Reading archive 2024-09-30

Android’s latest nightmare: Millions of devices infected by sneaky malware

Lessons in landscaping — and diplomacy — from a 37-year career: Stephen Crisp says goodbye to his role as the head gardener at Winfield House, the U.S. ambassador’s residence in London.

How ignored warnings at Boar’s Head plant led to a deadly listeria outbreak: Filthy conditions, aging equipment and haphazard cleaning at the Jarratt, Va., plant may have made some of its products microbial time bombs waiting to explode.

D.C. mayor, attorney general at odds over juvenile justice reform: The disagreements were on display at a recent D.C. Council hearing, where Attorney General Brian Schwalb proposed various changes to how troubled children are handled.

What to expect if port workers strike, and how it may affect the economy: Negotiations between longshoremen and port operators broke down in June and the two sides have barely been speaking. The current contract expires at midnight Monday.

Scientists just discovered why Earth’s atmosphere is leaking: It turns out the mysterious force is a previously undiscovered global electric field.

‘You’ll be okay’: Trump’s message to Hurricane Helene victims draws attacks: Critics tied the recent remark to a proposal in Project 2025, a conservative plan, to privatize weather forecasting now done by government agencies.

Harris team quietly courts big-name GOP endorsements: Anti-Trump conservatives are serving as emissaries to bring prominent Republicans on board, hoping to influence rank-and-file voters. - "Romney, who has frequently criticized Trump, has also expressed concerns about endangering the safety of his family if Trump is elected again, a fear also voiced by others who have spoken out against the former president." [ed. note: he's afraid of how awful Trump is, so he won't do everything he can to stop him]

Opinion Keep your eye on the Florida Senate race: Democrats see a path to an upset against Rick Scott.

James and the Jefferson Elm

He bought his dream home. In 10 years, it could fall into the ocean.: David Moot secured a three-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow with sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean for just under $400,000 — but its days are numbered.

Fire at Georgia chemical plant releases chlorine into the air, authorities say: Rockdale County officials ordered people to evacuate the area near the BioLab plant in Conyers, Ga., and they said others should stay home to avoid the “harmful irritant chlorine.”

Opinion Mark Cuban: Kamala Harris’s business whisperer: As a successful entrepreneur, he can make the business case against Trump — and for Harris.

How Philadelphia election workers will race to count votes this fall

Reading archive 2024-09-28

Hasan Nasrallah, Hezbollah leader and force in Middle East, is killed: The Shiite cleric, 64, grew Hezbollah from a Lebanese guerrilla movement into the region’s most capable paramilitary organization, and a leading foe of Israel.

Inside the Mark Robinson debacle: Panic, blame and pressure on Trump: Top Republicans, including the party’s current presidential nominee, long championed or enabled the gubernatorial nominee in North Carolina. Then it all came crashing down.

On private call, Arizona’s top Democrats debated a ‘dire’ ballot dilemma: The three state officials learned a computer glitch meant 98,000 voters had not provided proof of citizenship. In a candid phone call, they debated what to do.

How Kamala Harris remade Joe Biden’s campaign and revived Democratic chances: In short order, the Democratic presidential campaign, almost entirely inherited from Biden, found a new direction.

Meet the United Auto Workers members who could swing the election: At Ford’s Michigan Assembly auto plant, support is divided between strong camps of Trump enthusiasts, Harris devotees and undecided voters

The Money War: Washington targeted ‘corrupt’ mines. Workers paid the greatest price. [ed. note: sanctions definitely the right move here; company bribed officials, poisoned lake, evicted residents, paid security service to kill and rape protestors]

Has Washington rebounded from the pandemic? It depends where you look.: Washington D.C.’s recovery from the pandemic shows mixed results, with tourism rebounding but population declining.

D.C. Council aims to tighten housing policies as unpaid rent climbs: The proposed changes to an emergency rental assistance program and eviction policies come at a time of crisis for the city’s affordable housing sector. - "During the pandemic, D.C. made it easier to access ERAP funds by allowing residents to self-certify their need for assistance, instead of requiring documentation. That law, made permanent in 2022, also prevented people from being evicted while they had an ERAP application pending."

Reading archive 2024-09-27

Tucker Carlson is filling arenas, but does he have anything to say?: “I don’t even know what I do for a living at this point,” the former Fox News host said on his nationwide tour.

JD Vance, in 2020 messages, said Trump ‘thoroughly failed to deliver’: In previously undisclosed messages, the future vice-presidential nominee said Trump had not fulfilled his economic agenda and predicted he would lose to Biden.

Why Romney is resisting pressure to endorse Harris: “People know where I stand on Donald Trump and that’s enough,” Romney told The Post. But Harris would still welcome his endorsement.

Opinion To save the birds, I’m killing my farm: I’m turning hayfields into meadows of wildflowers and native grasses for the critters who need these biomes to live.

Reading archive 2024--9-26

5 popular souvenirs you should never bring home: You may find these animal products on vacation, but the consequences can be dire.

Opinion Who is winning in Ukraine? These maps tell the real story.: The next U.S. president will need to address a near stalemate in the ongoing war.

As war widens and costs mount, Israel’s economy is in ‘serious danger’: Tens of thousands of Israeli businesses have closed over the last year and reservists are struggling to juggle careers with military service.

Youth charged in slaying of teen at Brookland Metro deemed incompetent: The teen charged with fatally shooting a 14-year-old at the Brookland-CUA Metro station in April was found incompetent to stand trial and must undergo treatment.

Woman gets 18 years for neo-Nazi plot to shoot up Md. power stations: Sarah Beth Clendaniel, 36, remains a threat to public safety, said U.S. District Judge James Bredar.

Why Donald Trump keeps talking about Kamala Harris’s McDonald’s job: It’s a small biographical detail meant to bolster her middle-class bona fides. But it’s also hard to verify — which Trump is happy to exploit.

Sweeping bill to overhaul Supreme Court would add six justices: The legislation by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is one of the most ambitious efforts to date to remake the Supreme Court following controversies over rulings and ethics.

A cheap, low-tech solution for storing carbon may be sitting in the dirt: Figuring out ways of locking carbon out of the atmosphere, such as by burying wood, is key to stalling the worst consequences of climate change.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams charged with bribery and taking foreign donations: Federal prosecutors accuse the mayor of wire fraud in a years-long scheme to take gifts and donations in exchange for influence and favors.

