Your 2 Cents’ Worth: Thursday, May 26

Dear Amy: Just before the pandemic, I started dating a charming, smart, handsome, funny professional guy (we’re both men). Our dates were delightful, except that whenever I suggested getting physically affectionate, he always had an excuse not to. The relationship faded out. After a few months, I drunkenly texted him and he responded by asking if I wanted to be friends with benefits. We started hanging out again and we had sex a few times, but there was no romance or spark whatsoever.

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s dramatic weekend rescue of four hostages from the Gaza Strip, in an operation that local health officials say killed 274 Palestinians, came at a sensitive time in the 8-month-old war, as Israel and Hamas weigh a U. S. proposal for a cease-fire and the release of the remaining captives. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Both sides face renewed pressure to make a deal: The complex rescue is unlikely to be replicated on a scale needed to bring back scores of remaining hostages, and it was a powerful reminder for Israelis that there are still surviving captives held in harsh conditions.

Over the weekend, a number of tributes to public intellectual Noam Chomsky were posted on social media, remarking on his life and career. But the 95-year-old linguist, by all public accounts, is not dead yet. The outpouring came after U. K.-based outlet Media Lens posted on Facebook on June 7: “No doubt like many other people around the world, we have been surprised and profoundly concerned that Noam Chomsky has not commented publicly on current events; in particular, the Israeli genocide of Palestinians.” Media Lens followed with a series of purported updates on Chomsky’s condition, sourced to Reddit posts by Chomsky’s former assistant Bev Stohl, and concluding that “it is very unlikely he will return to the public eye.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Chomsky—who in one of his last media appearances said in April last year that he “first started talking publicly about the criminal nature of Israel’s actions in 1969” but that he regretted not speaking out earlier about the “repression” of Palestinians—has been noticeably absent from public eye over the past year.

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Leo. Happy Birthday for Monday, June 10, 2024: You have boundless energy. You’re talented and full of ideas. You have strong opinions and don’t hesitate to express them. Family and service are your theme this year.

JERUSALEM — Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s three-man war Cabinet, announced his resignation Sunday, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of mismanaging the war effort and putting his own “political survival” over the country’s security needs. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The move does not immediately pose a threat to Netanyahu, who still controls a majority coalition in parliament.

Happy birthday, Donald Duck! The iconic cartoon Disney character turned 90 on Sunday. To celebrate decades of the boisterous icon entertaining us on the screen, here are 10 surprising facts about everyone’s favorite duck. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Donald Duck initially started as a minor character The notoriously grumpy made his first cartoon appearance on June 9, 1934 as a supporting character in the short The Wise Little Hen. “Donald Duck started as a minor character, but immediately they realized that he was a perfect foil for Mickey Mouse,” Becky Cline, the director of Walt Disney Archives, said in a video promoting the character’s 90th birthday.