Reading archive 2026-07-15

I Bought the $3,000 Fitness Suit That Electrocutes You. I’m Sending It Back: Celebrities like George Clooney have praised the expensive Katalyst suit. For me, it derailed my other exercises and made me reassess my obsession with fitness and efficiency.

With death of Lindsey Graham, Israel loses key backer as its isolation deepens: The senator represented a foreign policy consensus on U.S. support for Israel that has begun to collapse under President Donald Trump.

A major Colorado River decision looms. Here’s how it will affect millions.: With the river in freefall, federal officials plan to intervene, possibly imposing large cuts to water usage in seven states. Effects would be felt beyond the West. - "If [Doug Kenney, director of the Western Water Policy Program at the University of Colorado] were 'king for a day,' he said, he would simply calculate the percentage gap between water supplies and demand, and then reduce everyone’s allocation by that amount — sharing the pain of shortfalls equally across the basin.

"But as long as the Law of the River guarantees certain water rights and prioritizes certain users, Kenney said, it will be hard to create a political appetite for that kind of solution."

Pennsylvania Republicans won on lowering prices. Then came the Iran war.: Two Republicans who unseated House Democrats in 2024 after promising to lower the cost of living are fighting to keep their seats amid rising prices.

Reading archive 2026-04-20

The AI people have been right a lot: Try to keep an open mind as the world gets increasingly wild.

Amazon is behind on jobs promised for funding to build Virginia headquarters: The company expected to be nearly halfway to its goal of 25,000 new jobs in the area by 2038. It has created a little more than 7,000. - "The company should have added 11,643 jobs at the site in Crystal City it refers to as HQ2 by the end of 2025, according to the incentive agreement with the state. Instead, it has created 7,159 jobs as of Dec. 31 — which is 28.6 percent of the total goal, instead of the 46.5 percent mark the company expected."

D.C. police sought to arrest Rep. Cory Mills after assault call, records show: The Florida Republican is the focus of a House ethics probe stemming, in part, from the alleged assault.

Woman dead after being struck in DC crosswalk, driver flees - "DC Police say Dawn Ciccone of Northwest DC was in a crosswalk when a 2026 Jeep Wrangler passed drivers in a designated left turn lane, made an illegal turn from the middle lane, and struck her."

‘It’s pissing people off’: Centrist Democrats are livid with AIPAC after primary fiasco: AIPAC spent $2 million attacking moderate-leaning Tom Malinowski in a House special election — and may have handed the race to progressive Analilia Mejia.

How Silicon Valley Humiliated the Democrats: When will they learn? The party remains far too solicitous of an industry that’s rewarded their fealty with four years of Trump and untold damage to democracy.

Outrage over Israeli soldier's vandalism of Jesus statue in Lebanon - "A 2025 report by the Rossing Center, a Jerusalem-based organisation which aims to foster better inter-faith relations in the Holy Land, describes a 'recent surge in overt animosity towards Christianity', putting this down to 'a continued deepening of polarisation and ultra-nationalist political trends'."

As D.C. police search for dirt biker who struck boy, his family seeks change: D.C. police are looking for a dirt bike driver who they say is responsible for striking two children, critically injuring one, in Northwest Washington.

U.S. companies don’t have to take this: China's new rules for businesses send America a message: Be our friend — or else.

These relatives of foreign thugs called America home. No more.: Revoking visas from authoritarians’ kin is overdue.

D.C. curfews are not enough to curb crime. Arrest data shows why.: Youth violence in the District happens on the move. So should prevention.

Here’s what the stock market might have gotten wrong about the Iran war: The surge in optimism contrasts starkly with continued energy supply challenges that threaten long-lasting economic harm — and a market reckoning. - "'There is a disconnect between what the markets look like and what is actually happening in the world,' said Tibor Besedes, a professor of economics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. 'The markets seem to be pricing this as a temporary shock even though people in the oil sector say this will be long term. It is not as simple as opening the faucet to get oil flowing again. I don’t understand why every time news comes out that we might have a ceasefire, the markets react this way. It is like investors do not realize we are still in a war.'"

Gas prices threaten GOP in race that could help determine House control: Gas prices pose a challenge for Republicans in competitive midterm races, even as the president promises an end to the war in Iran soon.

A new foothold for Moscow in Europe after Bulgaria election: After the defeat of Hungary’s Viktor Orban, the victory in Bulgaria by Rumen Radev will install a new pro-Russian voice within the European Union.

Democrat in key race defended guns after mass shooting and insulted Kaepernick: Bob Brooks, a firefighter who appeals to the White working class, engaged with right-wing content. His endorsers in the Pennsylvania House race stand by him.

FBI Director Kash Patel sues the Atlantic for $250M, alleging defamation: The magazine published a report alleging Patel engaged in “excessive drinking" in work settings and had “unexplained absences.”

‘I am a Democrat’: Will Pennsylvania turn on John Fetterman?: The senator bets his career on an independent streak and working with Republicans.

Reading archive 2026-03-12

Ex-DOJ prosecutor who proclaimed ‘this job sucks’ will run for Congress: Julie T. Le made headlines during DHS’s surge in Minneapolis and will launch a campaign to challenge Rep. Ilhan Omar for her seat.

