D.C. area forecast: Any light at the end of the dreary tunnel?

- Today’s Daily Digit - A somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a scale of 1 to 10. - 5 A little less rainy and a little warmer than yesterday raises the digit — just a little. - Express Forecast - Today: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers likely. Highs: Upper 60s to near 70. - Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Diminishing showers. Lows: 50s. - Tomorrow: Partly sunny. 20-30% chance of showers/t’showers. Highs: Mid-to-upper 70s. FORECAST IN DETAIL Radar & lightning: Latest D.C. area radar shows movement of precipitation and lightning strikes over past two hours. Refresh page to update. Click here or on image to enlarge. Or see radar bigger on our Weather Wall. Our cloudy and damp story continues today, though it should be less rainy overall than yesterday. There is some sunlight at the end of the dreary tunnel as we warm up tomorrow and Friday, but no clean break from the clouds and shower opportunities. Even into the weekend the pattern remains unsettled but decently mild. Today (Wednesday): Tonight: For related traffic news, check out Dr. Gridlock. Keep reading for the forecast through the weekend… Tomorrow (Thursday): Tomorrow night: A LOOK AHEAD A cold front edges closer from the west on Friday. We’ll remain well on the warm side of the front with partly sunny skies and highs likely surging into the 80s. The front may get close enough for a 30-40% chance of showers or thunderstorms Friday afternoon or night. Confidence: Medium We don’t have a great handle on the weekend forecast quite yet. The front probably lingers near the area on Saturday with a fair amount of clouds, a 50% chance of showers and thundershowers, and highs in the 70s. After a continued chance of showers Saturday night with lows in the 50s to near 60, shower odds should be lower on Sunday with highs near 70 to the mid-70s, but just how low depends on how fast the front moves away to our east. Confidence: Low-Medium


Carbon-dioxide levels are at their highest point in at least 800,000 years

CO2 is one means of comparison, but what is not comparable, and more significant, is the speed at which 400 ppm is being surpassed today. “I think it is likely that all these ecosystem changes could recur, even though the time scales for the Pliocene warmth are different than the present,” Norris said. “The main lagging indicator is likely to be sea level just because it takes a long time to heat the ocean and a long time to melt ice. But our dumping of heat and CO2 into the ocean is like making investments in a pollution ‘bank,’ since we can put heat and CO2 in the ocean, but we will only extract the results (more sea-level rise from thermal expansion and more acidification) over the next several thousand years. And we cannot easily withdraw either the heat or the CO2 from the ocean if we actually get our act together and try to limit our industrial pollution–the ocean keeps what we put in it.” One final point: Humanity is all but certain to zoom past 400 parts per million. The big question is, how far past? For a long time, many climate experts thought we should aim to stabilize atmospheric carbon to about 450 parts per million. That goal looks daunting now. At the current rate, the world will pass that mark within a few decades. Indeed, even the most optimistic analyses of current trends, like this one from the International Energy Agency, which predicts that natural gas will displace coal, see us hitting at least 650 parts per million without drastic changes. Further reading: --There are a bunch of great resources about the Keeling Curve over at the Scripps Institution website, including a chart that is updated daily. There's also a Twitter account reporting daily readings as soon as they come in. --Back in 2010, Justin Gillis of the New York Times wrote a nice profile of the Mauna Loa Observatory and Charles David Keeling, the scientist who first began measuring atmospheric carbon. (His son, Ralph Keeling, now runs the measurement program.) --Here's a more detailed look, from the International Energy Agency, of the changes the world would need to make to its energy system to stay under 450 parts per million. (And some scientists, like NASA's James Hansen, have argued that we need to go even further and get back down to 350 parts per million.)


The best sentences we read today

-- "But one important takeaway from these trends is that for many Americans the best way to get a real wage increase is to move to the Sunbelt." -- "The market for methadone vomit in prison is lively, and the preferred recipe for this cocktail is one part puke (strained, please, bartender) to one part Tang." -- "But if you want to open a mobile-food business in New York, it’s essentially like starting a business in Ecuador — and that’s if you can somehow arrange a permit." -- "There’s no evidence that curbside or Chinatown buses are any less safe than any other kind of bus."


Maryland student Taylor Smyth advances to championship of ESPN trivia show

Maryland’s Taylor Smyth, center, during the ACC round. (screenshot via YouTube) It’s 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon when Taylor Smyth calls, taking a necessary study break as classes wind down and exams loom ahead. Shortly before, the University of Maryland junior opened up a Sporcle on NBA lineups this season, procrastinating in between papers and readings. Except playing online quiz games doesn’t exactly count as procrastination for Smyth, not while he’s also competing on an ESPNU trivia show. Seven years removed from his popular ESPN Classic game show “Stump the Schwab,” researcher and trivia buff Howie Schwab returned to the network for “The Schwab,” a segment featuring college students that airs during the late-night show “UNITE” on ESPNU. Each round, three students answer questions about professional sports, pop culture, college sports and social media. After Wednesday night’s semifinals victory over contestants from Temple and Texas, Smyth found himself the winner of a trip to ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn. to tape the finals, broadcast on May 22. “I can’t let Terp Nation down,” Smyth said. “You know the passion that’s going on here. We can’t lose to anything. Probably not the studying my parents wanted me to do, but I’m so excited. I didn’t know that going into the semifinal round. I figured the finals would just be the same as the other two rounds. When they said, ‘Oh the winner of this goes to Bristol,’ I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ I’ve always wanted to go there and visit.” Smyth, who works for Maryland’s sports information department, was suggested to the show by Jodi Fick, an associate director of media relations. After the show notified Smyth of his acceptance, he Skyped into ESPN from his dorm room late one night. Unable to see his fellow contestants, he just stared into the laptop’s webcam. Fearful of cheating accusations – everyone operated on the honor system – Smyth plastered his hands to the desk throughout the short taping, right beside the stacks of books, spare change cup and small bottle of Tabasco sauce. Curiously, Smyth separated himself in both the ACC battle – against students from Virginia and Clemson – and semifinals during the pop culture portion. First, he named American Idol winners. Then it was the highest-grossing football movies since 1975, even though he missed “Friday Night Lights,” which later turned into his favorite television show on NBC. I'm ashamed


Australia awaits spectacular “ring of fire” annular solar eclipse

The sun is obscured by the moon during an annular solar eclipse in Tokyo May 21, 2012. (Tomohiro Ohsumi / Bloomberg) Later today and tomorrow, over parts of Australia and the Pacific ocean, the moon passes in front of the sun, leaving behind all but a golden trail of light. The term for this dramatic alignment of the moon and sun is an annular or “ring of fire” solar eclipse. The last annular eclipse occurred May 20, 2012, and was viewable over parts of the western U.S. A thundershower rolls through as an annular solar eclipse appears in Gardnerville, Nev. on May 20, 2012. (Cathleen Allison / AP) This year’s version will not be visible over North America, but will be broadcast online via the Slooh Space Camera for all to see. Animation credit: NASA Eclipse Web Site To the right, see an animation of the path of the eclipse over time, created by NASA. The time ticker displays Universal Time so make the appropriate adjustment to obtain your local time (for Eastern Daylight Time in the U.S., it is a 4-hour subtraction). The large aqua shaded area represents the region where a partial solar eclipse will be visible and the red dot shows the very limited area that will be treated to the annular eclipse in all its glory. The website Earth Sky provides a detailed location-based timeline of the eclipse evolution. And AccuWeather provides a forecast of sky conditions along the eclipse’s path; it is generally favorable for viewing. For anyone in the path of the eclipse, here’s a set of safe viewing guidelines we put together last year: Solar annular eclipse: viewing advice We’d welcome any photos which you can post on our Twitter Feed, Facebook page, or Flickr group. The next solar eclipse viewable in the U.S. will be a partial solar eclipse on October 23, 2014. But just wait until August 21, 2017 when a total solar eclipse traverses the country crossing the U.S. from the Pacific to the Atlantic.


Look for these tart, refreshing hard ciders in D.C. bars, or try making your own

Distillery Lane Ciderworks grows 45 different kinds of apples on its nine-acre farm, including red gravenstein. (Photo by Fritz Hahn/The Post) Remember when the only hard cider around here was Strongbow or Magner's on tap in an Irish pub, or perhaps a Woodchuck on draft as a novelty at a craft beer bar? Thankfully, that's changing. Sales of hard cider climbed 84.5 percent in 2012, compared to 17 percent for craft beer. The biggest brewers are paying attention: Sam Adams and Anheuser-Busch have launched their own ciders, while MolsonCoors bought Crispin last spring. As with the craft beer industry, the attention is benefiting the smaller operations. I wrote about Distillery Lane Ciderworks, the only operating hard cider distillery in Maryland. On Saturday, the Ciderworks will be open for classes that teach visitors how to make their own hard cider, and also for tours of the orchard and tastings of its line of strong, full-bodied ciders: They're dry, rich and sometimes funky – a far cry from most bland, fizzy draft ciders. You should be seeing Distillery Lane in D.C. beer bars soon. If you can't make it up to Frederick County this weekend, you can still explore some great ciders at local bars. Here's are few of my favorites. Bold Rock Jack's Hard Cider Etienne Dupont Cidre Samuel Smith


PM Update: Showers clear overnight, very warm Friday; D.C. rainbow weather!

