A federal judge in D.C. hit ‘Reply All,’ and now there’s a formal question about his decorum

that his initial message and strong language “was a mistake.” He inadvertently replied to the entire email loop, he said, and has no ill-will or animosity toward Sullivan. “That goes without saying,” Randolph said. Gillers of NYU said Randolph “acted impetuously and inappropriately” and displayed a “lack of judicial temperament. Sullivan did absolutely nothing wrong” in forwarding the invitation. After his initial email, Randolph followed up with a four-page memo to another colleague, in which he expanded on his concerns about the seminar, which was described in the invitation as “neutral, objective information.” Randolph viewed it differently, saying in his memo that judges attending a climate science program put on by the Environmental Law Institute “lend credence to one side of the climate change debate that is quite improper” because of a host of litigation on the issue. Experts on judicial ethics said the appeals court judge should have issued an apology directly to Sullivan and suggested that Randolph should recuse himself from cases involving climate change. Tuesday morning, Randolph was listed as one of three judges to hear arguments Sept. 6 in a case brought by California and more than a dozen other states challenging an Environmental Protection Agency decision to scrap some vehicle emissions standards. Just before 5 p.m. Tuesday, the court calendar was updated, and Randolph’s name was replaced. The clerk’s office and Randolph declined to comment on the change. Gillers and Arthur D. Hellman of the University of Pittsburgh law school said in interviews that the strong views Randolph expressed suggest he should not sit on cases related to global warming. A judge is entitled to opinions as long as those views remain private. But Randolph’s commentary about climate science “would give litigants reason to doubt his impartiality,” said Hellman, a specialist on the federal courts. The back-and-forth between the judges came after the federal judiciary in March adopted a new system for handling workplace harassment complaints and emphasized the importance of civility in its rules for judges. Ethics professors, law clerks and advocates of court transparency had pressed for more disclosure and accountability for judges in the aftermath of sexual misconduct claims against a once-prominent appeals court judge in California, Alex Kozinski. The judiciary’s new rules specifically call for judges to “practice civility, by being patient, dignified, respectful, and courteous, in dealings with court personnel” and says a judge should not engage in “abusive behavior.”


Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi weren’t satisfied with USA Basketball’s schedule. So they changed it.

In 1996, when Sue Bird was 15, she piled into a car with her AAU basketball coach and some teammates. The group drove from New York to Philadelphia to watch the U.S. women’s team face China in an exhibition game at the Palestra in advance of the Atlanta Olympics. Bird already was a star on the rise, and she had thought about what the rest of her basketball career would look like. The Long Island native couldn’t quite envision playing in Europe after college, which was the primary professional option for women before the WNBA formed that same year. Bird’s long-term goal, however, was crystallized that night. “That’s when I really connected that the end-all, be-all for me was going to be the Olympics,” Bird said in a recent interview. “If I could make an Olympic team, then I’ve achieved something. That was the ultimate goal.” Bird is now a four-time Olympian who will go for an unprecedented fifth gold medal next year alongside teammate Diana Taurasi. Bird and Taurasi already have established their on-court legacies. Now, as the 2020 Tokyo Games approach, they are seeking to leave a different mark. The pair are the minds behind a new training schedule for the U.S. women’s basketball team, announced last month. The plan is designed to benefit the program by increasing practice time and generating more exposure. The schedule should allow the team’s top players to stay in the United States and practice together during the WNBA offseason, with the hope that it will solidify the American dynasty in an increasingly competitive international environment. It will feature five week-long training sessions, which is double the time the team has averaged in past Olympic years. What’s more, it was the players who initiated conversations about bolstering training efforts — a first for the program. “USA Basketball never thought this was an option,” Bird said. “All this was was players saying something to USA Basketball that they probably would have wanted to do for many years, but because we all went overseas [in the offseason], they never really thought it would be an option. We were just opening the door.” The new arrangement comes at a significant moment for women’s sports, following the Americans’ victory in soccer’s World Cup — in which Megan Rapinoe, Bird’s girlfriend, took center stage — amid a lawsuit against the national federation. The new USA Basketball schedule is


Scientists decry 'ignorance’ of rolling back species protections in the midst of a mass extinction

This week, the Trump administration finalized changes intended to weaken key provisions of the Endangered Species Act. As Darryl Fears writes for The Washington Post, the changes would “allow the administration to reduce the amount of habitat set aside for wildlife and remove tools that officials use to predict future harm to species as a result of climate change. It would also reveal for the first time in the law’s 45-year history the financial costs of protecting them." The changes have drawn widespread condemnation from the scientific community, including complaints the administration is weakening protections for vulnerable species just as scientific consensus is converging on the idea that Earth is now in the midst of its sixth mass extinction event, a man-made disaster with radically destabilizing consequences. In North America alone, at least 277 plant and animal species have gone extinct since Europeans first arrived on the continent, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, regarded by scientists as the gold standard for data on threatened and endangered species. The list of the fallen includes some relatively familiar creatures, such as the passenger pigeon and the Steller’s sea cow. But it’s composed primarily of mollusks, insects and other more obscure organisms. Most importantly, it’s egregiously incomplete: Biologists estimate that only about 10 percent of the world’s plant and animal species has been identified and categorized, meaning that many are being killed off before humans are even aware of their existence. “We’re obliterating landscapes before we’ve even had a chance to catalogue the species that lived there,” said Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. The true number of species that we’ve wiped out, she says, is “completely unknown.” We do know, however, that the current rate of species extinction is orders of magnitude above what the geological record indicates is normal. “The rate of species extinction is already at least tens to hundreds of times higher than it has averaged over the past 10 million years, and it is set to rise sharply still further unless drivers are reduced,” according to a U.N. report released in May. In the past 500 years, humans have wiped out nearly 2½ percent of amphibian species, 2 percent of mammals and birds, and about 1 percent of reptiles and fish. At a geological scale that’s a stunning rate of extinction in a vanishingly brief period of time. Before


Boris Johnson’s no-deal Brexit could lead British lambs to slaughter

twitchy: global financial services in the City of London, Land Rover assembly plants in the West Midlands and more. The national statistics office announced last week that economic growth last quarter contracted for the first time in nearly seven years. The pound proceeded to fall to a 10-year low against the euro, a two-year low against the dollar. (It has recovered slightly.) The government denies a recession is looming, but the evidence grows. Brexit bristles with these coils of unintended consequences — and the Welsh sheep business tells one story. There was widespread anger at the ram auction in Wales that a no-deal Brexit at the end of October could crash the domestic lamb market, driving prices down by a third, according to forecasts. If lamb that would sell for $100 today suddenly dropped to $60 at the same time exports plummeted, a lot of small operators would find themselves going bust. An analysis by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, an industry group, concluded that income for Welsh farmers could fall by 109 percent, dipping into negative numbers. When in Wales last month as part of a tour of the union, Johnson promised to “look after the farming sector” if there’s a no-deal Brexit. “We will make sure that they have the support that they need — if there are markets that are going to be tricky, that we help them to find new markets. We have interventions that are aimed to support them and their incomes,” he said. He wouldn’t get any more specific. Britain’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs also wouldn’t shed any light on contingency plans for farmers, when asked for comment by The Washington Post. However Brexit happens, the British government expects to have to do something, at least temporarily, to make up for the loss of E.U. farm subsidies. But in a no-deal Brexit, the situation could get so bad that the government would be called to intervene more dramatically — to buy millions of tons of meat, at deep discounts, to then sell to hospitals, schools and the military. On the menu in British prisons next year? Maybe a lot of mutton curry. There’s a hitch here, though. Welsh export lamb is often sold fresh. Meat dealers or the British government could store the lamb in freezers until the chaos of a free-fall Brexit calmed. But there’s not enough extra freezer


It’s hypocritical for the Olympic committee to sanction athletes without protecting them

In her Aug. 13 Sports column, “USOPC has no standing when its athletes kneel,” Sally Jenkins continued to enlighten her readers and expose the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee for its inadequate response to abuse of its athletes. While the USOPC has the audacity to consider sanctioning two Olympic athletes, Race Imboden and Gwen Berry, for taking a knee and raising a fist, respectively, on the medal podium, Ms. Jenkins called out the USOPC for its slow, obstructive and unconscionable response to the child molestation allegations brought against Larry Nassar. Although athletes are not supposed to participate in political demonstrations during the games, the USOPC was supposed to support and keep our Olympic athletes safe. It failed miserably and continues to fail by lying, allegedly destroying evidence, obstructing justice and failing to clean up the organization. Kudos to Ms. Jenkins for taking a stand with and for all of our athletes. Sheri Langford Read more letters to the editor.


