So I read something...: Brexit

Showing posts with label Brexit. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Reading archive 2026-06-23

A new subscription model could make rooftop solar as easy as Netflix: The end of federal tax credits for rooftop solar and flexible new subscriptions have changed the pros and cons of leasing versus buying.

Two rich Democrats were friends. Now they are spending millions to attack each other.: Wine mogul David Trone is spending big in a comeback bid as wealthy incumbent April McClain Delaney aggressively defends her seat.

What Brexit really gave Britain: Leaving the European Union has made British politicians more accountable for the U.K.’s problems, which persist.

Democrats’ Great Alaskan Hope: Mary Peltola, the Democrat most likely to win a red-state Senate seat this year, is largely unknown outside her home state. That’s not a coincidence.

First the Kennedy Center, Now the Smithsonian: How long can the museum system’s leader, Lonnie Bunch, survive?

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Reading archive 2026-02-19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday, January 10, 2025

Reading archive 2025-01-10

Man who attacked D.C. pizza parlor in 2016 is killed by police in N.C.: Edgar Maddison Welch believed the “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory, fired shots inside Comet Ping Pong.

Md. Gov. Moore plans $2 billion in cuts, including climate programs: The state’s ambitious climate goals may be rolled back as officials tackle a budget crisis. Other details will be announced next week.

Trump’s tariffs will be costly, but that’s not the worst part: He has no coherent reason for implementing them, and many Americans will be worse off as a result.

Putin is setting a trap for Trump in Ukraine: The only way to compel Putin to make concessions is to increase the cost of his aggression.

Retired generals warn against giving D.C.’s fighter jets to Maryland: Former D.C. National Guard brass raised national security concerns about quickly transferring an elite fighter jet squadron as part of the RFK Stadium deal.

Toys are a scam Kids keep asking for them.: We keep buying them. And no one is playing with them. - "Every television commercial, every print ad, every retail experience elicits the same request: 'Can I have that?' My response is always the same: 'Put it on your list!' (Reader, there are no lists. Except for a couple of weeks before a birthday or holiday, these kids can’t be bothered. The rest of the year, their yearnings fly off like glitter in the wind.)"

The Story of Brexit is the Story of Empire: Why Did Asian Immigrants Vote to Leave the EU?: The complicated love-hate relationship of immigrants from former colonies with the British Empire cannot be ignored if lessons are to be learned in post-Brexit Britain, says Hardeep Matharu - "Although non-white groups were generally more pro-Remain than white British people, 'ethnic minorities showed a non-negligible level of support for leave, which was twice as high amongst Indians as amongst other minority groups', according to an one report on the matter.

...

"'There was a lining of xenophobia towards eastern Europeans among Asian and Afro-Caribbean communities. There was the perception that people from Europe have got a free pass to come here.'"

Texas lawmaker accuses state GOP chair of ethics violation over threats in House speaker race: Rep. Cody Harris filed a complaint against Texas GOP Chair Abraham George for sending mailers and censuring lawmakers who support Rep. Dustin Burrows as House speaker.

X suspends journalist after debunking theory Elon Musk fan account was Musk himself

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Reading archive 2024-12-03

Robert Kennedy Jr. despises glyphosate. How should Iowa farmers respond? | Opinion: By combining Kennedy’s passion for a cleaner, healthier world with farmers’ ingenuity and resilience, we can create a food system that works for everyone.

Devon fishermen left feeling 'betrayed' by Brexit: 'Brexit was sold to our fishermen as a golden opportunity, yet the truth is that many fishermen have experienced the complete opposite'

Trump deportation plan could target as many as 1.1 million people in Florida: Miami-Dade in particular could prove ground zero for Trump’s immigration policies. - "The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonprofit research organization, showed in a report earlier this year that an estimated 747,000 undocumented immigrants in Florida paid more than $1.8 billion in state and local taxes in 2022.

"Nationwide, almost $100 billion in federal, state and local taxes come from this shadowy labor force, surpassing the cost of government services received by these workers, the institute concluded."

Canadian Trump fans finally got it: ‘America First’ is ‘Canada Last’: The US president-elect has threatened tariffs and his Canadian followers are having trouble digesting that.

Easing the Biodiversity Crisis One Flowerpot at a Time

The U.S. Is Building an Early Warning System to Detect Geoengineering

Metro prepares to crack down on bus fare evasion: WMATA says new taller, tougher gates caused fare evasion on Metrorail to plummet; now it's turning its attention to Metrobus fare evaders

Monday, November 28, 2022

Reading archive 2022-11-28

Brexit has made Britain the sick man of Europe again

A Berlin subway stop is called ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin.’ Some Black Germans want change.

Opinion The West is finally waking up to the real problem in Iran

China’s rare protests spark demonstrations of solidarity around globe

Rare protests against China’s ‘zero covid’ policy erupt across country

Pressure builds to step up weapons tracking in Ukraine: Legislation would require greater scrutiny of the $20 billion in military aid President Biden has sent Ukraine, and it has bipartisan support - "Thus far, the Biden administration has resisted pressure to send inspectors or other military personnel too deeply into Ukraine, for fear of fomenting a wider conflict. According to U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters, American specialists currently conduct weapons inspections unarmed — a condition that would likely be unsustainable if they were sent closer to the front lines."

Twitter grapples with Chinese spam obscuring news of protests: For hours, links to adult content overwhelmed other posts from cities where dramatic rallies escalated - "SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter’s radically reduced anti-propaganda team grappled on Sunday with a flood of nuisance content in China that researchers said was aimed at reducing the flow of news about stunning widespread protests against coronavirus restrictions.

