‘Two-Character Play’ benefits from actors’ shared history

it sort of lends itself to really trying to find out a lot behind the page.” “You can see many themes in this play which relate directly to some of his earlier plays,” he said. “Clearly there are echoes of ‘The Glass Menagerie’ in this play, the relationship of a brother and sister, the relationship of the parents, the way that they’re kind of locked in that dynamic imposed by their family situation.” Gardner is finding her way into her character through a more personal path: her mother. She “had agoraphobia, was depressed, and was an alcoholic and was on medication for depression,” Gardner said. “What I remember of her growing up . . . is how much she kept her sense of humor. And even though she was struggling . . . she showed up every day. She was sort of a wreck of a mother, and she did the best she could.” “As I looked at Claire . . . I can see, she uses humor a lot to be strong, to be brave, to deflect, to not be afraid. And that’s where I draw from my family history.” For Felice and Claire, Gardner said, “This is sort of their version of drama psychotherapy. [They’re] working out what happened, how they’re going to move forward. The play within a play is their version of therapy, which makes it ever-changing. And they talk about that in the play: that it never ends.” Thursday to Oct. 27, 1810 16th St. NW, www.spookyaction.org, 202-248-0301 Shutdown affects Ford’s Is anyone safe from the government shutdown? Employees furloughed, national parks shuttered, the panda cam powered off for who knows how long. Theatergoers, take note: Ford’s Theatre Society is a private nonprofit organization that uses no federal funding or employees for productions. That’s the good news. The bad news is, because of Ford’s Theatre’s designation as a historical site, the theater itself cannot be used during the shutdown. Tuesday night’s press performance of “The Laramie Project” was held at Woolly Mammoth. Patrons with tickets to “Laramie” and other Lincoln Legacy Project events will be notified by Ford’s with information about future performances. The Center for Education and Leadership, at 514 10th St., will remain open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the shutdown, which means you can still visit the “Not Alone: The Power of Response” temporary exhibit. For more information, visit www.fordstheatre.org.


When D.C.’s squirrels, birds and other wild animals need help, City Wildlife is there

the Red Line Metro tracks was transformed into an animal rehab facility. When I visited last week, I was pleased to see that The Washington Post lined most cages. Try doing that with an iPad. The menagerie included baby squirrels, crows (an American crow and a fish crow), two box turtles, a box turtle egg (probably unfertilized, but you never know), a chipmunk and a juvenile opossum. The opossum had all the basic ingredients of the National Zoo’s giant panda cub — white and black coloring, an odd fringe of longer white hairs — just arranged in a less-cuddly order. As I leaned in to take a photo, the opossum drew back its tiny opossum lips, bared its tiny opossum teeth and hissed at me. “Possums are a favorite of wildlife rehabilitators,” Anne said. She said it’s because they’re so weird — marsupials! — and because they’re all hiss and no bite. This particular opossum was the last of six brought in over the summer. The rest had been released, but one had bitten this hissing opossum, necessitating a longer stay. (It’s sad the opossums couldn’t get along. I suppose playing dead doesn’t really work for them, since they know when the other one’s faking it.) The 65 orphan squirrels at City Wildlife are part of the second litters that squirrel mothers have toward the end of summer. They spend a few weeks getting fattened up at the center, then are released into the back yards of understanding humans who will provide enough food for them to get a pawhold. The center is licensed to care for birds and mammals that are not rabies vectors, so no raccoons, skunks or coyotes. What about rats? “Rats and mice are nuisance species,” Anne said. “Most rehabbers don’t accept them. It’s not socially acceptable to release a rat back into the city.” The rodents are humanely euthanized. Another pigeon at City Wildlife caught my eye. It was a snow-white bird with a blue leg band that was found in June wandering around Volta Park in Georgetown. Anne thinks it was released at some ceremony — a wedding, a graduation — but didn’t actually know how to find its way back to its coop: a homeless homing pigeon. The band was blank, no number, and Anne speculates that the bird was owned by an unscrupulous bird-renter, not an actual homing pigeon aficionado. Semi-tame as


Finding a new head of Homeland Security is proving to be more a real challenge

e-mail Tuesday from a zoo official warns volunteers that if they find themselves confronted by journalists trying to report on how the zoo is handling the government shutdown, they should react much the way one might when interacting with an escaped animal: Don’t make any sudden moves, don’t speak, and back away slowly. “We heard today that many volunteers were approached by media asking for comments about the potential government shut down,” the e-mail read. “In some cases the reporters did not identify themselves up front.” (Bad reporters! No treats for you!) The missive continued, warning folks that whatever they might do, they should not feed the hungry beasts. “Our policy is that media interactions are channeled through our Public Affairs office, but if you are in the middle of a conversation with a Zoo visitor who reveals himself or herself to be a reporter, please remember that only Smithsonian Institution-designated staff should represent the Zoo,” it read. “If this happens to you, stop the conversation, walk away and notify your program supervisor or the NZP Public Affairs office.” We reached the sender of the e-mail by phone. Alas, she said she couldn’t comment. We’d have to go through the zoo’s public affairs office, she said. We’re off to munch on some bamboo. End of the road for Binz Just how embattled was Ron Binz , the Colorado utility regulator who was President Obama’s pick to chair the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission? Pretty bad — he withdrew his name Tuesday, reading the writing on the wall and admitting that his confirmation was a no-go. “It appears that my nomination will not be reported favorably by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee,” Binz said in a statement. We noted last week that the White House was already on the hunt for a replacement, since energy trade groups and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a key member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, had lined up against Binz. In a statement, the panel’s chairman, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), lamented the move. “I continue to believe Mr. Binz was well-qualified to lead the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and it is unfortunate that he was forced to withdraw,” Wyden said in a statement. “The next nominee should be judged on his or her merits, and not on organized PR campaigns, either for or against.” With Emily Heil The blog: washingtonpost.com/intheloop. Twitter: @InTheLoopWP.


Shutdown means no peeking at panda cub

The National Zoo’s panda cub, shown at last week’s vet exam, will get a break from the cams. (Abby Wood/Smithsonian's National Zoo) The National Zoo’s giant pandas are getting some privacy. Tuesday’s shutdown of the federal government meant that the unnamed cub and her mom, Mei Xiang, will not have cameras filming their every move 24 hours a day. The popular panda cams — and all other live animal cameras at the zoo — have gone dark until Congress agrees on how to fund the government, which provides money to operate the zoo. The zoo tweeted Monday that “The cams . . . require federal resources, especially staff, to run.” The zoo itself was closed to visitors as of Tuesday morning. Officials say the shutdown won’t affect care of the animals. The panda cams have been popular since the August 23 birth of the cub, who won’t be on public view for a few months. She had her second full veterinary exam last week. The cub weighed more than three pounds. The zoo’s vets reported that she was very squirmy during her exam. So, until the cams return, enjoy this recent photo! — Wire and staff reports


America’s scenic treasures, national parks, closed for viewing during shutdown

The country’s national parks are closed to the public during the government’s shutdown. But at least four states have requested permission to reopen national parks within their borders because of the economic impact. On Thursday, the Obama Administration said it will allow some closed national parks to reopen — if states use their own money to pay for opeations. Here are 10 national treasures that have been closed and the average number of daily visitors for a typical day in October, as well as the amounts visitors would have normally spent there, based on National Park Service data analyzed by the National Parks Conservation Association. The beautiful, verdant parks of the West, with their majestic trees, their flowers and their wildlife — from moose to bears — are off-limits. The great monuments of the East, with their statues of powerful men, have been padlocked. The country’s national parks are closed to the public during the government’s partial shutdown. Visitors are nicely shooed away, said Phil Francis, a former supervisor of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Kentucky, who turned away tourists during previous shutdowns. “We’re polite and ask people if they’ll please leave,” Francis said during a call-in news conference scheduled by the National Parks Conservation Association, recounting his days on the job. Some people would mumble under their breath, he said, others would make their feelings known. “They express an opinion that’s generally not favorable in the least,” Francis said. From federal office buildings to the national parks and memorials, sights around Washington and across the country are closed after Congress failed to pass a funding bill. Here are 10 national treasures that have been closed, with the average number of daily visitors and the amounts they spend, based on National Park Service data analyzed by the NPCA. 1. Yellowstone National Park is the nation’s first park, a pristine expanse mostly in Wyoming, with an eye-popping geyser called Old Faithful that helps lure about 5,600 people a day who spend more than half a million dollars. 2. Grand Canyon National Park is a biological and geological wonder with rocks up to a billion years old. It draws an average of 11,600 people who spend about $1.2 million. 3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an emerald beauty straddling North Carolina and Tennessee in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The park draws about 36,000 visitors a day who spend $3 million. 4.


Metro ridership drops amid federal shutdown

Commuters exit the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station Tuesday morning amid a federal government shutdown. (Marlon Correa/The Washington Post) The first day of the federal government’s shutdown left Metro trains less crowded than their usual rush hour armpit-to-armpit feel. There are typically 750,000 trips on an average weekday, and its bus system handles about 450,000. But as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, Metro’s rail ridership was down 2 percent, to 411,000, compared with the same time period a week ago. The rail system saw blips at midday, as some federal workers headed home, but trains, station platforms and buses were half-empty during the 5 o’clock rush hour. The shutdown comes as Metro faces a host of other challenges that are already lowering ridership. Metro’s rail ridership dropped by 9 million trips to 209 million for fiscal 2013, compared with the previous year. Revenue is $20.3 million less than expected. The reasons for the reduction are varied and complicated, officials say. They planned for months and travelled far and wide to visit Washington, D.C., but tourists have been greeted by the government shutdown, which means closed museums and sites. The Post's Zoeann Murphy talks to some of them on the National Mall. There was the federal government’s sequestration. Congress also has gone back and forth on the amount riders receive in transit benefits. The system shut down for Hurricane Sandy, and federal workers received an unexpected day off for last year’s Christmas Eve holiday. Service issues also play a role. Longer waits on weekends as Metro aggressively tries to rebuild its aging and deteriorating system have affected ridership. The maintenance also has forced Metro to shut down parts of each of the five rail lines and some stations nearly every weekend to do the work. But on Tuesday, the reason for the reduced ridership was clear: Washington is still a federal town. About 40 percent of the roughly 200,000 riders who use the train system during rush hour are federal workers. On Metro’s buses, it was harder to get a read on reduced ridership because data had not been processed. Metro has said it would likely run fewer eight-car trains as the shutdown continues. Some riders felt a certain pleasure — and guilt — in riding on emptier trains. “It’s much less crowded than it normally is at this time of day,” said Yves Tchokouani, an accountant, as he waited at 5:15 p.m.


