Reading archive 2026-07-02

A designer tried to reclaim the American flag. Her liberal followers revolted.: The inclusive label Selkie created a line inspired by the Stars and Stripes, but the rollout did not go as planned.

Popular D.C. nightclub to pay $243,000 in worker rights settlement: The Park at 14th denied paid leave and retaliated against employees, according to an investigation by the D.C. attorney general’s office.

Perry: How should the U.S. remember its would-be autocrat once he leaves the White House?: Medieval Venice offers one answer for what to do with Trump’s image and name that he’s plastered everywhere.

Vatican excommunicates bishops of breakaway traditionalist sect: The sect, the Society of St. Pius X, defied a direct plea from Pope Leo XIV and sought to consecrate four bishops without the Vatican's approval.

Young Republican Activists Are Turning Against Trump: Conservative groups at colleges across the country want a far more radical GOP. - "Unlike mass deportations, blood-and-soil nationalism has never been a plank of Trump's America First platform. But for years, the president has embraced and indulged ethnonationalists-with his equivocating response to the 2017 white-nationalist rally in Charlottesville, his pardons of Proud Boys, a refugee policy that almost exclusively benefits white Afrikaners, and a White House social-media account that routinely invokes white-supremacist language. These forays into white-nationalist rhetoric and policy have aroused hopes among the far right for a more sweeping political transformation than Trump seems prepared to deliver. Now some young conservatives are searching for more extreme alternatives."

Something Is Happening in the Democratic Base: Voters are over moderates and incumbents. - "Rutinel, who is 31, is not nearly as far left as Kiros or Darializa Avila Chevalier, the candidate who toppled Espaillat, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, last week in New York City. (Rutinel touted an endorsement from Espaillat in his race.) Rutinel reportedly shifted his stance on a number of issues during the primary, moving away from progressive positions opposing fracking and supporting single-payer health care and student-debt cancellation. But some Democrats worry that those earlier views, as well as Rutinel's harsh critique of cattle farming - a big industry in the district - will make him a weaker choice than Bird in a general election."

There’s Nothing Democratic About These Socialists: The DSA was formed in opposition to the very thing it has become. - "The DSA, in fact, seems to despise the Democratic Party. Darializa Avila Chevalier has called Joe Biden a 'rapist' and wrote 'Fuck Kamala Harris' on social media. She proceeded to be nominated for a House race in New York last week by Democratic voters who presumably do not all share those feelings. The DSA now includes a growing caucus of supporters in Congress, has mayoral candidates well positioned to win in several big cities, and has plans to throw its weight behind a yet-to-be-determined presidential candidate in 2028. 

"The DSA's feelings about Democrats encompass not only the party's leadership but also the philosophical commitments that have guided it since the New Deal: a mixed economy undergirded by democratic values. Chevalier, for instance, joined a post-October 7 celebratory rally and portrayed Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a defensive response to Western 'bullying.' She previously called for seizing land and the means of production and has repeatedly praised communism.

...

"Under Republican presidencies, the DSA thrives on frustrated Democratic voters feeling that their party's leaders aren't fighting hard enough. During Democratic presidencies, which the DSA mostly spends denouncing the occupant of the Oval Office as a sellout, Democratic loyalists have less patience for factional complaints. Perversely, if the DSA's slew of police-abolitionist, Hamas-apologizing candidates were to cost Democrats Congress in 2026 or the presidency in 2028, the group's goal of discrediting and replacing the Democratic Party's leadership would get easier, not harder. One can easily imagine a feedback loop in which DSA influence makes it harder for Democrats to win back moderate and Republican-leaning voters, causing the party to lose, causing its base to grow more distrustful of the party's leaders, thus making them more likely to nominate DSA candidates."

Putin Is Slipping Into Delusion: The Russian dictator remains obsessed with his war in Ukraine but doesn’t seem to comprehend how badly it’s going.

Reading archive 2026-06-07

Democrats’ midterm ‘blue wave’ dreams face an icy challenge: Negative partisanship rules as voters mildly like their own party but detest the opposition.

Flesh-eating screwworm found in Texas, sparking fears for U.S. cattle: The parasite was found in a 3-week-old calf decades after it was largely eradicated in the U.S. Authorities said the risk to humans is low.

The four Republicans who broke with Trump on Iran and now face his wrath: There are still hurdles before Congress could force the president to end hostilities, but the House resolution reflects lawmakers' growing impatience, including within Trump's own party.

Archbishop removes D.C. priest as exorcist for saying UFOs are demons: Monsignor Stephen Rossetti had been an archdiocesan exorcist in Washington for nearly two decades.

China’s Economy Is Taking Everyone Down: American and Chinese workers are paying a high price for all the cheap goods.

Political dynasties carry new baggage as voters vilify the elite: Family names have long given candidates a boost. In the era of No Kings, they can also make for an easy attack.

The Left Needs to Rediscover Its Patriotism: A left that rejects a hopeful, empathetic love of the United States can never win the country to its side.

The Real Problem With the Democrats’ Ground Game: Democratic organizers are hesitant to admit when get-out-the-vote efforts don’t work. One group is trying to change that.

Red Tape Isn’t the Only Reason America Can’t Build: The failure to deploy rural broadband has become synonymous with excessive bureaucracy. The real story is more complicated. - "The lesson of rural broadband is that some government failures are due not to procedural excess, but to giving up on regulatory tools that might antagonize Big Business. ... It's tempting to think that America can learn how to build again without having to wage difficult battles against powerful corporate interests, simply by eliminating bureaucratic red tape. But if efficient building were really so easy, we'd already be doing it."

The FBI’s Leaders ‘Have No Idea What They’re Doing’: A casualty of Trump’s purge speaks out.

Can San Francisco Be Saved?: Introducing No Easy Fix, a new three-part miniseries from Radio Atlantic, about the widespread addiction and homelessness that threaten the city’s future

Why South Park Did an About-Face on Mocking Trump: The show’s creators once said they had nothing more to say about the president. What changed their minds?

Reading archive 2026-05-01

 I Turned Our Lawn Into a Meadow: And it’s been awesome.

A Catholic case against lawns: Catholic social teaching offers a framework for rethinking the use of outdoor space to nurture the shared flourishing of all creation. - "Lawn culture represents a mindset of control, consumption, and individualism. Lawns reflect not only questions about sustainability and creation care, but they also raise issues about wealth and human dignity and the use of resources that could benefit the common good. Catholic social teaching offers Catholics a framework for rethinking the use of lawn space not only to protect the environment but to nurture the shared flourishing of all creation."

