Sunday, March 31, 2024

Reading archive 2024-03-31

Opinion  Want your city to thrive? Start by rethinking parking lots.

Biden’s plan for Gaza pier endangers U.S. troops, experts warn: Skeptics fear the humanitarian operation will be an enticing target for Hamas or other militants

Indoor farms are remaking the produce market — at a cost to the planet: Amid drought and record heat, high-tech greenhouses and vertical farms boast of being a more climate-friendly way to grow. But they come with an environmental toll. - "Energy use in the industry varies widely depending on greenhouse size and what crops are being grown. A study of 12 indoor farms by the nonprofit Resource Innovation Institute found that five of them used as much energy per square foot as a hospital. One vertical farm, an outlier, was guzzling as much energy per square foot as a data center.

...

"In Westbrook, Maine, Vertical Harvest is building a four-story, 52,000-square-foot vertical farm and is negotiating a deal to supply it with renewable energy. However, company leaders said they can’t apply the same strategy to their next project, in Detroit, where the state’s energy mix is heavy on fossil fuels and the company can’t choose its electricity provider."

Saturday, March 30, 2024

Reading archive 2024-03-30

Confronting introduced species: a form of xenophobia?

Half of senior staffers in Congress are so fed up that they may quit: Capitol Hill aides worry that lawmakers have increased their bombast so much that it makes it harder to do their jobs

GOP lawmakers replace trustees at historically Black college in Tennessee - "'Some years, the University of Tennessee even got more than its required funding levels,' Pearson said. 'But Tennessee State University was denied those resources, and because they were denied the resources, there were problems that occurred.'"

China is all in on green tech. The U.S. and Europe fear unfair competition.


Reading archive 2024-03-29

Preparing for a China war, the Marines are retooling how they’ll fight: U.S. troops are preparing for conflict on an island-hopping battlefield across Asia, against an enemy force that has home-field advantage

Biden’s $7.5 billion investment in EV charging has only produced 7 stations in two years: The network of fast chargers promised by the Biden Administration has had a painfully slow rollout

US sanctions two Russians for impersonating media outlets

Court ruling on ultra-Orthodox in the army imperils Netanyahu’s coalition - "In a decision that has deep ramifications for society — not to mention Netanyahu’s government — Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the suspension of state subsidies for ultra-Orthodox Jews studying in yeshivas instead of doing military service."

Electric trucks get a boost from Biden, worrying trucking industry: The EPA rule, which follows a separate one on cars, seeks a rapid transition away from diesel-powered trucks, vans and buses.

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Reading archive 2024-03-27

Study finds 3 big risk factors for dementia - "Diabetes, air pollution and alcohol consumption could be the biggest risk factors for dementia, a study has found."

Sick of flat tires, he’s picked up 400 pounds of metal bits with his bike: Alex Benigno hits the streets every day collecting loose debris with magnets attached to his ride

What we know about Diddy’s sex trafficking allegations: Before federal agents raided Sean Combs’s homes on Monday, the famed producer had been accused of sex trafficking in several recent lawsuits

Democrat who ran heavily on abortion rights, IVF wins Alabama special election: Marilyn Lands won a decisive victory in a state House district that Donald Trump narrowly won in 2020

The House GOP thought it was moving past internal drama. Then more showed up.: Republicans are once again dealing with the threat of removal for the speaker while critical legislation faces an unclear future

Kari Lake and the Trump movement’s billion-dollar defamation problem

Americans who’ve given up religion often point to anti-LGBTQ+ teachings: The unaffiliated skew younger, and younger Americans are more likely to reject moral condemnations of same-sex relationships

Alexandria, Va., nixes Caps, Wizards arena, killing plan to move teams there

Daniel Kahneman, Nobel laureate who upended economics, dies at 90: He found that people rely on shortcuts that often lead them to make wrongheaded decisions that go against their own best interest

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Reading archive 2024-03-26

As coal companies point fingers, Wyoming County residents say they’re being poisoned by a contaminated creek: A year ago, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection ordered a coal mining company to stop polluted water from flooding into the Indian Creek area. But people nearby say as contaminants spread, their health and safety problems have worsened. - "As the coal industry has inevitably declined, courts have allowed bankrupt coal companies to evade restoring the lands they’ve damaged. Groups that promote clean water have also warned that state officials were failing to plan ahead by conserving funds for abandoned mine cleanups."