Sudan’s military, civilians sign power-sharing deal, setting up elections in 2022

in huge numbers in Yemen, where its troops fight on the front lines of Saudi Arabia’s effort to beat back Houthi rebels. Meanwhile, Hemedti and his family run a massive business empire, including gold mines and airlines. In a region where the memories of the Arab Spring’s failures are fresh, many Sudanese hope their country can buck the trend. Despite the concessions given to the military in the power-sharing deal, celebrations played out across the country, and larger ones were planned in Sudan for Saturday night. The three-plus-year period between now and the planned elections presents a chance for a new civilian leadership to continue chipping away at three decades of military-backed rule, or for the opposite: a further entrenchment of military rule, with perhaps less pressure from relentless street protests. Many international observers remain skeptical of the prospects for a civilian-led democratic government in Sudan. “The [military-civilian] negotiations deal only with the facade issues of the composition of the civilian organs of government and not the real sources of power: who controls the gold, the foreign exchange, and the guns,” wrote Alex de Waal, executive director of the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University. “At present, Gen. Hemedti is making the Government of Sudan subordinate to his transnational mercenary and gold business. While this power hierarchy prevails, Sudan cannot achieve economic stabilization or democracy.” Hemedti granted a rare interview to the BBC on Saturday, in which he pledged to abide by the terms of the new agreement. “We will stick to every single letter we have agreed on,” he said. “Even without the agreement we [would] have to work in this direction because it’s in the country’s interest.” Western and African countries have mostly backed the negotiations, pushing for the civilian leadership to hammer out an agreement with the military as quickly as possible. Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, played a particularly active role in mediating the discussions between the two sides. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, which borders Sudan to the north, have more forcefully backed the military leadership, hosting its members on multiple occasions. Saudi Arabia and the UAE pledged $3 billion in monetary and in-kind aid, but it is unclear how much of it has reached Sudan. Sudan’s incoming government will be faced with immense economic hurdles, including fuel and food shortages, which provided the initial spark for the protests in December. max.bearak@washpost.com


Tainted alcohol has led to 20 deaths in Costa Rica, authorities say

data to establish responsibility.” Donald Corella, head of emergency services at Calderon Guardia Hospital in the city of San Jose — where seven of the deaths reportedly occurred — told the Argentine newspaper La Nacion that some of the bad alcohol tested consisted of 30 to 50 percent methanol. The four people who survived the poisoning at the hospital had “very serious aftereffects,” such as total blindness and Parkinson’s disease-like tremors caused by brain lesions, he said. The Ministry of Health has advised the public not to consume or sell the six brands of alcohol unless they are sure a product has not been tampered with. Anyone with symptoms of methanol poisoning — which include abdominal pain, headaches, dizziness, confusion and inability to coordinate body movements — is asked to contact the Ministry of Health. Authorities have also closed stores that continued selling the tainted brands despite the health warning, which remains in effect nationwide, Health Minister Daniel Salas Peraza said in a statement Wednesday to The Post. Officials searched a distributor called Pinares de Heredia in the town of San Isidro de Coronado to investigate methanol-tainted Aguardiente Estrella Red-brand alcohol, the health ministry said Wednesday. Authorities seized alcohol there after discovering that drinks did not have a sanitary registration or that their registration had expired. Samples of the drinks are being analyzed, and the ministry continues to confiscate containers. Methanol is widely available and present in household items such as varnishes and antifreeze, according to the World Health Organization. Methanol also occurs naturally in fruit juice and shows up in low levels in fermented drinks such as alcohol. Badly managed distillation can lead to toxic amounts of the chemical in alcohol, the WHO says, but particularly dangerous is the practice of adding methanol to “informally produced” drinks or tampering with existing ones. Sellers may add methanol to increase their alcohol’s potency. The WHO warns that drinks with too much methanol can make their way into both legal and illegal drinking areas, especially in some tourist spots. Fake labeling can trick customers into thinking they are buying established brands at what seems like bargain prices. Methanol poisoning victims often delay getting medical help, the WHO adds. Health issues can take a while to show up, and a person who consumes it might think initial symptoms are just signs of drunkenness. Those poisoned may vomit, feel vertigo or hyperventilate, and can


Despite this mysterious theory, world survives supermoon eclipse

the things meant to be was an apocalypse of sorts — “battles,” “tempests,” “manna” from above. She talked about “blood moons.” She talked about U.N. troops on American soil — a familiar right-wing fear. She talked about a coming earthquake in Salt Lake City. She talked about a bomb being launched from Libya into Israel — “Iran will take credit,” she said. She talked about “tent cities” — perhaps a reference to the Syrian refugee crisis? The bottom line: “It won’t be long before we meet our maker.” “We’re getting closer,” Rowe said. “I’m rarely given dates and I’m not to talk about dates. Any dates that I have are for me and I don’t even share them and I won’t.” Why not? “That’s not how time is kept in the eternities,” she said. Despite the ambiguity of what Rowe said was coming, her following was numerous enough for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to issue a statement ahead of Sunday’s lunar bonanza — the confluence of a supermoon (when a full moon comes as the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit), the Northern Hemisphere’s harvest moon (or the closest full moon to the fall equinox), and a total lunar eclipse, sometimes called a “blood moon.” Some, Mormon and not, thought this astronomical phenomenon — the fourth blood moon in two years to fall on a Jewish holiday — meant the end of days. [Apocalypse now? “Blood moon" prophet explains what’s behind the doomsday predictions] “Although Sister Rowe is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, her book is not endorsed by the Church and should not be recommended to students or used as a resource in teaching them,” the church wrote. “The experiences she shares are her own personal experiences and do not necessarily reflect Church doctrine or they may distort Church doctrine.” The statement from the church was a bit unusual, one expert said. “For it to filter up to that level means and for them to decide to send out a policy letter means that they felt there was something they needed to tamp down on,” said Patrick Mason, a professor of Mormon studies at Claremont Graduate University in California, told the Associated Press. Rowe walked back her windy rhetoric — a bit. “I agree that the Curriculum for LDS Church classes should only come from sources


The slow burn of Congo’s Ebola outbreak demands a redefinition of ‘America First’

Meanwhile, in the semitropical vastness of eastern Congo, a killer is loose. The second-largest Ebola outbreak in history has entered its second year. It has taken more than 1,900 lives and shows no signs of abating. Compared with West Africa’s outbreak in 2014-2015 that spread like wildfire, this one is more of a slow burn. Disease hunters discover about 10 new infections per day. Because children are disproportionately infected, the mortality rate is high. For every infected person who survives the disease, two will die of it. This crisis may seem less significant because the memory of West Africa’s suffering looms so large. That earlier outbreak was supercharged by jumping to the large coastal cities of Freetown, Sierra Leone; Monrovia, Liberia; and Conakry, Guinea. So far, the outbreak in eastern Congo has been confined to smaller population hubs such as Beni, Butembo, Katwa and Mangina. Cases in the bigger city of Goma have been contained. But the situation in eastern Congo is groundbreaking in a different way. Because of the outbreak’s longevity and durability, it raises the prospect that one of the most dangerous threats to humanity could become endemic. Experts are still pondering why this outbreak smolders rather than rages. One possible answer, according to J. Stephen Morrison of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, is that “the international response is containing it even while failing to arrest it.” On the plus side, the response is larger (about 1,200 health professionals on the ground), better trained and more experienced than in 2014-2015. The World Health Organization’s emergency response has improved. An effective Ebola vaccine has been given to roughly half the contacts traced to specific infections, as well as to health workers involved in the response. On the negative side, this is a health campaign conducted in a war zone. More than 100 different militias roam eastern Congo. Armed groups rape, exploit and murder with impunity. The Congolese military has sometimes joined in the general cruelty. The region’s traumatized civilians are naturally suspicious of outsiders. Local politicians spread rumors that Ebola is a myth created by the government or a disease purposely imported by foreigners. Health workers attempting to identify cases, trace contacts and put infected people in isolation have been attacked and killed. The U.S. government has deemed it too dangerous to have its own health officials on the front lines of the effort. The Congolese response


Why Brexit is a strategic disaster for the United States

how a no-deal Brexit would represent a triumph of democratic will, especially considering that avoiding such an outcome has been the one issue on which there has been consensus within Parliament over the past three years. Regardless, the contention that Brexit is good for the United States is demonstrably incorrect in both economic and national security terms. From an economic perspective, it is already clear that the Brexit vote has reduced British economic output and household purchasing power below what they would have been had voters instead chosen to remain inside the E.U. This isn’t especially surprising. Before the referendum, most reputable, relatively independent, expert-level economic analyses both inside and outside Britain indicated that economic costs would outweigh benefits. These analyses concluded that Brexit would reduce British gross domestic product, household income and government tax receipts. There were disagreements over the depth of negative repercussions, but all agreed that the consequences would be negative and that a no-deal withdrawal represented the worst-case scenario. This matters to Americans because, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Britain is the single largest source of foreign direct investment in the United States, barely edging out Canada but well ahead of Japan, Germany, France and China. A smaller British economy will inevitably mean less investment abroad, including in the United States, where more than 1.25 million Americans work for British companies. If all the experts are right and tax receipts fall as the post-Brexit British economy declines, there will also be serious implications for national security. Shortfalls in tax receipts would very likely mean cuts in British military spending, as London attempts to limit cuts to social welfare programs and other domestic spending priorities, just as it did a decade ago in the wake of the Great Recession. Thanks to those defense budget cuts, the British military has been undergoing profound change. Optimists couch it as a retrenchment, but a more realistic assessment indicates that the British military is in an era of decline, shedding capabilities and unable to muster sufficient capacity to make a serious impact. Thanks to the austerity measures of the past decade, by 2020 British defense spending will have fallen in real terms by 18 percent since 2009, while military personnel levels have already dropped by more than 24 percent from 2010 to 2018. For the time being, the British will to shape outcomes on distant shores in pursuit of


‘He doesn’t deserve another platform’: Mark Halperin’s new book deal blasted by sexual harassment accusers