Will labor unions destroy D.C. transit?: Quality is relatively high — at an unsustainable price.

Does drinking water prevent kidney stones? Here’s what experts say." Increased hydration is considered the best way to prevent kidney stones. A new study suggests it’s not that easy. May 1, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. EDT

Trump’s border wall expansion just bulldozed an ancient tribal site: Construction in the Arizona desert damaged an enormous Indigenous ground etching resembling a fish that is thought to be at least 1,000 years old. - "The Department of Homeland Security has issued waivers so that border wall construction does not have to follow laws that protect the environment or Indigenous sites, which normally require extensive study and planning to limit damages."

A long-standing Senate tradition is being quietly undermined: Senate Majority Leader John Thune has resisted Trump’s pleas to kill the filibuster, but Republicans circumvented it in trying to fund immigration enforcement agencies.

Trump’s allies float a specious theory about treaties: Another dubious attempt to justify aggrandizing power in the executive branch. - "The 'unitary executive theory' is an idea percolating in America’s political and judicial debates. Its radicalism includes insistence that the president may unilaterally withdraw the nation from treaties to which the Senate has consented."

America’s obesity problem isn’t about costs. We just love junk food.: Junk food is cheaper than healthful food, but a new study reinforces taste preferences play a bigger role than prices. - "Researchers recruited Type 2 diabetes patients who were at risk of food insecurity. Their average BMI was 36, which is classified as obese. All participants got standard-issue diabetes care information, but one group was also given a 'produce prescription,' a debit card good for $80 per month of fruits, vegetables or legumes. 

"The hypothesis was that access to free produce would improve the diets, and therefore some of the health metrics, of the group that got the prescription. 

"But it didn’t."

Reading archive 2026-04-19

Ukraine Has Finally Given Up on Trump: Zelensky has written off the United States.

In Angola, love for an American pope but not for an American president: In Luanda, Catholics expressed love and admiration for Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, but not so much for President Trump because of the war in Iran.

Reading archive 2026-04-13

Car with more than $260K in unpaid tickets towed in DC: The Maryland car had racked up nearly 900 unpaid tickets.

Menace on the Streets: E-bikes and e-scooters are remaking the rules of the road. Canada’s cities aren’t ready.

In 1990, a bipartisan Congress passed historic bills. Then it cracked apart.: 36 years ago, a Republican president and Democratic lawmakers produced monumental laws. Now a broken Congress has enabled Trump to undo key parts of that legacy.

A new poll shows the political risk to Israel from the war in Iran: Launching the attack was a big gamble with American opinion that isn’t paying off.

After record highs, Colorado’s legal pot market hits a harsh comedown: Oversupply and competition from other states have helped upend the nation’s first legal cannabis market.

On Africa trip, Pope Leo will face debate over polygamy as Catholicism booms: Leo’s early papacy has been defined largely by his response to President Donald Trump but a 10-day trip, starting Monday, will let the pope focus on spreading the faith. - "In recent years, Africa’s Catholic bishops have become increasingly assertive. They rebelled in 2023 when Francis explicitly allowed priests to offer brief blessings to people in same-sex couples, issuing an official rejection of his ruling on a continent where homosexuality in some nations is punishable by death.

"Now, they are pushing for their own dispensation, pressing the Vatican to embrace pastoral outreach for polygamists — more prevalent in some African nations than anywhere else."

D.C. mayoral candidates want to build more housing — but investors don’t: Plans by Janeese Lewis George and Kenyan R. McDuffie to increase the housing supply and lower costs for renters are different in scope, but they face the same hurdles.

Bowser’s final D.C. budget includes $469M in cuts amid tough fiscal picture: Mayor Muriel Bowser’s $21.2 billion budget proposal would put off pay raises for firefighters and cut a program that boosts early childhood educator pay.

Claude Mythos Is Everyone’s Problem: What happens when AI can hack everything?

What China Just Learned From the Iran War: A blockade of Taiwan would hurt the global economy more than Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. - "The war in Iran has flipped this argument on its head. As seems clear from Tuesday night's truce, an authoritarian regime far weaker than China can use global supply chains as leverage and, in the process, force the U.S. to back away from its threats. By closing the Strait of Hormuz, Iran caused the average price of gas in the U.S. to shoot up by nearly 40 percent, piling political pressure on Trump to end the war as soon as possible. A Pew Research Center poll conducted at the end of March found that gas prices were the biggest concern among Americans when it came to the war in Iran, well above the chance of 'large numbers of U.S. military casualties.'"

A Cancer Treatment That Does More Than Scientists Thought: CAR-T cell therapy, originally developed for cancer, is showing ever more promise as a treatment for autoimmune diseases.

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 2026-02-02

What I discovered about Josh Shapiro at the Pennsylvania Farm Show: The governor champions a 67-county strategy to win voters in a critical battleground state.

Millions of gallons of sewage spilled into the Potomac. Here’s what we know.: Experts say clean up efforts could reach $10 million and environmentalists worry about impact to wildlife.

Trump wants to build a 250-foot-tall arch, dwarfing the Lincoln Memorial: The president is eyeing a plot of land near Memorial Bridge. The art critic who proposed the idea called for a smaller arch or for Trump to pick a new site.

Minneapolis’ Hotel Workers Are on Edge: Staff across the city told NOTUS how their lives have changed since the start of the federal immigration operation. “It’s frightening,” one said. - "The first woman, a foreign-born naturalized U.S. citizen, resents how her undocumented coworkers spend their days cleaning the rooms of agents who are 'hunting down their family members.'

"'When I see them in the hallways, they avert their gaze,' she said of the federal agents in her hotel. 'They know what they’re doing is shameful. They’re nearly all Hispanic, but they don’t speak Spanish! They’re the children of illegals. But they forgot where they came from.'

"A third woman at yet another hotel, who’s undocumented, said she observed what she called the 'typical' racial labor dynamic: a few polite white supervisors commanding Latino men. 

"'The supervisors are respectful. The agents — they aren’t really officers. These are delinquents,' she said.

For traditional Catholics, Charlotte Communion dispute is a battle line: A Charlotte bishop issued an edict about the preferred way to perform the sacrament: standing up. The backlash was fierce and speaks to a broader fight within the U.S. Catholic community.

