Reading archive 2026-07-24

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

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

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

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

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading archive 2025-08-09

Studying bank deposits, Sandra Grimes found a deadly CIA traitor: Ms. Grimes, who has died at the age of 79, helped reveal that Aldrich Ames was selling secrets to the Soviets. Her book about the case was adapted into an ABC miniseries.

Birds kept dropping dead. A D.C. biologist cracked the case.

Reading archive 2025-08-05

D.C.’s Zoning Commission approves developer’s reworked McMillan site plan Jair Lynch’s plan to scale back the size of a grocery store in the new Reservoir District neighborhood is given the green light.

Momentum builds toward Netanyahu’s plan to occupy all of Gaza: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to discuss the move with top defense officials today, and Defense Minister Israel Katz is promising to “professionally implement” whatever the government decides.

Scientists say they’ve solved the mystery of starfish that turn to goo: Sea star wasting disease has killed billions of starfish and destroyed kelp ecosystems. In a study published Monday, researchers say they found the culprit.

One gene reveals clues to why humans thrived and Neanderthals didn’t: Humans and Neanderthals are virtually identical at the genetic level. Scientists are probing the differences to understand why we are here, and they aren’t.

Woman who ran over children in crosswalk on their way to school given 4 months: The judge in the case called the punishment ‘woefully inadequate.’

China is winning the trade war Trump started: On many fronts, Trump is inadvertently aiding China’s anti-American dictatorship. - "The countries that have done trade deals with Trump can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that their situation could be much worse. But Trump’s bullying is leaving hard feelings in its wake. One former Japanese trade official called the U.S. deal “humiliating,” while a Japanese economist called it 'completely unacceptable for Japan.' That’s an odd way to treat allies that the United States needs to contain China."

The AI spending boom could have real consequences for the U.S. economy: As revisions to U.S. jobs numbers call into question economic growth, Big Tech is becoming an even more important part of American prosperity.

This isn’t the same Democratic Party as Trump’s first term: Polls show a base of voters who are growing more liberal and less trusting of leaders in both parties.

D.C. area is feeling toll of federal spending cuts. These charts show how.: Amid signs of a broader economic slowdown, unemployment is up, spending is slowing and signs of strain are emerging across key sectors that once helped prop up the national capital region.

Latino GOP lawmakers voice worry about Trump’s mass deportation campaign: They expressed fears that the inroads Trump and the GOP made with Latino voters in 2024 could erode.

Smithsonian to restore Trump to impeachment exhibit ‘in the coming weeks’: A placard referring to Trump’s two impeachments was removed from the National Museum of American History in July, after the Smithsonian agreed to perform a “content review.”

Reeling over alleged child sex ring, Alabama community asks: ‘Did no one know?’: At prayer meetings and other gatherings, Bibb County residents have grappled with the realization that horrific crimes may have been happening in their town.

The simple way Democrats should talk about Trump and Epstein

Texas Democrats decamp to Illinois to deny Republicans a quorum on redistricting: In response, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to try to remove the Democrats from the state Legislature and said some of them may even be "felons."

Supreme Court tees up Louisiana redistricting case that could undercut Voting Rights Act

The Billionaire Behind Mysterious Immigration Ads Targeting Miami Republicans: “Deporting immigrants is cruel,” some of the ads against Cuban Americans in Congress read. Michael B. Fernández wanted to “wake up” Miami’s conscience.

Sneaking Into the Spy Museum’s New Vault

Reading archive 2025-07-11

California awaits disaster relief as GOP offers full support to Texas: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), during a trip to South Carolina this week, highlighted the plight of Los Angeles-area communities still reeling from January’s devastating wildfires. - "President Donald Trump and other Republicans have so far withheld the funds, with many arguing that Newsom and other Democrats in the deep-blue state have mishandled the fires and should be forced to rescind liberal policies in exchange for aid. 

"But now deadly floods have struck ruby-red Texas — and the Republican response is much different, with Trump and others promising unfettered and prompt federal support in the months and years to come. 

"The contrast underscores the extent to which the Trump administration treats blue and red states differently, whether in disaster response or in targeting liberal areas for aggressive immigration enforcement."

Why homeowners are suddenly rushing to install rooftop solar: Republicans’ tax and spending law could cut installations in half, experts project.

He seeded clouds over Texas. Then came the conspiracy theories.: Cloud seeding couldn’t have caused the floods that killed more than 100 people, experts say. But rumormongers suggested a link to one company’s work.

Tennis fans deserve better than John McEnroe: You cannot seriously think John McEnroe is good on television. When will network executives be ready to move on?

A band of innovators reimagines the spy game for a world with no cover

Conservatives are asking Trump for another big tax cut: Fresh off passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” some anti-tax advocates hope to push the administration to change how taxable capital gains are calculated.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s wife files for divorce: As Ken Paxton tries to unseat Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in one of the most closely watched primaries in the country, state Sen. Angela Paxton said Thursday she filed for divorce “on biblical grounds.” 

Senate committee blocks money for plan to keep FBI headquarters in D.C.: Sen. Chris Van Hollen persuaded colleagues to restrict cash for a new FBI campus only in Greenbelt, Maryland, creating a roadblock --- for now --- to moving the bureau to the Reagan building in downtown D.C.

Firings without explanation create culture of fear at Justice Dept., FBI: Widespread, abrupt terminations have left Justice Department and FBI employees wondering if they will be next, people familiar with the matter say.

Trump Loves ICE. Its Workforce Has Never Been So Miserable.: A “mission impossible” deportation campaign has left many employees burned out and morally conflicted. - "At ICE's Homeland Security Investigations division, which has long focused on cartels and major drug-trafficking operations, supervisors have waved agents off new cases so they have more time to make immigration-enforcement arrests, a veteran agent told me. 'No drug cases, no human trafficking, no child exploitation,' the agent said. 'It's infuriating.' The longtime ICE employee is thinking about quitting rather than having to continue 'arresting gardeners.'"

