Reading archive 2026-07-13

As Trump administration offloads excess federal office space, what takes its place?: Federal real estate officials say the Trump administration’s accelerated push to sell underused federal buildings could reshape Washington and beyond.

D.C.’s highest earners may pay more in taxes under new council proposal: A measure introduced by D.C. Council member Brianne K. Nadeau would add a new tax on investments and other passive income for wealthy residents.

South African protesters go door-to-door forcing immigrants from their homes

Our Oldest Ally: America still needs France. - "American statesmen have always found France an ambivalent ally, but as much because of their own behavior as that of their counterparts. French money underwrote the American Revolution, bankrupting Louis XVI's government and paving the way for their own revolution within a decade of the end of the American war. There were almost as many French troops at Yorktown as Americans, and French-provided weapons, gunpowder, and expertise, not to mention timely French naval power, sealed the American victory. France's reward was vengeance on Great Britain for the defeat of the Seven Years War - and betrayal by Americans willing to cut a separate peace with King George III.

...

"Today's French officials are calmer in their appraisal of the Trump administration than are many of their European counterparts. 'It's because we never really trusted you,' a French diplomat remarked to me with a grin over our breakfast croissants."

Survivors of Iranian attack that killed 6 U.S. troops say generals ignored warnings: The drone strike on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait occurred on the second day of the war. Those who were there say they fear no one will be held accountable. - "But when they arrived in Germany, military medical teams 'had no clue we had injured [personnel] on the flight,' said one of the soldiers. 

"Doctors told them that because the soldiers weren’t recorded on the flight’s manifest as medical evacuees, or listed in the military’s casualty-processing database as seriously injured, the hospital could not admit them, several soldiers said."

‘Widow’s Bay’ became a hit the old-fashioned way: Word of mouth, not the algorithm, turned Apple TV's horror-comedy into appointment viewing.

Nvidia Uses The Specter of Huawei to Make Its Chip Exports Case: Before Nvidia won approval to sell more chips to China, it told the U.S. government that Huawei could have enough chips to satisfy global demand. - "'Huawei simply does not pose a competitive threat to Nvidia globally right now,' says McGuire, formerly a national security official who helped design U.S. chip controls. 'Huawei’s chips are nowhere near as good, and it can’t make nearly enough of them.'

"Ironically, he adds, Nvidia has a lead over Huawei largely because of U.S. export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the lack of which has degraded China’s ability to make AI chips."

Detained by settlers, US Democrat Ro Khanna now faces pro-Israel attacks: Progressive congressman accuses Israeli military of ‘lying’ after settlers held up his van in the occupied West Bank.

Trump talks tough on Iran and Russia. For now.: Trump’s rhetorical reversals are welcome, but it’s hard to know what to make of them.

Left-wing challengers are beating House Democrats. These incumbents could be next.: Democratic incumbents have struggled against democratic socialists in several primaries this year. For other lawmakers, age has become a campaign issue.

Eating this food regularly could lead to greater longevity: Like it hot? Your heart, gut — and even your lifespan — may benefit.

Before Reflecting Pool, algae contractor had troubled project on a trash-infested river: Greenwater Services, owned by a Trump donor, has received two no-bid contracts from the government since the president returned to office.

Sen. Gary Peters backs Haley Stevens as Democrats brace for Michigan Senate fight: Party leaders are rallying around Stevens in a primary they see as crucial to holding the seat.

‘We’re Fighting Satan’: The War to Save Bees From a Hornet Invasion: As yellow-legged hornets spread through South Carolina’s Lowcountry region, threatening the local honey crop, a state team of bee defenders is racing to the rescue.

Reading archive 2026-04-01

Retirees receive six times as much in federal dollars as young people: An analysis from Penn Wharton Budget Model shows that baby boomers and the Silent Generation received an estimated $2.7 trillion in federal outlays last year.

Bike share: Paris has made space for cyclists in a way that I simply have not seen in any other city

D.C. Council overrides Bowser’s veto of police bill, underscoring tensions: The council also postponed a vote on a curfew extension, which the mayor has pressed for after some large youth gatherings ended with acts of violence.

Reading archive 2026-03-25

People Who Love Corporate BS Are Bad at Their Jobs, New Cornell Research Confirms: The psychologist behind a new study confirming the link between dumb jargon and dumb decisions explains how to fight corporate BS. - "Here’s how Cornell Chronicle summed up the results: 'Essentially, the employees most excited and inspired by 'visionary' corporate jargon may be the least equipped to make effective, practical business decisions for their companies.'"

Trump showed classified map to passengers on his plane in 2022, memo says: The document offers a snapshot of an early moment in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation and adds new shading to the public understanding of Smith’s probes.

At a Virginia vineyard, volunteers are fighting to eliminate this invasive pest: The invasive insects, which one winery owner called “vampires,” have wreaked havoc across the D.C. region.

Conservative activist convicted in voter-fraud case: In Wisconsin, Harry Wait said he set out to expose the potential for voter fraud. He ordered mail ballots in the names of others — and got charged with felonies.

Partisan brawl in Virginia muddles Spanberger’s message of moderation: The congressional redistricting fight is tainting the governor’s image, one Democrat said: “This should be a flashing red light for Democrats everywhere.” - "Spanberger, who uses saltier language in private meetings than during her carefully controlled public appearances, said in the interview that she told Wittman and the other Republicans they should have spoken up when Trump urged Texas, North Carolina and other red states to rig their districts for the GOP. 'You didn’t give a s--- about fairness,' she said she told the GOP delegation, '… until your singular seat was potentially the one' affected."

