Reading archive 2025-10-27

Missing money, staged break-in alleged in AU professor murder trial: In the first week of testimony, Montgomery County prosecutors have alleged financial wrongdoing and a $500,000 insurance policy were behind defendant Jorge Rueda Landeros’s crime.

GOP lawmakers raise pressure on Smithsonian over space shuttle fight: Texas legislators, who want the Smithsonian’s Discovery shuttle moved to Houston, accused the institution of potentially violating anti-lobbying laws. The institution has said the move would break the spacecraft apart.

What happens when a conservative group visits an HBCU homecoming?: Turning Point’s Blexit group is on a tour of historically Black campuses in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s slaying. Howard University students weren’t impressed.

I’m shocked — shocked! — to find that gambling is going on in the NBA: The one thing sports can’t survive are fans who no longer trust the games to be on the level.

A colossal Buc-ee’s broke a small Colorado town: In the fight to preserve Palmer Lake something has already been lost: civility.

Young Republican Messages Highlight a Disturbing Trend - "But clearly to a portion of the young right, the actual substance of what provocateurs have been saying has been worth celebrating — not just their right to say it."[ed. note: National Review]

How Jack Smith’s strongest case against Donald Trump collapsed: Seeking to get the classified-documents case to a jury before the 2024 election, the special counsel made a fateful decision that some in his office saw as a misstep.

Reading archive 2025-03-13

Why Europe is going ‘car-free’: While New York City and the Trump administration battle over a congestion pricing program, vehicle restrictions in Europe are fast becoming the norm.

E.U., Canada retaliate against Trump’s tariffs as trade war escalates: As President Donald Trump’s global steel and aluminum tariffs took effect, the E.U. and Canada responded with their own levies, including on bourbon and motorcycles.

Elon Musk Looks Desperate How to lose $148 billion in less than two months

N.B.A. Stars Find a Shortcut to Success in China: Companies like East Goes Global serve as social media surrogates for players, expanding their reach, creating business opportunities and pushing for All-Star votes.

How BYD undercuts Tesla around the world, by the numbers: BYD is more affordable than Tesla in at least 10 places outside the West.

American brushes aside Navy, earns first NCAA berth since 2014: Matt Rogers scores 25 as the Eagles roll past Mids in the Patriot League championship game, 74-52, at Bender Arena.

American brushes aside Navy, earns first NCAA berth since 2014: Matt Rogers scores 25 as the Eagles roll past Mids in the Patriot League championship game, 74-52, at Bender Arena.

D.C.’s hopes lie in Senate as residents, officials push to avert $1B hit: A possible Democratic proposal boosted D.C.’s hopes of avoiding potential layoffs but also inched the nation closer to a potential government shutdown. - "The panic erupted in D.C. after House Republicans released a spending bill over the weekend that, without any advance notice, omitted a long-standing D.C. provision that historically has allowed the city to move forward with its active local budget. The provision has been a part of every continuing resolution for over 20 years, making its omission by House Republicans this time highly unexpected and perplexing for D.C. officials. 

"The omission would force D.C. to revert back to 2024 spending levels, effectively canceling the city’s active 2025 budget halfway through the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. Most astonishing for D.C. officials is that House Republicans decided to do this even though Congress, in its last two temporary spending bills, authorized D.C. to move forward with its 2025 budget — a sudden turnaround that House GOP leadership and top appropriators have not clearly explained."

How microplastics could be affecting our food supply: A first-of-its-kind study estimates how tiny plastic particles are cutting into crop yields. - "Small-scale studies have found that plants change when exposed to the tiny shards of plastic. In one of Kirkham’s studies, she compared wheat plants exposed to cadmium — a toxic heavy metal — and those exposed to both cadmium and microplastics. The plants exposed to microplastics took up 1.5 times the cadmium as those without, indicating that the microplastics were probably absorbing the cadmium and carrying it into the wheat."

Reading archive 2025-02-12

Record gift to American U. from professor will benefit education school: The university said the donation is its largest-ever gift from an individual.

Nearly 30,000 federal workers in Kansas City brace for layoffs: The federal government is by far Kansas City’s largest employer and a major economic engine. Experts warn the region’s economy will feel the pain when jobs disappear

Transcript: GOPers Shocked to Learn Their Own Voters Are Angry at Musk: An interview with political scientist Elizabeth Saunders, who argues that Republicans facing voter dissatisfaction with Elon Musk’s trail of destruction need to rein him in before it’s too late.

With Trump and Musk driving U.S. policy, Kansas farmers have been played for suckers

The Trump administration’s most dangerous misstep: The CIA chief wants more spycraft. So why is he showing agents the door? - "The CIA last week sent buyout offers to its case officers around the world, and as you’d expect, some of the best of them are looking for work elsewhere. Meanwhile, the agency meekly agreed to turn over data identifying its recent hires to Elon Musk’s auditors (and whatever foreign spies can hack their systems). Perhaps worst of all, the U.S. DOGE Service commissars reportedly gained access to Treasury payments data that might reveal the agency’s deep-cover officers and the assets they recruit."