Less than two years ago, after multiple women accused Mark Halperin of sexual harassment and physical assault, the political commentator lost his TV gigs and an HBO project based on “Game Change,” his best-selling book about the 2008 presidential election. Now, Politico reported, he has a deal for a book about the 2020 race featuring interviews with dozens of Democratic strategists. On Sunday, critics slammed Halperin and the publisher, Regan Arts, suggesting the pundit hasn’t done enough to atone, leaving several of his prominent sources expressing regret that they’d cooperated for the project. “Until Mark demonstrates any understanding of how destructive his behaviors were to so many, he doesn’t deserve another platform,” Dianna Goldberg May, who has accused Halperin of repeatedly harassing her as a researcher at ABC News in 1994, told The Washington Post. “Those promoting this book, profiting from it and supporting Mark by speaking with him are on the wrong side of history.” Halperin, who has denied any unwanted physical contact but apologized for “behavior” that was “inappropriate and caused others pain,” didn’t immediately return a message about the book, called “How to Beat Trump: America’s Top Political Strategists on What It Will Take,” due out in November. His publisher, Judith Regan, cast the project as a second chance and called it an “important, thoughtful book.” “I do not in any way, shape, or form condone any harm done by one human being to another. I have also lived long enough to believe in the power of forgiveness, second chances, and offering a human being a path to redemption,” the head of Regan Arts told Politico. Halperin, 54, was one of the biggest names in journalism to fall during a spate of #MeToo accusations that also abruptly ended the careers of Bill O’Reilly, Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer and others, but he also has been among the first to seriously attempt a comeback, with satellite radio appearances and a recently launched blog about current events. Before the accusations in October 2017, Halperin had been a political media powerhouse, working at ABC News, Bloomberg Politics and NBC News and co-writing “Game Change,” about Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign. But in the wake of claims against disgraced movie executive Harvey Weinstein, numerous women came forward to accuse Halperin of unwanted touching, inappropriate comments and aggressive behavior toward female colleagues. NBC, MSNBC and Showtime all dropped Halperin because of the accusations,


World Digest: Aug. 19, 2019

260 people. Silva has denied attacking the hospital in the final stages of the civil war. The government declared victory over the rebels in May 2009, ending the Tamil Tigers’ 26-year campaign for an independent state for minority ethnic Tamils. Both the military and the rebels have been accused of wartime abuses. A statement Monday quoted U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet as saying that she was “deeply troubled” by Silva’s appointment. “It undermines reconciliation efforts, particularly in the eyes of victims and survivors who suffered greatly in the war. It also sets back security sector reform, and is likely to impact on Sri Lanka’s ability to continue contributing to UN peacekeeping efforts.” — Associated Press SUDAN Former Sudanese leader Omar Hassan al-Bashir told investigators that he received about $90 million from Saudi Arabia before his ouster, a detective testified Monday on the opening day of Bashir’s landmark corruption trial. Bashir, who has been detained since the army overthrew him in April, is accused of crimes including the illicit possession of foreign currency. He did not speak publicly or enter a plea during the two-hour hearing. Police Brig. Ahmed Ali said Bashir told investigators that the money was received without the knowledge of Sudan’s Finance Ministry or national auditor. A long-running alliance between Saudi Arabia and Sudan was strengthened in recent years when the African country became one of the major contributors of troops to the Saudi-led war against Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen. The kingdom initially stood by Bashir when protests erupted over an economic crisis in December. Shortly after the military took charge, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates pledged a combined $3 billion in aid. The opening of the trial marks the latest watershed in nine months of mass protests, violence and political uncertainty. Sudan’s main opposition group and ruling military signed a deal Saturday to divide responsibilities and form a technocratic government for three years before elections. Bashir is accused of possessing more than $8 million in foreign currencies for the purposes of trading. Members of Sudan’s opposition and international advocacy groups say Bashir’s crimes extend beyond any financial irregularities and are demanding that he face justice for alleged rights abuses during his reign. — Bloomberg News Thousands flee wildfire on Canary Islands: Unidentified disease prompts culling of pigs in Philippines: Son, brother of Guatemalan leader acquitted in graft case: — From news services


Seven basic questions about quantum technology, answered

In a new story, we look at the intense competition between China and the United States to develop quantum technology, which is based on the field of quantum mechanics and holds the promise of transforming computers, surveillance and other aspects of modern society. Here are some basic questions and answers about the technology. What is quantum technology? Quantum technology, also known as quantum information technology, seeks to harness the peculiar laws of quantum mechanics to build more powerful tools for processing information. Scientists are using the technology to develop new kinds of computers and communications networks, and sensors for imaging and measuring things in novel ways. What is quantum mechanics? Quantum mechanics is a science that describes the unique behavior of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic level. These particles don’t obey the laws of classical Newtonian physics. As legendary physicist Richard Feynman put it, “they do not behave like clouds, or billiard balls, or weights on springs, or like anything that you have ever seen.” For example, they can be in “superposition,” meaning they can exist in multiple states at the same time. They can also exhibit “entanglement,” where two or more particles are inextricably linked and mirror each other exactly, even when separated by great physical distance. Einstein called this “spooky action at a distance.” What is quantum computing? A quantum computer uses quantum bits, or qubits, to process information in new ways. Qubits, which can be made of atoms or subatomic particles, behave according to the laws of quantum mechanics. What makes a quantum computer different from a regular computer? As Nobel laureate Bill Phillips said, quantum computers are as different from today’s digital computers as today’s computers are from an abacus. Existing computers store, process and transmit information by breaking it down into long streams of bits, which are typically electrical or optical pulses representing a zero or one. Quantum bits Do quantum computers already exist? Early prototypes do exist — IBM offers access to its online — but they are not yet more powerful than existing computers. Many companies, including Google, Microsoft, Intel, Rigetti and IonQ, are developing quantum computers. Universities and militaries in many countries are also investing in the research. (IonQ’s investors include AWS, a subsidiary of Amazon, whose founder, Jeff Bezos, owns The Washington Post.) What hurdles do researchers face in developing a quantum computer? To get a fully functioning


The quantum revolution is coming, and Chinese scientists are at the forefront

scientific collaboration with China may be aiding the People’s Liberation Army and hurting U.S. interests. “The United States must be prepared for a future in which its traditional technological predominance faces new, perhaps unprecedented challenges,” the Center for a New American Security wrote in a recent report about China’s quantum ambitions. Quantum technology seeks to harness the distinct properties of atoms, photons and electrons to build more powerful tools for processing information. Last year, China had nearly twice as many patent filings as the United States for quantum technology overall, a category that includes communications and cryptology devices, according to market research firm Patinformatics. The United States, though, leads the world in patents relating to the most prized segment of the field — quantum computers — thanks to heavy investment by IBM, Google, Microsoft and others. Helping oversee China’s program is Pan, whom Chinese media call the “father of quantum.” From his labs at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), in Shanghai and Hefei, the 49-year-old leads a team of 130 researchers. In 2017, the journal Nature named him one of “ten people who mattered this year,” saying he had “lit a fire under the country’s efforts in quantum technology.” Pan occasionally gives lab tours to President Xi Jinping, who takes a keen interest in his work, according to Chinese media. Pan is also overseeing plans for a new national lab for quantum research in Anhui province, which he said had drawn about $400 million in government funding. At the Shanghai event, Pan illustrated his slide presentation with science-nerd jokes about Einstein and “Star Trek.” In a nod to Schrödinger’s cat — a 1930s thought experiment that helped define a quantum concept called superposition — Pan used images of a cartoon feline standing upright and lying flat on its back. “As we all know, in our everyday life, a cat can only either be in an alive or dead state,” Pan said, but “a cat in the quantum world can be in a coherent superposition of alive and dead states.” He was making the point that quantum particles, also known as quantum bits, differ fundamentally from the bits in today’s technology. Existing computers and communications networks store, process and transmit information by breaking it down into long streams of bits, which are typically electrical or optical pulses representing a zero or one. Quantum bits, or qubits, which


emphasis on the common good, he said. “One guy spent two years really focused on how to prepare the lab room. You can assign people these tasks — they will do something that in our world would be seen as beneath us. But here they are supported and held in high esteem.” Pan received his doctorate from the University of Vienna in 1999 and conducted further research at the University of Heidelberg before moving home, along with several Chinese colleagues. China’s work on quantum technologies at the time was “relatively backward” and needed outside help, Pan said in an email. “Therefore, our team took the initiative to send students to top research groups abroad to learn related technologies,” he said. “Fortunately, they later returned back to work in China.” Most of the Chinese researchers speaking at the Shanghai conference spent years studying overseas. Their slide decks were peppered with humorous references to Western pop culture and events. One featured a picture of President Trump with the caption “Make SPDC Great Again” — a reference to an optical process whereby a photon splits in two. During a coffee break, one Chinese researcher’s phone erupted in a ringtone from the TV show “Friends.” Their PhDs or postdoctoral credentials came from universities such as Stanford, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge and the University of Toronto, according to their biographies printed in the program. While their talks didn’t focus on military applications, much of the technology they’re pursuing would have clear uses in both the commercial and defense realms, scientists say. Quantum computers might someday be able to crack all existing forms of encryption. Quantum sensors could help the Chinese military track and target enemy troops with greater precision. The university where Pan works, USTC, has established several quantum-research partnerships with state-owned defense companies in recent years, with aims that include enhancing the combat capability of naval vessels, according to Chinese media reports cited in the Center for a New American Security paper. “China’s national advances in quantum communications and computing … will be leveraged to support military purposes,” according to the paper’s authors, Elsa Kania and John Costello, who reviewed hundreds of Chinese-language media, government and technical reports. Scientists who have discussed the field with U.S. government officials say the Trump administration has recently expressed concern about the number of Chinese students pursuing studies in the United States in sensitive areas such


as quantum science. “We’ve always encouraged the best and brightest to come from overseas, and it’s always served our nation well,” said John Preskill, the Richard P. Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at the California Institute of Technology, who has advised the government on quantum-tech issues. “But there is concern in government about how we are training all these people, and a lot of them are going back to China and competing in technologies that have implications for national security. And we’re talking about what to do about it. “Many of us in academia, although we know there are complicated issues, are inclined to continue encouraging Chinese students to come,” Preskill said, “but there is a continuing discussion in the government about what’s the best policy for doing that.” In an opinion piece this month, two U.S. university associations said their members were strengthening security protocols and building closer relationships with the FBI and intelligence agencies, after hearing “increasing concern” from the federal government about “foreign interference” in university research. They also praised the contributions of Chinese students and faculty, and said the United States must continue to welcome them. Pan said he believed collaboration would bring only rewards in quantum science. “The academic exchange benefits both countries,” he said via email. “I see no reason whatsoever that the United States government should be concerned and discourage normal academic activities. Recall that quantum mechanics was first developed in Europe, and then moved to the United States.” Asked whether his group contributes to research for the Chinese military, Pan said his university and team are “by nature, for fundamental scientific research and education.” “We publish our fundamental research results in international journals which are available to read from all around the world. From reading our papers, other people, who can be from the United States, Europe, Japan, or China, might be inspired and further develop ‘immediately useful’ technology or products for industry or commercial or military use,” he said, adding this was “out of our control.” Some corners of the U.S. government are restricting collaboration with China. In June, the Energy Department, one of the main agencies funding physics and quantum-science research, prohibited its employees and contractors from responding to certain foreign countries’ talent-recruitment programs, including China’s Thousand Talents. The agency said it wanted to limit “unauthorized transfers of scientific and technical information.” The ban followed the indictment of a former


