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 2024-10-17

U.S. approves mega geothermal energy project in Utah: The Interior Department gave the green light to Fervo Energy’s Cape Geothermal Power Project in Beaver County, Utah, the White House confirmed to The Washington Post. - "The advanced geothermal technology that Fervo is trying to scale up is an attractive option for tech firms. Enhanced geothermal plants do not pose all the safety concerns that come with nuclear power, but they have the potential to provide the round-the-clock energy that data centers need."

Trump asks for delayed release of appendix in Jan. 6 prosecution: Trump’s legal team asked a judge to delay releasing the appendix until after the November election, when Trump is due to file a response to the special counsel.

Maryland mom acquitted in death of teen who wasted away to 79 pounds: Cynthia Moore, 41, was found guilty of six counts of neglect of her surviving minor children.

Israeli siege plan for Gaza under scrutiny as U.S. demands urgent change: The so-called “General’s Plan” is being pushed by some members of Netanyahu’s far-right government, despite pushback from the Israeli military and the White House.

Reading archive 2024-04-23

NBA playoffs 2024: Why do so many players have beef with Rudy Gobert?

How a Tiny Inland Shorebird Could Help Save the Great Salt Lake: With half its surface area gone, the country’s largest saline lake is verging on collapse due to the region’s overuse of water and climate change, threatening the ecosystem, Salt Lake City and Wilson’s phalarope.

Restoring sight is possible now with optogenetics: People suffering from macular degeneration, along with other diseases that impair sight, may soon benefit from gene therapy

Your yard can help avert the insect apocalypse. Here’s how.: Welcome lacewings, sweat bees and lady beetles (back) into your life

Cornel West, focusing on Gaza, has harsh critiques for opponents, former allies

What happened to Tesla? Weak sales, layoffs and recalls weigh on outlook.: Just a few years ago, the company was flying high. Now, investors are contending with a grim earnings report Tuesday.

Australia’s prime minister calls Elon Musk an ‘arrogant billionaire’

Students rally, call for American University to divest from Israel

Here’s what happens when Formula 1 goes all-electric: Imagine an auto race with speed but no engine noise. That battery-powered vision is already here, with Formula E.

Reading archive 2024-04-13

DC police dealt thousands of guns; ATF demands answers after concerning number found at crime scenes - Eight years later as COVID-19 took hold in the District (and, as federal statistics show, gun purchases rose rapidly), D.C.’s longtime lone licensed dealer closed his business. A D.C. police spokesperson told the I-Team, 'MPD was required to operate as an FFL from April 3, 2020, until January 4, 2021, to uphold a constitutional right in the District.'"

Germany bars doctor who worked in Gaza, shuts down Palestinian conference - "The conference — and Salman Abu Sitta’s participation in particular — stirred controversy before it even began, with Germany’s antisemitism commissioner, Felix Klein, saying he was in favor of banning the author from entering the country. The furor related to a January blog post in which Salman Abu Sitta wrote that he 'could have been one of those who broke through the fence' if he were younger and still lived 'in the concentration camp called the Gaza Strip.'"

General warns House on Ukraine: ‘The side that can’t shoot back loses’: Within weeks, Russia will be able to launch 10 artillery shells for every one round fired by Ukraine without additional U.S. aid, Gen. Christopher Cavoli said

The joys and challenges of interracial friendships

A drone factory in Utah is at the epicenter of anti-China fervor: After struggling for years for survival, U.S. small drone manufacturers are getting a second shot, despite prices many times higher than China’s DJI

Opinion  How Gen Z took over incel slang - "Here’s how that can work: I like to watch videos on urban planning, and I recently got a TikTok complaining that 'it’s so hard being a walkpilled cardiomaxxer in a carcel gascucked state like Arizona.'"

Prosecutor will probe possible coverup in investigation of teacher’s shooting: Months after a 6-year-old boy in Newport News, Va., shot a first-grade teacher, authorities say they are still examining whether others are culpable - "Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard E. Gwynn, the top prosecutor in Newport News, Va., said his office will probe why one of the shooter’s discipline files disappeared and the other had material removed from it.

...

"The special grand jury wrote that police obtained a search warrant for the boy’s disciplinary files, but the documents were missing when investigators went to the school to get them. They were the only disciplinary files missing from the school. 