Teen rejects plea deal in D.C. murder case, will head to trial: Charges stem from the Jan. 26 fatal shooting of 14-year-old Myron Smith during an attempted robbery.

Church teacher pleads guilty to molesting four girls — two during prayers: In Montgomery County, Maryland, Ervin J. Alfaro-Lopez, 34, faces up to 25 years in prison and deportation.

As possible cuts and buyouts loom, federal workers rally near the Capitol: With a deferred resignation offer and possible cuts looming, federal workers held a demonstration near the U.S. Capitol. - "'We are not going to go down without a fight,' said Transportation Security Administration officer Johnny Jones, who traveled from Fort Worth. 

"Jones, 46, left his corporate job for a career in public service in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, he said. 'I took about a 60 percent pay cut to come work for the government.'"

U.S.-China trade war hits small and midsize businesses especially hard: Many smaller businesses can’t afford to move manufacturing out of China while remaining competitive, experts say.

An insurance crisis was already brewing in L.A. Then the fires hit.: The Los Angeles wildfires could threaten California’s already unstable insurance market, which carriers have been fleeing as disasters multiply.

California’s insurer of last resort runs out of money to pay L.A. fire claims: In the aftermath of the fires, the FAIR plan will get a $1 billion bailout — the latest indication that California’s home insurance market is on shaky footing.

The electric future of snowmobiling: From power sports to watercraft, battery-powered recreation could save millions of allons of gasoline - and cut back on noise, fumes and pollution

Jordan, home to millions of Palestinians, fears Trump’s Gaza proposal: The push by Trump has turbocharged a reckoning over Jordan’s reliance on U.S. aid and revived existential questions over the country’s identity. - "If the United States were to cut aid to Jordan permanently, it would have 'dire consequences for the economy and human security,' said Dima Toukan, a nonresident scholar at the Middle East Institute. However, if the king were to compromise and accept Trump’s proposal, he risks energizing the growing opposition to his rule. In recent days, opposition figures from across the political spectrum have suggested that Jordan turn instead to China, Russia and wealthy Arab states for financial support and strategic alliances."

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 2024-04-23

NBA playoffs 2024: Why do so many players have beef with Rudy Gobert?

How a Tiny Inland Shorebird Could Help Save the Great Salt Lake: With half its surface area gone, the country’s largest saline lake is verging on collapse due to the region’s overuse of water and climate change, threatening the ecosystem, Salt Lake City and Wilson’s phalarope.

Restoring sight is possible now with optogenetics: People suffering from macular degeneration, along with other diseases that impair sight, may soon benefit from gene therapy

Your yard can help avert the insect apocalypse. Here’s how.: Welcome lacewings, sweat bees and lady beetles (back) into your life

Cornel West, focusing on Gaza, has harsh critiques for opponents, former allies

What happened to Tesla? Weak sales, layoffs and recalls weigh on outlook.: Just a few years ago, the company was flying high. Now, investors are contending with a grim earnings report Tuesday.

Australia’s prime minister calls Elon Musk an ‘arrogant billionaire’

Students rally, call for American University to divest from Israel

Here’s what happens when Formula 1 goes all-electric: Imagine an auto race with speed but no engine noise. That battery-powered vision is already here, with Formula E.

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 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 2021-09-24

Investigation into antisemitic symbols at AU ‘inconclusive,’ officials say: The markings included a swastika, a pair of SS Lightning Bolts — a white supremacist, neo-Nazi symbol — and a Star of David crossed out with an “X."

Opinion: American University sets a dangerous precedent: Antisemitism can wait

D.C. Auditor Looking Into Vision Zero Program, Which Has Only Reduced Traffic Fatality Total Once In Six Years

As eviction looms, unhoused people in Adams Morgan plaza say they’re being used by both sides in political tug of war

A Taliban founder says cutting off hands as punishment will be ‘necessary for security’

The Meaning of Yusuf/Cat Stevens: After a brilliant but turbulent career, he is reemerging on the public stage. How should we feel about him­ — and his music — now?

Al Franken has a new comedy tour. His targets? Former Senate colleagues.

Nine charts that show who’s winning the U.S.-China tech race: Chinese and American companies are locked in a hard-fought battle for technological primacy. Here’s a look at where that competition is headed.

Climate change lets mosquitoes flourish — and feast — in Los Angeles: Warmer weather has allowed the pesky bugs to multiply and thwart attempts to slow their spread

The world’s tallest populace is shrinking, and scientists want to know why

British police identify new suspect in Russian Novichok double-agent poisoning