Reading archive 2026-07-27

Police vetted dubious allegation only after Buttigieg was separated from children: The Michigan attorney general’s office is investigating how the accusation that prompted the ex-Cabinet secretary’s separation from his 4-year-old twins was handled.

Amid Trump’s unpredictability, a region rises to face China: Governments across the region are assuming more responsibility for their countries’ security. - "No single development is transformative on its own, nor do these arrangements amount to a NATO-style mutual-defense pact. Instead, governments are building a flexible web of overlapping partnerships, logistics planning and intelligence sharing. The result is a more connected, resilient region, better able to respond in a conflict. 

"This restructuring reflects two converging judgments. The first is that Chinese bullying is no longer episodic. Under leader Xi Jinping, Beijing has combined military pressure on Taiwan, maritime coercion against Japan and the Philippines, and economic retaliation against other neighbors. Isolated disputes increasingly look like a broader campaign to bend the region to China’s will.

"The second judgment concerns American predictability. President Donald Trump’s transactional approach to alliances and preference for personal diplomacy with Xi have raised doubts about Washington. The U.S. remains Asia’s indispensable military power. Yet allies are increasingly unwilling to rely on American guarantees alone. Instead, they are investing more heavily in one another and assuming greater responsibility for their own security."

A desert town may run out of water. Others could face the same fate.: An Arizona community nearly dried up and imposed strict limits, and its crisis may be a glimpse of the West’s future.

Napa’s Groundwater: Past, Present, and Future, by Arya Adhye

Ukraine is teaching Russia a lesson. The U.S. should take notes.: Ukrainian drones and rockets have punished underprotected Russian assets on Crimea.

The states that need immigration most? You’d be surprised.: The policy that would help rural states most is one their voters and officials are most likely to resist. - "Employers in rural states have struggled for years to attract and retain workers. Now many of the tightest labor markets in the country are in some of the most rural places. North and South Dakota currently have the two lowest unemployment rates in the nation. These lower numbers reflect not just lower job turnover and better skills matches than the rest of the country, but also difficulty in finding workers. As the latest numbers collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed in December, North and South Dakota each had about two job openings for every unemployed worker.

"This creates a political and economic paradox. The policy most likely to help many of these states gain the workers they need is also the one many of their voters and elected officials are most likely to resist: more legal immigration."

Judges accused of denying Sikh student points in national civics contest: His parents and a congressional caucus questioned the results after the teen’s answers were rejected. [ed. note: guess what the three finalists look like]

Trump’s insult-laden speech to press dinner draws mostly stunned silence: The president addressed a smaller, heavily secured gathering Friday as his administration intensifies its legal and rhetorical attacks on journalists.

Zeus’s Law: Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey - "The Trojan War is challenging to turn into a film, not just because of the scale involved and the inevitable risk of camp and corniness, but because the characters are so unlikeable in the the original. Indeed, one joy of the classics is the insight it gives into a culture that was very alien, and in many ways repulsive. It’s not our culture, and our worldview is instead shaped by a different eastern Mediterranean civilisation."

The last shall be first and the first last: All you need is love: how the Christian revolution shaped our world - "The #metoo scandal played a part in the Great Awokening, the radical shift in values that began around 2013, spurred by social media, and especially focussed among America’s elites. The social justice theory of intersectionality is just the latest sub-strand of western thinking that owes its origins to Christianity, a hierarchy of victimhood that could be best summed up as 'The last were to be first, and the first were to be last.'

...

"Christianity’s revolutionary message lies at the heart of our cultural assumptions, especially on the – theoretically more secular – political left. Angela Merkel opened up Germany’s borders to Middle Eastern refugees for this reason 'The daily message was: Love your neighbour as yourself. Not just German people. God loves everybody.'" [d. note: interesting Christian apologia]

Marco Rubio wants to defend America — from largely imaginary threats: The secretary of state picks enemies that, unlike Russia or Iran, probably won't push back. - "A 2025 study from the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that left-wing violence in the U.S. has been rising in recent years but remains very low: 'In the past decade … left-wing attacks have killed 13 victims, compared with 112 and 82 victims for right-wing and jihadist attacks, respectively.' The highest-profile recent cases of leftist violence were the horrifying killings of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but in neither instance has evidence emerged linking the suspect to antifa or any other group. 

"The U.S. government should battle violent extremists of all persuasions — not just leftists. Unfortunately, Trump pardoned the Jan. 6, 2021, rioters, who committed the most serious act of political violence in modern U.S. history."

The Social Security Reckoning Is Finally Coming: Senators elected this November will be in office when America’s most popular federal program is on track to run out of money.

Reading archive 2026-07-24

The report oil companies are worried about: Climate attribution science: New report says our ability to tie weather damages to climate change is improving. - "The reason the report has stirred up controversy ahead of its release is that the fossil fuel industry views it as a threat. The industry has faced a large number of lawsuits accusing it of everything from fraudulently misleading the public to being responsible for financial damages from weather events. It’s those latter suits that make this report a threat. By presenting attribution as normal science that we’re increasingly confident in, it raises the prospect that courts will allow the scientific evidence developed by the field to be used as evidence in the courtroom."

Here’s how your peanut butter jar — and nearly everything else — can be recycled: There’s a way to fix the American recycling system. It involves AI-powered sensors and massive machinery.

Road deaths up sharply in the nation’s capital, despite goal of reaching zero: D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser pledged to eliminate traffic deaths in the city. More than a decade later, they still haven’t gone down.

The U.S. saw the first ‘China Shock.’ Now the world gets the sequel.: Trump’s tariffs have helped stem the flow of inexpensive Chinese goods to the U.S., but European factories are suffering under a flood of imported cars and tech. - "Still, many Chinese companies manage to escape U.S. tariffs by shipping their U.S.-bound goods via countries such as Vietnam or Mexico, where they undergo a bit of final processing that masks their country of origin. U.S. imports this year from Vietnam, Mexico, Thailand and Cambodia are all up significantly.

...

"Chinese carmakers already can produce roughly twice as many cars each year as they can sell in China and are adding capacity for an additional 5 million vehicles, according to economist Brad Setser of the Council on Foreign Relations. With Chinese consumers tapped out, Chinese carmakers are accelerating their move into foreign markets."

Red wolves, once nearly wiped out, had a spring baby boom in North Carolina: The births are a boon to efforts to revive the species, which was once nearly hunted to extinction.

I’m from Nebraska. Here’s what wealth-tax advocates don’t realize.: Farmers will be hit hard by any levy that taxes asset value. - "Most of the proposed wealth taxes target billionaires, but the government is unlikely to limit itself to such high earners for long. Implementing a wealth tax would require an extensive new administrative bureaucracy. With that infrastructure in place, the temptation to extend the levy to people further down the income ladder would be too great. Washington has never seen a tax it didn’t want to expand." [ed. note: this is both a Slippery Slope argument and not true]

Saudi nuclear deal in doubt as Trump adds new condition regarding Israel: A day after the agreement was signed, the president laid out a new requirement: that the Saudis normalize relations with Israel.

