What would then come after that was interesting conversations and memos, and she’d get people thinking thematically in ways that were different. It was something.”

Though Ms. Golden Behr was a pioneer, and she mentored other women at the paper, she did not see herself as an ideological feminist.

In 1991, during her tenure as national editor, the paper came under heavy fire over a profile of a young woman who accused William Kennedy Smith, a nephew of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, of rape. Critics inside and outside the newsroom accused the newspaper of voyeurism and shaming the woman by quoting a friend who said she had “a little wild streak.”

At a contentious newsroom-wide meeting, Ms. Golden Behr defended the article. “I am shocked by the depth of the response,” she said, adding, “I can’t account for every weird mind that reads The New York Times.’’

Ms. Golden Behr was the first woman to serve as the newspaper’s national editor and only the second to be on the masthead.Credit…The New York Times

Soma Suzanne Golden was born on Aug. 27, 1939, in Washington, D.C., the oldest of three children of Dr. Benjamin Golden, a surgeon, and Edith (Seiden) Golden.

She graduated with a B.A. from Radcliffe College and an M.S. from the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia. In 1974, she married Mr. Behr, a social worker and a psychoanalyst. The couple lived in Manhattan and Hopewell Junction, N.Y.

Steven Greenhouse, a former business and labor reporter at The Times, recalled that when Ms. Golden Behr was lured from Business Week in 1973, where she was chief economics writer in Washington, it was considered a coup.

“Making the coup even bigger at the time, Soma was a star who was a woman,” Mr. Greenhouse said. “She was hugely respected in the economics field.”

Four years later, Ms. Golden Behr was named to the editorial board. She was the only woman exclusively writing editorials, often on women’s issues, gay rights and inequality.

“After a few years she said something like, I don’t know that I have any more opinions, I’ve said it all,” Mr. Behr recalled. She moved on to edit the Sunday business section for five years.

Besides her husband, she is survived by their daughter, Ariel G. Behr, who works for a nonprofit that finances affordable housing; their son, Zachary G. Behr, an executive at the History Channel; four grandchildren; and a sister, Carol Golden.

On retiring from journalism in 2005, Ms. Golden Behr became director of The New York Times College Scholarship Program, which paid four years of expenses for students who had excelled academically despite difficult circumstances like homelessness.

When its funding was cut back, Ms. Golden Behr and a partner, Melanie Rosen Brooks, created a similar independent program in 2010, Scholarship Plus — an extension of Ms. Golden Behr’s desire to address inequality. Scholarship Plus, funded by donors, supports 20 students from poor backgrounds annually, supplementing their college financial aid so they can avoid student loans, attempting to put its scholars on equal footing with affluent peers.

Ms. Golden Behr sometimes missed the camaraderie of the newsroom. She would invite journalists she had worked with over the years — all of them women — to her home on the Upper West Side. Until the pandemic ended the gatherings, as many as 30 women would attend, driving from as far away as Boston.

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2 missing Georgia firefighters found dead in Tennessee

Published

3 hours ago

July 2, 2024

Antonio Planas

Two Georgia firefighters who went missing late last month were discovered dead hundreds of miles away in Tennessee, authorities said.

Raegan Anderson and Chandler Kuhbander were found in Cocke County Tennessee along with Anderson’s vehicle, the Hinesville , Georgia, Police Department said in a statement Sunday.

No additional details were released, police said, directing questions to the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, police said.

Two Liberty County, Georgia firefighters who had been missing for about a week were found dead in Tennessee on Sunday. (WSAV/HPD)

A representative with the sheriff’s office said Tuesday afternoon that the Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation.

“TBI agents are working alongside the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of two people after their bodies were discovered inside a vehicle along Hollow Road in Cosby on Sunday morning,” the state agency said in a statement Tuesday.

The bodies have been sent for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death and to be positively identified. The investigation is ongoing, TBI said.

Liberty County Fire Chief Brian Darby on Sunday s aid the department in Midway, Georgia, was deeply saddened about the news of two of their firefighters.

“These two extremely dedicated employees put their hearts and souls into protecting and serving the citizens of Liberty County,” Darby said in a statement. “Our prayers, and those of the department, are with the families during this most difficult time.”

A representative with Liberty County Fire declined to comment Tuesday afternoon.

Cocke County Tennessee is about 400 miles north of Midway, Georgia.

Last week, Hinesville police posted information on Facebook about the two missing firefighters. The post also included a photo of Anderson’s vehicle, a black 2017 Ford Focus.

Anderson was last seen June 25 at the Liberty County Fire Services Station #1. Authorities think Anderson may have been accompanied by Kuhbander, who had also been reported missing in Liberty County, NBC affiliate WBIR of Knoxville, Tennessee, reported.

Kuhbander’s vehicle was found in Savannah, Georgia, and Anderson’s vehicle was spotted in Richmond Hill, Georgia, before it was found in Tennessee, the news outlet reported.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

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What It Means When Your Apple Products Become ‘Vintage’ or ‘Obsolete’

Published

4 hours ago

July 2, 2024

Brendan Hesse

Every tech product you own has a post-release “lifespan.” For example, Apple’s policies guarantee five years of support, starting from a device’s release date (as opposed to whenever you bought it). Once those five years are up, Apple can deem that device “vintage.”

In fact, Apple recently classified three of its products as vintage: the iPhone X (2017), first-generation AirPods (2016), and the first-generation HomePod (2017). That might come as news to you, if you’re still using one or more of these products yourself.

With that in mind, what exactly does it mean for an Apple product to go “vintage,” and what happens when a vintage product goes “obsolete?”

