Reading archive 2026-04-27

Trump officials hire ‘deportation judges’ with less training, experience: The president is remaking courts to clear a backlog of asylum cases. Hires include an attorney for Jan. 6 rioters and a lawyer who championed Minneapolis ICE raids. - "Asylum rejections more than doubled to 82,371 last fiscal year, which ran from Oct. 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2025. The percentage of asylum cases granted by judges plummeted to less than 5 percent in February, compared with 48 percent in the same month in 2024 under Biden, according to TRAC."

Trump steps up a campaign against teaching English to immigrant kids The administration plans to dissolve the office that supports English instruction. - "Regardless of your opinion on illegal immigration, it’s a good idea to help these kids become as proficient in English as possible. Particularly if you support President Donald Trump’s executive order designating English 'the official language of the United States.'" [ed. note: from Jim Geraghty of the National Review]

Mood in Russia turns bleak as war in Ukraine drags on and economy suffers: With the war in its fifth year, talks stalled and sanctions biting deeper, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ratings are falling and citizens are voicing despair.

Idaho lawmakers, deadlocked over ‘rat apocalypse,’ blame city transplants: Lawmakers have spent hours debating a surge in rodents menacing Boise-area gardens and kitchens and threatening agriculture and public health.

Trump’s idea to ‘just buy’ bankrupt Spirit Airlines draws GOP backlash: The president said this week that bailing out the airline would save jobs, but his administration is divided.

The Trump-class battleships are a waste of time and money: The firing of Navy Secretary John Phelan reflects Pentagon tensions. - "It’s unfortunate that the administration is misallocating so many defense resources because U.S. defense needs are urgent — and deserve more funding, if not necessarily 50 percent more."

Democrats are closer than you think to upending the electoral college: The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact going into effect is suddenly plausible.

D.C. aims to counter rise in domestic violence amid spate of high-profile cases: Mayor Muriel Bowser and U.S. Attorney Janine Pirro introduced a bill that would boost penalties as women are more likely to experience domestic abuse in D.C. than in any state. - "Experts point to massive amounts of job loss in the region — D.C. has had the highest unemployment rate in the country for months, according to federal data. Intensifying federal immigration enforcement that has contributed to a climate of fear and stress in immigrant communities has also been a factor, with prevalence of guns in the city making matters worse for those already living with abuse."

Walking near a D.C. school raises the chance of being hit by a car, data shows: A Washington Post analysis of accident data shows pedestrians near schools are 24 percent more likely to be hit than elsewhere in the city. - "'We want safe streets across the District of Columbia,' McDuffie said during a recent interview with the 'Dream City' podcast. 

"But, he said, he would eliminate 'predatory' traffic cameras in some lower-income areas that lead to repetitive fines levied against local residents.'"

‘Michael’ Is a Vain Account of the Man in the Mirror: After an overlooked legal settlement spurred extensive reshoots, the new Michael Jackson biopic’s selective memory adheres to its subject’s self-mythologizing

Theft Is Now Progressive Chic: In some left-wing corners of the commentariat, moral rectitude is out. Flagrant disregard of the social contract is in.

Israel Could Have What It Most Wants in Lebanon: It just has to give up territorial ambitions and work with the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah.

Texans Will Decide if Jesus Was a Lefty: James Talarico is trying to sell a novel brand of Christian politics in a deep-red state.

How Netanyahu Hurt America’s Jews: The Israeli prime minister’s focus is, as always, on himself and his near-term political needs. The plight of American Jews is simply not his concern. - "Beyond Netanyahu's overt interference in American politics, he's also impeded repeated U.S. diplomatic efforts to resolve the Israel-Palestine question. Although Israeli recalcitrance on moving toward a viable two-state solution has often been matched or exceeded by the Palestinian Authority, there is no question that Netanyahu's continued support for expanding settlements in the West Bank and his lack of serious engagement in peace talks have further alienated Democrats. In the past, even when Israeli leaders disagreed with the United States, they would try to avoid open provocations. Bibi, it seems, goes out of his way to frustrate the U.S. Not surprisingly, every Democratic president who has dealt with Netanyahu directly-Clinton, Obama, Biden-appears to loathe him."

The Iran Talks Are Making India Feel Small: Modi styled himself a global leader but can’t seem to get ahead of events in the Middle East.

Reading archive 2026-02-06

Good news: We saved the bees. Bad news: We saved the wrong ones.: Honeybees have never been in danger of extinction. But scientists are finding that they can accelerate the demise of native bee populations.

Ron Wyden Only Talks Like This When The Spies Do Something *Real* Bad: No, I don't know what they did. But I have a lot of experience with the senator

The Means-Testing Industrial Complex - "The CBO conservatively estimates that these rules will strip Medicaid coverage from over 7 million people. For millions of working Americans this maze of new rules will mean losing their life-saving health insurance and financial ruin. For Mark Begor, Equifax, and other government contractors, this maze of new rules means profit.

...

"With governments entirely reliant on Equifax to administer life-saving benefits to millions of low-income Americans, steep price hikes quickly followed. The New York Times uncovered that in many places, the toll paid to Equifax for the Work Number doubled, then tripled, and more than quadrupled in only a few years. Local, state, and federal agencies have helplessly watched their public funds raided, boxed in by the dual forces of means-testing requirements and unconstrained market power.

...

"Again, new work requirements for Medicaid highlight the profits to be made from adding complexity to the safety net. Since Georgia implemented work requirements in 2020, they have spent twice as much on Deloitte consultants and administrative costs as on healthcare for people. As the other 55 states and territories are now forced to join Georgia and implement new work requirements, millions will lose their healthcare and Deloitte will cash in."

James Comer Gives Dems an Unexpected Gift: The House Oversight Committee swung at Clinton but might have hit Trump. [ed. note: dragging an ex-president in front of Congress sets a precedent that Trump doesn't like]

Tulsi Gabbard is showing why her job shouldn’t exist: Trump’s director of national intelligence is making worse the problems with the ill-conceived role.

What Democrats are demanding in exchange for funding ICE: Republicans have criticized Democrats’ proposals as “a ridiculous Christmas list” but say they’re willing to negotiate.

Trump shares, then deletes video depicting Obamas as apes: Tim Scott, the sole Black Republican in the Senate, called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.”

Bollywood Embraces a Taj Mahal Conspiracy Theory: The internet and a new film have breathed life into old conspiracy theories about one of the world’s most famous landmarks. - "The film’s promotional materials promised to 'reveal the untold history' of the landmark. It doesn’t. What it has done instead is rehash discredited claims that once were relegated to the fringes of the internet, giving prominence to efforts to inflame sectarian tensions.

