So I read something...: Sweden

South African city copes with climate change by chopping down trees - "More than two-thirds of South Africa’s 20,400 plant species are found nowhere else in the world, said Karen Esler, a distinguished professor of conservation at Stellenbosch University. Invasives have already driven at least seven of the Cape’s plant species extinct, and 14 percent are in immediate danger of extinction, she said, adding that if native species are lost, local ecosystems will be even more disrupted by climate change."

A simple way to get microplastics out of your water: New research found that boiling drinking water can remove up to nearly 90 percent of microplastics

How to hang art and photos to please the eye and the brain: Consider height, symmetry and balance for the most appealing result - "A more dependable rule of thumb, says Linda Kafka, founder of the Science in Design Academy in Toronto, is to hang pieces so that their centers are 56 to 60 inches above the finished floor. And if the art is going over furniture, aim to hang it eight to 10 inches from the top of the sofa or whatever piece is beneath it, she says."

Mike Johnson is again staring down a government shutdown — and his conference: The House speaker is juggling competing demands from his members while trying to strike a deal to keep the government open

Mitch McConnell to step down as Republican Senate leader in November: ‘I have many faults. Misunderstanding politics is not one of them,' McConnell said in a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday

The green revolution sweeping Sweden

Suspect in Md. toddler’s killing had been released despite ICE detainer: Montgomery County officials said Nilson Granados-Trejo was arrested last year on theft charges, which did not meet the threshold for county enforcement of ICE detainers.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Reading archive 2024-02-27

In Arizona, Biden’s handling of immigration fuels frustration among key voters: President Biden’s embrace of strict border measures has left some Democrats and independents wondering where he stands on immigration — adding to their lack of enthusiasm for a potential second term - "While many voters said they felt Biden has largely ignored immigration, his administration has taken more than 530 immigration-related executive actions in his first three years in office, outnumbering the 472 undertaken by Trump in his full term, according to the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute."

Whitmer navigates Michigan ‘minefield’ between Biden and Arab Americans: The governor’s outreach to the Arab and Muslim American communities is done privately, her allies say, and she has been in regular contact with people upset about the war and the Biden administration’s role in it

Opinion Why an ex-congressman is living in a ‘safe house’ from Trump

Zelensky’s increasingly blunt comments about Trump

The reviled electric scooter is back. Does it deserve a second chance?

The economy is roaring. Immigration is a key reason.: Momentum in the job market picked up aggressively over the past year — all while Washington is deadlocked on a border deal - "In Dalton, Ga. — known as the 'Carpet Capital of the World' — Jan Pourquoi said the entire economy would collapse without immigrant workers. Pourquoi owns a rug company with a warehouse near the city’s railroad tracks and pays $11 an hour for jobs like cutting and sewing door and bathroom mats. He said that he doesn’t question anyone’s paperwork, and that he knows workers will reliably line up at his door looking for openings every morning."

After feds dismantle street gang, officials say crime in this DC neighborhood went down

Airman who set self on fire grew up on religious compound, had anarchist past

They renounced Trump. Will they get fellow conservatives to vote Biden?: Alyssa Farah Griffin, Cassidy Hutchinson and Sarah Matthews worked in Trump’s White House. Now they’re trying to keep him from getting back in.

Four maps explain how Sweden and Finland could alter NATO’s security

Sweden is set to join NATO: What to know about the military alliance

Vying for Commanders stadium, many Md. lawmakers will vote against RFK bill

FX’s ‘Shogun’ is what thrillers wish they were: In the glut of aimless period dramas, ‘Shogun’ keeps its poker face and hits every target

Slaying of Georgia student becomes part of U.S. immigration debate

Democratic operative admits to commissioning Biden AI robocall in New Hampshire: The incident highlights the ease and accessibility by which AI-generated technology is making its way into the 2024 campaign cycle

Monday, February 26, 2024

Reading archive 2024-02-26

How the ‘Who TF Did I Marry?’ series took over TikTok: Reesa Teesa’s story of marrying and divorcing a man she called a ‘pathological liar’ has had users on the edge of their seats

With abortion rights looming, Missouri GOP advances slanted ballot rules: The change would make amendments to the state constitution much more difficult to approve — at least for the left - "The proposal, which passed along party lines, would require amendments to receive not only a majority of the vote statewide — as is currently required — but also a majority in five of eight congressional districts."

