Reading archive 2022-10-31

Elon Musk deleted a tweet about Paul Pelosi. Here’s why that matters.: The comment amplified a baseless report about the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband and stirred an outcry

How to survive a crowd crush and why they can become deadly: Staying on your feet, keeping your arms free and helping those around you are all ways to improve your chances of getting to safety

At small-town radio station, the right-wing misinformation effort goes local

Reading archive 2022-10-29

Attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband follows years of GOP demonizing her: A man with right-wing views who broke into the House speaker’s home yelled “Where is Nancy?” before assaulting Paul Pelosi with a hammer, police say.

D.C.’s great rat migration — and how they survived during the pandemic: Play this video game to try your paw at surviving as Cheddar the D.C. rat

Rat catchers share tips and videos of their rodent showdowns

Opinion  For Metro, governance reform has to come before financial infusions

Opinion  American Jews start to think the unthinkable

Kyrie Irving Boosts Antisemitic Movie Peddling ‘Jewish Slave Ships’: The video is based on a venomously antisemitic book which asserts that "many famous high-ranking Jews" have "admitted" to "worship[ing] Satan or Lucifer."

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Reading archive 2022-10-27

News of ‘Twister’ sequel has weather fanatics swirling with excitement: Filming for a follow-up to the 1996 box office hit that starred Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt will begin in the spring, Deadline reports

Overt U.S. antisemitism returns with Trump, Ye: ‘Something is different’: ‘It’s like we’re coming back from a 50-year vacation,’ one expert said

Nearly half of Americans think U.S. should be ‘Christian nation,’ poll finds: But Pew respondents differed widely in describing what that term might mean

Opinion  James Bennet was right

Cal State banned caste discrimination. Two Hindu professors sued.

Reading archive 2022-10-26

All the times our kids spooked the %^*! out of us

Trial begins for two D.C. police officers charged in fatal moped chase

Kanye West may have finally reached the point of no return: As a dominant cultural figure of the 21st century, West has been through cycle after cycle of controversy and redemption. His repeated antisemitic statements might prove too much to overcome.

These scary stories will chill your blood during spooky season: Whether you’re looking for a classic ghost story or a Lovecraftian tale of cosmic horror, we have a recommendation for you

Woman goes to work, gets swallowed whole by 22-foot python

Opinion  Under-voting in D.C. at-large races devalues voters in wards 7 and 8 [ed. note: majorities of Ward 7 and 8 voters don't vote for at-large council races]

Opinion  Trump lets the truth slip about the MAGA base — and today’s GOP - "In Trump’s own telling, GOP base voters must be told that when they lose, they’ve been robbed — the outcome is illegitimate by definition. Scores of other GOP candidates are running for positions of control over elections — while essentially vowing to treat future elections as subject to nullification — which makes Trump’s point harder to deny."

D.C.’s most famous bald eagle couple rebuilds nest in Washington: Experts say the pair, Mr. President and Lotus, will probably try to breed soon. If eggs are laid, eaglets could hatch in the spring.

Reading archive 2022-10-25

Exploring the architecture of Washington, beyond the National Mall

Here’s exactly how your diet affects the planet, a landmark study finds: From pork to rice to seafood, a new analysis of nearly 99 percent of all food production on land and sea reveals the ecological footprint of what we eat - "For example, beef production in Brazil has a larger environmental impact than is attributed to the U.S. cattle industry, though Brazil produces 10 percent less meat than the United States."

How you can make more socially conscious Halloween candy choices: Chocolate, a fixture of Halloween, can have serious environmental, climate and social impacts.

What ‘The Trump Tapes’ reveal about Bob Woodward: The legendary journalist said audio recordings of his Trump interviews offer deeper understanding of the man. They are also a surprising window into Woodward’s method.

Liberal Democrats withdraw letter to Biden that urged him to rethink Ukraine strategy

Reading archive 2022-10-24

Opinon  What we found when analyzing 1,000 viral TikToks on #Abortion - "We found two things, chiefly: pro-abortion-rights posts get more views than antiabortion videos — and the platform is almost perfectly designed to further divide us."

Opinion  The world continues to ignore the radicalization of India

Opinion  Give my disregards to Broadway’s over-the-top theater ‘trigger warnings’

Florida needs workers to rebuild after Ian. Undocumented migrants are stepping in.: Hundreds have arrived in the Sunshine State despite Gov. Ron DeSantis’s warning that those without papers are not wanted in Florida. - "'We’d like them back,' Nancy Randall, a real estate agent who declined to give her age or political affiliation, said of the immigrants DeSantis had flown to Martha’s Vineyard, after Ian drove four feet of water into her green-shuttered home in Naples, soaking her grandmother’s rocking chair and everything else. 'We need all the helpers we can get.'"

The anxieties of growing old when you’re LGBTQ: Who would you call to bring you chicken soup? For many LGBTQ seniors who are alone, that’s no easy question.

Ask a Doctor: What happens if I drink too much water?: Normal kidneys can release up to a quart of fluid every hour. Drinking more than that can be hazardous to your health.

Right-wing roadshow promotes Christian nationalism before midterms - "The traveling carnival of misinformation merges entertainment, politics and theology and makes the existential argument to those attending: The debate is no longer about Republican vs. Democrat, they say, it’s about good vs. evil. And it’s time to pick a side."

D.C.'s troubled sports-betting app could soon have some competition

Reading archive 2022-10-22

The ‘This American Life’ of ghost stories is captivating Gen Z ‘Otherworld’ podcast has amassed fandom by tapping into a growing online fascination with the paranormal

As Elon Musk expands his reach, Washington worries: Many lawmakers see the billionaire as too powerful and increasingly reckless - "'Elon, The Everywhere' is what one White House official called him. 'He believes he is such a gift to mankind that he doesn’t need any guardrails, that he knows best.'"

Under Xi, China wants absolute security. It’s making the world nervous.

The World Cup is only a month away. Will Qatar be ready?

Mar-a-Lago classified papers held U.S. secrets about Iran and China: Iran’s missile program, U.S. intelligence work aimed at China were among the most sensitive material seized by the FBI, people familiar with the matter say