Reading archive 2026-04-06

Don’t Mess With the Housewives of Ukraine: My interview with a tank maker provoked fury and memes—including from Zelensky.

How the Left Accidentally Bolstered the Nativist Right: By dismissing the distinction between legal and illegal immigration as bogus, advocates signaled that they would not defend it. - "In his book, The Normalization of the Radical Right, the political scientist Vicente Valentim shows that much of the recent rise in radical-right political behavior reflects not a change in what people believe, but a change in what they feel comfortable expressing. When norms weaken, often after radical-right politicians achieve electoral success, privately held views long kept quiet become publicly acceptable. Valentim's work focuses on Europe, but his analysis applies to America too. Over the past two decades, voters with restrictionist views have sorted into the GOP, making those preferences louder within the party. President Trump did not create this constituency, but he recognized and catered to it more than any modern president before him had. Each taboo he shattered around immigration made it easier for him and his supporters to transgress even more.

"And so, in Trump's second term, under Stephen Miller's newfound influence, the obliteration of the legal/illegal distinction has been formalized much more strongly into policy. The result: an administration now openly attacking legal immigration channels, including by targeting asylum and skilled-worker visas and implementing a visa freeze covering 75 countries. Like so much of the Trump agenda, these attacks are not broadly popular-in fact, polling suggests that support for legal immigration has never been higher-but they appeal to a small though intense nativist minority that no longer feels constrained and that makes up an important part of Trump's core coalition."

The Intellectual Right Is Mad at the Mess It’s Made: Conservatives are criticizing influencers for going too far. - "Bookish conservatives are fond of the tale of Buckley banishing the John Birch Society to the fringes. But that's not the whole story. Buckley walked a fine line, publicly criticizing Welch while otherwise trying not to alienate the society's rank and file, the historian Matthew Dallek argues in his 2023 book, Birchers. Buckley's gripes were more about the group's style and its leaders than its ideology. Birchers were widely derided for being racist and conspiratorial. But Buckley, the genteel conservative, was broadly in alignment with some of the group's views, calling white people "the advanced race" in a 1957 editorial in National Review, supporting Jim Crow segregation, and writing a book defending the Red-baiting propagandist Senator Joseph McCarthy."

Hitler’s Edifice Complex: He was obsessed with adding an expensive new wing to the Reich chancellery, part of his grandiose architectural ambitions for the nation’s capital.

Alleged D.C. pipe bomber might adopt debunked conspiracy theory as defense: Prosecutors said Brian Cole Jr.'s attorneys should be held in contempt for revealing the home address of a former Capitol Police officer who was ruled out as the suspect. - "During the first two hours of his FBI interview in December, the 30-year-old Cole denied placing the pipe bombs and said he was a Trump supporter. After being told that lying to federal agents could be charged as an additional crime, Cole admitted that he planted the bombs out of frustration with both parties and 'denied that his actions were directed toward Congress or related to the proceedings scheduled to take place on January 6,' prosecutors said."

MPD arrests 8 juveniles after multiple fights break out in Southwest

DC student hospitalized after group stomps him, steals Louis Vuitton shoes

Chinese firms market Iran war intelligence ‘exposing’ U.S. forces: The private companies — some with ties to the military — are marketing detailed intelligence on movements of U.S. forces, even as Beijing seeks to keep its distance.

Three men charged with murdering D.C. woman who went missing in 2023: Chyna Crawford, 25, is believed to have been kidnapped before she was killed. Authorities say the new indictments bring the total number of suspects to five.

Metrobus slams into D.C. restaurant, injuring 3 people: Photos showed the bus halfway inside the Balkan restaurant Ambar.

Never subsidize a sports stadium. And definitely not like this.: Jacksonville taxpayers are getting fleeced.

Their tiny church is on the cover of JD Vance’s new book. They don’t know him.: The members of a Methodist church in rural Virginia are excited — if a little confused — that the vice president’s memoir of his path to Catholicism has put them in the spotlight.

On the problem of landscape tarp: How carpeting your soil in plastic sheeting became an industry standard—and why it needs to stop.

Reading archive 2026-04-02

Police arrest suspect in gruesome slaying in historic D.C. neighborhood: The killing of Syed Hammad Hussain in his Logan Circle condominium started out as a random robbery, court documents say. - "Police said that hours after the robbery and killing, the second suspect was captured on surveillance video inside a pre-trial release facility in Southeast Washington. There, police said, he was seen adjusting a watch he was wearing that court documents say resembles a Cartier that belonged to Hussain."

Court tosses sentence for former clerk in scheme tied to 2020 election: The Colorado appeals court ordered a new sentence for Tina Peters, a former county elections official convicted for her efforts to boost Trump’s false claims.

Saudi Arabia’s record donation to the National Zoo buys more than an exhibit: In a $51.6 million act of animal diplomacy, the Saudis will fund a habitat for endangered Arabian leopards. - "RITM0260147Countries in the Gulf and their sovereign wealth funds have learned that institutional hesitation tends to fade when dollar amounts are high enough, which is one reason they will makes offers that are triple or quadruple market rates. Ask The Post AI Dive deeper “Among Gulf people with money, in general, people will straight up [say], ‘We don’t care what you really think of us. We can buy you and sell you,’” Koch said."

America Needs to Get Serious About Drones: The new age of war is already here, swarming over Barksdale Air Force Base.

The Real Religious ‘Renewal’ Happening in Gen Z: Some pastors and politicians claim that a Christian revival is afoot among young Americans. Nationwide data tell a different story. - "It's important not to overblow Gen Z's renewed interest in traditional Christianity. Double the number of converts at a college campus or an urban parish, from a small baseline, is not going to stave off broader generational trends. Growing congregations have an incentive to publicize their numbers, which declining ones lack. Conversions, moreover, should be noted alongside their foil. For every Catholic convert, for example, roughly eight Catholics leave the faith. And a proper 'revival' - such as the religious awakenings of the 18th and 19th centuries-is generally understood as emerging in multiple places and galvanizing a statistically significant portion of the population."

The Hardest Job in Europe: Ukraine’s ambassador to Hungary represents a government that has become Viktor Orbán’s primary target.

Coffin nails and the habit that defies burial: There now are so few norms to transgress, for some aspiring renegades smoking must suffice.

Trump endorses Republican plan to end DHS shutdown: The plan would fund ICE and Border Patrol for three years without Democrats’ help while relying on Democratic votes to fund the rest of DHS.

Wartime fuel shortages spawn panic, robberies and killings in Asia: Gas station workers in Bangladesh and Pakistan have been killed by angry motorists.

Catastrophic sewage spill followed years of delay on repairs, Post review finds: A Washington Post investigation reveals that a prolonged environmental review pushed back work on the Potomac Interceptor that was initially proposed in 2018. - "In September 2021, during President Joe Biden’s first year in office, the utility informed the Park Service that the project would probably require removing not three trees, but about 260. The utility promised to replant hundreds of trees, replacing the diameter of those lost, inch-for-inch."

Why Trump Didn’t Predict the Gas-Price Spike: The president doesn’t understand that markets are global. - "Trump wishes for a United States economy walled off from the rest of the world. That's why he loves tariffs so much-and why he refuses to think about what they mean to American producers, who now must pay more for inputs such as aluminum. 