The real reasons Sundance’s legendary film fest is done with Park City: Next year’s move to Boulder was foreshadowed by red flags and rising costs.

Inside Musk’s bet to hook users that turned Grok into a porn generator: Under pressure to boost its popularity, Elon Musk’s xAI loosened its guardrails and relaxed controls on sexual content, setting off internal concern.

Why do dead leaves stay on trees during winter?: Scientists are investigating the reasons some plants still wear last season’s tattered clothes.

Reading archive 2025-09-08

LGBTQ+ pilgrimage to Rome could test Pope Leo on gay Catholics: Under Pope Francis, the Vatican approved an improbable LGBTQ+ pilgrimage, but the views of Leo XIV, on an issue that has long divided the Catholic church, are not yet clear.

I gave this popular D.C. restaurant zero stars in 2016. Has it improved?: Our food critic returns to the scene of a culinary crime — Founding Farmers — for a pulse check.

Meet the Rugged Guys of the 2026 midterms: They’re bearded, tattooed veterans, and they’re running for Senate. Could they help break the GOP’s grip on Washington?

Here’s a source for critical minerals — hiding in plain sight: The federal government should invest in ways to recover what mines are already producing. - "Every year, metal mines in the U.S. excavate and process millions of tons of rock to extract a handful of primary metals, such as copper, iron, gold, silver, zinc, nickel and molybdenum. The rock is ground into tiny particles and processed with chemicals or heat; then the leftovers are dumped into waste sites. This potentially toxic material must be stored and monitored in perpetuity. 

"Today, most mining operations extract just a small percentage of what is in the rock: copper at about 0.5 percent, gold at around 0.0001 percent. Everything else is left unrecovered, including critical minerals that the American economy desperately needs, such as rare earths, gallium, germanium, nickel and cobalt. 

"But there’s a better way: It’s possible to extract more critical minerals during the process, like squeezing more juice out of a lemon before throwing it away. Doing so would provide domestic resources and leave behind cleaner, more stable waste that is easier to repurpose."

Critics say she’s appeasing Trump. D.C.’s mayor says she’s out to win." Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) believes her order establishing long-term cooperation with federal authorities has staved off an extended White House takeover of D.C. police. Some say she should have pushed back.

What Russia and Ukraine each think happens next in the war: Windows into each side’s strategies make one thing clear: The fighting is probably far from over.

The U.S. could tumble into recession before seeing Trump’s promised golden age: The U.S. economy is at risk of entering a recession before President Trump’s promised golden age, with weak job growth and high inflation blamed on his policies.

Aging homes are crumbling across the U.S. Should government pay to fix them?: The average age of a U.S. home is now 40 years old. Homes tend to be the oldest in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic states and along the Appalachian Mountains.

Reading archive 2025-17-18

The Paramount comics, Colbert and Stewart, are sharp critics of the '60 Minutes' deal: Stephen Colbert returned from vacation loaded for bear - "'I am offended,' Colbert said in his monologue Monday night. 'I don’t know if anything — anything — will repair my trust in this company. But, just taking a stab at it, I’d say $16 million would help.'"

Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ canceled by CBS, to end in May 2026: The announcement came days after Colbert spoke out against the $16 million settlement paid by CBS News parent Paramount to settle a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump.

The end of Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ has implications beyond late-night TV: The comedian has criticized CBS parent company Paramount Global for settling its lawsuit with President Donald Trump.

What made ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ special, in six clips Colbert, whose long-running show will be canceled in May, managed to break through the trappings of late-night TV to charm and surprise his audience

In Epstein Case, Follow the Money, Democratic Senator Says: Senator Ron Wyden has found that four banks waited until Mr. Epstein’s arrest on federal charges to flag $1.5 billion in suspicious transactions. Mr. Wyden wants the documents made public.

The best TV show I’ve seen in a decade: Give ‘Adolescence’ all the Emmys.

DOGE Put Free Tax Filing Tool on Chopping Block After One Meeting With Lobbyists: A key operative from DOGE initiated plans to potentially kill Direct File, the free tax filing tool developed by the IRS, after offering assurances it would be spared from cuts.

Activists try to preserve IRS’s Direct File now that Trump has ended it: The program offered free tax filing for two years under Biden. Republicans shut it down, but a small group hopes to keep the code around for a future administration to use.

Israel strikes the Gaza church the pope used to call nightly, killing 3 The Rev. Gabriel Romanelli of the Church of the Holy Family used to speak every night with Pope Francis before the pontiff’s death.

In reversal, senators advance FBI’s planned move to Reagan Building in D.C.: Maryland leaders tried to prohibit the FBI from financing the relocation with money designated for a suburban campus in Greenbelt --- but Sen. Lisa Murkowski changed her stance.

D.C. protesters try a different tactic for spreading their message: Umbrellas

Attorney General Bondi expected to seek release of Epstein grand jury testimony The attorney general said she would ask a court Friday to unseal pertinent grand jury records. That’s a portion of what would be included in the Justice Department’s broader investigative file.

America, meet the Trump-Mamdani voter: Yes, such a person exists. Should anyone be surprised?

Kansas City poured millions into a grocery store. It still may close. More cities and states are experimenting with the concept of city-owned grocery stores, but these experiments often don’t account for social issues. - "At a community meeting last year, Pierson played videos of security incidents so graphic he gave a warning in advance — a naked woman parading through the store throwing bags of chips to the ground, another person urinating in the vestibule and a couple fornicating on the lawn of the library in broad daylight.

..

"Part of the problem is the city’s lack of a jail, Young said. The left-leaning council closed the previous facility in 2009 as a cost-saving measure — a move the Kansas City Star has called a '$250 million mistake' — and so people arrested for minor crimes are quickly released instead of being held in rural counties miles away."

Most warming this century may be due to air pollution cuts: Satellite data suggests cloud darkening is responsible for much of the warming since 2001, and the good news is that it is a temporary effect due to a drop in sulphate pollution

Everyone’s the hero of their own story: How to comprehend the incomprehensible - "If your goal is to actually change someone’s mind — not just to feel like you won, or produce a nice YouTube clip, but to actually change their mind — then you should be operating in the conversation as if you’re talking to the hero of the story, who is basically good but has been misled."

EU Approves 18th Round of Sanctions Against Russia

Reading archive 2025-05-12 pt 1

Ruben Gallego’s tough talk in Pennsylvania visit adds to 2028 chatter: Democrats are hoping to tap into the Arizona senator’s playbook to win back working-class voters far beyond his home state.