Area news briefs

in which Tasers were used to subdue or threaten victims, according to D.C. police. The latest attacks were in Capitol Hill in Northeast Washington, in which a car was taken, and near the U Street corridor in Northwest. The robberies last week happened near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Mount Vernon Square. In the Capitol Hill incident, D.C. police said a newspaper deliveryman was robbed about 5 a.m. in the 1300 block of Tennessee Avenue NE. Police said a man threatened the deliveryman with a Taser and said, “Give it up.” The victim gave the man his car keys and the robber drove off. The other robbery took place about 8:40 p.m. in the 2100 block of 10th Street NW. Police said a woman was Tased from behind and knocked to the ground. — Peter Hermann MARYLAND Judge declines to halt state gun-control law A federal judge denied two requests Tuesday to suspend key provisions of Maryland’s new gun-control law. In denying the temporary restraining orders, U.S. District Court Judge Catherine C. Blake faulted gun-rights advocates for waiting until last week to challenge a law signed in May by Gov. Martin O’Malley (D). The law, which includes licensing requirements for handguns and a ban on purchases of 45 assault weapons, took effect on Tuesday. Blake indicated she would hear fuller arguments on the lawsuits in coming weeks. — John Wagner VIRGINIA Court ruling favors transportation panel The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority passed a legal milestone Tuesday when a Fairfax County Circuit Court judge ruled against a legal challenge launched in August by Del. Bob Marshall (R-Prince William). Chief Judge Dennis J. Smith ruled for the authority in a lawsuit in which the body essentially sues itself to force the hand of potential legal opponents. Marshall’s suit said the authority violated the law. It also challenged its constitutionality. Authority Chairman Marty Nohe said the decision clears the way for the body to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on transit improvements. — Michael Laris Mental evaluation set for murder suspect A Leesburg woman accused of killing her husband will undergo a 30-day mental evaluation before facing a jury trial, according to the Loudoun County commonwealth’s attorney’s office. Dae Hwang, 57, faces a first-degree murder charge in the March 2 stabbing. According to earlier testimony, Dae believed Kyung Hwang, 63, had fathered a child outside their marriage. — Caitlin Gibson


Shutdown hits the wallets and the spirits of federal employees

From federal office buildings to the national parks and memorials, sights around Washington and across the country are closed after Congress failed to pass a funding bill. The U.S. government attacked itself early Tuesday, shuttering much of its operation and forcing hundreds of thousands of federal employees from their workplaces. Staff members had no choice but to surrender to the inaction of Congress, which could not agree on legislation to keep the government fully operational. Reports that Uncle Sam hung his head in shame could not be verified, but there certainly was reason for his elected leadership, particularly the right side of it, to be ashamed of their performance. Republican insistence on linking basic funding legislation to a hit on the Affordable Care Act prevented agreement on a bill that would allow national parks to remain open, veterans benefits to be processed and about 800,000 federal employees to be paid. The loss of pay is serious. For some households, a federal job is the single source of income. Some families with two federal workers will now have none. Tell us your story But more than the money, broken spirits appear to be emerging among some federal employees. The quiet halls and empty cubicles in the Department of Housing and Urban Development provide stark evidence of the shutdown. Much of the building looked as if it had been hit by a strange force that vaporizes people while leaving their desks and the structure intact. The generally buzzing Dunkin’ Donuts store on the building’s third floor had customers, but it was unusually quiet. An adjacent snack shop was closed. The credit union down the hall, however, was busy as members got their money before the office closed. Unless Congress decides otherwise, which can’t be assumed, furloughed employees won’t get paid for the days they are locked out. Those working because they are excepted from the furlough will be paid, but who knows when? They can’t take “eventually” to the bank or to their creditors. All this leaves federal employees upset and frustrated. But there’s something more. Conversations with workers point to a growing level of alienation among some who were once proud members of the federal service. But this shutdown, along with three years of a freeze on their basic pay rates and a recent string of unpaid days because of budget cuts, leaves many feeling unappreciated and disrespected. President Obama recognized


U.S. Olympic Committee likely won’t decide on bid for 2024 Summer Games until end of 2014

instead to vie for the 2012 Olympics, which were ultimately awarded to London. More recently, a USOC-backed bid to bring the 2016 Games to Chicago was rejected by the IOC in the first round of voting. On Tuesday, USOC officials made clear they only want to campaign for the 2024 Games if they have a strong sense they’ll prevail, given the high-profile rejections of New York and Chicago. But the process they’ll use to reach that decision hasn’t been determined. Blackmun said the USOC wouldn’t necessarily cull the field of interested U.S. cities — believed to be fewer than 10, with Los Angeles, Dallas and Washington among them — as an initial step. “Ideally we’d like to have the decision made by the end of 2014, and a city selected,” Blackmun said. “We’re not in any huge hurry right now.” Asked about the potential impact of Russian anti-gay legislation during the upcoming Sochi Games, USOC chairman Larry Probst noted that IOC President Thomas Bach recently stated that he had received assurances from Russian officials that no athlete taking part in the games would be affected. Blackmun added that the USOC, “first and foremost,” was a sports organization. “We are not an advocacy group or a human rights organization,” Blackmun said. “We are a part of a worldwide movement, though. I think what we can do is advocate for change within our movement. Anything we can do within the International Olympic movement, within the U.S. Olympic movement, we want to do to make sure that people understand that we want all of our athletes — irrespective of any differentiating characteristics or orientation— to feel comfortable and are part of the U.S. team. We want to lead by example and advocate that we as a family are doing everything we can do to send the message that we don’t tolerate discrimination.” Probst said he would support a change in the Olympic charter to explicitly state that discrimination based upon sexual orientation would not be permitted if such an amendment were put forth. On Monday, Bode Miller, the country’s most decorated male Alpine skier, called the Russian law “an embarrassment” and said he felt it was hypocritical to prohibit athletes from voicing political views during the Games given the impossibility of separating sports from politics. Blackmun said the USOC has never told its athletes what they can’t say but has simply sought to


Post’s critics recommend venues offering worthy pursuits amid government shutdown

looks at the repercussions of a legacy of leftist activism, try Amy Herzog’s “After the Revolution” at Theater J. For a poignant and funny immersion in the emotional vicissitudes of a young gay man seeking the conventional comforts of love and family, give a thought to the fine revival of “Torch Song Trilogy” at the Studio Theatre. — Peter Marks, theater critic Adrenaline junkies will enjoy “Rush,” Ron Howard’s film about the rivalry in the 1970s between Formula One race car drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda. (Jaap Buitendijk) CLASSICAL MUSIC The Kennedy Center will be closed during the day, and there will be no building tours, but performances will go on as scheduled — from the free Millennium Stage concerts (WNO’s young artists on Thursday, 18th-century period music on Friday and Saturday) to the NSO’s world premiere of Roger Reynolds’s multimedia “George Washington,” with the Saint-Saëns organ symphony thrown in as a bonus (Oct. 3-5). The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland is going strong (you can hear the Miami String Quartet there on Friday); Strathmore is unaffected (the Aeolus Quartet will play at the Mansion with Michael Tree on Thursday night); and the Bach Sinfonia is opening its season with an all-brass program in Silver Spring on Saturday night. If you want to support local talent, you can hear pianist-composer Haskell Small performing works by Mompou: exquisite music, performed in a venue that is impervious to shutdowns — the Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ. — Anne Midgette, classical music critic POP MUSIC Bill Callahan FILMS For a feisty and funny escape from government gridlock, “Enough Said” recalls the best romantic comedies of Hollywood’s Golden Age. James Gandolfini (in one of his final performances) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are radiant and quietly courageous in their lead roles. Adrenaline junkies will enjoy “Rush,” Ron Howard’s film about the rivalry in the 1970s between Formula One race car drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda. It’s got fast cars, spectacular smash-ups and fierce competition, but it is also a surprisingly endearing film. If you’re furious and want to stay that way, go see “Inequality for All,” an enlightening (and infuriating) primer on the widening wealth gap in the United States. But if you want the ultimate escape, go see “Gravity” when it opens this weekend. Talk about getting away from it all. — Ann Hornaday, chief film critic


