Visa-MasterCard settlement with retailers is voided

from directing customers toward cheaper means of payment. The settlement may need to be renegotiated, or the case could go to trial. — Reuters TECHNOLOGY Oracle ordered to pay $3 billion to HP firm A California jury ordered Oracle to pay Hewlett Packard Enterprise $3 billion in damages in a case over HP’s Itanium servers, an Oracle spokeswoman said Thursday. Oracle said it would appeal the verdict. Oracle decided to stop developing software for use with HP’s Itanium-based servers in 2011, saying that Intel, which makes the Itanium processor, made it clear that the chip was nearing the end of its life. But HP said it had an agreement with Oracle that support for Itanium would continue. Without it, the equipment using the chip would become obsolete. In the first phase of trial in 2012, a Santa Clara Superior Court judge ruled that there had been a contract. The jury on Thursday decided damages. The old Hewlett-Packard split in November into Hewlett Packard Enterprises and HP Inc. — Reuters GAMBLING 4 Atlantic City casinos reach deals with union Atlantic City’s main casino workers union reached agreement Thursday with four of the five casinos it had been targeting for a strike this weekend. Representatives of Local 54 of the Unite-HERE union and the Tropicana said they reached a deal on a new contract in the afternoon. That left only the Trump Taj Mahal facing a strike threat on Friday. Both the Tropicana and Trump Taj Mahal are owned by billionaire investor Carl Icahn. Earlier Thursday, the union reached agreement with Bally’s, Caesars and Harrah’s, all owned by Caesars Entertainment. The union is out to recoup concessions it gave the casinos in past negotiations when the gambling halls were in worse financial shape. Four of Atlantic City’s 12 casinos shut down in 2014. The surviving ones, with less competition, are beginning to see their finances stabilize. A union official said the new contracts succeeded in regaining a good part of what union members had given back to the casinos in past negotiations. The Borgata, Golden Nugget and Resorts casinos are not being targeted by the union. — Associated Press Also in Business ● Spanish police searched Google’s offices in Madrid as the company faces scrutiny over its tax dealings in Europe. Spain’s tax agency sought permission for access to Google’s offices in the Spanish capital, the high court in Madrid said in


Brexit: Sovereign Kingdom or little England?

has been subcontracted to soccer hooligans.) This on a continent where war had been the norm for a millennium. Give the E.U. its due. Despite its comical faux-national paraphernalia of flag, anthem and useless parliament, it has championed and advanced a transnational idea that has helped curb the nationalist excesses that culminated in two world wars. Advanced not quite enough, however. Certainly not enough to support its disdainful, often dismissive, treatment of residual nationalisms and their democratic expressions. Despite numerous objections by referendums and parliaments, which it routinely either ignored or circumvented, the E.U. continued its relentless drive for more centralization, more regulation and thus more power for its unelected self. Such high-handed overriding of popular sentiment could go on only so long. Until June 23, 2016, to be precise. To be sure, popular sentiment was rather narrowly divided. The most prominent disparity in the British vote was generational. The young, having grown up in the new Europe, are more comfortable with its cosmopolitanism and have come to expect open borders, open commerce and open movement of people. They voted overwhelmingly — by 3 to 1 — to Remain. Leave was mainly the position of an older generation no longer willing to tolerate European assaults on British autonomy and sovereignty. Understandably so. Here is Britain, inventor of the liberal idea and home to the mother of parliaments, being instructed by a bunch of pastry-eating Brussels bureaucrats on everything from the proper size of pomegranates to the human rights of terrorists. Widely mentioned, and resented, was the immigration directive to admit other E.U. citizens near-automatically. But what pushed the Leave side over the top was less policy than primacy. Who runs Britain? Amazingly, about half of the laws and regulations that govern British life today come not from Westminster but from Brussels. Brexit was an assertion of national sovereignty and an attempt, in one fell swoop, to recover it. There is much to admire in that impulse. But at what cost? Among its casualties may be not just the European project (other exit referendums are already being proposed) but possibly the United Kingdom itself. The Scots are already talking about another vote for independence. And Northern Ireland, which voted to remain in the E.U., might well seek to unite with the Republic. Talk about a great idea executed badly. In seeking a newly sovereign United Kingdom, the Brits might well find


USOC organizers downplay concerns over Zika, security heading into Rio Games

Golf, returning to the Games for the first time since 1904, and tennis are particularly hard hit. OMAHA — “Our athletes will be among the safest people in Rio, just because of all the security there’s going to be,” said Alan Ashley, chief of sport performance for the USOC, following a meeting of the committee’s board of directors between sessions of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials. “I’m not concerned about it. I’m not concerned about it for my family. That doesn’t mean we won’t take all necessary precautions, but I feel very, very good about going to Rio.” Added Scott Blackmun, the USOC’s chief executive: “There’s risk associated with any Olympics, whether terror or crime or transportation. Whatever it is, you’re always going to have something. We’re excited to go down. Like any Olympic Games, our expectation is when the opening ceremonies come on Aug. 5, we’re all going to be focused on that, as opposed to these kinds of things.” In regards to the Zika virus, which is known to cause a severe birth defect in the babies of infected mothers and which has prompted several athletes — including some of the top golfers in the world — to skip the Olympics, Blackmun said the concerns over the virus are “legitimate.” Most of these Olympic hopefuls have turned into Olympians since they were photographed at the media summit in March; some teams have not yet been named. “The question is,” Blackmun said, “how significant is the risk, and are you in the population of people that really needs to worry about it? Most if not all of our American golfers have expressed an interest in being in Rio. I’m hopeful if not confident we’ll find a way to field a great team down there.” With an independent investigative report, commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, into allegations of widespread and state-sponsored doping by Russian athletes due to be delivered in mid-July, USOC officials were careful not make specific allegations regarding countries or sports. But both Blackmun and Larry Probst, chairman of the USOC’s board of directors, said the global anti-doping effort needs to be overhauled. “The system needs to be fixed. This is a threat to the very meaning of the Olympic movement,” Blackmun said. “Whether it’s more independence [for WADA] or more quality around the globe regarding how doping rules are enforced, there’s a lot of room for


in the babies of infected mothers and which has prompted several athletes — including some of the top golfers in the world — to skip the Olympics, Blackmun said the concerns over the virus are “legitimate.” Most of these Olympic hopefuls have turned into Olympians since they were photographed at the media summit in March; some teams have not yet been named. “The question is,” Blackmun said, “how significant is the risk, and are you in the population of people that really needs to worry about it? Most if not all of our American golfers have expressed an interest in being in Rio. I’m hopeful if not confident we’ll find a way to field a great team down there.” With an independent investigative report, commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, into allegations of widespread and state-sponsored doping by Russian athletes due to be delivered in mid-July, USOC officials were careful not make specific allegations regarding countries or sports. But both Blackmun and Larry Probst, chairman of the USOC’s board of directors, said the global anti-doping effort needs to be overhauled. “The system needs to be fixed. This is a threat to the very meaning of the Olympic movement,” Blackmun said. “Whether it’s more independence [for WADA] or more quality around the globe regarding how doping rules are enforced, there’s a lot of room for progress. . . . We’re also increasing our personal investment in anti-doping by approximately 20 percent going forward. It’s important for us to be pro-active. But we’re also trying to do it from within the system as opposed to outside the system.” As others have done, Probst advocated a “a newly constituted WADA that has an appropriate level of authority and investigative powers, that’s a transparent organization and one that is properly funded, that would be responsible for monitoring doping on a global basis and across all federations.” These athletes — photographed at the Olympic media summit in March — will compete to represent the United States at the Rio de Janeiro Games. The USOC’s board meeting also included a presentation from the organizers behind Los Angeles’s bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics about its progress, with Probst saying afterward, “I’m very encouraged about our chances of prevailing.” The 2024 host city will be chosen by the International Olympic Committee in September 2017 at a meeting in Lima. The other finalists are Budapest, Paris and Rome


Meet the woman who knows what you’ll buy at Whole Foods, long before you do

AnaMaria Friede chooses the products that will be sold at 50 Whole Foods Markets in the Mid-Atlantic region. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post) Usually, when AnaMaria Friede goes to the Fancy Food Show — the trade show for makers of specialty foods and the stores that sell them — the first thing she does is flip over her badge so her name can’t be seen. It’s better for her to slip under the radar as she walks the 363,000 square feet of booths at New York’s Javits Center, sampling gluten-free brownies and fair-trade coconut water and vegetable chips, so many vegetable chips. That’s because Friede is a buyer for the Mid-Atlantic region of Whole Foods Market, responsible for deciding which packaged cookies or frozen mac-and-cheese or jarred olives, among other things, you’ll pluck from the shelves of your local store. Whole Foods, which has more than 435 stores and sold $15.4 billion worth of goods in the 2015 fiscal year, is “the barometer for if you’ve made it in your business,” said exhibitor Benjamin Frohlichstein, co-founder of Cappello’s, a sleekly designed line of gluten-free pizzas and doughs sold in some Whole Foods regions. “If we were coming to the show and we weren’t in Whole Foods yet, we would be desperate.” In the grocery world, Friede is the equivalent of the scout who finds a kid with a good arm and sends him to the major leagues, or the agent who notices a pretty girl on the street and puts her on a runway for Paris fashion week. And because the many, many smart businesspeople at the Fancy Food Show know that about Friede, she tends to get ambushed unless she turns her tag around. Except. This year, the Specialty Foods Association got wise to it. For the summer show last week, names were printed on both sides of the badges, which are required for entry, so exhibitors could know every visitor’s identity. So much for that plan. “I was in the pavilion, and someone said, ‘Oh, you are from Whole Foods,’ and I said, ‘How did you know?’ ” said Friede. “We cannot go incognito anymore.” It was 9:30 a.m. and the doors had just opened on Day 1 of the three-day event. There were 2,670 brands present. By the end of the day, she would walk more than four miles in the convention center alone. “I try to stop