Radar lightning: This morning’s fog and overcast eventually gave way to partial sunshine, which boosted temperatures into the 70s (close to normal!). The afternoon heating also destabilized the atmosphere for a few thundershowers, zipping from northwest to southeast through the region. These clear overnight before a big dose of warmth Friday. Through Tonight: Tomorrow (Friday): See David Streit’s forecast into early next week. And if you haven’t already, join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter Pollen: Rainbow over the Potomac (Elizabeth Rylander via Facebook) Rainbow view from BRG Communications in Old Town (Jennifer Mitchell Doncev via Facebook) Rainbows: Via reader Dan Glassick: “I caught this cool picture of a double rainbow right as the heavy rains were tapering off around 5 p.m. near 5th St S and Glebe in Arlington” @capitalweather A rainbow in Old Town! Almost a double... http://t.co/OHmrzxlgAf @capitalweather double rainbow from Ballston view of DCA http://t.co/iIOZTCi8wb @capitalweather rainbow over Mall from Ballston http://t.co/XpBahgqcbB


Oh, wait, before you go back to Earth

The ISS when it was still under construction I think about 7 years ago Imagine if you’d been in space, weightless, for 5 months, and were scheduled to fly back to Earth on Monday, specifically to southern Kazakhstan (wouldn’t be my first choice but there’s no other option at the moment). But then you were told, wait, first you need to get on your spacesuit and do a space walk to fix a leak. That’s what’s facing one of the astronauts on the International Space Station, which has sprung a serious leak in a cooling system that’s part of the station’s power supply. Here’s my story on the ISS leak, which I just typed up. If you’re into this sort of thing, you can monitor events at NASA TV. They just played a clip from last night in which an astronaut (I think Commander Chris Hadfield, but I’m not 100 percent sure) talked to someone in Houston. As always, they’re totally calm and professional, and reassuring, and these are people with coolant in their veins. But a spacewalk, improvised, is no trip to the CVS, and the system that needs to be shut down provides one-eighth of the power to the station. They’ve got plenty of workarounds — NASA engineers are geniuses at workarounds, as you may recall from watching “Apollo 13” — but the controller in Houston could not assure the astronauts that the Monday trip home is still a go. “We are still getting our arms fully around that issue,” the controller said. What they need is a “good config” of the station before they can rest assured that they can stick to the previous schedule. Three more astronauts are scheduled to go to the station later this month to bring the crew back up to the full complement of six. [Update: NASA will hold a newser at 4 p.m., I’m told, and we’ll presumably find out then if the spacewalk is on or not, and whether the astronauts will be coming home as scheduled on Monday. But folks, this is a reminder that human spaceflight is hard. You can’t just call an electrician or a plumber. YOU are the electrician, the plumber, the Mr. Fix-it, plus the scientist, engineer, photographer, tweeter, etc.]


Atmospheric carbon dioxide reaches 400 parts per million concentration milestone

history, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached 400 parts per million (ppm). The arrival at this threshold represents a powerful symbol of the growing human influence on the Earth’s climate. Manmade emissions of carbon dioxide have increased the atmospheric concentration of CO2 from around 270 to 280 ppm in the late 1700s to today’s record high level – a 43 percent increase. Measurements of CO2 trapped in air bubbles from ice cores in Antarctica indicate today’s levels are unsurpassed in at least 800,000 years. (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) “[The] increase is not a surprise to scientists,” said NOAA senior scientist Pieter Tans. “The evidence is conclusive that the strong growth of global CO2 emissions from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas is driving the acceleration.” Global CO2 emissions soared to a record high of 35.6 billion tonnes in 2012, up 2.6 percent from 2011 according to Climate Central’s Andrew Freedman. The rising concentrations of carbon dioxide, in response to these emissions, have been monitored at Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii since 1958. They have been plotted on the iconic Keeling Curve, named after scientist Charles David Keeling, who initiated the measurements. At that time, the CO2 concentration was just 316 ppm. Scripps Institution of Oceanography It’s possible the current CO2 levels haven’t been matched in millions of years. Scripps Institution of Oceanography estimates the last time the concentration was at least 400 ppm occurred 5 to 3 million years ago, during the Pliocene Epoch. Carbon dioxide is a heat trapping greenhouse gas and its inexorable rise in recent history coupled with an increase in the Earth’s temperature raise concerns about human interference with the climate system and where temperatures and sea levels may be headed. During the Pliocene Epoch, temperatures were 5-7 degrees F warmer than today and sea levels were many feet higher, Scripps says. “There’s no guarantee that we’d experience the same levels of warming in the future if CO2 levels stay that high, but it doesn’t look good,” writes Time magazine’s Bryan Walsh. “Nor will CO2 levels stop at 400 ppm—barring a virtually impossible immediate turn away from fossil fuels, CO2 emissions will keep growing globally, and CO2 concentrations will keep rising.” * * * Here’s a nice infographic from Climate Central (Climate Central) See also, this well-done Climate Central piece: The Last Time CO2 Was This High, Humans Didn’t Exist


Coming soon: Family-friendly Brookland’s Finest; 13th Street Meats in Bloomingdale

Two interesting liquor license applications were filed today: In Brookland, the owners of the Pug, Solly's and the now-closed Sova Espresso and Wine have teamed up to launch Brookland's Finest, a family-friendly tavern that plans to double as a coffee shop in the mornings. And in Bloomingdale, the purveyors of 13th Street Meats are set to open Meat & Foods, a retail shop that will sell packages of their sausages and half-smokes, but also offer a diner-style counter slinging coffee, sandwiches and beers. 13th Street Meats founder Scott McIntosh plans to open his own brick-and-mortar store in Bloomingdale, complete with a small bar. (2011 photo by Matt McClain/For The Washington Post) Brookland's Finest The restaurant, located on the corner of 12th and Jackson Street NE, plans an American comfort food menu that includes pork chops, crab cake sliders and a selection of panini sandwiches, including a kids menu. But Tomelden says that his intentions go beyond just offering smaller servings. He wants to base the service off a place "like Cafe Deluxe, where if a family comes in, the staff gets the food out to the kids first. We'll have sippy cups and we'll train the staff to help [families]. It's little things like that." "There are tons of families over here," Tomelden says, and they're not being catered to. Catholic University is nearby, which has some neighbors worried about late-night crowds and noise. "I've got no problem with college kids, but that's not the crowd we're going after," he explains. "There won't be any $3 cans of beer, like at the Pug." At community meetings, some neighbors asked questions about the new restaurant's hours. Brookland's Finest wants to be able to open at 7 a.m. Tomelden says that's because "Frank's doing a Sova-style coffee shop in the morning. We want to sell people a cup of coffee on their way to the Metro, and when they come home at night, they can get the kids and come over ... Look, I live a block away. I don't want people drinking at 7 a.m. a block from my kids." Of course, it won't only be about children. There will be a full bar in addition to the dining room, but Tomelden says the owners want to keep the focus on neighbors, even after the kids have gone to sleep. They decided not to apply for what D.C. calls an "entertainment


The deadly consequences of a cut in the beer tax

cents an ounce. The bill has 33 sponsors, 17 Republicans and 16 Democrats, spanning the ideological spectrum from libertarian-leaning Rep. Tom Massie (R-Ky.) to progressives like Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.). A more modest bill, to cut the $7 rate for small brewers' first 60,000 barrels in half and institute a lower $16-a-barrel rate for small brewers who produce more than that, has 79 co-sponsors in the House and 16 in the Senate. But public health research suggests that both plans are bad ideas. Annoying as they may be for responsible drinkers, alcohol taxes really do save lives. Ironically, the proposal to go back to 1990-era beer tax rates comes shortly after a major new evaluation of the 1990s rate hike was released. In a paper for the Journal of Health Economics, Duke's Philip Cook and UNC's Christine Piette Durrance find that the increase that took effect Jan. 1, 1991, raised alcohol prices by about 6 percent. That, in turn, caused a 4.5 percent reduction in injury deaths in 1991, including traffic accidents, homicides and suicides. That represents 6,480 lives saved in just that one year. It also caused statistically significant decreases in aggravated assault, robbery and violent crime overall. I think we know Vlad's opinion on alcohol taxes. (Yana Lapikova/AP) Sara Markowitz, an economist at Emory University, has found similar results. "Most of the research that I've done links alcohol taxes, primarily beer taxes, to social outcomes such as violence and crime," she says. "I find that higher taxes are associated with improved outcomes." One of her studies found that a 1 percent increase in the beer tax reduces one's probability of being assaulted by 0.45 percent. More recent research of hers backs that up. She and co-authors Erik Nesson, Eileen Poe-Yamagata, Curtis Florence, Tracy Roberts and Sarah Beth Link conclude, "Our overall conclusion from this paper is that increases in the beer price are by far the most effective of all the alcohol control policies to reduce violence." A meta-analysis by University of Florida researchers Alexander Wagenaar, Amy Tobler and Kelli Komro finds that most studies support Cook and Markowitz on this. They conclude: "Our results suggest that doubling the alcohol tax would reduce alcohol-related mortality by an average of 35%, traffic crash deaths by 11%, sexually transmitted disease by 6%, violence by 2%, and crime by 1.4%." Skeptics of alcohol taxes sometimes argue that problem drinkers won't be


Free & Easy: Reggae jams, Israeli folk and stargazing

The constellation of Fornax as photographed by the Hubble space telescope in 2012. C.M. Crockett Park features a star gazing night on Saturday. (AFP PHOTO/NASA/ESA) The Going Out Gurus recommend free things to do for every day of the week: MONDAY ‘A Constellation of Vital Phenomena’ D.C.-born author Anthony Marra so impressed Washington Post book critic Ron Charles with his debut, “A Constellation of Vital Phenomena,” set in a war-torn Chechen village, that Charles called it “a flash in the heavens that makes you look up and believe in miracles.” Marra visits his home town Monday to discuss his acclaimed novel. 7 p.m. Politics Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919. www.politics-prose.com. TUESDAY Reggae Jam The British Pub celebrates Kingston every Tuesday with “One Love Jam Down,” a weekly reggae jam session. Local roots reggae band the Archives, originally organized by Thievery Corporation’s Eric Hilton (one of the Brixton’s owners), performs each week with a different guest vocalist. 9 p.m. The Brixton, 901 U St. NW. 202-560-5045. www.brixtondc.com. WEDNESDAY ‘Bama Bones: A Black Southerner Talks Place and Creativity’ In a mid-day lecture, Trudier Harris, a professor of English at the University of Alabama, discusses how her home state of Alabama has consistently influenced her writing. The professor and cultural critic has written extensively about the experience of segregation in the South, and her talk is part of the American Women Writers’ National Museum’s attempt to showcase authors from all 50 states. Noon. McLendon Room, National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW. 202-662-7522. www.americanwomenwritersnationalmuseum.org. THURSDAY ‘The Bitter Tea of General Yen’ This 1933 classic by Sicilian-American director Frank Capra follows an American missionary in Shanghai trying to save a group of orphans. Megan Davis, the missionary played by Barbara Stanwyck, gets caught in a civil war battle but is saved by a warlord. The unlikely pair fall in love despite a precarious situation. 7:30 p.m. Library of Congress Packard Campus, 19053 Mount Pony Rd., Culpeper. 202-707-0851. www.loc.gov. FRIDAY U.S. Army Orchestra The U.S. Army’s band is always top-notch, but for this concert, members perform alongside the winners of the orchestra’s “Young Artist Competition,” making it even more interesting. Though the performance is on base, it’s still free and open to the public. 7:30 p.m. Fort Myer, Brucker Hall, 400 McNair Rd., Arlington. 703-696-3399. www.usarmyband.com. SATURDAY Star Gazing Politicians aren’t the only stars around Washington. If weather permits, head outside the beltway


