Reading archive 2025-08-05

D.C.’s Zoning Commission approves developer’s reworked McMillan site plan Jair Lynch’s plan to scale back the size of a grocery store in the new Reservoir District neighborhood is given the green light.

Momentum builds toward Netanyahu’s plan to occupy all of Gaza: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to discuss the move with top defense officials today, and Defense Minister Israel Katz is promising to “professionally implement” whatever the government decides.

Scientists say they’ve solved the mystery of starfish that turn to goo: Sea star wasting disease has killed billions of starfish and destroyed kelp ecosystems. In a study published Monday, researchers say they found the culprit.

One gene reveals clues to why humans thrived and Neanderthals didn’t: Humans and Neanderthals are virtually identical at the genetic level. Scientists are probing the differences to understand why we are here, and they aren’t.

Woman who ran over children in crosswalk on their way to school given 4 months: The judge in the case called the punishment ‘woefully inadequate.’

China is winning the trade war Trump started: On many fronts, Trump is inadvertently aiding China’s anti-American dictatorship. - "The countries that have done trade deals with Trump can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that their situation could be much worse. But Trump’s bullying is leaving hard feelings in its wake. One former Japanese trade official called the U.S. deal “humiliating,” while a Japanese economist called it 'completely unacceptable for Japan.' That’s an odd way to treat allies that the United States needs to contain China."

The AI spending boom could have real consequences for the U.S. economy: As revisions to U.S. jobs numbers call into question economic growth, Big Tech is becoming an even more important part of American prosperity.

This isn’t the same Democratic Party as Trump’s first term: Polls show a base of voters who are growing more liberal and less trusting of leaders in both parties.

D.C. area is feeling toll of federal spending cuts. These charts show how.: Amid signs of a broader economic slowdown, unemployment is up, spending is slowing and signs of strain are emerging across key sectors that once helped prop up the national capital region.

Latino GOP lawmakers voice worry about Trump’s mass deportation campaign: They expressed fears that the inroads Trump and the GOP made with Latino voters in 2024 could erode.

Smithsonian to restore Trump to impeachment exhibit ‘in the coming weeks’: A placard referring to Trump’s two impeachments was removed from the National Museum of American History in July, after the Smithsonian agreed to perform a “content review.”

Reeling over alleged child sex ring, Alabama community asks: ‘Did no one know?’: At prayer meetings and other gatherings, Bibb County residents have grappled with the realization that horrific crimes may have been happening in their town.

The simple way Democrats should talk about Trump and Epstein

Texas Democrats decamp to Illinois to deny Republicans a quorum on redistricting: In response, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to try to remove the Democrats from the state Legislature and said some of them may even be "felons."

Supreme Court tees up Louisiana redistricting case that could undercut Voting Rights Act

The Billionaire Behind Mysterious Immigration Ads Targeting Miami Republicans: “Deporting immigrants is cruel,” some of the ads against Cuban Americans in Congress read. Michael B. Fernández wanted to “wake up” Miami’s conscience.

Sneaking Into the Spy Museum’s New Vault

Reading archive 2024-10-28

How would Trump and Harris supporters handle defeat? Here’s what they say.: We asked dozens of backers of each candidate how they would feel and what they would do if the election didn’t go their way. The contrasts were illuminating.

For The Post, more outrage from readers who say they’ve canceled: After Friday’s announcement that The Washington Post was no longer going to endorse a presidential candidate, subscribers and journalists are responding with anger and dismay.

The pop star endorsement that could really swing the election? Bad Bunny.: The Puerto Rican superstar has a huge voice and a ton of influence — especially among Latinos and young voters.

Trump nearly took over the D.C. police force. City leaders pushed back.: D.C. leaders fear a second Trump administration would bring renewed threats to the city’s independence.

How America’s youngest voters feel about casting their first ballots: Teens say activities and classes they’re taking have influenced how they will cast their first ever vote.

Trump rally speakers lob racist insults, call Puerto Rico ‘island of garbage’: Later, Trump took the stage at Madison Square Garden and called the GOP “the party of inclusion.” His campaign issued a statement disavowing the “garbage” comment.

Chinese hackers said to have collected audio of American calls: The hackers are said to be part of a Chinese government-affiliated group that American researchers have dubbed Salt Typhoon.

Some billionaires, CEOs hedge bets as Trump vows retribution: With the race tight, some business elites are toning down past criticism of the former president.

On a Deep South housing board, a clash over seats reserved for minorities: Alabama’s real estate appraisal panel has emerged as a key battleground in a growing fight over the racial makeup of public boards and commissions.

Ukraine boosting its defense industries, with a little help from friends: With Europe unable to supply all the weapons and ammunition Ukraine needs, the E.U. is investing in the country’s rapidly expanding arms industry.