House GOP is seeking to restrict D.C. from raising taxes: The House Oversight Committee passed a measure to restrict the District’s ability to change its tax code. - "George Derek Musgrove, history professor at University of Maryland at Baltimore County and co-author of Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation’s Capital, says that while Republicans have long meddled in District affairs, he sees a shift in recent years: 'It’s straight up, let’s punish this Democratic enclave. Let’s starve them of money so they can’t do anything.'"

Why is Zelensky firing top leaders as Ukraine’s outlook improves?: Amid battlefield gains, President Volodymyr Zelensky removed popular officials in a major shake-up. - "But other factors also are likely in play in Zelensky’s shake-up, analysts said, including Fedorov’s emerging role as an anti-corruption force inside the military. 

"As minister, he had nudged defense contracts into open bidding and ordered audits of who was being paid what. In a country where reports of corruption in weapons procurement have generated scandals for years, that made him popular with the public and dangerous to many suppliers."

How D.C.'s "humanure" became garden gold

Why Japan wants to create its first modern spy agency since World War II: President Donald Trump’s push for Japanese self-reliance aligns with the long-standing desire of conservatives in Tokyo to build intelligence capabilities.

A Teen Reporter Searched for His Community in the Epstein Files. Adults Freaked Out: An Instagram post turned one California student newspaper into a free-speech flash point. The students say they were just doing their homework.

Every era gets the ‘Odyssey’ it deserves: Here’s how to prepare your brain for Christopher Nolan’s new adaptation.

What 700 readers taught me about ‘The Odyssey’: You emailed me in droves asking for the missing text in a column about a movie version of a poem. That’s how much we all care about stories.

Trump’s plan to paint the Eisenhower could damage the stone — and the law: The administration’s proposal risks harming both the historic building and the system of reviews that protects structures like it. - "Ordinarily, the General Services Administration would have to follow the law and solicit input from experts and the public, but Trump’s lawyers have written a Trojan Horse into this case, claiming the GSA has ceded those responsibilities and requirements to the White House, to which the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Policy Act do not apply."

Howard University unenrolls hundreds of freshmen days before move-in: The school says the 502 affected students failed to meet payment deadlines. Many students said they communicated forthcoming scholarships and financial aid to Howard.

Evangelists say they are heeding a biblical command to preach on flights: In-flight evangelists have preached sermons and busted out guitars in recent years. Some travelers lament that they “can’t even walk away.”

Knives are out for Vance in the GOP. His allies say it’s a coordinated ‘op.’: The vice president has faced a barrage of attacks recently that are unusual for their intensity and how early in the political calendar they are taking place. - "Critical posts poured in from prominent commentators including Ben Shapiro, Marc Thiessen and Batya Ungar-Sargon, as well as online right-wing influencers and little-known X users whose anti-Vance posts quickly gained traction. Some of the users who pledged to oppose Vance and support Rubio in 2028 had profiles that strongly suggested they aren’t American voters and are based in other countries." [ed. note: it's the Israelis]

9-year-old boy killed in crash in Northern Virginia while riding e-scooter: The boy was not wearing a helmet when he was struck by a minivan in the Herndon area of Fairfax County, according to police.

Reading archive 2026-06-10

A new wave of anti-immigrant violence hits U.K. as riots convulse Belfast: Attackers torched neighborhoods across Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, after a Sudanese asylum seeker was arrested and accused of stabbing a man.

Restaurants add World Cup service charges, fearing tourists won’t tip: Visitors to U.S. host cities may not know about tipping customs, so operators want to ensure that their workers share in the tournament’s financial benefits.

How to let go of things you don’t use and declutter your life: Hanging on to items that you aren’t actively using contributes to a chaotic existence.

Actually, the SAT Was Necessary After All: University of California faculty are in open revolt over the lack of standardized test scores.

Driving in America Is Headlight Hell: Car bulbs don’t have to be this blinding.

Eat More Deer: America is letting good meat go to waste.

Inside the White House Freakout Over the Epstein Files: The president’s top advisers gathered in a series of Situation Room meetings as they struggled to contain a scandal engulfing Donald Trump himself.

Reading archive 2026-05-28

How Metro's cameras helped solve 3 recent gun crimes: In March, Metro General Manager Randy Clarke credited Metro’s safety in part to the cameras throughout the system.

Prosecutors say ex-CIA official stole $40 million in gold bars from agency: The former senior employee, who allegedly kept the gold in his Virginia home, is also accused of lying about his military and educational background.

How to stay happy in a relationship, according to long-married couples: It’s okay to go to bed angry, and other surprising marriage advice.

A couple died on Hajj pilgrimage. A law and foundation carry on their legacy.: The Don’t You Worry (Wurie) Act regulates travel service providers in Maryland.

Trump’s approval plunges among his White working-class base: In a striking shift, White voters without college degrees who voted to reelect Trump by a huge margin are now net-negative on his job approval. - "Dombrowski, the janitor, barely follows politics. She grew up poor with factory worker parents who taught her that Republicans were for rich people — not families like theirs who struggled and saved money by making their own clothes. 

"But she put her faith in Trump when he ran for president in 2016, opting for an outsider over Clinton and her decades in politics. 

"Now she trusts no one, believing politicians 'want your money and give you fake promises.' 

"The musical instrument company where she works, Conn Selmer, is shifting jobs overseas — even though the owner, Trump donor John Paulson, has echoed the president’s calls to keep manufacturing in the United States."

Texas School Police Pepper-Sprayed, Tackled and Tasered Students: School officers across the state turned to heavy-handed tactics on children, often in response to minor misbehavior, our investigation shows.

‘We Have Not Seen Ugly Yet’: Paxton versus Talarico is already awful.

John Cornyn Lost With His Boots Off: Like fellow Republicans exiled by the president, he still accepted Trump’s claim to inhabit the will of the party. - "Cornyn, like so many of his fellow soon-to-be-ex-politicians, staked his survival on the hopeless tactic of trying to beat Trump's team in a contest over who loves Trump more. Overcoming Trump's hold on the rank and file is not easy, but the method his victims have chosen-essentially to beg for Trump's mercy, and then not receive it-saps them of their dignity without meaningfully increasing their odds of political survival."

America Is Missing Out on the Ultimate Mosquito Weapon: Bring on the lasers.

Trump, the Wages of MAGA Sin, and the Dream of Flipping Texas Blue: Ken Paxton is the embodiment of MAGA rage and corruption. Can James Talarico win by transcending Paxton’s Trumpy acrimony?

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 2026-05-14

Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ comes to an ironic end: The host who coined "truthiness" never found his footing in the world it predicted.

Ad wars ramp up in D.C. mayoral race as primary enters final month: Deep-pocketed political groups are seizing on potential vulnerabilities of the top Democrats in the race, Janeese Lewis George and Kenyan McDuffie.

Here’s Another Way America Will Choke at the World Cup: The nation’s railway system is destined to lose.

The Democrats Can’t Let Go of Racial Preferences: How to persuade skeptical voters to take a fresh look at the party - "In a recent study, the political scientists David Broockman of UC Berkeley and Joshua Kalla of Yale tested potential policy shifts in 29 different issue areas-including immigration, transgender athletes in women's sports, and Israel and Gaza-in an attempt to discern what might make skeptical voters consider choosing Democratic candidates. They found that moving to the center on racial preferences in college admissions was the most electorally fruitful move Democrats could make and that doing so on racial preferences in government contracting was the second most important."

The AI Backlash Could Get Very Ugly: Imagine what happens if jobs actually start disappearing.

The Trump Counterterrorism Strategy Makes America More Vulnerable: The policy is unfocused, run by amateurs, and concerned more with the president’s many grievances than with the security of the United States. - "The security analyst Kabir Taneja wrote on X that the document'"looks like something written by an intern,' and Kayyem told me that the report is so badly done that it 'mocks the American public' rather than informs it. The terrorism scholar Colin P. Clarke posted that 'competent career CT professionals must be aghast at this slop' and that he 'would give this a solid D+ grade.' I'm a former professor, and I might have given it something a smidge higher, but only if it had come from a clueless undergraduate who was encountering all of the concepts related to terrorism and counterterrorism for the first time. But it didn't. Instead, this jumble was apparently the brainchild of Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism.

...

"A document that should have explained the president's plan to keep the American people safe during wartime is now on global display as a pathetic-and dangerous-joke. More than anything, it is a faithful reflection of the Trump administration itself: To judge from this report, America's counterterrorism policy is unfocused, run by amateurs, and concerned more with Donald Trump's many grievances than the security of the United States."

Why Did Bill Cassidy Do It?: The senator from Louisiana offered an olive branch to MAHA and got nothing in return.

The Mystery of the Golden Coffin: How did $65 million of allegedly stolen antiquities wind up in two of the world’s greatest museums?

Reading archive 2026-04-30

Gun found during fight in Blake High School parking lot, police say: A short time later, a young man was taken to an area hospital with a gunshot wound. Police have not said if that victim is a student or not.

Trump administration seeks access to medical records of millions of federal workers

A D.C. mayoral hopeful’s close ties to unions are drawing new scrutiny: A complaint alleges Janeese Lewis George’s campaign is improperly sharing staff with unions tied to an independent expenditure committee backing her. The campaign denies it.

On chaotic day, Johnson navigates multiple internal revolts in House: Over hours on and around the chamber’s floor, the speaker and fellow Republican leaders cajoled holdouts on a surveillance bill, DHS funding and farm policy.

The invisible force making food less nutritious - "Ultimately, Myers said, the best way to protect human health is for people to stop releasing so much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which not only depletes the nutritional value of crops but leads to escalating heat waves, intensifying floods and lengthening droughts that hurt food production around the globe."

Maine Gov. Janet Mills drops out of race to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins: The primary had become a referendum on the Democratic establishment.

The terrible Michael Jackson movie exposes a central cultural question: The film is indefensible. The impulse to see it is deeply human.

An Untapped Energy Goldmine Is Buried Beneath the US—and No, It’s Not Oil: Massive lithium reserves in eastern states could replace 328 years of U.S. imports, according to new research by the U.S. Geological Survey.

As Saudis pull funding, LIV Golf seeks investors to continue: The Saudis spent billions backing the upstart PGA rival and luring top stars, but the league never found its footing. - "The financial scale of LIV’S failed effort was enormous. The PIF’s total investment is projected to surpass $6 billion, according to figures from Money in Sport, with the PIF spending at a rate of roughly $100 million per month in recent years. Tournament purses and bonuses alone are expected to approach $2 billion, while many top players received nine-figure signing deals. LIV’s U.K.-based entity reported losses of $461.8 million in 2024, and the overall venture was widely viewed as losing hundreds of millions annually."

Russia scales back Victory Day plans as Ukraine’s military reach expands: Moscow is reducing the footprint of its foremost annual military parade amid a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia.

The Real Fight for the Smithsonian: Its museums, more than any others, shape the nation’s narrative. No wonder the country argues about it.

‘We Are Learning to Bully Back’: How Europe got Trump to cave on Greenland

The Sports Conspiracy That’s Too Easy to Believe: When the 49ers lost in the playoffs, some fans embraced a theory about electromagnetic waves instead of facing reality.

The Real Reason ICE Agents Wear Masks: Face coverings may work less to protect federal agents from danger than to make it easier for them to do unconstitutional things. - "It is not 'doxxing' federal agents for the public to know who they are. We are supposed to know who they are, because that is how we hold them accountable. This is why police officers wear visible badge numbers and name tags. The responsibilities they are given are not compatible with anonymity.

...

"According to an analysis by Alex Nowrasteh at the Cato Institute based on data from last year, "law enforcement officers who don't work at ICE or Border Patrol have a death rate 6.3 times higher than that of immigration enforcement officers." In fact, the report found, immigration agents are at no greater risk than regular people: 'The chance of an ICE or Border Patrol agent being murdered in the line of duty is about one in 94,549 per year, about 5.5 times less likely than a civilian being murdered.'

...

"On Sunday, ProPublica revealed the names of the two agents involved in the Pretti shooting: Border Patrol officer Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez. Suffice it to say that two Hispanic Americans killing a white person trying to prevent them from harassing or deporting other Hispanic people, on the orders of Stephen Miller - a Jewish American whose ancestors fled pogroms in Eastern Europe - is a uniquely grotesque expression of the American melting pot in action."

Stop Meeting Students Where They Are: What I learned when I finally started assigning the hard reading again.

How America Lost Control of the Seas: Thanks to decades of misguided policy choices, the U.S. has an astonishing lack of maritime capacity.

Feudalism Is Our Future: What the next Dark Ages could look like - "In 2008, desperate for cash, Chicago privatized its parking meters, selling off the rights to all the revenue for 75 years to a group of investors led by Morgan Stanley. A 'true-up' provision in the contract requires the city to compensate investors for lost revenue when meters are taken out of service—a provision that weighs on decision making whenever the city considers projects that would eliminate meters or favor mass transit over cars. The rights to operate toll highways have been sold off by some jurisdictions to private companies, including foreign ones. The fine print in the contracts often prevents improvements to adjacent roads on the grounds that such enhancement would create undue competition. Private prisons generally put a quota clause into their agreements. States and municipalities may be hoping, as a matter of policy, to reduce their prison populations, but the beds in private prisons must be filled regardless."

Reading archive 2026-04-29

An ingenious way to sidestep the dismal Senate filibuster: Restrain the president, revive Congress, honor Madisonian principles. What’s not to like? - "Today’s Senate Republicans are mostly oblivious of — or, worse, indifferent about — how they appear. In 2024, they solemnly warned that if they did not win control of the Senate, 2025-2026, Democrats would degrade it by abolishing the filibuster. In 2025, however, Senate Republicans, in lockstep with House Republicans, crammed most of the president’s agenda into a single bill that they passed on a party-line vote using the parliamentary maneuver called “reconciliation,” which prevents a bill from being filibustered."

Colombians are divided over the fate of hippos linked to Pablo Escobar

The great Black GOP exit from Congress: Republicans squandered Trump’s gains with African Americans in 2024.

Alleged gunman at correspondents’ dinner led Christian group in college: Ex-classmates who knew Cole Tomas Allen, 31, at the California Institute of Technology say they were shocked by a message in which he appeared to use biblical teachings to justify violence.

So Nobody Is Going to Pay Taxes Now?: America actually needs a tax base. - "While tinkering with marginal rates, Democrats have threaded deductions, credits, and exemptions into the tax code, engaging in 'submerged' policy making, as Cornell's Suzanne Mettler describes it. Tax expenditures are easier for Congress to pass than spending programs, and they're easier to target at low-income households. Still, Americans don't really understand these policies. Two in three claimants of the home-mortgage-interest deduction say it doesn't do much for them. (The deduction can reduce a family's tax bill by as much as $15,000 a year.) Two in three people with a 529 college savings plan believe that they have never used a government program. The more tax breaks a person receives, the less likely they are to report that Uncle Sam has improved their quality of life, Mettler has found. Yet such initiatives cost the government hundreds of billions of dollars.

...

"Wages for hourly employees have crawled, while the paychecks of investors and executives have soared. At the same time, the wealth of investors and executives has skyrocketed, with the taxman scarcely tapping these fortunes at all. As the law professor Ray Madoff has observed, Amazon has paid Jeff Bezos a salary of roughly $82,000 a year since the late 1990s, 'low enough to make him eligible to claim the child tax credit (which he did!).' From 2014 to 2018, his net worth climbed by $99 billion, just 0.98 percent of which went to public coffers, whereas many middle-class families fork over 25 percent of their earnings. Plus, again, the cost of living has become brutally high. Even households making six figures are struggling to afford child care, rent, groceries, health insurance, summer camp, and student-loan debt."

A Mediocre Public-School Education for Just $40,000 a Pupil: How New York City’s education budget became an untouchable money pit - "As New York City becomes more expensive to live in, fewer families with children live there. The education budget nonetheless continues to go up, hurting taxpayers and diverting funds from other important services. This makes the city even more expensive to live in, and leaves young families even more squeezed, causing even fewer children to live there. The situation stems from the commendable liberal impulse to devote extensive resources to public education. But what's the point of public education without a public to educate?"

Anthropic’s Little Brother: OpenAI is racing to catch up to its greatest rival.

Why Did Trump Pardon the Former Honduran President? Follow the Tech Bros.: With Roger Stone taking a victory lap for having come up with the idea in the first place.

Untangling the Issue of Circling Roots

Physiology and root development of container-grown urban trees in response to root-shaving, root-washing, and root-slicing at planting - "Among the root modifications examined, root-shaving provided the optimal combination of improved root development while minimizing adverse effects to tree stress and crown dieback. Moreover, our results suggest that trees that are historically known to be difficult to transplant as bare-root stock are poor candidates for extreme root disturbance procedures such as root-washing when produced as container-grown trees."

What Would a Fiscal Crisis Look Like? - "Already, the U.S. is facing consequences from excessive debt. Excessive borrowing was a key driver of the recent surge in inflation and subsequent rise in interest rates, and real incomes are lower today than they otherwise would be as a result of the “crowd out” of past investment. Meanwhile, the cost of interest on the debt grew to roughly $1 trillion last year, which is more than the federal government spent on defense and about as much as it spent on Medicare. These high interest payments leave fewer resources for new spending initiatives and tax cuts. And with debt at 100% of GDP, the U.S. has less fiscal space than any time in history in case of another war, pandemic, or recession. A fiscal crisis would substantially worsen most or all of the costs of debt."

Cato Study: Immigrants Reduced Deficits by $14.5 Trillion Since 1994 - "The best way to balance the budget is to reduce spending—particularly on wealthy retirees—but rather than hinder our efforts to control deficits, immigrants are helping."

Global Trade Is Leaving the US Behind: The US’s retreat from the global economy is likely to make America less influential, less resilient, less secure, and poorer over the long term, as economic integration deepens elsewhere and other governments set new standards in trade agreements.

More Photos Emerge of Meals on Navy Ships As Pentagon Denies Shortages

This Scammer Used an AI-Generated MAGA Girl to Grift ‘Super Dumb’ Men: A med student says he’s made thousands of dollars selling photos and videos of a young conservative woman he created using generative tools. He’s not alone.

Is the tide turning for Ukraine in war with Russia?: With the EU approving a €90bn loan for Ukraine, a surprise visit from Prince Harry, and data suggesting Russian troops made almost no territorial gains in March – are there reasons for optimism in Kyiv?

Iran caused more extensive damage to U.S. military bases than publicly known: U.S. bases and equipment across the Middle East came under attack — including from an Iranian F-5, despite American air defenses — and repairs could cost billions of dollars.

They Were Michael Jackson's 'Second Family.' Now They Say He Abused Them.: The Cascio siblings are suing Mr. Jackson's estate after standing by him for years as he faced accusations of child molestation.

Farmers are bleeding money under Trump —but are doubling down on their support anyway

Reading archive 2026-03-27

How Reverse Game Theory Could Solve The Housing Shortage: Our hardest problems — from housing shortages to climate retreat to democratic trust and technology — aren’t failures of politics; they’re failures of incentives.  "This is the promise of mechanism design: It suggests our hardest problems — from housing shortages to climate retreat to democratic trust and technology — won’t be solved by better attitudes or more flexible positions. They will be solved by better architectures, by structures that treat division not as an obstacle to eliminate but as material to consider when building." [ed. note: mechanism design; Transferable Development Rights]

Where Are All the Campus Protests?: Two years ago, students occupied buildings and colonized the quad. Now the same places are strangely silent.

The Deep Risk That Republican Hawks Overlooked: If the Iran war goes badly, the isolationist, anti-Israel wing of the party is likely to steer the GOP’s future. - "Trump has held [America First and Neocons] in place through personalist rule. Anybody who supports Trump - however disreputable or criminal they might be - can be in the party, nobody in the party can oppose Trump, and the party's platform consists of whatever Trump has said at any given moment, even if it contradicts what he claimed to stand for yesterday. The holdover Republicans who have remained attached to the party's old identity (hawkish, pro-Israel, anti-Russia, opposed to anti-Semitism) have squabbled with its newer entrants. But those disputes could be settled by Trump, who has repeatedly declared, 'I am MAGA.'"

Infamous DC squatter sues homeowner, claims $500K in designer goods are missing

US newspaper circulations 2025: Washington Post print declines 21% in a year: Some 24 out of top 25 US newspapers saw print circulation decline in 2025.

Education Department headquarters will relocate as part of Trump’s dismantling

What gladiatorial politics will bury in the midterms: Never underestimate the Democrats’ ability to make a sow’s ear out of a silk purse. - "Trump, himself a highly caffeinated creature, has been caffeine for the electorate: a stimulant, who in 2024 upended the axiom that higher voter turnout is better for Democrats. Last spring, David Shor, a data scientist, calculated that if more people had voted, Kamala Harris would have fared even worse. Trump would have won the popular vote by almost five points instead of 1.4 points, and in doing so would have won five states he lost (Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Virginia). The electoral vote outcome would have been 355-183 instead of 312-226."

FBI probe of 2020 election count in Georgia faces crucial court hearing: A federal judge Friday will consider Fulton County’s request for the return of thousands of ballots seized by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department.

House Democrat violated ethics rules, panel finds, putting her seat in jeopardy: The Ethics Committee panel cited a years-long inquiry into whether Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick misused covid pandemic money. She has maintained her innocence. - "The Justice Department brought its charges against Cherfilus-McCormick and several others, including her brother and tax preparer, in November, concluding an investigation that began during the Biden administration."

U.S. uses hundreds of Tomahawk missiles on Iran, alarming some at Pentagon: More than 850 have been fired in just four weeks, people familiar with the matter said, raising concerns about the weapon’s limited supply.

Is The End of NATO Near?: The alliance has been battered by Trump’s threats.

A Turning Point in the Iran War: The president is discovering the high stakes of an escalation that damages energy facilities.

The Countdown to a Ground War: The president wants to avoid a long, messy entanglement, but all of the ground options promise to be just that.

The Immigration Restriction Trump Won’t Try: Focusing enforcement on employers might be the easiest choice in immigration policy—after all the hard ones are made. - "For these reasons, the Democrats proposing employer-focused enforcement all offer the same important caveat: Yes to E-Verify, but only after most of the undocumented people already in the country are given a path to legal status. 'Once we have immigration reform,' Gallego told me, 'and once we have actually legalized' most undocumented immigrants without a criminal record, then strict enforcement of E-Verify is the natural next step. Last August, the New Democrat Coalition, a caucus of 115 congresspeople, released an immigration plan embodying the same logic. It proposes beefing up border security, creating new visa categories and expanding existing ones, giving Dreamers a path to citizenship, and granting legal status to noncriminal undocumented immigrants who arrived more than five years ago and pay a fine."

Welcome to a Multidimensional Economic Disaster: The AI boom wasn’t built for the polycrisis. - "The way the money moves is concerning, but so is the AI industry's underlying business model. At every layer, the technology appears to decrease the value of its assets. The advanced AI chips that make up the majority of the cost of a data center? Their value rapidly decreases as they are superseded by the next generation of chips, meaning that the ultimate backstop for all of the data-center debt - selling the data center itself - is not actually a backstop. The way that AI companies make money when people use their products is also deflationary. OpenAI, Anthropic, and others charge users for using 'tokens,' the components of words processed by their bots. This means that tokens are an industrial commodity akin to, say, crude oil or steel. But unlike other commodities, the cost of each token is rapidly decreasing owing to advancements in AI's capabilities. Kedrosky called this 'a death spiral to zero.' As the value of a token plummets, the value of what data centers can produce also falls.

...

"Even if Iran and the Strait of Hormuz don't directly trigger an AI-driven financial crisis, the odds are decent that another vector could. (Remember tariffs?) Energy prices could stay elevated for years, because the targeted fossil-fuel facilities in the Persian Gulf will take a long time to restore. As the U.S. directs huge amounts of attention and military resources toward Iran, it's easy to imagine China launching an invasion of Taiwan - a scenario that terrifies Silicon Valley, because it would halt the production of chips needed to train frontier models. That's not even considering the single Dutch company that makes the high-tech lithography machines used to print virtually all AI chips, or the German company that makes the mirrors used in those machines. 'There are too many ways for it to fail for it not to fail,' Kedrosky said of the AI industry's web of risk. 'All you can say for sure is this is a fragile and overdetermined system that must break, so it will.'"

OpenAI Is Doing Everything … Poorly: The company’s sudden decision to pull the plug on Sora is a sign of deeper trouble.

What Was Clavicular?: The internet’s most famous looks-maxxer is far more pernicious than he may seem.

Reading archive 2026-03-13

AP Exclusive: Smithsonian museum will revamp its slavery exhibit after artifact loan runs out

Suspect in synagogue crash lost family in Israeli attack on Lebanon, official says: The FBI is investigating the Michigan attack as a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.”

Why China could emerge a winner from Trump’s global energy shock: China’s evolution into an “electrostate” may help insulate it from spiking oil prices.

Economy was shakier than it appeared heading into Iran conflict: Inflation remained elevated in January, and economic growth from October through December was sharply lower than initially reported.

Can Florida save Trump’s plan to keep GOP in power?: Republicans in Florida say they may not be able to deliver the type of redistricting bonanza that would give the party breathing room in the midterms.

He’s 27. She’s 54. Somehow ‘Age of Attraction’ thinks no one can tell.: The show’s gimmick: Nobody has any idea how old the others really are! However: They all look exactly the age they are.

‘Some parents said they’d break my knees’: the teacher who exposed Putin’s primary school propaganda

Palantir CEO Makes Shocking Confession on Disrupting Democratic Power: They’re saying the quiet part out loud now. - "'This technology disrupts humanities-trained—largely Democratic—voters, and makes their economic power less. And increases the economic power of vocationally trained, working-class, often male, working-class voters,' Karp said in a CNBC interview Thursday. 'And so these disruptions are gonna disrupt every aspect of our society. And to make this work, we have to come to an agreement of what it is we’re going to do with the technology; how are we gonna explain to people who are likely gonna have less good, and less interesting jobs.'"

Why right-wing media can’t stop Candace Owens: Erika Kirk’s defense of herself gets drowned out by “Bride of Charlie” documentary - "For decades, conservative media has thrived on a business model that monetizes outrage and distrust. The more outrageous the claim, the greater the engagement. The more distrust sowed toward institutions — universities, media, elections, public health, the FBI — the more loyal the audience becomes. In December, even as Owens was deep into Charlie Kirk assassination trutherism, Erika Kirk was urging TPUSA audiences to be tolerant of disagreeable views. By the time the right decided Owens had gone too far, she had already built a fully independent operation. The movement that once shielded Owens is now discovering that monsters raised on grievance do not recognize fences. The conservative movement no longer has credible gatekeepers. Right-wing media’s fragmentation means that condemnation from established outlets often strengthens, rather than weakens, insurgent figures like Owens.

...

"For all its focus on Erika Kirk, “Bride of Charlie” is not really about her. Nor is it even really about Charlie Kirk. It is about an identity crisis on the American right —  what happens when a media movement decides that the thrill of the conspiracy, the pleasure of the accusation, the dopamine of the “truth bomb” matters more than the actual truth. Right-wing media cannot stop Candace Owens because they cannot renounce the incentives that made her powerful."

Trump administration allows for Russian oil sales as energy prices soar: The move is likely to be a boon to Russia as the United States tries to stem the economic fallout from its war on Iran. - "The move will provide a huge financial boost to Russia, which experts say has already been receiving about $150 million per day from increased oil sales since the U.S. attacked Iran two weeks ago."

Reading archive 2026-03-11

Ed Martin faces disciplinary proceedings over actions as D.C. U.S. attorney: The senior Justice Department official faces disciplinary proceedings over a letter he sent to Georgetown University’s law school about its DEI practices.

After Iran assault, Russians say U.S. can’t be trusted in Ukraine talks: As Washington focuses on its push to topple Iran’s government, delaying talks on Russia’s war in Ukraine, some in Moscow say the Kremlin must achieve its goals militarily.

Teacher’s aide pleads guilty to forcing autistic boy to eat hot sauce: “He deserved it,” she allegedly said. The case highlighted scrutiny of how the District’s schools treat students with disabilities. - "Imani K. Davis, 30, agreed Monday to plead guilty to misdemeanor assault in a deal that could leave her with a clean record. Under the agreement, a D.C. Superior Court judge could dismiss the charge if Davis stays out of trouble and completes community service before her July 22 sentencing hearing, court records show." [ed.. note: WHAT!?]

DC study suggests $10 congestion toll for downtown; Bowser, city administrator oppose plan: A 2021 study proposes charging drivers a $10 toll to enter parts of downtown Washington during peak traffic hours, but city leaders say they oppose the it.

Islamic schools excluded from Texas’s $1 billion voucher program: Advocates warn a similar effort is unfolding in Florida, threatening to shut out thousands of Muslims from benefiting from the national movement to allow public money to be spent on private schools.

Democrats ask what happened to millions earmarked for Trump’s library: ABC, Meta, Paramount and X reportedly agreed to pay at least $63 million in settlements with the president. The original fund was dissolved last year.

Pentagon bars press photographers over ‘unflattering’ Hegseth photos: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s staff took issue with images taken in a rare briefing last week and decided to shut out photographers from two subsequent news conferences.

The Federal Real Estate Maintenance Backlog Is Over $50 Billion: A new report showcases the US federal government’s efforts to climb out of a real estate hole decades in the making.

Inside the Plan to Demolish and Rebuild a Swath of Trump’s Washington

Reading archive 2026-01-29

How Battlefield Tech Was Used in Minneapolis: Our reporter Thomas Gibbons-Neff, who deployed twice to Afghanistan as a Marine and later was our Kabul bureau chief, looks at the battlefield technology used for an immigration arrest at a home in Minneapolis. [ed. note: video]

The powerful tools in ICE’s arsenal to track suspects — and protesters: Biometric trackers, cellphone location databases and drones are among the surveillance technologies that federal agents are tapping in their deportation campaign. [ed. note: horrifying]

Removal of flags for fallen Danish soldiers at U.S. Embassy sparks backlash: There was no malicious intent in removing the flags, said a State Department spokesperson, who added that the flags had been replaced.

Anthropic Is at War With Itself: The AI company shouting about AI’s dangers can’t quite bring itself to slow down.

If You Tax Them, Will They Leave?: A California wealth-tax proposal makes a high-stakes bet on billionaire psychology.

The Program That’s Turning Schools Around: The key to closing the achievement gap may lie outside the classroom.

Russia’s top diplomat rejects key part of deal to end war with Ukraine: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismisses security guarantees demanded by Ukraine for any deal, once again saying the current regime in Kyiv should end. - "It is precisely the lack of high level officials in the Abu Dhabi talks that show they aren’t serious, said European Union foreign policy head Kaja Kallas, noting that the Russian delegation consisted of military and intelligence officials."

Trump faces fresh MAGA blowback for efforts to ‘de-escalate’ in Minnesota: The president’s response to widespread public dismay over the shooting death of another Minnesotan has put him in a bind with his own base.

Handling of Pretti investigation has some prosecutors on verge of quitting: Federal prosecutors in Minneapolis, frustrated by the response to the shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, have suggested they could resign en masse.

I’ve reported on UFO sightings for decades — and come to this conclusion

What the Neocons Got Right: David Brooks on moral collapse, the limits of politics, and what the neocons got right about America. Plus: Another ICE shooting in Minneapolis and Netflix’s Death by Lightning. - "And so what you have in the Trump administration is people with the same profile as the Dartmouth Review crowd: They went to elite schools, but they hated what they found there. That's Steven Miller, who went to Duke. That's Pete Hegseth, who went to Princeton. That's J. D. Vance, who went to Yale Law. Now, you can go down the list. It's Elon Musk and Donald Trump went to Penn. And so these are not pro-conservative. These are oppositional nihilists who hate the liberal establishment. And I found it easy, when I was saying college, to be more conservative than my professors but still have reverence for their learning. But these people do not have reverence for learning; they just want to offend the bourgeoisie. And so that's what it's become. And then they've produced spawn of young people who just think, That's cool. That's edgy. And of course, you have to up the dosage when you're giving people edgy nihilism - it just has to get worse and worse and worse. And as Richard Weaver, a philosopher from the 1950s, said, The problem with the younger generation is they haven't read the minutes to the last meeting. And so you get a group of people who, when they see fascistic behavior, don't understand where that eventually leads." [edit: also a bit on Reconstructions vs. modernization in the 1880s via Death by Lightning]

A case that lets billionaires spend big on elections never reached Supreme Court: While Citizens United became shorthand for unlimited political spending, a less-recognized campaign finance case made super PACs a reality. - "'SpeechNow, building upon the terrible flaws of Citizens United, has created a road map for billionaires and wealthy special interests to spend unlimited amounts of money to drown out the voices of ordinary citizens,' attorney David Kolker, who unsuccessfully argued the SpeechNow case on behalf of the FEC, told The Washington Post in an interview. 'This distorts our democratic process.'"

Why this Democrat refuses to retaliate against Trump’s GOP redistricting: Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson sank Democrats’ plan to pick up a congressional seat in Maryland, despite the rank-and-file tide seeking an aggressive fight against Trump.

America’s plan to protect pedestrians failed. A young woman’s death reveals why.: U.S. officials encouraged cities to adopt Vision Zero to save lives. Driver opposition and a lack of money derailed it.

The deadliest roads in America: The number of pedestrians killed by vehicles in the United States has surged amid neglect and lack of investment by transportation authorities.

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 2025-12-16

Is your lamp the right size? There’s an equation for that. You don’t need to be a math whiz to choose a lamp. You just need to consider function and know a bit about proportion.

She was MAGA’s favorite conspiracist. Then she dug into Charlie Kirk’s killing.: Candace Owens rose to prominence as a pro-Trump conspiracy theorist. Her latest claims have infuriated some of her former allies. - "Pool, for his part, said Owens’s defection on Israel and claims about Kirk are a “nihilistic” grab for attention from a person with a history of shifting her opinions to propel her career. Owens is adopting the conventions of true-crime storytelling, Pool said — foreshadowing, cliff-hangers and questions that never get answered — to tap into an appetite for conspiracy thinking on the right and the left."

Some Republican lawmakers call for mass expulsion of American Muslims: Comments from Rep. Randy Fine and Sen. Tommy Tuberville reflect a brazen Islamophobic sentiment being voiced by some in the party. - "Mitchell [ed. note: CAIR spokesman] expressed frustration with both parties for not doing more to formally sanction members for Islamophobic rhetoric. He said a double standard exists, pointing to a House censure on a bipartisan basis of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan), a Muslim Palestinian American, for comments following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel." [ed. note: lol maybe ask Jill Stein for help???]

Hunt for Brown University gunman starts anew as tension rises: Authorities released a person of interest and provided video and still images of a different man they want to locate.

How Much Water Do AI Data Centers Really Use?: The AI industry’s use of water and its effects on an increasingly parched world are more complicated than people think.

Can Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Affect Gender Identity?: Some scientists see it as a question worth exploring. But others say it’s dubious — and fodder for right-wing prejudice. - "To be sure, the number of 18- to 24-year-olds who self-identify as transgender in the United States nearly quintupled between 2014 and 2022, increasing from 0.59 percent to 2.78 percent, according to a national survey run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The largest increase was among White transgender men. But while Kennedy and Jones see a chemical culprit, and still others suggest social influences may play a role, Hayes and Roepke remain skeptical that these increases reflect anything more than a cultural moment wherein transgender people feel more comfortable revealing or exploring their gender identity.

...

"The sex-determining process doesn’t always happen so neatly, however: The SRY gene can show up on the X chromosome, for instance, resulting in a genetic female with testes. If the SRY gene doesn’t work in the usual way, then a genetic male might develop a uterus and fallopian tubes. Some genetic males don’t have the working receptors needed to respond to male sex hormones called androgens — of which testosterone is the most common — or have only a partial ability to respond, which means that they can develop typically female or sexually ambiguous genitalia. (People whose anatomies are not typically male or female may be intersex, which is distinct from being transgender.)"

The Largest and Bloodiest U.S. Battlefield in 2025? Somalia: At least 87 drone strikes, raids and other U.S. military engagements have hit Somalia this year, by far the most ever. And it's likely an undercount

Ukraine could gain NATO-like security assurances in US-proposed Russia peace deal

University of Maryland president cleared of plagiarism allegations: University of Maryland President Darryll Pines was cleared of plagiarism allegations after an independent review, though the review did find his papers lifted some texts.

HBCU president sues professor who accused her of plagiarism and racism: A former University of Maryland Eastern Shore professor says she was illegally pushed out at the historically Black college because she is White.

What the new Purple Line looks like in action

‘Kind of embarrassed’: In Vance’s hometown, I saw patience running thin: Middletown’s regard for its most famous son was more subdued than I’d expected.

Chicago has lost its mind: The city’s fiscal situation is dire, and Mayor Brandon Johnson is determined to make things worse.

Jimmy Lai and the end of Hong Kong: The fate of the former British colony is a warning to any nation that cuts a deal with China.

Trump’s Top Aide Acknowledges ‘Score Settling’ Behind Prosecutions: In interviews with Vanity Fair, Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, said President Trump "has an alcoholic's personality," called JD Vance a "conspiracy theorist" and concluded that Pam Bondi "completely whiffed" the early handling of the Epstein Files.

Reading archive 2025-12-12

House votes to repeal Trump order ending union rights at federal agencies: The March order restricted union rights in more than two dozen federal agencies. The bill to repeal it is likely to stall in the Senate. - "Federal workers already have limited union rights compared with other employees. They can’t strike or bargain over pay. But they are allowed to join unions and bargain collectively — protections that are meant to ensure workers are treated fairly, while preventing activity that could be disruptive to public services or threaten national security."

George Washington’s living quarters back on display after restoration: Mount Vernon, the first U.S. president’s estate along the Potomac River in Virginia, is undergoing the most extensive renovation in its history.

The minority voters who powered Trump to a second term are drifting away: Extended conversations with Black, Latino and Asian American voters who cast ballots for Trump in 2024 showed mixed feelings about the president and their votes.

MyPillow founder and conspiracist Mike Lindell announces Minnesota gubernatorial bid: Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow and a 2020 election denier, joins a crowded race in his unlikely Republican bid against two-term incumbent Gov. Tim Walz (D).

Oklahoma Black Lives Matter leader indicted on alleged misuse of donations: Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson deposited at least several million dollars into personal accounts instead of the organization’s accounts, authorities said.

Trump asserts he has pardoned county clerk convicted in Colorado case: The impact of Trump’s claim is unclear since Tina Peters was convicted in state, not federal, court.

House Democrats release photos of Epstein with Trump, other public figures: Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released 19 images, many of them previously published, showing the disgraced financier with Bill Clinton, Woody Allen, Steve Bannon and others.

The Silent Treatment Is Quietly Ruining Your Relationships: Many of us have done it, but that doesn’t make it right, experts say.

Trump wants Bagram back. Satellite images show how the Taliban are using it.

Secret meetings between FBI and Ukraine negotiator spark concern: FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, met with Kyiv’s top peace negotiator amid a U.S. pressure campaign to end the war.

Russia could attack Nato within five years, says alliance chief in stark new warning

Let’s take a closer look at MIT, one target of Trump’s blunderbuss: It’s alarming to see such a complex, important institution subject to the whims of today’s politics. - "The 8 percent tax on MIT’s endowment will cost the university $240 million annually that will not be available to make up for reductions in government research grants. Universities’ endowments fuel upward mobility and combat the stagnation of elites. Taxing endowments mocks conservatism by enfeebling private sector alternatives to government’s domination of social resources."

The deeply personal reasons why many Indiana Senate Republicans said no to Trump

Reading archive 2025-12-08

Pssst. Even a healthy Jayden Daniels hasn’t been very good.: The second-year quarterback’s regression from a starry rookie season goes beyond the fact that he has struggled to stay on the field for the Commanders.

The ACC broke the College Football Playoff, and Notre Dame paid the price: The trickle-down effects of a bloated conference crowning an illogical champion led to the Fighting Irish missing the 12-team playoff field.

Ask a Vet: Is it cruel to neuter my dog?: The debate over a common procedure — and why some countries view it as a form of mutilation.

Donald Trump’s Kennedy Center is showier, emptier and more political: In 10 months, the president has transformed Washington’s cultural hub. Now comes his biggest night yet: the Kennedy Center Honors.

A show of Australian Indigenous art should have inspired awe. It’s a mess.: “The Stars We Do Not See” at the National Gallery of Art tells — and muddies — one of the most fascinating stories in 20th-century art.

Glyphosate safety article retracted eight years after Monsanto ghostwriting revealed in court - "This is how man created Astrology, which is effectively a random collection of lights in a 2-D view of a 3-D universe from Earth, correlated with some human affair."

I was a red state governor. What I saw at Harvard surprised me. The spirit of association remains alive in unexpected places. - "What I’ve experienced may be a natural return to Harvard’s more moderate bearings, following noisy displays of intolerance by campus agitators in recent years. Or it may be due to the Trump administration’s forceful executive orders and fiscal pressure. Either way (and it’s probably both), let’s take the win and learn the broader lesson." [ed. note: he wasn't there, so how would he know it has changed at all?]

How Florida lost track of 30,000 students, a ‘cautionary tale’ for vouchers: The state’s auditor general found “a myriad of accountability problems” in the nation’s largest voucher program.

Trump announces $11 billion tariff relief for farmers: Farmers — particularly those who produce soybeans — have felt the effect of the president’s trade policies.

GOP bill to overhaul D.C. bail system could balloon jail population: Republicans in Congress want to end cashless bail in D.C. and hold more suspects in jail before trial. Watchdogs say it could push the jail system to the brink. - "Data shows that such instances are rare. In D.C., in the first three quarters of fiscal year 2025, 90 percent of people did not reoffend while released, according to the federal Pretrial Services Agency; about 1.2 percent committed a violent offense while released."

Suspect in Jan. 6 pipe bomb case appears in court as probe continues: News of Brian Cole Jr.’s arrest came as a shock to a person who has been in regular contact with him for more than a decade.

D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith is stepping down: D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser praised Smith for her service but did not offer a reason for her departure. Smith said she resigned to spend more time with family.

The quest to slow aging leads scientists into the powerhouse of cells: Texas A&M researchers create mini mitochondria factories using tiny nanoflowers.

Democrats, who once lambasted Trump on immigration, have grown quiet: The lack of a unified voice comes as the crackdown on minority communities, including legal residents, has grown more aggressive.

Why Miami’s Trump backers are clashing with the ‘America First’ wing over Venezuela: As Trump threatens strongman Nicolás Maduro, Venezuelan and Cuban American supporters are urging the president to do whatever it takes to oust him. - "The Trump administration has said it is targeting Venezuela as part of a crackdown on drug trafficking, though the country is not one of the main suppliers of illicit drugs to the United States. Most fentanyl in the United States comes from Mexico, and most cocaine from Colombia. Very little of Venezuela’s drug production flows into U.S. borders, current and former U.S. officials say."

The tech fix that can clear the Western range of its barbed wire: GPS-based virtual fences clear migration corridors for wildlife while cutting costs for ranchers. - "This technology holds promise in part because ranchers themselves are not fence-lovers. Range fencing requires frequent repair, robbing ranchers of time they would prefer to invest in managing their herds. At upwards of $15,000 a mile, range fencing is also expensive, both to ranchers and to taxpayers. In 2018, the U.S. Agriculture Department subsidized more than $300 million of fencing on private ranch land.

"With virtual fencing, a cow is adorned with a solar-powered collar that communicates with a mapping app via satellite, cell or local reception tower to warn it — by an increasingly loud tone, followed by a mild electric shock — as it approaches a virtual fence line. Cows are not terribly smart, but they can be trained with the technology within a practice pasture in a few days. The current collars are a bit clunky. Cornell University scientists are developing an ear tag that does the same thing as the bulky collar."

The College Football Playoff Chose Outrage Notre Dame is out. Alabama and Miami are in. And the College Football Playoff committee just did what it does best. - "The conference title games exist to make money. To continue making money, they need teams to want to play in them. Telling the SEC runner-up that it would have made the playoff had it just stayed at home on Saturday, but now it’s been eliminated because it showed up and got its ass kicked, would undermine the entire point of college football: making people rich."

Reading archive 2025-12-05

Police make arrest in fatal shooting at MGM National Harbor: Benjamin Williams, 22, was located by police less than 14 hours after he allegedly killed Darnell Hawkins Jr., 23, in what police said was a targeted shooting in the hotel and casino’s food court.

Trump’s closure of Voice of America is coming back to bite him: As the president threatens Venezuela, Russia and China are filling the information vacuum.

How volcanoes upend the story of what sparked the Black Death: Volcanic eruptions could have fueled the spread of the Black Death plague across medieval Europe, according to a new study that pieces together evidence from ice cores, rare blue tree rings from ancient trees in the Pyrenees Mountains, historical accounts of famine and the grain trade.

FBI arrests Virginia man in Jan. 6 pipe bomb case: Justice Department officials said investigators revisited reams of evidence this year and found the “needle in a haystack” that led to a suspect.

The f-word. No, the other one.: A gay slur is having something of a cultural renaissance. Is that ... okay?

Meet the billionaire pushing taxpayer-funded school vouchers: How Jeff Yass, one of the richest people on the planet, uses politics to press his pet issue: school choice. - "Yass rarely if ever interacts with people he disagrees with on this subject. He volunteered to The Post that in business, he advises his employees to seek out alternative points of view. 'I always say, 'Go find the smartest person who disagrees with you,'' he said. 

"But he said he has never had a personal conversation with a public education advocate to try to understand their point of view. 'I would love to do that,' he said.

...

"In a 2021 conversation sponsored by the Adam Smith Society, part of a free-market think tank, he said that the U.S. is almost to the point where 'no one' is hungry, cold or lacks basic health insurance.

"'What’s the difference between a billionaire and a guy who’s making $100,000 a year? They’re both at home watching Netflix. And they’re both on their iPhones,' he said then. 'The disparity between how rich people live and how poor people live in America has never been smaller.'

"Government data shows that in 2024, there were 27 million uninsured Americans and in 2023, 18 million households were uncertain if they would have enough food. Wealth inequality has been rising for decades, with the richest families increasing their wealth at a faster rate than everyone else."

Reading archive 2025-12-04

How Fraud Swamped Minnesota’s Social Services System on Tim Walz’s Watch: Prosecutors say members of the Somali diaspora, a group with growing political power, were largely responsible. President Trump has drawn national attention to the scandal amid his crackdown on immigration. - "Feeding Our Future, the nonprofit group that was the largest provider in the pandemic program, responded with a warning. In an email, the group told the state agency that failing to promptly approve new applicants from 'minority-owned businesses' would result in a lawsuit featuring accusations of racism that would be 'sprawled across the news.'

...

"As a trial in the meals fraud case was coming to a close last summer, an attempt to bribe a juror included an explicit insinuation about racism, prosecutors said. Several defendants in the trial were found to have arranged to send a bag containing $120,000 to a juror along with a note that read, 'Why, why, why is it always people of color and immigrants prosecuted for the fault of other people?'

...

"Dr. Samatar said that Somali refugees who came to the United States after their country’s civil war were raised in a culture in which stealing from the country’s dysfunctional and corrupt government was widespread.

"Minnesota, he said, proved susceptible to rampant fraud because it is 'so tolerant, so open and so geared toward keeping an eye on the weak.'"

Ominous maps of a falling fortress city reveal a change in Ukraine war: Putting Russia’s campaign to capture Pokrovsk into perspective.

Trump’s attack on DEI may hurt college men, particularly White men: The Trump administration’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion also targets gender. The ban may impact gender balancing practices that often benefit college men. - "Columbia took 3 percent of women applicants last year and 4 percent of men. At the University of Chicago, 5.6 percent of male applicants were accepted last year, compared with 3.7 percent of female applicants. The ratio at the University of Miami was 22.5 percent to 16.5 percent; and at Vassar College, 20.4 percent to 17.6 percent. None of these universities would respond when asked whether they would continue to accept higher percentages of men than women, and neither would others that do it, including Yale, Baylor and Tulane universities and Pomona College."

FBI arrests Virginia man in Jan. 6 pipe bomb case: Federal officials arrested a Virginia man believed to have planted pipe bombs in D.C. the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol, according to people familiar with the matter. - "Law enforcement officials are investigating a motive but two people familiar with the matter described Cole as an extremist in his political beliefs."