Trump says Black voters like him more because of his indictments and mug shot: The GOP candidate tells a group of Black conservatives: ‘I’m being indicted for you, the Black population’

See the dozens of new species this deep-sea robot just discovered: Alien-looking lobsters, sponges, urchins, sea stars and sea lilies are among the creatures deep-sea explorers found off the coast of Chile

How Libs of TikTok became a powerful presence in Oklahoma schools: The owner of the far-right social media account, who sits on a state advisory panel, has drawn attention since the death of a nonbinary student near Tulsa

Opinion Dim or disloyal? Republicans again ensnared in possible Russian plot.

Man found guilty of killing trans woman in historic hate crime verdict: A South Carolina man is the first person convicted by trial of a federal hate crime based on gender identity, federal authorities said

As Lebanon teeters on the edge, a war with Israel would be catastrophic

These giant, invasive spiders appear built to thrive in the U.S.: ‘I don’t know how happy people are going to be about it, but I think the spiders are here to stay,’ one researcher says

Alabama embryo ruling may have devastating effect on cancer patients - "'It’s the same stories that you’re hearing from lawmakers after Roe v. Wade, saying, ‘Oh, I didn’t think it would impact this or that’ … [but] they’re making decisions for others,' said Robin Watkins, 41, who underwent fertility treatments to have her twin boys."

Shane Gillis struggles in a 'Saturday Night Live' monologue that avoids the obvious - "Saturday Night Live made its reputation as a group of comedy rebels making fun of a stuffy political and media establishment, lampooning corrupt and inept politicians from Richard Nixon to Sarah Palin; in other words, punching up.

"But today's comedy rebels see the insistence that comics lay off insulting slurs about marginalized people as the new establishment — building successful podcasts, standup tours and more on the mistaken notion that avoiding racism, sexism and homophobia is somehow shackling their free speech. Here, punching down is fair game and fairly lucrative."

Bowen Yang Deletes Instagram Post Mocking Nikki Haley ‘SNL’ Visit: The castmember's not-entirely-subtle protests, a history.

Hungary approves Sweden’s NATO bid, unblocking historic expansion

A nurse asked a friend to help her move. He later killed her, police say.: Patrina Best was beloved by her family and friends, traveling the country as a nurse with her dog, Luke

Bowser, business leaders pitch $400M plan to fix D.C.’s ailing downtown: A rise in violent crime across the city, coupled with the possible departure of the Wizards and Capitals, have added to a sense of urgency to stabilize downtown

Ex-Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson says photo refutes Biden impeachment witness's claims

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Reading archive 2023-05-30

The revolt of the Christian home-schoolers: They were taught that public schools are evil. Then a Virginia couple defied their families and enrolled their kids. - "Aaron had grown up believing Christians could out-populate atheists and Muslims by scorning birth control; Christina had been taught the Bible-based arithmetic necessary to calculate the age of a universe less than 8,000 years old. Their education was one in which dinosaurs were herded aboard Noah’s ark — and in which the penalty for doubt or disobedience was swift. Sometimes they still flinched when they remembered their parents’ literal adherence to the words of the Old Testament: 'Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.' ...

"The Pearls advocate hitting children with tree branches, belts and other “instruments of love” to instill obedience, and recommend that toddlers who take slowly to potty training be washed outdoors with cold water from a garden hose. Their book advocates 'training sessions' in which infants, as soon as they are old enough to crawl, are placed near a desired object and repeatedly struck with a switch if they disobey commands not to touch it."