How Soviet farm planning gave Ukrainian troops vital battlefield real estate: On the Ukrainian steppe, where it is nearly impossible to hide from drone surveillance, windbreaks are fought over by Russian and Ukrainian troops.

New housing construction slowed as campaigns focus on affordability: Fresh data from the Census Bureau underscores the difficulty in finding federal solutions to housing problems at the local level. - "Trump’s plan doesn’t tackle new construction. Instead, the focus is on freeing up existing homes that he claims are occupied by undocumented immigrants, whom he wants to deport by the millions. Economists have widely debunked this claim, saying other forces play a much bigger role in driving up prices and that undocumented immigrants are more likely to live in lower-income rental units than owner-occupied houses. They also note that new immigrants make up about a third of the construction workforce, which would be a crucial part of the push to build new homes and fix years-long shortages."

This town has no cell service, so the ‘electrosensitive’ have made it home: A few dozen people, in and around Green Bank, W.Va., have retreated from the signals of modern life, and found each other.

'What Did It Achieve?': Documentary Examines Largest Immigration Raid In U.S. History [ed. note: from 2018, about 2008] - '"The demographic impact was huge. The town lost almost half of its population after the raid. It was also devastating economically. The plant that was the main economic motor of the town went bankrupt and later reopened under a foreign owner. Many workers didn't get paid for months and eventually lost their jobs. A lot of local businesses closed down. The whole county, not only the towns, suffered, immigrants and nonimmigrants alike.

"'I think this documentary can really shed light on the efficiency of these worksite enforcement operations when we think about are they really efficient? This raid in 2008 cost over $5 million that came out of taxpayer pockets, and what did it achieve? Those jobs did not go back to Americans. They went to Somali refugees.'"

Reading archive 2024-06-24

The mysterious tyranny of trendy baby names

Opinion I went to trade school during law school. It left me stunned.: I believe in the untapped potential of skilled trades.

Opinion A closer look at Harris shows how effective she’s become: As the election nears, the vice president is connecting policy to lived experience.

Opinion Trump’s school vaccination policies could be a serious political liability: Democrats would be wise to blast the former president for it.

Opinion Don’t waste the Biden-Trump debate. Make them answer this question.: It’s not the elephant in the room. It’s the herd of elephants plus a barnful of braying donkeys. [ed. note: the debt]

Opinion MAGA justices already gave Trump de facto immunity — and disgraced the court: All Trump ever wanted was a delay. - "'It didn’t have to be this way: had the Republican majority on the Court not intervened at the last minute, we would already have a verdict in the case,' Podhorzer writes. 'We would also have a verdict if they had not rejected Jack Smith when he asked them to decide the same issues last December.'"

Sotomayor Issues Dire Warning on Supreme Court Ruling on Noncitizens: Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented in the Supreme Court’s latest marriage ruling—and warned that same-sex marriage will be next on the chopping block.

Opinion Are the justices re-examining same-sex marriage?: Majority’s ruling in an immigration case could signal an appetite to revisit marriage equality.

Judge Cannon Brutally Roasted for “Partisan Prima Donna” Behavior: Donald Trump’s former ally Ty Cobb slammed the judge’s “petty” behavior.

She spent 23 years asking who killed her mom. Then her phone rang.: Lauren Preer’s mother, Leslie Preer, was killed in her house in May 2001. On Tuesday, police made an arrest.

Discarded bottle at Dulles helps solve 2001 cold case, police say: Eugene T. Gligor, charged in the decades-old homicide of Leslie J. Preer, made a brief appearance in Montgomery County, Md., court Monday.

Opinion How a long, debt-loving bipartisan consensus has warped U.S. business: Ruchir Sharma’s new book reveals the ill effects from the government’s cheap-money policies. - "Conservatives’ faith that tax cuts will pay for themselves is mirrored by progressives’ faith that their “investments” pay for themselves. The result is the same: debt."

Opinion A memorial for the lives lost to Dobbs: It’s not just the loss of life we mourn. It’s the loss of personhood.

Antidandruff shampoo may help combat some types of hair loss: Some over-the-counter and prescription antidandruff shampoos contain ketoconazole, an ingredient that may help with certain types of hair loss.

As climate change imperils Taliban’s shift from opium, impact could be felt worldwide

AI is exhausting the power grid. Tech firms are seeking a miracle solution.: As power needs of AI push emissions up and put big tech in a bind, companies put their faith in elusive — some say improbable — technologies. - "The tech giants say they buy enough wind, solar or geothermal power every time a big data center comes online to cancel out its emissions. But critics see a shell game with these contracts: The companies are operating off the same power grid as everyone else, while claiming for themselves much of the finite amount of green energy. Utilities are then backfilling those purchases with fossil fuel expansions, regulatory filings show."