World Digest: Oct. 1, 2013

the streets in Thabyuchaing, 12 miles north of the coastal town of Thandwe, on Tuesday afternoon, police said, adding that an elderly Muslim woman died of stab wounds in the clashes that followed. Violence also flared in Shwe Hlay and Linthi, both 10 miles from Thandwe. The visit by Thein Sein to the divided region was his first since sectarian violence erupted in Rakhine in June 2012. The clashes have since morphed into an anti-Muslim campaign that has spread to towns and villages nationwide, leaving 240 people dead and more than 140,000 displaced, most of them Muslims. — Associated Press BANGLADESH Opposition figure sentenced to death A special war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh ruled Tuesday that a senior member of the main opposition party should be executed for his role in the killing of hundreds of people during the county’s independence fight against Pakistan in 1971. The verdict against Salauddin Quader Chowdhury came amid tight security in the capital, Dhaka. Fearing a backlash from opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party supporters, authorities deployed paramilitary forces in the southeastern Chittagong district, where Chowdhury was elected to Parliament six times. Hours after the verdict, Chowdhury’s supporters attacked ruling party activists and smashed and burned vehicles in Chittagong, news media reported. New York-based Human Rights Watch has criticized the conduct of the tribunal, saying the trials of Chowdhury and others are not up to international standards. — Associated Press EUROPE Snowden shortlisted for major rights prize Nelson Mandela, the Arab Spring activists and . . . Edward Snowden. In 10 days, they could share space on a prestigious list assembled by the European Parliament honoring those “who combat fanaticism, intolerance or oppression.” The first two are past winners of the Parliament’s top human rights award, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The third is a fugitive former National Security Agency contractor who has been charged with espionage by the United States but is seen as a hero by Europe’s political left. Snowden, 30, has been named a finalist for this year’s Sakharov award, along with a group of jailed Belarusan political activists and Malala Yousafzai, the 16-year-old Pakistani advocate for girls’ education who survived a Taliban assassination attempt. The winner will be announced by Oct. 10. — McClatchy Washington Bureau Embassy denounces expulsionof envoys from Venezuela: U.N. reports nearly 1,000 Iraqis killed in September: Berlusconi faces revolt from own party: — From news services


D.C. news in brief

on ethics The D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability is having its annual symposium on District government ethics and best practices from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the board hearing room, 441 Fourth St. NW, Suite 540 South. The symposium themes are a universal code of conduct and policies for transparency in city government. D.C. residents, academics and government staff members are invited to speak or offer views in writing on how the District’s ethics laws and rules should be revised to reflect best practices, and on what can be done to shine greater public light on D.C. government operations. The forum will also address whether District government lobbyists should be restricted or excluded from serving on city boards and commissions. For information, call 202-481-3411, e-mail bega@dc.gov or go to bega.dc.gov. Road work continues on First Street NE through February On Monday, the D.C. Department of Transportation began a new phase of repairs and improvements on First Street NE between G Street and New York Avenue. The work includes storm water system installation and repairs, asphalt paving and pavement markings. The project is expected to be completed in late February. Construction is from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m weekdays with some Saturday work as needed. One lane on First Street NE will remain open to southbound traffic. Curbside parking will be halted along the corridor, but adjacent businesses and residences will be accessible. Traffic control signs will direct motorists to alternative routes. For information, go to www.reconstructionoffirststreetne.com or call 202-671-4614. American Cancer Society to hold charity walk The American Cancer Society has scheduled Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, a 5K fundraising walk, for 9 a.m. Sunday at 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, north of the Washington Monument. Registration is $35 on the day or $25 online by Friday. To register, e-mail nationalcapital.strides@cancer.org or go to www.stridesdc.org. Columbia Heights Day is scheduled for Saturday The sixth annual Columbia Heights Day will include music from local bands and family events from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Harriet Tubman Elementary School field, Kenyon Street NW between 11th and 13th streets. Free activities on three stages include a yoga workshop, a D.C. trivia contest, a Momo eating contest, live indie rock and ska music, and children’s activities such as a petting zoo and moon bounce. For information, go to www.columbiaheightsday.org or e-mail info@columbiaheightsday.org. — Compiled by Terence McArdle


Shutdown brings Combined Federal Campaign to a standstill

The world’s largest workplace charitable giving program—the Combined Federal Campaign—has come to a standstill as a result of the government shutdown. The effort is a lifeline to many Washington area charities and works through federal agencies to encourage workers to contribute through automatic deductions in their paychecks. Because of the shutdown, many agencies have been forced to cancel fundraising events and other activities to rally federal workers to participate in the program. And there are no federal officials to oversee the effort, as employees responsible for the program at the Office of Personnel Management are among those who have been furloughed. An OPM spokesman said because they are furloughed, they are prohibited from even commenting on the shutdown. Some 130,000 federal employees gave $61.6 million to 4,470 local nonprofits last year and a total of $2 billion in the last 52 years. Recipients said they are not just worried about the shutdown. They fear some workers may have less money to contribute if they do no recoup lost pay due to the furloughs. The shutdown comes at a key time. Campaign officials had hoped to spend the next two two week training federal employees on how to manage fundraising efforts. The State Department cancelled its fundraising event Tuesday, and others were supposed to take place later this week. “A large majority of our member organizations receive CFC dollars and is a big deal for them,” said Glen O’Gilvie, chief executive of the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, an organization with nearly 1,000 local nonprofit members. “To lose what could come from CFC poses a great challenge and risk for our members to perform the human services that they perform every day.” DC Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that recycles food and distributes them to people in need, brings in about $250,000 or 5 percent of its philanthropic budget from the CFC each year. Losing those funds could “leave a hole that we budget for because it has been so consistent,” said Michael Curtin, chief executive of DC Central Kitchen. “A lot of air is going to go out of that balloon if people are losing their paychecks.” This year’s fundraising season runs through Dec. 15.


NIH trials turn away new patients as shutdown obstructs work of scientists, researchers

Yes, the federal government is closed. Beside national parks, here are five other things that have shut down along with it. Correction: Much of the government’s sprawling scientific and technological machinery has been turned off, and researchers and engineers fear that a prolonged shutdown could imperil their projects and create lasting harm to U.S. innovation. One immediate impact: Sick people hoping to join clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health are being turned away. Nearly three-fourths of NIH employees have been furloughed. Patients already enrolled in NIH clinical trials will continue to receive care. If the shutdown persists, it could affect about 200 people per week who, under normal circumstances, would be admitted to new trials, said John T. Burklow, an NIH spokesman. On average, about 30 of those new patients would be children, and about 10 would be children with cancer, he said. “Everyone feels absolutely awful. It’s antithetical to our mission and why we’re all here. Even if it’s a delay,” Burklow said. “If you have a child who needs help, even if you’re told, ‘Well, we can’t help you today,’ it just creates anxiety and frustration, I’m sure.” After The Wall Street Journal reported on the pause in new admissions to clinical trials, House Republicans on Wednesday introduced legislation, named the Research For Lifesaving Cures Act, that would restore NIH funding to pre-shutdown levels. Democrats have held firm to their position that the entire government must be reopened. Skeleton crews are monitoring NIH laboratory experiments and caring for research animals. “They’ll make sure that the cells in the Petri dishes don’t die,” said L. Michelle Bennett, deputy scientific director for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Like most people at the NIH campus, she has been furloughed. “It’s kind of weird. I think we were hoping it wouldn’t happen, but we’ve been preparing.” Agencies that funnel billions of dollars in research grants are now closed for the most part. Web sites that scientists and academics rely on have gone dark. Almost everyone at the National Science Foundation, a major source of federal grants, has been furloughed. The Energy Department plans to furlough many of its 13,814 employees if the shutdown is not resolved “in the near term.” The National Nuclear Security Administration, part of the Energy Department, will continue to monitor the safety of the atomic arsenal. NASA has furloughed But certain NASA activities are


Congress is harming the federal workforce

Max Stier is president and chief executive of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service. Congress should be tutored on a fundamental principle taught to doctors: First, do no harm. Lawmakers’ inability to pass a timely funding bill has caused a federal government shutdown, denying Americans important services and damaging the livelihoods of 2 million federal workers. This political breakdown follows the epic budget battles that resulted in “sequestration” — the arbitrary, across-the-board cuts that were meant to be so draconian that Congress would surely act before they could take effect. These budget reductions are saving money but at a high cost. At the Internal Revenue Service, the enforcement division reduced its workforce 14 percent because of budget cuts, even before sequestration went into effect. Great news, you say? Well, the amount of revenue that division collects dropped by $7.4 billion, or 13 percent, in 2012 compared with 2010. FBI Director James Comey reports that cuts have been so drastic that the bureau is opening fewer intelligence investigations and is not hiring agents — and that agents don’t have enough money to put gas in their cars. FBI agents are saying they are concerned about their ability to protect us. And military leaders are openly questioning whether U.S. forces can meet the requirements of our strategic objectives and warning about U.S. readiness. Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army’s chief of staff, testified at a recent congressional hearing: “Throughout our history, we have drawn down military forces at the close of every war. This time, however, we are drawing down our Army before the war is over and at a time when there is grave uncertainty in the international security environment.” So what are we accomplishing? Instead of focusing on serving the people, officials have spent thousands of hours trying to figure out how to achieve their missions, provide essential functions and meet citizens’ needs with less money and staff . What are we losing? In addition to the lost revenue at the IRS and the FBI’s reduced capacity to keep Americans safe, Congress just closed the door on behind-the-scenes government workers who were combating a range of issues. It may be easy to discount or even scapegoat a faceless bureaucracy that for years has been cast as bloated and ineffective. The federal workforce doesn’t have many champions these days, but we would do well as a nation to reflect on its


Shutdown makes U.S. more vulnerable to terrorist attacks, intelligence officials warn

employees and are, therefore, protected from the furloughs, meaning that the CIA and other agencies are continuing to track al-Qaeda-related threats, monitor watch lists and perform other urgent tasks. But figures released this week by Clapper’s office indicate that 72 percent of the intelligence community’s civilian workforce has been temporarily sent home, creating holes in virtually every agency and department. Graphic How long do you think the government shutdown will last? Submit your response. At the CIA, the furloughs have affected nearly every job category, officials said, with the impact heaviest on employees in administrative or support functions. Because of its role, the CIA is thought to have been able to keep a larger percentage of its employees than other agencies, but the shutdown has forced analysts and case officers in certain categories to temporarily leave their jobs. The CIA and other agencies declined to provide details on the furloughs, saying that the information is classified and could identify vulnerabilities that adversaries might seek to exploit. Some agencies, including the NSA, rely heavily on military personnel who are not affected by the furloughs. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday that the furloughs would “cripple” spy agencies and put U.S. forces and diplomats overseas at greater risk. “Our shutdown is the biggest gift that we could possibly give our enemies,” Feinstein said. With few exceptions, “the lights are being turned off and the majority of the people who produce our intelligence, analyze intelligence and provide warning of terrorist attacks or advise policymakers of major national security events will be prevented from doing their jobs.” The budget showdown’s broad impact on spy agencies is in contrast to the U.S. military, though the Pentagon also has been forced to furlough thousands of civilian employees. Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) expressed surprise during Wednesday’s hearing that so many employees of intelligence agencies were considered nonessential under federally imposed criteria that agencies have been forced to interpret. “I’m concerned that if your lawyers have determined that 70 percent of your employees are nonessential to your mission that you either need better lawyers or to make big changes in your workforce,” Grassley said. Clapper replied that proving that workers were necessary “to protect against imminent threat to life or property” under the furlough criteria “causes us to make some very, very painful choices.”


