Reading archive 2026-06-24

‘It’s PR, not the ER’: Gen Z is resisting the workplace emergency: As the workforce evolves, younger generations are rejecting a frenetic approach to work that can create undue stress and cross work-life balance boundaries. - "It’s a little morbid, Jiles said, but she thinks of something her mother told her: 'At the end of the day, if you pass away, they’re just going to post your position and talk about how nice you were,' Jiles said. 'Do what you can. Do it well, but that’s it.'"

With Cuba, Trump had better beware of what he wishes for: What obligation does the U.S. bear toward the impoverished island prison?

Rocked by the Iran war, the UAE sours on Trump: ‘We got played’: Across the Persian Gulf region, the president was viewed as a pro-business ally, but his decision to wage war on Iran and his erratic conduct have tarnished his image.

Another Top General Is Out at the Pentagon: C. D. Donahue, the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan, is the latest in a long line of military departures. - "Donahue would be at least the sixth three- or four-star Army general to depart unexpectedly, out of the roughly 60 generals in the service who hold those ranks. They include the well-regarded General James Mingus, a former Army vice chief of staff. 'It's interesting that the guy who says he wants to bring back the warrior culture is expunging the biggest warriors in the Army ranks,' one retired Army officer told us. 'This is not a war on woke. This is a war on warriors.'"

SpaceX Just Needs the Money: What this year of humongous IPOs says about the tech industry - "Historically, this combination of a wave of IPOs and a rise in existing companies issuing more stock has not boded well for stocks in the long term. In many cases, a big surge in stock supply overwhelms demand-and raises questions about whether markets are properly reflecting value or inflating a bubble. As the economist and hedge-fund manager Owen Lamont has written, 'When firms are selling, you should generally sell as well.' The volatility of SpaceX stock, which has tumbled for days, erasing nearly all of the gains enjoyed by the average investor, shows just how much uncertainty attends even the most hyped stock offerings in a risky industry."

Inside the Dirty, Dystopian World of AI Data Centers: The race to power AI is already remaking the physical world. - "For now, using existing power sources more wisely, rather than building new ones, may be all the AI industry needs. Electrical grids are designed for periods of peak demand - cooling on summer afternoons, heating on winter mornings - but mostly they run well below maximum capacity. Researchers at Duke University have shown that if data centers reduced their electricity consumption during some of those peaks, it would free up enough electricity to accommodate the country's planned data centers for years. Google and xAI have already entered agreements to do so."

Reading archive 2026-06-2

Wild Blueberry Farms Across Maine Suffer as Climate Change Upends Growing Seasons: Like lobster rolls, wild blueberries are iconic in Maine. But heat and drought have set the plants back to a point where many small farmers are struggling against reduced yields and increased costs for mulch and irrigation. - "Wild blueberries are smaller and have a stronger flavor than their cultivated counterparts.

...

"One of the few native North American fruits, wild blueberry patches have often existed in the same spot for longer than the farms that now harvest them.

...

"Wild blueberries are smaller and have a stronger flavor compared to cultivated blueberries."

[ed. note: "Wild Blueberry" refers to Vaccinium angustifolium; there are tons of native North American fruits; this very article depicts "wild blueberries" as cultivated]

Tiny Footprints, a Blue Blanket: What I Can’t Forget About the Babies Who Died of Vitamin K Deficiency: The deaths of these babies likely could have been prevented with a long-standard vitamin shot. For reporter Duaa Eldeib, their autopsy reports painted the clearest picture of the tragedy of their short lives.

The Case for Impeaching and Removing Every Federal Judge and Supreme Court Justice Who Has Ever Been a Member of the Federalist Society or Endorsed Unitary Executive Theory.: A serious claim requiring serious consideration. - "This brings us to the load-bearing claim of the entire argument. Unitary executive theory is a different constitution. The doctrine claims constitutional authority that the text does not grant, that the framers explicitly rejected, that the first Congress did not exercise, and that no court recognized until the conservative legal movement invented the doctrine in the 1980s. The text of Article II vests executive power in the president and requires the president to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, language that imposes obligations rather than granting unilateral control. The framers, as Hamilton’s Federalist 77 makes explicit and as the rejected Pinckney motion confirms, did not grant the executive the unaccountable authority the doctrine claims. The first Congress built executive offices with mixed structures and independent components. No court endorsed the strong version of unitary executive theory until the conservative legal movement built the doctrine in the 1980s and spent forty years credentialing the judges who would convert academic argument into binding law. The doctrine functions as a replacement for the Constitution rather than an interpretation of it, offered by a political movement that could not amend the document through Article V and decided to install its preferred version through judicial appointments instead."

Tesla Solar Roof is on life support as it pivot to panels

Restoring the Flow: A Milestone in the Revival of the Everglades: The campaign to restore the Everglades has received a boost with completion of a key project that returns the flow of water to 55,000 acres that had once been drained for development. Experts see it as a major step forward in bringing back South Florida’s River of Grass.

The missing ingredient in plant-based food isn’t taste or nutrition: It takes more than flavor and texture to win a culture war.

Poland’s steely response to Russia’s hybrid warfare: Eastern European countries are keeping out Russia’s “weaponized migrants.” Reporters got a look.

What Colbert’s show ending means for the rest of late-night TV: “The Late Show,” an American television institution, goes off the air this week. It almost certainly portends changes to come for the classic television format.

Dozens of victims in Loudoun County rental scheme as woman accused of taking $100K+

Parking lots get hot and are bad for storm runoff. These groups are testing other options

Russian Position Weakening in Central Asia

5 ideas for how we survive the possible AI jobs apocalypse: Elon Musk, Elizabeth Warren and lots of policy wonks have suggestions to help workers hit by automation. Which would you bet your future on?