like to be honest upfront, and I don’t like to go around and say that it is delicious when it is not,” she said. “He’s going to work on it.” But when she really likes a brand, she’ll work with the producers to create a product that is exclusive to Whole Foods. Sometimes it’s to fill a gap she sees in the market: As an example, she pointed to some maple sweet potato chips, a snack she developed with chip company One Potato Two Potato for the holidays. She’s also an avid forecaster, anticipating trends and getting them on the shelves before anyone else. She was among the first to pick up SeaSnax, a popular brand of seaweed chips. She worked closely with Republic of Tea on a particular honey chamomile blend, which became so popular the brand took it national. As Friede caught up with one of her suppliers — Neilly Ndjee, whose eponymous brand already supplies Mid-Atlantic Whole Foods with frozen plantains — Friede spotted some plastic containers of yellow rice. “Okay, so you use turmeric for the color?” asked Friede. “We don’t have a yellow rice.” Ndjee was so happy that she began to dance. Once the paperwork comes through, Friede expects it will take a month before Neilly’s yellow rice mix will be on the shelves and in customers’ homes. But most of the people Friede talked to weren’t so lucky. “Excuse me; I was wondering if you could take a look at our product? We’re a super-premium product,” said Peter Van Alstine, chief executive of R.e.d.d. energy bars. “The merchandising space for bars is very tight,” said Friede. “It’s a sea of bars out there,” said Van Alstine. “We came at the wrong time. I am aware of that.” But he continued his pitch: “Non-GMO, vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, brown rice free. It’s the most functional clean bar in your sea of bars.” She tried a bite, politely, and continued on her way. Out of earshot of van Alstine, I asked: Does anyone selling bars have a chance with her today? She made a sympathetic face. “No.” Clarification: This post was updated to clarify that Neal Gottlieb of Three Twins Ice Cream was referring to his company’s sundae cones in his quote. Other Three Twins products are already sold in Whole Foods. More from Food: Have questions about cooking? Join our live chat Wednesdays at 12.


Once British politicians stop double-crossing each other, a tougher foe looms

Britain's Justice Minister Michael Gove joked that he has no charisma as he outlined his vision as candidate for prime minister July 1. LONDON — Britain, Michael Gove said as he pitched himself for the country’s top job, will be a more enterprising and prosperous place now that it has opted to throw off the shackles of the European Union. It will have additional money for health care, one less layer of burdensome regulation and far fewer immigrants. “This country voted for change, and I can deliver it,” the wonkish justice secretary said confidently, a day after ambushing the favorite in the race for prime minister, the former London mayor Boris Johnson, and forcing him from the contest. But as Gove and other British politicians continue to double-cross each other in their quest to run the country, a far more formidable obstacle looms to the sort of change they seek: the E.U. In late June, many celebrated the referendum results, and British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that he will resign after Britons went to the polls. A week after Britain’s stunning vote to leave the E.U., the battle lines in the monumental exit negotiations to come are clearer than ever. And they don’t favor Britain. The weight of the leverage, the timing of the talks and the expertise of the negotiators are all factors stacked in favor of the 27 spurned members of the E.U. The imbalance will make it difficult for Gove or any other British leader to make good on any promises of a halcyon life post-Brexit. “It’s the E.U. and not Britain that has the upper hand here,” said Agata Gostynska-Jakubowska, a fellow at the London-based Center for European Reform. Both Europe and Britain would be hurt economically if the two sides can’t reach a deal, she said. But Britain, as the smaller market with more direct dependence on Europe than the other way around, would be hurt more. Giving the Europeans even greater firepower is the ticking two-year clock on the process once Britain gives formal notice it is leaving the E.U., after which it would be kicked out of the union whether or not a new deal is in place. Tariffs would automatically snap to those regulated by the World Trade Organization, a switch that could be devastating for Britain’s finance- and service-based economy. The British “don’t have much leverage there, and on the


After Brexit, Britain will not retreat

A Union flag flies above an English St. George’s Cross flag near the Elizabeth Tower, also known as Big Ben, at the Houses of Parliament in London. (Ben Stansall/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images) Crispin Blunt is a Conservative member of Parliament, where he chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee. The unexpected result of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union has created uncertainty on both sides of the Atlantic. This uncertainty was exacerbated by the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron, which has led to a cacophony of claims that Britain will no longer be a global international player, be a close ally of the United States or continue to have strong economic ties with Europe. As the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament, I reject that view. Isolationism will not serve Britain’s or the United States’ interests. U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry was right to fly to Brussels this week and call on European leaders to continue to work with Britain in a constructive manner. Also, President Obama was right to call for calm and to say that Brexit did not mean that NATO or the special relationship between our two countries was at risk. I have always believed that the world is safer when Britain and the United States play a strong international role in the world. I am confident this relationship will endure. Much of the U.S. narrative about the referendum has focused on the disgraceful behavior of a minority of Brexit voters who engaged in some appalling hate crimes based on people’s nationality. I fear that Donald Trump’s candidacy, combined with his trip to Scotland, made that narrative too tempting to resist. Alternatively, many have said that Obama’s intervention before the referendum somehow shifted thousands of voters from “remain” to “leave.” In all candor, the Brexit vote wasn’t about Trump, Obama or the United States. Britain has always been a hesitant and halfhearted member of the European Union. Many Europeans quip that we invented the phrase “opt out.” We aren’t in the single currency, and we aren’t in the Schengen borderless area. The British people were never committed to the principle of European integration, even if political leaders such as former prime minister Tony Blair were. This tension, which has lasted for decades, created a corrosive disconnect between politicians and the public, and it culminated in the vote to leave. My


Middle East Quartet faults Israeli settlement activity, Palestinian violence

Israeli security forces gather at the scene where an Israeli died and three of his relatives were wounded after a Palestinian gunman opened fire on their car on July 1 in the occupied West Bank. (Hazem Bader/AFP/Getty Images) The potential for a two-state solution to decades of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is steadily eroding, members of the Middle East Quartet mediation group said Friday in a report aimed at nudging the parties back to peace talks. The report, delayed several times as the final language was refined, calls on the Israelis to cease the construction and expansion of settlements, the designation of land exclusively for use by Israelis and the denial of development permits to Palestinians. It also recommends that Palestinian authorities stop inciting violence and work harder to combat terrorism, such as by clearly condemning all acts of terrorism. The Quartet, the sponsor of a peace process that has gone nowhere since collapsing amid mutual recriminations in April 2014, is composed of the United Nations, United States, Russia and the European Union. The imprimatur of the United States, Israel’s closest ally, adds extra weight to the report, but it is more of a road map for talks to resume rather than a mandate. “We’re trying to provide them with a constructive path forward should they choose to take it,” said a State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity under the agency’s rules. “That’s ultimately up to them.” Initially, at least, the parties weren’t changing their long-held stances. “The report perpetuates the myth that Israeli construction in the West Bank is an obstacle to peace,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. “When Israel froze settlements, it did not get peace. When Israel uprooted every settlement in Gaza, it did not get peace. It got war.” Palestinian officials also bristled at the report’s conclusions. “It does not meet our expectations as a nation living under a foreign colonial military occupation,” said Palestine Liberation Organization General Secretary Saeb Erekat. But Quartet members warned that the window for a solution is closing. “We need to shake life back into the peace process, and do it as a matter of urgency,” said Federica Mogherini, the foreign policy head of the E.U. “Violence is on the rise every single day, with victims of both sides. We risk a new escalation, and the very chance of peace is slipping away.”


Bald eagles continue their remarkable comeback, reach a milestone in Virginia

Juvenile bald eagles whose heads have not yet turned white. Virginia’s bald eagle population is thriving with more than 1,000 breeding pairs spotted in the state this year. (Center for Conservation Biology at the College of William and Mary via Associated Press) Virginia’s bald eagle population is thriving with more than 1,000 breeding pairs — birds that mate and share a nest — spotted in the state this year. The Center for Conservation Biology at the College of William and Mary announced Thursday that its survey counted 1,070 occupied nests this year. It is the first time more than 1,000 have been counted since the survey started 60 years ago. The figure marks a remarkable comeback for the bird, whose population was at 20 pairs in 1970 thanks to pollutants such as DDT, a chemical that was used to kill bugs in homes, gardens and farms until it was banned in the United States in 1972. The popular chemical caused eagles to lay thin-shelled eggs that cracked before the baby birds could hatch. Bald eagles were one of the first species to be added to the Endangered Species List in 1967. They were taken off the list in 2007, and according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service there are now 10,000 nesting pairs nationwide. A survey by the Center for Conservation Biology at the College of William and Mary counted 1,070 occupied bald eagle nests in Virginia. (The Center for Conservation Biology at the College of William and Mary via Associated Press)


After steep drop, markets make up losses of Brexit within a week

be wished away,” Carney said. “But they can be addressed.” Bond yields have also fallen over the past week in Japan, France, Germany and the Netherlands. In Switzerland, following the Brexit vote, the yield on a 30-year bond plunged into negative territory for the second time in less than two weeks. Swiss assets are seen as safe bets during times of turbulence, and investors are now willing to pay a de facto surcharge to lend the government money over 30 years. The activity in the bond market suggests “a weaker global economic outlook,” Scott Anderson, chief economist at Bank of the West, said in an email. “The market seems to be pricing in a high probability of global recession at the moment.” After the United Kingdom voted to leave the E.U. in an historic referendum, voters were surprised that some of the rhetoric used to sway the vote to "Leave" was being walked back. Most forecasters say the British economy will contract over the next year as companies hold off on investments and banks consider relocating from London to other European financial hubs. But the impact on other economies in Europe will be determined by the terms of Britain’s exit, which will be negotiated over several years. The two leading candidates to become Britain’s next prime minister, Theresa May and Michael Gove, have both said they do not intend to trigger those negotiations this year. There is also uncertainty about whether other European countries will follow Britain in pulling away from the E.U. amid concerns about immigration and the rise of nationalist politicians. Despite years of stagnation, the E.U. has largely been a steady economic force over decades; its nations, as a group, represent the largest economy in the world. For the United States, Brexit reduced the odds that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year — something it had initially pledged to do several times across 2016. One obstacle for the economy could be the appreciation of the dollar, which hurts U.S. exporters. Since last week, the dollar has strengthened more than 2 percent against the euro. On Friday, S&P Global Ratings cut its projections for U.S. economic growth, saying that gross domestic product would expand by 2 percent this year, compared with 2.3 percent in March. S&P also raised the odds of recession to 20 to 25 percent, compared with 15 to 20 percent in March.


