Reading archive 2026-09-01 pt 2

 The Fight Between Texas and Minnesota Should Never Have Gotten This Far: A legal battle over one ICE agent’s future is a sign of serious strain between red and blue America.

Reading archive 2026-02-19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading archive 2026-02-04

Stephen King’s The Shining, If the Hotel Had Possessed Wendy Instead of Jack

The Evolutionary Brilliance of the Baby Giggle - "Indeed, this idea — that laughter is primarily social, less about comedy and more about connection — holds true for adults as well, and has been underscored by research showing that laughter overwhelmingly occurs in the company of others and typically follows banal remarks in conversation, rather than in response to jokes or punchlines. 

"The signature belly laughs seen in the video above are involuntary, bursting forth during genuine, uncontrollable amusement. This type of laughter is driven by the brain’s limbic system, structures crucial for emotion, memory and motivation. But by 6 months, our lab has found, infants can intentionally produce a laugh. This ability comes not from the limbic system but from the brain’s language areas and emerges at the same time as babbling. Six-month-olds will deploy laughter to prolong a game of peekaboo or to signal a desire to join in."

Texas Democrats taste victory, then turn on each other: Days after their win in a state Senate race, reports of a racially charged comment roil the U.S. Senate primary contest.

As cold-stunned invasive iguanas fall from trees, Floridians scoop them up for killing: These cold-blooded reptiles’ nervous systems shut down when temperatures dip into the 40s and below. This time, that meant killing season.

Choose your crisis, Congress: Six paths to fiscal disaster: The national debt is nearing $39 trillion. Dire consequences are coming.

Trump, in an Escalation, Calls for Republicans to 'Nationalize' Elections: The comments, made on a conservative podcast, follow a string of moves from his administration to try to exert more control over American elections.

What a swing House district in Colorado shows about Republicans’ immigration fallout in the midterms

Kansas Legislature Passes Trans Bathroom Bounty, Drivers License Revocations: “They're using very overtly anti-democratic measures to pass all this stuff because they know that it's unpopular.”

These Trump voters 'formed a suicide pact' and Republicans are panicking: ex-GOP operative

‘They Voted For Trump, And Now They’re In Tears’—Now Rural Farmers Say Tariffs & Costs Are Pushing Them Toward Bankruptcy

St. Peter police chief intervened and got federal agents to release resident, sources say

Donald Trump vowed to unleash U.S. oil. A year later, low prices are squeezing Texas producers.

Reading archive 2026-02-02

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading archive 2026-01-30

Don Lemon arrested by federal officials in connection with church protest: The former CNN host was taken into custody in Los Angeles.

As ‘Heated Rivalry’ takes off, the NHL faces questions about inclusion: The hit show about a romance between two professional hockey players has brought new fans to a sport that has struggled to welcome the LGBTQ+ community.

Virginia Democrats seek emergency halt to ruling that blocks redistricting: A motion filed with the Virginia Court of Appeals on behalf of House Speaker Don Scott argues that a circuit court judge is interfering with the democratic process.

Tulsi Gabbard’s appearance at Fulton County FBI raid raises questions: Lawmakers called for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to explain the presence of the country’s top spy agency official at a domestic law enforcement action in Georgia.

Attending a Protest

The New Shadowbanning Panic: Is TikTok censoring users on behalf of the Trump administration?

What Tearing Down Housing Projects Did for Kids: Bringing rich and poor together has major benefits. - "There is another process that improves neighborhoods around poor children, both by bringing higher-income peers nearer to them and by reducing the violence they are exposed to. This process often occurs without explicit governmental intervention or cost. The problem is that it is regularly dismissed as gentrification, a phenomenon that is not usually cheered. The most common objection to gentrification is that it results in displacement of incumbent residents. The empirical evidence for this is weaker than conventionally assumed. One paper examining children who received Medicaid benefits in New York City from 2009 to 2015 found no elevated rates of moving for those in gentrifying neighborhoods. The HOPE VI study suggests that gentrification should improve outcomes for kids, so long as it actually improves social integration."

