Reading archive 2020-08-31

Infected by doubt: A 26-year-old film editor’s descent into coronavirus vaccine conspiracy theories

A rural wedding led to dozens of coronavirus cases. Officials see it as a cautionary tale.

Powerful House committee chairman faces liberal primary challenger in race that could reshape Congress: Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) faces Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse in generational contest in Tuesday primary

New Trump pandemic adviser pushes controversial ‘herd immunity’ strategy, worrying public health officials

Reading archive 2020-08-29

Arkansas County Sheriff resigns after racist comments caught on recording

Reading archive 2020-08-26

Focus on Trump’s official White House actions as part of Republican convention programming raises Hatch Act concerns

For female politicians, talking about cooking can be fraught. Kamala Harris is breaking that mold, too.

Family is ‘my chittis’: Kamala Harris puts her Tamil roots on the prime-time stage like never before

Lewd cheerleader videos, sexist rules: Ex-employees decry Washington’s NFL team workplace

Daniel Snyder has now embarrassed — and exposed — the entire NFL

How Suffering Farmers May Determine Trump’s Fate: As rural Wisconsin’s fortunes have declined, its political importance has grown.

Reading archive 2020-08-25

LIE AFTER LIE: WHAT COLIN POWELL KNEW ABOUT IRAQ 15 YEARS AGO AND WHAT HE TOLD THE U.N. The evidence is irrefutable: Powell consciously deceived the world in his 2003 presentation making the case for war with Saddam Hussein.

The St. Louis couple charged with waving guns at protesters have a long history of not backing down

Reading archive 2020-08-24

The absurd claim that Trump is the ‘most pro-gay president in American history’

Prominent Russian opposition activist Navalny was poisoned, German doctors say

Mike Pence hopes four years of subservience to Trump will lift his political future

The Grand Old Meltdown: What happens when a party gives up on ideas? - "It can now safely be said, as his first term in the White House draws toward closure, that Donald Trump’s party is the very definition of a cult of personality. It stands for no special ideal. It possesses no organizing principle. It represents no detailed vision for governing. Filling the vacuum is a lazy, identity-based populism that draws from that lowest common denominator Sanford alluded to. If it agitates the base, if it lights up a Fox News chyron, if it serves to alienate sturdy real Americans from delicate coastal elites, then it’s got a place in the Grand Old Party."

Reading archive 2020-08-19

Madison Cawthorn Is the Future of the Republican Party: He could be a rising star of the party or an alt-right Trojan horse. Or maybe there’s no difference between the two.

My Dark Journey Into the Soul of a Model Young Republican Candidate

Reading archive 2020-08-18

What Happens When Ex-Navy SEALS Go Full QAnon?

Reading archive 2020-08-17

Tracing Trump’s Postal Service obsession — from ‘loser’ to ‘scam’ to ‘rigged election’

Reading archive 2020-08-14

USPS says Pennsylvania mail ballots may not be delivered on time, and state warns of ‘overwhelming’ risk to voters

Judge orders Trump campaign to produce evidence of voter fraud in Pennsylvania

The Post Office Is Deactivating Mail Sorting Machines Ahead of the Election: Good thing nobody's predicting a huge surge in mail any time soon.

Biden campaign sends scathing statement in response to Trump stoking false conspiracy theory

Trump promotes false claim that Harris might not be a natural-born U.S. citizen

Top DHS officials Wolf and Cuccinelli are not legally eligible to serve in their current roles, GAO finds: The watchdog agency found that both officials sidestepped Senate confirmation in a way that is not permitted.

Reading archive 2020-08-013

THE FBI HAS QUIETLY INVESTIGATED WHITE SUPREMACIST INFILTRATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT: Bureau policies have been crafted to take into account the active presence of domestic extremists in U.S. police departments.

Reading archive 2020-08-12

Tariff Man punishes the Canadian bullies

Reading archive 2020-08-07

2°C: BEYOND THE LIMIT: This giant climate hot spot is robbing the West of its water

Reading archive 2020-08-06

“YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED”: THE WILD, DISTURBING SAGA OF ROBERT KRAFT’S VISIT TO A STRIP MALL SEX SPA: After the Patriots owner made two trips to Orchids of Asia Day Spa, where a half-hour “massage” costs $59, he was charged with soliciting a prostitute. What happened next was not what anyone expected.

New York attorney general seeks to dissolve NRA in suit accusing gun rights group of wide-ranging fraud and self-dealing

Reading archive 2020-08-05

The Federal Clampdown On Portland Shows Just How Fragile Our Democracy Is

Grassley, Warner keep up pressure for information in Park Police slaying of Bijan Ghaisar; Fairfax police join case: After briefings from the Justice Department and National Park Service, many questions are still unanswered, senators say.

A police department quietly hired a deputy involved in the death of a man with Down syndrome. Then one man decided to make noise.

Reading archive 2020-08-04

BP built its business on oil and gas. Now climate change is taking it apart.: Oil giant aims for 40 percent output cut and tenfold increase in spending on low-carbon energy

Reading archive 2020-08-03

Trump keeps promising an overhaul of the nation’s health-care system that never arrives

Birx says U.S. has entered a ‘new phase’ of pandemic as cases, deaths rise

Trump’s campaign in crisis as aides attempt August reset before time runs out

How the Trump campaign came to court QAnon, the online conspiracy movement identified by the FBI as a violent threat

Belarus election campaign has unexpected sideshow: Spat with Russia over alleged interference

As Trump leans into attacks on mail voting, GOP officials confront signs of Republican turnout crisis

Calm returns to Portland as federal agents withdraw

Liberty University Poured Millions Into Sports. Now Its Black Athletes Are Leaving.: Jerry Falwell Jr.’s dream of athletic domination is in peril.

Reading archive 2020-08-02

It’s Summertime, and the Gardening Should Be Easy, Right?: Actually, there’s a lot you still need to do. Here’s a list to get you started. - "'If you can’t enjoy weeding, you won’t be a happy gardener,' said Mr. Tilghman, citing its importance to a garden’s health and visuals."