'They did not have a chance' | Trial begins for convicted DUI driver who killed three men on Rock Creek Parkway in 2023: Nakita Walker is facing three second-degree murder charges for the deaths of Mohammed Kamara, Jonathan Cabrera, and Olvin Velasquez.

Treason in the Futures: Markets People close to Trump are trading based on national secrets - "But in any case, Trump’s sudden climb-down was startling. Who could have seen this coming? 

"The answer is, the person or people who bought large quantities of stock market futures and sold large quantities of oil futures around 15 minutes before Trump’s announcement."

The Situation: The Enduring Truths of the Mueller Report: There are four of them. - "Mueller made mistakes. There is no doubt about that. That said, the Mueller Report remains the single best account we have of the relationship between Trump and the Russians and the manner in which Trump will deploy power within and from the executive branch. Little that has happened since its release should surprise those who read it carefully."

Canada’s Polite Pogrom: Is a national tolerance for zealotry purging Jews from public life? - "The awkward reality is that a main driver of these incidents is a very Canadian aversion to causing offense: The deference of many politicians and institutions to the views of a rapidly growing minority community is too often leading them to reject another minority community. Although relatively few Canadians hold negative views of Jews, opinion polls have found that such views find greater levels of support within the Canadian Muslim community. From 2001 to 2021, the Muslim population of Canada more than tripled, to about 5 percent of the population. Just 4 percent of non-Jewish Canadians agree that Jews are largely to blame for the negative consequences of globalization, but that figure rises to 28 percent among Canadian Muslims, according to a survey conducted by the University of Toronto sociologist Robert Brym. Similarly, only 16 percent of Canadians believe that it is appropriate for opponents of Israel's policies to boycott Jewish-owned businesses in Canada, but that claim finds support among 41 percent of Canadian Muslims."

‘You Want to Leave Us Alone With Mojtaba?’: I’ve spoken with more than a dozen Iranians since the start of the war. Most are terrified, and some are losing faith in America.

Reading archive 2025-05-28

D.C. police chief reassigns youth division leaders, stoking discontent: Some fear that the abrupt transfers, related to a dispute about overtime costs, could undermine the goal of helping troubled children and curbing juvenile crime.

Police body cam shows man fire at officers before one fatally shoots him: Footage released by Fairfax County police shows the moments leading up to a fatal police shooting during a traffic stop in April that left a man dead.

Within Pete Hegseth’s divided inner circle, a ‘cold war’ endures: At the Pentagon, personality conflicts persist and inexperience reigns, fueling internal speculation about the defense secretary’s long-term viability in Trump’s Cabinet.

D.C. queer bar vandalized in suspected hate crime during WorldPride: Sinners and Saints, D.C.'s only bar dedicated to queer and trans people of color, was broken into during Black Pride weekend.

At Veterans Affairs, plan for sweeping cuts tanks morale: The government’s second-largest agency, serving some of America’s most vulnerable citizens, is set to lose 83,000 employees under Trump administration cutbacks.

A big Trump administration cutback went nearly unnoticed: About 32,000 low-paid AmeriCorps service workers lost their jobs over a few days in April.

A ‘Blue Wave’ is building. It won’t look the same as the last one.: Donald Trump is president again, but the parties have changed since the 2018 midterm election. - "In 2024, Republicans saw the electoral college bias they had benefited from in Trump’s previous races practically disappear. If Republicans continue to gain ground with minority voters living in urban cores of solidly blue states, while losing White voters in the battleground states, they could find themselves at a systemic disadvantage in the next presidential election due to the current quirks of American politics."

I’m an oncologist. Here are 11 science-based ways to reduce your cancer risk.: About 40 percent of cancer cases are considered preventable. Try these lifestyle changes to stay healthy.

The Colorado River is running low. The picture looks even worse underground, study says.: The Colorado River Basin has lost twice as much groundwater since 2003 as water taken out of its reservoirs, according to a study based on satellite data.

Bowser bets on business-friendly D.C. budget while cutting some programs: Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) is betting on her ‘growth agenda’ to keep business in D.C., while council members are concerned about cuts to services for the needy.

Bowser to replace D.C. Streetcar with ‘next generation streetcar.’ It’s a bus.: The system, proposed in the early 2000s, never got beyond one line that opened in 2016.

GOP rejects ‘millionaire tax’ pitch, advancing breaks for rich Americans: Legislation moving through Congress includes breaks for the upper and middle classes as the House rebuffs President Donald Trump’s suggestions.

Exempting tips from taxes could hurt employees, critics say: Some worker advocates and labor law experts call it a gimmick that could incentivize employers to keep base pay low and reclassify some salaries as tips.

Terry Bradshaw calls possible Steelers signing of Aaron Rodgers ‘a joke’: The Hall of Famer says the enigmatic former Packers and Jets quarterback should go “chew on bark” and “stay in California,” not Pittsburgh.

Here’s how much international students contribute to the U.S. economy: International students contributed $44 billion to the U.S. economy in the 2023-2024 school year. Their loss could hurt more than just universities’ bottom line.

These Are the College Majors With the Lowest Unemployment Rates — and Philosophy Ranks Higher Than Computer Science: An analysis of employment data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that some humanities majors rank higher than STEM majors in employment prospects.

