Reading archive 2023-11-30

To protect kids, EPA wants total removal of lead pipes for the first time: The proposed rule, aimed at reducing exposure to a potent neurotoxin, would require water systems nationwide to replace lead pipes that carry tap water to homes, schools and offices

In downtown D.C., a long-vacant historic building could pose opportunity

In the world of sexual fetishes, crossing the political aisle is a kink: Does a forced ‘vote’ for the other side get your pulse racing? There’s a dominatrix for that.

A plane fueled by fat and sugar has crossed the Atlantic Ocean

It’s furry, it’s fierce — and in much of the U.S., it’s now protected: Wolverines in the Lower 48 are set to be protected under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday

Opinion  In Russia, the shift in public opinion is unmistakable

McCarthy privately recounts terse phone call with Trump after ouster: During the call, former president detailed the reasons he hadn’t intervened during the effort to remove McCarthy as speaker

As the nation’s largest landlord shifts its priorities, outrage ensues in Wyoming: The Biden administration faces a backlash in Wyoming as it puts more emphasis on conservation, recreation and renewable energy on public lands.

Opinion  A Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable. We should stop pretending. - "As for his followers, he doesn’t have to achieve anything to retain their support — his failure to build the wall in his first term in no way damaged his standing with millions of his loyalists. They have never asked anything of him other than that he triumph over the forces they hate in American society. And that, we can be sure, will be Trump’s primary mission as president."

Henry Kissinger, who shaped world affairs under two presidents, dies at 100: The diplomat exercised an unparalleled control over U.S. international affairs and policymaking. He was also the target of relentless critics, who deemed him unprincipled and amoral. - "In his comprehensive biography of Dr. Kissinger, journalist Walter Isaacson came to the conclusion that he 'had an instinctive feel for power and for creating a new global balance that could help America cope with its withdrawal syndrome after Vietnam. But it was not matched by a similar feel for the strength to be derived from the openness of America’s democratic system or for the moral values that are the true source of its global influence.'"

Federal inspector general to review FBI site selection process: Virginia officials pushed for an ‘investigation.’ The inspector general will do an evaluation instead. - "FBI Director Christopher A. Wray also criticized the decision, saying in a letter to the GSA’s top official, Robin Carnahan, that a former GSA official in charge of the process who previously oversaw land acquisitions for Metro made questionable decisions that ignored the panel’s recommendations. The 

"GSA defended that accusation when Wray made it earlier this fall, noting that it is not uncommon for the panel’s recommendations to be overruled by a senior official. It happened earlier in the FBI headquarters search when a senior official included Springfield as a finalist after a recommendation panel had ruled it out."

Reading archive 20231129

Opinion  How to end plastic pollution on Earth for good

Businessman accused of bribing Sen. Menendez had deep ties to Egypt: Wael Hana’s extensive ties to the Egyptian government included arranging the shipment of military equipment from the U.S., associates say

Trump tries to embrace Black Lives Matter, a group he previously said ‘hates our country’

Hunter Biden offers to testify publicly before House panel: Escalation of battle with House GOP comes in response to a subpoena for a closed-door session

CIA director pushes big hostage deal in secret meeting with Mossad chief: The meeting in Qatar comes as William Burns takes on a central role navigating the crisis for President Biden

U.S. prosecutors allege assassination plot of Sikh separatist directed by Indian government employee

Elon Musk boosts Pizzagate conspiracy theory that led to D.C. gunfire: The far-right theory motivated a gunman to fire multiple rounds inside the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria in Northwest Washington in 2016. Musk boosted the theory to his 164 million followers anyway.

A rural post office was told to prioritize Amazon packages. Chaos ensued.