Weapons of choice in China’s territorial disputes? Axes, knives, ‘jostling.’: Experts say that China’s use of simple weapons rather than firearms has been a tactical choice, but it may not always prevent escalation.

Trump campaign seeks to head off convention revolt from its right flank: Aides scrambled to foil a plot to throw the nominating process into chaos as suspicions abound about potentially disloyal delegates.

The GOP’s sudden turn away from gay rights — and acceptance: The right wing of the party has reinjected LGBTQ+ rights and issues into our political discussion in recent years. There are real signs it’s having an effect.

Meet the ‘double haters’ who could decide the election: Many voters express resignation, dismay and anger over being asked to choose between Biden and Trump again in November

Public memories. Private struggles.: With civil rights education under threat, a preservationist helps Black families save key sites in the South.

A U.S. Army veteran, deported almost 20 years ago, finds home: After President Biden took office, his administration created a program that allows deported veterans to apply to return to the United States for humanitarian reasons.

Millennials had it bad financially, but Gen Z may have it worse: Today’s young adults are spending more on housing and car insurance than millennials did. They’re also more likely to be in debt, despite higher wages and more jobs.

Va. proposed changes to African American history course, documents show: The elective course was reviewed to see if it complied with Youngkin executive order banning ‘inherently divisive concepts’

A peek inside San Francisco’s AI boom: These photos offer an intimate look at the community powering the artificial-intelligence revolution.

Reading archive 2024-05-21

Is Biodegradable Plastic Really a Thing?: Technically, it exists. But here’s what to think about when shopping.

Scientists reveal mysterious origin of Baobab trees, Rafiki's home in 'The Lion King'

How a Small Herd of Romanian Bison Is Locking Away Thousands of Tons of Carbon

For each public charger, here’s how many EVs are looking to plug in: Once, America had 7 EVs for every public charger. Now, there are over 20 seeking to plug in at each charging station.

THE DROWNING SOUTH: THE NEW FACE OF FLOODING

We taste-tested 9 fake bacons. Here’s how they compare to the real thing.: A pork-free version of bacon could change the game, unlocking methods to make all plant-based meats rival the real thing and put a much bigger dent in emissions.

Opinion  Republicans discover a secret elixir that cures dementia with one dose: There is a shot that cures incoherence? How can I get some?

D.C. attorney general targets youth services agency in new legislation: Attorney General Brian Schwalb said he is “not satisfied” with the performance of the city’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.

16-year-old shot Saturday in Northwest D.C. has died, police say: Devon Sharp was shot in the 1200 block of V Street NW, police said, near where he lived with his grandmother.

Backed by rival GOP factions, vets in Va. primary look similar on paper: The front-runners in the six-way Republican primary to replace Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) represent dueling wings of their party. But some voters in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District are having trouble seeing the differences.

Metro used faulty cars and ignored worker safety measures, audit finds: Metro has deployed rail cars that failed operations tests and neglected to follow occupational safety guidelines, according to an audit released Tuesday.

Reading archive 2024-03-27

Study finds 3 big risk factors for dementia - "Diabetes, air pollution and alcohol consumption could be the biggest risk factors for dementia, a study has found."

Sick of flat tires, he’s picked up 400 pounds of metal bits with his bike: Alex Benigno hits the streets every day collecting loose debris with magnets attached to his ride

What we know about Diddy’s sex trafficking allegations: Before federal agents raided Sean Combs’s homes on Monday, the famed producer had been accused of sex trafficking in several recent lawsuits

Democrat who ran heavily on abortion rights, IVF wins Alabama special election: Marilyn Lands won a decisive victory in a state House district that Donald Trump narrowly won in 2020

The House GOP thought it was moving past internal drama. Then more showed up.: Republicans are once again dealing with the threat of removal for the speaker while critical legislation faces an unclear future

Kari Lake and the Trump movement’s billion-dollar defamation problem

Americans who’ve given up religion often point to anti-LGBTQ+ teachings: The unaffiliated skew younger, and younger Americans are more likely to reject moral condemnations of same-sex relationships

Alexandria, Va., nixes Caps, Wizards arena, killing plan to move teams there

Daniel Kahneman, Nobel laureate who upended economics, dies at 90: He found that people rely on shortcuts that often lead them to make wrongheaded decisions that go against their own best interest

Reading archive 2024-03-11

Opinion  Katie Britt’s big fail shows why the GOP can’t connect with women

Katie Britt’s defense of sex-trafficking anecdote compounds its problems: And now the victim herself is criticizing Britt - "The main problem here is that, in addition to Jacinto’s story not involving Biden, the United States or even the border, it also doesn’t involve the cartels.

