Reading archive 2022-11-30

Poison pill: How fentanyl killed a 17-year-old: DEA chief says Snapchat and other social media firms should do more to protect their users - "'When people hear the words fentanyl and overdose, what they understand is the old war on drugs, and people suffering from addiction,' said his father. 'And not to take away from those who struggle with substance abuse, but the new demographic is people who unwittingly consume fentanyl thinking they are taking a harmless product, and they don’t really understand they are taking a huge risk.'" [ed. note: translated as "Our son didn't deserve to die like those addicts do, he was innocent."

Why this mammal eats its own brain — and why it could matter for you: Unlocking the shrew’s secret to shrinking its own cognitive tissue in winter – only to regrow it in spring – may help doctors treat neurodegenerative diseases in humans

Pentagon warns of China’s plans for dominance in Taiwan and beyond: As part of its buildup, China’s military conducted more ballistic missile tests last year than the rest of the world combined, U.S. says

See what led protesters to a breaking point with China’s ‘zero covid’ policy

How the CIA’s Fake Vaccination Campaign Endangers Us All: The U.S. was wrong to use health workers to target Osama bin Laden [ed. note: from 2013]

Reading archive 2022-11-29

How Both Sides of the Pit Bull Debate Get It Wrong

D.C. lawmakers pitch a plan for ‘Green New Deal for Housing’ - "Trupti Patel, an advisory neighborhood commissioner in Ward 2, argued in her testimony that the city should move forward on paying for housing regardless. 'This is a basic human right we’re talking about, and we shouldn’t be talking about the challenges of executing it,' she said." [ed note: lol]

As rail strike deadline nears, Biden calls on Congress to intervene: Railroad workers would need to ratify union contracts before a Dec. 9 strike deadline to avert a rail shutdown, renewing pressure on Congress to intervene

Why you should almost always wash your clothes on cold: And while you’re at it, don’t wash them so much.

An oral history of USA-Iran at the 1998 World Cup: Political tension, teammate betrayal and humiliation

Less attractive, less picky: How mating is changing in a hotter world: Leave it to climate change to teach us that looks aren’t everything

Reading archive 2022-11-28

Brexit has made Britain the sick man of Europe again

A Berlin subway stop is called ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin.’ Some Black Germans want change.

Opinion  The West is finally waking up to the real problem in Iran

China’s rare protests spark demonstrations of solidarity around globe

Rare protests against China’s ‘zero covid’ policy erupt across country

Pressure builds to step up weapons tracking in Ukraine: Legislation would require greater scrutiny of the $20 billion in military aid President Biden has sent Ukraine, and it has bipartisan support - "Thus far, the Biden administration has resisted pressure to send inspectors or other military personnel too deeply into Ukraine, for fear of fomenting a wider conflict. According to U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters, American specialists currently conduct weapons inspections unarmed — a condition that would likely be unsustainable if they were sent closer to the front lines."

Twitter grapples with Chinese spam obscuring news of protests: For hours, links to adult content overwhelmed other posts from cities where dramatic rallies escalated - "SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter’s radically reduced anti-propaganda team grappled on Sunday with a flood of nuisance content in China that researchers said was aimed at reducing the flow of news about stunning widespread protests against coronavirus restrictions. 

"Numerous Chinese-language accounts, some dormant for months or years, came to life early Sunday and started spamming the service with links to escort services and other adult offerings alongside city names."

Russia Actively Supplies Something From China With the An-124 Cargo Planes: Flights Conducted Almost Every Day

China Is Starting to Really Regret Its Friendship With Russia: Russia was not the first Chinese partner to believe it would win a very fast war and found itself in a hole, but China wasn’t usually pulled into it with them. - "China’s bet was that the world’s liberal democracies were on the wane, incapable of collective mobilization in the face of a common challenge. Instead, Beijing was watching the country that was supposed to be its great strategic asset helping to bring about precisely the coalitions and instruments of economic warfare it had sought to prevent."

On the edge of retreat: An island community moved to the mainland. Now the fast-rising sea is following — a warning for the rest of the East Coast.

