Reading archive 2026-03-23

A massive border wall expansion is underway The sun sets over the Rio Grande at Big Bend Ranch State Park in Terlingua, Texas, on March 3.: The aggressive pace of expansion has alarmed advocates who say the construction will destroy pristine country, threaten endangered species, and cut off access to sacred Indigenous and archaeological sites. - "The Department of Homeland Security has issued waivers under the 2005 REAL ID Act, allowing the department to disregard the wall’s impact on plants and animals normally protected by the Endangered Species Act. The project is exempted from the National Environmental Policy Act — a sweeping law that mandates an extensive review of a federal action’s potential impacts and public consultation that can take years."

Trump administration lifts sanctions on millions of barrels of Iranian oil: As oil prices soar, the Treasury Department has lifted sanctions on Iranian crude already loaded onto vessels — giving Iran’s war effort against the U.S. a boost.

To tilt Hungarian election, Russians proposed staging assassination attempt: To aid Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a friend of Russia, in his election, operatives proposed “the Gamechanger” — a staged assassination attempt to stir supporters.

Congress could be headed for a tipping point, irreversible decline: After nearly two decades covering Capitol Hill, a reflection on how bad things are.

Trucks and tractors reflect a bubbling frustration in rural America: The right-to-repair movement is a bellwether. Which party will recognize the stakes?

Republicans privately fear this swing state Democrat: Behind closed doors, Republicans have tamped down their hopes of unseating Jon Ossoff, a 39-year-old powerhouse fundraiser, as he seeks another term.

Bike lanes that greatly reduced crashes on National Mall set for removal: After the 15th Street bike lanes were constructed, bicycle injury crashes decreased by 91 percent, according to the District Department of Transportation.

As mayoral election looms, D.C.’s business class worries about what’s next: A potential leftward shift in the wake of the pandemic and the Trump administration’s cutting of thousands of federal jobs has sparked unease in the city’s business community.

D.C.’s mayoral race turned negative. Soaring utility bills lit the fuse.: Soaring gas and electricity bills are increasing scrutiny of Democratic mayoral front-runners Janeese Lewis George and Kenyan R. McDuffie.

Reading archive 2026-03-19

Trump Is Learning That His Bullying Has Consequences: Allies are not eager to assist a superpower that’s shown them no loyalty. - "In the past, Denmark and other European countries that viewed good relations with Washington as the foundation of their security would have been more willing to assist 'even if they weren't on board with the military mission per se,' Søndergaard said. "It's pretty clear this is not the case anymore." Proof of that came last night, when Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, gave a forthright answer to a question in a televised debate about whether she could still call the United States her country's most important ally. 'No, I can't do that anymore,' she said, instead pointing to Europe, especially other Nordic countries, as well as Canada.

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"Germany's position reflects a pragmatic response to a pattern of U.S. behavior. Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the foreign-affairs committee in the German Parliament, ticked through the blows with me: downgrading Europe's importance in annual national-security and defense strategies, dialing back support for Ukraine, and delivering a boost to the Kremlin's war economy by lifting some sanctions on Russian oil. All of this, naturally, has repercussions. "It strains the transatlantic relationship," Kiesewetter told me today. 'We do not see Trump as a trustworthy ally anymore.'"

A Possible Upside to the Iran War: Perhaps inadvertently, Trump is revealing the limits of China’s Axis of Autocracy. - "Villa suggests that China's leaders could burnish the country's reputation in Latin America by fighting U.S. hard power with soft power, expanding aid and investment in the region. Yet this looks unlikely. Although China is a major trading partner for Latin American countries, Beijing's generosity can be limited. Villa estimates that even after the Trump administration's cuts to USAID's budget, Beijing's international aid amounted to only 5 percent of what Washington handed out around the world last year. 'There's no indication that China will close that gap,' he told me."

Glimpsing Victory in Iran: The campaign has already delivered major wins for American national security, but something much bigger is starting to come into view.

Everyone but Trump Understands What He’s Done: Allied leaders know that any positive gesture they make will count for nothing. - "Specifically, they remember that for 14 months, the American president has tariffed them, mocked their security concerns, and repeatedly insulted them. As long ago as January 2020, Trump told several European officials that ;if Europe is under attack, we will never come to help you and to support you.; In February 2025, he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he had no right to expect support either, because ;you don't have any cards.; Trump ridiculed Canada as the ;51st state; and referred to both the present and previous Canadian prime ministers as ;governor.; He claimed, incorrectly, that allied troops in Afghanistan ;stayed a little back, a little off the front lines,; causing huge offense to the families of soldiers who died fighting after NATO invoked Article 5 of the organization's treaty, on behalf of the United States, the only time it has done so. He called the British ;our once-great ally,; after they refused to participate in the initial assault on Iran; when they discussed sending some aircraft carriers to the Persian Gulf conflict earlier this month, he ridiculed the idea on social media: 'We don't need people that join Wars after we've already won!'"

The Iran War’s Next Threat Is to Food and Water: A prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could unleash a humanitarian crisis.

This app is quietly reformulating America’s food supply: Food scanning app Yuka is empowering consumers to demand that processed food brands make their products healthier. - "Dariush Mozaffarian, a Tufts University cardiologist and director of its Food Is Medicine Institute, faults Nutri-Score as relying on 'outdated science,' such as penalizing some healthy fats, while lacking evidence it leads individuals to eat meaningfully better over time. 'It’s not terrible,' he said, “but I don’t think it’s great." (Mozaffarian has helped develop his own nutritional index called the Food Compass). 

"Other food experts say Yuka unhelpfully demonizes additives that can be dangerous at high doses but are usually present in tiny amounts. Some may not be 'high-risk' at all: Yuka puts MSG in that category, despite scientific bodies from the FDA to WHO declaring them safe in typical amounts after multiple randomized controlled studies."

Trump has choked off Cuba’s oil supply. China is stepping in with solar.: Chinese-backed solar parks could be supplying as much as 10 percent of Cuba’s electricity, researchers say.

Economic fallout from U.S.-led war is hitting the rest of the world harder: Because of greater exposure to disruptions in the Middle East, such as high natural gas prices, businesses and consumers outside the U.S. are being hit harder by the war in Iran.

Britain is ready to admit it has an America problem: Washington’s unquestioned leadership of the West’s postwar alliance system is dissolving. - "Despite Britain’s conventional ammo stocks having whittled down to the point it could barely sustain a week of high intensity warfare with Russia, London was willing to put its specialist skills and weaponry behind Ukraine while Washington dithered. This included airlifting NLAW anti-tank weapons to Kyiv and telling Britain’s long-standing in-country training mission to stay put as other Westerners withdrew theirs. By the time I arrived in Kyiv, the United Kingdom had spent two years not following but pushing the United States, all while being much more present on the ground.

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"The truth is it is not Britain, with its rocky politics and strained public finances, that is seriously rearming. It’s Germany. With Berlin aiming to hit 3.5 percent of GDP on defense by 2029, the balance of power in Europe is going to shift radically. A Europe still allied to Washington but primarily defended by Europeans is in sight. But neither Britain nor France are ready for their German partner suddenly overshadowing them militarily. Unless the U.K. raises its defense budget to generate more deployable assets to secure Europe’s perimeter, London’s return to relevance risks being a passing moment in between two Western security orders."

This Emirati billionaire put a voice to Gulf anger over Trump’s war in Iran: In a post on X, the hotel magnate lambasted the president for not considering collateral damage, although he later told The Post: “I blame Trump, but I blame the Iranians more.”

The nation’s accelerating self-assassination: The national debt is heading for $40 trillion. Blame “Total Boomer Luxury Communism.” - "The fastest-growing age cohort is people 65 and older. They are high-propensity voters because the more government subsidizes them, the higher are the stakes of politics for them. And because of their powerful incentive to vote (in order to defend and enlarge their benefits), the political class has a permanent incentive to intensify the elderly’s incentive by enriching those benefits. Last year, the president’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act increased the standard tax deduction for seniors — and only for them.

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Thomas Jefferson said spending money to be repaid by posterity is 'swindling futurity on a large scale.' There is, however, no injustice in borrowing from the future to fund public goods — those from which all citizens, present and future, will benefit. Such goods — physical (roads, dams, harbors, defense) and intellectual (education, scientific research) — are the infrastructure enabling society’s dynamism. The swindle that has become normal is perpetrated by generations in power funding their consumption of government goods by burdening — borrowing from — future generations."