As Russia fails to achieve war aims in Ukraine, Putin needs a way out: European officials say Moscow's escalating aggression is a result of increasing difficulties that Russia is facing militarily and economically.

Utility bills in D.C. are rising. Here’s what to know.: Pepco and D.C. Water plan to raise monthly utility costs for customers in D.C., citing inflationary costs and supply chain strain.

‘It was cruel’: Scott Pelley confronts new ‘60 Minutes’ boss in fiery meeting: The veteran correspondent demanded answers on fired staff and the new executive producer’s qualifications for the job.

The rise of Janeese Lewis George, who could be D.C.’s first democratic socialist mayor: Focusing on workers’ and tenants’ rights, the council member would represent a drastic shift in the status quo if elected to the city’s highest office.

There are no Supreme Court vacancies, but some judges are acting like there might be: Speculation is swirling over potential departures at the high court, and firebrand conservative judges might be using flashy rulings to audition for the president.

As Ukraine’s fortunes improve, it’s ‘zugzwang’ time for Putin: Drone warfare has produced a bloody battlefield stasis reminiscent of World War I.

With Smithsonian under scrutiny, its leader curates a complex history show: Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III has co-curated “American Aspirations” as the Smithsonian faces federal pressure. “Nobody has told us what to do,” he said, “and to be honest, I won’t let anybody tell us what to do.”

After a brutal winter, Ukraine’s drones are breaking Russian defenses: Russia’s advance has suddenly stalled, and Ukraine is fighting on its own terms — a comeback credited to Kyiv’s efforts to steadily strengthen the capabilities of its UAVs.

Child’s Play: Tech’s new generation and the end of thinking

If you let AI do your writing, I will come to your house and kill you: Did you think I wouldn’t be able to tell? I can tell. - "The reason it’s so hard to get AI to stop hallucinating is that it’s permanently hallucinating. Its whole existence is one long lurid trip. Most of the time, the AI’s hallucinations bear a spooky resemblance to reality. But what they speak is the language of angels, in which, like the chirping of birds, there is neither truth nor lies."

Reading archive 2026-05-01

 I Turned Our Lawn Into a Meadow: And it’s been awesome.

A Catholic case against lawns: Catholic social teaching offers a framework for rethinking the use of outdoor space to nurture the shared flourishing of all creation. - "Lawn culture represents a mindset of control, consumption, and individualism. Lawns reflect not only questions about sustainability and creation care, but they also raise issues about wealth and human dignity and the use of resources that could benefit the common good. Catholic social teaching offers Catholics a framework for rethinking the use of lawn space not only to protect the environment but to nurture the shared flourishing of all creation."

Will labor unions destroy D.C. transit?: Quality is relatively high — at an unsustainable price.

Does drinking water prevent kidney stones? Here’s what experts say." Increased hydration is considered the best way to prevent kidney stones. A new study suggests it’s not that easy. May 1, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. EDT

Trump’s border wall expansion just bulldozed an ancient tribal site: Construction in the Arizona desert damaged an enormous Indigenous ground etching resembling a fish that is thought to be at least 1,000 years old. - "The Department of Homeland Security has issued waivers so that border wall construction does not have to follow laws that protect the environment or Indigenous sites, which normally require extensive study and planning to limit damages."

A long-standing Senate tradition is being quietly undermined: Senate Majority Leader John Thune has resisted Trump’s pleas to kill the filibuster, but Republicans circumvented it in trying to fund immigration enforcement agencies.

Trump’s allies float a specious theory about treaties: Another dubious attempt to justify aggrandizing power in the executive branch. - "The 'unitary executive theory' is an idea percolating in America’s political and judicial debates. Its radicalism includes insistence that the president may unilaterally withdraw the nation from treaties to which the Senate has consented."

America’s obesity problem isn’t about costs. We just love junk food.: Junk food is cheaper than healthful food, but a new study reinforces taste preferences play a bigger role than prices. - "Researchers recruited Type 2 diabetes patients who were at risk of food insecurity. Their average BMI was 36, which is classified as obese. All participants got standard-issue diabetes care information, but one group was also given a 'produce prescription,' a debit card good for $80 per month of fruits, vegetables or legumes. 

"The hypothesis was that access to free produce would improve the diets, and therefore some of the health metrics, of the group that got the prescription. 

"But it didn’t."

Reading archive 2026-03-16

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

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

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

Jobs least and most vulnerable to AI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading archive 2026-01-05

Trump Almost Has a Point About the Federal Reserve: The central bank has long abused its power in ways that benefit the financial sector at the expense of everyone else. - "If, however, the Court rules against Trump—as it is widely expected to do—congressional Democrats should not consider the matter of Fed independence resolved. Instead, a future Democratic administration and Congress should pass legislation preserving the Fed’s independent power to set monetary policy, while stripping most other authorities away from the central bank. The logic of central-bank independence simply does not apply to such matters as bank regulation and payment systems, which ought to be subject to democratic control.

...

"Trump’s attacks on America’s bedrock institutions deserve a thoughtful response, not a defensive one. Trump often identifies real problems, even if he offers terrible solutions. The Federal Reserve has abused its independence for decades, substituting its judgment for the law with no mechanisms to hold it accountable. As a spate of recent insider-trading scandals among senior Fed officials demonstrates, the institution can’t even hold its own personnel accountable."

Suspect in Jan. 6 pipe bomb case indicted on federal charges: Brian Cole Jr. was charged with planting explosive devices near the RNC and DNC headquarters on Jan. 5, 2021. He was ordered jailed pending trial.

