A Sea of Health and Environmental Hazards in Houston’s Floodwaters by HIROKO TABUCHI and SHEILA KAPLAN

By HIROKO TABUCHI and SHEILA KAPLAN Overflowing sewers, runoff from chemical plants and seepage from toxic waste sites have created a hazardous stew in the waters covering much of Houston. Published: August 30, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2eJDzxj

David Clarke, Milwaukee County Sheriff and Trump Supporter, Resigns by MATT STEVENS

By MATT STEVENS A divisive figure who rose to national attention last year during the Republican National Convention, Mr. Clarke previously said he had been offered a Homeland Security post. Published: August 30, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2vweQXC

As Houston Looks to Recover, Small Towns Now Bear the Brunt by CAMPBELL ROBERTSON, RICK ROJAS and SHAILA DEWAN

By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON, RICK ROJAS and SHAILA DEWAN Houston has begun assessing the damage of Harvey, but the storm marched on to conquer a new swath speckled with small towns and home to millions. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2vwiWz8

Was 2013 Hurricane Sandy Relief Package ‘Full of Pork’? by LINDA QIU

By LINDA QIU Texas lawmakers say they voted against the 2013 aid bill because it included spending unrelated to Sandy. There’s a factual bone to pick with this claim. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2vwiHEe

The Sun Came Out in Houston. Here’s What Residents Saw. by MONICA DAVEY

By MONICA DAVEY Houston in the wake of Harvey is a study in contrasts: of some neighborhoods moving on and of others doing anything but that. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2vww72P

A Storm Forces Houston, the Limitless City, to Consider Its Limits by MANNY FERNANDEZ and RICHARD FAUSSET

By MANNY FERNANDEZ and RICHARD FAUSSET As it reels from the impact of Hurricane Harvey, a muscular metropolitan area that embraced growth now wonders whether growth made its flooding woes worse. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2vwM6Oz

Apps to Provide Peace of Mind With a Teenager Behind the Wheel by J. D. BIERSDORFER

Keeping tabs on a young new driver is easier than it used to be, thanks to several new apps and services intended for nervous parents. By J. D. BIERSDORFER from NYT Technology

The Secret Ingredient That Stops Honeybees From Becoming Queens by ANERI PATTANI

By ANERI PATTANI Researchers have identified the molecule from plants that finds its way into the “bee bread” fed to honeybee larvae and determines their destiny. Published: August 30, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT Science http://nyti.ms/2xBFfkd

‘We Only Kill Black People,’ Police Officer Says During Traffic Stop by CHRISTINE HAUSER

By CHRISTINE HAUSER A Georgia officer is being fired for comments he made to a white woman during a traffic stop. His lawyer said he was trying to gain her compliance. Published: August 30, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2eJtr7B

Word of the day for September 1, 2017

desire line , n : A path that pedestrians or vehicles take informally rather than taking a sidewalk or set route, for example, a well-worn ribbon of dirt cutting across a patch of grass, or a path in the snow.

Picture of the day for September 1, 2017

Picture of the day on September 1, 2017: The bicolored frog or Malabar frog (Clinotarsus curtipes) is a species of frog found in the Western Ghats of India.

Ontario Highway 71

King’s Highway 71 is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Part of the Trans-Canada Highway, the 194-kilometre (121 mi) route travels west from the Fort Frances-International Falls International Bridge in Fort Frances, concurrently with Highway 11, for 40 kilometres (25 mi). At Chapple, Highway 71 branches from Highway 11, travelling 154 kilometres (96 mi) north to a […]

Harvey Live Updates: Blasts at Plant in Crosby, Texas, Underscore Worries About Storm Damage by THE NEW YORK TIMES

By THE NEW YORK TIMES It was one of a host of new dangers emerging in the aftermath of the storm as floodwaters receded in many Houston neighborhoods, though it appeared that the health and safety risk from the plant was limited. Published: August 30, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2wmzDvB

Setting Up Your Own Email V.I.P. List by J. D. BIERSDORFER

If you want to avoid overly checking your messages while on vacation, send your important correspondents to their own special mailbox and add alerts. By J. D. BIERSDORFER from NYT Technology

NASA Television to Air Return of Three International Space Station Crew Members

Record-breaking NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson and her Expedition 52 crewmates are scheduled to depart the International Space Station and return to Earth Saturday, Sept. 2. NASA Television and the agency’s website will provide complete coverage of their departure and landing. from NASA https://go.nasa.gov/2wVDcKz

NASA Concludes Summer of Testing with Fifth Flight Controller Hot Fire

NASA engineers closed a summer of successful hot fire testing Aug. 30 for flight controllers on RS-25 engines that will help power the new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket being built to carry astronauts to deep-space destinations, including Mars. via NASA https://go.nasa.gov/2wlvhVu

In Retaliation, U.S. Orders Russia to Close Consulate in San Francisco by MARK LANDLER