With Brexit, China could be losing its best friend in the E.U.

Chinese government’s agenda is its campaign to be granted “market economy status” by the E.U., a move that would make it harder to bring anti-dumping cases against China under World Trade Organization rules. Britain was the only country that expressed unconditional support for China, diplomats said. Thousands of demonstrators gathered in central London to protest last week's vote for the UK to leave the European Union. The referendum result was rejected by most voters in the capital. In fact, concerns are mounting throughout Europe about what critics say are China’s unfair trading practices, especially the problems foreign firms face in accessing its markets, and the dumping of cheap steel and other raw materials in the West. Europe already faces problems in the euro zone and over migration, and the existential crisis implied by Brexit is likely to divert E.U. attention from China, diplomats said. Britain’s exit is also likely to slow Europe’s already sluggish recovery from the 2008 financial crisis. Not that this need be a disaster, of course. Bloomberg Intelligence economists Tom Orlik and Fielding Chen pointed out that only 2.6 percent of Chinese exports head to Britain. David Dollar, a China expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington, noted that the Chinese economy no longer depends so heavily on exports but increasingly relies on domestic consumption. Some Chinese investment in Britain is likely to be put on hold, but Chinese companies and citizens are still likely to invest in British real estate, infrastructure and brand names, according to Gaspers of the Mercator Institute. Chinese investment in Europe is booming, with as much flowing there in the first quarter of this year as during the whole of 2015. Dollar, who studies the Chinese economy at Brookings, argues that China is the big winner geostrategically. “Europe is likely to be a less influential player on the world stage and will be absorbed with internal issues of negotiating the British exit, controlling immigration and keeping the periphery inside the eurozone,” he wrote. “The United States is also likely to be distracted by these European challenges. This gives China more scope to pursue its reclamation activities in the South China Sea and to play divide and conquer with European states on various issues.” “A multipolar world requires more powers, which are independent of the U.S., to participate in international governance. The E.U. is supposed to be one of them,” the Global Times


Galen Rupp locks up a second event in Rio with victory in 10K

several high-profile veterans seeing their Olympic dreams dashed. High jumper Amy Acuff was trying for her sixth Summer Games but failed to advance to Sunday’s finals. She said Friday she was retiring from competition. And trying for her fourth Olympics, sprinter Sanya Richards-Ross failed to advance out of her heat in the women’s 400. She injured her hamstring last month and said the pain gripped her midway through the race. She pulled up and did not finish, though she was feted with a rousing ovation from the Hayward Field crowd. Most of these Olympic hopefuls have turned into Olympians since they were photographed at the media summit in March; some teams have not yet been named. “This was going to be a tough meet for me no matter what,” she said. “If I made it to the finals, it was going to be an uphill battle. The girls have been running really, really well.” In the opening race of the track trials, Duane Solomon, a 2012 Olympian and among the favorites in the 800, eased up as he approached the finish line. It cost him dearly as the 31-year-old failed to advance to Saturday’s semifinals. Solomon finished fourth in his heat with a time of 1:48.71. “A rookie mistake and dumb mistake on my part,” said Solomon, who finished fourth at the London Games four years ago. “Very stupid to do.” Belated gold Forty-year-old shot putter Adam Nelson came out of retirement last year but was no match for his younger competitors in Friday’s final. Nelson, a three-time Olympian who won gold in 2004 and silver in 2008, finished in seventh place, well behind Rio-bound shot putters Ryan Crouser, Joe Kovacs and Darrell Hill. The day wasn’t a total loss for Nelson. Before the opening ceremony, he finally received his gold medal from the 2004 Games. Nelson finished in second in Athens but was later bumped to first when Ukraine’s Yuriy Bilonoh was stripped of his gold following a doping violation in 2013. Brazier fails to make semis Donavan Brazier, who had the top American time of the year in the 800 and last month won the NCAA outdoor title as a freshman at Texas A&M, failed to advance out of the first round. He turned professional just 10 days ago, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility, but finished fourth in his heat with a time of 1:48.13.


Three students of U.S. colleges among the dead in Bangladesh attack

Bangladeshi military says 20 hostages were killed during a standoff at a cafe in Dhaka. Heavily armed militants took over the cafe in a 10-hour standoff before security forces stormed the building. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack. Jain’s family had moved to Dhaka from Singapore less than a decade ago, and her father set up a flourishing garment manufacturing and export business. But they remained Indian citizens. Just months ago, her cousin recalled, Jain was regaling her relatives with stories of her Berkeley experiences during a family visit to India. She was a member of the International Students Association at the university. “She was a vivacious girl. She had an international outlook and was ambitious,” Shirish Jain said. “The entire extended family got together for lunch when they came. I remember she was so cheerful and chirpy.” Indians learned of Jain’s death when the minister for external affairs, Sushma Swaraj, tweeted Saturday: “I am extremely pained to share that the terrorists have killed Tarushi, an Indian girl who was taken hostage in the terror attack in Dhaka.” According to the Times of India website on Sunday, her uncle in the northern Indian town of Ferozabad said Jain had called her father from inside the restaurant in Dhaka during the attack. “She said, ‘I’m hiding in the toilet with friends, I think we will be killed one by one,” Rakesh Mohan Jain said. “ ‘I am very afraid and not sure whether I will be able to come out alive. They are killing everyone here,’ she said,” according to the report. Shirish Jain had read about the attack before going to sleep Friday. “I immediately thought of my family in Dhaka, but I never imagined that my own family would be affected like this,” she said. “Our mind doesn’t think like that, you know. We know there are terrorist attacks all over the world. But it has now come to our home. It has come too close.” Faraaz Hossain was a native of Dhaka. Not much else is known other than that he had graduated from Oxford College and was a rising junior entering Emory’s Goizueta Business School. The other Emory student, Abinta Kabir, 18, was from Miami, but on Facebook she described herself as being “from Dhaka.” She was a sophomore at Oxford College. Earlier postings depict her as a student at the American International School


Elie Wiesel, Nobel laureate and memory keeper of the Holocaust, dies at 87

the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’s highest civilian honor. “Your place is with the victims of the S.S.” Several weeks later, amid controversy, Reagan made the trip to Bitburg. It was not the last time Mr. Wiesel took on a head of state. In 1986, just after Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish year, he learned he had been selected for the Nobel Peace Prize. He said the honor did not make him a different person — “If the war did not change me, you think anything else will change me?” he commented upon winning the prize, the Times reported — but it did confer on him considerably greater authority. Speaking at the dedication of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1993, Mr. Wiesel faced President Bill Clinton and said: “Mr. President, I must tell you something. I have been in the former Yugoslavia last fall. I cannot sleep since what I have seen. As a Jew I am saying that. We must do something to stop the bloodshed in that country.” Clinton later told reporters that he accepted Mr. Wiesel’s challenge, The Washington Post reported. The president went on to lead NATO in two bombing campaigns in the Balkans, first in 1995 against Bosnian Serbs and four years later to stop ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. Later in Clinton’s administration, Mr. Wiesel challenged him about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. “Why are we . . . so nobly involved in Kosovo and why were we not in Rwanda?” he asked the president at the White House in 1999. “I think we could have prevented that massacre. Why didn’t we?” Mr. Wiesel said in his Nobel acceptance speech that Jewish issues would always be of paramount interest to him. He belonged to a “traumatized generation,” he said, and it would be “unnatural” for him to feel otherwise. But he said that other causes were as important to him. Mr. Wiesel compared apartheid with anti-Semitism and backed the Solidarity movement in Poland. He spoke out on behalf of Soviet Jews, Cambodians and the Kurds, among other populations. He declared his support for the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, maintaining that the United States has an obligation to intercede when evil comes to power. Critics accused Mr. Wiesel of having a blind spot where Israel was involved. When talk show host Oprah Winfrey asked him in an interview whether he had


Lifting the ban on openly transgender troops was long overdue

overdue. For years, transgender troops have defended the country with dedication and dignity — but the military has not always shown them the same care. Estimates of the number of transgender service members range from as few as 2,500 troops on active duty and 1,500 in the reserves to 12,800 altogether. Many of these troops, afraid to reveal their gender identities for fear of being fired, have fought on the front lines but lived in the shadows. Some refrain from reporting health issues or sexual assaults while they serve to avoid discovery. Thursday’s repeal will give all troops the equal treatment they deserve. Concerns around the change have centered, as they should, on readiness: Will allowing transgender individuals to serve openly jeopardize the country’s safety or the safety of other troops? Through the study commissioned last year, the Pentagon has concluded it will not. The military has taken every precaution to guarantee transgender troops are prepared to fill the roles they take on. Before transgender people can enlist, for example, a doctor must certify them as having been stable in their new genders for 18 months. The military will also provide hormone therapy and other medical care to transgender service members on its payroll. The cost of these changes, the study found, will be comparatively low. Even with the ban officially lifted, questions remain. It will take time to train unit commanders and medical personnel in how best to lead and care for transgender troops. The Defense Department has released guidance on how commanders can tackle one of the trickier issues at hand: what happens when a service member wants to transition while on active duty. Overall, though, the shift should be smooth. The military runs on rules and regimentation that make top-down change efficient and effective. There’s no reason to think the integration of transgender troops will prove an exception. “We have to have access to 100 percent of America’s population for our all-volunteer forces to be able to recruit from among them the most highly qualified — and to retain them,” Mr. Carter said Thursday. He’s right: By all accounts, the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” six years ago built a stronger military. More likely than not, the Pentagon’s new policy will also strengthen our forces — and it will ensure transgender troops are treated with the same honor they have shown the country through their service.