America Can Have the Oil: Venezuela’s riches were squandered, souring many on national stewardship.

Battles Are Raging Inside the Department of Homeland Security: Officials overseeing Trump’s mass-deportation campaign are fighting one another for power.

Why the moral corruption of MAGA is so deadly

Heartwarming: Miserable Man Frustrated In Ultimately Insignificant Way

Pluralistic: Sorry, eh (13 Jan 2026) - "I'm sorry. As a technology writer, I'm supposed to be telling you that this bet will some day pay off, because one day we will have shoveled so many words into the word-guessing program that it wakes up and learns how to actually do the jobs it is failing spectacularly at today. This is a proposition akin to the idea that if we keep breeding horses to run faster and faster, one of them will give birth to a locomotive. Humans possess intelligence, and machines do not. The difference between a human and a word-guessing program isn't how many words the human knows."

At Yosemite, Rangers Are Scarce and Visitors Have Gone Wild: After the Trump administration’s cuts, workers at the national park are spread too thin to stop people from littering, flying drones and cliff-diving.

A cloud of fear hangs over Minnesota immigrant communities: Even citizens are afraid to go outside

Gingrich: Time for ‘national conversation’ about immigrants living in country illegally who ‘obey the law’

Reading archive 2026-01-29

How Battlefield Tech Was Used in Minneapolis: Our reporter Thomas Gibbons-Neff, who deployed twice to Afghanistan as a Marine and later was our Kabul bureau chief, looks at the battlefield technology used for an immigration arrest at a home in Minneapolis. [ed. note: video]

The powerful tools in ICE’s arsenal to track suspects — and protesters: Biometric trackers, cellphone location databases and drones are among the surveillance technologies that federal agents are tapping in their deportation campaign. [ed. note: horrifying]

Removal of flags for fallen Danish soldiers at U.S. Embassy sparks backlash: There was no malicious intent in removing the flags, said a State Department spokesperson, who added that the flags had been replaced.

Anthropic Is at War With Itself: The AI company shouting about AI’s dangers can’t quite bring itself to slow down.

If You Tax Them, Will They Leave?: A California wealth-tax proposal makes a high-stakes bet on billionaire psychology.

The Program That’s Turning Schools Around: The key to closing the achievement gap may lie outside the classroom.

Russia’s top diplomat rejects key part of deal to end war with Ukraine: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismisses security guarantees demanded by Ukraine for any deal, once again saying the current regime in Kyiv should end. - "It is precisely the lack of high level officials in the Abu Dhabi talks that show they aren’t serious, said European Union foreign policy head Kaja Kallas, noting that the Russian delegation consisted of military and intelligence officials."

Trump faces fresh MAGA blowback for efforts to ‘de-escalate’ in Minnesota: The president’s response to widespread public dismay over the shooting death of another Minnesotan has put him in a bind with his own base.

Handling of Pretti investigation has some prosecutors on verge of quitting: Federal prosecutors in Minneapolis, frustrated by the response to the shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, have suggested they could resign en masse.

I’ve reported on UFO sightings for decades — and come to this conclusion

What the Neocons Got Right: David Brooks on moral collapse, the limits of politics, and what the neocons got right about America. Plus: Another ICE shooting in Minneapolis and Netflix’s Death by Lightning. - "And so what you have in the Trump administration is people with the same profile as the Dartmouth Review crowd: They went to elite schools, but they hated what they found there. That's Steven Miller, who went to Duke. That's Pete Hegseth, who went to Princeton. That's J. D. Vance, who went to Yale Law. Now, you can go down the list. It's Elon Musk and Donald Trump went to Penn. And so these are not pro-conservative. These are oppositional nihilists who hate the liberal establishment. And I found it easy, when I was saying college, to be more conservative than my professors but still have reverence for their learning. But these people do not have reverence for learning; they just want to offend the bourgeoisie. And so that's what it's become. And then they've produced spawn of young people who just think, That's cool. That's edgy. And of course, you have to up the dosage when you're giving people edgy nihilism - it just has to get worse and worse and worse. And as Richard Weaver, a philosopher from the 1950s, said, The problem with the younger generation is they haven't read the minutes to the last meeting. And so you get a group of people who, when they see fascistic behavior, don't understand where that eventually leads." [edit: also a bit on Reconstructions vs. modernization in the 1880s via Death by Lightning]