More alternatives to knee replacement surgery are emerging: Physicians caution that the treatments aren’t permanent fixes, but they may work well for some.

RIP American innovation: Why destroy the funding that made the United States a leader in technology and invention? - "Giving out grants for what might look frivolous or wasteful on the surface is a feature, not a bug, of publicly funded research. Consider that Agriculture Department and NIH grants to study chemicals in wild yams led to cortisone and medical steroids becoming widely affordable. Or that knowing more about the fruit fly has aided discoveries related to human aging, Parkinson’s disease and cancer."

Democrat Spanberger: No right-to-work repeal in Virginia, but maybe ‘reform’: Gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger (D) told a Richmond TV station she would not sign a repeal of right-to-work; GOP rival Winsome Earle-Sears doesn’t believe her.

Attorney general’s brother vies to lead D.C. Bar, upending contest: Bar elections have drawn triple the turnout of a typical cycle with weeks left to vote, animated by the candidacies of two lawyers connected to Trump appointees.

Trump claims prices are down. Here’s what the data actually shows.: While prices for certain goods have declined, inflation remained elevated even before tariffs show up in the data.

There are big, ugly problems at the center of the House budget bill: Republicans have created impossible restraints on their tax-and-budget package.

Biden goes public in attacking Trump — and defending himself: His appearances come amid Trump’s attacks, critical books and residual anger from Democrats.

This is the view from Kyiv: President Donald Trump’s turn toward Moscow hasn’t changed the moral calculus for Ukraine.

Plagiarizing Independent Journalists Is Part of Mainstream Media’s Business - "Plagiarism is shockingly common in mainstream media, especially at the New York Times."

Japan Threatens Their Nuclear Option in Trump’s Trade War - "America’s largest foreign holder of US Treasuries has always been loath to even consider the notion of selling the immense amount of US debt they hold, but Trump has upended every kind of precedent imaginable, and now the financial world’s nuclear option has firmly been put on the table."

The Conclave Just Did the Unthinkable: What an American pope means for the Catholic Church and the world

Trump’s Inevitable Betrayal of His Supporters: Trump never meant to keep his promises. His voters are starting to notice.

Just Don’t Call Her Unqualified: Jeanine Pirro, Trump’s nominee for U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., is a real prosecutor. She’s also a real MAGA partisan.

Reading archive 2025-05-08

The Huge, Under-the-Radar Shift Happening in the West Bank: Over the past few months, an Israeli military operation has displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians in West Bank cities. Some Palestinians fear it may be laying the ground to annex the territory.

At This Humble Used Car Lot, Tariffs are Beginning to Sting: Antonio Austin is trying to hold his car business together as President Trump's tariffs drive up costs - and drive his customers deeper into crisis.

Pro-Palestinian Activists Gave Trump a Boost. They Have No Regrets.: Groups that rallied against Biden and Harris say they’d do it all over again. - "To Democratic leaders, the fact that these activists continue to push the party even after they helped (to some degree) facilitate its loss of power has been a source of immense irritation. While Biden could hardly step outside the White House during his last year in office without being confronted by pro-Palestine activists—and Harris was frequently interrupted by protesters on the campaign trail—it has not gone unnoticed that Trump rarely, if ever, faces a heckle. No demands are being made for him to call for a ceasefire. No threats are being made to ensure that the Arab and Muslim voters who supported his campaign stay home or switch back in 2028. 

"Activists say the reason for this is that they do not have the same juice within the Republican party as they do among Democrats, and have little ability to influence Trump’s policy approach. So they continue to focus on the party where their influence remains. And they feel vindicated by news developments and stray comments, like when Michael Herzog, the former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., said in an interview this week with an Israeli news program that the Biden administration 'never' demanded a ceasefire." [ed, note: they've got no juice with me]

Trump family's net worth has increased by $2.9 billion thanks to crypto investments, new report says - "As the president's investments in crypto have grown, the Securities and Exchange Commission has paused investigations into a dozen crypto companies since his inauguration, a CBS News analysis found."

GOP fight over state and local tax deduction slows Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’: A small band of GOP members representing districts in blue states wants to raise the limit on federal tax deductions for state and local taxes.

Virginia man who bankrolled ISIS erupts in court, gets 30-year prison term: At an explosive sentencing hearing, Mohammed Chhipa denounced the government, and his brother was subdued and arrested by U.S. marshals.

He was filming a prank for TikTok, friends told deputies. A man shot him.: Authorities on Tuesday charged a man with second-degree murder in the death of Michael Bosworth Jr., hours before the Virginia teen’s senior prom.

A killer hid in plain sight for 23 years. This is how police found him.: Eugene Gligor, 45, pleaded guilty Wednesday in a Maryland courtroom to the 2001 murder of Leslie Preer in her Chevy Chase home.

Tourist’s charge of $1,200 for candy leads to police raid, den of illicit goods: Authorities have cracked down on stores selling American candy on London’s Oxford Street, saying some also sell fake or dangerous goods and dodge taxes.

American-born Cardinal Robert F. Prevost is elected pope: The “Latin Yankee,” as he is known in Rome, worked 20 years in Peru’s poorest enclave and even became a naturalized citizen there.

Reading archive 2025-05-06

Trump tariffs set off doubts — even in Rust Belt area he pledged to restore: Many people in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley — a major Rust Belt manufacturing hub in an election-deciding swing state — are skeptical that the president can deliver.

The group chats that changed America

Vulnerable Iowa Farmers Now Face Perils of Trump's Trade War: With high costs and low prices for their crops, soybean and corn farmers were already nervous as they planned for planting season this year. Tariffs aren't helping.

Trump tariffs set off doubts — even in Rust Belt area he pledged to restore: Many people in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley — a major Rust Belt manufacturing hub in an election-deciding swing state — are skeptical that the president can deliver.

From prosperity to austerity: Trump’s tone shifts ahead of tariff impacts: Trump has long promised to unleash a “golden age.” Now he is warning that Americans may have to cut back. - "Former Rep. Justin Amash (R-Michigan), a longtime critic of Trump, posted on social media several weeks ago: 'GOP in 2010: Stop the socialists! GOP in 2025: the conveniences of modern life are overrated. We will reorder the economy and redistribute wealth. Your losses are a small sacrifice for the glory of the nation!'"

Trump demands wartime sacrifices — just not for himself: Americans likely do not have the stomach for such austerity.