"But with energy, there is no walling off. Most of America's oil and gas is produced in the United States. American imports come overwhelmingly from Canada and Mexico. But American oil can be put on a tanker and sent to Japan or the European Union if the price across the ocean rises. The global process of buying and selling equalizes prices worldwide. Walling off the U.S. would mean America would have to stop exporting and importing oil. Trump does not want to do that. In fact, he endlessly urges other countries to buy more American oil and gas. As he said in his March 31 comments: 'Buy from the U.S.; we have plenty.'"

Lions Led by Donkeys: The U.S. is fighting Iran under the worst wartime political leadership America has ever had. - "There is a reason that even those of us who fully recognize Iran's menace and are pleased with the elimination of much of its military capabilities, and who hope for the eventual fall of this brutal and dangerous regime, find it impossible to advocate for what is, in many ways, a just war. With political leadership so feckless, so dysfunctional, so incapable of planning, so willing to betray friends and allies for short-term advantage, so willing to lie and advocate criminal behavior, our military is simply not in responsible hands. It may yet succeed, and even succeed greatly, but that will be a tribute only to the lions, not the donkeys."

The Autocrat’s Dilemma: Xi Jinping’s ruthless reign in China offers important lessons for aspiring authoritarians. - "Since taking charge of the party in 2012, Xi has steadily dismantled the system that oversaw three decades of explosive growth by concentrating power in his own hands. He has marginalized party elders, tossed out political rivals, and sidelined members of other factions, which has stifled policy debates and removed checks on his power. Many of Xi's moves are purportedly about rooting out corruption, but in a political system rife with graft, this tactic enables him to pick off anyone he wishes. In 2022, Xi packed the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, the country's most powerful governing body, with close associates and political allies. 'Personal loyalty to Xi is his absolute priority and a baseline requirement for being promoted to the top leadership,' Thomas said."

DC is putting rats on birth control: DC Health is using edible birth control bait — and lethal bait — to curb the rat population in parts of the city.

Trump backs off campaign promises to protect Medicare, help with child care: As a candidate, Trump pledged to prioritize child care affordability and preserve Medicare. A spokeswoman argued that the president, in his comments Wednesday, was referring to fraud. - "'We’re a big country,' Trump went on. 'We have 50 states. We have all these other people. We’re fighting wars. It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all these things.'"

Reading archive 2026-03-29

He took Pelosi’s lectern on Jan. 6. Now he’s running for office.: Adam Johnson has rarely voted and embraces his role as clown prince of Jan. 6. Floridians will decide whether a man who tried to upend democracy can help lead one.

Pentagon prepares for weeks of ground operations in Iran: If President Donald Trump approves the plans, such an effort would mark a new phase of the war that could be significantly more dangerous to U.S. troops than the first four weeks.

Land by Georgia swamp, once slated for a mine, will become a wildlife area: The state plans to buy about 4,000 acres near Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge from a conservation group, which acquired the land to halt a proposed titanium mine.

NYC’s newest hobby is cleaning up trash and documenting the filth: In a city long vexed by excess garbage, volunteer cleanup clubs are increasingly filling the gaps.

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 2026-01-09

Blistering report says D.C. police lost public trust by working with ICE: A D.C. Council committee accused the Bowser administration of not being transparent enough. The mayor says outrage about ICE should be directed at the feds.

Police arrest 20-year-old following fatal 5-car collision in downtown D.C.: D.C. police said the driver had fled a traffic stop before the crash. - "Magistrate Judge Dorsey G. Jones denied the request, citing the fact that Matthews was already on probation for two 2024 cases involving gun and drug charges. He pleaded guilty twice to carrying a pistol without a license, court records show." [ed. note: sounds like police gave chase]

Why some people are wired to help strangers, and what their brains reveal: One striking finding is altruistic kidney donors tend to have a larger amygdala, a part of the brain critical to processing emotions.

Tell alarmists this secret about voter ID: Despite the wild reactions voter ID sparks on the left and right, what if it’s actually no big deal?

A president who treats Washington like his chew toy: Trump’s triumphal arch will be harder to undo than his gilding of the Oval Office. - "Trump has the terrible strength peculiar to people who are incapable of embarrassment, and cannot fathom that they look ridiculous."

Mercosur deal: French farmers roll tractors into Paris: Scores of tractors were driven into Paris in protest over an EU deal that would create the world's largest free-trade area. Some farmers fear they will be undercut with cheaper goods from South America.

Trump vs. Every Member of Congress: The president could face a notable defeat on the House floor today.

A High-Seas Gambit Humiliates Putin: Trump has pushed Russia out of Latin America and seized tankers while conceding nothing in Europe.

Change May Be Coming to Iran: Trump’s ouster of Venezuela’s president has the Islamic Republic on edge and the opposition energized.

First the Shooting. Then the Lies.: The Trump administration has perfected the smear campaign.

A Jan. 6 Rioter Returned to the Capitol Seeking Forgiveness: Pamela Hemphill, who said she rejected President Trump's pardon for her role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack, apologized to a Capitol Police officer who was assaulted during the mayhem.

The Constitutional Case against Exclusionary Zoning: America is suffering from a severe housing shortage. A crucial tool may lie in the Constitution.

DC council moves to crack down on rat infestations with new legislation: DC's new RAT Act targets the city's exploding rat problem, aiming to streamline agency responses and hold property managers accountable.

The Collins D.C. Council Report: Vaccinations, Public Charter School Board Appointments, An At-Large Council Member Selection Process, and Business in the Soul of the City

Reading archive 2026-01-08

The Smithsonian Faces New Pressure to Submit to Trump’s Will: The institution, long regarded as independent, is facing a White House deadline to hand over records about its content and will see turnover that could reshape its governing board.

D.C. leaders push back on U.S. DOT proposal to ban city traffic cameras: The proposal could cost D.C. more than $100 million and strike at the heart of traffic safety efforts.

Can AI do your job? See the results from hundreds of tests.: Comparing how AI systems and humans did on real work assignments shows how close tools like ChatGPT really are to taking jobs away from people.

U.S. vows to control Venezuela oil sales ‘indefinitely’: The move comes as officials struggle to persuade U.S. firms to invest in expansive drilling operations there. - "Using taxpayer-funded cash subsidies to incentivize oil companies to pump abroad would be unprecedented, industry analysts say. But the White House faces a steep challenge persuading firms to drill in a politically and economically unstable country that has burned them in the past by expropriating assets worth billions and then leaving U.S.-built oil infrastructure to rot."

The McMansion Got a New Look This Year. Enter: the McModern: The mass-produced version of the American dream is sleeker and more private than ever - "Whatever does make the cut determines the building’s massing. 'If you look at McMansions, the form follows the function, and the function is the accumulation of amenities,' says Wagner. 'It’s the interiorization of the city into a single building.' Amenity proliferation represents a more extreme definition of contemporary luxury living, she adds. 'The mindset of the rich in America is that they have no obligation to social life,' Wagner says. In other words, they want to create a space where everything is at their fingertips and there’s no need for them to mix with the outside world.

"This 'castle doctrine,' Wagner calls it, finds its roots further back in history, as does the showiness of the mass, scale, amenities, and views offered by McModerns. At the front, these homes are screened for privacy with plants or behind gates. 'After a maze of gardens or pathways, when you finally step into the entrance and foyer, you want the money shot,' says Ippolito. Once inside, 'you want to design glimpses of it through all the windows as you pass the house.'"