Brexit, Syria and chaos in our interconnected world

interconnectedness of things, of how even the seemingly unrelated can be related. The Syrian civil war is an example. Back when others and I were urging the United States to intervene — to stop the slaughter — I did not anticipate that Syria would implode, that hundreds of thousands would die and that millions of refugees would decamp for Europe, swamping Greece and then, as if one step at a time, Western Europe as well. Ultimately, desperate migrants were scrambling into trucks and headed to England. Much of the reaction in Britain and in the United States to the wave of migrants has been to scurry back to the false comfort of isolationism. Quit Europe. Build a wall. This is the message of Donald Trump here or the Brexit people in the U.K. (Also the now-marginally important Bernie Sanders.) Instead of appreciating how things can get out of hand unless the United States (and others) intervene, they say that things will get out of hand anyway, that we cannot play world’s police officer — or that sometimes U.S. intervention only makes things worse. But in Syria, the Obama administration’s inaction loosed a tsunami of migrants that both overwhelmed and terrified Europe. Deep wells of intolerance, as much a part of the culture as knowing the proper wine, bubbled to the surface. Germany is showing the strain. Austria, Hungary and even Poland have veered right, in some cases, troublingly toward authoritarianism. France has a bad case of the nerves and Holland, too, has turned nasty. I pretty much made back the money I lost the day after the Brexit vote, and anyway my personal P&L — as opposed to the 401(k)s of many others — is hardly the point. Instead, it is that no wall is high enough and no ocean wide enough for us to turn our backs on any part of the world. History shows that inaction is its own kind of butterfly. Perhaps the wings that didn’t flutter in Syria doomed the resplendent goal of a united Europe. Read more from Richard Cohen’s archive. Read more on this topic: Richard Cohen: The high cost of avoiding war in Syria Fred Hiatt: The price of American inaction Anne Applebaum: Britain’s decision to leave the E.U. is a warning to America Sebastian Mallaby: Britain’s awful vote may be a tipping point Danielle Allen: Brexit voters missed the lesson of 1776


They’re building some of Britain’s most promising young companies. After Brexit, they’re thinking of leaving.

in the days after the referendum. Now, even as the market panic subsides, Brexit is raising existential questions about London’s future as one of the world’s great financial capitals. “We’ve got a healthy ecosystem,” said Lawrence Wintermeyer, head of Innovate Finance, which represents financial technology firms. “And now? A serious blow has been dealt to London as a financial center as a result of the referendum.” Before the vote, Britain’s economy was one of the standouts amid the sluggish growth and persistently high unemployment plaguing much of Europe. Now, forecasters expect that uncertainty over the country’s next steps will slow its expansion and possibly even push it into recession. The financial sector is one of the largest industries in Britain, driving nearly 12 percent of the economy. It employs about 1 million people, and 1 million more work in ancillary fields such as law, accounting, consulting — and, increasingly, technology. Alain Falys co-founded mobile payment and rewards app Yoyo Wallet in London three years ago, and the company is an industry success story that is now becoming one of Brexit’s cautionary tales. Yoyo Wallet briefly operated out of Level39’s office but soon took over its own space. It now handles 400,000 transactions a month and employs about three dozen people in London. Falys said he wants to hire 10 more — but they may not be in Britain. After the vote, he moved up plans to establish an outpost in Portugal, part of the 28-nation European alliance, that would allow him to freely hire workers from across the continent. The “referendum result has created a greater sense of urgency for us,” said Falys, who flew to Lisbon days after the vote. Businesses across the United Kingdom are worried that Brexit will lead to limits on immigration, a stance that would hit the heavily international financial community particularly hard. At Bankable, for example, one of the start-ups housed at Level39, the chief executive is French and the employees hail from Thailand, Nepal, the United States, Italy and France. Only two are British. One of the central underpinnings of the European alliance is that residents can move and work freely among member nations. Companies can hire workers across the E.U. without filing cumbersome paperwork or applying for special visas, processes that can take weeks to complete. But it’s unclear what E.U. immigrants’ status will be once Britain abandons the partnership or how


Alysia Montano lives worst nightmare in 800 at U.S. Olympic track and field trials

who reached the podium for the first time at a national event. As the Rio-bound runners celebrated, Montano was alone on the track. She made it to her feet and crept toward the finish line, her emotions both carrying her and thwarting her. Montano fell twice but finally crossed the finish line, where she again collapsed and cried. Her official time: 3:06.77, more than 1:07 away from qualifying. Montano’s career has been star-crossed like few others. She’s been outspoken about doping in the sport and was determined to return to the Olympics and earn a spot on the medals podium. Montano competed at the London Games, where she was the fifth runner across the finish line. The two Russian medalists in her race were implicated last year in a widespread doping controversy, and if they’re disqualified, as many track observers expect, Montano eventually could be awarded the 2012 bronze. Heading into the trials, she tried to block out doping whispers, the sport’s darkening cloud and everything beyond her control. “In order for me to move forward,” she said, “it was going to be to pretend like I wasn’t running in a sport that was so corrupt in the first place. Just not think about all that. It was my strategy to make it here today. I made it this far, and [there were] unfortunate circumstances. Somehow I’m going to have to find solace.” Neither Martinez nor Montano was certain what happened. USA Track & Field officials ruled the contact was incidental, and no runners were disqualified. Montano said she wasn’t interested in assigning blame after the race but felt she got caught up in the commotion. “I rehearsed this a thousand times. You can’t predict what happens with someone else,” said Montano, still distraught and in tears after the race. “I don’t know what happened to Brenda. She ended up tripping and I found myself jumping around her and someone kicked me out from behind. What can I do in that situation? I didn’t touch anyone.” Most of these Olympic hopefuls have turned into Olympians since they were photographed at the media summit in March; some teams have not yet been named. Said Martinez, 28: “I know I’m good enough to make the team. Some days it’s not going to go your way, and today that was me.” Montano said she didn’t think she’d protest the result, asking, “What’s that


Ground beef, yes; sumac, no. This editor knows what food magazine readers want.

she said. “So one of us needs to be steady.” Maile Carpenter married chef Wylie Dufresne in 2008. The first time they met, “there was something about him that fascinated me,” she says. (Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images for Food Network Magazine) After earning a Michelin star every year from 2006 to 2014, WD-50 closed in 2014, when the building was sold. Dufresne, 46, opened a second restaurant, Alder, which closed last year. “I would love to get back in the restaurant game,” he said when we spoke by phone. “Hope springs eternal.” He is doing some consulting and writing a book for Anthony Bourdain’s imprint at Ecco Press. His wife says he doesn’t cook during the week. “In my defense,” he told me good-naturedly, “I cook with a certain regularity, but not as much as I should as a relatively good cook who’s unemployed. Maile does 85 percent of the cooking, and her food is delicious. On weekends we do a lot of outdoor cooking, and the protein usually lands in my lap. Contrary to popular belief, I know how to make regular food really well.” Indeed. Long before he was squirting a methyl cellulose solution into soup (the heat turned the liquid into solid noodles), he was a sous-chef at Jean-Georges, the three-star Michelin restaurant in New York. “He does make breakfast once in a while,” Carpenter conceded. “He’s the master of eggs. But for weeknight dinners, our kids won’t even eat what I make. They eat chicken nuggets and pasta and once in a while a cucumber. It’s the best I can do.” It was time to shoot the cover for subscribers, iced cupcakes topped with bat-shaped cookies. The cupcakes smelled like gingerbread. “No, that’s apple pie spice,” said Susan Spungen, a stylist. “Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. It’s great for writing short recipes.” The talk turned to what you can buy in supermarkets these days. “What’s that company that makes all the spices?” Spungen asked. “McCormick?” Carpenter answered. “That’s the one,” she said. “Za’atar is coming soon, I assure you.” Everyone laughed except Carpenter. Already, she was planning. Witchel is a former staff writer for the New York Times Magazine and the author of “All Gone: A Memoir of My Mother’s Dementia. With Refreshments” (Riverhead Books, 2012). Recipe: Roasted Pesto Shrimp With Lemon Orzo More from Food: Have questions about cooking? Join our live chat Wednesdays at 12.


Juno arrives at Jupiter to look beneath the surface

to the encounter, Juno snapped pictures of the giant planet and its four inner moons dancing around it. Scientists were surprised to see Jupiter’s second-largest moon, Callisto, appearing dimmer than expected. The spacecraft’s camera and other instruments were switched off for arrival, so there weren’t any pictures at that key moment. Scientists have promised close-up views of the planet when Juno skims the cloud tops during the 20-month, $1.1 billion mission. Members of the Juno team celebrate Monday after they received confirmation from the Juno spacecraft that it had entered into orbit around Jupiter. (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani/Reuters) The fifth rock from the sun and the heftiest planet in the solar system, Jupiter is what’s known as a gas giant — a ball of hydrogen and helium — unlike rocky Earth and Mars. With its billowy clouds and colorful stripes, Jupiter is an extreme world that probably formed shortly after the sun. Unlocking its history may hold clues to understanding how Earth and the rest of the solar system developed. Juno is only the second mission designed to spend time at Jupiter. Galileo, launched in 1989, circled Jupiter for nearly a decade, beaming back splendid views of the planet and its numerous moons. It uncovered signs of an ocean beneath the icy surface of the moon Europa. Juno’s mission: To peer through Jupiter’s cloud-socked atmosphere and map the interior from a unique vantage point above the poles. Among the questions: How much water exists? Is there a solid core? “What Juno’s about is looking beneath that surface,” said Bolton of the Southwest Research Institute in Texas. “We’ve got to go down and look at what’s inside, see how it’s built, how deep these features go, learn about its real secrets.” There’s also the mystery of its Great Red Spot. Recent observations by the Hubble Space Telescope revealed the centuries-old monster storm in Jupiter’s atmosphere is shrinking. Juno’s real work won’t begin until late August, when the spacecraft swings in closer. Plans called for Juno to swoop within 3,000 miles of Jupiter’s clouds — closer than previous missions — to map the planet’s gravity and magnetic fields in order to learn about the interior makeup. Juno’s mission will end in 2018 when it deliberately dives into Jupiter’s atmosphere and breaks apart — a necessary sacrifice to prevent any chance of accidentally crashing into the planet’s moons, which have the potential to sustain life.