Behind the Curtain: A white-collar bloodbath

Paris Votes to Make 500 More Streets Car-Free: With the passage of a referendum Sunday, Mayor Anne Hidalgo will amplify her ambitious moves to challenge car dominance and expand pedestrian access.

The 21st Century Red State Murder Crisis - "The excuse that sky high red state murder rates are because of their blue cities is without merit. Even after removing the county with the largest city from red states, and not from blue states, red state murder rates were still 20% higher in 2021 and 16% higher in 2022.

...

"Many of the states accused of “defunding the police,” like California, New York, and Illinois, actually spent the most on policing. California spent the most on policing at $634.53 per resident. New York spent the third most at $539.92. And Illinois came in sixth place at $471.26. Eight out of 10 states spending the most on policing are blue states, joined by red states Alaska and Florida. And those blue states aren’t just blue, they’re the bluest of states—California, New York, Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Minnesota."

Rubio’s claim that it’s ‘a lie’ that people have died from foreign-aid cuts: The secretary of state rejected convincing evidence documented in news reports and by disease modelers. - "Nichols said the death toll would not be so high if the administration had pursued a deliberate policy to phase out funding over a 12-month period, as that would have permitted contingency planning. 'It’s true that other countries are cutting back on humanitarian spending. But what makes the U.S. approach so harmful is how the cuts were made: abruptly, without warning, and without a plan for continuity,' she said. 'It leads to interruptions in care, broken supply chains, and ultimately, preventable deaths. Also, exactly because the U.S. is the largest provider of humanitarian aid, it makes the approach catastrophic.'"

Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2025 - "But prisons do rely on the labor of incarcerated people for food service, laundry, and other operations, and they pay incarcerated workers appallingly low wages: our 2017 study found that on average, incarcerated people earn between 86 cents and $3.45 per day for the most common prison jobs.  In at least five states, those jobs pay nothing at all. Moreover, work in prison is compulsory, with little regulation or oversight, and incarcerated workers have few rights and protections. If they refuse to work, incarcerated people face disciplinary action. For those who do work, the paltry wages they receive often go right back to the prison, which charges them for basic necessities like medical visits and hygiene items. Forcing people to work for low or no pay and no benefits, while charging them for necessities, allows prisons to shift the costs of incarceration to incarcerated people — hiding the true cost of running prisons from most Americans."

Reading archive 2025-04-14

Ja Morant dares the NBA to punish him, knowing it won’t pull the trigger: The league wants the Grizzlies star to learn a lesson, but its weakness has taught him that the outrage is only pretend.

Paris said au revoir to cars. Air pollution maps reveal a dramatic change.: Air pollution fell substantially as the city restricted car traffic and made way for parks and bike lanes.

She’s been D.C.’s mayor for a decade. Here’s how her vision changed the city.

Detransition, maybe: A Moroccan influencer announced he was no longer transgender. What did it mean?

The nurse in the NYC subway: As subway assaults rise and calls for safety increase, a psychiatric nurse must decide who is a risk.

How the Caribbean could turn a plague of seaweed into fuel and fertilizer: Sargassum seaweed is a problem throughout the Caribbean. But scientists are exploring the opportunities it may offer.

How the Caribbean could turn a plague of seaweed into fuel and fertilizer: Sargassum seaweed is a problem throughout the Caribbean. But scientists are exploring the opportunities it may offer.

simulacra for bootlickers

‘It’s just not sustainable’: D.C. restaurants pushed to the brink: In the wake of wage hikes and government layoffs, some owners say they can’t keep treading water. - "Full-service restaurants, Greenbaum says, were built on a decades-old model in which diner tips offset part of labor costs. Voters upended that model without understanding how it would affect the restaurants they love.

"'Why is that not understandable how catastrophic that is?' she asks. 'Unless you think that we’re all lying and we make a ton of money.'" [ed. note: WHY AM I DIRECTLY SUBSIDIZING YOUR LABOR COSTS?]

How Much Trouble Are DC Restaurants Really In?: A restaurant association survey found 44 percent of full-service casual restaurants are likely to close this year.

How a trade war becomes a shooting war: Trump and Xi, take note: The United States and China risk falling into a trap over tariffs.

Don’t look at your 401(k), they said. I looked.: The myth of the 401(k) is that we are all in charge of our own destinies. What does that matter now?

Trump charmed Bill Maher. The comedian’s fans don’t find it funny.: After a decade of trading insults, Trump and Maher enjoyed a White House dinner. Liberals continue to wrestle with whether to engage the president as they oppose him.

Trump’s tariffs war is sparking uncertainty for North Carolina farmers: “It’s always been a guessing game here on the farm, but I think it’s more of a guess now than it’s ever been in my lifetime,” one North Carolina farmer said last week.

Reading archive 2025-03-14

This viral speech brutally captures how U.S. allies see: Trump’s America During Trump’s first term, the U.S. hemorrhaged prestige. His second term might be worse.

Town hall descends into chaos as GOP lawmaker is heckled about Musk, Trump: “Would you give me a chance to answer this question, and you can start yelling after?” Rep. Chuck Edwards urged at one point during the raucous encounter.

Funding bill grants Trump, Musk more control over federal spending: Legislation the Senate passed Friday averts a government shutdown but probably gives the White House — and DOGE — more power to decide how to allocate funds.