Zuckerberg’s new Meta AI app gets personal in a very creepy way: Meta’s chatbot remembers everything, even what you might not want it to.

How do I get rid of my dark circles? Try these simple tricks.: A cold tea bag or spoon can help reduce swelling under your eyes.

Big brands distance themselves from Pride events amid DEI rollback: LGBTQ+ celebrations coast to coast are facing funding shortfalls as corporate sponsors cut back. And even backers are electing to be “silent partners.”

Bowser wants to repeal 2022 law passed by voters on tipped minimum wage: The budget proposal is part of a broader effort to make D.C. more business-friendly in the face of a struggling economy.

The future of Metro is the bus: Forget about expensive new train lines, officials say. Not everyone is happy. - "'We’re spending hand over fist more than other countries in similar economic circumstances, and that’s not purely about the cost of labor or the cost of materials. It’s that … we’ve created an industry of vetoes that are available to anyone who objects,' Dunkelman said. 'Should we lower our aspirations knowing our process is screwed up or should we change the process so we can get more optimal solutions?'"

If you haven’t been worrying about AI, it’s time to start preparing Yes, AI will disrupt society and work, but it’s not doomsday.

Real-Life Conclave Rivals Drama of Movie Version: Infighting, smear campaigns, papal letters from beyond the grave: The conclave is giving the film a run for its money.

"you're so NOT protecting the dolls": On the flattening of conversations like supporting the transgender community and a meditation on the incoming great Millennial pivot. - "But Pedro? That’s different. It’s very political to be photographed in 2025, days after a country rules out a group of people, to articulate support in ways that translates in multiple mediums at an event sponsored by Disney. That is using your platform effectively. That is the least one can do which, like Conner Ives, has resulted in raising tens of thousands of dollars to support the cause. Yes, it speaks to pretty privilege confusing bricks and dolls and, yes, more must be done than donning shirts or else we fall into black squares. Connect the dolls to their dreams! How and why is protection needed? Literally speak up for trans people. Defend them! Love them! Treat them as people! That is what the shirt aspires to but, somehow, it got caught in the modern trap of leftist infighting relating to everything from “Kamala is a cop. All politicians are bad!” to “Millennials are cringe and you should hate them.”: it cheapens intent and blunts action by focusing on purity over potential power, opting for very Democrat half-lifing of movements by over-intellectualizing plurality. “There’s room for everybody: let’s just say that,” Gia Gunn once said."

How M.L.M. world works on Instagram and TikTok - "The main difference between the in-person pitches of the 1970s and the video pitches of the 2020s is that technology makes it a lot easier to lie about the opportunity of a lifetime at scale."

U.S. Chamber of Commerce asks Trump for tariff exclusions to ‘stave off a recession’

Texas’s Crypto-Mining Racket: Public officials are propping up a Texas Bitcoin boom that’s threatening water and energy systems while afflicting locals with noise pollution.

Trump Will Regret Messing With Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers: The president’s bully politics are blowing up on him internationally, and threats to arrest a Midwestern governor will produce domestic blowback.

Just for a second I thought I remembered you: Being compelled to ask yet again, Are friends electric? - "The latest candidate for the canon is Zuckerberg’s claim on a podcast this week (detailed by 404 Media here) that 'the average American has, I think, it’s fewer than three friends, and the average person has demand for meaningfully more. I think it's something like 15 friends or something.' He says that 'people just don't have as much connection as they want,' and suggests technology can remedy the deficit by simulating it. The aim telegraphed by these inept statements is Meta’s hope to replace human friends with chatbot products under the auspices of combating 'the loneliness epidemic.'"

Will China Escalate?: Despite Short-Term Stability, the Risk of Military Crisis Is Rising - "The reelection of U.S. President Donald Trump did little to shake Beijing’s optimism that it can navigate continued threats from the United States, secure a lasting equilibrium, and vie for global supremacy. And Trump’s early second-term actions have strengthened Beijing’s conviction that the United States is accelerating its own decline, bringing a new era of parity ever closer. The perception that China likely does not face an existential threat from the United States has had a stabilizing effect on policy in Beijing, which has responded to Trump’s escalation of trade tensions in April with patience, anticipating that Trump will eventually lower U.S. tariffs in an attempt to reach an agreement."

How to Prepare for the Trumpcession: I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m stocking up on ibuprofen. - "Something stranger than a recession is brewing too. Fewer container ships are leaving Shanghai and Shenzhen. Fewer container ships are docking in Seattle, Tacoma, Los Angeles, and Oakland. The West Coast longshore union is warning of mass layoffs, given the decline in import volume. A link in the supply chain has broken, and I expect others to crack soon: freight haulers, trucking companies, last-mile contractors, delivery drivers."

Don’t Look at Stock Markets. Look at the Ports.: A drop in maritime traffic suggests that the worst is yet to come.

The ‘Significant Risk’ That Republicans Tank the Economy: How the GOP’s indecision in Congress could crash the markets

The U.S. Threat Looming Over Canada: The consequences if Trump followed through on his belligerent rhetoric about a “51st state” would be catastrophic. - "The definitive end of the status quo came with the president's casual comment that he would sell only deliberately downgraded F-47s to allies who purchased American military hardware, 'because someday, maybe they're not our allies.' From that point on, spending on equipment from the American military-industrial complex is a form of national suicide for any country in the free world. Canada could no longer comfortably sit within the American military sphere.

Reading archive 2025-04-11 pt 1

This Is Why Dictatorships Fail: The authors of the Constitution separated powers for a reason. - "More than two centuries later, the system created by that first Constitutional Congress has comprehensively failed. The people and institutions that are supposed to check executive power are refusing to restrain this president. We now have a de facto tyrant who thinks he can bend reality to his will without taking any facts or any evidence into consideration, and without listening to any contrary views. And although the economic damage he has caused is easier to measure, he has inflicted the same level of harm to scientific research, to civil liberties, to health care, and to the civil service.

...

"But in the past 48 hours, Donald Trump has just given us a pitch-perfect demonstration of why legislatures are necessary, why checks and balances are useful, and why most one-man dictatorships become poor and corrupt. If the Republican Party does not return Congress to the role it is meant to play and the courts don't constrain the president, this cycle of destruction will continue and everyone on the planet will pay the price."

Buy now or wait? What to know as tariffs loom on food, tech, apparel: President Trump’s tariffs on China could raise the costs of groceries, clothing, electronics and various other products, analysts say.

