U.S. consumer spending increased for a fourth straight month

fell 0.1 percent, the first drop since February. Household outlays on services rose 0.2 percent after adjusting for inflation. The category includes tourism, legal help, health care, and personal-care items such as haircuts, and is typically difficult for the government to estimate accurately. Disposable income adjusted for inflation grew 0.4 percent, the most this year, after a 0.2 percent gain in June. Consumption accounts for about 70 percent of the economy. Gross domestic product expanded at a 1.1 percent annualized rate from April through June, Commerce Department figures showed Friday. — Bloomberg News TECHNOLOGY Apple’s Irish tax bill could run into billions Apple is facing a potential tax bill running into billions of euros, with the European Union poised to release a finding into the company’s dealings in Ireland as soon as Tuesday, according to people familiar with the situation. The European Commission decision is expected to say Ireland provided the iPhone maker with illegal aid through a sweetheart deal in return for creating jobs in the nation, the people said on the condition of anonymity because the details are confidential. Ireland has vowed to fight any adverse finding. Such a ruling might heighten tensions between Europe and the United States over taxation policies, with the United States having already complained that Europe is unfairly targeting American companies and threatening global tax reforms. In preliminary findings in 2014, European competition authorities said Apple’s tax arrangements were improperly designed to give the company a financial boost. There’s a range of estimates on how much Apple might have to pay. In a worst-case scenario, Apple may face a $19 billion bill if the government ultimately loses and is forced to recoup tax from the company, according to JPMorgan Chase analyst Rod Hall. The Irish Times reported earlier Monday that the figure might not be much more than 100 million euros ($112 million), although it later revised its estimate upwards. The European Commission declined to comment on a decision that’s pending or on the timing of its announcement. Apple said it had nothing to add to previous statements rejecting suggestions it received selective treatment from Irish officials. The ministry declined to comment. — Bloomberg News Also in Business ● Zhongwang USA, backed by Chinese aluminum magnate Liu Zhongtian, said Monday it will buy U.S. aluminum company Aleris Corp in a bet by the billionaire that the nascent U.S. automotive aluminum sector will be


How teachers are explaining the Middle East to their students through Lebanese pop and Egyptian Art

Dancers from the Al-Jeel Al-Jadeed Circassian Folklore Dance Troupe perform during the Jerash Festival in Jordan's ancient town of Jerash, Jordan, July 28, 2015. (Muhammad Hamed/Reuters) The following story was reported during The Student Journalist Program’s five-day Summer Newsroom Workshop in August, 2016. Stephen Bennett and Megan Geissler felt the same way: With images of violence and warfare dominating coverage of the Middle East, young Americans were getting a limited view of the region. Their solution? Create a workshop to help local teachers address what they believe is a complex issue. Bennett and Geissler, who are both outreach coordinators for Middle East-focused programs, envisioned a workshop that would dispel misconceptions. Geissler, who works at the Middle East Policy Council’s Teach Mideast program, said the goal was to start a dialogue about different perspectives of the region. “The reason I felt responsible was to demonstrate that there is much more depth and nuance to the culture,” she said The pair’s workshop, which they called “Teaching the Middle East: Through Art, Music, and Culture,” was designed for K-12 educators in the D.C. metro area. The program, held on Aug. 10 at George Washington University, featured collegiate scholars whose speeches incorporated music and art from Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Afghanistan. From Lebanese pop music videos to Middle Eastern rap, teachers were immersed in the artistry and modern culture of the multi-faceted region. The Lebanese music video, “Ma Sar,” in particular married both eastern and western culture; its lead singer, Haifa Wehbe, danced in fitted clothing while elements of traditional Arabic percussion played in the background. “[Music] shows commonalities in artistic expression. Most people think that there isn’t room or space for artistry and creativity [in the Middle East], when in fact there so many rich cultural modes of life taking place there,” said Bennett, who works at the George Washington University’s Institute for Middle East Studies. The music resonated with Elisabeth Palmer, an art history teacher at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Northwest Washington. She said the melodies are an effective way to connect the Middle East with her students in the classroom. “It’s all about pulling interest [with students]. Music, hip hop, and social inequality are great entry points. If I can relate it back to those things, there is a greater understanding,” said Palmer. Mariel Vallano, a teacher at Brightwood Education Campus in Northwest Washington, was intrigued by the


Risky alone, deadly together: Overdoses on combined prescriptions plague white women

since the late 1990s responded with highly addictive painkillers, many of them central nervous system depressants previously reserved for the terminally ill. The more expansive use of opioids has fed an epidemic of dependency, leading to new prescriptions for anti-anxiety drugs and a rash of fatal overdoses. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post) (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post) These drugs appear to be a factor even among suicides, another major contributor to rising female mortality. According to Kern County coroner records obtained by The Post, 85 white women ages 35 to 60 killed themselves here over the past seven years. About half overdosed on prescription drugs, The Post found, and about half of those — 21 women — had some combination of opioids, benzodiazepines and alcohol in their bloodstreams. Many of the women who chose other means of suicide, such as gunshot or hanging, also died in a haze of prescription drugs, The Post found. In nearly half of the 28 cases in which a toxicology test was performed, the women had consumed opioids, benzodiazepines or other central nervous system depressants. When a woman dies in Kern County, it falls to Coroner Manager Dawn Ratliff to determine what happened. Her investigators explore medicine cabinets, flip through journals, scrutinize text messages and interview friends. Repeatedly, a pattern emerges, Ratliff said: A personal crisis leads to prescriptions to soothe the pain. And then they lose control. Beverly Layman shares her fears with pastor Craig Amos, who was making a hospice visit to her home in Bakersfield. Layman died the following week from cirrhosis of the liver. She had been a longtime user of painkillers, anti-anxiety medications, alcohol and illicit drugs. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post) “They are worn down. And they can’t rise above it,” said Ratliff, who puts the blame in part on the rise of social media, which can create unrealistic expectations about how life should go. “Before, if you lived in a rural area, all you knew was your community. You just knew what people in your community looked like, what their lives were like. You didn’t expect to look like a movie star — or live like one,” she said. Ratliff, 60, works closely with Eggert, 58, who created an outreach team for surviving family members of suicides that has been lauded as a national model. Eggert said she, too, has noticed the weariness and the desire for a


Montgomery County Animal Watch

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


How a “party girl” confronted her own death at age 58

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — But the blood tests showed it was too late. Layman, 58, was dying. “The doctor said, ‘I think you need to start looking at hospice.’ That just blew me away,” Layman said. “I thought I was invincible. I thought nothing was going to kill me.” White women are falling to early deaths at an accelerated pace in America, often because of drugs and alcohol. Some deaths are overdoses that occur in an instant. Others, like Layman’s, are slower and more painful — forcing women to confront the damage they’ve done to their livers. In a series of interviews in the weeks leading up to her death, Layman described her decades-long struggle with drugs and alcohol, hoping her story would serve as a warning to other women. At 14, she said, she was smoking marijuana. At 15, she was shooting heroin, kicking off a lifelong craving for opioids. By 16, it was crack. “It all happened so fast,” Layman said. “There you are suddenly, with a needle in your arm, a crack pipe in your mouth.” She spent several stints in rehab and months, even years, in recovery. But she always went back to the drugs. Her latest effort to get clean came in 2010. She stopped drinking and taking illegal drugs, and began going to a methadone clinic to help with the cravings. Within months, she was back on the bottle — and taking the anti-anxiety medication Xanax, a benzodiazepine. A year later, she added opioid painkillers, including oxycodone, which, combined with Xanax and alcohol, can be instantly fatal. Layman survived, but the damage to her body from both the drugs and the disease was severe. She died March 11 due to complications from liver cirrhosis. Layman’s funeral was held on what would have been her 59th birthday. At the chapel, her family announced that she had donated $100,000 to a Christian drug-recovery program, called Teen Challenge. A cousin, Jenni Jewett, spoke, telling those gathered that Layman had taken an interest in her when she was young, warning her of the dangers of becoming a party girl. “I never did any drugs or drank alcohol because of her. She told me to stay away from them,” Jewett said. “Bev, thank you.”


CDC and NIH officials: How not to fight the Zika virus

Dr. Anthony Fauci gives a presentation about the Zika virus in Washington on Wednesday. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Tom Frieden is director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anthony S. Fauci is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. The Zika virus presents an unprecedented threat to the people of our nation, especially pregnant women. Thus far, there have been more than 16,800 cases of Zika infection reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States and its territories, including more than 2,700 on the mainland. Laboratory tests have confirmed that 1,595 pregnant women have been infected with the virus, and tragically, 17 babies have been born in the United States with birth defects related to Zika. Zika has become a major outbreak in Puerto Rico and established active transmission in two neighborhoods in southern Florida. Other areas of the United States, particularly along the Gulf Coast, are especially vulnerable because of the weather this time of year and large numbers of mosquitoes. It is extremely disturbing to think that, as we write this, somewhere in this country a single mosquito bite may be changing the course of people’s lives. The Post's Brady Dennis talks with Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, about the process of getting a potential Zika vaccine tested and ready for the public. We have an obligation to meet the Zika threat and protect this country. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have moved fullspeed ahead to find and develop a Zika vaccine and start clinical trials. The CDC has created diagnostic tests for Zika and helped state and local health departments track cases and control mosquitoes, and has deployed large numbers of doctors, lab experts, mosquito specialists and others to areas where local transmission of the virus is occurring. Pending a supplemental appropriation to meet this emerging crisis, the Obama administration has twice repurposed or transferred funding away from other pressing health priorities — more than $670 million in total. This has exacted its own cost. The most recently transferred funds supported the CDC’s work to immunize children, fight HIV/AIDS, and stop other outbreaks. NIH had to take more than $7 million out of its research into fighting cancer and more than $4 million from our work to turn the tide on the


