Reading archive 2025-06-03

The Rise of the Shallow State On the loss of state capacity and institutional memory in the federal government. - "This destruction of knowledge will obviously have serious long-term effects on U.S. state capacity — but in many cases the private sector will also be hit hard. That is because the provision of public goods often incentivizes the provision of private goods — which means the elimination of public goods puts a crimp in the ability of some markets to function. For example, the elimination of NOAA positions will make insurance more difficult to issue."

Records of dead people show how the pro-Trump spin machine keeps going: Supporters cite a prosaic DOGE announcement as evidence that a Social Security problem that never existed has been fixed.

Black Democrats fume over 2024 while ‘searching for a leader’ in 2028: Frustration over the loss to President Donald Trump came into sharp focus this past weekend in South Carolina, an early nominating state and power center for Black leaders.

What’s the best way to store strawberries? We tested popular methods.: Here’s how to store fresh strawberries to keep them plump, juicy and mold-free for as long as possible.

We are witnessing the suicide of a superpower: The president’s assault on science dangerously undermines America’s superpower status.

Infamous D.C. intersection with a Wendy’s in the middle is now a plaza: “Dave Thomas Circle,” a source of frustration and confusion for decades, has been remade into a park space with more efficient traffic lanes. It is now named after Negro leagues pitcher Mamie “Peanut” Johnson.

‘I want my child back’: Surge in D.C. shootings left 20 dead in May: A spike in violence pushed the city’s year-to-date homicide count to 69 as of May 31, nearly equaling the total for the same five-month period in 2024.

We finally may be able to rid the world of mosquitoes. But should we?: Gene editing holds the potential of suppressing mosquito species that carry deadly diseases — and raises ethical questions.

Where smoke from Canadian wildfires has spread into the U.S.: Smoke ended up as far south as the coastal Southeast U.S. over the weekend.