Some slightly off-the-beaten-path stories you may have missed over the past week:

— It’s not a total retreat, but it’s a retreat: “Cambridge Councilors Seek to Rein in Citywide Upzoning” (Banker & Tradesman)

— Big government contracts in Massachusetts. What could possibly go wrong? “Who will build the new Sagamore Bridge? Mass. seeks bidders for massive project” (WBUR)

— Yet another hit to one of our leading industries: “The U.S. Tariff Attack on U.S. Biotech” (WSJ)

— Speaking of biotech, China is accused once again of taking an R&D shortcut: “Beam Therapeutics sues Chinese biotech, VC-backed startup, alleging theft of intellectual property” (Globe)

— Banned in Boston. Banned in Somerville. Same thing: “Davis Square vendor market Small Mart bans AI art” (Cambridge Day)

— In ‘Troubled Times,’ it’s a look back at a politically tense decade: “Journalist Kevin Galvin wanted to understand political violence, so he reached for a story from his Boston childhood” (Globe)

–They could be paying as much as $300 million? Yikes: “Ivory tower tax hit” (BBJ)

–Turns out they’re a little like human babies, focusing on consonants to vaguely grasp word meanings: “Dogs use a surprising method to understand human language, new study suggests” (Washington Post)

— He said it, not us: “Karl Rove says Republican Party is being taken over by ‘Nazis’” (SA Current, via Drudge)

— Yeah, but can it win at Risk? “This game-playing AI is the new champ at Stratego” (MIT News)