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Trial Starts for Two Men Accused of Felling England’s Beloved Sycamore Gap Tree (Maria)
The author writes, “There is a hole in the heart of the rolling hills of northern England. A majestic sycamore tree that once sat symmetrically between two hills along Hadrian’s Wall was mysteriously felled more than a year and a half ago, causing disbelief and distress for those who considered it an almost sacred site. ‘We’re still devastated by it,’ said Catherine Cape, who runs a guest cabin nearby. … Cape is among those keen to see the outcome of a trial that began Monday in Newcastle Crown Court as a jury was seated to weigh the evidence against two men accused of toppling the famous Sycamore Gap tree. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, have pleaded not guilty to two counts each of criminal damage. Prosecutors said the value of the tree exceeds $827,000.”
Mistakes Were Made. And Made. And Made Again (Dana)
From Mother Jones: “What will you remember about Donald Trump’s second first 100 days? Probably the cruelty and arrogance of the people in charge, and the fecklessness of so many institutions that were supposed to fight back. Maybe the image of the world’s richest men, and some of their wives, sitting obediently in front of the president’s Cabinet on Inauguration Day. Or the way the New York Times described Elon Musk as having ‘extended his arm diagonally upward, palm facing down.’ Or the enthusiasm with which the secretary of agriculture encouraged Americans to raise chickens. Or the words, ‘They hate our beef because our beef is beautiful and theirs is weak.’ But personally, I’m going to remember all the mistakes.”
Biden Never Pressured Israel for Ceasefire, as Israeli Officials Boast of Exploiting US Support (Sean)
From Middle East Monitor: “The Biden administration allowed Israel unprecedented leeway to carry out its military offensive, despite the enormous death and devastation it inflicted on Gaza. Former Israeli ambassador, Michael Herzog, made a startling admission about Biden’s support: ‘God did the State of Israel a favor that Biden was the president during this period. We fought [in Gaza] for over a year, and the administration never came to us and said, “ceasefire now.” It never did. And that’s not to be taken for granted.’ His remarks encapsulated a broader sentiment that the White House gave Benjamin Netanyahu all the political space he needed to execute the military offensive, which has claimed the lives of more than 52,000 Palestinians.”
The Bubble That Created Trump Is the Reason He’s Stumbling (Bill)
The author writes, “[Defense Secretary] Hegseth was confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate anyway because Trump and a universe of voices who support him insisted Hegseth was the best choice for the job — because he was Trump’s choice for the job. Republican senators who undoubtedly knew better went along, betting that things wouldn’t get so bad under Hegseth that it was worth stirring up the fury of that pro-Trump bubble. It’s the same bet that prominent Republicans have been making on Trump himself since 2015. Now, as Trump too is flailing — polling and the data make clear that he is — it’s trivial to identify that insular chorus of cheerleaders and cynics as a root cause.”
Boise Mayor Threatens Legal Action on Idaho Law That Bans Pride Flag (Reader Steve)
From the Idaho Statesman: “Boise Mayor Lauren McLean has doubled down on the city’s decision to keep an LGBTQ+ Pride flag flying outside City Hall, despite a new state law banning the display of unofficial flags on government property, and threatened to take legal action against the new law in a letter to the state’s attorney general. McLean on Thursday posted a response to Attorney General Raul Labrador’s letter that urged her to take down the flag. On X, formerly known as Twitter, the mayor accused the state of ‘acting in bad faith’ if it imposes civil or criminal penalties on the city for continuing to fly the flag.”
Message From Pope Francis: Read a Novel (Al)
The author writes, “When Pope Francis penned his Letter on the Role of Literature in Formation, he meant it mainly for seminarians but then second-guessed himself. ‘Reading novels and poems,’ he said, form ‘part of one’s path to personal maturity.’ That’s true for all of us, regardless of vocation. Even regardless of faith. The late pope’s letter represents a passionate appeal to treat literature as something more than an optional pastime, one easily replaced by social media, television, or movies. Francis, who once taught literature much earlier in his life, wanted us to see it as an essential ingredient of personal development and human flourishing.”
Flushed Away (Laura)
The author writes, “They used to work so poorly that people were upset to receive them for free. John Koeller found that out the hard way. In the early 1990s, he was working on a program that handed out environmentally friendly toilets across Southern California to help households save water and money. The Energy Policy Act had recently mandated that all toilets sold in the U.S. use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush. Previously, a single flush could send 5 to 7 gallons — an office watercooler’s worth of water — down the drain. Almost literally so: The water we flush is the same quality as the stuff we drink. The new toilets should have been a miracle. … The effort promised to save a staggering amount of water every year, enough to flood 43,000 acres a foot deep (a measurement known as acre-feet) — a huge win for water conservation, especially in water-starved California. There was just one problem. Many of the new toilets were — forgive me — downright shitty.”