Reading archive 2025-06-09

What the GOP is planning now is even worse than all those debt ceiling fights: The GOP budget bill simultaneously requires more borrowing — and also prohibits that borrowing.

Retired man takes on nemesis, cleans up 15,000 discarded tires: “They tick me off more than anything,” Jon Merryman said about illegally dumped tires. He has a goal of cleaning up trash in every county in America.

Democratic Party chair lashes officer in leaked call, prompting more infighting: The finger-pointing among the DNC’s top officers comes as the party faces deeper political challenges.

Mike Flanagan, Stephen King screen whisperer, will sleep when he’s dead: The ever-busy director and Stephen King whisperer returns to theaters after five years — and four TV shows — with “The Life of Chuck.”

NASA, Pentagon push for SpaceX alternatives amid Trump’s feud with Musk: The fight between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk highlights the government’s outsize dependence on a single company for missions.

White House security staff warned Musk’s Starlink is a security risk: Starlink satellite connections in the White House bypass controls meant to stop leaks and hacking.

A troubling chapter in William F. Buckley’s life: How was this hometown pro-segregation paper forgotten? - "What was surprising was that Buckley, who famously crowed that he had rid the Republican Party of antisemites, bigots and kooks, would go to the trouble of creating a newspaper that would saturate its pages with pro-segregation stories. For someone so educated, so Catholic, so intensely logical and delightfully witty, it was a little like finding out that, well, he was a racist."

2 juveniles stabbed at Dupont park and 1 man shot nearby during Pride: The violence came after the park was reopened at the request of the D.C. government.

Colleagues ask if Norton is still the best ‘warrior’ to fight for D.C.: “Even the best pitcher on the team loses their fastball eventually,” one Democrat said of civil rights icon Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.’s delegate in the House.

Army video of parade prep appeared to show ‘Hang Fauci’ graffiti: The footage, up for more than a day on the Army’s official X account, showed tanks being loaded onto a flatcar.

A powerful, opaque al-Qaeda affiliate is rampaging across West Africa: With up to 6,000 fighters, JNIM is now the most well-armed militant force in the Sahel — and among the most powerful in the world, officials and experts say.

Toxic truth? The cookware craze redefining ‘ceramic’ and ‘nontoxic’

A knockout blow for LLMs? LLM “reasoning” is so cooked they turned my name into a verb - "If you can’t use a billion dollar AI system to solve a problem that Herb Simon one of the actual 'godfathers of AI', current hype aside) solved with AI in 1957, and that first semester AI students solve routinely, the chances that models like Claude or o3 are going to reach AGI seem truly remote."

Reading archive 2025-04-30 pt 2

The Maltese Falcon Poachers: How European hunters brought death and destruction to Egypt's migratory birds: 15-month-long investigation sheds light on how the EU is spending money to protect the same birds that are being gunned down in Egypt.

"I was shocked" by dominance of luxury brands in Milan says Philippe Starck

Which home energy upgrades will save you money? We did the math. Upgrades will cut carbon pollution, but even with tax credits, it can be difficult to save money.

These ferries speed commutes and cut pollution — and they fly: The battery-powered boats rise above the waves on hydrofoils, making them faster and better for the climate than traditional diesel ferries.

Trump is killing one of our strongest exports The president wants to balance U.S. trade deficits? He can’t do it without this industry he hates. - "Colleges and universities are among America’s most competitive international exporters. In dollar terms, last year, the United States sold more educational services to the rest of the world than it sold in natural gas and coal combined."

Colossal squid captured on video in deep sea for first time: The mysterious creature was filmed in the ocean near Antarctica. Scientists documented the juvenile, which could grow to more than 1,000 pounds.

Scientists work to save disappearing woodrats in eastern U.S.: Woodrats, which look like a cross between a rat and a hamster, are important to mountain ecosystems.

In a town inundated by flood water, one house remained dry: A family in western Tennessee built levees around their home -- and managed to keep floodwaters from deluging it earlier this month.

Trump’s D.C. U.S. attorney pick appeared on Russian state media over 150 times: Nominee Ed Martin did not initially disclose his RT and Sputnik appearances from 2016 to 2024 to the Senate. The State Department has said the networks act like arms of Russian intelligence. - "In early 2022, Martin told an interviewer on the same arm of RT’s global network that 'there’s no evidence' of a Russian military buildup on Ukraine’s borders, criticizing U.S. officials as warmongering and ignoring Russia’s security concerns. Russia invaded nine days later, igniting a war that continues today.

...

"Martin has omitted far more from his nomination materials than other recent U.S. attorney nominees, two people familiar with the process said Monday, one of them estimating omissions of about 350 events, interviews and media appearances."

The Harem of Elon Musk: The DOGE leader is offering the Republican Party a very different vision of fatherhood.

America Is Watching the Rise of a Dual State: For most people, the courts will continue to operate as usual—until they don’t. - "The list of measures purpose-built to cleave off a domain in which the law does not apply grows by the day: the pardons that bless and invite insurrectionary violence; the purges of career lawyers at the Justice Department and in the Southern District of New York, inspectors general across the government, and senior FBI agents; the attorney general's command that lawyers obey the president over their own understanding of the Constitution; the appointment of people such as Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, who seem to view their loyalty to the president as more compelling than their constitutional oath; the president's declaration that he and the attorney general are the sole authoritative interpreters of federal law for the executive branch; the transformation of ordinary spending responsibilities into discretionary tools to punish partisan foes; the stripping of security clearances from perceived enemies and opponents; the threat of criminal prosecutions for speech deemed unfavorable by the president; and the verbal attacks on judges for enforcing the law."

