Going to Nationals Park? Best to know the score about SafeTrack.

station, the Metro stop closest to the stadium, isn’t going to be any more or less of a problem under SafeTrack than it has been. Controlling crowds at Navy Yard is relatively easy. If the platform gets too crowded before games, don’t open the doors on the next arriving train until fans have a chance to reach the mezzanine level. If the platform is too crowded after games, turn off the escalators for a few minutes, or close the fare gates till conditions ease. The only SafeTrack project scheduled to affect the Green Line is in November and early December. (Single-tracking between College Park and Greenbelt at the end of the line for 25 days.) Having trouble maneuvering around Metro's 10-month maintenance overhaul? Well here is a guide to help riders find the perfect alternative. Green Line riders — and all other riders going to and from the ballpark — should keep in mind that the 15 special projects in the SafeTrack Plan are just a part of the overall rebuilding program that is causing disruptions. This Saturday and Sunday, for example, Green Line trains will share a track between U Street and Georgia Avenue. But that’s the sort of thing fans on all the lines are used to dealing with on weekends. One weekend change they need to think about during SafeTrack is the suspension of the weekend night-owl service. The rail system will close at midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. If there’s a rain delay or extra innings, the Nationals will issue reminders to fans about when rail service ends. The team already has updated its helpful “Way to Go” web guide with an advisory about SafeTrack and links to more Metrorail information and to parking options around the stadium. (Click on “Nationals Park” at the top of the team’s homepage, at washington.nationals.mlb.com.) The 15 special projects will affect the fan base in different ways, depending on which particular segment of a line is targeted for single-tracking or a complete shutdown. The single-tracking between East Falls Church and Ballston makes a ride on the west side of the Orange or Silver lines very unattractive for baseball fans this weekend and early next week. Then the team leaves town till June 27, when Metro will be well into its second SafeTrack project, which includes the complete shutdown of two line segments affecting rides on the Blue, Orange and


A wealth of resources for first-time home buyers in the Washington area

use, but she says no one has quite figured out how to handle condo fees for the lower-income buyers. If the condo fees increases, as they often do, the home becomes less affordable for those buyers. The D.C. government initiated an inclusionary zoning program that mandates that 8 to 10 percent of newly constructed housing, including both rentals and condos, must be set aside for people who make 50 to 80 percent of the area’s median income, or about $60,000 to $80,000 for a family of four, Donaldson says. “Buyers interested in that program need to attend a registration session and enter a lottery,” Donaldson says. “Among the many initiatives of the D.C. government is to support organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Manna and others with funding for the development of more housing for low- to moderate-income households,” Donaldson says. Sturtevant says Montgomery County has set the “gold standard” for the rest of the country with its regulations to include MPDUs (moderately priced dwelling units) in new developments. “Maryland is one of a handful of states that have combined our housing finance agency and community development department so that we blend financing mortgages and financing of multifamily affordable housing in one office,” says Kenneth Holt, secretary of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. “We work to build sustainable communities on every level and have successfully connected people who want to become homeowners but have a shortfall with the capital they need through down payment assistance.” In Northern Virginia, Sturtevant says, most of the new development since inclusionary zoning was introduced has been in the rental market. “One thing that could increase the availability of affordable housing is to change zoning rules to allow smaller homes on smaller lots in suburban jurisdictions,” Sturtevant says. Finding the right financial assistance and an available, affordable home requires persistence and due diligence. “No one is born knowing how to a buy a home, and taking a homebuyer class is a great way to pick up important knowledge from a neutral source and to be a savvier buyer,” Rodriguez says. Here are links to mortgage assistance programs in the area: ●Down Payment Resource: downpaymentresource.com ●HUD Housing Counselors: hudexchange.info/programs/housing-counseling ●NeighborWorks America: neighborworks.org/Homes-Finances/Homeownership D.C. resources: ● DCOpenDoors.com ● DCHousingSearch.org to search for affordable homes ● dhcd.dc.gov/node/10362 for HPAP information Maryland resources: ● mmp.maryland.gov/Pages/Products.aspx ● montgomerycountymd.gov/DHCA/housing/singlefamily/mpdu/index.html about Montgomery County MPDUs Virginia resources: ● VHDA.com


Brits look to Norway for post-Brexit model. Norwegians urge Brits to look again.