Reading archive 2024-07-09

Russian missile attack kills 37 in Ukraine, hits children’s hospital: Among those killed in Monday’s attack were three children, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Another year of heat and floods spurs China’s climate-change awakening: Beijing has made adapting to extreme weather a policy priority, and weather officials issued an unusually direct warning about the intensifying heat and rainfall.

Opinion America’s best recession indicator is flashing yellow: The economy looks great now, but a seemingly trivial rise in unemployment contains a warning sign.

‘Hawk Tuah Girl’ found a familiar path to viral fame. What happens now?: After a bawdy declaration in an online video clip in June, Haliey Welch could capitalize on her newfound attention in a number of ways. Or not.

A billionaire is boosting a major defamation lawsuit against Fox News: LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, a longtime funder of left-leaning causes, has invested in Smartmatic, the election technology company suing conservative media outlets over false claims of 2020 vote-rigging.

Ukrainian attacks on supply lines slowed Russians in Kharkiv, intercepts show: Russian troops invading Ukraine’s Kharkiv region are short of food and water, Ukrainian soldiers say, citing intercepted communications and interrogations of POWs.

Opinion The words about Joe Biden I never wanted to write: It’s hard to acknowledge that those who worried about Biden’s age may have been right all along.

Divided France enters uncharted political territory after historic vote: While an alliance of leftist parties came in first, with more than 180 seats, it is politically divided and needs 100 additional seats for a majority.

Guilty: Inside the high-risk, historic prosecution of a school shooter’s parents: A Post reporter embedded with Michigan prosecutors as they pursued homicide charges against Jennifer and James Crumbley, whose son killed four students at Oxford High.

Officials plan to kill 450K invasive owls that are endangering native owls: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to kill about 450,000 invasive barred owls to save spotted owls in the Pacific Northwest.

The ‘dad bod’ is not inevitable, even if evolution helped make it happen: Lower testosterone can drive a less toned physique. Pushing back should be less about perfection and more about men remembering to take care of themselves.

Modi bear-hugs Putin in Moscow, marking deep ties between Russia and India: Despite Washington’s efforts to woo Prime Minister Narendra Modi and isolate President Vladimir Putin, the visit shows continuing close relations between their countries.

Opinion Trump says he knows ‘nothing’ about his party’s dystopian plans. Right.: It’s preposterous for Trump to feign ignorance of Project 2025, conceived by his closest advisers.

Biden is seeing a different world than other Democrats: At his rallies, he is embraced by enthusiastic crowds. Outside, others in the party want him to step aside.

D.C. Council passes emergency measure to curb teen truancy: The measure will pilot a new approach to keeping kids in class at five high schools this upcoming academic year.

U.S. sailor sought access to Biden’s medical records, Navy says: Military officials said that the incident occurred months ago and that the president’s personal information was never compromised.

Reading archive 2024-07-08

Debate brings scrutiny of whether aides shielded signs of Biden’s aging: President, aides grapple with accusations they strongly reject that they were not candid with the public about how his age affected his ability to do the job.

Students Target Teachers in Group TikTok Attack, Shaking Their School: Seventh and eighth graders in Malvern, Pa., impersonating their teachers posted disparaging, lewd, racist and homophobic videos in the first known mass attack of its kind in the U.S.

After a four-year debate, Northern Va. community moves to save farmland: Loudoun County has wrestled since 2020 over how to save prime farm soil in rural areas undergoing development without harming a popular land conservation program.

Connect Kennedy Center to the National Mall? It’s urban planners’ dream.: Urban planners have long wanted to redesign the area between the National Mall and the Kennedy Center. Now they’ve drawn up a plan for what it might look like.

THE DROWNING SOUTH: A RISING FORTRESS IN SINKING LAND: A massive sea wall around a Louisiana gas facility poses a question: How far will the fossil fuel industry go to protect itself from climate impacts it helped cause?

Two dead, one injured after police pursuit in Maryland ends in D.C.: Anne Arundel County police and U.S. Park Police pursued a vehicle authorities suspected was connected to multiple robberies into the District.

As Biden digs in, another elected Democrat calls on him to exit race: Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), who is in a competitive race, on Saturday morning called on Biden to drop out.

Biden scrambles to head off defections on Capitol Hill as lawmakers return: Members of Congress are back in Washington for a pivotal week in Biden’s fight for survival.

What would happen if Russia detonated a nuclear bomb in space?

Opinion It’s not fair, Mr. President, but it’s reality: His interview with George Stephanopoulos did nothing to reassure people worried about a Biden defeat.

Opinion Biden has a new outsider strategy. Can he pull it off?: The president’s new approach could work — if he can manage not to prove the “elites” right.

There’s real danger in digging deep holes on a sandy beach: Experts recommend never digging a hole deeper than the knee height of the shortest person in your group — with two feet being the maximum depth. - "Experts recommend never digging a hole deeper than the knee height of the shortest person in your group — with two feet being the maximum depth."

France’s Jordan Bardella, the immigrant’s son who would target migrants: If his party wins Sunday’s election, Bardella would become France’s first far-right head of government since World War II.

Watching Biden, many see the heartbreaking indignities of aging: “Painful and sad: Those were my two words,” said Jean Moelter, 63, a retired high school English teacher from River Falls, Wis.

Debate brings scrutiny of whether aides shielded signs of Biden’s aging: President, aides grapple with accusations they strongly reject that they were not candid with the public about how his age affected his ability to do the job.