Britain’s post-Brexit warning for Americans seduced by Trump

minister does not say. May’s problem is that the Brexit referendum, like the Trump phenomenon, was largely an expression of hostility to immigrants. A survey of more than 12,000 voters on the day of the referendum found that the most common reason to support Brexit was an urge to assert sovereignty; second came the desire to control national borders. Although May herself was a quiet Brexit opponent, she understands the public’s view on immigration. And that makes it almost impossible to envisage a “positive outcome” for trade. In the European Union, the principle of free movement is nearly as sacrosanct as the Commerce Clause in the United States. This is not necessary or logical: For members of the euro zone, there is an argument that a common currency requires a single labor market; but for E.U. countries outside the euro, you could imagine a union with borders and passports. Yet Norway, which is not in the E.U. but is a member of the E.U. single market, is required to accept unlimited numbers of E.U. migrants as a condition of its trade access. Switzerland, another E.U. outsider that enjoys many of the advantages of single-market membership, wants to control its border but faces similar constraints. Since the Norwegian and Swiss trade models are incompatible with the Brexit mandate on migration, British politicians have become instant experts on Canada’s free-trade deal with the E.U. But this has its own problems. Aside from the fact that its ratification is uncertain, Canada’s deal mostly excludes services, which account for a hefty four-fifths of British GDP. A copy-Canada deal would not help Britain’s chief exports: financial services, legal advice, architecture and so on. Faced with no attractive way forward, May is shuffling sideways. She has cannily appointed three leading Brexiteers to cabinet positions dealing with Europe and invited them to propose a solution to their mess. The Brexiteers dislike each other and are generally clueless, so progress has been glacial — the more so because the British civil service has yet to recruit the trade experts and lawyers necessary to make Brexit happen. If the 3.5 million other Europeans in Britain all suddenly applied for permanent residence, it would take the existing immigration staff 140 years to deal with the onslaught. Before the Brexit referendum, Britain’s Trump-like fantasists assured voters that it would be easy to negotiate a great trade deal with Europe. Now that


You don’t have to gain the ‘freshman 15’ — or even the freshman seven

found 60 percent drank alcohol, and two-thirds of those reported binge drinking in the preceding month. Besides the well-known safety and legal issues, those drinks have calories. Sure, one bottle of beer has just 150. But five? That’s 750 calories, or the equivalent of eating an extra meal. There’s a reason it’s called a beer belly. Drinking at night messes up your schedule, too — you eat late, sleep in, skip breakfast and get off the pattern of regular meals. Plus, you may mistake a hangover or fatigue for hunger and then overeat. Alcohol in “moderation” is one drink a day for women or two drinks for men (and no, you can’t save those up for seven to 14 drinks on Saturday). Slow your consumption by alternating alcohol-based drinks with water, and choose lower-calorie drinks such as light beer or wine spritzers. And it’s not just alcoholic beverages that can lead to weight gain. Soda, juice and those fancy, sugar-laden coffee drinks also add calories to your diet and possibly inches to your waistline. Instead, buy a reusable bottle and sip water most often. Stay active The transition you’re making is difficult. Sometimes you might eat in response to anxiety or stress, but a better way to deal with those emotions is a good workout. Check out the school’s fitness center, as the cost is probably covered in your student fees. Remember, if you played sports in high school but quit in college, the lack of exercise can pack on pounds. If you are not participating in competitive sports, you can still use fitness to meet new people or hang with friends; not all social activities need to include pizza and beer. A running club, recreational sports team or fitness class can help you socialize while you control stress and curb weight gain. If you have nutrition questions, get in touch with the school’s dietitians, as they probably offer free counseling for students. They can teach you about topics such as portion control and smart snacking and help you develop healthy habits that can last a lifetime. Rosenbloom is a registered dietitian and president of Words to Eat By, a nutrition communications company specializing in writing, nutrition education and recipe development. She is the co-author of “Nourish: Whole Food Recipes Featuring Seeds, Nuts and Beans.” More from Lifestyle: One dietitian’s secret weapon for healthy eating ‘Healthy’ sweeteners, protein-powerhouse quinoa and


Reinhard Selten, economist who won a Nobel for work on game theory, dies at 85

Reinhard Selten in 1994. (Stephan Jansen/AFP/Getty Images) Reinhard Selten, a German economist and mathematician who won the 1994 Nobel Prize for his work on game theory, died Aug. 23 in Poznan, Poland. He was 85. The University of Bonn, where he had taught since 1984, announced the death. No cause was reported. Germany’s only Nobel laureate in the field of economic sciences, Dr. Selten shared the prize with John F. Nash Jr. of Princeton University and John C. Harsanyi of the University of California at Berkeley, both of whom developed concepts to explain human behavior through game theory. Applied to fields as diverse as international relations, business-negotiation standoffs and biology, game theory attempts to predict human action based on the conflicting strategies of different parties. The academic study focuses largely on experimental methodology that requires participants to respond to various sets of circumstances in real-world situations, such as wars and political stalemates. “Predicting human actions is also a goal of game theory, but it is more the question of, what would rational players do in a game?” Dr. Selten said in a 2004 interview with journalist Marika Griehsel. Dr. Selten’s work involved refining Nash’s equilibrium concept by removing unlikely scenarios in which two or more players have nothing to gain by changing their strategies unilaterally. He applied his theory of bounded rationality — whereby individuals make decisions based on limited information — to the war in Kosovo and to superpower rivalry in the Persian Gulf during the 1970s. He said the emergence of mass movements can weaken the theory’s accuracy, as shown by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s unexpected rise to power in Iran’s 1979 revolution. Reinhard Justus Reginald Selten was born on Oct. 5, 1930, in Breslau, a German city before World War II and now called Wroclaw in present-day Poland. His father ran a magazine-lending business, which the Nazi regime forced him to sell because he was Jewish. Dr. Selten and his mother were Protestant, but his father’s Jewish roots forced Dr. Selten to leave school at 14, and he was refused entry to a trade. The family left Breslau and became refugees in the German states of Saxony and Hesse and in Austria, where he worked as a farm hand after the war. While living in a village in Hesse, he had to walk 3½ hours to and from school. He used the time to solve mathematical problems, he


This tiny North Carolina town is an Asheville alternative for the crowd-weary

Main St., Sylva, N.C. 828-586-9678 innovation-brewing.com This small place still manages to offer 32 types of beer. Sure, it can be crowded (and service can be slow), but there are tables and stools on the creekside deck outside. Open noon to midnight daily. Heinzelmannchen Brewery 545 Mill St., Sylva, N.C. 828-631-4466 yourgnometownbrewery.com The first micro in this part of North Carolina is a kind of hole-in-the-wall operation beloved by area folks. “Heinzelmannchen,” by the way, is German for the gnome-like creatures said to dwell in the Black Forest. You can buy growlers (jugs) of suds, up to two liters in size, to take home. Open noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and noon to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Closed Sundays. Sneak E Squirrel 1315 W. Main St., Sylva, N.C. facebook.com/TheSneakESquirrel 828-586-6440 You’ll find elbow room and a relaxed vibe in this brewpub located between downtown Sylva and Dillsboro in a former car dealership. Live music on Saturday nights and contra dancing on occasional Friday evenings. Open 2 p.m. to midnight daily. What to do Harry Alter Books 558 W. Main St., Sylva, N.C. 828-631-9070 harryalterbooks.com This used/antiquarian shop is heaven for book lovers, with a large and wide-ranging inventory that’s well-organized. Can’t find what you seek? Harry Alter can order it and mail it to you. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Friends of the Library Used Bookstore 536 W. Main St., Sylva, N.C. 828- 586-1221 Looking for deals? Here’s where you’ll find good-condition castoffs from the Jackson County Library (as well as volunteer donations). This nonprofit operation has hardcover and paperback fiction and nonfiction. Open 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. City Lights Bookstore 3 E. Jackson St., Sylva, N.C. 828-586-9499 citylightsnc.com This is considered to be the best independent bookstore west of Asheville, and its well-informed staff is quite helpful. The two cats wandering about? They’re Rowena and Cedric (both named after characters in Sir Walter Scott’s “Ivanhoe”). Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Green Energy Park 100 Green Energy Park Rd., Dillsboro, N.C. 828-631-0271 jcgep.org Free tours of this trash-to-crafts complex are offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and by appointment. The park also offers beginner’s classes in glassblowing and metalworking. Information mountainloversnc.com J.B.


The story of the only known lynching on a U.S. military base

The government never solved his murder. Pvt. Felix Hall’s body hung in this position for about six weeks. His feet rest on the dirt that he dug out of a ravine wall in an effort to release the pressure of the noose around his neck. Photo by Sgt. Robert Templeton, Fort Benning Military Police Detachment, U.S. Army, March 28, 1941. (Department of Veterans Affairs records) (US Army/US Army) FORT BENNING, Ga. — Hall succeeded in kicking loose his legs and freeing his left hand. Then, while he still had breath, he desperately scraped dirt loose from the ravine wall, trying to scoop out enough of the sienna-colored earth to build up a mound beneath his feet that he could stand on “to take the strain from his neck,” the FBI would later report. He got the dirt up to the arches of his dangling feet. But the earth was soft and loose and ultimately not enough to support his weight. When investigators eventually arrived on the scene and examined his body, he’d been suspended in this position, in the woods of Fort Benning, for more than six weeks. Maggots were eating his flesh. It was early in 1941, eight months before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, and with World War II already raging overseas, the United States was recruiting young men to serve their country. Hall, a 19-year-old black man from Alabama, had volunteered just a few months earlier. Instead, he became the victim of the only known lynching on a U.S. military base in American history. The government never solved his murder. In their investigations, the FBI and the War Department failed to obtain — and in some cases ignored — critical information about the crime. The investigation report, along with War Department correspondence, raises questions about whether federal authorities were serious about finding his killers. His lynching was an inconvenient reminder of violence against black servicemen at a time when the military was working hard to recruit young men of all races for a looming war. The FBI compiled a 130-page investigation file, which has never been disclosed publicly until now. In the various reports, correspondence, lab results and photographs that make up this file, there is no record that anyone on base went looking for Hall when he disappeared. Although he appears to have vanished after walking through a white neighborhood on base in the middle of the