Why the Supreme Court abortion pill case is so fraught for the right

NBC facing on-air ‘insurrection’ over hiring of Ronna McDaniel: Rachel Maddow, other MSNBC hosts raised on-air objections Monday, saying the former RNC chair’s past support of election-fraud claims should disqualify her as a paid pundit

How to keep your kidneys working well: Hydration and exercise are just two of the keys to reducing the risk of kidney disease

Young people are getting Botox to prevent wrinkles. Does it work? Many dermatologists and plastic surgeons say preventative Botox can temporarily stop wrinkles from forming. But there are no high-quality clinical trials on the treatment.

‘The Truth vs. Alex Jones’: How Sandy Hook lies got peddled for profit: A new HBO documentary about the right-wing conspiracy theorist behind Infowars explores the mainstreaming of ‘grift’ in a post-truth era

She recalled attacker’s hand gesture. Police say it helped solve 2 sex assaults.: The woman’s description of the man who tried to sexually assault her sounded familiar to a Northern Virginia Community College detective, who helped investigators identify a suspect in that and another case, police say.

Qatari royal invested about $50 million in pro-Trump network Newsmax: Before and after the investment, senior newsroom leaders urged Newsmax staff to soften coverage of Qatar, current and former employees said

This $20 fix will improve your shower and cut your water bill

People Hate the Idea of Car-Free Cities—Until They Live in One: Removing cars from urban areas means lower carbon emissions, less air pollution, and fewer road traffic accidents. So why are residents so resistant?

Monday, March 25, 2024

Reading archive 2024-03-25

Is Kevin Hart funny?: He’s getting the Mark Twain Prize for humor. That, and $4 billion at the box office, must mean something … right?

D.C. AG to Leonsis: Caps, Wizards can’t leave arena for 23 years: Monumental Sports says it ‘fundamentally’ disagrees with the attorney general’s opinion

A woman lost $789K in a gold bar scam, police say. Then she turned the tables.: Police say an undercover detective posed as a fraud victim in her 60s to catch the alleged scammer

‘Hail Mary’ paired arena with Tysons casino. Youngkin and Leonsis say no.: Idea was pitched by the casino’s developer, a top Democrat and their consultant — who also works for the arena’s chief “roadblock”

3 Maryland middle-schoolers charged with antisemitic hate crime: The teens, all students at Plum Point Middle School in Calvert, allegedly displayed swastikas and made Nazi salutes.

Death toll from Moscow concert attack rises to 133 as more bodies found

Cupid the peacock was shot with an arrow. Neighbors united to help him.: ‘When I saw the extent of the injury, it’s a miracle he’s alive,’ said Donny Block, who worked with neighbors in Exeter, Calif., to get Cupid into surgery

Is it true that drinking alcohol makes you warm?

Why is my gas so smelly? Gender, diet and plane rides can play a role.: Female flatulence tends to have a greater concentration of foul-smelling sulfur, and high altitudes — such as on flights — lead to increased gas volume

Ronna McDaniel quickly demonstrates that her view isn’t worth the cost

Terrorist attack in Russia exposes vulnerabilities of Putin’s regime

Opinion  Democrats meddling in GOP primaries isn’t hypocritical. It’s necessary.