...

"[P.N. Oak, inventor of this lie] also published numerous other books claiming that Christianity and Islam were in fact offshoots of Hinduism and that many physical landmarks of those faiths, including St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican and the Kaaba in Mecca, were originally Hindu temples. 

"Oak didn’t disguise his intentions. Born in the British colonial era (and having fought on the Japanese side in World War II), he founded the Institute for Rewriting Indian History, which sought to recast the nation’s history as one of conquest and colonization of its true Hindu identity."

Reading archive 2026-01-27

Maryland is getting a Sphere — and wasting millions in public subsidies: Wes Moore is wrong to compel Wizards and Caps fans to enrich the owner of the Knicks and Rangers. - "The deal announced recently to bring a smaller version of Las Vegas’s Sphere to Maryland’s National Harbor in 2030 includes almost $185 million of tax breaks, government-backed loans and incentive programs from the state and Prince George’s County.

"But the Las Vegas location, which is about three times bigger, was built without any government subsidies and pays property taxes."

Colorado has wolves again for the first time in 80 years. Why are they dying?: A controversial reintroduction program is off to a messy start.

Small study shows a promising path toward HIV cure: Antiretroviral drugs that prevent HIV and keep it in check have been transformative, but a cure has been a long-sought goal.

A 3-year-old’s lost life leads to reform in police pursuits in Md.: The Prince George’s County Council has passed a bill named after Zoey Rose Marie Harrison, who was killed in a police pursuit crash.

ICE would still operate in a partial government shutdown: Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be able to continue its operations due to $75 billion in funding from a 2025 GOP law.

What to know about the deadly Nipah virus, amid outbreak in India: Some airports in Asia are on alert after confirmed cases in West Bengal of Nipah virus, which has no cure. South Asia sees outbreaks nearly every year.

FBI takes over investigation into town hall attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar: In a video from the event, a man walks up and sprays what appears to be a liquid at the Minnesota Democrat — who is a frequent target of Trump — before he is taken away by security.

Your Leaders Were Lying. Now The People Are Driving: The depravity of ICE, the enthusiasm of Republicans and the cowardice of Democrats is breaking through hypernormalization

Here’s How Many ICE and CBP Agents Allegedly Preyed on Children: Apparently the institutions are riddled with accused sex criminals.

Inside the shadow war between Russia and Ukraine that exploits teens: Vika, 18, needed a job. Then came an offer for $2,500 to make a simple delivery that seemed too good to be true.

Museum curator, 77, learns Gen Z slang and goes viral: ‘Honestly, she ate’: “Look how bro glazed it,” said Alison Luchs, the National Gallery of Art’s deputy head of sculpture, pointing to a 16th-century Italian plate.

ICE agents blocked from entering Ecuadorian Consulate in Minneapolis, ministry says: Law enforcement is generally prohibited from entering consulates or embassies without permission. Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry said it had filed a formal diplomatic protest.

Americans should not trust ICE. Kristi Noem isn’t the only reason.: Assume this loutocracy’s statements on its deportation mania are lies until proven otherwise. - "Policing is a hard, dangerous profession. Done well, it demands of its practitioners discipline and judgment, and deserves from society a respect approaching reverence. The current administration, by erasing the distinction between police work and military operations — by allowing marauding ICEmen to pose as police — has grievously wounded the dignity of policing."

A Reckoning for the Tech Right: Silicon Valley’s top CEOs have been noticeably silent after the Minneapolis shooting.

Donald Trump Can Be Stopped: The president’s retreat in Minneapolis is a stinging defeat for the national conservatives.

Never Fight Alone: Anyone who would denigrate the service of our NATO allies clearly never spent a day in uniform.

South Carolina Is America’s New Measles Norm: The state’s measles outbreak could soon be bigger than West Texas’s. Are the two connected?

Minnesota Proved MAGA Wrong: The pushback against ICE exposed a series of mistaken assumptions. - "If the Minnesota resistance has an overarching ideology, you could call it "neighborism"-a commitment to protecting the people around you, no matter who they are or where they came from. The contrast with the philosophy guiding the Trump administration couldn't be more extreme. Vice President Vance has said that 'it is totally reasonable and acceptable for American citizens to look at their next-door neighbors and say, 'I want to live next to people who I have something in common with. I don't want to live next to four families of strangers.'' Minnesotans are insisting that their neighbors are their neighbors whether they were born in Minneapolis or Mogadishu. That is, arguably, a deeply Christian philosophy, one apparently loathed by some of the most powerful Christians in America."

...

"The federal surge into Minneapolis reflects a series of mistaken MAGA assumptions. The first is the belief that diverse communities aren't possible: 'Social bonds form among people who have something in common,' Vance said in a speech last July. 'If you stop importing millions of foreigners into the country, you allow social cohesion to form naturally.' Vance's remarks are the antithesis to the neighborism of the Twin Cities, whose people do not share the narcissism of being capable of loving only those who are exactly like them."

Reading archive 2026-01-26

Should you drink bottled water or tap? The answer may surprise you.: If you’re concerned about microplastics, PFAS and lead, there are certain ways to make your drinking water safer.

China fires top general in shocking purge of senior military command: The downfall of Zhang Youxia, China’s most senior uniformed official, marks an unprecedented concentration of military power under Xi Jinping.

Senate Democrats to block government funding after second fatal shooting in Minneapolis: The move could force a partial government shutdown next weekend. Lawmakers are set to vote on spending bills this week but may look to split Homeland Security from other agencies.

‘Unconquerable’: What a visit to frigid Ukraine convinced me: AI-powered air defense could counter Moscow’s greatest advantage — and keep Kyiv in the fight.

After 80-year bond, Germans find breaking up with the U.S. is hard to do: To many Germans, Americans were saviors after World War II, and they feel especially hurt over President Donald Trump’s disdain for Europe and traditional alliances.

Five people were shot outside a D.C. bus. It remained stopped, doors open.: Passengers pleaded with the operator to drive away from the shooting or close the bus doors, but he said he couldn’t, according to two passengers on the bus.

Elusive orchid plays key role in plan to bring bird back after 30 years: Once widespread throughout the Southeast, populations of the red-cockaded woodpecker shrank drastically amid rapid development and other threats.

