Reading archive 2025-10-15

She won her election, but the House speaker still has not sworn her in: Congresswoman-in-limbo Adelita Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, has mounted a media campaign meant to shame House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Can tourism be respectful? Native Hawaiians have a plan.: Hawaii wants visitors to appreciate Native culture. But larger economic forces pose a threat to the “regenerative” revolution.

Professor who teaches about antifascism moves to Europe after death threats: A Rutgers University professor who wrote a book about antifa received the death threats after he commented on President Donald Trump designating the movement a “domestic terrorist organization.” - Several far-right activists and other social media users homed in on Bray in late September, after he was quoted in news stories about President Donald Trump’s executive order designating antifa as a 'domestic terrorist organization.' Bray described antifa — a far-left decentralized global movement whose proponents oppose fascism — to The Washington Post at the time as 'a kind of coalition politics of all kinds of radicals' and 'not a group.'

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"One online activist called Bray a 'domestic terrorist professor,' and another shared the address of his home in New Jersey. The campus’s chapter of the conservative student group Turning Point USA then launched a petition Thursday to demand that the university fire him, referencing Trump’s executive order and claiming Bray is a risk to their safety."

A quarter of FBI agents are assigned to immigration enforcement, per FBI data: The large number of reassignments — about 3,000 agents — reflect a vast reshaping of the agency and could put other priorities at risk. - "Agents have been pulled from duties related to cybercrimes, drug trafficking, terrorism, counterintelligence and more, the statistics show. Agents assigned to immigration enforcement are working with ICE to locate and arrest people in the country illegally."

Why this one area of cities is usually the poorest: The Department of Data went looking for geographic patterns in poverty, and stumbled upon a surprising culprit.

Katie Porter’s bid for governor is getting noticed – but not how she wants: Two viral videos have brought unwelcome attention to the former congresswoman, who has been leading polls in the 2026 California governor’s race.

Reading archive 2021-02-12

Half of Republicans say that the Capitol violence was mostly antifa’s fault Democrats blame Trump - "That claim gained traction after the Washington Times reported that a facial recognition company had linked several of those photographed in the Capitol to antifa. That report quickly made it to Fox News and to the House floor, where Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) elevated the theory. Unfortunately for Gaetz and Fox, though, the report was entirely incorrect and was ultimately rescinded. The storming of the Capitol wasn’t by antifa activists. It was, as it seemed, by supporters of Trump."

White House suspends senior press aide accused of threatening reporter

Britney Spears' father loses bid to retain control of delegating her investments: The joint conservatorship powers were debated in court Thursday amid intensified scrutiny over James Spears' control of his daughter's estate.

The great nutrient collapse The atmosphere is literally changing the food we eat, for the worse. And almost nobody is paying attention. - "Earlier this summer, a group of researchers published the first studies attempting to estimate what these shifts could mean for the global population. Plants are a crucial source of protein for people in the developing world, and by 2050, they estimate, 150 million people could be put at risk of protein deficiency, particularly in countries like India and Bangladesh. Researchers found a loss of zinc, which is particularly essential for maternal and infant health, could put 138 million people at risk. They also estimated that more than 1 billion mothers and 354 million children live in countries where dietary iron is projected to drop significantly, which could exacerbate the already widespread public health problem of anemia.

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"Goldenrod, a wildflower many consider a weed, is extremely important to bees. It flowers late in the season, and its pollen provides an important source of protein for bees as they head into the harshness of winter. Since goldenrod is wild and humans haven’t bred it into new strains, it hasn’t changed over time as much as, say, corn or wheat. And the Smithsonian Institution also happens to have hundreds of samples of goldenrod, dating back to 1842, in its massive historical archive—which gave Ziska and his colleagues a chance to figure out how one plant has changed over time. 

"They found that the protein content of goldenrod pollen has declined by a third since the industrial revolution—and the change closely tracks with the rise in CO2. Scientists have been trying to figure out why bee populations around the world have been in decline, which threatens many crops that rely on bees for pollination. Ziska’s paper suggested that a decline in protein prior to winter could be an additional factor making it hard for bees to survive other stressors."

Reading archive 2021-01-07

Meet the Americans who believe Trump's election fraud lies

Apologists For Trump’s Mob Have Tried To Falsely Blame The Coup Attempt On Antifa: Right-wing figures have spread baseless claims that antifa was behind Wednesday’s violent insurrection at the Capitol.

QAnon Believers Were Part Of Mob That Stormed The Capitol: The collective delusion finally reached the level of violence it always threatened.

'Not all Trump supporters’: Conservative media tries to shift blame, cast doubt on identities of Capitol invaders: Pundits on the right condemned the violence but many maintained that “Trump supporters don’t do these things.”

Man who posed at Pelosi desk said in Facebook post that he is prepared for violent death

Assault on democracy: Sen. Josh Hawley has blood on his hands in Capitol coup attempt

A harrowing photo shows a Trump supporter carrying a Confederate flag inside the US Capitol, flanked by portraits of Civil War-era figures

Video Shows Newly Elected W.Va. Lawmaker Among Mob That Stormed The U.S. Capitol

4 Dead, Police Injured, Dozens Arrested After Siege At The U.S. Capitol

Some among America's military allies believe Trump deliberately attempted a coup and may have had help from federal law-enforcement officials

Capitol breach prompts urgent questions about security failures

He organized a bus of Trump supporters from Pa. for ‘the first day of the rest of our lives.’ He died in Washington.