‘Trump is aiming for dictatorship’. That’s the verdict of the world’s most credible democracy watchdog: Sweden’s V-Dem Institute warns that the US is no longer a liberal democracy. And autocracy is creeping across Europe too - "Another aspect of America’s rapidly deteriorating democracy, according to the report, is the removal of internal guardrails that protect the federal government from abuse of power. When I ask Lindberg how we should read the findings, his response is emphatic. 'Trump has fired inspector generals and higher levels of civil servants across departments, and replaced them with loyalists. This is exactly what Orbán and Erdoğan did. They remove the constraints on power. It should be obvious by now that Trump is aiming for dictatorship.'"

None of These People I Insulted Want To Die For Me in The Strait of Hormuz?: The Trump people, on top of everything else, do not know ball. PLUS: U.S. military AI usage killed an Iraqi student in 2024 - "Thirty years ago, while basking in the dawn of U.S. hyperpower, imperial policymakers liked to say that 'superpowers don't do windows'—that is, the unglamorous, menial tasks of hegemony, which ought to be performed by client states. We are a long way from that now. The Iraq War (and then the Afghanistan surge) showed that even at the height of U.S. unipolarity, there were serious political limits to the participation of partner militaries in unpopular American wars of choice. Now, at the historical end of U.S. unipolarity, there simply was never going to be any appetite to save the Americans from their own mistakes.

That reticence would confront any administration reckless enough to engage in an unprovoked aggression against what remains a formidable regional power. But this is the Trump administration we're talking about. Last year, the Trump administration levied massive tariffs on its traditional allies, basically as imperial tribute. Not two months ago, Trump threatened Europe over Greenland, and in doing so clarified his position that Europeans ought to be vassals of the United States. Marco Rubio—this time to European applause—placed Europe within a claimed American sphere of influence. Some of those European countries at first issued statements of support for the U.S. against Iran, particularly when the Iranians held the Gulf at risk, despite Mark Carney's fire at Davos about exiting the U.S. security umbrella. But the last thing insulted states are going to do is send their own navies into the line of fire on behalf of a contemptuous and aggressive patron. This is real basic shit."

Walgreens robberies rattled D.C.’s Chinatown. The ringleader is going to prison.: Gianni Robinson, who prosecutors say orchestrated an inside job of seven robberies at the iconic drugstore location starting in 2023, was sentenced to 10½ years.

House panel gives green light to bill to eliminate DC traffic cameras

Six Federal Scientists Run Out by Trump Talk About the Work Left Undone: “There’s been a fundamental destruction,” one researcher said. It’s going to “take a very, very long time to rebuild.”

Men can get out of the manosphere. Here’s what former incels say about why they left

After the Iran war, the global economy will never be the same: The fighting may end, but the inflationary and investment effects across the region will not.

A prolonged war in Iran could hand China the commodity it prizes most: But a short, decisive campaign could cause Beijing to think twice about taking Taiwan.

Reading archive 2026-03-17

He killed a D.C. police officer. He’s asking to get out of prison early.: U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro says a D.C. law that could allow his early release “spits on the face of every grieving family.” - "Now, the family is facing the possibility that Marthell N. Dean will be allowed to walk free under a controversial D.C. law that allows convicts who committed their crimes while under the age of 24 to obtain an early release or reduced sentence if they’ve already spent 15 years behind bars.

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"Last year, Pirro urged the D.C. Council to repeal the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act, asserting it coddled young criminals. She said in the interview that 4 of every 10 killers in the District are under the age of 25, and that the law 'essentially created a 15-year maximum penalty for 40 percent of the murderers in Washington, D.C.'"

Disney crackdown hits princess makeovers, cupcakes and photo shoots: Vendors say they made magic for resort guests. Mickey told them to stay away.

Trump divulges congressman’s terminal illness, says doctors said he could be ‘dead by June’: Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Florida), who is not seeking reelection, had not previously publicly disclosed that he is battling a terminal illness.

Is MAGA in its cringe era?: Trump 2.0 was supposed to be younger and cooler than what came before. The vibes have shifted.

U.S. intelligence says Iran’s regime is consolidating power: Despite withering airstrikes, officials see a weakened but more hard-line government in Tehran, backed by the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps security forces.

Mezcal’s popularity is booming in the US. That comes with a growing environmental cost in Mexico - "In two major mezcal-producing areas of Oaxaca, more than 34,953 hectares (86,370 acres) of tropical dry and pine oak forests have been lost in 27 years to make room for agave, an area roughly equivalent to the size of the U.S. city of Detroit, according to a study led by Rufino Sandoval-García, a professor at the Technological University of the Central Valley of Oaxaca.

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"For Velasco, the problem is not the entry of large brands, which he says have done more than the government to support marginalized areas like his, but the lack of public incentives for farmers to safeguard environments by planting native trees or maintaining traditional farming systems."

Iran war should trigger faster exit from fossil fuel dependence, UN climate chief says

An expert says his plan would slash energy bills by 30 percent: Electricity costs are closely regulated by states. Regulators could try to rein in companies’ profits to reduce customers’ bills. - "Spending by utility companies has been rising, as companies replace aging infrastructure and confront climate change hazards. 'Utilities make money when they spend money …. They generally like to spend money on new infrastructure,' said Charles Hua, founder of the group PowerLines. 'They earn a return on capital expenditures. So they are fundamentally incentivized to spend capital … and not to prioritize efficiency.'"

First senior official openly breaks with White House, resigns over war: Joe Kent, a close aide to the director of national intelligence, cited deliberate Israeli “misinformation” and lies to President Donald Trump about a “swift path to victory.” - "Members of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s staff were getting briefed on options for a strike on Iran as early as January 2025 in what one of the people described as an extreme 'pressure campaign' by Israel. Israeli officials argued that Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon and that Israel was going in with or without the U.S. — but that either way, the U.S. would need to be ready."

Israel urges Iranians to revolt but privately assesses they’ll be ‘slaughtered’: Israeli officials told U.S. counterparts they hope for an uprising even though it would lead to a massacre, according to a State Department cable reviewed by The Post. - "Iran has funded militias and political movements across the Middle East that are hostile to Israel, including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. Israel’s effort to push for an uprising in Iran regardless of the number of fatalities is consistent with its decades-long effort to cause the 'fragmentation of Iran' and 'state collapse,' said Bajoghli, the Iran expert. 

"'One of the ways of achieving that is creating more opportunities in which the guns of the state get turned onto the population,' she said. 'The goal is not creating a liberal democracy for the Iranian people. It’s widening the chasm between the society and the state.'"

Reading archive 2026-03-16

Ric Grenell took a ‘sledgehammer’ to the Kennedy Center. Trump still soured on him - "'He kept saying that he agreed to take on the Kennedy Center role because he was assuming that he would that he would be taking on the State job quite quickly, so he was just a matter of time,' a person close to the Kennedy Center said. 'He felt like he was getting sloppy seconds of the Kennedy Center.'" [ed. note: lol, lol]

I Was an F.B.I. Agent for 25 Years. Kash Patel Is Playing a Dangerous Game. - "Mr. Patel is fond of saying that his goal is to let 'good cops be cops.' In leading the F.B.I., his job is to let good special agents be special agents. F.B.I. agents are trained to use intelligence and technology to advance investigations into federal crimes such as terrorism and cyberattacks. They are not trained to patrol city streets or to enforce immigration laws — as Mr. Patel has had them do. There are about 13,000 F.B.I. agents, and roughly 700,000 full-time sworn state and local law enforcement officers in the United States. The bureau must work with law enforcement partners to effectively address issues including violent crime. But agents aren’t cops, and their skills are best directed at neutralizing the most significant threats.

I Predicted the 2008 Financial Crisis. What Is Coming May Be Worse.

Jobs least and most vulnerable to AI

Trump sold young voters on his vision. Many are having buyer’s remorse.: They were a key part of the coalition that powered the president’s comeback, and their frustrations signal vulnerability for Republicans ahead of the midterms.

The Iran war is eroding America’s China deterrent: U.S. tactical gains are consuming the ships, munitions and readiness needed for the Indo-Pacific.

I traveled to Ukraine to teach sociology. It left me amazed.: A university in Kyiv is under siege — and running more than 12 hours a day.

I’ve seen several types of warfare. This is the worst.: Drones are erasing any sense of safety, and Iran is only a warmup.

Collagen sits on a throne of lies: Or, how the supplement industry took meat garbage and turned it into a 9-billion-dollar business. - "The collagen pushers are always conveniently forgetting to mention that the collagen-protein relationship is kind of one-directional, in a positive way: While dietary collagen is a terrible source of protein, it’s relatively simple and easy to construct body collagen from most proteins, which means that virtually any protein we eat will probably help us regain or maintain body collagen. Just having a sufficient protein intake means your body will be able to make all the collagen it is able to. And per the protein digestibility factor, virtually any protein source, any semblance of a balanced diet, is going to help you do this better than consuming collagen itself."