British government braces for economic, social chaos in event of a ‘no-deal Brexit,’ leaked memo shows

no deal, during his first 100 days in office. He’s set to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron this week to press his case for a new deal. At the moment, negotiations are at a standstill. Opposition lawmakers have been discussing ways of blocking a no-deal Brexit, including bringing down the government by calling a no-confidence vote in early September. It’s unclear whether Johnson would win such a vote. The Yellowhammer documents provide a sobering view of what a no-deal Brexit could mean for Britain. The Sunday Times said the government predicts a need to restore a “hard border” of limited, controlled crossing points in Ireland, which could cause protests. Johnson has maintained that a “can-do spirit” can help avert such a change. But the government anticipates that measures to avoid a hard border would likely “prove unsustainable.” Simon Coveney, Ireland’s deputy prime minister, tweeted that the country was “respectful” of Britain’s decision to leave the E.U., but reiterated that a hard border between the Republic of Ireland, which is in the E.U., and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, “must be avoided.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has said there would be “no chance” of Congress approving a U.S.-U.K. trade deal after Brexit if it undermined the Good Friday agreement, the 20-year-old deal between Britain and Ireland that helped advance peace in Northern Ireland. The government warns that some businesses would halt trade to avoid tariffs, while others who keep trading would pass higher costs on to customers. Agriculture “will be the hardest hit, given its reliance on highly integrated cross-border supply chains” and high trade barriers. And the black market could grow, it says, especially in border communities. Protests around the country could monopolize police resources. Michael Gove, a senior lawmaker in the ruling Conservative Party who is effectively in charge of planning for a no-deal Brexit, told the BBC that the documents were “old” and detailed “worst-case” scenarios. “Since it was published and circulated, the government has taken significant additional steps to ensure we are prepared to leave on October 31, deal or no deal,” Gove said. But he conceded that if there were a no-deal Brexit, there could be some “bumps in the road.” The Sunday Times quoted a senior government individual saying the findings present not a worst-case scenario but a “most realistic assessment of what the


China is investing in Europe — but there are strings attached

PRAGUE — The mayor of this capital city was shaking hands down a line of diplomats when the Chinese ambassador to the Czech Republic did something decidedly undiplomatic. He strode to the front of the line, pushing past puzzled envoys holding champagne flutes, and demanded that a top Taiwanese diplomat be asked to leave the mayor’s reception — in deference to the one-China policy — or he would walk out himself. “There is only one China. I am the ambassador,” Ambassador Zhang Jianmin later recounted to The Washington Post. “I tried to point out the mistake that he made, and I advised him to correct the mistake.” But Mayor Zdenek Hrib knew what he was doing. He had worked at a teaching hospital in Taiwan while training to be a doctor and was well aware of China’s claim on the island. He refused to accommodate Zhang’s request. “I explained to him we don’t kick out guests that we’ve invited,” Hrib told The Post. The Chinese ambassador left. Months later, even as Beijing is embroiled in a trade war with the United States and facing protests in Hong Kong, Chinese officials and the Czech mayor are still sparring. The feud offers an especially raw example of how Beijing is trying to flex its muscles in Europe — with little tolerance for objections. China has been investing in Europe in conjunction with its broadly defined Belt and Road Initiative. And it has focused special attention on Central European countries. “They’re looking for a way to project their political influence,” said Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek. For many European Union decisions, each country has an equal vote, meaning China needs to win over only a few leaders to nudge E.U. policy in a favorable direction. The Czech Republic previously held China at arm’s length. The late president Vaclav Havel, a hero for leading Czechoslovakia out of communism, was deeply cautious about Beijing when he was in office, said Pavel Fischer, a member of the Czech Senate and a former Havel adviser. As Havel sometimes said about China, “Even an elephant will recognize the courage of a small bird and change his posture,” Fischer recalled. But China has been able to make inroads since Havel’s death in 2011. Czech President Milos Zeman has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping eight times — an unusual amount of face time for the leader of 10 million


Jean-Louis Palladin was D.C.’s original celebrity chef. But his legacy is complicated.

no secret to those in his kitchen..“If somebody says they knew Jean-Louis, the test is to ask them, ‘What are the two things Jean-Louis loved to do more than anything in the world?’” Sneed posits during a lunch break at the Watergate, still hours before the tribute dinner. The first thing is “cooking,” he says. The second “-ing” word is unprintable in this section of the newspaper. “But that’s what made him,” he adds, “and I think there’s a very fine line between the two, the way he did it. In the kitchen, he had so much sexuality and passion. It was really central.” Sometimes it’s hard to tell where the truth ends and the mythmaking begins in these stories. Each of the chefs who worked with Palladin was, in some profound way, defined by his time at Jean-Louis. They have some small stake in pushing the legend. Dahrouch was only 15 when he started working at La Table des Cordeliers, Palladin’s restaurant in his hometown of Condom, where Palladin became the youngest chef in France to earn two Michelin stars. (Dahrouch, Palladin’s longtime sous-chef, was part of the package deal when Palladin was hired at the Watergate in 1979.) Stachowski was in his early 20s when he entered the Jean-Louis kitchen. Sneed was something of a journeyman cook when he finally convinced Palladin to hire him in the 1980s. The men all recall the impossibly cramped kitchen at the subterranean Jean-Louis, where Palladin had a stool, with wheels, that he would use to paddle about the space. They talk about how there were just three men to prep, work the line and plate every dish on Palladin’s elaborate, handwritten menus. Later they acknowledge that, as Marcel’s chef and owner Robert Wiedmaier points out, Jean-Louis also had three women in the kitchen, some of the best prep cooks in the business, all from Central America. The women “were like a machine,” Wiedmaier recalls. “You name it, they did it.” Wiedmaier would inherit the prep cooks when he took over Palladin, a casual bistro upstairs at the Watergate that opened several years before its namesake chef would leave the hotel for good in 1996. The women had such skills they could handle work for both the Palladin and Jean-Louis restaurants. The one subject in which there is no disagreement: Palladin’s temper, which flared, it seems, only during service. His words were


‘I began feeling like I mattered’: How on-campus mental health counseling can make a big difference

Minne said. “Mental health issues don’t discriminate by race or socioeconomic status. Every community wrestles with them in deep, painful ways.” The concept of school-based mental health has been around since the 1890s and the Progressive Era, but on-campus counseling services have traditionally been limited in America’s education system. Many schools’ mental health professionals (academic counselors or social workers, for instance) typically do not have the capacity or professional training to aid students suffering from severe mental health issues similar to Newcomer’s — suicide ideation, anxiety and other symptoms of severe trauma — on a daily basis. Instead, struggling students often are assessed before being referred to an outside therapist. The ratio of students to a school’s mental health professionals is a vital piece of this conversation. The average academic counselor has 455 kids under their watch, according to the American School Counselor Association, which recommends a 250:1 ratio. As of last December, Vida Clinic had nearly 60 therapists on hand to serve over 1,000 students enrolled in their clinics throughout the district — an approximate 20:1 ratio. Even when school counselors are not overloaded, a referral-based process can have logistical and economic gaps. Commuting to therapy sessions, for example, can cause kids to miss extensive chunks of class and force their parents to leave work, an especially large barrier for low-income families. There can be lengthy waiting lists for appointments, too; Newcomer’s mother said her eldest daughter faced a three-month wait to receive services after she experienced a mental health crisis in high school and showed suicidal tendencies. Unable to wait any longer, they admitted her to the hospital, the last (and costliest) resort. Vida’s therapists are in schools every day, allowing them to engage students, their parents and school staff simultaneously. This equips school faculty with mental health training and gives students constant access to care. “We work with teachers on developing core skills and being able to identify warning signs. We want them to know if a student’s action is typical or atypical and what to do if they see a student in need,” Minne said. “We’re here to help create healthier learning environments for teachers and students alike.” Other states are putting resources into schools, too. California’s School-Based Health Alliance, for instance, provides myriad services to students (including mental health care) in more than 250 schools and is considered among the nation’s top systems for on-campus