Reading archive 2024-09-25

Threatened with jail over a scandal headlined by Brett Favre

Md. mother charged with attempted murder in shooting of 13-year-old daughter: Police allege that Talecka Brown, 32, shot her daughter during an argument at their home in Seat Pleasant, Md.

A ‘perfect storm’ of problems pushes D.C. toward full-blown housing crisis: Unpaid rent, rising costs and a lack of public funds are putting affordable-housing developers at risk of financial collapse. - "The problem facing D.C. stems from several pandemic-related factors, developers and housing advocates say. 

"They point to the city’s pandemic-era eviction moratorium, which stayed in place longer than those in other jurisdictions; a massive court backlog in eviction cases, each of which can take more than a year; and a lenient emergency rental-assistance program that lets residents self-certify their need for aid and prohibits eviction while an application is pending, regardless of whether it’s ultimately approved." [ed. note: Running out of other people's money can be rather ugly at times.]

See the latest houses in this Outer Banks town to fall into the ocean: Nine homes have now fallen into the sea in Rodanthe since 2020, and more remain vulnerable to higher tides and looming storms.

One block on the Outer Banks has had three houses collapse since Friday: In Rodanthe, N.C., 10 houses have fallen into the ocean since 2020 in an erosion-plagued stretch of the Outer Banks.

Missouri executes Marcellus Williams despite prosecutors’ objections: Felicia “Lisha” Gayle was found stabbed to death in her suburban St. Louis home in 1998. Marcellus Williams said he didn’t kill her.

Obama and Biden achievements that Trump claims for himself: Trump claims credit for a law capping insulin at $35 a month that was approved under the Biden-Harris administration.

Opinion The presidency of JD Vance: He is not just a running mate, but a man who stands a significant chance of running the country. - "While other aspects of Vance’s worldview have come and gone depending on what’s expedient, one thing has remained chillingly consistent. Vance is bizarrely obsessed with setting down rules for women in society, almost as if this were something America’s women were pleading with him to clarify."

A List of The Most Ignorant Things J.D. Vance Has Ever Said: From his comments about Haitian immigrants to childless cat ladies, Vance has proven to be an idiot time and time again.

Is plastic recycling beyond fixing? Here’s why California thinks so.: California’s lawsuit against ExxonMobil says plastic recycling is broken. The oil giant agrees, but blames the state. - "'Fundamentally, most plastics are not recyclable,' said Judith Enck, the president of the advocacy group Beyond Plastics and a former regional Environmental Protection Agency administrator. 'And you know who has known this for years? The companies that make and sell plastic.'"

Trump is losing his edge on the economy among voters: After years of discontent, Americans appear to be feeling better about the economy. What’s changed?

Deradicalization in the Deep South: How a former neo-Nazi makes amends.

Opinion ‘Conversation was impossible’: 5 writers on how the election is affecting their communities: From Washington to Pennsylvania, writers give us a local look at the lead-up to the 2024 election.

Reading archive 2024-09-24

GOP looks the other way as Trump pushes unorthodox trade proposals: The former president touts tariffs as a cure-all for America’s economic ills, but Republican lawmakers characterize his rhetoric as a negotiating tactic.

Under a Texas sun, agrivoltaics offer farmers a new way to make money

Johnson turns to Democrats to prevent government shutdown amid GOP opposition: House Speaker Mike Johnson called his funding deal with congressional Democrats “the last available play” to keep the government open.

Former Teamsters leader criticizes non-endorsement of Harris for president: James P. Hoffa, who led the Teamsters for 23 years, said it was a mistake for the union not to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, the “correct choice for labor.” [ed. note: if Trump wins, I hope he and Musk absolutely gut the Teamsters]

Washington and the West struggle for a way forward with Putin’s Russia: In the United States and Europe, there is growing uncertainty about how to counter Putin’s aggression without stoking a direct conflict with Russia.

Trump keeps talking about criminalizing dissent: Four times in recent weeks, the former president said it is or should be illegal to criticize judges, despite his long history of doing just that.

More voters expect Harris to win. Here’s why that could actually matter.: Some research suggests that people are pretty good at predicting these things, for a few reasons.

Mystery of disappearing ospreys might have controversial explanation: A new study suggests osprey chicks are starving in parts of the Chesapeake Bay because of a lack of menhaden, a primary source of food but also a major industry. - "Environmentalists have seized on the report to support their fight against the menhaden-harvesting industry in Virginia, which is pitted in a long-running battle to hold off regulatory limits. Sport fishermen are allied with the environmentalists, arguing that industrial harvesting has depleted the menhaden supply and harmed other species of birds and fish that feed on it, such as striped bass.

...

"Other states on the Atlantic Seaboard — including Maryland, New York and New Jersey — have outlawed the kind of massive menhaden harvesting practiced in Virginia by Omega and its affiliate, Ocean Fleet Services."

The summer Europe turned on tourists: Fed-up locals are protesting tourism as local officials promise to implement a slew of new fees.

How a grocery store fight fractured a Maryland town along racial lines: All residents of tiny Snow Hill wanted was a better grocery store. The efforts to get one reopened generational wounds.

Driver who hit 12-year-old girl in D.C. charged with reckless driving: Earl Darryl Curtis, whose car has more than $20,000 in unpaid D.C. tickets, was initially given a citation for colliding with a pedestrian on Capitol Hill.

Red-backed salamander gets support from students to become DC’s official amphibian

Owners of DC Hotel with recent string of violence mandated to increase security: OAG

Judge allows lengthy brief in Trump case, rejecting claim of election impact: The judge granted the special counsel’s request to file an up-to-180-page brief in the election interference case, over Trump lawyers’ objection.

Report: Damage to the Potomac could cost $15 billion in first month: Five million people living in the D.C. region depend on the river as their sole source of drinking water.

Opinion What election night 2024 might look like — and why you’ll need to be patient: Pennsylvania and Wisconsin still prohibit the counting of mail-in ballots until Election Day.

Grocery chains are bigger than ever. See who runs the stores near you.

Reading archive 2024-09-23

Tech giants fight plan to make them pay more for electric grid upgrades - "Chief among the power company’s concerns, according to the documents, is what will happen if it invests billions of dollars into new grid infrastructure only for the data centers to leave for greener pastures, or for the AI bubble to burst and the facilities to need much less power than initially projected. If the power company spends big on new infrastructure but the power demand it was built to serve doesn’t materialize, other customers — including business and residential payers — will be stuck with the bill, the utility said."