Young bankers are learning the hard way that Wall Street doesn't do influencers - "'The young generation wants to be seen differently at work today, I would say, than in the past,' he said. 'Times have changed. Values have changed.' But it's no excuse — financial institutions are explicit about their expectations and enforce 'very, very clear' regulations around social media use, Argenti said. Junior employees understand the culture they are entering."

What is wisdom, and can it be taught?: Scientists are trying to name the qualities that make someone wise and figure out how to cultivate them

Pittsburgh is pivoting. It could be a lesson for Democrats.: The new mayor is putting pragmatism over ideology as the city prepares to host the NFL draft.

How Neighborly Do Home Additions Have to Be?: As municipalities encourage more housing density, neighbors debate what kind of construction should be allowed.

Iran’s Islamic Republic 2.0 is coming — and it won’t be pretty: How Trump’s tactical victory could turn into a forever war. - "But the regime survives. It has taken America’s best punch, and it’s still standing. Tiers of senior military, intelligence and political leaders are dead, but they have been replaced by others. There’s no sign of a popular uprising. The cadres of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hide among piles of rubble, but they haven’t been eliminated."

Lebanon appeals to Israel’s allies to stop strikes as death toll rises: The Iran war is expanding into Lebanon, as the Israeli offensive to dismantle Hezbollah has displaced 800,000 people there, with more than 680 people killed.

The Obvious Is Taking Its Revenge on Trump: The reasons other U.S. presidents avoided war with Iran are becoming all too evident. - "Another daunting obstacle to victory is the nature of the Iranian regime, a theocracy that celebrates martyrdom and has spent its entire history preparing for what it considers an inevitable war with the United States. Every time protests fill public squares, I allow myself to believe that the terrible government in Tehran will crumble. But its willingness to kill to survive is the biggest obstacle to its toppling. And Trump intervened after the regime killed tens of thousands of its most determined foes. Calling for revolution after the revolution has been crushed is belated timing, to say the least. Perhaps the Trump administration will succeed in further weakening Iranian authoritarianism - the attacks will certainly set back the country's already struggling economy - so that after the bombs stop falling, regime opponents will rush into the streets. But, thus far, decapitating the regime has succeeded only in replacing one Ayatollah Khamenei with another. By all accounts, the son is no less fanatical than his father and believes with theological certainty that the most brutal means justify his righteous ends."

A Police Report About a House Candidate Surprised the White House: A woman’s allegations of rape against a Republican House candidate have put Trump in a bind.

Spain’s Wind-Farm Bargain: Renewable-energy projects can boost the economy of a rural town—if the community has a say in development.

A Never-Ending Conspiracy Theory in Remote Alaska: Why are some people convinced that nefarious experiments are happening at HAARP?

ROTC students at Old Dominion subdued and killed the shooter who killed 1 person, wounded 2: The FBI says ROTC students subdued and killed a gunman who yelled “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire Thursday in an Old Dominion University classroom, killing one and wounding two

Reading archive 2026-02-02

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading archive 2025-11-13

How Wellness and Beauty Influencers Can Be Part of an Alt-Right Pipeline for Teen Girls: The "womanosphere" is coming for teen girls.

Democrats lose shutdown battle — as Trump, Republicans risk losing war: Democrats are embroiled in a new round of infighting, while Republicans are bracing for longer-term consequences if they continue to oppose an extension of Obamacare subsidies. - "Christina Gray, 58, an independent voter from Texas who gets her health insurance through the ACA, said the shutdown fight, for her, boils down to Republican opposition to the health care law. 'The Democrats, I do have to give them this, they’re trying to help somebody,' said Gray, who has not voted in recent years. 'And the Republicans, they’re just being ridiculous.'"

Schumer opposed the shutdown deal. Some Democrats still want him out.: Some Democrats argue Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (New York) is not doing enough to stand up to President Donald Trump.

John Fetterman makes a case for himself. It’s not very convincing.: In his memoir “Unfettered,” the senator addresses his depression and other struggles. It doesn’t mitigate concerns about whether he is up for the job.

Girl, 12, is suspect in two of three unusual recent D.C. robberies: Secret Service, National Guard stop suspect in armed robbery downtown, police say.

Beat Russia the smart way. No escalation required.: Give Ukraine military aid and economic support. Give Russia an off-ramp.

Man charged with murder in hit-and-run during 2024 D.C. police chase: A man fleeing police last year fatally struck a delivery driver in a case where an investigation found the D.C. officer violated the department’s pursuit policy. - "His death illustrates a central dilemma in traffic enforcement — a lack of it allows reckless driving to go unchecked, while the enforcement itself can provoke dangerous behavior. In 2022, after two young men died in police chases, D.C. made it illegal for officers to pursue a car unless the fleeing suspect posed an immediate threat and death or serious bodily injury was not a likely result."

D.C. sees homicides go up after three incidents in one day: The two shootings and a stabbing on Saturday occurred after a drop in crime in the wake of the federal law enforcement surge in August.

3 types of hair loss and the treatments that actually help: We asked dermatologists what people with thinning hair should do to slow it down or reverse it.

This North Carolina Democrat can’t win her district. So she’s running as a Republican.: In her crusade against gerrymandering, Kate Barr is challenging her Republican congressman in the GOP primary to make a point.

Far-right provocateur Nick Fuentes is triggering a MAGA civil war: The far-right influencer’s return to X has fueled a resurgence that is driving a wedge through the right.

Josh Harris might have to choose between Trump and an angry fan base: The Washington Commanders might now have the toughest assignment in football.