16 things to do in the D.C. area this weekend

at Chuck Brown Memorial Park 1812 Overture at Summerall Field Sidney Gish at Songbyrd D.C. Afrobeats Block Party at Karma: Music and food share equal billing at the outdoor Afrobeats Block Party. Nigerian singer Wondaboy and Nigerian American singer Fiki are featured alongside five DJs, including WKYS’s DJ Trini and Afropolitan founder DJ Kweks. Meanwhile, representatives from West African restaurants go head-to-head to see who makes the best jollof rice, and vendors sell food and drinks. Tickets start at $15 for admission, but the jollof tasting adds an extra $10. 4 to 11 p.m. $15-$100. Brookland Pint Fifth Anniversary Party: Brookland Pint turns five years old this weekend, and, as you might be able to guess, there are $5 food and drink specials during the big anniversary party. But because this is the Pint, the $5 draft beers include choices from Triple Crossing, Burley Oak, Ocelot and Allagash, and a vintage keg from Firestone Walker. Meanwhile, the patio at Monroe Street Market becomes a destination for families, with a moon bounce and free cotton candy and snow cones. 3 p.m. Free; Adult food and drinks priced individually. Garage sale at Black Cat: When one of D.C.'s best music venues downsized from two floors to one, much of its storage space became jam-packed with furnishings and ephemera from its storied history. To clear out some space, the rock club is opening up its doors for a good old-fashioned garage sale. You’ll find some hidden gems, including show posters, CDs and other memorabilia, but you can also head home with whole benches and booths from the old Red Room and Food for Thought, which inhabited the first floor. 5 p.m. Free. Beer, wine and dog festival at Waterfront Park Local Beer Festival at Glen’s Garden Market: Glen’s Garden Market is prioritizes local sourcing, and that’s reflected in their bar menu as much as the foodstuffs on the shelves. This low-key festival on the Dupont market’s patio features beers from five local brewers — 3 Stars, Atlas, Hellbender, Port City and Right Proper — served as $3 tasters or $6 full pours, paired with fresh grilled cheese sandwiches. (A choice of bacon or cauliflower is available.) 3 to 6 p.m. Free admission; Food and drink priced individually. Sunday, Aug. 18 Summer Cannibals at Comet Ping Pong Jesus Piece at Rock & Roll Hotel — Hau Chu, Fritz Hahn, Adele Chapin and Chris Kelly


The best things to see, eat and do around the D.C. area in August

restaurants in D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia. This time around, more than 200 restaurants will offer prix fixe menus for lunch, brunch and dinner. If you’re indecisive about which array of small plates to choose from the regular menu at such hot spots as chef Erik Bruner-Yang’s standing-room-only Spoken English at the Line Hotel, let the streamlined Restaurant Week menu make the choice for you. Or try out a very pricey spot like Nobu D.C. without busting your dining budget. $35 for dinner; $22 for lunch or brunch. — Adele Chapin Washington Spirit vs. Orlando Pride at Audi Field Two weeks after the U.S. National Team retained the Women’s World Cup, the Washington Spirit recorded their first capacity crowd of the three-month-old National Women’s Soccer League season. Was that due to the World Cup spurring a greater appreciation of women’s soccer? The chance to welcome home World Cup winners Mallory Pugh and Rose Lavelle? Probably a bit of both. The Spirit have two games at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md., this month, but the most eye-catching fixture finds the team on a bigger stage: Audi Field. DC United’s stadium is more centrally located, and more importantly, its capacity is several times larger than the SoccerPlex, meaning more fans will be able to watch Lavelle, Pugh and company take on the Orlando Pride, led by U.S. striker Alex Morgan and Brazilian legend Marta. 7:30 p.m. $31-$158. — Fritz Hahn Vampire Weekend at Merriweather Post Pavilion Vampire Weekend fans waited six long years between the band’s 2013 opus “Modern Vampires of the City” and this year’s “Father of the Bride.” By the time the band’s fourth album arrived in May, fans were also met with a different band, most notably one missing producer, multi-instrumentalist and D.C. native Rostam Batmanglij. While Batmanglij still helps out on a few songs, singer-guitarist Ezra Koenig is fully running the show, and lyrically is consumed by dread, both literal and existential. Koenig’s writing is more direct than ever on the expansive 18-track album, which musically runs the gamut and finds the band channeling the Grateful Dead (“Harmony Hall,” “Sunflower”); sampling film composer Hans Zimmer’s “The Thin Red Line” score; and teaming with Haim’s Danielle Haim for a series of country-eqsue duets. 7:30 p.m. $39.50-$89.50 . — Rudi Greenberg Library of Congress National Book Festival Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, chef José Andrés, cartoonist Raina Telgemeie,


E.U. slaps down Johnson’s opening gambit to renegotiate Brexit agreement

BRUSSELS — E.U. leaders on Tuesday slapped down an effort by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to renegotiate Britain’s departure from the European Union, declaring that they are unwilling to agree to any deal that does not include ironclad assurances of peace in Northern Ireland. The rejection began a nail-biting season of negotiations ahead of Oct. 31, when Britain is scheduled to leave the E.U. Johnson rose to power last month on a hard-line platform that his country would leave the bloc in October, regardless of whether a deal was in place to ease the transition. The European response came a day after Johnson demanded that E.U. leaders throw out a plan, known as the “backstop,” that would ensure an open border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. The open border is a key part of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which calmed decades of sectarian violence. “The backstop is an insurance to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland unless and until an alternative is found,” European Council President Donald Tusk wrote on Twitter. “Those against the backstop and not proposing realistic alternatives in fact support reestablishing a border. Even if they do not admit it.” In a four-page letter sent to Tusk on Monday night, Johnson said the “anti-democratic” Irish backstop needed to be scrapped if the two sides are to strike a new deal before Britain leaves the bloc. Johnson said it could be replaced with a commitment to “alternative arrangements” to be put in place “as far as possible before the end of the transition period.” “Time is very short,” he added. Mujtaba Rahman, an analyst with Eurasia Group, tweeted that Johnson’s opening gambit was “very vague & won’t fly with the EU,” adding that the British leader appeared to be “playing the blame game.” The current plan would keep the United Kingdom inside the E.U. customs union indefinitely if the two sides do not agree on a different way to keep open the Irish border during a transition period until the end of 2020. The E.U. “regrets that the new United Kingdom government does not provide any concrete proposals” in its letter, E.U. Brexit negotiators wrote in a note to European diplomats Tuesday. Tom Brake, the Brexit spokesman for the pro-E.U. Liberal Democrats, told the BBC that it was “not surprising” that the E.U. rejected Johnson’s initial approach. Johnson, Brake said, was advocating solutions “that


Shirlington Takes Shape

urban oasis. “When I moved here 10 years ago, none of this was like this,” says Plummer, who rents a condo at the Windgate a few blocks down from the bustling commercial district. “The neighborhood has completely evolved over the years. And it’s still growing.” Shirlington, which gets its name from its location just off Interstate 395 (also known as Shirley Highway) in Arlington, is just minutes by car from downtown Washington, D.C., or a short bus ride from Pentagon Metro station. About 265,000 people live within a three-mile radius of the commercial core, with I-395 serving as the main north-south artery. It’s bordered by King Street and Four Mile Run Drive. When Federal Realty Investment Trust purchased the 261,000-square-foot retail property along Campbell Avenue, now officially known as the “Village at Shirlington,” in 1995, there were a few stores sprinkled on the west end, and the AMC Loews Shirlington 7 was showing a variety of indie flicks. But the cafe-culture that makes Shirlington so popular among young professionals today didn’t exist, says John Tschiderer, vice president of development at Federal Realty. Today, the Village is thriving, with 26 restaurants, bars and coffee shops. You can indulge in some fresh guacamole and a pitcher of margaritas at Guapo’s Restaurant (4028 Campbell Ave., Arlington, 703-671-1701), go for classic American cuisine at the Carlyle Grand Cafe (4000 Campbell Ave., Arlington, (703) 931-0777), or get in touch with your more artistic side at Busboys and Poets (4251 South Campbell Ave., Arlington, 703-379-9759). The small-town vibe mixed with big-city convenience is making the area, which once catered to the 30- to 50-year-old demographic, more attractive to the 25- to 34-year-old crowd. “It’s a popular place for first-time buyers,” says Pat Shannon, a real-estate agent with Long & Foster. “I’d say price is the No. 1 factor.” A one-bedroom condo in Shirlington costs between $250,000 and $375,000; a two-bedroom ranges from $275,000 to $600,000, she says. Rachel and Jamie Auslander rented in several different Arlington neighborhoods before purchasing their four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom townhouse in the Shirlington Crest development, just around the corner from the commercial corridor. They paid roughly $660,000 for a new luxury townhouse in 2010 but say the same home in almost any other neighborhood would have cost upwards of $1 million. “We don’t really want to go much farther outside the city than this,” says Jamie Auslander, 33. “You just get a bigger


