Reading archive 2026-05-18

Disease, Drought, Climate Change — And the Joy of Fighting Back: On my Virginia farm, I have a front-row seat to the grim consequences of a warming planet. But I’m not surrendering.

So, you got bit by a tick. Here’s exactly what to do next.: Experts explained what to do if you find a tick attached to your skin, including how to remove it and document it, and when to seek medical advice.

6 tick-borne diseases that should be on your radar: With tick season in full force, here are the most common diseases they spread in the U.S., where they most commonly occur and the symptoms to watch for.

I lead a Jewish school. Mamdani’s first veto is astonishing.: Amid rising antisemitism, New York's mayor stopped a safeguarding move for schools. [vetoed a bill banning protests near schools, the case this guy is mad about was a real-estate sale for settlement land in the West Bank]

Georgia’s top Republican fears a repeat of the GOP’s 2022 Senate blunder: Gov. Brian Kemp (R), the popular Georgia governor, has endorsed a Senate candidate he believes has broad appeal. But his more MAGA rival is gaining steam.

Trump has no good military option to ‘finish the job’ in Iran: Trump would be wise to ignore hawkish advice and try to forge a deal with Tehran.

ICE agent charged in shooting of immigrant during Minneapolis crackdown: County prosecutors issued a warrant for the arrest of the agent, who faces felony assault charges. The victim was one of three people shot during January’s crackdown.

A European rule could devastate American farmers: Lawmakers should stand up to this attempt to regulate American business. - "The increased costs would be felt throughout the supply chain. Farm profits would be squeezed, grocery bills would increase, and rural communities would be hit first and hardest. When a small farm goes under, it doesn’t just hurt one family; it hurts local businesses that buy from that farm and the equipment dealers that sell to it." [ed. note: shouldn't have pissed off Europe then]

Reading archive 2026-05-12

Why banning the recycling logo is progress in the fight against plastic waste: A new California law will ban companies from using the symbol if their products aren’t commonly recycled. Here’s how you can play your part in reducing plastic waste.

A super El Niño wiped out millions of people in 1877. Are we better prepared now?: The climatic phenomenon is expected to return this year, but a lot has changed since what might have been the worst environmental disaster in human history.

Inside the probe that has 13 top D.C. police officials fighting for their jobs: The 554-page internal affairs report, investigators say, paints a picture of D.C. police officials manipulating classifications as they buckled under pressure to reduce crime and avoid the ire of higher-ups.

16 Washington Post veterans on what they would change about D.C. journalism.

Can Trump paint the Eisenhower building? Experts fear irreversible damage.: Susan Eisenhower broke her silence about Trump’s vision to make over the building named after her grandfather. The proposal faces a lawsuit and regulatory review.

After 20 years, the Prince of Petworth still reigns in Washington: Dan Silverman created PoPville to capture a D.C. neighborhood. It has become much more.

Republicans who denied 2020 election results could be governors next year: Winners will have oversight of 2028 elections in swing states like Arizona, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Inside Ben Shapiro’s MAGA meltdown: The Daily Wire was once ascendant in right-wing media. Now, the “anti-woke” company faces contentious layoffs, ideological battles and dwindling relevance online.

They’re not saying someone should kill Trump. But they’re coming close.: “Somebody should do it” and its variants have become increasingly popular online memes.

Adam Silver Goes to War: The mild-mannered NBA commissioner has overseen a time of peace and prosperity for his league. Until now.

Democrats Might Actually Win Iowa: Are the party’s hopes for the Hawkeye State real, or just another mirage?

No One Knows What to Do About Britain’s Exploding Anti-Semitism: The first step is admitting that the United Kingdom has a problem.

China Believes America Will Flame Out: Beijing’s geopolitical restraint is all part of a long game. - "In private conversations and public writings, China's leaders and their advisers often describe America as 'declining but dangerous' - a late-stage power prone to bursts of aggression in the hopes of arresting its slide. As early as the 1990s, the height of the United States' unipolar power, Chinese thinkers were already theorizing about America's decline. Wang Huning, then a little-known academic, was moved by his travels through the U.S. to write the book America Against America, in which he described a nation beset by social fragmentation, inequality, and political dysfunction. Shocked by the country's problems of homelessness, drug addiction, racial violence, social divisions, and low education standards, Wang concluded that America contained the seeds of its own destruction." [ed. note: Wang Huning is now a member of the Politburo]

Reading archive 2026-04-27

Trump officials hire ‘deportation judges’ with less training, experience: The president is remaking courts to clear a backlog of asylum cases. Hires include an attorney for Jan. 6 rioters and a lawyer who championed Minneapolis ICE raids. - "Asylum rejections more than doubled to 82,371 last fiscal year, which ran from Oct. 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2025. The percentage of asylum cases granted by judges plummeted to less than 5 percent in February, compared with 48 percent in the same month in 2024 under Biden, according to TRAC."

Trump steps up a campaign against teaching English to immigrant kids The administration plans to dissolve the office that supports English instruction. - "Regardless of your opinion on illegal immigration, it’s a good idea to help these kids become as proficient in English as possible. Particularly if you support President Donald Trump’s executive order designating English 'the official language of the United States.'" [ed. note: from Jim Geraghty of the National Review]

Mood in Russia turns bleak as war in Ukraine drags on and economy suffers: With the war in its fifth year, talks stalled and sanctions biting deeper, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ratings are falling and citizens are voicing despair.

Idaho lawmakers, deadlocked over ‘rat apocalypse,’ blame city transplants: Lawmakers have spent hours debating a surge in rodents menacing Boise-area gardens and kitchens and threatening agriculture and public health.

Trump’s idea to ‘just buy’ bankrupt Spirit Airlines draws GOP backlash: The president said this week that bailing out the airline would save jobs, but his administration is divided.

The Trump-class battleships are a waste of time and money: The firing of Navy Secretary John Phelan reflects Pentagon tensions. - "It’s unfortunate that the administration is misallocating so many defense resources because U.S. defense needs are urgent — and deserve more funding, if not necessarily 50 percent more."

Democrats are closer than you think to upending the electoral college: The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact going into effect is suddenly plausible.

D.C. aims to counter rise in domestic violence amid spate of high-profile cases: Mayor Muriel Bowser and U.S. Attorney Janine Pirro introduced a bill that would boost penalties as women are more likely to experience domestic abuse in D.C. than in any state. - "Experts point to massive amounts of job loss in the region — D.C. has had the highest unemployment rate in the country for months, according to federal data. Intensifying federal immigration enforcement that has contributed to a climate of fear and stress in immigrant communities has also been a factor, with prevalence of guns in the city making matters worse for those already living with abuse."

Walking near a D.C. school raises the chance of being hit by a car, data shows: A Washington Post analysis of accident data shows pedestrians near schools are 24 percent more likely to be hit than elsewhere in the city. - "'We want safe streets across the District of Columbia,' McDuffie said during a recent interview with the 'Dream City' podcast. 

"But, he said, he would eliminate 'predatory' traffic cameras in some lower-income areas that lead to repetitive fines levied against local residents.'"

‘Michael’ Is a Vain Account of the Man in the Mirror: After an overlooked legal settlement spurred extensive reshoots, the new Michael Jackson biopic’s selective memory adheres to its subject’s self-mythologizing

Theft Is Now Progressive Chic: In some left-wing corners of the commentariat, moral rectitude is out. Flagrant disregard of the social contract is in.

Israel Could Have What It Most Wants in Lebanon: It just has to give up territorial ambitions and work with the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah.

Texans Will Decide if Jesus Was a Lefty: James Talarico is trying to sell a novel brand of Christian politics in a deep-red state.

How Netanyahu Hurt America’s Jews: The Israeli prime minister’s focus is, as always, on himself and his near-term political needs. The plight of American Jews is simply not his concern. - "Beyond Netanyahu's overt interference in American politics, he's also impeded repeated U.S. diplomatic efforts to resolve the Israel-Palestine question. Although Israeli recalcitrance on moving toward a viable two-state solution has often been matched or exceeded by the Palestinian Authority, there is no question that Netanyahu's continued support for expanding settlements in the West Bank and his lack of serious engagement in peace talks have further alienated Democrats. In the past, even when Israeli leaders disagreed with the United States, they would try to avoid open provocations. Bibi, it seems, goes out of his way to frustrate the U.S. Not surprisingly, every Democratic president who has dealt with Netanyahu directly-Clinton, Obama, Biden-appears to loathe him."

