The Washington Post

An influential technology enthusiast initially said Brother and its line of $160-and-up laser printers undermined its reputation by making its printers less capable if you use cheaper replacement ink. It’s a common tactic used by other printer manufacturers. Brother denied that it’s restricting people’s ink choices and probably still deserves its crown as the least-hated printer in America.

The Trump administration said it was cutting funds to Columbia University for allegedly failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitism on campus. Education Secretary Linda McMahon pointed to pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protests on campus since Oct. 7, 2023 and the war in Gaza that followed. Before the grant cancellation had been publicly announced, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a protest group involved in demonstrations last year and this week, signaled that it is not backing down: “These protests are driven by Palestine as their compass,” the group said in a statement. “We will continue fighting for amnesty so that we can continue to fight … for Palestine, and for the liberation of all oppressed peoples.”

For almost 20 years, Marley the penguin has been an artist. More recently, her fame has skyrocketed. Since Moody Gardens posted a clip on TikTok of the penguin wagging her tail after completing one of her paintings and loudly voicing her excitement, the video has gotten about 60 million views and more than 6 million likes. More than 32,000 comments have flooded the post.

Dozens of federal workers crammed this week into the Queen Memorial Library’s basement, brainstorming ways to escape what organizers say vexes thousands more nationwide: limbo induced by DOGE, the team of young Elon Musk loyalists reshaping the U.S. government. Layoffs sting in any circumstance, but DOGE’s slash-and-burn approach to government downsizing has blown past the usually strict protocols, legal experts say, leaving many workers mired in confusion or scrambling to clear their names. Unlike in the private sector, most public servants have until now enjoyed protections that say they cannot be abruptly cut without evidence of dismal performance, breaking agency rules or bad behavior.

The Department of Data's exhaustive search of American place names discovered that one country has been a shockingly dominant source of inspiration. You’ll never guess which one. Much of the United States of America is named for countries that are not the United States of America. It’s not just the Gulf of Mexico. Or New Mexico. Or the Old Mexico Mine in Colorado. Or the Mexico Public Library in Maine. Their analysis has revealed thousands of places — and even more people — named after well over 100 foreign countries.

The labor market picked up 151,000 jobs in February, a solid pace, despite a massive layoff among federal workers that began to show up in the data. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.1 percent, extending low levels that have marked the past few years. Federal government payrolls lost 10,000 jobs in February.

President Trump will host cryptocurrency CEOs and investors at the White House, signaling a dramatic change in the fortunes of an industry with a reputation for scandals that has been treated with suspicion by financial regulators. During his reelection campaign Trump promised to make the United States “the crypto capital of the world.” He even has a digital coin of his own: $TRUMP, unveiled shortly before his inauguration. Read more: https://wapo.st/3F4GU95

More states are easing the stress of the college search by letting high school students know they are promised admission before they even apply. It is a paradigm shift in the often tedious admissions process that can require students to spend lots of time and money with no guarantee of success. The number of state-run, direct admissions programs has jumped from one in 2015 to more than a dozen today, including: Idaho, Minnesota, South Dakota, Washington, Indiana, Hawaii, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Utah, Illinois, Texas, California, New York and Oregon. Five of those states adopted the policy in 2024. Several other states have introduced legislation this year, including Arkansas, or have pilot programs in the works.

Can reprogramming our genes make us young again? A breakthrough in longevity research may be nearing its first human trials. Cellular reprogramming is now hailed by its supporters as the most promising scientific approach to improving human healthspans and lifespans. Proponents claim it has the potential to reshape how — and whether — we grow old. 

Federal workers who have quit or been forced out are airing their discontent in letters to their bosses or staffs. Their letters range from the poignant — such as the goodbye note from a disabled veteran who said a “relentless stream of unwarranted criticism” from top administration officials had harmed his health — to the pointed, including a memo from a top communications adviser who accused Trump appointees of ushering in a “toxic work environment.”