A case that lets billionaires spend big on elections never reached Supreme Court: While Citizens United became shorthand for unlimited political spending, a less-recognized campaign finance case made super PACs a reality. - "'SpeechNow, building upon the terrible flaws of Citizens United, has created a road map for billionaires and wealthy special interests to spend unlimited amounts of money to drown out the voices of ordinary citizens,' attorney David Kolker, who unsuccessfully argued the SpeechNow case on behalf of the FEC, told The Washington Post in an interview. 'This distorts our democratic process.'"

Why this Democrat refuses to retaliate against Trump’s GOP redistricting: Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson sank Democrats’ plan to pick up a congressional seat in Maryland, despite the rank-and-file tide seeking an aggressive fight against Trump.

America’s plan to protect pedestrians failed. A young woman’s death reveals why.: U.S. officials encouraged cities to adopt Vision Zero to save lives. Driver opposition and a lack of money derailed it.

The deadliest roads in America: The number of pedestrians killed by vehicles in the United States has surged amid neglect and lack of investment by transportation authorities.

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 2026-01-20

To Their Shock, Cubans in Florida Are Being Deported in Record Numbers: Cubans had long benefited from legal privileges unavailable to immigrants from other countries. President Trump has changed that.

Americans Are Turning Against Gay People

Trump says U.K. ‘stupidity’ on Chagos Islands justifies Greenland demands: The United Kingdom agreed to grant Mauritius sovereignty over the archipelago, one of whose islands hosts a U.K.-U.S. military base.

Would Trump abandon Taiwan? This deal is slightly alarming.: The announcement of a U.S.-Taiwan trade agreement had a potentially ominous undercurrent.

Indiana judge and his wife injured in shooting at their home, police say: Lafayette police said Judge Steven P. Meyer of Tippecanoe County Superior Court and his wife, Kimberly, are in stable condition. The shooter remains at large.

She helped him flee a rally, then learned he was a right-wing provocateur: Jake Lang, a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter, jumped into a stranger’s car after he was driven from his anti-immigrant march in Minneapolis by a large counterprotest.

The White House wanted an ICE spectacle. It backfired.: The shooting of Renée Good in Minneapolis may mark a turning point in public opinion.

I found the most complete protein. It’s not meat.: The most “complete” protein is probably one you’re already eating.

Officials showed off a robo-bus in D.C. It got hit by a Tesla driver.: The automated vehicle display was part of a push from the White House to advance automated driving.

These prophets of economic doom are worried about another collapse" The current investment boom is triggering déjà vu for some economists and traders who successfully predicted past economic crashes.

This company says it has produced the Holy Grail of batteries: New batteries in electric vehicles could store more energy, charge faster and last longer, while lowering fire risk

Colorado’s wolves in the political crosshairs as Trump targets the state: A program to reintroduce the predators is essentially blocked, with Colorado leaders saying the state is being punished for jailing election denier Tina Peters.

"What Is Going to Happen?": How to reject a new normal.

Reading archive 2025-12-12

House votes to repeal Trump order ending union rights at federal agencies: The March order restricted union rights in more than two dozen federal agencies. The bill to repeal it is likely to stall in the Senate. - "Federal workers already have limited union rights compared with other employees. They can’t strike or bargain over pay. But they are allowed to join unions and bargain collectively — protections that are meant to ensure workers are treated fairly, while preventing activity that could be disruptive to public services or threaten national security."

George Washington’s living quarters back on display after restoration: Mount Vernon, the first U.S. president’s estate along the Potomac River in Virginia, is undergoing the most extensive renovation in its history.

