Reading archive 2026-06-16

14-Year-Old Is Charged With Armed Robbery of Boston Lemonade Stand: A cash box containing about $80 was stolen from two siblings in Boston during the robbery, which occurred in broad daylight, the police and family members said.

Trump claims victory over Iran, but deal is silent on nuclear weapons: The president promised oil would resume flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, though U.S. and Iranian officials differed on the initial agreement’s terms. - "A spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baqaei, said Monday that Iran intended to keep charging fees for passage through the strait that would cover navigation services, environmental protection and ship insurance."

Covid vaccine linked to broad protections against heart conditions, study finds: A new study finds the vaccine was linked with nearly 40 percent lower risk of events like heart attack and stroke

He’s studied procrastination for 40 years. Here’s what he’s learned.: After so many years studying procrastination, Joseph Ferrari has some thoughts about why you can’t seem to get anything done — and how to fix that. - "'In our culture, we punish for being late,' Ferrari said. 'We need to reward for being early.' He believes incentives could transform the collective tendency to put things off. What if, for example, the government gave people a discount if they filed their taxes early, or stores offered their biggest holiday sales on the day after Thanksgiving rather than Christmas Eve?"

Good luck, JD Vance. I sense a setup.: The vice president is tasked with helping the Iran regime “learn the ways of peace.”

Algae forms in the Reflecting Pool. It’s ‘residual,’ Trump officials say.: A few days after the $14 million renovation was completed, along came the algae in the D.C. heat. It’s being removed, an Interior spokeswoman said, and measures are in place to prevent it in the future.

Planned forest fires have wider benefits than previously thought: The new research found managing low-severity fires across 1 million acres a year could reduce the amount of land that burned from severe fires by about 25 percent, protection that lasts for years.

The Milkman: Mark McAfee Promotes the Wonders of Raw Milk. It Has Sickened M Hundreds, Regulators Say - "'We have a red-flag system here, where if there’s anything that gets really out of whack, they can immediately tag the milk, and it doesn’t go to anything but cheese,' McAfee told me. 'Because, you know, cheese is resistant to pathogens.'

"Research has shown that raw cheese is not, in fact, resistant to pathogens; while aging can mitigate some risk, harmful bacteria can still survive the usual 60-day maturation process."

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 2025-06-03

The Rise of the Shallow State On the loss of state capacity and institutional memory in the federal government. - "This destruction of knowledge will obviously have serious long-term effects on U.S. state capacity — but in many cases the private sector will also be hit hard. That is because the provision of public goods often incentivizes the provision of private goods — which means the elimination of public goods puts a crimp in the ability of some markets to function. For example, the elimination of NOAA positions will make insurance more difficult to issue."

Records of dead people show how the pro-Trump spin machine keeps going: Supporters cite a prosaic DOGE announcement as evidence that a Social Security problem that never existed has been fixed.

Black Democrats fume over 2024 while ‘searching for a leader’ in 2028: Frustration over the loss to President Donald Trump came into sharp focus this past weekend in South Carolina, an early nominating state and power center for Black leaders.

What’s the best way to store strawberries? We tested popular methods.: Here’s how to store fresh strawberries to keep them plump, juicy and mold-free for as long as possible.

We are witnessing the suicide of a superpower: The president’s assault on science dangerously undermines America’s superpower status.

Infamous D.C. intersection with a Wendy’s in the middle is now a plaza: “Dave Thomas Circle,” a source of frustration and confusion for decades, has been remade into a park space with more efficient traffic lanes. It is now named after Negro leagues pitcher Mamie “Peanut” Johnson.

‘I want my child back’: Surge in D.C. shootings left 20 dead in May: A spike in violence pushed the city’s year-to-date homicide count to 69 as of May 31, nearly equaling the total for the same five-month period in 2024.

We finally may be able to rid the world of mosquitoes. But should we?: Gene editing holds the potential of suppressing mosquito species that carry deadly diseases — and raises ethical questions.

