Reading archive 2020-02-27

Opinion: For bulldogs and some other breeds, man hasn’t been the best friend - "Its genes are replete with inbred ills, and the dogs — no matter how well-loved — all too frequently live short, difficult and unhealthy lives. That’s why a Norwegian court recently ordered a halt to further breeding of the dog — and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, too — within that country, saying it amounts to cruelty to animals."

Opinion: What gay men’s stunning success might teach us about the academic gender gap

Opinion: Putin thinks he can win a new Cold War. He may be right. - "We won the Cold War not because we had better soldiers or more reliable weapons or more disposable income, although all of those were advantages. We won because we were right.

...

"There’s a pinched view on the left that America faces a choice between restoring its own liberties and protecting them around the world. 'The primary conflict between democracy and authoritarianism,' Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote in Foreign Affairs last June, arguing against a Cold War with China, 'is taking place not between countries but within them — including in the United States.' 

"If this was true before Putin’s Ukrainian gambit, then it isn’t now. The United States shouldn’t have to choose domestic investment over confrontation with global bullies; we can, and have, done both. We can afford to do it again."

The self-styled ‘Freedom Convoy’ rumbled up at an inopportune time for U.S.-Canada trade

This rural news start-up has two reporters and an editor with no broadband. Already, it’s made an impact.: In western Virginia, veterans of a once-great newspaper are starting something small with big ambitions for serving Appalachian readers.

‘Traumaversaries’ can be hard. Here’s how 4 sexual assault survivors honor theirs.

Barr calls prospect of Trump running for president again ‘dismaying,’ says GOP should ‘look forward’ to others

Opinion: The saddest irony of Putin’s war on Ukraine

RT was Russia’s answer to CNN. Now its pro-Putin spin on Ukraine is sparking new outrage.: Whether defending Putin or downplaying the war, the Kremlin-backed global news organization is drawing louder accusations of propaganda.

Opinion: The GOP’s real fear about Judge Jackson? That she’s every bit as good as Biden says.

Alex Ovechkin’s voice is powerful. His comments on Ukraine were a missed opportunity.

13 days: Inside Biden’s last-ditch attempts to stop Putin in Ukraine: A pair of urgent Situation Room meetings and the days that followed provide a revealing window into the Biden administration’s unsuccessful scramble to deter a full-scale Russian invasion

Putin says he will ‘denazify’ Ukraine. Here’s the history behind that claim.

Historic sanctions on Russia had roots in emotional appeal from Zelensky:: A video call by the Ukrainian wartime leader prompted jaded European leaders to act

Kosovo asks U.S. for permanent military base, speedier NATO membership

A Team Of American And British Special Forces Veterans Are Preparing To Join Ukraine’s Fight Against Russia: The group of 10 NATO-trained war veterans are taking up President Volodymyr Zelensky’s offer for people to join a new unit of foreign fighters for Ukraine.

‘Just short of nuclear’: the latest financial sanctions will cripple Russia’s economy

Reading archive 2022-02-26

TikTok sees a surge of misleading videos that claim to show the invasion of Ukraine

Russian cargo ship seized in the English Channel

Abramovich Relinquishes Control of Chelsea, Still Owns Club:: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich suddenly handed over the “stewardship and care” of the Premier League club to its charitable foundation trustees.

Half of Russian troops amassed around Ukraine now invading, U.S. says - "'It is remarkable that so many western governments — the US, the UK, the Dutch — are *overtly* shipping anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine right now in the middle of its war with Russia. Not even hiding it. Publicizing it. Loudly,' tweeted Andrew Exum, previously a top Pentagon official in the Obama administration."

Taiwan Is Building Eight New Submarines—They Alone Could Destroy A Chinese Invasion Fleet

What the Russian media is saying about the war in Ukraine

U.S., EU Cut Some Russian Banks From SWIFT, Target Central Bank

Reading archive 2022-02-25

D.C. park, trail will no longer honor official who advocated destroying Black residents’ homes

Swiss halt new bank business with Russians on EU sanctions list

Big Tent for the week of February 25, 2022 - "Republicans, by contrast, are torn rather horrifyingly between a pro-Putin faction of corrupt and/or ideologically fascistic Trump loyalists, and a nominally anti-Putin faction, and the glue holding them together is reflexive partisan demagoguery. Putin is brilliant, and playing Biden like a drum; Putin is brilliant but this magnificent development wouldn’t have happened if Trump were president; Putin is a tyrant, but his tyranny is only possible because Biden is 'weak'; Putin is a tyrant, but Biden should be weaker towards him and save his firepower for the southern border. It’s incoherent but coherence isn’t the point. Exploiting war against an ally to hurt Democrats is the point. This is their m.o. in just about every circumstance—whatever the facts on the ground, unite through hyperpartisanship."