D.C. police sergeant accused of waving gun in Md. road-rage encounter: Authorities said Sgt. Kaila Crews has been placed on leave by the department after being charged with assault and other crimes in the December incident.

How the Smithsonian’s National Zoo feeds its animals

Progressives, don’t force 20th-century rules on 21st-century workers: Gig work is facing death by a thousand regulatory cuts. [ed. note: Manhattan Institute hack. From comment section: "We need to classify these innocent sounding gig 'apps' as technology monopolies that control large chunks of the labor force, but refuse to follow well established employment practices under Labor Law."]

Evangelicals’ support for Israel is dropping. 1,000 pastors want to reverse that.: Alarmed by anti-Israel sentiment from conservative influencers, the religious leaders traveled en masse to Israel to counter podcasters’ messaging. - "Carlson in recent months has hosted a range of anti-Israel conspiracy theorists. Among them were: amateur historian Darryl Cooper, who implied on the show that Jews’ deaths in the Holocaust were a result of poor Nazi planning, not genocidal intent; Owens, who said Israel is a 'demonic nation' and that it had a role in the killing of Charlie Kirk; and Fuentes, who told Carlson the major roadblock to American unity is 'organized Jewry.' They all frame their comments on Israel as part of an 'America first' agenda that they say has been unfairly framed as antisemitic."

Perennials for the Shady Side

‘Blind Into Caracas.’: Less than 24 hours in, members of the Trump team are celebrating victory. None of them seem to have wondered what happens a day, a month, a decade from now. - "Special horseshit award for Marco Rubio. He claimed that the Trump team couldn’t let anyone in Congress know about the Maduro mission ahead of time, for fear of leaks. And that this caution extended even to the “Gang of Eight” in Congress. These are the select, bipartisan assemblage of leaders who are supposed to be briefed on the most sensitive security matters—and who (in contrast to the Trump team) have had over the decades zero cases of leaking sensitive information before military operations. 

"Rubio knows full well that the most grievous leaks in the Trump era have come either from Trump himself or from Pete Hegseth. (Including the pathetically incompetent WhatsApp Signal group chat.) To be clear, Rubio knows that what he was saying today was false—his claim that elite Congressional intelligence committees cannot keep secrets. But he said it anyway, because it is what Trump wanted to hear. This is what we call lying in normal life." [ed. note: also a couple great comments for understanding just how difficult Venezuala's ultra-heavy crude is to process]

A Criminal Empire: The United States launches a conquest and occupation of Venezuela to extract its oil wealth. The neocon dream is the America First dream

Trump's Critics Are Falling Into an Obvious Trap: The capture of Nicolás Maduro is a show of ambition that calls for an effective response. [ed. note: good critique, no solution offered]

Iranians Have Had Enough: The demonstrations erupting across the Islamic Republic reflect deep economic and political discontent. - "Opponents of the Islamic Republic remain hopelessly disorganized and disunited. Some protesters have chanted slogans in favor of Reza Pahlavi, Iran's exiled crown prince. But Pahlavi remains a divisive figure among anti-regime Iranians. Many reject his claim to leadership. Pahlavi's supporters and top advisers routinely criticize popular domestic dissidents including the Nobel Peace laureate Narges Mohammadi, actress Taraneh Alidoosti, and rapper Toumaj Salehi. Earlier this month, Mohammadi was physically attacked by pro-Pahlavi protesters in the northeastern city of Mashhad. 

"Regardless of their politics, all opposition factions have failed to build powerful organizations or lasting networks that could direct the protests. Without such direction, the current protests are likely to lose momentum and fizzle out, just like previous rounds. Even if they were to last, it is far likelier that figures from inside the regime's ranks would take the initiative and wrest power from Khamenei, than that the protesters would succeed in bringing about a change to the regime's basic structures."

Britain Should Have Read the Tweets First The case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah is a test of Britain’s values. - "The situation is deeply embarrassing for Starmer, who welcomed Abd el-Fattah's arrival in Britain so warmly. He now claims not to have known about the "absolutely abhorrent" tweets and is promising to 'review the information failures in this case.' Apparently, despite years of campaigning for this guy, the combined might of the British civil service never thought to search his Twitter handle. If the authorities had conducted even a cursory background check, they would have found opinions such as this (now-deleted) assertion from 2012: 'I'm a racist, I don't like white people so piss off.'

...

"Starmer, a former human-rights lawyer, approaches every problem with an arid obsession with process rather than outcome-as if, when people follow every dot and comma of the rules, nothing bad can happen and no one should complain."

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 2025-11-18

More than $1 billion and two decades later, the Grand Egyptian Museum is — finally — ready to share its treasures

With China Truce, U.S. National Security Controls Now Appear Up for Negotiation: Some analysts say Beijing won a major victory in its trade talks: Getting the U.S. to withdraw a national security measure that previously was not under discussion.

Cleaning Woman Killed Through Door After Arriving at Wrong Home, Police Say: The shooting of the woman, an immigrant from Guatemala, took place on Wednesday in Indiana, a state with a “stand your ground” law.

Youth pastor accused of sexual relation with a teen arrested in Coarsegold

Dutch voters have been seduced by positivity – liberals elsewhere, take note

China has lent $200B to U.S. tech and infrastructure projects, report finds: Chinese lenders backed 2,500 projects, covering almost every U.S. state, from gas pipelines to airport terminals, even as Washington warned developing nations about Chinese debt traps.

Trump, Border Patrol Retreat in Failure from Chicago: Five important lessons of the first six months of Trump’s immigration raids — and why CBP’s Greg Bovino is the Nathan Bedford Forrest of the Trump era.