The Iran Talks Are Making India Feel Small: Modi styled himself a global leader but can’t seem to get ahead of events in the Middle East.

Reading archive 2026-04-22

Trump got his regime change in Canada. Now he may regret it.: Canada's prime minister secures a parliamentary majority and a stronger political hand. - "There’s the costly need to satisfy Quebeckers, brilliantly leveraging their inextinguishable separatist inclinations for more and more privilege, and historically standing in the way of an oil pipeline to the east. Add, now, Alberta’s malcontents, a minority (for the time being) that, wishing for a pipeline to anywhere, is pushing its own separatist cause. And, too, the Indigenous who, like Quebeckers, must constantly and expensively be placated but who, note, also play a vital role of opposition in a way that no party in Parliament actually can. First Nations here are able to challenge laws about resources, the environment and, most problematically, property title on the basis of treaties not respected and Indigenous rights that Canada is legally obliged to respect."

Scoop: NSA using Anthropic's Mythos despite blacklist

The Tech Oligarch's Republic: A look at the Palantir manifesto, a logical conclusion of the War on Terror - "You will notice the summarized thesis of The Technological Republic is one that will line Palantir's pockets while presenting that fleecing as a strategic imperative, even a moral one. That much is par for the course for the military-industrial complex. But because Palantir is talking about AI dominance, embracing its perspective creates a national-security dependency on AI purveyors and on the providers of the interfacing tier between the government and AI, like Palantir's Maven Smart System. That is not par for the course for the military-industrial complex, which has for seven decades operated as a self-dealing partnership, not a dominance battle. The February clash between Anthropic and the Defense Department is the result of the discomfort that goes along with the dawning AI dependency."

D.C. lawmakers punt another vote to extend emergency youth curfew: While council members advanced a long-term version of a youth curfew, they couldn’t reach consensus on an emergency measure that would allow it to take effect immediately.

DC Council passes permanent youth curfew on first vote, sets second vote: An 11 p.m. curfew for those under 18 passed 8-5 in the first vote. It still requires a second vote and congressional review to become law.

2-year-old boy found safe after mother is shot to death in Northwest DC: The child was reported missing after his mother was shot to death in an alley during an argument.

Federal judge’s order allows popular D.C. bike lanes to remain: The Federal Highway Administration argued that the 15th Street lanes should be removed to improve traffic in preparation for celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary.

Is having separate bank accounts hurting your marriage?: Joint accounts are becoming less common. But couples who don’t pool their resources can end up erecting a wall in their relationship.

You’re probably washing your pants wrong. Here’s how to do it right.: Air-drying pants or using a no- or low-heat dryer setting is the best way to make sure they keep looking good and last a long time.

Before cutting off a family member, ask yourself these 9 questions: For some, distance is necessary. For others, the harder — and sometimes more meaningful — work is figuring out how to stay.

Why these treatments for one of the deadliest cancers are stirring such hope: Pancreatic cancer has stymied treatment advances for decades. Data from new clinical trials shows promise.

Campus dinners aim to repair Black-Jewish alliance, frayed by the Gaza war: At the Unity Dinners, students engage in word games and frank talk. Pittsburgh will host a dinner this week, with a tour of civil rights sites also on the menu.

Campus dinners aim to repair Black-Jewish alliance, frayed by the Gaza war: At the Unity Dinners, students engage in word games and frank talk. Pittsburgh will host a dinner this week, with a tour of civil rights sites also on the menu.

Reading archive 2026-03-25

People Who Love Corporate BS Are Bad at Their Jobs, New Cornell Research Confirms: The psychologist behind a new study confirming the link between dumb jargon and dumb decisions explains how to fight corporate BS. - "Here’s how Cornell Chronicle summed up the results: 'Essentially, the employees most excited and inspired by 'visionary' corporate jargon may be the least equipped to make effective, practical business decisions for their companies.'"

Trump showed classified map to passengers on his plane in 2022, memo says: The document offers a snapshot of an early moment in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation and adds new shading to the public understanding of Smith’s probes.

At a Virginia vineyard, volunteers are fighting to eliminate this invasive pest: The invasive insects, which one winery owner called “vampires,” have wreaked havoc across the D.C. region.

Conservative activist convicted in voter-fraud case: In Wisconsin, Harry Wait said he set out to expose the potential for voter fraud. He ordered mail ballots in the names of others — and got charged with felonies.

Partisan brawl in Virginia muddles Spanberger’s message of moderation: The congressional redistricting fight is tainting the governor’s image, one Democrat said: “This should be a flashing red light for Democrats everywhere.” - "Spanberger, who uses saltier language in private meetings than during her carefully controlled public appearances, said in the interview that she told Wittman and the other Republicans they should have spoken up when Trump urged Texas, North Carolina and other red states to rig their districts for the GOP. 'You didn’t give a s--- about fairness,' she said she told the GOP delegation, '… until your singular seat was potentially the one' affected."

'They did not have a chance' | Trial begins for convicted DUI driver who killed three men on Rock Creek Parkway in 2023: Nakita Walker is facing three second-degree murder charges for the deaths of Mohammed Kamara, Jonathan Cabrera, and Olvin Velasquez.

Treason in the Futures: Markets People close to Trump are trading based on national secrets - "But in any case, Trump’s sudden climb-down was startling. Who could have seen this coming? 

"The answer is, the person or people who bought large quantities of stock market futures and sold large quantities of oil futures around 15 minutes before Trump’s announcement."

The Situation: The Enduring Truths of the Mueller Report: There are four of them. - "Mueller made mistakes. There is no doubt about that. That said, the Mueller Report remains the single best account we have of the relationship between Trump and the Russians and the manner in which Trump will deploy power within and from the executive branch. Little that has happened since its release should surprise those who read it carefully."

Canada’s Polite Pogrom: Is a national tolerance for zealotry purging Jews from public life? - "The awkward reality is that a main driver of these incidents is a very Canadian aversion to causing offense: The deference of many politicians and institutions to the views of a rapidly growing minority community is too often leading them to reject another minority community. Although relatively few Canadians hold negative views of Jews, opinion polls have found that such views find greater levels of support within the Canadian Muslim community. From 2001 to 2021, the Muslim population of Canada more than tripled, to about 5 percent of the population. Just 4 percent of non-Jewish Canadians agree that Jews are largely to blame for the negative consequences of globalization, but that figure rises to 28 percent among Canadian Muslims, according to a survey conducted by the University of Toronto sociologist Robert Brym. Similarly, only 16 percent of Canadians believe that it is appropriate for opponents of Israel's policies to boycott Jewish-owned businesses in Canada, but that claim finds support among 41 percent of Canadian Muslims."

‘You Want to Leave Us Alone With Mojtaba?’: I’ve spoken with more than a dozen Iranians since the start of the war. Most are terrified, and some are losing faith in America.

Reading archive 2026-03-16

Ric Grenell took a ‘sledgehammer’ to the Kennedy Center. Trump still soured on him - "'He kept saying that he agreed to take on the Kennedy Center role because he was assuming that he would that he would be taking on the State job quite quickly, so he was just a matter of time,' a person close to the Kennedy Center said. 'He felt like he was getting sloppy seconds of the Kennedy Center.'" [ed. note: lol, lol]

I Was an F.B.I. Agent for 25 Years. Kash Patel Is Playing a Dangerous Game. - "Mr. Patel is fond of saying that his goal is to let 'good cops be cops.' In leading the F.B.I., his job is to let good special agents be special agents. F.B.I. agents are trained to use intelligence and technology to advance investigations into federal crimes such as terrorism and cyberattacks. They are not trained to patrol city streets or to enforce immigration laws — as Mr. Patel has had them do. There are about 13,000 F.B.I. agents, and roughly 700,000 full-time sworn state and local law enforcement officers in the United States. The bureau must work with law enforcement partners to effectively address issues including violent crime. But agents aren’t cops, and their skills are best directed at neutralizing the most significant threats.