A Frenchie was taken at gunpoint. His owner set up a sting to get it back.: The dog’s owner said she invited those demanding money for her beloved Yurman to meet her at a pizza shop, then told police about it.

A crash, a gun down the drain and a killing on K Street — but no arrests: A downtown restaurant owner admitted to washing away evidence in the deadly shooting of a man who family members say was killed trying to look out for his friend.

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 2024-06-30

Opinion Even more radical than Supreme Court conservatives: The 5th Circuit: The MAGA-friendly Supreme Court is hardly the only problem with the post-Trump federal judiciary.

Opinion President Biden, be like LBJ, whose choice to bow out was hugely popular: The chaos of 1968 had nothing to do with Lyndon Johnson’s late decision not to run for reelection.

Opinion What Biden owes his country if he stays in: He needs to show he has clear strategy for undoing the damage of his debate performance.

Opinion Why Biden didn’t accept the truth that was there for all to see: If he has the strength and wisdom to step aside, the Democrats will have two months to choose another candidate. - "Biden might have considered withdrawing if Vice President Harris was more popular than he was — running 10 points ahead of him in polls, say. But Harris hasn’t gained traction as vice president, and Biden knows it. Some say Biden deliberately sidelined Harris; I think her shortcomings reflect her own political weakness. But the fact is that Biden had no obvious heir.

...

"What’s especially painful about the Biden story is that he has been in most ways a very good president. The biggest lie Trump told Thursday was his portrait of the country as a ruined mess. The economy is strong, the United States is working seamlessly with an ever-closer set of allies in Europe and Asia, and our global financial, military and intelligence dominance has rarely been clearer. Biden has been effective despite the obvious signs of stress. He has also remained a decent man. 

"That’s his valedictory, if he could accept it. I noted in September that Biden should understand that he has achieved what he described in his 2021 inaugural speech: 'When our days are through, our children and our children’s children will say of us: They gave their best, they did their duty, they healed a broken land.' Biden did just that."

Biden team works furiously to quell any Democratic revolt after debate: The president’s aides have so far prevented any prominent Democratic officeholder from publicly calling on him to step aside. But their tactics have bred some resentment.

How an aging Biden and his advisers locked in a decision to run again: In late 2022, Biden’s team signaled he’d seek reelection and quashed discussions of an alternative. Now that decision hangs over the political landscape.

Biden aides plotted debate strategy for months. Then it all collapsed.: The Biden team gambled on an early debate and prepared intensively at Camp David, but advisers could not prevent the candidate’s stumbles onstage.

Biden rallies boisterous crowd as he tries to tamp down debate concerns: “I don’t debate as well as I used to,” Biden said, his voice rising. “But ... I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job.”

The deep, generational skepticism that’s influencing the 2024 race: Young Americans aren’t overly pessimistic about the future — but they do perceive how the system is stacked against them.

Black men helped power Biden’s 2020 Georgia win. Some are wavering.: Trump and his allies are courting onetime Biden voters, aware that even a small shift among Black men in a state like Georgia could mean the difference between winning and losing. - "The economy is doing well by many traditional measures. The Biden campaign has pointed to record-low Black unemployment during his administration, as well as policies intended to ease household costs, like ensuring more Black Americans are covered by health insurance and capping the price of insulin at $35 a month for seniors. But pessimistic views of the economy, like those expressed by Williams and James, are widespread even as inflation has cooled — confounding economists and frustrating the Biden campaign because it appears to be a major factor in his softening support."

‘Hello from my Black job’: Dems strike back after Trump debate remark: Democratic politicians took to social media to condemn and question former president Donald Trump’s remark that undocumented immigrants are “taking Black jobs.” - "Economic data shows that Black workers have been faring exceptionally well: The Black unemployment rate remains near historic lows and wage gains are at all-time highs."

In France’s rebranded far right, flashes of antisemitism and racism persist: Ahead of French elections, vitriol and innuendo from National Rally candidates amplify doubts about how much the party of Marine Le Pen has truly evolved. - "National Rally has sought to woo voters by pledging to reduce fuel taxes and energy bills and protect French farmers. But its populist promises are targeted toward French citizens — in some cases even excluding dual nationals and 'French people of foreign origin.'

...

"There are more extreme voices in France than Le Pen’s. Yet, like Trumpism, LePénisme remains a safe harbor for anti-vaccine advocates, climate-change skeptics and Putin admirers. And as seen through social media posts and telling asides — as well as through homophobic attacks and racist tirades allegedly committed by Le Pen supporters — National Rally still provides a welcome home for vitriolic thought.

...

"While that summit was ongoing, Italy was rocked by the emergence of secret footage taken by a journalist who had infiltrated a Rome branch of the youth wing of Meloni’s party. 'We’re Mussolini’s legionaries, and we’re not scared of death,' the group was filmed chanting. The footage contained other fascist songs and slogans, with members at one point shown giving the Roman salute while yelling 'Sieg Heil!'"

Can a civics teacher persuade her students to believe in democracy?: Shannon Salter aimed to turn all the seniors in her high school civics class into voters. Her task has never been harder. - "Vanessa, 17, lived with her parents, grandparents and four siblings in a modest two-story house a short distance from downtown. Her mother and father — a nurse and long-haul truck driver — emigrated from Haiti more than two decades earlier and spoke often of moving back home." [ed. note: GOOD FUCKING LUCK]

Reading archive 2024-06-11

The ‘bottom whisperer’ will see you now. Back there.: Proctologist Evan Goldstein has made a life — and a fancy living — off anal interventions, drawing ardent fans and curious skeptics.