Big grocers have big problems with Obamacare’s calorie labels

Spencer Platt / Getty Images Back when it was passed just over three years ago, the Affordable Care Act included a provision to add calorie information to all chain restaurant menus. Fast forward to 2013, and that requirement still has not gone into effect. While some restaurants took preemptive action and have posted calorie information on their menus, there's no final regulation that requires such information to be provided. What gives? Bloomberg News' Stephanie Armour did some digging and came up with an answer: Big grocers have some big problems with the proposed requirement. "The lobbyist for grocers including Kroger and Safeway is calling on President Barack Obama to curtail a U.S. heath law provision that mandates the companies display the calorie content of all their foods," Armour reported. The Food Marketing Institute, which lobbies on behalf grocery stores, is supporting legislation that would limit the requirement to "only apply to stores that get more than half of their total revenue from restaurant-style food prepared on site." A while back, I spoke with Brendon Cull, who handles government affairs for the Krogers chain, for a story that never quite got finished. The case he made to me was that grocery stores aren't fast food restaurants, even those that have small sit-down areas where consumers can purchase and eat prepared food. Cull said if forced to comply, Krogers would need to spend $20 million to come into compliance with the new regulations. And it's not just about buying poster board and listing calorie counts. It's about figuring out how many calories each item has to begin with. "All those items have to be sent out to a nutrition lab," Cull told me. "That's a pretty big undertaking." It's worth noting that the draft regulation, in its multitude of pages, included an option where grocers would not be included among the locations required to post calorie information; the regulations would apply only to a "restaurant or similar food establishment." That's where Krogers would like to see the administration land. "These regulations make sense for a restaurant, but that's not the case for a bakery in a grocery store," Cull said. "We might have thousands of SKUs for birthday cakes and thousands of types of prepared pizza. The problem is it forces us to label all of that, down to the olive bars and salad bars." The final regulations are supposed to be


The week ahead: Chinatown crowds, I-95 paving, Silver Line work

As Silver Line construction heads for a close, crews are adding sidewalks along Route 7 in Tysons. (Chuck Samuelson/Dulles Metrorail Project) After Monday’s cool start, temperatures will warm into the 80s later this week, with chances of storms on Thursday and Friday, the Capital Weather Gang says. HIGHLIGHTS The Capitals play game seven with the Rangers at 8 p.m. Monday at the Verizon Center. The Mystics play Brazil’s national team at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Verizon. The Nationals are away all week. Friday is Bike to Work Day. Worst morning traffic I’ve been trying to track the D.C. region’s worst highway bottlenecks for the morning commute by checking traffic maps and traffic cameras between 7:45 and 8:15 a.m. Mondays and Fridays tend to have the lightest traffic, but the trouble usually occurs in the same areas. Monday morning’s bad spots were pretty typical: the Capital Beltway outer loop from College Park to Georgia Avenue, the junction of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, MD 50 and New York Avenue, Interstate 295 North and D.C. 295 South to the 11th Street Bridge over the Anacostia River, Interstate 66 East in Fair Oaks, the George Washington Parkway from VA 120 to Rosslyn, I-395 near the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac. There are always plenty of other trouble spots that can be intense, such as the Dulles Toll Road near the Beltway, but the distance is shorter than for the bottlenecks above. Metro weeknight work Metrorail riders will encounter night time disruptions on all five lines for maintenance projects. (Watch out for these after Monday night’s Capitals game.) After 8 p.m., Red Line trains will share a track between Dupont Circle and Van Ness, resulting in delays of about 10 minutes, Metro says. After 10 p.m., Red Line trains will share a track between Rhode Island Avenue and Takoma, resulting in delays of about 10 minutes. Blue and Orange line trains will share a track between McPherson Square and Smithsonian. Riders will be delayed about 10 minutes. Green and Yellow Line trains will share a track between Mount Vernon Square and L’Enfant Plaza, delaying them about five minutes. Judiciary Square entrance Police officers will hold a candlelight vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial starting at 8 p.m. Monday. The Judiciary Square Metro station’s F Street entrance across the street from the National Building Museum will close at 7 p.m. and remain closed for


Millions of Americans live in extreme poverty. Here’s how they get by.

nothing at all." So they set about investigating whether or not these households showed up on the SIPP. And they did. So how do these families survive? The safety net is a big part of the story. If you take food stamps, housing subsidies and refundable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) into account, the number of households in extreme poverty is 613,000, or 1.6 percent of non-elderly households with children (compared to 1.65 million and 4.3 percent without transfers). So taking government aid into account reduces the extreme poverty population by 62.8 percent. Then again, there are limits to treating aid as equivalent to cash. As Shaefer said, "You can't eat a housing subsidy." Civil society also plays an important role. Shaefer noted that follow-up qualitative work he and Edin have done shows that many of these households rely heavily on homeless shelters and soup kitchens, as well as public goods like libraries. "We see people relying on the availability of libraries, since you have to have Internet access to have any chance of getting a job, as most hiring is now done online," he explained. There's a possibility that some of the results Edin and Shaefer generate are the result of underreporting income, a problem they note in the paper. While SIPP picks up just about every kind of cash income, it doesn't pick up in-kind transfers. "If my uncle doesn't give me cash but buys me groceries, we're not going to pick that up," Schaefer said. It's also likely that households underreport aid like food stamps out of embarrassment, and don't report money earned from illicit activities. "Underreporting is an issue, but SIPP is the best data we have," he concluded. Another reason underreporting likely isn't the whole issue is that Edin and Shaefer find a large increase in extreme poverty between 1996 and 2011 (see the above chart). In 1996, only 1.7 percent of households were in extreme poverty. By 2001, that had grown to 2.3 percent, and then to 3.0 percent in 2009 and 4.3 percent in 2011. Taking transfers into account, the 1996-2011 increase was from 1.1 percent to 1.6 percent. "Even if you assumed that income was being underreported at 30-40 percent, that still means we have this dramatic increase in people living under, say, $6 a day," Shaefer said. It's still pretty concerning."


Insects — a new nutritious ingredient for school lunches?

new United Nations report The report, The report lists the most commonly eaten insects today: * beetles (Coleoptera) 31 percent of insects eaten * caterpillars (Lepidoptera) 18 percent * bees, wasps and ants (Hymenoptera) 14 percent * grasshoppers, locusts and crickets (Orthoptera) 13 percent * cicadas, leafhoppers, planthoppers, scale insects and true bugs (Hemiptera) 10 percent * termites (Isoptera) 3 percent * dragonflies (Odonata) 3 percent * flies (Diptera) 2 percent * other orders 5 percent. It says: The environmental benefits of rearing insects for food and feed are founded on the high feed conversion efficiency of insects. Crickets, for example, require only 2 kilograms of feed for every 1 kilogram of bodyweight gain. In addition, insects can be reared on organic side-streams (including human and animal waste) and can help reduce environmental contamination. Insects are reported to emit fewer greenhouse gases and less ammonia than cattle or pigs, and they require significantly less land and water than cattle rearing. Compared with mammals and birds, insects may also pose less risk of transmitting zoonotic infections to humans, livestock and wildlife, although this topic requires further research. and Insects are a highly nutritious and healthy food source with high fat, protein, vitamin, fibre and mineral content. The nutritional value of edible insects is highly variable because of the wide range of edible insect species. Even within the same group of species, nutritional value may differ depending on the metamorphic stage of the insect, the habitat in which it lives, and its diet. For example, the composition of unsaturated omega-3 and six fatty acids in mealworms is comparable with that in fish (and higher than in cattle and pigs), and the protein, vitamin and mineral content of mealworms is similar to that in fish and meat. The report also says that governments should promote the creation of a new sector that develop insects as an alternative to conventional food and feed industries, including the creation of incentives aimed at the private sector for investment and technical development.


Celebrate American Craft Beer Week in the D.C. area

This week is American Craft Beer Week, a nationwide celebration of microbrews. It seems superfluous for the D.C. area – given the quality of beer bars around here, every day could be Craft Beer Day – but hey, if they want to give us an excuse to sample some tasty ales and lagers, we're all for it. Here's a rundown of some of the more interesting events, including bars that are spreading celebrations over several days; we'll update the list as we receive more. Local Dogfish Head Alehouses will celebrate American Craft Beer Week with several days of parties and an IPA-centric beer dinner. (Photo by Evy Mages for The Post) Tuesday, May 14 "Hops and Spice and Everything Nice" is the name of a four-course IPA dinner at Dogfish Head in Falls Church. (Think spicy shrimp rolls and 60 Minute IPA, or fried grouper tacos with tomatillo sauce and Burton Baton.) Dinner runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $50, including tax and tip, and reservations are required. Fort Collins, Colo., has a solid claim as the country’s capital of craft beer. New Belgium, Odell and Funkwerks are among the better-known breweries from Fort Collins, but don't overlook the Fort Collins Brewery. Whether a hoppy IPA, a sweetly malty Maibock or the potent Obsessed Barleywine, every beer brims with flavor and personality. The brewery makes its D.C.-area debut with a special launch party at Rustico in Alexandria. Ten brews will be unveiled at 6 p.m., including a couple of limited editions. There will be free glassware – and seriously, don’t miss the Maibock. Oregon's Crux Fermentation Project is a brewery dedicated to, in their words, "non-traditional brewing methods like decoction mashing, open fermentation, oak barrel aging, wild yeast strains and experimental hops." New to Washington, Crux is tapping five beers at Georgetown's Birreria Paradiso. Arrive between 5 and 7 p.m. for the half-price happy hour. Wednesday, May 15 Thursday, May 16 Three of the five beers served at Mad Fox Brewing Company's American Craft Beer Week dinner have won medals at the Great American Beer Festival. The mouthwatering five-course menu hits its peak with a combination of pan-seared, ham-brined duck breast, apple-hazelnut duck sausage and a foie gras potato puree, paired with the hoppy Elixir Maibock, which took a silver medal at last year's GABF. Tickets are $65, not including tax and tip. Saturday, May 18 Multi-Day Festivities