How the suburbs could become 15-minute cities

Reading archive 2023-11-28

Antagonisms flare as red states try to dictate how blue cities are run

Reading archive 2023-11-22

A stranger asked me to take her photograph. It saved my life.: Today, I am alive because a pink-haired stranger stopped me for a picture

Reading archive 2023-11-21

Ladybugs are oddly vicious. Here’s how to keep them out of your house.: The cute beetles are voracious predators that may bite or leave smelly excretions

Musk’s X sues Media Matters after report shows ads next to pro-Nazi posts

Opinion  Why we’re borrowing to fund the elderly while neglecting everyone else

The far right toppled McCarthy over spending. What has it gotten them?: House GOP conservatives have demanded steep reductions to the federal budget, but have little to show for it thus far

A mysterious illness is sickening dogs in several states. Some are dying.

Opinion  A troubling split at my Thanksgiving table — and the nation’s

Many now see Haley as Trump’s top GOP challenger. She faces hurdles ahead.: Jockeying in a tier below the former president has moved, with Haley surging into a distant second place

A hungry beaver is chomping on the Tidal Basin’s cherry trees: At least one busy muncher has gnawed away at about 15 cherry trees near the Jefferson Memorial

She tried to save her troubled brother. Then came a horrendous assault.: Homeless and mentally ill, Russell Fred Dunkley III is accused of attacking teachers and terrorizing a preschool class in D.C.

Reading archive 2023-11-20

A fading coal town hitches its hopes to Bill Gates’s clean-energy dream - "At the town’s senior center, a rancher said he worried newcomers would change the town or terrorists might attack."

Opinion  Evidence confirms Israel’s al-Shifa claims, so critics move the goal posts

H Street was once a symbol of D.C.’s rebirth. Now it’s barely holding on.

Many former Trump aides say he shouldn’t be president. Will it matter?: Critics are grappling with how they can puncture Trump’s candidacy in 2024 and whether their voices will have any impact - "At the same time, even some who have publicly declared Trump unfit for office have said they would still support him over Biden in 2024."

"Silent for far too long": Family of man who commissioned last known slave ship on efforts to make amends

At the Portrait Gallery: ‘Forces of Nature,’ for good and ill: Portraiture exhibition features scientists, politicians, writers, artists and others who have helped advance — and, in some instances, resisted — environmental stewardship

District triage line continues to trim non-emergency calls from 911: For the past five years, Right Care, Right Now program redirects non-emergency calls to nurses who diagnose patients over the phone

Reading archive 2023-11-19

From airlines to ticket sellers, companies fight U.S. to keep junk fees: An array of powerful moneyed lobbyists have warred with the Biden administration over its new regulatory crackdown as they scramble to protect their profits

In a swing Wisconsin county, everyone is tired of politics

The terrifying, true tale of ‘zombie ants,’ and what it teaches: Parasites exact a huge disease burden, so unlocking their secrets is important

A split emerges as Biden struggles to deter attacks on U.S. troops: Frustration is building within the Defense Department, officials say, over the surge in Iranian proxy attacks on American military positions

Why do trees have differently shaped leaves?

Biden campaign works to ease Democratic anxiety over reelection chances: The president and his team are facing calls to become more active and aggressive in highlighting the contrast with his most likely opponent, Donald Trump

What does the Kennedy name mean now?: RFK Jr., the fourth Kennedy to run for president, is clashing with myth and history — and his own family

Reading archive 2023-11-18

Opinion  How do you fight shoplifting? Not by locking down everything in CVS. - "Occasional, but unpredictable, bursts of strict enforcement can deter shoplifters at minimal cost to police."

Latino backlash grows over Donald Trump’s friendly Univision interview: Members of Congress plan to ask for a meeting with a company executive as a famous actor, a Univision founder and Latino rights advocacy groups speak out

After affirmative action, a White teen’s Ivy hopes rose. A Black teen’s sank.: Cole Clemmons aimed higher. Demar Goodman aimed lower. They both wrestled with feelings of fear, anxiety and self-doubt after the Supreme Court remade college admissions.

