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 2023-05-20

The biggest revelations from the new ‘Secrets of Hillsong’ docuseries: Carl Lentz, pastor who famously attracted celebrities to church’s hyper-successful New York location, gives first big interview since his firing in 2020

‘Very uncomfortable’: Scott-Haley 2024 divide sparks GOP tensions in S.C.: The long-overlapping circles of the two Republicans are coming sharply into focus — and stoking anxieties in a state where everyone knows everyone in local politics

Trump touts authoritarian vision for second term: ‘I am your justice’: The former president is proposing deploying the military domestically, purging the federal workforce and building futuristic cities from scratch - "'In 2016, I declared I am your voice,' Trump said in a speech last month at the Conservative Political Action Conference and repeated at his first 2024 campaign rally in Waco, Tex., a few weeks later. 'Today, I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.' ...

"'The Reagan limited-government conservatism and emphasis on federalism is being displaced by a new muscular, nationalizing cultural conservatism, with a lot of anger,' said Larry Diamond, a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution who studies democracy. 'One thing we’ve learned about Trump and authoritarian populists like him is not to dismiss what they’re saying as just idle language and toothless roar. We need to take it very seriously.'" [ed. note: oh wow he's a fascist who would have thought]

Zelensky makes dramatic G-7 visit as Biden mobilizes allies over China: Leaders focus on confronting Russia and countering China’s economic rise

Europe’s military industrial capabilities fall short of Ukraine’s needs

Opinion  The Durham investigation was a flop. But it’s a propaganda triumph.

Reading archive 2022-10-19

The three-year effort to undercut the Russia probe comes up dry

Exclusive: Bob Woodward releasing new audiobook ‘The Trump Tapes’ with eight hours of recorded interviews

Reading archive 2022-06-01

This device may nudge your brain into deep sleep: It uses electric current pulsed through the scalp and skull to help the brain flush away harmful waste during deep sleep

In worsening drought, Southern California water restrictions take effect: Outdoor water use limited to one day per week in parts of the Los Angeles area - "Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) warned that mandatory water restrictions might be imposed throughout the state. Almost a year before, he had called on residents to voluntarily reduce water use by 15 percent. But that has not happened."

Opinion  John Durham’s flop is only the latest of many Trump coverup failures

What if — and bear with me here — John Durham doesn’t have the goods? - "Durham’s probe has become everything that Trump and his allies accused special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s Russia investigation of being: a fishing expedition that’s gone on for an extended period of time without actually surfacing anything that significantly aids the central case. Mueller could point to dozens of indictments and a voluminous exploration of how Russia tried to swing the 2016 election two years into his assignment. Three years into Durham’s, he failed to obtain a conviction on his central line of attack."

Norton: D.C. leaders’ disagreement leaves RFK Stadium plan in lurch

D.C. gun seizures are soaring — but charges aren’t sticking: Police say there are legal hurdles to securing convictions even when they recover a weapon. Defense attorneys say they are bringing weak cases.

Will exercise, meditation or reiki help if you can’t find a therapist?: The shortage of specialists is driving many to try alternative methods. What the science says about their effectiveness.

Opinion  Hapless Trumpist Mo Brooks gives away the GOP ‘vote fraud’ scam

Reading archive 2021-11-08

Aaron Rodgers said he did the research on covid vaccines. Here’s how he was wrong, according to experts

My hearing isn’t what it used to be. But will I look old wearing an ear device?

Nearing Monday coronavirus vaccine deadline, thousands of federal workers seek religious exemptions to avoid shots

A 16-year-old girl learned a hand gesture on TikTok to signal for help. Law enforcement says it saved her life.

Mold, mice, month of protests put Howard’s housing contract under scrutiny: Students are calling on Howard University leaders to cut ties with the private company that manages 60 percent of campus housing.

Capitol rioter Evan Neumann applies for asylum in Belarus, local media says

A Dog’s Life: Why are so many people so cruel to their dogs? My search to understand a hidden scourge.

Mitch McConnell spent decades chasing power. Now he heeds Trump, who mocks him and wants him gone.: How one of Washington’s longtime Republican power players succumbed to the preeminence of the 45th president

Jordan Love, Trevor Siemian, and The Replacements - "Yet Rodgers is a grievance junkie, perpetually dissatisfied with his coaches, his team, the NFL, the union, his own family, and now, apparently, the scientific community and much of mainstream society. Rodgers believes he's a better general manager, epidemiologist, and (presumably) game show host than the folks who do those things for a living, and he's bitterly disappointed at all of us who are foolish enough to disagree. He's never a very happy camper."