Kyirisan review: Quirky creativity that electrifies the palate

The following review appears in The Washington Post’s 2016 Fall Dining Guide. Seared scallops come on a bed of coconut risotto that has a scoop of basil ice cream melting into it. This dish earned a spot on The Post’s list of 40 essential D.C. dishes. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post) Kyirisan GOOD/EXCELLENT If any chef can get you to eat your offal, it’s Tim Ma, whose warm salad of chicken heart, tendon and tripe tossed in chili-tamarind dressing makes for a funky organ recital. Not into innards? Not a problem. Ma offers a host of dishes — chicken wings, sea bass tartare — that turn the common into uncommonly delicious eating. My current pick is veal short rib jolted with Fresno peppers and garnished with fried shallots, a small plate with a big future. A sense of quirkiness prevails. A book at the bar encourages patrons to draw their thanks, and the dining room is as angular as a portrait by Picasso. Homesick New Orleanians, take note: The bar makes a mean Sazerac. Previous: 2 1/2 stars Kyirisan: 1924 Eighth St. NW. 202-525-2383. kyirisandc.com . Prices: Sound check: -- The following review was originally published July 6, 2016. Kyirisan review: Tastefully pushing boundaries in Shaw Chef Tim Ma mans the “cook nook” at Kyirisan in the Shaw neighborhood. The large island gives the chef a place to cook and interact with diners. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post) Talk to Tim Ma about the differences between opening a restaurant in Virginia, where the chef has launched three establishments since 2009, and the District, where Ma introduced Kyirisan in March, and he’s likely to tell you that Washingtonians tend to eat later and more adventurously. Not until his latest restaurant, an expression of his Chinese heritage and French training in Shaw, did the chef feel confident about putting on his menu what Ma calls a “passion dish,” or something that might not enjoy mass appeal but that nevertheless captures the attention of the cook. Need an example? Here, try some of my offal salad. There’s plenty to go around given that my tablemates tonight aren’t biting; the words “tendon,” “tripe” and “chicken heart” are being met by eye rolls. My guests — Washingtonians who don’t conform to Ma’s profile — don’t know what they’re missing. The sliced braised tendon, soft webbed tripe and dense cubed heart arrive atop a


Humans love fireflies, but we haven’t made life easy for them

the yard, and for the adults , don’t mow the lawn too often or too short in early summer. Most of all, think hard before using any pesticides. Insecticides designed to kill grubs will kill firefly larvae, and broad-spectrum sprays are bound to harm adult fireflies that rest on vegetation. This includes pesticide sprays used to kill mosquitoes, which experts tell me are better dealt with by removing standing water to break the life cycle. “There are obviously public health concerns that trump the lives of fireflies,” Lewis said, “but I do believe that widespread use of pesticides for mosquito purposes has the potential to harm firefly populations.” Another way to help fireflies is to reduce light pollution: Turn off those outside lights, if only for a week or two. With fewer artificial lights, fireflies “are more likely to find each other to make more fireflies,” said Rachael Tolman, a naturalist at the Long Branch Nature Center in South Arlington. The lights may not bother the dusk-loving big dipper so much, but they do interfere with other species that mate at night and need the darkness to communicate successfully. “They’ll even avoid flying when there’s a full moon,” Lewis said. It’s fun to capture fireflies and keep them in jars as bedtime lanterns, but by morning they’ll probably be dead: They dry out. You could put a moist paper towel in with them, but it’s better to leave them be. In other words, the firefly’s fortunes rest with us, to a great degree. As with bees, birds, butterflies, ladybirds and frogs, the gardener has the ability to make a difference, to create a little refuge and to feel good about that. “If you have got a lot of fireflies, you can assume the habitat is fairly healthy, because all the elements that are there to support the firefly support a lot of other wildlife,” Abugattas said. No wonder we find this little insect so illuminating, so magical. @adrian_higgins on Twitter More from The Washington Post: A common pesticide may be a menace to pollinators. Know how to protect them. These creatures use glowing vomit to attract mates — and it’s utterly beautiful Bee enthusiasts of all stripes flock to Washington amid pollinator concerns How we control a pest in our garden without the use of pesticides Nature got the dragonfly’s primitive design right — and even astronomers are taking note


Montgomery County Animal Watch

These cases were received by the Montgomery County Animal Services Division. For information, call 240-773-5900. This number provides recorded information on topics such as the new animal services and adoption center’s hours and location in Derwood, adoption and licensing procedures, and lost-and-found and field services. Two dogs vs. postal worker: Puppy problems: Volunteers sought: Adopt dogs and cats at MCHS no-kill rescue: Rockville Reduced fees for cat adoption: Germantown Adoptable cats at no-kill shelter: Gaithersburg — Compiled by Lisa M. Bolton


Brazil says there is ‘almost zero’ risk of Zika during Olympics. Really?

People relax on Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro in March. The city hosts the 2016 Summer Olympics. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post) RIO DE JANEIRO — But what are the chances that visitors and athletes could become infected? “Almost zero,” Brazil’s new health minister, Ricardo Barros, said recently. He and other officials note that there are far fewer mosquitoes active in August, when the Games are being held, because it’s winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Already, reports of new cases have plunged in Rio state — from 3,000 to 3,500 a week earlier in the year to just 30 cases a week in June, officials say. Meanwhile, 80 percent of the city’s buildings have been inspected for mosquito breeding sites, authorities maintain. Doctors and scientists agree that the Zika threat is declining. They caution, however, that there may be more risk than the government is acknowledging. And some Brazilians are skeptical of the official progress reports at a time when the country’s government and economy are in crisis. “I am seeing an optimism which is a little exaggerated,” said Jesse Alves, an infectious diseases specialist at the government-run Emilio Ribas hospital in Sao Paulo. Maracana Stadium, right, which will be a venue during the Summer Olympics on Wednesday March 23, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post) Since the Zika epidemic took off in Brazil’s northeast last year, it has been tied to 1,600 cases in this country of the birth defect microcephaly, which causes abnormally small heads and can result in learning and cognitive disorders. Zika is also linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a paralyzing nervous disorder. In February, as Zika spread through the Americas, the World Health Organization designated the virus a public health emergency. The organization says pregnant women should not travel to Brazil. The warnings have spooked some athletes and tourists. “People just aren’t comfortable going down there and putting themselves or their family at risk,” McIlroy told reporters last week. Some 160,000 Brazilians have caught Zika this year. But reports of new suspected Zika cases have dropped 87 percent nationally from February to May following a publicity campaign urging people to eliminate breeding sites. The Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits Zika lays its eggs near standing water, in places such as flowerpots, buckets or old tires. Few experts doubt there will be a further decline in cases in the next few months in


Obama alters Afghanistan exit plan once more, will leave 8,400 troops

summit,” an official said. Officials did not specify what additional funds would be needed to maintain troop levels beyond the initially budgeted 5,500 but said they would discuss the matter with Congress. “It is time that the President level with the American people about what it will really take to achieve our goals in Afghanistan, and how much it will cost,” Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Tex.), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. Officials said they anticipated no change in the U.S. mission. Under the expanded military authorities Obama granted in May, U.S. troops are now allowed to be present at the Afghan corps level and at an “expeditionary level.” Commanders can also deploy U.S. air assets to support an ongoing Afghan operation and to intervene if Afghan forces find themselves in difficulty. Those moves were a reflection of the danger posed by the Taliban, even though the White House has said it is no longer at war with the group. Obama’s announcement tees up additional decisions for the next U.S. president, who will also have to grapple with the wars in Iraq and Syria and the growth of the Islamic State. As secretary of state, presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton sent hundreds of diplomats and aid workers to Afghanistan in Obama’s “civilian surge.” If elected, she is expected to take a more hawkish view of using U.S. military power overseas than Obama. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has said he would probably leave U.S. troops in Afghanistan but has not provided specifics. U.S. officials emphasized that successful peace negotiations remain the only way to bring the war to a sustainable end. They said the administration continues to support talks “without preconditions.” While Ghani has sought to foster negotiations with the Taliban, militants have shunned those talks. Last year, Pakistani-hosted talks collapsed after one meeting, and invitations to the Taliban to return to the table have been rejected since then. Obama said his decision to leave a larger force in Afghanistan signaled to Taliban militants their inability to prevail after almost 15 years of war. It is also a reminder of the same point to the United States. “Even as we work for peace, we have to deal with the realities of the world as it is,” Obama said. “And we can’t forget what’s at stake in Afghanistan.” Tim Craig in Kabul contributed to this report.