Extreme heat is changing sports, from the Olympics to local races

the various U.S. teams have mostly sorted out travel plans so athletes will arrive well ahead of the Opening Ceremonies, as early as two weeks for some sports. Some will attend training camps in the region, and they’ll also utilize a U.S. training center in Tokyo. Those who compete in some outdoor sports, such as the track and field athletes, will be sized for specially engineered ice vests. They’ll be encouraged to wear the vests on bus rides to the stadium, during their pre-competition warm-up, in the staging area and then again post-event to cool down. “Our job is to make sure they’re prepared for any situation and their body is ready for the heat and humidity on competition day,” Wilber said. It was 82 degrees under the cloudless sky as the runners on the desert course began to feel the midday heat. Virtually any training run in Nevada can be dangerous, especially for those who aren’t acclimatized and if conditions and hydration levels aren’t closely monitored. Runners have had to be airlifted off the Running with the Devil course before, and the 2013 race was canceled altogether when the forecast called for 117-degree heat. Organizers know they have to take precautions, and water jugs and aid stations are located about every three miles, with more than 3,000 pounds of ice available along the course. At one station, about halfway through his 100-kilometer race, Martin Gruebele, 55, asked for another scoop of ice for his hat as he prepared for a steep incline. “When that baby runs out, I am walking,” he said, setting the hat atop his head. As the temperature climbed, race volunteers kept a closer eye on the runners. The ACSM recommends halting any training and practice activities at 90 degrees. That’s a familiar temperature in the Mojave Desert, but Grundstein, the Georgia climatologist, led a 2013 study that suggests the entire country will be experiencing more dangerously hot days in the future and the sports world needs to ready itself. “Expected climate change will lead to a considerable increase in the frequency of days with conditions deemed unsuitable for sports activity across much of the U.S.,” the study found. The Southeast, the Gulf Coast and Arizona could average 30 to 50 days of oppressive heat in some areas — and as many as 85 such days in some spots. Other areas, such as New England, the


saw black spots, and her head started pounding. Dunkle stepped off the treadmill and buried her face in a towel. She was done for the day. “That sensation you felt, that’s your body telling you that you’re getting too hot,” Huggins told her. Dunkle’s body temperature had reached 103.9 degrees and was still climbing, and she had lost 6.7 pounds — 4 percent of her body mass — in 2½ hours of exercise. A month later, Dunkle and Huggins got on the phone to discuss the test results. He recommended she avoid hot races. If she insisted, he told her that she needed to slow down. Dunkle was close to tears. “Why even try again?” she thought. But she also knew she couldn’t just quit. She planned to arrive in Hawaii three weeks early for October’s Ironman, allowing her time to acclimatize, and then hope that on race day conditions are favorable and her body agreeable. The way she sees it, it’s not just her trying to conquer an island; it’s an athlete battling her body. It was 90 degrees in the late afternoon back in the desert. As the sun dipped lower, shadows began appearing along the course and runners were reduced to walking for long stretches. Ryan Moshinsky took respite in a folding chair at one aid station, momentarily contemplating life and the decisions that had brought him here. The 21-year-old was the youngest ultra runner in the field. He had never even entered a marathon before, but Moshinsky had targeted Running with the Devil a year earlier, ambitiously registering for the 50-miler. But running near his home in the Chicago suburbs is not quite like the desert, and the race was unfurling all of its weapons on the young runner. To avoid chafing, he chose to run shirtless, which left him directly exposed to the sun. After 23 miles, he threw up part of his sandwich and couldn’t stomach another bite. Around 26 miles, his legs began throbbing. Then around Mile 37, his chest and neck started aching, and Moshinsky thought he was finished. “More pain than I’ve ever been in my life,” he said. Moshinsky was nauseous and his gait was more of a stumble. He was alone in the desert for long stretches, but at the 44-mile mark, he was permitted a pacer, and a cousin walked with him for three miles before his mother


World Digest: Aug. 21, 2019

CHINA China confirmed Wednesday that it is holding an employee of the British Consulate in Hong Kong for allegedly violating the law but did not give details about his suspected crime. Geng Shuang, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, told reporters that the official, Simon Cheng, was being held under administrative detention for 15 days by police in the mainland city of Shenzhen because he had violated China’s penal code on public order management. Geng did not say what part of the code Cheng is alleged to have breached, nor whether China planned to release the 28-year-old when the 15-day period expires later this week. The case has injected new tension into already strained relations between Beijing and London, which the Chinese government accuses of stoking anti-government protests in Hong Kong, a former British colony. Cheng disappeared Aug. 8 at an immigration checkpoint trying to return to Hong Kong after attending a technology conference in Shenzhen. The Chinese statement came a day after Cheng’s family went public with an account of his disappearance. Cheng reportedly holds a British National Overseas passport, like many in Hong Kong, but entered China on a Chinese travel permit — meaning that he would not be granted consular access to British diplomats as a British traveler would. — Gerry Shih SYRIA Syrian government forces marching from different directions in southern parts of the opposition-controlled province of Idlib converged around sunset Wednesday, after laying siege to several rebel-held towns and villages as well as a Turkish army post, a war monitor and pro-government activists said. The rapid advance by the Syrian army in the northwest province marks a major blow for insurgents in their last remaining stronghold. A day earlier, the main insurgent group in Idlib pulled out of Khan Sheikhoun, a key rebel town, as government forces slowly advanced in the area. Government forces have been on the offensive in Idlib and in northern parts of Hama province since April 30, forcing nearly half a million people to flee. Since early Wednesday, government forces had captured Teraei Hill, east of Khan Sheikhoun, and moved west until they reached troops marching from the other side, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a pro-government activist collective. That meant rebel-held towns and villages in Hama were now besieged. A Turkish observation post in the village of Morek also was under siege. Turkey is a strong backer of


The Health 202: Fewer Americans are abusing opioids. But the improvements vary dramatically by state.

THE PROGNOSIS A new government survey shows opioid abuse is declining by double digits — welcome data to public health advocates and policymakers who are wrestling with an epidemic that has crippled communities across the nation. And the improvements come as more people gain access to addiction-fighting medication, despite the Trump administration’s attempts to discourage Medicaid expansion and pull back on the Affordable Care Act. Eleven percent fewer Americans reported pain reliever misuse in 2018 compared with the year prior, according to an annual survey released yesterday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Heroin use is declining among adults under age 26 and holding steady among those older. The survey also showed declines in the use of other drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine and hallucinogens. Generally speaking, drug abuse has been on the decline since peaking around 2015 and 2016 (with the exception of marijuana). A few of the survey highlights: The data adds to a mounting pile of evidence that efforts to combat and draw attention to the drug abuse crisis are starting to work, although public health advocates say there’s still a long way to go. The pharmaceutical company Allergan agreed yesterday to pay $5 million to two Ohio counties to settle claims related to its branded opioids, becoming the second drugmaker to settle over the issue. Endo Pharmaceuticals also announced a $10 million settlement with Cuyahoga and Summit counties, where the cities of Cleveland and Akron are located. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar called the survey “very encouraging news,” with some caveats. “Many challenges remain, with millions of Americans not receiving treatment they need for substance abuse and mental illness,” Azar said in a statement. “Connecting Americans to evidence-based treatment, grounded in the best science we have, is and will remain a priority for President Donald Trump, for HHS.” For those versed in opioid addiction, “evidence-based treatment” includes giving patients access to medications such as buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone. Widely viewed as instrumental in helping patients get off and stay off prescription drugs and heroin, these medications are a huge piece of the puzzle in combating addiction. The good news is that more people are getting medication-assisted treatment (popularly called MAT). The bad news is that improvements vary widely by state and have a lot to do with whether states have expanded their Medicaid programs under the ACA. Let’s discuss the good part


Daily News Quiz: The cost of the trade war, Democrats back off Medicare-for-all and the latest Brexit news

Welcome back to our daily news quiz! Test your knowledge each day, Tuesday through Saturday, on the biggest and most interesting stories of the day before. You can find yesterday’s quiz here. Some Democratic presidential contenders are shifting their positions on Medicare-for-all and adopting ideas for allowing private insurance in some form. More than a year into the U.S.-China trade war, American consumers find themselves in the crosshairs for the first time. JPMorgan Chase has estimated the annual cost of the trade war for American households. In Brexit news, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson demanded that E.U. leaders throw out a plan, known as the “backstop,” that would ensure an open border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. E.U. leaders rejected Johnson’s effort, leading to a nail-biting season of negotiations ahead of Oct. 31, when Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union. What else do you remember from this last 24-hour news cycle? Take our five-question news quiz challenge to test yourself!


Japan builds an island ‘wall’ to counter China’s intensifying military, territorial incursions

the same language that China uses to defend similar tactics in the South China Sea, where it has built a string of artificial islands equipped with military facilities in disputed waters. In the East China Sea, Japan and China are competing not only for control of the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands but for dominion over the broader western Pacific Rim. The Japanese archipelago forms part of the “first island chain,” a string of island groups stretching across East Asia from Russia to Borneo. During the Cold War, the United States saw control of this island chain as a way to contain the Soviet Union and China; these days, Beijing wants to break the chain to gain untrammeled access to the Pacific. Japan’s new island bases are also intended to monitor and protect two key waterways in that chain, the Miyako and Tokara straits. China contests Japan’s right to control those waters, and last month its aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, sailed through the Miyako Strait for the third time in just over a year. Its fighters and bombers take similar routes. China has the right of passage under international maritime law, but Japan bristles to see so much military hardware crossing freely between the links in its island chain. It scrambled its warplanes a record 851 times in 2016 and 179 times between April and June this year. The Center for International and Strategic Studies calls the situation a “slow-moving crisis” and an “incremental game of chicken,” warning that an accidental collision could easily spiral into conflict. The Rand Corp. warns that China’s steady escalation and increasingly provocative penetrations could “strain Japan’s capacity to respond” while avoiding the risk of an armed conflict that could potentially draw in the United States. The standoff is already straining domestic politics in Japan, where defense spending has fallen far behind China’s in the past three decades and efforts by the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to reverse the downtrend have proved controversial. On the islands, resistance to the new Japanese bases is significant. On Miyako, a small but determined group of protesters says the Defense Ministry lied about its plans to store missiles there and does not prioritize the islanders’ welfare and safety. Like the people of Okinawa’s main island who are protesting against U.S. bases, people of this once independent region remember bitterly how civilians suffered here in intense fighting between American and


Iran-backed militias in Iraq threaten foreign aircraft, adding to speculation Israel is bombing Iraq