By invading Ukraine, Putin loses allies in eastern Europe

US special operations presses on in Ukraine amid threat of Russian invasion

Reading archive 2022-02-24

Germans must remember the truth about Ukraine – for their own sake

Tuberville reflects on first year in office, addresses situation with Russia - "Tuberville discussed the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine. He claims that a large part of Vladimir Putin’s desire for further annexation of Ukrainian land is due to the amount of farmland in Ukraine. 

"'He can’t feed his people,' Tuberville said. 'It’s a communist country, so he can’t feed his people, so they need more farmland.'"

Ukrainians rally in D.C. to protest Russian invasion of their native country

Opinion: A deadly, devious intelligence war unfolds in Ukraine

The trucker ‘convoy’ is demanding our attention. But what do they want?

‘Freedom Convoy’ spinoff leaves California, aims for D.C.

Russia Used Beatings and Tricks to Forcibly Send Rookie Troops to Ukraine, Rights Group Says: Mothers of soldiers all across the country say their sons were battered and duped into the war, a human rights organization has claimed.

This Fox News Reporter Is the Only Adult in the Room: Griffin has repeatedly schooled her Fox News colleagues on the intricacies of the Ukrainian crisis, busting a number of right-wing narratives in the process.

Ukraine Invasion by Russia Is the Beginning of the End for Putin and His Friends: Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine will result in the downfall of him and his friends.

At great risk for Ukraine and Russia, Putin signals a dark endgame

Ukraine shrugged off predictions of war. Now it’s a mad dash to leave.

Trump largely isolated in praise for Putin as GOP condemns Russian invasion: The crisis showcases competing impulses within the Republican Party in a test for democracy globally

Attack on Ukraine brings rare sight in Russia: Protests in cities against Putin and invasion

Reading archive 2022-02-23

Opinion: A surprising poll about GOP book bans should light a fire under Democrats - "As Brian Beutler notes, when Democrats internalize the idea that they can’t win arguments, that blinds them to existing political possibilities. Rather than constantly denying lies about their intentions in classrooms, Democrats should put Republicans in the position of having to deny truths about their actual intentions in them."

Opinion: With his praise for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Trump makes his apologists look foolish. Again.

What the U.S. military is doing in response to Russian actions in Ukraine

Fact-checking Putin’s speech on Ukraine

Trump’s Truth Social’s disastrous launch raises doubts about its long-term viability: ‘The basic thing they needed to actually get right, to get someone in the door, they couldn’t get right,’ one researcher said

E.U. will unveil a strategy to break free from Russian gas, after decades of dependence: Ukraine crisis has pushed Europe toward renewables — but will the change come quickly enough?

On Poland’s border with Ukraine, U.S. military helps plan for possible war refugees

Fees from Pepco put solar panels out of reach, D.C. residents say: The utility company has assessed fees of up to $20,000 for some customers before they can install rooftop solar panels. The D.C. Public Service Commission is looking into a cost-sharing requirement to reduce them.

Highly contagious bird flu circulating in D.C. region is not a danger to humans, officials say

Prosecutors leading criminal probe into Trump business practices have resigned:: A person briefed on the situation said Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is less interested in the investigation than his predecessor. A spokeswoman said the probe continues.

Hundreds of gas leaks found in D.C. — some ‘potentially explosive,’ report says

Reading archive 2022-02-22

Exclusive-Punishing Putin: How Biden could cut Russia off from world tech

China keeps walking its tightrope between Russia and the West as tensions flare in Ukraine

Opinion: Surprising cracks, if small ones, appear in Kremlin support for Putin on Ukraine

Opinion: What we can expect after Putin’s conquest of Ukraine

‘Genius,’ ‘Savvy’: Trump reacts to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine exactly as you’d expect

Supreme Court will hear another clash pitting religious rights against laws protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination

Inside the Tenderloin, can a city fix a neighborhood while staying true to its values?: San Francisco, one of the bluest cities in America, has leaders struggling to balance Democratic principles with practicality

In a Ukrainian city on Russia’s doorstep, Putin’s plans stir deep worries and defiance

He was 14 when he was charged with murder. He could be out of custody in less than a year.: The case of Shilen Wylie has been moved to juvenile court, which advocates say holds the best chance of rehabilitation.