I Predicted the 2008 Financial Crisis. What Is Coming May Be Worse.

Jobs least and most vulnerable to AI

Trump sold young voters on his vision. Many are having buyer’s remorse.: They were a key part of the coalition that powered the president’s comeback, and their frustrations signal vulnerability for Republicans ahead of the midterms.

The Iran war is eroding America’s China deterrent: U.S. tactical gains are consuming the ships, munitions and readiness needed for the Indo-Pacific.

I traveled to Ukraine to teach sociology. It left me amazed.: A university in Kyiv is under siege — and running more than 12 hours a day.

I’ve seen several types of warfare. This is the worst.: Drones are erasing any sense of safety, and Iran is only a warmup.

Collagen sits on a throne of lies: Or, how the supplement industry took meat garbage and turned it into a 9-billion-dollar business. - "The collagen pushers are always conveniently forgetting to mention that the collagen-protein relationship is kind of one-directional, in a positive way: While dietary collagen is a terrible source of protein, it’s relatively simple and easy to construct body collagen from most proteins, which means that virtually any protein we eat will probably help us regain or maintain body collagen. Just having a sufficient protein intake means your body will be able to make all the collagen it is able to. And per the protein digestibility factor, virtually any protein source, any semblance of a balanced diet, is going to help you do this better than consuming collagen itself."

Gamblers trying to win a bet on Polymarket are vowing to kill me if I don’t rewrite an Iran missile story: Bettors are using death threats to try to get The Times of Israel’s military correspondent to change his report on a missile impact in central Israel. This is his alarming account

“South Park Syndrome”: How a Generation Misunderstood Satire and the Death of Critical Thinking - "This is where 'South Park Syndrome' and Rogan’s brand of detached discussion intersect. When everything is framed as just a joke or just a conversation, it fosters an environment where nothing is really taken seriously. Dangerous ideas can spread under the guise of curiosity, and critical engagement gets replaced with passive consumption. The audience, much like many South Park fans, absorbs the humor and the debate but doesn’t always do the work of questioning what it all really means. The result? A culture of cynicism where skepticism gets mistaken for intelligence and where laughing at everything feels more comfortable than confronting hard truths."

College Republicans group disbanded after students allegedly give Nazi salute: The University of Florida’s chapter accused the Florida Federation of College Republicans of lying “to silence christian conservative groups on campus.”

Teenagers Are Pushing Himmler’s Favorite Myth: If you are older than 25, you probably haven’t heard of “Agartha.”

‘The More I’m Around Young People, the More Panicked: I Am’ Anti-Jewish prejudice isn’t a partisan divide—it’s a generational one.

Reading archive 2026-02-09

 Killers without a cause: The rise in nihilistic violent extremism: “The message is there is no message.”

The AI boom is so huge it’s causing shortages everywhere else: The $700 billion AI spending spree has few precedents. Good luck finding an electrician or a reasonably priced smartphone.

Another ludicrous canceling of a name from the past: Shaming the dead is an asinine culture warriors’ pastime. Now it’s the great diarist Samuel Pepys’s turn. - "It is notable that the ire of activists never seems to be directed at Karl Marx, whose repeated use of the most objectionable racial slurs in his personal correspondence is curiously overlooked. Meanwhile, protesters in Portland, Oregon, in a 2020 demonstration that organizers called an 'Indigenous Day of Rage,' tore down statues of former presidents Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt."

Ice dance will incorporate queer culture unlike in any other Olympics: Officials asked teams to open their millennial playlists and skate their first program to music from the ’90s.

Will Texas elect a Democratic senator?: James Talarico, a liberal minister-in-training, fights an uphill battle to capture a GOP Senate seat in deep-red Texas.

The unflinching hosts of ‘I’ve Had It’ aren’t backing down: Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan have emerged as effective political commentators.

American Milk Has Changed: A dramatic increase in fat content is causing pains in the dairy industry.

Reading archive 2026-01-16

Democrats see narrow path to retaking the Senate. Watch these states.: Republicans are still clear favorites to retain control of the chamber in the midterms. But Democrats say they are more hopeful about the odds of a big upset.

Trump Cabinet secretaries conspired to violate Constitution, judge says: “The Cabinet secretaries and ostensibly, the president of the United States, are not honoring the First Amendment,” U.S. District Judge William Young declared. - "The 2025 trial revealed the machinery behind the Trump administration’s campus crackdown. Senior administration officials directed personnel at DHS who normally analyze transnational criminal networks to instead produce reports on students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, one official testified."

The Commanders’ new stadium could evoke memories of RFK: The first conceptual renderings of the new stadium, unveiled Thursday morning, showed a sweeping roof, a grand colonnade and plenty of callbacks to RFK Stadium.

John Calipari: How to stop the chaos of college sports: A sustainable model for the NCAA should address the transactional era of athletics.

Congressional Republicans might finally jump off the hamster wheel: Maybe Trump has at last gone too far for GOP legislators tired of going nowhere. - "Hassett predicted that Trump’s 2017 corporate tax cuts would produce a $4,000-$9,000 increase in average household incomes. That has not happened. Early in the pandemic, he predicted it would soon wane. It did not. Writer Steve Chapman, who calls Hassett 'a master of opportunistic amnesia,' notes that no states had gas prices averaging as low as $2 when Hassett said prices are 'below $2 a gallon in a lot of places.'"

CEO of D.C.’s newest hospital resigns less than a year after it opened: Anthony B. Coleman’s departure will mark the latest turnover of management at Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center in Southeast Washington.

In D.C. mayoral bid, Lewis George pledges universal child care, social housing: D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George unveiled her mayoral campaign platform at a launch party, including policies on housing, jobs, education and public safety.

I just set my farm on fire. It was thrilling.: This has been my winter of living dangerously, and my experiences have boosted my sense of well-being.

An injured NFL team, a power substation and a theory that won’t fade: A viral online theory for the San Francisco 49ers’ injuries is disputed by scientists but has some players’ attention. - "But tracing it to the opening of Levi’s is dubious because the 49ers started practicing next to the substation in 1988, three decades before Levi’s Stadium opened. From 2001 to 2014, the 49ers ranked below average in injuries, according to Aaron Schatz, a veteran NFL analyst who tracks injury reports."

Trump’s anti-climate agenda won’t just hurt the planet, but American incomes too: In this week’s newsletter: US earnings would be 12% higher without the climate crisis, a study reveals – and the hotter the world gets, the greater the economic losses

Democratic Bosses Are Launching a Remake of the 2028 Calendar: States are jockeying for an early spot and a greater say in the nominee.

Elizabeth Warren’s Abundant Mistakes: Her critique of moderate Democrats is a mischaracterization of her opponents within the party. - "At one point in her speech, for instance, Warren claimed that Donald Trump 'is trying to push out the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board and complete his corrupt takeover of America's central bank-so that it serves his interests, along with his billionaire friends'.' Is it true that Trump's billionaire friends would benefit from undermining central-bank independence? The billionaires don't seem especially excited about this aspect of Trump's power grab." [ed. note: in fact, rich people hate inflation, because it makes their money worth less]

America Has Entered Late-Stage Protein: This has gone too far.

MAGA’s Jewish Intellectuals Helped Create Their Own Predicament: The nascent effort to contain the spread of anti-Semitism is years overdue.

Rubio Won; Liberty Lost: Is it really a win when the regime you detest stays in place?

UPenn faculty condemn Trump administration’s demand for ‘lists of Jews’: Groups say EEOC demand for names and personal details echoes dark history and threatens safety and civil rights

Suspect arrested in predawn fire that left parts of Mississippi’s largest synagogue in charred ruins: Jackson Fire Department rules arson at Beth Israel Congregation, the city’s only Jewish house of worship.