How not to do outside research: Aaron Rodgers offers a master class in what an independent thinker should not do - "Rodgers told a lot more falsehoods, but life is short and you can read about his hubris elsewhere. What is fascinating about this is that Rodgers should know better. Any professional football player must encounter 'independent thinkers' who tell him how he could play his game better all the time. My podcast partner Ana Marie Cox justifiably tweets, '[imagine] how Rodgers responds to the fans who tell him they’ve put a lot of time and energy into researching and met with a lot of different people in the football field and they really think he shouldn’t have gone for it on that last fourth down.' He would probably be pretty annoyed!"

The strategic hole at the center of ‘Dune’: I enjoy almost everything about “Dune.” Except this one thing.

Opinion: Indictment of Steele dossier source is more bad news for multiple media outlets

Scoop: Ex-D.C. Council member Harry Thomas plans run

After embezzling youth funds, a former D.C. lawmaker reenters politics - "Ursula Higgins, a neighborhood commissioner in Ward 5, called Thomas’s return 'fantastic.' 

"'Yes, he has had things he has done in the past, and he has paid the price for his actions,' Higgins said. 'But I also think he has the heart and desire for the city to go in a positive direction.'

...

"Harry Thomas, in contrast, eased his way back into politics. He worked on Dionne Reeder’s unsuccessful 2018 council campaign and has done consulting work for local businesses. He told The Washington Post he has also been advocating for criminal justice reform and against prison labor."

Reading archive 2021-11-04

Aaron Rodgers is entitled to stay unvaccinated. He’s not entitled to lie about it.

‘We are in crisis mode’: Museum workers are turning to unions over conditions they say are untenable

A GOP strategist was charged with sex trafficking minors. Then he tried to ‘threaten’ law enforcement, judge says.

Igor Danchenko arrested, charged with lying to FBI about information in Steele dossier

He predicted the dark side of the Internet 30 years ago. Why did no one listen?: Philip Agre, a computer scientist turned humanities professor, was prescient about many of the ways technology would impact the world - "But Agre isn’t available. In 2009, he simply dropped off the face of the earth, abandoning his position at UCLA. When friends reported Agre missing, police located him and confirmed that he was okay, but Agre never returned to the public debate. His closest friends declined to further discuss details of his disappearance, citing respect for Agre’s privacy."

This tribe helped the Pilgrims survive for their first Thanksgiving. They still regret it 400 years later.: Long marginalized and misrepresented in U.S. history, the Wampanoags are bracing for the 400th anniversary of the first Pilgrim Thanksgiving in 1621

Reading archive 2021-08-18

A mom of 4 who died of covid days after her husband makes one final wish: ‘Make sure my kids get vaccinated’

‘Please Don’t Leave Us Behind. We Will Be Great Americans.’: An interview with a U.S.-trained Afghan Air Force pilot, now hiding from the Taliban.

Durham grand jury explores theory someone presented FBI with fabricated evidence in 2016 Russia probe

With the Taliban now in control, here’s what Afghans are seeing in Kabul

The U.S. could be on the verge of a productivity boom, a game-changer for the economy: Rapid adoption of robots and artificial intelligence during the pandemic combined with a rebound in government investment is making some economists optimistic about a return of a 1990s economy with widespread benefits

Google’s new ‘time crystals’ could be a breakthrough for long-awaited quantum computers: Researchers say a new type of matter may hold the key to computers with more processing power

An Alabama doctor watched patients reject the coronavirus vaccine. Now he’s refusing to treat them.

Reading archive 2021-05-25

Timeline: How the Wuhan lab-leak theory suddenly became credible - "'When I first saw the furin cleavage site in the viral sequence, with its arginine codons, I said to my wife it was the smoking gun for the origin of the virus. These features make a powerful challenge to the idea of a natural origin for SARS2.'"

Justice Dept. releases part of internal memo on not charging Trump in Russia probe

Reading archive 2021-04-30

Bombshell Letter: Gaetz Paid for Sex With Minor, Wingman Says

Opinion: Chloé Zhao represents the American Dream — and the Chinese Communist Party’s nightmare - "A bigger problem for Disney, though, is that Zhao represents a very real manifestation of the American Dream: She’s a foreign national who has come to America, broken into a difficult industry and found enormous success. This is exactly what the Chinese Communist Party fears the most: Zhao is a talented citizen who has left her homeland, has found greater freedoms in the United States and, perhaps most importantly, has not returned to China after achieving greatness. This, more than her comments about China being a land of lies, is what terrifies the CCP, according to Hollywood exec Chris Fenton."

In India’s devastating coronavirus surge, anger at Modi grows

FBI warned Giuliani, key Trump ally in Senate of Russian disinformation campaign targeting Biden

Opinion: Australia’s ‘mice plague’ is horrific. Consider yourself warned.

