Reading archive 2023-09-30

Ticks, Natural Gardens, & Kids

Honey Bees Compete With Native Bees

Shelley Broderick: For two years DC leaders sat on a plan to improve public safety

The MAGAmerican dream lives in Sarasota

Reading archive 2023-09-28

U.S. government tells federal employees a shutdown may be imminent: The official warnings reflect Congress’s failure to extend funding past Saturday

D.C. panel endorses Bowser’s guidelines for high-rises in historic districts

D.C. delays issuing $200 tickets to drivers blocking bus lanes: Without explanation, city officials say only warnings will be issued until further notice

Opinion  Single moms know marriage would be ideal, but how do they get one? - "Marriage should be recognized as 'the most reliable institution for delivering a high level of resources and long-term stability to children,' Kearney declares. And experts should admit that not saying so is counterproductive."

Troops stormed a prison. They found inmates had built a luxury resort.

Origins of Parkinson’s may lie in the gut. Researchers hope to prove it.: If the hypothesis that misfolded proteins start in the gut and travel to the brain is proved, it could lead to early detection and treatment of Parkinson’s

Inside the tactics that won Christian vendors the right to reject gay weddings: Opponents accuse conservative legal group behind landmark Supreme Court case of manufacturing lawsuits to advance its agenda

Reading archive 2023-09-27

Bidens’ dog bites Secret Service officer in 11th known aggressive incident

Sitting all day increases dementia risk — even if you exercise: The results underscore just how pervasive the consequences of sitting can be, and suggest that exercise by itself may not protect us. - "After adjusting for other factors, the researchers noted few improvements among people who interrupted their sitting time with breaks. If they got up and walked around, but still managed to sit for 10 or more hours a day, their risk didn’t change much. What ultimately mattered was how many hours, in total, a person spent in a chair most days."

Opinion  How to keep the most violent suspects off the streets in D.C.

Opinion  Why we shouldn’t bemoan the loss of the expanded child tax credit

Opinion  Just look at why it’s so hard to turn offices into homes

Under India’s pressure, Facebook let propaganda and hate speech thrive - "Facebook’s cautious approach to moderating pro-government content in India was often exacerbated by a long-standing dynamic: Employees responsible for rooting out hackers and propagandists — often based in the United States — frequently clashed with executives in India who were hired for their political experience or relationships with the government, and who held political views that aligned with the BJP’s.

...

"The Modi administration is setting an example for how authoritarian governments can dictate to American social media platforms what content they must preserve and what they must remove, regardless of the companies’ rules. Countries including Brazil, Nigeria and Turkey are following the India model, executives say.

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The day before May’s tight election in Turkey, Twitter agreed to ban accounts at the direction of the administration of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, including that of investigative journalist Cevheri Guven, an Erdogan critic."

Reading archive 2003-09-26

Janelle Monáe blossoms at the Anthem: The artist’s lush new album, ‘The Age of Pleasure,’ is rooted in community and celebration

Smithsonian Acquires Major Collection About Enslaved Poet: The National Museum of African American History and Culture has purchased a trove relating to Phillis Wheatley, the first American of African descent to publish a book.

Hundreds of minks were let loose in Pa.: ‘The most friendly infestation’

New D.C. bill would boost upkeep of the city’s forested land: The District owns some 500 acres of wooded natural areas, but some have become overrun with invasive species or dumping grounds for trash

Antisemitism charges swirl after Putin denigrates Zelensky’s Jewish roots

Western officials press Ukraine to hold elections despite war

Opinion  One simple fix for our broken policing system: Hiring more women

TV rarely shows Black experiences at work. ‘The Other Black Girl’ is changing that.: Hulu’s new series ‘The Other Black Girl’ aims to meet the call for Black work-life stories in the media

Russian security, countermeasures, Secret Service: A very D.C. protest: The residents across the street from the Russian Embassy have been in an ongoing battle with their displays supporting Ukraine

How to keep junk snail mail out of your mailbox forever

Most of the world’s wind is over deep water. Floating machines can harvest it.

‘There is life after the Senate. And it’s good.’: Amid the anxiety over Dianne Feinstein, Mitch McConnell and the age of the U.S. Senate, we checked in with lawmakers who chose to step away a while ago.

Addicted to Cool: How the dream of air conditioning turned into the dark future of climate change - "Air conditioning helped spur self-reinforcing cycles of development: Developers offset the cost of central air by building cheaper, flimsier houses, which performed poorly in heat, necessitating artificial cooling, while power companies developed greater capacity that attracted industry and workers, which in turn required more housing and electricity."