Suspect in Mississippi synagogue fire laughed as he confessed to his dad, authorities say - "Pittman appeared in federal court on Monday afternoon via video conference, accompanied by a public defender. He affirmed to the judge, Andrew Harris, that he was competent and sober. Pittman appeared to be leaning back in his chair, gazing away from the camera. When the judge asked him if he understood his rights to an attorney, Pittman responded, 'Yes sir, Jesus Christ is Lord.'"

Trump's Tangled Web of Deal-Making, Policy and Riches

Reading archive 2026-01-12

New NASA head appears to slow controversial Discovery shuttle move: Jared Isaacman, the new NASA administrator, signaled he was open to offering other spacecraft to Texas instead of the one housed at the Smithsonian. Opponents of the transfer welcomed his comments. - "The Smithsonian said in September that it had been approached by the Office of Management and Budget to work with NASA to prepare for the relocation of Discovery within 18 months. The Institution cautioned the transfer would require 'significant disassembly' of the shuttle that they feared 'will destroy its historical value.' Along with NASA, the institution estimated the move would cost from $120 million to $150 million. Sen. Cornyn’s office has called the estimate 'purposefully overblown' and accused the Smithsonian of going outside of its purview in raising concerns."

California is adding a supplement to tortillas. RFK Jr. calls it ‘insanity.’: California now requires corn masa flour to contain folic acid to reduce birth defects among Latinos. Some conservatives oppose it, citing government overreach. - "The new requirement is part of national effort to add folic acid, already required in other types of flour, to corn masa. Alabama’s version of the law takes effect in June, and lawmakers in Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma are considering similar legislation.

...

"Since the start of those efforts, the rates of neural tube birth defects for White women and other groups dropped 40 percent, but remained high for Latinas, studies have found."

Exxon CEO calls Venezuela ‘uninvestable’ without ‘significant changes’: At Trump meeting with oil executives, he vows they will spend $100 billion. The companies worry the numbers don’t add up. - "'It would be like going to Brazil, taking them over for their cattle, and then flooding the American beef market with it,' he said. 'That’s the analogy we see in the oil and gas business.'"

The Iranian regime is caught in a death spiral: Tehran tamps down the unrest again, but the protesters will be back.

D.C. police arrest man in death of officer hit by car while on duty: Jerrold Coates, 47, was charged with second-degree murder, two weeks after Officer Terry Bennett was fatally injured while aiding a stranded motorist

Former D.C. officer sentenced to 27 years in sex trafficking of teen girls: The case marks the second time in a decade that Linwood Barnhill Jr., now 59, was ordered imprisoned for recruiting underaged girls to be sex workers.

Suspect arrested after fire damages Mississippi’s largest synagogue: The suspect is facing an arson charge in the state, and the FBI and ATF are considering opening a federal case, Jackson’s chief fire investigator said.

Running deficits larger than during the Great Depression is reckless: A bipartisan group of House members are rallying behind a welcome and reasonable target for 2030.

Eyes are on Gorsuch as Supreme Court weighs rights of trans athletes: The conservative justice has provided the key swing vote on recent cases involving gay and transgender rights

A powerful force has been holding back the housing market. It’s finally easing.: The U.S. housing market recently reached a key milestone that could lead to more buying and selling.

Scientists are inventing treatments for devastating diseases. There’s just one problem. Genetic therapies could be used to treat hundreds of diseases. The path to patients is tricky.

Smithsonian removes Trump impeachment text as it swaps his portrait: A Trump official previously complained about a caption beside his National Portrait Gallery photo mentioning his impeachments and the U.S. Capitol insurrection.

Hundreds of Iranian protesters feared killed; U.S. considers military strikes: Trump administration national security officials were preparing to meet on potential responses, including a range of military options.

Ukraine’s ex-commander in chief, envoy to Britain and maybe next president: Gen. Valery Zaluzhny’s distance from Kyiv, possibly an attempt to sideline his political ambitions, has left him at a safe remove from tensions back home. - "Ukrainian law prohibits presidential elections under martial law, and democracy experts have noted the seeming absurdity of Putin complaining that Zelensky has stayed in office beyond the normal length of a term because of a war that Russia started, while Putin rewrote Russia’s constitution to eliminate term limits and has long won elections widely derided as neither free nor fair."

Reading archive 2025-12-29

The MAGA-fication of Nicki Minaj Once an advocate for LGBTQ+ people and immigrants, the rapper has repeatedly praised an administration cracking down on the same people, and the White House is returning the love. - "'Even Drake has his papers,' rapper Azealia Banks wrote on X in September, according to Complex, mocking Minaj for ingratiating herself to Trump. 'Even Cardi B isn’t a 40-year-old immigrant. … Doing dolphin tricks for the barbs in a country she can’t vote in is rusty babe.'"

Russia isn’t winning. Putin wants to fool you.: Putin’s hope is that U.S. will somehow convince itself that Ukraine can’t succeed. Don’t fall for it.

Russia’s economy keeps driving its war, but it could break in 2026: Problems in the oil sector, a possible banking crisis and consumer woes lie ahead for Russia’s economy as prices for Russian oil plummet over sanctions.

He mailed dozens of antisemitic letters. Volunteers helped track him down.: During a time of rising attacks, threats can’t be ignored, security experts, nonprofit leaders and community members told The Post.

JD Vance is ‘walking a tightrope’ on raging Israel debate within MAGA: At Turning Point USA’s conference, the vice president didn’t mention the topic that’s tearing the movement apart.

Heritage staffers quit amid latest strife at conservative institution: “Most of our staff, from our legal and economic centers, are departing immediately,” Heritage President Kevin Roberts wrote in a Sunday night email to staff.

Ask a Vet: Is it ethical to buy a flat-faced dog?: French bulldogs and other brachycephalic breeds come with high price tags and, often, serious health problems.

White House threatens Smithsonian funds in sweeping content review: “American people will have no patience” for any museum that is “uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history,” read a letter from Trump aides.

Presenting The 2025 Shams Charania Award For Excellence In Divulging Of Information Through Syntax Comprehended By Many - "I find that LLMs produce sentences that are smooth, glib, poreless, smiling, somewhat like a beluga whale. But every busted sentence written by a human is busted in its own way. Each of these sentences is unwittingly an act of resistance against the onrushing techno-homogenization of language. The writer’s own haste, uncertainty, or sloth manifests itself in the syntax. Every time a person begins to write, they are taking a bit of their interiority and, through a wondrous act of inversion, making it legible to the external world."

Abandoning homeownership may be changing how people behave at work and home: What happens when a generation gives up on ever owning a home? New research explores the potential consequences, and what to do about it.

Burning wood emits more than fossil fuels. Here’s how to build a better fire.: A wood-burning fireplace isn’t great for the planet or your health. But there are things you can do to make your fireplace better.

The year Trump broke the federal government: How DOGE and the White House carried out a once-unthinkable transformation of the nation’s sprawling bureaucracy.

How Trump changed my mind on the filibuster: The Senate’s 60-vote requirement is an excuse for aggrandizing executive power. - "The filibuster functions as a brake on radical change when Congress is the center of the political system. When the president is at the center, the benefits are less clear. The costs also become more apparent because the filibuster, as an obstacle to legislating, becomes a pretext for presidential overreach."

New York's Congestion Pricing Is Working. Five Charts Show How

How Israeli covert activities in Syria seek to thwart its new government: Israel is suspicious of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a longtime Islamist militant, and has provided weapons, intelligence and cash to militiamen at odds with his rule.

Why the Fed strategically absorbed some blows from Trump: Facing threats from President Donald Trump, the central bank opted for a low-profile strategy, juggling political pressures and the looming question of how far it can go to defend itself.

Trump’s farmer bailout caps tough year for loyal constituency: Red-state farmers continue to struggle under damaging inflation and the fallout of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, especially with China.

The old-world antisemitism in a Christmas pageant near you: Does the pope mean what he says about zero tolerance of hatred toward Jews?

D.C. customers face nearly 13 percent hike on gas bills this winter: Washington Gas customers in the District, Maryland and Virginia face increases in their bills.

The epidemic of toxic flattery is spreading: What do AI, Trump’s cabinet and the academy have in common? They aim to please.