Some people advocating for a British exit from the European Union have used Norway as a prime example of how the U.K. would survive and thrive outside the E.U. But many Norwegian politicians and business people are wondering why. OSLO, Norway — Life within Europe but outside the clutches of the E.U. isn’t apocalyptic. It’s the best of all worlds: Norway gets access to Earth’s largest single market without sacrificing its sovereignty. But to this country’s political and business leaders, Britain’s flirtation with the Norwegian model is nothing short of baffling. If Britain votes to leave the E.U. on June 23 and follows Norway’s lead as an E.U. outsider, officials here say, the British should be prepared for less control over their own affairs, not more. That is because Norway still must abide by E.U. rules and regulations, even though it has no say in shaping them. Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg, left, posing with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the European Commission on March 2 in Brussels. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images) “Yes, we have access to the single market. But we’re also subject to legislation that we can’t influence,” said Kristin Skogen Lund, director general of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise. “The U.K. is a big member of the E.U., and they have crucial influence. Why would they give that up?” The drawbacks to the Norwegian model — and to every other existing model for trading with Europe from outside the E.U. — represent one of the greatest obstacles for those advocating a British vote to leave, popularly known as Brexit. As pro-Brexit forces make their pitch in the final days of a campaign that polls show could go either way, they have struggled to articulate a coherent vision of what Britain would look like once it leaves. Some have cited Norway. Others, Switzerland. One prominent leader of the Brexit campaign even suggested that Britain could be like Albania. (He soon dropped the idea.) All of them argue that Britain will continue to swap cars, wine and other goods and services with the rest of the E.U. — trade that accounts for half of Britain’s total — while unshackling the country from the burdens of Brussels bureaucracy. But as Norwegian leaders can attest, that sort of relationship simply isn’t a possibility. Norway not only has to accept the E.U.’s rules for commerce, it also has to embrace its core


A flawed Dodd-Frank fix

questionable proposal, however, is one that would beef up one of Dodd-Frank’s provisions. Dodd-Frank imposed limits on the Federal Reserve’s power to act as a lender of last resort amid financial panic — a power the Fed used creatively to rescue the economy in 2008, but which struck Capitol Hill populists of both parties as a non-transparent bailout. Mr. Hensarling would constrain the Fed’s discretion even further through conditions on troubled but salvageable firms’ access to its “discount window.” Ironically, this puts Mr. Hensarling in rough agreement with his Democratic counterpart, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.). When she and Republican David Vitter (La.) unveiled a similar plan a year ago, former Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke noted that it could deter needed crisis borrowing, thus increasing systemic risk. “Roughly equivalent to shutting down the fire department to encourage fire safety,” he called it. More promising, and more creative, is Mr. Hensarling’s plan to offer relief from some of Dodd-Frank’s more onerous oversight provisions to banks that hold at least 10 percent capital as a buffer against losses. Assuming it consists of real equity, and not the “risk-weighted” variety that regulators too often countenanced in the past, such a cash cushion can offer as much — or more — protection against financial instability as intrusive regulation do, and do so more simply. The problem, ironically, is that by Mr. Hensarling’s own account, the biggest banks would have to raise hundreds of billions of dollars to take advantage of the 10 percent standard. They might opt live with Dodd-Frank instead, which vitiates his claim to meaningful reform — but is not necessarily a problem, since Dodd-Frank itself forced large banks to crisis-proof themselves. Smaller community banks, meanwhile, generally hold 10 percent capital already. They have been clamoring for regulatory relief and Mr. Hensarling seems determined to give them what they want — though recent data show renewed profitability at small banks. Their remaining travails stem from low Federal Reserve interest rates as much as, or more than, Dodd-Frank. But Congress has the power to tinker with Dodd-Frank, not monetary policy. So expect more legislative efforts to fix the six-year-old law, even the parts that aren’t broken. Read more on this issue: The Post’s View: Talk about breaking up big banks ignores reforms made since the recession The Post’s View: Support of TARP should be an asset on the campaign trail, not a liability