Metro cracks down on fare evasion in D.C., leading to jump in fines

Ronna McDaniel faces sharp criticism after NBC hiring — including on NBC: On 'Meet the Press,’ where McDaniel was interviewed, Chuck Todd and other journalists said hiring the former RNC chair raised credibility issues. More criticism followed Monday from the hosts of MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’

Opinion  Trump’s new stock deal is just another pig in a poke

STUDY FINDS PLANT NURSERIES ARE EXACERBATING THE CLIMATE-DRIVEN SPREAD OF 80% OF INVASIVE SPECIES: New research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst is the first to precisely map role of horticulture in spreading invasives, projecting ranges under 2 degrees Celsius of warming

INVASIVE PLANTS ARE STILL FOR SALE AS GARDEN ORNAMENTALS, RESEARCH SHOWS: UMass Amherst study finds that invasive species are widely available due to inconsistent regulation

state of the native-plant movement, with rebecca mcmackin

amsonias: dependable, beautiful bluestars, with mt. cuba’s sam hoadley

D.C. Residents And Businesses Pitch The City On A Real Chinatown

Candace Owens departs Ben Shapiro’s website after antisemitic commentary: Owens became a star right-wing pundit. Then she started promoting ideas about Jewish people drinking Christians’ blood.

Putting chaplains in public school is the latest battle in culture wars - "Lawmakers in mostly conservative states are pushing a coordinated effort to bring chaplains into public schools, aided by a new, legislation-crafting network that aims to address policy issues 'from a biblical world view' and by a consortium whose promotional materials say chaplains are a way to convert millions to Christianity."

Mother who left baby at home for 10-day vacation gets life for murder

Opinion  The bloodbath Trump promised has already begun

Suspect, 18, charged in D.C. robbery of Chanel handbags worth $116,000: Thieves swarmed the designer store in December, drawing gunfire from a security guard

Drone footage raises questions about Israeli justification for deadly strike on Gaza journalists

In Jerusalem and the West Bank, Ramadan is marred by violence and loss

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Reading archive 2024-03-19

Mango adapts as climate change makes fashion less seasonal

Figure skating wants ice princesses. Amber Glenn said, ‘Screw it.’

Your brain needs more rest than you’re giving it. These 9 tips can help.: Brain health is not just about sleep. Here’s how to focus on adding more restful moments into your day

Are all olive oils equally healthy for you? A look at the research.: The benefits of adding just a little bit to your daily diet

The intermittent fasting trend may pose risks to your heart

A fire weather watch is in effect for the D.C. area: What that means: A combination of gusty winds and low humidity on Wednesday will present an elevated risk of fires — especially in open areas

Want to fix the social worker shortage? Start with the licensing exam.: Advocates for change say low pass rates for people of color point to bias in standardized tests. D.C. is weighing changes.

Is your backyard birdhouse a death trap? How to give birds safe shelter.

$500K Sand Dune Designed to Protect Coastal Homes Washes Away in Just 3 Days - "In a drastic attempt to protect their beachfront homes, residents in Salisbury, Massachusetts, invested $500,000 in a sand dune to defend against encroaching tides. After being completed last week, the barrier made from 14,000 tons of sand lasted just 72 hours before it was completely washed away, according to WCVB."

Cannon tells lawyers to weigh if Trump conduct can’t be reviewed by courts: In classified documents case, legal arguments over jury instructions seem to take precedence over numerous other pretrial issues

Fatal shootings in D.C.’s Shaw area recall neighborhood’s violent past: Two men were killed and five people wounded Sunday almost 30 years to the day after a similarly brazen, deadly attack nearby

Reading archive 2024-03-20

Opinion  I found the smartest politician on AI. It’s no one you’d expect.

New D.C. bill seeks to boost mobile sports betting competition

It’s time to “think different” about automated traffic enforcement

Shadowing Trump’s attacks on mental fitness — his own father’s dementia: Trump avoids mention of his father’s Alzheimer’s disease as he lashes Biden for being ‘cognitively impaired’

‘Very, very troubling’: Judges, lawyers flummoxed by Judge Cannon: The jurist overseeing Donald Trump’s classified documents case in Florida has raised eyebrows and alarms with her latest order

Biden seeks to accelerate the EV transition in biggest climate move yet: The EPA’s final rule follows a concession to labor unions worried about a rapid shift to electric vehicles, and a nod that EV sales are slowing


Monday, March 18, 2024

Reading archive 2024-03-18

Using AI to spot edible mushrooms could kill you AI tools are good for some things, but don’t trust your health to apps that make frequent mistakes - "He also tested Microsoft’s Bing Image Creator, asking it to generate and label images of different mushrooms. It made up new mushrooms parts, such as the 'ging' and 'nulpe,' which do not exist. Inaccurate, AI-generated images of mushrooms could poison future AI training data and search engine results, making these AI systems even less accurate, Claypool wrote."