Where smoke from Canadian wildfires has spread into the U.S.: Smoke ended up as far south as the coastal Southeast U.S. over the weekend.

Reading archive 2025-04-16

To save our trees, we must burn down our forests: Fire suppression is causing the oak to disappear from our forests and landscapes.

Reading archive 2025-01-13

‘Every Little Thing’: Enchantment That Flaps at 50 Beats a Second: This film by Sally Aitken follows a hummingbird rescue center and the woman who tends to its denizens with immense care.

RFK isn’t big enough for a stadium with NFL-sized parking - "A stadium could fit comfortably in the 100 acres; 15–40 acres is a common football-stadium footprint. The parking the Commanders are likely to demand, however, will gobble up almost all of the rest. The average NFL stadium includes about 20,000–25,000 parking spots, a target of one spot for every three seats for stadiums with a capacity of about 60,000–80,000 seats. 

"And, NFL owners are increasingly demanding high-capacity facilities that can win bids for the big-money, prestige events like the Super Bowl and the World Cup. The NFL, in fact, requires a Super Bowl host have at minimum 35,000 parking spaces nearby, which means that any new stadium is likely going to aim for the high end of the range."

Ukraine has captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia, Zelensky says: The wounded fighters were taken for questioning to Kyiv, authorities said, where they could reveal details of Pyongyang’s cooperation with Moscow.

Zelensky ready to hand North Korea back its captured troops: Zelensky’s announcement came after he posted photos on social media of two men he said were North Korean soldiers captured in Russia’s Kursk region.

Mark Zuckerberg lies about content moderation to Joe Rogan’s face / The head of Meta cracked under Republican pressure. - "The problem wasn’t that the fact-checking was bad; it was that conservatives are more likely to share misinformation and get fact-checked, as some research has shown. That means conservatives are also more likely to be moderated. In this sense, perhaps it wasn’t Facebook’s fact-checking systems that had a liberal bias, but reality."

Why Los Angeles was unprepared for this fire: Several key factors left L.A. exposed to disaster. - "'There’s no urban water system engineered and constructed to combat wildfire,' said Michael McNutt, a spokesman for the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, which serves 75,000 people in northwest Los Angeles County. The system was intended to supply water to homes and businesses, he said, and to help fire crews defend a large structure or several homes, not multiple neighborhoods at once. 'The tanks were not able to refill fast enough to meet the overwhelming demand from the enormous firefighting response,' he said." [ed. note: sprawl, individuals ignoring mandated 5' defensible clearance, climate change, federal mandate to stop all fires, water system not built to combat multiple fires]

L.A.’s wildfires have leaders fighting on two fronts: Nature and politics: As weather forecasts predict the resumption of dangerous winds this week, the governor, L.A. mayor and others find California under attack from Trump, conservatives and advisers. - "One major point of criticism among conservatives has been funding levels for Los Angeles’s fire department, with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) decrying supposed — but nonexistent — cuts to the firefighting budget as evidence of 'feckless leadership' by Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Overall funding for the Los Angeles Fire Department increased by $80 million, or 9.1 percent, in the 2024-2025 fiscal year." [ed. note: THEY ARE SO STUPID]

Anita Bryant, pitchwoman who crusaded against gay rights, dies at 84: She became one of the most incendiary cultural warriors of the 1970s and saw her prosperous singing career implode as a result.

Biden administration sanctions Russia’s oil giants and tanker fleet: The White House, now unconcerned about the effect on gas prices and inflation, blacklisted two of Russia’s biggest oil producers and nearly 200 tanker ships.

Republicans, enjoy ineffectual control of Congress while you have it: With Congress ceding so much power to presidents, Trump, not GOP lawmakers, is where the action is.

As Trump prepares to take power, MAGA can’t stop the ugly infighting: A new clash between Stephen K. Bannon and Elon Musk epitomizes the fraught and bellicose confederation that surrounds Donald Trump.

