Reading archive 2025-01-31 pt 1

An MPD Squad Seized Illegal Guns Without Making Arrests. Now Two Officers Could Soon Be Fired.: The department (and federal prosecutors) spent years investigating the Seventh District crime suppression team for alleged misconduct and potential crimes. - "Sarah Mancuso, the IAD investigator handling this case, described several incidents where she believed CST officers improperly used the threat of gun charges to coerce men caught with illegal firearms into becoming informants, a clear violation of department procedures. In one instance, she said the officers let a man walk free in order to convince him not to file a complaint against the department for injuries he suffered as he scuffled with police; in another, MPD believes the officers didn’t make an arrest to avoid a complaint of an improper use of force as they scuffled with a man in a wheelchair."

What America can learn from Miami’s trash nightmare: Miami-Dade County officials are considering building the country’s biggest trash incinerator. Nobody wants it. - "But, in general, incinerators probably create less planet-warming pollution than landfills, according to Townsend, who wrote a meta-analysis reviewing a dozen conflicting studies on the subject."

FBI agents who worked on January 6 and Trump investigations are expected to be fired Friday

Renewables were supposed to take over the grid. Instead they’re falling short.: Despite generous tax credits, red tape has slowed wind and solar.

Why climate change may be making your city’s rat problem worse: A new study is the first to link rising temperatures with booming rat populations in cities around the world.

Trump puts industry insiders in charge of overseeing chemical safety: Republicans say the EPA’s slow approval of new chemicals is holding back economic growth.

Polar bear fur could hold the secret to replacing ‘forever chemicals’: In a new study, scientists solve a mystery hiding in polar bear fur. The answer might help us all. - "A chemical analysis revealed that the grease on the bears’ fur — a substance scientists call sebum — contains a concoction of cholesterol and other lipids that distinguish it from the sebum found on other mammals."

'We wouldn't be able to feed ourselves as a country.' Idaho dairy industry concerned about mass deportation

Church ousts priest who copied Musk’s inauguration salute at pro-life event: The Anglican Catholic Church said Calvin Robinson was previously warned against “online trolling.” Robinson called the gesture an “attempt at dry wit.”

Defying Legal Limits, Trump Firings Set Up Tests That Could Expand His Power: The prospect of legal challenges to President Trump’s purges may be a feature, not a bug, for adherents of sweeping presidential authority.

Trump launched air controller diversity program that he now decries: At news conference, Trump read a list of disabilities he calls disqualifying, but his administration started such hiring in 2019 - "'FAA Provides Aviation Careers to People with Disabilities,' the agency announced on April 11, 2019. The pilot program, the announcement said, would 'identify specific opportunities for people with targeted disabilities, empower them and facilitate their entry into a more diverse and inclusive workforce.'"

Federal workers should tell Trump ‘no deal’ on resignation offer: Big financial decisions made in haste are often followed by regret, especially when the terms leave you with no guarantees or options.

Grandmother, two aunts charged with abuse, murder in death of 4-year-old: Police say a grandmother and two aunts regularly wrapped the boy in tape and malnourished him as well as his 5-year-old sister.

FDA approves new, non-opioid painkiller Journavx: The drug represents the first new class of pain medication in decades. - "Vertex Pharmaceuticals, which makes the drug, has billed it as an effective alternative to opioids that isn’t addictive. Journavx works by intercepting pain signals before they reach the spinal cord, rather than acting directly on the brain."

Mark Zuckerberg Defends Embrace of Trump Administration in Meta Q&A: In a meeting with Meta employees on Thursday, Mr. Zuckerberg also doubled down on recent changes to the company’s online speech policies and ending its diversity initiatives.

‘Drill, baby, drill’ is hitting a pricing problem: If AI really doesn’t need that much power, energy companies have less incentive to produce more.

Trump Administration Shakes Up Senior F.B.I. Ranks: Top officials have been told to retire or be fired in the coming days, fueling fear within the agency that has been the target of President Trump and Kash Patel, his nominee to be F.B.I. director.

Several senior FBI leaders told to leave agency or be fired, people familiar with matter say: The ultimatum was unusual for the FBI and suggested that President Donald Trump is purging leadership at an agency he has harshly criticized. - "'All FBI employees will be protected against political retribution,' Patel told lawmakers."

Your robot chauffeur is on its way. Welcome it.: Self-driving cars appear to be safer than those with human drivers. Bring them on.

Senior U.S. official to exit after rift with Musk allies over payment system: A top Treasury career staffer, David A. Lebryk, announced his retirement. Surrogates of Musk’s DOGE effort had sought access to sensitive payment systems.