It’s never been cheaper to buy an EV. Here’s why.: New electric car prices dropped $2,000 in the U.S. last month, bringing EVs close to price parity with gas-powered cars.

Opinion  Joe Manchin: Our energy policy is a success. President Biden should be proud.

NIH probe of ‘Havana syndrome’ finds no sign of brain injuries: The four-year study comes amid ongoing conjectures about ‘targeted attacks’ with pulsed-energy weapons

On Fox News, Steve Doocy has become the unexpected voice of dissent: The affable longtime ‘Fox & Friends’ host is shaking things up in the morning, sparring with colleagues and challenging GOP orthodoxy, to the dismay of Donald Trump and other Republican leaders

Pro-Trump disruptions in Arizona county elevate fears for the 2024 vote: A meeting in the state’s largest county, Maricopa, ended chaotically last month, raising concern that the former president’s supporters could try to undercut the election

Trump unable to finance an appeal bond for at least $450 million, lawyers say: Trump and the Trump Organization have been unable to get an insurer that issues court bonds to accept property as collateral


Sunday, March 17, 2024

Reading archive 2024-03-17

Fani Willis can stay on Trump Georgia case, judge rules, as Wade resigns

How a sleuth defense attorney and a disgruntled law partner damaged the Trump Georgia case

Russian voters, answering Navalny’s call, protest Putin’s forever rule

The education of a true believer: Linda Wenhold absorbed Patriot Academy’s message that America is falling apart as it drifts from its biblical roots. Then she won a seat on her local Pennsylvania school board.

The Day I Put $50,000 in a Shoe Box and Handed It to a Stranger I never thought I was the kind of person to fall for a scam.

What everyone can learn from the woman who lost $50,000 to a scam: Don’t want to end up handing a box of cash to scammers? Watch for these red flags.

The Supreme Court seems bitterly divided. Two justices say otherwise. [ed. note: class solidarity]

How a cheap, generic drug became a darling of longevity enthusiasts: Rapamycin, a drug for transplant patients, has extended the lives of animals but is unproven in people

EXCLUSIVE: Former head of DC's 911 call center alleging fraud, abuse in lawsuit - "'We had a very serious shortage of personnel," said Subido. “I started uncovering that we were paying people that did not come into work for several months.'

"Subido said when she discovered people who were not working were getting paid, she went to her boss, then-Deputy Mayor Chris Geldart, and told him what she'd found and that she wanted to do a full-fledged investigation. 

"'He said ‘If you do a time and attendance audit, you and I will both be fired',' said Subido. 'It was very clear to me that the mayor was leading all of this and anything that came up that was contradictory to her rhetoric that the OUC was great, under wonderful leadership and doing everything they could, if it was contrary to that, it would not be tolerated.'"

Reading archive 2024-03-16

Trump granted clemency to Medicare fraudsters before vowing to cut entitlement program abuse

The magnitude of Pence refusing to endorse Trump

Metro fare evaders in D.C. face fines and arrests starting Monday

The hero: Rich Fierro fought in America’s war on terror. Then terror found him at home.


Thursday, March 14, 2024

Reading archive 2024-03-14

After Kavanaugh: Christine Blasey Ford tells the rest of her story: In her memoir, ‘One Way Back,’ Blasey Ford details the chaos that ensued after she accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her

Why the ‘colorblindness’ movement is peaking now

Vinegar: An Alternative to Glyphosate?

U.S. moves to save imperiled bird of the West by limiting oil drilling: Protections for the greater sage grouse could also limit renewable-energy development, cattle grazing across 10 states

Want a more sustainable meat for the grill? Try a 13-foot python steak.