Nonprofit seeks to revitalize Anacostia one blighted house at a time

District and lost deals on seven homes because of bidding wars and escalation clauses. “The market was a lot hotter than we anticipated,” Cody said. A connection through the Urban Land Institute alerted the couple to the trust’s homes in Anacostia, and they made the drive across the river to have a look at the one on 14th Street, which was still under construction. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any trepidation about the neighborhood,” said Cody, referring to crime. “I’ve been in D.C. for eight years and know that the connotations are generally not positive.” Despite their doubts, the couple tracked the progress of the house. When it came on the market, they walked through and said they were impressed by what they saw. “We could tell it was not a typical developer’s flip,” Cody said. “The objective was not to make a quick buck.” The couple took a leap of faith and put in a successful offer with escalating clauses that ended on the odd number of $377,000. The property was originally listed at $349,000. The home sits as a rectangle with a front porch, a Greek Revival-style pitched roof and simple window trim. There is a shallow crawl space underneath and a small, fenced-in back yard. The design team kept the basic room layout in place but widened the doorways, giving the ground floor an open-plan feel. The room closest to the street serves as a dining room with the living room placed in the middle and the kitchen in the back of the house. The floors are hardwood, the ceilings are high and the lighting is recessed. The kitchen features stainless-steel appliances, painted Shaker-style cabinets, a Silestone countertop and a subway-tile backsplash. The couple is from California, and they’ve already added a deck in the back yard. The next steps After paying for the houses and the renovations, the trust lost $138,741 on the house on 14th Street SE and $228,746 on the house on Maple View Place, which was arguably in worse shape. “The whole back of the house was just gone,” Kuhn said. “But you can see the entire city from the second floor.” Losing hundreds of thousands of dollars on a real estate deal is not sustainable, no matter how nice the view is. The trust supports itself from “cash contributions from individuals, foundations, businesses — and in-kind contributions from


Loudoun County Animal Watch

These were among cases received by the Loudoun County Department of Animal Services. For animal shelter hours and location, and information on adoption, licensing, rabies clinics and low-cost neutering, call 703-777-0406. Calling all cars: Afternoon of a fawn: A modern shaggy dog story: Keeping their trap shut: Injured groundhog: — Compiled by Sandy Mauck Loudoun County Animal Watch Loudoun County Animal Watch Loudoun County Animal Watch Loudoun County Animal Watch Loudoun County Animal Watch Loudoun County Animal Watch


U.S. sanctions North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

of the facility. But officials said the sanctions would have a global ripple effect, and might give pause to other government officials who otherwise operate fairly anonymously. “The fact they are being named might not affect lives today,” said an administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules for briefing reporters. “But in a future scenario in which the political situation in the DPRK [North Korea] is different, being on this blacklist could have considerable impact on any prospects these people have. And I think they know it.” Kim now joins the company of other authoritarian leaders who have been judged responsible under U.S. sanctions law for horrific conditions in their countries. They include Bashar al-Assad of Syria, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. This is the first time Kim has been named. “We made the judgment he is rather plainly, ultimately responsible for the actions of his regime, including its repressive policies toward its own people,” the administration official said. Congress passed a law requiring the State Department report and authorizing stiffer sanctions, but administration officials said they had been preparing it anyway because North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons is a threat to national security and because human rights conditions are so grim. “Under Kim Jong Un, North Korea continues to inflict intolerable cruelty and hardship on millions of its own people, including extrajudicial killings, forced labor and torture,” said Adam J. Szubin, acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. “The actions taken today by the administration under an act of Congress highlight the U.S. government’s condemnation of this regime’s abuses and our determination to see them stopped.” Among the people who were blacklisted were officials in ministries where some of the worst abuses occur, according to the State Department report. The Ministry of State Security administers North Korea’s vast network of political prison camps, where detainees are subjected to beatings, starvation, sexual assault, forced abortions and infanticide. The Ministry of People’s Security conducts interrogations and is reported to have used torture to extract confessions. The Organization of Guidance Department, part of the Workers’ Party of Korea, is responsible for “ensuring the ideological purity of party members,” the Treasury said. Among its functions are executing people who defy Kim’s will, and hunting down defectors overseas. U.S. officials said the list is not comprehensive, and will be updated periodically with new information.


Fed held its fire over concern about weak jobs report and Brexit vote

and later by the Fed minutes. Shares fell in Europe. Meanwhile, the European Union faced new threats even as it debated how to ease Britain out of the group. Germany was pressing for sanctions against Spain and Portugal for failing to implement austerity measures instead of letting their budget deficits rise beyond E.U. guidelines. And Italy’s prime minister Matteo Renzi is weighing whether to defy the E.U. and inject billions of euros into the country’s ailing banks. If the E.U. imposes tight restrictions over its remaining members, political turmoil could spread well beyond London. Renzi, whose party recently suffered municipal election setbacks, faces a constitutional referendum in October. “If Brexit leads to the meltdown of the Italian banks or to ‘Quitaly,’ then Europe could fall into a recession and drag down the global economy,” Edward Yardeni, president and chief investment strategist at Yardeni Research, said in a note to clients. “ ‘Quitaly’ could be the next crack in the E.U.’s foundation.” World Bank data Notes of the Federal Reserve meeting that took place in June — before the Brexit vote — were expected to show that the central bank was leaning against raising interest rates anytime soon, not only because of the tepid recovery in the United States but also because of concerns about turmoil abroad. “The Fed was justifiably spooked by the prospects for a Brexit and the potential fallout against the backdrop of what could be a weakening economy in the U.S.,” said Diane Swonk, head of DS Economics, a consultancy. “They knew a vote to Brexit could unleash a isolationist genie from its bottle. There is a real push for economic disintegration, which threatens growth in a global scale.” Yardeni said in his note to clients that negative official interest rates at the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan “are major contributors to the race to zero and below in bond yields.” Hanke said that bond yields have tumbled because central banks, through their quantitative easing programs, have purchased government bonds and the safest corporate bonds. As a result, investors seeking safe investments must chase a relatively small amount of securities. “If you look at balance sheets of central banks, a lot of safe assets have been gobbled up by the central banks,” he said. As a result, he said, “the supply of safe assets is pretty limited” while demand for safe assets is high.


Immigrants in U.K. worry they’ve become ‘bargaining chips’ in Brexit talks

be called into question.” After Britain's historic vote to leave the European Union, late-night hosts had a lot to say about the decision. Here are some of the jokes from Trevor Noah, Jimmy Fallon, Samantha Bee and others. Thousands have jumped on social media with the hashtag “IamNotABargainingChip.” Alan Greene, a lecturer at Durham University, tweeted: “Irish. Law lecturer researching public law and human rights. And even if I were working a minimum wage job instead, #IamNotABargainingChip." “I’m Portuguese, a scientist and a lecturer, creating and sharing knowledge in the UK for the last 15 years. #IamNotABargainingChip,” wrote Paula Salgado, a lecturer at Newcastle University. Philip Hammond, Britain’s foreign secretary who backs May’s bid for leadership, has said that it would be “absurd” to guarantee the futures of E.U. nationals without a reciprocal deal for the 1.2 million Britons living in Europe. Those offering such a promise “without extracting a matching promise that Brits in Spain are able to stay there, I think, are selling our people out too cheap,” he told the BBC. A YouGov/Times poll showed that 72 percent of Conservative Party members — who will play a key role in choosing the next British prime minister — agree with May’s stance. But she has come under attack from politicians across the political spectrum for not guaranteeing the rights of E.U. citizens as a starting point. The two other candidates left in the Conservative Party leadership race — Andrea Leadsom and Michael Gove — have said that E.U. nationals should be given assurances immediately. James Brokenshire, a Home Office minister, told Parliament that there was “no immediate change” in the status of E.U. nationals living in the U.K. But he insisted that it would be “unwise” to guarantee their status without reciprocal assurances from the E.U. “Such a step might also have the unintended consequence of prompting E.U. immigration to the U.K.,” he said. Tim Bale, a politics professor at Queen Mary University and an author of books about the Conservative Party, said that May is probably holding back pledges because she thinks she has a real shot of becoming the next prime minister and will be the one at the heart of Brexit negotiations. “I can understand from the government’s point of view, that we shouldn’t necessarily give away that principle before we’ve ensured that other countries are willing to do the same for our citizens,” he


More than half a million hoverboards recalled

Mosquito coils are stored in a drying room at Dainihon Jochugiku’s factory in Arita, Japan, on Wednesday. The company has donated its mosquito-repellent products to the Japan Olympic Committee to help prevent Olympians from getting mosqito-borne diseases, such as Zika, during the Rio Olympics this year. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images) PRODUCT SAFETY Half a million hoverboards recalled U.S. regulators announced recalls of more than 500,000 “hoverboards” Wednesday. The motorized, self-balancing scooters contain lithium ion batteries that can overheat and catch fire or explode, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said. The agency said it has received at least 99 incident reports about the battery problems to date, including complaints about burn injuries and property damage. The agency said consumers should stop using the recalled products and contact the recalling company for a full refund, a free repair or replacement. The recall affects hoverboards from several manufacturers, but more than half of the units were from Indiana-based Swagway. Swagway said the recall affects only a previous version of their X1 model hoverboards. Hoverboards were a hot ticket item last holiday season, but reports of injuries from falls and the battery issues have dampened their popularity. Last year, major airlines banned hoverboards from flights because of the fire risks. Several retailers, including Amazon and Overstock (which is among the sellers involved in the recall), have also stopped stocking some models. (Amazon chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Washington Post.) — Andrea Peterson WIRELESS Verizon to raise rates, boost data Verizon Communications, the No. 1 U.S. wireless provider, said Wednesday that it will raise its plan rates but expand data buckets by 30 percent for its customers, who are streaming more content on mobile devices. Starting Thursday, the company will roll out a new version of its My Verizon mobile app to let customers control data overages and billing, as well as manage plans, the company said. Emulating moves by some of its rivals, Verizon said it will let customers carry unused data over to the next month and begin offering users on certain plans unlimited text and calling to and from Mexico and Canada. Verizon is increasing data across all its plans. For instance, the basic “S” plan will cost $35, a $5 rise, and offer double the data at 2 gigabytes; the “XXL” plan will cost $10 more at $110 and offer 24 gigabytes, compared with the previous 16 gigabytes. The company