D.C. is slowing e-bikes down, citing teen crime and speeding issues: Police say Lime bikes are being used as getaway vehicles.

Epstein is the one issue that persistently splits Trump from his base: Trump had once promised to release the Justice Department’s “Epstein files,” but his administration has resisted doing so.

This Democrat from a red state could help his party reclaim the House: The former representative plans to run in a new district in Utah created as a result of a court order amid the national fight to redraw congressional maps.

Inside the CIA’s secret mission to sabotage Afghanistan’s opium: In a decade-long covert operation, the U.S. spy agency dropped modified poppy seeds in an attempt to degrade the potency of Afghanistan’s billion-dollar opium crop. - "The American plants not only contained virtually no morphine, but they were bred to sprout early and produce especially vivacious red flowers, making them attractive to Afghan farmers who, the CIA hoped, would harvest and replant their seeds."

Behind the scenes of the D.C. mayor’s battle to keep Trump at bay: Muriel E. Bowser has appeased the president in ways big and small, preventing a complete federal takeover but dividing her deeply Democratic city.

Reading archive 2025-08-25

These House Democrats seek a new middle ground on immigration: The New Democratic Coalition unveiled a plan to win back voters on immigration but they need the party’s support.

The House Freedom Caucus is under renovation: The far-right caucus is losing several of its most prominent members, creating an opening for new leaders and new approaches.

Pentagon plans military deployment in Chicago as Trump eyes crackdown: Military officials are sketching out a plan that could deploy a few thousand National Guard members, officials said. The use of active-duty forces has also been discussed.

Jeanine Pirro has joined Trump in attacking D.C.’s crime laws. Many experts doubt her claims

American housing policy needs a gut rehab: Housing starts improved in July, but people are not moving because rates and prices remain too high.

At 50, ‘Tuck Everlasting’ has withstood the test of time: On the 50th anniversary of Natalie Babbitt’s novel, I finally finished the book and have a whole new appreciation for the author and work

The Intel deal is a mistake: We cannot beat China by acting like it.

How an alcohol-fueled street fight turned into a conservative cause: The brawl in downtown Cincinnati has sparked debate about policing and bail reform. - "Cincinnati, which 2020 Census data puts at 47 percent White and 40 percent Black, has been rocked by high-profile racial incidents in recent months. In February, residents of a historically Black suburb confronted a neo-Nazi group displaying swastikas and distributing Ku Klux Klan fliers in their community. Residents have since established an armed patrol group of their neighborhood. In May, the father of a Black teen shot and killed by Cincinnati police fatally struck a Hamilton County sheriff’s deputy with his car the day after his son’s death, according to authorities."

Philadelphia transit hits ‘death spiral.’ More cities could follow.: Across Philadelphia and its suburbs, commuters are bracing for a dramatic reduction in public transit after state lawmakers were unable to agree on funding.

On screens and in games, Taiwan acts out a Chinese invasion: With the prospect of a Chinese invasion generating growing anxiety, Taiwan’s entertainment industry is tackling the sensitive subject through TV shows and games.

National Guard troops are in D.C. We went to see what they’re up to.: While some see the more than 2,200 National Guard members in the District as an extra layer of security, others question their utility.

DOGE Targeted Him on Social Media. Then the Taliban Took His Family.: Afghan scholar Mohammad Halimi, who fled the Taliban in 2021, had worked to help U.S. diplomats understand his homeland. Then DOGE put his family’s lives at risk by exposing his sensitive work for a U.S.-funded nonprofit. - "They rifled through other USIP files, spotlighting expenditures they used to publicly embarrass the institute. On Fox, DOGE also bragged about uncovering payments for 'private jets,' when, in fact, records show that USIP chartered a single plane for an evacuation mission out of a war zone for its staff. Cavanaugh did not answer a question about the assertion." [ed. note: among many other lies]

New GOP bill is latest push to extend federal control of D.C. police: The bill joins others from Republican legislators aiming to grant the federal government extended power over D.C. police. - "Committed partisans are always tempted to find evidence, however dubious, that being more hard-line is the path to political victory. It happens to people of all political descriptions. In recent years, though, Democrats have been especially prone to political misjudgments of this kind. 

"Sanders’s strong primary challenge to Hillary Clinton in 2016, for example, was taken as a sign that democratic socialism had a bright political future, when it was really a sign that she was an unappealing candidate. His strong performance with White working-class voters in that contest evaporated the next time he ran, when he was no longer a protest vote against Clinton."

A reality check for NPR stations in Trump country: Will rural affiliates see through the politicization and adopt a more all-embracing approach? [ed. note: dumb]

The Culture War Over Nothing: Is anyone actually mad about sorority-rush dances?

MAGA World Is So Close to Getting It: Gavin Newsom’s parodies are riling people up—and they don’t quite seem to understand why. - "As it turns out, the people who pioneered the slogan 'Fuck your feelings' are impossibly delicate souls."

The Real Reason American Socialists Don’t Win: Only part of the left’s most promising political party even wants to win elections or come to power. - "Moreover, some incidents at the convention cast serious doubt on DSA's commitment to the 'democratic' part of its title. For example, the convention rejected an amendment to a resolution declaring that DSA stood 'against all governments that engage in the repression of democratic rights.'"