Opinion  The Biden-Netanyahu rift goes much deeper than Rafah

Israel acknowledges strike on U.N. facility, says it targeted Hamas commander

Reading archive 2024-03-13

How two smart people fell for a classic: Facebook scam After one man loses control of his social media account, an acquaintance gets bilked out of $5,000

TikTok’s contribution to the economy is huge, new report asserts: TikTok contributed $24.2 billion to U.S. GDP last year and drove $14.7 billion in small-business owners’ revenue, according to the report

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has selected running mate, will announce choice within 2 weeks: Kennedy has spoken with NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former independent Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, according to someone familiar with the process

The U.S. could ban TikTok. These countries have blocked or restricted it.

On popular online platforms, predatory groups coerce children into self-harm: Vulnerable teens are blackmailed into degrading and violent acts by abusers who then boast about it

Why Trump is now against a TikTok ban: Two former White House aides tied to an investor with a stake in TikTok, including Kellyanne Conway, were involved in a campaign to persuade the former president

Biden aims to repair places left broken by previous economic strategies: The ‘place-based’ approach marks major policy shift for the president.


Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Reading archive 2024-03-12

Full transcript of Biden’s special counsel interview paints nuanced portrait: The president doesn’t seem as absent-minded as Hur has made him out to be — and Hur doesn’t appear as crass as Biden has portrayed him

https://e360.yale.edu/features/mongolia-dzud-climate-change

https://ciphernews.com/articles/a-treasure-hunt-for-underground-hydrogen-is-on

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/03/12/make-home-energy-efficient-savings

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/03/12/school-lgbtq-hate-crimes-incidents/

Monday, March 11, 2024

Reading archive 2024-03-11

Opinion  Katie Britt’s big fail shows why the GOP can’t connect with women

Katie Britt’s defense of sex-trafficking anecdote compounds its problems: And now the victim herself is criticizing Britt - "The main problem here is that, in addition to Jacinto’s story not involving Biden, the United States or even the border, it also doesn’t involve the cartels.

...

"(You could even make a case that, to the extent U.S. immigration policy is involved at all, the anecdote reinforces the need for an accessible asylum process for victims like Jacinto.)"

How to Organize Your Fridge

Opinion  What happened to Katie Porter? A lesson for Democrats.

The California Senate race wasn’t ‘rigged’ either

Trump mocks Biden’s stutter again, drawing outrage - "'I learned so much from having to deal with stuttering. It gave me insight into other people’s pain, other people’s suffering. It made me understand that everyone, everyone has something they’re fighting to overcome — and sometimes trying to hide,' Biden said."

Trump’s freewheeling speeches offer a dark vision of a second term: A close examination of one appearance in Rock Hill, S.C., offers an anatomy of a signature rally by the former president

Soaring mobile-home rents anger Arizona voters: Rising costs are giving some conservative voters another reason to back Trump and reducing other voters’ enthusiasm for either candidate

FanDuel to replace D.C.’s troubled sports gambling app this spring

Black college athletes can send a message to Ron DeSantis by staying away

Democrats hope IVF issue might topple key Republican in Pa. swing seat: Rep. Scott Perry (R) says he supports in vitro fertilization -- but he backed a bill declaring embryos people, and Democrats want voters to know it

Biden effigy beaten, kicked at Kansas county GOP event, drawing outrage

S.C. rep says she was ‘shamed’ as rape victim when asked about support for Trump: Nancy Mace was asked to square her support for Donald Trump with her comments as a victim of rape

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Reading archive 2024-03-06

Opinion  How Oct. 7 is forcing Jews to reckon with Israel

A socialist writer skewered the Formula One scene. Then her article vanished.: Editors for Road & Track aren’t saying why they yanked Kate Wagner’s story from the website shortly after it published

D.C.’s Kingman Island, once a ‘pile of dredge waste,’ is reborn

Squashing lantern flies isn’t enough. Here’s how to kill them.: For years, officials asked people to crush invasive spotted lantern flies. But as the pest continues to spread, some researchers say it’s time to send in the birds.

