Drink Up: The Justice Department just came out in favor of cheaper beer

George W. Bush never much liked antitrust enforcement. So, as the curtain began to fall on the second Bush term, the beer industry saw its chance and took it, pulling off two of the industry’s biggest-ever mergers. SAB Miller’s purchase of Coors brought together not only Miller and Coors but also Pilsner Urquell, Peroni, Grolsch, Molson’s and Foster’s. Then came InBev’s purchase of Anheuser-Busch, creating an even bigger global powerhouse that combined Bud, Michelob, Becks, Stella Artois, Bass, Boddington’s, Lowenbrau, Spaten and St. Pauli’s Girl. For the U.S. market, the result was that the two industry leaders now accounted for about 80 percent of beer sales by volume, a level of concentration well above what anyone considers healthy or competitive. Mmmmmm. Beer. (bigstock) Even that level of dominance, however, wasn’t enough to satisfy industry leader AB InBev. Despite rising profits, the Bud guys were more than a little annoyed that an ever-increasing number of craft brewers were chipping away at their sales, in some cases with the help of Bud’s own distributors. And while Miller was only happy to follow along with AB’s strategy of gradually raising prices each year for its most popular brands, the refusal of Corona to play along had cost them market share and forced them to roll back prices in markets like California and Texas. AB finally decided this competition thing had gone too far. So last year it announced that it would pay $20 billion to buy up the half of Corona’s parent, Modelo, that it didn’t own. Unfortunately for AB, the Obama administration was not about to compound the mistakes of the previous administration. Thursday, the Justice Department announced it would file a federal suit to block the merger — a victory not only for Joe Six Pack but also for distributors and craft brewers who had complained about a wide range of anti-competitive practices by the King of Beers. Given the already high levels of concentration in the industry, the proposed purchase of the No. 3 Corona by No. 1 AB was absurd on its face. But in rummaging through the files at AB headquarters, government lawyers dug up what amounts to smoking gun memos from AB executives complaining of Corona’s “value-destroying pricing strategy” that would only lead to “lower total industry profitability.” The competition had become so problematic, in fact, that Bud executives at one point contemplated launching several Mexican-style brands


Reconciliation

-- Haters gonna hate. What's a woman to do? -- "When those of us who write start expecting that other writers will lie, we are that much closer to lying ourselves." -- Taking hostages for ransom hasn't been so profitably lately, so pirates have just started taking oil. -- About one in seven adults in their 40s and 50s are providing support to both a parent and a child. -- The fog that ate New York.


Space Shuttle Columbia

Ten years ago this morning, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, killing the seven astronauts aboard. Here’s a story I co-authored with Guy Gugliotta two days later, on Feb. 3, 2003. The spacecraft was full of life: seven people, many spiders, a nest of carpenter bees, a baker’s dozen rodents. Here was moss, yeast, strains of bacteria, cells growing in tissue cultures. In orbit, a silk moth emerged from its cocoon. A fish hatched. Miniature roses and rice flowers bloomed. The final flight of Columbia was something of an anomaly: a pure science mission. No one asked this crew of astronauts to ferry hardware to the International Space Station. No one asked them to take a wrench to the Hubble Space Telescope. They were expected — even the fighter jocks among them — to perform science, in teams, 24 hours a day. They carried with them a laboratory called Spacehab, crammed with instruments, cameras, computers, test tubes. The astronauts themselves were guinea pigs, swallowing calcium tracers to study the effects of weightlessness. Columbia had a cargo of human ingenuity, with 80 experiments designed in 16 countries, from Japan to Liechtenstein. At one point, astronauts used a contraption the size of a trash basket to create tiny, fragile “flame balls” of burning hydrogen and methane. Some winked out quickly, but one lasted 25 minutes and another a heroic 81. Mission specialist Dave Brown decided each had a personality. “I see one flame ball,” he told Mission Control, “and its name is Howard.” As experts try to figure out what went wrong on Columbia, the people who worked with the astronauts talk of much that went right, of hard work and excellent science, and high spirits all the way into space and almost all the way home. The astronauts were on their backs, helmeted, in orange pressure suits, aimed toward space. It was Jan. 16, and they were on Launch Pad 39-A, out toward the beach on Cape Canaveral. “The Lord has blessed us with a beautiful day here,” Commander Rick Husband said. At the Cape, and in Mission Control in Houston, NASA officials entertained the public with countdown pronouncements and informative chitchat, but inside Columbia the crew heard nothing. The launch required absolute silence. If something went wrong, the Florida launch team needed to communicate instantly with the crew. Three of the astronauts had been to


Space Shuttle Columbia

a contraption the size of a trash basket to create tiny, fragile “flame balls” of burning hydrogen and methane. Some winked out quickly, but one lasted 25 minutes and another a heroic 81. Mission specialist Dave Brown decided each had a personality. “I see one flame ball,” he told Mission Control, “and its name is Howard.” As experts try to figure out what went wrong on Columbia, the people who worked with the astronauts talk of much that went right, of hard work and excellent science, and high spirits all the way into space and almost all the way home. The astronauts were on their backs, helmeted, in orange pressure suits, aimed toward space. It was Jan. 16, and they were on Launch Pad 39-A, out toward the beach on Cape Canaveral. “The Lord has blessed us with a beautiful day here,” Commander Rick Husband said. At the Cape, and in Mission Control in Houston, NASA officials entertained the public with countdown pronouncements and informative chitchat, but inside Columbia the crew heard nothing. The launch required absolute silence. If something went wrong, the Florida launch team needed to communicate instantly with the crew. Three of the astronauts had been to space before, but four hadn’t. Security had been unusually tight before the launch because of the presence of an Israeli, Ilan Ramon, a military pilot who had brought with him a drawing by a boy killed at Auschwitz. At 10:38 a.m., with the countdown nearing one minute, the astronauts closed and locked their visors. Six seconds before liftoff, the main engines ignited. The shuttle rocked back and forth a couple of feet, an unnerving feeling for those inside, as if the spacecraft were about to fall over. But there wasn’t enough time. The solid fuel booster rockets ignited, and Columbia left the planet. During liftoff, a piece of insulation broke free from one of Columbia’s external fuel tanks and bounced off the left wing, coated with silicon insulation tiles designed to dissipate the heat of reentry. Tile damage could mean nothing. Or it could mean trouble. Astronauts describe launches as noisy, with a whooshing, roaring sound to accompany the furious shaking — like a railroad car running too fast for its tracks. But after two minutes the booster rockets dropped off and the ride immediately smoothed out. The spacecraft was traveling faster now, much faster. The G-forces reached about three


Baltimore orchestra performs ‘Hail to the Ravens’

Hail to the Ravens! If you’ve always wanted to hear a Ravens fight song sung to the tune of “Toreador Song” from the opera “Carmen,” then this post is for you. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra wrote a Ravens-themed fight song called, “Hail to the Ravens.” I know a few people around these parts who might have a problem with that title. I’m pretty sure this won’t be the official post-touchdown tune, but it does lend some sophistication to the practice of large men tossing each other around a football field. The video is above, and the orchestra posted the words on their YouTube page if you’re inclined to sing along. Ravens fans all over Baltimore, Have just a single goal: To win the Superbowl. We’ll watch them proudly, We’ll cheer them loudly, And our loyal orchestra will cheer loudest of all! Everyone in San Francisco too Would surely sell their soul To win the Superbowl. Two teams are gonna play, One team goes all the way. Sunday night we’ll see who’s going to rise, who’s going to fall! All of us here at the Symphony Expect to see our team bring home the victory. Here’s to Q and number 52! Ellerbe and Torrey Smith, Joe Flacco, T. Sizzle, Haloti, And Yanda! Hail to the Ravens, hear the city roar, Go Baltimore, go Baltimore! When Ray Rice goes running with the ball, You can’t stop him at all! The team we’re rooting for Is bound to score A win for Baltimore. 2ND CHORUS: Hail to the Ravens, raise your glasses high, Purple and black, We’ve got their back. Reed and Pollard will be ready to attack, Kruger will go for the sack. The team we’re rooting for Is bound to score A win for Baltimore!


Toast to the Super Bowl with Baltimore and San Francisco beers

No matter who wins on the football field Sunday night, there are plenty of opportunities to toast the San Francisco and Baltimore beer scenes. • Super Bowl 47 viewing parties San Francisco, home of the pioneering Anchor Steam brewery, 21st Amendment, Speakeasy and Southpaw, has a reputation for being one of America's best beer cities. Baltimore may be identified with Natty Boh – a beer that's no longer locally owned or brewed – but Charm City's rich lineup of brews includes the established Heavy Seas, Brewer's Art and British-style Oliver Ales; the acclaimed saisons of Stillwater Ales; and the great German brews coming out of the new Union Craft Brewing. Since nothing goes with football like beer, local bars are bringing the battle to the taps, offering "Baltimore vs. San Francisco" beer deals during the game. Bier Baron will have $2 Natty Boh and 21st Amendment cans and $3 Anchor Steam and Heavy Seas bottles. Jack Rose Cause Meridian Pint


Are traditional African foods as healthy as they are delicious?

It's not news to say that African Americans suffer from higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity than members of other racial or ethnic groups. The CDC lays out the alarming statistics in black and white right here. It's also not news to say that many believe the Western diet -- that steady supply of high-calorie, high-fat and high-sodium foods -- is the culprit responsible for most of the health woes in African American communities, especially poorer ones. But it is still a relatively novel idea to believe that the solution to these chronic problems is to return to traditional African foods. Ethiopian cuisine boasts many vegetable dishes with few of the saturated fats of the Western diet. (Dayna Smith for The Washington Post) As part of the first African Heritage and Health Week, which starts today, the Boston-based Oldways is encouraging all eaters, African Americans or not, to sample the traditional cuisines from countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Somalia, Sudan and others. The promotion fits comfortably into the non-profit's mission to, among other things, help "people make healthy connections to their food (cooking and eating real foods) and their heritage." Oldways even lists a number of restaurants around the United States worthy of a visit (although its D.C. recommendations include an establishment, Kendejah, that has since closed). Notes Oldways: “Part of history is, of course, the foods that have sustained a culture,” said Sara Baer-Sinnott, president of Oldways. “We are seeing a rise in the popularity of the vibrant flavors and delicious foods that offer a key to better health in the African community. African Heritage & Health Week is an opportunity to raise awareness and elevate this cuisine, which is far from the unhealthy soul food some might think of. What better time to dedicate a week to African Heritage and Health than during Black History Month.”. I can't speak to the health qualities of African food and its many offshoots, but I can attest to its deliciousness. I can also tell you there are many more fine African, soul food and/or Caribbean restaurants in the area than those listed on the Oldways site. A few of my favorites include Ethiopic, Sweet Mango Cafe, Meaza Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe, Teddy's Roti Shop, Etete, Queen Makeda, Abol, Ghana Cafe and Bukom Cafe. How about you? Where would you go in the area to toast your health with a


Reconciliation

--Need some weekend reading? Here are 102 great nonfiction articles from 2012. --Huh. Hemingway didn't actually write that famous six word story: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." --Due to strict gun-control laws, British gangs have to resort to flintlock pistols and flare guns. --"People as productive as [Bill] Gates should not be required to shake hands." --What life is like as a mid-ranking bureaucrat in North Korea.