Why is crime plummeting in the most liberal places in the world?: Plus: less has changed than people expected in 1998, falling American death rates, and more

Eleanor Holmes Norton’s longtime staffer to run for her seat in Congress: Trent Holbrook, who most recently was the congresswoman’s senior legislative counsel, joins a crowded field hoping to serve as D.C.’s nonvoting delegate.

Why D.C.’s next council member will be chosen by lawmakers, not voters: In an unprecedented situation, the D.C. Council will select an interim member to serve until a special election is held. How exactly to proceed is causing infighting. - "Council member Kenyan R. McDuffie (I-At Large) resigned from the council effective Monday to set up a mayoral run. D.C. law says it is up to the council to select an interim replacement, but the law is vague on exactly how lawmakers should go about choosing their new colleague."

Five years after Jan. 6, officers describe the toll of defending the Capitol: In his first day in office, Trump pardoned nearly 1,600 people in the Jan. 6th Capitol riot. The country has moved on, but for some the day still looms large.

Senate passes bill to block further military action in Venezuela: Though largely symbolic, the vote was a rare assertion of Congress’s role in using lethal force after the stunning raid to capture Nicolás Maduro.

Tony Dokoupil Eats Heaps Of Shit In First Week As CBS News Anchor - "The key to Weiss's professional success has always been her self-absorption, her ability to convince herself, and those in positions of wealth and influence, that her own strange perspective is the dominant one."

Pardon my coup: Accurate political journalism requires a bias toward democracy - "Donald Trump and his supporters do not believe in the fundamental aspect of democracy: the legitimacy of the opposition. Members of the MAGA tribe are authoritarian in their wielding of power. They have a weak, at best, commitment to free speech and expression. They believe in the unrestricted use of military power. And their leader is a liar and a cheater who has teased countless times to remain in power beyond his last term in office."

The Military Isn’t MAGA: The Trump administration attempts to silence veterans. - "When criticizing the leader becomes a crime, being a criminal becomes an obligation."

The Giant, Voracious Sea Lions That Humans Cannot Stop: Killing the protected animals may be the only way to stop them from eating too many of the Pacific Northwest’s endangered salmon.

The Friend-Group Fallacy: Many people yearn for a crew, but having one is not actually the norm.

Reading archive 2026-01-06

Disgust Over Jan. 6 Is No Longer Bipartisan

Officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 say their struggles linger, 5 years after the riot

This is Europe’s secret weapon against Trump: it could burst his AI bubble - "First, Dutch company ASML commands a global monopoly on the microchip-etching machines that use light to carve patterns on silicon. These machines are essential for Nvidia, the AI microchip giant that is now the world’s most valuable company. ASML is one of Europe’s most valuable companies, and European banks and private equity are also invested in AI. Withholding these silicon-etching machines would be difficult for Europe, and extremely painful for the Dutch economy. But it would be far more painful for Trump. 

"The US’s feverish investment in AI and the datacentres it relies on will hit a wall if European export controls slow or stop exports to the US – and to Taiwan, where Nvidia produces its most advanced chips. Via this lever, Europe has the means to decide whether and by how much the US economy expands or contracts. 

"Second, and much easier for Europe, is the enforcement of the EU’s long-neglected data rules against big US tech companies. Confidential corporate documents made public in US litigation show how vulnerable companies such as Google can be to the enforcement of basic data rules. Meanwhile, Meta has been unable to tell a US court what its internal systems do with your data, or who can access it, or for what purpose."

How Walmart And Pepsico Rigged Prices And Supercharged Food Inflation

‘Their first instinct was to loot’: how Trump’s acolytes are plundering the Kennedy Center - "Democrats on the committee said they obtained documents that suggest the national cultural centre is being operated as a 'slush fund and private club for Trump’s friends and political allies', resulting in millions of dollars in losses and a significant deviation from its statutory mission."

A Horseshoe Theory of Trump: His economic approach combines libertarianism and authoritarianism. - "Trump's economic management combines two theoretically incompatible tendencies. It is at once libertarian, because the state is doing less to protect consumers and workers, and authoritarian, because the government sometimes lawlessly interrupts the workings of the free market in service of the personal and ideological interests of Trump and his allies. This makes MAGA economics a seemingly impossible hybrid: libertarian authoritarianism.

...

"Authoritarianism and libertarianism are commonly thought of as opposites-two poles on a political spectrum. It is a sign of Trump's distinctive political genius that he has managed to combine the two concepts. By tearing down generally applicable restraints on corporate behavior while selectively exerting direct influence to reward his allies and punish his critics, he has managed to preserve all the flaws of the old Republican economic approach while introducing new ones that are even worse."

Trump Seizing Greenland Could Set Off a Chain Reaction: After Venezuela, Europeans are taking the president’s threats seriously. - "A Danish lawmaker, who spoke with us on the condition of anonymity to address the security situation candidly, said that the very notion of the U.S. invading Greenland-both mounting an invasion and defending against it-is absurd. The island is nearly four times the size of France and is mostly ice. The lawmaker told us that Danes are particularly baffled by Trump's designs on Greenland because he could accomplish all of his security objectives by working with Denmark, a committed U.S. ally. During the Cold War, there was even a nuclear-powered U.S. base built under Greenlandic ice. 'If the Americans want another military base, just say where,' the lawmaker said. 'If you want a radar, you can put it up.'"

Trump’s ‘American Dominance’ May Leave Us With Nothing: The president’s moves in Venezuela foretell a new global system. - "If America is just a regional bully, after all, then our former allies in Europe and Asia will close their doors and their markets to us. Sooner or later, 'our' Western Hemisphere will organize against us and fight back. Far from making us more powerful, the pursuit of American dominance will make us weaker, eventually leaving us with no sphere, and no influence, at all."

You Won’t Believe Who Trump Told About Venezuela Attack Ahead of Time: Here’s a hint: it wasn’t Congress.

The data center rebellion is here, and it’s reshaping the political landscape As the buildout of AI infrastructure alarms communities, it is fast emerging as a potent electoral issue across the political divide - "Many of the neighbors fighting the project in Sand Springs voted for Trump three times and also backed Republican Gov. J. Kevin Stitt, who implores tech firms to build in his state."

Emails outline potential cuts affecting thousands of FEMA disaster responders: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has said she wants to reduce FEMA’s staff by half. Drafted plans show how it can happen.

Mamdani’s new tenant advocate wants to seize private property: Socialists keep dreaming of collectivism, as New Yorkers suffer from unserious housing policy. [ed. note: the WaPo editorial board continues to spiral out]

Corporation for Public Broadcasting, gutted of federal funds, votes to dissolve: President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans succeeded this summer in stripping federal funds from public media. Now the 58-year-old organization is gone.

George Conway, critical of Trump, enters crowded Democratic House primary: In an interview, the newly registered Democrat emphasized his opposition to the president, as he seeks to stand out in a packed open race in New York.

Congress has four weeks to dodge another shutdown: Appropriators are rushing to complete full-year spending bills before the Jan. 30 deadline.

Lawmakers battle over how — and whether — Jan. 6 should be remembered: A hidden plaque honoring the police who defended the Capitol during the 2021 insurrection has sparked new fights between Democrats and Republicans.

He was attacked on Jan. 6. Can he make sense of it for the kids he teaches?: Nathan Tate was a D.C. police officer defending the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Now he’s trying to find the lesson in it.

Humans May Be Able to Grow New Teeth Within Just 4 Years: Scientists are on the verge of a dental miracle.