Fearing paper on evolution might get them deported, scientists withdrew it: President Donald Trump’s orders haven’t targeted research involving evolution, but the authors’ unease about publishing reflects uncertainty in the science world.

How JD Vance, a ‘baby Catholic,’ stumbled into a clash with the pope: The first Catholic convert elected to the vice presidency has provoked an extraordinary string of conflicts within the church he joined six years ago.

Child accidentally fires gun in backpack at Maryland elementary school: The incident, in Charles County, marked the second time this week that a pistol went off in the backpack of an elementary school pupil in the Washington area.

As WorldPride DC approaches, international LGBTQ+ groups voice concerns: The groups cited the Trump administration’s recent attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion and transgender rights.

Green and yellow pollen slicks hit local rivers and Chesapeake Bay: The pollen count hit high levels in March with warmer weather, but April’s cooler temperatures and drizzling rain should help to lower it.

Trade Wars Are Easy to Lose: Beijing Has Escalation Dominance in the U.S.-China Tariff Fight - "In 2024, U.S. exports of goods and services to China were $199.2 billion, and imports from China were $462.5 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $263.3 billion. To the degree that the bilateral trade balance predicts which side will “win” in a trade war, the advantage lies with the surplus economy, not the deficit one. China, the surplus country, is giving up sales, which is solely money; the United States, the deficit country, is giving up goods and services it does not produce competitively or at all at home. Money is fungible: if you lose income, you can cut back spending, find sales elsewhere, spread the burden across the country, or draw down savings (say, by doing fiscal stimulus).

...

"The United States will face shortages of critical inputs ranging from basic ingredients of most pharmaceuticals to inexpensive semiconductors used in cars and home appliances to critical minerals for industrial processes including weapons production. The supply shock from drastically reducing or zeroing out imports from China, as Trump purports to want to achieve, would mean stagflation, the macroeconomic nightmare seen in the 1970s and during the COVID pandemic, when the economy shrank and inflation rose simultaneously. In such a situation, which may be closer at hand than many think, the Federal Reserve and fiscal policymakers are left with only terrible options and little chance of staving off unemployment except by further raising inflation."

The Tariff Saga Is About One Thing - "The fundamental truth of Donald Trump is that he apparently cannot conceive of any relationship between individuals, peoples or states as anything other than a status game, a competition for dominance. His long history of scams and hostile litigation — not to mention his frequent refusal to pay contractors, lawyers, brokers and other people who were working for him — is evidence enough of the reality that a deal with Trump is less an agreement between equals than an opportunity for Trump to abuse and exploit the other party for his own benefit. For Trump, there is no such thing as a mutually beneficial relationship or a positive-sum outcome. In every interaction, no matter how trivial or insignificant, someone has to win, and someone has to lose. And Trump, as we all know, is a winner."

The platforms cash in their chips with Trump: From Meta to Nvidia, tech CEOs are paying the president to get the outcomes they want — and it's working - "'I was a megadonor to the Democrats,' said Palihapitiya, now himself a billionaire and the founder of Social Capital. 'I couldn't get a phone call returned from the White House to save my life … The Trump administration is totally different. There's not a single person there you can't get on the phone and talk to.'

...

"It’s a shock to see such a self-styled China hawk slapping the country with the largest tariffs in decades on one hand, while slipping them the chips necessary to build high-end AI systems on the other. And while [Nvidia's] H20 seems unlikely to be decisive in China’s ability to catch up to US progress in AI development, the way that Chinese companies are clamoring for it in the wake of DeepSeek’s success suggests it remains extremely valuable."

A visual guide to the elected officials who fly Christian nationalist flags at the Capitol

Reading archive 2025-02-03 pt 1

Emails detail Saints' assistance to New Orleans Archdiocese in sexual abuse scandal

House GOP nears plan for Trump’s agenda — but may not have the votes: Republicans will attempt a tax and spending bill that will not require substantial budget cuts, but there may be serious math problems ahead.

Justice Department orders FBI purge, review of staff who touched Jan. 6 cases: Leaders appointed by the Trump administration are identifying potentially hundreds of FBI agents for possible termination, said people familiar with the plan.

As DOJ probes FBI’s Jan. 6 work and weighs firings, agents told to detail roles: FBI employees must explain in a questionnaire by Monday whether they were involved in the surveillance, arrest or trial of a Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot suspect.

Musk aides gain access to sensitive Treasury Department payment system: The access — granted by Scott Bessent, Trump’s newly confirmed treasury secretary — comes after the ousting of the agency’s top career official.

Trump opened the ‘valve’ on California water. It will probably be wasted.: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released reservoir water to meet Trump’s recent directive to funnel more water to Southern California. - "Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) called the water releases 'uncoordinated and unwarranted,' writing on X that it’s 'not being directed to LA where the fires are contained. And now, it won’t be available when farmers need it in summer.'"

D.C. sees neighborhood revival in Trump plan to downsize federal footprint: Local and Trump officials are looking to work together to turn obsolete federal buildings into a new neighborhood in Southwest D.C.

How Trump could transform D.C. real estate, from downtown to design: The longtime real estate developer’s campaign pledges and early actions as president portend changes to the District’s physical landscape.

D.C. Council is set to expel Trayon White. Some say that’s an overreach.: As the council appears set to expel White, lawmakers face questions from constituents about acting before his case has been adjudicated, and potentially overriding the will of voters. - "The council was on the verge of removing Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) during a 2019 ethics scandal, but he resigned before the vote. White himself was on the council committee that voted unanimously to recommend expulsion, even though Evans was never charged with a crime."

Ex-Federal Reserve adviser indicted on charge of economic espionage: John H. Rogers is accused of leaking inside information, briefing books from the Fed to two Chinese co-conspirators.

With tariffs and threats, Trump turns on America’s closest allies: Critics warn his posture could embolden China to expand ties to Latin American countries, and Russia to continue advances in Ukraine. - "'We — Americans — do not want to now join [Russian President Vladimir] Putin in trying to pull apart a sovereign country,' Michael McFaul, an ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama, wrote on Substack. 'Not only would that embolden Putin’s claim in eastern Ukraine … but greenlight [Chinese President Xi Jinping]’s seizing of Taiwan. If we think we need Greenland for national security, Xi can easily argue that he needs Taiwan.' 

"One senior European security official warned that an aggressive approach from Washington could easily backfire. 