Vintage Apple products

“Vintage” in Apple land doesn’t actually mean a product is “old,” or that you should stop using it—nor does it imply you’ll be able to sell it to collectors for a profit. When an Apple device becomes “vintage,” that product is no longer guaranteed by Apple to be repairable at an Apple Store or authorized service provider. In many cases, Apple will also stop issuing the device routine software updates.

Despite the reduction in support, vintage Apple devices will still work (this isn’t some sort of internal kill switch) and some devices may even receive occasional system updates if they support the latest operating systems or if a major security flaw needs to be patched. It’s even possible you could get one repaired, if the parts are available. Just don’t be surprised if an Apple Genius or an Apple-authorized vendor turns you away.

Apple doesn’t automatically deem a product as vintage five years after the original sale date. Take a look at the newest products on the list: The iPhone X could have been made vintage in 2022, but Apple waited an extra year and a half. Apple’s official definition of “vintage” is a product that is more than five years old, but fewer than seven. AirPods are seven years old exactly, so they’re coming in right at the cutoff. (A list of all vintage and obsolete devices can be found on Apple’s support site.)

However, once a product is more than seven years old, it graduates to a different category: “Obsolete.”

Apple’s “obsolete” list

Like vintage products, devices listed as “obsolete” will operate as normal as long as the hardware is in working condition. However, obsolete products lose virtually all hardware support. The only exception is MacBooks, which may allow for a battery replacement up to 10 years after the product was last available for sale.

An obsolete device, however, may still receive some software support. Don’t expect iOS 18 on an obsolete iPhone, mind you. But Apple did release a security update for iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus back in March, both of which are obsolete.

These shifts in service priority can be frustrating if you’re still rocking older tech and don’t feel like upgrading, but the policy makes sense given the current market realities: At the rate that both hardware and software iterate, diverting resources to keep outdated devices afloat is difficult and costly. However, even if an Apple Store turns your iPhone X away for repair, independent repair shops may still help you out for some time to come—even when the X eventually becomes “obsolete.”

Just don’t expect much repair help with your AirPods: They’re largely unrepairable.

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Migrant accused of raping teen released on $500 bail despite ICE’s calls to hand him over to the agency

Published

7 hours ago

July 2, 2024

Adam Shaw

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A Haitian migrant charged with the rape of a 15-year-old girl at a Massachusetts hotel was released on $500 bail last week despite ongoing requests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to transfer him to its custody.

Cory Alvarez, a 26-year-old Haitian national who was allowed into the U.S. via a controversial parole program that allows up to 30,000 migrants to fly in each month, was charged with aggravated rape of a child in March.

ICE said in a statement that Boston’s branch of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) filed a detainer against Alvarez with the local sheriff’s office March 14. A detainer is a request by which authorities alert ICE about an individual they believe to be subject to deportation so they can take the individual into federal custody and deport that person.

HAITIAN MIGRANT CHARGED WITH RAPE OF 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL ENTERED VIA CONTROVERSIAL PAROLE PROGRAM: SOURCES

Cory B. Alvarez allegedly raped a teenage girl at a motel he lived at that housed migrants. Alvarez entered the United States lawfully in 2023 in New York City. (Fox News)

In this case, as in many “sanctuary” jurisdictions, the detainer was not adhered to, and Alvarez was released on bail.

“On June 27, Plymouth Superior Court refused to honor ERO Boston’s immigration detainer and released Alvarez from custody on a $500 bond,” ICE Boston ERO spokesperson James Covington said.

The Boston Globe reported that prosecutors had asked bail to be set at $25,000, but the judge set bail at $500 on the condition he submit to various stipulations, including home confinement and other forms of monitoring.

Brian A. Kelley, Alvarez’s attorney, told Fox News Digital Alvarez was released after a three-part hearing that looked at medical records, surveillance and testimony.

“No injuries were found on the alleged victim. The video surveillance depicts her going into the room and coming out eight minutes later, her clothing undisturbed and walking by two members of the National Guard without comment,” Kelley said, confirming that Alvarez was released on bail.

MAYORKAS CALLS POLICY TO LET 30K MIGRANTS FLY IN EACH MONTH A ‘KEY ELEMENT’ OF BORDER PLAN AFTER LEGAL WIN

Cory B. Alvarez (in red) was arrested March 15 and has pleaded not guilty to one count of rape of a child by force. He was ordered held without bail after a hearing in Hingham District Court in Hingham, Mass., March 22, 2024. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

He also said Alvarez’s bail condition included home confinement and the surrender of his passport, with which he complied. He also pointed to a Massachusetts court ruling that found no authority to hold an individual solely on the basis of an ICE detainer.

“I’m hopeful that all Karen Read supporters now find a new cause; supporting the innocence of Cory Alvarez,” Kelley added.

Alvarez arrived in June under the parole process for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezeualans (CHNV). The policy was first announced for Venezuelans in October 2022, which allowed a limited number to fly directly into the U.S. as long as they had not entered illegally, had a sponsor in the U.S. already and passed certain checks.

In January 2023, the administration announced the program was expanding to include Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans and that the program would allow up to 30,000 people per month into the U.S. It allows for migrants to receive work permits and a two-year authorization to live in the U.S. and was announced alongside an expansion of Title 42 expulsions to include those nationalities.

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The Department of Homeland Security has said the process, which it describes as a “safe and orderly way to reach the United States” is a “key element” of the administration’s efforts to address high levels of migration throughout the hemisphere. Republicans have accused the administration of abusing the parole process with the program.

According to official data, the Biden administration has brought over 138,000 Haitians into the U.S. via the CHNV parole program since January 2023.

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