Debunking the AI food delivery hoax that fooled Reddit: A “whistleblower” tried to corroborate his viral post with AI-generated evidence. This is how I caught him. PLUS: Grok's image-generation crisis, and the rapture over Claude Opus 4.5 - "While AI systems are notoriously unreliable at identifying their own outputs, Google Gemini can detect SynthID watermarks embedded in images that it produces."

15 Scenarios That Could Stun the World in 2026: Futurists, political analysts and other forecasters on the possible “Black Swan” events of the new year.

Call Trump's power grab in Venezuela what it is: Corporate media must recognize they're being openly lied to—and report accordingly. - "From a journalist's perspective, however, it’s much more challenging to figure out how to cover a president who you know is actively lying to you. But it’s a challenge we reject at our own peril."

This once iconic oyster industry crashed. Soon, harvesting will begin again.: Florida’s Apalachicola Bay once supplied more than 90 percent of the state’s oysters. But it has been off-limits to harvesting for five years. That changes Jan. 1.

Why smaller houses can lead to happier lives: It turns out asking “Are you happy with your home?” yields a very different answer than “Are you happy with your life?”

Republican Rep. LaMalfa dies, further narrowing GOP’s House majority: The death of the seven-term congressman, coupled with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s vacating her seat Tuesday, means Republicans are likely to face trouble advancing partisan legislation.

Do wind turbines kill birds?: Yes—but only a fraction as many as are killed by house cats, buildings, or even the fossil fuel operations that wind farms replace.

U.S. State That Abandoned Canadian Tourists Tries Again As Canada’s Travel Boycott Hits The Holidays

Reading archive 2025-12-29

The MAGA-fication of Nicki Minaj Once an advocate for LGBTQ+ people and immigrants, the rapper has repeatedly praised an administration cracking down on the same people, and the White House is returning the love. - "'Even Drake has his papers,' rapper Azealia Banks wrote on X in September, according to Complex, mocking Minaj for ingratiating herself to Trump. 'Even Cardi B isn’t a 40-year-old immigrant. … Doing dolphin tricks for the barbs in a country she can’t vote in is rusty babe.'"

Russia isn’t winning. Putin wants to fool you.: Putin’s hope is that U.S. will somehow convince itself that Ukraine can’t succeed. Don’t fall for it.

Russia’s economy keeps driving its war, but it could break in 2026: Problems in the oil sector, a possible banking crisis and consumer woes lie ahead for Russia’s economy as prices for Russian oil plummet over sanctions.

He mailed dozens of antisemitic letters. Volunteers helped track him down.: During a time of rising attacks, threats can’t be ignored, security experts, nonprofit leaders and community members told The Post.

JD Vance is ‘walking a tightrope’ on raging Israel debate within MAGA: At Turning Point USA’s conference, the vice president didn’t mention the topic that’s tearing the movement apart.

Heritage staffers quit amid latest strife at conservative institution: “Most of our staff, from our legal and economic centers, are departing immediately,” Heritage President Kevin Roberts wrote in a Sunday night email to staff.

Ask a Vet: Is it ethical to buy a flat-faced dog?: French bulldogs and other brachycephalic breeds come with high price tags and, often, serious health problems.

White House threatens Smithsonian funds in sweeping content review: “American people will have no patience” for any museum that is “uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history,” read a letter from Trump aides.

Presenting The 2025 Shams Charania Award For Excellence In Divulging Of Information Through Syntax Comprehended By Many - "I find that LLMs produce sentences that are smooth, glib, poreless, smiling, somewhat like a beluga whale. But every busted sentence written by a human is busted in its own way. Each of these sentences is unwittingly an act of resistance against the onrushing techno-homogenization of language. The writer’s own haste, uncertainty, or sloth manifests itself in the syntax. Every time a person begins to write, they are taking a bit of their interiority and, through a wondrous act of inversion, making it legible to the external world."

Abandoning homeownership may be changing how people behave at work and home: What happens when a generation gives up on ever owning a home? New research explores the potential consequences, and what to do about it.

Burning wood emits more than fossil fuels. Here’s how to build a better fire.: A wood-burning fireplace isn’t great for the planet or your health. But there are things you can do to make your fireplace better.

The year Trump broke the federal government: How DOGE and the White House carried out a once-unthinkable transformation of the nation’s sprawling bureaucracy.

How Trump changed my mind on the filibuster: The Senate’s 60-vote requirement is an excuse for aggrandizing executive power. - "The filibuster functions as a brake on radical change when Congress is the center of the political system. When the president is at the center, the benefits are less clear. The costs also become more apparent because the filibuster, as an obstacle to legislating, becomes a pretext for presidential overreach."

New York's Congestion Pricing Is Working. Five Charts Show How

How Israeli covert activities in Syria seek to thwart its new government: Israel is suspicious of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a longtime Islamist militant, and has provided weapons, intelligence and cash to militiamen at odds with his rule.

Why the Fed strategically absorbed some blows from Trump: Facing threats from President Donald Trump, the central bank opted for a low-profile strategy, juggling political pressures and the looming question of how far it can go to defend itself.

Trump’s farmer bailout caps tough year for loyal constituency: Red-state farmers continue to struggle under damaging inflation and the fallout of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, especially with China.

The old-world antisemitism in a Christmas pageant near you: Does the pope mean what he says about zero tolerance of hatred toward Jews?

D.C. customers face nearly 13 percent hike on gas bills this winter: Washington Gas customers in the District, Maryland and Virginia face increases in their bills.

The epidemic of toxic flattery is spreading: What do AI, Trump’s cabinet and the academy have in common? They aim to please.

Pipe bomb suspect admits targeting RNC, DNC headquarters, officials say: Prosecutors said Brian J. Cole told the FBI that he planted the explosives on Jan. 5, 2021, because he was frustrated with the U.S. political system. - "Brian J. Cole, 30, told investigators that 'something just snapped' in him 'because he was unhappy with the response of political leaders on both sides of the political aisle to questions raised about the results of the 2020 election,' according to the filing, which asks a judge in U.S. District Court in Washington to keep Cole in jail pending his trial."

 - "Studies have found that wolves in the Midwest and Canada not only keep deer populations in check, but they also alter deer behavior in ways that help prevent car crashes and save human lives."

Wolves, long feared and reviled, may actually be lifesavers

The real issue strangling America’s electric grid: AI data centers are being blamed for price spikes manufactured in statehouses and D.C. [ed. note: authors are industry hacks who ignore the health costs of coal plants]

Reading archive 2025-12-08

Pssst. Even a healthy Jayden Daniels hasn’t been very good.: The second-year quarterback’s regression from a starry rookie season goes beyond the fact that he has struggled to stay on the field for the Commanders.

The ACC broke the College Football Playoff, and Notre Dame paid the price: The trickle-down effects of a bloated conference crowning an illogical champion led to the Fighting Irish missing the 12-team playoff field.

Ask a Vet: Is it cruel to neuter my dog?: The debate over a common procedure — and why some countries view it as a form of mutilation.

Donald Trump’s Kennedy Center is showier, emptier and more political: In 10 months, the president has transformed Washington’s cultural hub. Now comes his biggest night yet: the Kennedy Center Honors.

A show of Australian Indigenous art should have inspired awe. It’s a mess.: “The Stars We Do Not See” at the National Gallery of Art tells — and muddies — one of the most fascinating stories in 20th-century art.

Glyphosate safety article retracted eight years after Monsanto ghostwriting revealed in court - "This is how man created Astrology, which is effectively a random collection of lights in a 2-D view of a 3-D universe from Earth, correlated with some human affair."