Timothy Egan wins Chautauqua Prize for “Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher”

Chautauqua Prize The winner was announced this morning in a statement from the Chautauqua Institution, an educational resort in New York State. Reviewing “Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher” in The Washington Post last October, Gary Krist wrote, “Egan’s spirited biography might just bring him the recognition that eluded him in life.” Curtis spent decades in the early 20th century photographing and recording the lives of Native Americans. “Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher” is Egan’s seventh book. He lives in Seattle and works as a reporter for the New York Times. He contributed to a series on race in America that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2001. The Chautauqua Prize, now in its second year, comes with $7,500 and a free week at the robust summer program on Chautauqua Lake. The award is unusual in that it considers fiction and nonfiction together to find a book that “provides a richly rewarding reading experience.” The other finalists for this year’s award, chosen from 125 submissions, are: - “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” by Ben Fountain (Ecco) - “The Presidents Club,” by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy (Simon & Schuster) - “Devil in the Grove,” by Gilbert King (Harper) - “The Song of Achilles,” by Madeline Miller (Ecco) - “The Names of Things,” by John Colman Wood (Ashland Creek). Egan, who won a National Book Award in 2006 for “The Worst Hard Time,” a history of the American Dust Bowl, will deliver a lecture about his new book at the Chautauqua Institution on July 10. @RonCharles


The cowardly war on our women in uniform

The best news of the week for President Obama has got to be that some Republicans are actually talking about impeaching him. (Remember how well that went over with the public last time? No?) The not-so-hot news, of course, includes quite a fun-pak of scandals: On Benghazi, the current obsession is the editing of e-mails about the editing of talking points, though what I still want to know is why our people were left so vulnerable after repeated warnings that security was pitiful at the so-called consulate where four Americans died. The IRS, meanwhile, has been targeting conservatives groups — in particular, apparently, those that make no bones about hating taxes. And rounding out the parade, here comes the Department of Justice snooping on snoops at the Associated Press with what closely resembles disregard for both common sense and the Constitution. Here’s one outrage, though, that Americans of all stripes can agree on: Our women in uniform have for some time now been more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted by one of their own than to be injured in battle. And so far, efforts to call off the war on our women in uniform have only highlighted how deep the problem runs. Late Tuesday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered all branches of the military to “re-train, re-credential and re-screen” recruiters and sexual-assault prevention officers, some of whom seem not to know that the programs were supposed to prevent abuse rather than perpetuate it. That announcement followed the news that the Army sergeant in charge of sexual-assault cases at Fort Hood, Tex., is himself being investigated — and stands accused of forcing a subordinate into prostitution. The alleged pimp should not be confused with the Air Force colonel who ran sexual-assault prevention programs right up until he was arrested in Arlington County recently, on charges that he groped and battered a total stranger in a parking lot near the Pentagon. George Little, the Pentagon press secretary, said Hagel is beyond furious: “I cannot convey strongly enough his frustration, anger and disappointment over these troubling allegations and the breakdown in discipline and standards they imply.” The president, too, has said he won’t stand for such behavior, and the last secretary of defense, Leon Panetta, said the same. But what will it take to get officials to acknowledge that the military either can’t or won’t police its own when it comes


Solving the sexual-assault crisis in the military

embarrassing potential predators: those in close contact with young recruits and those charged with helping to prevent such crimes in the first place. And reforms to how the military treats convicted sexual predators should encourage more women to come forward. But treating the real problem—that such crimes take place at shameful frequency among the ranks—will mean changing the culture of the military. That's a squishy antidote, of course, and one that's far easier said than done. That's why (Ret.) Maj. Gen. Robert Shadley, who found himself presiding over a Maryland training base in the mid-1990s that would become the site of one of the Army's worst sex scandals, believes changes must not only be cultural but structural in their scope. I spoke recently with Shadley, who self-published a book to address what he learned from the Aberdeen Proving Ground scandal and the reprimand he received, as well as what solutions he thinks the military needs. He agrees with Hagel that repeated and continued training is necessary. He also agrees with the points made by former special assistant to the secretary of defense Monica Medina, who recently wrote in an op-ed that immediately discharging offenders is one of four things the military needs to do to curb sexual assaults. But the most important change that must be made, Shadley says, is for the military to stop treating this as simply a women's issue, and to treat it as a "force protection issue." To do that, he says sexual-assault prevention should fall under the command of each unit's chief operations officer, rather than be marginalized as a unit "set up to the side." He says, "It's nice to have these sexual assault prevent officers, but this has got to be an operational issue." In other words, it should get the same attention and high-level support as any other threat to soldier safety. "This is not a women's rights issue," Shadley says. "It's an abuse of power. We should have the same person who’s worried about protecting soldiers from enemy attack in charge of protecting soldiers from sexual predators. Until you make prevention of sexual assault a part of everyday life of the organization, it's going to be considered a secondary thing." Jena McGregor is a columnist for On Leadership. Read also: Leadership failures on sexual assault in the military Military leaders' wrongheaded victim-blaming Like On Leadership? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.


Want to visit the Arboretum? You’ll have to wait.

Today's sunny afternoon might have prodded a family to spend a day at the National Arboretum soaking up the rays, but here's a bit of bad news for locals and summer tourists alike: It's closed. This week, the nearly 450-acre garden kicked off its sequestration schedule, closing for several days during the week to offset the impact of federal spending cuts. The U.S. National Arboretum is in full bloom, but don't expect to play hooky in the urban Northeast Washington garden anytime soon. Beginning this week, the park instated reduced hours. It's open only Fridays through Mondays. (Photo by Linda Davidson / The Washington Post) Until Monday, the urban Northeast Washington garden had been open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but beginning this week, visitors will only be able to take advantage of such attractions as the original U.S. Capitol columns, acres of flowering trees and ponds Fridays through Mondays. The grounds now will close Tuesdays through Thursdays. The new schedule has been posted, with no end date in sight. Admission will remain free. But the park will now begin to rent some of its spaces to the public for events (sorry, no weddings). Previously, the park had the ability to host public events, but hadn't implemented that option.


Ames official on Kepler mission: ‘I really wouldn’t write it off at this point.’ (Audio)

Kepler, the spacecraft on the hunt for Earth-like planets, may have reached the end of its mission. Here’s a look back at some of the space telescope’s discoveries. View Photo Gallery —A malfunction aboard Kepler may cut short its mission of hunting for Earth-like planets in the galaxy. Here is a look back at some of its discoveries. NASA, on a call Wednesday, sang the mission’s praises, highlighting the variety of discoveries and reams of data the program had produced. But hanging in the air was the question of whether the mission could continue in the wake of a failure of one of the observatory’s reaction wheels. “I don’t think I’d be a pessimist here,” said William Borucki, Kepler science principal investigator at Ames Research Center in California. ”I really wouldn’t write it off at this point.” Kepler costs $20 million a year with a $600 million operating budget to date. It has delivered reams of data — terabytes worth — that, according to Burocki, is anticipated to be used for at least a decade. The hunt for Earth-like planets far predates Kepler, of course. As The Post’s Joel Achenbach put it in April: The first exoplanet — a planet outside our solar system — was found in 1995, and since then a frenzy of planet-hunting using a variety of techniques has produced hundreds of discoveries. Extrapolating from what has been observed so far, astronomers increasingly think that planets are commonplace in the universe, and that our galaxy alone could have billions of planets in life-friendly orbits. In the meantime, regarding Kepler’s future, we are left to wait as NASA analyzes the data regarding the spacecraft’s condition. Joel Achenbach contributed to this report. READ: NASA’s Kepler space telescope malfunction may end hunt for planets


Innovations in 5: The United States of Google and NASA gets some new tech

what is the effect on society—what is the effect on people— without having to deploy it into the normal world. And people who like those kinds of things can go there and experience that. And we don’t have mechanisms for that.” Larry Page Google CEO Complete Q & A at Google I/O 2013 Would you live in this, as The Verge put it on their live blog, “beta-test country“? Or would you steer clear? Read more from The Post’s Hayley Tsukayama on the Google I/O conference. 2) The Obama administration on Wednesday announced round two of the Health Care Innovation Awards. The $1 billion initiative, part of the Affordable Care Act, was announced by Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The agency released the video below, featuring 2012 award recipients’ answers to questions such as “what does it mean to be an innovator today” and “why innovate”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zHEXPGKZuso This round of awards seeks submissions from applicants prepared to focus on four key areas, including the driving down of costs for Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) recipients in certain stages of care, improving care for patients with special needs, transforming financial and clinical models and improving health for specific populations based on one or more of a number of criteria. The awards are administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Just about any type of organization, public or private, can apply. Letters of intent are due June 1-28, and applications must be turned in June 14-Aug.15. (Department of Health and Human Services, Reuters) 3) One technology begins to break down, another new technology arrives at NASA. As news broke that the Kepler spacecraft was experiencing technical difficulties that could potentially derail the Earth-like planet hunting mission, NASA announced the arrival of the Dream Chaser prototype for engineering tests. The Dream Chaser, created by Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), is part of a NASA program to develop a spacecraft to safely and reliably transport U.S. astronauts to and from the international space station and low-earth orbit. SpaceX and Boeing are also partnering with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which is overseeing the effort. An image of the Dream Chaser engineering test article, created by Sierra Nevada Corp. In this image, the Dream Chaser is being prepared for shipping in Louisville, Colo. at the SNC facility. (SNC ) The Dream Chaser engineering test article arrives at NASA’s