An alleged Russian spy whale turned up in Sweden. Why?

Land around the U.S. is sinking. Here are some of the fastest areas.

Trump campaign braces for Iowa battle as DeSantis team sees an opening: The former president faces well-funded resistance and other headwinds in the GOP’s first nominating contest, even as he pulls ahead in national polls

Va. Dems make risky bet that abortion issue spells doom for Joe Morrissey: If party leaders fail to unseat Morrissey, experts predict he will emerge stronger than ever and beholden to no one

Thursday, January 26, 2023

Reading archive 2023-01-26

Biden bans logging roads in much of America’s largest national forest: White House reinstates protections in Tongass National Forest that were undone by Trump; move aims to protect fish and a giant carbon sink

$400 million investment approved for redevelopment near FedEx Field: State bonds will funnel cash to Prince George’s County to redevelop a 5-mile corridor in Landover, regardless of whether the Commanders stay

FBI shuts down ransomware gang that targeted schools and hospitals: Attorney General Merrick Garland said the group, called Hive, extorted hundreds of organizations before getting hacked itself

Meet the man who unwittingly triggered the war over gas stoves: The son of a labor icon, Richard Trumka Jr. warned that gas ranges could harm children’s health. He’s since been swept up in the backlash against regulating gas appliances.

ELON MUSK CAVES TO PRESSURE FROM INDIA TO REMOVE BBC DOC CRITICAL OF MODI: Officials from India’s ruling right-wing party said American tech companies like Twitter and YouTube complied with demands to remove the documentary. - "While Musk has been glad to stand up to suppression of speech against conservatives in the United States — something that he has described as nothing less than 'a battle for the future of civilization' — he appears to be failing at the far graver challenge of standing up to the authoritarian demands of foreign governments. ...

"When Musk took over, Twitter had just a 20 percent compliance rate when it came to Indian government takedown requests. When the billionaire took the company private, some 90 percent of Twitter India’s 200 staffers were laid off. Now, the Indian government’s pressure on Twitter appears to be gaining traction.

"A key difference may be Musk’s other business entanglements. Musk himself has his own business interests in India, where Tesla has been lobbying, so far without luck, to win tax breaks to enter the Indian market."

Russia-affiliated journalist paid for Quran burning in Sweden

Timothy Snyder Twitter thread: "In defeating Russia’s armed forces and exposing Russia’s weakness, the Ukrainians have both made a larger war in Europe far less likely, and gotten China’s cat’s paw under control."

Arizona Republicans exempt lawmakers from the state’s open-records law: After Ginni Thomas’s emails and the work of the Cyber Ninjas go public, GOP legislators retreat into secrecy

Rush Limbaugh’s Toxic Legacy: The more unpleasant side of Limbaugh does not appear in his new posthumous book, but it is hard to not think about its influence. - "No matter his supposed philanthropy, Limbaugh never really concealed the fact that he was far more interested in making money than in effecting social change. Asked by 60 Minutes what he was trying to do with his show, Limbaugh replied that he was ultimately 'trying to attract the largest audience I can and hold it for as long as I can, so I can charge advertisers confiscatory advertising rates. This is a business.' Asked by the host if he was therefore 'in it for the money,' Limbaugh replied that of course he was in it for the money. In Radio’s Greatest of All Time, he similarly notes that when his critics 'examine this program, none of them do so in terms of the career aspect of it' but instead 'look at me as a political figure who happens to be on the radio.' Limbaugh was selling a product, not waging a policy crusade."

Thursday, July 14, 2022

Reading archive 2022-07-14 pt. 1

There are no artifacts to prove that slave ships existed.