Six mistakes that will make your houseguests wish they shelled out for a hotel

Don’t give your guests those rough, scraggly towels you’ve been holding on to for too long. Give them your nicest ones or splurge on a new set. (iStockphoto) Summer calendars are filling up with reservations from out-of-towners hoping for bed and breakfast — at your place. Whether you are lucky enough to have a spare room dedicated to guests or you have squeezed a sofa bed in a home office, you can be a gracious host. First, of course, clean the room from top to bottom. Make sure the blinds still work. Remove all the clutter you’ve stashed in there — especially sensitive documents such as bank statements or tax papers. No need tempting anyone to check the balance on your Visa bill. Make sure the closet has at least a foot of hanging space and provide some nice wooden hangers. (You can get an eight-pack for $5 at Ikea .) Provide a reading lamp by the bed if you can. Installing hooks on the wall for clothing is also a nice touch for beach or weekend houses. Toss a cozy throw on the back of a chair, stack some magazines or books and make a little welcome basket of fancy soaps, a toothbrush, bottled water and maybe a bit of chocolate. Ask your guests how they like their coffee. A fresh flower, even a single bloom in a bud vase, shows you want them to feel special. Speaking from experience as a guest and a host, I’ve compiled a list of common mistakes you can easily avoid. Don’t forget, if your friends have a nice experience, hopefully they’ll return the favor someday. Top hosting faux pas Never sleeping in your guest room: Using sheets from your college days: Not setting out a luggage rack or bench: Ignoring grungy mattress pads: Not providing tech support: Neglecting to provide a wastebasket More from Lifestyle: Chat Thursday at 11 a.m. Ten home-design insiders you should follow on Snapchat ‘Happiness Project’ author Gretchen Rubin on the top clutter solvers New research shows George Washington was trendier than we thought


Desperately seeking relevance, orchestras grapple with existential questions

Marin Alsop, music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. (Adriane White/ ) Marin Alsop, music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. (Adriane White) “We need to ask ourselves if artistic excellence is the ultimate goal. Other things may be more important.” She said it. Sitting on the stage of the Meyerhoff concert hall in Baltimore last week, the conductor Marin Alsop, music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, stated a question that’s been lurking around the edges of the orchestra world. That is: Is the main purpose of orchestras to play great music, as well as humanly possible? And if not, what is it? Never before have our large institutions been subject to such a string of existential questions. How do we justify the continued existence of our [orchestras, newspapers, insert institution of your choice here]? How do we make these institutions relevant to an audience that is pulling away, finding other ways to get music and information? The scrutiny isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s shining a light on some unexpected baggage. Alsop’s statement came at the start of the annual conference of the League of American Orchestras, which was held in Baltimore last week, and which this year aspired to tackle the timely topic of diversity. Today, 85 percent of American orchestra players are Caucasian; 8 percent are Asian, a growing number, and less than 2 percent are African American. And that’s not even counting the audiences. How do you broaden this music’s appeal? Should you even try? I’ve heard from more than one reader over the years averring that an orchestra’s role is simply to play the music of Beethoven, Brahms and their ilk: Forget contemporary stuff, much less diversity. “You can’t change the canon,” opined Alex Laing, the principal clarinet of the Phoenix Symphony, in a panel discussion at the start of the proceedings. But Earl Lewis, the head of the Mellon Foundation — the main remaining funder of the orchestral world — challenged him with the precedent, in literary circles, of resistance to black women writers for years before Alice Walker and Toni Morrison finally got their due. It just takes time. “You have to look ahead 15 years, not five years,” he said, “or you’ll get frustrated.” A member of the BSO OrchKids program rehearses for the orchestra’s centennial concert in February. (Jordan August) Over the course of the conference’s first day, Alsop