Pipe bomb suspect admits targeting RNC, DNC headquarters, officials say: Prosecutors said Brian J. Cole told the FBI that he planted the explosives on Jan. 5, 2021, because he was frustrated with the U.S. political system. - "Brian J. Cole, 30, told investigators that 'something just snapped' in him 'because he was unhappy with the response of political leaders on both sides of the political aisle to questions raised about the results of the 2020 election,' according to the filing, which asks a judge in U.S. District Court in Washington to keep Cole in jail pending his trial."

 - "Studies have found that wolves in the Midwest and Canada not only keep deer populations in check, but they also alter deer behavior in ways that help prevent car crashes and save human lives."

Wolves, long feared and reviled, may actually be lifesavers

The real issue strangling America’s electric grid: AI data centers are being blamed for price spikes manufactured in statehouses and D.C. [ed. note: authors are industry hacks who ignore the health costs of coal plants]

Reading archive 2025-12-11

Hundreds quarantined as South Carolina measles outbreak accelerates: A state epidemiologist said the spike in cases came in the wake of Thanksgiving travel and a lack of vaccinations. At least 16 cases were traced to a church.

Democrats face a mess in Texas: A late shuffle in the primary race could cost the party a Senate seat.

Tim Walz is crumbling, along with his 2028 hopes: The Minnesota governor tries to answer for social services fraud on his watch.

How antisemitism is entering mainstream culture: Celebrities demanding the release of a convicted Palestinian terrorist signals a deep problem.

Republicans will regret ceding this issue to the left: New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani explained due process in a video. Kristi Noem didn’t like that.

Why these red state Republicans are resisting Trump’s efforts to expand GOP power: Republicans hold a 40-10 advantage in the state Senate but may still reject Trump’s pressure. ‘Hoosiers are very independent.’

Lawmakers launch bipartisan, last-minute bids to force vote on ACA subsidies: Either of the efforts would need the support of nearly all House Democrats to succeed.

Military admits ‘mistake’ in viral arrest of U.S. civilian in Japan: Kareem El, a civilian from Washington, D.C., visiting Okinawa, was held by U.S. military police for declining to provide identification.

D.C.’s Anita Bonds won’t run again, further shaking up 2026 elections: D.C. Council member Anita Bonds (D-At Large), 80, says it’s time for “new energy” as the 2026 election cycle promises to bring change to the city’s leadership.

Why a Democratic upset in Miami should worry Trump: How a Democrat won the mayor’s race for the first time since 1997.

Texas midterms point to ideological corners, not swing-state issues: Next year’s contests seem destined to produce a congressional delegation of staunch conservatives and liberals, as determined by primary voters.

At the first stop on his affordability tour, Trump mocks affordability: What was supposed to be a speaking tour to connect with Americans struggling with higher prices and stagnant wages was instead a greatest-hits campaign speech. - "'Let me tell you, Black people love Trump,' he said, and then added: 'They know a scam better than anybody.'"

Trump order to keep Michigan power plant open costs taxpayers $113m: Critics say JH Campbell coal-fired plant in western Michigan is expensive and emits high levels of toxic pollution

A Kansas town chose cruelty. Now it mourns as the mayor faces voter fraud charge and deportation.

‘Deeply demoralizing’: how Trump derailed coal country’s clean-energy revival - "The cuts have deepened existing mistrust in government, known colloquially as Appalachian fatalism, yet many of those interviewed by the Guardian blame Washington politics generally rather than Trump.

"'This party has taken away that funding from Appalachia illegally: that’s the stone-cold fact. But by the time those facts reach communities on the ground, it’s just so muddy. I think some are asking questions about why training is being shut down and why they didn’t get their Snap [food assistance] benefits, but where they’ll find the answers is the big issue,' said Hannah." [ed. note: they'll blame everyone but themselves]

Church displays Nativity scene with baby Jesus in zip ties, ICE agents

Reagan judges surface as unfiltered assessors of Trump

Reading archive 2025-11-20

I love your sweater. Is it made from gay sheep wool?: Grindr organized a fashion show made from the wool of gay sheep. Wait, what?

House votes to undo law allowing senators to sue over Jan. 6 subpoenas: It faces an uncertain future in the Senate, despite most eligible senators saying they won’t sue.

Mystery Fuels Unease in Maine Woods: Who Bought Burnt Jacket Mountain?: An anonymous new owner fenced off beloved trails and put up surveillance cameras in a region with a long tradition of allowing public access on private land.

Why ‘Twin Peaks’ Still Looks Incredible Decades Later: Director of Photography Ronald Víctor García shares all the metaphorical direction Lynch would give him to nail the show's warm vibes.

It’s the ‘most important fish in the sea.’ And it’s disappearing.: If the menhaden decline continues, striped bass could be next to vanish. - "This isn’t a debate over red tape — it’s a fight over who controls the base of the Atlantic’s food chain: the public that depends on a healthy ocean or a private fleet that treats it like an industrial feedlot.

...

"Omega Protein’s dominance, however, is sustained not by biology but by politics. Although it employs fewer than 300 full-time workers, the company wields outsized influence in Richmond. Its lobbyists, including the powerhouse legal and public affairs firm McGuireWoods, have long worked both sides of the aisle — Republicans for their support of commercial interests and Democrats for their emphasis on union jobs — to block conservation efforts."

U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols: The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”

U.S. delivers peace plan for Ukraine, sparking fears of ‘capitulation’: Kyiv’s European partners said they should be involved in proposals for the security of Ukraine and Europe, indicating they hadn’t even been briefed on the plan. - "Special envoy Steve Witkoff is quietly pushing a plan that contains provisions that Ukraine has long opposed, including forcing it to cede strategic territory not yet seized by Russia in the eastern Donbas region and agreeing to significant reductions in the size and effectiveness of its military, according to two people familiar with the negotiations."

As Trump plans backfire, Democrats are ahead in House redistricting fight :After early redistricting wins, Trump faces setbacks over maps for Texas, Indiana and other Republican-led states, frustrating his allies.

Republican overseeing Alamo renovation ousted after ‘woke’ social media post: Kate Roger, a Republican, has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against state officials after a social media post and PhD dissertation led to her losing the job of overseeing a massive renovation of the Texas landmark.

CDC in turmoil after agency backpedals on debunking vaccines-autism link: The CDC’s website now says health authorities ignored evidence of a potential connection between vaccines and autism, despite dozens of studies showing no link.

What If Aliens Don’t Actually Do Science?: Daniel Whiteson and Andy Warner Consider the Many Forms Inquiry Can Take, In Our World and Others - "To make bread or swords, humans didn’t have to know what was going on at the microscopic level. People all over the globe had fantastically impressive technology long before we had our modern, mathematical, empirical science."

Democrats Finally Realize It Isn’t 2016 Anymore: Members of the left and the center seem to have concluded that, to win elections, each side needs to become more like the other.

Part 1: How I Found Out

Reading archive 2025-11-06

The Florida law student who wrote a paper with white nationalist views has Jewish ancestry Preston Damsky, who has spouted antisemitic rhetoric on social media, said his family lineage doesn't have an impact on his thinking.

Neil Gorsuch Warns of President’s Growing Power in Supreme Court Hearing

Heritage staff in open revolt over leader’s defense of Tucker Carlson: The departures and condemnations built on brewing frustrations with Kevin Roberts’s handling of Project 2025 and internal sexism allegations.

After election wins, Democrats split on how to end government shutdown: A band of moderates has been talking about reopening the government in exchange for a vote on health care subsidies.

Nancy Mace really wants to explain what happened to her at the airport: How and why the congresswoman tailored her dispute for social media audiences. - "Compare any of this, please, with the other airport-related video that made rounds this week: plainclothes officers at the Salt Lake City airport dragging away a woman sobbing 'Help me!' and 'I have my papers!' as she is pulled out of screen view. Author Shannon Hale, who happened to be at the airport that day, witnessed the scene and posted it on her social media pages. While some oblivious passengers hurry to their own gates — truly, this clip is a lesson in what kinds of misery humans can learn to tune out and live among — one woman’s voice can be heard begging: 'She’s a human being,' and 'Have mercy on her.'"