Ninja miners: Four pitfalls for Mongolia’s astonishing growth

Traditionally, Mongolian life has been based around herding, with nomadic families sleeping in yurts and tending livestock. That's why it's surprising to hear stories like that of Khorloo, a 65-year-old Mongolian who spends her days digging through the Mongolian steppe with metal detectors and shovels, plucking out the occasional gold nugget after days of scratching in the dirt. Ninja miners in Mongolia (AP) "It took us a week to dig this out," Khorloo told Reuters, holding a nugget that could earn her family as much as $6,000. "But we dug for three years to reach the vein." Khorloo is one of Mongolia's 60,000 or so "ninja miners" -- former herders who took up amateur mining, using whatever rudimentary tools they have at their disposal, amid soaring mineral demand from China. (They're called ninjas because the large green pans they carry on their backs look like turtle shells.) A former economic underdog, Mongolia is now the world's fifth fastest-growing economy, with an 12.3 percent GDP growth rate that would make today's anemic, Western economies salivate. (For comparison, the U.S. economy is growing at 1.7 percent.) Like many other Central Asian countries, Mongolia is growing rich from selling minerals to China. According to a report by the Associated Press, Mongolia sends 90 percent of its exports to Chinese markets, and the two-way trade with Beijing makes up 75 percent of Mongolia’s economy. But several recent reports indicate that Mongolia's economic success story may turn out not to be all that it seems. Here are four ways its meteoric growth could go awry: 1. The Ninjas: 2. Becoming too dependent on China: Granted, Mongolia has pushed back against Chinese influence, even going so far as to lay railroad tracks at a gauge that makes it impossible for them to connect to Chinese rails. China and Russia are now each limited to a third of Mongolia's total foreign investment, and Mongolia has been attempting to foster partnerships with the United States, the European Union and Japan in order to hedge against Beijing and Moscow. "We will not be another Africa," Ganhuyag Ch. Hutagt, a Mongolian banker and former vice finance minister told the AP. "We cannot afford to have one particular nation control our businesses." 3. Its mines have been plagued by problems: Mongolia’s massive coal mine in Tavan Tolgoi has also suffered a number of setbacks. In July, the Mongolian government withdrew a


Six places to dine during Restaurant Week

Scott Suchman/For The Washington Post Time was, D.C. Restaurant Week stood unchallenged on the Washington food calendar, a week of rapid reservation-making and cautiously assembled checklists of dining destinations. Now, it's not even the only specialty food week taking place during the first week of February. Still, it's one of the most popular weeks of the year to dine out, as restaurants offer prix-fixe lunches for $20.13 and dinners for $35.13. Reservation availability varies, but you'll have better luck (and a better experience) booking lunches instead of dinners when possible. In any case, here are a few participants that are worth a walk-in: Ambar Bandolero DGS Urbana Westend Bistro Woodward Table


Obama team admits failure on Russian reset

government officials and outside analysts here and in Washington. Both of those “achievements” are wins for Russia, not for the United States. We’ve gotten nothing and given up much in the last four years and given Russian President Vladimir Putin a pass on his internal repression. In moving on, the administration finally concedes what critics have been saying during that time. (“We have differences over human rights and democracy. We have differences over — in a number of areas that have been in the media in recent days and weeks,” an official finally admitted.) It is no coincidence that the shift comes as Hilary Rodham Clinton departs as secretary of states. The Russian reset was one of her lauded achievements; now everyone can admit that it was a flop. (The Clinton legacy is already tarnishing.) But the “new” policy is to withdraw, do nothing (“a message that the United States views much of its relationship with Russia as optional”). Well its better than aiding and abetting Putin’s internal crackdown. But really shouldn’t we be doing something, rather than simply ignoring Russian mischief? After all, Russia is engaged in a lot of bad behavior. (“These included the prosecution and jailing of members of the punk band Pussy Riot; the decision to end more than 20 years of cooperation on public health programs and civil society initiatives run by the United States Agency for International Development; cancellation of a partnership to dismantle unconventional weapons; and approval of legislative initiatives clamping down on pro-democracy groups and other nonprofit organizations.”) It would seem that vigorously opposing human-rights violations, being firm about supporting an independent Georgia and taking action in response to the monstrous ban on Russian adoptions by Americans would be in order. Have we no tools for “soft power,” of which the administration speaks so fondly? We don’t need to return to the Cold War, but we certainly should match these moves with a chilly reaction and demonstrate negative diplomatic, economic and trade consequences. Some of these moves may be symbolic, but symbolism is important if for no other reason than to hearten the dissidents under siege in Putin’s regime. And given that Putin’s wealth, and in turn his power, is largely dependent on oil and natural resources we should (as I have argued for many reasons) redouble our efforts to establish energy independence. Low oil prices are a fitting rebuke to Putin.


Sen. Murkowski unveils her big new energy plan. Here’s a breakdown.

including Master Limited Partnerships. 6) Find new ways to slow coal's decline. So, for instance, there's this recommendation: "Ensure that new regulations do not jeopardize the reliability or aﬀordability of electricity, both of which rely heavily upon coal for baseload power generation." And this: "Enable eﬃciency improvements at coal‐ﬁred power plants by reforming regulations that discourage investments in such upgrades. Speciﬁcally, this should include reforms to the New Source Review (NSR) Program that might narrowly exempt eﬃciency improvements from triggering NSR." 7) More support for nuclear power. "These reactors have the potential to replace aging power plants that are near retirement, incrementally add generating capacity as needed, provide strong export potential to foreign markets, and provide reliable oﬀ‐grid power supply," the report explains. 8) Boost the energy efficiency of the U.S. economy, albeit without government mandates. The report also discusses some of the lesser-known barriers to efficiency. "For example, landlords may have little incentive to purchase energy eﬃcient but costly appliances for a new tenant who pays the utility bills. We should address these diﬃculties and see how we might better encourage informed decision‐making, reduce risk, and decrease payback periods for those who are responsible for purchasing eﬃcient equipment." 9) Set a very modest climate policy. But it then adds this: "There are many actions that we can take to mitigate greenhouse gas production and respond to a changing climate, particularly those with broad beneﬁts like eﬃciency improvements, diversiﬁcation of energy supplies, or increasing resilience to adverse weather. These ‘no regrets’ climate policies deserve more attention." So what sorts of policies might this entail? The blueprint lists a few specifics. Some spending on basic R&D for clean-energy technologies, particularly energy storage. Reducing the cost of financing for "promising technologies." And speeding up the permit process for low-carbon energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal. Plus, some of the items above could help reduce emissions, such as expanded hydropower and efficiency. ---- All told, Murkowski's plan is quite distinct from what many environmentalists (and Democrats) have envisioned for energy and climate policy. There's no price on carbon. There's not a lot of money for deploying low-carbon technologies. And oil and coal get a big boost. That said, there are quite a few ideas in here — particularly on energy efficiency and financing for clean energy — that might be able to attract some interest from the other side of the aisle.


Why growing concentrated poverty dooms school reform

for those experiencing it remains tragically unchanged. The number and proportion of families living in concentrated poverty dropped briefly during the boom years of the 1990s, but it has since increased again and even spread further: [T]he problem of poverty concentration is growing, and the type of district grappling with the issue is no longer confined to those in urban areas. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s Condition of Education, 47 percent of elementary students now attend majority low-income schools, and the proportion of high-poverty schools has grown from 34 percent in 1999 to 47 percent in 2008. A 2010 Brookings Institution report, “The Suburbanization of Poverty,” found that in the nation’s largest metropolitan areas, more poor people live in large suburbs than in their primary cities. (Kahlenberg p.3) This trend frustrates efforts to improve educational achievement among low-income and minority students. Concentrated poverty plays a key role in explaining why poor white students perform better on tests, on average, than African-American students with similar family incomes. Not only are white children much less likely than their black peers to live in poverty (12.5 percent versus 37 percent), among those who are poor, only 12 percent of white children live in concentrated poverty, while nearly half of poor African-American children do. Black students are thus much more likely to attend schools in which most of their classmates are also poor. It isn’t hard to imagine the impact of this divide: black students disproportionately lack peers whose parents went to college and who take for granted that they will go; their schools and the pathways to them are more likely to be dangerous; their PTAs are comprised of parents with little political power to get the school system to meet their demands; and too many parents are overwhelmed by factors that render help with homework a major challenge–multiple or late-night jobs, cramped and unhealthy housing, lack of heat, and insufficient food. Breaking up concentrated poverty and reducing segregation at the neighborhood and school levels offers tremendous potential. As Kahlenberg points out, “on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, low-income fourth grade students given the chance to attend more-affluent schools in math are two years ahead of low-income students stuck in high-poverty schools.” Harvard University professor Heather Schwartz also finds that socioeconomic integration trumps extra resources in boosting achievement. In her rigorous study of Montgomery County, Maryland schools, low-income students whose


The case for the too-big-to-fail banks

four biggest U.S. banks and others from overseas that would also fit in the too-big-to-fail category. If the U.S. government capped bank assets at $300 billion (JPMorgan is $2.3 trillion), the four largest banks would become 25 mid-sized banks; that would suggest a company looking for a loan like the one Kinder Morgan took out last year would either have to turn to foreign banks or deal with the hassle of coordinating with dozens of smaller American banks. This is related to a second line of argument: That without huge, regulated banks, companies will turn to the unregulated “shadow banking” sector to meet their financial needs, such as by issuing commercial paper. The collapse of the shadow banking system was a crucial factor in the 2008 crisis, and the government ultimately backstopped large portions of it, as well. If a bank break-up sparked a vast expansion of shadow banking, it would make the financial system more vulnerable. I find less persuasive Sims’s argument that we shouldn’t worry too much about concentration in the banking system because it’s not quite as severe in the United States as in other countries. One of the paper's tables notes that the largest U.S. bank, JPMorgan Chase, has assets that amount to 15 percent of U.S. GDP, where other countries have much larger ratios. Switzerland has two banks, Credit Suisse and UBS, that each has assets of an eye-popping 177 percent of Swiss GDP; Britain’s HSBC has assets of more than 100 percent of British GDP. But that strikes me more as a sign that Switzerland and Britain have big problems, not that the United States has it right. The fact that we can more easily afford to bail out our banking system than some European nations can is not a good reason to leave in place a system that will require periodic federal bailouts. As the too-big-to-fail debate heats up, these are the questions that proponents of breaking up the banks and the financial industry’s defenders need to wrestle with. What real value do megabanks create for the world? Do they need to be this huge to fulfill their roles? Can regulation be enough to tame their inherent risks, or do they need to be split up? I don’t know the answers, but properly resolving them is one of the crucial challenges for creating an economic future with more prosperity and fewer crippling crises.


