Reading archive 2026-04-3

If Congress wants dialogue with Russia, it’s talking to the wrong people: Lawmakers should build ties with Russia’s democratic forces, not legitimize Putin’s enablers. - "To make the meeting possible, Luna had to secure a special exemption from the State Department: All visiting members of the Russian Duma are sanctioned by the U.S. for supporting — and formally authorizing — Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A return visit by U.S. lawmakers to Moscow is being planned for June of this year."

U.S. fighter jet crashes in Iran; search launched for 2 crew members: It’s the first known loss of an American aircraft inside Iranian territory since the war began a month ago.

Reading archive 2026-04-02

Police arrest suspect in gruesome slaying in historic D.C. neighborhood: The killing of Syed Hammad Hussain in his Logan Circle condominium started out as a random robbery, court documents say. - "Police said that hours after the robbery and killing, the second suspect was captured on surveillance video inside a pre-trial release facility in Southeast Washington. There, police said, he was seen adjusting a watch he was wearing that court documents say resembles a Cartier that belonged to Hussain."

Court tosses sentence for former clerk in scheme tied to 2020 election: The Colorado appeals court ordered a new sentence for Tina Peters, a former county elections official convicted for her efforts to boost Trump’s false claims.

Saudi Arabia’s record donation to the National Zoo buys more than an exhibit: In a $51.6 million act of animal diplomacy, the Saudis will fund a habitat for endangered Arabian leopards. - "RITM0260147Countries in the Gulf and their sovereign wealth funds have learned that institutional hesitation tends to fade when dollar amounts are high enough, which is one reason they will makes offers that are triple or quadruple market rates. Ask The Post AI Dive deeper “Among Gulf people with money, in general, people will straight up [say], ‘We don’t care what you really think of us. We can buy you and sell you,’” Koch said."

America Needs to Get Serious About Drones: The new age of war is already here, swarming over Barksdale Air Force Base.

The Real Religious ‘Renewal’ Happening in Gen Z: Some pastors and politicians claim that a Christian revival is afoot among young Americans. Nationwide data tell a different story. - "It's important not to overblow Gen Z's renewed interest in traditional Christianity. Double the number of converts at a college campus or an urban parish, from a small baseline, is not going to stave off broader generational trends. Growing congregations have an incentive to publicize their numbers, which declining ones lack. Conversions, moreover, should be noted alongside their foil. For every Catholic convert, for example, roughly eight Catholics leave the faith. And a proper 'revival' - such as the religious awakenings of the 18th and 19th centuries-is generally understood as emerging in multiple places and galvanizing a statistically significant portion of the population."

The Hardest Job in Europe: Ukraine’s ambassador to Hungary represents a government that has become Viktor Orbán’s primary target.

Coffin nails and the habit that defies burial: There now are so few norms to transgress, for some aspiring renegades smoking must suffice.

Trump endorses Republican plan to end DHS shutdown: The plan would fund ICE and Border Patrol for three years without Democrats’ help while relying on Democratic votes to fund the rest of DHS.

Wartime fuel shortages spawn panic, robberies and killings in Asia: Gas station workers in Bangladesh and Pakistan have been killed by angry motorists.

Catastrophic sewage spill followed years of delay on repairs, Post review finds: A Washington Post investigation reveals that a prolonged environmental review pushed back work on the Potomac Interceptor that was initially proposed in 2018. - "In September 2021, during President Joe Biden’s first year in office, the utility informed the Park Service that the project would probably require removing not three trees, but about 260. The utility promised to replant hundreds of trees, replacing the diameter of those lost, inch-for-inch."

Why Trump Didn’t Predict the Gas-Price Spike: The president doesn’t understand that markets are global. - "Trump wishes for a United States economy walled off from the rest of the world. That's why he loves tariffs so much-and why he refuses to think about what they mean to American producers, who now must pay more for inputs such as aluminum. 

"But with energy, there is no walling off. Most of America's oil and gas is produced in the United States. American imports come overwhelmingly from Canada and Mexico. But American oil can be put on a tanker and sent to Japan or the European Union if the price across the ocean rises. The global process of buying and selling equalizes prices worldwide. Walling off the U.S. would mean America would have to stop exporting and importing oil. Trump does not want to do that. In fact, he endlessly urges other countries to buy more American oil and gas. As he said in his March 31 comments: 'Buy from the U.S.; we have plenty.'"