Trump brushes off concerns about Witkoff’s interactions with Russians as leaked transcript roils Washington

Kilowatts or connections? Trump’s favored nuclear start-ups soar to riches.: Founders of politically connected nuclear companies that have never built commercial reactors are becoming billionaires. - "Valar declares on a company webpage that 'holding the spent fuel from [its] system for five minutes gives the equivalent radiation exposure to receiving a CAT scan.' Nuclear engineers were appalled by his claims."

Climate change, aging farmers endanger Japan's 'Rolls-Royce of pearls'

In Houston suburbs, Abbott’s attacks on CAIR unnerve Muslim residents: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) designated CAIR — a Muslim advocacy and civil rights group — a “foreign terrorist” group, along with the Muslim Brotherhood.

These very hungry microbes devour a powerful pollutant

Humans killed millions of vultures. Now people are paying the price.: As vultures vanished, dogs multiplied, and rabies spread. Humans are living with the consequences.

The common vaccines that can prevent chronic disease or some cancers: In addition to cancer, a growing body of research has shown that vaccines can reduce the risk of developing dementia and heart conditions.

She’s torn between her love for Trump and her work with migrants: A conservative woman detects a lack of empathy — and a broken promise — in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

‘Heated Rivalry’ is a hit in Russia, where LGBTQ+ content is heavily censored: Russian audiences connected deeply with character Ilya Rozanov, whose country would never fully accept him or allow him to live openly in a relationship with another man.

Hard Times in the Delta as Farmers Consider Letting Crops Rot: Prices for nearly every major U.S. crop are below what it costs to grow them. But a drop in rice prices means another blow to farmers in Mississippi’s agricultural belt.

Reading archive 2025-11-04

How Catastrophic Is It If the AI Bubble Bursts? An FAQ.: The AI industry’s most important product is not a chatbot or a video generator; it’s the story the AI industry is telling about itself

Decades after charter schools exploded in D.C., they face a changed city: KIPP DC, the city’s largest charter network, turns 25 amid new challenges for education. - "KIPP also became known, locally and nationally, for its strict 'no excuses' model. Students could be reprimanded for causing distractions or behavior deemed 'detrimental to the best interest' of the school. During the 2015-2016 school year, five of KIPP’s 16 schools had suspended at least a quarter of their student body, according to city data — attracting scrutiny from the D.C. Council."

Dick Cheney couldn’t get over Jan. 6: Other Republicans returned to Trump, but the former vice president was unforgiving, to his credit.

Report: Donors to Trump’s White House ballroom have $279B in federal contracts: The list contains heavyweights in the tech, financial and defense sectors, including Google, Comcast and Lockheed Martin. - "'They have massive interests before the federal government and they hope to undoubtedly curry favor with, and receive favorable treatment from the Trump administration,' Public Citizen Co-President Robert Weissman said in a statement. 'Millions to fund Trump’s architectural whims are nothing compared to the billions at stake in procurement, regulatory and enforcement decisions.'"

Why isn’t the Heritage Foundation condemning Tucker Carlson?: The conservative think tank is unbothered by Carlson’s friendly interview with a white nationalist.

The RSS is a warning to all nations where populism is spiking: Groups like India’s RSS wouldn’t amass millions of members without appealing to a perceived need.

A whole lotta marble! Designers weigh in on Trump’s Lincoln Bathroom reno.: The startling renovation comes on the heels of the demolition of the East Wing.

Administration hints furloughed workers may not be paid after shutdown: Agencies are sending messages indicating that workers who are on the job will be paid when the government reopens — with no mention of those on furlough, despite a 2019 law protecting their wages.

Reading archive 2025-08-12

Teens charged in DOGE staffer attack ordered to stay in youth custody: Two 15-year-olds are so far the only people charged in a case President Trump cast as a symbol of D.C.’s crime problem.

Man shot and killed near sites of two slayings cited by Trump: Fatal shooting came hours after the president said he would take control of the D.C. police.

Pentagon plan would create military ‘reaction force’ for civil unrest: Documents reviewed by The Post detail a prospective National Guard mission that, if adopted, would require hundreds of troops to be ready round-the-clock.

This little-known ‘dark roof’ lobby may be making your city hotter: As cities heat up, reflective roofs could lower energy bills and help the climate. But dark roofing manufacturers are waging a quiet campaign to block new rules.

There’s a reason India and the U.S. aren’t better friends: Two of the world’s largest democracies. Two market-driven giants. Can they fix their relationship?

Can’t put solar panels on your roof? Plug-in ‘balcony solar’ may be for you.: Balcony solar promises to cut energy costs and grid reliance for renters and apartment-dwellers. I did a trial run at my home.

Can’t put solar panels on your roof? Plug-in ‘balcony solar’ may be for you." Balcony solar promises to cut energy costs and grid reliance for renters and apartment-dwellers. I did a trial run at my home.

Reading archive 2025-05-23 pt 1

What we know about the man arrested in the D.C. Jewish museum shooting: The 31-year-old from Chicago is accused of killing a young couple who worked at the Israeli Embassy.

Clean energy dollars are gushing to red states. Now GOP senators are in a bind.: The Trump tax bill passed by the House would wipe out hundreds of billions of dollars for solar, wind and other projects in Republican districts. - "The measure, according to a group of Princeton University researchers called the REPEAT Project, would drain more than $1 trillion from the U.S. economy in less than a decade, when factoring in private investment and spin-off spending the subsidies drive. The average annual household electricity bill would be pushed up more than $270 after 10 years, the group found. 

"The Trump administration has argued that curbing renewable energy to unleash more fossil fuels will lower utility rates, but many industry analysts warn otherwise. Plans for new gas plants have been beset by long delays and soaring costs amid shortages of materials and supply chain challenges. More than 80 percent of the new electricity added to the power grid in 2024 came from solar panels and industrial batteries that store the energy they capture, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a federal agency."

The findings — and scientific problems — in White House ‘MAHA Report’: Parts of the “MAHA Report” contradict scientific consensus.

Trump’s tax bill plan adds to federal debt, prompting investor backlash: Rising bond yields could eventually mean higher borrowing costs for consumers.

‘No tax on tips’ could backfire amid growing tip fatigue: The legislation has implications for those who give gratuities and those who pocket them, with the potential to leave both sides feeling shortchanged.

In Australia, everyone has a hot take about the mushroom murder trial: Mycology and forensics are the subject of conversation across Australia as Erin Patterson stands trial, accused of murdering three relatives with a beef Wellington. - "Prosecutors have said the poisoning was deliberate and have put forward as evidence that Patterson traveled to known death cap mushroom locations before the lunch; that she disposed of a food processor used to prepare the mushrooms; and that she reset her phone afterward. They also say Patterson told a number of lies, from the false cancer diagnosis she allegedly used to lure people to the lunch to the origin of the mushrooms she served."