...

"(You could even make a case that, to the extent U.S. immigration policy is involved at all, the anecdote reinforces the need for an accessible asylum process for victims like Jacinto.)"

How to Organize Your Fridge

Opinion  What happened to Katie Porter? A lesson for Democrats.

The California Senate race wasn’t ‘rigged’ either

Trump mocks Biden’s stutter again, drawing outrage - "'I learned so much from having to deal with stuttering. It gave me insight into other people’s pain, other people’s suffering. It made me understand that everyone, everyone has something they’re fighting to overcome — and sometimes trying to hide,' Biden said."

Trump’s freewheeling speeches offer a dark vision of a second term: A close examination of one appearance in Rock Hill, S.C., offers an anatomy of a signature rally by the former president

Soaring mobile-home rents anger Arizona voters: Rising costs are giving some conservative voters another reason to back Trump and reducing other voters’ enthusiasm for either candidate

FanDuel to replace D.C.’s troubled sports gambling app this spring

Black college athletes can send a message to Ron DeSantis by staying away

Democrats hope IVF issue might topple key Republican in Pa. swing seat: Rep. Scott Perry (R) says he supports in vitro fertilization -- but he backed a bill declaring embryos people, and Democrats want voters to know it

Biden effigy beaten, kicked at Kansas county GOP event, drawing outrage

S.C. rep says she was ‘shamed’ as rape victim when asked about support for Trump: Nancy Mace was asked to square her support for Donald Trump with her comments as a victim of rape

Reading archive 2024-02-26

How the ‘Who TF Did I Marry?’ series took over TikTok: Reesa Teesa’s story of marrying and divorcing a man she called a ‘pathological liar’ has had users on the edge of their seats

With abortion rights looming, Missouri GOP advances slanted ballot rules: The change would make amendments to the state constitution much more difficult to approve — at least for the left - "The proposal, which passed along party lines, would require amendments to receive not only a majority of the vote statewide — as is currently required — but also a majority in five of eight congressional districts."

Trump says Black voters like him more because of his indictments and mug shot: The GOP candidate tells a group of Black conservatives: ‘I’m being indicted for you, the Black population’

See the dozens of new species this deep-sea robot just discovered: Alien-looking lobsters, sponges, urchins, sea stars and sea lilies are among the creatures deep-sea explorers found off the coast of Chile

How Libs of TikTok became a powerful presence in Oklahoma schools: The owner of the far-right social media account, who sits on a state advisory panel, has drawn attention since the death of a nonbinary student near Tulsa

Opinion  Dim or disloyal? Republicans again ensnared in possible Russian plot.

Man found guilty of killing trans woman in historic hate crime verdict: A South Carolina man is the first person convicted by trial of a federal hate crime based on gender identity, federal authorities said

As Lebanon teeters on the edge, a war with Israel would be catastrophic

These giant, invasive spiders appear built to thrive in the U.S.: ‘I don’t know how happy people are going to be about it, but I think the spiders are here to stay,’ one researcher says

Alabama embryo ruling may have devastating effect on cancer patients - "'It’s the same stories that you’re hearing from lawmakers after Roe v. Wade, saying, ‘Oh, I didn’t think it would impact this or that’ … [but] they’re making decisions for others,' said Robin Watkins, 41, who underwent fertility treatments to have her twin boys."

Shane Gillis struggles in a 'Saturday Night Live' monologue that avoids the obvious - "Saturday Night Live made its reputation as a group of comedy rebels making fun of a stuffy political and media establishment, lampooning corrupt and inept politicians from Richard Nixon to Sarah Palin; in other words, punching up. 

"But today's comedy rebels see the insistence that comics lay off insulting slurs about marginalized people as the new establishment — building successful podcasts, standup tours and more on the mistaken notion that avoiding racism, sexism and homophobia is somehow shackling their free speech. Here, punching down is fair game and fairly lucrative."

Bowen Yang Deletes Instagram Post Mocking Nikki Haley ‘SNL’ Visit: The castmember's not-entirely-subtle protests, a history.

