Reading archive 2025-11-06

The Florida law student who wrote a paper with white nationalist views has Jewish ancestry Preston Damsky, who has spouted antisemitic rhetoric on social media, said his family lineage doesn't have an impact on his thinking.

Neil Gorsuch Warns of President’s Growing Power in Supreme Court Hearing

Heritage staff in open revolt over leader’s defense of Tucker Carlson: The departures and condemnations built on brewing frustrations with Kevin Roberts’s handling of Project 2025 and internal sexism allegations.

After election wins, Democrats split on how to end government shutdown: A band of moderates has been talking about reopening the government in exchange for a vote on health care subsidies.

Nancy Mace really wants to explain what happened to her at the airport: How and why the congresswoman tailored her dispute for social media audiences. - "Compare any of this, please, with the other airport-related video that made rounds this week: plainclothes officers at the Salt Lake City airport dragging away a woman sobbing 'Help me!' and 'I have my papers!' as she is pulled out of screen view. Author Shannon Hale, who happened to be at the airport that day, witnessed the scene and posted it on her social media pages. While some oblivious passengers hurry to their own gates — truly, this clip is a lesson in what kinds of misery humans can learn to tune out and live among — one woman’s voice can be heard begging: 'She’s a human being,' and 'Have mercy on her.'"

Jury finds D.C. ‘sandwich guy’ not guilty of assaulting officer: Sean C. Dunn admitted he flung the hoagie at a federal agent. His attorneys called it a “harmless gesture” of protest as Trump commandeered D.C. police.

Layoffs rise to recession-like levels through October, new report says: Employers have announced 1.1 million job cuts so far this year, the highest reading since the pandemic, a private firm reports.

The great GOP migration has begun: The midterms promise a reality check — and growing defections from disastrous MAGA orthodoxy.

Why do only some leaves turn red in the fall? Scientists can't agree on an answer - "Every autumn, trees break down the green chlorophyll in their leaves, so that they can recover precious nitrogen before the leaves fall. (That nitrogen is necessary for photosynthesis, as well as building proteins and DNA.) The loss of this chlorophyll exposes yellow pigments that have been there in the leaves all along. That makes yellow leaves easy to explain. 

"But the red color is different. It comes from brand-new chemicals that are generated just days before a leaf plunges to the ground.

"'The red was not there beforehand, or you would have seen it, because the leaf would have been purple. Because green plus red equals purple,' says Hughes."