The minority voters who powered Trump to a second term are drifting away: Extended conversations with Black, Latino and Asian American voters who cast ballots for Trump in 2024 showed mixed feelings about the president and their votes.

MyPillow founder and conspiracist Mike Lindell announces Minnesota gubernatorial bid: Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow and a 2020 election denier, joins a crowded race in his unlikely Republican bid against two-term incumbent Gov. Tim Walz (D).

Oklahoma Black Lives Matter leader indicted on alleged misuse of donations: Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson deposited at least several million dollars into personal accounts instead of the organization’s accounts, authorities said.

Trump asserts he has pardoned county clerk convicted in Colorado case: The impact of Trump’s claim is unclear since Tina Peters was convicted in state, not federal, court.

House Democrats release photos of Epstein with Trump, other public figures: Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released 19 images, many of them previously published, showing the disgraced financier with Bill Clinton, Woody Allen, Steve Bannon and others.

The Silent Treatment Is Quietly Ruining Your Relationships: Many of us have done it, but that doesn’t make it right, experts say.

Trump wants Bagram back. Satellite images show how the Taliban are using it.

Secret meetings between FBI and Ukraine negotiator spark concern: FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, met with Kyiv’s top peace negotiator amid a U.S. pressure campaign to end the war.

Russia could attack Nato within five years, says alliance chief in stark new warning

Let’s take a closer look at MIT, one target of Trump’s blunderbuss: It’s alarming to see such a complex, important institution subject to the whims of today’s politics. - "The 8 percent tax on MIT’s endowment will cost the university $240 million annually that will not be available to make up for reductions in government research grants. Universities’ endowments fuel upward mobility and combat the stagnation of elites. Taxing endowments mocks conservatism by enfeebling private sector alternatives to government’s domination of social resources."

The deeply personal reasons why many Indiana Senate Republicans said no to Trump

Reading archive 2025-12-04

How Fraud Swamped Minnesota’s Social Services System on Tim Walz’s Watch: Prosecutors say members of the Somali diaspora, a group with growing political power, were largely responsible. President Trump has drawn national attention to the scandal amid his crackdown on immigration. - "Feeding Our Future, the nonprofit group that was the largest provider in the pandemic program, responded with a warning. In an email, the group told the state agency that failing to promptly approve new applicants from 'minority-owned businesses' would result in a lawsuit featuring accusations of racism that would be 'sprawled across the news.'

...

"As a trial in the meals fraud case was coming to a close last summer, an attempt to bribe a juror included an explicit insinuation about racism, prosecutors said. Several defendants in the trial were found to have arranged to send a bag containing $120,000 to a juror along with a note that read, 'Why, why, why is it always people of color and immigrants prosecuted for the fault of other people?'

...

"Dr. Samatar said that Somali refugees who came to the United States after their country’s civil war were raised in a culture in which stealing from the country’s dysfunctional and corrupt government was widespread.

"Minnesota, he said, proved susceptible to rampant fraud because it is 'so tolerant, so open and so geared toward keeping an eye on the weak.'"

Ominous maps of a falling fortress city reveal a change in Ukraine war: Putting Russia’s campaign to capture Pokrovsk into perspective.

Trump’s attack on DEI may hurt college men, particularly White men: The Trump administration’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion also targets gender. The ban may impact gender balancing practices that often benefit college men. - "Columbia took 3 percent of women applicants last year and 4 percent of men. At the University of Chicago, 5.6 percent of male applicants were accepted last year, compared with 3.7 percent of female applicants. The ratio at the University of Miami was 22.5 percent to 16.5 percent; and at Vassar College, 20.4 percent to 17.6 percent. None of these universities would respond when asked whether they would continue to accept higher percentages of men than women, and neither would others that do it, including Yale, Baylor and Tulane universities and Pomona College."

FBI arrests Virginia man in Jan. 6 pipe bomb case: Federal officials arrested a Virginia man believed to have planted pipe bombs in D.C. the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol, according to people familiar with the matter. - "Law enforcement officials are investigating a motive but two people familiar with the matter described Cole as an extremist in his political beliefs."