In Wisconsin, Biden tries to hold on to White voters without degrees: White non-college voters are Trump’s base, but Biden seems to be hanging on to them in this Midwestern swing state

Opinion MAGA Republicans tip their hand: They’re after contraception, too: There is no doubt that the GOP is waging war on women.

Moderates quit Netanyahu’s emergency government, call for elections: The resignations do not immediately threaten Netanyahu’s coalition, but they could lead to more defections and embolden the prime minister’s many critics.

Four U.S. college educators stabbed in park in China, officials say: Four educators from Cornell College in Iowa were stabbed during a trip to Beihua University in Jilin, China, authorities said. Police said they arrested a man.

The world agreed to ban this dangerous pollutant — and it’s working: For the first time ever, researchers have detected a significant dip in atmospheric levels of hydrochlorofluorocarbons -- harmful gases that deplete the ozone layer and warm the planet.

Hamas responds to cease-fire proposal, seeks timeline for end of war: Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas to accept the current proposal “without delay” during talks with Middle Eastern leaders.

Battered by far right, France’s Macron bets big on risky snap election Macron may figure that voters are angry at him, but are not truly prepared to allow a far-right prime minister to head a new French government.

Republicans pitch tax cuts for corporations, the wealthy in 2025: Trump has asked wealthy donors for donations, promising large tax breaks in return if he retakes the White House. - "Now GOP lawmakers and some of Trump’s economic advisers are considering more corporate tax breaks — which could expand the national debt by roughly $1 trillion over the next decade, according to researchers at Stanford University and MIT — arguing that they would improve the U.S.’s global competitiveness."

THE PLASTICS WE BREATHE: Every time you take a breath, you could be inhaling microplastics. - "In laboratory tests on human cells, microplastics can cause tissue damage, allergic reactions and even cell death. The chemicals in plastics — like phthalates or bisphenol A — have also been shown to cause hormonal imbalances and disrupt the reproductive system. In mice, microplastics can cause behavioral changes and reproductive problems and can inhibit learning and memory. Researchers also recently discovered that certain cancer cells spread at an accelerated rate after exposure to microplastics; they are now looking into whether microplastics could help trigger early-onset cancer."

A dispute over direction upsets plans for D.C.’s popular holiday market: The management of the market has become the focus of an intense struggle between its longtime operator and the nonprofit that co-produces the event.

Man fatally shot in possible robbery in D.C.’s Takoma neighborhood: Victim, 28, was the son of the driver for the Turkish ambassador, according to his brother.

Modi’s election setback surprises Indian Americans in the DMV: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s and the BJP setback became clear, reaction from Indian Americans in the DMV ran the gamut: shock, hope, worry, resignation.

In Trump’s orbit, some muse about mandatory military service: Only 1 percent of the U.S. population serves in the armed forces. Some in the former president’s camp say it’s time more young adults put “some skin in the game.”

Socialite gets 15 years to life for L.A. hit-and-run that killed 2 boys: Grossman Burn Foundation co-founder Rebecca Grossman struck Jacob Iskander, 8, and his brother Mark, 11, with her car in a Los Angeles crosswalk.

Creating a throw-away culture: How companies ingrained plastics in modern life - "However, multiple investigations, including by NPR, have shown that plastics industry representatives long knew that recycling would probably never be effective on a large scale. Officials have said they encouraged recycling to avoid regulations and ensure that demand for plastic kept growing."

Surprising U.S. economy is powering better global outlook, World Bank says: High interest rates and trade tensions pose risks to a newly upbeat forecast, though.

Smartmatic seeks to depose four Fox officials as part of 2020 lawsuit: The voting technology company will also be able to obtain communications from Fox Corp. board members

The Post at a crossroads: Existential questions in a dire season for news: Critics raise concerns about the values of a new team of executives. Meanwhile, the business woes are real. What does Jeff Bezos want?

She sex-trafficked at least 11 women, police said. Then one turned her in.: Kenika Danielle Leach, 33, was indicted on 135 charges of managing a criminal organization, “the Pussy Kat Klub,” and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, threat, coercion or fraud.

What dead flowers tell us about the future of life on Earth: Amid an extinction crisis, dried plant collections capture how the world is changing. But Duke University is planning to shut down its world-renowned herbarium.

Reading archive 2024-06-06

NYC had a plan to make it hard for cars to enter the city. Here’s why the governor blocked it.: What would have been America’s first congestion pricing experiment has been delayed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, leaving public transit in a financial hole.

Even Sean Hannity can’t get Trump to back away from wanting revenge: Somehow, nine years into the Trump era, even his most fervent media ally thinks the former president requires some mainstream polish.

Biden, world leaders and veterans mark D-Day’s 80th anniversary in France: While the U.S. president’s speech was directed at a global audience, it came against the backdrop of a fierce domestic political battle with his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Opinion More evidence of the idiocy of Vladimir Putin: The war in Ukraine has turned Russia’s biggest company into a massive money loser. - "With spigots to the West turned off and China dragging its heels, the report concluded, according to the Financial Times, that Gazprom will not return to profitability before 2035."

Opinion The Biden immigration order exposes MAGA hypocrisy: The executive order likely won’t survive legal scrutiny, but politically, it’s already doing its job.