Holey Moly

local trio, began catering in late 2012 and will open in Metro Center by late February. The same doughnuts-and-fried chicken concept is the focus of GBD (“golden brown and delicious”), the latest project by Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s pastry chef Tiffany MacIsaac, slated to open next month in Dupont Circle. That neighborhood has already seen the soft opening of Zeke’s D.C. Donutz, owned by TangySweet’s Aaron Gordon, which officially opens Friday. But wait, there’s more: Dunkin’ Donuts is in the process of expanding locally (the chain announced plans to open 86 new shops in the D.C. metro area by 2020). Even restaurants are increasingly featuring doughnuts. So what makes the timing right for this hole new frontier? “People are reinventing them,” says Astro Doughnuts co-owner Elliot Spaisman, “using good ingredients and putting interesting twists on flavors. It’s making them more exciting.” District Doughnut’s Menna brings up the popularity of other inventive bakeries around the country, such as New York’s Doughnut Plant (which sells a legendary creme brulee doughnut) and the even quirkier Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Ore. (where you can get a doughnut in the shape of a voodoo doll). “Every other city has its niche doughnut spot, and D.C. doesn’t,” Menna says. Then there’s the nostalgia. A number of locals — including Carolyn Crow, the pastry chef at Jackie’s Restaurant in Silver Spring — have warm childhood memories associated with a baker’s dozen. “It’s comfort food,” Crow says, “and it always makes me think of when I was little and my grandparents would bring over doughnuts on Saturdays.” Many chefs and restaurateurs who have witnessed the cupcake boom of the past several years have already considered whether doughnuts will be another short-lived craze, or if they’ll stick around as part of the area’s food scene. The trailblazers of D.C.’s doughnut scene are betting on the long view. “Doughnuts are an American staple,” Menna says. What’s What (click on image above to enlarge) top row, from left to right: Chocolate Earl Grey Beignet Cuckoo for Cocoa Teiglach middle row, from left to right: Bacon-Toffee Glazed Peppermint Patty Princes Krofna bottom row, from left to right: Raspberry Lemon Meringue Creamsicle Mexican Chocolate On the Cover: (see image at top) top row, from left to right: Chocolate Glazed Vanilla Caramel Apple Streusel middle row, from left to right: Apricot-Pistachio Black Forest Sugar-Covered bottom row, from left to right: Mixed Berry Banana-Nutella Creme Brulee


Resetting Russian reset, and the rest of Obama’s foreign policy

be prosecuted based on a coerced confession. A Putin critic living in Britain, Aleksandr Perepilichny, died under mysterious circumstances last November, recalling the poisoning death of Aleksandr Litvinenko in 2006. Also during 2012, the Russian government forced the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) out of the country; the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute soon followed. The legal and practical space for civil society and political opposition in Russia is closing quickly. They remind us that “Putinism is rooted in corruption. The regime uses the pliant legal system as an instrument to suppress all forms of opposition and protect the corrupt division of economic resources among loyalists. The most senior officials and business magnates are given control over valuable sectors of the economy, especially extractive industries. Such short-sighted perversion of economic forces almost ensures the system’s decline, preventing competition.” Rather than ignore Russia, as the administration is hinting it may do, the authors propose a series of smart readjustments in U.S. policy: Actively challenge—rhetorically and through policy decisions—the authoritarian actions of the Putin regime, and do so at the highest levels of the U.S. government, starting with President Obama. Abandon talk of seeking “win-win” cooperation, since Putin views power relations in zero-sum terms and will not pursue such mutual benefits in good faith Implement aggressively and fairly the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act to deny those Russian officials involved in human rights abuses the privileges of U.S. travel and banking services. Restore the notion of “linkage” as a policy tool to make clear that human rights and democracy are part of and will affect the broader bilateral relationship. Stand in solidarity with Russian activists—financially and vocally—by finding innovative ways to continue supporting those who seek political liberalization in Russia. This will be most effective when it is coordinated with allies. Delay a decision on President Obama’s attendance at the Group of 20 meeting in Moscow in September, and indicate that an earlier trip to meet with Putin in Russia is not possible without a serious turnaround in the country’s human rights situation. Withhold support for Russia’s bid to join the OECD unless and until Moscow starts abiding by the rules and norms of organizations to which it already belongs. Aggressively investigate potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in Russia. Work with Russia whenever possible, but when its leaders obstruct international efforts to uphold


Why quantum mechanics is an “embarrassment” to science

Back in 2011, a survey was taken of various physicists and mathematicians at a conference on "Quantum Physics and the Nature of Reality" in Austria. Thirty-three of the world's top experts were asked to list their favorite interpretation of quantum mechanics. Niels Bohr is very disappointed in you all. The result? Not a single one of the interpretations could even garner a simple majority vote. Ninety years after the theory was first developed, there's still no consensus on what quantum physics actually means. "I’ll go out on a limb to suggest that the results of this poll should be very embarrassing to physicists," wrote cosmologist Sean Carroll. (On the plus side, the theory turns out to be very, very, very, very accurate in making experimental predictions. So there's that!) In the video below, Carroll breaks down the basics of why scientists can't seem to agree on how to interpret quantum mechanics — and explains why it's so critical: "What is quantum mechanics, really? I mean, that's like saying 'what is the Universe?' What more important question is there than that?" Quantum Mechanics (an embarrassment) - Sixty Symbols It's a little longer and nerdier than our usual Lunch Break videos, but probably worth it in the end. (Link via io9's Robert Gonzales, who has some additional smart comments.)


Brickside opens in Bethesda; Bourbon Adams Morgan gets a beer boost

If you're in a happy hour rut, a new Bethesda bar offers discount drinks and Prohibition-themed cocktails, and the Adams Morgan branch of Bourbon is unveiling a new 20 tap beer lineup tonight. Brickside Food and Drink's decor includes this giant "Vote against Prohibition" sign, copied from a landmark in Baltimore. (Fritz Hahn/The Post) Brickside Food and Drink From punches served in Mason jars to a large "Vote Against Prohibition" sign painted onto a bare brick wall, Bethesda's new Brickside Food and Drink is hitting all the faux-Prohibition notes. But as long as the drinks are good, I'll play along. Brickside soft-opened last Thursday (its grand opening will be February 15) and while it's not quite firing on all cylinders yet, it's worth stopping in for happy hour. Besides, where else in Bethesda will you find such classic cocktails as the 12 Mile Limit and the Mary Pickford? The bar's menu is as minimal as the décor: You'll only find three cocktails and four punches on the list. But they're done well. The Gunpowder Punch, a blend of rye whiskey, tea and lemon, is a smooth, herbal cocktail with a hint of spice to it. (It's garnished with a half-turn of white pepper from a grinder.) The Pimm's Punch is a sweet teaser for summer: a pale pink concoction with strawberries, oranges and mint. Happy hour runs from 4 to 7 p.m. and includes $4 drafts (some, like Flying Dog and Guinness are $5), $4 rail drinks and house wine, $10 buckets of bottled beer and discounted appetizers. There are also daily specials. On Monday, all martinis are $7 until last call. Among the new cocktails at Bourbon is the Ms. Corningstone, which stars gin, genever and a syrup made from basil and white peppercorns. (Fritz Hahn/The Post) Bourbon The staff at Bourbon refer to its bar being "reborn," which is a bit of a stretch. Let's just say your options have increased for the better. The Adams Morgan whiskey bar has expanded its draft selection to 20 taps on both floors, thanks to a new custom-built beer delivery system. It's salted with some "exclusive" beers that you can't find on tap anywhere else, such as Eggenberg Helles Lager and St. Idesbald Dubbel from Huyghe, the brewers of Delirium Tremens. In a neighborhood with plenty of other beer options (Black Squirrel, Smoke and Barrel, Mellow Mushroom), it's a smart idea.