‘Agatha All Along’ star Kathryn Hahn casts an unforgettable spell: As the witch next door in Disney Plus’s ‘WandaVision’ spinoff, the longtime character actress steps into a role worthy of her charms.

Putin wants Russia’s youth to become ultranationalist patriots. Many are all in.

Opinion The U.S. military’s true advantage against any adversary: It’s the NCOs who set the U.S. military apart from the rest of the world.

GOP senator insults Arab American advocate at hearing on hate crimes: Sen. John Neely Kennedy used a hearing about hate crimes to accuse Arab American Institute Executive Director Maya Berry of supporting terrorists.

Russia expels U.K. diplomats; Putin warns against deep strikes with Western weapons: The Russian president issued his sternest warning to date about the use of Western weapons in Ukraine ahead of a meeting of British and U.S. leaders.

The disaster no major U.S. city is prepared for [ed. note: power outage from storm and then heatwave]

Taliban begins enforcing new draconian laws, and Afghan women despair: Afghan religious police wield new power to enforce a ban on women raising their voices in public and looking at men other than their husbands or relatives. - "Some Afghan women blame the outside world for their vanishing freedoms. 'The silence of the world over the last three years will go down as a dark chapter in history,' said Meena, echoing a widespread sentiment in the country that global attention has moved on from Afghanistan." [ed. note: we fought for them for 20 years]

These birds are almost extinct. A radical idea could save them. - "The sihek’s woes started shortly after World War II. Guam was a key battleground between U.S. and Japanese forces. After the war, residents began spotting invasive brown snakes slithering around the island’s trees, probably stowaways from military aircraft or cargo ships. 

"With no natural predators, the snakes proliferated, gobbling up the island’s small animals. Already, the snake has driven nine of Guam’s native forest birds to extinction."

Opinion Decades later, string theory continues its march toward Einstein’s dream: Why we must keep investigating physics’ most tantalizing theory — even without experimental results.

Cars with the most unpaid DC fines go to this impound lot

A survivor to her rapist: ‘I, too, am in prison’: He kidnapped, assaulted and raped multiple women. As activists try to give him a second chance, victims are speaking up about their rights. - "In that courtroom where Hubbard and her best friend from college faced their attacker — yet again — they were devastated that the man who assaulted and degraded them so violently has a real chance of getting out of prison. They now have to wait for the judge’s decision. 

"They were also gobsmacked at the array of help he had there for him — therapists, psychologists, a crusading attorney, anger-management programs."

Satellite footage suggests Russia ICBM launch test was a disaster: The apparent launch failure raised questions about Russia’s military capabilities and put in a dent in the Kremlin’s nuclear saber-rattling.

With nuclear option unlikely, Putin struggles to defend his red lines: There’s a growing realization in the Kremlin that the West is not falling for its nuclear threats and Putin is searching for new ways to enforce his red lines.

As Taliban starts restricting men, too, some regret not speaking up sooner: Beside imposing severe rules on women, new laws require men to grow fist-length beards and bar them from imitating non-Muslims in appearance or behavior. - "Amir, a resident who lives in eastern Afghanistan, said he supported the Taliban up until the latest restrictions. But he now feels bullied into submission by their morality police."

Where the sea wall ends: At a time of fast-rising seas, the ocean is eating away at this barrier island and others like it. But humans, who have held their ground here for over a century, are planning new condos.

The future of RFK Stadium should be up to D.C. — not a Montana senator: A Montana senator is blocking D.C.’s hopes for developing the RFK Stadium site. What if the roles were reversed? - "Close your eyes for a second. Imagine the role of Daines being played by, say, Phil Mendelson (D), the chairman of the D.C. Council. 

"Would the good senator from Montana take kindly to an elected official from the nation’s capital using political performatives to block, say, an economic development project in Bozeman? It sounds absurd because it is absurd."

Here’s how rich each candidate is compared with the average American: Trump, Harris, Vance and Walz span a wide range of financial circumstances. Here’s where they fit on the spectrum of American wealth.

Reading archive 2024-09-18

Sarah Huckabee Sanders knocks Harris for not having biological children: “My kids keep me humble. Unfortunately, Kamala Harris doesn’t have anything keeping her humble,” Sanders said at an event with Donald Trump in Flint, Mich.

Opinion Sarah Sanders’s crude swipes at Kamala Harris notch a new low for GOP: Sarah Huckabee Sanders stumbles over her humility while warming up a crowd for Donald Trump.

How the Trump campaign has been forced to adapt to assassination threats: The situation has caused a grim mood on the campaign, as the once freewheeling candidate is hemmed in by new constraints.

Ukrainian drones hit missile warehouse deep in Russia in massive blast: The apparently successful drone attack comes as Ukraine is pushing its Western allies to lift restrictions on the missiles they have supplied for more such attacks on Russia.

What the Fed’s rate cut means for consumers, businesses and investors: The Fed’s first cut in four years will affect hiring, inflation, the housing market, stocks and borrowing costs.

Opinion The ominous implications of the pager attack against Hezbollah: An apparent masterstroke of Israeli sabotage could quash cease-fire talks in Gaza and spark a wider war.

They exposed a tax cheater. They’ll share a $74 million reward.: Three whistleblowers helped the IRS recover $263 million from a single individual, who lawyers say ran an offshore tax evasion scheme for more than a decade.

House looks poised to reject GOP bill to avert government shutdown: Lawmakers have until Sept. 30 to extend government funding. - "Defense hawks have voiced worries that a six-month spending bill would hamstring national security spending, preferring a shorter extension that would give Congress more time to agree on new spending levels for the rest of the fiscal year. Deficit-minded Republicans rejected the stopgap spending bill out of hand, since many of them will back only regular full-year appropriations measures."

Teamsters will not endorse for president, in blow to Democrats: The last time the union didn’t endorse a presidential candidate was in 1996. - "The non-endorsement underscores a major division within the Teamsters, as well as other American unions with diverse membership. The results of two surveys of Teamsters membership released Wednesday by the Teamsters showed rank-and-file members strongly favoring a Trump endorsement over Harris — while several powerful Teamsters local chapters have broken with his leadership to urge members to vote for Harris.

...