Hungary approves Sweden’s NATO bid, unblocking historic expansion

A nurse asked a friend to help her move. He later killed her, police say.: Patrina Best was beloved by her family and friends, traveling the country as a nurse with her dog, Luke

Bowser, business leaders pitch $400M plan to fix D.C.’s ailing downtown: A rise in violent crime across the city, coupled with the possible departure of the Wizards and Capitals, have added to a sense of urgency to stabilize downtown

Ex-Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson says photo refutes Biden impeachment witness's claims

Reading archive 2024-02-21

A Russian missile killed 59 Ukrainian villagers — and divided the survivors

A reporter investigated neo-Nazis. Then they came to his house in masks.: The chilling visit to Raw Story reporter Jordan Green’s home represents an increasingly common tactic by extremist groups

Stalked by Nazis: How extremists tried to stop me from reporting on their violence

How (and why) to peacefully coexist with squirrels: The case for learning to embrace one of nature’s best helpers

A ravenous black hole created the universe’s brightest object, study says

Shock, anger, confusion grip Alabama after court ruling on embryos

Biden administration cancels $1.2B in student loans with new repayment plan

Okla. nonbinary teen died after school fight amid reported bullying

Opinion  J.D. Vance goes all the way to Munich just to insult Ukraine - "Vance is thwarting the solution to the very problem he is complaining about, then pointing back to that problem to justify his real objective: abandoning Ukraine."

Opinion  Ukraine remains stronger than you might think

Opinion  Three crises that give Biden a chance to prove the doubters wrong

Second manager suspected in family’s serial Chinatown Walgreens robberies: U.S. prosecutors say manager was romantic partner of alleged ringleader of robberies that risked a shootout in one of downtown Washington’s most heavily trafficked stores

Opinion  Europe is panicking about Ukraine aid. Biden’s team should tell the truth. - "Crow traveled to Kyiv and met with Zelensky last week, along with Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.). Hill told me he is trying to educate his GOP colleagues about how the aid is spent and monitored.

"More than half of it goes back into the U.S. economy via weapons purchases or to replenish U.S. weapons stocks. European countries contribute more total financial aid than the United States and several give a higher share of their gross domestic product."

Trump and allies planning militarized mass deportations, detention camps: As president, Trump sought to use military planes and bases for deportation. Now, he and his allies are talking about a new effort that current and former officials warn could be impractical and dangerous.

How the housing industry is working to stop energy efficient homes: Home builders have used their political muscle to prevent states and cities from adopting the latest code, which would lower the climate impact of new houses - "A federal study found that North Carolina’s proposed code update would have added at most about $6,500 to the price of a newly built home, not $20,400. According to the analysis, these changes would have paid for themselves through lower power bills and, during the first year alone, reduced carbon dioxide emissions by the equivalent of taking 29,000 cars off the road."

Harvard condemns ‘flagrantly antisemitic’ cartoon posted by student groups

‘They just can’t take this kind of beating’: California mansions on the brink: Across Southern California, slope failures and ground movement after a series of storms have put homes in harm’s way

Opinion  Xi is tanking China’s economy. That’s bad for the U.S.

Tax records reveal the lucrative world of covid misinformation

Reading archive 2023-08-13

DC residents express concern over rise in crime: Residents voiced their concerns during a public safety meeting hosted by Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker.

Wolves, once confined to fairy tales, are back in Germany, stirring debate

In Tuberville’s state, one base feels the effect of his military holds: At Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal, the freeze on promotions has had a rippling effect up and down the chain of command

Trump swoops into Iowa fair, defying customs and clashing with DeSantis: Pork chops, protesters of the Florida governor and a swift visit by the former president were at the center of a high-drama day

To save the planet, Homegrown National Park wants you to garden

See where Sen. Tommy Tuberville is blocking 301 military promotions

‘Unluckiest generation’ falters in boomer-dominated market for homes The median age of a first-time home buyer climbs to 36, as high interest rates and asking prices further erode spending power

Police defend raid on Kansas newspaper amid backlash over ‘brazen violation of press freedom’

West Virginia’s Unprecedented Proposed Cuts Become Clear: The flagship university is recommending eliminating 9 percent of its majors, all the foreign language programs and 7 percent of full-time faculty members.

Major cuts in faculty, academic programs could hit West Virginia University as financial concerns loom

Reading archive 2023-08-08

Patients grapple with side effects of popular weight-loss drugs

What we know about the Montgomery Riverfront brawl

Opinion  Look at a moth — and find a wonder that’s been waiting all along

The future of East Coast wind power could ride on this Jersey beach town: Many in Ocean City, N.J., oppose a major wind farm to be built off its shores, and they hope to create a template for blocking similar projects on the East Coast - "But in linking East Coast whale deaths to wind project surveys, these groups contradict what leading marine mammal scientists have concluded. 'At this point, there is no scientific evidence that noise resulting from offshore wind site characterization surveys could potentially cause mortality of whales,' the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a statement."

Is it cheaper to refuel your EV battery or gas tank? We did the math in all 50 states.

In D.C.-paid housing, he tried to stay sober as drug dealers took hold: The city let buildings fill with people grappling with mental illness and addiction, leaving the landlord and neighbors to figure it out

D.C. Democrats sue to block ranked-choice voting ballot measure

American University president to step down after the coming school year: Sylvia M. Burwell came to AU in 2017 after serving in the Obama administration

Reading archive 2023-08-02

D.C., feds pledge support for overhaul of Pennsylvania Avenue NW: Local and federal agencies, along with business groups, have agreed to push a new vision for the nation’s Main Street.