Gregory Bovino is exactly who E.B. White — author of 'Charlotte's Web' — warned us about: DHS named its North Carolina anti-immigrant effort "Operation Charlotte's Web." In 1940, White wrote of the "smell" that "rises" from those who "adjust to fascism" over freedom.

Kash Patel, the FBI's Agent of Chaos: The biggest little scandal in Washington right now is how bad Patel is at being FBI director

Whatever happened to U.B.I.?: Guaranteed income in the A.I. age - "To the extent that the threat of automation [ed. note: AI] is a point of leverage in class warfare, it can lower the wages of workers and otherwise disempower them--as the Gen Z employees from Walsh’s article are finding.

"In this way, guaranteed-income programs should be seen not as complementary to 'A.I. automation' but as leverage for the other side--workers, who can more easily withhold their labor and otherwise refuse disempowerment if they know they have an income floor."

How baby boomers got so rich and why their kids are unlikely to catch up: The wealthiest generation holds more than $85 trillion in assets thanks to economic conditions Gen X, millennials and others would be hard-pressed to replicate.

Armed man fatally shot by officer in Northeast, D.C. police say Gunfire breaks out after struggle near Deanwood Metro station; a gun was found.

D.C. lawmaker proposes summer jobs expansion, teen centers, apprenticeships: D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto has introduced 23 bills, many of which focus on boosting economic opportunity for young people.

We found what you’re asking ChatGPT about health. A doctor scored its answers.: When to trust ChatGPT with your health — and when it could hurt you

A Case of Bromism Influenced by Use of Artificial Intelligence - "For 3 months, he had replaced sodium chloride with sodium bromide obtained from the internet after consultation with ChatGPT, in which he had read that chloride can be swapped with bromide, though likely for other purposes, such as cleaning."

Reading archive 2025-10-22

Health insurance sticker shock begins as shutdown battle over subsidies rages: Many states have shown rising premiums ahead of open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans. Congress is deadlocked over extending covid-era subsidies that bring costs down.

Trump is creating two classes of federal workers: Paid and unpaid: Within the same agencies, some employees are drawing their salaries during the shutdown, and others are working without pay. - "Where and how the administration is finding money for those salaries — and whether the maneuver is legal — remains unclear, experts said.

...

"At the FBI, for example, special agents are getting paid, but translators, some attorneys and support staffers are not. The FBI Agents Association wrote in a statement that this is a shortsighted strategy."

How Obama maneuvered behind the scenes to fight Trump on redistricting: The ex-president’s involvement reflects the deep anxieties he has about Trump’s agenda and has propelled him into a more political, public-facing role than he envisioned.

Reading archive 2025-10-17

Voters facing skyrocketing electric bills turn ire toward politicians: Issues including the expansion of energy-hungry data centers, obscure surcharges on bills and clean-energy mandates are capturing the attention of frustrated consumers.

I Taped My Mouth Shut for 100 Days to Get a Better Jawline: TikTokers, celebrities, and self-declared health gurus are all touting the benefits of mouth taping. I tried it myself to investigate the hype.

Helsinki goes a full year without a traffic death: A city traffic engineer credits the success to lower speed limits and smarter design.

White, Legally Armed, and Primed for Political Violence: Ian Rogers was convinced it was up to him to save America. The gun industry’s sales tactics — playing up paranoia and glorifying combat — may be creating a pipeline of extremists willing to open fire.

'Link in Bio' Ruined All Our Brains A unified theory on the bad state of everything.

Study shows mountain lions are changing to adapt to human recreation: In Los Angeles, the animals are shifting to less daytime activity in areas where humans are roaming more frequently.

This isolated town in Maine could be a model for the clean energy future: Tidal power and solar would fuel a community microgrid to protect the island of Eastport from outages.

Why cranberry country is turning into wetlands: Massachusetts farmers began draining wetlands to make cranberry bogs more than two centuries ago. Now there’s a race to restore them.

What’s America’s largest ethnic group, and why did we get it wrong for so long?: The identity of America’s largest ethnic group has long seemed cut and dried. But new data is challenging the conventional wisdom.

Teacher dies after bat bites her at California school: Leah Seneng, a California teacher, was bitten by what officials called a “presumably rabid bat.” Her friend said she tried not to harm the bat in her classroom.

How much abuse can a local newspaper reporter take?: Republicans claim Tom Lisi’s reporting is lies to promote a liberal agenda. How should he respond? - "The lesson here? Toss out the noble but outdated industry wisdom that it’s best to avoid jawing with the haters because the work speaks for itself. Well, the people who need to hear the pushback aren’t reading the work that speaks for itself. Confront the media bashers wherever they practice their profession."

Consumer watchdog takes aim at credit card rewards programs: Major card issuers often play a “shell game” and deny consumers the rewards they have earned, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warns.

Man and woman charged after girl, 5, was shot by her 3-year-old brother: The child was critically wounded after her brother found a ghost gun in an apartment in Southwest Washington, police said.

The hidden science swirling in ‘The Starry Night’: The famous painting from Dutch post-impressionist Vincent van Gogh has sparked controversy among physicists.

Why Qatar is building an air force training facility at a U.S. military base: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho will host Qatari pilots at the military facility. The base will remain under U.S. jurisdiction.

China’s demographic crisis means it’s going to run out of workers

Reading archive 2025-10-08

Why Democrats are slow-walking their 2024 autopsy until after the November elections: The party’s chairman has already said it would not include scrutiny of how Joe Biden’s late withdrawal from the race was handled.

Trump threatened shutdown layoffs. So far, he hasn’t followed through.: For the White House, the week-long shutdown is both an “opportunity” to MAGA-fy the federal government and an “unenviable choice” over how to cut costs.

Layoffs are traumatic. Here are some things you should never say.: Platitudes or jokes will only add to the hurt of unemployment. Offer real help instead.

How to stop the No. 1 killer of Americans long before any symptoms: Cardiovascular disease experts propose a new approach to treating heart disease, focusing on atherosclerosis prevention and early detection

What a gut microbiome scientist wants you to eat every day: Focus on eating fiber-rich foods, especially those high in a special type of fiber called resistant starch.

VA’s disability program is an ‘honor system.’ These veterans are defrauding it.

D.C. Council rejects — then revives and delays — youth curfew extension: A disagreement over a bill to extend a stricter curfew sends the D.C. Council behind closed doors. It was one of three bills that lawmakers punted on to resolve disagreements.

Why the White House might dial up the shutdown pain: Democratic leaders play a dangerous game as Trump threatens not to pay furloughed federal workers. - "The government is too big. There is plenty of fat to cut. If the last week has shown anything, it’s that the federal bureaucracy performs too many 'nonessential' tasks that do not have a direct bearing on the lives of most citizens." [edit: that should read immediate direct bearing]

Twenty Thoughts On Where We Stand: Taking stock of the weirdest shutdown I've observed - "The easiest way to succinctly untangle it to say this: Trump and the GOP are responsible for blowing up the longstanding norms and logic of the appropriations process, but the Democrats are the ones who caused the current shutdown, and are the ones preventing the government from reopening under a short-term CR."

What if a Russian victory in Ukraine were only the beginning?: This isn’t a Russian “gray zone” war with Europe. It’s a real war. And the West is dithering.

Scientists seek to turbocharge a natural process that cools the Earth: Terradot, a carbon removal company, is using “enhanced rock weathering” to sequester carbon by spreading crushed volcanic rock over farmland.

Russia escalates warning as Trump considers sale of Tomahawks to Ukraine: The warning is part of a concerted Russian effort to deter President Donald Trump from giving Ukraine access to the missiles, repeating a tactic Moscow has used throughout the war.

Reading archive 2025-09-25

Trump, Kimmel and the upside of ignoring big-government coercion: Progressives untroubled when the Biden administration was throwing its weight around might be having an epiphany. [ed. note: embarrassing, it's not the same thing]

Russia hits back at Trump after his abrupt swing toward Ukraine: Trump’s statement that Ukraine could retake all of its territory lost to Russia with NATO’s help was a dramatic change in U.S. rhetoric on the war.

Virginia governor’s race puts ‘they/them’ back on the ballot: Republican Earle-Sears’s campaign sees votes in transgender issues. But have voters moved on?

A frustrated Sen. Van Hollen urges Democrats to take bigger risks: Finding Democrats’ response to Trump’s presidency lacking, the Maryland senator has emerged as a surprising advocate for stronger stands on politically risky issues like the war in Gaza and illegal immigration.

This therapy for chronic back pain can be surprisingly effective A personalized approach that uses physical and psychological coaching may help some people manage their chronic, disabling pain. [ed. note: "cognitive functional therapy"]

Wall Street bets against Trump on tariff refunds, while importers suffer: Some investment firms are so confident that the Supreme Court will strike down some of Trump’s tariffs that they are buying the rights to refunds.

Trump administration rehires hundreds of federal employees laid off by DOGE - "The General Services Administration has given the employees — who managed government workspaces — until the end of the week to accept or decline reinstatement, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. Those who accept must report for duty on Oct. 6 after what amounts to a seven-month paid vacation, during which time the GSA in some cases racked up high costs — passed along to taxpayers — to stay in dozens of properties whose leases it had slated for termination or were allowed to expire."

US border patrol collected DNA from thousands of US citizens for years, data shows: CBP officers took DNA samples from about 2,000 citizens, some as young as 14 and many who never faced criminal charges, new analysis shows

Reading archive 2025-08-22

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading archive 2025-08-21

Israeli government official arrested in Nevada in internet crimes against children sting Tom Artiom Alexandrovich was released and returned to Israel after being charged with luring a child for a sex act

Is the U.S. Ready for the Next War?: With global conflicts increasingly shaped by drones and A.I., the American military risks losing its dominance.

There is no ‘Trump doctrine’ in foreign policy. Just chaos

Republicans want to rig the midterm elections. Will they succeed?

A Right-Wing Influencer Tried to Be a Tradwife. It Almost Broke Her.

US Attorney Pirro's office admits grand jury refused ICE interference charges — twice: Federal prosecutors told a judge they had failed twice to secure an indictment against Sidney Lori Reid for allegedly assaulting an FBI agent during an ICE arrest.

Factories from GE to Kraft Heinz lose immigrant workers, stressing those who remain

Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to a ‘country club’ prison is outrageous

Trump says he has ‘solved’ 7 conflicts. Here’s what to know about them.: As Trump pushes for a peace deal to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he says he has ended a growing list of conflicts. In some of them, his role remains contested.

Limits of Trump’s diplomacy clear as Moscow balks at Ukraine plan: Moscow has resisted a Putin-Zelensky summit and security guarantees for Ukraine. Trump claims that the Kremlin’s position has changed, leaving analysts puzzled. - "'Some still imagine that, in exchange for land, the Kremlin might accept security guarantees for Ukraine, tolerate the presence of peacekeepers, or even acquiesce to the continued arming of Kyiv,' [Boris Bondarev, a former senior Russian diplomat who resigned over Putin’s Ukraine invasion] wrote. 'This is fantasy. It will not happen.'"

