Kevin Loria

The Star launches in June with dramatically expanded coverage of Washington politics and policy — and new coverage of D.C. itself. The District isn’t just the place where politics happens. It’s home to the people who pull the levers of power. It’s where they live and work and commute and eat and vote and navigate the unique intersection of politics and real life. The Star will cover all of it, from Donald Trump’s stamp on the District to the ambitions of its first new mayor in more than a decade. Who’s wielding power in D.C.? What’s driving them? What impact are they having on housing, schools, transportation and the District’s neighborhoods? What’s next for Home Rule? For statehood? And will the Nationals ever be good again? We’ll do it with the same rigor we bring to our coverage of national politics and policy, and we’ll do it with the best local reporting team in D.C. We’re excited to announce the start of that team today — veteran journalists you know and trust, plus newcomers who will bring fresh eyes to the vibrant and sometimes vexing place we all call home.

I finished reading “The Tainted Cup” by Robert Jackson Bennett. Wow—this was fantastic. A total hit. I don’t usually read fantasies, but this works brilliantly as a mystery novel as well. Above all, its uniquely original world-building is outstanding. It’s set in another world where, during the rainy season, massive creatures known as “Leviathans” attack the defense walls. In order to fight back, people have developed enhanced abilities through biological modifications. Within this fantastical setting, the story follows a pair of investigators—gifted individuals working for the Ministry of Justice—as they pursue a mysterious death. It’s hard to fully capture in just a few words, but this is a masterpiece that deserves to be read. Highly recommended.

Surrogate pregnancies are increasingly popular in Silicon Valley, and the practice is expected to explode globally in the coming decade. It’s also shockingly unregulated. 10 months in the making, this is a story about what happens when it goes horribly wrong.