Reading archive 2024-12-16

In some port towns, it’s residents vs. cruises: ‘We’re going to eradicate them’: From Alaska to Maine to Virginia, residents are using their voices and the law to preserve their communities.

Trump is filling his Cabinet fast. But can he fulfill his promises?: The president-elect’s personnel decisions raise questions about whether his true priorities square with the people who voted for him. - "Mass deportations would mean sending many undocumented migrant agricultural workers back to their home countries. Asked in that same Time interview if doing so would raise food prices sharply, he replied, 'No, because we’re going to let people in, but we have to let them in legally.' That non sequitur is an example of the disconnect between Trump’s rhetorical flourishes and reality."

Kamala Harris grapples with her future in a wounded Democratic Party: As questions loom about a run for president or governor, many Democrats do not blame Harris for her loss, but that doesn’t mean they want her to run again - "Her husband, Doug Emhoff, plans to return to his career as an entertainment lawyer, and shortly after the election, the couple decamped to Hawaii with a small coterie of aides to decompress and relax." [ed. note: MUST BE NICE]

Kamala Harris grapples with her future in a wounded Democratic Party: As questions loom about a run for president or governor, many Democrats do not blame Harris for her loss, but that doesn’t mean they want her to run again

Virginia man convicted of funding Islamic State in terrorism trial: Lawyers for Mohammed Chhipa, 35, argued he was ensnared by the FBI with a fake marriage ruse.

A low, low point for ABC News: ABC News not only settled a defamation suit with Trump. It paid out $15 million. What? - "The posture of ABC News progressed from unreasonably dismissive (rejecting legitimate demands for correction) to unreasonably accommodating (giving away the store to Trump via $15 million, a note of contrition and so on)."

As D.C. Council weighs Trayon White’s fate, one lawmaker calls for expulsion: Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) said he is in favor of expelling White, who pleaded not guilty to a federal bribery charge in September.

D.C. Council committee recommends expelling White after bribery charge: The unanimous vote means that the council may vote to expel White in early 2025. White will have at least 30 days to prepare a defense.

Metro orders employees back to the office by July: The move comes as federal workers await word on similar mandates.

Some N.C. residents distrust FEMA so much they’re hesitant to apply for hurricane aid: It is one of the more unusual elements of Hurricane Helene’s aftermath in western North Carolina.

Assad’s fall to Islamist rebels in Syria unsettles region’s autocrats: Leaders in countries such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are worried Assad’s ouster, and the rise of an Islamist government, could stir unrest at home.

Faced with mounting public anger, a weakened Hamas starts to compromise: A new proposal for a 60-day pause in hostilities in Gaza and the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners includes key concessions from Hamas.

Woman behind infamous Duke lacrosse rape accusations admits she lied: The case against three White players dominated national news for months but later unraveled. On a recent podcast, Crystal Mangum revisited that time.

Ukrainian troops say inexperienced North Koreans are making easy targets: At least 30 North Koreans were “killed or wounded” over the weekend while fighting for Russia in the Kursk region, Ukrainian military intelligence said.

Trump eyes privatizing U.S. Postal Service, citing financial losses: Trump feuded with the mail agency in his first term. Privatizing it could shake up consumer shipping and business supply chains. - "Cuts to the Postal Service could upend the trillion-dollar e-commerce industry, hitting small businesses and rural consumers whose businesses and budgets make the agency the shipper of choice. Amazon, the Postal Service’s largest customer, uses the agency for 'last-mile' delivery between its hulking product fulfillment centers and consumers’ homes and businesses. And the agency’s 'universal service obligation' — which requires it to deliver mail or parcels regardless of distance or profitability concerns — means it is often the only carrier that will deliver to far-flung reaches of the country."

Child care gets little help in Idaho. A family-run center is buckling.: As TLC For Tots and the parents depending on it worry about the future, lawmakers in this deeply conservative state say government shouldn’t play a role.

Turkey exploits post-9/11 counterterrorism model to target critics in exile: Turkey has drawn extensively from the U.S. counterterrorism post-9/11 playbook to go after exiled political enemies, in particular the Gulen movement. - "'Twenty-plus years after 9/11, you would anticipate a diminished' reliance on the terms and tactics associated with the war on terror, said Fionnuala Ni Aolain, who served as special rapporteur to the United Nations on counterterrorism and human rights from 2017 until last year. 'Instead, what we find is a repurposing, reappropriation and acceleration of those methods by backsliding democracies and authoritarian regimes.'"