Murder, fear and racist fliers in Fargo

Reading archive 2022-11-26

Trump criticized for dining with far-right activist Nick Fuentes and rapper Ye

Thread time. Here's the thing about @tesla . It's not a car company. Tesla is a company that has to make cars in order to sell its real product: Emissions Credits. [ed. note: Twitter thread]

Reading archive 2022-11-25

With record covid cases, China scrambles to plug an immunity gap

Opinion  I’m losing the battle against the brush. I’m not alone.

Are real or artificial Christmas trees better for the environment?: Some experts say a real tree is the more sustainable choice, but you can reduce an artificial tree’s impact if you reuse it enough

Putin tells mothers of soldiers fighting in Ukraine he ‘shares’ their pain

Reading archive 2022-11-23

Dissecting GOP claims about Hunter Biden deals allegedly involving his father

How China, the world’s top polluter, avoids paying for climate damage: United Nations still considers China, now the world’s second-largest economy and biggest annual polluter, a developing country

Railroads to settle years-long dispute over Gulf Coast passenger service: Amtrak and freight companies say they have reached an agreement to bring back service to the region 17 years after Katrina

Cutting-edge tech made this tiny country a major exporter of food: The Netherlands has used advances in vertical farming, seed technology and robotics to become a global model

Opinion  D.C.’s downtown is comatose. Here’s how to revive it.

Reading archive 2022-11-22

Rainbow-wearing soccer fans refused entry, confronted at Qatar World Cup

Florida prosecutors drop case against Tampa man accused by Gov. DeSantis of voter fraud

Reading archive 2022-11-21

The End of Trump?: Murdoch may have pulled the plug on him for 2024, but it’s not clear yet if the rest of the G.O.P. will follow.

Jaylen Brown: I don't endorse Barclays Center protesters - "Members of Israel United in Christ, which has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, handed out flyers before Sunday's game that read: 'The Truth About Anti-Semitism' and 'The Truth about Slavery.'"

D.C. police arrest teen in shooting of 14-year-old boy: Antoine Junior Manning died after a second shooting three weeks later on Halloween night

Army veteran recounts subduing gunman at Colorado LGBTQ club

Reading archive 2022-11-20

Justice Alito denies disclosing 2014 Hobby Lobby opinion in advance Supreme Court justice has said leak of Dobbs abortion decision made conservative majority ‘targets for assasination’

Leaked call shows clash between Kari Lake campaign and Maricopa County: Video from inside the GOP war room in Arizona reveals a breakdown in relations between campaign attorneys and a top lawyer for the county

Stealthy Kherson resistance fighters undermined Russian occupying forces

My mom was finally ready to accept my gay wedding. Then she got covid.: As a Post reporter who covers the pandemic, I feared a potential superspreader event. As a son, I just wanted her there.

Reading archive 2022-11-17

Why it seems like your doctor doesn’t care about you: There’s a clear disconnect between what most patients value in health care and what hospital systems and insurance companies want

Reading archive 2022-11-16

Opinion  At Trump’s angry announcement, the magic is gone

Senate advances bill to protect same-sex marriage in federal law: Democrats have warned that marriage equality and other rights could be at risk after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade

Opinion  The Senate’s victory on same-sex marriage should terrify the GOP

Reading archive 2022-11-15

Diet changes can improve sleep apnea, even without weight loss: Healthy habits during the day can lead to remarkable improvements in the quality of your nightly sleep

What Kyrie Irving can teach us about noxious drivel and how to counter it

Ohio woman tells dispatcher gunman killed her husband because ‘he thought he was a Democrat,’ reports say

Community Input Is Bad, Actually: Angry neighborhood associations have the power to halt the construction of vital infrastructure. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Reading archive 2022-11-14

In Nevada, one more victory for the ‘Reid machine’ over ‘Team Mitch’

Chesapeake Bay could become national recreation area: Members of Maryland’s congressional delegation back the federal designation, which would knit together and highlight key places of interest around the bay

Grizzlies once thrived in these wilds. The U.S. may bring them back.

Opinion  The global pressure on Iran is mounting

Opinion  The Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal continues - "That problem was crystallized in the admission by Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, who was the archbishop of Bordeaux for 18 years before he retired in 2019, that he had behaved “in a reprehensible way” with a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago when he was a parish priest. The news was made more astonishing by the fact that Cardinal Ricard served as president of the Bishops’ Conference of France from 2001 to 2007, even as revelations of clerical sexual abuse rocked the church — first in Boston, then throughout dioceses in the United States and worldwide. Yet the prelate continued exercising his authority as one of the French church’s most prominent figures. He is now being investigated by French prosecutors in Marseille for 'aggravated sexual assault.'"