"If the United States 'is not going to help Europe with Russia, Europe will not be able to help the U.S. with China,' the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to speak frankly about frustrations with Washington. 'Better work together.'"

Democrats are in trouble, and a provocative analysis offers ideas to repair the party: A tough new assessment says the Democratic Party needs to reassess the loss of support among groups of voters it has long taken for granted.

In a first, scientists find microplastics are building up deep in our brains: A new study shows that microplastics have crossed the blood-brain barrier -- and that their numbers are rising. - "In one study from Ross and other University of Rhode Island researchers, mice were given water laced with tiny polystyrene particles, the same type of plastic that is used in plastic foam and yogurt containers. After just three weeks of exposure, the mice demonstrated cognitive changes — including changes in the brain consistent with early markers of Alzheimer’s."

You could be spreading ‘forever chemicals’ on your garden. Here’s how to protect yourself.: What does the new EPA warning about PFAS-laden sludge in fertilizer mean for home gardeners? Here’s what you need to know.

Thinking Under Fascism: (Feels Like Hearing Under Water)

Extra Extra! Genocide!: The making of the New York War Crimes

Trump threatens to cut U.S. aid to South Africa over land law: Trump’s comments waded into a sensitive racial issue and deepened already sharp divisions between the United States and South Africa. - "Since 1994, the government has sought to redistribute land based on a voluntary 'willing-seller, willing-buyer' system and by paying compensation.

...

"South Africa’s agricultural sector has more than doubled in value and volume since the end of apartheid in 1994, exporting now half of what it produces, he said — not the case in neighboring Zimbabwe, where large-scale land seizures devastated the economy, causing the migration of millions of citizens."

We’re Russian. We know what happens when Big Tech coddles dictators.: Tech companies are complying with dictators’ laws, compromising human rights and freedom of speech.

The Logic of Destruction: And how to resist it

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

Reading archive 2024-07-30

Donald Trump and Silicon Valley's Billionaire Elegy: Venture capitalists Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen claim the tech industry, California, and the country are doomed if we don't embrace the former president.

JD Vance’s Catholic conversion is part of young conservative movement: The Republican vice-presidential nominee and Ohio senator was raised nominally evangelical, then dabbled with atheism before converting in 2019.

Reading archive 2024-07-03 through 2024-07-05

D.C. Council Bills Seek to Address Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy: A bill from Mayor Bowser directs the attorney general to file criminal charges in cases where a student misses 25 days of school.

Vatican excommunicates Archbishop Viganò for refusing to recognize Pope Francis: In a rare trial, the Vatican acted against Carlo Maria Viganò, a former ambassador to the U.S. and one of Pope Francis’s most vociferous internal critics.

Opinion Who’s the least bad choice to be Trump’s VP?: Of three top contenders, J.D. Vance would be terrible, Marco Rubio and Doug Burgum possibly much better.

She took on a small Mississippi town’s police. Then they arrested her.: How civil rights lawyer Jill Collen Jefferson convinced the Justice Department to investigate allegedly racist and abusive policing in tiny Lexington, Miss.

A shift in how Democrats talk about Biden’s dropping out: It’s subtle, but it’s unmistakable. While the Biden campaign says this isn’t on the table, big-name Democrats suggest it should be.

Justice Dept. plans to pursue Trump cases past Election Day, even if he wins: If Donald Trump is elected president, the finish line for federal prosecutors is Inauguration Day, not Election Day, people familiar with the discussions said

Opinion Some fun ideas for Louisiana classroom walls: The Louisiana law mandating the commandments’ display fails to further historical education.

One year in, Threads hasn’t overtaken X. Meta still thinks it can.: The goal is to build “a less angry place for people to share their ideas,” Instagram chief Adam Mosseri says. Not everyone’s happy about that.

Doing Nothing About Biden Is the Riskiest Plan of All

This Isn’t All Joe Biden’s Fault - "But rather than act as a check on Biden’s decisions and ambitions, the party has become an enabler of them. An enforcer of them. It is giving the American people an option they do not want and then threatening them with the end of democracy if they do not take it." [ed. note: the party is right, but voters are morons]

Joe Biden should drop out: Denying Joe Biden's decline has put Democrats in a terrible position.

Trump advisers hope Biden stays in race, as they eye alternate scenarios: After dismissing suggestions the president could withdraw, the Trump campaign is beginning to consider having to tweak its message.

Democrats begin to consider Harris at the top of their ticket: Several party leaders suggest that if Biden steps aside, Harris would have to be his replacement.

Biden faces growing political crisis over response to debate performance: The president has told allies in recent days that he is in a tough moment and that he has to prove to voters that he is up for the job.

Biden’s aging is seen as accelerating; lapses described as more common Aides, foreign officials, members of Congress and donors say: President Biden has seemed slower and more often loses his train of thought in recent months, though close aides insist he remains mentally sharp.

Why More French Youth Are Voting for the Far Right: Most young people in France usually don’t vote or they back the left. That is still true, but support has surged for the far right, whose openly racist past can feel to them like ancient history.

The short answer on office shorts: No: Ask yourself these questions before you free your knees.

Why scientists think they may finally have found a way to recycle clothes: It’s almost impossible to turn old threads into new clothes, but scientists are working to change that.

Tempers flare as Trump reviews revised abortion plank for Republican platform: The former president wants the platform to endorse leaving the issue to the states rather than a federal ban in the wake of Roe v. Wade’s demise.

Business leaders, pro-Democracy activists send letter asking Biden to withdraw: The letter sent to the White House is the latest outreach from the donor and activist community pushing for a new nominee after the president’s debate performance.

Sen. Mark Warner works to gather Senate Democrats to ask Biden to exit race: There’s increasing sentiment among Democratic senators that President Biden cannot stay in the race.

Reading archive 2024-06-25

Israeli Supreme Court rules ultra-Orthodox must serve in the military: The decision could result in ultra-Orthodox lawmakers pulling out of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition and collapsing it.

‘Too many old people’: A rural Pa. town reckons with population loss: There is a deepening sense of fear as population loss accelerates in rural America. The decline of small-town life is expected to be a looming topic in the presidential election. - "As the presidential election approaches, many residents in this deeply Republican town say they view Trump as having a better vision for salvaging rural America, even though Biden has steered billions of dollars to initiatives that support rural America." [ed. note: then let it die, the morons]

More than 15 killed in Dagestan, Russia, as gunmen hit multiple sites: The dead included a 66-year-old Orthodox priest and over 15 police officers in what appeared to be a coordinated attack at a synagogue, church and police post.