PorNO! How age verification exposed the power of friction in the internet age: Introducing Scrappy theory, a convoluted bastardisation of nudge theory - "The success of this approach reminded me of nudge theory. Without banning porn, the policy initiative has significantly reduced access. Over time, this ought to constrain the industry. But rather than nudging users towards preferred behaviour, this legislation has created a friction that disinclines them from exhibiting non-preferred behaviours. It reminds me of Scrappy-Doo, perpetually imploring the gang to 'lemme at ‘em!', yet constantly being held back. Like Scrappy, feeling the finger on his collar as he raises his fists, British pornophiles have been restricted from destructive behaviours because the incentive to do action A (visit PornHub) is offset by the deterrent of action B (create PornHub account)."

MAGA erupts after Israeli official charged in child sex ring flees U.S.

Reading archive 2025-08-20

‘The city is dead’: D.C. restaurant reservations drop amid federal crackdown: Local restaurant owners hope for a Restaurant Week boost, but the heavy law enforcement presence in the city is keeping some diners away.

These states could redistrict before the 2026 midterms: As Trump pushes for a more Republican-friendly House map, more than half a dozen states are potential targets for mid-decade tweaks to congressional boundaries.

The future of home-building is here. And we’re behind.: The Trump administration cut grants for materials development that could reduce construction costs. - "The productivity crisis in construction labor compounds these material challenges. Construction worker productivity has been steadily dropping for nearly 50 years while other industries have seen dramatic gains through automation and improved processes. The construction industry’s resistance to technological adoption, fragmented structure and reliance on traditional methods has put us well behind China and the European Union in construction labor productivity."

Avoid these 5 food additives that may harm your health: Studies suggest these ingredients might be linked to increased risks for your gut, heart and even fertility. [ed. note: carboxymethyl cellulose (cellulose gum, sodium CMC, E466), polysorbate, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), propyl paraben (E216 or propyl 4-hydroxybenzoate)]

Justice Department investigating D.C. police over alleged fake crime data: D.C. officials have repeatedly cited police stats showing drops in violent crime to push back on the need for a federal takeover of law enforcement.

Reading archive 2025-08-18

As Trump takes over D.C.’s police, here’s what law enforcement can and cannot do: With federal and local officers on D.C.’s streets, here’s what to know about what law enforcement agencies can legally order you to do — and what they can’t.

‘South Park’ and ‘King of the Hill’ take on the Trump era: The two ’90s-era animated comedies — one in its 27th season, the other back after a decade-plus hiatus — may be TV’s sharpest observers of the current political climate.

Dedicated volunteer exposes “single largest self-promotion operation in Wikipedia’s history”: Ten years of work to boost one man's reputation.

The best way to get stubborn grease spots out of your clothes: A tiny grease spatter doesn’t have to spell the end for that favorite T-shirt.

This number is bad news for the economy: Low unemployment is great, but only if it’s due to lots of new jobs, not an evaporating labor force.

Why Mamdani’s socialism-on-the-Hudson would be useful for America: If Zohran Mamdani is New York’s next mayor, the nation will be reminded of socialism’s many harms. - "Over four decades ago, sociologist Daniel Bell postulated capitalism’s 'cultural contradictions': Capitalism’s success undermines the virtues (thrift, industriousness, deferral of gratification) that are prerequisites for its continuing success. Socialism’s cultural contradiction is that it is parasitic on capitalism, which must produce the wealth that socialism redistributes — until the engine of wealth creation, battered by socialism’s redistributive agenda, sputters."

What the president’s ‘golden share’ in the U.S. Steel deal means: Trump’s plans for U.S. Steel are another blow against free enterprise. - "Under the terms of the deal, the sitting U.S. president will have the power to appoint one of the three independent directors to the board of U.S. Steel and have veto power over the other two. The president’s permission will reportedly also be needed to transfer production or jobs outside of the U.S., to close or idle plants, to change the sourcing of raw materials, or to relocate the company headquarters or individual plants, among other decisions."

Reading archive 2025-08-11

Trump readies federal moves on D.C. crime, takes over D.C. police: The president is planning to flex his law enforcement power over Washington, declaring that he would clear the city of homeless people and crack down on crime. - "U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, whom Trump appointed to the job in May, has called for lowering the age limit for charging juveniles as adults to 14." [ed. note: this is way too low]

FBI dispatching agents to D.C. streets as Trump weighs calling National Guard: The Trump administration has temporarily assigned FBI agents to work overnight shifts to combat carjackings and other crimes. - "The deployment of FBI agents to deal with local crime puts agents from the bureau’s counterintelligence, public corruption and other divisions with minimal training in traffic stops out on the streets in potentially dangerous encounters, diverting them from their typical jobs at the bureau.

...

"The reassignment of FBI agents has further demoralized some agents in the Washington Field Office, who believe they have little expertise or training in thwarting carjackers and were already angered by a spate of firings inside the agency that they deemed unwarranted. Last week, the Trump administration ousted with no explanation FBI personnel across the country, including the head of the Washington Field Office."

Why your skin needs sunscreen all year long: Beyond the cancer risk, most of the skin changes we see as we get older don’t come from the aging process but from the sun’s UV rays.

The anti-sunscreen movement and what to know about its claims: A growing anti-sunscreen movement on social media is causing concern among dermatologists, who warn that avoiding sunscreen increases long-term health risks.

Democrats with an eye on 2028 reject some parts of liberal orthodoxy: Some presidential prospects have embraced “Sister Souljah moments” that demonstrate their independence.

Footage shows two Chinese ships colliding while chasing Philippine boat: A China coast guard ship barreled into a Chinese navy destroyer Tuesday as the two vessels chased a Philippine coast guard ship.