Opinion  The U.S. can’t afford to wait to fully embrace the world’s most effective weapon - "To rapidly mature its technological capabilities, as well as expand its access to world-class technical talent, the department must create pathways for experienced commercial innovators to put on the uniform. In short, the United States should establish a new form of elite technical reserve duty."

D.C. Council passes public safety overhaul following historic crime spike

Casa Ruby founder charged with fraud, laundering of pandemic relief funds

Want to electrify your home? It might need this upgrade first.

The improbable U.S. plan for a revitalized Palestinian security force

Where will Nikki Haley’s supporters go now that she dropped out?: We talked to nearly 40 Haley voters in four Super Tuesday states about how they would vote in a Biden-Trump rematch

Monday, March 4, 2024

Reading archive 2024-03-04

We Can Do Better Than Dandelions

Return of Trees to Eastern U.S. Kept Region Cool as Planet Warmed

A Different Take on Monarch Butterfly Populations

Why a Clover Lawn Isn't Helping All That Much

In Israeli-occupied Hebron, Palestinians describe living in ‘a prison’ - "The Israeli military blocked off the house in Hebron with razor wire earlier this month, penning in about 20 members of the extended family. Idris said he doesn’t know why. The Israel Defense Forces said it was not aware of razor wire being placed outside his home or others on the street.

...

"'Let me tell you something: These people, Arabi, is not good,” a soldier said in broken English as he tried to block a Post journalist from filming. 'Hamas sharmuta,' said another, using the Arabic word for whore."

Lauren Boebert doesn’t want to lose the House: A messy divorce and flagging popularity upended her personal life and threatened her political future. Can the MAGA Mean Girl start over without changing?

Longtime Trump executive pleads guilty again, this time to perjury charges

D.C. Housing Authority director says agency’s troubles worse than imagined: Executive Director Keith Pettigrew has said a scathing HUD report understated the agency’s problems

Inside the D.C. Council’s turn away from progressive crime strategies

Foreign tourist is gang-raped in India as violence against women persists


Saturday, March 2, 2024

Reading archive 2024-03-02

How RFK Jr. hiring a bird smuggler threw his environmental group into turmoil

Offensive comments by N.C. Republican stand out even in Trump’s party: Mark Robinson is favored to win the Republican nomination for governor in a battleground state, even as some see serious liabilities for November

Opinion  Food convoy carnage distills what’s gone terribly wrong in Gaza - "After the savage first months of fighting, humanitarian assistance was finally beginning to flow smoothly early this year, with more than 200 trucks a day distributing aid, according to U.S. officials. But in late January, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir told police to allow demonstrators to close the main border crossing at Kerem Shalom to protest Hamas’s refusal to release all hostages."

In the Amazon, a new way to live off nature (How solar power is changing life deep in the Amazon)

The zombie CVS, a late-capitalism horror story: How one Washington, D.C., drugstore got spun by the culture wars into a symbol for America’s shoplifting panic

The private chats and chance encounters that shape Joe Biden’s thinking: After conversations with his grandchildren, fellow churchgoers and Delaware neighbors, the president brings their worries to the Oval Office

Trump Media co-founders sue company, alleging a scheme to dilute shares: The case could complicate a long-delayed bid by the owner of Truth Social to go public — and deliver former president Donald Trump a financial lifeline

Putin threatens nuclear response to NATO troops if they go to Ukraine

Republicans used to back Ukraine. Then came middle fingers in Alabama.

Reading archive 2024-03-01

Thousands of millionaires haven’t filed tax returns for years, IRS says: About 125,000 notices will be sent to high-income earners, including 25,000 people with income more than $1 million, the tax agency said

Opinion  Biden needs to tell Israel some difficult truths. Only he can do it.

Top foreign policy voice wants Biden to go over Bibi’s head: Richard Haass had a somewhat radical idea for the president. And he pitched it to top aides.

Hunter Biden gives House Republicans the rebuttal they didn’t want

U.S. prescription drug market in disarray as ransomware gang attacks: Millions of Americans have been affected by delays in obtaining medicine or having to foot the bill without insurance