technology begins to break down, another new technology arrives at NASA. As news broke that the Kepler spacecraft was experiencing technical difficulties that could potentially derail the Earth-like planet hunting mission, NASA announced the arrival of the Dream Chaser prototype for engineering tests. The Dream Chaser, created by Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), is part of a NASA program to develop a spacecraft to safely and reliably transport U.S. astronauts to and from the international space station and low-earth orbit. SpaceX and Boeing are also partnering with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which is overseeing the effort. An image of the Dream Chaser engineering test article, created by Sierra Nevada Corp. In this image, the Dream Chaser is being prepared for shipping in Louisville, Colo. at the SNC facility. (SNC ) The Dream Chaser engineering test article arrives at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center. (NASA/Tom Tschida) 4) In other NASA news, the space agency has also teamed up with Google and the Universities Space Research Association to acquire a supercomputing system from Canadian-based D-Wave, reports the Wall Street Journal. The computer is only the second ever to be purchased from the company. The $10 million D-Wave Two system will be housed in Calif., near Google, at NASA’s Ames Research Center. A new laboratory at Ames is in the works to house the technology and focus on the study of quantum computing. (WSJ) 5) In the “can’t we all just get along” file is this dispatch from the land of science fiction: “Star Wars” and “Doctor Who” fans were involved in a dispute at a science fiction convention at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, according to the BBC. Apparently a Sharks-versus-Jets style feud existed between two fan groups, which erupted into an apparently mild altercation that led to a call to the police. “This wasn’t a fight between Star Wars fans and Doctor Who fans with lightsabers and sonic screwdrivers drawn,” Norwich Sci-Fi Club treasurer Jim Poole reportedly said. “It’s a bit sad and pathetic. We’re all in the same boat. We’re not in competition. … We’d like to extend the hand of friendship.” Good idea because if Star Wars taught us anything, it’s that you never know who your friends (or father) are. And, if that doesn’t do it for you, just think of the children (Star Wars: spoiler alert): Son's reaction to 'Empire Strikes Back' reveal!!!! (BBC)


Why NASA doesn’t have a Chris Hadfield

This item has been updated and corrected. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield produced a stunning music video tribute to David Bowie's "Space Oddity" aboard the International Space Station before returning to Earth this week. It's a genuine Internet hit with an awesome backdrop to boot. Hadfield, 53, combined his social media popularity, the skills of his Web-savvy son, Evan, and the full support of the Canadian Space Agency to shoot and produce a video seen in recent days by more than 7 million people. I first watched the video Monday morning and a bad feeling set in almost immediately: The modern-day ways of Washington — its intense focus on budget cutting and no tolerance for the misbehavior or poor management of career civil servants — mean that a NASA astronaut wouldn't dare try something like this. Let's game out how things might play out if an American astronaut had shot a music video in space. The astronaut, with a knack for guitar playing, is preparing to leave the International Space Station and transfer command to another passenger. Inspired by his trip, he reaches out to agency officials back on Earth and pitches them the idea of shooting a musical tribute (that's what Hadfield did). Interested, his colleagues back on terra firma help him produce the film. NASA releases it shortly before his departure, it is seen by millions of viewers and initially earns the space agency plaudits for creativity and for reminding people of America's place in space. But then a lawmaker — of either party — starts raising questions: Why did this astronaut waste his time shooting amateur video in space? Is this why we send Americans to the ISS? Shouldn't he be focused on more serious scientific experiments? What types of experiments is he conducting anyway — and do they really serve a benefit worthy of taxpayer expense? Reporters eager to keep the story going pick up the lawmaker's concerns and start asking questions of NASA officials. Over the course of a few days, the story balloons into a bigger controversy and the agency eventually apologizes. But it doesn't stop there: The lawmaker, enjoying all the attention he's earned for raising questions, calls for hearings or an inspector general investigation. Hearings are held, a report is issued and NASA suffers from an embarrassing distraction, all because an astronaut wanted to pay tribute to his time in space and hopefully


Boston Marathon invites stopped runners back for 2014 race

Runners made their way through Wellesley. (Michael Dwyer / AP) Runners who were unable to complete the Boston Marathon because of the bombings near the finish line last month have been invited to run in the 2014 race. “The opportunity to run down Boylston Street and to cross the finish line amid thousands of spectators is a significant part of the entire Boston Marathon experience,” Tom Grilk, executive director of the Boston Athletic Association, said in a statement released by the organization. “With the opportunity to return and participate in 2014, we look forward to inviting back these athletes and we expect that most will renew their marathon training commitment. “Boston spectators are known for their impassioned support and unbridled enthusiasm, and they will give these returning athletes some of the loudest cheers at next year’s race. We want to thank our participants for their patience as we continue to work through the details of arranging this accommodation for them, and we ask for continued patience from the running community as we plan the 2014 Boston Marathon next April.” More than 5,700 runners were still on the 26.2-mile course and were stopped when two bombs exploded near the finish line on Boylston. The BAA said that 5,633 of those runners are eligible for next year’s race. Neither the size of the field nor any changes to the course have been determined. It is expected that an unprecedented number of runners will want to participate in what will be an emotional event April 21, 2014. Follow @CindyBoren on Twitter and on Facebook.


Watson goes to Washington: IBM shows off latest health-care work to lawmakers

for further testing. Michael Barr, a member of the Watson advisory board and Senior Vice President of the American College Physicians said he envisioned the system eventually “becoming a virtual member of the clinical team,” while serving as a new form of documentation of a physician’s clinical judgment. He went on to say Watson could have the potential to upend the existing certification process. Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) “It really shows it has the potential to improve health outcomes,” said Holt of Watson’s performance. “I look forward to hearing how it’s working.” Another scientist, Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) was also on hand, describing himself as “the other 50 percent of the strategic reserve of physicists in Congress.” Foster is a physicist and was involved in the discovery of the heaviest known subatomic particle. Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) “Keep on keeping on, we need this research,” said Tonko. Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) “What an exciting time this is,” said Price, going on to recount his days in medical school. “We as a Congress as the federal government, ought to be facilitating this kind of activity and not putting roadblocks in the way. And I’m very concerned about some of the roadblocks that I think we have been putting in the way here in Washington.” Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) delivers remarks at an event hosted by IBM on Capitol Hill Thursday, May 16, 2013. (Emi Kolawole) Price wasn’t alone in touching on the need for government to clear the path for continued technological innovation in health care. Burgess also addressed the issue. “Let’s be honest, you guys are the vanguard,” said Burgess of IBM. “Government can help, it can hurt, or it can stay out of the way. My job is to help where I can, try to make sure we minimize the hurt. And, for the most part, stay out of your way.” But lawmakers and IBM offered few specifics as to what that would mean in terms of specific policy proposals and legislation. Though an IBM spokesman said the company came to Washington with no specific legislative ask and that the event was merely to educate lawmakers as to the system’s new capabilities. But one message was clear: “We’ll keep innovating,” said IBM VP of Governmental Programs Christopher Padilla to Burgess jovially, “you keep helping us on the regulatory side.” To which the lawmaker replied, smiling, “I understand my job.”


5 insights on the racial tolerance and ethnicity maps, from an ethnic conflict professor

ethnic conflict, responded to the maps on his blog, expanding on some of my points, pushing back on others and offering different takes. You can read his thoughts in full here and here. I've pulled out a few of his insights: (1) It's tough to gauge racial intolerance through just one metric. (2) Different people might hear the question differently. (3) What's the link between diversity and conflict? Saideman offers this: "In societies that have very little diversity, there is no opportunity for [ethnic] violence. For societies where there is a great deal, there is no threat of dominance. But in places where there are a few groups that rival each other, then the threats they pose to each other or at least one to the others can be severe. Ethnic violence may not be about fractionalization/diversity but about polarization." (4) Ethnic conflict comes from "concentration," not "fractionalization." (5) Getting Somalia right. Fisher cites the article discussing how Somalia's identity politics changed after the civil war in 1991. This would be fine except that Somalia has always been poorly understood. People think that Somalia could be the one African country that could support secession and even be irredentist (seeking to annex neighboring territory inhabited by kin) because of its homogeneity (unless they have read my stuff). Somalis speak the same language, are all Muslim, are of the same race, and so on. But they were always divided by clan identity (kinship), which meant that the irredentism was always inconsistent. The leaders in Mogadishu would support the claims of some of the kin in some of the neighboring countries, depending on whether the kin had ties to politically relevant kin in Somalia. Lots of irredentism, targeting Somalis in Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti in the early 1960s because the electoral system required playing to a wider audience. In the mid to late 1970s, the irredentism only focused on the Ogaden clan residing in Ethiopia because its kin was a key partner in the authoritarian regime while the clans tied to the Somalis in Kenya and Djibouti were not in the regime. Fisher and the folks he is citing are probably correct in that the focus since 1991 has probably moved to sub-clan identities. It is still kinship but smaller fractions so you get fighting between different sub-clans that belong to the same clan or clan-family rather than competition between clans or clan-families.


Tom Sietsema’s Spring Dining Guide by the numbers

This week, the Post's food critic released a baker's dozen of new star ratings in his annual Spring Dining Guide, which takes a second look at previously reviewed restaurants. The places you'll find included are definitely deep cuts from the archives, names that may not be on the tip of your tongue, but destinations worth knowing about -- or avoiding, as the case may be. • Tom Sietsema takes a fresh look at 13 restaurants he has previously reviewed Somen noodles with pickled cherry blossoms, mountain vegetables and green beans at Makoto. (Joseph Victor Stefanchik for The Washington Post) The list includes a bucolic farm setting that's a more budget-friendly way to have an Inn at Little Washington experience (and likely a shorter drive); a museum cafeteria on the Mall where the menu changes seasonally; a 25-seater that bans shorts, shoes, phone calls and excessive cologne or perfume; and a "sprawling zoo" of a restaurant that Sietsema calls a cross between the Cheesecake Factory, Taco Bell and spring break. Let's go inside the ratings: Highest: Lowest: Biggest jump: Biggest drop: Loudest: Quietest: Before you dive into the guide (which is just as pretty looking on your smartphone or tablet), watch this video about a museum cafeteria like none other. The video includes your best chance to get a glimpse of that man of mystery, Tom Sietsema.