Ukraine scrambles to overcome Russia’s edge in fiber-optic drones: Ukraine pioneered the use of small drones on the battlefield. But in Russia’s Kursk region, Moscow’s fiber-optic cables helped turn the tide.

OpenAI’s Ambitions Just Became Crystal Clear: But when you promise the world a revolutionary new product, it helps to have actually built one.

Trump Is Crushing the Netanyahu Myth: The Israeli leader and his allies bet everything on Trump. But he’s just not that into them. - "The third-rate pro-government propagandists on Channel 14 might not have seen this coming, but Netanyahu should have. His dark worldview is premised on the pessimistic presumption that the world will turn on the Jews if given the chance, which is why the Israeli leader has long prized hard power over diplomatic understandings. Even if Trump wasn't such an unreliable figure, trusting him should have gone against all of Netanyahu's instincts."

Biden’s Age Wasn’t a Cover-Up. It Was Observable Fact.: The story about the former president getting old is getting old.

The Trump Administration Is Tempting a Honeybee Disaster: Bees are dying. Federal funding cuts aren’t helping.

The Decline and Fall of Elon Musk: The Tesla innovator becomes the latest government employee to lose his job. - "Ayushi Roy, a former technologist at the General Services Administration who now teaches digital government at Harvard Kennedy School, told us that Musk has achieved at least some of his goals: cutting the federal workforce and traumatizing the employees who remain. But, she said, he has largely failed to build anything that's made government more efficient."

An Awkward Truth About American Work: Direct-selling schemes are considered fringe businesses, but their values have bled into the national economy.

Modi’s Escalation Trap: A counterterrorism policy designed to burnish a strongman’s image risks setting off new rounds of conflict.

What Trump Got Right in the Middle East: He put business front and center and politics to the side. - "Trump may well understand that with the Democratic Party likely divided on Israel for the next generation, his Jewish and evangelical-Christian supporters have nowhere else to go. This puts him in a position of power relative to the Israeli prime minister one that must surely make Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders very uncomfortable. Making them still more uncomfortable will be the fact that everyone who mattered seemed to be in those meetings in the Gulf. Everyone, that is, except them.

...

"Historically, America has attracted capital because it can be counted on to follow the rule of law, crack down on public corruption, and support the kinds of independent and quasi-independent regulatory bodies that give investors peace of mind. Trump and his administration have been working hard to weaken all of this. For a president who claims to understand the private sector as well as he does, seeking deals while simultaneously undermining the conditions that make America a great investment will be counterproductive in the end." [lol duh]

Who is to blame for Biden’s gamble to run for president?: Press corps and party leaders were not responsible for failing to stop the presidential campaign.

The Democrats Are Having a False Reckoning Over Joe Biden: Party elites are considerably more responsible for their woeful state of affairs than the former president. - "Prominent Democrats speaking out about all this a year ago would have been meaningful. Today, it means nothing. Denouncing Biden’s run now ⁠that he’s a political nonentity⁠—out of office and perhaps very near death⁠—isn’t taking a brave stand against the internal culture of the Democratic Party. It’s a reflection of it: a wholly cost-free and substantively empty way for opportunists to perform independence from the party now that the coast is clear and there are no toes of consequence to step on. Biden ran again, and is being condemned for running again, for the very same reasons.

...

"Party hopefuls looking for ways to mark themselves as different from the rest of the pack today have other, better options. The best way to demonstrate a measure of real independence from the Democratic Party is to tell the truth about what really ails it: wealthy, clueless donors; an approach to public policy incommensurate with the scale of the challenges the country faces; a quasi-religious faith in the virtues of bipartisanship; a related and willful blindness to the depths of the Republican rot beyond Donald Trump; and a blindness, just as consequential, to the structural features of our federal system that will continue pulling governance to the right. All are much deeper problems than Joe Biden’s ego and those who chose to flatter it. All will be much more difficult to resolve. But if Democrats are looking for a reckoning, there are quite a few to be had in that mix."

Trump’s road to failure in Ukraine: For all the president’s efforts, peace has only gotten further away.

How DOGE’s grand plan to remake Social Security is backfiring: The agency is abandoning an initiative aimed at preventing fraud, the latest example of a failed effort by Elon Musk’s disruptive cost-cutting team.

The massive wind farm that could transform this Brooklyn neighborhood: Sunset Park moves ahead with plans for a “just transition” after the Trump administration lifts a stop-work order on the Empire Wind energy project.

Reading archive 2025-05-07

DOGE aims to pool federal data, putting personal information at risk: The goal — a centralized system with unprecedented access to data about Social Security, taxes, medical diagnoses and other private information — would create a multitude of vulnerabilities, experts say.

U.S. pushes nations facing tariffs to approve Musk’s Starlink, cables show: Some countries have turned to the satellite internet firm in conjunction with trade talks, State Department staffers wrote. The U.S. has a strategic interest in countering Chinese internet providers, but Musk’s role complicates the picture.

Powered by potatoes: Endurance athletes are chasing speed with spuds: More ultramarathoners and cyclists are turning to potatoes as a mild, carbohydrate-packed fuel option.

Smithsonian National Museum of African Art delays LGBTQ Pride exhibit: “Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art” was originally scheduled to coincide with the WorldPride celebration in Washington. The museum postponed it until next year, citing a funding shortfall. - "“This exhibition was on a very ambitious schedule to meet WorldPride and we did not have enough time to secure all the private sector funds we had hoped to due to shifts in the fundraising environment,” Mitchell wrote." [ed. note: I do not believe you]

His D.C. tenants lived in squalor for years. Now he owes $6.8 million.: D.C.’s Office of the Attorney General sued Adolphe Edwards in 2022. Nearly 100 tenants are owed rent refunds, the office said.

GOP senators buck Trump’s pick for D.C. U.S. attorney, imperiling bid: Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), facing reelection in 2026, objected to Ed Martin’s support for Jan. 6 Capitol rioters who assaulted police. Other Republicans kept mum.

Former D.C. officer again charged with sex trafficking of teen girls: Linwood Barnhill Jr., once imprisoned for prostituting underaged girls, has committed “remarkably similar crimes” since his release in 2020, a prosecutor said.

Makers of clothes, beer and more on what tariffs really mean for you: A brewer, decorator, fabric manufacturer and biotech executive on the administration’s strategy.