"The Biden-Harris administration is widely viewed by historians as one of the most pro-union in modern U.S. history. The administration appointed a pro-labor leader to the National Labor Relations Board and has enacted three major spending bills with pro-union provisions. Plus, in a major victory for the Teamsters, the White House secured a pension bailout that restored retirement accounts for about 600,000 union members." [ed. note: fuck 'em]

How the Boar’s Head plant closure could wreck this tiny Virginia town: For Jarratt, Va., a town accustomed to a long, slow slide, the Boar’s Head closure stands out as a sizable and sudden hit. - "'There wasn’t a whistleblower,' said Tanisha Bailey, 50, who works at a local mental health facility. 'We had to wait to see people die: A woman who made it through the Holocaust dies from listeria. … This is the cost you pay and the consequences when you don’t do your job effectively.'"

Reading archive 2024-09-17

Amazon River Dolphins Are Facing Mass Die-Offs In Brazil: Brazilian scientists worry that a few straight days of intense sun could be all it takes to trigger the next die-off of the endangered dolphins.

Negative European energy prices hit record level: Rapid rollout of solar and wind generation has outpaced ability to store power

Why ‘chaos wheat’ may be the future of bread It’s time to look beyond all-purpose flour.

A 12-year-old girl was hit by a car. It had $19,770 in unpaid tickets.: Victims of traffic violence in D.C. say the city needs to get drivers who rack up tickets off the roads.

D.C. council confirms DDOT director who killed Connecticut Avenue bike lanes: Sharon Kershbaum previously was deputy director and has held several city roles, including in human services and contracting and procurement.

Data centers are everywhere. What it’s like to work in one.: These seemingly invisible workers are critical to keeping our connected world humming

Our digital lives need massive data centers. What goes on inside them?

Ohio sheriff says to ‘write down’ addresses of homes with Harris signs: Portage County, Ohio, Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski, a Republican, told residents to “write down all the addresses of the people who had her signs in their yards!”

Thousands injured in Lebanon as pagers used by Hezbollah explode: Pagers used by the militant group Hezbollah simultaneously exploded, injuring more than 2,800 people and killing at least nine, officials said.

Court may decide if Arizonans with missing citizenship records can vote in state races: Arizona officials discovered they have no records showing if nearly 100,000 longtime residents provided proof of citizenship, which is required by law to vote in state and local races. - "Like other states, Arizona requires voters to swear that they are citizens when they register to vote. But for 20 years, Arizona law has gone further and required residents to show birth certificates, naturalization papers or other documents proving citizenship to vote in state and local elections.

...

"At issue is a pool of voters who may not have submitted those documents. Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) said the vast majority probably are longtime citizens who are eligible to vote in all races. He said more are registered as Republicans than as Democrats."

Reading archive 2024-09-16

Bowser‘s ‘Bait and Switch’ on a Key Homelessness Program Leaves Advocates, Councilmembers Fuming: Bowser’s Department of Human Services is angling to push 1,000 families out of its rapid rehousing program before matching them with other newly allocated resources.

How grieving military families became a pro-Trump force with GOP operative’s help: As some who lost loved ones during the evacuation of Afghanistan became active in the presidential campaign, others had concerns about politicization - "As Trump seeks to pin the tragedy on Harris, she has fought back by noting that Trump oversaw the negotiation of a deal with Taliban militants in February 2020 that undercut the Afghan government and called for the exit of all U.S. troops and the release of 5,000 Taliban members from Afghan prisons.

...

"Throughout the tearful news conference, multiple family members said they did not want to be political — while explicitly urging Americans to vote for Trump over Harris."

Opinion Harris can end the Trump-Vance culture wars. Here’s how.: For starters, show what it means to champion the American family.

The Insurrectionists Next Door: Ashli Babbitt’s mother and the wife of a notorious January 6 rioter are at the center of a new mythology on the right. They are also my neighbors.

JD Vance explains the political utility of anti-immigrant hostility: The Ohio senator’s effort Sunday to defend his virulent, racist rhetoric about immigrants eating pets was remarkably dishonest.

Md. parents ask Supreme Court to allow opt-outs of LGBTQ+ storybooks: In a filing this week, Montgomery parents asked the Supreme Court to hear a request to temporarily exempt their children from storybooks with LGBTQ+ characters.

Before D.C. police killed Justin Robinson, he worked to stop violence: The 25-year-old understood the city’s crime problem better than most, because he had been on both sides of it.

Reading archive 2024-09-13

Zelensky said his victory plan will lead to ‘reliable peace’ in Ukraine: Without revealing more details, Zelensky once again talked about the plan he will bring to President Joe Biden on how to end the war with Russia.

What warning labels could look like on your favorite foods

The ‘feral 25-year-olds’ making Kamala Harris go viral on TikTok: Harris’s “digital rapid response” operation and all-Gen-Z TikTok team are tapping the trends and rhythms of internet culture to create an online presence that’s unique in presidential politics.

Trump’s time with Loomer, a far-right activist, upsets his GOP allies: Loomer insisted this week that she does “not work” for Trump, but the campaign has declined to say why she has been part of traveling entourage.

Audit says D.C. police patrol sufficiently staffed, drawing rebuke from chief: An audit of D.C. police staffing questions police calls for hundreds of additional officers.

Reading archive 2024-09-12

A political condundrum as an indicted Trayon White seeks reelection: Trayon White Sr.’s future as the Ward 8 D.C. Council member is uncertain, especially if he’s convicted of a felony, which would disqualify him from office.

Feds increase security for Jan. 6 in effort to prevent Capitol attack repeat: The decision will give the next electoral count — scheduled for Jan. 6, 2025 — the same level of security accorded to presidential inaugurations and political conventions.

America’s most secret spy agency now has a podcast: The National Security Agency opens up for the first time about its role in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Congressional Republicans try to hide from Trump’s debate performance: They’re not showing the same clear-eyed analysis from Democrats after Biden’s terrible June 27 debate.

Opinion What kind of commander would Harris be? Here’s what colleagues expect.: Harris is “more hard-line than most people think,” says a retired four-star general who has briefed her many times.

This ‘unhinged’ werewolf has already won Michigan’s election season: A middle-schooler’s unconventional ‘I Voted’ sticker won Michigan’s inaugural contest.

Harris puts pressure on Trump in an elusive battleground: North Carolina: The vice president has raised Democrats’ hopes of winning the Tar Heel State, a populous battleground that has been just beyond their grasp since Barack Obama briefly turned it blue in 2008.

Anatomy of a racist smear: How false claims of pet-eating immigrants caught on: How an anti-immigrant rumor spread from a random Facebook post to leadership of the Republican Party and the biggest influencers on social media so quickly.