Inside Kari Lake’s war room, where Republicans prepare for likely loss: The subdued mood marks a reversal from just days earlier, when the GOP gubernatorial nominee in Arizona was readying a transition team - "Lake and her allies have argued that the problems only affected Republican areas. But an analysis by The Post found that the proportion of registered Republicans in affected precincts, about 37 percent, was virtually the same as the share of registered Republicans across the county, which stands at 35 percent."

The tech CEO spending millions to stop Elon Musk: Dan O’Dowd says Tesla’s ‘Full Self Driving’ software shouldn’t be on the road. He’ll keep running over test dummies until someone listens.

Republican rivals start considering a post-Trump future: The GOP’s disappointing midterm results spur some donors and party leaders to consider other 2024 candidates

A profound change is coming to American school buses: Within a decade, advocates say electric school buses will supplant the old polluting ones

China wants to mend ties with the U.S. But it won’t make the first move. - "Sixteen months ago, Foreign Minister Wang Yi presented lists of complaints and demands to U.S. diplomats in Tianjin. China made clear the United States would need to make the first move, and it had three bottom-line requirements: no attempts to undermine China’s development, no challenges to its political system, and no 'harm' to its sovereignty claims regarding Taiwan, Hong Kong and the South China Sea." [ed. note: hard pass]

Opinion  Kanye West’s antisemitism is bad for business. Now how about Henry Ford?

Reading archive 2022-11-12

Congressional Republicans panic as they watch their lead dwindle: Private consternation reached a public boiling point Friday as lawmakers in both chambers confronted the fallout from Tuesday’s elections

Biden works to convince the world U.S. is back as Asia tour starts

A red wave of criticism crashes into Donald Trump after midterm losses: The former president has faced and survived Republican blowback before. Is this time different?

Former British embassy guard pleads guilty to spying for Russia in Berlin - "Prosecutors argued Smith was fueled by a hatred of Britain and angry that the embassy had flown an LGBT+ flag, while his lawyer said the defendant contested the prosecution’s depiction of his motivation, according to the BBC."

One man’s bold protest against China’s leaders inspires global copycats

Reading archivfe 2022-11-11

Why Arizona’s ballot count takes longer than Florida’s

13-year-old shot while raking leaves is on life support, feared brain dead: Eighth-grader Jayz Agnew was outside his home when he was struck by gunfire

Reading archive 2022-11-10

America Has an Anti-MAGA Majority: The election results show that although a sizable minority of Americans will never defect from Trump, an even larger group seems equally determined to stop Trumpism. - "Not for the first time, Biden has both the last laugh and a better intuition about voters than his critics assume. The midterm-election results, which appear to have delivered Republicans only modest gains, show that although a sizable minority of Americans will never defect from Trump, an even larger group seems equally determined to stop Trumpism. The existence of this anti-MAGA coalition is essential to understanding not only this election, but also the 2024 race."

Reading archive 2022-11-09

Opinion  In Arizona, a MAGA victory party takes a sour turn - "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is 'losing the gavel but finding the hammer,' Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) told the crowd, joking about the attack on Pelosi’s husband that left him with a fractured skull — just as GOP gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake did a week earlier. The crowd laughed.

...

"After a campaign against supposed Democratic “elites,” Republican elites celebrated in style. A procession of luxury cars — BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Tesla, even a Rolls-Royce — dotted the valet line in the conference resort’s manicured driveway, lined with palm trees. VIPs who paid $500 a head were whisked off to a private reception, and higher rollers who shelled out $1,000 for the “private experience package” to another."

Opinion  The expected red wave looks more like a puddle

Trump absorbs GOP losses, while DeSantis glows with landslide victory: Early returns suggested setbacks for the former president’s endorsed candidates, and several potential 2024 rivals appeared emboldened - "'Well, I think if they win, I should get all the credit,' [Trump] said in an interview posted Tuesday with the network NewsNation. 'If they lose, I should not be blamed at all.'"