Donald Trump looks to fall launch for 2024, potentially upending midterms: Some Republicans fear an announcement will undercut them at a time when they have a strong chance of retaking the House and Senate

A post-Roe surge could reshape this Illinois steel mill town: Granite City, a conservative-leaning community near the state‘s southern border, now offers the closest abortion clinics for many patients across the South and Midwest

Five charts explaining why inflation is at a 40-year high

Man charged in rape of 10-year-old girl who had to travel for abortion

After arrest in rape of 10-year-old girl, Fox News hosts shift focus

Veterans forced out for being gay are still waiting for VA benefits: A decade after the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ details on new guidance remain scarce

Youngkin defends portrayal of gay-marriage rights as business ranking slips - "'We actually do protect same-sex marriage in Virginia,' Youngkin responded. 'That’s the law in Virginia and, therefore, as governor of Virginia, we protect same-sex marriage.'

"But state law does not protect such unions. In fact, the Virginia Constitution bans same-sex marriage under an amendment adopted in 2006 that defines marriage as between a man and a woman. While the ban became defunct after Obergefell, the language remains in the constitution and would become operative again if the Supreme Court were to reverse itself. Republicans in the House of Delegates killed an effort this year to remove that language."

Fertilizer crisis delivers profits and pain as Ukraine fallout broadens: ‘It’s brutal. Farmers aren’t buying what they need; they are buying what they can afford,’ one expert said

FDA authorizes Novavax coronavirus vaccine, adding to pandemic arsenal

The world’s longest-lived trees couldn’t survive climate change - "To Murphy Westwood, the vice president for science and conservation at the Morton Arboretum in Illinois, each loss feels like a moral failing.

"'It’s overwhelming and almost crushing,' she said, 'the stark reality of the biodiversity crisis that’s on our hands.'"

Once nearly extinct, bison are now climate heroes: Indigenous tribes are leading the effort to bring back the bison — a victory not only for the sake of biodiversity, but for the entire ecosystem they nurture

The green revolution sweeping Sweden

In Amsterdam, a community of floating homes shows the world how to live alongside nature

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Reading archive 2022-05-17

Buffalo shooting suspect wrote of plans 5 months ago, messages show

Sweden joins Finland in seeking NATO membership: President Vladimir Putin’s response is muted compared to previous statements by Russian officials

Christian nationalism is shaping a Pa. primary — and a GOP shift: Doug Mastriano, a retired Army colonel and Jan. 6 marcher who is running for governor of Pennsylvania, represents a more explicit push for Christian dominance - "There were lots of references to the Constitution and liberty and freedom, but when asked for specifics, people cited things like a child’s professor teaching them about Black Lives Matter or someone they knew who ran a day care and came into contact with LGBT parents or a child who was nonbinary."

Monday, May 16, 2022

Reading archive 2022-05-16

Flood of weapons to Ukraine raises fear of arms smuggling: Vague U.S. assurances spark concern about lost military equipment in Ukraine, a longtime hub of arms trafficking

A rural county in Iowa that supported Trump turns to Latinos to grow - "During one meeting in Jefferson, a man who lives just outside the county questioned whether Latinos would be here legally. 'Are they going to bus them in from Texas?' he asked, referring to the influx on the southwest border.

"Other residents are enthusiastic, aware that Latino residents and businesses have revitalized other Iowa cities such as Storm Lake and Denison.

"'I’m glad that it’s getting done,' said Marilyn Schwartzkopf, 73, a Democrat who has been practicing her Spanish to help newcomers, as she volunteered at the county’s historical museum in Jefferson. 'We need some diversity here. We’re all too old and White.'"

'Provide some cover': New Eastman emails shed light on his push to overturn Biden's win: He suggested a way for Pennsylvania legislators to cancel Joe Biden's win.

Ukraine: The spy war within the war

Democracy is at stake in the midterms. The media must convey that.: We journalists have to try harder and find new ways to convey to voters how badly things could turn out

Leading GOP candidates in Pennsylvania were in Washington on Jan. 6: Mastriano, Barnette among growing number nationally who have made false claims of election fraud a key part of their pitch

A civil war among neighbors over Confederate-themed streets

‘A magnet for rip-off artists’: Fraud siphoned billions from pandemic unemployment benefits: Identity theft and other sophisticated criminal schemes contributed to potentially $163 billion in waste, while inflicting harm on unwitting victims.

