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.'

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"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.

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"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 2025-03-21

D.C. announces plan for a wellness resort at Poplar Point: Therme plans to build $500 million, 500,000 square-foot facility over a three-year period that the company estimates will draw 2 million visitors each year

Democrats are angry, disillusioned over failure to stand up to Trump and Musk: Many came to a Nevada rally hosted by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez looking for direction on how to take on Republicans.

Reading archive 2025-03-20

Trump ends program millions in China use for internet, worrying Congress: The demise of the Open Technology Fund could put millions at risk of being targeted by authoritarian governments for their internet activity. - "As of February, OTF funding provided tools to more than 6 million people in China and 18 million individuals in Iran, giving them the ability to circumvent government restrictions on the internet to access news sites, secure messaging services and social media platforms such as Reddit, the messaging app Telegram and X, according to private data reviewed by The Washington Post."

The electric-vehicle revolution may be on shakier ground than you think: Republican plans to end federal EV tax credits, weaken tailpipe pollution rules and slash funding for charging stations would boost emissions and shut down factories, experts say. - "These moves would delay, but not prevent, the gradual shift from gas-powered cars and trucks to EVs in the United States. Even without government support, analysts say, electric vehicles will continue to eat away at sales of gas-powered cars. But the tipping point when EVs break into the mainstream U.S. car market is moving further away, experts say, and could have far-reaching effects on the economy and environment."

Hungary bans LGBTQ+ Pride marches

Reading archive 2025-03-15 through 2025-03-18

Divided Democrats on defensive as important battles fast approach: Infighting over what should have been a predictable government funding fight leaves Democrats on their heels heading into high-stakes fights with the GOP over taxes, Medicaid and protecting Social Security.

These Canadians are canceling U.S. trips as Trump sours relations: In notes explaining why they’re not coming, Canadians say farewell for now.

Nervous about Trump, international tourists scrap their U.S. travel plans: The Trump administration’s hard stance on tariffs and other international policies has some travelers rethinking where they vacation.

D.C. police chief denies cover-up by officers, despite convictions: Her description, based on the department’s internal investigation, contradicts the conclusions of a jury, a federal judge and two officers in her own department.

These six Democrats are showing the party how to resist Trump 2.0: As leadership dithers, individual politicians are taking up the fight.

Trump county residents worry Medicaid cuts could throw them back into opioid spiral: The president has said entitlement programs like Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security will remain untouched, even as he pushes for a contraction of federal spending.

Reading archive 2025-03-14

This viral speech brutally captures how U.S. allies see: Trump’s America During Trump’s first term, the U.S. hemorrhaged prestige. His second term might be worse.

Town hall descends into chaos as GOP lawmaker is heckled about Musk, Trump: “Would you give me a chance to answer this question, and you can start yelling after?” Rep. Chuck Edwards urged at one point during the raucous encounter.

Funding bill grants Trump, Musk more control over federal spending: Legislation the Senate passed Friday averts a government shutdown but probably gives the White House — and DOGE — more power to decide how to allocate funds.

Reading archive 2025-03-13

Why Europe is going ‘car-free’: While New York City and the Trump administration battle over a congestion pricing program, vehicle restrictions in Europe are fast becoming the norm.

E.U., Canada retaliate against Trump’s tariffs as trade war escalates: As President Donald Trump’s global steel and aluminum tariffs took effect, the E.U. and Canada responded with their own levies, including on bourbon and motorcycles.

Elon Musk Looks Desperate How to lose $148 billion in less than two months

N.B.A. Stars Find a Shortcut to Success in China: Companies like East Goes Global serve as social media surrogates for players, expanding their reach, creating business opportunities and pushing for All-Star votes.

How BYD undercuts Tesla around the world, by the numbers: BYD is more affordable than Tesla in at least 10 places outside the West.

American brushes aside Navy, earns first NCAA berth since 2014: Matt Rogers scores 25 as the Eagles roll past Mids in the Patriot League championship game, 74-52, at Bender Arena.