This enigmatic billionaire took down a crypto rock star: Led by Changpeng Zhao, Binance will absorb Sam Bankman-Fried’s company, capping a colorful human drama

Eating fiber alters the microbiome. It may boost cancer treatment, too.: The composition of the gut microbiome appears to influence whether a cancer treatment called immunotherapy is successful

Musk to meet with Twitter advertisers after ‘name & shame’ warning: The billionaire owner had threatened a “thermonuclear name & shame” campaign against advertisers that abandon the platform. He still needs their money. - "The day before he closed the deal Musk tweeted a statement committing to keeping the site from becoming a 'free for all hellscape.' But soon after, he himself boosted a conspiracy theory about the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, shaking advertisers’ faith that he would maintain rules against misinformation and hate speech."

Law on placement of Native American children divides Supreme Court: Justices seemed inclined to reconsider parts of law that prioritizes foster or adoptive parents based on tribal status

Opinion  How D.C. voters altered the city’s political landscape

Reading archive 2022-11-08

an eco-focused fall cleanup, with native plant trust’s uli lorimer

Why experts say you shouldn't bag your leaves this fall

Leave the Leaves: Winter Habitat Protection

Not Your Childhood Water Cycle: The USGS just debuted a complete remaking of the water cycle diagram—with humans as headliners.

Time Travel in Britain’s Lost Rainforests - "Regenerative forester John Williamson earns his living in the ancient woodlands of the UK’s Teign Valley. As he coppices trees and makes charcoal on lands that have been carefully tended by generations of people for thousands of years, he comes to exist within a deeper understanding of time—one guided by the 400-year cycles of England’s last remaining rainforests."

Cities Need More Native Bees—Lots and Lots of Adorable Bees: These pollinators can help urban gardens grow. That will be critical for cooling cities as the planet warms.

If bumblebees can play, does it mean they have feelings? This study suggests yes

Reading archive 2022-11-07

No, We Don't Just Need to Plant More Milkweed

Prairie lawns help Nebraskans alleviate climate change and promote biodiversity

D.C. servers, restaurateurs battle over ‘tipped minimum’ initiative - "Graham opposed Initiative 77, which was repealed by the D.C. Council after voters approved it, and opposes this one. She said 'outside moneyed labor interests' were fueling both measures. The measure’s opponents have raised about $643,000 fighting it while its supporters have raised about $439,000 trying to get it passed, campaign filings show." [ed. note: Graham is ignorant]

The speedy scientific workout you can do almost anywhere: A new study shows you can get the benefits of a high-intensity workout by doing five common exercises, no gym or equipment required

Biden’s ‘consequences’ for Saudi Arabia are reaping quiet results: Riyadh’s decision to cut OPEC oil production was met with fury in Washington. But the White House is taking its time on meting out any public punishment.

Stars and fans remember Aaron Carter, lamenting ‘curse’ of childhood fame

Stop building museums on the National Mall: Women and Latinos deserve better than getting squeezed into the unsuitable locations proposed by the Smithsonian

She put a stranger on her shoulders at a Phillies rally. Now fans want them to marry.: She hoisted him above the sea of revelers until he found his friends. People far and wide are hoping for a fairy tale ending.

These are the men running Elon Musk’s Twitter: The billionaire has installed several members of his inner circle to enact his vision for the social media platform

Republicans sue to disqualify thousands of mail ballots in swing states: The lawsuits coincide with a systemic effort by GOP leaders to persuade voters to cast ballots in person, not absentee

Kyrie Irving lit a flame. The NBA, top to bottom, watched the fire spread.

Breaking with Kanye West’s sports group was a choice. So was joining it.

Elon Musk’s Twitter is a safe space for bros who think they’re funny: Musk may think he’s preserving comedy, but he’s just ensuring the lowest kind has one more place to flourish. Let that sink in.

In Arizona, small tribe watches warily as Supreme Court takes up Native adoption law

In existential midterm races, Christian prophets become GOP surrogates

The Demolition of the Taylor Street Bridge

Reading archive 2022-11-05

Welcome to hell, Elon You break it, you buy it.