Photos of Ai Weiwei’s latest work, a response to China’s baby milk scandal

(Tyrone Siu/REUTERS) Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has unveiled his newest piece in Hong Kong a work composed of 1,800 large tins of milk powder, arranged into a map of China. Each province is marked off by a different brand of milk. The work is a response to China's 2008 baby milk scandal, in which Chinese-made milk, tainted by the industrial chemical melamine, killed at least six infants and sickened 300,000 others, in many cases causing kidney damage. State media and government officials at first played down the scandal, responding only after widespread Chinese outrage and an international response compelled them to act. China has not fully recovered from the controversy, in which Hong Kong still plays a special role. The semi-autonomous city-state is more affluent and has access to higher-quality baby milk produced abroad, which has become highly sought by mainland Chinese parents worried about their children's health. Authorities have restricted the amount of baby formula that can be transferred from Hong Kong into the mainland's tightly controlled economy, leading many parents to smuggle it in illegally. Ai's work often focuses on China, its changes and its struggles. Maps of the country are a common motif in his work, a way of commenting on the state of the nation. This piece, with Chinese provinces divided by their brand of baby milk but united by this product consumed by all families, suggests themes of both unity and division. Perhaps Ai is hinting at the class and political divisions (hard to miss that Taiwan is included) exposed in the scandal and its aftermath, in which some Chinese parents have access to foreign-made baby formula and others don't. "A country like this can put a satellite into space, but it can't put a safe bottle teat into a child's mouth. I think it's extremely absurd," Ai told Reuters. "This is a most fundamental assurance of food, but people actually have to go to another region to obtain this kind of thing. I think it's a totally absurd phenomenon. ... I have heard of drug trafficking before, but when a country has milk-powder smuggling instead of drug smuggling, I think this is a devastating sign." Here are some more photos of the work on display in Hong Kong: (Tyrone Siu/REUTERS) (Tyrone Siu/REUTERS) (Philippe Lopez/AFP) (Kin Cheung/AP) (Kin Cheung/AP)


Japanese leader revives dark memories of imperial-era biological experiments in China

South Korean newspapers splashed a photo of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a military jet trainer on their front pages on Thursday, saying it was a reminder of Japan's colonial-era atrocities. (Jung Yeon-jejung/AFP/Getty Images) For several years during World War II, a branch of the Japanese Imperial Army known as Unit 731 operated a vast biological and chemical research program in the Chinese province of Manchuria. The Japanese researchers conducted blood-curdling experiments on Chinese prisoners, many of them civilians, injecting them with chemicals, mutilating them, removing organs and committing other unspeakable acts that ultimately killed 3,000 and sickened 300,000 more. The unit number, 731, has since become synonymous with some of Japan's cruelest wartime abuses in Asia. Those abuses, like the war itself and even the imperial government that launched it, are well in the past. Strangely, though, it is Japan itself that has been resurfacing them lately. A number of right-leaning politicians, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has waffled between issuing German-style apologies for the abuses and suggesting that maybe they weren't so bad, have been bringing them up. Even in interviews with the Western press, Abe continues to raise the bizarre question of whether Japan's invasions of several Asian neighbors counted as "aggression." When three high-level Japanese politicians visited a controversial Tokyo shrine honoring the country's war dead, including a number of war criminals, they carried a token from Abe. He has also previously argued that the Asian "comfort women" forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops were actually prostitutes, an argument other Japanese politicians still make. The most recent provocation came Sunday. Abe, visiting a Japanese air force base, climbed into a T-4 training jet for a photo op. He stuck up his thumb and smiled as cameras clicked away. Emblazoned across the side of the jet, right beneath the prime minister's smiling face, was the number "731." While it's still not clear whether or not this was deliberate -- it's entirely possible the incident was an honest mistake, as Japanese officials have suggested -- it has further infuriated Japan's former victims and, rightly or wrongly, deepened the perception that many Japanese leaders are at best unrepentant about wartime abuses and at worst proud of their country's imperial past. Outraged South Korean and Chinese officials condemned Abe's behavior, with South Korea's largest newspapers running the offending photo on their front pages. Japan-watchers in Asia and


Locusts flood Israel, echoing biblical tales and providing a new kosher snack

An Israeli man runs through a swarm of locusts arriving over the Negev desert near the Egyptian border. (Uriel Sinai/Getty Images) JERUSALEM -- The invasion of billions of locusts from North Africa has been ongoing here for three months. Israel’s hi-tech agriculturalists have tried everything in their fight against this modern day plague of sorts. Israel’s Agricultural Ministry has been helping desert farmers by spraying pesticides to deter the ever-growing swarm of grasshopper-like pests that have ruined most everything in their path from Africa to the Mediterranean. This latest batch of locusts first arrived here in March, ironically just before Passover, which marks the biblical story of 10 plagues God sent via Moses to force the Egyptians to relinquish their control over the people of Israel. A swarm of locusts was plague number eight. Modern-day scientists, however, offer another explanation for this year’s arrival, suggesting that their influx into Israel this spring stems more from unusually low winter temperatures near the Sudan-Egypt border and winds from a low-pressure system that moved them eastward. According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, the damage already caused by the insects to the Sudanese and Egyptian farming industries totals millions of dollars. In Israel, too, even after months of fighting the blight with some of the world’s best hi-tech farming equipment, the pests look set to do similar damage to local fruit and vegetable growers. With such responses being no match for these powerful creatures, resilient Israelis have found other ways to fight back, including cooking up the nutritious insects, which, it turns out are not only a crunchy, healthy snack but are also kosher.


Sinkhole at 14th and F closes downtown D.C. streets

The sinkhole in downtown D.C. (Photo by Tim Craig.) A sinkhole at the intersection of 14th and F streets in Northwest Washington has closed streets around that intersection, and police warn that the closures could remain in place for two days. Crews are on the scene to repair the sinkhole. As a result, 14th Street is blocked between New York and Pennsylvania Avenues NW and F Street is closed between 13th and 15th streets NW. The repair work could take about two days, said Officer Paul Metcalf, a D.C. police spokesman. Motorists who normally drive through the area where sinkhole repairs are underway were advised late last night on the city’s Alert DC Website to plan on an alternate route “for the next couple of days.” Driving anywhere close to the affected area is likely to result in getting delayed “or stuck for an extended period,” the site warned. .


Glen’s Garden Market makes concessions to ‘local only’ approach

Just a month into her ambitious Glen's Garden Market, which promised to source its products from the states of the Chesapeake watershed, Danielle Vogel has discovered the hard reality of running a business. The upstart grocer has had to add orange juice, soy milk and other non-local items to appease customers who are not yet ready to sacrifice their creature comforts in the name of the environment. • A market with the environment in mind Glen's Garden Market lets customers know that its soy milk and orange juice are not locally sourced. (Tim Carman/The Washington Post) Since Glen's opened on April 14, the Sunday before Earth Day, the specialty market has had to revise or expand some of its offerings, Vogel said during an interview today at her store near Dupont Circle. Per customer request, Vogel has added both orange juice and soy milk (marked to indicate that the products are not local); heading into Memorial Day weekend, she also plans to ditch the full-service cheese counter, in which customers could have wheels cut to order, in favor of a display case full of fresh meats and fish. Some of the fish will not be local, but all will be sustainable, Vogel said. "It's fresh meat because the frozen meat, again, people don't get," said Vogel, who initially wanted to sell only frozen meats for home cooks because fresh meat can spoil, thereby wasting the vast energy that went into producing it. Some other changes since opening day: In-house chef Sean Sullivan has condensed his sandwich menu to the top five sellers, including the New Yorker (house-made pastrami, sauerkraut and Swiss on rye) and the Tony Wood (house-smoked turkey and roast beef with white cheddar on sourdough). Each is $10. Customers can also create their own sandwich for $8, which Vogel hopes will counter one of the repeated criticisms of Glen's: It's expensive. Sullivan has also had to cut back on some of his inventive salads and house-made soups sold in vacuum-sealed bags, while adding mayo-heavy favorites such as potato salad. If Vogel is disappointed with the compromises at Glen's, she's not showing it. Not that you could blame her if she did. Vogel launched Glen's as a logical, small-scale extension of her work on Capitol Hill, where she served as environmental counsel to Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), working behind the scenes to pass the climate change bill. (The


Millions of Americans don’t have bank accounts. That could be a problem for Obamacare.

Americans shopping for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act next year might hit an unexpected obstacle: the lack of a bank account. CX Matiash/AP Millions of Americans are expected to qualify for tax subsidies under the health overhaul, which they can use to purchase coverage on new marketplaces. One quarter of those people are effectively "unbanked" and without a checking account, according to a new report from tax firm Jackson Hewitt. With few regulations around what types of payment health insurers must accept - whether they will could require direct debit from a bank account or also allow credit cards - these Americans may run into trouble paying their monthly premiums. "The reason this is such an issue is that insurers are increasingly saying that they will not accept debit or credit cards as an acceptable form of payment" study author Brian Haile says. "If insurers refuse to accept premium payments made by debit cards, you're going to exclude many uninsured Americans." The Jackson Hewitt report, first reported by Kaiser Health News, focused on uninsured Americans between 100 and 400 percent of the poverty line, who are eligible to receive tax subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. It found that, in this demographic, the ranks of the unbanked tend to be highest among states that also have high uninsured rates. In Florida, where 24 percent of the non-elderly lack insurance coverage, Jackson Hewitt estimates that 34 percent of those likely eligible for premium subsidies do not have a regular bank account. The unbanked rate tends to be higher among minority groups. Thirty-three percent of African Americans in the demographic Jackson Hewitt studied did not have a checking account, compared with 23 percent of whites. Among Hispanics, that number stood at 32 percent. A letter from the Department of Health and Human Services sent to health insurers on April 5, addressed the this issue. It said that insurance carriers must be "able to accept payment in ways that are non-discriminatory." Aetna, one of the country's largest health plans, already accepts debit and credit card payments. It will continue to do so on the new health insurance exchanges. "We accept credit and debit cards for Individual policies today and will have the same payment options for Individual exchange products," spokesman Matt Wiggin wrote in an e-mail. Still, not all health insurers read that language as requiring them to accept every form


Sinkhole snarls traffic in downtown D.C. on Wednesday

The sinkhole in downtown D.C. (Photo by Tim Craig.) As expected, a sinkhole in downtown Washington snarled traffic during Wednesday morning’s rush hour. Several streets around the site at the intersection of 14th and F streets in Northwest Washington have been blocked since Tuesday as crews work to repair the hole. The closures at 14th Street between New York and Pennsylvania avenues NW and F Street between 13th and 15th streets NW are expected to continue at least through the rest of Wednesday and possibly into Thursday, D.C. police said. Drivers are advised to plan an alternate route “well outside the area where streets are closed,” according to the city’s Alert DC Web site. “If you drive anywhere close to this area, you are likely to be delayed or stuck for an extended period.”