Reading archive 2025-07-01

Single-use plastic is a scourge of takeout. Here’s how I tried to escape it.: Most food deliveries come wrapped in petrochemicals. But there are ways to reduce the disposable plastic delivered to your door.

Senate passes Trump’s tax bill, sending it to House for final passage: The bill extends tax cuts from Trump’s first term and slashes roughly $1 trillion from Medicaid and other health-care programs. - "Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) repeatedly vowed the bill would not pass without deeper spending cuts. Instead, the Senate Finance Committee wrote a bill hundreds of billions of dollars more expensive than the House’s, and simultaneously more punitive toward Medicaid."

New McMillan site townhouses in D.C. mark next step in redevelopment plan: The near-completion of townhouses on the site, which city literature and the developer refer to as the Reservoir District, is the next step in the project.

Philadelphia Transit System Votes to Cut Service by 45%, Hike Fares

Private jet carbon emissions are soaring. Here’s who pollutes the most.: A new study found that the United States was responsible for 55 percent of the pollution emitted by private jets globally. - "'If you look at individual airports that are polluted from private jets, Van Nuys Airport [in Los Angeles] popped out,' Rutherford said.'“This is getting a lot of visibility because it’s where the celebrities and influencers are all parking their planes.'"

JD Vance’s prior vision for populism is largely absent from GOP tax bill: While a senator, Vance proposed a sharp break in the party’s economic orthodoxy that some experts say is not reflected in the legislation.

We are eating the Earth. The result will be catastrophic.: “We Are Eating the Earth,” argues for producing more food on less land to avert climate crisis. - "If it comes, disaster might be due to a lack of humility among eco-posers. Grunwald bravely challenges the dippy, but influential, cult of 'organic' farming and Luddite opposition to genetically modified foods. Nothing is more urgent for the climate’s future, he argues, than producing more food for a growing world on fewer square miles of land. We know how to do it, he shows, and we’re getting better all the time.

"Humans who love the planet should cheer scientific advances in agriculture; farms need more genetically engineered products, not fewer. Yet the fad is back-to-yesteryear. While “factory” farms feed millions with increasing care and efficiency, wasteful little Edens offshore the world’s hunger. The forests and peatlands destroyed are out of sight of Hollywood and the Hamptons."

Justice is coming for Vladimir Putin: A new tribunal targets the act that made all subsequent Russian war crimes in Ukraine possible.

The GOP’s big, fat warning sign to the bond market: This is not how budgeting should work. - "As I’ve explained before, this is not how budgets work. It’s like saying renewing your Netflix subscription should count as free, because you got used to having the streaming service already. Or each time you buy another Starbucks coffee, it doesn’t cost you anything, because you’ve enjoyed Frappuccinos before. Or if your current car lease expires, getting a new one is now complimentary, because you already got used to the convenience of having a car."

Musk-Trump battle erupts anew over GOP spending bill Elon Musk threatened to launch a new political party as the president mused over fresh scrutiny of the former DOGE chief’s federal subsidies.

A town tried to heal racial divides. It energized Confederate supporters instead.: What started as an effort to promote racial unity in Edenton by reconsidering its most prominent downtown symbol has done the opposite.

The Birth-Rate Crisis Isn’t as Bad as You’ve Heard—It’s Worse: Humanity is set to start shrinking several decades ahead of schedule.

The Whole Country Is Starting to Look Like California: Housing prices are rising fast in red and purple states known for being easy places to build. How can that be? - "The Sun Belt, in short, is subject to the same antidevelopment forces as the coasts; it just took longer to trigger them. Cities in the South and Southwest have portrayed themselves as business-friendly, pro-growth metros. In reality, their land-use laws aren't so different from those in blue-state cities. According to a 2018 research paper, co-authored by Gyourko, that surveyed 44 major U.S. metro areas, land-use regulations in Miami and Phoenix both ranked in the top 10 most restrictive (just behind Washington, D.C., and L.A. and ahead of Boston), and Dallas and Nashville were in the top 25. Because the survey is based on responses from local governments, it might understate just how bad zoning in the Sun Belt is. 'When I first opened up the zoning code for Atlanta, I almost spit out my coffee,' Alex Armlovich, a senior housing-policy analyst at the Niskanen Center, a centrist think tank, told me. 'It's almost identical to L.A. in the 1990s.'"

Trump Insults America—Again: The president of the United States seems to have no interest in appealing to a national sense of pride or honor. - "In my many travels to university campuses over the years, I have often heard that America is only one of many horrendous regimes in the world. Usually these pronouncements came from students trying out new intellectual clothes in the safety of an American classroom, or from radicals on the faculty for whom anti-Americanism was a central part of their academic credo. And I know, especially from studying the Cold War, that presidents in my lifetime did a lot of shady, immoral, and illegal things. But I have never heard a president of the United States sound like a graduate student who's woozy from imbibing too much Noam Chomsky or Howard Zinn."

Reading archive 2025-05-19

Easily distracted? How to improve your attention span

An Efilist Just Bombed a Fertility Clinic. Was This Bound To Happen?: Read on to find out what exactly 'efilism' is. - "In 2006 the South African philosopher David Benatar published Better Never to Have Been, arguing that existence itself is harm, because, according to him, the absence of pain is always good while the absence of pleasure matters only to someone forced to miss it. His book supplied the term antinatalism and the asymmetrical equation that sustains it: any new birth inevitably adds suffering to the ledger.

...