National Park Service to keep WWII Memorial open to veterans, as visitors skirt shutdown

Federally owned parks, trails and playgrounds are barricaded and closed off due to the shutdown, but some people are still finding ways to use them. At Marion Park on Capitol Hill, two fence gates were chained closed, but one was not, and a group of children played inside. At the Korean War Veterans Memorial, on the Mall, the entrance was blocked with barricades, but visitors just walked around the barriers and entered. At the closed-off National World War II Memorial, two days of assaults by veterans prompted the National Park Service to announce that they had the legal right to be there and would not be barred in the future. Across federal Washington on Wednesday, the government shutdown was leaking badly — partly as a result of citizen contrarians, war veterans, politicians and the difficulty of enforcement by the National Park Service. But the shutdown still managed to cause further inconvenience, as officials announced Wednesday night that the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon, scheduled for Sunday, would be postponed until Nov. 10. While many memorials, parks and monuments overseen by the Park Service were closed off to visitors, others, like Lafayette Square, McPherson Square and Dupont Circle, remained open as “pedestrian pass-throughs.” The National Park Service announced it would keep the WWII Memorial open to veterans during the shutdown after more visited the closed memorial Wednesday. “It would be impossible to” close them, said Park Service spokeswoman Carol Bradley Johnson. In the cases of other parks, it’s difficult to make it evident that a park is closed, said another Park Service spokeswoman, Jennifer Mummart. “In big Western parks, where you have an entrance gate, you shut the gate and it’s very evident to everyone that it’s closed,” she said. “Here, in D.C., it’s pretty unique, because there’s . . . what essentially amount to neighborhood national parks,” she said. “Although they’re not fenced or barricaded, they are in fact closed because we don’t have a (funding) appropriation.” She said the Park Service sought to close the city’s 20 playgrounds at federal neighborhood parks for safety reasons. “Because we don’t have anyone to patrol that playground area, and empty the trash and check for broken equipment . . . we just felt like it’s better to ensure safety,” she said. David Shove Brown, 40, passed a locked-down playground at Lincoln Park with his 3-year-old daughter, Brighid, and two dogs. “It’s very


Government shutdown is locking our kids out of playdates

all of the entrances are blocked. (Let’s try to think — or on second thought, don’t — about how much manpower went into closing the entrances that have no gates, shall we?) One colleague said her 6-year-old asked why these politicians “can’t just take turns.” Maybe, some parents are saying, the politicians should take a hint from the little ones who are always being reminded to play nicely. Of course, those kids will be locked out of soccer practice this weekend. (This e-mail to parents today from the administrator of D.C. Stoddert Soccer: “Thanks to the federal shutdown the parking lot at Carter Barron has been blocked off and NPS has told DC Parks and Recreation that we may not use the field for games until they can reopen. We are exploring alternate fields but with 1294 players in these two divisions we’re not super optimistic and game cancellations maybe unavoidable.”) A child stands on the barricade around the Lincoln Memorial on the second day of the federal government shutdown. (JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images) A friend who tried to take his daughter to the playground posted this brilliant plan for politicians on Facebook today: “Hey political jack-wagons, instead of closing and locking the playgrounds at Lincoln park (thanks for using my tax dollars to print signs telling me that the locked doors were in fact, locked), why don’t you knuckleheads open them up and come for an hour or so and watch how kids play with one another? You may learn something about diversity, acceptance, cooperation and working together. Not a sermon; just a thought.” Oh, and want to check out which playgrounds are closed? It’s no use trying the Internet. I did, and got this helpful message. The National Zoo, we know, is shuttered. Pandacam? Right. Glen Echo, even, and its puppet shows — kablooey. Along with many other fun-inducing things. And then, most importantly, there are the serious things that are simply heartbreaking: Head Start shutting down. And yes, kids with cancer being turned away from NIH and its clinical trials. We have created lists of options for folks looking for things to do until the government is back in business. As for those kids with cancer, or in desperate need of that Head Start? I wish I could offer something. For now, we can just hope the politicians can figure out how to play in the sandbox together.


Shutdown is no way to honor those who sacrificed for America

I have been a licensed D.C. tour guide for 23 years, and I have never been as embarrassed for my country as I was on Oct. 1. While attempting to tour a bus full of British visitors around the Mall, we found the memorials not only closed (including restrooms) but sealed off, with barricades, by extra Park Police and National Park Service security. It was obvious that extra taxpayer funds were required to ensure that no individual could get close enough to photograph the magnificently symbolic statue of Abraham Lincoln. As regards the other memorials, what a way to honor all those who sacrificed. Anthony W. Kirk, Washington


Clarksville’s Tatyana McFadden is dominating wheelchair racing, with her sister right behind

around, using her arms, she just developed a bone density in her upper body that’s off the scale. . . . The triceps strength on someone like that, . . . you can train in a gym all you want and you’ll never get there,” Morse said. McFadden’s background as a sprinter is another asset, Morse and Bleakney said. “Being blessed with the makeup of a power athlete, being able to generate a lot of force over a short time is hugely beneficial,” Bleakney said. After Tatyana began racing long-distance competitions as well, her sprinting background was an unusual asset. Few racers take on such a wide range of events or dominate them so completely. At the championships in Lyons, she won every event from the 100 meters to the 5,000 meters, taking six gold medals in all. “In many ways, wheelchair racing is more like cycling, where a top tour cyclist still has to be able to sprint and generate enormous power over a short period of time,” Bleakney said. She may be good enough to be earn her living racing, Morse said. “She is such a wonderful ambassador for the sport. . . . I see her as our spokesperson for a whole future generation, for persons with disabilities trying to get involved in sport,” he said. “That is my dream,” McFadden said. “I want to educate others, inspire others — [to show] there are no other limitations in life. . . . I want to leave that behind.” If she wins the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 13, she would need only a victory in the New York Marathon on Nov. 3 to achieve what her supporters are calling a “Grand Slam” — four major world marathon victories in a single year. Although other wheelchair racers have won as many marathons in a year, no one has won four of the majors. It won’t be easy. McFadden will face winners of past marathons and other world champions. And the depth of the competition at the two marathons has improved dramatically over the years, officials say. “We probably have the best women’s field we’ve ever had,” said Bob Laufer, the coordinator of the wheelchair race division of the ING New York Marathon. Asked in a recent interview whether she had an arch-rival, McFadden pondered the question, laughed and replied: “Everybody!” St. John Barned-Smith is a reporter for the Gazette.


For some, shutdown’s impact has been devastating

From federal office buildings to the national parks and memorials, sights around Washington and across the country are closed after Congress failed to pass a funding bill. As we now know all too well, Congress’ failure to reach a compromise on government spending triggered a process that closed dozens of federal agencies and sent hundreds of thousands of people home without pay. But, like a lesson in unintended consequences, the effects have also rippled far beyond federal agencies, inconveniencing -- and in some cases, irreparably harming -- ordinary Americans. Perhaps the most striking instance has been the near-total shutdown of the National Institutes of Health. The internet reacted with outrage to the revelation that the NIH would not admit the roughly 200 patients per week who join life-saving medical trials. About 30 of those people would be kids -- about 10 of them, kids with cancer. But there have been other casualties, as well. Rescue workers at Idaho’s Craters of the Moon National Monument have scaled back the search for missing hiker Jo Elliott-Blakeslee after 16 of the park’s employees were furloughed. Because of shutdown rules that prohibit government employees from doing any kind of work while furloughed, even volunteering or checking their email, those people can’t help the ongoing search. Couples planning weddings at national parks and monuments have scrambled to make new plans or risked cancellation. Mike Cassesso and MaiLien Le may be the first victims in D.C.: Their ceremony, with 130 guests, was planned for the west lawn of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial this Saturday. In Arizona, a river rafting trip 18 years and $30,000 in the making came to an abrupt halt when the Grand Canyon National Park closed. A park spokeswoman told the Daily Sun that other guests had flown in from Japan, France and Germany. Graphic How long do you think the government shutdown will last? Submit your response. That was also the story in D.C., where tourists meandered around closed monuments and museums. Danny Aiello, a retired police officer visiting the city on the first anniversary of his wife’s death, couldn’t see the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum -- which he’d counted on to lift his spirits. Up the road in Park View, the Armed Forces Retirement Home -- a retirement facility for veterans -- cancelled a slate of scheduled activities for residents, including several events with the community nonprofit Friends of the