I was a red state governor. What I saw at Harvard surprised me. The spirit of association remains alive in unexpected places. - "What I’ve experienced may be a natural return to Harvard’s more moderate bearings, following noisy displays of intolerance by campus agitators in recent years. Or it may be due to the Trump administration’s forceful executive orders and fiscal pressure. Either way (and it’s probably both), let’s take the win and learn the broader lesson." [ed. note: he wasn't there, so how would he know it has changed at all?]

How Florida lost track of 30,000 students, a ‘cautionary tale’ for vouchers: The state’s auditor general found “a myriad of accountability problems” in the nation’s largest voucher program.

Trump announces $11 billion tariff relief for farmers: Farmers — particularly those who produce soybeans — have felt the effect of the president’s trade policies.

GOP bill to overhaul D.C. bail system could balloon jail population: Republicans in Congress want to end cashless bail in D.C. and hold more suspects in jail before trial. Watchdogs say it could push the jail system to the brink. - "Data shows that such instances are rare. In D.C., in the first three quarters of fiscal year 2025, 90 percent of people did not reoffend while released, according to the federal Pretrial Services Agency; about 1.2 percent committed a violent offense while released."

Suspect in Jan. 6 pipe bomb case appears in court as probe continues: News of Brian Cole Jr.’s arrest came as a shock to a person who has been in regular contact with him for more than a decade.

D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith is stepping down: D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser praised Smith for her service but did not offer a reason for her departure. Smith said she resigned to spend more time with family.

The quest to slow aging leads scientists into the powerhouse of cells: Texas A&M researchers create mini mitochondria factories using tiny nanoflowers.

Democrats, who once lambasted Trump on immigration, have grown quiet: The lack of a unified voice comes as the crackdown on minority communities, including legal residents, has grown more aggressive.

Why Miami’s Trump backers are clashing with the ‘America First’ wing over Venezuela: As Trump threatens strongman Nicolás Maduro, Venezuelan and Cuban American supporters are urging the president to do whatever it takes to oust him. - "The Trump administration has said it is targeting Venezuela as part of a crackdown on drug trafficking, though the country is not one of the main suppliers of illicit drugs to the United States. Most fentanyl in the United States comes from Mexico, and most cocaine from Colombia. Very little of Venezuela’s drug production flows into U.S. borders, current and former U.S. officials say."

The tech fix that can clear the Western range of its barbed wire: GPS-based virtual fences clear migration corridors for wildlife while cutting costs for ranchers. - "This technology holds promise in part because ranchers themselves are not fence-lovers. Range fencing requires frequent repair, robbing ranchers of time they would prefer to invest in managing their herds. At upwards of $15,000 a mile, range fencing is also expensive, both to ranchers and to taxpayers. In 2018, the U.S. Agriculture Department subsidized more than $300 million of fencing on private ranch land.

"With virtual fencing, a cow is adorned with a solar-powered collar that communicates with a mapping app via satellite, cell or local reception tower to warn it — by an increasingly loud tone, followed by a mild electric shock — as it approaches a virtual fence line. Cows are not terribly smart, but they can be trained with the technology within a practice pasture in a few days. The current collars are a bit clunky. Cornell University scientists are developing an ear tag that does the same thing as the bulky collar."

The College Football Playoff Chose Outrage Notre Dame is out. Alabama and Miami are in. And the College Football Playoff committee just did what it does best. - "The conference title games exist to make money. To continue making money, they need teams to want to play in them. Telling the SEC runner-up that it would have made the playoff had it just stayed at home on Saturday, but now it’s been eliminated because it showed up and got its ass kicked, would undermine the entire point of college football: making people rich."

Reading archive 2025-11-17

Phillips Collection will sell O’Keeffe and other masterpieces, sparking backlash: After months of internal debate, the D.C. museum is forging ahead with an auction of artworks by Georgia O’Keeffe, Georges Seurat and others.

How the FBI’s massive search for the D.C. pipe bomber stalled: Agents on the Jan. 6 investigation scoured sales at Foot Locker, Home Depot, Lowe’s and other stores in a frustrating search for the culprit.

Federal agent shoots at car during D.C. chase, police say: The shooting marks the second time in a month that a Homeland Security agent has shot at a car while patrolling with D.C. police.

A great nation is reduced to fanciful hoping: America used to borrow for emergencies. Now it is mired in a perpetual debt emergency.

Trump faces heat from MAGA base on ‘America First’ agenda, Epstein: MAGA leaders erupted over the president’s assertion that the U.S. needs foreign workers. That rift and others have raised GOP concerns about enthusiasm ahead of the midterms.

The rise and importance of Secret Congress: (Shh, don't talk about it) [ed. note: from 2021] - "The core of the Secret Congress theory is that on highly salient issues, lawmaking is dominated by the question of which party controls which chambers and by how slim their majorities are. Under these circumstances, polarization is high and compromise is rare. Congress is prone to gridlock, and when solutions pass, they pass on a near party line."

GOP plans to replace Obamacare have failed. Here’s what lawmakers propose now. Lawmakers are racing toward a mid-December deadline, with Republicans hoping to present side-by-side legislation with Democrats’ plan to extend ACA subsidies. - "Many health economists have panned Trump’s plan, saying it is likely to create a 'death spiral' in the ACA marketplaces. Healthy people would be prone to drop coverage, using the subsidies to pay out of pocket for whatever limited health care they need, leaving sick people behind and causing premiums to skyrocket."

GOP-led Epstein probe in House creates political friendly fire for Trump: The Republican side of the committee investigating Epstein has kept pushing out troves of emails and documents, and Trump’s name keeps coming up.

On edge in small-town America: In a divided nation, one Wisconsin village feels everyday life begin to fray.

In shift, Trump says House should vote to release Epstein files: It is unclear whether the Senate would take up the measure if the House passes it. Trump would also need to sign the legislation to compel the release of the documents.

The first glimpse of post-Trump MAGA has arrived: With a push from Marjorie Taylor Greene, Donald Trump acquiesces over the Jeffrey Epstein files.

How the Epstein story keeps growing: Trump’s demand to investigate Democrats is political malpractice.

Trump defends Tucker Carlson for interviewing white nationalist Fuentes: “You can’t tell him who to interview,” Trump said about the former Fox News host and Nick Fuentes, a far-right activist who once called Adolf Hitler “awesome.”

Would your partner pass the ‘bird test’? It’s complicated, experts say: Two relationship experiments are flying high on TikTok — but they aren’t exactly foolproof.

Child poverty soars in Britain as working families struggle to keep up: Across Britain, families who once felt solidly middle class are losing their footing as rents, child care costs and food prices outpace wages.

Man fatally shot by D.C. police in Foxhall Road NW area: The shooting was reported in a house in the 4400 block of Reservoir Road NW.

Teen shot five people near Howard University during homecoming weekend, police say: Kaevaughn Dudley, 17, was arrested Friday and charged as an adult with assault with intent to kill.

The Right Is Now Transvestigating Charlie Kirk and His Wife, Erika: Transphobia truly impacts us all.

Japan tourism and retail stocks slide after row with China over Taiwan

Shocked by Trump’s profiteering? Here’s some perspective.: There are periods in American history when graft was the rule, not the exception.

How DHCD Forfeited $35 Million in Federal Assistance for Affordable Housing and Bailed Out a Well-Connected Developer: DHCD Director Colleen Green failed to disclose the loss of funding when asked during a D.C. Council hearing earlier this year.