The Great MAGA Schism of 2025 is only getting uglier: War of words between Musk and Bannon shows gap between rhetoric and reality

The U.S. is unprepared for a major war. Can Pete Hegseth fix that?: Trump’s defense secretary pick would face a staggering challenge in readying America for war. - "The problem isn’t that the U.S. military has gone 'woke,' as MAGA partisans such as Hegseth allege. The problem is that America became complacent after the Cold War when it downsized its armed forces and its defense-industrial base. Since then, the United States has prepared a military suitable for fighting insurgents in Afghanistan or Iraq — but utterly inadequate for an extended fight against a major power.

...

"Now it will be up to senators to decide if Hegseth — who was dogged by accusations of mismanagement and misconduct at the two nonprofits he ran — is the right person to rebuild America’s atrophied defense capabilities. The committee members should grill him not only about his past, but also about his plans to address this massive challenge. His record doesn’t inspire confidence that he can rise to a task that would severely test far more experienced executives.

Reading archive 2024-11-18

Trump allies eye overhauling Medicaid, food stamps in tax legislation: Republican leaders, looking for ways to offset the cost of lower taxes, are considering changes to safety net programs for the poor.

Inside the Republican false-flag effort to turn off Kamala Harris voters: A multipronged dark money effort by advisers to Elon Musk targeted liberals, Jews, Muslims and Black voters with ads that were not quite what they seemed. - "Muslims in Michigan began seeing pro-Israel ads this fall praising Vice President Kamala Harris for marrying a Jewish man and backing the Jewish state. Jews in Pennsylvania, meanwhile, saw ads from the same group with the opposite message: Harris wanted to stop U.S. arms shipments to Israel.

"Another group promoted “Kamala’s bold progressive agenda” to conservative-leaning Donald Trump voters, while a third filled the phones of young liberals with videos about how Harris had abandoned the progressive dream. Black voters in North Carolina were told Democrats wanted to take away their menthol cigarettes, while working-class White men in the Midwest were warned that Harris would support quotas for minorities and deny them Zyn nicotine pouches. 

"What voters had no way of knowing at the time was that all of the ads were part of a single, $45 million effort created by political advisers to Tesla founder Elon Musk who had previously worked on the presidential campaign of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), according to a presentation about the group’s efforts obtained by The Washington Post."

Why wildfires in the eastern U.S. can be more destructive than you may think: The East may not face the same threats of massive wildfires that have become an ominous hallmark of life in the West. But the risks are underestimated.

Trump Says He’ll Move Thousands of Federal Workers Out of Washington. Here’s What Happened the First Time He Tried.: The Bureau of Land Management’s headquarters moved from the capital to Colorado in 2020, causing an exodus of leadership. If elected, Trump plans to use the same tactic across more of the federal government.

A Pregnant Teenager Died After Trying to Get Care in Three Visits to Texas Emergency Rooms: It took three ER visits and 20 hours before a hospital admitted Nevaeh Crain, 18, as her condition worsened. Doctors insisted on two ultrasounds to confirm “fetal demise.” She’s one of at least two Texas women who died under the state’s abortion ban. - "Fails and Crain believed abortion was morally wrong. The teen could only support it in the context of rape or life-threatening illness, she used to tell her mother. They didn’t care whether the government banned it, just how their Christian faith guided their own actions.

...

"But when her daughter got sick, Fails expected that doctors had an obligation to do everything in their power to stave off a potentially deadly emergency, even if that meant losing Lillian. In her view, they were more concerned with checking the fetal heartbeat than attending to Crain." [ed. note: lol go septic and die, bitch]

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/02/26/us/undocumented-border-officer-cec [ed. note: from 2023]

Hours after Trump win, Biden moves to limit oil drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: An oil-and-gas auction is slated for the refuge’s coastal plain, which provides critical habitat for caribou, polar bears and other wildlife.

