Reading archive 2023-02-28

How a disputed $55M loan plays into feds' probe of Commanders

Daniel Snyder’s demands anger NFL owners, renew talk of voting him out

How does the brain age across the lifespan? New studies offer clues.: Our brains are built to change over our lifetime, meeting the challenges set by every life stage.

Opinion  The House was supposed to grow with population. It didn’t. Let’s fix that. - "For starters, with today’s high ratio of lawmakers to residents, representatives are too removed from their constituents. Constituent services are strained. Smaller districts would mean better responsiveness, which would align with the principle of popular sovereignty. 

"Relatedly, Congress has a much larger budget to track and manage, and many more agencies to review, than it did a century ago. More House members would make for more effective legislative oversight of the executive branch. That aligns with the principle of republican safety. 

"Third, the smaller the district, the less expensive the campaign, and the less politicians will be dependent on donors, instead of the people, as the principle of due dependence requires. 

"Fourth, a bigger House with smaller districts would enhance equal protection and inclusivity. More seats would mean more shots; smaller districts would give candidates from minority groups and nontraditional backgrounds a more feasible path to electoral victory."

Artificial sweetener linked to higher heart attack risk, study says

Poor U.S. planning in Afghanistan helped Taliban take over, watchdog says - "According to the latest SIGAR report, an agreement signed with the Taliban by the Trump administration in 2020 facilitated the unraveling, 'resulting in a sense of abandonment' in Afghan government forces and the population. 'The agreement set in motion a series of events crucial to understanding the [Afghan security forces’] collapse,' it said."

Column: Contrary to latest claims, there’s still not a speck of evidence that COVID escaped from a Chinese lab - "One question prompted by the Journal’s report concerns its timing. It comes just as the Republican majority in the House is gearing up to promote the lab leak theory. The onslaught is likely to start Tuesday, when a committee on China-U.S. relations headed by Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) holds its first hearing."