Days lost to shutdown hinders paleontologist chronicling hundreds of millions of years

deposits, that can also speed up preservation work, he said, citing studies he has been involved with in Utah and other western states. Wardlaw and all but about 40 of his fellow 8,500 U.S. Geological Survey employees nationwide are furloughed, said Matthew C. Larsen, associate director for climate and land use change. A skeleton crew is keeping earthquake, satellite and river monitoring going, but vast amounts of work, such as crucial instrument maintenance and environmental research on DDT samples, has stalled, Larsen said. During the 1995-96 shutdown, Wardlaw and his fellow workers were eventually given back pay, but he isn’t counting on that this time. Wardlaw is married and has four grown children. He has risen to the top of his pay scale, making $155,000 a year. He says he can handle five days with no pay. But weeks would cut a major financial hole, and lower-paid employees, such as the security guards who run the metal detectors out front, “are really going to be hurting.” Wardlaw’s fascination with the history of the Earth has taken him to craters and mountain ranges, Pakistan and China. Among the projects on his desk as the shutdown hit was a study seeking to find a major new copper deposit in Afghanistan. Two years ago, he taught a short course at the Afghan Geological Survey and the country’s mining ministry. The shutdown is already good news for Dusty and Daisy, Wardlaw’s long-hair, brindled miniature dachshunds, and his grey-and-white cat Sasha, who leaps atop the kitchen table that has become his new workspace, noodling for attention. He’s an adjunct professor at University of Texas at Arlington, which means he is still able to do some work on the science that has defined his life, no matter how long the lockout stretches. A couple of decades ago, Wardlaw said, geologists knew that the Earth faced its most destructive bout of mass extinctions 250 million years ago, plus or minus 5 million years or so. About 75 percent of everything died off, he said. Now, geologists have pegged it at 252 million years ago, plus or minus 100,000 years. Wardlaw and his humble fish are one big reason the clock has gotten more precise. “We are getting better and better resolution on our time scale,” he said. “Getting the timing right means we can work out cause and effect.” And that matters, he says, because, “right now,


Shutdown City: Federal workers anxiously idled on first full day of furlough

a branch chief with the Environmental Protection Agency, did not get up at 6 a.m., as she usually does, and did not board the Metro for work downtown. She stayed in bed until 8 a.m. in her Bethesda home; she read the newspaper; she played the game Bejeweled on her computer. Then she decided, “Enough is enough.” And she made a list: Go to Staples. Stop at the cleaners. Call Comcast. Call a handyman. Place photos in albums. Fix the belt on a coat. By midafternoon, she was busy doing laundry. As the shutdown drags on, Hawkins said, she knows how she’ll handle it. She’ll keep making lists. When will it end, when will it end? “No one has a crystal ball,” Hawkins said. In the meantime, Catherine Ker, general manager of Bearnaise on Capitol Hill, said the French restaurant has recorded a 25 percent increase in revenue as a result of the shutdown, possibly because more people than usual are free for lunch and happy hours. She said the late-dinner crowd, coming in after 9 p.m., also has grown. “I’ve spoken with a few other managers on Pennsylvania Avenue and the same thing is true all over,” Ker said. “We’re all busy, all the way through to 11 p.m.” Even in the Washington Navy Yard area, where the end of the Washington Nationals’ season and government shutdown might be a double dose of bad news, the Park Tavern restaurant said it, too, has seen an increase in foot traffic and revenue. “We had a huge pop during lunch,” said Caroline Kilner, the general manager. “It just seems like lots of people were drinking at lunchtime.” With federally funded cultural institutions closed, private museums experienced an uptick in business as well. “We’ve seen five times the amount of visitors today as on a typical Wednesday,” said Joanna Kauffmann, spokeswoman for the Corcoran Gallery of Art. The Newseum and the Spy Museum also have been far more crowded than usual. Many of the visitors were tourists — but not all of them. “Almost half the people who came [Tuesday] were federal employees,” said Amy Mannarino, spokeswoman for the National Museum of Women in the Arts, which also has been busier than normal. “We’re able to track that because we’re offering them free admission, and they showed government IDs.” Sitting on the dock of her friend’s riverside house near Annapolis, enjoying the


CIA ramping up covert training program for moderate Syrian rebels

After initially threatening strikes, the Obama administration set those plans aside last month to pursue a potential deal with Russia in which Assad would surrender control of his chemical weapons stockpiles — and probably extend his hold on power. Islamist factions have taken advantage, luring fighters away with offers of better pay, equipment and results. A spokesman for the ISIS said the group had added 2,000 Syrian recruits and 1,500 foreign fighters over the past two months. “More and more Muslims in Syria and outside are realizing that we are the only true force able and willing to defend the Syrian people against this monstrous regime without any Western agenda,” said the spokesman, Mohammed al-Libi. Pessimism among refugees Recruiting efforts by militias working with the CIA have sagged, officials said. At the largest refugee camp in Jordan, where more than 100,000 Syrians take shelter, aid officials said dozens of military-age males leave every day by bus to return to Syria, presumably to fight. But the flows have diminished, and the mood among refugees has grown more pessimistic. “Support to the rebellion is reducing,” said an official who has worked at the Zaatari camp. “We’re seeing fewer people leaving and less [recruiting] activity.” Among those who depart, officials said they have seen no evidence that any go elsewhere in Jordan for training before returning to Syria. The Obama administration has explored the idea of using the U.S. military to expand the training program to what some officials have described as “industrial strength.” But Defense Department officials said there has been no decision to do so and cited significant obstacles. It is unclear whether Jordan would welcome such a large U.S. military footprint, which would mean converting a covert program into one officially acknowledged by the United States. There are also legal impediments, including a measure known as the Leahy Law that would require a determination that no recipients of U.S. military assistance had committed human rights abuses. For the CIA, the constraints in Syria mark a significant departure from the wide latitude the agency was accustomed to over the past decade in the conflict zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in other countries patrolled by armed drones, including Pakistan and Yemen. Mindful of the criticism and investigations that accompanied many of those operations, senior CIA officials have raised the concern that the limits imposed in Syria will do little


Agreement will allow U.S. to fly long-range surveillance drones from base in Japan

the Philippines. The security measures announced Thursday should give both Japan and the United States greater protection and better intelligence about the activities of North Korea and China, one an adversary and the other a wary partner and sometime competitor. “There are different threats and different kinds of threats,” Kerry said at the start of the joint session Thursday. “So it is important for us to recognize that this bilateral alliance remains a vital element of our respective national security strategies.” In addition to the drones and the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, Japan and the United States announced that a new antiballistic radar station would be built in Kyogamisaki, in southern Japan, and become operational sometime in the next year. The powerful X-band radar is intended to shore up defenses against a possible ballistic missile attack by North Korea. Japan and the United States had announced an agreement last year to build the radar but had not said where it would be located or when it would be up and running. “It’s important for ballistic-missile defense for both nations, and so I think that’s why it’s kind of on a fast timeline,” said Air Force Lt. Gen. Salvatore Angelella, the commander of U.S. forces in Japan. Although the Pentagon says the radar is aimed at North Korea, it ranks high on China’s list of grievances about the U.S. military’s enhanced presence in the region. China’s territorial disputes with neighbors in the East and South China seas have threatened to draw in the United States because of its treaty obligations to Japan and South Korea, forcing U.S. officials to walk a fine line in some of the cases. Japan’s nationalization of the Senkaku Islands provoked protests across China, and trade declined between the two mercantile nations. Last month, Japanese officials said they had not ruled out stationing officials on the rocky islands, and China warned in response that Japan “must be prepared to bear the consequences of this provocation.” Last year’s election The United States considers the Senkaku Islands to be under Japanese administration and subject to the U.S. treaty obligations to defend Japan, but it does not take a position on the eventual ownership of the islands. Japan would like a firmer statement of U.S. support in the Senkaku dispute, but a joint U.S.-Japanese statement issued Thursday does not address the issue. Hagel mentioned the islands during a news conference


Long debate over debt ceiling could harm economy, reports says

The Obama administration warned Thursday that a prolonged debate over whether to raise the federal debt ceiling would harm the economy by depressing business and consumer confidence, increasing stock market volatility, erasing household wealth and increasing interest rates on mortgage and corporate loans. In a new report, In 2011, according to Treasury economists, “consumer and business confidence fell sharply, and financial markets went through stress and job growth slowed. In 2011, U.S. debt was downgraded, the stock market fell, measures of volatility jumped, and credit risk spreads widened noticeably.” Given that the ongoing government shutdown is already harming the economy, they warned, the effects this year could be worse. The Treasury has said the $16.7 trillion debt ceiling must be raised by Oct. 17 to avoid a potential default on the U.S. debt. The debt ceiling is now emerging as the top priority for discussions in Washington even as the government remains shut down for the third day. Republicans are planning to demand concessions to raise the debt ceiling, while the White House and Democrats say it must be increased unconditionally. The U.S. is the only big country with a debt ceiling. The Post's Karen Tumulty explains why. Failing to do so, Treasury warned, would have catastrophic consequences. “A default would be unprecedented and has the potential to be catastrophic: credit markets could freeze, the value of the dollar could plummet, U.S. interest rates could skyrocket, the negative spillovers could reverberate around the world, and there might be a financial crisis and recession that could echo the events of 2008 or worse,” the report said. The Treasury report explored the economic effects of the 2011 debt-ceiling impasse through multiple channels. The report found that from June through August 2011, consumer confidence fell 22 percent and business confidence fell 3 percent. What’s more, the stock market — as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index — fell 17 percent and was far more volatile in the time surrounding the debt limit debate. In large part as a result, household wealth declined $2.4 trillion. Retirement assets, in particular, declined $800 billion. Interest rates on a wide range of loans also spiked, with the effects lingering for months. Higher interest rates tend to slow economic growth. Rates jumped by more than half a percentage point on corporate loans, compared to benchmark Treasury rates. More critically, rates jumped by 0.7 percentage points on