‘This Is What We Were Always Scared of’: DOGE Is Building a Surveillance State - "Over the past 100 days, DOGE teams have grabbed personal data about U.S. residents from dozens of federal databases and are reportedly merging it all into a master database at the Department of Homeland Security. This month, House Democratic lawmakers reported that a whistle-blower had come forward to reveal that the master database will combine data from federal agencies including the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Health and Human Services. The whistle-blower also alleged that DOGE workers are filling backpacks with multiple laptops, each one loaded with purloined agency data."

Reading archive 2025-03-24 pt 1

How a Global Online Network of White Supremacists Groomed a Teen to Kill

Turkey lurches toward outright autocracy as Erdoğan’s main rival is jailed: Popular opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu calls for mass protests as he is thrown in jail and booted out as Istanbul mayor.

What Is the Endgame for Ukraine?: History offers a range of precedents for what an agreement with Russia could look like—and how bad the consequences might be.

How Berlin’s fiscal flip stunned Brussels and spooked its allies: The weeklong blitz on the EU’s fiscal rules generated more blowback than Germany ever expected.

Trump said he didn’t sign the Alien Enemies Act proclamation. So who — or what — did?: Did Trump misspeak? Is he trying to deflect a decision under heavy legal scrutiny onto Secretary of State Marco Rubio?

‘Very dangerous’: Japanese Americans warn of Trump’s use of Alien Enemies Act: Some fear Trump’s invocation of a 1798 wartime authority could lead to abuses similar to those that took place during one of the darkest chapters of U.S. history.

Trump wants to build more ships in the United States. It’s not so simple.: The administration aims to counter China’s dominance of commercial shipbuilding. - "'It appears to be written by people who have absolutely no idea how the maritime supply chain works,' said Lars Jensen, chief executive of Vespucci Maritime, a consultancy in Copenhagen. 'The container lines will adjust and cut out the smaller ports. The consequence is going to be massive port congestion in the larger ports.'

...

"If the new port fees are imposed, the three major ocean carrier alliances, which collaborate like airline industry partnerships, would probably try to avoid the extra costs by reassigning Chinese-made container ships from U.S. routes to serve Europe, analysts said. 

"Some vessels that would be subject to the fees could dock at Canadian or Mexican ports rather than unload at American wharves — costing American dockworkers and truck drivers.

...

"Fewer vessels docking at smaller ports such as Oakland, California, would make it harder and more expensive for major U.S. exporters to ship their goods to foreign customers, and it would affect imports as well. Farmers who rely on bulk carriers to move grain and other commodities would be hit especially hard, forced to send their crops hundreds of miles overland to Southern California."

Why Charles Schumer could be in trouble: Polling shows the Senate Democratic leader is in a historically bad position for a party leader, as some call to replace him.

‘Corner-crossing’ to reach public lands is legal, appeals court rules: The decision, in a case that pitted four Missouri hunters against a millionaire Wyoming landowner, protects public access to millions of acres across the West.

Trump says Boeing will develop the F-47, his namesake fighter jet: The president’s announcement marks a major milestone for the Air Force program that’s focused on ensuring the U.S. maintains a military edge over China.

Exploring the American frontier

Virginia man pleads guilty to removing top-secret documents from workplace: Gokhan Gun, a former electrical engineer for the Defense Department, admitted to taking classified records from the Joint Warfare Analysis Center.

Former Virginia sheriff sentenced in badges-for-dollars corruption case: Scott Jenkins, who was the sheriff of Culpeper County, had been convicted of federal bribery and fraud charges by a jury in December.

Your washing machine can clean a lot more than clothes: Here’s how to put this spring cleaning secret weapon to better use.

Sneeze smarter, not louder: The science of a quieter sneeze

Reading archive 2025-03-09

U.S. soldiers arrested in scheme to send classified data, missile documents to China: Two active-duty soldiers and one former service member were charged in plots that prosecutors say were linked to Beijing.

Zuckerberg’s Meta considered sharing user data with China, whistleblower alleges: Meta went to extreme lengths, including developing a censorship system, in a failed attempt to bring Facebook to millions of internet users in China, according to a whistleblower complaint.

Why some D.C. residents aren’t sad to see the end of BLM Plaza: D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser has signaled that the “Black Lives Matter” street mural will be painted over. Those who helped create and protect that space aren’t surprised. - "Since 2004, if Congress was behind schedule and needed to pass a short- or long-term stopgap funding bill, lawmakers have included language to make sure that D.C. can keep spending at its current budget levels without disruption, until Congress formally approves the budget. That language is what was omitted from this bill."

GOP spending bill would lead to $1 billion in D.C. cuts, city officials say: The bill aimed at preventing a government shutdown would make D.C. revert to its 2024 spending. City officials fear cuts to police, schools and other services.

Frat member faces manslaughter charge in hazing death of college student: Caleb Wilson died after collapsing from being punched in the chest multiple times while pledging a fraternity, police said.

Anger at Elon Musk turns violent with molotov cocktails and gunfire at Tesla lots: The string of violence against Tesla storefronts, charging stations and vehicles exacerbates the company’s woes, analysts said. - "Choi, the Tesla owner in Brookline whose car was vandalized, said he voted for Trump and is 'neutral' on Musk’s work at DOGE. While he understands the animus against Musk as he makes aggressive changes to the federal workforce, he said it was still “shocking and disturbing” to have his car vandalized outside his church." [ed. note: cry more lib]

Reading archive 2025-03-07

She hoped Trump’s victory would change her life, but not like this: Ryleigh Cooper is normally more focused on motherhood than politics. Then came DOGE. - "Trump, at a campaign stop an hour and a half south of her, had promised to make IVF free. She knew that from a video clip she saw on TikTok. And she had believed him.

"She also believed him when he said that Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for the next Republican administration that suggested mass cuts to the federal workforce, was not his plan." [ed. note: lol ffs]

Young men in Africa's Sahel flock to Islamist jihad forces: As Africa’s Sahel region has replaced the Middle East as the epicenter of jihadism, young men are flocking to the cause. They don’t always like what they find.