Reading archive 2024-09-11

What food critics in cars get wrong about restaurants: By separating the meal from the place, social media’s car-bound food critics miss the point.

Video of D.C. police fatally shooting violence interrupter sparks protests: Anger was already simmering when footage was released of the fatal police shooting of Justin Robinson, 26, who worked as a violence interrupter in D.C. - "'From a tactical perspective, it’s really poor from start to finish in my view,' said William Terrill, a criminology professor at Arizona State University who studies police use of force. Officers could have set up a perimeter and tried to wake Robinson from a distance with a loudspeaker, he said, because no one else was in the car or appeared to be in immediate danger from the weapon in Robinson’s lap, so there was no need to rush."

I’ve Become Absolutely Obsessed With Ralph Nader’s Pens. Join Me on My Continuing Investigation.

Nippon Steel’s doomed effort to court union detailed in emails, letters: Nippon Steel’s attempt to acquire U.S. Steel failed because of union opposition and national security concerns, correspondence shows.

'Winners write history': Inside Robert Kraft's 12-year Hall of Fame quest

Grieving Ohio father to Trump and Vance: Stop using my son ‘for political gain’: Aiden Clark’s death has been amplified by leading Republicans who have to sought to attack Vice President Kamala Harris on immigration.

New video, witnesses challenge Israel’s account of U.S. activist’s killing: The IDF said Aysenur Eygi was shot “unintentionally” during a “violent riot.” A Post analysis shows clashes had subsided and protesters had retreated.

Reading archive 2024-09-10

The world is burning an alarming amount of plastic, scientists say: Around 12 percent of all plastic waste produced in cities is burned in the open air.

One of the most potent greenhouse gases is rising faster than ever: Methane emissions from fossil fuels, farms and landfills will make it impossible for the world to maintain a safe climate, scientists say. - "New research from the Global Carbon Project — an international coalition of scientists that seeks to quantify planet-warming emissions — finds that methane levels in the atmosphere are tracking those projected by the worst-case climate scenarios."

D.C. bill seeks more oversight of beleaguered: 911 call center The legislation marks the D.C. Council’s latest attempt to elicit more information from the city’s 911 agency.

How a dropped bag of Cheetos had ‘world changing’ impact on life in a cave: After a visitor dropped the snack in Carlsbad Caverns, the “foreign detritus” sparked mold and microbial growth that disturbed the delicate ecosystem, the park said.

The TVA helped electrify the South — but now its plans are sparking backlash: The Tennessee Valley Authority is coming under fire from energy experts and environmentalists for building gas plants instead of renewables. - "Marilyn Brown, a professor at Georgia Tech who was nominated to the TVA board by President Barack Obama in 2009, and again in 2013, said she was asked to speak with roughly 10 senators before her confirmation, and she recalled being 'hounded' over her longtime advocacy of energy-efficiency measures. Brown added that Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican who retired in 2021, asked her to oppose any wind projects in his state, and two senators questioned the basis of her concerns about global warming."

Facebook is blocking emergency warnings as wildfires roar through West: The Post has collected more than 40 examples of Facebook removing emergency-related posts during at least 20 wildfires since June. The explanation: “you tried to get likes, follows, shares or video views in a misleading way.”

Elon Musk’s misleading election claims reach millions and alarm election officials: The X billionaire’s false posts about noncitizen voting spur officials to fact-check him, lead to requests to purge voter rolls, and add to worries about threats, election officials say. - "'Musk puts out this malarkey and he says nonsense, uneducated things and he gets corrected,' said Tom Irvine, who for 15 years was the primary outside counsel for elections in Maricopa and defended the county against election challenges following the 2020 presidential election. 'And then he says it again and again and again.'"

U.S. demands IDF change West Bank operations after American’s killing: Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s comments were the strongest yet from a U.S. official after the Israeli military said it was 'highly likely' it 'unintentionally' killed Aysenur Eygi.

As Trump looms, Ukraine turns to its evangelicals to woo the Republicans: Ukraine has the largest evangelical community in Europe and its outreach to Republicans could prove crucial in securing additional American aid.

How one company’s plan to help the planet went off the rails: C-Quest Capital claimed it could improve people’s lives in Africa with cleaner cookstoves. But an investigation by The Post shows it promised more than it could deliver.

Body-cam footage of Tyreek Hill incident shows rapid escalation: The video shows the NFL star being pulled from his car and placed in handcuffs by police.

Sen. Tuberville blocks promotion of Lloyd Austin’s top military aide: Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark was among the defense secretary’s senior staff who, upon learning of his hospitalization, did not immediately notify the White House or Congress.

The irony of the professional tradwife: What I learned from watching too many episodes of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”

Penzeys Spices draws backlash — and support — after Kamala Harris visit: The Wisconsin-based spice shop’s owner is an outspoken supporter of liberal policies and no stranger to conservatives’ ire.

Why cities are getting more rainy: A study has found most cities receive significantly more rain than nearby rural regions, an effect that has become more pronounced over the past two decades.

D.C. police release video of officers shooting violence interrupter: D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith declined to comment on whether the officers at the scene followed protocol, saying that would be part of the investigation into the shooting.

What we know about Justin Robinson’s death and the D.C. police shooting video: D.C. police fatally shot Justin Robinson, 26, earlier this month at a McDonald’s in Southeast Washington.

Two District Men Plead Guilty to Charges in Killing of Man in Southeast Washington: Victim Shot in Broad Daylight Near Food Market - "According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 24, 2016, at about 2:30 p.m., Robinson and the victim, Demetrius Medlay, bumped shoulders and briefly argued at a market in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. Robinson drove away, but returned to the area about 10 minutes later. He got out of the car holding a handgun with an extended magazine. While waving the gun, he argued with Mr. Medlay on the sidewalk and then drove off. 

"Robinson stopped the car at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Esther Place SE at about 2:45 p.m. Grover was standing at the corner. Referring to Mr. Medlay, Robinson said, “You can smoke him,” to which Grover replied, 'All right.'"

Looting reported in D.C. after release of police shooting video: The thefts and the destruction of property occurred in Georgetown, City Center and other parts of the city.

As Trump looms, Ukraine turns to its evangelicals to woo the Republicans: Ukraine has the largest evangelical community in Europe and its outreach to Republicans could prove crucial in securing additional American aid. - "In the areas of Ukraine that Russian forces currently occupy, Christian denominations independent of the Russian Orthodox Church are being closed down and oppressed, including Catholics, members of Ukraine’s own Orthodox Church, as well as Evangelicals."