Giant Joro spiders are invading the East Coast. Don’t worry, they’re shy.: The arachnids from East Asia are a familiar sight in parts of Georgia and are on the move. Here’s what to know.

Several Pa. House Republicans boo officers who defended Capitol on Jan. 6: Harry Dunn and Aquilino Gonell were invited to Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives — but several GOP lawmakers booed and some walked out, Democratic lawmakers said.

Senate confirms 2 D.C. Superior Court judges, filling lengthy vacancies: The U.S. Senate confirmed two magistrate judges to the D.C. court’s top ranks this week, reducing the number of lengthy judicial vacancies

Israel used U.S. munitions in deadly strike on U.N. school, experts say: Weapons experts reviewed verified video from the scene and identified the munitions fragments as U.S.-made small diameter bombs.

Reading archvie 2024-02-03

A journalist goes undercover to reveal the absurdity of the art scene: In ‘Get the Picture,’ journalist Bianca Bosker paints a portrait of people who talk ‘like they were trapped in dictionaries and being forced to chew their way out’

U.S. strikes in Syria and Iraq kill dozens of militants

Rethinking Monarchs: Does the Beloved Butterfly Need Our Help?: The Eastern monarch butterfly has long been thought to be in peril, but new studies indicate that its U.S. populations are not in decline. Scientists say the biggest threat the species faces is from well-meaning people who rear the butterflies at home and release them. - "De Roode is a coauthor of a third potentially game-changing study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology in 2022. It found that there has been a significant rise in OE prevalence since the early 2000s. The researchers attribute this spike to the increased density of monarchs in places where they lay their eggs, due in large part to the mass rearing of monarchs in confined spaces, and the widespread planting in recent years of non-native milkweeds, including the tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) favored by monarch admirers. This surge in parasitism, they warn, may already be impairing the species’ migration: Their research indicates that in years when the summer OE infection rate was high, the winter colony size was unexpectedly low."

How the nation’s capital became an outlier on violent crime: Republicans blame Democrats for DC’s rising violent crime. The reality is much more complicated.

The French farmers’ protests are more complex than they seem: Farmers’ frustration over French and EU regulations are a new dimension in a longstanding problem.

An officer's hope: ‘That better day is coming,' DC police veteran says

This ancient material is displacing plastics and creating a billion-dollar industry

Recording captures judge, prosecutor, undersheriff talking about killing Kansas couple

Reading archive 2024-01-14

Opinion  France’s new prime minister walks a tightrope around his sexuality

Opinion  Donald Trump isn’t coming for us. The rule of law is coming for him.

‘Ordained by God’: Trump’s legal problems galvanize Iowa evangelicals - "'The support has gone from begrudging to enthusiastic. Many evangelicals now see Trump as their champion and defender — perhaps even savior,' said Barry Hankins, a history professor at Baylor University who is an expert in evangelicalism. 'Unwittingly, in my view, many evangelicals are welcoming authoritarianism and courting blasphemy.'"

The economy is improving under Biden. But many voters aren’t giving him credit.: Despite the statistics, the kitchen-table experience of Biden’s first term has meant that many voters have experienced the last few years as a time of relative economic hardship

Two Russian fathers backed army conscription. Only one son came home.

After attempts to meddle in Taiwan’s elections fail, China takes stock

Winter storm tests Texas green grid upgrades: This week’s storm is a big test for the state’s grid upgrades, which experts say can help avoid blackouts — and fight climate change

ANCIENT ELEMENTS OF COOL: I traveled in the hottest months to the hottest places, looking for ways to stay cool

Reading archvie 2024-01-03

Ready to discard your Christmas tree? You could eat it instead.

Opinion  How the battle for democracy will be fought — and won

Opinion  They opened the door. The dictators were waiting. - "The GAO has also suggested pressuring perpetrators that benefit from U.S. arms exports by using a provision of the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 barring arms sales to countries engaged in a pattern of intimidation or harassment directed at individuals in the United States. Saudi Arabia and Egypt are among the top 25 arms-transfer recipients."

Opinion  Is this who we are?

Fentanyl super labs in Canada pose new threat for U.S. opioid epidemic

A sinking nation is offered an escape route. But there’s a catch.

Complaints about home birth midwives languish amid Maryland backlog: After their babies died, Maryland parents sought help from the state Board of Nursing, which regulates midwives. They’re still waiting. - "The Maryland Board of Nursing licenses certified professional midwives, referring to them as direct-entry midwives. Distinct from certified nurse midwives, who have graduate degrees and nursing credentials, certified professional midwives have no hospital privileges and primarily learn through apprenticeships. They attend the majority of home births in the United States.

...

"A physician had delivered Naomi Puckett’s first child via Caesarean section in 2012. When she became pregnant again in late 2014, she wanted 'bodily autonomy, and a natural birth.'" [ed. note: hey, dumbass: stillbirth and dying in childbirth is "natural"]

Florida teen kills sister during fight over Christmas gifts, sheriff says

A rare deer became legendary in Richmond. Then poachers showed up.

After Sandy Hook, they voted no. Now these senators want new gun laws.: Reflecting on a decade of mass killings and surging AR-15 sales, four current and three former senators recant some or all of their 2013 positions on gun laws in emotional interviews with The Post - "In the meeting with the families, Portman told the group that he would not support the background checks measure even though he believed it could save lives. 