Paralympian Brad Snyder is blind. Swimming helps him face his new reality.

doing the dishes — because this used to be so easy. Washing the dishes would be this mindless task — boom, you do it, and you’re done. Or the cupboard door is open, and I bang my head into it. The frustration boils up, and then it goes away.” Gross inefficiencies happen in the pool, too, as when he veers into a lane line — a frequent occurrence — and slams his hand into the hard plastic. (He wears protective sleeves to lessen the effect.) Once, at a major international meet, he wound up turned around and backpedaled into the wall, losing nearly four full seconds on the field — but he made up the time and still won. As Snyder’s coach, part of Loeffler’s job is to minimize gross inefficiencies, illustrated most vividly by his role as Snyder’s “tapper.” As S11 swimmers approach the wall, the tapper stands on the deck holding a long stick with a tennis ball attached to the end and smacks the swimmer on the small of the back, which is the swimmer’s signal that it is time to make a flip-turn. “When he flips off the wall, ideally he’s in the center of the lane,” Loeffler said. “We spend a lot of time making sure we get that timing and technique down. This fall, when Snyder returns from Rio, the transition almost certainly will be smoother than it was after London. He hasn’t ruled out a run at a third Paralympic Games, in Tokyo in 2020, when he will be 36. “When I come back from Rio, those decisions will be kind of illuminated,” he said. “Whether it’s [training for] Tokyo or not, there will be something. Maybe building a company. Maybe starting a family. Things that are of equal intensity as going to the Paralympics but things I haven’t done. One way or another, I’ll definitely have something on the horizon. “These last few years have represented me finding out who I am now, understanding my place in the world, understanding my purpose and understanding the impact I can have — by sharing my story and inspiring people to go after their battle with adversity with courage. My new niche in the world is somewhere in there.” Coach Brian Loeffler performs his job as “tapper,” alerting Snyder that he is approaching the wall by tapping him on the back. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)


Whatever happened to plain iced coffee? Cold-brew.

hot coffee, brew it and put it in the refrigerator, it would change the taste,” said Stephen Schulman, an independent coffee consultant. But the ’90s brought us Starbucks and incredible demand for its iced frappuccinos and lattes. That paved the way for third-wave coffee shops that brought coffee geekdom, with its Chemexes and AeroPresses, into the mainstream. As coffee companies perfected their technique, the next big leap came from the brand Stumptown, which bottled its cold-brew in 2011. “They put the cold-brew in these ‘stubbies’ bottles, like a Red Stripe,” Giuliano said. “That played on the sort of cold-brew pun — is cold-brew a coffee or a beer? — and that really engaged people. . . . If you’re a 24-year-old living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, what cooler thing is there [than] to be cruising around town holding a beer bottle in the morning?” From there, other shops hopped on the bandwagon and, for the past two years, the trend has continued to trickle up, culminating when Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts rolled out their versions of the drink nationwide in July 2015 and August 2016, respectively. “Our Coffee Excellence Team had been working on cold-brew for a few years,” Jeff Miller, executive chef and vice president of product innovation for Dunkin’ Brands, said in an email. “Given the increasing popularity of iced coffee and cold-brew we felt it was the right time.” Cold-brew coffee at La Colombe in Philadelphia. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post) And Starbucks, following in the footsteps of La Colombe, Compass Coffee and other independent shops, is rolling out the next frontier of cold-brew, colloquially called nitro. The cold-brew is infused with nitrogen, which gives it a slightly effervescent, creamy texture. At the Coffee Bar, near U Street, customers can get cold-brew that has steeped for either 24 or 36 hours, served on the rocks. “The 24-hour tastes really fruity, but nicely balanced between that and the chocolaty flavor you expect from cold-brew,” said coffee director Matt McGuire. “The 36-hour that we serve is markedly chocolaty. It’s like drinking Hershey’s syrup.” The shop’s iced coffee is made Japanese-style — brewed directly onto ice. When people confuse the two, “we have a short speech that we do,” McGuire said. “We try not to overwhelm people with knowledge, and really just talk about what we serve.” Not everyone has hopped onto the cold-brew bandwagon, though. Slipstream used to offer cold-brew, but


Local Digest: Sept. 2, 2016

THE DISTRICT Police identify teen slain in Anacostia D.C. police identified a teenager who was fatally shot Thursday afternoon in the Anacostia neighborhood of Southeast Washington. Authorities said Kevin Anthony Jackson II, 17, of Southeast died shortly after arriving at a hospital. The shooting occurred about 2:15 p.m. in the 1900 block of 16th Street SE, a residential street off Good Hope Road. Another person was wounded. — Peter Hermann Man fatally shot Friday in Northeast A 28-year-old man was fatally shot early Friday in the Brentwood neighborhood of Northeast Washington, police said. Lamar Purnell of Northeast was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting, which occurred about 12:40 a.m. in the 2500 block of 14th Street NE. — Dana Hedgpeth and Peter Hermann MARYLAND Federal officer faces murder trial in April A Maryland court on Friday set an April 3 trial date for a federal security officer whose alleged two-day spate of killings in May sent authorities on a manhunt in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Eulalio “Leo” Tordil, 62, a Federal Protective Service officer from Adelphi, faces charges of murder, attempted murder and firearms violations in Montgomery Circuit Court for the May 5 and 6 shootings that killed three, including his estranged wife, wounded three others and triggered lockdowns at schools and government buildings. Authorities in Prince George’s County also have charged Tordil with first-degree murder and related counts in connection with the slaying of his estranged wife. — Spencer S. Hsu Laurel couple slain; their son is charged A man has been charged in the slaying of his parents in their Laurel home, according to police in Howard County. Craig Dennis White, 30, was charged with first- and second-degree murder and assault in the deaths of his mother, Linda White, 61, and his father, Glen White, 66. The family lived together in the 9500 block of Queens Guard Court in the part of Laurel that lies in Howard County, authorities said. Police found the couple’s bodies Thursday after receiving a call requesting a check on their welfare. — Dana Hedgpeth


Obama’s national monument expansion shows why conservation matters more than ever

so low they could endanger the human race. The study relies on the concept of “planetary boundaries” — limits on the environmental changes Earth can experience before human safety is at risk. When an ecosystem loses 10 percent or more of its original species abundance, the authors say, it falls below a “safe” level for biodiversity. Fifty-eight percent of Earth’s land surface passes — or fails — that test. That poses a global threat to plant and animal life, and it could also jeopardize human development. Though protecting ecosystems and their flora and fauna is important for its own sake, doing so has utilitarian value as well. The functions unharmed ecosystems perform for humankind — such as detoxifying waste, regulating disease-carrying organisms and supporting medical research — are worth trillions of dollars in global human welfare. Though the study did not cover sea resources, they are also crucial for recreation, regulating global systems, the food supply and many other things. When ecosystems fail, crucial functions can fail with them: Agriculture, for example, relies on pollination that cannot take place in an unhealthy ecosystem. Biodiversity can also buffer the environment against climate change. The benefit-cost ratio of conserving the wild, scientists estimate, is 100 to 1. A second study, presented in Nature last month, suggests that the biggest threats to biodiversity are over-exploitation — logging, fishing and hunting too much — as well as agriculture and urban development. Climate change is farther down the list but promises to become an even larger problem as the world warms. Mr. Obama’s second-term efforts highlight the importance of conservation, set a strong example for others and should ensure at least some environments remain pristine. Yet some of the worst practices are in the developing world; it is harder to order poor people to stop exploiting precious resources — and also harder to enforce such orders when they are issued. Part of getting the conservation balance right is considering whether roping off sections of land and water in the United States might simply lead to importing more from countries with worse practices. Encouraging other nations to take conservation seriously is essential, for their own good as well as everyone else’s. Read more about this topic: Jonathan B. Jarvis: We must recommit to national parks, America’s cathedrals Fitz Cahall: Why we need our national parks more than ever The Post’s View: Invest in America the beautiful


Animal Watch: A small terror

Hyattsville, Among cases received by the Prince George’s County Animal Management Division.


Delivery of Metro’s new 7000-series rail cars back on track

part of the new Metro that’s moving along — belatedly, but now back on schedule,” said Metro board member Michael Goldman. The interior of a newly built 7000-series rail car at the Kawasaki plant on Dec. 11, 2014, in Lincoln, Neb. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post) And for a system that has largely abandoned notions of expansion in the near future, it’s one of the few shiny new things that passengers will be enjoying over the next few years. “It’s a vision of what a new-and-improved Metro will look like,” Goldman added. “We can sort of see where we’re going.” In total, 192 of the cars have been delivered and 176 are in service — enough for 22 eight-car trains that are spread throughout each line on the system. The 7000s are so technologically advanced that they cannot be coupled with older cars and must operate as separate eight-car trains. Metro is using eight of the new cars to train operators. The remaining eight are in the process of being commissioned and prepared to be placed into service. Speeding up the delivery of the rail cars from Kawasaki’s plant in Nebraska and cutting down on initial defects was one of the first goals set by General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld when he took over last fall. At one point, he threatened to make a trip to Nebraska to “grab people by the lapels.” Ultimately, it was inspectors from Metro who went to Nebraska and laid out their concerns about the cars, instructing Kawasaki inspectors on the kinds of problems they wanted scrutinized before the cars were approved for delivery. Since that meeting, Metro spokeswoman Sherri Ly said, officials at Metro and Kawasaki have been doing a better job of communicating with one another. “Kawasaki has implemented systems to provide continuous improvement and feedback that have dramatically reduced the number of problems found,” Ly said. Wiedefeld has assured the board that things are picking up and that Kawasaki has taken significant steps toward eliminating problems. “We’re getting them as fast as we can,” board Chairman Jack Evans said. “There were a couple glitches . . . but we seem to have gotten those fixed.” As for how those existing defects were being handled, Evans didn’t have answers. “No idea,” Evans said. “If it’s not a problem, I don’t look into it.” According to Wiedefeld’s most recent customer accountability report, the first order