Reading archive 2025-10-30

D.C. residents outraged after housing-retail plan flips to industrial: The developer says the mixed-use project is no longer viable due to D.C.’s sluggish economy and rising construction costs.

After a federal agent shot at a D.C. driver, claims of a police cover-up: A Homeland Security agent shot into a man’s car. The agency said Tuesday he was trying to hit them with the car. A D.C. police report about the arrest does not mention gunfire or any attempt to ram officers.

The best source of critical minerals is driving down U.S. streets

2 U.S. prosecutors suspended after describing Jan. 6 attack as carried out by ‘mob’: Suspensions come in the case of a 2021 Capitol rioter arrested two years later with guns near former president Barack Obama’s home.

Judge praises suspended prosecutors before sentencing man for bomb hoax: Two prosecutors were earlier removed from Taylor Taranto’s case after filing a sentencing memo that referred to Jan. 6. as a “riot.”

The choreographed fakery of American politics: East Wing edition: Trump’s residential immodesty is nothing compared with his anti-constitutional immodesty.

The Shutdown is About to Get a Lot Worse: November 1 is the date to watch.

School staff testify they warned 6-year-old who shot teacher was a threat: Abby Zwerner, the teacher wounded in her classroom in 2023, is suing a former assistant principal for gross negligence.

Maryland’s Democratic Senate president blocks anti-Trump redistricting fight: Gov. Wes Moore and House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, two of Maryland’s top Democrats, want a special session to redistrict. Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson said no.

Why we’re forcing Senate votes on Trump’s tariffs: Do our colleagues side with U.S. consumers or back the president’s economically damaging policy?

I emigrated from Vietnam. Halloween in America astonished me.: Coming from a communist-run nation, I was baffled by glimpses of life in my new home.

Trump moves to block public servants from loan forgiveness based on ideology: Those who work with undocumented immigrants, provide gender transition care for minors or publicly protest could be blocked from student loan forgiveness under a new rule.

The surprising reason home prices remain stubbornly high: A growing number of home sellers are taking lingering properties off the market instead of lowering their prices.

Jury acquits Virginia man who called for Trump’s assassination Defense attorneys for Peter A. Stinson argued that his posts on Bluesky were protected under the First Amendment.

This gay Republican could make history. He’d like to talk about something else.: Virginia’s John Reid could become the country’s first openly gay Republican elected to statewide office. Attacks from within his party have made his sexuality an issue, he says.

Former Illinois sheriff’s deputy convicted in killing of Sonya Massey: Sonya Massey called 911 from her Springfield, Illinois, home in July 2024 to report a prowler. Sean Grayson was one of two deputies to respond to the call.

Reading archive 2025-09-04

House GOP weighing bills to remove elected D.C. AG, overhaul justice policies: The 14 proposals would usher in some of the most intense interventions in the city’s justice system since the federal government took over many of its functions in the 1990s.

House Republicans form new subcommittee to probe Jan. 6: Lawmakers slipped a resolution into a rule on the House floor that would establish the controversial subcommittee.

At D.C. Superior Court, a system up at all hours under Trump’s order: With nearly everyone arrested getting charged, the city’s courthouse is often packed and running past its typical closing time.

D.C. can predict who will get into car crashes but can’t stop them: Warning the owners of cars caught on camera repeatedly that they were courting danger did not change behavior.

The labor shortage is worsening. Iron cards are the answer.: A work-to-citizenship path for immigrants could supplement American workers. - "We need a fast, pragmatic fix that honors American labor, protects wages and actually delivers. My proposal is the 'iron card,' a 'gold card' for the working class. It would be a targeted, service-based pathway that recruits and trains immigrants to fill critical infrastructure jobs while investing in American trainees alongside them. If immigrants swore an oath to serve where assigned, passed background and safety checks, completed five years of verified service on priority projects and kept taxes current, they would be fast-tracked to permanent residency and citizenship."

Reading archive 2025-02-10

Trump’s tariff tactics are an unpromising foreign policy anomaly: There’s no U.S. precedent for Trump’s tariff use. But it does evoke China’s economic bullying. - "Most countries bullied by Beijing have turned against China and found alternative markets. In a Pew Research Center poll last year, 85 percent of Australians and 71 percent of South Koreans expressed unfavorable views of China. That is a massive turnaround from about a decade ago, before China launched trade wars against those countries. In 2015, Pew found that 57 percent of Australians and 61 percent of South Koreans had a favorable view of China."

The right-wing bubble absorbs D.C.: During Trump’s first term, misinformation was not nearly as rampant as it is today.

Venezuelans backed Trump. Now some worry he’ll deport them.: Venezuelans in the Miami suburb of Doral have been some of Trump’s biggest proponents. Many feel betrayed after he revoked temporary protected status for thousands.

U.S. intelligence, law enforcement candidates face Trump loyalty test: Candidates for top intelligence and law enforcement jobs were asked to give “yes” or “no” responses to questions such as: Was Jan. 6 “an inside job?” - "The questions included: Who were the 'real patriots' on Jan. 6? Who won the 2020 election? Who is your 'real boss?'"

In Idaho, a preview of RFK Jr.’s vaccine-skeptical America: This Idaho health district banned public clinics from distributing the coronavirus vaccine as widespread fear during the pandemic fades from public memory.

Son charged with killing father in front of 2-year-old in D.C. apartment: Police said the father and son had been arguing and that the victim had accused his son of stealing money.

Amtrak agrees to pay $505 million for control of Union Station: The passenger rail company took control of businesses in the station last year through eminent domain.

Jan. 6 defendant also wants pardon for 2022 plot to kill FBI agents: The Tennessee man claims his attempts to attack the FBI were “related” to Jan. 6, so his conviction should be thrown out.

Judge bars publicly naming FBI agents who investigated Jan. 6 cases: An internal battle between the Trump Justice Dept. and its primary investigative arm led to lawsuits by agents who investigated him and the 2021 Capitol riot.

Farmers on the hook for millions after Trump freezes USDA funds: The White House had repeatedly said the funding freeze would not affect benefits that go directly to individuals.

In chaotic Washington blitz, Elon Musk’s ultimate goal becomes clear: Shrink government, control data and — according to one official closely watching the billionaire’s DOGE — replace “the human workforce with machines.”

Attacks on Catholics, Lutherans suggest new Trump approach on religion: Allies of the president are leveling attacks on religious groups, including Catholics and Lutherans, and questioning their efforts to help migrants. - "The White House denied that the administration was going after faith groups, noting that on Thursday, Trump announced the creation of a 'faith office' and a new Justice Department task force to investigate what he called 'anti-Christian' bias. According to FBI statistics of religion-related hate crimes in 2023, 8 percent were against Christians, 60 percent were against Jews and 13 percent were against Muslims."

Defying court orders? Trump, Musk, Vance appear to lay the groundwork.: Vice President JD Vance has been floating such a possibility for years.

Reading archive 2025-02-03 pt 2

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

A Taliban highway could lead to the future. But it’s stuck in the past.: Taliban officials have a plan to turn one of the country’s remotest corners into a global trade hub by linking the Afghan heartland with China.

Are conservatives being ‘de-banked’?: Trump is threatening the financial regulatory system to help his crypto backers in Silicon Valley.

Wildlife-Friendly Landscape Design From Scratch: How to craft a landscape design that benefits wildlife, from blank slate to thriving habitat

The Democrats Show Why They Lost

The Tasks of an Anti-Trump Coalition: Avoid progressive pieties and rebuild an effective democratic majority - "The best-organized Democratic interest groups want to fight Trump on the worst possible issues; the Democrats who want to fight on smarter issues tend to be less organized to fight. Until that conundrum is solved, Democrats are disabled and Trump is empowered.

...

"Trump's project to brand drug cartels as international terrorist organizations has legal implications that Trump supporters refuse to consider. Right now, the cartels have powerful incentives not to commit violence against U.S. citizens or on U.S. territory. Yet Trump is poised on the verge of actions that could change the cartels' calculus and import Mexico's criminal violence north of the border on a huge scale.

...

"His plans to foster voter-ID laws and gerrymandering to disenfranchise Democrats will collide with the new reality of American politics that these measures will harm his prospects more than his opponents': Trump does best among the most disaffiliated Americans, whereas Democrats are widening their lead among those Americans who follow politics closely and vote most often."

Reading archive 2025-01-28

Pardons of D.C. officers leave city at civil rights crossroads: The death of Karon Hylton-Brown sparked angry protests in 2020, led to rare charges against D.C. officers - "But after Hylton-Brown was struck by an SUV, the officers allowed the driver to leave, did not notify the police major crash unit or secure the scene for evidence collection. At the 4th District station, the officers described the crash as minor, didn’t mention the pursuit and downplayed Hylton-Brown’s injuries, leading to the officers’ convictions for conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Sutton was convicted of murder."

Trump pardons two D.C. officers convicted in fatal chase: Amid the nation’s racial reckoning of 2020, the pursuit killed a young Black man and sparked hours of destructive civil unrest in Northwest Washington.

Scientists Warn of an ‘Unprecedented Risk’ From Synthetic ‘Mirror Life,’ Built With a Reverse Version of Natural Proteins and Sugars: So-called mirror cells could rampage through our ecosystems, food supply and immune systems, experts say, potentially without existing barriers to protect against them

There were ample reasons, not about his personal life, for rejecting Hegseth Pete: Hegseth has shown no evidence of being capable of managing the Pentagon behemoth.

Trump DOJ gears up for immigration enforcement: The acting deputy AG directed the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces to help with Trump’s “immigration-related initiatives,” according to a memo.

Trump returns — and so does his astounding ignorance: If you feel off-kilter, you’re in good company. The president seems downright bewildered.

Meta courted Trump. Now comes the backlash from Facebook, Instagram users.: Why the internet blames Mark Zuckerberg for the TikTok shutdown

RFK Jr. skipped meeting where officials planned fight against a future pandemic: The session between Trump and Biden administration officials is required of transitions and included other Trump Cabinet nominees.

Caroline Kennedy warns senators of ‘predator’ RFK Jr. in searing letter: The former ambassador warns senators about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination, questioning his ethics and views on vaccines.

Ex-‘MAGA Granny’ is turning down Trump’s pardon of her Jan. 6 conviction: She was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. She pleaded guilty. Now, she doesn’t want President Donald Trump’s pardon because she wants to own what she did. - "Now Pamela Hemphill from Boise, Idaho, will decline the pardon that Trump offered her and other Jan. 6 convicts during the first hours of his second term, she told The Washington Post. 

"'I don’t want to be a part of them trying to rewrite history. It was an insurrection that day,' Hemphill said Tuesday, the day after Trump issued the pardons."

Woman, 1-year-old daughter found dead in Northwest D.C. apartment: Family members had not heard from Ebony Washington, 38, and her daughter, Kemy, since well before Christmas. On Jan. 18, they called police.

Pardoned Jan. 6 rioter shot, killed by police in Indiana: Matthew Huttle, freed last year after six months in jail, was shot to death in a scuffle with a sheriff’s deputy along a rural road.

Interim D.C. U.S. attorney Ed Martin launches probe of Jan. 6 prosecutions: Trump’s newly appointed top prosecutor in Washington asked for “all files” on use of obstruction count in the aftermath of the Capitol riot. - "Former officials with the office called the investigation of the obstruction charge puzzling. While the Supreme Court last June ruled that federal prosecutors could only apply it to defendants who sought to impair the integrity of physical evidence used to certify the 2020 presidential election result — and not to impede Congress’s overall certification on Jan. 6, 2021 — all but one of the 15 trial judges to rule on the question had sided with prosecutors’ broader, 'catchall' view, as did two of three federal appellate judges."

The GOP’s stunning response to Trump pardoning those who assaulted police: Trump has worn his party down, and few events crystallize it like the GOP’s muted — and, in some cases, positive — response.

Youth charged in fatal shooting of 14-year-old in Southwest D.C.: Police said the daylight shooting occurred during a robbery by three teens who chased the victim. Three brothers were charged; one had his case dismissed.

A 14-year-old was shot. Another 14-year-old is charged in his killing.: Myron Smith dreamed of buying his mom a house in a different neighborhood. He died on his block, shot in broad daylight.

An investing revolution is coming. The U.S. isn’t ready for it.: Crypto technology can democratize access to opportunities offered by early-stage private companies. [ed. note: lol this guy]

Three teenagers arrested in Alexandria slaying, police say: “Not a proud moment,” says city police chief.

Trump spending freeze upends Washington, triggering legal threats and delays: Hours after the Trump administration issued its directive, officials braced for seismic interruptions to key federal programs and services.

Trump’s funding freeze could halt projects, vital aid throughout D.C., Maryland, Virginia: President Trump’s announcement of a freeze on federal loans and grants has left officials through Maryland, Virginia and the District scrambling to understand the impact.

Democrats flip the script, eyeing debt limit to block Trump’s agenda: Republicans have leveraged the debt ceiling for years to block Democrats’ agenda. Now liberals see an opening to stymie Trump.

Trump’s perceived enemies brace for retribution with plans, dark humor: Officials and others across the country who incited the president’s ire say they are preparing for him to make good on pledges to settle scores now that he’s back in office.

Americans are watching an inflation bait-and-switch: A week into office, Trump has offered zero plans to lower prices.

Worried about food prices? Break up the U.S. meat cartel.: “Big Four” packers have a stranglehold on the U.S. meat supply.

Exhausted and angry, police attacked on Jan. 6 watch pardons and worry: Now, the same people officers sought to hold accountable for storming the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to subvert democracy are free.

Reading archive 2025-01-06

Emilia Pérez is a regressive movie that thinks it’s woke. It will probably win an Oscar.: Could a movie musical about a trans Mexican drug lord be this awards season’s Crash? - "Still, Emilia Pérez’s presence in the Oscars race isn’t exactly a shock, given that it falls neatly into a category of movies the white Hollywood establishment loves to celebrate: mawkish stories about people on society’s margins that allow viewers to feel socially aware through their consumption, without challenging of any of the stereotypes and political messaging presented in them. Could Emilia Pérez become this year’s Crash?"

For this group of Virginia deer hunters, it’s not only about the meat: For Town Hill — a small band of Black men and their sons — the weeks of rifle hunting at year’s end and the spring gobbler turkey hunts aren’t to be missed.

Trump aides ready ‘universal’ tariff plans — with one key change: President-elect’s aides look at universal import duties, but only on certain sectors, among first big moves of presidency.

Most supplements aren’t worth your money. This one is.: Studies have consistently shown that psyllium may lower cholesterol, dampen glucose spikes, help us stay full longer, and even aid in treating diarrhea and constipation.