By MARK LANDLER The order to close a consulate and diplomatic annexes in New York and Washington was expected since Russia told the United States to cut its embassy staff in Moscow. Published: August 30, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2gtt4Sp

Hot Spots in a Freezing Ocean Offer Lessons in Climate Change by CARL ZIMMER

By CARL ZIMMER Scientists dropped heated panels into the seas off the Antarctic coast. Some microscopic species thrived; others suffered. Published: August 30, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT Science http://nyti.ms/2xAYquE

Thousands Cried for Help as Houston Flooded by GREGOR AISCH, SARAH ALMUKHTAR, JEREMY ASHKENAS, MATTHEW BLOCH, AUDREY CARLSEN, JOSE A. DELREAL, FORD FESSENDEN, K.K. REBECCA

By GREGOR AISCH, SARAH ALMUKHTAR, JEREMY ASHKENAS, MATTHEW BLOCH, AUDREY CARLSEN, JOSE A. DELREAL, FORD FESSENDEN, K.K. REBECCA Read the words of people who requested rescue online. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2eHoTPi

The Technology Our West Africa Bureau Chief Relies On by DIONNE SEARCEY

Dionne Searcey says that even with sometimes spotty internet connectivity, West Africans have embraced smartphones and apps like WhatsApp and Skype. By DIONNE SEARCEY from NYT Technology

Houston Curfew Follows Many in Big Cities Facing Disaster or Unrest by MATTHEW HAAG

By MATTHEW HAAG Los Angeles, Detroit, Boston and Chicago are among the other large cities that have imposed restrictions during trying times in the past half-century. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2xPocKZ

Clinging to Her Drowning ‘Mama,’ a Little Girl Survives the Raging Flood by SIMON ROMERO and JULIE BOSMAN

By SIMON ROMERO and JULIE BOSMAN With the death toll of Hurricane Harvey climbing to 38, those who survived the storm are just now learning the names of those who did not. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2eGIjno

Trump Voters Growing Impatient With the President, Focus Group Reveals by MAGGIE HABERMAN

By MAGGIE HABERMAN Five Democrats, four independents and three Republicans discussed their mood as registered voters after the president’s first seven months in office. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2eGObNr

Trump in Missouri Lays Groundwork for Tax Overhaul but Offers No Details by JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS and BINYAMIN APPELBAUM

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS and BINYAMIN APPELBAUM In a speech on Wednesday in Springfield, Mo., President Trump laid out the case for cutting taxes for businesses and individuals and for simplifying the tax code. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2eGPdZF

U.S. Test Successfully Intercepts Ballistic Missile by EILEEN SULLIVAN

By EILEEN SULLIVAN Days after another missile launch from North Korea, the United States tested its intercepting capabilities off the coast of Hawaii. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2eGLWts

Federal Judge Blocks Texas’ Ban on ‘Sanctuary Cities’ by MANNY FERNANDEZ

By MANNY FERNANDEZ The temporary ruling prevents the state from going ahead with controversial provisions that were to go into effect on Friday. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2grqw7n

Fire Ants Are Yet Another Hazard in Houston’s Flooded Streets by CHRISTINE HAUSER

By CHRISTINE HAUSER The ants spring into survival mode in floods, oozing a sticky secretion that helps them cling together, forming mats or log-shaped rafts that float through the waters. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2gqnOPo

A Boom in Confederate Monuments, on Private Land by SABRINA TAVERNISE

By SABRINA TAVERNISE Unlike the Confederate memorials of yesteryear, erected in busy public squares, today’s are mostly appearing far from the bustle of daily life. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2gqQKqy

Hunting Moose in Canada to Save Caribou From Wolves by JOANNA KLEIN

By JOANNA KLEIN Scientists found in the remote rain forests in British Columbia that letting people hunt more moose led to fewer wolves and more endangered mountain caribou. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT Science http://nyti.ms/2vGU9Va

Meteorological history of Hurricane Ivan

The meteorological history of Hurricane Ivan (2004) spans 26 days from late August to late September, the tenth longest storm duration of any Atlantic hurricane on record. The tropical cyclone developed from a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on August 31. Tracking westward due to a ridge, it developed into Tropical […]

Kalanick’s Feud With Benchmark Goes to Arbitration for Now, Judge Rules by TIFFANY HSU and NELLIE BOWLES

The ruling was a preliminary victory for Travis Kalanick, Uber’s former C.E.O., who has been sued by Benchmark, an investor in the ride-hailing company. By TIFFANY HSU and NELLIE BOWLES from NYT Technology

Word of the day for August 31, 2017

shambolic , adj : (Australia, Britain) Chaotic, disorganised or mismanaged.