Opinion  I don’t recognize the intolerant, illiberal country Israel is becoming

‘Backward country’: Economists warn government over Haredi budget allocations: In letter, former senior Bank of Israel and Treasury officials say the planned funding of food vouchers and unregulated schools poses an ‘existential threat to Israel’s future’

Property crime is going viral in D.C., putting shoppers on edge

D.C. Council mixed in positions on RFK stadium, but backs new federal bill

Lifesaving HIV program faces a new threat: U.S. abortion politics

Tuberville’s tales about his father in World War II have false elements

Air Force maverick who warned of war with China sticks to his guns: Gen. Michael A. Minihan, lauded by hawks in Congress, has disturbed some in the Pentagon with his fiery prognostications of a looming conflict

Tick-linked meat allergy may be far more common than previously known

One Trump committee nearly broke, and other key takeaways from campaign filings: Reports filed show that some of former president Donald Trump’s fundraising committees are spending about as much as they are taking in amid legal expenses

For better skin, try lifting weights: In a new study, resistance workouts improved the underlying health of facial skin cells and tissue

Republicans want to plant a trillion trees. Scientists are skeptical.: New research casts doubt on the climate strategy pushed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other GOP leaders

3 humpback whales jump in unison in ‘once in a lifetime’ video

Opinion  DeSantis’s dour, odd, pratfalling campaign does have one useful quality - "Although portions of Trump’s base have, Good and Wallach say, legitimate grievances that should be articulated, 'a great deal of his rhetoric and showmanship merely channeled the emotion behind those grievances. The reward for his followers was catharsis, not better political representation in a process geared toward meeting real challenges.'"

The Swedes know the secret to happiness: You are not your stuff

Biden, reversing Trump, won’t move military’s Space Command to Alabama

Opinion  Yes, D.C. needs a stadium deal. But not at RFK.

Reading archive 2023-07-11

Sen. Tommy Tuberville relents and says white nationalists are racist

Suspect arrested in killing of Kentucky teacher at Catholic University, police say: Maxwell Emerson was shot to death on Catholic University's campus while visiting DC from Kentucky

DC approves emergency crime bills. Here's what changes - "Council member Brooke Pinto, who sponsored the changes, told the Council 30 of the suspects or victims in last year's D.C. murders were out of jail awaiting trial, which is one of the reasons she says judges need more tools to keep people charged with violent crimes in jail."

Firing of gay Catholic school teacher could test latest Supreme Court ruling - "Instead of arguing for the 'ministerial exception,' Becket is arguing that a religious school’s employment choices are 'expressive association' protected by the First Amendment, just as Colorado web designer Lorie Smith successfully argued that she has the right to choose which marriages to celebrate with her work."

What I learned when I tried installing a wind turbine on my house

Reading archive 2023-01-22

Ala. landfill has burned for nearly 2 months, forcing people from homes: Amid complaints of mounting health impacts, the governor this week declared a state of emergency over the inferno - "And after ongoing confusion over who exactly should be keeping tabs on a private landfill that was designed to accept only 'green' waste, such as vegetation and tree stumps, but in the past had been found to have tires and other potentially harmful materials on-site."

Takeaways from Sundance’s secret Brett Kavanaugh documentary: Director Doug Liman announced his new documentary at the festival. Then new tips began pouring in.

Opinion  Downtowns are lifeless. It’s a once-in-a-generation chance to revive them.

Opinion  Russians are living in a frightening, distorted reality

Opinion  Hug an election denier

‘There is no plan. There’s nothing’: Florida Democrats in despair over future: More than two months after humbling midterm losses in a longtime battleground, Democrats are in a state of disorder and pessimistic about 2024

Attacks on U.S. Jews and gays accelerate as hate speech grows on Twitter

Reading archive 2022-08-30

Opinion  We made thousands on this website. But we’re still happy it’s shutting down.