Trump, Clinton offer competing strategies to deal with terrorism threat

said Monday. Trump, in contrast, has put forward a plan to defeat the Islamic State and protect Americans from terrorists rooted in big general ideas rather than granular details. Much of his policy has been advanced through tweets and sometimes with what appear to be off-the-cuff remarks. In his Monday speech, Trump argued that the country’s homegrown terrorism problem is fundamentally an immigration problem. “The bottom line is that the only reason the killer was in America in the first place was because we allowed his family to come here,” said Trump, speaking of the Orlando shooter. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at Saint Anselm College on June 13 in Manchester, N.H. (Jim Cole/AP) Clinton would combine military action, diplomacy and law enforcement with a crackdown on international financing for terrorism, efforts to stem the flow of foreign fighters to and from the Islamic State battlefield and counter radicalization and recruitment online — a vexing problem that her State Department struggled with little success to address. She also would expand efforts to identify potential terrorist recruits and monitor and interrupt terrorist communications. Clinton’s campaign website promises to confront the Islamic State “in a way that builds greater stability across the region, without miring our troops in another misguided ground war.” She would intensify the current coalition military air campaign, which she claimed Monday has scored some recent successes, and expand U.S. and allied support for local forces on the ground. Although she has previously broken with the Obama White House to favor a militarily enforced “no-fly” zone to protect civilians in northern Syria, she has not raised the issue lately. She would press diplomacy to end Syria’s civil war and the renewed sectarian conflict in Iraq, both of which helped allow the growth and expansion of the terror group also known by the acronyms ISIL and ISIS. Trump’s signature proposal to safeguard the homeland is a temporary ban on most foreign Muslims entering the country. Trump also said he would “suspend immigration from areas of the world where there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies, until we fully understand how to end these threats.” Trump, perhaps in reaction to criticism and confusion over what he meant, later tweeted: “In my speech on protecting America I spoke about a temporary ban, which includes suspending immigration from nations tied to Islamic terror.” It


ISIS-inspired attacker kills French police officer and streams it on Facebook

A man allegedly inspired by the Islamic State fatally stabbed a couple with ties to the police in Magnanville, France, about 30 miles northwest of Paris. PARIS — Authorities took three suspects into custody and said the assailant had a list of names for possible further attacks, including journalists and public officials. The names have not been made public. President François Hollande described the killing of the couple — Capt. Jean-Baptiste Salvaing, 42, and his partner, Jessica Schneider, 36, identified as an administrative secretary at a police department outside Paris — as “undeniably a terrorist attack” and said that “France is confronted by an extremely high terrorist threat.” The couple’s 3-year-old son was present during the attack in their home but was apparently unharmed. The attacker, identified as Larossi Abballa, 25, apparently posted a video message to a Facebook account before he was killed in a police raid on the couple’s home in Magnanville, about 30 miles northwest of Paris, officials said. A French police officer lays flowers in tribute to two colleagues killed Monday in a knife attack, believed inspired by the Islamic State, near their home in Magnanville outside Paris. (Thibault Camus/AP) A French journalist and expert on Islamist radicalism, David Thomson, said Abballa also posted a video calling for the deaths of more police officers, prison guards and journalists. French authorities later confirmed the existence of the postings. A video released by the Amaq news agency, which is believed to be linked to the Islamic State, appears to show Abballa moments after the attack speaking in a mix of French and Arabic. In the video, he says, “I just killed a police officer and his wife.” Then he adds, “The police are currently surrounding me.” The video appeared to have been edited, and the victims do not appear, said the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant statements online. According to Thomson, who saw Abballa’s video before it was taken down, the assailant threatened that the European Championship soccer tournament currently hosted by France “would be a graveyard.” Originally from the Paris suburb of Mantes-la-Jolie — adjacent to Magnanville, where he murdered the police couple — Abballa had a previous terrorism conviction and ties to Pakistani radical networks. In 2013, Abballa was sentenced to three years in prison for attempting to recruit militants to fight in Pakistan. In 2015, he was subjected to court-ordered wiretaps after one of