How the Democrats can crush the 2026 midterms: Can the Democrats repeat their success of 2018 in 2026?

America just surrendered to foreign lies: By shutting down this agency, we are allowing disinformation by our enemies to spread unchecked. - "When the Trump administration shut down Voice of America in March, it silenced one of the few sources of accurate information in countries without a free press. What’s worse is that American defenses against foreign disinformation are being eliminated as well. Not only is the United States no longer serving up the truth, it’s allowing our enemies to propagate false information around the world with no pushback.

...

"Until it was shut down, the Global Engagement Center had unique capabilities to counter these efforts. It was able to convene interagency meetings and work with military and intelligence experts to uncover — and then publicize — the propaganda machines behind these stories. No other office in the U.S. government had the combination of expertise, information and authority to defend against information warfare."

Ignore restaurant lobbyists. Respect the will of Washingtonians.: Plus letters on other D.C. issues such as pedestrian safety, RFK stadium and more.

The MAHA-Friendly App That’s Driving Food Companies Crazy: Yuka and other apps are influencing shoppers’ purchasing habits; ‘There are a lot of opinions out there’ - "Yuka gives Tru drinks a score of 43 or 48 out of 100—'poor'—in part because they contain stevia and erythritol, sweeteners that Yuka says carry risks. [CEO of Tru, Jack] McNamara said he doesn’t fully agree with Yuka’s methodology, which deducts points for drinks that aren’t water, but he takes the app’s input seriously." [ed. note: there's nothing wrong with stevia]

Pakistan claims to have downed Indian warplanes, vows response to strikes: India’s military said the strikes were in retaliation for a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. Analysts warned that the risk of escalation is rising.

People Are Losing Loved Ones to AI-Fueled Spiritual Fantasies Self-styled prophets are claiming they have "awakened" chatbots and accessed the secrets of the universe through ChatGPT - "'We know from work on journaling that narrative expressive writing can have profound effects on people’s well-being and health, that making sense of the world is a fundamental human drive, and that creating stories about our lives that help our lives make sense is really key to living happy healthy lives,' Westgate says. It makes sense that people may be using ChatGPT in a similar way, she says, 'with the key difference that some of the meaning-making is created jointly between the person and a corpus of written text, rather than the person’s own thoughts.'"

Reading archive 2025-04-02

The Weekend That Shook the World

This muggy city keeps cool with minimal AC. Here’s how.: Palava City, a 5,000-acre experimental community northeast of Mumbai, hopes to provide a model for adapting to a climate-transformed world.

The Evermaskers: The isolation of people who take precautions against COVID has only gotten more intense.

Russia’s Repression Goes South: A group of Russian exiles thought they would find freedom in Georgia. They were wrong.

How the Trump administration took aim at Maine: The acting head of the Social Security Administration called the state’s governor “disrespectful” and vowed there would be consequences.

Head of African American Museum on leave as Smithsonian faces Trump pressure: Kevin Young, an acclaimed poet who was named director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2021, is on personal leave for an “undetermined period,” according to an email obtained by The Post.

White House studying cost of Greenland takeover, long in Trump’s sights: It’s the most concrete effort yet to turn President Donald Trump’s desire to acquire the Danish territory into actionable policy, despite widespread international outrage.

Karen Read is back on trial for murder. Here’s what to know.: Read, accused of killing her boyfriend, alleges she was framed as part of a police cover-up. She is being retried after her first case ended in a mistrial.

How to make your seasonal allergies a little less miserable: Take allergy medicine a few weeks before pollen counts rise to get ahead of the congestion, sneezing and runny nose, experts say - "Despite claims online, there’s no evidence a spoonful of local honey will treat your seasonal pollen allergies, experts said. 

The honey might help to soothe a sore throat or cough, but not treat the allergic reaction. 'The pollen that’s actually in honey is not the pollen you’re allergic to,' Rubin said. 'Plants you’re allergic to are wind-pollinated, not insect-pollinated.'"

Air traffic controller charged with assaulting colleague in DCA tower: A work dispute led to an altercation between employees in the control tower at Reagan National Airport on Thursday night, people familiar with the matter say.

Trump says he’s already scored more business deals than Biden. That’s false.: The White House is comparing apples and oranges.

Farmers bewildered after USDA suggests cutting DEI from energy projects: The Agriculture Department said it would release funds withheld from farmers for months but also suggested they alter projects to align with Trump’s agenda.

You’re probably not cleaning these 11 very germy spots: Don’t worry. Once you know about them, they’re easy to take care of.

Trump administration says it mistakenly deported Salvadoran migrant: The government blamed “an administrative error” for the deportation of Kilmar Abrego García, a Salvadoran immigrant married to a U.S. citizen. Officials claim they’re unable to return him to his family in Maryland.

As Trump shakes trust in U.S., a hub for F-16 fighter jets braces for impact: Booming exports turned a South Carolina city into the “Global Home of the F-16.” Slipping foreign demand among angry allies could hurt that economic engine.

These old Roman buildings could unlock how to build in a warming world: The recycled buildings of Rome, long dismissed by architects, are getting a reappraisal as a model for how to reduce waste while creating something fresh.

Reading archive 2025-02-04

Md. FBI site pick had flaws but no conflict of interest, report finds: The inspector general report comes after critics alleged a problematic process and conflict of interest in the selection of a suburban Maryland home for the FBI.

Last of 5 teens convicted in Reggie Brown killing gets maximum sentence: Judge Kendra D. Briggs sentenced the 14-year-old girl to secure detention with the city’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation until age 21.

The Downstream Effects of India’s Green Revolution: In Punjab, decades of monocropping have taken a toll on water resources and the health of farm communities.

Did Trump cave on his Canada and Mexico tariffs?: Some of the purported concessions were things the countries had already done before Trump’s tariffs threat, but it’s complicated.

I’m a former federal worker. You should be, too.: I quit my government job under the first Trump administration. I don’t regret it.

Lawsuit accuses author Neil Gaiman of rape, says wife trafficked nanny: A former nanny has filed a lawsuit accusing Gaiman of sexual assault and Amanda Palmer of “procuring” her to be abused.

Why Bill Gates buried a headline in his memoir’s epilogue: The Microsoft founder discusses “Source Code,” the first in a planned three-volume autobiography.

Federal layoffs ‘likely’ if too few employees choose to quit, memo says: Workers have until Thursday to decide whether to take an offer to resign now and be paid through the end of September.