Reading archive 2022-02-18

Omicron slammed essential workers. So the National Guard became teachers, janitors and more.

How NBC handled one of the most gut-wrenching scenes in Olympic figure skating history

What to know about shelling in Ukraine that hit a kindergarten

Reading archive 2022-02-17

As Fla. lawmakers push to limit LGBTQ discussions in schools, Orlando vows to keep teaching its history

Reading archive 2022-02-16

Virginia legislature has bipartisan support to build stadium complex for Washington Commanders

Ryan Zinke broke ethics rules while leading Trump’s Interior Dept., watchdog finds: The Interior Department’s inspector general found Zinke had repeated contact with developers about a real estate deal and lied about it to an ethics official. The Justice Department declined to bring charges.

Urban Bees Face a Flower Deficit, Says Swiss Study: An examination of 14 cities in Switzerland adds heft to concerns that urban beehives can overtax city green spaces, potentially harming native pollinators.

US Kremlin backers seek to undermine Joe Biden

Russia claims mass civilian graves found in Donbas: Moscow accuses Ukraine of genocide against Russian-speakers. *West has raised fears of a "false flag" operation.

British intelligence infuriates Vladimir Putin as UK exposes another Russian invasion plot

Reading archive 2022-02-15

Chris Crouch was anti-vaccine. Now his pregnant wife had covid, and he faced a terrible choice.: ‘You are not going to die,’ he said, making a vow he wasn’t sure he could keep. - "In the summer of 2021, soon after President Biden declared the pandemic almost over, their two-year anniversary was approaching and the couple decided to go to Las Vegas to celebrate. They stayed at the Trump hotel, walked along the Strip and caught a showing of Cirque du Soleil. Diana had a headache, but it didn’t keep them from going out and having fun."

Reading archive 2022-02-14

Opinion: Cities aren’t facing up to their ‘long covid’ crisis: Downtown is in deep trouble

Israel considers aid options for possible Jewish refugees from Ukraine if war comes

A weakened Trump? As some voters edge away, he battles parts of the Republican Party he once ran.

Norton ‘extremely concerned’ about possible Republican bill to repeal D.C.’s home rule

Reading archive 2022-02-12

Capitalism had Israel’s kibbutzim on the ropes. Then they discovered pot.: Dozens of these iconic communal farms have entered the rapidly emerging medical marijuana industry.

Reading archive 2022-02-11

In Amazon’s shadow, neighbors are dueling over housing density - “This is not a farmer’s field in the middle of nowhere,” said Gattoni-Celli, a former Arlington resident who now lives in Alexandria. “It’s next to the world’s largest office building. It’s a stone’s throw away from what will be the second headquarters of one of the world’s largest corporations. We’re going to need a lot more housing there, but this area is really well set up to absorb it all.”

Two bald eagles along Dulles corridor get named in Loudoun school contest: Meet Martin and Rosa — who has laid two eggs in their nest

Some Trump records taken to Mar-a-Lago clearly marked as classified, including documents at ‘top secret’ level: The existence of documents officially labeled as classified in the trove — which has not previously been reported — raises new questions about why the materials were taken out of the White House.

Opinion: Sarah Palin bombs on witness stand in New York Times trial

‘Scorched earth’ and big profits: How embattled gaming titan Bobby Kotick outlasts his opponents

Biden doesn’t want to change China. He wants to beat it. - "To the surprise of many in Washington and Beijing, the Biden administration has largely followed Trump’s lead, keeping U.S. policy toward China on a more competitive — if not confrontational — footing, an approach now favored, in varying degrees, by lawmakers in both parties and likely to last as long as China continues its great leap backward. Restraining China is now a multi-administration, bipartisan strategy that stands among the most important foreign policy adjustments since the end of the Cold War.

...

"In a June Foreign Affairs essay titled 'Washington’s Dangerous New Consensus on China,' Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) advocated a relationship based on cooperation, not conflict. His arguments dovetail with those in official Communist Party propaganda: Don’t blame China’s aggression for the downturn in relations; blame the United States."

Reading archive 2022-02-10

Deputy Va. attorney general resigns after revelation of Facebook posts praising Jan. 6 rioters, claiming Trump won election

Report: Russian skater Kamila Valieva tested positive for a banned medication

The U.S. Army has released its first-ever climate strategy. Here’s what that means.