Misinformation research is buckling under GOP legal attacks: An escalating campaign, led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and other Republicans, has cast a pall over programs that study political disinformation and the quality of medical information online

Reading archive 2023-09-25

Mythbusting: Trees and Leaf Litter

Reading archive 2023-09-20

‘Ari, don’t die’: Shooting of 10-year-old D.C. girl described in court - "According to the documents, on Dec. 19, 2021, when Gregory was 17, he was charged as a juvenile with five offenses, including possession of a prohibited weapon, carrying a pistol without a license and resisting arrest.

"Two months later, he pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm and possession of ammunition without registration. In exchange for those pleas, prosecutors in the D.C. attorney general’s office agreed not to charge Gregory with any additional crimes related to this arrest, including a carjacking offense, and agreed not to seek secure detention.

...

"That was not Gregory’s first gun possession case. In 2018, when he was 14, he was arrested for armed robbery, according to the documents. D.C. prosecutors dismissed that case about a year later. No information was provided as to the reason for the dismissal."

Oakland vs. the A's: The inside story of how it all went south (to Las Vegas)

Reading archive 2023-09-19

Pennsylvania rolls out automatic voter registration: The Commonwealth became the 24th state to make voter registration an automatic part of getting a driver's license or identification.

Pinto releases plans to tackle crime as violent summer ends: Package of plans released Monday drew criticism from D.C. judges concerned about the legality of proposed searches

 At Japan’s dementia cafes, forgotten orders are all part of the service

D.C. Area Gets Tens Of Millions In Funding For ‘Tree Equity’

Are electric cars really better for the environment? - "In 2020, building the world’s wind turbines, solar panels, EVs and other clean-energy infrastructure demanded 7 million tons of minerals, estimates the International Energy Agency. Roughly half of this was destined for batteries and EVs. 

"The oil, gas and coal industry, by contrast, extracted the equivalent of 15 billion metric tons in 2019. And the industry will need to extract it year after year to keep supplying energy. Clean-energy technology can use these materials for decades or, if recycled, in perpetuity."

Opinion  This is what taking on election deniers really looks like

Ray Epps, subject of Tucker Carlson's Jan. 6 conspiracy theories, charged by DOJ: Epps, a former supporter of Donald Trump, is set to enter a plea agreement. He told the Jan. 6 committee that the conspiracy theories about him ruined his life.

Betting inside a poke shop, he put D.C.’s sportsbook under attack - "'It’s pretty safe to say this has been the worst rollout of legal sports betting in the United States,' said Dustin Gouker, a veteran of gambling media and a former correspondent for The Post. 'It is the punchline of a joke at this point.'

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"In 2019, amid the national rush for states to set up sports betting operations, the D.C. Council gave the Lottery near-total control over online and in-person sports betting within District lines and awarded the Greek gaming company Intralot a five-year, $215 million no-bid contract to run GambetDC. Advocates for the deal argued that skipping the usual bidding process would allow for a quick rollout and give the District a head start competing for local customers with Maryland and Virginia, both of which had yet to legalize sports betting.

"Before the Council approved the contract, The Post reported that many of Intralot’s subcontractors had little experience with sports betting but extensive ties to City Hall. The Council approved the deal in a contentious 7-5 vote.

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"After assurances that GambetDC’s accelerated rollout would give the District a competitive advantage, D.C. bettors never took to the app. Along with its clunky interface, GambetDC imposes a 'vigorish' — the sportsbook’s advantage baked into its odds — that’s roughly twice the industry average, according to the prices posted on GambetDC and other sites. 'I tell any sports bettor to never use Gambet,' said Matt Phillips, a local betting analyst with Next Level Sports and Entertainment. 'It’s not beneficial if you want to win money.'

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"As bad as GambetDC’s standard prices are, its oddsmaking is often worse. Alex Monahan, co-founder of the odds tracker OddsJam, said D.C.’s sportsbook has “approximately three times as many inefficiencies” in its odds compared with national operators. In other words, a savvy customer could win frequently enough to overcome GambetDC’s hefty house edge."

Reading archive 2023-09-18

Lab to table: The promise and the perils of cell-cultured chicken - "It was the first time in five years that Crenn, the three-star Michelin chef, had served meat other than fish. She had stopped serving meat after she 'saw what factory farming was doing to our planet,' Crenn wrote on a note card that greeted every diner. 'Yes, the flavor is important, but the food also has to stand for something.'

