Author: NY TIMES

A volcano erupted with little notice in southern Iceland on Saturday night, the latest in a string of eruptions in the area, threatening local infrastructure and leading the authorities to declare a state of emergency.Lava fountains burst out of the ground, and a nearly two-mile long fissure opened up on the Reykjanes Peninsula at about 8:30 p.m., the Icelandic Meteorological Office said. The eruption occurred near the town of Grindavik, the Svartsengi Power Plant and the Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland’s most famous tourist attractions.The meteorological office said that it had only received indications of a possible eruption about 40…

In Ms. Reis’s childhood neighborhood — which she described as “neither good nor bad” — she was “the token Native kid, with thick Harry Potter glasses and braid ties.” Other children picked on her, sometimes calling her Pocahontas.Growing up, there were signs of a future career in acting. As a child, she dressed up in her mother’s clothes and performed one-person plays, with protagonists inspired by the people she met on the streets of East Providence, R.I., her hometown. One character in particular, Mary, was “based on the older ladies who smoked Newport 100s and drank Dunkin’ Donuts all day.”“How…

A United Airlines flight that took off on Friday morning from San Francisco International Airport landed in Oregon missing an external panel, the Federal Aviation Administration said.The panel was found to be missing after the plane, a Boeing 737-800, landed safely at its scheduled destination at Rogue Valley International Medford Airport in Oregon and parked at a gate, United Airlines said in a statement. It was unclear when or how the panel went missing.According to the airline, there was no indication of any damage to the plane during the flight, and the aircraft did not declare an emergency on its…

For five days starting on March 29, people who buy tickets to certain movies at certain AMC Theaters will see video messages starring … Jason Blum?It’s a long way from Nicole Kidman, whose breathy “We come to this place for magic” branding spot has become legend. But Mr. Blum, a horror film producer, has been working to build his entertainment company, Blumhouse, into more of a consumer-facing brand. The goal is to create an association between its name and everything scary, sort of like Marvel and superheroes. That, in turn, could make Blumhouse more valuable as an acquisition target in…

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday rejected the latest cease-fire deal proposed by Hamas, calling its demands “ludicrous,” and said Israel would move forward with plans for a ground offensive in Rafah, the southern Gazan city where more than half the enclave’s population is sheltering.Still, Mr. Netanyahu signaled he was open to more talks. He announced he was dispatching an Israeli delegation back to Qatar, where mediation efforts have been taking place.The prime minister’s response came a day after Hamas presented a counteroffer to Israel aimed at securing a cease-fire and an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. In a…

Maria and her husband, Aleksandr, are certain that President Vladimir V. Putin will secure a fifth term as Russia’s leader in the presidential election this weekend.But the couple, who live in Moscow with their three children, are not so sure about what will follow. Foremost in their minds are fears that Mr. Putin, emboldened by winning a new six-year term, might declare another mobilization for soldiers to fight in Ukraine. Aleksandr, 38, who left Russia shortly after Mr. Putin announced the first mobilization in September 2022 but recently returned, is even considering leaving the country again, his wife said.“I only…

We’re four days into NFL free agency, and nearly 100 of my top 150 players have come off the board, along with dozens of other signings and a handful of trades. Here are my biggest takeaways from the first week in the new league.Live updates: Free agent news from the NFLFA tracker: New teams and contract details for top 150 free agentsBest available players: Who is still on the market?score: The best and worst free agent tradesLosing four of the top seven players on the roster could be devastating for many teams. Vikings edge players Danielle Hunter, DJ Wonnum and…

The influencers were not in Aspen to ski. In their Barbie-pink ski suits and matching Moon Boots, they rode the Silver Queen gondola to the top of the mountain, smiling and jumping for their cameras and social media feeds. Soon they would get back on the gondola and ride down, perhaps to pose for more content with a glass of Champagne at Ajax Tavern at the resort base.They did not care that after almost two weeks without snow in what was already a below-average year, a storm had finally come through, replenishing the mountain’s steep slopes and giving skied-out bump…

SCRATCHThen I talked to some end-of-life experts. Here’s what I found out.By Shaina Feinberg and Julia RothmanShaina is a writer and filmmaker who interviewed her mother for this story. Julia is an illustrator. March 16, 2024Recently, I had the following conversation with my 82-year-old mother, Mary:Me: Are you prepared to die?My mom: Not really. But I am prepared with my paperwork.You might be wondering why I was asking my mom about her end-of-life preparedness. Well, when my dad, Paul, died suddenly a few years ago, we were completely unprepared.“Dad and I never talked about what he wanted for his funeral,”…

Kobi Libii’s satirical comedy, “The American Society of Magical Negroes,” opens in an art gallery where people are milling about. A young Black man tries to walk through the crowd, constantly apologizing and sidestepping the gallery-goers. He acts as if he feels in the way and out of place. But as we learn when he arrives at his own yarn installation, he’s one of the artists whose work is for sale.The scene says a lot with a little, hitting comic beats but ending deflatedly thanks to the art dealer’s ruthless reaction to this diffidence. Yet the behavior of the young…