Lions Led by Donkeys: The U.S. is fighting Iran under the worst wartime political leadership America has ever had. - "There is a reason that even those of us who fully recognize Iran's menace and are pleased with the elimination of much of its military capabilities, and who hope for the eventual fall of this brutal and dangerous regime, find it impossible to advocate for what is, in many ways, a just war. With political leadership so feckless, so dysfunctional, so incapable of planning, so willing to betray friends and allies for short-term advantage, so willing to lie and advocate criminal behavior, our military is simply not in responsible hands. It may yet succeed, and even succeed greatly, but that will be a tribute only to the lions, not the donkeys."

The Autocrat’s Dilemma: Xi Jinping’s ruthless reign in China offers important lessons for aspiring authoritarians. - "Since taking charge of the party in 2012, Xi has steadily dismantled the system that oversaw three decades of explosive growth by concentrating power in his own hands. He has marginalized party elders, tossed out political rivals, and sidelined members of other factions, which has stifled policy debates and removed checks on his power. Many of Xi's moves are purportedly about rooting out corruption, but in a political system rife with graft, this tactic enables him to pick off anyone he wishes. In 2022, Xi packed the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, the country's most powerful governing body, with close associates and political allies. 'Personal loyalty to Xi is his absolute priority and a baseline requirement for being promoted to the top leadership,' Thomas said."

DC is putting rats on birth control: DC Health is using edible birth control bait — and lethal bait — to curb the rat population in parts of the city.

Trump backs off campaign promises to protect Medicare, help with child care: As a candidate, Trump pledged to prioritize child care affordability and preserve Medicare. A spokeswoman argued that the president, in his comments Wednesday, was referring to fraud. - "'We’re a big country,' Trump went on. 'We have 50 states. We have all these other people. We’re fighting wars. It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all these things.'"

Reading archive 2026-04-01

Retirees receive six times as much in federal dollars as young people: An analysis from Penn Wharton Budget Model shows that baby boomers and the Silent Generation received an estimated $2.7 trillion in federal outlays last year.

Bike share: Paris has made space for cyclists in a way that I simply have not seen in any other city

D.C. Council overrides Bowser’s veto of police bill, underscoring tensions: The council also postponed a vote on a curfew extension, which the mayor has pressed for after some large youth gatherings ended with acts of violence.

Reading archive 2026-03-31

Army reviews why helicopters flew near Kid Rock’s home, No Kings rallies: An Army official said “appropriate action” will be taken if the probe reveals violations of safety standards or other regulations.

I broke up with my Kindle. My new e-reader treats me better.: After Amazon’s Kindle removed my ability to download and back up my own e-books, I went in search of an alternative.

Scientists captured female sperm whales on video working together during a birth to protect the calf

Oil and gas prices are soaring. Some countries are ready with solar panels and EVs

The Kurdish Ground Force Preparing to Fight in Iran: The Peshmerga on the Iraq-Iran border are eager to join the American campaign. They’re also deeply uneasy about where it might lead. - "'The real alternatives to this regime are not outside Iran,' [Adib Watandust, a member of the Kurdish Komala Party] said. 'They are inside-the political prisoners, union activists, teachers, journalists in jail, women and men. They are the real leadership. And the West cannot dictate an alternative from outside.'"

The Manosphere Turns on Trump: How many times can a coalition crack before it shatters?

Reading archive 2026-03-30

Local Teens Speak Out at Inaugural D.C. Teen Summit

House approves GOP bill to create public safety commission for DC

D.C.’s speed cameras are catching super violators. Most have Va. and Md. tags.: The most egregious violators have racked up thousands of dollars in unpaid fines for several hundred tickets. - "The biggest obstacle to better enforcement in the city is that most violators live in Maryland or Virginia. Of the 103 vehicles with the most tickets in fiscal 2025, 67 have Virginia plates, 25 have Maryland plates, and 3 have D.C. plates. Of the 100 top speeds registered by cameras in the past two years, 37 of the vehicles involved had Virginia plates, 35 carried Maryland plates, and 13 featured D.C. plates."

Miscellanea: The War in Iran - "The result is a fairly classic escalation trap: once the conflict starts, it is extremely costly for either side to ever back down, which ensures that the conflict continues long past it being in the interests of either party. Every day this war goes on make both the United States and Iran weaker, poorer and less secure but it is very hard for either side to back down because there are huge costs connected to being the party that backs down. So both sides ‘escalate to de-escalate’ (this phrase is generally as foolish as it sounds), intensifying the conflict in an effort to hit hard enough to force the other guy to blink first. But since neither party can back down unilaterally and survive politically, there’s practically no amount of pain that can force them to do so.