Reading archive 2023-11-17

Canada’s most prominent Indigenous icon might not be Indigenous

Opinion  The Supreme Court should have heeded Ketanji Brown Jackson’s wisdom

IBM pulls ads from X as Musk amplifies antisemitism: Billionaire’s latest controversial tweets come amid reports of major brands’ ads appearing next to pro-Nazi content

Deported Afghans return home by the thousands to unexpected welcome

As mass shootings multiplied, the horrific human cost was concealed: States reeling from gun violence made graphic imagery confidential — part of a charged debate over privacy and public awareness

TERROR ON REPEAT: A rare look at the devastation caused by AR-15 shootings - "In classroom 112, children who were killed were found huddled together in the corner."

Reading archive 2023-11-15

Montgomery teacher denies Hamas raid, accuses Israel of organ theft: An educator at Tilden Middle School ‘may be on leave’ after screenshots showed a Facebook post of hers containing misinformation about Israel

How soon do you have to buy heat pumps and EVs to avoid climate catastrophe?

Reading archive 2023-11-14

Ex-Trump allies detail efforts to overturn election in Georgia plea videos

Baby boomers are buying up all the houses: This year, the median age for a repeat buyer was 58, according to data released Monday from the National Association of Realtors

March for Israel fills National Mall, demands release of Hamas hostages

White House urges Israel to curtail settler violence in West Bank: Increasing attacks raise the prospect of a second front; critics say the U.S. should do more to head it off - "Nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed in violent clashes in the West Bank over the past month.

...

"Jewish settlers in recent weeks have attacked and killed Palestinians without provocation, experts said, in an effort to drive them out of their communities through such tactics as burning property, tearing up land and destroying olive trees, which are a primary source of income for many Palestinians."

Scientists have discovered what may be the first ‘vampire’ virus: Dubbed MiniFlayer, the unusual microbe was found attached to another virus in a soil sample from Maryland

Invasive tick species is expanding its reach in U.S., researchers say

Opinion  Trump’s plan for giant detention camps points to a brutal 2024 reality

A home birth midwife faces scrutiny after a baby dies. It’s not the first time. - "Overall, full-term infants in the United States are more than twice as likely to die after planned home births attended by midwives as those delivered in hospitals by any providers, according to a Post analysis of CDC data over five years." [ed. note: this story is crazy]

AN INVISIBLE KILLER: A flesh-eating fungus is expanding its range in the American West - and scientists suspect climate change is driving the spread

Reading archive 2023-11-13

The Lego-like way to get CO2 out of the atmosphere: A company says that it has found a way to remove CO2 from the air for less than $100 per ton

David Cameron, who divided the U.K. with Brexit, is back in the cabinet

Should I take a magnesium supplement? Here’s what the science says.: There are some cases when a person might benefit from a magnesium supplement, but most of us can get the right amount from food sources

James Harden, Clippers skip the honeymoon and go straight to the mess

Supreme Court under pressure issues ethics code specific to justices

Trump calls political enemies ‘vermin,’ echoing dictators Hitler, Mussolini: On Veterans Day, the former president vowed to “root out” his liberal opponents, drawing backlash from historians who say his rhetoric is reminiscent of authoritarians

Opinion  Meet Israeli hostage families. It’ll change how you view Hamas apologists.

MAGA-dominated state Republican parties plagued by infighting, money woes: National Republicans fear the cash crunch could hamper field operations in key swing states come 2024

Reading archive 2023-11-12

Climate change is pushing American farmers to confront what’s next: Climate change, consumer choices and political pressures have forced many ranchers and farmers to rethink their purpose

Real estate industry trembles over commissions on home sales After jurors recently found that there was a scheme to inflate commissions, experts say changes could shake up the business

Opinion  A wasteland: Political coverage ignores the threat to democracy

Why companies are racing to build the world’s biggest bug farm

Why Silicon Valley billionaires like Peter Thiel turned against Trump: The right-wing titans of tech helped create Donald Trump. Now they’re alienated from politics and searching for allies.