"Readers of my work will know that Mosher’s tirades fascinated the Sandy Hook gunman Adam Lanza whose own YouTube videos riffed on efilism. He would eventually come up with his own, related, ideology called 'eulavism,' which instead of being just against life, was against values. 

"Bartkus cites Lanza as an inspiration."

EU leaders relieved after centrist beats pro-Trump rival to Romanian presidency

In pro-military Nebraska, a lawmaker’s stand over Hegseth tests the GOP: Rep. Don Bacon has called for the embattled defense secretary’s ouster. Back home in Omaha, his principles resonate — but only so much.

I have seen the future of AI. It’s in Western Pennsylvania.: The region’s energy and know-how powered the Industrial Revolution. It’s following the same playbook now. [ed. note: fracking shill from the Washington Examiner]

Reading archive 2025-05-13

A new fully charged EV battery in five minutes: Are China's swap stations the future of electric cars?

Trump promised U.S. dominance. Instead, energy companies are faltering.: Oil and gas firms are reeling, and major renewables projects are getting shelved as Trump’s policies rattle energy investors and executives.

MSNBC in five words: ‘I could not agree more’ Searching for dissent and debate on the cable news home for liberal America. - "No matter how it’s produced, television is a medium ill-equipped to cover Trump. My advice? Read newspapers."

What Pennsylvania factory workers say about Trump’s tariffs now: Business is flourishing at this furniture maker, but even here workers want certainty — and lower prices.

How you can shop for money-saving appliances if Trump ends: Energy Star Researchers and policy experts explain why Energy Star has been so successful and what we could do in its absence. - "If Energy Star dies, it would mark the demise of one of America’s most popular government programs — championed by industry associations, environmental groups, and Republicans and Democrats alike."

Land under the country’s largest cities is sinking. Here’s where — and why.: The movement is slow — sinking on the scale of millimeters per year in the United States — but the effects accumulate over years.

Why the Toupee Is Making a Comeback With Millennial Men: Long the butt of sitcom jokes, toupees—now called “hair systems”—have leveled up in recent years, and a growing number of balding men prefer the affordable flexibility they offer to the invasive risk of a transplant.

These Internal Documents Show Why We Shouldn’t Trust Porn Companies - "Stewart became afraid to leave her house. She recalled sending notes to Pornhub pleading that it take down the video, explaining that she was a minor and was shown being raped. Nothing happened, she said. 'I even posted comments on the video saying, 'I’m underage, take this video off,' and got no responses from anyone ever,' she told me."[ed. note: jfc]

Scientists in a race to discover why the Universe exists

Youth pleads guilty in juvenile court to fatally beating D.C. disc jockey: Authorities say the 16-year-old and a teenage companion attacked the man during a spate of street robberies in October; the victim died after weeks in a coma. - "At the time of the robberies, Superior Court officials said, the teen had five other robbery or assault cases that were pending."

Young teens arrested in carjacking of Capitol Hill aide: The gun was placed against the victim’s chest in the Navy Yard area, police say.

China Called Trump’s Bluff: There is a lesson here for anyone Trump threatens. - "'The consensus from both delegations is that neither side wanted a decoupling,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced at a press conference in Geneva, as if the whole thing had been one big misunderstanding. The decades of China allegedly 'ripping off' the United States were apparently forgotten, along with China's insolence in retaliating and the supposed need for the U.S. to reduce its reliance on Chinese imports. The administration isn't even pretending that it forced China to pay any special price for its defiance. It is memory-holing the entire 'do not retaliate' episode and moving on as if the point this whole time was to get along better with Beijing."

Retirement Is the New Resistance: The Democrats waging war on their gerontocracy

The Terrible Optics of ICE Enforcement Are Fueling a Trump Immigration Backlash: The president was elected, in part, on a pledge to crack down on immigration. But he may be overinterpreting his mandate.

Who Counts as Christian?: A new initiative will necessitate that the Trump administration makes difficult judgment calls about the faith. - "Or consider the case of an Episcopalian church in Sacramento whose rainbow Pride flag was stolen and burned: Would this task force agree that the attack was an act of aggression against the congregation qua Christians? The church's priest certainly thought so."

Md. woman who allegedly drove through festival to get to work will remain jailed: Kai Deberry-Bostick, 28, of Laurel, was charged with second-degree assault and resisting arrest.

RFK Jr. bathes in polluted D.C. creek on family outing: The health secretary reports on a Mother’s Day outing.

White South Africans arrive at Dulles as refugees under Trump order: The arrival of about 50 Afrikaners under allegations of racial discrimination restarts a U.S. refugee program that has been suspended for all other groups. - "On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security said that it will end temporary protected status for Afghans."

ChatGPT Is Everywhere — Why Aren't We Talking About Its Environmental Costs?: In this op-ed, politics editor Lex McMenamin explains why using AI to search "how to be sustainable" could be accomplishing the opposite. - "McMillan Cottom categorizes artificial intelligence as 'mid' tech — hardly the technological revolution worth the amount of waste and environmental damage it’s meting out: '[Most] of us are using [AI] for far more mundane purposes. AI spits out meal plans with the right amount of macros, tells us when our calendars are overscheduled, and helps write emails that no one wants. That’s a mid revolution of mid tasks.'"

Reading archive 2025-05-12 pt 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading archive 2025-05-06

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

The group chats that changed America

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading archive 2025-04-07

The Good News About Trump’s Tariffs: Authoritarian leaders are most dangerous when they’re popular. Wrecking the economy is unlikely to broaden Trump’s support.