Man fatally shot in Northwest Washington’s Columbia Heights area

A man was shot and killed Tuesday inside a residence in Northwest Washington’s Columbia Heights neighborhood, according to D.C. police. The shooting occurred about 6:30 a.m. in the 2900 block of 14th Street NW. A police spokeswoman initially said the victim was reported unconscious and in need of life support. Police later confirmed that the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police identified the victim as Devonte Crawford, 20, of Northwest. Authorities released few other details but said they were looking for a man between 20 and 25 years old with a slim build and wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. Five other people were wounded in four shooting incidents in the District during a 121 / 2-hour period beginning late Monday. The latest shooting occurred about 11:10 a.m. Tuesday, when police said a man was shot in the leg in the 2300 block of Harford Street SE. Earlier, a man was shot about 1:25 a.m. in the 200 block of 37th Street SE. Police said the victim was conscious at an area hospital. Police said another man was shot about 11:35 p.m. in the 300 block of 53rd Street NE. A department spokeswoman said the victim suffered a graze wound to the back of his head and was expected to survive. And police said two people, including a juvenile, were shot about 10:45 p.m. in the 100 block of Upsal Street SE. A spokeswoman said both victims were conscious. The juvenile’s age was not released. Police said there is no indication that any of the shootings were related.


Is the Brexit camp about to triumph?

Former British prime minister Gordon Brown delivers a speech in Leicester, Britain, on Monday. (Will Oliver/European Pressphoto Agency) Brexit is winning — that is, Britain’s exit from the European Union. As the June 23 referendum approaches, public opinion has swung toward “Leave” the E.U. as opposed to “Remain” in the E.U. — and this has fueled anxieties about the global economy and the fate of Europe. Brexit could compound economic pessimism, leading to a sell-off in stock markets and a further slowdown in global growth. The long-term worries include a gradual breakup of the E.U. if Brexit triggers similar votes in other E.U. members, “where public confidence in the EU . . . is at a record low,” warns a memo from the Institute of International Finance, an industry research group. Scotland might also demand a new independence referendum. The shift in public opinion is unmistakable. In a conspicuous reversal, the Financial Times “poll of polls” now has Leave overtaking Remain by a 47 percent to 44 percent margin. In some surveys, the gap is much larger. A poll taken for the Independent newspaper has Leave at 55 percent (up four percentage points since April) and Remain at 45 percent (down four percentage points). “What has happened is that the Leave side — having lost the economic argument — has succeeded in making the debate about immigration,” says Jacob Kirkegaard of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a Washington think tank. This has always been Brexit’s “strongest political card,” he says, because the government, hamstrung by E.U. law, has been unable to stop the surging — and unpopular — inflows. Prime Minister David Cameron, Brexit’s leading opponent, had pledged to reduce annual immigration to under 100,000, says Kirkegaard. Instead, it zoomed to 333,000 in 2015. About half the immigrants come from Eastern Europe (Poland, Hungary) and are covered by E.U. law, which permit citizens of its 28 members to settle in any of the others. The remaining immigrants — heavily from India, Pakistan and other remnants of the British Empire — are regulated by United Kingdom law. Euro zone industrial production rebounded in April on a monthly basis after two consecutive falls. As Hayley Platt reports, the better than expected data was largely due to a surge in output of durable consumer goods, like cars. Still, Kirkegaard thinks that Remain will prevail. He’s not alone. Despite the polls, bookmakers’ odds