"LaQuiche Parrott, the director of elementary school leadership for the district, eventually returned one of the files, but the special grand jury said it was missing all of its disciplinary records, including documentation about the choking incident in kindergarten. The other file remains missing.

"Parrott said she could not recall how she got the disciplinary file, which the special grand jury called 'highly suspicious.' The panel questioned whether she might be engaging in a coverup and recommended Parrott be investigated for obstruction of justice. Parrott did not return calls from The Washington Post seeking comment."

Opinion  This is why Trump supporters will believe absolutely anything

A narco revolt takes a once-peaceful nation to the brink

Reading archive 2024-02-08

Inside the graffiti-covered L.A. skyscrapers that drew global attention

Is Taylor Swift a WAG?: And what even is a WAG now?

GOP leaders face unrest amid chaotic, bungled votes: Former president Donald Trump has used his perch as the GOP front-runner to bend Congress to his political whims

Senate votes to advance Ukraine-Israel package after border deal fails: More than a dozen Republicans joined with Democrats in 67 to 32 vote

Democrats sound alarm, take action against Biden’s third-party threats: Biden allies are increasingly worried about the potential threat posed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West and Jill Stein

Fairfax County police to use Spider-Man-like lassos to subdue suspects

Five Red Line stations will close this summer to link Metro with Purple Line

Man charged with stealing FBI car from bureau headquarters in D.C.

Sen. Murphy calls GOP border meltdown ‘bizarre, maddening’

Special counsel report paints scathing picture of Biden’s memory: Hur’s report could reopen a line of attack that Biden’s team has tried hard to tamp down

Utah teen athlete faces threats after state official posted photos questioning her gender

Reading archive 2023-03-06

Utah wants people to eat invasive bullfrogs. Here’s how to catch them.: What do you need? ‘A little bit of perseverance and not being afraid to get wet and muddy,’ one professional frog-catcher says

A D.C. handyman went missing. His mutilated body was found in a backyard.: Handyman who disappeared months earlier had been killed, police say, his remains left in the backyard of the D.C. home where he had been hired to work - "Johnson, 69, who lives in Maryland and does handyman work part-time, said in an interview with The Washington Post that he went to a police station in D.C. to file a missing-person report and met with two detectives. He said they took his information but told him they could not take a formal report because only relatives or roommates could declare someone missing. A police spokesman said that is not D.C. police’s policy and could not locate a record of Johnson’s meeting with police."

D.C. Council chairman tries to pull crime code bill before Senate vote

The Commanders’ shame offers their next owner a glittering opportunity

The bewildering descent of Scott Adams and ‘Dilbert’: ‘I shook the box intentionally,’ Scott Adams told The Post about the comments that prompted newspapers to drop his comic strip

Listening to ‘The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling’ is exhausting work: A podcast promised clarity from Harry Potter author on how she feels about trans issues. But it falls to the audience to fact-check her.

Amazon says it is pausing construction at HQ2 in Arlington: One set of offices is set to open later this year, but the largest piece of its new headquarters is being put on hold

DeSantis cannonballs into America’s deep blue states for war on ‘woke’ ahead of 2024: The Florida governor has used his trips to highlight his state’s accomplishments — citing statistics that sometimes mask far more complicated debates

Biden scraps reliance on market for faith in broader government role: The administration is pushing businesses to change with a carrot — and a stick - "'There is an increasing willingness on both the left and the right — spurred on by growing levels of progressivism on the left and populism on the right — to use the power of the state to essentially micromanage businesses,' said Neil Bradley, chief policy officer for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 'The natural result of that is, frankly, crony capitalism and a much more inefficient private sector.'

"The Biden administration’s embrace of industrial policy reflects its view of the lessons of the pandemic, the urgency of the climate challenge and the imperatives of strategic competition with China."

Hells Angels, a synagogue shooting and Iran’s shady hand in Germany

Reading archive 2022-08-15

Dulles solar farm would be the nation’s largest at an airport: It would be among a growing number of airports to install solar arrays on otherwise undeveloped land

Giuliani is target in Georgia criminal probe of possible interference in 2020 election, lawyer says: Former lawyer to Trump expects to be in Atlanta to testify before grand jury, lawyer says.