Jury finds D.C. ‘sandwich guy’ not guilty of assaulting officer: Sean C. Dunn admitted he flung the hoagie at a federal agent. His attorneys called it a “harmless gesture” of protest as Trump commandeered D.C. police.

Layoffs rise to recession-like levels through October, new report says: Employers have announced 1.1 million job cuts so far this year, the highest reading since the pandemic, a private firm reports.

The great GOP migration has begun: The midterms promise a reality check — and growing defections from disastrous MAGA orthodoxy.

Why do only some leaves turn red in the fall? Scientists can't agree on an answer - "Every autumn, trees break down the green chlorophyll in their leaves, so that they can recover precious nitrogen before the leaves fall. (That nitrogen is necessary for photosynthesis, as well as building proteins and DNA.) The loss of this chlorophyll exposes yellow pigments that have been there in the leaves all along. That makes yellow leaves easy to explain. 

"But the red color is different. It comes from brand-new chemicals that are generated just days before a leaf plunges to the ground.

"'The red was not there beforehand, or you would have seen it, because the leaf would have been purple. Because green plus red equals purple,' says Hughes."

Reading archive 2025-11-04

How Catastrophic Is It If the AI Bubble Bursts? An FAQ.: The AI industry’s most important product is not a chatbot or a video generator; it’s the story the AI industry is telling about itself

Decades after charter schools exploded in D.C., they face a changed city: KIPP DC, the city’s largest charter network, turns 25 amid new challenges for education. - "KIPP also became known, locally and nationally, for its strict 'no excuses' model. Students could be reprimanded for causing distractions or behavior deemed 'detrimental to the best interest' of the school. During the 2015-2016 school year, five of KIPP’s 16 schools had suspended at least a quarter of their student body, according to city data — attracting scrutiny from the D.C. Council."

Dick Cheney couldn’t get over Jan. 6: Other Republicans returned to Trump, but the former vice president was unforgiving, to his credit.

Report: Donors to Trump’s White House ballroom have $279B in federal contracts: The list contains heavyweights in the tech, financial and defense sectors, including Google, Comcast and Lockheed Martin. - "'They have massive interests before the federal government and they hope to undoubtedly curry favor with, and receive favorable treatment from the Trump administration,' Public Citizen Co-President Robert Weissman said in a statement. 'Millions to fund Trump’s architectural whims are nothing compared to the billions at stake in procurement, regulatory and enforcement decisions.'"

Why isn’t the Heritage Foundation condemning Tucker Carlson?: The conservative think tank is unbothered by Carlson’s friendly interview with a white nationalist.

The RSS is a warning to all nations where populism is spiking: Groups like India’s RSS wouldn’t amass millions of members without appealing to a perceived need.

A whole lotta marble! Designers weigh in on Trump’s Lincoln Bathroom reno.: The startling renovation comes on the heels of the demolition of the East Wing.

Administration hints furloughed workers may not be paid after shutdown: Agencies are sending messages indicating that workers who are on the job will be paid when the government reopens — with no mention of those on furlough, despite a 2019 law protecting their wages.

Reading archive 2025-08-22

White House calls out 7 Smithsonian museums for their exhibits, messaging: The White House released an article outlining Smithsonian exhibitions and materials it considers “woke” or anti-American. Some artists named in the list called it a badge of honor.

Changing the Smithsonian doesn’t erase slavery and the racial wealth gap: There isn’t enough museum space to represent the full extent of the brutality that millions had to endure.

How Montgomery County schools aim to handle opt-outs after court ruling: Superintendent Thomas Taylor said the change will be ‘a significant administrative burden’ following an order from the Supreme Court.

FBI searches home and office of former Trump national security adviser John Bolton: The search focused on whether Bolton, a staunch Trump critic, illegally possessed or shared classified information, people familiar with the investigation say.

In a classic cartel move, college sports beg for federal help: Trump obliged the NCAA and is attacking athletes’ ability to be paid for their work.

What are the most American and most British words?: Is American English really that different than its British ancestor? And if so, what words truly separate the American from the Brit? The Department of Data is on the case.

This 1848 painting has uncanny insight into American conspiracy thinking: Can a country born in conspiracy theories find the fine line between suspicion and paranoia?

Trump seeks $2 billion to clean up D.C. in latest effort to control city: Trump has falsely claimed he has solved the city’s crime problems. Now he seeks to transform Washington into a place reminiscent of his private golf clubs.

Canadian court allows cull of 400 ostriches that RFK Jr. hoped to save: Avian flu was detected at Universal Ostrich Farms in British Columbia, but the owners argue their birds could have antibodies worth studying.

Southwest is a favorite for plus-size fliers. A new policy may change that.: Starting next year, the airline will only guarantee a second-seat refund on flights with at least one open spot.

Police records reveal man who sparked investigation into Kansas official’s immigration status

Georgia bigot filmed berating neighbor with antisemitic slurs fired by health care company he co-founded

As Trump tightens grip on D.C., officers say their chief is absent: The pressure of a partial federal takeover has ratcheted up criticism of the chief from within the department and outside

F.B.I. Plans to Lower Recruiting Standards, Alarming Agents: The plan appears to be part of a broader effort to shift the agency’s focus from tracking national security threats to fighting crime. - "Lowering recruiting standards will allow the F.B.I. to draw deeper from the ranks of other federal law enforcement agencies, specifically a category of criminal investigators classified in the federal system as 1811s. Investigators with that designation work at dozens of agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, inspector general offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"The new plan, current and former agents say, seems to be part of a larger effort by Mr. Patel to have the bureau focus more on street crime, rather than on complicated cases touching on financial fraud, public corruption and national security. Doing so, they added, will erode the bureau’s reputation as an elite law enforcement agency, known for its selectiveness about its recruits."

Reading archive 2025-06-26

House GOP holdouts threaten revolt over Trump and Senate’s tax bill: The Senate has overhauled President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, sparking serious concerns over federal spending and Medicaid in the House. - "But those holdouts have been through this saga before — and folded."

Zohran Mamdani’s victory is bad for New York and the Democratic Party: New York cannot take its greatness for granted. Mismanagement can ruin it. - "A massive minimum wage would depress low-skilled employment. His rent freeze would reduce the housing supply and decrease its quality. Cutting bus fares would leave a transit funding hole that, unless somehow filled, would erode service. Meanwhile, the grocery business operates on thin margins, and his plan for city-run stores would likely lead to fewer options, poor service and shortages, as privately-run stores closed rather than try to compete with city-subsidized shops."

Where each D.C. Council member stands on the Commanders RFK stadium deal: At least seven lawmakers are needed for Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s RFK stadium deal with the team to proceed.

This Pride Month, the Backlash Has Officially Arrived: Young LGBTQ people are facing the prospect of losing rights they thought they’d never have to worry about.

America’s Incarceration Rate Is About to Fall Off a Cliff: Long sentences and recidivism kept prison populations high for decades, but prisons are now starting to empty. - "As the snake digests the pig year after year, the American prison system is simply not going to have enough inmates to justify its continued size or staggering costs. Some states that are contemplating expanding their prison capacity will be wasting their money their facilities will be overbuilt and underused. By 2035, the overall imprisonment rate could be as low as 200 per 100,000 people. States should instead be tearing down their most deteriorated and inhumane correctional facilities, confident that they will not need the space.

...

"The simplest available policy to accelerate the decarceration trend is to stop building prisons except in cases where a smaller, modern facility is replacing a larger, decaying institution. Though it will be nonintuitive to many reformers, particularly on the left, opposition to any such new facilities being private should be dropped. The principal political barrier to closing half-full prisons is the power of public-sector unions."

‘Everybody Knows Khamenei’s Days Are Numbered’: A well-placed group of Iranian insiders considers a future without the supreme leader.

The Trojan Horse Will Come for Us Too: The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East offer Americans a glimpse into the battles of the future—and a warning.

Why Won’t Zohran Mamdani Denounce a Dangerous Slogan?: The New York mayoral candidate’s defense of “Globalize the intifada” is very telling. - "The ambiguity of the slogan is not a point in its defense but a point against it. The dual meanings allow the movement to contain both peaceful and militant wings, without the former having to take responsibility for the latter."