He wanted to throw an Idaho town’s first Pride. Angry residents had other ideas.: Tom Wheeler envisioned a celebratory first Pride for rural Canyon County, Idaho. But in a state that has led the nation in passing anti-LGBTQ laws, the festival quickly sparked outcry.

Opinion New weapons will eclipse atomic bombs. Their builders ask themselves this question.: Autonomous weapons will be built. The only questions are who will build them and for what purpose. - "The engineering elite of our country rush to raise capital for video-sharing apps and social media platforms, advertising algorithms and shopping websites. They don’t hesitate to track and monetize people’s every movement online, burrowing their way into our lives. But many balk when it comes to working with the military. The rush is simply to build. Too few ask what ought to be built and why.

...

"For its part, the foreign policy establishment has repeatedly miscalculated when dealing with China, Russia and others, believing that economic integration can be sufficient to undercut their leaders’ domestic support and diminish their interest in military escalation abroad. The failure of the Davos consensus was to abandon the stick in favor of the carrot alone. Meanwhile, Xi Jinping of China and other authoritarian leaders have wielded power in a way that political leaders in the West might never understand.

...

"Our broader reluctance to proceed with the development of effective autonomous weapons systems for military use might stem from a justified skepticism of power itself. Pacifism satisfies our instinctive empathy for the powerless. It also relieves us of the need to navigate among the difficult trade-offs that the world presents. 

"Chloé Morin, a French author and former adviser to the country’s prime minister, suggested in a recent interview that we should resist the facile urge 'to divide the world into dominants and dominated, oppressors and oppressed.' It would be a mistake, and indeed a form of moral condescension, to systematically equate powerlessness with piousness. The subjugated and subjugators are equally capable of grievous sin."

We’ve been accidentally cooling the planet — and it’s about to stop: Humans’ fossil fuel burning has cooled the planet while warming it — presenting problems for the future.

Burn-off of toxics in Ohio derailment was unnecessary, NTSB investigators say: Federal agency releases final report on fiery train wreck that alarmed East Palestine and launched a national debate on rail safety.

There are better ways to protest climate change than spray painting: Stonehenge Just Stop Oil activists could take a page from the civil rights movement, experts say.

Infant death rate spiked in Texas after restrictive abortion law, study finds: The study led by Johns Hopkins University researchers after the restrictive Texas abortion law also found an increase in the rate of deaths from birth defects.

Opinion I’ve never seen Israelis as gloomy as they are today: The trauma of Oct. 7 remains, along with new worries, including the looming threat of war with Hezbollah.

Opinion The stage is being set for an American nuclear power revolution: There’s no telling how much clean energy the United States might produce.

How Biden’s promise to coal country became a warning for Democrats: A fading coal town in Pennsylvania is struggling to replace the jobs and money that the fossil fuel industry once offered.

The pope’s right-hand man is reshaping the church, becoming a target: Most Catholics have little sense of the liberal archbishop behind the Vatican’s pronouncements. But critics of the pope see Víctor Manuel Fernández as Enemy No. 2.

Reading archive 2024-05-29

If convicted in his hush money trial, here’s what Trump could face next: A guilty verdict for Trump in the New York trial would mean a mix of routine court processing and extraordinary logistical considerations, legal experts say.

Opinion In closing, Trump’s team takes the jurors for idiots: Trump lawyer Todd Blanche treated jurors as if they were deaf or slow. “THAT. IS. A. LIE!” he bellowed at them.

TikTok offered an extraordinary deal. The U.S. government took a pass: The app’s executives proposed giving the Biden administration control over its U.S. operations and a kill switch if things went south. The administration declined, setting up an existential legal fight. - "Some critics of TikTok’s plan label it a 'catch me if you can' proposal that would require the government to sniff out risks. In March, the co-sponsors of the House legislation, Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), who resigned last month, said in a resolution that Project Texas would have allowed the app’s algorithm and source code to 'remain in China under ByteDance’s control' and potentially expose U.S. users to 'malicious code, backdoor vulnerabilities, surreptitious surveillance, and other problematic activities.'"

Lawsuit says American Airlines kicked 8 Black men off plane, citing body odor: Three of the men sued American Airlines in federal court Wednesday morning.

Why a Trump lawyer’s prison reference was so ‘outrageous’: Not only are such arguments generally not allowed, but the judge had explicitly barred them.

Amid roadkill epidemic, California builds world’s largest wildlife bridge: The construction is meant to give threatened animals a path over a 10-lane freeway instead of through it, hopefully extending their lives and their habitat.

Another N.C. beach house just fell into the ocean. Others may follow.: Rising seas and eroding shorelines have now claimed a half-dozen houses in Rodanthe in the past four years.

‘In the name of God’: For decades, Catholic priests, brothers and sisters raped or molested Native American children who were taken from their homes by the U.S. government and forced to live at remote boarding schools, a Post investigation found.

Grocers in D.C. deploy bag bans, receipt scanners in shoplifting battle: Retailers such as Giant, Safeway and Harris Teeter have escalated anti-theft efforts in recent months as businesses nationwide struggle to thwart stealing.

Project 2025 sparks fear of dictatorship and oppression

Reading archive 2024-05-05

How ancient Amazonians transformed a toxic crop into a diet staple Indigenous people devised a complex, multistep process of detoxification.

DEI is getting a new name. Can it dump the political baggage?: Under mounting legal and political pressure, companies’ DEI tactics are evolving.

Opinion  U.S. productivity is popping. And it’s not because of AI.: The country is seeing a surge in small business creation.

Opinion  The ideal number of kids in a family: Four (at a minimum) [ed. note: yikes]

Opinion  The surprising reason few Americans are getting chips jobs now - "Already, the companies have struggled to hire enough construction workers, especially welders and pipe fitters. Factory openings are being delayed until 2025 or later. And the industry needs up to 70,000 new workers to run the fabrication plants, known as 'fabs.' These are not your grandparents’ manufacturing jobs. Many will be engineers and computer scientists. About 28,000 will be technicians who don’t need a four-year degree but do need specialized skills. Think of them as digital tool belt jobs: Technicians program the machines that churn out the tiny chips that are so critical to smartphones, cars and missiles."

How Pope Francis opened the Vatican to transgender sex workers: The outreach, reflecting the most radical stage of his papacy, has prompted backlash while also altering the lives of the nearly 100 people he has met.

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