Opinion  Netanyahu’s Israeli victory shows how not to stop Trump

Real-life ‘White Lotus’: Workers share rich guests’ wildest demands: Tales of mistresses, human remains and ‘Bravolebrity’ nightmares, from the people who pamper the rich

Gen Z voter turnout will show just how influential influencers really are

The big-stack-of-paper strategy comes to House Judiciary Republicans

Reading archive 2022-11-04

Opinion  The tragedy of John Roberts

Trump loyalist Kash Patel questioned before Mar-a-Lago grand jury: Appearance on Thursday focused on claims that Donald Trump broadly declassified documents before leaving White House

Dwyane Wade defends trans daughter, blasts ex-wife’s objection to name change

D.C. bike lane plan splits residents, businesses as city’s network grows: A proposal for bike lanes has stirred tension in upper-Northwest neighborhoods off the busy Connecticut Avenue NW corridor - "'The city has clearly stated the vision for D.C. to have bike lanes and it’s happening whether people like it or not. But they are not looking holistically at the situation,' she said. 'Have bike lanes, but put them in places that are safe and don’t contribute to the already problematic flow of traffic.'

...

"'We are not against bike lanes,' he said. 'There are a lot of places where they can be put and make sense. But Connecticut Avenue is just too busy a street for bike lanes.'" [ed. note: "I support bike lanes somewhere else."]

Opinion  The FBI headquarters belongs in D.C.

Opinion  The new FBI site is a matter of equity

Reading archive 2022-11-03

Opinion  Elissa Silverman’s unacceptable conduct was not some minor violation

Part of Rock Creek Park’s Beach Drive will stay closed to cars year-round: The National Park Service initially proposed seasonal closures but changed course after public input

Youngkin’s education tip line gripes: ‘Beowulf,’ masks and ‘grooming’ - "One parent complained about a reading assignment that was “sympathetic” to immigrants. Another raised alarm about free online tutoring offered by a local school district, seeing it as 'a potential path for unknown perverts' to prey on students. Some voiced concern that the concept of “gender identity” was included in the family life curriculum."

The Christian home-schooling world that shaped Dan Cox: Cox, the Republican candidate for Maryland governor, comes from a family with deep roots in the home-schooling and ‘parental rights’ movements

Immigration officials confirm alleged Pelosi attacker was in the U.S. illegally

Opinion  Russia is fighting by the book. The problem is, it’s the wrong book.

Tree Pruning Essentials

Reading archive 2022-11-02

Authorities name Knoxville Planned Parenthood arsonist, who also attended Jan. 6 riots

This UFO-like structure could help Europe transform its energy: A geothermal effort to displace coal and gas takes hold in Central Europe

Elon Musk’s Twitter is working on paid-video feature with ‘high’ risk: The tool would let video creators charge users for access. The team working on it flagged big potential pitfalls.

Daniel Snyder considers sale of Washington Commanders

We should eat more plants. Here’s which ones are best for the planet.

How one small-town lawyer faced down the plans of election skeptics

Russians fleeing to Georgia face resentment, graffiti, loyalty tests at bars - "Many Georgians say the recent months have been deflating, as they try to square how Russians could wage war in their country and 14 years later use it as a haven."

Reading archive 2022-11-01

How to water your garden in a drought.

Eagle-eyed Delaware hunter chances upon ‘holy grail’ of tree lovers — full-grown American chestnut

More than half of the world's palm trees in danger

Police arrest teens for armed carjacking in Northeast DC: Police say both a 13-year-old boy and 16-year-old boy were arrested and charged Friday after holding a victim at gunpoint and stealing their car in Northeast, D.C.

2 teens arrested for armed robbery in DC's Shaw neighborhood

Mehmet Oz’s medical research was rejected in 2003, resulting in 2-year ban: At issue were questions about the strength of the data used by Oz to reach an important medical conclusion, according to several of those who recalled the events

Sacheen Littlefeather may have lied about her identity. Does that matter?: After a startling op-ed alleges the recently deceased activist was a fraud, heated discussions emerge about ‘policing’ Native American heritage - "Throughout her life, Littlefeather said she was White Mountain Apache and Yaqui, through her father’s side of the family. But Keeler’s article includes interviews with Littlefeather’s sisters, Rosalind Cruz and Trudy Orlandi, who dispute their late sister’s claims."

By Sharing an Antisemitic Film, Kyrie Irving Has Lost Any Benefit of the Doubt: The Nets’ point guard refused to apologize and take accountability after promoting a film with antisemitic material.