No Tariff Exemptions for American Farmers: They voted for the tariffs when they voted for Trump. - "On average, farm families earn higher total incomes than nonfarm families, and their debt-to-equity ratio is typically low.

...

"During the 2024 election campaign, Americans were told, in effect, that no sacrifice was too great to revive the domestic U.S. toaster-manufacturing industry. If that claim is true, then farmers should be proud to pay more and receive less, making the same sacrifice as any other American. 

"But if a farm family voted for Trump, believing that his policies were good, it seems strange that they would then demand that they, and only they, should be spared the full consequences of those policies. Tariffs are the dish that rural America ordered for everyone. Now the dish has arrived at the table. For some reason, they do not want to partake themselves or pay their share of the bill."

Amid anti-DEI push, National Park Service rewrites history of Underground Railroad: Since Trump took office, the park service —- an agency charged with preserving American history —- has changed how its website describes key moments from slavery to Jim Crow.

This common cause of bloating has nothing to do with food: Abdomino-phrenic dyssynergia may be to blame for frequent bloating in many people. There are ways to manage it and multiple causes.

D.C. needs housing. Why has it taken 25 years to build on this parking lot?: The parking lot near Metro’s Takoma station was slated for housing in 2000. Then came the neighborhood opposition that hasn’t stopped.

What I learned about ‘America First’ in a Pennsylvania steel mill: On the ground with U.S. Steel workers lobbying Trump to approve a foreign deal.

These recycling techniques could help keep clothes out of landfills: Researchers are experimenting with using static electricity and other techniques to separate the components of hard-to-recycle mixed fabrics.

Reading archive 2024-10-18 pt 1

Yahya Sinwar, architect of Hamas massacre in Israel, is killed: After years in Israeli prisons, he used his hard-line influence in Gaza to build Hamas into a powerful militia force against Israel.

A novel path to affordable housing in D.C.: Lawsuit, then settlement: The city’s Office of Attorney General announced a settlement that requires the owner of a troubled building in Shaw to keep apartment building affordable — or pay millions more.

Artificial nests can help endangered penguins breed, but design matters: Researchers assessed artificial nests made from four different materials to see which would help boost the population of endangered African penguins the most. - "Natural African penguin nests were historically created using burrows dug into accumulated bird droppings known as guano, Pichegru said. However, the nests were largely removed by humans in the 1800s and 1900s due to the practice of harvesting guano, which was used for fertilizer."

Man arrested for threatening FEMA workers speaks out: William Jacob Parsons, 44, defended his alleged actions at a Federal Emergency Management Agency site in storm-battered Lake Lure, N.C. - "Parsons said he was motivated by social media reports claiming that FEMA was withholding supplies from hurricane victims in western North Carolina. Such false claims are part of a wave of misinformation that has hampered hurricane recovery efforts across the Southeast.

...

"On Facebook, Parsons expressed support for Trump and espoused far-right, anti-government and anti-vaccination views and conspiracy theories, according to The Post’s review of dozens of publicly available posts made between 2018 and 2022." [ed. note: there's a fucking shock]

Between the Border and the Wall: Expanding the border wall in South Texas would leave more U.S. land in limbo - "At some locations, the wall has been placed as far as two miles away from the Rio Grande, leaving thousands of acres in the liminal space between the border and the barrier.

"The land is mostly farms and fields, but there are homes, historic churches and entire neighborhoods essentially cut off from the rest of the United States. A Washington Post analysis of U.S. Customs and Border Protection planning documents shows that the completion of the wall in the lower Rio Grande Valley would leave more than 100 square miles of U.S. territory — an area five times the size of Manhattan — on the wrong side of the divide.

...

"The project in Texas was different. The Rio Grande forms roughly two-thirds of the 1,954-mile U.S.-Mexico border. The land along the river has long been valuable — unlike most of the borderland farther west — because it has water access. Many parcels in Texas consist of narrow slivers of land running perpendicular to the river, allowing owners to draw water for cattle or crops."

Opinion Harris ought to send Bret Baier flowers for that Fox News interview: Harris’s combative interview with the Fox News anchor displayed her qualities -- and facts

This American fruit could outcompete apples and peaches on a hotter planet: The resilient, native fruit has a cult following and could be small farms’ hedge against climate change in a fast-warming world

Here’s how the Smithsonian Zoo grows bamboo for its pandas: At a 3,200-acre facility in rural Virginia, the zoo harvests over 13,000 bamboo stalks a year. The process is now ramping up for the new pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao.

Can Trump and Harris turn out the voters they need? A key county has clues.: Northampton County, Pa., which went for Obama, then Trump, then Biden as part of a 100-year track record of almost always voting for the winner, shows the challenges both candidates are confronting.

Va.’s AG accused an election worker of corruption. She’s suing him back.: The office of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday.

Plan for more housing exposes a schism in a deep-blue Maryland county: Montgomery County officials want to allow denser housing in single-family zones. Opponents call it a “betrayal.”

Amazon doubles down on nuclear energy with deal for small reactors: The cloud computing and retail giant signed a deal to buy electricity generated by small modular nuclear reactors.