Would you pick Donald Trump to be vice president? Trump wouldn’t.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump makes a campaign appearance in Raleigh, N.C., on Tuesday. (Gerry Broome/Associated Press) Jon Cowan is president and Jim Kessler vice president of Third Way, a centrist Democratic think tank. Donald Trump and his team are now vetting possible vice presidential picks, a process that former almost second banana Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) described as a colonoscopy using the Hubble telescope. In charge of the vetting is A.B. Culvahouse, a consummate Washington insider who ran the same process for John McCain in 2008. But imagine if Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio had won the nomination and Trump emerged on the vice presidential short list. How would Trump do? Let’s take a peek inside the vetting questionnaire which has grown from 16 questions in 1976 to 79 headings and more than 200 specific queries in 2012. Start off with a few of the biggies. Any issues with marital infidelity or avoiding the draft in your past? From there, the questions only get more difficult. On the vetting murder boards is a plagiarism question, probably the result of then-presidential candidate Joe Biden’s misappropriation in 1987 of a speech by British politician Neil Kinnock. Those few paragraphs of unattributed spoken word seem quaint in comparison to the 20 pages cut and pasted from another author’s book and featured as original Trump genius at his eponymous institute. What used to be known as the “nanny” question concerns the hiring of illegal immigrant labor, a mistake that felled the nomination of Zoe Baird for attorney general in 1993. She hired one illegal immigrant to babysit her children. Donald Trump hired at least hundreds to build his real estate empire. To paraphrase Joseph Stalin, hiring one illegal immigrant is disqualifying; hiring hundreds is a statistic. Vice presidential candidates are asked if there are any court records worth noting; for example, have you been involved in a lawsuit? The ideal answer probably shouldn’t be 169, which published reports say is the minimum number of times Trump has been named in a suit. Sexual harassment allegations are asked about and explored. With Mr. Trump, let’s just stipulate that this line of inquiry could take a while. An even longer slog, however, is the more general “is there any claim anyone can make about you saying something racist or offensive in your past?” Trump has said many times that he was an excellent student and


Rio Olympics might be a mess, but Tokyo 2020 has some cool high-tech plans

Tokyo 2020 Olympic games emblem is displayed at Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building on June 15. (Toru Hanai/Reuters) Rio de Janeiro has some famously tough hurdles to overcome in staging the Summer Olympics next month: rising crime, polluted sailing venues, an unfinished subway line and, most famously, the Zika virus in a city packed with athletes of childbearing age. But look on the bright side: There will be another Summer Games in 2020, this one in Tokyo, where new technology may benefit not only the competitors but also the city they leave behind. Japan has done this before, Heather Hansman points out in Popular Science magazine: For the 1964 Olympics, it completed the bullet train, which revolutionized Japan’s national transportation. Hansman points out a few of the highlights: ●Field tests have begun on driverless taxis that can be hailed by cellphone to take athletes and spectators around the Games. “The technology still needs some tweaks,” she writes, “like teaching the software to read maps.” ● Tokyo is putting $367 million into hydrogen-fuel-cell cars and refueling stations for the Games; what’s more, the 6,000-unit Olympic Village is designed to use power exclusively from such fuel cells. It’s an expensive, investment, but the city hopes that after the Games are over, “the village will be an environmentally friendly residential district powered by a next-generation hydrogen system.” Yoshiro Mori, Japan's former prime minister and president of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee of Olympic and Paralympic games, delivers a speech on July 3 during a send-off ceremony for the Japanese team's departure to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. (Issei Kato/Reuters) ●With competitors and spectators flying in from around the world, Boeing and All Nippon Airways are among companies investigating biofuel-powered aircraft to reduce the Games’ carbon footprint. Planes need a lot of fuel, and biofuels need a lot of plant mass, so companies are working on giant farms and algae pools to get the green stuff growing. ●Olympic Broadcasting Services plans to shoot the Tokyo Games in 8K UHD — that is, at about 16 times the resolution of today’s high-def TV. This branch of the International Olympic Committee will do a trial run in Rio, shooting 130 hours of the festivities. ●And there might be holograms! It’s very sketchy, but Mitsubishi Electric says it has devised a way to create a floating 3-D image you can walk around (as opposed to the kind you


Can’t do vegetarian? How about flexitarian?

“Diet for a Small Planet.” If you’re 27 these days, you’re considered a millennial, the generation known for being socially aware, civic-minded and environmentally conscious. Their buying power is affecting what we see on restaurant menus and in supermarkets. Sales are soaring for once-fringe items such as veggie burgers and almond milk. The number of new vegetarian product launches has doubled over the past five years. The trend toward avoiding meat occurs at a time when the toll that meat production takes on the planet is becoming clearer. As people become aware that meat production requires unsustainable levels of water, land and energy use, more Americans are choosing to leave meat off their plates. Annual meat consumption per person has fallen 15 percent in the past 10 years, and when we do eat meat, it’s often environmentally friendly, organic, grass-fed, antibiotic-free and hormone-free (all areas in which sales have increased). The flexitarian solution But let’s face it. If you love perfectly seared steaks or covet your beer-can chicken, the idea of eating tofu hotdogs may not be all that appealing. What if you’re concerned about the environment but still want to eat a burger once in a while? Meat-free eating has expanded into something more flexible and inclusive, giving everyone a chance to choose healthful and sustainable meals without giving up meat entirely. It’s called the “flexitarian” diet. While 7.3 million Americans are vegetarian, an additional 22.8 million are flexitarian, meaning they primarily eat a vegetarian diet, but enjoy meat occasionally. This part-time vegetarian diet has broader appeal because it helps us balance food cravings with health and global sustainability. There are no rules for flexitarianism, which is part of the appeal. The basic idea is to eat more vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, while reducing intake of animal-based foods such as meat, poultry and dairy. And it’s easier to choose meatless meals when food tastes so good! Tasty dishes such as chickpea fritters and lentil soup add mass appeal to the semi-vegetarian lifestyle. The health and environmental benefits of flexitarianism aren’t as pronounced as they are with strict vegetarian diets, but there is still merit in eating meatless meals more often. A study published last month found that although a strict vegetarian diet can help reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 34 percent, a flexitarian diet is associated with a 20 percent reduced risk.


Rio sports minister says anti-doping lab will be re-accredited in time for Games

A woman works at the Brazilian Laboratory of Doping Control during its inauguration in May, before it was suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency. (Ricardo Moraes/Reuters) The Rio de Janeiro anti-doping lab, which was suspended June 24 for “non-conformity” with international standards — one in a series of embarrassing setbacks in Brazil’s preparations for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics — is now expected to be re-accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency in time for the start of the Games, according to Brazil’s sports minister. “The cause of the issue that led to the suspension has been identified and corrected, so we do have the expectation WADA will re-accredit it for the Olympic Games,” said sports minister Leonard Picciani in a teleconference with reporters Thursday, 29 days before the opening ceremony. “It is certainly ready for the task at hand.” If the suspension were to remain in place, urine and blood samples from Olympic athletes during the Summer Games — which run Aug. 5-21 — would have to be transported to other WADA-accredited labs around the world for analysis. “We cannot at this stage confirm the timeline for re-accreditation of the laboratory,” said WADA spokesman Ben Nichols. Brazilian officials invested a reported $60 million in improvements to the lab after a suspension from August 2013 to May 2015 for “repeated failures,” which left the lab unable to be used during the 2014 World Cup. In the teleconference, Picciani also reiterated his previous claims that, despite media reports and speculation regarding the threats of crime and the Zika virus, Brazil would be safe for athletes and visitors during the Olympics. “We are convinced… we will have a completely safe and secure Games,” he said, “because all preparations have been made.” Picciani, appointed to his post in May by acting president Michel Temer, also said suspended president Dilma Rousseff would be invited to attend the opening ceremony, along with other living former heads of state. Rousseff, who was suspended on May 12, is facing impeachment proceedings that could begin while the Olympics are taking place.


Hong Kong’s urban jungle is real, not a metaphor for concrete and steel

and what would have been more unexpected than camping in Hong Kong? On a white sand beach? Just as the FOMO threatens to ruin my soak in the hot tub, a glass of prosecco arrives. Five minutes later, the city’s nightly “Symphony of Lights” show starts. Forty skyscrapers on both sides of the harbor project green lasers into the sky and flash their exterior lights in programmed patterns. It’s definitely nothing I could enjoy after a hike in Scotland or Wales. Mishev is editor of Inspirato magazine. More from Travel: Exploring Kauai’s Na Pali Coast by air, land and sea Cycling Montana’s Beartooth Highway, ‘the most beautiful drive in America At Tucson’s Canyon Ranch spa, stressed guests learn to stroll instead of run If you go Where to stay Four Seasons Hong Kong 8 Finance St., Central 011-852-3196-8888 fourseasons.com/hongkong This hotel is in the bustling heart of Hong Kong’s Central District, but inside, serenity rules, whether in the deep-soaking bathtub in every room or at the full-service spa, which Forbes gave five stars in 2016. Rooms from $597. Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Rd. W., West Kowloon 011-852-2263-2263 ritzcarlton.com/HongKong Enjoy mountain and city views from 1,607 feet above the city. Guests and non-guests can book afternoon tea at the hotel’s Cafe 103 on the 103rd floor. Rooms from $560. Mira Moon 388 Jaffe Rd., Causeway Bay 011-852-2643-8888 miramoonhotel.com This stylish, chic boutique hotel (91 rooms and one suite) surrounded by bars and art galleries Where to eat Hong Kong Foodie Tours hongkongfoodietours.com The Central and Sheung Wan tour starts with wontons and ends 3½ hours later with an egg tart. In between, energetic guides take you to a food market for sugar cane juice and dim sum. Adults $94; kids $67. Lung King Heen 8 Finance St., Central 011-852-3196-8888 fourseasons.com/hongkong/dining/restaurants/lung_king_heen A lunch or dinner at the first Cantonese restaurant in the world to earn three Michelin stars is more of an experience than a meal. Entrees from $30. Keung Kee 011-852-2572-5207 Shop 6, 382 Lockhart Rd., Wan Chai Look for this tiny stall recognized with one Michelin star in the new street food section of the 2016 Hong Kong/Macau guide for rice rolls, sweet soup and glutinous rice with Chinese sausage. Entrees from $8. What to do MacLehose Trail New Territories hiking.gov.hk/eng/longtrail/mtrail/mtrail.htm Hike one of the 10 sections of this 62-mile mountainous trail in the New Territories