Mouse plague, environmental improvement leads snakes to thrive in Central West

Chinese workers allege forced labor, abuses in Xi’s ‘Belt and Road’ program

How China is choking the Mekong: A river journey reveals displaced villages and a ruined ecosystem

From memes to race war: How extremists use popular culture to lure recruits - "'How many of these people are really reading books about neo-Nazism? Hardly any,' she said. 'The far right has its own culture. They have their own world, their own language, their own music. Many of them are completely ideologically incompatible, but they use conspiracy theories and culture to try to create cohesion where it doesn’t exist.'

...

"'The only thing I’m grateful for these days is that Trump allowed us to reach a much broader population and to use a gentler way of bringing people into the fold,' Black said. [ed. note: founder of Stormfront] 'For years, I was pretty demoralized by the number of people turning out to our Columbus Day demonstrations. Then Trump comes along and gets tens of thousands of people and a certain percentage of them look further into our ideas.'"

Reading archive 2020-12-28

At Longwood Gardens, a new meadow for the ages

Biden put Wilmington on the map — but for garden lovers, it was already a destination

For D.C. protests, Proud Boys settle in at city’s oldest hotel and its bar

A Tycoon’s Deep-State Conspiracy Dive: Patrick Byrne, the former head of Overstock, had always been outspoken. Did an affair with a Russian agent push him too far? - "Emory University recently released the results of the most comprehensive analysis to date of people who are prone to conspiracy beliefs. According to the study, the personality profiles most often associated with such beliefs are entitlement, self-centered impulsivity, a sense of being wronged, and elevated levels of depressive moods and anxiousness.

...

"Several times over the summer, Byrne predicted that Barr would soon be making arrests, but they never took place. The Durham report did not appear, either, although a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report on Russian election interference was released in August. It mentioned Byrne several times, most significantly as someone Butina seemed to be using to connect with Rand Paul. The report was unequivocal: the Russian government had engaged in 'an aggressive, multi-faceted effort to influence, or attempt to influence' the outcome of the election, and it had done so with the aim of aiding Trump’s campaign. The conclusion of the committee, which is chaired by Rubio, effectively contradicted Trump’s assertion that Russian interference in the 2016 election was a hoax."

Reading archive 2020-10-26

‘A disgrace to democracy’: Dozens of ballots destroyed in suspected arson of a Boston drop box

A New York police officer said, ‘Trump 2020,’ over his patrol car speaker. He has been suspended.

FBI Sits on Report Detailing White-Supremacist Terror Threat

‘Boogaloo Boi’ charged in fire of Minneapolis police precinct during George Floyd protest: Ivan Harrison Hunter, a Texas rightwing extremist, bragged about helping to set the fire then was seen shooting 13 rounds at the building

Alleged ‘Hunter Biden sex and drug tapes’ posted on Chinese website linked to ex-top Trump adviser Steve Bannon

Kushner: Black Americans have to 'want to be successful'

Trump Wants COVID-19 Media Coverage To Be Illegal: ‘Should Be An Election Law Violation’

US Republicans are starting to look a lot like authoritarian parties in Hungary and Turkey, study finds

Jaime Harrison bets on ‘New South’ coalition in his against-the-odds bid to oust Sen. Lindsey Graham

Trump’s Carrier deal fades as economic reality intervenes: Jobs that were saved are dwarfed by others that left

Trump’s conservative imprint on the federal judiciary gives Democrats a playbook — if they win

Historically Dark Mood Clouds 2020 Election - "In sharp contrast with other presidents, Trump has positioned himself not as a unifying ambassador of hope, but as a fellow victim. He tweets conspiracy theories, laments 'hoaxes' aimed at him, devotes his inaugural address to a dystopian vision of 'American carnage,' and campaigns for reelection as a breakwater against anarchy in the streets and a nefarious plot against the suburbs."

Tumult at home, ailing alliances abroad: Why Trump’s America has been a ‘gift’ to Putin

"All it means when people say 'you're speaking from a place of privilege' is that you're likely to underestimate how bad the problem is by default because you are never personally exposed to that problem. It's not a moral judgment on how difficult your life is."

Reading archive 2020-04-22

How ‘Mrs. America’ gives Shirley Chisholm her due — and exposes the limits of 1970s feminism

Trump instructs the Navy to ‘shoot down and destroy’ Iranian gunboats that ‘harass’ U.S. ships

Senate committee unanimously endorses spy agencies’ finding that Russia interfered in 2016 presidential race in bid to help Trump

CDC director warns second wave of coronavirus is likely to be even more devastating

How a Pandemic Might Play Out Under Trump: It’s not clear that the next administration is ready to deal with an outbreak of Ebola, flu, or other emerging diseases.