Ukraine welcomes Trump offer to trade its minerals for military support: Ukraine previously offered access to its rare earth minerals in hopes of keeping the Trump administration engaged in its fight with Russia. - "Zelensky said he told Trump in their meeting last year that Ukraine’s resources risked going to American adversaries, such as Iran and North Korea, if Russia got control of the deposits."

China displays multiple weapons in retaliation for Trump’s tariffs: Beijing announces tariffs on U.S. goods, restrictions on mineral exports and investigation of Google.

Democrats have become the party of permissiveness. That’s ballot box poison. A narrow definition of “kitchen table” issues does Democrats no favors. - "Clinton and Obama, the only two Democratic presidents to be reelected since Franklin D. Roosevelt, took stances that were in the mainstream of political sentiment, and both were willing to confront allied interest groups demanding fidelity and orthodoxy to out-of-touch positions despite the attendant criticism. In demonstrating that strength, they made voters comfortable electing and returning them to the Oval Office."

Can anyone stop President Musk?: A Republic, if you can keep it. - "Does that sound like liberal hysteria? Okay, here’s Brian Riedl, an economist who works for the conservative Manhattan Institute, and before that, the Heritage Foundation and Republican Senator Rob Portman: 'I see a lot of people want to throw out 230 years of constitutional government and replace it with an authoritarian dictator because they have big feelings about the budget and can’t be bothered to work through Congress.'"

Reading archive 2025-01-07

Drilling could resume where a 1969 oil spill inspired Earth Day: A plan by Sable Offshore to restart an oil pipeline that burst in 2015 has outraged Santa Barbara environmentalists.

Dems picked the wrong senator for Senate Judiciary leadership: They need a fighter on the committee, not a go-alonger. [ed. note: basically, Dick Durbin is a punk bitch]

These common medications could be releasing ‘forever chemicals’ into the environment: Researchers found that chemicals, including PFAS, from pharmaceuticals are entering into wastewater — which can be used as drinking water during times of drought.

Man escapes into storm drain after Beltway hit-and-run, police say: The man fled across the inner and outer loops in Fairfax County, state police said.

Accused of trespassing, Metro cuts some Maryland bus stops: Dispute over damaged roads will create longer walks for elderly and disabled residents nearby.

Amazon to release Melania Trump documentary: The film, scheduled to be released later this year, will give viewers an “unprecedented behind-the-scenes look” at the incoming first lady’s life, Amazon said. [ed. note: how embarrassing]

Cannon temporarily blocks report on Trump classified-documents probe: Two Trump employees charged alongside him in the classified documents case separately asked Judge Aileen Cannon to block the release.

Indians slam MAGA ‘war’ over H-1B skilled-worker visas as ‘racist’: As the top recipients of H-1Bs, Indians have been incensed by MAGA criticism of the program. - "Thakur said the visa system harms both American tech workers, who lose out on jobs, and Indian H-1B visa holders, who remain stuck in a relatively low-wage trap for years as they cling to the hope of obtaining lawful permanent resident status, or green cards. He accused the mainstream Indian news media, which used to be vocal about the brain drain until the late 2000s, of failing to get to the bottom of the issue because of its nationalist stance. 

"'Everything in the big newspapers and television channels on H-1B is largely about the image of India’s IT prowess because it is the biggest story from the last few decades that we like to tell ourselves,' Thakur said. 'But like many stories, it is mired in self-deception.'"

Meta ends fact checks as it prepares for Trump era CEO: Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook, Instagram and Threads will prioritize “free expression,” citing a “cultural tipping point.”

America needs a major culture shift on alcohol: Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy was right to highlight alcohol’s cancer risk.

Trump declines to rule out ‘military or economic’ force to expand U.S.: In a 70-minute, meandering news conference, the president-elect previewed his plans to disrupt the U.S. justice system — and global affairs.

Trump takes ‘America First’ to its expansionist endpoint: The Manifest Destiny of MAGA.

The legacy of Bidenomics: Maybe not much at all: Biden struggled to implement economic policies that will endure past his presidency.

‘Murdered In His Own Home’: Kentucky Cops Raid Wrong Home and Kill Innocent Man Over Alleged Stolen Weed Eater Despite Receiving the Correct Address At Least Five Times

The Curious Case of Lindy Li: How did a “Blue MAGA” influencer and fundraiser turn on Democrats so fast?

Reading archive 2025-01-06

Emilia Pérez is a regressive movie that thinks it’s woke. It will probably win an Oscar.: Could a movie musical about a trans Mexican drug lord be this awards season’s Crash? - "Still, Emilia Pérez’s presence in the Oscars race isn’t exactly a shock, given that it falls neatly into a category of movies the white Hollywood establishment loves to celebrate: mawkish stories about people on society’s margins that allow viewers to feel socially aware through their consumption, without challenging of any of the stereotypes and political messaging presented in them. Could Emilia Pérez become this year’s Crash?"

For this group of Virginia deer hunters, it’s not only about the meat: For Town Hill — a small band of Black men and their sons — the weeks of rifle hunting at year’s end and the spring gobbler turkey hunts aren’t to be missed.

Trump aides ready ‘universal’ tariff plans — with one key change: President-elect’s aides look at universal import duties, but only on certain sectors, among first big moves of presidency.

Most supplements aren’t worth your money. This one is.: Studies have consistently shown that psyllium may lower cholesterol, dampen glucose spikes, help us stay full longer, and even aid in treating diarrhea and constipation.

Joe Biden: What Americans should remember about Jan.: 6 Four years ago, our democracy was put to the test — and prevailed.

Here’s the solution to Trump World’s ‘civil war’ over H-1B visas: Getting rid of the lottery for high-tech visas could satisfy both MAGA constituencies.

After a last visit from Biden’s team, India readies itself for Trump: U.S.-India relations grew under President Joe Biden, and New Delhi hopes they will blossom with the new Trump administration. But numerous differences exist under the surface.

Trump, Republicans prep ambitious but fraught plan for tax cuts and more: The GOP will attempt to pass one massive legislative package including tax cuts, border security and other priorities, putting lawmakers up against a high-stakes deadline.

Reading archive 2024-12-31

In a war between tech bros and core MAGA, the winner is easy to spot: They are a selfish bunch who have shown time and again that what interests them most is themselves.

In India’s shadow war with Pakistan, a campaign of covert killings: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cast himself as more willing to take on India’s enemies beyond its borders than any other leader since independence.

Why the world needs lazier robots

Man is fatally stabbed Monday afternoon in Dupont Circle: The killing was the District’s second of the day, bringing the city’s yearly total to 189.