"Hockley said that she responded with a piercing personal question: 'So, you can vote to protect your son, but you can’t vote to protect mine?'

"Portman, who retired from the Senate this year, declined to comment for this story." [ed. note: Portman is truly gutless]

Genetic engineering was meant to save chestnut trees. Then there was a mistake.: A potential labelling error was the latest in a series of concerns for the American Chestnut Foundation, driving the nonprofit to pull support for a genetically engineered tree meant resurrect an iconic American species.

Rep. Lauren Boebert switches Colo. districts, avoiding likely tough rematch

Long after violent arrests, Ocean City keeps reviews from the public: A police leader testified that he could not recall in his 18 years at the department a routine review finding a use of force improper

Her story fueled anti-trans bills. Now, she’s fighting them.: Carey Callahan was once a prominent critic of gender-affirming care for minors. Then she began to worry her words were leading to outcomes she didn’t support.

CAN FLOW BATTERIES FINALLY BEAT LITHIUM?: Nanoparticles may boost energy density enough for EVs

50 YEARS LATER, WE’RE STILL LIVING IN THE XEROX ALTO’S WORLD The Alto transformed computing. And the changes stuck - "As should now be apparent, how the Alto came to shape our lives with computers a half century later isn’t the story of any one individual. In our culture, however, the history of technology is habitually presented as a sequence of remarkable individual achievements. But this is wrong. Innovation is the work of groups, of communities." [ed. note: or, how Steve Jobs most assuredly did not create desktops, laptops, or tablets]

D.C.’s troubled crime lab wins back accreditation

Plan for new Caps, Wizards arena in Va. stirs up its would-be neighbors: Just weeks after an official announcement, the sports complex proposed for Alexandria’s Potomac Yard has become the city’s biggest source of debate

What China’s new defense minister tells us about Xi’s military purge

Russia is working to subvert French support for Ukraine, documents show - "For part of the French establishment, the vision of France leading a grand Europe together with Moscow is 'a dream which will never go away,' said Sylvie Kauffmann, editorial director at Le Monde and author of the recent book 'Les Aveuglés,' or 'The Blinded Ones,' about how France and Germany misread Putin in seeking to build close ties with him. 'In this dream we are a big power and Russia is a big power and we are two big nuclear powers treating each other on an equal footing,' she said."

Trump says Liz Cheney deleted evidence of Jan. 6 troops. There isn’t any.

Water-hungry golf courses plague Arizona’s native javelina-filled landscape: A herd of javelinas damaged a ritzy golf course in Arizona. Golf courses have done more damage.

A global synthesis and assessment of free-ranging domestic cat diet

Want to help birds this winter? Plant native berries.: Many birds turn to calorie-packed berries in autumn for an energy boost

Bird-Friendly Plants for Winter Forage

Pollen theft by honey bees from wild bees

Reading archive 2023-02-08

Marjorie Taylor Greene yells ‘liar’ during combative State of the Union: After guidance to behave themselves from Speaker Kevin McCarthy, House Republicans had plenty to say in the chamber

New images of the Chinese balloon recovery show the closest glimpse yet

Dark Brandon shows up at State of the Union, mops the floor with lost Republicans

Romney goes after Santos in tense exchange at the State of the Union

Fact-checking President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address

Dutch probe implicates Putin in 2014 downing of Malaysia passenger jet

Drought may have doomed this ancient empire — a warning for today’s climate crisis - "A new analysis published Wednesday in the journal Nature shows that the Hittites endured three consecutive years of extreme drought right around the time that the empire fell."

New French law will blanket parking lots with solar panels: The measure could add 10 nuclear power plants’ worth of solar panels atop parking lots

Reading archive 2022-03-24

Exclusive: Sources Say Oligarch Funded Scheme to Paint Swastikas in Ukraine: Multiple sources tell Rolling Stone that a Ukrainian businessman offered payouts for a false flag operation aimed at bolstering Putin’s claim that Ukraine was a Nazi hotbed

Exclusive: Russia Backs Europe’s Far Right: Emails and documents show just how closely Italian, French, German and Austrian politicians coordinate with Moscow

Prosecutor who resigned over stalled Trump probe says ex-president committed felonies

Putin's endgame: Will it be stalemate, nuclear war — or regime change in Moscow?: Putin is a "rational actor," says scholar Matthew Schmidt — but he still might use nuclear weapons to avoid defeat - "Now Zelenskyy is being forced to choose between the population he's responsible for that is being held hostage, such as in Mariupol, and the things that population is fighting and dying for, which are independence, territorial integrity and European values and identity."

Reading archive 2021-09-17

Why the French are so furious at the Biden administration over a derailed submarine deal

Navalny app vanishes from Apple, Google stores as Russia voting begins: The tech giants had been under pressure to drop the ‘Smart Voting’ tool, which encourages voters to back candidates not aligned with President Vladimir Putin’s party

Reading archive 2020-01-16

The battle for Notre Dame: As the cathedral rises from the ashes, a tug-of-war over its transformation

Reading archive 2019-01-13

The new space race pits the U.S. against China. The U.S. is losing badly.

The world’s oldest person record stood for decades. Then came a Russian conspiracy theory.

Searching for news on RBG? YouTube offered conspiracy theories about the Supreme Court justice instead.

Two years after #Pizzagate showed the dangers of hateful conspiracies, they’re still rampant on YouTube

‘A travesty to this nation’: People are destroying Joshua trees in Joshua Tree National Park