BEIRUT — Iranian-backed militias in Iraq warned Wednesday that foreign aircraft flying over the country may be treated as “hostile” amid growing suspicions that Israel is responsible for mysterious explosions at militia bases. The warning came in a statement issued by Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, the deputy commander of the powerful coalition of Shiite Muslim militias known as Hashd al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which includes paramilitary groups that owe allegiance to Iran. The statement blamed Israeli drones for four big blasts at militia bases over the past month, all of them at warehouses storing ammunition and weapons, and accused the U.S. military of aiding the strikes by allowing Israel to use U.S. bases in Iraq. “We have informed the Joint Operations Command that we will regard any foreign aircraft flying over our headquarters without the knowledge of the Iraqi government as hostile, and will deal with it accordingly,” the statement said. The U.S. military responded by tweeting that it operates in Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government and complies with all Iraqi laws and directions. The only purpose for being in Iraq is “to enable our Iraqi Security Force partners in the mission of an enduring defeat of Daesh,” the military said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State. Israel has not confirmed or denied responsibility for the attacks, but during a visit to Ukraine this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to hint at Israeli involvement, responding to a reporter’s question about whether it was behind the explosions by saying that “Iran has no immunity, anywhere.” “We will act — and currently are acting — against them wherever it is necessary,” he said. If confirmed, Israel’s involvement would suggest it has opened a new front in its ongoing fight to prevent Iranian-backed militias in the region from deploying sophisticated weapons capable of targeting Israel. The explosions at the militia bases in Iraq are reminiscent of those associated with scores of airstrikes conducted by Israel in Syria over the past five years, which mostly targeted missile storage sites or suspected transfers of weapons to the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement. Israeli airstrikes in Iraq could complicate the U.S. effort to combat a revived Islamic State insurgency there and risk drawing Iraq into escalating hostilities between the United States and Iran. The militia statement was the strongest indication to date that Iraqis suspect Israel is behind the explosions,


Updated forecast: A muggy night and then another hot day Thursday with a possible round of storms late

between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. and enter the Beltway between 5:30 and 6 p.m. We’ll keep you posted. 4 p.m. — A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for the D.C. area and points north until 10 p.m. The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the immediate Washington area and location to the north until 10 p.m. This includes the District of Columbia, as well as Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties. Most of Maryland and Delaware is included in the watch. Storms firing in our far western areas late this afternoon will potentially form a broken line that will march east through the evening. Additional scattered thunderstorms will form ahead of the line. Storms will taper off as the sun sets, giving way to isolated showers overnight. There is no single, dominant ingredient this afternoon that is screaming out “Severe storms likely!” — rather, a combination of subtle features that may interact in just the right manner for a few hours. This is likely what motivated the issuance of a severe thunderstorm watch … which is, in essence, a southward extension of an even more ripe watch region to our northeast. Yes, the atmosphere has destabilized — not to the same degree as yesterday afternoon — but there is enough buoyant energy to support strong storms. An upper air disturbance passing through has increased the winds aloft, thus making the shear (increase in wind speed with altitude) stronger. The locally enhanced shear (25-30 knots) is enough to induce longer lived and more intense storm drafts. In terms of storm triggering, again … nothing major in play, rather the usual “local” suspects, including forcing by the high terrain to our west. In fact, storms were popping there as of 4 p.m. The high resolution (convection-allowing) models run this afternoon suggest that a line of storms will congeal along the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge, then sweep through the D.C. region around 6 p.m., as shown below. What type of hazards do we expect? Briefly torrential downpours and in some spots, very intense lightning. The combination of wind shear and a lot of buoyant energy concentrated in the “hail growth zone” aloft suggests one or more location could size hail stones ranging in size from dimes to quarters. Small pockets of damaging wind (microbursts) reaching 60+ mph are also possible. With loss of daytime heating,


The U.S. is nearing a deal with the Taliban. But another major threat looms in Afghanistan: The Islamic State.

Islamic State’s motives to religious hatred for Shiites, but Omid said Hazaras are targeted because they are “pro-election, pro-education and pro-women’s rights.” The terrorists, he said, “want to create panic in our community, by creating horror in mosques, schools, sports gyms and now wedding halls.” The Islamic State entered the Afghan conflict in 2014 as an offshoot of tribal extremist groups in Pakistan. It was not seen initially as a major threat, but as its numbers have grown, the group has tried to seize territory in four provinces, recruited students and staged scores of suicide bombings. Since being defeated in Iraq and Syria, the group has begun urging idle foreign fighters to join a holy war in Afghanistan. It has gained substantial income from local minerals, lumber and other natural resources, and it also practices extortion and kidnaps people for ransom, according to a U.N. report. U.S. military officials have been targeting the Islamic State in Afghanistan for several years, conducting counterterrorism missions with Afghan special operations forces and with support from drone attacks. U.S. military officials claim to have pushed back the militants to the rugged Spin Ghar mountains, but the group has claimed dozens of urban bombings in the past four years that have killed hundreds of people. Attacks attributed to the Islamic State killed or wounded 423 of 3,812 total civilian casualties in the first half of this year, according to a report issued recently by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. In parts of rural eastern Afghanistan, meanwhile, several officials this week described the Islamic State as having been circumscribed but not defeated. Ataullah Khogiani, spokesman for the Nangahar governor, said that the militants’ influence was declining and they could not capture new areas, but that “they still have a presence. They and the Taliban fight and kill each other, but we don’t know who has the upper hand.” Salim Mohammed Salim, a former legislator in Konar province, said the Islamic State had established bases in his region, forced villagers to flee, recruited some men by force and killed others who resisted. “They are dug in these rugged areas, and nobody can dislodge them,” Salim said. “The Taliban tried and failed. The Americans used to send drones, but they stopped. The Afghan government is incompetent.” He said that the Taliban is more lenient and accepts local tribal decisions, but that Islamic State leaders cover their faces


U.S. fencer Race Imboden given 12-month probation for Pan Am Games protest

Two American athletes who recently staged protests on the medal stand at the Pan American Games were given 12 months of probation, with the head of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee warning of harsher punishments in the future to any athletes who might stage similar demonstrations. “It is also important for me to point out that, going forward, issuing a reprimand to other athletes in a similar instance is insufficient,” USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland wrote to fencer Race Imboden and hammer thrower Gwen Berry in letters sent Tuesday, copies of which were obtained by the Associated Press. Imboden took a knee on the podium in Lima, Peru, after helping the U.S. men’s foil team win gold. Following her individual win, Berry raised a fist and bowed her head as a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” neared its close. To compete at the Pan Am Games, athletes had to agree to rules forbidding political demonstrations, and the International Olympic Committee has similar ones in place. Imboden and Berry will be allowed to potentially compete at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, but Hirshland signaled in her letter that she wants to head off athlete protests on what would be a vastly bigger stage. “We recognize that we must more clearly define for Team USA athletes what a breach of these rules will mean in the future,” she wrote (via the AP). “Working with the [athletes and national governing body councils], we are committed to more explicitly defining what the consequences will be for members of Team USA who protest at future Games.” Shortly after Imboden knelt on the medal stand, a USOPC spokesman said “Race didn’t adhere to the commitment he made to the organizing committee and the USOPC.” A similar statement was issued after Berry’s demonstration. The spokesman added that USOPC officials respected Imboden’s “rights to express his viewpoints” but were “disappointed” that he did not obey the rules. In a Twitter post the day of his protest, Imboden said that while he was “honored to represent Team USA at the Pan Am Games,” he felt compelled to present a “call for change.” “My pride … has been cut short by the multiple shortcomings of the country I hold so dear to my heart,” the 26-year-old wrote. Among the issues Imboden said he was protesting: “Racism, Gun Control, mistreatment of immigrants, and a president who spreads hate.” “For me to


Morning Bits: Never bet Trump will wise up

Don’t bet against President Trump insulting even more allies. “Greenland’s leader rips Trump: Idea of buying territory ‘not something to joke about.' ” I bet not much will change until metrics for chief executives’ pay changes. “ ... 181 chief executives have lent their signatures to a new ‘Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation’ that was published by the Business Roundtable on Monday. The statement from the leaders of companies including JPMorgan Chase, Apple, Amazon and Walmart affirms that the nation’s largest companies have a ‘fundamental commitment’ to all their stakeholders: putting employees, suppliers and communities on a pedestal that once belonged only to shareholders.” You can bet he’s getting ready to monetize his speakership. “Paul Ryan is moving his family to the city he was always giddy to leave. The former speaker of the House and onetime GOP vice presidential nominee is leaving his longtime home of Janesville, Wis., and will rent a house in the Maryland suburbs of Washington.” He bet his presidency on tariffs and is losing. “Trump’s anxiety has manifested itself in a string of fevered tweets and policy trial balloons over the past few days. The president has bashed the Federal Reserve, blamed the press, floated tax cuts, and delayed a tariff, even as he insists, paradoxically, that the American economy is strong. It’s not clear how likely a recession is or how it would affect his political prospects, but Trump has made clear that he is worried about both.” Don’t bet that the European Union will blink. “E.U. leaders on Tuesday slapped down an effort by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to renegotiate Britain’s departure from the European Union, declaring that they are unwilling to agree to any deal that does not include ironclad assurances of peace in Northern Ireland.” Having egged on Brexit, it’s appropriate that he’ll have to weather the consequences. You can bet the DNC wanted to shrink the field more than this. “Ten candidates have now met the qualification for the September debate: former Vice President Joe Biden, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, [Julian] Castro, California Sen. Kamala Harris, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and businessman Andrew Yang.” The qualification number should go up before the end of the year. If you bet he’d actually do something, you were fooled again. “That Trump’s attention span drifted