Wonkbook: Are both sides bluffing on the sequester?

time for a nation $16 trillion in debt to cut spending. That’s balance." Charles Krauthammer in The Washington Post. SOLTAS: Good and bad goals for the budget. Music recommendations interlude: Top op-eds EISENBREY: The case against more high-skilled immigration. WOLF: It is time for a fundamental reset of monetary policy. CHANDRA, JENA, AND SEABURY: New, higher estimates on the costs of defensive medicine. BARRO: Why health care challenges conservatives. CAMPBELL: Background checks work for guns. We just have to fund them. 'Throwing like a girl' interlude: 2) It's a bad economy, but it's getting better How unemployment has touched 80 percent of people. ...But -- good news -- joblessness keeps falling. About your 'makers vs. takers' narrative: it's wrong. 2013 is looking to be a weak year for economic growth. Consumers keep spending, despite payroll tax hike. ...And the case that consumers are beginning to scrimp. ...But some at the Fed are getting worried about the consequences of extended monetary easing. "Federal Reserve Board Governor Jeremy Stein said there isn't an imminent threat to the wider financial system, but highlighted several markets—including junk bonds, mortgage real-estate investment trusts and commercial banks' securities holdings—as areas where potentially troubling developments are emerging, possibly as a result of the Fed's easy-money policies. Mr. Stein spoke Thursday at a symposium at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Mr. Stein's comments are significant because they are among the strongest from a Fed official about risks developing in bond markets in the presence of low interest rates and because he raises the prospect that the Fed might, down the road, need to use tighter credit policies to deal with it." Victoria McGrane and Jon Hilsenrath in The Wall Street Journal. GE says that economic uncertainty isn't the end of everything. Mathematics interlude: 3) Republicans, the accidental Obamacare enablers Republican governors are embracing the Medicaid expansion. Meet the men and women in Congress who want to repeal the medical-device tax. HHS delays Basic Health Plan option until 2015. Movement accelerates towards final 'doc fix.' ...But look at the savings from the Affordable Care Act. Tavenner renominated to head Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Catherine Rampell is absolutely right, this is hilarious interlude: 4) It's policy time for gun control House Dems unveil gun-control proposals. Biden to press his case in Philly. "The White House, seeking more police support for its push to toughen gun laws,


Here’s to a bigger, boozier O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub

Last weekend, O'Sullivan's Irish Pub went from being a cozy spot for darts and a pint of Guinness to being one of Clarendon's biggest bars. An expansion into two neighboring storefronts – an aromatherapy store and a deli – created a "Whiskey Bar" room, with a large bar showcasing nearly 100 whiskeys, and a new dining room. More importantly, capacity almost tripled, and now stands at 297. "We took over the lease for [the other businesses] last year, and we talked about what we could do with space," says manager David Morrin. "We realized that, if we had 30 whiskeys, and they were all selling well, why not go all out and make it a dedicated whiskey bar?" The new entrance to O'Sullivan's Irish Pub, which is located on Wilson Boulevard, leads directly into the Whiskey Bar. (Fritz Hahn/The Post) The whiskey collection is international in scope: There are 25 from Ireland, 25 bourbons and 30 Scotches, with the rest a mix of American, Japanese and Canadian whiskeys. Plans are in place for "at least 15 flights," which Morrin says will be educational in nature. He envisions a guest being able to try three different ages of Glenlivet Scotch (the bar currently has five), or comparing a 12-year-old bourbon, a 12-year-old Scotch and a 12-year-old Irish whiskey. The future also holds monthly whiskey tastings – Glenlivet has already held one – and a whiskey club, with prizes for trying a certain number of bottles or styles. That said, I doubt it will attract a snobby drawing room that wants to debate the merits of single malts from Campbeltown. The new bar, with its red walls and stained wood, still feels like O'Sullivan's. Dozens of bottles of whiskey may be lined up in front of a huge Guinness-logo mirror, but soccer plays on the TVs and rock music blasts from the speakers. There's much more space to spread out at the long bar counter, and at tables in the back. One thing you'll notice: An expanded number of draft beers, with a couple of microbrews from Founders and New Holland joining the trinity of Guinness, Harp and Smithwick's. Many things will remain the same, though: Bands still perform on a stage in the "original" O'Sullivan's on Friday and Saturday nights, the pub quiz is on Wednesdays, and karaoke is featured on Tuesdays. (Morrin does helpfully point out that the new whiskey


Stephen Starr’s Le Diplomate to open in March with chef Adam Schop

Le Diplomate chef Adam Schop. (ThreeLockharts PR) One of the most anticipated restaurants of the season, Le Diplomate from Philadelphia restaurant mogul Stephen Starr, announced the name of its top toque today: Adam Schop. The 37-year-old chef, whose resume includes the pan-Latin Nuela in New York and the admired Zinc Bistro in Scottsdale, beat out more than a dozen serious candidates for the job – including three French chefs. Praising his hire for his interest in the evolution of dishes as much as for his cooking skills, Starr says, “He’s almost an archaeologist of food.” The restaurateur, who has had his eye on Washington for some time, says he can’t wait to open his 30th food concept next month. “I’m fascinated by politics,” says Starr, who plans to introduce the 200-seat French restaurant at 1601 14th St. NW in late March. Washington, he adds, is also “a great city to run in.” The nation’s capital doesn’t lack French options, but Starr thinks Le Diplomate -- what he calls a more intimate version of his Parc restaurant on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia -- brings something extra to the table. The charms include a corner location in Logan Circle, an independent structure rather than “something in an office building” and -- not unlike in Paris -- an umbrella-covered terrace. (Sixty seats looking onto Q St. NW) “It’s going to feel as if you’re somewhere else, without being theme-y,” Starr says of the forthcoming dining room. His designer scoured flea markets and farmhouses in France and Belgium, returning with bar tops, moldings and millwork to dress the interior. Reached in Paris, where he’s concluding a six-day tour of some 20 bistros and brasseries, Schop offered a preview of his still-evolving menu for Le Diplomate. The chef hopes to appeal to multiple appetites with oysters and Champagne for celebrants; omelets, steak frites and quiche for bistro fans; and more elaborate fare for the adventurous. Picture lavender-roasted, dry-aged duck and suckling pig with prune gastrique. Starr says he was warned against serving breakfast, but he’s offering the meal (“a magical time”) anyway. Bread baked in-house throughout the day and coffee from Philadelphia’s artisanal roaster La Colombe, should help the cause. Starr says the name for the restaurant originated during a trip to Paris, when he passed a restaurant with some chairs parked out front. They were labeled “Le Diplomate,” a brand that stuck in his


Wrestling in the Olympics: Is there a better sport to drop?

There may be no wrestling in the 2020 Olympics, wherever they are held. (Paul Sancya / AP) The International Olympic Committee’s executive board today recommended that wrestling be eliminated from the 2020 Olympics, a decision that all but guarantees that one of the oldest sports in the Games will be dropped. The recommendation was a shocker, given the presence of the words “Greco-Roman” in one style of competition and the fact that the sport was part of the first modern Olympics in 1896. The decision is not, however, final — at least not yet. “This is a process of renewing and renovating the program for the Olympics,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. “In the view of the executive board, this was the best program for the Olympic Games in 2020. It’s not a case of what’s wrong with wrestling, it is what’s right with the [other] 25 core sports.” Those sports are, according to IOC.org: athletics (track and field, marathons), rowing, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cycling, equestrian, fencing, football, gymnastics, weightlifting, handball, hockey, judo, swimming, modern pentathlon, taekwondo, tennis, table tennis, shooting, archery, triathlon, sailing and volleyball. Wrestling now goes into a hopper with seven other sports hoping to be the one chosen for inclusion in 2020. They’ll make presentations to the executive board in May, with the final vote coming in September. The seven other sports are baseball/softball, karate, squash, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu. Among the factors taken into consideration, according to the IOC, were television ratings, ticket sales, anti-doping policy and global participation and popularity. Wrestling lost out this time, the Associated Press reported, to taekwondo, field hockey and modern pentathlon, which has been an Olympic competition since 1912. Its governing body lobbied energetically and successfully with the executive committee. “We have promised things and we have delivered,” Klaus Schormann, the president of modern pentathlon’s governing body, said (via AP). “That gives me a great feeling. It also gives me new energy to develop our sport further and never give up.” So the modern pentathlon stays. What sport, then, should be dropped from the Olympics? USA has won 124 Olympic medals in wrestling, more than gymnastics (102) or boxing (111), 3rd behind track (788) and swimming (520) Dropping wrestling from the #2020olympics Not on my watch. Got a lot to do today I know they are not ready to take on the wrestling world Everyone


Morning links: Mardi Gras

Yamomanem at farragut square Soundtrack: Yamomanem, who will second-line from Dupont Circle to Bayou today at 4 p.m. • For everything Mardi Gras, see Nightlife Agenda and here. • Restaurant Week begins. Restaurant Week ends. Restaurant Week gets extended. [Washingtonian] • What's the best D.C. dish priced at $5 or less? [Eater] • The New Republic profiles Ezra Klein, our Post colleague and a huge fan of Great Wall Szechuan House. [TNR] • Free Turkish coffee on the streets of D.C. today, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. [Eater] • Find yourself complaining about a lack of singles in Washington? Get thee to Rosslyn and Upper Northwest, apparently. [DCist] • Wiseguy's Pizza gets some love on the "as good as New York" front. [Girl Meets Food]


Trey Anastasio to join the National Symphony Orchestra for a night of Phish songs

Mark your calendars, and break out your finest phormalwear, Phish fans: The jam band's frontman Trey Anastasio will join the National Symphony Orchestra Pops for an evening of Phish and solo material on May 22. Tickets are $36 to $85 and go on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. through the Kennedy Center Web site, or by calling 202-467-4600. (Kennedy Center members can purchase tickets now.) This isn't the first time Anastasio has appeared with an orchestra. In 2009, he joined the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; in 2012, he joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Catch a glimpse of that show below.


Hatchet Job of the Year Award

the Omnivore Web site in England, and you know how clubby those Brits can be. I never stood a chance. . . . Instead, this evening in London, Camilla Long won for her lacerating review of Rachel Cusk’s “Aftermath: On Marriage and Separation.” She described the book as a nasty, bizarre memoir written by a “brittle little dominatrix and peerless narcissist.” But the important thing — and I think we can all agree on this — is that these literary prizes are just popularity contests, and everybody knows I deserved to win, and those pants make you look fat. As the winner, Long received a golden hatchet and a year’s supply of potted shrimp — shrimp sauteed in butter and mace — one of those national delicacies that’s made British food a favorite the world over. But I’m fine. Really. (Proust never won the Nobel, you know.) And I don’t even like shrimp. One last look at the brutal finalists before we pass into the obscurity of history: - Craig Brown described Richard Bradford’s “The Odd Couple” as “a triumph of ‘cut and paste’ . . . the most shameless exercise in marketing old rope that I’ve ever come across.” - Richard Evans wrote that A.N. Wilson’s new biography of Hitler was a travesty — a collection of stale, unoriginal material, banal, cliché-ridden historical judgements, written in a lame, tired narrative style by a repellently arrogant man. - Claire Harman called Andrew Motion’s novel a boring and implausible sequel to “Treasure Island.” - Zoë Heller said Salman Rushdie’s memoir, “Joseph Anton,” is written with “lordly nonchalance” by a man who portrays himself as an “an embattled, literary immortal-in-waiting.” - Allan Massie wrote that “The Divine Comedy,” by Craig Raine, is a wearisome, self-indulgent, affected, mannered, rather silly sex-obsessed novel. - Suzanne Moore couldn’t stand the utter drivel and dumbed-down feminism of “Vagina,” by the infinitely privileged and sheltered Naomi Wolf. - And finally, yours truly, described Martin Amis’s meandering novel “Lionel Asbo” as full of class mockery that curdles into a misanthropic vision of human suffering from an author unwilling to exert more effort than it would take to change the channel from “Jersey Shore” to “Half Pint Brawlers.” Let’s take a breath and remember this little poem by the late, great poet George Garrett: To a Certain Critic Obviously, he was talking about those other losers. Not me. charlesr@washpost.com