...

"There is a very real risk that this conflict will end with Iran as the de facto master of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, having demonstrated that no one can stop them from determining by force which ships pass and which ships cannot. That would, in fact, be a significant strategic victory for Iran and an enormous strategic defeat for the United States.

...

"But the United States is likewise going to bear diplomatic costs here. Right now the Gulf States have to shelter against Iranian attack but when the dust settles they – and many other countries – will remember that the United States unilaterally initiated by surprise a war of choice which set off severe global economic headwinds and uncertainty. Coming hot on the heels of the continuing drama around tariffs, the takeaway in many places may well be ‘Uncle Sam wants you to be poor,’ which is quite a damaging thing for diplomacy. And as President Trump was finding out when he called for help in the Strait of Hormuz and got told ‘no’ by all of our traditional allies, it is in fact no fun at all to be diplomatically isolated, no matter how powerful you are."

How the Turner Twins Are Mythbusting Modern Gear: Ross and Hugo Turner are genetically identical professional adventurers. By dressing one in cutting-edge technical apparel and the other in 100-year-old heritage kit on the world’s toughest expeditions, they are conducting the ultimate A/B test on modern gear.

Building Tanks While the Ukrainians Master Drones: Ukrainian drones have made artillery and armored vehicles look obsolete. Why is the world still buying them? - "In the end, Rheinmetall has a strong incentive to continue making the expensive weapons it has made for much of its history, even if they can be blown apart by drones that cost less than the average smartphone."

The Surprising Reason for the New Homophobia: Americans are burned-out, frustrated, and hunting for scapegoats. - "But any good explanation of how queer personalities are formed begins with the acknowledgment of how powerful marginalization can be. Gay people realize, at some early age, that the world isn't made for people like them. And for men, raised with the social pressure to seek dominance, that realization can lead to an obsession with climbing the rungs-whether in the context of sex, money, or something else. All of which is to say: Gay men are the original incels. They are born into heightened status anxiety and must maneuver to get ahead. And one way to do that is to be hot."

Reading archive 2026-03-29

He took Pelosi’s lectern on Jan. 6. Now he’s running for office.: Adam Johnson has rarely voted and embraces his role as clown prince of Jan. 6. Floridians will decide whether a man who tried to upend democracy can help lead one.

Pentagon prepares for weeks of ground operations in Iran: If President Donald Trump approves the plans, such an effort would mark a new phase of the war that could be significantly more dangerous to U.S. troops than the first four weeks.

Land by Georgia swamp, once slated for a mine, will become a wildlife area: The state plans to buy about 4,000 acres near Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge from a conservation group, which acquired the land to halt a proposed titanium mine.

NYC’s newest hobby is cleaning up trash and documenting the filth: In a city long vexed by excess garbage, volunteer cleanup clubs are increasingly filling the gaps.

Reading archive 2026-03-27

How Reverse Game Theory Could Solve The Housing Shortage: Our hardest problems — from housing shortages to climate retreat to democratic trust and technology — aren’t failures of politics; they’re failures of incentives.  "This is the promise of mechanism design: It suggests our hardest problems — from housing shortages to climate retreat to democratic trust and technology — won’t be solved by better attitudes or more flexible positions. They will be solved by better architectures, by structures that treat division not as an obstacle to eliminate but as material to consider when building." [ed. note: mechanism design; Transferable Development Rights]

Where Are All the Campus Protests?: Two years ago, students occupied buildings and colonized the quad. Now the same places are strangely silent.

The Deep Risk That Republican Hawks Overlooked: If the Iran war goes badly, the isolationist, anti-Israel wing of the party is likely to steer the GOP’s future. - "Trump has held [America First and Neocons] in place through personalist rule. Anybody who supports Trump - however disreputable or criminal they might be - can be in the party, nobody in the party can oppose Trump, and the party's platform consists of whatever Trump has said at any given moment, even if it contradicts what he claimed to stand for yesterday. The holdover Republicans who have remained attached to the party's old identity (hawkish, pro-Israel, anti-Russia, opposed to anti-Semitism) have squabbled with its newer entrants. But those disputes could be settled by Trump, who has repeatedly declared, 'I am MAGA.'"

Infamous DC squatter sues homeowner, claims $500K in designer goods are missing

US newspaper circulations 2025: Washington Post print declines 21% in a year: Some 24 out of top 25 US newspapers saw print circulation decline in 2025.