Navy-Air Force football game during shutdown shows misplaced priorities

a placebo? And when a sporting event collides with the problem it is supposed to soothe — as in the case of the service academy games and the government shutdown — is either a panacea or placebo even appropriate? The Naval Academy has a big day planned Saturday, with the 50th anniversary of its Cotton Bowl team being feted. Roger Staubach, one of Navy’s two Heisman Trophy winners, will be in attendance along with many of his surviving teammates. The tribute will be wonderful and likely very moving, especially to Navy personnel. It would have been very hard to undo all that planning and move the game to a different date — and it would have cost the Navy athletic department $4 million, according to Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk. But a football game’s logistics and price tag should be the last thing on everyone’s mind as this shutdown drags on. The National Institutes of Health, for instance, is turning away people seeking experimental treatments, 200 a week for as long as the shutdown lasts. These are problems that need to be solved. I don’t wish a $4 million hit on anyone, athletic department or not. But this town is taking a hit of millions of dollars a day. Why is a football game causing so much hand-wringing in comparison to just about everything else? United Airlines even offered to fly the Air Force football team to Annapolis for Saturday’s game gratis, a nice but perhaps misplaced gesture. If private corporations want to help during the furlough, there are better ways of helping those directly affected by it than transporting a football team. On Saturday, some people will get a three-hour escape from the weight of the government shutdown, but that’s all it is: three hours. Then all the inconveniences and stresses of the shutdown will come rushing back. We probably expect too much from sports as a balm to all our problems. There is nothing wrong with escaping into the television or the stands on a Saturday afternoon to take our minds off our worries. But at a time when Washington is nearly shuttered, when World War II veterans have to climb barriers to get to the monuments dedicated to their service, these games just look wrong. Postponing them would not help end the shutdown, but playing them shows some misplaced priorities. For more by Tracee Hamilton, go to washingtonpost.com/hamilton.


Government Shutdown: Good news, bad news

everything that I don’t see them voluntarily going back and paying these employees, but I could be wrong.” The shutdown has affected more than 800,000 federal government employees. Employees designated as essential are not eligible for unemployment benefits. The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a fact sheet for federal employees to review if they’re considering applying for unemployment benefits. The Washington Posts has also posted a FAQ of ways the shutdown will affect federal workers. Some Lawmakers Refuse Their Pay In financial solidarity with federal workers who won’t be paid, about 100 lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, have said that they plan to donate or refuse to take their pay, reports The Post’s Ed O’Keefe. The jobs of the members of Congress and the president are authorized by the U.S. Constitution and are paid with mandatory funds, not discretionary spending dependent on annual appropriations. As O’Keefe reports, Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) wrote on his Facebook page: “Those who make the laws should have to live by those laws.” Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) said in a statement “If Congress can’t do its job and put the American people first, then they certainly shouldn’t get paid during a crisis that they are causing. Color of Money Question of the Week What do you think of the lawmakers refusing to take their paychecks during the shutdown? Send your responses to colorofmoney@washpost.com and put “Some Lawmakers Refuse their Pay” in the subject line and include your full name, city and state. The Fallout From the Shutdown For the first time in 17 years, the federal government has shut down, leaving thousands of employees furloughed. Here are the latest headlines: --Government Shutdown Hits Research, Teaching Hospitals, Residency Programs --Shutdown may force me into bankruptcy: Federal worker --Grand Canyon wedding canceled because of potential government shutdown -- Government shutdown threatens couple’s wedding by the Jefferson Memorial Chat Canceled Today Join me next Thursday, Oct. 10, at noon ET for my live online discussion. The Looming Government Shutdown For last week’s Color of Money Question, I asked: “Even if the federal shutdown is avoided, how do you feel about the use of this strategy to protest the Affordable Care Act?” Well, it wasn’t avoided. It’s done. Nonetheless, here are some responses about how it came to this: “This should really signal to the American people that many politicians do not care about our well-being,” wrote Jessica Ferrill


Government shutdown pushes Capitol Steps satire troupe into comedy overdrive

our political theater. “It never stops,” said Newport. She noted that the early rule restricting membership to congressional staffers had to be waived in the 1990s. “We were just so busy with Clinton.” The latest saga began to elbow its way into the script last week when Sen. Ted Cruz seized the Senate floor in a 21-hour anti-Obamacare screed that included references to Ashton Kutcher and Dr. Seuss. Newport’s antennae shot up. She dashed off a “Green Eggs and Ham” parody and zapped it to the cast just before the Friday show. “It didn’t work,” she said. “I don’t think enough people knew that he’d read ‘Green Eggs and Ham,’ ” she said, noting that tourists make up 80 percent of their audience. “We can’t write for insiders.” They scrapped “Green Eggs” and monitored C-SPAN, and Newport launched her team on some shutdown ideas. When things can go either way, they have to plan for both, as in the 2000 election, when they had alternate Gore-won and Bush-won shows on paper (and then had to scramble when nobody won for several weeks). At midnight Monday, Newport was sending here-we-go e-mails to the cast. By Tuesday, they had a page of jokes finished and others in the air. “How about ‘Breaking Bad?’ ” Newport mused. “Federal employees pushing barrels of meth down the National Mall?” On Wednesday, several cast members crowded around the second-floor piano to rehearse the four new songs (out of about 25 — others zinging the NSA and Putin will stay in rotation for now). Newport headed downstairs to look for props, in particular a sign reading “Honk if I Paid for Your Healthcare.” The basement prop and costume shop is an archive of scandal, hubris and tragedy: There’s a pig outfit (swine flu); cheesehead hats (Wisconsin recall); baby dolls (Octomom); blue U.N. helmets (Hans Blix); yellow, orange and red T-shirts (homeland-security threat levels); and lots and lots of “Romney for President” shirts. “You can get these cheap,” said Newport. “We loved Romney,” Eaton said wistfully. “Oh, what a beautiful Mormon.” Romney was the subject of one song that flopped, however. It was “Up on the Rooftop,” a version of “Under the Boardwalk” sung by the Romney family dog. “Animal lovers,” she said, shaking her head. “You can’t get away with much about animals.” There would not, she promised, be any shutdown jokes about the National Zoo’s pandas.


Washington’s shutdown crisis is not good for states and their people

Potomac. The president has failed to constructively engage with Congress since coming to Washington. His hands-off approach has led to a surplus of oratory and a deficit of governing. There has been no presidential or Democratic leadership on reforming our country’s budget-breaking entitlement system and restraining our massive debt. Similarly, House and Senate Republicans knew that the president and the Democratic Senate majority would never agree to defunding the president’s main legislative achievement in exchange for passing a routine resolution necessary to keep government running. Obamacare will have significant negative effects on states, businesses and consumers, and the unpopular policy will eventually collapse under its own weight. The ballot box of the future is where the issue should, and will, be decided. Now, real people pay the price for gamesmanship. Virginia is home to more than 172,000 federal civilian workers . We estimate that roughly one-third have been furloughedas a result of the shutdown. That means no paycheck and difficulty planning for the future. For the state, it means reduced income and sales-tax collections, which will hurt our state budget and job growth. The shutdown could also affect Child Care and Development Block Grants, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment block grants, block grants for mental health treatment and community health centers, to name just a few programs. As a conservative, I believe in a limited government that invests in, and manages wisely, its core responsibilities and leaves the rest to the private sector. A responsible, long-term budget process, like Virginia’s, which has led to four straight budget surpluses during our administration, is how such funding decisions are properly and carefully made. Elected officials work together to receive public input, debate funding priorities and craft a spending blueprint that represents the best consensus on how to utilize limited taxpayer dollars. Budgets are documents born of many compromises. A government shutdown represents the antithesis of that approach. In a shutdown, planning and forethought go out the window. Instead of rational governing, we get speeches and inaction. That’s not how government should work. Read more about this issue: Joseph A. Morris: Shutdowns happen. Ask Reagan. Dana Milbank: Republicans are going to need a bigger lifeboat E.J. Dionne: This isn’t your ordinary shutdown The Post’s View: Government shutdown puts the nation’s security at risk The Post’s View: Federal workers deserve better than Congress’s disregard


The shutdown is disappointing travelers

Regarding “Closed, but just technically” [news, Oct. 3]: I have spent the last three weeks visiting Civil War battlefields and other historical sites in four states and the District. In Gettysburg this week, I was restricted in exploring the magnificent national military park because it is closed: Vehicular traffic onto battlefield roadways is blocked by orange cones; pedestrian access to walking trails is officially prohibited, but I was able to stroll out to a remote part of the battlefield to see the monument honoring the 17th Connecticut Volunteers. I will find other things to do, mostly on the campus of Gettysburg College, until the shutdown ends or I return home. But I feel bad for anyone who planned a one-day visit to see this great battlefield in the year of the 150th anniversaries of the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address. Disappointed travelers are paying heavily for a partisan dispute in Congress that is closer to political theater than policy-making for the public good. The republic will survive this manufactured crisis, but it is diminishing the quality of American life. Steven S. Berizzi, Norwalk, Conn.