Canada sees opportunity in these mines. Alaskans see a threat.: Indigenous people, environmentalists and lawmakers of both parties fear more mining in British Columbia’s Golden Triangle could pollute Alaska’s waterways. - "In the 1950s, British Columbia’s Tulsequah Chief Mine began polluting a tributary to the salmon-rich Taku River in Alaska’s southeast with sulfuric acid and heavy metals. Decades later, the mine is still leaking; the pace of the cleanup, glacial."

Biden races to Trump-proof his climate legacy: Several agencies are working to finalize environmental rules and policies before Donald Trump’s inauguration.

With Trump win, Israeli minister calls to annex parts of West Bank: Comments Monday by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich were the strongest display yet of how Trump’s election has emboldened Israeli hard-liners. - "Giving military control to a handpicked civilian has been viewed as another step toward Smotrich’s long-running aspiration, outlined in a 2017 treatise, to achieve 'victory by settlement' and extend Israeli law over the territory — an effort analysts say would effectively convert occupation into annexation."

Musk appears to pressure Trump on Cabinet and tariffs, irking advisers: Elon Musk, the billionaire who has become Donald Trump’s “first buddy,” appeared to publicly pressure the president-elect on economic policy and a key Cabinet pick.

Trump promised mass deportations. Mexico isn’t ready.: Half of undocumented immigrants in the United States are Mexican. Here’s how Trump’s plan would harm both countries. - "Mexican officials argue they have a strong hand in dealing with Trump on immigration. Under pressure from the Biden administration, Mexico launched its own crackdown on migrants this past year. That played a key role in driving down U.S. border detentions by 78 percent since December. Now they’re even lower than they were when Trump finished his first term."

Go bags, passports, foreign assets: Preparing to be a target of Trump’s revenge: Some prominent critics of Donald Trump, and those he has vilified as “deep state” saboteurs, are taking seriously his vow of retribution.

Reading archive 2024-09-10

The world is burning an alarming amount of plastic, scientists say: Around 12 percent of all plastic waste produced in cities is burned in the open air.

One of the most potent greenhouse gases is rising faster than ever: Methane emissions from fossil fuels, farms and landfills will make it impossible for the world to maintain a safe climate, scientists say. - "New research from the Global Carbon Project — an international coalition of scientists that seeks to quantify planet-warming emissions — finds that methane levels in the atmosphere are tracking those projected by the worst-case climate scenarios."

D.C. bill seeks more oversight of beleaguered: 911 call center The legislation marks the D.C. Council’s latest attempt to elicit more information from the city’s 911 agency.

How a dropped bag of Cheetos had ‘world changing’ impact on life in a cave: After a visitor dropped the snack in Carlsbad Caverns, the “foreign detritus” sparked mold and microbial growth that disturbed the delicate ecosystem, the park said.

The TVA helped electrify the South — but now its plans are sparking backlash: The Tennessee Valley Authority is coming under fire from energy experts and environmentalists for building gas plants instead of renewables. - "Marilyn Brown, a professor at Georgia Tech who was nominated to the TVA board by President Barack Obama in 2009, and again in 2013, said she was asked to speak with roughly 10 senators before her confirmation, and she recalled being 'hounded' over her longtime advocacy of energy-efficiency measures. Brown added that Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican who retired in 2021, asked her to oppose any wind projects in his state, and two senators questioned the basis of her concerns about global warming."

Facebook is blocking emergency warnings as wildfires roar through West: The Post has collected more than 40 examples of Facebook removing emergency-related posts during at least 20 wildfires since June. The explanation: “you tried to get likes, follows, shares or video views in a misleading way.”

Elon Musk’s misleading election claims reach millions and alarm election officials: The X billionaire’s false posts about noncitizen voting spur officials to fact-check him, lead to requests to purge voter rolls, and add to worries about threats, election officials say. - "'Musk puts out this malarkey and he says nonsense, uneducated things and he gets corrected,' said Tom Irvine, who for 15 years was the primary outside counsel for elections in Maricopa and defended the county against election challenges following the 2020 presidential election. 'And then he says it again and again and again.'"