Picture of the day for August 31, 2017

Picture of the day on August 31, 2017: Honour guards at Ala-Too Square in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Casting Light on Mystery of a Star That Vanished After 14 Days by KENNETH CHANG

By KENNETH CHANG First spotted by Korean astronomers in 1437, scientists have found it again in the form of a violent star system that experienced a nova explosion. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT Science http://nyti.ms/2x6KavF

The Smartphone’s Future: It’s All About the Camera by BRIAN X. CHEN

The devices are poised to get smarter as advances are made in scanning 3-D objects like your face. By BRIAN X. CHEN from NYT Technology

Port Arthur Faces Harvey Flooding Disaster: ‘Our Whole City Is Underwater’ by JONAH ENGEL BROMWICH

By JONAH ENGEL BROMWICH Residents of cities in Jefferson County, Tex., about 100 miles east of Houston, called for help on social media as the floodwaters rose. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2vGtS99

NASA’s IceBridge Surveys Glaciers in Northeast Greenland

NASA’s Operation IceBridge is flying its summer Arctic land ice campaign in Greenland, continuing its measurements of the Greenland Ice Sheet and its outlet glaciers. This photograph from the mission was taken on Aug. 29, 2017, from 28,000 feet, looking north while surveying Nioghalvfjerdsbrae (79 N) Glacier in northeast Greenland. via NASA https://go.nasa.gov/2xz3qjt

Harvey Live Updates: Storm’s Wrath Shifts After Second Landfall by THE NEW YORK TIMES

By THE NEW YORK TIMES As the sun emerged and water began to recede in parts of flood-ravaged Houston, Harvey shifted its wrath to the Beaumont-Port Arthur area of Texas. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2iJljsp

NASA and Iconic Museum Honor Voyager Spacecraft 40th Anniversary

NASA and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum will celebrate 40 years of the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft — humanity’s farthest and longest-lived mission — with a public event at 12:30 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Sept. 5. from NASA https://go.nasa.gov/2wo4dDz

Google Critic Ousted From Think Tank Funded by the Tech Giant by KENNETH P. VOGEL

By KENNETH P. VOGEL When the New America Foundation praised a large fine levied on Google, the people behind the statement were exiled. Published: August 29, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2vs94pX

Houston Before and After Hurricane Harvey by MALACHY BROWNE, SERGIO PEÇANHA, AINARA TIEFENTHÄLER and JOSH WILLIAMS

By MALACHY BROWNE, SERGIO PEÇANHA, AINARA TIEFENTHÄLER and JOSH WILLIAMS Torrential rain has fallen on Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, leaving swaths of the country’s fourth largest city under water. Published: August 28, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2vsmAKi

Stalled Over Gulf, Harvey Deepens Texans’ Soggy Misery by JACK HEALY, RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA and ALAN BLINDER

By JACK HEALY, RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA and ALAN BLINDER The death toll from Harvey was rising and officials said their rescue effort was nowhere near done. Published: August 28, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2xM7X1a

How ‘Doxxing’ Became a Mainstream Tool in the Culture Wars by NELLIE BOWLES

Identifying extremist activists and revealing their personal information has become a bit of a sport on the internet. Some worry about mistakes and the permanent stigma of online shaming. By NELLIE BOWLES from NYT Technology

‘Cortana, Open Alexa,’ Amazon Says. And Microsoft Agrees. by NICK WINGFIELD

In an unusual partnership, Amazon and Microsoft are working together to extend the abilities of their voice-controlled digital assistants. By NICK WINGFIELD from NYT Technology

Harvey Gives Trump a Chance to Reclaim Power to Unify by GLENN THRUSH

By GLENN THRUSH Hurricanes are political events, benchmarks by which a president’s abilities are measured. But many of those in Mr. Trump’s orbit are worried he won’t be self-controlled enough to maximize the moment. Published: August 28, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2wI8R1P

Two Bankers Are Selling Trump’s Tax Plan. Is Congress Buying? by JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS and KATE KELLY

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS and KATE KELLY Many wonder if Gary D. Cohn’s and Steven Mnuchin’s real-world experience in finance has equipped them to carry out a delicate political negotiation. Published: August 27, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2wHY3kd

SpaceX Unveils Sleek, White Spacesuit for Astronaut Travel by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SpaceX has unveiled a sleek white spacesuit for astronauts on its crewed flights coming up next year. Published: August 22, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT Science http://nyti.ms/2x38u1z

The Prehistoric Puzzle of How Plesiosaurs Swam Through the Oceans by NICHOLAS ST. FLEUR

By NICHOLAS ST. FLEUR As dinosaurs ruled the Earth, these Loch Ness monster-like creatures prowled the oceans with an unusual swimming technique, scientists believe. Published: August 28, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT Science http://nyti.ms/2xwkjuQ

Joel Osteen Says Lakewood Church Is Open to Harvey Victims After Criticism by JONAH ENGEL BROMWICH

By JONAH ENGEL BROMWICH The church had initially said that its building was inaccessible because of “severe flooding.” Published: August 28, 2017 at 08:00PM from NYT U.S. http://nyti.ms/2vqr7gr

Inside Uber’s Choice of a New C.E.O. by MIKE ISAAC

Before Uber’s board chose Dara Khosrowshahi to be the company’s new chief, there were power plays, negotiations for more leverage and wild swings in support. By MIKE ISAAC from NYT Technology