READ: The President’s State of the Union address

and work to pass a budget that replaces reckless cuts with smart savings and wise investments in our future. And let’s do it without the brinksmanship that stresses consumers and scares off investors. The greatest nation on Earth cannot keep conducting its business by drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next. Let’s agree, right here, right now, to keep the people’s government open, pay our bills on time, and always uphold the full faith and credit of the United States of America. The American people have worked too hard, for too long, rebuilding from one crisis to see their elected officials cause another. Now, most of us agree that a plan to reduce the deficit must be part of our agenda. But let’s be clear: deficit reduction alone is not an economic plan. A growing economy that creates good, middle-class jobs – that must be the North Star that guides our efforts. Every day, we should ask ourselves three questions as a nation: How do we attract more jobs to our shores? How do we equip our people with the skills needed to do those jobs? And how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living? A year and a half ago, I put forward an American Jobs Act that independent economists said would create more than one million new jobs. I thank the last Congress for passing some of that agenda, and I urge this Congress to pass the rest. Tonight, I’ll lay out additional proposals that are fully paid for and fully consistent with the budget framework both parties agreed to just 18 months ago. Let me repeat – nothing I’m proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime. It’s not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government that sets priorities and invests in broad-based growth. Our first priority is making America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing. After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three. Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from Japan. Ford is bringing jobs back from Mexico. After locating plants in other countries like China, Intel is opening its most advanced plant right here at home. And this year, Apple will start making Macs in America again. There are things we can do, right now, to accelerate this trend. Last year, we created our


Indian pop-up D.C. Dosa finds a home at Whole Foods in Foggy Bottom

- a pop-up event - Domku The four-lentil dosa at District Dosa, customized with potato curry filling and cilantro-sesame chutney. (Lavanya Ramanathan/The Washington Post) But if the event's intent was to whet the appetite of the dining public for a new standalone restaurant, that's not exactly how this pop-up turned out: Among those who dined at the D.C. Dosa pop-up was a Whole Foods Market employee, who saw promise in Ammu and the dosas. A little negotiation followed, and last month, Ammu quietly began serving her vegan, lentil-based, wheat-free dish under the District Dosa banner in the food court of Whole Foods's Foggy Bottom shop. The kiosk offers three variations of the dosa for $8 apiece daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Diners pick their type of crepe at the counter, choose a filling (the traditional potato, eggplant and sweet potato, or carrot and cabbage) and then watch as it's made. Don't forget a chutney: The best might be the cilantro-sesame, but Ammu also offers tomato-peanut and carrot-yogurt. Priya Ammu found a home for D.C. Dosa at Whole Foods in Foggy Bottom. (Lavanya Ramanathan/The Washington Post) About the "dosas" In the strictest sense of the word, they're not exactly the rice-based crepe you'll recognize from South Indian restaurants in the area. Instead, Ammu's crepes are inspired by close cousins of the dosa. Her four-lentil variety with ground peppercorn and dried red chilis is the equivalent of what's known as adai dosa, while the green-tinged mung-bean variety is pesarattu, and her fluffy yellow-lentil dosa is better known as uttapam. My favorite combo? The kicky mung-bean dosa with the eggplant and sweet potato filling, which somehow reminded me the most of eating something my grandmother would make. For most of you, this will border on TMI. But it's worth noting that these dishes are more often cooked in South Indian homes as breakfast or a snack than served at restaurants. Because lentils make up the batter, they're dense and protein-packed. And the fact that they're dairy-free certainly doesn't hurt the calorie count. “Some people are surprised it’s not the long, crispy masala dosa," explains Ammu. "I explain to them it’s more nutritious and more filling."


Aisle Be There

Aisle Be There Joe in A Jar Beachy Clean Look Hue’s Here! Sunshine Statements


The world has no real defense against killer meteors (but it has one very good idea)

shatter it into pieces, which could make it even more dangerous. "Now you’ve got a shotgun blast instead of a single shot," a former U.S. Air Force Space Command office tells Ackerman. Fortunately, there is an idea for a defense – an idea that Ackerman called a "gravity tractor" and has been around for at least a few years under similar names. It turns out that you don't need to detonate a nuclear warhead on an asteroid to change its course, you just need to place a heavy object nearby to divert its course. If the gravity tractor ideas sounds crazy, it's only because Hollywood has been feeding us junk science on meteors for years now. "Many people think of a planet as a vacuum cleaner whose gravity sucks in everything in its vicinity," Gregg Easterbrook explained in a great 2008 story for The Atlantic. But it turns out that space objects are more likely to be a slingshot away from the Earth by its gravity; actually hitting the Earth requires the meteor to slip into a relatively tiny window, called a "keyhole." And knocking it away from that keyhole should be relatively easy. Here's Easterbrook: For any space object approaching a planet, there exists a “keyhole”—a patch in space where the planet’s gravity and the object’s momentum align, causing the asteroid or comet to hurtle toward the planet. Researchers have calculated the keyholes for a few space objects and found that they are tiny, only a few hundred meters across—pinpoints in the immensity of the solar system. You might think of a keyhole as the win-a-free-game opening on the 18th tee of a cheesy, incredibly elaborate miniature-golf course. All around the opening are rotating windmills, giants stomping their feet, dragons walking past, and other obstacles. If your golf ball hits the opening precisely, it will roll down a pipe for a hole in one. Miss by even a bit, and the ball caroms away. Tiny alterations might be enough to deflect a space rock headed toward a keyhole. “The reason I am optimistic about stopping near-Earth-object impacts is that it looks like we won’t need to use fantastic levels of force,” Schweickart says. He envisions a “gravitational tractor,” a spacecraft weighing only a few tons—enough to have a slight gravitational field. If an asteroid’s movements were precisely understood, placing a gravitational tractor in exactly the right place should, ever


Shorthand

* Steve Cohen was tweeting at his daughter. * Tom Vilsack won't run for Senate. * Herman Cain will soon be on Fox News. * Jesse Jackson was charged. * And Obama talked fatherhood.


The harrowing story behind the World Press Photo of the year

(Paul Hansen, Dagens Nyheter -- Associated Press) World Press Photo has announced the recipient of its annual news photography award: Paul Hansen of the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. He won for this image of Palestinian men carrying the bodies of two small children, who had been killed during the fighting that broke out in Gaza between Hamas and Israeli forces. The two children are Suhaib Hijazi, a two-year-old girl, and Mohamed Hijazi, her four-year-old brother. The men carrying them are their uncles; their father's body is visible in the photo's background. “The strength of the pictures lies in the way it contrasts the anger and sorrow of the adults with the innocence of the children,” Peruvian jury member Mayu Mohanna told the Associated Press. “It’s a picture I will not forget.” Human Rights Watch released a lengthy report this week investigating damage and loss of life in Gaza that it says appear to have been caused by Israeli air strikes. The report, as Yousef Munayyer of the Palestine Center pointed out, includes a section on the Hijazi children. Here's what it says: On November 19 at around 7:30 p.m., a single munition struck the house of the Hijazi family in Block 8 of the Jabalya refugee camp. The small, two-story cinderblock house was mostly demolished while 10 family members were inside. The strike killed Fouad Hijazi, a 46-year-old janitor at the Hamad secondary school, along with two of his children, Mohamed, 4, and Sohaib, 2. His wife, Amna, was wounded, as were three of their sons and a daughter. One of the survivors, Nur Hijazi, 18, said that she was at home with her parents, four brothers and one sister when the attack took place: "Mohamed and Sohaib were with my father in another room. The rest of the family was in another room watching TV. At 7:30 I saw the whole place turn red and suddenly the whole house collapsed on our heads. I found myself at my neighbor’s house and one of my neighbors took me to an ambulance. I was hospitalized for four days at Kamal Adwan Hospital. I have two broken bones in my spine. I don’t need surgery but I’m in a lot of pain. [Doctors said that] I must lie in bed for one month." Human Rights Watch also saw three of Nur’s wounded brothers. Ashraf, 17, had cuts on his chest, upper arm


The Insiders: Questions about the Obama legacy

President Barack Obama delivers his Inaugural Address. (Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press) This post has been updated. President’s Day Most presidential legacies Undoubtedly, Obama has “Nobel Peace Prize winner” as part of his biography, even if that seems bewildering or comical at the present. The reasons other presidents have received Nobel Peace Prizes tend to be mostly forgotten. Just as his Nobel prize was said to be aspirational, his hallmark legislative achievement — the passage of Obamacare — is nowhere near being fully interpreted by regulators or health-care consumers and providers, much less by historians. If you read Obama’s most recent State of the Union address, it’s filled with platitudes and legislative initiatives that are met mostly with a shrug by the public and more importantly, by Congress, so it’s hard to see what a lasting achievement might be ahead in his second term. Perhaps Obama has punted. Read what Joe Klein, who is often sympathetic to the president, wrote in TIME magazine about “Obama aiming low, missing greatness.” Perhaps his legacy will be that he took us over the tipping point where more Americans expect something from the government than expect to be left alone by the government. But hopefully that will dissipate, depending on what Republicans can do to mitigate his actions, or what the next president will do to grow our economy. There’s certainly no chance that Obama will be associated with good times or a robust economy. The exit from Afghanistan will probably be best remembered by what happens in the next few years after we leave, rather than by anything the president did to leave his mark on that country. All partisanship aside, with the exception of breaking the barrier as the first African-American president, the Obama legacy seems pretty flat. I invite readers to chime in if I’ve missed something he’s done that they think will stand the test of time.


Wonkbook: Feds to run 26 Obamacare exchanges

to Wonkbook at Gmail dot com. To read more by Ezra and his team, go to Wonkblog. Wonkbook's Number of the Day: 26. (REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi) Wonkblog's Graph of the Day: Wonkbook's Top 5 Stories: 1) Top story: Obamacare, and what's next for health policy It's official: the Feds will run most of the Obamacare exchanges. The details of the dental plans in ACA are emerging. Big tobacco and anti-cancer advocates agree that ACA provision goes too far. Meanwhile, government is pushing two high-profile medical research initiatives. The first: ...And the second: KLEIN: Paying for our retirements and elderly health care. CHRISTENSEN, FLIER, AND VIJAYARAGHAVAN: The coming failure of 'accountable care.' Music recommendations interlude: Top op-eds RUHS AND MARTIN: The U.S. should let the U.K.'s immigration policy immigrate. ROBINSON: It's beginning to look a lot like...immigration reform. PONNURU: A balanced-budget amendment is a bad idea. FOLBRE: Preschool economics. LANE: Resolving the minimum-wage debate. BROOKS: What data can't do. NOCERA: Misguided environmentalism. Wow videos interlude: 2) Krueger's take on the economy Economy going through 'a lot of healing,' says Alan Krueger. Why aren't more countries run by economists? The Fed is reconsidering its exit strategy from monetary stimulus. ...And the SEC has a lot of work to do. Legal interlude: 3) Other countries are getting our rejected immigrants Other countries want the immigrants the U.S. is turning down. U.S. struggles to nab those who overstay visas. Video interlude: 4) The political opening for gun control Obama is using his political freedom to talk issues -- like gun control. Pro-gun lawmakers are open to limits on high-capacity magazines. Interview: Ta-Nehisi Coates talks to Harold Pollack about gun control and crime. Study: Teen depression linked to higher property crime, but not violent crime. Historical interlude: 5) The fight over Keystone The risks Obama faces on Keystone. The green movement is making this a fight. Meanwhile, gas prices rose sharply last month. Vistas interlude: Wonkblog Roundup Big tobacco and anti-cancer advocates agree on something in the ACA Have seniors really paid for their Social Security and Medicare Why aren't more countries run by economists Teen depression linked only to property crime, study finds Why Washington will run the exchanges. Sarah Kliff. Et Cetera Why self-insurance could be a problem for the ACA Infrastructure rhetoric is a bridge to nowhere A cardiac conundrum Got tips, additions, or comments? Wonkbook is produced with help from Michelle Williams.


How would the sequester affect national parks?

(Julie Jacobson/AP) A few items that caught our attention today: • The sequester could result in significant impacts on the national park system, including a three-week delay of Yellowstone’s spring opening and shuttered campgrounds and visitor centers along the Blue Ridge Parkway, according to an article by Lisa Rein. • Younger veterans have a hard time finding work, even though veterans as a whole have a lower unemployment rate than the nation at large, according to an Associated Press article. • The second-term turnover among President Obama’s senior staff is typical but still challenging, wrote In the Loop’s Emily Heil. For more federal news, visit The Federal Eye, The Fed Page and Post Politics. Connect with Josh Hicks by following him on Twitter, subscribing to his Facebook page or e-mailing hicksja@washpost.com. E-mail federalworker@washpost.com with news tips and other suggestions.


Marion Barry’s mayoral house is for sale

Marion Barry’s old family home on at 3607 Suitland Road SE. (MRIS) Live in a piece of Washington history: The house at 3607 Suitland Road SE, where Marion Barry lived and raised his family during his first three terms as mayor, is on the market for the first time since 1993. It could be yours for $469,000. That’s a drop from the original listing price of $489,900 but still a heck of a lot more than the $125,000 that Marion and Effi Barry paid for the Hillcrest home in 1979. Barry experienced the highest peaks and deepest valleys of his political and personal life while living in the 3,000-square-foot, four-bed, four-bath home. It was an early source of controversy for Barry as mayor, when it was disclosed that he had received a discounted mortgage from a bank on whose board of directors his wife sat. He gave up the discount and went on to spend 14 years in the home, raising his son Christopher there. Effi Barry never allowed reporters inside the family home, but she described the home to The Washington Post in 1979: “It has, she said, four bedrooms, a large living room with a fireplace, an ample dining room, a large kitchen (which she said seats 15), a lower-level family room with a fireplace, two full baths, a patio and offstreet parking for two cars — their Volvo and Seville — in the rear.” The recent property listing offers a little more detail: “This Hill Crest stunner has it all! Boasting over 3000 finished sq feet. 4 bedrooms, 2 full/2 half baths, updated kitchen with granite & stainless steel appliances, updated bathrooms, 2 fireplaces, finished basement with rec space, gym and tons of storage. A large fenced in yard with basketball court and off street parking. Minutes to Capitol Hill and Metro. Don’t miss out!!!” Effi and Christopher moved out of the house in November 1990, shortly after Marion Barry was sentenced to six months in prison for a cocaine possession misdemeanor. After he left prison in 1992, Barry relocated to a Ward 8 apartment and launched a successful D.C. Council run to represent that ward. The next year, Marion and Effi would officially divorce and sell the Suitland Road house. Barry, in an interview last week, didn’t express a whole lot of sentimentality about the home, though he recalled building the basketball hoop in the back


Stanley McChrystal says the U.S. should reinstitute the draft

Retired U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal speaking at a January 2013 Brookings Institute conference. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images) "America suffers right now from the fact that many Americans don't meet or deal with anybody outside their social or cultural circle," retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal tells Foreign Affairs in a lengthy interview. "I think mandatory national service would have a huge effect to help us in that direction." It's not a fundamentally new argument to say that the U.S., if it had a draft military, might be more careful about using military force and more restrained in deploying its service members. Still, it's interesting to see McChrystal, who led the international force in Afghanistan before resigning in disgrace in 2010, making that case himself. The "reinstate the draft" argument is typically associated with liberal Democrats and with opponents of U.S. military action, not with the generals who lead that action. Here's more from the interview: So was it a mistake to move to a volunteer army? I'm not sure it was a mistake, because the volunteer army I served in was this extraordinary fighting machine. But having said that, I now believe we need a draft. America's defense should be performed by a representative cross section of the population. With a draftee army, there'd be some new challenges, but I think we could solve that. What would the consequences be for American foreign and security policy if everybody had skin in the game? Oh, I think it'd be much better, because right now, there's a sense that if you want to go to war, you just send the military. They're not us. But if you wanted to go to war and your son or your daughter had a very high chance of going, you'd be more invested. It wouldn't be just tax money; it would be emotional. So we'd go to war less often and take it more seriously when we did? I think that would be the outcome.


D.C. chefs stand out on James Beard Award semifinalists list

Cedric Maupillier: semifinalist. (Scott Suchman / Mintwood Place) This post has been updated. The 2013 James Beard Award semifinalists were announced earlier today, and Washington area chefs are out in force. Of the 20 potential nominees in the "Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic" category, more than a third are locals, including familiar names such as Johnny Monis, Cathal Armstrong and Vikram Sunderam. Also included: Cedric Maupillier, whose Mintwood Place is among the semifinalists in the "Best New Restaurant" category. All of the D.C. area figures are highlighted below; visit the James Beard Foundation Web site for a full list of semifinalists. The nominees for the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards will be announced on March 18. >> Best New Restaurant: Mintwood Place >> Outstanding Bar Program Restaurant Eve >> Outstanding Pastry Chef Tiffany MacIsaac, Birch & Barley >> Outstanding Restaurant Jaleo Vidalia >> Outstanding Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj >> Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic: Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve Anthony Chittum, Vermilion Tony Conte, The Oval Room Scott Drewno, The Source Cedric Maupillier, Mintwood Place Johnny Monis, Komi Vikram Sunderam, Rasika A previous version of this post referred to the semifinalists as nominees. The James Beard Foundation Award nominees will be announced on March 18.


The ‘Washington Monument’ sequester strategy

against the sequester — because it works. A Washington Monument strategy involves fighting against budget cuts by focusing, and if possible shifting cuts, to the most popular and visible services an agency provides — thus the Park Service would react to a budget cut by threatening to close the Washington Monument, figuring that disappointed tourists would flood their Member of Congress’s office complaining about it. As Stan Collender wrote recently, we may see reduced hours in national parks as a consequence of the sequester, if it goes through. Just now, it appears that the Pentagon is threatening to furlough 700,000 civilian employees. What this means is that whatever the level of damage across-the-board would impose, we can expect the affected agencies will try to make the damage look as high as possible. Now, there’s a natural balance to that; there are plenty of things that the government does that are extremely important but are barely visible; no one would notice if no one inspected meat for a week, unless something went wrong. Of course, part of the strategy also involves publicizing as much as possible anything that does go wrong, and blaming it on the sequester (whether, in fact, it really is a consequence of the sequester or not). Politicians involved need to be aware of all of this, going in. There’s some evidence that some Republicans, however, aren’t fully aware of the situation; I’ve seen references to the small percentage of overall spending that will be cut if the sequester goes into effect on March 1. As Collender correctly notes, all too many Republicans entered the 1995-1996 shutdown showdown with a mistaken belief that polling showing public antipathy to “government spending” would be the best predictor of reaction to a shutdown. Instead, the better predictor was polling showing that the public loves most individual government programs — or perhaps the better predictor was just that those programs are important parts of everyday life for everyone, whatever their politics. Democrats, too, should be aware that defense cuts that may poll well might also produce real, and very visible, pain. None of which means that Republicans (or Democrats) should necessarily cave. But politicians on both sides should go into this with eyes wide open. Spending cuts are unpopular and this round will be no different. At least, not if the agencies affected have anything to say about it. And they will.


Someone found a college recruitment notice to join China’s alleged military hacker team

A Zhejiang University recruitment posting from 2004. (Screenshot by The Washington Post) The U.S. cybersecurity firm Mandiant, in a lengthy report that it released yesterday and crucial parts of which were confirmed by a New York Times investigation, traced an extensive cyber-espionage campaign back to Unit 61398 of the People’s Liberation Army. That Shanghai-based unit of the Chinese military, the report concluded, was almost certainly responsible for hacking a number of U.S. targets. Now, China Digital Times has made an amazing discovery: Way back in 2004, People's Liberation Army Unit 61398 posted a recruitment notice at Zhejiang University's College of Computer Science and Technology. According the notice, which is still online, the military unit was offering scholarships to qualifying graduate students who would agree to join up after finishing school. It does not say what the new recruits would do at Unit 61398. Zhejiang University is about 100 miles from Shanghai, where Mandiant pinpointed the possible location of Unit 61398. Here's the notice, translated into English by China Digital Times: The Graduate School has received notice that Unit 61398 of China’s People’s Liberation Army (located in Pudong District, Shanghai) seeks to recruit 2003-class computer science graduate students. Students who sign the service contract will receive a 5,000 yuan per year National Defense Scholarship. After graduation, students will work in the unit. Interested Zhejiang University 2003-class graduate students should please contact Teacher Peng in the Graduate Division before May 20. (Cao Guangbiao room 108; phone: 87952168) Graduate Division May 13, 2004 And that was almost 10 years ago. Presumably, the unit's mission has changed at least somewhat since then, but it's an interesting hint about Unit 61398's history and the Chinese military's interest in cybersecurity.


The Sequester: Absolutely everything you could possibly need to know, in one FAQ

partly no. The regular unemployment insurance program, which is administered at the state level and paid for with state taxes on employers, is exempt. But Emergency Unemployment Compensation, an extension of the regular program enacted on June 30, 2008 to combat the recession, is not exempt, and is getting cut to the tune of $2.4 billion. The National Employment Law Project (NELP) has a good rundown of the state-by-state impact of those cuts here. As Catherine Rampell at the New York Times wrote, "[NELP] estimates that upward of 3.8 million unemployed workers will ultimately be affected by the cuts. The average weekly benefit check of $289 is being cut by $43, or about 15 percent." What about our national parks? Oxford Collapse - Please Visit Your National Parks (OFFICIAL VIDEO) Yup, they get cut too. The U.S. Park Police, a division of the National Parks Service, experienced furloughs. Yellowstone cut payroll. The House Natural Resources committee has a good rundown of all the cuts here. What do the animals think about it? (Meghan Murphy/Smithsonian’s National Zoo) Why don't you ask them? How many people will lose their jobs? Depends who you ask. Third Way estimates that about 1.8 million people will lose their jobs (see above). That's largely due to non-defense cuts: About 1.5 million of the lost jobs are from the private sector: And management/business and construction are the biggest categories seeing cuts: Other estimates are more modest. The CBO estimates that reversing the sequestration would generate 900,000 jobs less year — nothing trivial, but only about half the effect that Third Way estimates. Stephen Fuller at George Mason University puts the number at about 1.58 million. Do some states see more cuts? According to the OMB, yes. My colleagues Emily Chow, Kat Downs, Katie Park, Kenneth W. Smith Jr. and Tim Richardson put together a great interactive feature detailing the cuts to specific states, available here (you can see a snapshot above). How much flexibility do agency heads have? According to the OMB of 1991, buoys like this one are federal budget "activities." (NOAA) Not much. The sequester must be applied evenly to every "program, project, and activity." What is a program, or a project, or an activity, you ask? No one really knows, and OMB will have to define that. But the last time we did a sequester, an example of an activity was an individual buoy


Five reasons to be extremely excited about Bluejacket

Today's Food section has an excellent preview of the most anticipated brewing operation to hit D.C. in ages: Bluejacket, the craft brewery and bar from Megan Parisi, Michael Babin and Greg Engert of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group. • Craft brewery with built-in dreams (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post) The 7,300-square-foot space is set to open by June near the Navy Yard, and writer Daniel Fromson spoke with the operation's principals and outlined their ambitious plans. You'll want to read the full story, but here are five reasons to be extremely excited for Bluejacket's opening -- as if you weren't already: >> Variety: Bluejacket will have 19 fermentation vessels on site, brewing all kinds of strange, wonderful beers that usually aren't found on this side of the Atlantic (or in this century). >> Patience: Instead of rushing out beers that go from fermentation vessel to glass in short order, Bluejacket's emphasis is on slower-maturing (and more flavorful) beers, like cold-fermented lagers and sour ales fermented with wild yeasts. >> Beer gizmos: Bluejacket's toys will include an open fermenter for bringing out the banana and clove hints of a hefeweizen; a horizontal fermenter for seasoning saisons and other Belgian beers; and a coolship for making lambics extra tangy. >> A huge menu (with huge bottles): Expect about 20 drafts and five casks at all times, along with a few magnums and even Jeroboams. And like at ChurchKey, the menu will be divided into distinct categories. >> Distribution: You'll be able to buy beer on-site at Bluejacket, and if all goes well, at your local beer store, too.


New details emerge of potential sequester cuts to national parks

(Wikimedia Commons) The automatic budget cuts set to take effect on March 1 will delay the opening of the East and West Rim drives at the Grand Canyon and reduce hours of operation at the main visitor center. At Gettysburg, 20 percent of student education programs would be eliminated this spring. The Blue Ridge Parkway would lose 21 seasonal interpretive ranger programs, resulting in the closure of half of the park’s visitor stations and leaving 80 miles between each one. Mount Rainer would permanently close a key visitor center, and Glacier would delay the opening of a well-visited mountain pass. Five campgrounds and picnics area would close at the Great Smoky Mountains, affecting 54,000 visitors, and the Grand Tetons would close a visitor center, information station and preserve. These are some new details that have emerged this week of how the National Parks Service would implement a 5.1 percent across-the-board reduction if Congress does not avert $85 billion in spending cuts across the federal government. A Park Service memo obtained by park advocates and provided to The Washington Post outlines some of the cuts, which would affect direct services to visitors from grass cutting to access to rangers and mountain passes. The Post reported last Sunday National Parks memo on sequester


American teacher in Japan under fire for lessons on Japan’s history of discrimination

Miki Dezaki in his Okinawa classroom. He says very few students raised their hands at first. (Screenshot by Washington Post) Miki Dezaki, who first arrived in Japan on a teacher exchange program in 2007, wanted to learn about the nation that his parents had once called home. He taught English, explored the country and affectionately chronicled his cross-cultural adventures on social media, most recently on YouTube, where he gained a small following for videos like "Hitchhiking Okinawa" and the truly cringe-worthy "What Americans think of Japan." One of them, on the experience of being gay in Japan, attracted 75,000 views and dozens of thoughtful comments. Dezaki didn't think the reaction to his latest video was going to be any different, but he was wrong. "If I should have anticipated something, I should have anticipated the netouyu," he told me, referring to the informal army of young, hyper-nationalist Japanese Web users who tend to descend on any article -- or person -- they perceive as critical of Japan. But before the netouyu put Dezaki in their crosshairs, sending him death threats and hounding his employers, previous employers and even the local politicians who oversee his employers, there was just a teacher and his students. Dezaki began his final lesson with a 1970 TV documentary, Eye of the Storm, often taught in American schools for its bracingly honest exploration of how good-hearted people -- in this case, young children participating in an experiment -- can turn to racism. After the video ended, he asked his students to raise their hands if they thought racism existed in Japan. Almost none did. They all thought of it as a uniquely American problem. Gently, Dezaki showed his students that, yes, there is also racism in Japan. He carefully avoided the most extreme and controversial cases -- for example, Japan's wartime enslavement of Korean and other Asian women for sex, which the country today doesn't fully acknowledge -- pointing instead to such slang terms as "bakachon camera." The phrase, which translates as "idiot Korean camera," is meant to refer to disposable cameras so easy to use that even an idiot or a Korean could do it. He really got his students' attention when he talked about discrimination between Japanese groups. People from Okinawa, where Dezaki happened to be teaching, are sometimes looked down upon by other Japanese, he pointed out, and in the past have been


These 21 animals have strong feelings on the sequester

Under the terms of the sequester, the Smithsonian will take a $40 million budget cut in 2013. Among the programs run by the Smithsonian? The National Zoo. In today's Washington Post, Steve Hendrix talked to employees at the Smithsonian National Zoo about what the sequester would mean for the many animals they watch. They, unsurprisingly, are not pleased. “I have a very ill anteater right now,” said Craig Saffoe, curator of the zoo’s big cats. “I have tigers that are breeding; I have tigers that are being shipped out; I have Andean bears with cubs fresh on the ground.” But staff are also resolute. “We will never compromise on human safety, and we’ll never compromise animal welfare,” promises Dennis Kelly, director of the National Zoo, which has a $50 million budget and employs 450 people. “These people are incredibly devoted to these animals.” The story is a great read, although it did miss one key question: How do the animals feel about this mess? Let's take a look! 1. This Andean bear cub has been shouting about the consequences of the sequester for months now, but feels like nobody has been listening. Beth Branneu, Smithsonian's National Zoo 2. This short-eared elephant shrew worries that he will lose 5 percent of his regularly-scheduled cricket lunches. This cricket, meanwhile, hopes that is the case. Photo courtesy of FONZ Photo Club member Clyde Nishimura. 3. This beaver is fed up with the sequester blame-game. Congress passed it and the President signed it! (Smithsonian's National Zoo) 4. This octopus worries that he'll lose two of his eight legs under the sequester. (National Zoo) 5. These sea lions are debating whether their inflatable balls count as a "program" or "activity." (Smithsonian's National Zoo) 6. This incredibly tiny strawberry dart frog is watching every dime. (Smithsonian National Zoo) 7. These gibbons are fine with the sequester. They think there's too much waste around the zoo anyway. (Meghan Murphy/Smithsonian's National Zoo) 8. This naked mole rat honestly has bigger problems than a sequester. (Meghan Murphy, Smithsonian's National Zoo) 9. These otters literally can't believe this is how Congress chose to cut the budget. (Smithsonian's National Zoo) 10. This baby fishing cat thinks we spend too much money on elderly fishing cats. (Tallie Wiles, Smithsonian's National Zoo) 11. This eagle thinks the deficit hawks are nuts. (Jim Jenkins, Smithsonian's National Zoo) 12. This tortoise has lived through a


The week ahead: Metro late-night work, lane closings in D.C. region

D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray’s new sustainability program, or Metro’s proposals for the next couple of decades. Meanwhile, here are some highlights for the week ahead. Metro late night track work Red Line: Orange Line: Blue Line: Green/Yellow lines: L’Enfant Plaza elevators Metro is starting a modernization program on three of the four elevators at the busy L’Enfant Plaza station. The ones shut down connect the street to the station mezzanine, the mezzanine to the Green/Yellow Line platform for trains toward Branch Avenue and Huntington and the mezzanine to the Greenbelt side of the platform. That leaves the elevator between the Blue/Orange Line platform and the northbound Green/Yellow Line platform. Metro figures that by working on the three at the same time, it can shorten the project. The elevators should be back in service around the end of May. Meanwhile, some riders who need the elevators may find it easier to use the Metro Center and Gallery Place transfer stations. I-270 lane closings The Maryland State Highway Administration plans to install guardrails along Interstate 270 between Routes 118 and 117 this week. Watch for lane closings on the northbound side from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on the southbound side from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rock Creek Parkway The work on the Rock Creek Parkway rehabilitation project continues, with the southbound right curb lane closed approaching Waterside Drive. Lane adjustments are in effect during rush hours. One northbound lane is converted to southbound during the morning rush, until 9:10 a.m. A minimum of one lane will remain open in the southbound lanes at all times. Arlington Boulevard interchange The Virginia Department of Transportation continues to rebuild the Arlington Boulevard interchange with 10th Street and Courthouse Road near Rosslyn. This week, watch for lane closings on westbound Arlington Boulevard from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on the eastbound side from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I-95 express lanes project Watch for late night lane closings this week on both the regular and the HOV lanes on Interstate 95 south of the Capital Beltway in Virginia as part of the 95 Express Lanes construction. All lanes are scheduled to be open by 5 o’clock each morning. Route 7, Tysons Corner Lanes closures on Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) between Gosnell Road and Marshall’s Drive in Tysons will take place throughout the week to put the roadway into its final configuration as


Morning links: Subpar meatballs remain horse-free, subpar

• Good news, Ikea eaters: There's no horse meat here. [Huffington Post DC] • Where to find D.C.'s best fish and chips. [Eater] • Photos from Jonathan Richman's gig at the 9:30 Club. [Arts Desk] • Jim Graham's (D-Ward 1) reprimand by the D.C. council means oversight for the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration now falls to Vincent Orange (D-At Large). [DCist] • Arena Stage's 2013-14 will feature some big-name star power. [WaPo Style] • Caps fans will see a familiar face when the Carolina Hurricanes visit Verizon Center tonight. [WaPo Sports] • Meanwhile, in Baltimore, it sounds like we might not have to wait much longer for Berger Cookies to start rolling down I-95 again. [Baltimore City Paper]


The coming R&D crash

31 percent of all R&D in the country, with private firms and universities financing the rest. The array of federal programs is staggering, from semiconductor work at the Pentagon to climate-change research at NOAA to clinical trials for cancer at the National Institutes for Health. About half of the spending here is "basic" research and half "applied" research. Yet as a recent report from ITIF explains, this landscape is set to shift now that Congress is putting strict limits on discretionary spending. If the sequester spending cuts take effect on Mar. 1, total spending on research and development will drop to 2007 levels and grow only slowly thereafter (below, black line). Federal R&D spending will decline sharply as a share of GDP: How worrisome is this projected stagnation in federal R&D spending? A lot depends on how valuable you think government research actually is — and on that point, the debate can get surprisingly contentious. There's a long, long list of world-changing innovations that can be traced back to federally funded R&D over the years. The Department of Energy's research labs spawned digital recording technology, communications satellites, and water-purification techniques. Pentagon research laid the groundwork for the Internet and GPS. The current shale-gas fracking boom couldn't have happened without microseismic imaging techniques that were developed at Sandia National Laboratories. But that's not necessarily the best way to look at things. The key question here is how much of this innovation might have happened without government involvement. And as Stanford's Roger Noll explains in this NBER essay, economists have fairly nuanced views on this. Many economists agree that private companies tend to under-invest in very basic scientific research, since it's hard for one firm to reap the full benefits from those discoveries. So the federal government, which now funds 60 percent of all basic research in the United States, is likely irreplaceable here. What's more, studies have found that many types of government R&D spur private companies to conduct their own additional research. That is, the two are complementary, not substitutes. But the situation is murkier for other forms of public R&D. Many government programs are focused on advancing commercial technologies in specific industries — and those could well be crowding out private-sector activities. What's more, some government R&D programs are so focused on demonstrating their usefulness to Congress that they stick with "safe" research that the private sector would have


The coming R&D crash

a percentage of its economy in the coming decade than countries like Australia and South Korea (though we'll still spend a lot more in absolute terms, since our economy's much bigger). Even China is catching up: There are a few ways to interpret this chart. The sanguine view is that other countries are tossing more money at scientific research that will have positive spillover benefits for the entire world — including us. If China invents a cure for cancer, we all benefit. Others worry, however, that the U.S. economy could suffer from the fact that a greater share of research is happening elsewhere. A 2012 report by the National Science Foundation, for instance, found that U.S. firms were now shifting much of their R&D work overseas. And the United States has recently developed a trade deficit in high-technology goods, after surpluses during the 1990s. Many lawmakers seem to take the alarmist view. President Obama in particular has insisted that the United States can't fall behind on R&D. A sample line: "We've got to make sure that we've got the best science and research in the world." Finding the money to do that will be difficult in an era when Congress is insisting on tight budgets. Some policymakers have tried to put forward novel approaches to R&D — like Sen. Lisa Murkowski's idea for an "Advanced Energy Trust Fund" that would dedicate a portion of revenues from oil and gas drilling to energy research. (Obama embraced a similar idea in his State of the Union.) Other economists have suggested that the government should lean more heavily on prizes or tax credits as a way of funding innovation. Yet many of those ideas are fairly small-bore. Getting R&D back to where it was at the height of the space race, as Obama has suggested, will either take a hefty portion of policy creativity — or a big shift in budget politics in the years ahead. Further reading: --The Congressional Budget Office has a good overview (pdf) of the economics of federally funded R&D, including a discussion of what works and what doesn't. --Elias Zerhouni, who directed NIH during the Bush years, explained in this interview how the sequester would likely affect research in that agency. --Over at Slate, Konstantin Kakaes disputed the idea that the U.S. is in a "research arms race" with China or anyone else. Worth reading as a counterpoint.


NASCAR explains wreck-video blockage

and and it was unclear at the time what the status of the fan was,” he noted, adding that the step was taken out of “caution” and in deference to “human dignity.” That the blockage showed up on YouTube as a copyright matter was a matter of mechanics. YouTube provides a procedure for people to request blockage on copyright grounds, and that’s what NASCAR used; it didn’t have any discussions with YouTube prior to taking that action, said Jenkins. Whatever the motivations for the blockage, it marked a detour of sorts for NASCAR. As Jenkins explained, NASCAR owns the rights to video shot at the track but “we don’t enforce the guidelines unless the content is used commercially. … We do proactively go after pirated video of the television broadcast, but that’s the only time we use it.” On the non-commercial front, he says, “We encourage our fans to take those videos and to send them out on Facebook or to tweet’em out … We’ve partnered with Twitter in the past. Our sport is based on, and one of our great attributes is — it’s open and easy to interact with us.” It’s this very embrace of social media that prompted commentator Staci D. Kramer to remark, “If you want the boost from social media, need to take it all.” Given NASCAR’s steepedness in the Internet, why get into the business of trying to suppress a fan video? “This was a very quick decision in a fluid time, where we knew that a tragedy had occurred and weren’t clear on the status of those fans. We encourage fans generally to take videos at the track and share them.” There’s indeed a disconnect between encouraging fan vids and blocking one that shows an unpleasant aspect of NASCAR fandom — a disconnect that goes a long way toward explaining Web-based opposition to NASCAR’s bid for video suppression. Would the organization have pursued the same strategy if it had foreseen the reaction? “I’ll tell you, it’s hard to answer that kind of hypothetical,” said Jenkins. Decoded, Jenkins’s words mean that NASCAR won’t say that it erred in blocking the video. But credit him and his organization for openness: From the start, NASCAR’s PR shop responded quickly to requests from the Erik Wemple Blog on the incident. Note: Try this piece by Mathew Ingram of paidContent.org on the copyright dimensions of the NASCAR vid.


Michelle Obama links movement to better test scores

and fresh-squeezed juices in, getting them more involved in going to farmers markets and understanding where these fruits and vegetables are coming from. And that was one of the reasons I was motivated to plant the White House kitchen garden. Because I saw how much difference it makes for kids when they are involved in the planting and the harvesting and the purchasing and the preparation of the foods they eat. It really fundamentally changes their approach to what they eat and what they’ll be willing to eat. I’ve always said that if more kids were taught to use kitchen utensils and gardening utensils they would be less likely to use guns and knives against each other. Everybody needs … healthy food and I think it is important that all of us are on the bandwagon of trying to bring our kids up and to bring our communities up … we’ve worked with the Prince George’s County kids … and it’s so rewarding just to see them understanding that growing things makes a big difference. It’s not like walking into a store and having a piece of candy — you’ve got real food that they’re eating. That’s absolutely true. And what we know is that what goes into our children’s bodies, how they move their bodies, directly affects how healthy their minds are … health, obesity rates, good nutrition — these aren’t ancillary issues. It has a direct impact on our kids’ ability to achieve in school. We know that that kids that have daily, physical activity are more focused when they get into the classroom. They can concentrate better, they get better test scores. The same thing is true when they get a healthy, nutritious balanced breakfast and lunch. We know what an impact that makes on their test scores and a whole range of academic achievements. So this is a big issue for this country to get ourselves on track with regards to our children’s health, and in order to do that we have to be healthy …as the parents in the household. “Let’s Move!” is targeted to kids, but ultimately it’s a family and it’s a community issue because our kids don’t do the grocery shopping. No matter how much they help in the kitchen, they can’t start the meal and prepare it from start to scratch. So they’re looking to us to give them good guidance…


Morning links: Farewell, Kegasus

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Ffunny Ffrends (OFFICIAL) Soundtrack: Unknown Mortal Orchestra, performing tonight at the Rock and Roll Hotel with Foxygen and Wampire. • Another name change for one of Aaron Gordon's restaurants, as the salad-focused Rabbit will undergo a complete conceptual makeover and serve sausages, Belgian frites and beer as Fat Shorty's. [Washingtonian] • Live blackjack, craps, roulette and other table games are coming to Maryland Live Casino starting April 11; a poker room is set to open later this year. [Post] • Longer swimming pool hours in D.C. this summer? There's a petition for that. [DCist] • Farewell, Kegasus. [DCist] • Finally, everyone's favorite acidic, vinegar-flavored fermented beverage is available on draft. [Young & Hungry] • Northern Virginia's getting a Matchbox all its own. [Eater]