Opinion  Why my child and I traded Arizona for a more tolerant New York City

Opinion  In Alabama, a new battle brews over women’s birthing rights

How experts are trying to save wood turtles in the D.C. region: The reptiles were nearly wiped out, and researchers are working to track and protect them

D.C. Council’s business measures could be factor in at-large race

A decade after Fukushima disaster, foes of nuclear power reconsider

Pentagon expands use of seas to send weapons to Ukraine

Truth Social faces financial peril as worry about Trump’s future grows: Payment disputes and a dwindling audience have fueled doubts about the former president’s Twitter clone

American University reaches tentative agreement with striking workers: Earlier in the day, many first-year students walked out of convocation to show support for staff

Inside the ‘wild, wild west’ of Virginia’s marijuana market: THC-infused pies, Tupperwares of bud: Businesses are making it work in the unregulated gray market

Ukraine lures Russian missiles with decoys of U.S. rocket system

Gene editing could revive a nearly lost tree. Not everyone is on board.: Saving the American chestnut could restore a piece of history, resurrect a lost ecosystem and combat climate change. But critics say it would come at a cost. - "At Purdue University, researchers have attempted to tweak the genes of ash to survive the emerald ash borer, a beetle from Asia that has destroyed tens of millions of trees across 30 states since first identified in Michigan in 2002."

Their ancestors came to America. After Dobbs, they want out.: The curtailing of abortion rights and general political turmoil have made many in the U.S. see dual citizenship as an escape hatch

A melting glacier, an imperiled city and one farmer’s fight for climate justice: A Peruvian farmer is suing one of Europe’s biggest emitters. The case could set a precedent for holding polluters accountable for harm to the planet. 

THE AMAZON, UNDONE: A FAILURE OF ENFORCEMENT: Deforesters are plundering the Amazon. Brazil is letting them get away with it. - "The violent and lawless erasure of the Amazon is perhaps the world’s greatest environmental crime story. Scientists warn that the forest, seen as vital to averting catastrophic global warming, is at a tipping point. But in Brazil, home to about 60 percent of the Amazon, nearly one-fifth has already been destroyed. And virtually no one, law enforcement officials say, has been held accountable."

Reading archive 2022-08-22

In new election, Big Tech uses old strategies to fight 'big lie’: How well companies enforce their rules will be critical in fight against 2020 election-rigging claims, according to experts

Officials: Woman posing as stranded motorist kills student in Alabama forest; officers find encampment, 5-year-old with shotgun: While investigating the shooting, officials discovered an encampment in the woods and were confronted by a 5-year-old boy armed with a loaded shotgun, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office said

“An Unusual $1.6 Billion Donation Bolsters Conservatives”

The casualties of California legalizing pot: Growers who went legal: A blue state’s taxes and regulation have boosted corporate producers, leading to the near-death of the small cannabis farmer

The TVA is dumping a mountain of coal ash in Black south Memphis: A convoy is trucking the contaminant through a community already burdened with pollution to dump it in a landfill

These puffy helmet caps are the next big thing in NFL player safety

Deshaun Watson is the star the NFL deserves: A cynical, empty narcissist

‘It’s a rip-off’: GOP spending under fire as Senate hopefuls seek rescue: A cash crunch at campaigns and the NRSC set off a panic as GOP candidates emerged from bruising primaries playing catch-up in polls and advertising

Walker, criticizing climate law, asks, ‘Don’t we have enough trees around here?’

Chinese leader asked Biden to prevent Pelosi from visiting Taiwan: The trip exposed tensions between the House Speaker and administration officials, who had warned of China’s potential response. Pelosi felt the trip was an important statement to make. - "Yet Biden himself has at times made comments on Taiwan that have put Chinese officials on edge. He has not always struck the delicate balance that the United States’ 'strategic ambiguity' requires when it comes to the question of Taiwan’s defense. In May, while making his first presidential trip to Asia, Biden told reporters the United States would defend Taiwan militarily if China attacked."

A Republican who says Trump lost looks to put Colorado’s Senate race in play: Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet faces a tougher-than-expected reelection race after Republicans nominate businessman Joe O’Dea over an election denier

Scientists debunk myth that Yellowstone wolves changed entire ecosystem, flow of rivers

Reading archive 2021-09-13

How wellness influencers are fueling the anti-vaccine movement: For years, the wellness world has been entangled with vaccine hesitancy. Amid covid-19, the consequences are starker than ever.

Alabama man dies after being turned away from 43 hospitals as covid packs ICUs, family says

Does the supplement Prevagen improve memory? A court case is asking that question.

Opinion: Chris Wallace’s grilling of a GOP governor exposes a much bigger scam

Two Florida middle-schoolers charged with plotting mass shooting after ‘extensively studying’ Columbine

California couple die of covid, leaving five kids behind. Their newborn is 3 weeks old.

Space for dissent opened in Afghanistan after the Taliban was ousted 20 years ago. Now the militants are trying to slam it shut. - "'The United States should have just dropped a nuclear bomb on Afghanistan when it left, instead of letting us die slowly,' yelled one of the women, Rashmeen, her hands shaking. She spoke on the condition that she be identified only by her first name, for fear of reprisals."

Barrett concerned about public perception of Supreme Court: Judges must be "hyper vigilant" to keep personal biases out of their decisions, said Barrett, who would not comment on the court's vote not to block Texas' abortion ban.