What Chris Murphy Learned From the New Right: The standard-issue Northeast progressive wants to take the Democratic Party down a populist path.

Latinos Vote Differently Under Threat Voters who care most about economic issues will still coalesce as an ethnic bloc if their community is attacked.

Extreme Violence Without Genocide The plight of white South Africans is part of a much larger problem. - "Afrikaner farmers suffer, in this context, from what might be called the Willie Sutton problem. Why rob and assault them? Because that's where the money is. In rural areas, farmers have expensive motors and other agricultural equipment, and sometimes stashes of cash to pay workers."

Brace Yourself for Watery Mayo and Spiky Ice Cream: MAHA is coming for emulsifiers.

Why Isn’t Russia Defending Iran?: Backing the most anti-Western Middle Eastern power was convenient until it wasn’t.

The Magic Realism of Zohran Mamdani: The socialist New York mayoral candidate’s proposals don’t hold up to serious scrutiny. Will that matter?

The Tesla Brain Drain: The future of the struggling car company rests on Elon Musk more than ever before.

A Provocative Argument About What Creates Serial Killers: In her new book, Murderland, Caroline Fraser argues that the rise of these criminals has deep roots in the release of industrial waste. - "The author lays much of the blame at the feet of two Gilded Age families: the Rockefellers and the Guggenheims. The Rockefellers made their money in oil, and the Guggenheims in mining; they would later both own (and fight for control of) the profitable American Smelting and Refining Company, later known as ASARCO. ASARCO ended up all over the country, but Tacoma proved particularly attractive for its potential access to minerals. For nearly a century, a smokestack hundreds of feet high shot lead and arsenic into the sky."

Inside the Democratic Rupture That Undermined Kamala Harris’s Presidential Hopes: In the weeks before Election Day, it seemed like the candidate had two campaigns.

Reading archive 2025-05-16

Afrikaner resettled by Jewish-affiliated group denies antisemitism claims: Charl Kleinhaus, one of about 60 Afrikaners resettled as refugees under an executive order, said his social media posts were being taken out of context. - "In one post, he responded to video of a scuffle between Israeli police and Christians by writing that 'Jews are untrustworthy and a dangerous group.'"

This is what happens when we have a morally lost president: What’s needed more than anything at this moment is to make our leaders moral again.

26 hours and 33 failed amendment votes: This is Democrats’ masterclass in resistance: In the marathon committee session, Democrats showed how best to challenge Republicans on Medicaid.

Democrats: Save Medicaid but don’t defend it Democrats should push for change in the system. Oregon offers a model. - "Expansions in coverage, such as the Affordable Care Act, which I support, use public subsidies to make health care more affordable for individuals — which is not the same as reducing the cost of care. This simply gives more people access to the same inefficient and unsustainable system, which siphons billions of dollars away from health care to enrich private-equity investors and the shareholders of giant pharmaceutical and insurance companies."

Ed Martin publicizes ethics probe he says was wrongly disclosed: The former D.C. U.S. attorney nominee revealed he faces a legal disciplinary review in an all-office goodbye email, while claiming his confidentiality was violated.

Congress upended D.C.’s budget months ago — and still hasn’t fixed it: D.C. officials say if Congress does not pass legislation restoring the city’s 2025 budget, they will be forced to cut $400 million over the next five months. - "Congress most dramatically exercised its power over D.C. in the 1990s when it set up a control board to run the city’s finances as the District was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and plagued by fiscal mismanagement. But those who remember those austere days say it’s hardly a comparison to the present: The financial control board was set up to help turn the city around financially — its approach was 'paternalistic,' said Yesim Sayin, an economist who heads the D.C. Policy Center. 

"Now, 'this is pure harm,' D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) said of the House holdup."

An isolated, angry Fetterman is yet another challenge for Democrats: Sen. John Fetterman increasingly goes it alone, worrying some fellow Democrats as they struggle to push back against Trump and retake the majority.

Supreme Court rules totality of circumstances must be considered in police shootings: The Supreme Court ruled that the totality of circumstances must be considered when determining whether a police shooting is justified, not just the seconds before an officer opens fire. - "The broader standard is likely to make it easier for victims to prove allegations of excessive force in court."

Comey under investigation for ‘threat’ to Trump on social media, officials say: The Trump administration accused the former FBI director of insinuating a call to violence in his Instagram post, which he denied.

Big U.S. cities grew in 2024, reversing covid-era population declines: Census Bureau data found most major cities increased in population, reversing a downward trend sparked by pandemic deaths and people fleeing for smaller towns. - "Demographers say immigrants are critical to sustaining the labor force, contributing to the tax base and compensating for the growing number of older Americans. Without such an influx, the United States could begin to resemble countries like Germany and Japan, which have among the world’s highest share of people over 65."

Russia takes hardline stance in Istanbul talks, meeting ends quickly: After dangling the possibility of attending, Trump says he will stay away but wants to meet with Putin, further weakening the Istanbul talks.

As Republicans weigh Medicaid work requirements, Georgia offers a warning: Only a small number of people were enrolled in the state program, and administrative costs exceeded spending on medical care. - "Just 12,000 of the nearly 250,000 newly eligible Georgians ultimately received Medicaid, the public health insurance program for the poor and disabled, well short of the state’s initial 50,000 goal. Administrative costs far outpaced spending on medical care. Some who do work had a tough time proving it to state officials — or their work, such as caring for ailing relatives, didn’t qualify."

Trump’s Legal Strategy Has a Name: And it has been deployed by would-be autocrats around the world. - "The pattern I have seen as I've studied democratic backsliding globally is what I call "court-baiting." To undermine public support for the judiciary, political leaders adopt policies that are popular but very likely illegal. Many courts then rule against the executive, and the executive uses their unpopular decision to condemn the judiciary writ large. Court-baiting is a potent strategy because it puts judges in a lose-lose position: Either strike down a popular policy and face public backlash, or allow the policy and erode legal limits on executive power. Such tactics are tailor-made to undermine judges' legitimacy, because elected leaders can claim to represent the "will of the people" and thus democracy when the courts block popular policies. Even when losing, these would-be authoritarians win."

Trump’s Third-Term Ambitions Are Very Revealing: The president sees the Constitution as an obstacle to be surmounted, not a repository of values that he must respect. - "More than a century ago, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. articulated what legal theorists call the "bad man" theory of law. The bad man, Holmes wrote, does not want to know what his obligations are. He wants to know only what will happen if he engages in a given course of action. If an action causes no adverse consequences to him - if he can get away with it - then the law provides no reason not to do it, even if someone with a different sense of law would regard that action as unlawful."

Trump’s Tactical Burger Unit Is Beyond Parody: Happy Meal Team Six

The Darker Design Behind Trump’s $400 Million Plane: Through Qatar’s gift of a luxury jet, Trump has escalated American soft corruption to a garish new extreme. - "Qatar needs to do this because there are many good reasons to be suspicious of Qatar, and no grassroots pro-Qatar constituency exists in the United States. The Gulf country hosts America's largest military air base in the Middle East, which is of interest to war planners but largely unknown to U.S. citizens. There are no American stans of Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, no college students hoisting Qatari flags on campus, no steady stream of English-language best-selling books that tout the country's virtues or vices."

America Is Having a Showboater Moment: The Trump administration talks tough on crime but shrugs off the work of real law enforcement. - "Governments that imprison indiscriminately and ignore due process have been known to post extraordinarily low murder rates: In the late 2000s, Syria's dictatorship reported a criminal-homicide rate half that of the United States. Eliminating crime isn't difficult if you eliminate freedom."

The Day Grok Told Everyone About ‘White Genocide’ What in the world just happened with Elon Musk’s chatbot? - "Ever since Elon Musk bought Twitter and renamed it X, the platform has crept further into the realm of the outlandish and unsettling. Porn spam bots are rampant, and Nazi apologia - which used to be extremely hard to find - frequently goes viral. But yesterday, X managed to get considerably weirder. For hours, regardless of what users asked the chatbot about - memes, ironic jokes, Linux software - many queries to Grok were met with a small meditation on South Africa and white genocide. By yesterday afternoon, Grok had stopped talking about white genocide, and most of the posts that included the tangent had been deleted."

