Reading archive 2025-02-03 pt 1

Emails detail Saints' assistance to New Orleans Archdiocese in sexual abuse scandal

House GOP nears plan for Trump’s agenda — but may not have the votes: Republicans will attempt a tax and spending bill that will not require substantial budget cuts, but there may be serious math problems ahead.

Justice Department orders FBI purge, review of staff who touched Jan. 6 cases: Leaders appointed by the Trump administration are identifying potentially hundreds of FBI agents for possible termination, said people familiar with the plan.

As DOJ probes FBI’s Jan. 6 work and weighs firings, agents told to detail roles: FBI employees must explain in a questionnaire by Monday whether they were involved in the surveillance, arrest or trial of a Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot suspect.

Musk aides gain access to sensitive Treasury Department payment system: The access — granted by Scott Bessent, Trump’s newly confirmed treasury secretary — comes after the ousting of the agency’s top career official.

Trump opened the ‘valve’ on California water. It will probably be wasted.: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released reservoir water to meet Trump’s recent directive to funnel more water to Southern California. - "Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) called the water releases 'uncoordinated and unwarranted,' writing on X that it’s 'not being directed to LA where the fires are contained. And now, it won’t be available when farmers need it in summer.'"

D.C. sees neighborhood revival in Trump plan to downsize federal footprint: Local and Trump officials are looking to work together to turn obsolete federal buildings into a new neighborhood in Southwest D.C.

How Trump could transform D.C. real estate, from downtown to design: The longtime real estate developer’s campaign pledges and early actions as president portend changes to the District’s physical landscape.

D.C. Council is set to expel Trayon White. Some say that’s an overreach.: As the council appears set to expel White, lawmakers face questions from constituents about acting before his case has been adjudicated, and potentially overriding the will of voters. - "The council was on the verge of removing Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) during a 2019 ethics scandal, but he resigned before the vote. White himself was on the council committee that voted unanimously to recommend expulsion, even though Evans was never charged with a crime."

Ex-Federal Reserve adviser indicted on charge of economic espionage: John H. Rogers is accused of leaking inside information, briefing books from the Fed to two Chinese co-conspirators.

With tariffs and threats, Trump turns on America’s closest allies: Critics warn his posture could embolden China to expand ties to Latin American countries, and Russia to continue advances in Ukraine. - "'We — Americans — do not want to now join [Russian President Vladimir] Putin in trying to pull apart a sovereign country,' Michael McFaul, an ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama, wrote on Substack. 'Not only would that embolden Putin’s claim in eastern Ukraine … but greenlight [Chinese President Xi Jinping]’s seizing of Taiwan. If we think we need Greenland for national security, Xi can easily argue that he needs Taiwan.' 

"One senior European security official warned that an aggressive approach from Washington could easily backfire. 

"If the United States 'is not going to help Europe with Russia, Europe will not be able to help the U.S. with China,' the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to speak frankly about frustrations with Washington. 'Better work together.'"

Democrats are in trouble, and a provocative analysis offers ideas to repair the party: A tough new assessment says the Democratic Party needs to reassess the loss of support among groups of voters it has long taken for granted.

In a first, scientists find microplastics are building up deep in our brains: A new study shows that microplastics have crossed the blood-brain barrier -- and that their numbers are rising. - "In one study from Ross and other University of Rhode Island researchers, mice were given water laced with tiny polystyrene particles, the same type of plastic that is used in plastic foam and yogurt containers. After just three weeks of exposure, the mice demonstrated cognitive changes — including changes in the brain consistent with early markers of Alzheimer’s."

You could be spreading ‘forever chemicals’ on your garden. Here’s how to protect yourself.: What does the new EPA warning about PFAS-laden sludge in fertilizer mean for home gardeners? Here’s what you need to know.

Thinking Under Fascism: (Feels Like Hearing Under Water)

Extra Extra! Genocide!: The making of the New York War Crimes

Trump threatens to cut U.S. aid to South Africa over land law: Trump’s comments waded into a sensitive racial issue and deepened already sharp divisions between the United States and South Africa. - "Since 1994, the government has sought to redistribute land based on a voluntary 'willing-seller, willing-buyer' system and by paying compensation.

...

"South Africa’s agricultural sector has more than doubled in value and volume since the end of apartheid in 1994, exporting now half of what it produces, he said — not the case in neighboring Zimbabwe, where large-scale land seizures devastated the economy, causing the migration of millions of citizens."

We’re Russian. We know what happens when Big Tech coddles dictators.: Tech companies are complying with dictators’ laws, compromising human rights and freedom of speech.

The Logic of Destruction: And how to resist it

Criminal records of Jan. 6 rioters pardoned by Trump include rape, domestic violence