A family opened a town’s first bookstore. A bathroom bill is driving them away.: The Phelans ran the only bookstore in Vermillion, South Dakota. They sold it and moved after a new law would have required their daughter to use a boy’s bathroom.

Why does travel make me constipated? A gastroenterologist explains.: We all poop weirdly on vacation. Fiber supplements can help.

Smithsonian restores Trump to impeachment display in American history museum: The museum last month removed a placard describing the president’s two impeachments. The new text makes minor changes — and offers slightly less detail.

New mapping reveals D.C. region’s growing vulnerability to flood risk: As the region experiences more extreme weather, an increased number of roads and rail lines could flood, not just those in low-lying areas.

Substack's extremist ecosystem is flourishing: Yup, they're still at it. - "The role of Substack’s ecosystem in our larger politics was made clear last month in the New York Times. The paper reported that the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, had checked both the “Asian” and “Black or African American” boxes on an application for Columbia in 2009. (Mamdani is Indian-Ugandan-American. He did not get into Columbia.) As The Verge’s Elizabeth Lopatto uncovered, the information for this story—which the Times framed as a major scandal—was the product of a hack by a self-described 'violently racist' neo-Nazi. 

"The relevant information was passed to the Times by Jordan Lasker, a Substacker with a reported neo-Nazi past of his own, who contributes to the eugenicist Substack Aporia as well his own, published under the pseudonym “Cremiuex.” (The latter is currently the No. 7 fastest rising Substack in “Science.”) Lasker in turn passed the information on to Benjamin Ryan, the writer of the anti-transgender Substack Hazard Ratio (No. 66 in Science.) The Times then hired Ryan to write the story, giving him the lead byline and allowing him to grant Lasker partial anonymity. He made no mention of the neo-Nazi origin of the information."

The Media’s Urge to Be “Fair” to Trump Is Killing the Republic: Seventy percent of Republicans understand that Trump’s tariffs will raise prices. Why is the press acting like they’re a huge success? - "Uh, no. Here are a few facts and figures, none of which appear in the article. Federal revenue from all sources in recent years has been around $4.7 trillion (it varies from year to year depending on the strength of the economy). Typically, customs fees account for about 2 percent of that revenue. Commit that to memory, please: 2 percent. So that even if tariff revenue doubles, it will account for 4 percent of all federal revenue. It could double again—which, incidentally, would mean tariffs so high as to stifle much international trade—and still account for only 8 percent of all federal revenue. 

"So where does federal revenue come from? About half—that is, around $2.4 trillion or so—comes from the personal income tax. Another third, or roughly $1.6 trillion, comes from payroll taxes. And then about 10 percent, or just under $500 billion, comes from corporate taxes. I know all these numbers off the top of my head, and if I know them, the guy who covers tax policy from Washington for The New York Times ought to know them too. Maybe he does, which would make his decision not to include them in a piece like this all the more bewildering because they provide vital context. But all Duehren has to say on this point is that 'income and payroll taxes remain by far the most important sources of government revenue.'"

Spain Is an Example to the World

Union Leaders Get Tough With Democrats as Members Drift Toward Trump: Doubtful that President Trump has their best interests in mind, top union officials are redoubling efforts to push the Democratic Party to appeal more to their rank and file.

California is pushing the limits of crowdsourced energy

Reading archive 2025-08-06

Why one epidemiologist won’t let his kids play on artificial turf fields: A turf war is raging over artificial grass. Here’s how nervous parents can navigate it.

Data from Calif. and D.C. shows how minimum-wage hikes can hurt: Recent experience underscores the perils of raising minimum wage above what the market can bear.

Reject the Commanders stadium deal: Even after tweaks, the deal still amounts to corporate welfare that the NFL team and its billionaire owner do not need. - "Even if the Commanders were to pull out of the deal, residents might be better-off. A separate report from the council’s budget office — written before the deal was revised — compared tax revenue from mixed-use development of the RFK site with and without the stadium. It projected that, over the course of 30 years, the site would generate about $1 billion more in revenue and $1.4 billion more in economic activity without the stadium."

Bowser needs a reality check on the D.C. stadium: City politicians and the team are promising growth on a scale that football stadiums don’t generate.

Texas election map fight swells into national political warfare: The battle over Republicans’ push to create more safe red U.S. House seats seats has widened, with red and blue states moving to counteract each other and ambitious politicians vowing aggressive partisan combat.

Reading archive 2025-07-30

The American chestnut tree is coming back. Who is it for? As federal agencies prepare to deregulate transgenic chestnuts, Indigenous nations are asserting their rights to access and care for them. - "The trees huddled along the Gulf Coast for some 8,000 years during the most recent ice age, sheltering in the relatively warm stretch from Florida to the Mississippi River, because mountain peaks even in the southernmost part of the Appalachians were too cold for chestnut trees to grow. Then, as the snow receded northward 20,000 ago, the trees slowly migrated from their coastal refuges. They worked their way up the Appalachian Mountains — helped by Indigenous peoples, whom they helped in turn."

D.C. Council’s compromise on tipped wages undermines voters’ will, advocates say: The council’s budget amendment will modify Initiative 82, which voters passed by an overwhelming majority in 2022. - "This month, the Economic Policy Institute conducted its own analysis of the full-service restaurant industry in the nation’s capital based on publicly available data. It found 'no evidence that increasing the tipped minimum wage has caused measurable harm to industry employment or business growth,' the EPI wrote in its report. 'If anything, D.C.’s restaurant industry has done well relative to most jurisdictions over this period.'"

Five winners and losers in D.C.’s 2026 budget: Facing a difficult economy, the lawmakers struggled with decisions over investing in the city’s growth and cutting services for residents.