"The Upside bird at Bar Crenn is composed of 99 percent chicken cells: It’s a dense, meaty nugget that, according to a recent Wired story, isn’t even grown in traditional suspension bioreactors, but in single-use plastic flasks called roller bottles, an apparently expensive and wasteful process." [ed. note: lol wait until she finds out what fishing fleets and plastic bottles do to the oceans]

Opinion  The ‘replace Kamala Harris’ chatter is off-base. And futile.

With democracy on the ballot, the mainstream press must change its ways: US news organizations have turned Biden’s age into a scandal and continue to cover Trump as an entertaining side show

A desperate appeal to newsroom leaders on the eve of a chaos election

Opinion  Mitt Romney and me

A couple was sick of mowing. Now their wildflowers are a local attraction.: ‘We started this as not wanting to mow grass, never expecting it would become what it has,’ Jonathan Yacko said about his Vermont field

What makes TikTok so thirsty for Joe Burrow?: Social media has harnessed the sex appeal of quarterbacks for thirst trap videos. After years of avoiding the obvious, the NFL has started to play along.

The scorched-earth activist trying to take down Hunter Biden: Garrett Ziegler, an often-provocative former Trump White House staffer, seeks to influence House investigations and the public discussion - "In his White House role, Ziegler wrote reports about Chinese tariffs (which he argued the U.S. should reciprocate), the covid-19 pandemic (which he argued was planned) and the 2020 election (which he argued was stolen)."

‘Our man in Georgia’: How a bail bondsman aided Trump and got indicted: Scott G. Hall’s quest to find evidence of voter fraud shows how off-book activity fueled campaign to subvert 2020 election

Mythbusting: Trees and Utilities

Mythbusting: The “Trees and Crime” Myth

Police balked at giving Michael Fanone his badge back. Then a reporter called.

There will be blood: Inside the U.S. Army’s mosquito breeding program

NEW: it’s become popular to say that supply and demand simply don’t apply when it comes to housing, but the evidence is clear: When you build lots of homes — affordable or market-rate — prices and rents flatten and even fall [ed. note: Twitter thread]

Reading archive 2023-09-16

A Pride flag ban sparks accusations of betrayal in tiny Michigan city

Reading archive 2023-09-15

Inside the Controversy Over the National Museum of the American Latino

Are Tom’s of Maine and Colgate toothpaste tubes really recyclable?

China’s defense minister under investigation for corruption: U.S. and Chinese officials say Li Shangfu, who has not been seen in public for weeks, likely will be removed from his position

Why do we play? Rats can teach us how it improves mental health.: A study revealed activity in a brain region in rats as they played; it may help to develop therapies for children who struggle with the absence of play

Reading archive 2023-09-14

Bill that could allow Commanders stadium at RFK will get first hearings: Action in Congress is needed before D.C. can pursue plans to redevelop the site of the aging RFK stadium

Washington is full of rats. These dogs are happy to help with that. - "'Killing rodents in this way is animal cruelty and extremely inhumane,' says Samantha Miller, acting director of communications for D.C.’s Humane Rescue Alliance, which has a program that enlists feral cats to roam the streets as nonlethal rat deterrent." [ed. note: lol at well-fed feral cats being a deterrent]

The People Who Acquired Football Outsiders Are Screwing The People Who Built It

Reading archive 2023-09-13

Tim Scott’s girlfriend: The unmarried Republican presidential candidate doesn’t like talking about his new relationship very much. But he is talking about it.

Amtrak makes case in court for immediate takeover of Union Station: The hearing marked a turning point in Amtrak’s attempt to control the station’s operations to pursue multibillion-dollar investments

Trying to kill mosquitoes? Don’t buy a bug zapper. - "In 1997, the University of Florida’s medical entomological laboratory tallied the death toll from one bug zapper over a single night: 10,000 insects. Just eight were mosquitoes. Similar studies reflected those findings."

WHAT SAMMY WATKINS BELIEVES: Good, evil, demons, aliens, psychic superpowers and a war "on your mental." B/R Mag takes a wild ride inside the mind of a Super Bowl hero.