Joe Biden: What Americans should remember about Jan.: 6 Four years ago, our democracy was put to the test — and prevailed.

Here’s the solution to Trump World’s ‘civil war’ over H-1B visas: Getting rid of the lottery for high-tech visas could satisfy both MAGA constituencies.

After a last visit from Biden’s team, India readies itself for Trump: U.S.-India relations grew under President Joe Biden, and New Delhi hopes they will blossom with the new Trump administration. But numerous differences exist under the surface.

Trump, Republicans prep ambitious but fraught plan for tax cuts and more: The GOP will attempt to pass one massive legislative package including tax cuts, border security and other priorities, putting lawmakers up against a high-stakes deadline.

Reading archive 2024-11-21

10 programs that could be on the ‘government efficiency’ chopping block: Vivek Ramaswamy, Elon Musk’s partner at President-elect Donald Trump’s planned spending panel, suggested defunding programs that Congress no longer authorizes. Here are some of those.

Musk, Ramaswamy vow ‘mass head-count reductions’ in U.S. government: The leaders of President-elect Donald Trump’s new DOGE panel have promised extensive cuts to federal regulation, spending and personnel.

Amid budget cuts, American University may restructure School of Education: Facing a $60 million budget shortfall, the university’s acting provost said American is poised to restructure the School of Education, prompting panic among students.

Homicide suspect to judge: ‘I don’t think anyone actually, really dies.’: A judge in Montgomery County, Md., ordered Tiffany Zhang, 29, to be transferred from jail to a state hospital.

Her son was robbed and left for dead. Two teens have been arrested.: D.C. police said a 14- and 16-year-old were arrested in connection with the death of Bryan Smith, a beloved local DJ and hairstylist.

How to get started on Bluesky, the app some X users are defecting to: Some people say they’re quitting Elon Musk’s X. For real this time.

Scientists discover unusual new bacteria in deep-sea coral: The finding points to a life form that requires few genes to function

Mysterious chemical byproduct in U.S. tap water finally identified: Scientists discover formula and structure of chlorine-related molecule and urge tests for possible toxicity.

Opinion How a progressive Democrat won in a swing state that went for Trump: Sen. Tammy Baldwin talks about her reelection victory in Wisconsin.

Opinion The GOP is setting a trap on trans rights. Sarah McBride has an answer.: The first trans member of Congress issued a response to cruelty that was a work of political artistry.

Millions may not have health coverage if subsidies return to pre-Biden level: Patients, medical providers and insurers fear a shake-up in the Affordable Care Act marketplace unless Republicans extend the subsidy expansion slated to expire next year.

Top senator calls Salt Typhoon ‘worst telecom hack in our nation’s history’: The severity of the Chinese breach highlights the need for more telecommunications regulation, lawmakers say.

Jan. 6 rioter found guilty of plotting to kill FBI agents, DOJ says: Edward Kelley had created a “kill list” of FBI agents and other federal employees who investigated his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Justice Department said.

RFK Jr. weighs major changes to how Medicare pays physicians: Kennedy and advisers say the system drives doctors to perform costly surgeries rather than combating chronic disease.

Police arrest man suspected in a dozen sex assaults in D.C.: Federal prosecutors described Uwana Ubom as "a serial sexual predator’ with attacks dating to 2021.

Reading archive 2024-10-25

D.C. AG sues major construction company, alleging pollution of waterways: Fort Myer Construction operates two asphalt plants in the District and is a preferred contractor with the city, with tens of millions of dollars in contracts over the years.

DC Council Passes Bill That Would Bring Thousands Of New EV Stations To The City

Satellite images show major expansion at Russian site with secret bioweapons past: New construction at a military research site near Moscow reveals a specialized laboratory complex designed to research and handle deadly pathogens, experts say. - "State Department officials have ridiculed Russian allegations that the United States is working on biological weapons, alone or with partners. But U.S. officials and experts say Russian scientists may legitimately believe that the threat exists, and thus feel justified in creating and testing new weapons."

Families sue D.C. for ending housing aid in unprecedented case: The city has sought to remove thousands of families from its rapid rehousing program. Officials have blamed years of extensions for creating an unsustainable financial burden.

Jill Biden has upgraded your next White House tour: ‘They weren’t dynamic,’ the first lady says of the old tours. So she helped reimagine the ritual.

Opinion On political endorsement A note from the publisher: [ed. note: "We are returning to our roots, which is to not endorse candidates, except when we do, which is whenever we want, which is not now, because I, William Lewis, am a Rupert Murdoch crony and wide-spectrum dirtbag."]

The Washington Post says it will not endorse a candidate for president Publisher William Lewis explained the decision as a return to the newspaper’s roots. - "The decision not to publish was made by The Post’s owner — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — according to the same sources." [ed. note: bracing gutlessness from a billionaire afraid of what a Trump win could do to his fortunes]

Jill Biden has upgraded your next White House tour: ‘They weren’t dynamic,’ the first lady says of the old tours. So she helped reimagine the ritual.

Poop statue appears on the National Mall to ‘honor’ Jan. 6 rioters: Visitors swarmed the controversial installation, which will be on the Mall until Oct. 30.

Does Ghost-Hunting Gear Work? We Tested Some in a Haunted Place to Find Out.

Why Fleetwood Mac is forever: “Dreams,” by Mark Blake, delves into Fleetwood Mac’s storied past and the enduring appeal of the band’s music.

Finally, a fresh argument against ‘wokeness’: In “We Have Never Been Woke,” Musa al-Gharbi argues that claims to support marginalized people are often little more than elite status competitions.

Meet Ukraine’s top fighting unit — at least that’s what its ad says: Ukraine’s brigades can recruit their own soldiers, and they compete with one another to craft the best advertising campaigns to sell the war.

Canada alleges much wider campaign by Modi government against Sikhs: Canada on Monday ordered six Indian diplomats to leave the country, including India’s top diplomat in Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, officials said.

In D.C. election, Initiative 83 push for voting changes is biggest wild card: I-83 would allow independents to vote in primaries and change D.C.’s voting method to ranked-choice. The D.C. Democratic Party has emerged as a chief opponent.

Opinion By electing Trump, America would break its closest allies’ hearts: Anxiety levels in Europe over the U.S. election are very high. - "Jørn Brøndal, chair of USD’s Center for American Studies, offered a view that turns 'America First' rhetoric on its head. 'I always saw Trump as an import from Europe,' Brøndal said. 'He’s outside the American mainstream and comes from a right-wing populist tradition in Europe that shows some of the same tendencies.' Brøndal said this before Trump, in the style of 1930s autocrats, spoke of immigrants bringing 'a lot of bad genes in our country right now.'"

North Carolina authorities arrest armed man after threats against FEMA workers: Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office confirms it made the arrest Saturday after learning of threat to Federal Emergency Management Agency employees working on hurricane relief.

Opinion Why Harris’s pitch to Muslim and Arab American voters is failing: Caught in the bind of the Gaza war, the VP failed to cement herself as the choice for this bloc. - "There’s a tendency in liberal circles to accuse these voters of betraying their own interests by supporting Trump or voting third-party. But Muslim and Arab voters aren’t abandoning Harris because they don’t understand what’s at stake. They’re abandoning her because they do." [lol let's see how that goes]

The Most Opinionated Man in America: Mike Solana, a Peter Thiel protégé, has made his Pirate Wires newsletter a must-read among the anti-woke investor class—and a window into what the most powerful people in tech really think.