Reading archive 2025-07-24

D.C. Council chair sets vote on RFK site after reaching deal with Commanders: RFK Stadium redevelopment deal nears vote after D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson reaches updated agreement with Washington Commanders.

D.C. police chief halted firings of officers in fatal chase, report says: Terence Sutton and Andrew Zabavksy, convicted in the death of Karon Hylton-Brown but pardoned by the president, collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay.

Amy Sherald cancels major Smithsonian show over ‘censorship’: Painter Amy Sherald withdrew her exhibition “American Sublime” at the National Portrait Gallery. The Smithsonian denied trying to replace the painting in question. - "According to the Times, Sherald said she had been told that the museum — whose director, Kim Sajet, resigned after President Trump called for her ouster for being 'a highly partisan person' — might remove a painting that depicts a transgender Statue of Liberty from the exhibition 'American Sublime,' which was slated to open in September after touring at museums in San Francisco and New York. Sherald reportedly said Smithsonian head Lonnie G. Bunch III proposed replacing the painting with a video. 

"But the Smithsonian spokesperson said that Bunch wanted the video to accompany the painting — not replace it. The spokesperson added that the museum offered to spend more time contextualizing her piece, but Sherald chose to remove herself from the show."

Is a Mamdani repeat coming to the Midwest? A democratic socialist is getting a boost in Minnesota.: The Minneapolis Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party has endorsed state Sen. Omar Fateh over the city’s incumbent mayor.

USDA will relocate most of its DC-based workforce: The agency will relocate about 2,600 employees to five other locations and shutter several key facilities in the capital region, including its main research center - "In the months following the 2019 relocation announcement, department data showed that two-thirds of USDA employees decided to leave their jobs rather than move, The Post reported at the time. A 2022 Government Accountability Office report found that USDA’s decision at the time 'omitted critical costs and economic effects from its analysis of taxpayer savings, such as costs related to potential attrition or disruption of activities for a period of time, which may have contributed to an unreliable estimate of savings from relocation.'"

Reading archive 2025-06-17

Minnesota shooting suspect went from youthful evangelizer to far-right zealot: Residents in Vance Boelter’s hometown are struggling to reconcile what they knew of him with the killing of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband.

Minnesota senator confronts colleague for ‘terrible’ post on shooting: In a post on Sunday, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), appeared to blame the killings on the political left. Sen. Tina Smith sought him out to chat.

Senate overhauls Trump’s tax bill, setting up brawl with the House: The chamber suggests cuts to the child tax credit and SALT and is more heavy-handed on cuts to Medicaid than the legislation the House passed in May.

Trump officials reverse guidance exempting farms, hotels from immigration raids: ICE agents have been told to continue conducting enforcement operations at agricultural businesses despite concerns about negative effects on the food industry.

Russia fears Israel’s conflict with Iran could cost it another Mideast ally: When Israel first started bombing Iran, many in Russia saw it as an opportunity, drawing support and attention away from Ukraine.

How long will it take for U.S. gas prices to react to Middle East conflict?: Gas prices are on their way up, but the impact has been modest. That could change.

Trash sucks: A Norwegian city uses vacuum tubes to whisk waste away: Bergen, Norway, has been building one of the world’s most advanced trash systems in its 955-year-old city center.

It looks like a golf cart, maxes out at 25 mph and could be your next city car: Electric low-speed vehicles, already popular in Europe and Asia, could offer a transportation compromise between full-sized cars and e-bikes.

How to live well for less: Hacks for new grads and the rest of your life: New tools make it even easier to save money and live lighter on the planet. Here’s a roundup.

‘This War Is Not Helping Us’: Members of Iran’s opposition want change, and fear for their lives.

Putin Isn’t Actually Enjoying This Trump is turning out to be a liability for the Kremlin.