Carter to lie in state at Capitol, with state funeral to follow on Jan. 9: Former presidents and other dignitaries are expected to attend the service at Washington National Cathedral where President Joe Biden will deliver the eulogy.

D.C. U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves to resign before Trump takes office: Graves oversaw the Jan. 6 investigation and prosecuted Capitol rioters, local police officers and a D.C. Council member.

Putin says he saved Russia, but a year of challenges suggests Moscow’s position is precarious: Marking 25 years in office, Vladimir Putin says he has remade Russia as a sovereign power and will prevail in Ukraine, but economic and strategic setbacks complicate the picture. - "'Putin has successfully convinced Washington that he is to be feared and that he is crazy enough to drag NATO into war,' analysts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, concluded in a recent report. 'Allies have let their fear of escalation overtake a winning military strategy. As a result, Putin has put a finger to the wind and sees it is blowing in his direction.'"

How endangered wolves are getting help crossing the road: Cars keep killing one of America’s most endangered animals. A $25 million federal grant will help red wolves and other animals in eastern North Carolina safely cross the road.

Reading archive 2024-12-30

A plot in paradise and India’s struggle for influence in Asia: Secret contacts between Indian agents and politicians in the Maldives over ousting its pro-China leader reflect the growing contest between Asia’s great powers.

A driver ran over a man on Christmas Eve, then ran away: A pedestrian was killed in D.C. while standing on the sidewalk.

D.C. restaurateur who berated driver in viral video is charged with bias crime: An arrest warrant was issued for the owner of Canna Coffee in Adams Morgan after his angry encounter with a Latino food deliverer in September.

Mount Everest officials to employ drones to deal with growing problem — here's how it could clean the 'world's highest garbage dump'

Why you should take a 'fart walk' after a meal

Fire or water? New option for cremations in Baltimore is first in Maryland

Energy-hungry AI firms bet on these moonshot technologies: The immense electricity needs of data centers have alarmed the power sector. These technologies promise huge amounts of new energy — at a steep cost.

U.S. Treasury says it was hacked by China-backed actor: The department told lawmakers that the breach gained access to government workstations and unclassified documents.

Reading archive 2024-11-22

Labor unions prepare for battle against Trump’s federal workforce plans: A federal labor leader expects “all kinds of actions that will be punitive to federal employees and their unions,” and promises to “pursue all legal options” against Trump policies.

Bowser unveils new housing development in historic Barry Farm: Two buildings will bring 247 new units of housing to the Barry Farm neighborhood, where a promise to revitalize the community is taking shape.

For Trump inauguration, D.C. residents call for Airbnb blackout: Some residents are encouraging other hosts not to rent or to increase their prices for inauguration weekend.

How a change in rice farming unexpectedly made India’s air so much worse: No one anticipated that an initiative to save groundwater by delaying the annual rice season would aggravate northern India’s already miserable air pollution. - "Some scholars have shown how crop burning releases black carbon, a greenhouse gas even more effective than carbon dioxide at absorbing light and warming the atmosphere. Some scientists, and even the Indian government, have found that black carbon, commonly known as soot, is falling onto the glaciers of the Himalaya Mountains, heating the surface and quickening the melting."

This rare weather phenomenon is happening simultaneously in the Northwest and Northeast: First a bomb cyclone and an atmospheric river. Now a double Fujiwhara effect. What it all means.

Reading archive 2024-10-25

D.C. AG sues major construction company, alleging pollution of waterways: Fort Myer Construction operates two asphalt plants in the District and is a preferred contractor with the city, with tens of millions of dollars in contracts over the years.

DC Council Passes Bill That Would Bring Thousands Of New EV Stations To The City

Satellite images show major expansion at Russian site with secret bioweapons past: New construction at a military research site near Moscow reveals a specialized laboratory complex designed to research and handle deadly pathogens, experts say. - "State Department officials have ridiculed Russian allegations that the United States is working on biological weapons, alone or with partners. But U.S. officials and experts say Russian scientists may legitimately believe that the threat exists, and thus feel justified in creating and testing new weapons."

Families sue D.C. for ending housing aid in unprecedented case: The city has sought to remove thousands of families from its rapid rehousing program. Officials have blamed years of extensions for creating an unsustainable financial burden.

Jill Biden has upgraded your next White House tour: ‘They weren’t dynamic,’ the first lady says of the old tours. So she helped reimagine the ritual.

Opinion On political endorsement A note from the publisher: [ed. note: "We are returning to our roots, which is to not endorse candidates, except when we do, which is whenever we want, which is not now, because I, William Lewis, am a Rupert Murdoch crony and wide-spectrum dirtbag."]

The Washington Post says it will not endorse a candidate for president Publisher William Lewis explained the decision as a return to the newspaper’s roots. - "The decision not to publish was made by The Post’s owner — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — according to the same sources." [ed. note: bracing gutlessness from a billionaire afraid of what a Trump win could do to his fortunes]

Jill Biden has upgraded your next White House tour: ‘They weren’t dynamic,’ the first lady says of the old tours. So she helped reimagine the ritual.

Poop statue appears on the National Mall to ‘honor’ Jan. 6 rioters: Visitors swarmed the controversial installation, which will be on the Mall until Oct. 30.

Does Ghost-Hunting Gear Work? We Tested Some in a Haunted Place to Find Out.

Why Fleetwood Mac is forever: “Dreams,” by Mark Blake, delves into Fleetwood Mac’s storied past and the enduring appeal of the band’s music.

Finally, a fresh argument against ‘wokeness’: In “We Have Never Been Woke,” Musa al-Gharbi argues that claims to support marginalized people are often little more than elite status competitions.

Meet Ukraine’s top fighting unit — at least that’s what its ad says: Ukraine’s brigades can recruit their own soldiers, and they compete with one another to craft the best advertising campaigns to sell the war.

Canada alleges much wider campaign by Modi government against Sikhs: Canada on Monday ordered six Indian diplomats to leave the country, including India’s top diplomat in Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, officials said.

In D.C. election, Initiative 83 push for voting changes is biggest wild card: I-83 would allow independents to vote in primaries and change D.C.’s voting method to ranked-choice. The D.C. Democratic Party has emerged as a chief opponent.

Opinion By electing Trump, America would break its closest allies’ hearts: Anxiety levels in Europe over the U.S. election are very high. - "Jørn Brøndal, chair of USD’s Center for American Studies, offered a view that turns 'America First' rhetoric on its head. 'I always saw Trump as an import from Europe,' Brøndal said. 'He’s outside the American mainstream and comes from a right-wing populist tradition in Europe that shows some of the same tendencies.' Brøndal said this before Trump, in the style of 1930s autocrats, spoke of immigrants bringing 'a lot of bad genes in our country right now.'"