Hamas envisioned deeper attacks, aiming to provoke an Israeli war: Evidence gleaned since Oct. 7 shows Hamas militants prepared for a ‘second phase’ of assaults amid hopes of inspiring violence in the West Bank and beyond

Reading archive 2023-11-11

U.S. is warned about its global standing as Gaza suffering persists: Arab leaders have admonished Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying Washington will be deemed complicit for civilian collateral in Israel’s unrestrained pursuit of Hamas

Reading archive 2023-11-10

They were blind to autumn colors. Special glasses helped change the view.: A Maryland parks agency now provides color-correcting glasses for colorblind visitors to borrow

Americans are confused, frustrated by new tipping culture, study finds

What are supervolcanoes and should we really be worried about them?

Florida lawyer held on charges he tried to blow up Chinese embassy wall

Federal funding bill on hold after GOP conflict on D.C. abortion rider

What drought in the Amazon means for the planet

Reading archive 2023-11-09

The problem with gas-powered leaf blowers

You asked: ​​Why is geothermal heating and cooling so expensive?

A tire chemical is threatening salmon. Here’s what you need to know.

Could seed-sowing drones transform ravaged landscapes? - "The fires, most often set by deer poachers to clear vegetation and make it easier to spot prey, have done the most harm, Concepcion and others say."

FBI director didn’t accept new Md. headquarters decision, sought do-over: ‘The FBI cannot accept a site selection decision with these unresolved concerns,’ Christopher A. Wray wrote

The untold story of a brief FBI inquiry into Biden’s golf club membership

Reading archive 2023-11-08

NBC’s partner for GOP debate is Salem, promoter of 2020 election denial: How Salem Media Group — a powerful network of pro-Trump talk-radio programming and producer of the discredited ’2000 Mules’ documentary — ended up joining forces with NBC News

Meet the tree tenders: These volunteers help keep their city streets green - "Last year, Tabet received an early-morning phone call from a homeowner who’d signed up to have a tree planted in her yard. She apologized for bothering him and explained that her kids were eager to get started. 'It’s almost like they were waiting for Christmas,' Tabet says. When his team arrived, the kids were ready, small shovels in hand."

Opinion  Could this man bring down Putin?

Google spent $26 billion to hide this phone setting from you: Google goes to great lengths to be your default search engine and keep you from switching. Here’s why you should make your own choice.

Opinion  Neurodiversity activists keep pretending severe autism doesn’t exist

U.S. officials pick Greenbelt, Md., for new FBI national headquarters: Prince George’s suburb selected despite concerns from FBI leaders over the decision-making process, a person familiar with the situation said

Reading archive 2023-11-07

Joe Lieberman will not leave his fellow Democrats alone: With No Labels, the Democratic maverick is still trying to foil liberals and challenge the party — even if that means threatening to throw a wrench into the 2024 campaign - "When Lieberman endorsed Republican John McCain in 2008, Connecticut Democrats had stuffed his portrait into a closet at party headquarters. For his final act, he helped kill the public option in President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, closing the door on government-provided insurance." [ed. note: he says the party has moved too far left but fails to cite specifics because he's a self-important POS who simply craves limelight]

Speaker Johnson on GOP plan to avert government shutdown: ‘Trust us’: House Republicans have not decided on a strategy to keep the government funded with 11 days until federal funds lapse

These Miami-Dade voters want Ron DeSantis as governor, but not president - "As for DeSantis, he said the governor supported his campaign for city council and has been very involved in helping Hialeah prosper. But he said he felt a DeSantis win would divide the country more, whereas Trump could unite more people." [ed. note: these people are terminally stupid]

Trump as Jesus? Why he casts himself as a martyr, and why fans go along.: The former president has been saying for decades that he’s a victim and portrayed himself as a martyr. But Trump’s messianic rhetoric is mainly about feeling sorry for himself, analysts say.

Some Democrats worry Biden’s team is ignoring political warning signs: A series of recent polls shows Trump running even or ahead of Biden. His team says they don’t mean much a year before the election.

Opinion  What’s up with Speaker Johnson not reporting a bank account?