Israel's U.S.-Backed Aggression Reaches Its Iraq-War Moment: If Oct. 7 was Israel's Sept. 11, now it's at the phase of making an unsupportable WMD claim to launch the war it's long wanted. But we say no to war with Iran

Reading archive 2021-04-12

What war with China could look like

D.C.’s rising libertarian star, with her ‘healthy skepticism of state power,’ secures an influential podcast

Minn. police officer who shot Daunte Wright apparently meant to use Taser but accidentally fired gun, police chief says

Biden set to meet with Democrats, Republicans in effort to shore up infrastructure support The president is hoping to whip up support for a package that could eclipse $2 trillion.

Opinion: Why corporate America is declaring independence from the GOP

If Russia started World War III, here’s how it would go down

What war with Iran could look like

What do communities do when the police retreat?: When the police precinct was burned after George Floyd was killed, this Native American neighborhood took public safety into its own hands.

Exciting But Dreadful: New Invasive Forest Pest Arrives in South Carolina

Melvin Hazen’s Legacy: Segregation, Displacement, And A D.C. Park

Reading archive 2020-05-14

In fast-warming Minnesota, scientists are trying to plant the forests of the future

In remote Alaska, changes coming in how the Air Force prepares for war

Ex-detective charged in death of Ahmaud Arbery lost power to make arrests after skipping use-of-force training: Gregory McMichael’s law enforcement certification was suspended in 2019 after repeated failures to complete required training, according to records acquired by The Washington Post.

The Power of Stacey Abrams: Despite losing the Georgia governor’s race in 2018, she has moved quickly to political prominence. Will she be the vice presidential pick for Democrats?

Reading archive 2019-10-22

Trump likely saw Pelosi’s overseas trip as a slap in the face. But someone had to do it.

It’s probably worth remembering that Trump’s Ukraine-2016 allegations are nonsensical

Running Covert Propaganda Against Americans Is Illegal. Trump Tried It Anyway.: The whistleblower stopped a covert psychological operation against the American public dead in its tracks

Buttigieg focus groups found being gay “a barrier” for black South Carolina voters

Mayor Pete Faces a Familiar and “Vicious” Enemy in South Carolina: Homophobia: Black pastors say Buttigieg will struggle in churches that define marriage as between a man and a woman.

William Taylor testifies about deep-seated push for Ukraine quid pro quo: Trump's top Ukraine envoy faced questions about his concerns that Trump was withholding military aid to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden.

U.S. envoy says he was told release of Ukraine aid was contingent on public declaration to investigate Bidens, 2016 election

How 'It's a gay bar, Pamela' became the Twin Cities' favorite meme

Mayor Pete’s Relationship With Facebook: It’s Complicated: The relationship between the world’s most influential corporation and Buttigieg has come under scrutiny after Mark Zuckerberg passed along two résumés to the campaign.

Mayor Pete Is Starting to Annoy Almost Everyone Else in the 2020 Race: The South Bend mayor has gone after many of his primary rivals in recent weeks, save one.

Shaq Defends Free Speech on NBA Opening Night: ‘Daryl Morey Was Right’: The former NBA star delivered a strong defense of the Houston Rockets GM’s pro-Democracy comments on TNT, which tweeted and then deleted the clip.

Tulsi Gabbard Unites Putin Apologists, Bloodstained Modi, Genocidal Assad and the U.S. Far Right: Gabbard suffers from severely selective moral outrage. Her love for India's massacre-complicit Modi is just as disqualifying as her apologetics for Bashar Assad

Tulsi Gabbard Hires Russian Agent to Keep Hawaii Media in Check

Jeffrey Toobin expresses regret over 'mistakes' in Clinton email coverage

Local lawmaker in Tennessee says he’s not prejudiced, but ‘a white male in this country has very few rights’

Reading archive 2019-06-20

Senate confirms Trump judicial nominee who called homosexuality ‘disordered’

‘These People Aren’t Coming From Norway’: Refugees in a Minnesota City Face a Backlash: As more Somali refugees arrive in St. Cloud, white anti-immigration activists have pressed an increasingly explicit anti-Muslim agenda.