The Northeast's hemlock trees face extinction. A tiny fly could save them." The region can't affored to lose these trees - or the carbon they store.

Reading archive 2025-07-28 pt 1

The Number Go Up Rule: Why America Refuses to Fix Anything: In the Booming Twenties, all decision-making is about protecting the value of financial assets held by older people. Therefore, the number must go up. And nothing else matters. - "Increasing the capitalization of the stock market at all costs has a number of implications about how our society works. Anything hindering short-term increases in profits, whether that’s higher wages, more factory investment, ending tax loopholes, rules to block being able to unsubscribe from Planet Fitness, transitioning to different energy sources, addressing an opioid crisis, or breaking Chinese control over the necessities of life, gets pushed out of the way. American life spans have plateaued or stagnated since 2015, which you’d think would be of concern. But it’s just not. There’s also something that distinguishes standard financial capitalism from ‘number go up.’ Financial capitalism implies risk. But in our era, the government guarantees financial returns with subsidies, regulations and bailouts. It’s a form of statecraft."

Pollen exploitation by non-native, feral honey bees: Potential consequences for interspecific competition

Interrogating a cold-case killer: ‘Honey, your DNA was in the crime scene’: Police videos show Eugene Gligor, who has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing, being arrested and questioned for the 2001 murder of Leslie Preer in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

VOLKSWAGEN’S SECRET: History forgot the horrors endured by laborers on the automaker’s massive cattle ranch in the Brazilian Amazon. But a priest had recorded it all.

What a Democrat Could Do With Trump’s Power: America is entering an age of retributive governing cycles.

Finally, a Democrat Who Could Shine on Joe Rogan’s Show Hunter Biden is unrepentant.

Trump fumes as Epstein scandal dominates headlines, overshadows agenda: The White House and Justice Department’s response has been driven by no clear strategy other than asking the country to move on, people close to the situation told The Post.

It turns out there’s a right and wrong way to pee: Many women push to speed things along, hover over the toilet or go ‘just in case,’ but those habits may cause future problems.

845,000 dead on U.S. highways. Why not address the main cause?: We need to ramp up the standards for road tests and train people to be better drivers.

In a legacy steel town, energy is now king — just don’t call it ‘green’: Form Energy is revitalizing Weirton, West Virginia. It’s also facing skepticism in this increasingly conservative area.

‘College hazing’ or training? Amid shortage, air traffic recruits wash out.: Almost 20 percent of new hires fail to become a controller at the first facility they’re sent to. - "There is an ill-defined mystique associated with air traffic control, a belief among some controllers that people are essentially born to do the job. But the idea obscures the fact that skills controllers need can be readily taught. 

"Controllers act like gatekeepers, demanding recruits prove they are worthy of entry to their club, said Linda Pierce, a retired FAA psychologist who studied how controllers are trained. 

"'It’s this professional guild, but to me it also felt like a college hazing,' she said. 'It was hostile.'"

I’m a cardiologist. Here are 10 science-based ways to prevent heart disease.: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. But about 80 percent of cases are considered preventable.

I’m a cardiologist. Here are 10 science-based ways to prevent heart disease.: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. But about 80 percent of cases are considered preventable.

Harvard Paper Explores Possibility That Object Approaching From Beyond Solar System Is Hostile Alien Technology: "The consequences, should the... hypothesis turn out to be correct, could potentially be dire for humanity." - "Loeb is an interesting character: he's an enormously accomplished academic and the former chair of Harvard's prestigious astronomy department, but in recent years has often made headlines for suggesting that various detections in the cosmos might be alien spacecraft. In other words, he was almost bound to weigh in on this latest interstellar visitor, which is only the third ever detected."

Reading archive 2025-07-24

D.C. Council chair sets vote on RFK site after reaching deal with Commanders: RFK Stadium redevelopment deal nears vote after D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson reaches updated agreement with Washington Commanders.

D.C. police chief halted firings of officers in fatal chase, report says: Terence Sutton and Andrew Zabavksy, convicted in the death of Karon Hylton-Brown but pardoned by the president, collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay.

Amy Sherald cancels major Smithsonian show over ‘censorship’: Painter Amy Sherald withdrew her exhibition “American Sublime” at the National Portrait Gallery. The Smithsonian denied trying to replace the painting in question. - "According to the Times, Sherald said she had been told that the museum — whose director, Kim Sajet, resigned after President Trump called for her ouster for being 'a highly partisan person' — might remove a painting that depicts a transgender Statue of Liberty from the exhibition 'American Sublime,' which was slated to open in September after touring at museums in San Francisco and New York. Sherald reportedly said Smithsonian head Lonnie G. Bunch III proposed replacing the painting with a video. 

"But the Smithsonian spokesperson said that Bunch wanted the video to accompany the painting — not replace it. The spokesperson added that the museum offered to spend more time contextualizing her piece, but Sherald chose to remove herself from the show."

Is a Mamdani repeat coming to the Midwest? A democratic socialist is getting a boost in Minnesota.: The Minneapolis Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party has endorsed state Sen. Omar Fateh over the city’s incumbent mayor.

USDA will relocate most of its DC-based workforce: The agency will relocate about 2,600 employees to five other locations and shutter several key facilities in the capital region, including its main research center - "In the months following the 2019 relocation announcement, department data showed that two-thirds of USDA employees decided to leave their jobs rather than move, The Post reported at the time. A 2022 Government Accountability Office report found that USDA’s decision at the time 'omitted critical costs and economic effects from its analysis of taxpayer savings, such as costs related to potential attrition or disruption of activities for a period of time, which may have contributed to an unreliable estimate of savings from relocation.'"