Texas wanted to be the tech haven of the U.S. Its new abortion bill and other measures are causing workers to rethink their move.: Tech workers are marking Texas off the list of places they’d consider working after the state passed the nation’s most restrictive abortion law

Fencing to be reinstalled ahead of ‘Justice for J6’ rally defending those arrested in Capitol riot

Afghan American woman’s escape highlights secretive CIA role in Kabul rescues

After COVID almost killed him, a Colorado fitness coach wishes he listened to his mom's advice [ed. note: COVID January 2020, thought was immune, caught again June 2021]

California’s disappearing salmon: The drought, along with man-made impediments, has placed the state’s wild Chinook population at grave risk.

Native Thicket Conservation Project

THE MYTH OF THE THICKET-LESS PRAIRIE

Trump takes aim at George W. Bush, saying he shouldn’t ‘lecture’ about threat of domestic terrorism

Reading archive 2021-08-18

A mom of 4 who died of covid days after her husband makes one final wish: ‘Make sure my kids get vaccinated’

‘Please Don’t Leave Us Behind. We Will Be Great Americans.’: An interview with a U.S.-trained Afghan Air Force pilot, now hiding from the Taliban.

Durham grand jury explores theory someone presented FBI with fabricated evidence in 2016 Russia probe

With the Taliban now in control, here’s what Afghans are seeing in Kabul

The U.S. could be on the verge of a productivity boom, a game-changer for the economy: Rapid adoption of robots and artificial intelligence during the pandemic combined with a rebound in government investment is making some economists optimistic about a return of a 1990s economy with widespread benefits

Google’s new ‘time crystals’ could be a breakthrough for long-awaited quantum computers: Researchers say a new type of matter may hold the key to computers with more processing power

An Alabama doctor watched patients reject the coronavirus vaccine. Now he’s refusing to treat them.

Reading archive 2021-08-08

A Black community in Northeast D.C. is surrounded by industrial pollution. The city plans to add more.: Brentwood residents are opposed to a school-bus terminal in the area, and the city has denied the neighborhood’s request for an environmental impact assessment

Legal U.S. marijuana is pouring into Mexico. It’s pricey, popular and has names such as ‘Bubba Kush.’

Marjorie Taylor Greene fans cheered low vaccination rate in Alabama, which tossed 65,000 doses

Masks, comfortable clothes likely to linger after pandemic, Post-Schar School polling finds

Reading archive 2021-07-30

Opinion: In vaccine-resistant Alabama, hospitals face a two-front war

These self-described trolls tackle climate disinformation on social media with wit and memes: Environmental activists, researchers, lawmakers and others are haunting corporate social media feeds to push back against greenwashing - "Oil and gas companies spent decades privately researching the effects of global warming and adapting their businesses, extensive research has shown. Publicly, giants like Shell, BP, ExxonMobil have sown climate change denial and portrayed themselves as allies of the environment while knowingly acting against its interests, said Genevieve Guenther, founder of the advocacy group End Climate Silence."

CDC study shows three-fourths of people infected in Massachusetts covid-19 outbreak were vaccinated but few required hospitalization

Opinion: Is D.C. wasting money on violence reduction programs? - "If recent events were not enough justification for such spending, the numbers should be: D.C. has seen about a 10 percent increase in the year-over-year homicide rate for the past three years. There’s only one problem. That same data shows that the city’s violence interrupter programs, one run by the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, and Cure the Streets, run out of the Office of the D.C. Attorney General, aren’t doing what they claim: preventing violence. Rather, they may be merely dispersing it, spreading the killings to nearby areas that previously did not have any."

China built the world’s largest facial recognition system. Now, it’s getting camera-shy.

Opinion: The Chesapeake Bay’s menhaden are in trouble

Trump to acting AG, according to aide’s notes: ‘Just say the election was corrupt + leave the rest to me’

Disney blasts Scarlett Johansson over Black Widow streaming lawsuit

Reading archive 2021-07-21

‘I’m sorry, but it’s too late’: Alabama doctor on treating unvaccinated, dying COVID patients

You got a coronavirus vaccine. But you still became infected. How did that happen?: The FDA-authorized coronavirus vaccines are exceptionally protective — but they’re not perfect - "At Rockefeller University, where faculty and staff are regularly tested, two out of more than 400 vaccinated employees had breakthrough infections, according to a recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine by Darnell and his colleagues. 

"The two employees developed what Darnell called 'pretty classic covid-19 cases,' which included the loss of sense of smell and taste. Although one woman had high viral levels in her saliva, neither progressed to 'hospital grade' covid. In fact, Darnell said both patients would have been fine without seeing a doctor."

D.C. Council votes to raise taxes on the rich