Montana ranger comes forward with account of Sheehy gun incident: Candidate says he was shot in Afghanistan; ranger witness to gun incident questions that account

Obama’s fears about Trump drive his stepped-up campaigning: Associates say the rallies are cathartic for the former president as he joins a Harris-Trump battle that could reflect on his own legacy.

Reading archive 2024-09-30

Android’s latest nightmare: Millions of devices infected by sneaky malware

Lessons in landscaping — and diplomacy — from a 37-year career: Stephen Crisp says goodbye to his role as the head gardener at Winfield House, the U.S. ambassador’s residence in London.

How ignored warnings at Boar’s Head plant led to a deadly listeria outbreak: Filthy conditions, aging equipment and haphazard cleaning at the Jarratt, Va., plant may have made some of its products microbial time bombs waiting to explode.

D.C. mayor, attorney general at odds over juvenile justice reform: The disagreements were on display at a recent D.C. Council hearing, where Attorney General Brian Schwalb proposed various changes to how troubled children are handled.

What to expect if port workers strike, and how it may affect the economy: Negotiations between longshoremen and port operators broke down in June and the two sides have barely been speaking. The current contract expires at midnight Monday.

Scientists just discovered why Earth’s atmosphere is leaking: It turns out the mysterious force is a previously undiscovered global electric field.

‘You’ll be okay’: Trump’s message to Hurricane Helene victims draws attacks: Critics tied the recent remark to a proposal in Project 2025, a conservative plan, to privatize weather forecasting now done by government agencies.

Harris team quietly courts big-name GOP endorsements: Anti-Trump conservatives are serving as emissaries to bring prominent Republicans on board, hoping to influence rank-and-file voters. - "Romney, who has frequently criticized Trump, has also expressed concerns about endangering the safety of his family if Trump is elected again, a fear also voiced by others who have spoken out against the former president." [ed. note: he's afraid of how awful Trump is, so he won't do everything he can to stop him]

Opinion Keep your eye on the Florida Senate race: Democrats see a path to an upset against Rick Scott.

James and the Jefferson Elm

He bought his dream home. In 10 years, it could fall into the ocean.: David Moot secured a three-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow with sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean for just under $400,000 — but its days are numbered.

Fire at Georgia chemical plant releases chlorine into the air, authorities say: Rockdale County officials ordered people to evacuate the area near the BioLab plant in Conyers, Ga., and they said others should stay home to avoid the “harmful irritant chlorine.”

Opinion Mark Cuban: Kamala Harris’s business whisperer: As a successful entrepreneur, he can make the business case against Trump — and for Harris.

How Philadelphia election workers will race to count votes this fall

Reading archive 2024-08-07

Happy Warriors in Philly: Plus: Donald Trump gets his Aaron Sorkin on.

‘Scott, Scott, Scott’: Jamie Gangel Tells Fellow CNN Panelist the Real Reason Harris Didn’t Choose Shapiro

MAGA Gov Candidate’s Ugly, Hateful Rant: “Some Folks Need Killing!” Mark Robinson, the GOP nominee for governor in North Carolina, has a long history of incendiary comments. But he may have topped himself this time.

‘Republicans for Harris’ launch features key names, impressive numbers: Given the state of the GOP, it’s not easy for any Democratic candidate to pick up cross-party backing, but Kamala Harris is now backed by many Republicans.

How time in nature builds happier, healthier and more social children: Time outdoors — even a walk around the neighborhood — helps children’s cognition, stress levels and general growth.

Trump complains about campaign as advisers try to focus on attacking Harris: The GOP nominee has grown increasingly upset about Kamala Harris’s surging poll numbers and media coverage since replacing Joe Biden on the ticket.

Pelosi on Biden: ‘We did not have a campaign that was on the path to victory’: The former House speaker gave her most extensive explanation of her actions that helped push the president out of the 2024 campaign

Harris responds to Michigan rally protesters: ‘I’m speaking’: The shouted pro-Palestinian slogans at Harris’s Michigan rally were the first sustained protests she has experienced since beginning her campaign.

Tim Walz’s military record, National Guard departure get new scrutiny: The Harris-Walz campaign has cited his Army experience as an asset. But Republicans and some who served with him have questioned claims about his service.

JD Vance in texts with far-right figure: Profane and off-the-cuff: Private messages show Trump’s running mate entertaining conspiracy theories and scorning the late Sheldon Adelson.

-----

Maryland ban on assault-style weapons upheld by U.S. appeals court: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals repeatedly cites seminal ‘Heller’ decision, which enshrined right to arms for self-defense but not for mass murder.

D.C. 911 center under fire again after baby dies during computer outage: It is unclear whether delays in delivering advanced medical care contributed to the five-month-old’s death.

How sprinter Gabby Thomas, other Olympic athletes improve their sleep: Jet lag and anxiety are just some of the obstacles athletes face when trying to get to sleep. Here’s how they overcome them.

D.C. teen pleads guilty to fatally stabbing his father in November: The teen pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and could have his case dismissed in three years if he successfully completes diversion agreement.

Virginia man charged with threatening to torture and kill Harris, DOJ says: Frank Carillo of Winchester, Va., allegedly threatened Vice President Harris and other officials on social media and posted about firearms and committing shootings.

Opinion A D.C. drug lord says he’s back, better than ever. Hold the cheers.: Rayful Edmond’s release from prison after 35 years rekindles questions about the damage he inflicted.