North Carolina authorities arrest armed man after threats against FEMA workers: Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office confirms it made the arrest Saturday after learning of threat to Federal Emergency Management Agency employees working on hurricane relief.

Opinion Why Harris’s pitch to Muslim and Arab American voters is failing: Caught in the bind of the Gaza war, the VP failed to cement herself as the choice for this bloc. - "There’s a tendency in liberal circles to accuse these voters of betraying their own interests by supporting Trump or voting third-party. But Muslim and Arab voters aren’t abandoning Harris because they don’t understand what’s at stake. They’re abandoning her because they do." [lol let's see how that goes]

The Most Opinionated Man in America: Mike Solana, a Peter Thiel protégé, has made his Pirate Wires newsletter a must-read among the anti-woke investor class—and a window into what the most powerful people in tech really think.

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 2024-06-11

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 2024-06-05

Microplastics Are Everywhere. Here’s How to Avoid Eating Them.

Juror says someone left her bag with $120,000 cash and promise of more if she’ll acquit: She was serving on a case involving seven people charged with stealing more than $40 million from a program meant to feed children during the pandemic.

Why Mexico City’s thirst is causing it to sink: The demand for water in Mexico’s capital is draining its underground aquifers — and fueling some of the fastest subsidence rates in the world.

Casa Ruby founder set to plead guilty to wire fraud over pandemic funds: Ruby Corado is accused of diverting $150,000 in federal pandemic relief from her LGBTQ nonprofit to her own accounts in El Salvador and fleeing D.C. in 2022.

Alito’s account of the upside-down flag doesn’t fully add up. Here’s why.: A look at the major discrepancies in Justice Samuel Alito’s comments about controversial flags flown at his property and what he still has not fully answered.

Senate Republicans vote against making contraception a federal right: The bill was introduced by Democrats seeking to put Republicans on the spot in an election year over their unpopular positions on reproductive rights.

Biden, in France for D-Day anniversary, to stress contrast with Trump: The president will join other leaders in praising the fight against authoritarianism.

Gunman opens fire at U.S. Embassy in Lebanon and is shot by army: The gunman, who has been hospitalized, was identified as a Syrian national. No motive for the attack has been reported yet.

Opinion For The Post, a Supreme black eye: Deference to Justice Alito hands a scoop to the New York Times.

India’s low-caste voters humbled its powerful prime minister: Modi’s stunning setback in elections this week reflected the power of low-caste Hindus who rebelled against his ruling BJP.

He went viral for driving with a suspended license. The case isn’t so simple.: The case that led Corey Harris to become famous after he attended a Zoom hearing about his suspended license while driving is more complicated than it appeared. [ed. note: actually he never had a driver's license at all, just a Michigan state ID. Dude is a liar and a POS]

Would a reelected Trump prosecute his opponents? He already tried.: Trump and his allies are pretending that his recent conviction gives him moral space to target his enemies. But he tried that the first time around. - "The reality, as Mueller established and as a report from the Justice Department inspector general reinforced, was that there were numerous links between Trump’s team and Russia and that there was an obvious effort by Russia to upend the election. Durham brought charges against an attorney linked to Clinton. The attorney was acquitted. 

"Last year, the New York Times’s Charlie Savage explained that the pivot to focusing on Clinton came only after Durham was unable to uncover nefarious intent on the part of the FBI. 

"'By keeping the investigation going,” Savage wrote, 'Mr. Barr initially appeased Mr. Trump, who, as Mr. Barr recounted in his memoir, was angry about the lack of charges as the 2020 election neared.'"

Conservative attacks on birth control could threaten access: Far-right conservatives are sowing misinformation that inaccurately characterizes IUDs, emergency contraception, even birth-control pills as causing abortions - "Because hormonal IUDs and birth-control pills can thin the uterine lining, which could prevent a fertilized egg from implanting, some antiabortion activists falsely claim that the birth-control methods cause abortions. Between 30 and 70 percent of fertilized eggs never implant successfully, even without birth control, according to Belmonte’s review of medical literature."

GOP plans aggressive ‘weaponization’ investigations in wake of Trump conviction: House Speaker Mike Johnson vowed to use House oversight powers and other measures to target jurisdictions pursuing prosecutions of the former president.

Reading archive 2024-06-04

Woman charged with murder, kidnapping after carjacked vehicle crashed: Police said the woman stole an occupied SUV at the hospital entrance after the victim’s daughter stepped out to bring her mother a wheelchair.

Yellowstone bison gores 83-year-old while ‘defending its space,’ park says: The woman was lifted a foot into the air by the bison’s horns and was seriously injured, the park said. Officials have long warned tourists to stay away from bison.

Never wait in the school car line again. Here’s how.: For the first time in decades, a small but critical mass of children are riding their bikes safely to school again.

Former U.S. soldier extradited from Ukraine over ‘international crime spree’: U.S. authorities said Craig Lang and another man robbed and killed a Florida couple in 2018 while trying to fund travel to Venezuela to fight the regime there.

Netanyahu strains to keep government together amid spreading rebellions: A string of standoffs, schisms and ultimatums have brought Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s emergency war cabinet to the brink of collapse.

Indian election delivers stunning setback to Modi and his party: The BJP is still poised to form a government in coalition with allies. But this is the first time Modi has failed to win a majority over a 23-year political career.

Former Trump aides charged in Wisconsin over 2020 elector plot: Attorney Kenneth Chesebro is among three aides charged in Wisconsin. Separate cases related to Trump’s 2020 efforts have been filed in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Georgia.

In a first, noncitizens are voting in D.C. Here’s what it means to them.: More than 500 noncitizen District residents have registered to vote, according to the D.C. Board of Elections.

Lawmakers expensed millions in 2023 under new program that doesn’t require receipts: Critics say the program’s lack of transparency and record-keeping opens it up to abuse. - "'I wish members would give themselves a raise that they probably deserve and then we’d all move on,' said a staffer involved with congressional accounting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the program publicly. 'But they don’t have the backbone to do that, so [they gave] members a raise through this backdoor way that allows for abuse because there is no record keeping and there’s no receipts.'"

Opinion The Pentagon is learning how to change at the speed of war: The dynamic Ukraine battlespace has provided a needed jolt to a system that has long been too slow to change.