Reading archive 2022-02-09

‘Legitimate political discourse’: Three words about Jan. 6 spark rift among Republicans: Use of the phrase in connection with the Capitol insurrection has led to days of attempted political cleanup over a Republican Party resolution censuring Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger

Biden calls Florida bill restricting LGBTQ discussion in schools ‘hateful’ after DeSantis signals support - "Republican state Sen. Dennis Baxley, who sponsored the proposal, told lawmakers in his chamber’s Education Committee on Tuesday that it wouldn’t forbid spontaneous discussions but would bar districts from incorporating LGBTQ topics into the curriculum."

Giuliani asked Michigan prosecutor to give voting machines to Trump team: President’s legal advisers helped twist clerical error by rural county into key tenet of false election-fraud claim - "Antrim is dominated by elected Republicans, and the small rural county last backed a Democrat for president in 1964. A review commissioned by state officials later found that the election night error was largely the result of officials’ failure to properly update machines that scan and count paper ballots following a last-minute change to ballots in several precincts. This led to inaccurate vote tallies in the county’s initial results.

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"Guy, the county clerk, told The Post that Antrim was being exploited to 'terrorize the country with doubt' over the electoral process. 'Nobody cares about what really happened. They are simply using us for their agenda,' said Guy, a Republican.

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"Meanwhile, Homeland Security officials studied the Antrim claims at Barr’s request, preparing a 'white paper' that said its key claims lacked merit and briefing Barr and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, the Senate records show. On Dec. 20, Barr announced there was no basis for seizing voting machines or appointing a special counsel."

Reading archive 2022-02-08

In the Crowded Ward 5 Race, Gordon-Andrew Fletcher Turns to Local Seniors for Cash to Keep Pace: Fletcher is lagging behind other major candidates in the cash race.

Harry Thomas Jr.: I Unintentionally Plagiarized My Campaign Lit: The former Ward 5 councilmember dropped out of the race for his old seat and announced a run to join D.C.’s shadow delegation.

Cheer Up, Aaron Rodgers [ed. note: jfc]

Opinion: The data are clear: The boys are not all right - "On a cultural level, we must stop defining masculinity as necessarily toxic and start promoting positive masculinity. Strong, healthy, fulfilled men are more likely to treat women well." [ed. note: treat their romantic partners well]

Canadian officials caution against ‘foreign interference’ as U.S. Republicans back ‘Freedom Convoy’ protests

Documents reveal U.S. military’s frustration with White House, diplomats over Afghanistan evacuation

Trump’s trade war was a total flop

Reading archive 2022-02-07

Heritage Foundation, former powerhouse of GOP policy, adjusts in face of new competition from Trump allies: ‘People do not walk around in fear of the Heritage Foundation the way they did 10 years ago,’ one conservative expert said

A stranger bought this Broadway star a ticket years ago when he couldn’t afford it. They just reunited.: Claybourne Elder wrote in an Instagram post: ‘If you know this guy — let me know. I would love to thank him.’

China’s Peng Shuai says there was ‘misunderstanding’ over her allegations, announces retirement: In carefully managed interview with French media, she denied accusing a former senior Chinese official of sexual assault

Crossing guard was hit by a car as she shoved a student out of the way: ‘You got to protect that child.’: Cpl. Annette Goodyear says she’s ready to go back to work tomorrow

Mom who starved baby to death and threw body into dumpster pleads guilty by reason of insanity: Kiearra Tolson, 24, suffers from schizophrenia and was deemed “not criminally responsible” in the 2020 death. - "She attributed what Tolson did to her halting her schizophrenia medicine."

Biden vows to stop Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Europe if Russia invades Ukraine

Reading archive 2022-02-06

‘He never stopped ripping things up’: Inside Trump’s relentless document destruction habits: Trump’s shredding of paper in the White House was far more widespread and indiscriminate than previously known and — despite multiple admonishments — extended throughout his presidency. - "One senior Trump White House official said he and other White House staffers frequently put documents into “burn bags” to be destroyed, rather than preserving them, and would decide themselves what should be saved and what should be burned. When the Jan. 6 committee asked for certain documents related to Trump’s efforts to pressure Vice President Mike Pence, for example, some of them no longer existed in this person’s files because they had already been shredded, said someone familiar with the request."

‘Tinder Swindler’ con artist, subject of new Netflix documentary, reportedly banned from dating app: Tinder has also issued new guidelines to protect users from would-be romance scammers

As U.S. predicts Russia could seize Kyiv in days, Moscow calls assessment ‘scaremongering’: The response comes after U.S. officials warned that a full-scale Russian invasion could leave as many as 50,000 civilians dead or injured.