Ten Tips for Visiting Gardens with Non-Gardeners

Honeybees are far too insufficient to supply optimum pollination services in agricultural systems worldwide

Why Turkey dissents on Finland and Sweden joining NATO and why it matters

Dr. Oz’s Trump-infused Senate run is coming down to the wire: Ahead of his tight Republican primary, some call him a Pennsylvania carpetbagger — while others say he’s the future of the Republican party

Friday, May 13, 2022

Reading archive 2022-05-13

The faux outrage that Biden is stockpiling baby formula for undocumented immigrants

How the addition of Finland and Sweden would change NATO

Biden pivots to Asia as Ukraine war rages on - "'The ASEAN approach is not a matter of colonialism or historical hostility or sentimentality, it’s a classic balance of power game,' Renato Cruz de Castro, an academic at De La Salle University in Manila, told Politico. 'China’s economic presence is growing, but ASEAN countries are generally suspicious of China.'"

Georgia county under scrutiny after claim of post-election breach: Effort by county official to investigate 2020 contest underscores growing threat to election security, experts say

Why some Black churches aren’t elated about the possible end of Roe

Opinion J.D. Vance, migrant babies and the unhinged GOP enemy hunt - "Just when you thought our politics couldn’t get any dumber, this week brought two new GOP attacks that spectacularly defied expectations. The Biden administration, we were told, is redirecting scarce infant formula to migrant babies and might be deliberately importing fentanyl to kill virtuous heartland-dwelling supporters of Donald Trump.

...

"Of course, these claims aren’t meant as empirical depictions of policy problems. They are stories, ones featuring villains and victims. The key here is the relentless, never-ending search for ever more creative ways to stoke resentment, victimization and alarm about leftist enemies around every corner."

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Reading archive 2022-04-14

Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai is the face of NBA's uneasy China relationship

Russia threatens to move nukes to Baltic region if Finland, Sweden join NATO

Elon Musk launches hostile takeover bid for Twitter: The Tesla CEO, who recently became the social media company’s largest shareholder, is offering $54.20 per share

Poland builds a border wall, even as it welcomes Ukrainian refugees

Here’s how The Post analyzed Hunter Biden’s laptop: Two experts confirm the veracity of thousands of emails, but say a thorough examination was stymied by missing data - "In their examinations, Green and Williams found evidence that people other than Hunter Biden had accessed the drive and written files to it, both before and after the initial stories in the New York Post and long after the laptop itself had been turned over to the FBI."

"Russia cannot afford to lose, so we need a kind of a victory": Sergey Karaganov on what Putin wants A former adviser to the Kremlin explains how Russia views the war in Ukraine, fears over Nato and China, and the fate of liberalism.

'We Are Tired of Killing': How Long Can Ukraine Trade Land for Blood?: A journey to the front lines with an elite unit of Ukrainian marines willing to sacrifice everything

A policing strategy abandoned after Breonna Taylor’s death spreads to other cities: At least nine jurisdictions either plan to or have adopted the crime-reduction strategy known as ‘place network investigations’ — a model that examines geographic connections that allow crime to flourish.

What Should America Do With Its Nuclear Waste?: Currently there are about 80 locations in 35 states where spent fuel is being stored, with no long-term plans for disposal.

Slain 15-year-old was shot near family’s new home in Columbia Heights: Malachi Jackson’s mother and grandmother say neighborhood tensions led to the teen’s shooting

Economic toll in Texas worsens as trucks remain stopped at Mexico border Gov. Greg Abbott has kept many of his new inspection policies in place despite pleas from businesses for relief

Perennial Sources of Russian Weakness [ed. note: from The Economist in 1854]

I Commanded U.S. Army Europe. Here’s What I Saw in the Russian and Ukrainian Armies.: The two armies at war today couldn’t be more different.