"Numerous Chinese-language accounts, some dormant for months or years, came to life early Sunday and started spamming the service with links to escort services and other adult offerings alongside city names."

Russia Actively Supplies Something From China With the An-124 Cargo Planes: Flights Conducted Almost Every Day

China Is Starting to Really Regret Its Friendship With Russia: Russia was not the first Chinese partner to believe it would win a very fast war and found itself in a hole, but China wasn’t usually pulled into it with them. - "China’s bet was that the world’s liberal democracies were on the wane, incapable of collective mobilization in the face of a common challenge. Instead, Beijing was watching the country that was supposed to be its great strategic asset helping to bring about precisely the coalitions and instruments of economic warfare it had sought to prevent."

On the edge of retreat: An island community moved to the mainland. Now the fast-rising sea is following — a warning for the rest of the East Coast.

Murder, fear and racist fliers in Fargo

Monday, August 15, 2022

Reading archive 2022-08-15

Dulles solar farm would be the nation’s largest at an airport: It would be among a growing number of airports to install solar arrays on otherwise undeveloped land

Giuliani is target in Georgia criminal probe of possible interference in 2020 election, lawyer says: Former lawyer to Trump expects to be in Atlanta to testify before grand jury, lawyer says.

Brexit is Boris Johnson’s singular achievement. How well is it working? - "It has signed trade agreements with more than 70 countries for a total value of $929 billion, the government says.

"Almost all the deals simply replicate the trade arrangements Britain had as a member of the E.U."

D.C. had a plan to end chronic homelessness. Why isn’t it working yet?

French bulldog taken at gunpoint in D.C. has been found dead: Police said Bruno was found in neighboring Prince George’s County. He was identified by his microchip.

Opinion Leaving with nuclear secrets would be Trump’s dumbest, scariest stunt yet

Liz Cheney’s political life is likely ending — and just beginning

The curious timing of Trump naming two allies to access his records

In America’s fastest-growing metro, a rising fear water will run out

Thursday, May 6, 2021

Reading archive 2021-05-06

Why Scotland’s Road to Independence Vote Is Rocky

Four months into Brexit, the UK and France have resorted to gunboat diplomacy over fish

They voted for Brexit. Now many U.K. fishermen feel betrayed.: Fishermen complain of broken government promises, while exporters say they are choking on red tape.

Caitlyn Jenner, speaking from her plane hangar, says friends are fleeing California because of homeless people - "As some critics pointed out on social media, however, Jenner herself appears to have competed in women’s golf events. In 2016, she competed in a major women’s golf tournament alongside likes of soccer star Abby Wambach.

...

"During her interview with Hannity, Jenner also blasted plans to build a high-speed rail in California — she can travel faster by plane, she noted — and said she supported forest management measures because she had managed to keep fire away from her Malibu mansion all on her own."

Opinion: Liz Cheney: The GOP is at a turning point. History is watching us. - "I am a conservative Republican, and the most conservative of conservative values is reverence for the rule of law. Each of us swears an oath before God to uphold our Constitution. The electoral college has spoken. More than 60 state and federal courts, including multiple Trump-appointed judges, have rejected the former president’s arguments, and refused to overturn election results. That is the rule of law; that is our constitutional system for resolving claims of election fraud."

A grandmother heard that a friend’s son was a Capitol rioter. Soon, the FBI heard as well.

National Guard soldier is fourth service member charged in Capitol riot

Despite GOP rhetoric, there have been fewer than two dozen charged cases of voter fraud since the election: One person has faced charges for every 10 million votes cast - "On Election Day last year, a man named Ralph Thurman allegedly walked into Sugartown Elementary School in Malvern, Pa., to cast his vote. He allegedly asked whether he needed to produce identification and was told he didn’t. He then allegedly asked if he could vote for his son and was told he couldn’t. He left.

"Forty-five minutes later, Thurman (again, allegedly) returned, wearing sunglasses. He claimed to be his son and asked for a ballot. Somehow, the people at the polling place saw through his scheme. Thurman faces felony fraud charges."

Chris Ruddy and Newsmax went all-in on Trump. Now they might pay a price for it. - "Long before the Trump era, Ruddy was best known as the young New York Post reporter probing the 1993 suicide of Clinton White House aide Vince Foster — and exploring the wilder, false claims that he had been murdered. His work made its mark: Brett M. Kavanaugh, then working for Kenneth Starr's investigation into the Lewinsky affair, circulated Ruddy's articles to lawyers who joined the team."

Chinese greenhouse gas emissions now larger than those of developed countries combined: China now accounts for 27 percent of global emissions, while the U.S. accounts for 11 percent

An Ohio freshman died after drinking a bottle of liquor in a frat hazing. Now 8 men face charges.

Opinion: Elise Stefanik is a perfect leader of today’s GOP. Her own statements show why. - "It’s often said that GOP voters believe the election was stolen from them. But there’s a reason for this: Their elites relentlessly told them so. They had a 'firehose of falsehoods blasted into their brains for months on end,' as Sean Illing memorably notes.

"Worse, those elites have cited those same public beliefs to justify taking action to invalidate legitimate results. And since then, they’ve kept telling their voters that they’re right to suspect something was amiss about the outcome, to justify voter suppression across the country."

Judge blasts Barr, Justice Dept. for ‘disingenuous’ handling of secret Trump obstruction memo

Why young people are using preventive Botox, and what they need to know

A narrow path for Biden’s ambitious land conservation plan: New “America the Beautiful” report offers few specifics on how to protect 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030

What’s with these invasive “crazy” worms and why can’t we get rid of them?: They reproduce without mating and are rapidly chewing through soil across the US. But there’s still a lot we don’t know about “jumping” worms.