Brexit is Boris Johnson’s singular achievement. How well is it working? - "It has signed trade agreements with more than 70 countries for a total value of $929 billion, the government says. 

"Almost all the deals simply replicate the trade arrangements Britain had as a member of the E.U."

D.C. had a plan to end chronic homelessness. Why isn’t it working yet?

French bulldog taken at gunpoint in D.C. has been found dead: Police said Bruno was found in neighboring Prince George’s County. He was identified by his microchip.

Opinion  Leaving with nuclear secrets would be Trump’s dumbest, scariest stunt yet

Liz Cheney’s political life is likely ending — and just beginning

The curious timing of Trump naming two allies to access his records

In America’s fastest-growing metro, a rising fear water will run out

Reading archive 2022-03-23

For Trayon White Sr., D.C. mayoral campaign is a test of grass-roots outreach

Opinion: How one Republican governor just shamed his whole party

Tree rings from centuries past may help reveal a warming planet’s future: Armed with the world’s largest collection of tree rings, scientists are looking for clues to climate change

The rise of the Twitter spies: The war in Ukraine has turned ordinary Twitter users into hobbyist intelligence analysts, war sleuths who could impact who’s held accountable for the conflict — or bring danger to those living through it

Reading archive 2021-12-06

Myth Busting for Extension Educators: Reviewing the Literature on Pruning Woody Plants

Chris Cuomo fired by CNN after aiding governor brother and other ‘new allegations’: Suspended for advising Andrew M. Cuomo, the star host was dismissed days later. A new report now says a lawyer told CNN of a sexual misconduct claim.

U.S. warns it has ‘tools’ to deal with Iran if nuclear talks fail

No U.S. government official will attend Beijing Winter Olympics, White House announces

The vicious 150-year rivalry between Utah’s two biggest newspapers

Reading archive 2021-11-24 through 2021-11-30

Ukraine’s Zelensky alleges Russia plotting coup against him for next week

Michael Vick found a future on TV, but his past is still chasing

Organ transplant patients are at risk from covid. But some donors and recipients are fighting vaccination requirements.

Who’s Killing the Grizzlies of Fremont County?: Grizzly bears are protected under federal law. When three were killed in an Idaho community, it didn’t seem like a coincidence.

The Fierce Politics of Dust: A small town in southern Utah wanted to suppress dust on its roads. Not everyone was pleased.

How to Save the Prairie, Acre by Acre: The vital Kansas ecosystem is rapidly shrinking. Its future depends on private landowners like Lorna Harder.

CNN suspends Chris Cuomo ‘indefinitely’ after documents detail help he gave his brother: The decision follows revelations that he was far more involved in the efforts of former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo than previously known

Reading archive 2021-07-18

Great Salt Lake is shrinking fast. Scientists demand action before it becomes a toxic dustbin - "Salt Lake City residents paid one of the lowest water rates of major US cities, according to an analysis by Circle of Blue, a nonprofit advocating for responsible stewardship of water resources. A family of four using a 100 gallons a day paid $32 a month in 2018 -- about half of what New Yorkers paid, a third of what Atlantans paid and a quarter of what San Franciscans shelled out that year. Among the major cities, only Memphis residents paid less."

Fox News’s embarrassing blunder in the White House briefing room

‘A propaganda tool’ for Trump: A second federal judge castigates attorneys who filed a lawsuit challenging the 2020 results - "'A law license does not confer unbounded prerogative to file objectively legally frivolous lawsuits, built on . . . a conspiracy theory derived largely from a pillow salesman, aimed at undermining a legitimate presidential election,' he argued during Friday’s hearing."

Why the CEO of Impossible Foods thinks he can eliminate all animal-based meat in 15 years: Bacon made of fungus, 3-D printed steaks and ‘meat’ made of air — the future for this new food category is promising but turbulent - "Cultivated meat is complete vaporware. Don’t hold your breath. The fact is that the economics of animal cell cultures as a food production system in no conceivable way can compete with the current industry. If you could use cultured cells to make any reasonable replica of an animal tissue, which would you do: Sell it for $5 a pound as meat, or sell it for $1 million a pound to treat people with muscle-wasting diseases?"

Nationals-Padres game suspended after shooting outside Nationals Park