Gamblers trying to win a bet on Polymarket are vowing to kill me if I don’t rewrite an Iran missile story: Bettors are using death threats to try to get The Times of Israel’s military correspondent to change his report on a missile impact in central Israel. This is his alarming account

“South Park Syndrome”: How a Generation Misunderstood Satire and the Death of Critical Thinking - "This is where 'South Park Syndrome' and Rogan’s brand of detached discussion intersect. When everything is framed as just a joke or just a conversation, it fosters an environment where nothing is really taken seriously. Dangerous ideas can spread under the guise of curiosity, and critical engagement gets replaced with passive consumption. The audience, much like many South Park fans, absorbs the humor and the debate but doesn’t always do the work of questioning what it all really means. The result? A culture of cynicism where skepticism gets mistaken for intelligence and where laughing at everything feels more comfortable than confronting hard truths."

College Republicans group disbanded after students allegedly give Nazi salute: The University of Florida’s chapter accused the Florida Federation of College Republicans of lying “to silence christian conservative groups on campus.”

Teenagers Are Pushing Himmler’s Favorite Myth: If you are older than 25, you probably haven’t heard of “Agartha.”

‘The More I’m Around Young People, the More Panicked: I Am’ Anti-Jewish prejudice isn’t a partisan divide—it’s a generational one.

Reading archive 2026-03-14

They came to build China’s EV future. Investigators found conditions akin to ‘slavery.’: The electric carmaker BYD was hailed as a job creator in a struggling Brazilian city. Then authorities started investigating an improbable tip.

Florida Is Trying to Ignore Measles Until It Can’t: The state is in the midst of an outbreak, but its health department has been mostly silent.

The Great American Condo Crisis: If the U.S. wants to remain a nation of homeowners, it has no choice but to start building condos again. - "Condos also encounter discriminatory treatment in the federal tax code. If an investor finances an apartment and retains ownership, she pays capital-gains taxes, which top out at 20 percent. But if she finances a condo and sells it off, she pays income taxes, which top out at 37 percent. "

Why Trump Didn’t Plan for the Strait of Hormuz: In wartime, the enemy always gets a vote.

D.C. officials say new Commanders stadium project remains on schedule as council raises questions about redevelopment promises: The RFK Stadium redevelopment in D.C. is on track, with stormwater work set for spring, but council members demand clarity on community benefits.

Reading archive 2026-03-13

AP Exclusive: Smithsonian museum will revamp its slavery exhibit after artifact loan runs out

Suspect in synagogue crash lost family in Israeli attack on Lebanon, official says: The FBI is investigating the Michigan attack as a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.”

Why China could emerge a winner from Trump’s global energy shock: China’s evolution into an “electrostate” may help insulate it from spiking oil prices.

Economy was shakier than it appeared heading into Iran conflict: Inflation remained elevated in January, and economic growth from October through December was sharply lower than initially reported.

Can Florida save Trump’s plan to keep GOP in power?: Republicans in Florida say they may not be able to deliver the type of redistricting bonanza that would give the party breathing room in the midterms.

He’s 27. She’s 54. Somehow ‘Age of Attraction’ thinks no one can tell.: The show’s gimmick: Nobody has any idea how old the others really are! However: They all look exactly the age they are.

‘Some parents said they’d break my knees’: the teacher who exposed Putin’s primary school propaganda

Palantir CEO Makes Shocking Confession on Disrupting Democratic Power: They’re saying the quiet part out loud now. - "'This technology disrupts humanities-trained—largely Democratic—voters, and makes their economic power less. And increases the economic power of vocationally trained, working-class, often male, working-class voters,' Karp said in a CNBC interview Thursday. 'And so these disruptions are gonna disrupt every aspect of our society. And to make this work, we have to come to an agreement of what it is we’re going to do with the technology; how are we gonna explain to people who are likely gonna have less good, and less interesting jobs.'"

Why right-wing media can’t stop Candace Owens: Erika Kirk’s defense of herself gets drowned out by “Bride of Charlie” documentary - "For decades, conservative media has thrived on a business model that monetizes outrage and distrust. The more outrageous the claim, the greater the engagement. The more distrust sowed toward institutions — universities, media, elections, public health, the FBI — the more loyal the audience becomes. In December, even as Owens was deep into Charlie Kirk assassination trutherism, Erika Kirk was urging TPUSA audiences to be tolerant of disagreeable views. By the time the right decided Owens had gone too far, she had already built a fully independent operation. The movement that once shielded Owens is now discovering that monsters raised on grievance do not recognize fences. The conservative movement no longer has credible gatekeepers. Right-wing media’s fragmentation means that condemnation from established outlets often strengthens, rather than weakens, insurgent figures like Owens.

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"For all its focus on Erika Kirk, “Bride of Charlie” is not really about her. Nor is it even really about Charlie Kirk. It is about an identity crisis on the American right —  what happens when a media movement decides that the thrill of the conspiracy, the pleasure of the accusation, the dopamine of the “truth bomb” matters more than the actual truth. Right-wing media cannot stop Candace Owens because they cannot renounce the incentives that made her powerful."

Trump administration allows for Russian oil sales as energy prices soar: The move is likely to be a boon to Russia as the United States tries to stem the economic fallout from its war on Iran. - "The move will provide a huge financial boost to Russia, which experts say has already been receiving about $150 million per day from increased oil sales since the U.S. attacked Iran two weeks ago."

Reading archive 2026-03-12

Ex-DOJ prosecutor who proclaimed ‘this job sucks’ will run for Congress: Julie T. Le made headlines during DHS’s surge in Minneapolis and will launch a campaign to challenge Rep. Ilhan Omar for her seat.

Young bankers are learning the hard way that Wall Street doesn't do influencers - "'The young generation wants to be seen differently at work today, I would say, than in the past,' he said. 'Times have changed. Values have changed.' But it's no excuse — financial institutions are explicit about their expectations and enforce 'very, very clear' regulations around social media use, Argenti said. Junior employees understand the culture they are entering."

What is wisdom, and can it be taught?: Scientists are trying to name the qualities that make someone wise and figure out how to cultivate them

Pittsburgh is pivoting. It could be a lesson for Democrats.: The new mayor is putting pragmatism over ideology as the city prepares to host the NFL draft.

How Neighborly Do Home Additions Have to Be?: As municipalities encourage more housing density, neighbors debate what kind of construction should be allowed.

Iran’s Islamic Republic 2.0 is coming — and it won’t be pretty: How Trump’s tactical victory could turn into a forever war. - "But the regime survives. It has taken America’s best punch, and it’s still standing. Tiers of senior military, intelligence and political leaders are dead, but they have been replaced by others. There’s no sign of a popular uprising. The cadres of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hide among piles of rubble, but they haven’t been eliminated."

Lebanon appeals to Israel’s allies to stop strikes as death toll rises: The Iran war is expanding into Lebanon, as the Israeli offensive to dismantle Hezbollah has displaced 800,000 people there, with more than 680 people killed.

The Obvious Is Taking Its Revenge on Trump: The reasons other U.S. presidents avoided war with Iran are becoming all too evident. - "Another daunting obstacle to victory is the nature of the Iranian regime, a theocracy that celebrates martyrdom and has spent its entire history preparing for what it considers an inevitable war with the United States. Every time protests fill public squares, I allow myself to believe that the terrible government in Tehran will crumble. But its willingness to kill to survive is the biggest obstacle to its toppling. And Trump intervened after the regime killed tens of thousands of its most determined foes. Calling for revolution after the revolution has been crushed is belated timing, to say the least. Perhaps the Trump administration will succeed in further weakening Iranian authoritarianism - the attacks will certainly set back the country's already struggling economy - so that after the bombs stop falling, regime opponents will rush into the streets. But, thus far, decapitating the regime has succeeded only in replacing one Ayatollah Khamenei with another. By all accounts, the son is no less fanatical than his father and believes with theological certainty that the most brutal means justify his righteous ends."

A Police Report About a House Candidate Surprised the White House: A woman’s allegations of rape against a Republican House candidate have put Trump in a bind.

Spain’s Wind-Farm Bargain: Renewable-energy projects can boost the economy of a rural town—if the community has a say in development.

A Never-Ending Conspiracy Theory in Remote Alaska: Why are some people convinced that nefarious experiments are happening at HAARP?

ROTC students at Old Dominion subdued and killed the shooter who killed 1 person, wounded 2: The FBI says ROTC students subdued and killed a gunman who yelled “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire Thursday in an Old Dominion University classroom, killing one and wounding two

Reading archive 2026-03-11

Ed Martin faces disciplinary proceedings over actions as D.C. U.S. attorney: The senior Justice Department official faces disciplinary proceedings over a letter he sent to Georgetown University’s law school about its DEI practices.

After Iran assault, Russians say U.S. can’t be trusted in Ukraine talks: As Washington focuses on its push to topple Iran’s government, delaying talks on Russia’s war in Ukraine, some in Moscow say the Kremlin must achieve its goals militarily.

Teacher’s aide pleads guilty to forcing autistic boy to eat hot sauce: “He deserved it,” she allegedly said. The case highlighted scrutiny of how the District’s schools treat students with disabilities. - "Imani K. Davis, 30, agreed Monday to plead guilty to misdemeanor assault in a deal that could leave her with a clean record. Under the agreement, a D.C. Superior Court judge could dismiss the charge if Davis stays out of trouble and completes community service before her July 22 sentencing hearing, court records show." [ed.. note: WHAT!?]

DC study suggests $10 congestion toll for downtown; Bowser, city administrator oppose plan: A 2021 study proposes charging drivers a $10 toll to enter parts of downtown Washington during peak traffic hours, but city leaders say they oppose the it.

Islamic schools excluded from Texas’s $1 billion voucher program: Advocates warn a similar effort is unfolding in Florida, threatening to shut out thousands of Muslims from benefiting from the national movement to allow public money to be spent on private schools.

Democrats ask what happened to millions earmarked for Trump’s library: ABC, Meta, Paramount and X reportedly agreed to pay at least $63 million in settlements with the president. The original fund was dissolved last year.

Pentagon bars press photographers over ‘unflattering’ Hegseth photos: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s staff took issue with images taken in a rare briefing last week and decided to shut out photographers from two subsequent news conferences.

The Federal Real Estate Maintenance Backlog Is Over $50 Billion: A new report showcases the US federal government’s efforts to climb out of a real estate hole decades in the making.

Inside the Plan to Demolish and Rebuild a Swath of Trump’s Washington

Reading archive 2026-03-10

Stay Classy

A veteran thought her son was enlisting in peacetime. Now the U.S. is at war.: A Texas mother is proud her child is following in her footsteps. But as President Donald Trump attacks Iran, she worries about what he could face as a soldier. - "'At least he’s joining up at peacetime,' she’d thought. But now American bombs were exploding across Iran, and the president she’d voted for was refusing to rule out troops on the ground, and a guest was stepping through her black double doors with a case of Mountain Dew."

Whistleblower claims ex-DOGE member says he took Social Security data to new job: The Social Security inspector general’s office is investigating allegations that the former DOGE engineer took sensitive data on a thumb drive in a major potential security breach, said people familiar with the process. - "'This is absolutely the worst-case scenario,' Borges told The Post. 'There could be one or a million copies of it, and we will never know now.'"

On the Bright Side: Blue Whales Spotted in New England Waters

How to ditch forever chemicals without getting cold and wet: The first people to climb Everest didn’t need outdoor gear made with “forever chemicals” to stay warm and dry. You don’t either.

There’s going to be an IndyCar race in downtown Washington. Here’s what we know.: Drivers are expected to zoom past downtown landmarks at speeds as high as 185 mph during the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Former D.C. police officer accused in multiple sexual assault cases: Police say Timothy Valentin, 30, met D.C.-area women on dating apps, then drugged and assaulted them.

Reading archive 2026-03-09

As D.C.’s mayor race heats up, stark contrasts emerge in the two front-runners: With a Democratic primary in June, Kenyan R. McDuffie and Janeese Lewis George remain the leading contenders in the race to succeed D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser.

Israeli officials are growing concerned: A bombing campaign nearing its military goals in Iran leaves the hardest questions unanswered. - "A second concern expressed by the Israeli official was maintaining good relations with the United States at a time when Americans in both political parties are voicing growing concern about the alliance. 'We won’t drag the U.S. into an endless war,' the official said. 'Israel is a reliable ally,' not a burden, he argued."

There are two winners in Iran. Neither one is America.: Oil disruption benefits Russia, as does less U.S. aid for Ukraine. And Iran distracts from China. - "While Trump has been bombing various countries, imposing tariffs, discouraging foreign students from coming to America and cutting research funding, China has been making massive investments designed to dominate the industries of the future. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute reports that China now leads the United States in research on 66 of 74 frontier technologies, including artificial intelligence, superconductors, quantum computing and optical communications. China is already manufacturing roughly 70 percent of the world’s electric vehicles, 80 percent of smartphones, 80 percent of lithium-ion batteries and 90 percent of drones. Last year, roughly half of all vehicles sold in China were EVs or hybrids. The comparable figure for the U.S. is 22 percent — and it is likely to decline after Congress repealed the EV tax credit."

D.C.’s most apolitical official is on the hot seat — with $180M on the line: The brewing conflict in D.C. government stems from a vote by Republicans in Congress to block a city tax policy and the revenue it raised.

Reasons you should get a colonoscopy earlier than recommended: The official recommendation is to start colorectal cancer screening at age 45, but should you go earlier if you’re concerned? An oncologist explains.

Gen Z Lives in the Archive: Is cultural time actually continuous? - "In Plato’s dialogue, 'Ion,' he describes how inspiration works: the first poet was inspired directly by the muse, like an iron filling attached to a lodestone. The subsequent generations of poets are like iron fillings attached to that first filling. The force of inspiration is still present, but it is exerted indirectly and weakens with every generation. Thus, the influence of the original impetus wanes until, presumably, we culturally reset and reconnect to the magnetic source directly. Gen Z finds itself in a state in which the fillings have all been scattered on the ground, perhaps experiencing some ambient attraction from the lodestone, but unable to really connect with it. 

"Can this state of affairs create vital popular music? It appears not. The results seem to be avant garde Adderall brain slurry—100 Gecs and nettspend and hyperpop—for a tiny, cultured minority. The masses just keep listening to Taylor Swift on repeat. And for those of you who want to object by saying, 'No, no, you have to hear my cousin’s noise rock project. It’s really going somewhere, doing something new,' I say, 'That’s exactly what I’m talking about.'"

After a decade of missteps, Corpus Christi careens toward water catastrophe: City officials expect to reach a “water emergency” within months and run out of water next year. That would halt jet fuel deliveries to Texas airports, hike gas prices and trigger a local economic disaster without precedent, former officials say. - "The region’s largest industrial users, which collectively consume the majority of the region’s water, remain exempt from emergency curtailment. These multi-billion-dollar refineries, petrochemical plants and liquified natural gas facilities are built to run at a steady rate and can’t simply throttle down production in accordance with water availability. They consume large volumes of water primarily in cooling towers to prevent excessive heating and explosions.

...

"'It’s a surprise to me that none of those refineries and industries down there have their own desal plants,' said [former assistant energy secretary with the Obama administration Charles] McConnell, who worked 31 years for the chemical manufacturer Praxair in Houston. 'They’re using municipal water, for Christ’s sake!'

...

"A facility of that scale, he knew, would require railcars full of pretreatment chemicals, create a mountain of sludge waste every day and consume a tremendous amount of electricity. But he didn’t see serious plans for any of that, he said. 

"He dug deeper into the desalination boom and quickly saw what was going on: Politicians and businessmen had oversold their water supply, he said, and were scrambling for more as shortages approached. But none of them had any idea what they were doing, Serna remembered thinking as he reviewed the applications. 

"'I’ve been trying since 2020 to let them know how catastrophic this is going to be,' he said in an interview at his home. 'They’ve acted with a profound ignorance.'"

Losing the War on Truth: Iran and what to make of it

‘Nazi heaven’: Inside Miami campus Republicans’ racist group chat - "The conversations included some of the campus’ top conservative leaders: the county GOP secretary, FIU’s Turning Point USA chapter president and the former College Republicans recruitment chair."

Reading archive 2026-03-08

Texas primaries raise GOP alarm about Latino voters: Strong Democratic turnout last week in heavily Latino parts of Texas has some Republicans fearing they will struggle to maintain the coalition Trump built in 2024.

The dumbest way to lower beef prices: Breaking up meatpacking companies would make steak even more expensive. - "The biggest driver of rising prices is that the U.S. has its smallest herd of cattle in 75 years while demand for red meat continues to rise. Importing more beef from other countries would help lower prices for consumers, but politically influential ranchers don’t want that."

Trump team bashed Europe for a year. Now he wants support in war on Iran.: European leaders are ramping up their response to the crisis spreading outside Iran but remain wary of a conflict that could have untold ramifications.

Reading archive 2026-03-07

The Gulf Countries Can’t Take Much More: Iran is exposing their vulnerabilities.

Something New Is Happening in Lebanon: For the first time, the country’s government is directly confronting a weakened Hezbollah.

America’s and Israel’s Goals Are Already Colliding: Trump and Netanyahu seem to have very different ideas about how the war should end.

‘We Need to Do McCarthyism to the Tenth Power’: Conservative influencers are pushing for a return to the dark days of 1950s inquisitions. - "Some of the tactics that the McCarthy revivalists propose are more aggressive than anything McCarthy pursued. 'McCarthy, for all of his obvious flaws, was still predicated on the use of the judicial system,' David Austin Walsh, a historian at the University of Virginia, told me. Should this new McCarthyism veer into proposing or doing anything violent, Walsh added, it 'isn't even really McCarthyism anymore-it's just fascism.'"

Reading archive 2026-03-06

America Cannot Withstand the Economic Shock That’s Coming - "This can start with tearing down the wall between the business and education communities. I saw this firsthand as secretary of commerce when implementing the CHIPS Act, which put billions of dollars toward semiconductor development and production. Working intensively with TSMC, the Taiwanese chipmaker, my team learned new chip plants were stymied by talent gaps in tool maintenance, electrical engineering and pipe fitting. TSMC used these findings to lobby states, employers and schools like Maricopa Community College to build accelerated certificate programs to train people to fill these specific talent gaps."

Russia is providing Iran intelligence to target U.S. forces, officials say: The targeting information has included the locations of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East, the officials said.

The U.S. labor market lost 92,000 jobs in February in warning sign for economy: With the unexpected setback, the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4 percent, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Trump administration wants to streamline federal worker layoffs: The union for federal workers has argued the proposed changes would remove protections that are in place to prevent “politically motivated layoffs.” - "The administration has also proposed transferring responsibility for reviewing federal employee appeals of proposed layoffs. The rule would move that job from an independent panel that reviews challenges, called the Merit Systems Protection Board, to OPM, giving the administration more control over the appeals process. 

"OPM said the change would speed up the process after MSPB has seen a growing backlog in cases. The backlog grew last year after the board lost its quorum when President Donald Trump fired its Democratic members."

Kenyan McDuffie seeks to ramp up D.C. mayoral campaign amid early jitters from supporters

U.S. Capabilities Are Showing Signs of Rot: When a military force begins to decline, the first symptoms may be subtle. - "The U.S. military's supremacy over foreign rivals is built on intensive training and the manipulation of advanced technology. By contrast, Hegseth has been stressing lethality and a warrior ethos instead of learning and reflection, to the point of blocking U.S. military personnel from taking courses at the most elite American universities. Yet the events of the past week underscore how shows of force alone may not defeat even militarily inferior enemies. 

"In Bahrain, a lone Iranian drone penetrated the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which oversees 2.5 million square miles of the world's oceans. The incoming weapon destroyed an AN/TPS-59 radar unit intended to provide 360-degree air surveillance for U.S. forces. In a moment, Iranian equipment that cost perhaps $30,000 devastated a piece of U.S. military hardware estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars."

Things Are About to Get Ugly in Texas: A runoff, resentments, and the question of whether a Democrat can win statewide

10 severely malnourished dogs rescued from Southeast DC apartment: The Humane Rescue Alliance said they were found in "various stages of starvation, physical injury, and neglect."

Tesla’s Secret Weapon Is a Giant Metal Box: Elon Musk’s car company is quietly poised to power the AI boom.

Reading archive 2026-03-05

DC CFO defying Trump administration on local tax code: Glen Lee is relying on an opinion by D.C.’s attorney general that the congressional action was not specifically retroactive to the 2025 tax year and therefore isn’t valid.

Plans for an ICE detention center spark anger in a deep-red Maryland county: The conversion of an enormous warehouse in Washington County to a detainment facility has worried and angered some residents.

Iran's armed Kurdish groups a potential ground force against Tehran: Factions regarded as most organised part of country's otherwise fragmented opposition - "'We have to be realistic, the Kurds have demands as well,' he said. 'They require guarantees because we just witnessed what the Kurds went through in Syria, and they do not want to be betrayed by the West again.'

...

Iran analyst Karim Sadjadpour said arming Kurdish factions could weaken broader opposition efforts. 'The greatest countervailing force against the Islamic Republic is pluralistic Iranian nationalism,' he told CNN. 'Reports that the US may fund or arm Kurdish factions inside Iran will alarm many Iranians and undermine the regime’s opposition.'"

The Terrifying Tentacles of Paramount’s Media Empire: The Ellisons are building a multicorporate network of data mining, surveillance, news, and entertainment. What could possibly go wrong?

Reading archive 2026-03-4

In Dallas County, frustration and confusion after GOP forces switch to precinct-based voting: Countywide vote centers weren’t used for election day. The ensuing disorder spurred an unresolved legal battle.

Abolition Vs. Empire, At Home As It Is Abroad: A new essay of mine for The Nation. It predicted the Iran War. I had to rewrite a bunch of it over the weekend. Stay for the part about abolishing JSOC

“Bombs will fall Everywhere”: The American, Israeli and Iranian Weapons Being Deployed in Middle East

Senator mocked ‘green energy crap.’ His house runs on it.: Montana Republican Tim Sheehy voted to scrap solar tax credits after installing panels and battery storage at his Bozeman home.

Why MAGA suddenly loves solar power: The Trump-led attack on solar eases as the right reckons with its crucial role in powering AI and keeping utility bills in check.

Targeting this $2.8 trillion tax shelter could solve a big U.S. problem: Only good can come from taxing these “nonprofits.” - "Reform could take several paths. The simplest: exempt only charitable donations and government grants from taxation, while taxing all commercial revenue — TV deals, insurance payments, ticket sales, royalties and sponsorship income — at standard corporate rates. The infrastructure exists; nonprofits must already categorize these revenue streams on their tax returns."

Putin is failing. These charts prove it.: Data from the battlefield show Ukraine is holding its own.

Top defense officials push back on concerns about U.S. munitions shortage: The U.S. campaign in Iran has already expended thousands of high-cost air defense missiles and other sophisticated munitions, just days into the conflict.

Capitol rioter arrested for assault, battery on Silver Line Metro train: Bryan Betancur spent four months in prison for his role on Jan. 6, 2021. He was later taken back to jail for stalking a D.C. activist.

Pete Buttigieg in the Wilderness: He has a beard, a splitting maul, and a house in Michigan. Is that enough to convince America that he’s a man of the people?

‘Elaine From Atlantic … She Needs to Leave’: Representative Jasmine Crockett claimed I wasn’t kicked out of her rally. Here’s the audio.

Elon Musk Moves Against the Russians in Ukraine: Russian forces falter as the world’s richest man intervenes in the war once again.

Reading archive 2026-02-27

What Is Palantir? An FAQ.: The Peter Thiel–founded, ‘Lord of the Rings’–inspired company has a massive government presence and is seemingly always at the center of controversy. So, uh … why does hardly anyone know what it does? - "Born in Germany and raised partly in South Africa, Thiel was one of Trump’s earliest boosters in Silicon Valley and has been one of Silicon Valley’s biggest Republican donors. Politically, Thiel is often described as a libertarian, which is an interesting conclusion to draw about a guy whose work has consistently had the effect of enhancing state power and who once famously said, 'I no longer believe freedom and democracy are compatible.' There’s a sort of übermensch libertarianism that you often encounter in narcissists who see themselves as Ayn Rand protagonists; full of elevated ideas about their own grand destinies, they believe they themselves should live in unconstrained freedom, but they don’t really care if their housekeepers do. (Generally, they seem pretty happy with any hierarchy that places other people beneath them, which is not how libertarianism is supposed to work.) Maybe Thiel is that sort of libertarian? I wouldn’t know."

Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency: Activists who say they are in coordination with the White House are circulating a draft executive order that would unlock extraordinary presidential power over voting.

What Your DNA Reveals About the Sex Life of Neanderthals: Most people alive today carry fragments of Neanderthal DNA in their genome. Now scientists are gaining a more intimate understanding of the ancient encounters that put it there.

We’re about to turn night into day. Is that a good idea? - "If Reflect Orbital succeeds — a big 'if' for a company that has yet to launch a single satellite — it would by definition increase light pollution when it illuminates areas that have been in the dark. But Nowack said he can light cities with 'less total photons spilling into the environment than streetlights, with the same illumination level on the ground.' As for its effects on birds and other creatures, he said, 'we’re going to be doing these studies with the first satellites.'" [ed. note: lol that's bullshit]

Families frustrated with airline seating: ‘A 2-year-old should sit with their parents’: Should parents have to pay extra to guarantee an adjacent seat for their toddler?

As MAGA embraces Erika Kirk, Candace Owens goes on the attack: The right-wing influencer launched a video series about Charlie Kirk’s widow that is provoking outrage among conservatives — and raising Owens’s profile.

The hypothetical nuclear attack that escalated the Pentagon’s showdown with Anthropic: Start-up Anthropic and the U.S. military are careening toward a clash over government use of artificial intelligence — and whether it should be allowed to kill.

Why I Got Thrown Out of a Jasmine Crockett Rally: The crowd was fired up. The candidate was on her game. And I was escorted out by armed guards. - "'Are you Elaine?" she asked. I recognized her from the entrance of the event, where I had identified myself as she'd waved me into the building's press area. Yes, I answered. 'Her team has asked you to leave,' she said. When I asked why, the staffer looked at her phone and read dutifully: 'They just said, 'Elaine from Atlantic, white girl with a hat and notepad. She's interviewing people in the crowd. She's a top-notch hater and will spin. She needs to leave.''"

Trump’s Favorite Voter-ID Bill Would Probably Backfire: Congressional Republicans are trying to pass a strict “election integrity” law that seems almost custom-designed to disenfranchise their own supporters. - "Trump beat Kamala Harris among voters who didn't regularly participate in elections. In the low-turnout, off-cycle elections that have happened since then, Democrats have overperformed dramatically, suggesting that their advantage with the most educated, plugged-in voters remains strong. In other words, the politics of voter ID have not caught up to its new partisan implications. Making voting more difficult would most likely hurt Republicans' chances, yet they're pushing hard to make that happen; meanwhile, Democrats, who insist that Trump and a MAGA Congress are existential threats to American democracy, refuse on principle to help Republicans sabotage themselves.

...

"The Democratic analyst David Shor has found that Democrats dominated in 2024 with voters whose political identity was very important to them. If every eligible voter had voted, Shor concluded, Trump would have won by five points instead of one and a half."

Reading archive 2026-02-25

A professor challenged the Smithsonian. Security shut the gallery.: As President Donald Trump seeks to reshape its museums and other cultural institutions, wall text has become a battleground and documentation a form of resistance.

Don’t save Social Security: Trying to fix the retirement program is infeasible. Better to find new ways of achieving its goals. - "As two experts on the program recently wrote, Social Security sends only 7 percent of its benefits to the poorest 20 percent of senior citizens. The richest 20 percent receive 29 percent.

"The rationale for the disparity is that there should be some connection between how much a worker puts in and how much he takes out. But that link is pretty loose, and nearly all current retirees receive more than they paid. A middle-class worker who retires in the next decade will, on average, receive 47 percent more than the sum of what the person paid in taxes and the interest on that money. The skewed benefit structure means that even though Social Security paid out $1.6 trillion last year, around 6 percent of seniors still live in poverty.

"To get a sense of how perverse that is, consider another recent finding of the CBO: If everyone older than 65 were given a flat annual benefit worth 150 percent of the poverty line — that would be about $32,500 for a couple this year — the program would no longer be insolvent and senior poverty would be abolished."

Electric buses are passing a brutal cold-weather test in Wisconsin: Madison is proving that electric buses can run through frightfully cold winters, providing a blueprint for zero-emissions transit in other frigid locales.

Ukraine: Still Standing: Years after Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s endurance is the story

‘I Genuinely Am Upset That Your Kids Are Vaccinated’: Del Bigtree, a longtime ally of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., isn’t just anti-vaccine. He’s pro-infection.

Why covid-19 is “a vascular disease masquerading as a respiratory one”

Reading archive 2026-02-24

FBI Director Kash Patel defends partying with U.S. Olympic ice hockey team: Videos of Patel celebrating in Italy went viral Sunday night, prompting criticism and questions about his judgment during a critical time for the FBI.

GOP lawmaker quietly questioned ‘disturbing’ East Wing demolition: Rep. Michael Turner, co-chair of the congressional Historic Preservation Caucus, wrote to a top White House aide about his “substantial concerns” as party leaders publicly backed Trump’s decision.

He made a fake ICE deportation tip line. Then a kindergarten teacher called.: A Nashville comedian’s deportation hotline, set up as a joke, has gone viral among viewers who say it shows the “banality of evil personified.”

Ex-ICE instructor testifies that agency slashed officer training, lied to Congress" A former instructor for Immigration and Customs Enforcement told congressional Democrats the agency has cut “vital classes” from mandatory training for recruits.

High-End Construction Really Does Help Everyone: A new rung at the top of the housing ladder permits people lower down to climb up.

Reading archive 2026-02-23

The No. 1 item food stamps buy is a travesty. Now states can say no. [ed. note: when the Obama administration tried this, it was nanny-state nonsense]

Judge Cannon orders secrecy for report on Trump classified-documents case: A federal judge in Florida blocked public release of special counsel Jack Smith’s extensive report into the classified-documents case against President Donald Trump. - "Cannon attempted to differentiate the release of Smith’s report from other cases [such as Robert K. Hur's case against Biden], saying that there was no precedent for releasing a report in a case in which the charges have been dismissed and the defendants maintain their innocence. The lack of precedent existed largely because Cannon’s order dismissing the case on the grounds that Smith’s appointment was unlawful was, itself, unprecedented." [ed. note: this fucking cunt]

This economic idea transfixed Wall Street and Washington. It may be a mirage.: Massive investment in AI contributed “basically zero” to U.S. economic growth last year, Goldman Sachs has calculated.

As Andrew fell, Queen Elizabeth II held out hope, and Charles and William fumed: As sordid allegations engulfed Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II showed a mother’s love, King Charles III a brother’s fury, and Prince William, a nephew’s dismay.

Are ‘flushable’ wipes really flushable?: After flushed wipes caused a sewage spill in the Potomac River, local authorities are reiterating their call to ignore the “flushable” label.

Reading archive 2026-02-20

Prince Andrew's Arrest: Across the pond in Britain, accountability is a serious matter

DOJ struggles as White House presses on voter fraud: Efforts to prosecute noncitizen voters have been slowed by lack of evidence, officials say, while Trump aides push for a broader crackdown.

Reading archive 2026-02-19

Europe and Canada Are Like the Kids in an Ugly Divorce: Europe and Canada seek “strategic balance” between Washington and Beijing but often just get caught in the middle. - "'We are being bombarded with complaints, grievances, tariffs, more tariffs,' Giles Gherson, president and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Canada's largest chamber of commerce, told us. 'As soon as the concessions are made and they're pocketed, new demands show up-and relentlessly.'"

When politics comes to the parenting group chat: A parents’ group tried to establish boundaries for discussion on their WhatsApp chat. It led to a schism. - "What happened in Peanuts, it seems, is not unique. Neighborhood group chats are, in some ways, like all social media, where all roads lead to the proverbial comments section. In 2023, Mother Jones reported on a parent group in liberal Ann Arbor, Michigan, that spiraled out of control after commentary about Gaza. Moderators of that group decided to ban all posts about Israel and Palestine to keep the peace. New York Magazine reported that a parent Facebook group on New York’s Upper East Side 'devolved into panic and infighting' after Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor."

The Atlantic’s essay about measles was gut-wrenching. Some readers feel deceived.: Some critics and physicians said Elizabeth Bruenig’s second-person account of a mother confronting a child’s death from measles felt misleading once they learned the story was reported fiction.

"Enormous structures tend to be built to last. Airport terminals are usually the reverse": Greater effort must be made to retain decommissioned airport terminal buildings, writes Anthony Paletta.

Trump Action Tracker: Documenting the actions, statements, and plans of President Trump and his administration that echo those of authoritarian regimes and may pose a threat to American democracy, since January 2025.

The Cult Deprogrammer Who Needed Deprogramming: For 20 years Rick Ross was in a ‘cult’ of his own. “I’ll tell you what kind of person joins a cult,” he says. “Every kind.”

The man who saves people from the world’s most dangerous cults: ‘Deprogrammer’ Rick Ross shares the lessons learnt from a career spent reuniting families with loved ones lost to destructive sects

I was raised in a cult that groomed me into a chess prodigy. I used it to escape: Danny Rensch was born into a life of indoctrination. But as ‘the Collective’ loosened its grip, he advanced

'Just push us into the sea': The frustration of an area failed by politics - "Pat, 64, says the village has been left to 'disintegrate' and believes the role of the EU was misunderstood. 'Everybody thought the EU was about people coming into the country. They didn't portray what benefits we were having.' 

"Denise sees investment in other nearby towns, like Seaham, and feels aggrieved that it hasn't been replicated in Horden. Her vote lies firmly with Reform UK. Brexit has failed due to the way it's been enacted, she says, and it's time to turn back to Nigel Farage."

A ‘smut renaissance’ has arrived: The success of “Ember and Ice,” starring Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams from “Heated Rivalry,” underscores the growing popularity of audio erotica.

Democrats revive a once-taboo idea: Capping grocery prices: Economists hate the idea of price controls. Democrats are exploring how they can address high food costs that have frustrated voters.

After leaving WHO, Trump officials propose more expensive replacement to duplicate it: HHS proposes spending $2 billion a year to re-create systems the U.S. accessed through the WHO at a fraction of the cost, according to officials briefed on the matter.

Inside the Hidden Network of Resistance in Minneapolis: Waves of federal agents forced countless Minnesota residents into hiding. Countless more responded with a movement unlike any other. A deeper look reveals the heartbeat of resistance—and the soul of the city.

5% of People Detained By ICE Have Violent Convictions, 73% No Convictions

Reading archive 2026-02-18

The 2020 ‘stolen election’ obsession: Cynical? Delusional? Reptilian? Trump believes his losing at anything is impossible. Thus, Biden’s win must be fraudulent.

Teen arrested after approaching U.S. Capitol with loaded shotgun: Capitol Police say an 18-year-old wearing tactical gear ran toward the Capitol before being arrested.

Reading archive 2026-02-17

Something Big Is Happening - "Start using AI seriously, not just as a search engine. Sign up for the paid version of Claude or ChatGPT. It's $20 a month. But two things matter right away. First: make sure you're using the best model available, not just the default. These apps often default to a faster, dumber model. Dig into the settings or the model picker and select the most capable option. Right now that's GPT-5.2 on ChatGPT or Claude Opus 4.6 on Claude, but it changes every couple of months. If you want to stay current on which model is best at any given time, you can follow me on X (@mattshumer_). I test every major release and share what's actually worth using."

Stephen Colbert says CBS blocked interview with Texas Democrat over FCC concerns: The on-air condemnation comes before Colbert’s “Late Show” goes off the air in May, a decision the network previously called “purely a financial decision.”

Another government sop to an ailing industry: An executive order requiring the military to purchase coal puts politics over the free market.

Researcher skeptical of ‘Havana syndrome’ tested secret weapon on himself: In 2024, a Norwegian researcher skeptical that pulsed-energy weapons could do damage to human brains built a device and tested it on himself. It didn’t go well.

A relationship on the rocks: Europe and America need each other, but trust is gone:  This year’s Munich Security Conference was milder than last year’s, but Donald Trump has fundamentally changed transatlantic ties.

D.C. mayoral hopeful pledges more affordable child care amid shrinking budgets: A proposal from Janeese Lewis George aims to make child care more accessible for families. But the city would have to fund it during an economic downturn.

‘Us versus them’: The battle that’s tearing a small Virginia town apart: “We are a microcosm of how politics are in this country right now,” said one resident of Purcellville.

Ukraine detains ex-energy minister as high-level corruption case widens: German Galushchenko’s arrest is connected to a $100 million corruption probe that has ensnared senior officials and shaken President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office.

Rubio lends hand to Hungary’s Orban as he faces tough election: “We want this country to do well,” Marco Rubio said during a visit to Budapest, “especially as long as you’re the prime minister.”

Mitch McConnell is taking a beating in the race to replace him: Three GOP candidates, all former McConnell interns, are keeping their distance as they seek to align with President Donald Trump.

Matt Lauer’s Accuser Complicates Her Story: Brooke Nevils’s memoir is also a reckoning with many misconceptions about #MeToo narratives.

Why MAGA Wants You to Think Slavery Wasn’t That Bad: Both the left and the right try to co-opt it, but the real story of American slavery doesn’t serve any one faction. - "'The destruction of slavery is one of the great American achievements,' Sean Wilentz, a historian at Princeton and critic of 'The 1619 Project,' told me. 'Taking slavery seriously in American history is not anti-American. The story of slavery in the U.S. is about an ancient institution that was planted here, thrived here, and then was confronted and ultimately attacked in the 19th century through enormous sacrifice, including military conflict. That's an extraordinary American story.'"

Putin Didn’t Know How Good He Had It: The Russian leader has gotten the world he wished for—and it’s threatening to crush him.

Reading archive 2026-02-13

What Alcohol Does to the Body: From the moment you take a sip, drinking starts to influence your biology. Here’s an inside look.

Consumers and businesses paid nearly 90% of Trump tariffs in 2025, new analysis found

Using a law deployed against mob bosses, D.C. files suit against a landlord: The suit, filed by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, claims the landlord and two of his family members enriched themselves while leaving tenants in squalid, unsafe conditions.

How to make sure the Stalinist in the Kremlin faces a grim future: Crippled by his Ukraine misadventure, Vladimir Putin is surely defining success down.

The Epstein Emails Show How the Powerful Talk About Race: The files reveal the disgraced financier’s interest in “race science.”

Zelensky Makes His Pitch to Trump: Ukraine’s president calls on his most powerful ally to not squander the chance to make peace.

This Is How a Child Dies of Measles: When your family becomes a data point in an outbreak [exemplum]

John Oliver Keeps Pushing the Rock Up the Hill: As ‘Last Week Tonight’ launches its 13th season into an atmosphere of division and anti-information, its host explains how the show has changed—and why they keep making it

Reading archive 2026-02-12

Please, Not Another Kennedy: Nancy Pelosi reportedly plans to endorse JFK’s grandson for Congress. Why? - "As a Kennedy, Schlossberg has been a lifelong celebrity in the traditional definition of the word-a person who is famous for being famous. He's been profiled in Town & Country, on the Today show, in The Washington Post, and in The New York Times. The theme of this coverage is that Schlossberg (1) is a Kennedy, (2) is handsome, and (3) posts lots of edgy content on social media. To suggest that he has failed upward would give him too much credit because failing requires having been entrusted with some responsibility in the first place."

A Foreign Policy Worse Than Regime Change: The world is threatened by the president’s self-absorption and incoherence.

Russian War Spending May be Maxed Out: The official budget deficit surged last year, as did off-balance sheet military spending via the banking system and unpaid bills. That might be tough to sustain, especially with lower oil revenues.

Trump’s Gaza Plans Are Profoundly Unserious: Conditions on the ground call for immediate humanitarian relief, not gauzy real-estate fantasies.

People Who Don’t Understand Downtowns Are Destroying Downtowns: A far-fetched plan to demolish Dallas’s seat of government reflects the city’s diminished role in the region.

What Mamdani Doesn’t Know About Tenants: Fixing New York’s affordable housing isn’t as simple as going after bad landlords.

Tariffs are just a rehearsal for taxing every American’s consumption: When staggering entitlement costs finally come due, a desperate need for more revenue will kick in. - "Those socially conscious Europeans, whatever fiscal messes they have created for themselves, have had no qualms about taxing their whole populations. The primary vehicle is sales taxation, in the form of value-added taxes, which accumulate along a product’s value chain and are ultimately paid by the consumer. VATs extract roughly 9 percent to 10 percent of middle-class incomes across the euro zone and can result in middle-income citizens paying for nearly half of all VAT revenue. Every country in the 38-member Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development except the United States has one.

"That’s a major reason the U.S., frequent misrepresentations to the contrary, has the most progressive tax system among the most developed countries. Here, the top 10 percent pay about 70 percent of U.S. income taxes, and more than half the total U.S. taxes even when payroll taxes are included. The dreaded 1 percent pick up more than a quarter of the entire federal tab."

The Myth of the Police State: No one, not even the supposed beneficiaries, is protected. - "Mass revenge simply did not happen. That seems hard for people who never experienced such a total upending of a political hierarchy to understand. But in my years in South Africa, living in rural Afrikaner towns as well as in cities, I’ve heard much more about the shock white South Africans felt at how warmly their neighbors and colleagues of color have treated them than I’ve heard complaints about the opposite. An overwhelming number of South Africans of color understand that white people’s lives were not blissful under apartheid either."

Reading archive 2026-02-11

The New Laser That Can Take Down Aircraft: Russian strikes have forced Ukraine to build high-tech air defense on the cheap.

Dad unlawfully killed daughter in Texas shooting, coroner rules

Nate Silver Is Making This Up as He Goes: Once a principled data journalist, the FiveThirtyEight founder has revealed himself as just another hack spouting off on social media. [ed. note: from 2019]

Jeffrey Epstein Introduced Melania to Donald Trump, New Bombshell FBI Files Claim

Kremlin and Kazakhstan Both Have Kompromat on Trump, Says Ex-KGB Spy Chief: The ex-KGB official and Kazakh spy chief who claimed Donald Trump had been recruited by the KGB on his watch now says that Kazakhstan tried to used kompromat videos to blackmail Trump.

Trump’s family is embroiled in a $500m UAE scandal. We’ve hardly noticed: A crypto startup founded by Trump’s family signed a huge deal with the UAE president’s brother. Where’s the political fallout? - "Two weeks after MGX’s $2bn investment in the Trump family’s crypto firm, the Trump administration allowed the UAE to buy hundreds of thousands of advanced computer chips critical for AI development. The chips are made by US companies, especially Nvidia, and the Biden administration had restricted how many chips certain foreign countries can buy to prevent the technology from being misused. But Trump scrapped those restrictions."

The case for keeping your garden dark at night: Outdoor lighting is having an outsize impact on the flora and fauna that share our habitats.

Inside the Kennedy Center’s scorched-earth Washington National Opera split: How an opera leader plotted a path to leave the legendary arts center after the Trump takeover alienated audiences.

She bounced a $25 check in 2014. ICE tried to deport her.: A Missouri grandma and lawful resident spent months in detention for a decade-old misdemeanor, underscoring the massive scope of the administration’s deportation efforts. - "When Donna was detained, Jim wrote to every member of Missouri’s congressional delegation. He struck out, but then help came from an unexpected place: Rep. Seth Magaziner, a Democrat who represents Rhode Island. Magaziner brought Jim to Washington to speak at a panel on Trump’s immigration crackdown. At the event, Jim was asked why he had voted for Trump. He paused. 'Because I was an idiot,' he answered."

Amtrak’s new trains are arriving soon. Here’s what to expect.: Upgrades mean no more fighting for power with your neighbor or touching icky bathroom handles.

Reading archive 2026-02-10

Trump Has Betrayed the People of Coal Country. They Love Him Anyway.: "He thinks our people are idiots."

A Raid in a Small Town Brings Trump's Deportations to Deep-Red Idaho: Wilder, Idaho, prided itself on comity. Then federal agents stormed a racetrack outside of town in October, and the reverberations are still shaking the community.

Trump is making voters uneasy. Democrats are pushing them away.: Punishing the wealthy might make Democrats feel good, but it won’t convince many voters. [ed. note: shill from libertarian think tank]

Don’t Let Climate Fatalism Become a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: The idea that it’s “too late” to reduce emissions fuels cynicism and despair, putting us on an even worse trajectory. - "And finally, stress less about the small stuff — recycling, plastic bags and food wrappers, food miles, turning the lights off, leaving devices on standby — especially if it comes at the expense of the big things listed above. This is a concept called 'moral licensing,' in which people feel they’ve contributed to the small stuff and therefore ignore their more carbon-intensive behaviors. People will often feel proud about bringing their plastic bag to a supermarket (which has a tiny carbon footprint) and then fill it with meat and dairy (which has a much bigger impact)."

Should you feed a cold and starve a fever? Here’s what experts say.: What nutrients do you need to help your body as it fights an infection?

Buy-it-for-life coffee makers can save money, reduce waste, brew better: That new $50 drip coffee maker on your counter? Destined for the landfill after a few years of dispensing mediocre coffee.

Student injured, another arrested in shooting at Wootton High in Maryland: Police in Montgomery County arrested the suspect near the school in Rockville.

The history of figure skating’s most controversial trick — the backflip: This is the first Olympics to feature backflips in over 25 years.

Two men were paid by D.C. to stop violence. Both are charged with homicide.: Frank Johnson is the second violence interrupter in the city to face charges in the fatal shooting of a former college basketball star. - "Johnson previously worked for Life Deeds, according to documents The Post obtained through a records request. He was terminated from Life Deeds in December 2023, three months after the fatal shooting of Bozeman, after he was charged with an unrelated felony gun possession offense. Johnson was convicted — only to be rehired as a violence interrupter last year for a different organization receiving D.C. government grant funds. Now, he has been fired again following the murder charge, according to the Rev. Judie Shepherd-Gore, the executive director of InnerCity Collaborative Community Development Corporation, where Johnson had worked as a violence interrupter since last year.

...

"It was the second time in five years that Wynn, who was well known in the violence intervention space, was charged with murder. He was also accused of committing a homicide in 2020. Prosecutors dropped that case for lack of evidence, and Wynn was allowed to continue working as a violence interrupter."

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism: Moderation used to help Democrats win, but its advantages now have been greatly exaggerated. - "This brings us back to a crucial point: successful anti-authoritarian movements don’t win by moderating their positions on a traditional left-right axis but by creating an entirely new one. They mobilize previously disengaged citizens by framing the struggle not as a contest over policy, but as a fight for the fundamental fairness of the system itself.

...

"Scholars of democratic breakdown know that moments like this demand institutional coordination, civil society mobilization, and the political courage to name and confront the authoritarian threat on its weakest flank. Every democracy facing this challenge has learned you don’t defeat authoritarians by being more reasonable. You defeat them by being more determined and by uniting the country against their most visible vulnerability: their corruption."

Forum How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism: Moderation helps when margins are small. - "But, of course, [an ideologically dogmatic party] runs the risk of empowering fascists, threatening the foundations of American electoral democracy, costing millions of people their health insurance, subjecting the country to a terrifying new regime of internal immigration enforcement, making less-than-zero progress on climate change, and depriving millions of women of their basic rights. To me, that makes “shoot the moon” a bad bet—Democrats have been trying a version of shoot-the-moon since Obama’s reelection, it has hurt, and the solution is to stop doing it. But it would be an intellectually stimulating debate. Highly ideological leftists are aware, I think, that the mood in the Democratic Party is very alarmed by Trump and Trumpism and that if we had square argument about the benefits and risks of shooting the moon, their side would lose."

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism: Trans rights aren’t tanking the Democrats.

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism: We need reconstruction, not restoration—as FDR knew.

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism: Democrats must rebuild in rural America. - "Each of the last six times Republicans won majority control of the Senate, they were elected by a group of states in which less than half the county’s population resides. Moreover, because the Senate is tasked with confirming nominees to the Supreme Court, this electoral bias translates into outsized power to shape the judiciary and, in turn, the rulings it hands down. Four of the six sitting conservative justices were confirmed by senators from states that are home to less than 50 percent of the U.S. population. In short, the rural-urban divide helps facilitate minoritarian rule."

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism: Macroeconomics is the driver, not median voters. - "Unless Democrats offer a message far stronger than anything they have in a long time—unless, in Warren’s words, they 'aggressively challenge the status quo' and 'chart a clear path for big, structural change,' especially on the economic front—they will remain easy targets for caricature. Promoting a Whig revival around democracy and Obamacare tweaks, supply-side tinkering and free trade, or abundance-by-deregulation, jobs, AI wonders, and all the rest risks cementing their status as a permanent minority party."

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism: The focus should be fighting plutocracy.

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism: The antidote to cynicism is going big. - "The notion that moderation would serve as a corrective to this perception is wildly off base. The millions of Biden voters who sat out crave more differentiation, not less, and a grander vision of an economic and political system that they could thrive within. None of them were in the mood to tinker around the edges. The antidote to cynicism isn’t to get small but to go big."

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism: Jesse Jackson’s campaigns point the way. - "The path is clear: seek out an authentic candidate with an agenda that expands our ideas of what is politically possible, someone who can lead a diverse coalition united by a renewed sense of justice and collective purpose."

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism: Public opinion is only partly malleable.

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism: We have no choice but to fight.

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism: Voters don’t think like strategists. - "Bonica and Grumbach are correct that the empirical case for moderation has largely collapsed. But the more significant lesson from our collective work is that the entire moderate-progressive debate constitutes an elite construction—one that projects the strategist’s hyperideological conception of politics onto an electorate that predominantly does not reason in those terms. When one abandons the pretense of optimizing one’s way to electoral victory, something clarifying emerges: the necessity of determining what one actually believes, and campaigning accordingly. That, after all, is what democratic politics is supposed to entail."

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism: Democrats can’t simply react to polls. They must lead.