Civilians in Africa’s Sahel join militias as Islamist extremism surges: The advancing tide of Islamist extremism has prompted the rise of pro-government militias. The result has been a vicious cycle of escalating violence.

How Russia's Wagner Group advances Putin's aim of influence in Africa: Soldiers from the Wagner Group have helped Vladimir Putin advance his aim of restoring Russian power in Africa. But on the ground, they’ve learned hard lessons.

US military presence withdraws from Africa as foreign threats rise: At a time when Africa is convulsed by various threats and American interests could be at risk, U.S. influence is in retreat.

A new generation of military officers is seizing power: As many Africans sour on the West, a new generation of military officers is seizing power, vowing to build strong and sovereign nations. But at what cost?

Military juntas target critics and media, exiling democratic forces: Military strongmen have silenced their critics and muzzled the media, threatening, arresting and exiling those who speak out for democracy. A few still dare.

Post-election stock rally dissolves as trade policy bewilders investors: The Nasdaq composite index has fallen more than 10 percent from its December peak. The S&P 500 now sits below its level on Election Day.

Trump tells Cabinet that they, not Musk, should ‘go first’ in cutting workers: The meeting represented the outpouring of weeks of building tensions between the head of DOGE and President Trump’s top political officials.

Trump property purge to include national park visitor centers, museums: Those and other properties would close under budget cuts proposed by the administration.

At the National Arboretum, D.C.’s most famous eagle couple is expecting: The eaglet, or eaglets, could hatch in early April.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett ignites anger on the right after ruling against Trump: Conservative allies of President Donald Trump called Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett “evil,” a “closet Democrat” and a “DEI hire.”

Trump’s plan to downsize government could put downtown D.C. up for sale: As we await a revised list of properties the GSA deems “non-core,” a critic ponders the fate of Washington’s historic landscape. - "It is virtually impossible that America can recoup its investment in these properties if they are sold off rapidly and at this scale. Such a sale probably would turn the government into a renter rather than an owner, with rental rates set by anyone rich enough to buy the properties. The potential for corruption is unprecedented."

How To Build A Thousand-Year-Old Tree: A set of experimental techniques and technologies that might seem harmful to trees is actually helping ancient forests survive. - "Maintaining a supply of dying wood, and exploiting trees’ ability to exist in a state of spooky half-death, is critical for the unique communities of inhabitants that depend on it. Columns of dead and decaying tree matter called 'tree soil’ are the single most important nutrient resource for deadwood-loving insects and can remain supported in 'deadwood chimneys' by the rest of the living trunk, Harris explained. 'That’s where we get the beetles,' he said."

How a Trump effort to cut environmental red tape could backfire: The White House is revoking its own authority to oversee implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act — and leaving a bureaucratic mess in its wake. - "In an echo of the Trump administration’s refrain that extraordinary measures are required to curb government inefficiency, the unraveling of CEQ is intended to “expedite and simplify the permitting process” for important projects, according to Trump’s executive order. But experts who spoke to Grist anticipate that it will have the opposite effect."

Tesla’s Fortunes Fall as Musk Rises in Trump World: CEO’s politics erode brand’s appeal among some core buyers of electric vehicles; ‘I used to idolize the guy’

Butterflies in the U.S. are disappearing at a ‘catastrophic’ rate: The number of butterflies in the contiguous United States declined by 22 percent this century, a collapse with potentially dire implications. - "David Wagner, a University of Connecticut entomologist not involved in the study, said butterflies act as a 'yardstick for measuring what is happening' among insects broadly. He called the new findings 'catastrophic and saddening.'"

Inside U.S. spy agencies, workers fear a cataclysmic Trump cull: Firings and mass disruptions could harm intelligence collection on foreign threats and future recruiting, current and former officials say. - "The elimination of DEI programs is particularly painful to some intelligence officials, who see pragmatic virtue in a more diverse workforce. For years, spy chiefs have spoken of a lack of analysts with the necessary language skills and cultural backgrounds to understand foreign societies — and undercover operatives with the physical features to work clandestinely in Africa, Asia or the Middle East."

How New York drove a steak through the heart of Texas: A long-simmering regional beef over an iconic American food is heating up again. - "Simple justice demands giving credit where it’s due. The steaks aren’t 'Texas strips,' because they arrived from Texas about as chewy as a cowboy’s boot. And they shouldn’t be 'New York strips,' because New Yorkers contributed nothing to the process but their pieholes. They are 'Kansas City strips,' in honor of the city where the beef got its flavor and the men in bloody aprons who popularized the cut."

Which oil do you cook with? The answer can impact your health.: Extra-virgin olive oil has the most scientific evidence for its health benefits. But avocado and high-oleic vegetable oils are also good for your health.

How North Carolina football landed a coaching legend in Bill Belichick

Reading archive 2025-02-06

Press Secretary Reveals Startling Truth of Elon Musk’s Full Power: Elon Musk is fully running unsupervised around the government.

'Counterintelligence disaster' from Trump's latest order to the CIA: NYT

Gutting USAID threatens billions of dollars for U.S. farms, businesses: U.S. businesses that sold goods and services to USAID are in limbo, including American farms dealing in rice, wheat and soybeans purchased as food aid. - "Nick Levendofsky, executive director of the Kansas Farmers Union, said the funding freeze created further stress for the state’s farmers as they grapple with rising costs, low commodity prices and the potential impacts of tariffs."

Musk’s DOGE agents access sensitive personnel data, alarming security officials: The highly restricted data includes personally identifiable information for millions of federal employees maintained by the Office of Personnel Management. - "The two OPM officials said the level of access granted to DOGE agents means they could copy the social security numbers, phone numbers and personnel files for millions of federal employees. 