Reading archive 2024-09-09

More Black Americans are certain to vote for Harris, Post-Ipsos poll finds: The shift is concentrated among younger Black Americans, especially younger women. - "'She’s a woman, she’s Black, and I like her. I genuinely think that means something for this country,' said Broaden, 24, a beauty adviser and freelance artist from Omaha. 'I’d rather vote for something I strongly believe in rather than voting in spite of someone.'

"So when Broaden was recently filling out her Medicaid renewal form, she checked the box that would also register her to vote — and plans to cast a ballot for Harris in November. [ed. note: lol lol lol]

...

"Lafayette Cates, 42, a software engineer from Philadelphia, said he voted for Trump in 2020 and plans to do so this year, because he feels that Harris doesn’t fully understand the needs of Black Americans who are descendants of enslaved people. Harris’s father was born in Jamaica; her mother was from India.

"'She doesn’t come from a background similar to the majority of Black Americans, so I don’t think she can be an effective leader,' he said. 'She doesn’t face what the majority of African Americans face'”" [ed. note: White supremacy in blackface]

The angry, divisive fallout of the Trump shooting in Butler County: The assassination attempt has pitted Democrats and Republicans against each other in a way that one historian calls “outright frightening.”

Opinion Terrorism warning lights are ‘blinking red again.’ This group is a big reason.: Now is no time for U.S. troop withdrawals from troubled areas.

This is the best privacy setting that almost no one is using: You have options to click one box to order companies not to blab your personal data. California might soon require it by law.

Trump pledges to jail opponents, baselessly suggests election will be stolen from him: The former president’s latest threats, made in a social media post, represent the most overt signal yet that he will not accept the result in November if he loses.

Trump reiterates: There will be blood: With his “bloody” comment about an immigration crackdown, Trump keeps toying with the idea of righteous violence — even after Jan. 6 and an assassination attempt against him.

I’m a gastroenterologist. Here’s the surprising truth about gluten.: Many of my patients report uncomfortable symptoms after eating gluten. But the trigger is often a larger group of foods known as fermentable carbohydrates, or FODMAPs.

Water buffalo escapes slaughter, evades police, becomes local celebrity: “Let him be free! He’s cheated death at least twice! He’s earned it!” a business owner wrote in a Facebook post about PHill.

D.C. officer’s murder case stokes debate over U.S. police prosecutions: Sentencing of first D.C. officer convicted of murder for actions on duty highlights U.S. attorney’s push for civil rights prosecutions in the nation’s capital. - "Judges have balked at some prosecutor choices. Foreshadowing the debate in Sutton’s case, U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols questioned the severity of offenses by Mark L. Clark, 57, a former veteran D.C. officer convicted of using illegal chokeholds against two young men in separate incidents in July 2018, and sentenced him to six months prison instead of the five years sought by the government. 

"'If a … civilian did that to another civilian and did what Mr. Clark did here, they would get no-papered over at D.C. Superior Court,' Nichols said in May, meaning charges would have been dropped in local court because neither victim was permanently injured. 'Because police officers perform critical services for our communities … we do not want officers looking over their shoulders when they are on the streets caring for us,' Nichols said."

Family of man slain by D.C. police decides to release body-cam footage: Relatives of Justin Robinson, 26, hesitated at first, their lawyer said, but ultimately decided to let the public see his final moments. - "D.C. police fatally shot Robinson, 26, shortly after 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 1 after they found him unresponsive in a car that had crashed into a McDonald’s in the 2500 block of Marion Barry Avenue SE, authorities said. D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith said at a news conference that officers found Robinson with a gun on his lap. After officers confronted him, she said, he “began moving inside the vehicle,” picked up his weapon at one point, and 'grabbed' an officer’s gun through his open car window."

D.C. AG sues landlord for ‘horrendous’ conditions in subsidized housing scheme: A D.C. landlord has been profiting from rental assistance programs while subjecting low-income residents to dangerous conditions, according to two lawsuits.

D.C. Council member Trayon White formally indicted on bribery charges: The two-term council member stands accused of accepting roughly $35,000 in cash bribes from an associate.

Police charge 16-year-old as adult in fatal Maryland high school shooting: Jaylen Rashawn Prince was arrested about 20 minutes after the shooting at Joppatowne High School.

Former D.C. schools employee indicted on bribery, conspiracy charges: The 60-year-old Maryland resident faces 16 felony counts. Three alleged co-conspirators have pleaded guilty.

Two D.C. men sentenced in random, fatal shooting of college-bound teen: Jamahri Sydnor was killed in 2017 while driving her nephew home from the barbershop as gang members began firing into a busy Northeast intersection.

Opinion The teenage woods Beautiful, moody, indifferently cruel? Welcome to Maine’s Appalachian Trail.

Pond Scum: Henry David Thoreau’s moral myopia. - "The real Thoreau was, in the fullest sense of the word, self-obsessed: narcissistic, fanatical about self-control, adamant that he required nothing beyond himself to understand and thrive in the world. From that inward fixation flowed a social and political vision that is deeply unsettling. It is true that Thoreau was an excellent naturalist and an eloquent and prescient voice for the preservation of wild places. But 'Walden' is less a cornerstone work of environmental literature than the original cabin porn: a fantasy about rustic life divorced from the reality of living in the woods, and, especially, a fantasy about escaping the entanglements and responsibilities of living among other people.

...

"Although Thoreau is often regarded as a kind of cross between Emerson, John Muir, and William Lloyd Garrison, the man who emerges in 'Walden' is far closer in spirit to Ayn Rand: suspicious of government, fanatical about individualism, egotistical, élitist, convinced that other people lead pathetic lives yet categorically opposed to helping them. It is not despite but because of these qualities that Thoreau makes such a convenient national hero."

When Thoreau Went Nuts on Maine’s Mt. Katahdin

On social media, a bullied teen found fame among child predators worldwide: From his bedroom in Texas, Bradley Cadenhead, then 15, founded an online group that federal authorities say pressures vulnerable children to commit violent or degrading acts.

Reading archive 2024-09-07

US beach town bans balloons to save the ocean: Experts say more cities should join the growing legislative trend to reduce trash, save birds and protect against wildfires - "While manufacturers claim that some latex balloons are biodegradable, there are no safe balloons to release, O’Brien says, as they have added plasticizers that hinder the biodegradation process, and can take decades, or longer, to break down.

