Reading archive 2025-11-14

Twenty-Eight Shutdown Thoughts May I never have to write about these things again

Reading archive 2025-11-13

How Wellness and Beauty Influencers Can Be Part of an Alt-Right Pipeline for Teen Girls: The "womanosphere" is coming for teen girls.

Democrats lose shutdown battle — as Trump, Republicans risk losing war: Democrats are embroiled in a new round of infighting, while Republicans are bracing for longer-term consequences if they continue to oppose an extension of Obamacare subsidies. - "Christina Gray, 58, an independent voter from Texas who gets her health insurance through the ACA, said the shutdown fight, for her, boils down to Republican opposition to the health care law. 'The Democrats, I do have to give them this, they’re trying to help somebody,' said Gray, who has not voted in recent years. 'And the Republicans, they’re just being ridiculous.'"

Schumer opposed the shutdown deal. Some Democrats still want him out.: Some Democrats argue Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (New York) is not doing enough to stand up to President Donald Trump.

John Fetterman makes a case for himself. It’s not very convincing.: In his memoir “Unfettered,” the senator addresses his depression and other struggles. It doesn’t mitigate concerns about whether he is up for the job.

Girl, 12, is suspect in two of three unusual recent D.C. robberies: Secret Service, National Guard stop suspect in armed robbery downtown, police say.

Beat Russia the smart way. No escalation required.: Give Ukraine military aid and economic support. Give Russia an off-ramp.

Man charged with murder in hit-and-run during 2024 D.C. police chase: A man fleeing police last year fatally struck a delivery driver in a case where an investigation found the D.C. officer violated the department’s pursuit policy. - "His death illustrates a central dilemma in traffic enforcement — a lack of it allows reckless driving to go unchecked, while the enforcement itself can provoke dangerous behavior. In 2022, after two young men died in police chases, D.C. made it illegal for officers to pursue a car unless the fleeing suspect posed an immediate threat and death or serious bodily injury was not a likely result."

D.C. sees homicides go up after three incidents in one day: The two shootings and a stabbing on Saturday occurred after a drop in crime in the wake of the federal law enforcement surge in August.

3 types of hair loss and the treatments that actually help: We asked dermatologists what people with thinning hair should do to slow it down or reverse it.

This North Carolina Democrat can’t win her district. So she’s running as a Republican.: In her crusade against gerrymandering, Kate Barr is challenging her Republican congressman in the GOP primary to make a point.

Far-right provocateur Nick Fuentes is triggering a MAGA civil war: The far-right influencer’s return to X has fueled a resurgence that is driving a wedge through the right.

Josh Harris might have to choose between Trump and an angry fan base: The Washington Commanders might now have the toughest assignment in football.

D.C. is slowing e-bikes down, citing teen crime and speeding issues: Police say Lime bikes are being used as getaway vehicles.

Epstein is the one issue that persistently splits Trump from his base: Trump had once promised to release the Justice Department’s “Epstein files,” but his administration has resisted doing so.

This Democrat from a red state could help his party reclaim the House: The former representative plans to run in a new district in Utah created as a result of a court order amid the national fight to redraw congressional maps.

Inside the CIA’s secret mission to sabotage Afghanistan’s opium: In a decade-long covert operation, the U.S. spy agency dropped modified poppy seeds in an attempt to degrade the potency of Afghanistan’s billion-dollar opium crop. - "The American plants not only contained virtually no morphine, but they were bred to sprout early and produce especially vivacious red flowers, making them attractive to Afghan farmers who, the CIA hoped, would harvest and replant their seeds."

Behind the scenes of the D.C. mayor’s battle to keep Trump at bay: Muriel E. Bowser has appeased the president in ways big and small, preventing a complete federal takeover but dividing her deeply Democratic city.

Reading archive 2025-11-07

In MAGA stronghold, fury over SNAP but little blame for Trump in shutdown: House Speaker Mike Johnson’s congressional district has one of the highest SNAP usage rates in the country. Constituents wonder why he hasn’t used his power to help them, but many lay blame on Washington’s dysfunction.

Democrats offer to end shutdown for one-year health care subsidy extension: The party has debated how and when to reopen the government all week.

America’s land crisis is roaring back into politics: Henry George shows why rent control and tax cuts won’t solve nation’s land crisis.

Maryland sues Trump administration over decision to keep FBI in D.C.: The legal challenge seeks to toss out the administration’s plan to move the agency to the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center instead of Greenbelt, Maryland.

Reading archive 2025-11-06

The Florida law student who wrote a paper with white nationalist views has Jewish ancestry Preston Damsky, who has spouted antisemitic rhetoric on social media, said his family lineage doesn't have an impact on his thinking.

Neil Gorsuch Warns of President’s Growing Power in Supreme Court Hearing

Heritage staff in open revolt over leader’s defense of Tucker Carlson: The departures and condemnations built on brewing frustrations with Kevin Roberts’s handling of Project 2025 and internal sexism allegations.

After election wins, Democrats split on how to end government shutdown: A band of moderates has been talking about reopening the government in exchange for a vote on health care subsidies.

Nancy Mace really wants to explain what happened to her at the airport: How and why the congresswoman tailored her dispute for social media audiences. - "Compare any of this, please, with the other airport-related video that made rounds this week: plainclothes officers at the Salt Lake City airport dragging away a woman sobbing 'Help me!' and 'I have my papers!' as she is pulled out of screen view. Author Shannon Hale, who happened to be at the airport that day, witnessed the scene and posted it on her social media pages. While some oblivious passengers hurry to their own gates — truly, this clip is a lesson in what kinds of misery humans can learn to tune out and live among — one woman’s voice can be heard begging: 'She’s a human being,' and 'Have mercy on her.'"