"'They could put a new file in someone’s record, they could modify an existing record,' one said. 'They could delete that record out of the database. They could export all that data about people who are currently or formerly employed by the government, they could export it to some nongovernment server, or to their own PC, or to a Google Drive. Or to a foreign country.'"

Justice Dept. says no immediate plans to release names of Jan. 6 FBI agents: The twin lawsuits were filed anonymously in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by FBI agents involved in the Jan. 6 investigations.

Murder trial begins for D.C. rowhouse owner charged in fire that killed 2: Federal and D.C. prosecutors charged James Walker, owner of a Northwest rowhouse that erupted in flames, with murder and civil violations.

The game theory of Trump's tariff threats: Why he’s picking on Canada and Mexico — and why he’s playing a dangerous game.

Virginia lawmakers call on Youngkin to talk to Trump about federal workers: Efforts by the new Trump administration to slash and relocate the federal work force, as well as cut federal spending, could have a dramatic impact on Virginia.

Trump’s crackdown on federal workforce alarms military families: The administration’s blunt exercise of power has proved uniquely disruptive for the numerous government personnel who do remote work to accommodate their spouses’ military careers.

Federal workers: Here’s how to lock down your communications: Tips and apps that can help everyone talk about sensitive topics safely.

DOGE aims to cut $2 trillion in federal spending. Where would you start? - "'The real money is in Social Security, Medicare, defense, veterans and interest, which few people want to touch,' said Brian Riedl, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a center-right think tank. 'Anyone can point out easy, small examples of government waste, and — as bad as they are — they’re essentially budget dust in the grand scheme of our soaring deficits.'"

Elon Musk Wants What He Can’t Have: Wikipedia: Musk and other right-wing tech figures have been on a campaign to delegitimize the digital encyclopedia. What happens if they succeed?

How Trump Lost His Trade War: When the U.S. breaks its treaties, only China wins. - "The United States has suspended its threats against Canada and Mexico in return for border-enforcement measures that Canada and Mexico either were doing anyway or had done before without making much difference in the flow of drugs.

...

"But the president has made clear that so-called friendship with the United States does not ensure anything for America's partners: not trade access, not the security of treaties, not even their territorial integrity and national independence. 

"Friend-shoring imagined extending trade with American allies. Trump-shoring means that today's ally can become tomorrow's enemy, without cause or even warning.

...

"A lesson of Trump's trade war that all the world will hear: Countries such as Canada, Mexico, and Denmark that commit to the United States risk their security and dignity in the age of Trump. Countries such as Vietnam and Thailand that carefully navigate between the two great economic powers without making undue commitments maximize their security and their dignity. 

"To reward non-aligned countries and punish U.S.-aligned ones might seem a reckless, even a perverse, choice by a U.S. president. But that's the president Americans have, and the choice he has made for them."

Pay Attention to the FBI: That’s a whole other crisis brewing. - "It’s really hard to see where they’re going, because Elon Musk is not proceeding from an accurate map of reality.

...

"What he is saying by pardoning these J6 rioters is that If you are on my side, I will come protect you. And I think that will send a clear message to FBI personnel that there are whole categories of people and therefore potential criminal activity that they should not touch, because it gets into the president, his influence, his circle of friends. I think that is just a potentially ruinous development for the rule of law in the United States."

Reading archive 2025-02-05

Republicans quiet as Trump and Musk take the ax to federal agencies: The new administration launched one of its most brazen challenges to Congress’s authority. Many lawmakers offered little pushback.

Greenland bans foreign political funding as Trump seeks control: Its government said the law aims to protect the Danish territory’s “political integrity” and must be seen in light of the geopolitical interests in Greenland.

How Trump could feel the ‘pain’ on his tariffs: Trump says economic pain from his tariffs is “THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID,” but Americans don’t seem to agree.

Trump ordered workers back to the office. They ask, where, exactly?: The clock is ticking for federal workers to return to in-person work, but many say there simply isn’t enough space in their offices.

Another Politician Blames Fall of Rome on Homosexuality

A Penetrating Inquiry – The Suda on Kinaidia (NSFW!)

Welcome to the era of Trump Trad: This president’s aesthetic combines classical architecture and cartoonish virility with WWE alternative reality.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be ... abolished?: With Israel’s Netanyahu alongside, Trump adds Gaza to his list of colonial ambitions.

Elon Musk has your Social Security number. It’s as scary as it sounds.: There is no legitimate reason for the ‘DOGE’ to have access to the federal payment system.

Only in Washington could this fiscal vandalism be called tax ‘relief’: The $10,000 cap on state and local taxes is bad enough. Raising it would just rub SALT in the wound. - "Before 2017, the unlimited SALT deduction made it politically easier to implement the blue model of governance: high taxes to fund Democratic regimes that are substantially funded by contributions from public employees unions. To those unions, state and local tax revenue do not trickle down, they flow down like rivers."

U.S. government officials privately warn Musk’s blitz appears illegal: The billionaire’s DOGE team has launched an all-out assault on federal agencies, triggering numerous legal objections.

D.C. Council expels Trayon White over allegations he took bribes: It was the first time the body has taken that step in its half-century history. White remains eligible to run in a special election to fill his seat.

A tragedy reveals D.C. has run out of sky: National will always be essential but safety demands that air traffic be spread across the region. - "National Airport, built on a small stretch of land that is hemmed in by development on one side and the river on the other, was designed to handle 15 million passengers a year. Today, about 25 million come and go through the airport. And more than 100 helicopters a day fly around and under arriving and departing passenger jets, ferrying VIPs and military officers."

America Can’t Just Unpause USAID: The speed with which the Trump administration took the agency apart will be felt for years to come.

CIA reportedly offers buyouts to entire workforce in latest Trump-era purge: The Central Intelligence Agency offered buyouts on Tuesday, citing aim to bring agency in line with Trump priorities, US media report

Dear Mr. Vice President, Please Take Off Your Apple Watch: An Open Letter To JD Vance From A Former CIA Officer On The Counterintelligence Risks Of Smartwatches

One Response to Trump’s Tariffs: Trade That Excludes the U.S.: A growing number of countries, including American allies, are striking trade deals as the Trump administration erects a higher fence around its global commerce.

There Is No Going Back - "And so the president’s opponents, whoever they are, cannot expect a return to the Constitution as it was. Whatever comes next, should the country weather this attempted hijacking, will need to be a fundamental rethinking of what this system is and what we want out of it."

The New Rasputins: Anti-science mysticism is enabling autocracy around the globe. - "The philosophers of the Enlightenment, whose belief in the possibility of law-based democratic states gave us both the American and French Revolutions, railed against what they called obscurantism: darkness, obfuscation, irrationality. But the prophets of what we might now call the New Obscurantism offer exactly those things: magical solutions, an aura of spirituality, superstition, and the cultivation of fear. Among their number are health quacks and influencers who have developed political ambitions; fans of the quasi-religious QAnon movement and its Pizzagate-esque spin-offs; and members of various political parties, all over Europe, that are pro-Russia and anti-vaccine and, in some cases, promoters of mystical nationalism as well. Strange overlaps are everywhere. Both the left-wing German politician Sahra Wagenknecht and the right-wing Alternative for Germany party promote vaccine and climate-change skepticism, blood-and-soil nationalism, and withdrawal of German support for Ukraine. All across Central Europe, a fascination with runes and folk magic aligns with both right-wing xenophobia and left-wing paganism. Spiritual leaders are becoming political, and political actors have veered into the occult. Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host who has become an apologist for Russian aggression, has claimed that he was attacked by a demon that left 'claw marks' on his body."

Reading archive 2025-02-03 pt 1

Emails detail Saints' assistance to New Orleans Archdiocese in sexual abuse scandal

House GOP nears plan for Trump’s agenda — but may not have the votes: Republicans will attempt a tax and spending bill that will not require substantial budget cuts, but there may be serious math problems ahead.

Justice Department orders FBI purge, review of staff who touched Jan. 6 cases: Leaders appointed by the Trump administration are identifying potentially hundreds of FBI agents for possible termination, said people familiar with the plan.

As DOJ probes FBI’s Jan. 6 work and weighs firings, agents told to detail roles: FBI employees must explain in a questionnaire by Monday whether they were involved in the surveillance, arrest or trial of a Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot suspect.

Musk aides gain access to sensitive Treasury Department payment system: The access — granted by Scott Bessent, Trump’s newly confirmed treasury secretary — comes after the ousting of the agency’s top career official.

Trump opened the ‘valve’ on California water. It will probably be wasted.: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released reservoir water to meet Trump’s recent directive to funnel more water to Southern California. - "Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) called the water releases 'uncoordinated and unwarranted,' writing on X that it’s 'not being directed to LA where the fires are contained. And now, it won’t be available when farmers need it in summer.'"

D.C. sees neighborhood revival in Trump plan to downsize federal footprint: Local and Trump officials are looking to work together to turn obsolete federal buildings into a new neighborhood in Southwest D.C.

How Trump could transform D.C. real estate, from downtown to design: The longtime real estate developer’s campaign pledges and early actions as president portend changes to the District’s physical landscape.

D.C. Council is set to expel Trayon White. Some say that’s an overreach.: As the council appears set to expel White, lawmakers face questions from constituents about acting before his case has been adjudicated, and potentially overriding the will of voters. - "The council was on the verge of removing Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) during a 2019 ethics scandal, but he resigned before the vote. White himself was on the council committee that voted unanimously to recommend expulsion, even though Evans was never charged with a crime."

Ex-Federal Reserve adviser indicted on charge of economic espionage: John H. Rogers is accused of leaking inside information, briefing books from the Fed to two Chinese co-conspirators.

With tariffs and threats, Trump turns on America’s closest allies: Critics warn his posture could embolden China to expand ties to Latin American countries, and Russia to continue advances in Ukraine. - "'We — Americans — do not want to now join [Russian President Vladimir] Putin in trying to pull apart a sovereign country,' Michael McFaul, an ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama, wrote on Substack. 'Not only would that embolden Putin’s claim in eastern Ukraine … but greenlight [Chinese President Xi Jinping]’s seizing of Taiwan. If we think we need Greenland for national security, Xi can easily argue that he needs Taiwan.' 

"One senior European security official warned that an aggressive approach from Washington could easily backfire. 

"If the United States 'is not going to help Europe with Russia, Europe will not be able to help the U.S. with China,' the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to speak frankly about frustrations with Washington. 'Better work together.'"

Democrats are in trouble, and a provocative analysis offers ideas to repair the party: A tough new assessment says the Democratic Party needs to reassess the loss of support among groups of voters it has long taken for granted.

In a first, scientists find microplastics are building up deep in our brains: A new study shows that microplastics have crossed the blood-brain barrier -- and that their numbers are rising. - "In one study from Ross and other University of Rhode Island researchers, mice were given water laced with tiny polystyrene particles, the same type of plastic that is used in plastic foam and yogurt containers. After just three weeks of exposure, the mice demonstrated cognitive changes — including changes in the brain consistent with early markers of Alzheimer’s."

You could be spreading ‘forever chemicals’ on your garden. Here’s how to protect yourself.: What does the new EPA warning about PFAS-laden sludge in fertilizer mean for home gardeners? Here’s what you need to know.

Thinking Under Fascism: (Feels Like Hearing Under Water)

Extra Extra! Genocide!: The making of the New York War Crimes

Trump threatens to cut U.S. aid to South Africa over land law: Trump’s comments waded into a sensitive racial issue and deepened already sharp divisions between the United States and South Africa. - "Since 1994, the government has sought to redistribute land based on a voluntary 'willing-seller, willing-buyer' system and by paying compensation.

...

"South Africa’s agricultural sector has more than doubled in value and volume since the end of apartheid in 1994, exporting now half of what it produces, he said — not the case in neighboring Zimbabwe, where large-scale land seizures devastated the economy, causing the migration of millions of citizens."

We’re Russian. We know what happens when Big Tech coddles dictators.: Tech companies are complying with dictators’ laws, compromising human rights and freedom of speech.

The Logic of Destruction: And how to resist it

Criminal records of Jan. 6 rioters pardoned by Trump include rape, domestic violence

Reading archive 2023-09-11

Jan. 6 shattered her family. Now they’re trying to forgive.: Peyton Reffitt has watched her family come apart after her father joined the Capitol riot mob. Now she and her family are confronting the perceived betrayals and broken relationships. - "The sisters told people online that their father was not abusive and that they forgave their brother. Strangers on those sites said the sisters were defending a terrorist, while others threatened to kill their brother. Some also said they wanted to sexually assault Peyton and her sister." [ed. note: jfc the internet]

Republican vs. Republican: Senate seeks to wrest control of budget from House: Senators, united in their asks, expect to take advantage of divided House Republicans on spending priorities, particularly in boosting Ukraine’s defense

Newsom’s Senate caretaker plan is ‘insulting’ to Black women, Rep. Lee says: Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) spoke out after the California governor ruled out appointing her if Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) leaves office before her term ends

Why furniture got so bad: Furniture used to last generations. Now it barely survives a move. Industry insiders explain.

He was Mormon royalty. Now his lawsuit against the church is a rallying cry.

A shaken Washington copes with surging violence: ‘This is not normal’

Allegations of Chinese spying rock U.K. Parliament

Reading archive 2023-08-04

Two U.S. Navy sailors accused of passing secrets to China

Historian Tim Snyder: ‘Our misreading of Russia is deep. Very deep’: The Yale professor on why the west got Putin wrong — and what the past tells us about the war in Ukraine

Who remembers the Poles? [ed. note: book review of Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin]

U.S. Attorney Says He’s Focused On The Small Group Of People Driving Most Of D.C.’s Gun Violence

Reading archive 2023-05-30

The revolt of the Christian home-schoolers: They were taught that public schools are evil. Then a Virginia couple defied their families and enrolled their kids. - "Aaron had grown up believing Christians could out-populate atheists and Muslims by scorning birth control; Christina had been taught the Bible-based arithmetic necessary to calculate the age of a universe less than 8,000 years old. Their education was one in which dinosaurs were herded aboard Noah’s ark — and in which the penalty for doubt or disobedience was swift. Sometimes they still flinched when they remembered their parents’ literal adherence to the words of the Old Testament: 'Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.' ...

"The Pearls advocate hitting children with tree branches, belts and other “instruments of love” to instill obedience, and recommend that toddlers who take slowly to potty training be washed outdoors with cold water from a garden hose. Their book advocates 'training sessions' in which infants, as soon as they are old enough to crawl, are placed near a desired object and repeatedly struck with a switch if they disobey commands not to touch it."

An alleged Russian spy whale turned up in Sweden. Why?

Land around the U.S. is sinking. Here are some of the fastest areas.

Trump campaign braces for Iowa battle as DeSantis team sees an opening: The former president faces well-funded resistance and other headwinds in the GOP’s first nominating contest, even as he pulls ahead in national polls

Va. Dems make risky bet that abortion issue spells doom for Joe Morrissey: If party leaders fail to unseat Morrissey, experts predict he will emerge stronger than ever and beholden to no one

Reading archive 2023-04-13

Fort Lauderdale was inundated with a third of its annual rainfall within hours

Opinion  Backyard bees disfigure yards in ways we are only beginning to comprehend

Discord member details how documents leaked from closed chat group: The online group that received hundreds of pages of classified material included foreigners, members tell The Post - "In a video seen by The Post, the man who the member said is OG stands at a shooting range, wearing safety glasses and ear coverings and holding a large rifle. He yells a series of racial and antisemitic slurs into the camera, then fires several rounds at a target.

...

"But OG had a dark view of the government. The young member said he spoke of the United States, and particularly law enforcement and the intelligence community, as a sinister force that sought to suppress its citizens and keep them in the dark. He ranted about 'government overreach.'

...

"It was not 'a fascist recruiting server,' he told The Post." [ed. note: when you don't know you're being redpilled]

'''Thousands of military personnel and government employees around OG’s age, working entry-to-low-level positions, could plausibly have access to classified documents like the ones he allegedly shared, according to U.S. officials and experts who have seen the documents reported in the media. Despite what his young followers thought, OG would have had no special knowledge compared with his peers. He possessed no special power to predict events. Rather, he appears to have persuaded some highly impressionable teenagers that he’s a modern-day gamer meets Jason Bourne.

...

"The member said he’s confident the authorities will find OG. But when they do, he won’t be charged. Instead, he believes, OG will be imprisoned without due process at Guantánamo Bay or disappeared to a 'black site,' if he’s not 'assassinated' for what he knows.

"The member, as well as the OG follower who corroborated his account, found no fault in their leader’s actions and instead said they blame the teen who posted the documents on the wow_mao server for wrecking their community."

Suspected leaker of top secret Pentagon documents arrested: Officials say Jack Teixeira, a National Guard technology support staffer, is suspected of mishandling U.S. military security secrets

Colorado River cities and farms face dire trade-offs with new federal review: The federal environmental impact statement reveals the dilemma between following legal water rights or spreading cuts evenly among states

America needs clean electricity. These states show how to do it. - "The biggest obstacle to building new nuclear plants is their cost. Construction on the last nuclear reactors built in the United States, at Georgia’s Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, is six years behind schedule, $14 billion over budget, and contributed to bankrupting Westinghouse. The debacle has become a cautionary tale to would-be nuclear developers."