...

"Mylar balloons – made from nylon with a metallic coating – are also a scourge: they never break down, persisting in the oceans for years, and their shiny exterior is even more confusing to sea animals. They also can get tangled in power lines and cause power outages or fires."

Trump turns to outlandish promises to offset $7 trillion in tax cuts: The former president says a spending commission would help reduce the national debt, but analysts are skeptical of his claims.

The shelter and the storm: What happened when the nation’s immigration crisis came to a small town in Massachusetts

Reading archive 2024-09-06

The Russian Propaganda Attack on America: Sometimes money is more effective than weapons. - "What’s really going on here is that the Russians have identified two major weaknesses in their American adversaries. The first is that a big slice of the American public, especially since the ascent of Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, has an almost limitless appetite for stories that jack up their adrenaline: They will embrace wild conspiracies and 'news' meant to generate social conflict so long as the stories are exciting, validate their preexisting worldviews, and give them some escape from life’s daily doldrums. 

"The other is that more than a few Americans have the combination of immense greed and ego-driven grievances that make them easy targets either for recruitment or to be used as clueless dupes. The Russians, along with every other intelligence service in the world, count on finding such people and exploiting their avarice and insecurity. This is not new. (The United States does it too. Money is almost always the easiest inducement to treason.) But the widespread influence of social media has opened a new front in the intelligence battle."

Rock Creek Park golf course overhaul gets final approval: The National Park Service’s plan to overhaul the public golf course in Rock Creek Park received final approval Thursday from the National Capital Planning Commission.

Why Trump’s word salad answer on child care policy matters: Donald Trump and JD Vance were asked in separate events about child care policy. Vance’s answer was ridiculous. Trump’s was worse. - "The former president doesn’t know or care about public policy, and he routinely has trouble faking it. Those expecting him to have meaningful governing plans — on any issue — are going to be disappointed."

Dulles Greenway owners can’t raise tolls. The fight is just starting.: The private toll road has frustrated local leaders for decades. Lawmakers disagree about its future.

Trial begins for teen girls charged in fatal beating of Reggie Brown: A D.C. prosecutor said the five teens charged in the fatal beating and stomping of Reginald Brown were on Georgia Avenue “looking for a victim.”

Unions scorn Biden’s 2 percent raise for feds as ‘mystifying’ setback: Federal workers are disappointed with President Biden's 2 percent pay raise proposal, which is below inflation and military pay hikes.

Tensions rising again at D.C. community health center as more staff leave: Unity Health Care faces provider shortages as union talks continue, raising questions about the network’s ability to keep treating vulnerable patients.

Russian military officers accused of pre-invasion cyberattack on Ukraine: The attack, known as WhisperGate, also targeted computer systems associated with 26 NATO countries, including a U.S. government agency located in Maryland.

Inside Tenet Media, the pro-Trump ‘supergroup’ allegedly funded by Russia: Even some of the right-wing stars hired by the group last year wondered why it existed. Now, a new federal indictment claims it was a propaganda front. - "The news that some of the right’s biggest online stars had, apparently unwittingly, taken millions from the Kremlin provoked a wave of schadenfreude from their critics. On X, never-Trump conservative writer Christian Vanderbrouk, quipped that Tenet’s stars managed to see conspiracy theories everywhere — yet never questioned why a mysterious Belgian was paying them to prop up a little-watched YouTube channel."

In historic case, father of 14-year-old school shooting suspect charged with murder: Colin Gray, the father of the suspected Apalachee High School shooter, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree murder and cruelty to children.

As Jimmy Carter nears 100, he is buoyed by Harris’s run for president: As Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday approaches on Oct. 1, he is talking more and delighting in the momentum behind Vice President Kamala Harris, his family said.

D.C. lobbyists battle over future of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine: Critics say Kyiv is attacking religious freedom in its efforts to break the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s ties with Moscow. Ukraine says it’s acting in self-defense. - "The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, or UOC-MP, has deep historical ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, which many U.S. and Ukrainian officials say has been an instrument of Russian foreign policy. The war has brought the church’s deep sympathy for Russia into stark relief, and Ukraine has launched criminal proceedings against dozens of UOC clergymen for allegedly assisting Russia, including collecting intelligence on the Ukrainian military and on the movement of weapons, according to Ukraine’s Security Service.

...

"Pavlo Unguryan, a Ukrainian evangelical leader, met with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on several occasions earlier this year, while evangelical and Baptist chaplains have provided witness testimony about Russia’s closure of Christian churches outside the Russian Orthodox faith in the territories it has seized in Ukraine. They also provided documentation on the killing and jailing of evangelical and Baptist priests there, as well as the jailing and torture of Catholic priests. A spokesperson for Johnson did not respond to a request for comment. In a public Q&A at the Hudson Institute on July 8, Johnson spoke of how he met “multiple times” with Ukrainian religious leaders and pastors and said Russia had targeted them “specifically.”"

Following Trump’s train of thought as it derails on a child care question: Trump sought out an applause line as if it were the sole exit in a flame-filled room.

Reading archive 2024-09-05

Family of man slain by D.C. police declined to release footage, officials say: Justin Robinson, 26, of Southeast Washington worked with the D.C. Office of the Attorney General’s Cure the Streets violence interruption program.

Two charged after children found in chains inside of their apartment: The pair told police they chained the boys up for short periods to “scare them” so they would not leave the apartment, according to court records.

Georgia school-shooting suspect struggled with mental health, aunt says: The parents of the 14-year-old high-school-shooting suspect have not commented publicly after the deadly attack at Apalachee High School.

Parkinson’s may begin in the gut, study says, adding to growing evidence: Researchers found that people with upper gastrointestinal conditions were far more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease later in life

After bitter GOP primary in this deep-red Virginia district, more anger: After a bitter primary election between former congressman Bob Good and state Sen. John J. McGuire III in Virginia’s 5th District, the local GOP is locked in a feud.

Opinion How the quiet war against press freedom could come to America: Some foreign leaders have ruthlessly curtailed journalism. U.S. politicians could draw from their playbook. - "A senior Trump aide, Kash Patel, made the threat even more explicit: 'We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminally or civilly.' There is already evidence that Trump and his team mean what they say. By the end of his first term, Trump’s anti-press rhetoric — which contributed to a surge in anti-press sentiment in this country and around the world — had quietly shifted into anti-press action." [ed. note: but lol at this from the New York Times publisher]

Reading archive 2024-09-04

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/09/03/forest-park-chicago-blue-line-train-shooting/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/09/03/us-marines-attacked-turkey/

Opinion See my video of a Kharkiv cemetery. Now tell me Ukraine shouldn’t strike back.: Washington feared Putin would escalate. Now that he’s done so, it’s time to respond.