Suspect killed, police officer wounded in shooting outside Atlantic City casino

dead in an exchange of gunfire outside an Atlantic City casino early Saturday. The shooting happened around 2:30 a.m. after two officers saw a robbery being committed near a parking garage at Caesars casino. Two suspects were in custody Saturday night. Authorities said the officers saw three men trying to rob three others. The wounded officer was shot and injured as he left his vehicle. The second officer returned fire and struck one of the suspects, who was found dead a short distance away. He was identified as Jerome Damon, 25, of Camden. On Saturday night, police arrested Martell Chisholm, 19, of Millville, and Demetrius Cross, 28, of Bridgeton, in connection with the shooting. Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Diane Ruberton said they are each being held on two counts of attempted murder, three counts of robbery and weapons offenses. — Associated Press NORTH CAROLINA Fate of red wolves to be decided soon The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to announce this month whether it will maintain, modify or abandon a 30-year effort to return red wolves to the wild in eastern North Carolina. Meanwhile, conservationists say that the agency is already neglecting its duty and have asked a federal judge to step in. A Sept. 14 hearing is scheduled on their efforts to block what they say are harmful or lethal ways of removing wolves from private land. Conservationists say that the preliminary injunction is needed to halt population declines that have left between 45 and 60 animals roaming the wild. The wild population peaked at approximately 130 a decade ago and stayed above 100 for years, according to court documents. “Our hope is that the agency will recommit to the population as a whole and the program as a whole. This injunction is really just to stop the bleeding,” said Sierra Weaver, a lawyer for the Southern Environmental Law Center. “The idea is to make sure we still have a red wolf population to recover by the time we get to the end of this litigation.” Once common around the Southeast, the red wolf had been considered extinct in the wild as of 1980. Releases of red wolves that were bred in captivity started in 1987. — Associated Press Dinkins says he didn’t know he hit bicyclist: Two officers shot in Calif. jail lobby: Pipeline protest leads to clash: More than 1,000 rush stage: — From news services


Nigeria’s urgent polio vaccination drive targets 25 million

A child cries after she was administered a polio vaccine during a house-to-house vaccination exercise in Maiduguri, Nigeria. (Sunday Alamba/AP) MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Two toddlers diagnosed last month were Nigeria’s first reported polio cases in more than two years, putting the world on alert just months after the African continent was declared free of the disease. Just 20 years ago, this West African nation was considered the world’s epicenter of polio, recording 1,000 cases a year. Men and women with twisted limbs crawling along the roadside to beg remain a common sight. A global drive to end polio began in 1988, when the highly contagious disease was endemic in 125 countries. Polio persists in only two other countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan. Health workers, using military helicopters, all-terrain vehicles and even tricycle taxis, vaccinated about 1.5 million children in the past week, starting in the refugee camps where the new cases surfaced. A health official administers a polio vaccine to children at a camp for people displaced by Islamist Extremist in Maiduguri, Nigeria. (Sunday Alamba/AP) The World Health Organization has said that the two new cases indicate that the wild polio virus has been circulating for five years in northeastern Borno state, where Boko Haram began its uprising in 2009. More cases are expected to surface as Nigeria’s military forces Boko Haram out of more towns and villages, said Tunji Funsho, head of Rotary Club’s “End Polio Now” eradication drive. The Islamist group, which took over portions of the country, violently opposes Western medicine or culture, making it impossible to vaccinate those living under its rule. Boko Haram’s opposition to all things Western reached new heights in 2013, when militants fatally shot nine women vaccinating children against polio in northern Kano, Nigeria’s second-largest city. “Boko Haram is largely responsible for the insecurity that has hamstrung vaccination efforts in Nigeria,” a new report from U.S.-based risk-analysis group Stratfor said. “Though the group has weakened since the start of 2015 . . . as long as this security risk remains, so, too, will the risk that Nigeria’s latest run-in with polio will not be its last.” Boko Haram is in retreat but remains deadly. In July, militants attacked a humanitarian convoy near Maiduguri, the region’s largest city, leading the United Nations to suspend aid to newly liberated areas where it says half a million people are starving. Over the years, the vaccination campaign


Prince William County news in brief

Haymarket voting precinct moves to Tyler Elementary Haymarket residents who voted at the Old Pace West School will now vote at George G. Tyler Elementary School, 14500 John Marshall Hwy., Gainesville. The name of Haymarket Precinct 409 will also change to Tyler. Polling locations will be open Election Day, Nov. 8, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. For information, visit pwcvotes.com. Voting by absentee ballot in the county begins Sept. 23 The Prince William County Office of Elections encourages residents who qualify to vote by absentee ballot to consider doing so, according to a news release. The agency expects a larger-than-normal turnout Election Day, Nov. 8, which can result in long lines at the polls. Virginia voters may vote by absentee ballot, beginning Sept. 23, if they have one of several authorized reasons. Those eligible include commuters who work in another county, disabled residents who cannot get to a polling station, first responders and active-duty military members. The deadline to register to vote or to update voter information is Oct. 17. For information, visit pwcvotes.com. Novant’s Half Marathon to hit the road Sept. 25 Prince William County will play host to the inaugural Novant Health-UVA Health System Prince William Half Marathon on Sept. 25, beginning at 6:30 a.m. The Bristow road race will begin and end at Jiffy Lube Live, with participants running along University Boulevard and Route 29. Route 29, between University Boulevard and Sudley Road, will be closed that day from 6 to 10:30 a.m. Spectators will not have access to the course, but a Runner’s Village with live music and entertainment will be set up at Jiffy Lube Live. For information or to register, visit princewilliamhalf.com. 2 children to be honored for making the right call Two local children will be honored Saturday at 1 p.m. during a “Make the Right Call” presentation at the Sean T. Connaughton Community Plaza, 1 County Complex CT., Woodbridge. The boys, ages 9 and 12 at the time of the events, each called 911 when an adult relative suffered a medical emergency. The ceremony will take place during the county’s Public Safety Day, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free event will include demonstrations by police, fire and rescue officials, Public Safety Communications personnel, the sheriff’s office, and the Office of Emergency Management. Food vendors and county animal shelter personnel will also be on hand. — Compiled by Sarah Lane


How to set up the perfect college apartment kitchen

Washington Post) Spices, sauces and more Besides salt and pepper, stock up on ground cinnamon and ginger, then add curry powder, chili powder and a dried seasoning blend such as Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute. Vanilla extract, along with honey, agave syrup or maple syrup, brings a touch of sweetness to cookies, pancakes and yogurt. To add depth of flavor to soups, stews, casseroles and more, stock up on olive oil, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, canned tomatoes and chicken or vegetable broth, while canned coconut milk is a great shelf-stable substitute for dairy milk. Panko bread crumbs may seem like a nonessential item, but, when toasted in a pan with a little dried seasoning and salt, they make a delicious and crunchy topping for pasta when there’s no Parmesan in the fridge. Rather than keep flour and baking powder, buy a baking mix such as Bisquick. Beans, lentils and cashews are shelf-stable sources of protein. (Goran Kosanovic/For The Washington Post) Protein staples Beans are an essential part of the most healthful diets around the world, so stock up on cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), black beans and cannellini beans, then add a bag of dried brown lentils, which can cook up to tender in just about 30 minutes. But the biggest secret weapon may be raw cashews, usually found in the natural-foods aisle of the grocery store. Not to be confused with roasted, salted cashews, which are found with peanuts and other snack foods, raw cashews can be boiled and then pureed with water in a blender to create a creamlike sauce, all in about 10 minutes flat. Because of its neutral flavor, Cashew Cream makes a great base for savory or sweet dishes, and a little goes a long way, so spending a little extra up front for the raw cashews will pay off in the end. Cashew Cream. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) Stocking the freezer Contrary to popular belief, frozen fruits and vegetables generally are quite nutritious: They are frozen shortly after harvesting, so they retain many of their nutrients. When buying frozen produce, avoid those that have added seasonings or sauces, which pack on extra sodium and fat, and load up on items such as frozen spinach, peas, broccoli, corn, blueberries and strawberries. Throw a handful of peas into pasta with olive oil and lemon zest, bake up a batch of blueberry scones, or


Chlorine attack deepens fears among besieged Aleppo residents

thought was odd,” he said. “They were just coughing intensely and having trouble breathing, and there was this smell as if a swimming pool had exploded in the area.” The White Helmets civil defense units said 120 people were hospitalized and posted a video showing coughing people and children being administered oxygen at a local hospital. A statement from the al-Quds hospital, which received 46 of the patients, said that all were suffering from breathing difficulties and that “a strong smell of chlorine emanated from their clothes.” The use of chlorine as a weapon of war is banned under international conventions. Yet despite repeated appeals from the United Nations and other members of the international community, the Syrian government continues to use it on a regular basis, as a supplement to the other weapons it deploys in pursuit of its effort to crush the five-year-old rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad. This was the second chlorine attack in a month in rebel-held Aleppo. Although such attacks kill fewer people than the relentless conventional bombings that claim dozens of lives each day, they deepen the fears of people trapped by the war. “I saw the horror of all the people. Everyone was scared,” said Abdulkafi al-Hamdo, an Aleppo activist who arrived in the area shortly after the attack. “They were shocked. They don’t know what to do. ‘It’s chlorine,’ they were saying. ‘What will they use after this?’ ” The U.S.-Russia negotiations have focused on securing a cease-fire around Aleppo and the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians, along the route that was captured Sunday by the government. U.S. officials have said they plan to keep talking to Russia and are still hopeful they can secure a deal. But now that the Syrian government has succeeded in surrounding Aleppo entirely, it is unclear whether the forces loyal to Assad would be prepared to accept terms that would impede their ability to continue to attack the rebels, even if the United States and Russia were to arrive at an agreement. Also on Tuesday, the Turkish government said that two Turkish soldiers were killed and five were injured in an attack by the Islamic State on two Turkish tanks in northern Syria. They were the first casualties inflicted by the Islamic State since Turkey dispatched troops and tanks to the area. Zakaria Zakaria in Istanbul and Heba Habib in Stockholm contributed to this report.


D.C.’s new television pitch: Help close unsolved homicides

Philip Pannell is surrounded by panels he has created to spotlight unsolved homicides in the District. The exhibit sparked a new public service campaign by the city to seek tips from the public. (Christian K. Lee/The Washington Post) As a public service announcement displayed a photo of his slain daughter, Kenneth McClenton buried his face in his hands, grief and loss crashing over him once again. Yet the purpose of the video gives McClenton hope that the open homicide case of Charnice Milton may one day be closed. The death of his 27-year-old daughter in May 2015 as she stood waiting for a bus is one of the first unsolved killings to be highlighted in new advertisements the District will run on cable access television and in social media. “It was a reopening of the wound. It’s emotionally wrenching,” McClenton said after viewing the pilot PSA. But it is also, he said, “wonderful to see the wheels of government turning.” Public Service Announcement videos asking residents for tips on unsolved murders were created by the D.C. Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment after a meeting between director Angie Gates and activist Philip Pannell who pushed for more awareness to help solve the killings. Angie Gates, who heads the city’s Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment, said her office will produce a series of announcements this fall to help draw attention to the killings and hopefully spark new leads for police. Of the 90 homicides through the end of August, more than 50 remained open, according to D.C. police statistics and the department website. The public service spots are in response to a year-long project by longtime political activist Philip Pannell to focus attention on open cases in neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River. Since 2015, in locations citywide, Pannell has displayed his grim exhibit of poster boards with police fliers of the faces of more than 100 homicide victims. He has added face after face to try to encourage residents to offer tips to police and be inspired to not let slayings go unpunished. Pannell also used his project to persuade community groups to support the city’s producing spots for public access channels. After a July Washington Post article about Pannell’s collection of fliers, Pannell said he met with Gates, and within weeks the pilot piece was ready for a preview. It debuted Aug. 30 before


Montgomery County Animal Watch

This case was received by the Montgomery County Animal Services Division. For information, call 240-773-5900. This number provides recorded information on topics such as the new animal services and adoption center’s hours and location in Derwood, adoption and licensing procedures, and lost-and-found and field services. Attack on a greyhound Pooch Pool Parties Adoptable cats at no-kill shelter: GaithersburgAnimal Welfare League of Montgomery County no-kill shelter12 Park Ave.6 to 8 p.m. Friday, noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday Adopt dogs and cats at MCHS no-kill rescue: RockvilleMCHS Adoptions & Education Center601 S. Stonestreet Ave.11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except holidays Reduced fees for cat adoption: GermantownPetSmart at Milestone Center20924 Frederick Rd.2 to 5 p.m. Saturday — Compiled by Lisa M. Bolton


Ryan Lochte’s suspension could mark the end of his professional career

Gold medal swimmer Ryan Lochte was suspended for 10 months by the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Swimming, following his behavior surrounding the gas station controversy at the Rio Olympics. Ryan Lochte’s future as a competitive swimmer was called into question Thursday, when the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Swimming jointly announced that the 12-time Olympic medalist has been suspended for 10 months and barred from the 2017 world championships for his role in a gas station confrontation with armed security guards during the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, nearly overshadowing the Games’ second week. The three other swimmers with Lochte on the morning of Aug. 14 — Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and James Feigen — were suspended for four months each but remain eligible for the world championships. All four will lose their stipends and other bonuses during the suspensions — which, in Lochte’s case, could cost him as much as $100,000 — and won’t be permitted to join Team USA during a scheduled visit to the White House later this month. “Unfortunately, this story line took attention away from the athletes who deserved it the most,” USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus said in a statement. “These athletes took accountability for their mistakes and are committed to represent themselves and our country with the great character and distinction we expect.” The suspension of Lochte, 32, is four months longer than the one given to longtime U.S. teammate and rival Michael Phelps in 2014 when the latter was arrested for a second time for driving under the influence and undoubtedly reflects the degree of embarrassment Lochte caused for the American delegation in Brazil, as well as for the host country. “The behavior of these athletes was not acceptable,” USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said in a statement. “It unfairly maligned our hosts and diverted attention away from the historic achievements of Team USA.” All four of the swimmers signed statements accepting the sanctions. Lochte’s includes 20 hours of community service, while Bentz, 20, must perform 10 hours of community service for violating the USOC’s curfew rules for athletes under 21. The suspensions will not affect the NCAA eligibility of Bentz (Georgia) or Conger (Texas). Conger, a Rockville native and former All-Met swimmer from Good Counsel, could not be reached for comment, but he told the Austin American-Statesman this week, “I do not in any way agree with those sanctions, [but] I


Beyond the tourist circuit: Runners see the real Morocco during a mountain marathon

ultra on the continent or in the world, depending on whom you ask), believes that the best way to know a land — particularly one as geographically enchanting as Morocco — is by foot. It’s an easy argument for Ahansal, who was raised semi-nomadic. For years, he worked as a tour guide, but found that many travelers stuck to a well-worn path that kept them in their own bubble and prevented them from fully appreciating the areas of the country that he calls home, the areas where he says life is the hardest, the purest and the most beautiful. “When you walk, you enter a country, you become part of the country,” he said. “When you stay in a posh hotel, you stay in your own country.” Three years ago, Ahansal started the Trans Atlas Marathon in hopes of helping runners explore the untouched areas of the picturesque High Atlas Mountains. The first three editions of the race were dominated by local runners, with the occasional appearance from international running friends. This year’s edition, staged in the last 10 days of May, featured an international field of 33 runners along with about 20 Moroccans. Part of the uptick in registrations was thanks to a new “Challenger” version, which allows casual runners or walkers to compete on the same course but with a little less than half the mileage to cover. It’s a small race and always will be, as that’s the only way for Ahansal to direct the course though tiny ochre stone villages perched in the mountains. His high standing in the country and among the Berbers, the indigenous people of Morocco, gives him access to these towns and trails, granting foreigners a look into a side of Morocco that’s nearly impossible to discover otherwise. “This is the best way to see the country; there is no other way,” said Peter DeWulf, a prolific Belgian ultra-marathoner who made his first trip to Morocco for the race. “You would never get in contact with a population like we have been in contact by running through their villages. It’s impossible.” It’s an ideal option for those uninterested in contrived vibes in places like Marrakesh’s main square. Runners can go miles without spotting much more than the lone shepherd and his slow-moving herd. The 2016 edition began in Zaouiat Ahansal — Ahansal’s ancestral village — which is about six hours and change


Flow of foreign fighters plummets as Islamic State loses its edge

recruits had long passed. “We expect this development to have a positive impact” on further reducing the flow of foreign fighters, said a senior Turkish official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Enhanced intelligence-sharing between Turkey and Western governments also has helped to make what was once a relatively easy journey from Europe to Syrian battlefields far more difficult. The Turkish government says it has added more than 40,000 names to its no-entry list based on intelligence supplied by foreign governments in the past 1½ years, compared with fewer than 5,000 names in 2014. The rise has been accompanied by a sharp increase in the number of deportations, as Turkish authorities intercept would-be fighters and send them home. The lack of fresh Islamic State manpower is evident on the battlefield. Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasoul, a spokesman for the Iraqi military, said the group has begun to recruit children to plug the gap as adult militants are killed and foreigners leave for Syria or home. “There is big confusion in their ranks,” said Rasoul. Whereas the Islamic State once used foreign fighters as suicide bombers, it is increasingly tapping young Iraqi boys, he said. Besieged senior Islamic State officials have begun to acknowledge that there will be no cavalry coming to bolster their ranks. In his last speech before he was killed in an airstrike last month, spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani alluded to the increasing problems facing foreigners wishing to travel to Islamic State territory. He also issued the sort of threat that explains why Western security officials fear that extremist-fueled attacks will not end just because access to the battlefields of Syria and Iraq has been restricted. “If the tyrants have closed in your faces the door of hijrah [migration], then open in their face the door of jihad and make their act a source of pain for them,” he said in a late-May audio recording. “The smallest action you do in the heart of their land is dearer to us than the largest action by us, and more effective and more damaging to them.” He urged his followers to strike civilian rather than military targets, as hitting the former is “more damaging.” Reverse flows Overstretched European security agencies remain ill-prepared to deal with the consequences if that call is heeded by Islamic State sympathizers, or if the flows start to reverse and fighters return home in large numbers.


Aviation regulators discourage use of Galaxy Note 7 phone in flight due to explosion hazard

issued a press release Friday saying that “consumer safety and peace of mind are our top priority.” — Bloomberg News AUTO INDUSTRY VW pleads guilty in emissions scam A Volkswagen engineer has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the company’s emissions cheating scandal, advancing a criminal investigation by agreeing to testify against others. James Robert Liang, 62, of Newbury Park, Calif., entered the plea Friday in U.S. District Court in Detroit to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government through wire fraud. Liang is the first person to enter a plea in the case, and his cooperation is a major breakthrough in the Justice Department’s probe into the scandal. Government documents say others were involved. Volkswagen has admitted to installing software on about 500,000 2-liter diesel engines in VW and Audi models in the United States that turned pollution controls on during government tests and turned them off while on the road. The Environmental Protection Agency found that the cars emitted up to 40 times the legal limit for nitrogen oxide. Liang was indicted in June for wire fraud and violating the Clean Air Act. In the plea agreement, Liang admitted that he and others planned “defeat device” software that could cheat emissions tests after learning that a diesel engine they were designing could not meet customer expectations and stricter emissions standards. He will be sentenced Jan. 11. — Associated Press Also in Business ● U.S. wholesale businesses left their inventories unchanged as their sales fell in July. The Commerce Department said Friday that wholesalers held the line on stockpiles after increasing them 0.3 percent in June. Sales fell 0.4 percent in July. Petroleum wholesalers cut inventories by 1.2 percent and recorded a 3.5 percent drop in sales in July. Grocery wholesalers recorded a 2 percent sales drop but increased inventories by 0.9 percent. Auto companies showed a 0.3 percent sales drop but grew inventories by 0.4 percent. ● A U.S. judge said Friday he will grant South Korea’s Hanjin Shipping Co. provisional protection from U.S. creditors, enabling some vessels to dock and unload at U.S. ports. Hanjin asked bankruptcy judge John Sherwood to issue an order to prevent creditors from seizing Hanjin ships or property and allow cargo owners to make arrangements to retrieve goods stranded in warehouses. Around $14 billion of cargo has been tied up globally as ports, tugboat operators and cargo firms refuse to work for


Vitamin D may help cut down asthma attacks

(Bigstock) For anyone with asthma, preventing attacks of wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath is a top priority. Might vitamin D help? This study The researchers analyzed data from nine studies, involving 1,093 children and adults with asthma, most diagnosed with mild to moderate cases. The participants had been randomly assigned to take an oral vitamin D supplement (500 to 1,200 International Units) or a placebo daily, along with their usual asthma medication. After four to 12 months, those who took vitamin D experienced fewer asthma attacks requiring treatment with corticosteroids than did people who took a placebo. The vitamin D group also was 61 percent less likely than the placebo group to have a severe asthma attack leading to an emergency room visit, hospitalization or both. The effect of vitamin D on severe asthma attacks was seen mostly among adults. Taking vitamin D had essentially no effect on lung function or day-to-day asthma symptoms. Who may be affected People with asthma, who number about 25 million, or 1 in every 12, U.S. residents. Asthma symptoms, called exacerbations, occur when a person’s airways narrow, swell and produce extra mucus. No cure exists, but symptoms usually can be controlled with medication, aided by awareness of what triggers a person’s attacks. Severe attacks can be life-threatening. Caveats Whether any participants had a vitamin D deficiency was not included in the data and may have affected the results. Dosage amount, dosage schedules and study durations varied among the studies. The analysis did not determine an optimum dose of vitamin D for beneficial results. Find this study Online in the Cochrane Library (cochranelibrary.com). Learn more Information on asthma is available at nhlbi.nih.gov/health and lung.org (click on “Lung Health & Diseases”). The research described in Quick Study comes from credible, peer-reviewed journals.


Want to blow up things in space? Here’s an app that let’s you do it.

Hubble Space Telescope image shows a spiral galaxy NGC 6814. (NASA/ESA/Reuters) If you have an appetite for cosmic destruction, there’s now an app for that, developed by the venerable PBS science series NOVA. NOVA Black Holes, a free iPad game, lets you hurl a star at other celestial objects while navigating an increasingly complex minefield of stars, planets and black holes. Each level presents a new target and a fresh landscape of obstacles. And unlike real stars — whose fates are determined by the weight they’re born with — your star grows bigger and brighter as the game progresses until it collapses under its own gravity to form a black hole. That’s the goal. The game is addictive — there’s something surprisingly satisfying about blowing up a star. As it hooks you, the game sneaks in tidbits about astronomy and physics along the way. Underlying the simple, attractive graphics is a simulator that captures the physics of gravity and orbital motion. Success requires thinking through the implications of how all the stars on the field interact and devising creative ways to use gravity to steer your star. (Aiming randomly and hoping for the best can work, too.) Early levels are easy: Set the angle and speed of your star, then let it fly toward its mark. As the levels progress, so does the difficulty. A nearby black hole threatens to consume your target before your star gets there. The gravity from a passing star grabs your star and throws it off course (or possibly ushers it in the right direction). You must get the lay of the gravitational landscape and decide how to aim your star. Sometimes the right strategy is not intuitive: It might be best to swing around the back side of a neighboring star and get a gravity assist to send your star on its way. Playing the game is simple, even if some missions are not. To aim, just touch your finger to your star and pull back, much like using a bow and arrow. Numbers showing the speed and angle help you refine your aim on the often inevitable next try. A grid shows how gravity warps the space near each star, helping you plot your trajectory.


With a $2.45 billion federal loan, Amtrak set for upgraded trains, stations

An employee photographs a model of Amtrak’s next-generation high-speed train after an Aug. 26 unveiling in Wilmington, Del. The trains are set to start service in 2021. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) Faster trains, more seats and WiFi that works? The $2.45 billion federal loan that officials awarded this summer to Amtrak will help pay for those upgrades and more as the railroad continues its push to modernize service and rebuild aging infrastructure along the busy Northeast Corridor, including in the Washington region. The package is the largest single loan ever given by the U.S. Department of Transportation. “This loan is a key step to providing investments needed to help keep high-speed trains moving throughout the region and to help all commuters in the Northeast Corridor,” said Vice President Biden, who made the announcement at the Amtrak station in Wilmington, Del. “We need these kinds of investments to keep this region — and our whole country — moving, and to create new jobs.” The additional dollars are a significant boost for Amtrak, which has spent years lobbying an often-skeptical Congress for money to pay for a backlog of capital needs. “Simply put, this investment is a game-changer,” said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) “It means more riders and faster trip times along the Northeast Corridor, which will boost Amtrak revenue and pave the way for further infrastructure and safety upgrades throughout the Northeast. While this loan is just a small fraction of what we should be investing in Amtrak, it’ll go a long way toward proving that Amtrak can make smart business decisions that improve the service, ridership and revenue.” The loan also comes at a time when Amtrak is transitioning to new leadership. Last month, Charles W. “Wick” Moorman, a former top executive with Norfolk Southern Railway, was named president and chief executive, replacing the retiring Joe Boardman. Moorman began his job Sept. 1. Amtrak officials emphasized that the money is a loan that will be repaid with revenue they expect to generate along the corridor. Under conditions of the agreement with the Transportation Department, the passenger railroad will have 29 years to pay back the money, with repayment beginning no later than 2022. The loan comes through the Federal Railroad Administration’s Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program. The bulk of the money will be spent to buy 28 new trains for the popular Acela Express service. The current


Intense fire in Mount Pleasant late Saturday night

A fierce fire broke out Saturday night in the heart of the Mount Pleasant area of Northwest Washinigton. The blaze was reported about 10 p.m. in the 1700 block of Lamont Street NW. The street is lined with older trees and distinctive brick rowhouses, and is a block or two west of Mount Pleasant Street NW. The DC Fire and EMS department reported about 10:45 p.m. that there were no immediate reports of injuries. However, the fire appeared intense, and was burning on a roof and in an attic. The blaze appeared significant enough to bring top fire department officials to the scene. D.C. fire chief Gregory Dean was at the site. By a few minutes before midnight the blaze was declared under control. No cause or estimate of damage was available immediately


Could a late school start mean an end to spring break? Md. move could have consequences

Kathryn Boyd-Batstone, News21 and Nick Swyter and News21 Are actions of a dozen officials in various agencies void because court says they are ineligible for office? The Federal Eye | Joe Davidson Members of White House presidential arts committee resigning to protest Trump’s comments PowerPost | Ed O'Keefe Opinions In Opinions Toles Cartoons Telnaes Animations The Post's View Letters to the Editor Local Opinions Local In Local D.C. Maryland Virginia Public Safety Education Immigration Obituaries Transportation Weather Sports In Sports Redskins/NFL Capitals/NHL Wizards/NBA Nationals/MLB D.C. United/Soccer Colleges AllMetSports Blogs Columns National In National Energy Environment Health Science Education National Security Investigations Innovations Corrections Blogs Columns A heart transplant saved this 13-year-old boy’s life. But he died on his first day of school. To Your Health | Kristine Phillips After 56 years, Six Flags will no longer fly the Confederate flag over its theme parks Post Nation | Amy B Wang In totality’s path, eclipse mania overshadows fears of Eclipsemageddon — for now Achenblog | Joel Achenbach ‘Shame!’: Part of Boston’s protest looked eerily like a scene from ‘Game of Thrones’ Post Nation | Cleve R. Wootson Jr. On the road to the path of totality for the solar eclipse Speaking of Science | Sarah Kaplan World In World Africa The Americas Asia Pacific Europe Middle East National Security Business In Business Get There Wonkblog Markets World Business Capital Business Digger On Leadership On Small Business Blogs Columns Are you plagued by the serial get-out-of-debt disorder? Get There | Michelle Singletary It took the worst of Trump to bring out the best in Corporate America Steven Pearlstein Why Stephen K. Bannon was such a failure Wonkblog | Matt O'Brien The biggest astronomical event of a generation will hit offices everywhere on Monday On Leadership | Jena McGregor Trump’s biggest failure? Not standing up for his own family. Deals | Allan Sloan Tech In Technology Innovations The Switch Blogs Columns How Google Home and the Amazon Echo give a new twist to the home phone The Switch | Hayley Tsukayama Banning neo-Nazis online may be slippery slope, tech group warns Silicon Valley The Switch | Hamza Shaban Facebook shut down anonymous employee group after Trump was elected, report says The Switch | Hamza Shaban Online activist group Anonymous posts what it says are private contact details for 22 GOP members of Congress The Switch | Todd C. Frankel and Craig Timberg Lifestyle


of Science | Sarah Kaplan World In World Africa The Americas Asia Pacific Europe Middle East National Security Business In Business Get There Wonkblog Markets World Business Capital Business Digger On Leadership On Small Business Blogs Columns Are you plagued by the serial get-out-of-debt disorder? Get There | Michelle Singletary It took the worst of Trump to bring out the best in Corporate America Steven Pearlstein Why Stephen K. Bannon was such a failure Wonkblog | Matt O'Brien The biggest astronomical event of a generation will hit offices everywhere on Monday On Leadership | Jena McGregor Trump’s biggest failure? Not standing up for his own family. Deals | Allan Sloan Tech In Technology Innovations The Switch Blogs Columns How Google Home and the Amazon Echo give a new twist to the home phone The Switch | Hayley Tsukayama Banning neo-Nazis online may be slippery slope, tech group warns Silicon Valley The Switch | Hamza Shaban Facebook shut down anonymous employee group after Trump was elected, report says The Switch | Hamza Shaban Online activist group Anonymous posts what it says are private contact details for 22 GOP members of Congress The Switch | Todd C. Frankel and Craig Timberg Lifestyle In Lifestyle Advice Carolyn Hax Food Express Home Garden Travel Wellness Magazine KidsPost On Parenting Blogs Columns Taylor Swift’s new music appears to be imminent, according to the Internet The Style Blog | Emily Yahr Arnold Schwarzenegger tells Trump what he should have said after Charlottesville The Reliable Source | Caitlin Gibson The rise and humiliating fall of Chris Cantwell, Charlottesville’s starring ‘fascist’ The Intersect | Avi Selk OkCupid kicks out white supremacist Chris Cantwell: ‘There is no room for hate’ Soloish | Lisa Bonos Entertainment In Entertainment Books Comics Going Out Guide Horoscopes Movies Museums Music Puzzles Games Theater Dance Jobs In Jobs Cars In Cars Buy a Car Expert Reviews Sell Your Car Ask Warren Brown Reader Photos Dealer Specials New Car Deals #header-v3 #main-nav li.realestate{ display:none; } #header-v3 #main-nav li a.top, #header-v3 #main-nav li a.top:link, #header-v3 #main-nav li a.top:visited, #header-v3 #main-nav li a.top:hover { font-size:13px; padding: 0 4px 0 5px !important; } #header-v3 #main-nav li a.home, #header-v3 #main-nav li a.home:link, #header-v3 #main-nav li a.home:visited, #header-v3 #main-nav li a.home:hover { padding: 0px !important; } #header-v3 #main-nav li.politics { border-left:none; } #header-v3 #main-nav li.classifieds { border-right:none; } #header-v3 #main-nav-wrapper-v2 .classifieds .rollMe { right:-1px; height:155px; width:260px; } #header-v3 #main-nav li.politics:hover


Soccer-related ER visits soaring among U.S. youth players

CHICAGO — The findings, based on 25 years of data, partly reflect soccer’s growing popularity. But the researchers and sports medicine experts say the trend also is a result of greater awareness about concussions and their potential risks. Coaches and parents probably are seeking emergency treatment for symptoms that in previous years may have been played down or overlooked. Nearly 3 million players ages 7 through 17 received ER treatment for soccer-related injuries in the 2000-2014 study. The overall rate of injuries, which takes into account soccer’s rising popularity, more than doubled, to 220 per 10,000 players in 2013, from 106 per 10,000 players in 1990. Researchers did not have enough data to calculate 2014 rates. More than 200,000 concussions or head injuries were treated in emergency rooms, or 7 percent of injuries. The rate jumped to almost 30 per 10,000 people in 2013 from just under 2 per 10,000 players in 1990. That trend underscores a need for better safety education and injury prevention in youth soccer, said Huiyun Xiang, the lead author and a researcher at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. “Concussions can have significant consequences in terms of cognitive function and brain development,” he said. Xiang’s study is an analysis of data from a national injury surveillance system and was published Monday in the Pediatrics journal. According to U.S. Youth Soccer, more than 3 million soccer players younger than 19 were registered in 2014, almost twice as many as in 1990. The rate of injuries from playing soccer has ranked second behind football in other studies on youth sports, including an analysis of 2015-2016 data from Reporting Information Online, an Internet-based injury surveillance system for high school sports. For boys, football-related concussions result in more ER visits than other sports, according to previous research. For girls, it’s soccer, according to an analysis of 2001-2012 data by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The current study lacks information on gender-specific soccer injury rates. Sprains and fractures were the most common injuries; most players were not hospitalized. Falling and getting hit by another player or the ball were among leading causes of injury, but there’s no data in the study on whether many injuries were from heading the ball. Concern about children’s injuries from heading led to the U.S. Soccer Federation’s recent restrictions including a ban for children


American cheese, sidewalks and chairs have a connection that may surprise you

called “wire cloth” became the most popular and effective solution. According to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, they were first described as a tool in the fight against disease-carrying insects at the beginning of the 20th century. (iStock) Sidewalks It’s well documented that walking is a great way to fight obesity and that well-planned sidewalks promote walking. In neighborhoods where there are no sidewalks or where sidewalks are near busy roads, walking can be dangerous. In addition, research has shown that where sidewalks are built — and where they lead — can make them more appealing and better used. (Bigstock) The desk chair As a society, we have become increasingly sedentary. In addition to the great amount of time that Americans spend sitting in cars or engaged in leisure activities like watching television, many spend vast stretches of time sitting at work or in school. Studies have found that being sedentary in this manner is associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and for children in particular, an increase in physical activity may help with the learning process. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post) American cheese Processed foods have been around for thousands of years. Bread, beer and pickles are all examples of foods that have been processed by human beings. Processing can keep food fresh longer and can make food safer by killing harmful bacteria. These days, however, products that considered ultra-processed, including American cheese, have begun to make up a significant part of the American diet. “Almost all ultra-processed foods contain sugar and salt,” Sommer said. “And our bodies go bonkers for that,” he said. The availability of such foods has contributed significantly to obesity and obesity-related diseases, particularly in poorer parts of the country. (iStock) Bottled water Hundreds of millions of people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water. In these places, bottled water is a lifesaver. However, notwithstanding places like Flint, Mich., the tap water quality in the United States is generally excellent, and readily available. Despite this, many Americans believe that bottled water is safer to drink than tap. And the ads are slick. “People easily consume simple marketing messages — the urban myths,” Kay Dickersin, a professor of epidemiology at the Bloomberg School, said. “It’s our job, and a difficult one at that, to get them the correct information.” In addition to the environmental impact of producing bottled water, the


In the hunt for the next hot beer, it’s harder to find the good old standbys

nothing new. “The day of hyper-loyalty to a few breweries, and even a specific three or four beers from those breweries, is long gone,” says Jace Gonnerman, the beer director for Washington’s Meridian Pint, Brookland Pint, and Smoke and Barrel, who rotates new beers onto lines every day. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale popularized that style of beer in the United States, but it has become hard to find in craft-centric bars. (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post) To meet consumer demand for new products, Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick turns out more than 40 different beers every year. (Lexey Swall/For The WashingtonPost) The more than 4,600 American breweries are only happy to oblige, releasing an ever-greater variety of beers. Where a brewery once might have had a lineup of four or five “core” or “flagship” beers and a handful of seasonals released throughout the year, it’s now cranking out exponentially more. Dogfish Head expects to release 29 beers this year; seven are brand-new. Flying Dog now has 10 “year-round” beers; a dozen seasonals; a monthly “Brewhouse Rarities” release, such as Mint Julep Ale or White Peach Saison; a quarterly Single Hop Series IPA; and the occasional “Heat Series” spiced ale — a portfolio of more than 40 beers each year. In theory, to a beer drinker, this sounds great. So much novelty! So many tasty new fruit-flavored IPAs! So many virtual badges to unlock in Untappd! But just because breweries are doubling down on their beer releases doesn’t mean you’ll have twice as many options when you belly up to the bar. Most craft-centric bars have 30 or 40 taps at best, so when one hot, buzzed-about fruited IPA comes off, it’s replaced by a seasonal, on-trend fruited Berliner weisse. And one segment of beer is increasingly less welcome at the ever-changing party: brewery flagship beers, the familiar names that, in many cases, helped turn craft beer into the powerhouse it is today. Pizzeria Paradiso beer director Josh Fernands says patrons tend to snub one of his favorites, the venerable Two Hearted Ale, in favor of new releases. (Laura Moukalled/Pizzeria Paradiso) Like many industry veterans, Pizzeria Paradiso beer director Josh Fernands is unabashed in his love of Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, an IPA that was a gateway to the world of hops. It’s rated “world class” by Beer Advocate and as the second-best beer in America by Zymurgy, the American Homebrewers


Olympian Feyisa Lilesa: From Rio to America, I will keep fighting Ethiopia’s oppression

As he crossed the finish line in Rio, Ethiopian marathoner Feyisa Lilesa made a statement of protest, honoring the plight of his people back home. Now fearing retribution for him and his family, Lilesa continues to speak out, despite an uncertain future. Feyisa Lilesa is an Ethiopian Olympian and winner of a silver medal in the men’s marathon at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. On Aug. 21, when I reached the finish line of the men’s marathon at the Olympics in Rio, I crossed my fists above my head. This is sign of peaceful protest used by my people, the Oromo, for the past 10 months. I did it to raise awareness; hundreds of my fellow Ethiopians have been killed by security forces only because they peacefully protested against injustice. I knew there were millions of people watching the Olympics, and I wanted the world to see me. I want to tell the world what is happening in Ethiopia — in Oromia, Amhara, Ogaden, Gambella and elsewhere. I know if I go back to Ethiopia As I was preparing for Olympic competition, my thoughts were always preoccupied with the suffering of my people. The Oromo are Ethiopia’s single largest ethnic group. The Ethiopian coffee that Americans drink comes mostly from my region. We are also well known for our long-distance runners. Peaceful protests against the government started in November when the government was forcing Oromo farmers off their land and selling it to foreign investors. Since then, human rights reports say more than 500 people have been gunned down by the security forces, but I believe at least twice as many have been killed. This includes at least 12 people that I know from my home district of Jaldu in Oromia. Tens of thousands have been arrested. Families do not know what happened to their sons and daughters after they were taken by the army and police. While training for the Olympics, I feared for my security, because of some philanthropic work I was doing to help young Oromo students who I knew had no opportunities. I was afraid that someone could even jump out from the bushes and take my life while I was out running alone. I have not had a day when I could put my mind and body in sync to focus entirely on my training. Recently while I was in Rio, a huge


fire broke out at Qilinto prison outside of Addis Ababa. Ethiopia’s famous political prisoners were there awaiting trial, some for months or years. Others were held without being charged. Local media reported that gunfire could be heard before and during the fire. A week ago, I received the news that my close friend, Kebede Fayissa, was killed during that incident. His charred body was sent back to his family. He was arrested on Aug. 6 for protesting. I suffer knowing that I was preparing to go to the Olympics in Rio while Kebede was being arrested for doing the same thing I did — standing up for our people. Now he is gone. The Oromo just want their full rights like any other people. They want justice, they want free speech, they want government accountability, they want a free press, they want full participation in the political process and for their constitutional rights to be respected and protected by their government. Yes, we protest, but ours is a peaceful protest. But things are getting worse in Ethiopia. I fear for what could happen in the future. Our grievances have not been heard in the rest of the world because the government has blocked communication. Here is my question: Can nonviolence succeed if no one hears our voices or sees our protests? We all yearn for peace, but the government continues its attacks. I fear that if the killing does not stop, people could abandon nonviolence in self-defense. My country is an important ally of the United States. We in Ethiopia and people around the world see America as a beacon of democracy and promoter of human rights. Allies should not let allies commit the abuses that happen in Ethiopia every day. I don’t think that the United States wants Ethiopia to disintegrate. I am asking the U.S. government to demand an explanation from Ethiopia and to condemn the brutal and unfair actions of the government. The United States needs to push hard for democracy in Ethiopia. I think that is the only thing that will keep my country together. I have no plans to initiate contact with the Ethiopian government, and no one from the government has reached out to me. If the government desires to have contact with me, it should free all political prisoners. It should also free those who have been arrested without even being involved in


Feyisa Lilesa, silver medalist marathoner, is afraid to return to Ethiopia

stop en route to a new life, one in which he’s indefinitely separated from his family, constantly worried for their safety and thrust onto a global stage as a visible lightning rod for political dissent back in his native country. “I think what I did is good so far because the government has shut off the people’s voices and no one knows about the fight,” Lilesa said Monday in an interview with The Washington Post through an interpreter. “It’s almost as if I opened the shutters and now people can know, people can hear.” As he crossed the finish line in Rio, Ethiopian marathoner Feyisa Lilesa made a statement of protest, honoring the plight of his people back home. Now fearing retribution for him and his family, Lilesa continues to speak out, despite an uncertain future. Lilesa is part of the Oromo tribe, the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia. By most estimates, Oromos make up about 40 percent of the population, but few hold positions of power. In recent months, human rights organizations say Oromos have had their land seized and faced imprisonment, and more than 500 of them have been killed. Against that backdrop, Lilesa trained for the Rio Games, regularly hearing about friends or family members who had been swept up, imprisoned and beaten but never charged with crimes. He was an accomplished — and relatively well-off — runner who was distracted. “My legs were running, but my mind was also racing,” he said. On his training runs, he said he feared authorities would leap from the bushes and attack. He said when someone knocked on his door, he raced to the roof to check on his visitors before allowing anyone inside. For months he fantasized about using the Olympics as a platform. “I debated for a long time, deciding if I take this stand and leave my family behind, what would I do about them?” he recalled Monday. “At the same time, the situation in Ethiopia was getting worse and worse, which only made my decision easier. “I made up my mind that I needed to do this, that it was the right thing to do.” Feyisa Lilesa crosses the finish line to win the silver medal in the men's Olympic marathon. (Diego Azubel/EPA) Conflicting reports of safety Lilesa’s gesture of protest elicited audible gasps from those in Ethiopia who watched the live broadcast on state television.


Games, regularly hearing about friends or family members who had been swept up, imprisoned and beaten but never charged with crimes. He was an accomplished — and relatively well-off — runner who was distracted. “My legs were running, but my mind was also racing,” he said. On his training runs, he said he feared authorities would leap from the bushes and attack. He said when someone knocked on his door, he raced to the roof to check on his visitors before allowing anyone inside. For months he fantasized about using the Olympics as a platform. “I debated for a long time, deciding if I take this stand and leave my family behind, what would I do about them?” he recalled Monday. “At the same time, the situation in Ethiopia was getting worse and worse, which only made my decision easier. “I made up my mind that I needed to do this, that it was the right thing to do.” Feyisa Lilesa crosses the finish line to win the silver medal in the men's Olympic marathon. (Diego Azubel/EPA) Conflicting reports of safety Lilesa’s gesture of protest elicited audible gasps from those in Ethiopia who watched the live broadcast on state television. Subsequent airings featured Lilesa as a footnote of sorts, and the “X” gesture was never played. Just a few independent newspapers in the country mentioned his protest, and Ethiopians flocked online for their news coverage. Many supporters used photos of Lilesa’s face and crossed arms as their Facebook profile picture. At a post-race news conference in Rio de Janeiro, Lilesa explained his action and the exact risks it carried. “If I go back to Ethiopia, maybe they will kill me,” he told reporters that day. “If not kill me, they will put me in prison.” Following his race, fear chased him back to the Olympic Village, where the athletes were housed. Not trusting the Ethiopian Olympic officials in his traveling party, he immediately gathered his belongings and snuck off to a hotel. Lilesa was initially alone, comforted by social media and thousands of well-wishers. “For me, it was a realization that it was just not me that was carrying that weight on my back,” he explained, “that a lot of people were going through the same thing, the same pain.” But he said he was still scared to leave his room. Even worse: He had no idea what threats his


one should I believe? The government saying I’m a messenger for terrorists? Or the government saying I’m a hero?” he said. “How do I believe these people?” Lilesa said his family in Ethiopia had not received any threats or intimidation. He remains in regular contact with them, but they’re careful about what they say, for fear that authorities are monitoring their communication. Growing support, movement In Rio de Janeiro, it wasn’t long before the large network of Oromo sympathizers began helping and started to work on Lilesa’s visa application. In the meantime, he said, he was cautious when he left his hotel. Occasionally, Brazilians would spot him on the street and recognize his face. They spoke a different language, but they still flashed the familiar “X” symbol with their arms. Lilesa was granted a temporary visa to the United States for “individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement.” He expects to be in Washington only temporarily and wants to explore a more permanent training base at a high-altitude destination, likely in the Southwest. “I have not had the time to explore fully the options that maybe [are] available to me, since my visa was approved only a few days ago,” he said. “I love my people and my country. I don’t want to live in exile. I hope to go home soon once change comes to Ethiopia.” A crowd-funding campaign initially sought to raise $10,000 last month. It reached that goal in an hour and in three weeks has raised nearly $162,000. Lilesa hasn’t needed to access that money yet, he said. Already he feels his gesture has made a difference, sparking conversations from Addis Ababa to Washington, where elected officials have debated Congressional action. At the Paralympics last weekend in Rio de Janeiro, Ethiopian runner Tamiru Demisse won silver in a 1,500-meter race for the visually impaired and similarly formed the “X” symbol as he crossed the finish line and again on the medal stand. For now, with his future uncertain, Lilesa will run. He’ll run to raise awareness and run to shine a light on the Oromo people. He’ll continue to run representing a country he loves, even if he feels he can’t safely return there anytime soon. “I am not conflicted at all,” Lilesa said. “My protest is against the government. I don’t have any problem with the people of Ethiopia. I represent the people, not the government.”


N.Y. woman dies after exposure to ‘brain-eating amoeba’ in Maryland

A New York woman died last month after being infected in Maryland by a waterborne parasite commonly known as a “brain-eating amoeba,” officials said. The New York State Department of Health said that the 19-year-old who died was infected with Naegleria fowleri, although it didn’t identify the patient, citing privacy concerns. New York health officials alerted Cecil County to the patient’s death on Sept. 1, a Cecil County Health Department spokesman said, and Cecil County learned the next day that the cause was Naegleria fowleri. Infections of Naegleria fowleri, a naturally occurring amoeba, are rare, Cecil County health officials said, pointing out that 150 people have been infected in the past 50 years. The amoeba, which enters the body through the nose, attacks the brain, causing a condition called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, according to a statement from the Cecil County Health Department. The amoeba kills 97 percent of those it infects. “The risk of contracting this infection is low, but ever-present in any warm body of fresh water,” the statement said. “If you jump into any river, lake or stream, hold your nose or wear nose clips. In some cases, it also is advisable to keep your head above water.”


Montgomery County Animal Watch

No case reports were available from the Montgomery County Animal Services Division for today’s Montgomery Local Living. For information, call 240-773-5900. This number provides recorded information on topics such as the new animal services and adoption center’s hours and location in Derwood, adoption and licensing procedures, and lost-and-found and field services. Adopt dogs and cats at MCHS no-kill rescue: RockvilleMCHS Adoptions and Education Center601 S. Stonestreet Ave.11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except holidays Reduced fees for cat adoption: GermantownPetSmart at Milestone Center20924 Frederick Rd.2 to 5 p.m. Saturday Adoptable cats at no-kill shelter: GaithersburgAnimal Welfare League of Montgomery County no-kill shelter12 Park Ave.6 to 8 p.m. Friday, noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday — Compiled by Lisa M. Bolton


The National Zoo welcomes its newest primate, a baby male orangutan

Batang, a 19-year-old orangutan at the National Zoo, gave birth this week to a baby male orangutan. The baby has not yet been named. (Smithsonian’s National Zoo) National Zoo officials are celebrating the birth of a Bornean orangutan, the first at the zoo in 25 years. Officials said in a statement Tuesday that 19-year-old Batang gave birth to a male baby on Monday. Staffers are cautiously optimistic that the new member of the critically endangered species will thrive. They have seen Batang nursing the infant, who has been clinging to his mother and has not yet been named. Officials say Batang and Kyle, two of the six adult orangutans at the zoo, bred during the winter. Staffers have been preparing Batang for motherhood for three years. Two other female orangutans were trained as substitute moms in case Batang couldn’t care for her infant. The ape house is now closed so mom and baby can bond. “Each and every birth of a critically endangered species is significant, but it is all the more exciting and this is a historic moment” for the zoo, said primates curator Meredith Bastian. The newborn orangutan cuddles with mom Batang. The baby is the first orangutan born at the zoo in 25 years. (Smithsonian’s National Zoo) Wild orangutans are found only in the forests of the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra. — Associated Press