Trump’s remarks before Capitol riot may be investigated, says acting U.S. attorney in D.C.

FBI, Homeland Security Intelligence Unit Didn’t Issue a Risk Assessment for Pro-Trump Protests

Boise man who stormed U.S. Capitol building: 'I got caught up in the moment'

‘Sit down!’ ‘No, you sit down!’ Democrat’s speech nearly triggers fistfight on House floor

Capital Police waving people in past the gates ?

Reading archive 2020-10-11

FBI director says antifa is an ideology, not an organization

If Clinton Wins, Republicans Suggest Shrinking Size of Supreme Court

How sexist, racist attacks on Kamala Harris have spread online — a case study

Reading archive 2020-09-14

 'I've never seen or heard of attacks': scientists baffled by orcas harassing boats

All my takeout has delivered a mountain of trash. So I asked experts how to minimize it.

L.A. deputies tackled and arrested a reporter. Her videos contradict their claims about the incident.

Former officers charged in George Floyd killing turn blame on one another

Violent memes and messages surging on far-left social media, a new report finds: Such images have increased, raising once again whether social media companies can keep up with threats on their platforms.

Scientists spot potential sign of life in Venus atmosphere

Mike Bloomberg to spend at least $100 million in Florida to benefit Joe Biden

Chinese firm harvests social media posts, data of prominent Americans and military

Reading archive 2020-09-04

Standard metrics won’t suffice. Here’s how to measure Trump’s failures so they register with right-wingers.

Report: Trump disparaged US war dead as ‘losers,’ ‘suckers’

Barr claims a man collected 1,700 ballots and filled them out as he pleased. Prosecutors say that’s not what happened.

The QAnon problem facing local journalism this election season

What video analysis of the Aug. 29 Portland shooting tells us

‘The last full measure of his disgrace’: Veterans scorn Trump over report that he calls fallen soldiers ‘losers’

Trump said U.S. soldiers injured and killed in war were ‘losers,’ magazine reports

Suspect in Portland slaying killed when authorities moved to arrest him, official says

Reading archive 2020-06-19

In countries keeping the coronavirus at bay, experts watch U.S. case numbers with alarm

People probably caught coronavirus from minks. That’s a wake-up call to study infections in animals, researchers say.

Leaked document makes Trump campaign’s use of Nazi-era symbol look worse

So You’re Thinking About Riding a Bike: These days, with limits on public transportation and daily protests, cyclists dominate cities around the country. Here’s how to become one.

Reading archive 2020-06-10

No Sign Of Antifa So Far In Justice Department Cases Brought Over Unrest

Backed by Trump allies, QAnon promoter vies for Georgia House seat

Two-husband strategy may be a remedy for China’s one-child policy, professor posits

Trump draws rebukes for suggesting 75-year-old protester pushed to the ground in Buffalo was part of a ‘set up’

George Floyd died after officers didn’t step in. These police say they did — and paid a price.

Police officers are often glorified on TV shows. Here’s what it looks like when they aren’t.

So this is why Bill Barr is such a bully

Republicans fear Trump’s weakened standing jeopardizes the party in November

Two Flags Over Maine (and America): Flags are not just symbols of a country or a state. Their meaning lies in the consciousness of the person looking at them.

Reading archive 2020-06-07

FBI finds no evidence of Antifa’s involvement in national unrest

The FBI Finds ‘No Intel Indicating Antifa Involvement’ in Sunday’s Violence: Trump wants to designate antifa a terrorist organization, despite lack of authority and evidence of wrongdoing.

We Are Asking the Police to Do too Much

Furor in Texas GOP after leaders post racist memes that suggest Floyd’s death is a hoax

What we know about the LMPD officers involved in raid on slain EMT Breonna Taylor’s apartment

Naval Academy Alumni Board Of Trustees Member Resigns After Facebook Outburst

John Bolton plans to publish a tell-all about his time in the White House in late June

Reading archive 2017-09-04

Focus On Infants During Childbirth Leaves U.S. Moms In Danger - "In recent decades, under the assumption that it had conquered maternal mortality, the American medical system has focused more on fetal and infant safety and survival than on the mother's health and well-being."

Here’s the best thing the media can do when reporting on ‘antifa’

What is the "alt-left" Trump was talking about?

What Trump Gets Wrong About Antifa: If the president is concerned about violence on the left, he can start by fighting the white supremacist movements whose growth has fueled its rise.

Reading archive 2017-08-16

‘I was wrong’: U-Va. newspaper editor says he was ‘naive’ about alt-right

Trump Gives White Supremacists an Unequivocal Boost

‘Wow’: Stunned TV Hosts Reacted in Real Time to Trump

Sorry conservatives. There’s no equivalence between the extreme right and the extreme left.

Who are the antifa? President Trump equated them with white supremacists.: Here's why he’s wrong.

Donald Trump gave the most disgusting public performance in the history of the American presidency

A serious question for white liberals, post-Charlottesville Looking into the face of racism: how to fight hate from a social media bubble

The White House Is Under Siege President Trump, forced to choose between working with business leaders and espousing white identity politics, has chosen the latter.

Trump Knows Exactly What He’s Doing The president used a narrow condemnation of neo-Nazis to mount a defense of the politics of white resentment. - "a system of free speech which relies on good ideas to triumph over bad ones only functions if political leaders, starting with the president, loudly and clearly denounce the content of hateful speech."