These Rat-Hunting Dogs Spend Saturday Nights Prowling Adams Morgan: We tagged along with Barto, Henry, and Fitz as they killed rats.

He’s from a patriotic family — and allegedly leaked U.S. secrets: Online, the suspect in the breach of dozens of classified documents took on a persona seemingly at odds with his military career

Reading archive 2023-04-11

China practices attacking Taiwan from the east, a worrying development

The key countries and revelations from the Pentagon document leak

Egypt secretly planned to supply rockets to Russia, leaked U.S. document says: President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi in February planned to produce 40,000 rockets for Russia and instructed officials to keep production and shipment secret ‘to avoid problems with the West’

Parked at a D.C. bus stop? New cameras could lead to a ticket in the mail.: The plan is part of a remake of the Metrobus system that transit leaders hope will speed service as growing traffic levels have slowed bus travel

Mother charged in case of Va. 6-year-old who shot teacher at school: She will face one felony and one misdemeanor charge, while a special grand jury will investigate ‘security issues'

Substack unveils the product that got it banned from Twitter: Notes, the platform’s new feature, functions similarly to its rival social app

Reading archive 2023-04-09

Opinion  I’m no genius with genuses, but your garden is killing the Earth

Opinion  How to rig an election — with deadly, racist consequences

The Southern generals who stuck with the Union in the Civil War

Democrats blast Texas abortion pill ruling as Republicans are mostly quiet

Opinion  The worst federal judge in America now has a name

Intelligence leak exposes U.S. spying on adversaries and allies: U.S. and European officials scrambled to understand how dozens of classified documents covering all manner of intelligence gathering had made their way online with little notice

Russia nearly shot down British spy plane near Ukraine, leaked document says: The incident occurred months before a Russian fighter collided with an American MQ-9 drone over the Black Sea

How exercise leads to sharper thinking and a healthier brain: New findings from 350,000 people make the strongest case yet that exercise improves cognition. A small study shows it raises BDNF, a brain chemical.

Critics accuse trans swimming star Lia Thomas of having an unfair advantage. The data tells a different story: The NCAA champion has sparked controversy and become a hate figure among conservatives, but statistics show little evidence that she performed any differently to other women, Io Dodds reports - "Although trans women have been allowed to compete in women's Olympics since 2004, none have won a medal."

Reading archive 2023-03-29

92-year-old has grown tomatoes from the same seed lineage since 1965: Sybil Gorby gives away her famous seeds and refuses all payment because she is superstitious about selling from her garden

He came to D.C. as a Brazilian student. The U.S. says he was a Russian spy.: Johns Hopkins graduate Victor Ferreira was unmasked as GRU operative Sergey Cherkasov, according to a federal indictment and Western security officials - "Cherkasov seemed convinced that Russia would face little backlash from the United States for a Ukraine invasion, saying in one message that there were 'no signs indicating that the U.S. is going to provide any but political support to the Ukrainians in case of war.'" [ed. note: bad spy]

Opinion  D.C. needs hundreds more police officers. Here’s how to do it right. - "Starting pay in D.C. jumped from $62,000 to $67,000 — higher than in neighboring counties such as Fairfax in Virginia or Prince George’s in Maryland."

Reading archive 2023-02-22

In wake of Ukraine war, U.S. and allies are hunting down Russian spies: Officials caution that Russia retains significant capabilities despite exposure of multiple operatives in Europe

Ex-ISIS teen bride Shamima Begum loses appeal to regain British citizenship

Notice of Infractions: Notice No. U 100286

Pythons are snacking on GPS-wearing opossums that give up their locations

Europe awakens to the threat of sabotage by Russian agents: Attacks on critical infrastructure from France to Denmark bear the hallmark of Russian operatives, experts say.

Poland reviews security after divers found near key port

Putin, czar with no empire, needs military victory for his own survival

Where U.S. house prices may be most overvalued as climate change worsens: While individual homeowners stand to collectively lose billions as hurricanes and heavy rains intensify flooding, local governments that rely on property taxes also could suffer crippling decreases in revenue

Meet the climate scientist helping guide Biden on spy agencies: Kim Cobb answers questions about her hopes to infuse Biden’s intelligence discussions with climate expertise

Arizona’s top prosecutor concealed records debunking election fraud claims: Newly released documents show how Republican Mark Brnovich publicized an incomplete account of his office’s probe of the 2020 election in Maricopa County - "Sonny Borrelli, a GOP state senator who had alleged a coverup of election irregularities, did not repeat those claims during an interview but did provide what he said was the name of a deceased voter, the memo stated. Investigators learned that the alleged deceased voter was alive, had not voted and was not a resident of Arizona."

Georgia juror unsettles Trump investigation with revealing interviews: Emily Kohrs may have added to the challenge for Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis, whose investigation has come under scrutiny for what some have described legal and ethical missteps

National Zoo debuts a serene new habitat for birds and humans: Historic bird building re-creates the quiet habitats of migratory birds that visitors can experience

Montgomery turned a road into a park. Residents want the street back. - "To solve the cut-through conundrum, Montgomery Parks decided keep the road open but restrict traffic to two lanes from Arlington to Dorset in late-2022. The result, traffic studies showed, was healthy flow on Little Falls and an end to cut-through traffic in the Kenwood neighborhood. 

"But some residents refute the data presented by public officials, because it does not match what they claim to be seeing with their own eyes." [ed. note: fucking lol]

Inside the Taliban campaign to forge a religious emirate: Afghanistan’s new rulers are replacing civil rights with ‘God’s law’

ALEX JONES ON ALLEGED FBI MONITORING OF NICK FUENTES: ‘IT’S A TRAP’