A louder voice in fighting abortion bans: Men in red states: More men are speaking out in defense of reproductive rights because of harrowing experiences that wives or partners have suffered when a pregnancy went awry. - "'The silver lining of Dobbs is that it forced people to talk about what was stigmatized and shrouded in mystery — miscarriage, fetal anomalies, stillbirth,' she said. They’re now realizing the range of scenarios that can be directly impacted by state bans 'and the end of this illusion that you can separate elective abortion from emergency abortions.'"

Republican Liz Cheney says she will vote for Kamala Harris this election: “Because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump but I will be voting for Kamala Harris,” Cheney said Wednesday at Duke University.

House Democrats ask Trump if he illegally accepted $10 million from Egypt: A recent Washington Post article detailed a now-closed Justice Department investigation spurred by intelligence from 2016 indicating that the Egyptian president sought to give Donald Trump money.

This bird came back from extinction - now scientists in an aircraft are teaching it to migrate: Extinct in central Europe for 300 years, 36 northern bald ibis are following an ultralight aircraft on their long-forgotten migration route from Austria to Spain

The GOP has transitioned from climate denial to climate misrepresentation, experts say: Why denying the science of climate change is no longer politically tenable.

How ancient healing hot springs could fuel a clean energy future: One hot spring town shows how Japan could turn its underground cauldron of heat into clean energy — without risking its centuries-old tradition of public baths.

What to do with your old jacket rather than throwing it out: Repair services and programs that allow you to fix or trade in your old gear can extend the life span of your products and keep them out of landfills.

Behind the campaign to make Metro cool again: Pandas on a train? Men in finance? A more confident Metro is having some fun.

When 5 teen girls allegedly beat her son to death, she kept his casket open: As the trial in the 2023 beating death of Reginald “Reggie” Brown begins, his 90-year-old mother, Annie Mae Brown Mouton, seeks “justice.”

Tees up, trees down: NPS’s plan for Rock Creek Park Golf Course needs a rethink

How China extended its repression into an American city

An au pair, a husband’s affair and a double homicide: A Fairfax County jury will decide whether Juliana Peres Magalhães is guilty of second-degree murder in a double homicide in the main bedroom of her adopted home.

Trump appears to have misled Gold Star families on troop deaths in Afghanistan: Trump frequently suggests, as he did in a TikTok filmed at Arlington Cemetery, that an 18-month period without hostile-fire deaths took place entirely in his presidency. - "At a political rally on June 26 that year, weeks before the collapse of the Afghan government, Trump bragged that he had made it difficult for Biden to change course. 'I started the process. All the troops are coming back home. They couldn’t stop the process,' he said. 'Twenty-one years is enough, don’t we think? Twenty-one years. They [the Biden administration] couldn’t stop the process. They wanted to, but it was very tough to stop the process.'"

John McCain’s son says he will support Kamala Harris in November: Jimmy McCain said he changed his voter registration from independent to Democrat and expressed outrage over an altercation at Arlington Cemetery involving Trump campaign staff.

Opinion One urgent reason the justices need a credible ethics code? Ginni Thomas.: And you thought she couldn’t do any more to cast disrepute on the Supreme Court. - "And Thomas’s email was not just some generic note of appreciation. It was to praise First Liberty for its fierce, and deep-pocketed, fight against … wait for it … proposals to reform the Supreme Court and strengthen ethics enforcement against the justices."

Jury convicts last people charged in the fatal shooting of Makiyah Wilson: Ten-year-old Makiyah Wilson was killed and four others were injured in the July 16, 2018, shooting in Northeast Washington.

Police ID man they allege tossed gun that went off, killing a D.C. officer: Police said they are seeking Tyrell Lamonte Bailey, 27, on a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm.

Murderer whose life sentence was commuted by Trump convicted of domestic violence: Davidson, who was convicted in the murder of a federal law enforcement officer in 1990, shared an attorney with Donald Trump Jr.

Opinion A new way to treat customers? Annoy them until they go away.: To keep loiterers away, stores bombard passersby with annoying messages and ‘anti-vagrancy music.’ They end up annoying everyone.

Reading archive 2024-09-02

Hvaldimir, beloved beluga whale and alleged Russian spy, found dead: The beluga whale was found in Norway wearing a St. Petersburg-marked harness, prompting speculation that he was a Russian intelligence asset. - "Locals nicknamed him 'Hvaldimir,' a playful combination of the Norwegian word for whale, hval, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first name."

‘Dark’ tanker crash exposes dangers of China’s thirst for cheap oil

Trump eyes plan that may give Elon Musk role in auditing U.S. agencies: The GOP presidential nominee has discussed asking executives to comb through federal books. For Musk, the task could bring conflicts of interest.

A school cop was accused of sexual misconduct with kids. He kept his job for years.

Reading archive 2024-09-01

Protests escalate in Israel after 6 hostages’ bodies are recovered in Gaza: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli American, and five others Hamas took hostage on Oct. 7 were killed “shortly before” being found, the Israel Defense Forces said.

U.S. plans to present ‘take it or leave it’ Israel-Gaza cease-fire deal soon: Officials hope grim discovery of bodies of six hostages in Gaza will renew urgency for a deal — but say they may walk away if it does not.

Ukraine launches massive drone attack on Russian energy infrastructure: Russia said it downed 158 drones in what appeared to be one of the largest Ukrainian drone attacks yet. Fires broke out at energy facilities, including in Moscow. - "Ukraine’s allies have imposed restrictions that prevent it from using many weapons inside Russia, especially for long-range strikes, which Kyiv says would limit Russia’s capacity to carry out attacks on civilians. Ukraine has relied instead on domestically produced drones to strike targets deep inside Russia."

Musk’s Twitter investors have lost billions in value: Elon Musk bought Twitter with a combination of his own money, bank loans and capital raised from friends and associates. Here’s how far his investors are underwater.

Science is rewriting the history of horse domestication: As they spread, horses reshaped ecology, social structures and economies at a never-before-seen scale.

Opinion We escaped from Afghanistan. We landed in Houston. Where are we now?: Reflections on the anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal and a dangerous journey.