Fox News falls out of love with hydroxychloroquine

Meet the minds behind the bizarre, truth-bombing Steak-umm Twitter account

The anti-quarantine protests seem spontaneous. But behind the scenes, a powerful network is helping.

Reading archive 2020-02-20

Strange scenes at Roger Stone’s sentencing raise even more questions about William Barr

He found his wife and 6-year-old dead on Valentine’s Day. His teen son is accused of the crime.

Reading archive 2019-12-05

Barr’s handpicked prosecutor tells inspector general he can’t back right-wing theory that Russia case was U.S. intelligence setup

‘The world is laughing at President Trump’: Joe Biden highlights viral NATO video in campaign ad

‘Don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that,’ Pelosi tells reporter who asked her whether she hates Trump

Reading archive 2019-12-03

What Pete Buttigieg really said about being gay, prejudice and blacks

It’s 2019, and your boss can still fire you for being gay in these states

California solves batteries’ embarrassing climate problem: Batteries were increasing carbon emissions (d’oh!), but new regulations and tech have fixed it.

The staggering millennial wealth deficit, in one chart: The divide widens with each generation, data show, the byproduct of wage stagnation and income inequality

Barr disputes key inspector general finding about FBI’s Russia investigation

Trump Is Waging War on America’s Diplomats: And the impeachment inquiry is only making things worse. With new figures and fresh horror stories, Julia Ioffe reports on how the president is politicizing our embassies, alienating our allies, and decimating the ranks of the foreign service. - "Career foreign service officers work long hours in difficult conditions, making less money than they would in the private sector. Often, they are driven by their sense of mission—say, promoting American values abroad—but when President Trump began attacking the pillars of American national security and smearing diplomats by name on Twitter, 'suddenly,' says one senior foreign service officer who was pushed out on a scheduling technicality, 'the equation didn’t make sense anymore.' What had started as a trickle of people leaving at the highest levels—often, people who were close to retirement—has turned into a flood of mid-career and junior officers heading for the door. The departure of top talent, people who had decades’ worth of wisdom that could have passed on to people below them, as well as the exodus of mid-level officers who had years to go before their retirements, will continue to resonate for quite a while, says Nicholas Burns, a retired career foreign service officer who is now at the Harvard Kennedy School. 'That gap will show up years later,' he told me."

How Bloomberg Could Win. Again.: He’s getting in late. He’s out of step with his party. The news media thinks he’s a joke. All of that was true when he first ran for mayor of New York City, too.

Reading archive 2019-09-30

Barr personally asked foreign officials to aid inquiry into CIA, FBI activities in 2016

‘Beyond repugnant’: GOP congressman slams Trump for warning of ‘civil war’ over impeachment

John Bolton has finally spoken, and he put up a big warning sign about Trump and North Korea

‘You lied’: Florida official interrupts awards ceremony to confront deputy who ‘falsely arrested’ him

Reading archive 2019-07-09

Exclusive: The true origins of the Seth Rich conspiracy theory. A Yahoo News investigation.

A black principal, four white teens and the ‘senior prank’ that became a hate crime: The students swore they weren’t racists. Now a Maryland judge would decide their fate.

Study: U.S. Fossil Fuel Subsidies Exceed Pentagon Spending: The world would be richer and healthier if the full costs of fossil fuels were paid, according to a new report from the International Monetary Fund

Trump dossier author Steele gets 16-hour DOJ grilling: The interview was contentious at first, according to two people familiar with the matter, but investigators ultimately found his testimony credible and even surprising.

The double-edged significance of Pelosi’s ‘Make America White Again’ slam

A child touched an electrified railing at MGM National Harbor resort, and lives changed

Reading archive 2019-04-12

Inside the Russian effort to target Sanders supporters — and help elect Trump

Pope Benedict shows us how the Catholic Church went so terribly off-course

Reading archive 2019-03-13

Another craven GOP surrender to Trump’s anger and bullying

Tucker Carlson makes sexually explicit jokes about Miss Teen USA contestant in latest audio

Paul Manafort is sentenced to a total of 7 1 / 2 years in prison for conspiracy and fraud, and charged with mortgage fraud in N.Y.

Reading archive 2019-01-08

The Fetishization of Mr. Rogers’s ‘Look for the Helpers’: Turning the reassuring line for children into a meme for adults should make everyone uncomfortable.

Genetically modified 'shortcut' boosts plant growth by 40%

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s very bad defense of her falsehoods

The Networks Blew the Call Once again, broadcasters prove hapless in the face of Trump’s three familiar tools.

Paul Manafort shared 2016 polling data with Russian associate, according to court filing

‘It’s Just Too Much’: A Florida Town Grapples With a Shutdown After a Hurricane