An Eerily Familiar 20th-Century Hoax What happened when a mega-famous evangelist went missing?

Reading archive 2025-05-12 pt 2

Elon Musk’s Most Alarming Power Grab: Can anyone stop his space-based internet?

Trump Finally Drops the Anti-Semitism Pretext: The latest letter to Harvard makes clear that the administration’s goal is to punish liberal institutions for the crime of being liberal.

Europeans Have Realized Their Error: The urge to say I told you so is strong these days throughout the Baltics.

The Impossible Plight of the Pro-Tariff Liberals: They finally got the Democratic Party to listen to them. Then came Trump’s second term. - "Last May, the Biden administration announced tariffs on a handful of Chinese goods in 'strategic sectors,' including 25 to 50 percent tariffs on batteries, solar panels, medical supplies, semiconductors, and certain steel and aluminum products, and 100 percent tariffs on electric vehicles. The restrictions represented what is sometimes called a 'targeted tariffs' approach, rooted in the belief that a select few industries are important enough to be protected from foreign competition, even at the cost of higher prices. If China were allowed to totally dominate solar panels, semiconductors, and cars, then the U.S. would end up reliant on a geopolitical adversary for its energy, military, and transportation infrastructure. And if the government stood by while industry after industry experienced a second China shock, the economic and political consequences would be severe."

The Godfather of the Woke Right: A 2011 book by Pat Buchanan shows the deep roots of today’s right-wing illiberalism.

Musk’s fury over a Tesla investigation foreshadowed his war on Washington: The book “Hubris Maximus” details Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s contempt for regulators charged with overseeing his companies. - "It wasn’t just being hung up on; Musk’s demeanor and attitude and his unconvincing argument — a repetition-filled script — had left Sumwalt thoroughly unimpressed. There simply wasn’t enough evidence to demonstrate that Autopilot, a suite of driver-assistance features with a catchy name, was the transformative and revolutionary system with the lifesaving capabilities Musk touted; in this particular instance, it was at the center of a fatal crash, a high-tech calamity that safety investigators could examine to uncover new findings about the intersection of technology, driver distraction, and speed."

Reading archive 2025-03-28

Trump issues executive order to eliminate ‘anti-American ideology’ from Smithsonian: The executive order also calls for the replacement of memorials and monuments removed since 2020.

Trump wants to reshape the Smithsonian. Who funds the vast institution?: The Smithsonian, tasked with telling the story of America, could see changes under Trump’s unprecedented executive order. What to know about how it operates.

Earth’s soil is drying up. It could be irreversible.: The losses in soil moisture already pose issues for farming, irrigation systems and critical water resources for humans. But new research shows how the declines are contributing to sea-level rise more than previously thought.

As Trump mayhem spreads, MAGA unity cracks: From the Wall Street Journal editorial board to Fox News, capitulation is on the way out.

Trump signs executive order aimed at crime, immigration in D.C.: The executive order reflects a muted version of the president’s desire to take over D.C., a city he has derided as crime-ridden and ruined by liberal policies.

Justice Dept. describes man arrested on gun charges as top MS-13 leader: President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed the arrest of the 24-year-old Salvadoran man as a major victory over gang activity. - "Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the suspect oversaw the gang’s East Coast operations. But court records unsealed later that day — which identified the man as Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, 24 — made only scant reference to his alleged gang ties and did not accuse him of any specific gang-related activity. Instead, Villatoro Santos was charged with being in the country illegally while possessing a gun.

...

"Carlos Garcia, a journalist who is writing a book on the Salvadoran gangs, said after checking his database and talking to people familiar with MS-13 that he did not consider Villatoro Santos a particularly significant figure on an international level.

...

"Youngkin criticized the Biden administration for providing “little to no help” with immigration enforcement efforts in his state. But Prince William County Police Chief Peter Newsham, whose agency was involved in the investigation, said in an interview that it began before Trump returned to the White House."

Metro bans people arrested on sex and assault charges: A similar proposal in 2021 led to a protest outside a board member’s house. This time, no one said a word in opposition.

Vaccine critic’s apparent selection to head HHS autism study shocks experts: Like RFK Jr., David Geier has long clung to debunked assertions, scientists say - "Geier and his father, a physician who lost his medical license in multiple states, have promoted claims that use of the preservative thimerosal in vaccines led to an increase in autism diagnoses. A raft of studies has refuted the allegation, and autism rates have not declined in the more than 20 years since thimerosal was phased out of most vaccines in the United States. For a time, the two treated autistic children with unproven therapies, including a drug licensed for prostate cancer that induces chemical castration."

75% of US scientists who answered Nature poll consider leaving: More than 1,600 readers answered our poll; many said they were looking for jobs in Europe and Canada. - "Institutions outside the United States are taking advantage of the Trump turmoil, the researcher says. 'From what I’m hearing from the places we’re talking to, and other people who are looking to take international jobs, a lot of universities in these countries are seeing this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity,' he says. “I think it has gone from 'Can we recruit a few people?’ to ‘How many people can we actually take?' — because the demand is there.'"

A passenger lost a phone midflight. The plane turned around.: Airlines are cracking down on the use of lithium batteries after fires forced evacuations and destroyed planes.

Trump promised scientific breakthroughs. Researchers say he’s breaking science.: NIH funding for biomedical research has abruptly fallen by billions of dollars, with many grant decisions on hold. Trump officials say they’re reviewing the agency. - "The model that underpins NIH and other federal agencies was conceived by Vannevar Bush, a scientist who helped oversee efforts to develop an atomic bomb during World War II. As he turned his gaze to a postwar environment in 1945, Bush urged President Harry S. Truman to spur innovation by funneling grants to universities and research institutions, calling for an 'endless frontier.'

"The strategy positioned the U.S. to achieve breakthroughs in drug development, computer technologies and numerous other fields; the nation’s ample resources also helped lure scientists from around the world to work in its laboratories. The approach also had staunch bipartisan support, with Republicans arguing that scientific innovation was an economic and national security imperative. A half-dozen buildings on the NIH campus bear the name of GOP lawmakers who helped secure federal funding for the research institutes, including former senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, who retired in 2022."

The Chinese Communist Party’s Ultimate Taboo: Fang Fang’s newly translated novel uncovers the brutal, buried history of land reform in China.

The Double Standard in the Human-Rights World: Organizations that explicitly valued impartiality and independence have become stridently critical of Israel.

The Tariff Man Is Coming for America’s Entrepreneurs: One small business has paid nearly $30,000 in the past two months.

The Worst Thing a MAGA Warrior Can Do: The response to Signalgate reveals a disjuncture between the seriousness with which MAGA treats foreign enemies and perceived domestic ones. - "The Fox News host Jesse Watters appeared to have the same prioritization in mind when he shared the story with his audience. 'This wouldn't surprise me if Goldberg sneaked his way in,' he suggested, implausibly,. 'He's the lowest of the low.' From a national-security standpoint, this theory is the opposite of reassuring. If Goldberg could 'sneak his way in' to a highly sensitive discussion about a secret military operation, shouldn't we worry that Chinese or Russian or Iranian spies, who possess espionage capabilities perhaps even greater than those of a journalist, might also sneak their way in? But the fear of infiltration by foreign enemies pales beside the much deeper fear of a Trump adviser having spoken with a journalist."

 - "If Trump, as president, can violate the First Amendment's prohibition on viewpoint discrimination when it comes to foreign students, Americans lose that limit on state power too. Even the anti-immigrant firebrand Ann Coulter objected to the administration's actions. 'There's almost no one I don't want to deport,' she wrote on X, 'but, unless they've committed a crime, isn't this a violation of the first amendment?'

...

"As the historian Timothy Snyder recently wrote, 'If you are a citizen and you are casting doubt on the importance of due process, remember this: you need due process in order to prove that you are a citizen.'"

Why American Soldiers Are in Lithuania: The likely accidental deaths of four Americans in the Baltic state will not by themselves stop plans for redeployment. And they shouldn’t.