Reading archive 2023-09-11

Jan. 6 shattered her family. Now they’re trying to forgive.: Peyton Reffitt has watched her family come apart after her father joined the Capitol riot mob. Now she and her family are confronting the perceived betrayals and broken relationships. - "The sisters told people online that their father was not abusive and that they forgave their brother. Strangers on those sites said the sisters were defending a terrorist, while others threatened to kill their brother. Some also said they wanted to sexually assault Peyton and her sister." [ed. note: jfc the internet]

Republican vs. Republican: Senate seeks to wrest control of budget from House: Senators, united in their asks, expect to take advantage of divided House Republicans on spending priorities, particularly in boosting Ukraine’s defense

Newsom’s Senate caretaker plan is ‘insulting’ to Black women, Rep. Lee says: Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) spoke out after the California governor ruled out appointing her if Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) leaves office before her term ends

Why furniture got so bad: Furniture used to last generations. Now it barely survives a move. Industry insiders explain.

He was Mormon royalty. Now his lawsuit against the church is a rallying cry.

A shaken Washington copes with surging violence: ‘This is not normal’

Allegations of Chinese spying rock U.K. Parliament

Reading archive 2023-09-08

Opinion  Biden eats ice cream and pets dogs? Totally unfit to serve.

I had a perfect 850 credit score. Then I paid off my house.

The real reason(s) food allergies are on the rise - "We’re oversimplifying a bit here, but a baby’s immune system follows a simple rule of thumb: If a protein comes in through the mouth, it’s probably a helpful nutrient. But if it comes in through the skin, it’s probably a perilous parasite. Anything that inflames the skin, or makes it easier for foreign substances to enter, can make a haywire immune response more likely."

China’s military seeks to exploit U.S. troops, veterans, general warns: A memo obtained by The Post says Beijing is working to enhance its armed forces by targeting Americans with specialized skills and training

Georgia special grand jury recommended charging Lindsey Graham in Trump case: An Atlanta-area prosecutor ultimately declined to seek an indictment against the Republican senator from South Carolina

Musk cut internet to Ukraine’s military as it was attacking Russian fleet: New details of the previously reported incident underscore how critical SpaceX has become to the U.S. government

As Reports of Illegal Dumping Increase, Councilmembers and the Community Debate How to Stop It: Roughly 8,000 calls related to illegal dumping were made in the first half of this year, according to 311 data.

Reading archive 2023-09-07

As Colorado River shrinks, California farmers urge ‘one-dam solution’

Maine’s puffin colonies recovering in the face of climate change

A football player, a killing and the elusive search for justice

Chaos, Comedy, and ‘Crying Rooms’: Inside Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Tonight Show’: Sixteen current and former staffers say Fallon’s erratic behavior spoiled their “dream” of working on The Tonight Show

Reading archive 2023-09-05

Scientists warn invasive pests are taking a staggering toll on society: The authors of a major new U.N.-backed report say invasive species are costing the world more than $423 billion a year

Why we all need to think like Floridians now

Reading archive 2023-09-04

Opinion  Why we need to address the Peruvian skeletons in the Smithsonian’s closet [ed. note: much fuss, zero solutions]

Home insurers cut natural disasters from policies as climate risks grow: Some of the largest U.S. insurance companies say extreme weather has led them to end certain coverages, exclude natural disaster protections and raise premiums

Marines’ top general ‘ruthlessly’ rides out Tuberville’s military hold: Gen. Eric Smith, restricted by the Republican senator’s promotion blockade, charts a steady, careful path to prepare for America’s next major conflict

Kennedy’s Supreme Court legacy is being erased, in part by past clerks

Reading archive 2023-09-03

A D.C. grocery store is removing Tide, Colgate and Advil to deter theft: To avoid shutting down an unprofitable store in Southeast Washington, Giant Food will check receipts and remove products

New phone sparks worry China has found a way around U.S. tech limits: Huawei, which has been under U.S. sanctions for years, released the phone pointedly during Gina Raimondo’s visit to Beijing

Arizona GOP rejects single-day vote proposal, angering election deniers

Abortion fight unites the left and rattles the right in key Wis. battleground

Reading archive 2023-09-01

Owners of pets killed in flood at doggy day care grill D.C. mayor: Mayor says she is considering restricting use of building where 10 dogs died, according to one dog owner - "D.C. officials previously acknowledged that dispatchers could have conveyed more urgency to emergency responders about the flooding, as the city released three 911 call transcripts that showed call-takers were told that people and dogs inside the facility were in danger. But city agencies would not provide copies of the notes from the 911 call-takers to the dispatchers, which could show whether call-takers accurately noted dangers associated with the flood. On Thursday, a spokesperson with the mayor’s office said the city would not release those documents."

Opinion  Don’t you dare rake your leaves this fall