Japanese researchers want to give granny a robotic monkey tail

serums. “The tail keeps balance like a pendulum,” Junichi Nabeshima, a graduate student and researcher at the university’s Embodied Media Project, told Reuters. “When a human tilts their body one way, the tail moves in the opposite direction,” he added. It should come as no surprise that a robotic tail geared toward the elderly originated in Japan. In addition to embracing robotics, the nation’s population is rapidly aging, according to the Los Angeles Times, which notes that about 25 percent of Japanese people are at least 65. (In the United States, that number is about 16 percent.) An aging populace, combined with a worker shortage, has led to a flurry of robotic designs aimed at assisting older people. Design that imitates biology is known as “biomimicry.” Other examples include this backpack inspired by an armadillo’s shell and a synthetic adhesive that was inspired by geckos and is strong enough to allow people to scale glass walls. CNN reported that the mechanical tail project — called Arque — is about a year old. Initial designs mimicked feline tails but proved to be too light to support the user’s weight, the outlet reported. Video reveals that the latest version, which is more robust and was inspired by sea horse tails, sits near the wearer’s lower back and adjusts seconds after the individual leans forward or bends to the side. When the wearer bends to the left or right, the tail curls the opposite way. When the wearer bends forward, the tail balances from behind. Researchers told CNN that the device needs to be at least 5 percent of the wearer’s body weight to be effective. Using four artificial muscles and compressed air, the tail is capable of moving in eight directions, Reuters reported. Though the experimental device is still being refined, researchers said they don’t envision its being limited to the elderly. Other applications could include helping warehouse workers carry heavy objects or adding a sense of realism to virtual reality. “I think it would be nice to incorporate this further developed prosthetic tail into daily life, when one seeks a little more help balancing,” Nabeshima told Reuters. Read more: Amazon’s autonomous robots have started delivering packages in a new location: Southern California Ever wonder how much tech workers get paid in your town? This map might have the answer. Walmart has added virtual reality to its assessment of an employee’s potenti


U.K. consular official in Hong Kong disappears while returning from mainland China

student leader and a friend of Cheng’s, said he is aware of other Hong Kong residents detained in recent weeks in the mainland. Cheng wrote “Passing through” and “pray for me” in a phone text to his girlfriend as he approached Chinese immigration at the West Kowloon high-speed rail station in Hong Kong, according to HK01, citing images provided by his girlfriend. Under an arrangement between Hong Kong and mainland authorities, cross-border travelers pass through immigration inside the West Kowloon terminus. Kerry Brown, a former British diplomat who heads the Lau China Institute at King's College London, said Cheng appeared to be a local hire who was not covered under certain diplomatic protocols and was, therefore, more vulnerable than diplomats posted overseas. “Far too frequently those who work in this situation are regarded by the Chinese as having divided loyalties. They are the ones who have pressure put on them, as pawns in a game,” Brown said. China could be sending a message to London, he added, noting: “It’s a soft way of not doing a more extreme thing of expelling diplomats.” Details of Cheng’s disappearance emerged as political tensions continued to simmer in Hong Kong following another huge march over the weekend. A proposal to allow certain suspects to be extradited from Hong Kong to face trial in the mainland’s Communist Party-controlled courts triggered the weeks of demonstrations in the city, where many viewed the now-shelved plan as a ploy by local leaders, acting in concert with Beijing, to erode Hong Kong’s autonomy and comparative freedoms. Hong Kong is governed under a “one country, two systems” arrangement within China, under which the territory is supposed to enjoy a high degree of autonomy for 50 years following its return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Activists say there have been growing signs of Beijing’s encroaching influence over Hong Kong, including tightening electoral restrictions, the expulsion of a foreign journalist, abduction of dissidents and the controversial opening of the train station where Cheng disappeared. Arrangements at the station, which opened in September, allow for mainland police to operate and enforce mainland law within the terminus — the first time such measures have been permitted in Hong Kong. A report by the official Xinhua News Agency last year said that any traveler entering or leaving the station would be considered to be in the mainland and subject to Chinese law. After the weekend


The dog is one of the world’s most destructive mammals. Brazil proves it.

American pets. The problem is the dogs in poorer and more rural communities, where the life of the dog is more frequently the life of hunger. They prowl the streets day and night with neither a collar nor an owner, looking for food wherever it can be found — in trash heaps, alongside roads, and in forests and fields, where they form packs to hunt and kill. “It’s a very complex problem,” said Silva, the government biologist. Ana Maria Paschoal, a researcher at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, remembers when she first started thinking about the dog differently. She was out in the Atlantic Forest in Southeast Brazil around a decade ago when she noticed there were an awful lot of them. She wondered: How many dogs are using the protected areas? Are these feral or domestic dogs? Is their presence changing the occurrence of wild species? So she set up cameras across 2,400 acres of forest to find out. What she discovered, published in 2012 in the scientific journal Mammalia, stunned her. The dog wasn’t just the most-recorded carnivore; it was the most-recorded animal of the 17 mammals the cameras captured. “The presence of the domestic dog is a threat,” Paschoal and her co-authors concluded. The research, subsequently confirmed in a larger survey, laid the groundwork for a growing field of study here. One researcher linked Brazil’s dogs to the spread of diseases. Another accused the dogs in the National Park of Brasilia, where they hunted in massive packs, of scaring off natural predators. It was found that the closer humans lived to a nature preserve, the more likely dogs had penetrated it. But perhaps most striking? The dogs were neither feral nor domestic — but somewhere in between. “All the dogs we detected had an ‘owner’ or a person that the animal has a bond with,” Paschoal said. “The species population increases following human populations, exacerbating their potential impact on wildlife.” It was something Fernando Fernandez, an ecology professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, learned the hard way. For the last decade, he has been reintroducing native animals to the Tijuca forest, one of the world’s largest urban woodlands, which spills across Rio de Janeiro’s mountains. First came the agouti, a squirrel-like rodent. Then followed a problem: “Dogs.” They started killing the agouti, and not for food. It was just for fun. Fernandez and


The future of U.S. wildlife conservation could fall on this beetle

use. And the man in charge of the bug’s downlisting, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, is a former oil and gas lobbyist himself, whose clients included the IPAA. There can be no doubt about this: The only justification for knocking the insect’s protections down a peg is for economic reasons. The primary reason so many people dislike the bug is because they fear they could lose out on jobs or local business because of some stupid beetle. Such an outlook is small-minded, for two reasons. The first relies on the merits of the species itself: The burying beetle is an extraordinary life form that performs an important function in its ecosystem. By pulling dead animals into the ground, it helps recycle organic material and sustain the food chain. It’s also considered an “indicator species”: The health of its population indicates whether the environment as a whole is healthy. The second reason is more important: Humankind today is witnessing a mass extinction event the likes of which our planet has seen only at its most dire moments in history. Biodiversity itself is on the verge of collapsing, which poses an existential threat to humans, too. We don’t have the luxury to choose which species is convenient for us to protect. We don’t have time to make sure a protected habitat is worth the forgone jobs. And we certainly don’t have the need to make sure oil and gas interests are happy with our environmental policies. We need science — and science alone — to guide our conservation efforts. The American burying beetle doesn’t benefit from any widespread admiration from the public. If it goes, few people will likely care or notice. But that’s exactly why it deserves our attention. What happens to this hapless insect could portend disastrous policy for other species in peril that could see their protections downgraded or reduced under pressure from special interests. Let’s root for the bug to prevail. Read more: Kathleen Parker: Nothing in today’s headlines compares to the coming catastrophe The Post’s View: Business as usual is not acceptable when it comes to protecting our planet Alexandra Petri: Endangered bear confident it would not be treated this way if it were only a person Helaine Olen: We’re in danger of killing off the biodiversity that makes our way of life possible Eugene Robinson: We’re killing off our planet, and our enlightenment may come too late


Why does Trump hate polar bears and kids?

action until a species’ population is potentially impossible to save; making it more difficult to protect polar bears, coral reefs, and other species that are impacted by the effects of climate change; allowing economic factors to be analyzed when deciding if a species should be saved; and making it easier for companies to build roads, pipelines, mines, and other industrial projects in critical habitat areas that are essential to imperiled species’ survival.” The World Wildlife Foundation was equally outraged. “The Endangered Species Act was born of a bipartisan commitment to secure a future for nature and these changes fundamentally undermine America’s long-held promise to protect our planet’s amazing array of life.,” it said in a written release. “The changes disregard decades of evidence proving the Endangered Species Act’s effectiveness in conserving threatened wildlife and downplay the profound threat of climate-driven extinction. In May, a landmark UN report found that biodiversity losses can significantly harm global economic stability and that around one million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction.” Even if the changes never go into effect, Trump “succeeded” insofar as he can tell big landowners and big business he did something for them. And the groups and states railing at him? He’ll tell his low-information voters this is just the coastal “elites” telling us what to do. (In fact, it’s our collective, bipartisan decision not to allow mass extinction.) You know things have to be bad when he wants to change the subject to something as unpopular as letting polar bears go extinct. That was not the greatest outrage of the day, however. The Post reports, “Immigrants here legally who use public benefits — such as Medicaid, food stamps or housing assistance — could have a tougher time obtaining a green card under a policy change announced Monday that is at the center of the Trump administration’s effort to reduce immigration levels.” Remember how Republicans have insisted they only oppose illegal immigration? Well, that’s plainly false. “Analysts say the public charge change could dramatically reduce family-based legal immigration to the United States, particularly from Latin America and Africa, where incomes are generally lower than the rest of the world. It also could lead to an increase in deportations, as those present with some form of provisional or temporary immigration status in the United States are denied legal residency.” The administration is telling a legal immigrant who might,