U.S. demands IDF change West Bank operations after American’s killing: Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s comments were the strongest yet from a U.S. official after the Israeli military said it was 'highly likely' it 'unintentionally' killed Aysenur Eygi.

As Trump looms, Ukraine turns to its evangelicals to woo the Republicans: Ukraine has the largest evangelical community in Europe and its outreach to Republicans could prove crucial in securing additional American aid.

How one company’s plan to help the planet went off the rails: C-Quest Capital claimed it could improve people’s lives in Africa with cleaner cookstoves. But an investigation by The Post shows it promised more than it could deliver.

Body-cam footage of Tyreek Hill incident shows rapid escalation: The video shows the NFL star being pulled from his car and placed in handcuffs by police.

Sen. Tuberville blocks promotion of Lloyd Austin’s top military aide: Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark was among the defense secretary’s senior staff who, upon learning of his hospitalization, did not immediately notify the White House or Congress.

The irony of the professional tradwife: What I learned from watching too many episodes of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”

Penzeys Spices draws backlash — and support — after Kamala Harris visit: The Wisconsin-based spice shop’s owner is an outspoken supporter of liberal policies and no stranger to conservatives’ ire.

Why cities are getting more rainy: A study has found most cities receive significantly more rain than nearby rural regions, an effect that has become more pronounced over the past two decades.

D.C. police release video of officers shooting violence interrupter: D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith declined to comment on whether the officers at the scene followed protocol, saying that would be part of the investigation into the shooting.

What we know about Justin Robinson’s death and the D.C. police shooting video: D.C. police fatally shot Justin Robinson, 26, earlier this month at a McDonald’s in Southeast Washington.

Two District Men Plead Guilty to Charges in Killing of Man in Southeast Washington: Victim Shot in Broad Daylight Near Food Market - "According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 24, 2016, at about 2:30 p.m., Robinson and the victim, Demetrius Medlay, bumped shoulders and briefly argued at a market in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. Robinson drove away, but returned to the area about 10 minutes later. He got out of the car holding a handgun with an extended magazine. While waving the gun, he argued with Mr. Medlay on the sidewalk and then drove off. 

"Robinson stopped the car at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Esther Place SE at about 2:45 p.m. Grover was standing at the corner. Referring to Mr. Medlay, Robinson said, “You can smoke him,” to which Grover replied, 'All right.'"

Looting reported in D.C. after release of police shooting video: The thefts and the destruction of property occurred in Georgetown, City Center and other parts of the city.

As Trump looms, Ukraine turns to its evangelicals to woo the Republicans: Ukraine has the largest evangelical community in Europe and its outreach to Republicans could prove crucial in securing additional American aid. - "In the areas of Ukraine that Russian forces currently occupy, Christian denominations independent of the Russian Orthodox Church are being closed down and oppressed, including Catholics, members of Ukraine’s own Orthodox Church, as well as Evangelicals."

Reading archive 2024-07-31

X suspends ‘White Dudes for Harris’ account after massive fundraiser: The suspension led to unease about how Musk could use X to sway voters in the final stretch of the campaign, even as Republicans welcome his influence.

In 911 call day before shooting, Sonya Massey’s mom pleaded: Don’t hurt her: Newly obtained recordings show that local law enforcement knew of Massey and that her mother had asked 911, “Please don’t send no combative policemen that are prejudiced.”

Shingles vaccine linked with lower dementia risk, study shows: The research adds to growing recognition that infectious agents may play a role in the development of some types of dementia.

Opinion  Behind Russia’s absence at the Olympics, a deepening fury: After the war in Ukraine ends, the Kremlin might seek revenge against the United States and Europe.

‘The perfect storm times three’: Crime, political chaos divide Oakland: A run of bad news has revived some of the most pernicious stereotypes about Oakland. But its image as crime-ridden and dysfunctional obscures the whole story.

Massive dragonfly swarms delight some beachgoers, terrify others: Social media videos showed people screaming and panicking as they were surrounded by the insects at Rhode Island beaches.

‘I thought it was safe’: Why lawsuits are mounting over this chemical linked to cancer: A slew of environmental groups, meanwhile, have sued the Environmental Protection Agency in federal court, arguing that a March update of national emissions standards doesn’t do enough to protect residents from cancer-causing pollutants, including ethylene oxide. - "The EPA risk model is based on estimates reported by the facilities, said senior author Peter DeCarlo, an associate professor in the university’s Department of Environmental Health and Engineering. 'I think they’re very frequently, and most of the time, very big underestimates.'"

The fight to make landlords turn down the thermostat: Cooling proposals are similar to protections many tenants have for adequate heating. But some see cost as a hurdle.

A surprising byproduct of wildfires: Contaminated drinking water

Jimmer Fredette, a cult hoops hero, is back as a three-on-three Olympian: Thirteen years after his days as a college basketball phenomenon, the former BYU standout is realizing a dream in Paris.

Climate leaders say Harris has ‘lit an electric spark’ with young voters: More than 350 environmentalists endorse her candidacy, saying it could help energize climate-minded voters, less than 100 days before the 2024 election. [ed. note: this is so stupid, Biden has done more on climate than anyone ever]

How to make all your food waste disappear: Composting is not for everyone. But have you tried a solar digester?

Have babies for Russia: Putin presses women to embrace patriotism over feminism

Hundreds of ‘Harris for President’ golf carts roll through Trump stronghold: The Trump stronghold saw hundreds of decorated golf carts lining its streets on Saturday in a show of support for Vice President Harris.

‘White Dudes for Harris’ — including The Dude himself — raise over $4M: The Zoom fundraiser for Vice President Harris, attended by Jeff Bridges, Mark Hamill and Pete Buttigieg among others, raised over $4 million, organizers said.

D.C. meets goal to add 36,000 housing units ahead of schedule: Officials expect the housing construction boom to cool rocketing rental prices in the city.

D.C. region under drought watch as officials advise limiting water use: Officials says short showers and other limits on water use can help the region as heat continues.

Artists say Putin’s push for patriotism is killing Russian culture

How the Murdoch family ended up in a legal fight over the future of Fox: A move by the 93-year-old patriarch to preserve his global company’s conservative bent and consolidate power under one son triggered a battle among siblings. - "'It does strike me that there’s a way for there to be a conservative news channel that doesn’t slide into the fever swamps that have already cost Fox $787.5 million in claims,' he said."

‘Weird’ is the most effective insult Democrats have tried. Here’s why.: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and others are finding new potency in calling the Republicans as they see them: not normal. - "“They called us weird so I’ll call them weirder,” said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), according to an X post — but “weird” is an insult that doesn’t work both ways. Gay kids, trans kids, cat ladies and horse boys have already spent an entire lifetime being told they were weird, and they have learned to wear it as a badge of honor if they need to. But when your whole political movement is based on a return to some “Pleasantville” vision of American normalcy, 'weird' actually hurts. It’s not great to wonder whether, in the eyes of your fellow citizens, you’re just kind of ... lame."

How a school district took its spat with a local TV station to the FCC: A Loudoun County official claims WJLA’s reporting on hot-button issues shows a ‘dishonest’ slant. Station owner Sinclair calls it an attempt to ‘shut down critical news coverage.’

Probe finds ‘wasteful spending’ in Montgomery electric school bus effort: The report found vehicles weren’t delivered on time. The bus company’s chief executive said the contract allowed a grace period

Only a quarter of these trains are on time. The DOJ says it’s illegal.: The Justice Department is suing Norfolk Southern, accusing the private rail company illegally holding up Amtrak trains on a line that runs from New York to New Orleans.

D.C. police detain one of four teens who escaped a psychiatric facility: Authorities have not described their efforts to find the youths who escaped from the Psychiatric Institute of Washington or said why the search is into its third week.

The emails that brought down Enron still shape our daily lives

Opinion  Trump and Republicans are threatening to curb democracy in D.C.: A potential GOP takeover might be constitutional, but it is rankly undemocratic. - "Congressional Republicans might relish the prospect of ruling D.C. because legislating for the city is a good way to score points with their own constituents back home — while facing none from the disenfranchised people their actions actually affect."

Reading archive 2024-07-26

Three shot, one fatally, in Shaw neighborhood of Northwest Washington: Police said they are investigating whether the shooting is related to another one a half-hour earlier in Southeast.

His fixer-upper wasn’t perfect. Now the city wants to auction it off.: As building inspectors move on blighted and vacant properties, a retired mechanic working on his old house got caught in the sweep.

Trump’s second-term agenda plans a purge of the federal workforce: Trump’s platform calls for firing “rogue bureaucrats.” He and a think tank want to limit civil service protections, allowing in more political appointees.

Top Sinaloa cartel leader taken into U.S. custody alongside son of ‘El Chapo’: Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada was fooled into boarding a U.S.-bound private plane with Joaquin Guzmán, El Chapo’s son, who was also detained, a DHS official said.

Mexico wasn’t told of cartel arrests until kingpins were in U.S. custody: The capture of Sinaloa cartel leaders Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López were a historic coup for U.S. agents against a syndicate that’s flooded the United States with fentanyl.

Russia wary of U.S. and France election surprises, especially Kamala Harris: Harris, largely unknown to the Russians, is viewed with alarm.

Massive Park Fire continues spread after start from flaming car, officials say: A man was arrested in connection with California’s largest fire this year after a woman said she saw him push a burning car down a ravine.

What we know about Ronnie Stout, suspect in California’s Park Fire: Butte County authorities say a witness saw Stout push a burning car down a ravine prior to the ignition of what is now California’s biggest fire of the year.

Trump White House was warned sanctions on Venezuela could fuel migration: The internal debate over the policy underscores how U.S. financial measures can sometimes lead to unintended consequences.

Barack and Michelle Obama endorse Kamala Harris for president: The Obamas are the final key leaders in the Democratic Party to unite behind Harris after President Biden ended his bid for a second term.

Harris embarks on sprint to find Democratic running mate: The likely presidential nominee is mulling roughly a dozen potential vice-presidential candidates and plans to make a decision by Aug. 7.

Why no one’s building middle-income housing in American cities - "When residents oppose new construction in their neighborhoods to fight 'luxury housing,' they are fostering the environment in which those very high-rent projects thrive."

Reading archive 2023-07-20

Seniors are migrating to states that face America’s most extreme heat

Ukraine begins firing U.S.-provided cluster munitions at Russian forces

Opinion  Our democracy is menaced by two dragons. Here’s how to slay them.

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s explicit visuals at Hunter Biden hearing draw rebuke

Five animals that have evolved to cope with wildfires: Animals have long learned to live alongside wildfires, but those coping skills are being tested as Earth enters the Pyrocene

Reading archive 2023-06-09

Welcome to the D.C. queer bar where consent rules: As You Are has developed a loyal and diverse LGBTQ clientele since opening its doors last spring. They come for a sense of safety and community they say they can’t find anywhere else.

‘We Need to Start Killing’: Trump’s Far-Right Supporters Are Threatening Civil War: Within minutes of Trump’s indictment, supporters lit up social media platforms with violent threats and calls for civil war.

What’s actually in all that smoke you’re breathing

Opinion  In the House, a spectacular flameout

Saudi crown prince threatened ‘major’ economic pain on U.S. amid oil feud: After President Biden vowed to impose ‘consequences’ on Saudi Arabia for slashing oil production last year, Mohammed bin Salman privately threatened to sever ties and retaliate economically, according to a classified U.S. intelligence document.