Why you should buy clothes to last (almost) forever

Police arrest man carrying long gun near Capitol

Can we solve homelessness? A program at Union Station is a huge step.: The Amtrak police chief and a program for homelessness are teaming up to help the unhoused at Union Station

The hidden power of China’s pandas — and why the U.S. is losing them all: The pandas’ imminent departure after more than 50 years in D.C. has diplomats and zoo-going children asking when — if ever — America will get them back

D.C. students will no longer need to vaccinate against coronavirus: The vote ends a long-running debate over whether students need to get shots or be barred from school

A month into devastating Gaza war, Israel’s endgame is no clearer

Reading archive 2023-11-06

D.C. mayor resurrects old policy to target open-air drug markets

U.S. drafts plan to bring grizzly bears back to Washington’s North Cascades

In Israeli-Palestinian battle to sway Congress, only one side wins: Support for Israel is a uniquely bipartisan sentiment on Capitol Hill, a reflection of a powerful lobby and an imbalance of exposure to Palestinians

A law that helped end slavery is now a weapon to end affirmative action: The Civil Rights Act of 1866 has become a critical tool in conservatives’ fight to end racial considerations in the private sector - "'I don’t think that they have bad intent. I think they genuinely believe that a colorblind society will naturally and ineluctably lead to a more equitable society,' Miller said. 'All I can say is: The history of America makes me somewhat skeptical.'"

Controversial Former DCRA Director Forced to Withdraw From Pursuing Another D.C. Job Amid Council Resistance: Melinda Bolling won’t get the chance to keep leading the Department of For-Hire Vehicles, her second stint in D.C. government.

This county could create the strictest workplace heat rules in the U.S.

Reading archive 2023-11-05

Space junk is out of control. Here’s why — and what to do about it.

Trump and allies plot revenge, Justice Department control in a second term: Advisers have also discussed deploying the military to quell potential unrest on Inauguration Day. Critics have called the ideas under consideration dangerous and unconstitutional.

White House frustrated by Israel’s onslaught but sees few options: U.S. calls for a bombing pause are having little effect, and the shape of the post-war Mideast is starkly uncertain

Opinion  Elite colleges failed to fight antisemitism. But these academics did.

Long before Elon Musk, Henry Ford went to war with Jewish groups

The retired pilot went to the hospital. Then his life went into a tailspin.: Many older people are one medical emergency away from a court-appointed guardian taking control of their lives

Reading archive 2023-11-04

Growing U.S. anger with electric utilities finds its epicenter in Maine: Maine residents will vote Tuesday on a ballot measure that would dissolve its investor-owned utilities and replace them with a nonprofit

How Speaker Mike Johnson’s plans for a Christian law school unraveled: Johnson vouched for the school -- and agreed to serve as its dean -- without seeing a key feasibility study, he would ultimately admit

Reading archive 2023-11-03

Famed climate scientist has a new, dire prediction: Some scientists question the new study, which asserts that Earth is warming faster than previously estimated

Students hated ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’ Their teachers tried to dump it.: Four progressive teachers in Washington’s Mukilteo School District wanted to protect students from a book they saw as outdated and harmful. The blowback was fierce. - "Chaitna Deshmukh, a Mukilteo graduate, said she thinks 'To Kill a Mockingbird' fails to address the complex racial reality of 21st-century America." [ed. note: what single text does or even can?]

As Hong Kong stood up for democracy, a neighborhood was brutalized

Seriously, why aren’t millennials having kids?: Also, with birthrates plunging, why aren’t there more only children?

John Fetterman unleashed: ‘I’ve already been dead once’: After being treated for depression, the senator is finally having fun – and taking aim at some Democrats

Carjackings prompt finger-pointing and criticisms among D.C. officials: Mayor Muriel Bowser inaccurately described a youth’s criminal record, court records show

Grieving and angry, Maine residents demand change after mass killing

Opinion  Is the House GOP about to give Putin a pat on the back for his barbarism?

‘You just gaslit her’: How Dean Phillips’s first town hall went off the rails in N.H.