Bad news for patent trolls, in one chart

in October. Above is an updated version that accounts for all of 2012. It shows the number of times courts have cited Parker v. Flook, the 1978 case in which the Supreme Court took its strongest stance against patents on software. The case focused on using a computer to update the "alarm limit" for a chemical process. The court held that the patent effectively claimed a mathematical algorithm, which is too abstract to be eligible for patent protection. The ruling has never been overturned (though its holding was narrowed by a 1981 ruling). And since all software consists of mathematical algorithms, some software patent opponents cite it as holding that software cannot be patented. But the late 1970s proved to be the high-water mark for judicially-enforced limits on what could be patented. During the 1980s and 1990s, both the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Federal Circuit Appeals Court (which hears appeals in patent cases) became more permissive. The result was a gold rush, as software, biotech, financial services, and other industries rushed to patent technologies that had previously been regarded as off-limits. But then these firms began suing each other with their newly minted patents. According to one estimate, patent litigation now costs the economy tens of billions of dollars a year. Perhaps spurred by bad media coverage over patent litigation, the courts began scrutinizing patents more closely. Christina Mulligan, a legal scholar at Yale Law School, points to two 2007 decisions by the Federal Circuit that invalidated patents for being outside the bounds of what could be patented, something it had not done in more than a decade. The Supreme Court got into the act too, invalidating one patent in 2010 and another in 2012. According to Mulligan, the courts had been so hostile to arguments that a patent was out of bounds that defendants didn't even bother raising them before 2007. But once the courts signaled that they were open to those arguments again, defendants began to raise them. The results can be seen in the chart above. Not every citation of Flook means that a patent was invalidated. But it's at least a sign that the courts are wrestling with the limits the high court articulated more than three decades ago. And in the long run, stricter rules about what can be patented may reduce the amount of litigation that currently afflicts the economy.


14 local bars where hipsters haven’t yet ruined cheap beer

Capitol Hill's Tune Inn: a bastion in the battle against overpriced beer. (Washington Post) Hipsters previously ruined irony, thick-framed glasses and -- depending whom you ask -- large swaths of historic D.C. Now they've managed to muck up something else for the rest of us: affordable beer. According to a new report by Restaurant Sciences, an industry research firm, prices of “sub-premium” beer -- your Schlitzes, Keystones and Natty Bohs -- rose nearly seven percent over the past seven months. Chuck Ellis, the head of the company, told the New York Daily News that Pabst Blue Ribbon, that hipster hallmark, is specifically to blame: “It has become quite fashionable,” he said. Quite! Fortunately for D.C.’s cheap and thirsty, a number of local bars do indeed sell PBR and other bargain beers for appropriately low prices. Some good bets, per the Post's Fritz Hahn: - Tune Inn (Capitol Hill) - Capitol Lounge (Capitol Hill) - The Pug (H Street) - Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar (H Street) - Townhouse Tavern (Dupont Circle) - Solly’s U Street Tavern (U Street) - Duffy’s Irish Restaurant and Pub (U Street) - The Pinch (Columbia Heights), "if you think a 16-ounce PBR or Boh can for $4 is worth it" - The Red Derby (Columbia Heights) - Hank Dietle’s Tavern (Rockville) - Chevy Chase Lounge (Chevy Chase) - JV’s Restaurant (Falls Church) - Jay’s Saloon & Grille (Arlington), "for the frosty mugs of cheap domestic goodness" - Rustico (Alexandria and Ballston), for promising “'college cans' of Natty Ice, Coors, etc. that they sell in buckets" And here are two more bonus bars from Tim Carman (who rightly points out that, in D.C., the "idea of cheap beer is a joke"): - Madam’s Organ (Adam's Morgan), which "still offers ½ price beer on Monday-Wednesday and Friday and Saturday. Which means beers from $2 to $3." - Madhatter (Dupont), which hosts a $1 beer (!) night on Thursdays For more options, you might consult our list of best dive bars or Tim Carman's dive bar commandments. Rule #1: The cops should be called to the place at least once a year to break up a fight. Hipsters beware.


Get your first taste of Hellbender Brewing Company on May 29

This post has been updated. Get ready, Washington beer lovers: Hellbender, the city's fourth production brewery, is releasing its debut beer, a Belgian pale ale called "Never Mind the Bollekes," next Wednesday, May 29, at the Iron Horse Tap Room. The promo poster for the Hellbender/Lost Rhino collaboration. (Courtesy of Hellbender Brewing Company) If you haven't heard of Hellbender, that may be because the brewery technically isn't open yet. Never Mind the Bollekes -- the name of the glassware the beer is typically served in replaces 'Bollocks' in a play on the classic Sex Pistols album's title -- was brewed in collaboration with the Lost Rhino Brewing Company out in Ashburn. "We're going to be open later this summer or early this fall," says Hellbender co-founder and brewer Patrick Mullane. "We've got the property" in Riggs Park, a few blocks north of the Fort Totten Metro Station, "but we're waiting on permitting and whatnot." Instead of sitting around and waiting for their brewery to open, Hellbender decided to collaborate with Lost Rhino, who Mullane says makes "really, really good beer." Between 20 and 25 kegs of Never Mind the Bollekes will make their way into Washington. The list of bars that will carry it hasn't been finalized, but keep an eye out for it at the usual beer bars, as well as a few Capitol Hill hangouts, beginning on May 30. (Mullane is a former congressional staffer, and also worked in a few bars in the neighborhood.) This is Hellbender's first collaboration, and while Mullane and partner Ben Evans don't rule out another one while they wait on red tape, "We'd obviously like to focus on getting the brewery up and running," Mullane says. An earlier version of this post incorrectly said the beer's debut would be on May 30.


Now, Arlington’s Frank Fumich is running TO Boston to raise money for bombing victims

like medication!) But those events take nightly pauses. Here, Fumich and Nelson plan to alternate marathons without stopping. One runs for 26.2 miles, the other rests in the chase van. Then they switch. Each man will run about two marathons a day, with some joint running when they hit the sights of Philly or New York. They have lined up state and local police assistance throughout the route, Fumich said. The plan is to start at 6 a.m. Tuesday at the Pentagon, and finish at noon Saturday on Boylston Street. A crew of friends and enablers will be in a chase vehicle, including Todd Jubeck of Leonardtown, Md., who ran two of the three marathons with Fumich last month between National Airport and Alexandria and is planning to run part of the Arlington-to-Boston route as well. Also in the crew will be Ben Britton, Brad Lombardi, Dennis Mondoro and Rick Baird. They will have a GPS to provide live location updates, and various runners and groups are planning to join them along the way. The idea of raising money while testing one’s physical (and MENTAL) limits was launched online by Nelson in 2005 when he established The Endurance Trust, which allows runners and other iron people to collect pledges for the distances they cover. “After what we saw happen in Boston, Frank and I knew we had to show the world that the running community is a resilient, loving, and giving family,” Nelson said. “The truth is, I started The Endurance Trust on that premise. As athletes, we’re passionate about the causes we run for. We’re encouraging every runner to participate on our run to Boston. Join us for a block, join us for a day. We won’t turn family away.” So far, they have received donations from runners and businesses in 20 countries and nearly every state. The project’s website is hosted by FirstGiving, a Boston company which Fumich said has been greatly supportive and helped get the word out about the fundraising. You can donate to this project, called “Stand United Run United,” right here. You can follow the progress of the run here. Fumich frequently posts funny updates on his Facebook page, here. A Twitter feed can be followed here, @endurancetrust and #dc2bos. And the permanent site for the Endurance Trust and the “DC2Boston” effort will be here. Checks may also be sent to: The Endurance Trust,


Yikes! The Japanese stock market cratered overnight

Well that was fast. Japanese financial markets have experienced a stunning rise over the past six months, as a new government led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe introduced policies of aggressive Keynesian stimulus paired with equally aggressive monetary easing by the Bank of Japan. The surest, steadiest bet on global financial markets in that time has been on rising Japanese stocks and a falling yen that makes Japanese exporters more competitive. Until Wednesday night, that is. The Japanese market tanked in epic fashion in Thursday's trading session, with the Nikkei index falling 7.3 percent. The yen appreciated 1.7 percent against the dollar. Here's the one-month stock chart of the Nikkei: Source: Bloomberg Ouch. Here's the thing, though. There wasn't really any news overnight that would justify a swing of that magnitude. Analysts are blaming the drop on some weak Chinese economic data and hints from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday that someday, eventually, the Fed will taper its own monetary easing. There is no way on earth, though, that those kinds of tidbits would justify the kind of moves that were evident in the Japanese market. So it has all the markings of being driven by some weird mix of psychology and the details of the inner workings of markets, of a lot of bullish investors either choosing or being forced to unwind bullish bets at the same time. It also is a reflection of the risks that arise when markets are so overwhelmingly driven by policy, in this case monetary easing from both the Bank of Japan and Federal Reserve. As wild swings in the U.S. markets Wednesday in response to Bernanke's testimony show, any little blip from central banks can cause outsized moves in the markets. That said, it's worth keeping the 7 percent drop in Japanese stocks Thursday in perspective. Over the longer horizon (this chart shows the last six months), "Abenomics" is still looking pretty great for Japanese companies and investors: Source: Bloomberg Still, Thursday's drop suggested the rally may be a bit more fragile than it had appeared.