La familia panda en el Zoológico de DC

DC. Los osos panda en el National Zoo. (ETL/Miguel Guilarte) Los osos panda del Zoológico Nacional en Washington, DC, son una de las principales atracciones para residentes y turistas que visitan la ciudad. Y hay que tener mucha suerte para poder ver a toda la familia en una misma visita al parque, tal como recientemente me sucedió. La mamá Mei Xiang, el papá Tian Tian, la pequeña Bao Bao, de casi tres años y el cachorro Bei Bei, quien nació en agosto de 2015 al fin se dejaron ver, para mi fortuna y la de cientos de visitantes esa tarde en el hábitat David M. Rubenstein del Zoológico Nacional del Instituto Smithsonian en DC. Además de su belleza y particular atractivo por la poca cantidad de pandas que existen en el planeta, los pandas simbolizan decenas de años de investigación entre el Zoológico Nacional y China que por cuatro décadas han tenido en la conservación del panda gigante. El Zoológico Nacional recibió dos pandas en 1972 como regalo estatal tras la visita de estado inicial del Presidente Richard M. Nixon y la Sra. Nixon. Los osos pandas gigantes tienen su hábitat natural en las montañas y frondosos bosques de bambú del centro de China, donde se estima que aún viven unos 1.600 ejemplares. Unos 300 viven en cautiverio en distintos zoológicos de todo el mundo. Los científicos consideran que los pandas viven más años en cautividad, pero son menos fértiles y el índice de éxito en la concepción de oseznos en menor que en un entorno natural. En Estados Unidos son apenas 13. El zoológico de DC es uno de los únicos cuatro que los alberga. Todos los pandas pertenecen a China, su lugar de origen, y están en calidad de préstamo por un cierto tiempo. En el 3001 de la Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008.


The battle to save Dueling Creek

have been plying the Atlantic flyway for far longer than humans have been here to witness. Their feats of strength can be mind-boggling. For example, blackpoll warblers weighing just a half ounce hopscotch each spring from as far south as Peru to the upper reaches of Canada. During flights, they look down over the farmed and suburbanized Eastern Seaboard for patches of green where they can rest and refuel. The watersheds of Dueling Creek and the Anacostia make up one such haven. Without a doubt, however, forests such as Dueling Creek’s are not providing as they once did. The loss of the ash and the seeds it provided and the insects it hosted is a major hit. The invasive plants that often replace the dying natives generally provide less nutritious food to migratory birds and the insects they eat. The varied challenges involved in restoring small, highly affected pieces of ground such as Dueling Creek — from stanching the flow of trash to battling invasive plants and insects to replanting native vegetation — can seem overwhelming. Efforts to fight these species tend to be modest and ad hoc, relying on small donations and volunteer labor, and they often fail to have the desired effect. With competing priorities for public and private dollars and volunteer time, one might ask, why bother? The warblers and thrushes suggest an answer. The Dueling Creek watershed is the setting for the natural phenomenon that is the annual migration of songbirds from the tropics to the temperate zone and back. That migration is every bit as spectacular and dramatic as the geysers of Yellowstone and the rocky layers of the Grand Canyon. The best part is, we don’t have to get on a plane and spend thousands of dollars to experience it. We just have to wake up early and head outdoors. So, yes, we should better fund the amazing national parks out west, but we should also better manage the little pockets of green that dot our urbanized landscapes back east. Otherwise the silent spring that Rachel Carson famously warned of and, through her book, helped halt may finally arrive. Gabriel Popkin is a science and environmental writer. Fran Toler is the founder of Friends of Dueling Creek. Read more about this issue: Robert E. Hunter: D.C.’s trees are in the fight of their lives Daniel Rubinoff: The monarch butterfly doesn’t need so much help


Two Russian diplomats expelled after Moscow cop’s tackle of U.S. official

May 2013. (Ivan Sekretarev/AP) The United States last month expelled two Russian diplomats as a response to a Russian police guard tackling a U.S. diplomat outside the American Embassy in Moscow, the State Department said Friday. The diplomats were declared persona non grata on June 17, spokesman John Kirby said. That was less than two weeks after the incident that sparked the diplomatic row. The June 6 scuffle between the police officer and the diplomat was captured on security footage and broadcast on Russian television last week. It shows a man emerging from a taxi and walking briskly up the embassy steps. He is just outside the door when a guard jumps out of a gatehouse and wrestles him to the ground. Even with the patrolman on top of him, the diplomat pushes with his feet and manages while on his back to get inside the door to the embassy, which is U.S. territory and inviolate. The tape briefly stops and freezes when the man exits the taxi at the bottom of the steps, and picks up again from a slightly different angle. The United States said the diplomat, who was thought to be an intelligence officer under diplomatic cover and suffered a broken shoulder in the scrap, flashed a identification badge before he was assaulted. A U.S. official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter, said that American authorities examined “a number of videos” taken from different perspectives, which “clearly show attempts to show his ID, and that he was instantly attacked.” Maria Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, called it an unprovoked attack of “an American spy on a Russian policeman.” She said the police officer on duty merely wanted to check his documents but was himself assaulted when the man struck him in the face with his elbow. Under the Vienna convention, host governments provide security outside missions while the nations themselves are responsible inside the mission walls. In many compounds in the world, local police routinely ask for identification from anyone approaching. Inside the U.S. embassy grounds, Marines provide security. The State Department has said that since sanctions were imposed on Russia after it annexed Ukraine two years ago, there has been a “significant increase” in Russian harassment of diplomats from the United States and other Western countries. They say it has happened in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia. Karen DeYoung contributed to this report


The mysterious syndrome impairing astronauts’ sight

start,” Ethier said. Michael Barratt “We’re thinking to ourselves, ‘Are we not physicians?’ ” Barratt said. “So we did ophthalmoscopic exams on one another.” They both found hints of a swollen optic nerve. After NASA sent up more imaging equipment, they discovered the classic VIIP syndrome — the flattening of the eye shape and optic-disc edema — in each other. Barratt thinks that solving the puzzle of VIIP is going to require testing intracranial pressure in space, even if that means an invasive procedure. One option is an intracranial probe that would be surgically implanted months before flight and allow pressure to be measured at different points during spaceflight. “This is one of those times I think aggressive science is extremely warranted,” Barratt said. A study Barratt draws parallels to a similar conundrum from the 1990s, when it was unclear how the pressure in the heart was affected by space flight. NASA performed an invasive test, inserting catheters into the hearts of astronauts. “We took that risk then, purely for science, and now we’re faced with a similar risk decision,” Barratt said. “But in this case it’s not just a science project, it’s a medical issue, which is arguably our number two risk in human spaceflight right now.” The top risk remains radiation exposure. According to a radiation detector that flew aboard the Mars Curiosity Rover, a human would be exposed to a minimum of 0.66 sieverts to get to Mars and back — the equivalent of getting a whole body CT scan every five to six days, which would heighten the risk for cancer and other diseases. Before a human trip to Mars — a journey of six-to-nine months that NASA wants to achieve by the 2030s — researchers agree that VIIP must be understood better. VIIP could be the first sign of greater dangers to the human body from microgravity. “We’re seeing the visual and neural, ophthalmic manifestations of it,” Barratt said. “I’m fairly certain this is a bit more global than that.” Richard Williams, the chief health and medical officer at NASA, agrees that what we do not know about VIIP still poses the biggest threat. Ironically, one of the only ways to get more knowledge is spend more time in microgravity. “The longer we stay in space, the more we’re going to learn,” Williams said. It took about six months back on Earth, but Phillips’s vision


One giant leap for space research — and for humans on Earth

husband: Last Monday, the agency’s Juno spacecraft entered Jupiter’s orbit, where it (she?) will spend two years peering through the clouds to find out how the planet is structured and what that can tell us about our own origins. The mission marks a giant leap for research in space. It is also a big step for humans here on Earth. Ever since the moon landing in 1969, people have longed to reach beyond our planet’s orbit and into the far reaches of the solar system, but the lawmakers who fund NASA have had trouble agreeing on how to do it. Juno is a perfect example of a good answer. Missions that rely on robots instead of people offer a high reward at a lower cost. Juno is one of those. In fact, its only “human” cargo is a Lego figure of Galileo Galilei. An investment in technology such as Juno is also an investment in health and science below the stars: Space-research spinoffs include technologies from solar panels to search-and-rescue systems. It’s impossible to know exactly what advances will come from Juno’s expedition, but the process stimulated scientific strides that surely will be applied elsewhere. There is also the simple but scary fact that our world, which has already seen five mass extinctions, may not last forever. NASA hopes to find out whether and how we can live on Mars. Looking at outer planets such as Jupiter and Pluto — which NASA’s New Horizons flew by last summer — allows us to comprehend threats to the whole solar system, such as asteroids and comets. When it comes to the latter, Jupiter takes the punches for us. These practical implications make missions such as Juno worthwhile. Yet the impulse to journey into infinity isn’t only scientifically sound: It’s human. Scientists believe Jupiter was the first planet created and that its enormous size — 1,300 times the volume of Earth — helped it hold onto everything formed along with it 4.5 billion years ago. Studying Jupiter’s origins, then, means studying the universe’s — and ours. Humanity’s desire to know is natural and noble. We hope we can better understand ourselves if we understand where we come from, and where we fit into the cosmos. In an age when Americans worry our world seems more confusing each day, perhaps it’s good to get some perspective in the stars. Read more on this topic: