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.