Education Department headquarters will relocate as part of Trump’s dismantling

What gladiatorial politics will bury in the midterms: Never underestimate the Democrats’ ability to make a sow’s ear out of a silk purse. - "Trump, himself a highly caffeinated creature, has been caffeine for the electorate: a stimulant, who in 2024 upended the axiom that higher voter turnout is better for Democrats. Last spring, David Shor, a data scientist, calculated that if more people had voted, Kamala Harris would have fared even worse. Trump would have won the popular vote by almost five points instead of 1.4 points, and in doing so would have won five states he lost (Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Virginia). The electoral vote outcome would have been 355-183 instead of 312-226."

FBI probe of 2020 election count in Georgia faces crucial court hearing: A federal judge Friday will consider Fulton County’s request for the return of thousands of ballots seized by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department.

House Democrat violated ethics rules, panel finds, putting her seat in jeopardy: The Ethics Committee panel cited a years-long inquiry into whether Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick misused covid pandemic money. She has maintained her innocence. - "The Justice Department brought its charges against Cherfilus-McCormick and several others, including her brother and tax preparer, in November, concluding an investigation that began during the Biden administration."

U.S. uses hundreds of Tomahawk missiles on Iran, alarming some at Pentagon: More than 850 have been fired in just four weeks, people familiar with the matter said, raising concerns about the weapon’s limited supply.

Is The End of NATO Near?: The alliance has been battered by Trump’s threats.

A Turning Point in the Iran War: The president is discovering the high stakes of an escalation that damages energy facilities.

The Countdown to a Ground War: The president wants to avoid a long, messy entanglement, but all of the ground options promise to be just that.

The Immigration Restriction Trump Won’t Try: Focusing enforcement on employers might be the easiest choice in immigration policy—after all the hard ones are made. - "For these reasons, the Democrats proposing employer-focused enforcement all offer the same important caveat: Yes to E-Verify, but only after most of the undocumented people already in the country are given a path to legal status. 'Once we have immigration reform,' Gallego told me, 'and once we have actually legalized' most undocumented immigrants without a criminal record, then strict enforcement of E-Verify is the natural next step. Last August, the New Democrat Coalition, a caucus of 115 congresspeople, released an immigration plan embodying the same logic. It proposes beefing up border security, creating new visa categories and expanding existing ones, giving Dreamers a path to citizenship, and granting legal status to noncriminal undocumented immigrants who arrived more than five years ago and pay a fine."

Welcome to a Multidimensional Economic Disaster: The AI boom wasn’t built for the polycrisis. - "The way the money moves is concerning, but so is the AI industry's underlying business model. At every layer, the technology appears to decrease the value of its assets. The advanced AI chips that make up the majority of the cost of a data center? Their value rapidly decreases as they are superseded by the next generation of chips, meaning that the ultimate backstop for all of the data-center debt - selling the data center itself - is not actually a backstop. The way that AI companies make money when people use their products is also deflationary. OpenAI, Anthropic, and others charge users for using 'tokens,' the components of words processed by their bots. This means that tokens are an industrial commodity akin to, say, crude oil or steel. But unlike other commodities, the cost of each token is rapidly decreasing owing to advancements in AI's capabilities. Kedrosky called this 'a death spiral to zero.' As the value of a token plummets, the value of what data centers can produce also falls.

...

"Even if Iran and the Strait of Hormuz don't directly trigger an AI-driven financial crisis, the odds are decent that another vector could. (Remember tariffs?) Energy prices could stay elevated for years, because the targeted fossil-fuel facilities in the Persian Gulf will take a long time to restore. As the U.S. directs huge amounts of attention and military resources toward Iran, it's easy to imagine China launching an invasion of Taiwan - a scenario that terrifies Silicon Valley, because it would halt the production of chips needed to train frontier models. That's not even considering the single Dutch company that makes the high-tech lithography machines used to print virtually all AI chips, or the German company that makes the mirrors used in those machines. 'There are too many ways for it to fail for it not to fail,' Kedrosky said of the AI industry's web of risk. 'All you can say for sure is this is a fragile and overdetermined system that must break, so it will.'"

OpenAI Is Doing Everything … Poorly: The company’s sudden decision to pull the plug on Sora is a sign of deeper trouble.

What Was Clavicular?: The internet’s most famous looks-maxxer is far more pernicious than he may seem.