D.C. police arrest teen in string of carjackings and robberies: D.C. police said the crimes took place in Southeast and Northeast Washington - "Detectives from the police department’s Carjacking Task Force on Friday took into custody a 16-year-old male from Southeast Washington who they said committed three carjackings in a two-hour span early Wednesday, then a kidnapping and seven robberies over nearly seven hours between 10 p.m. Wednesday and 5 a.m. Thursday."
Teen killed outside McDonald’s in sweet-and-sour sauce dispute, police say - "A 16-year-old girl was charged with fatally stabbing another 16-year-old girl outside a McDonald’s on a busy D.C. nightlife corridor this weekend in a fight a police detective said stemmed from an argument about sweet-and-sour sauce, as the city continues its struggle to quell youth violence.
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"All summer, D.C. government officials have touted programming designed to keep youths safe and engaged while school is out. The mayor told community members in June that the city had 13,000 slots for camp and 14,000 places for youth employment."
Why you should tell your children about vanishing fireflies - "Shifting baselines is now shorthand for generational amnesia of the natural world. As species decline or die off, our cultural memory of them fades. We might remember the abundance and diversity of our childhood but never imagine the world of our grandparents — or of their ancestors. This phenomenon has already been documented among groups as diverse as bush meat hunters in Africa and birders in the United Kingdom."
3 things to do if you’re caught in an active shooter situation
A deadly tick-borne epidemic is raging.: Dogs are key to ending it. - "Cruz said she has been bitten by ticks before and is aware of rickettsia’s dangers. But she doesn’t worry about dying of the disease. God’s will, she said, shrugging. Like other homeowners here, she said she needs the dogs for protection from burglars. If Coca wants to roam, Cruz said, she will let that continue."
Pope criticizes ‘reactionary’ conservative elements in U.S. Catholic Church
Uproar over Libya-Israel meeting shows limits of regional normalization
Opinion Babies need people, not devices. Stop giving them screen time.
You’re doing it wrong: Recycling and other myths about tackling climate change - "Among the 10 actions Americans were polled on, experts said flying less and cutting out meat and dairy are among the best steps people can take. Most Americans don’t realize that — 51 percent say flying less would make a little or no difference, and about three-quarters say the same for cutting out meat and dairy."
5,000 pilots suspected of hiding major health issues. Most are still flying.
Opinion We need more people learning trades. Something is finally being done about it.
Pentagon protested false Fox News report about fallen Marine, emails show: The network quietly removed the story based on false claims from a congressman but did not apologize or run a correction - "'The allegations originally published turned out to be false, which I suspect Mr. Lee knew in the first place, and was the reason he did not seek comment from the Marine Corps,' wrote Marine Corps spokesman Maj. James Stenger in an email to the Fox executives."
Wisconsin Supreme Court flips liberal, creating a ‘seismic shift’ - "For decades, the most senior member of the court served as chief justice, and under that system a liberal chief justice for years presided over a conservative court. In response, Republican lawmakers scheduled a ballot measure to change the state constitution and voters in 2015 approved allowing the justices to decide who would serve as chief justice. Conservatives on the court chose one of their own to serve in that post shortly after voters signed off on changing the rules. ...
"The decision on whether to step aside is up to Protasiewicz because conservatives on the court in 2011 issued a 4-3 decision that found justices cannot force one another off cases. If Protasiewicz remains on the case, the Republicans could ask the U.S. Supreme Court to remove her from it for having a conflict of interest. Protasiewicz has not signaled what she will do." [ed. note: my how the turn tables]
Overland Park kicks out farmers market vendor over brazenly antisemitic posts
Plan for West End D.C. homeless shelter faces mounting opposition: Shelter opponents have secured the backing of high-powered law firms as the city seeks to open the building as soon as this fall - "'The purpose of this [letter] was to put D.C. on notice of the problems they may face going forward. And if they aren’t addressed, then this would be the prelude to litigation,' he added. 'I don’t know anybody involved in this that is against the homeless shelter. The issue is not whether it’s necessary; the issue is simply where is the best location for that. And the District hasn’t done its job in identifying more appropriate locations for the shelter.'" [ed. note lol this NIMBY bullshit]
D.C. has long struggled with 911 calls. Then 10 dogs died in a flood. - "Last year alone, employees at the Office of Unified Communications sent D.C. firefighters to the wrong address for a report of a newborn in cardiac arrest, canceled a call for service about a child pulled unconscious from a hot car, and mistakenly treated a call about a man who had collapsed as low priority. Though the effect of the delays remains unclear, all three of those people died."