The shutdown’s financial sting and future frustration

I’m a 35-year-old who has been furloughed by the government shutdown. Seven years ago, I completed graduate school and joined federal service. I remember being energetic, grateful and deeply humbled to serve as a policy aide for AIDS vaccine development at the National Institutes of Health. I’m still working my heart out at this job seven years later. And I will again when work resumes. Along with 800,000 other federal workers, I am being hurt by the financial sting of this furlough. But what also concerns me is a broader consequence of this shutdown: The next generation may view public service as frustrating and toxic. That would be a tragedy. The environment must change, and soon. Alan Chan, Washington


Prince George’s and Southern Maryland Going Out Guide

Classical pianist Brian Ganz will kick off the 2013-14 Ward Virts Concert series at College of Southern Maryland at 3 p.m. Sunday. ( College of Southern Maryland) ‘Ayokunle Odeleye: 32 Years of Public Art’ 3D.C. native Ayokunle Odeleye’s “The Guide,” above, is a 25-foot-high welded-steel figure marking the grounds at Baltimore City College High School for nearly 20 years. He celebrates “32 Years of Public Art” with sculptures, drawings and photographs on display at Bowie State University. A panel discussion will take place Oct. 30 from 6-9 p.m. Exhibit runs through Oct. 31. Bowie State University, Gallery of Art, Fine and Performing Arts Center, 14000 Jericho Park Rd., Bowie. 301-860-4000. www.bowiestate.edu. Free. THU 03 “Ayokunle Odeleye: 32 Years of Public Art” Capital Challenge Horse Show Coniece Washington “Museum of False Memories” FRI 04 “Avenue Q” “Evil Dead: The Musical” “Quartet” Miami String Quartet Tamara Wellons “Exit Number Six” SAT 05 Bowie International Festival Bike and Wine Tour Susan Jones Jazz Quartet Artists of the Arc Jubilee Voices “Bridging the Musical Spectrum” “The Dancing Princesses” Lyra SUN 06 Kinderfest Especially designed for preschool and elementary-age children, this event will have hayrides, moon bounces, crafts, games and more. Noon-5 p.m. Watkins Regional Park, 301 Watkins Park Dr., Upper Marlboro. 301-699-2456. www.pgparks.com. Free. “Moving in Circles” College Park artist Russ Little will have a reception for his exhibition of art quilts. The abstract work features large circles that he cut apart, dyed and reassembled. Closing reception Sunday 1:30-3:30 p.m., closes Oct. 11. Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Rd., Greenbelt. 301-397-2208. www.greenbeltmd.gov/arts. Free. Brian Ganz Londontowne Symphony Orchestra FrightFest Six Flags America has transformed its amusement park into a haunted playground for its annual Halloween festival featuring scary shows and street entertainment. Sundays-Wednesdays through Oct. 31. Six Flags America, 13710 Central Ave., Upper Marlboro. 301-249-1500. www.sixflags.com. From $36.99. MON 07 “Thrills and Spills: The Golden Era of Powerboat Racing in Southern Maryland” “Hometown Heroes: A Celebration of Greenbelt Women” Teapots and tea sets “Crafting Inspiration: Why the Speeches of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. Still Motivate Us Today” Joseph Arthur TUE 08 Punkin Chunkin “Birding Panama and Audubon International Bird Conservation” WED 09 “Stationed in Laurel: Our Civil War Story” David Wright — Compiled by Jillian S. Jarrett from staff reports


Shutdown could diminish GOP hopes of winning Senate

From federal office buildings to the national parks and memorials, sights around Washington and across the country are closed after Congress failed to pass a funding bill. The political fallout from the partial government shutdown does not appear likely to affect the House Republicans who instigated it, given that so many of them come from deeply conservative districts where their constituents cheered the confrontation with President Obama. But others in the GOP are worried. Party veterans say they are increasingly concerned that a prolonged standoff in Washington could damage their prospects for winning back the Senate in 2014. “You can see that in the different reaction of Senate Republicans” compared with their House counterparts, a prominent GOP pollster said. Like several other Republican strategists interviewed for this article, he spoke on the condition of anonymity because he did not want to publicly disparage his party’s prospects or those of his clients. GOP senators — with a few notable exceptions, including and led by Ted Cruz (Tex.) — have been far more skeptical about the political wisdom of the shutdown engineered by House Republicans. And now that it is underway, the party is looking for ways to distance its Senate candidates from the ensuing mess. “It’s a referendum on Washington,” said Brad Dayspring, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “Democrats have controlled Washington for the past five years.” That, however, may be a harder argument to make for the seven GOP House members expected to seek Senate seats. All are in relatively conservative states, where the party believes it stands a good chance of winning next fall. They include three candidates in a primary for the open Senate seat in Georgia: Reps. Paul C. Broun, Phil Gingrey and Jack Kingston. In West Virginia, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito is considered a strong favorite to pick up an open seat, now held by Democrat John D. Rockefeller IV, for the Republicans. Reps. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana are the Republican Party’s best hopes for beating vulnerable Democratic incumbents. And in Montana, Rep. Steve Daines is expected to soon announce that he is running for the open seat that will result from a Democratic retirement. All seven voted for a House bill that would fund the government, but only if the implementation of the new health-care law was delayed. The government shut down; the law went forward. Even


D.C. mountain lion alert generates jokes, but no sign of a giant cat

the East Coast? The Mid-Atlantic? The densely populated capital of the free world? Cougar populations are big out west but are thought to halt at the Badlands of North Dakota, the Black Hills of South Dakota and parts of Nebraska, said Chuck Anderson, director of the Cougar Network, who also heads up mammal research at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency. But here’s what can happen. Young males will wander. And when they get far enough afield, they keep wandering, looking for female cougars. If they’re pointed east, they will keep going. And that’s what lots of smart mountain lion people think happened to a mountain lion who departed South Dakota and made his way to Milford, Conn., where he was struck and killed on the Wilbur Cross Parkway. Scientists tracked his journey from DNA the cat left in his droppings, blood and hair, according to the researchers. “Anything is possible, let me put it that way,” said Anderson, who then skeptically put it this way: “But people see what they want to see. A lot of what they see turn out to be house cats or dogs.” On Wednesday, Giacoppo said, animal control officers went to the Highwood Drive SE location, as well as a second reported mountain lion sighting near the corner of Bladensburg Road and Banneker Drive NE, about five miles away — and on the other side of the Anacostia River. Giacoppo returned to the Northeast site on Thursday. He didn’t speak to the person who reported the sighting but spoke to a man in the area, who said: “The only way I can describe it was a giant rabbit with short ears.” Also on Thursday, animal control officers checked out a third location of a reported mountain lion sighting — this one back in Southeast, near Highwood Drive, Giacoppo said. No evidence of cougars there either, he added. He said his eight animal control officers are eager and willing to investigate sightings where people really think they see a mountain lion. But he doesn’t want residents to talk themselves into it: “We don’t want people to see a deer, but then say to themselves: ‘That might be that mountain lion. I better call.’ ” On Thursday night, Miley was ready. She cleaned her camera lenses so that this time she’d have evidence. “I’m going to keep looking,” she said. “I’ll sit by the window tonight.”


Small agency struggles to operate with all but three workers on shutdown furlough

prohibited personnel practices. That includes reprisals by managers against employees for whistleblowing activities. Among other services, the special counsel’s office is a place where government employees can report wrongdoing. Lerner realizes that with clinical trials for new patients at the National Institutes of Health stopped, a food program for low-income women and children running out of money and veterans waiting for benefits, the role of her office isn’t necessarily the most critical of all government functions. But this agency provides a case study of how the shutdown has decimated many agencies, delayed or denied services and put staffers out of work. “This could not come at a worse time,” she said. “We’re already working at a bare-bones staff level.” Thirty-seven pending cases deal with health and safety issues. That includes 19 quality-of-care matters at veterans hospitals; those cases include allegations of nurses improperly prescribing medications, doctors inappropriately signing for narcotics and the use of non-sterile equipment. “We can’t complete our work on those cases,” she said. “We are at a standstill. This puts a wrench in our operations.” The office also has several cases involving the improper use of overtime. Those allegations come from federal employees who, in a sense, are reporting against their own self-interest. They, too, could profit from the overtime abuse if they were the cheating kind. “We have several of these cases right now we are just sitting on,” Lerner said. “Every day that we are closed means we are not working on these cases that can save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.” Ironically, the shutdown started just as OSC ended a banner year. It resolved 4,744 cases, “the most in agency history,” Lerner said. It also “achieved more positive outcomes for whistleblowers, federal employees and the merit system than any single year in OSC’s 35-year history.” “Our cost to process a case has dropped 40 percent in the last five fiscal years, saving the taxpayers millions of dollars in terms of productivity,” she added. “In sum, we’re leaner, more efficient and more successful than at any point in this agency’s history.” But staffers couldn’t fully revel in that success, because they had to prepare to shutdown. “I really worry about how this will affect morale,” Lerner said. She recalled overhearing a colleague’s comment during a phone conversation: “‘I feel so unappreciated.’ ” “It just breaks your heart,” Lerner said. She also worries about recruitment.


A climate-change risk assessment

climate change by region and by sector. Our analysis, when complete, will arm decision-makers with the information they need to determine how much climate risk they are comfortable taking on. The reality is that we don’t yet know everything there is to know about climate change, and we don’t know its full potential impact. That’s exactly why we need to assess the risks. What will changes in temperature and precipitation mean for farmers and livestock producers? How will higher sea levels affect the value of coastal property? What might stronger and more frequent storms mean for the infrastructure that is the bedrock of our national economy? These are not theoretical questions. We already know that extreme weather events cost a lot of money. In recent years, these costs have added up after such events as Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina; the wildfiresand epic floodsin Colorado; the die-off of pine trees across the Rocky Mountains; devastating, historic floods across the Midwest; deepening drought in New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma; record heat waves across Alaska and the Northeast; and the slow but intractable death of the coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. While it is difficult to attribute any single weather event to climate change, world climate scientists agree that climate change makes these types of events both more likely to occur and more catastrophic in scope. Even under the best-case climate scenarios, we are likely to experience more extreme weather, more droughts and heat waves, more destructive storms and floods. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, New York City created a comprehensive resilience blueprint that measures climate risk across all major vulnerable areas, from the power grid to hospitals to the coastline. Our nation needs the same blueprint. It is essential that our national exposure to climate risk be understood so all Americans can make informed decisions about the future. We believe the Risky Business initiative will bring a critical missing piece to national conversations about climate change and help business leaders, elected officials and others make smart, well-informed, financially responsible decisions. Ignoring the potential costs could be catastrophic. That is a risk we cannot afford to take. Read more from PostOpinions: Eugene Robinson: No more excuses on climate change Stephen Pyne: Our approach to wildfires is all wrong Bjorn Lomborg: Don’t blame climate change for extreme weather Michael Oppenheimer and Kevin Trenberth: Climate science shows the alarm bells are ringing