Jury finds D.C. ‘sandwich guy’ not guilty of assaulting officer: Sean C. Dunn admitted he flung the hoagie at a federal agent. His attorneys called it a “harmless gesture” of protest as Trump commandeered D.C. police.

Layoffs rise to recession-like levels through October, new report says: Employers have announced 1.1 million job cuts so far this year, the highest reading since the pandemic, a private firm reports.

The great GOP migration has begun: The midterms promise a reality check — and growing defections from disastrous MAGA orthodoxy.

Why do only some leaves turn red in the fall? Scientists can't agree on an answer - "Every autumn, trees break down the green chlorophyll in their leaves, so that they can recover precious nitrogen before the leaves fall. (That nitrogen is necessary for photosynthesis, as well as building proteins and DNA.) The loss of this chlorophyll exposes yellow pigments that have been there in the leaves all along. That makes yellow leaves easy to explain. 

"But the red color is different. It comes from brand-new chemicals that are generated just days before a leaf plunges to the ground.

"'The red was not there beforehand, or you would have seen it, because the leaf would have been purple. Because green plus red equals purple,' says Hughes."

Reading archive 2025-11-05

Neil Gorsuch speaks up for a fading Congress in the tariffs case" One Supreme Court justice was especially tough on Trump’s lawyers in Wednesday’s hearing.

At the Supreme Court, the truth of Trump’s tariffs is revealed: Most of the justices seem to understand there is no distinction between tariffs and taxes.

Be afraid, Republicans. Be very afraid.: Democrats don’t agree on their message or who should deliver it. They won everywhere anyway. - "The exalting of Jan. 6 rioters and the self-enriching crypto schemes, the transformation of law enforcement agencies and the Justice Department into a personal harassment squad, the paving of the Rose Garden and the demolition of the East Wing, the erratic trade policies and brutal immigration raids — all of it adds up to chaos and lawbreaking, and the public generally disdains both."

GOP senators assail Trump Pentagon pick in rare show of disunity: A contentious episode on Capitol Hill exposed the growing frustration among Republicans who say they have been cut out of important national security decisions.

Maine Democrat won’t run again for House, blames threats, toxic politics: Rep. Jared Golden, whose district is the most pro-Trump in the country represented by a Democrat, says he has “grown tired of the increasing incivility and plain nastiness” in politics.

Republicans shaken by election losses — and split on how to fix things: Trump urges GOP to pass legislation to make them unbeatable; Vance says no more “infighting.” Others in the party have different views.

D.C. man charged with murder in 2024 death of 3-year-old: James Crawley, 31, is accused of fatally smothering his girlfriend’s daughter.

D.C. Council reinstates expanded youth curfew for 90 days: Lawmakers renewed the policy after a series of large gatherings, including a viral incident in Navy Yard that resulted in the arrests of 10 teens.

FBI fires, rehires, then fires again agents assigned to Trump case: The FBI has fired several agents involved in the investigation that led up to the special counsel case against Donald Trump. - "FBI Director Kash Patel had initially fired the agents Monday, but after pushback from District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and others he reinstated them the same day, the people familiar with the matter said. Patel fired them again Tuesday morning."

Reading archive 2025-11-04

How Catastrophic Is It If the AI Bubble Bursts? An FAQ.: The AI industry’s most important product is not a chatbot or a video generator; it’s the story the AI industry is telling about itself

Decades after charter schools exploded in D.C., they face a changed city: KIPP DC, the city’s largest charter network, turns 25 amid new challenges for education. - "KIPP also became known, locally and nationally, for its strict 'no excuses' model. Students could be reprimanded for causing distractions or behavior deemed 'detrimental to the best interest' of the school. During the 2015-2016 school year, five of KIPP’s 16 schools had suspended at least a quarter of their student body, according to city data — attracting scrutiny from the D.C. Council."

Dick Cheney couldn’t get over Jan. 6: Other Republicans returned to Trump, but the former vice president was unforgiving, to his credit.

Report: Donors to Trump’s White House ballroom have $279B in federal contracts: The list contains heavyweights in the tech, financial and defense sectors, including Google, Comcast and Lockheed Martin. - "'They have massive interests before the federal government and they hope to undoubtedly curry favor with, and receive favorable treatment from the Trump administration,' Public Citizen Co-President Robert Weissman said in a statement. 'Millions to fund Trump’s architectural whims are nothing compared to the billions at stake in procurement, regulatory and enforcement decisions.'"

Why isn’t the Heritage Foundation condemning Tucker Carlson?: The conservative think tank is unbothered by Carlson’s friendly interview with a white nationalist.

The RSS is a warning to all nations where populism is spiking: Groups like India’s RSS wouldn’t amass millions of members without appealing to a perceived need.

A whole lotta marble! Designers weigh in on Trump’s Lincoln Bathroom reno.: The startling renovation comes on the heels of the demolition of the East Wing.

Administration hints furloughed workers may not be paid after shutdown: Agencies are sending messages indicating that workers who are on the job will be paid when the government reopens — with no mention of those on furlough, despite a 2019 law protecting their wages.

Reading archive 2025-11-03

'60 Minutes' Edits (Most Of) The Crazy Out Of Its Interview With Donald Trump

The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) is to pull funding from US based organisations.

As a doctor, here’s my advice on creatine supplements: Creatine may make you stronger — but only if you meet certain criteria.