Reading archive 2024-08-06

This High Schooler Invented an A.I.-Powered Trap That Zaps Invasive Lanternflies: Using solar power, machine learning and her family’s patio umbrella, 18-year-old Selina Zhang created a synthetic tree that lures the destructive species

I Put Up a Fence in Maine. Why Did It Cause Such a Fuss?

Harris chooses Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as VP pick: Walz, who has a record of winning over rural conservative voters, is little-known on the national stage.

EPA takes emergency action to stop use of dangerous pesticide: The pesticide, known as DCPA, is known to harm fetuses and “needs to be removed from the market immediately,” an EPA official said.

How I fed my family for days with food that was bound for the trash: A new generation of apps are rescuing food from the landfills at a fraction of the retail price at restaurants and grocery stores.

Opinion How to harden our defenses against an authoritarian president: A commander in chief with little concern for legal limits holds a big advantage over any lawful effort to restrain him.

Trump keeps attacking their spouses. Top GOPers keep supporting him anyway.: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) is the latest to find a family member in Donald Trump’s crosshairs.

RFK Jr. says he left a dead bear in Central Park as a joke a decade ago: In 2014, New York City authorities were baffled by the appearance of a dead bear cub in the park. Now the presidential candidate says he was responsible.

‘Ultra-cheap energy for every household’: could a different kind of tariff change everything? Rising block tariffs and national energy guarantee systems are almost unknown in Europe – but are flourishing elsewhere - "The idea is simple: the first block of energy, which is calculated to meet essential needs from heating to cooking and lighting, is either given at a reduced rate or free. The cost a unit then rises in additional blocks, meaning wealthier homes with excessive or non-essential consumption pay more."

The future of paper could come from gene-edited trees: Scientists are working to develop a tree that could ease the production of paper, resulting in less energy use and less pollution. - "The result: They cut the lignin content in some of those varieties almost in half. They also were able to boost the concentration of cellulose — the key ingredient in paper production — compared with lignin, making the trees better for pulping. The team published their findings last year in the prestigious journal Science."

I’m an oncologist. Here’s what I do to reduce my own cancer risk.: A recent study estimated that 40 percent of new cancer diagnoses in U.S. adults were due to modifiable factors such as diet and lifestyle.

Secretaries of state urge Musk to fix AI chatbot spreading false election info: Grok, the AI search assistant on Musk’s X platform, suggested that Kamala Harris had missed the ballot deadline in nine states. She hasn’t.

Boys are flocking to gymnastics classes, thanks to pommel horse guy: Representation matters in all forms, especially when an Olympic athlete like Stephen Nedoroscik is so relatable.

With Vance’s elevation, Pennsylvania voters reexamine Trump’s views on women: “Now that you’ve got Kamala in there, you’ve got a whole different ballgame,” one independent Pennsylvania voter said.

Opinion Republicans suddenly love crypto. Americans should beware. The cryptocurrency lobby is lining up behind Donald Trump. Voters should see nothing good in this.

Taiwan is readying citizens for a Chinese invasion. It’s not going well.: The government extended mandatory military service and revamped reservist training in an effort to make Beijing think twice. But it’s already falling short. - "While President Biden has repeatedly said he would send the U.S. military to defend Taiwan, Trump has made no such promises. Asked what he would do in an interview last month, Trump said that Taiwan was “9,500 miles away” and should pay for American defense."

Opinion How the broken immigration system is pushing skilled workers to enter illegally

Ex-GOP congressman Riggleman endorses Harris, rips Trump’s ‘thirst for power’: The former congressman was twice endorsed by Donald Trump but broke with him over Jan. 6.

Opinion  Trump seems to forget it’s not 2016 anymore. And he’s frustrated.: After nine long years, his old way of campaigning just isn’t going to cut it.

JD Vance’s Marine buddies back his service over his politics: Critics call his about-face on Trump an affront to the military’s most basic values. His friends say attacks on his service are out of bounds.

Opinion  The NABJ interview with Trump provides a model for media coverage No other sit-down this cycle has laid bare as much about the candidate. - "The mainstream media now faces a test of sorts. After the June 27 debate, the media spent three weeks flooding the zone with coverage of Biden’s frailty, in effect demanding every Democrat to defend Biden or distance themselves from him, and consulting a host of experts on aging. Failure to deploy similarly exacting treatment of Trump would confirm Democrats’ complaints that there is a bizarre double standard in coverage that allows Trump to escape appropriate scrutiny. It’s long past time to stop using euphemisms and soft-pedaling his bigotry. (As I have noted, the vast majority of outlets also have steered clear of assessing Trump’s mental and emotional state, despite repeated episodes in which his slurred speech, verbal glitches, incoherent ranting, mixing up people and bizarre references are obvious to anyone watching.)"

Why are humans such good distance runners? Science offers an answer.: At Paris Olympics, abundant sweat glands, little body hair, arched soles and spring-like Achilles tendons prime endurance runners to excel. - "We have physical features that are unusual or unknown in the rest of the animal kingdom, including abundant sweat glands, relatively little body hair, arched soles and springlike Achilles tendons. We have an abundance of slow-twitch fibers that are efficient for endurance pursuits. (Fast-twitch muscles are better for sprinting.)"

Opinion  Why not run a team against Trump? Kamala Harris should borrow from the best comic books and get a band together.

Reading archive 2024-06-30

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

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

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

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

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

...

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

...

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

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

Reading archive 2024-06-25

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

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

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

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

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

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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