Superstar astrophysicist: Why ‘Star Trek’ beats ‘Star Wars’

Neil deGrasse Tyson Tyson, in the video below, explains that he is a big fan of Star Trek — all of the various television series — because the franchise makes some attempt to use physics to tell its stories. Star Wars never did, and that’s one of the reasons he prefers Star Trek. Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, told Business Insider: I’m old-school with the big traditional TV and movie series, so I’m old-school Star Trek. I’m partial to the old crew, Captain Kirk. and I never got into Star Wars. Maybe because they made no attempt to portray real physics. At all. So how does Star Wars do it? In the following video Tyson and a colleague talk about the astrophysics of “Star Trek.” He says” I think Star Treks — all versions of the series — have made admirable attempts to do the right thing with the laws of physics. Where they are on the frontier, that’s where the imagination of the writer … comes in, and that’s just fine. But you can’t undo the well-tested and well-known laws of physics that ought to serve as a foundation for what you’re doing. Otherwise the whole thing just become fantasy and and you might as well just write stories that are no different from ‘Lord of the Rings’ or ‘Star Wars.’ Here’s how “Star Trek” uses astrophysics, according to Tyson and a colleague:


READ: President Obama’s speech on the future of the war on terror

my concern. So he has agreed to review existing Department of Justice guidelines governing investigations that involve reporters, and will convene a group of media organizations to hear their concerns as part of that review. And I have directed the Attorney General to report back to me by July 12th. All these issues remind us that the choices we make about war can impact – in sometimes unintended ways – the openness and freedom on which our way of life depends. And that is why I intend to engage Congress about the existing Authorization to Use Military Force, or AUMF, to determine how we can continue to fight terrorists without keeping America on a perpetual war-time footing. The AUMF is now nearly twelve years old. The Afghan War is coming to an end. Core al Qaeda is a shell of its former self. Groups like AQAP must be dealt with, but in the years to come, not every collection of thugs that labels themselves al Qaeda will pose a credible threat to the United States. Unless we discipline our thinking and our actions, we may be drawn into more wars we don’t need to fight, or continue to grant Presidents unbound powers more suited for traditional armed conflicts between nation states. So I look forward to engaging Congress and the American people in efforts to refine, and ultimately repeal, the AUMF’s mandate. And I will not sign laws designed to expand this mandate further. Our systematic effort to dismantle terrorist organizations must continue. But this war, like all wars, must end. That’s what history advises. That’s what our democracy demands. And that brings me to my final topic: the detention of terrorist suspects. To repeat, as a matter of policy, the preference of the United States is to capture terrorist suspects. When we do detain a suspect, we interrogate them. And if the suspect can be prosecuted, we decide whether to try him in a civilian court or a Military Commission. During the past decade, the vast majority of those detained by our military were captured on the battlefield. In Iraq, we turned over thousands of prisoners as we ended the war. In Afghanistan, we have transitioned detention facilities to the Afghans, as part of the process of restoring Afghan sovereignty. So we bring law of war detention to an end, and we are committed to prosecuting terrorists whenever we


Ten most inane things in Obama’s awful speech

President Obama speaks during a press conference. (Michael Reynolds/European Pressphoto Agency) The president gave a speech today on our defense posture that was schizophrenic and unrelated to reality. He promised to continue the war on terrorism, yet said nothing about slashing defense spending. He ridiculed his predecessor on civil liberties, but with zero political support and no game plan for those who can’t be tried, proposed to send Guantanamo Bay prison camp detainees to the homeland. (How many times must Congress say no?) What was missing was a comprehensive understanding of our enemy — jihadism. And he incorrectly indicated that we contribute to our own woes (“has become a symbol around the world for an America that flouts the rule of law”). While difficult to do, I’ve selected the 10 worst portions of the speech, which range from untrue to platitudinal to gallingly hypocritical: 1. “From the Civil War to our struggle against fascism, on through the long twilight struggle of the Cold War, battlefields have changed and technology has evolved, but our commitment to constitutional principles has weathered every war, and every war has come to an end.” Thunk. Wars don’t end. They are won or lost. The president seemed to find the ending of any war without regard to its result of the same value. He brought troops home from Iraq. (Fine, but that was when the war was won and his full-scale departure left the country in chaos. Was the disaster his departure invited something else his advisers kept from him?) He touted that the United States will be leaving Afghanistan, but, of course, we’ve not achieved the aim he set forth of dismantling the Taliban. 2. “I won’t review the full history. What is clear is that we quickly drove al-Qaeda out of Afghanistan, but then shifted our focus and began a new war in Iraq. And this carried significant consequences for our fight against al-Qaeda, our standing in the world and, to this day, our interests in a vital region.” There’s always time to blame George W. Bush, huh? The part of the full history would include the successful surge, Obama’s failure to secure the status-of-forces agreement and his timelines and limitations imposed on the troops in Afghanistan. 3. “There have been no large-scale attacks on the United States, and our homeland is more secure.” Is Boston not large-scale enough for him? Does Fort Hood


New D.C. Council budget scraps gas tax, impacts Circulator service

Circulator buses could appear in new neighborhoods by 2015. (The Washington Post) The D.C. Council approved its 2014 budget Wednesday, and the $12.1 billion budget includes a few transportation developments that could impact commuters. For starters, D.C. is following Maryland and Virginia in changing the way it taxes gasoline. The District opted to eliminate its 23.5-cents-a-gallon gas tax, replacing it with an 8.3 percent tax on wholesale purchases of gas and diesel. Phil Mendelson, the D.C. Council chairman, told The Post’s Tim Craig that switching the tax to wholesale purchases “removes the volatility from our gas tax.” This change means that D.C., Virginia and Maryland have all altered their gas tax policies this year. Virginia recently got rid of its 17.5 cent-per-gallon gas tax, replacing it with a 3.5 percent tax on wholesalers. Maryland approved an increase to its per-gallon gas tax that’s set to arrive in phases. The new budget will also impact riders of D.C.’s Circulator buses. The council approved boosting the fares from $1 to $1.50 for riders using SmarTrip cards (and it goes up to $2 if you don’t have such a card). The higher fares won’t arrive until July 1, 2014, which is meant to coincide with around the time Metro is next expected to increase fares on its buses and trains. (The transit agency decided in 2008 to have fare increases every two years.) Circulator buses will also travel along new routes that will bring the service to U Street, Southwest Washington, Glover Park and the Washington National Cathedral. The new service would begin in 2015, according to a report from the Committee on Transportation and Environment. The report notes that the higher fares would bring Circulator more in line with other bus options in the region, including Metrobus and suburban bus services. For more on the budget, read Tim Craig’s story.


Explosion of beer breweries and brew pubs continues in Northern Virginia

Bill Butcher is shown with his son Key, 8, as the brewers salvaged beer after the company lost power in the storm. (Matt McClain – The Washington Post) Craft beer, brewed in small batches in a variety of flavors and colors, is exploding in popularity in our area. This was made possible in part by a new law passed by the General Assembly last year which allowed breweries to sell their product for on-site consumption. The fine folks at Northern Virginia Magazine have continued to track the rapid spread of craft beer in our area, and now five new microbreweries are set to open in NoVa in the coming months, Zachary Westlake reports, led by Bad Wolf Brewing Company, which should open on Center Street in Manassas in mid-June. And coming soon: Forge Brew Works on Terminal Road in Lorton; Crooked Run Brewery on Harrison Street in Leesburg; Beltway Brewing Company on Davis Drive in Sterling; and Adroit Theory Brewing Company on Browning Court in Purcellville. And there’s more — two more hoping to open by the fall are Old Ox Brewery in Loudoun and CasaNoVa Brewing Company in Arlington, and Portner Brewhouse is shooting for an opening in Old Town Alexandria next spring. This adds to the already popular Lost Rhino Brewing Company in Ashburn, the very excellent Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria and the Corcoran Brewing Company in Waterford. And then there are the rapidly multiplying brew pubs, such as Capitol City in Shirlington and Rock Bottom in Ballston, MacDowell Brew Kitchen and Vintage 50 in Leesburg, the Sweetwater Taverns in Merrifield and Centreville, Gordon Biersch in Tysons Corner, the Mad Horse Brewery in Lovettsville, not to be confused with the Mad Fox Brewing Company in Falls Church. There are also the Dogfish Head Alehouses in Seven Corners and Chantilly, and while the beer isn’t brewed in NoVa, it is from Rehoboth Beach and emerged from the craft beer world. For a full primer on craft beer, the best places to buy it, drink it and the vocabulary you need to hang with true beer junkies, Northern Virginia Magazine produced an excellent package last year which is here. And this very post contains more links to more quality beer joints than any other post known to man, so bookmark it or memorize it or print it out and save it for all your quality beer drinking needs.


These 12 technologies will drive our economic future

monitor the flow of products through a factory; and cloud computing. Each of these areas of innovation, in the McKinsey telling, will be worth north of $1 trillion to the world economy by 2025, even on the low side of their range. (Find detailed definitions of each category here, and click on the full study to read the researchers' methodology and rationale for these estimates). But what is most interesting about their analysis is that some of the sexiest areas of innovation, including some we have minor obsessions with here in this blog, are seen as less likely to have a massive economic impact between now and 2025. Driverless cars, 3D printing, renewable energy -- each of these is going to have a much smaller economic footprint, the report says. This disconnect, between how much hype and attention a disruptive technology receives and how much it will affect the real world in dollar terms, can be seen in the chart below. The upper left quadrant of this chart encompasses innovations that receive outsized discussion in the media relative to their expected economic importance. Indeed, maybe the single biggest takeaway from the study is this: The things that will have the greatest impact on the economy in the medium term aren't the ones that seem to most excite the imagination and public interest. Instead, the potentially powerful innovations are mostly those that have been evolving for many years in new ways. That's what Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke was talking about in a commencement speech last weekend about long-term economic potential, when he said: "Some would say that we are still in the early days of the IT revolution. After all, computing speeds and memory have increased many times over in the 30-plus years since the first personal computers came on the market, and fields like biotechnology are also advancing rapidly. Moreover, even as the basic technologies improve, the commercial applications of these technologies have arguably thus far only scratched the surface." Things like cloud computing and mobile Internet connectivity are not brand-new inventions; in various forms they have existed for years. But the innovations that will flow from them --and resulting economic benefits -- are only beginning. Think of it this way: Car services have existed for the better part of a century. Cellphones have been around for decades now. We've had global positioning systems for cars for about a


Shorthand

* President Obama and Chris Christie reunited. * The NDU explained how a heckler got in. * One Senate candidate called his rival "pond scum." * Hillary Clinton's book got a release date. * And Victoria Nuland got some GOP support.