A closing factory, a booming economy and a town’s search for identity: The jobs lost at a firetruck plant in Pennsylvania can be easily replaced but not the pride it instilled

Reading archive 2022-02-05

Opinion: Newt Gingrich started us on the road to ruin. Now, he’s back to finish the job.

Reading archive 2022-02-04

Opinion: The unjust shaming of a little girl highlights the broad issue of institutional food waste - "In this case, if the officials at Palm Elementary were honestly concerned about waste and interested in recuperating surplus food, they could have placed alternate bins near the trash cans and worked with local food banks and homeless shelters to reroute edible discards to people who might need them. Instead, the situation was left in the hands of a 9-year-old and an adult who happened to oversee the room."

‘Dear White Staffers’: Anonymous testimonials about workplace culture grip Capitol Hill: A viral Instagram account has become a safe space for congressional aides to anonymously call out lawmakers and share their experiences

Islamic State’s ‘ghost’ of a leader was plotting comeback when U.S. commandos cornered him

Putin and Xi, united at Olympics, air shared grievances against absent U.S. amid Ukraine standoff

RNC votes to condemn Cheney, Kinzinger for serving on House committee investigating Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by pro-Trump mob: Party leaders meeting in Salt Lake City move a censure resolution against the congresswoman from Wyoming and prepare to fund her primary opponent

Wetlands and radioactive soil: How Ukraine’s geography could influence a Russian invasion

Reading archive 2022-02-03

Former Human Rights Campaign president alleges racial bias in his firing after Andrew M. Cuomo scandal

U.S. to allege Russian plot to stage attack as pretext for Ukraine invasion

What happened to the chocolate milk? In rural Maine, a supply chain mystery.

Memo circulated among Trump allies advocated using NSA data in attempt to prove stolen election: The proposal to seize and analyze ‘NSA unprocessed raw signals data’ raises legal and ethical concerns that set it apart from other attempts that have come to light

New allegations levied against Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder at hearing before congressional committee

Opinion: Whoopi Goldberg’s Holocaust comments show why we need critical race analysis

ed. note: following are old

Trump administration expected to announce exit from ‘Open Skies’ treaty

Trump’s farm bailout has cost taxpayers more than double the auto bailout - "From 2010 through 2017, direct government payments to farmers averaged about $11 billion a year. By the end of this year, those payments are likely to hit nearly $20 billion."

Trump Trade War: Farmers Are Going to 'Lose Farms That They've Had in Their Families for Generations,' Says Land O'Lakes CEO

The Ukraine Crisis Is Not Going Well for Putin: The Russian president wanted to drive a wedge between NATO’s allies. His plan is backfiring spectacularly.

Reading archive 2022-02-02

Becoming the Commanders: How Washington’s NFL team found its new name

Whoopi Goldberg isn’t the only one who doesn’t understand antisemitism: Of course the Holocaust was about race. But it’s no longer surprising that there’s some dispute about that.

White House wades into Spotify controversy as India.Arie, David Crosby, Stephen Stills and more artists pull music

Protesters block U.S.-Canada border crossing as ‘Freedom Convoy’ truckers challenge vaccine mandates

Biden is threatening Putin with personal sanctions over Ukraine. What to know about this pressure tactic.

Opinion: Democrats are gerrymandering ruthlessly. Good for them.

New stadium for Commanders is a political football for local leaders: D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser signals support for bringing the team back to the District

Democratic challengers seek traction in race to unseat D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser

D.C. third-graders were made to reenact episodes from the Holocaust

Opinion: A Holocaust reenactment in a D.C. school should remind us that antisemitism is a severe threat

Reading archive 2022-02-01

4.3 million Americans left their jobs in December as omicron variant disrupted everything: The high number of people leaving their jobs came amid immense pressure on workers and parents, many of whom had to juggle multiple responsibilities as case numbers surged at the end of 2021.

An electric-plane pioneer has a plan to transform package delivery. It might work.: With millions of packages clogging highways, start-ups are asking if there’s a better way. But their plans face some headwinds.

As Putin heads to Beijing, Russia and China’s stronger ties are a headache for the U.S.

Drone company DJI obscured ties to Chinese state funding, documents show: The Chinese firm received funding from several state-backed investors, despite repeated claims that it hasn’t taken money from Beijing

While the cicadas of 2038 slumber, scientists are reviewing what they learned from 2021’s Brood X

Brian Flores sues NFL, three teams, as former Miami Dolphins coach alleges racism in hiring practices