Amway thrives in China, with Harvard’s help

Anthony Saich enlisted Amway to sponsor a program for Chinese officials at Harvard University's Kennedy School. (Adam Amegual/Bloomberg Markets) On a sweltering July in the inland Chinese city of Hefei, 1,000 people whistle and clap as Cao Yuchao tells them about Amway, the household-products giant named after the “American Way.” Against a rainbow backdrop and the Chinese characters for glory and dreams, Cao, Amway’s local chief, paints a glowing portrait: China has been its top market for nine years, with booming sales of Artistry cosmetics and Nutrilite dietary supplements. Amway sponsored China’s team at the 2012 Olympics. “I can’t say for sure that these champions were successful because of Nutrilite products, but I can say for certain that every medalist has taken a Nutrilite product before walking up to the winner’s podium,” Cao says. Amway offers great rewards, Cao tells the salespeople and recruits gathered before him: The company has paid $9.3 billion in commissions and royalties to Chinese distributors. It’s taken the best salespeople on free trips to Paris and Rome. And it gives all of its 300,000 Chinese representatives the chance to be their own boss. Cao introduces successful representatives, who tell the audience, “Believe in yourself and nothing is impossible.” Gao Hanping, who left a job with the railway ministry for Amway, shows a video of his luxury car, a home with a garden and photos of his Las Vegas vacation. “People say working for Amway is tough; they don’t want to do it,” Gao says. “Hard work is the key to success.” Since its founding in small-town Michigan in 1959, Amway has pitched its direct-sales system — a corporatized version of peddlers going door to door — as a path to wealth and happiness. Now, its “American Way” depends increasingly on China, which accounted for almost 40 percent of parent company Alticor’s $11.3 billion in global revenue last year. That’s remarkable, considering that China banned direct selling 15 years ago, endangering Amway’s growth. Amway won back its place in China by changing its business model and opening stores. It also improved its reputation by teaming up with the United States’ most prestigious school: Harvard University. In a program bankrolled by Amway at a cost of about $1 million a year, Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government has been training Communist apparatchiks known as Amway fellows. Since it started in 2002, the program has brought more


Soccer’s back on for 1,200 kids who are shut out of their fields

So we may have a shutdown. That means no work, no pay and no free Smithsonian museums. But here are some fun options that might provide for happy memory making in the midst of our area’s chaotic closures. For more information on these places, click the bold text. This weekend, 1,200 kids in D.C. will be able to play soccer, thanks to some quick maneuvering. The Stoddert Soccer league plays overlapping games on Saturdays at Carter Barron, which, you guessed it, is closed due to the government shutdown. Parents received an email warning after the shutdown saying games may be cancelled. Soccer parents and cleat-wearing-kids, rejoice: “We have every single game placed for this coming Saturday. . . . There will be no changes in game times,” said an email sent from Tom Goss, administrator of DC Stoddert Soccer. Other things that will happen this week, despite the grown-ups who can’t emulate the “play nice” lessons we are trying to teach our children, include a performance of Lulu and the Brontosaurus at Imagination Stage, with Judith Voirst signing books; this National Symphony Orchestra performance for kids at the Kennedy Center this weekend; and, of course, various pumpkin and fall festivals in Maryland and Virginia. Don’t, however, expect to see Goodnight Moon, because Glen Echo is shuttered. As is the zoo, the Smithsonians, and yes, lamely, a few playgrounds. So check out this gallery of fun things to do with kids to get you through the shutdown.


Why are we still fighting over Obamacare? Because our system was designed that way.

of the Affordable Care Act. Every other developed democracy — Canada, Switzerland, Japan, Germany, you name it — has some form of government-mandated, universal health insurance, and many have had such systems for more than a century. Before Obamacare, our health-care system was highly dysfunctional, costing twice as much per person as the average among rich countries, while producing worse results and leaving millions uninsured. The health-care law is no doubt a flawed piece of legislation, like any bill written to satisfy the demands of legions of lobbyists and interest groups. But only in America can a government mandate to buy something that is good for you in any case be characterized as an intolerable intrusion on individual liberty. According to many Republicans, Obamacare signals nothing short of the end of the United States, something that “we will never recover from,” in the words of one GOP House member. And yes, some on the right have compared Obama’s America to Hitler’s Germany. The House Republicans see themselves as a beleaguered minority, standing on core principles like the brave abolitionists opposing slavery before the Civil War. It is this kind of rhetoric that makes non-Americans scratch their heads in disbelief. But while the showdown over the Affordable Care Act makes America exceptional among contemporary democracies, it is also perfectly consistent with our history. U.S. constitutional checks and balances — our vetocratic political system — have consistently allowed minorities to block major pieces of social legislation over the past century and a half. The clearest example was civil rights: For 100 years after the Civil War and the passage of the 13th and 14th amendments, a minority of Southern states was able to block federal legislation granting full civil and political rights to African Americans. National regulation of railroads, legislation on working conditions and rules on occupational safety were checked or delayed by different parts of the system. Many Americans may say, “Yes, of course, that’s the genius of the American constitutional system.” It has slowed down or prevented the growth of a large, European-style regulatory welfare state, allowing the private sector to flourish and unleashing the United States as a world leader in technology and entrepreneurship. All of that is true; there are important pluses as well as minuses to the American system. But conservatives beware: The combination of polarization and vetocracy means that future efforts to cut back the government


Sequestration, the shutdown and the Smithsonian

Washington DC-Sept 27: National Museum of Natural History. (Marge Ely) The new fiscal year brought a special reprise to the arts and cultural world in Washington — an extended engagement of the second-biggest government production ever to affect the Smithsonian and other federal institutions. Sequestration, those across-the-board congressionally mandated spending cuts designed to reduce the federal budget deficit, is back. In some ways it’s bigger, and it’s second only to the government shutdown in its potential to arbitrarily disrupt visitor experiences and overwhelm laypeople with numbers. The first iteration of sequester, which ran from March 1 to Sept. 30, triggered roughly $42 million in Smithsonian cuts, or about 5 percent of the approximately $815 million federal appropriation for the balance of fiscal 2013. A continuing resolution for fiscal 2014 would bring an entire year’s worth of sequester cuts, up to $65 million worth for the Smithsonian, and reach deeper into operations and possibly include furloughs, officials said. The government shutdown and continuing uncertainty about the budget process mean: “We just don’t know what’s going to happen,” says Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas. “We have all kinds of plans. We’re still trying to avoid furloughs,” which had not been seriously considered previously, “but that might happen.” “We’re ready for whatever,” St. Thomas says. First Movement: Sequestration 2013 Starting in March, the Smithsonian cuts came mainly through delays in repairs, maintenance and equipment purchases. A hiring freeze went into effect along with a reduction in staff travel. Construction continued on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, as did renovations to the Arts and Industries Building. Initially, no furloughs were planned. The next month, because of a reduction in a security contract, the Smithsonian closed small exhibit area sections in the African Art Museum, “The Commons” on the first floor the Castle and sections of the third floor at the Hirshhorn that housed some permanent collection items. Second Movement: Sequestration 2014 With the government shutdown, it’s impossible to say what the Smithsonian budget will be. A ballpark figure, based on last year’s cuts, is $775 million, according to St. Thomas. A new round of sequestration, lasting the entire fiscal year, could force an additional $23 million in budget cuts. The museum has just begun a buyout program for federal employees. READ MORE: National Women’s History Museum — Lonnae O’Neal Parker


Take a trip back in time to the 1995 shutdown. Trust us — it will help.

President Clinton meets with Republican congressional leaders at the White House Friday Dec. 29, 1995 to discuss the federal budget impasse. From left to right are Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Clinton and Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas. (WILFREDO LEE/ASSOCIATED PRESS) During the last government shutdown, some of us were 12 years old and wearing out our VHS tape of “Tommy Boy,” that comic masterpiece about responsibility, duty and friendship. The disapproving public might think the 113th United States Congress is full of both Tommy Callahans (entitled oafs) and Richard Haydens (sniveling bean counters), but this is no time to discuss how “Tommy Boy” is an allegory for our legislature. Instead, after a week of thinking shutdown thoughts, the heart of the matter is how culture changes faster than politics, and how the time between this shutdown and the last shutdown is somehow both an eon (when measured in how we live) and a blip (when measured in how we govern). Picture it! Mid-November 1995. Cold and wet in Washington. President Bill Clinton said that Republicans were holding the country hostage; Republicans excoriated Clinton for playing golf. White House chief of staff Leon E. Panetta accused Republicans of “terrorism”; Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich told the press that the White House was creating a “spectacle.” Everyone was talking about who was “essential” and who was “nonessential,” and then everyone was reminded that the nicer nomenclature was “emergency personnel” versus “non-emergency personnel.” Citizens called congressmen “weenies” and “children.” Citizens said politics were no longer effective. Citizens didn’t really notice anything different about living in Washington during a shutdown except that the traffic was a little lighter. “[I]t doesn’t affect me,” one retiree told Malcolm Gladwell, who at the time was a business reporter for The Washington Post. “I just think it’s asinine.” Meanwhile, 800,000 federal workers were furloughed, the news reported. How many were reported to be furloughed this week, nearly 18 years later? About 800,000. The more things change, etc. “I’m embarrassed to be a Washingtonian today,” said Mike Dickens, president of a Bethesda-based hotel group, in 1995. And today it’s even worse, he says. “I thought, ‘Are they really going to do what they did in 1995? Are they that stupid?’ ” Dickens says, when reached at home by phone Friday. “There’s a whole lot of people [in Congress] that weren’t here in