American brushes aside Navy, earns first NCAA berth since 2014: Matt Rogers scores 25 as the Eagles roll past Mids in the Patriot League championship game, 74-52, at Bender Arena.

D.C.’s hopes lie in Senate as residents, officials push to avert $1B hit: A possible Democratic proposal boosted D.C.’s hopes of avoiding potential layoffs but also inched the nation closer to a potential government shutdown. - "The panic erupted in D.C. after House Republicans released a spending bill over the weekend that, without any advance notice, omitted a long-standing D.C. provision that historically has allowed the city to move forward with its active local budget. The provision has been a part of every continuing resolution for over 20 years, making its omission by House Republicans this time highly unexpected and perplexing for D.C. officials. 

"The omission would force D.C. to revert back to 2024 spending levels, effectively canceling the city’s active 2025 budget halfway through the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. Most astonishing for D.C. officials is that House Republicans decided to do this even though Congress, in its last two temporary spending bills, authorized D.C. to move forward with its 2025 budget — a sudden turnaround that House GOP leadership and top appropriators have not clearly explained."

How microplastics could be affecting our food supply: A first-of-its-kind study estimates how tiny plastic particles are cutting into crop yields. - "Small-scale studies have found that plants change when exposed to the tiny shards of plastic. In one of Kirkham’s studies, she compared wheat plants exposed to cadmium — a toxic heavy metal — and those exposed to both cadmium and microplastics. The plants exposed to microplastics took up 1.5 times the cadmium as those without, indicating that the microplastics were probably absorbing the cadmium and carrying it into the wheat."

Reading archive 2025-03-12

Gold-bar scammer gets 6.5 years in ‘national epidemic’: Maryland woman lost more than $700,000 in ruse in which people posed as government agents.

D.C. U.S. attorney targets Ukraine whistleblower Rep. Vindman: The lawyer for the twin brother of former Trump national security aide Alex Vindman blasts interim U.S. attorney Ed Martin for a “transparent” attempt at political retaliation against figures in Trump’s first impeachment.

Transition Traumas - "Perhaps driven by a fixation on achieving net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050 rather than more immediate goals within the terms of sitting politicians and corporate managers, the West has jumped ahead into technologies aimed at “hard-to-decarbonize” sectors. They did so without first coming to grips with the 70%-80% or more of the transition to renewable electricity and electrified transport that can be accomplished relatively quickly with simple Stage 1 technologies like solar, onshore wind, battery storage, proven forms of longer-term storage and EVs."

Two teens charged with murder in case of local DJ robbed and left for dead: D.C. police in November arrested two teens in connection with the death of Bryan Smith, a local DJ and hairstylist. Prosecutors upgraded their charges Monday. - "Judge James Crowell repeatedly told attorneys Monday that he would not order the release of either teen since each had prior charges at the time of the attack. The 16-year-old had at least six active cases that involved robbery or assault, a court officer said. The younger teen’s attorney pleaded not guilty to the new charges. A lawyer for the 17-year-old did not enter a plea, which is optional at this stage of the proceedings. The older teen also had a probation revocation charge filed against him, usually an indication that the teen was on probation for a previous conviction at the time of his most recent arrest.

"If found guilty, they could face a maximum sentence of commitment until the age of 21. The Washington Post typically does not identify youths charged in juvenile court."

D.C. crime scene techs covered up late arrivals nearly 700 times, report finds: Prosecutors overseeing violent crimes, including homicides, began to notify defense lawyers in D.C. Superior Court about the finding in recent weeks.

An HOA set lethal traps for Wally the beaver. Neighbors fought back.: A community in Fairfax County, Virginia, created a petition for Wally after its homeowners association said it would remove the beaver to protect a pond.

Document prepared for Kremlin outlines hard-line negotiating stance: The document, written in February by a Moscow-based think tank close to Russia’s Federal Security Service or FSB, lays out Russia’s maximalist demands

Investigation: We tried to buy American chips as a Russian defense manufacturer — and it worked: Russia’s state-owned defense holding gets American and European microchips through a vast network of Russian and Chinese suppliers.