How Gaza’s tunnel network leaves Israel facing ‘three-dimensional’ war

Why Do Young Americans Support Hamas? Look at TikTok.: The app is digital fentanyl made by China. And it is brainwashing our youth against the country and our allies, argues Rep. Mike Gallagher.

Wild Horses Are Terrible for the West: They’re scourges, not symbols, of wilderness. - The herds are increasing at a fast clip, and the native biota has already suffered greatly. By shunning our responsibility to control feral horse herds like those found in the Salt River, we are delaying the inevitable, passing the difficult decisions down to the next generation, who will have to do the dirty work we refused, and without the chance to save the native species we abandoned. The Forest Service’s only mistake was waiting this long to attempt removal; anyone who truly values nature, the deserts, and their native species will support the relocation of feral horses from the Salt River Basin and everywhere else they are causing damage.

Reading archive 2023-11-02

Australian woman charged in suspected mushroom poisoning deaths

As climate disasters mount, the world isn’t spending nearly enough to adapt: This so-called “adaptation finance gap” is between $194 billion and $366 billion per year, United Nations experts said in a new report

Scientists have found a ‘sleeping giant’ of environmental problems: Earth is getting saltier: Salt used to de-ice roads is the single biggest source of salt in the U.S. - "From 2013 to 2017, road salt made up 44 percent of the country’s entire salt consumption."

Beet it, beet it, beet it, beet it: Then the snow will be defeated (on D.C. roads)

Senate Republicans erupt in anger over Tuberville’s military freeze: A surprising public confrontation made clear that some of Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s colleagues have hit their limit as hundreds of senior military promotions remain stalled

Years into a climate disaster, these people are eating the unthinkable: In South Sudan, war and semi-permanent flooding have left people to scavenge for food, with long-term consequences for their health

Virginia parents are over Youngkin’s old classroom culture war playbook: They want to address teacher shortages, mental health and learning loss when they go to the polls next week

Critics blast plan to remove 1,200 trees from Rock Creek Park golf course: Proposal would seriously damage ecosystem, environmentalists say

Who's tracking the weapons and money the U.S. is sending to Ukraine? "60 Minutes" went to find out.

Reading archive 20023-11-01

Speaker Johnson faces immediate backlash to first legislative move: Newly elected House GOP leader tries packaging Israel aid with cuts to IRS, but faces skepticism among Senate Republicans

Democrats quickly seek to make Speaker Johnson a boogeyman: The party has begun painting House Republicans’ new leader as ‘MAGA Mike’ but may face a challenge given his low profile and quiet tone

Why pharmacy workers at CVS, Walgreens are walking out: Drugstore employees are pressing for better working conditions and wages, in the second such labor action this month

This old-school building material could take over city skylines: Architects are in a proof-of-concept race to construct sustainable wood high-rises.

An owl got stuck in an iconic sculpture. After rehab, it’s free again.

10 truths about food that people don’t want to believe

‘Squad’ members face Democratic primary challenges over Israel stances: St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell, a Democrat, dropped his bid against a Republican senator to challenge a House Democrat. ‘I think we have to stand with our allies,’ he said.

Bootgate and the perils of drafting off Donald Trump

Rep. Ken Buck to retire from House, cites election denialism by others in GOP

Should anorexia ever be called ‘terminal’?: One doctor argued yes, igniting a furor over hope, self-determination and treatment in the world of eating disorders

Opinion  In Maine, a return of tribal land shows how conservation can succeed

Dozens of bird names honoring enslavers and racists will be changed: The American Ornithological Society says it will alter the names of North American birds named after humans, starting with up to 80 of them

Opinion  As carjackings spike, police need to be able to chase vehicles again

What’s the fastest way to kill your lawn? Science says forget the cardboard

'Miserable to people': Former Cardinals employees describe life under owner Michael Bidwill

Russia's dwindling 'Mountain Jews' in spotlight after Dagestan airport riot

Netanyahu may not last, Biden and aides increasingly believe: The Israeli prime minister’s political obituary has been written before. But U.S. officials are already gauging potential successors.