D.C. police say at least 27 arrested in dirt bike crackdown

to a Beyoncé concert was struck by an ATV as a pack of riders raced along Pratt Street at the city’s Inner Harbor, which is popular with tourists. Police said that none of the riders stopped and that they were being sought. The teen suffered a fractured skull, her father said, and will miss her graduation on Saturday from W.T. Woodson High School as she recovers in a hospital. “It sounds like they were out of control,” said the young woman’s father, Tim Coffman, 58. “They didn’t care whether she was injured or not.” That same evening in a different part of Baltimore, police said a motorist accidentally struck a dirt-bike rider and was beaten by the rider’s friend. Nearly all police jurisdictions in the Washington and Baltimore areas forbid officers to pursue illegal dirt bikes and ATVs, saying it is too dangerous. Several jurisdictions, including the District, offer rewards to people who help locate off-road vehicles and identify operators. In April, D.C. police published photographs of 245 riders from the District, Maryland and Virginia, and urged the public to help to identify them. The arrests and confiscations announced Tuesday in the District are a result of that initiative. “The vehicles are extremely dangerous to pedestrians and other motorists,” Capt. Michael Pavlik of the D.C. police said in a statement. Coffman, the father of the teen injured in Baltimore, said his daughter had just eaten dinner with friends and was headed to the concert at the nearby M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens. She was struck on a street that runs by the harbor and is typically crowded with pedestrians and vehicles. Coffman, a juvenile probation officer in Arlington County, praised Baltimore police for helping his daughter, who never made the concert, but he said he would not recommend returning. “I think the city needs to understand they have a crisis,” he said, referring to the dirt bikes. “They invite people into their city to a concert, and people need to feel safe. I’ll never feel safe there. . . . How is this allowed to happen? There are laws we’re expected to follow, and it seems like these guys are operating outside the law, putting people in jeopardy.” He didn’t want his daughter’s name published, but said she remains at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. He said it appears she will make a full recovery.


Montgomery Animal Watch

This case was received by the Montgomery County Animal Services Division. For information, call 240-773-5900. This number provides recorded information on topics such as the new animal services and adoption center’s hours and location in Derwood, adoption and licensing procedures, and lost-and-found and field services. Delivery man vs. dog: Workshop for dog owners: Rabies vaccinations: Adopt dogs and cats at MCHS no-kill rescue: Rockville Reduced fees for cat adoption: Germantown Adoptable cats at no-kill shelter: Gaithersburg — Compiled by Lisa M. Bolton


The economic shock of a ‘Brexit’

voting by mail. It could drag on for three months or so. Euro zone industrial production rebounded in April on a monthly basis after two consecutive falls. As Hayley Platt reports, the better than expected data was largely due to a surge in output of durable consumer goods, like cars. Britons — and British businesses, especially — would confront a nightmare of legal uncertainty. Large swaths of British regulation derive from E.U. rules and would have to be rewritten. Britain’s commercial relationship with its main trading partners would be up in the air, with no clarity about whether, or on what terms, Britain would retain membership in the E.U. single market. Global businesses with London headquarters would be scrambling to figure out if they should move. Fully 40 percent of Europe’s top companies and 60 percent of non-European multinationals have chosen London as their E.U. base. Their departure could trigger a real estate bust, clobbering consumer spending. The United Kingdom would find itself considerably less united. A majority of Scots want to stay in the E.U. and might seek to do so by demanding a referendum on independence from Britain. The last Scottish independence vote, in 2014, went in favor of the union because Scots were persuaded that the economic price of breakup was too high. But if Britain quits the E.U. and succumbs to a recession, the economic case may become too weak to trump Scottish nationalism. Northern Ireland would also be destabilized. The Catholic half of the population wants to stay in the E.U., alongside the Irish Republic. If Northern Ireland were dragged out of the E.U. by voters in England, Catholics would be resentful. Meanwhile, the basis for Northern Ireland’s economy — a porous border with the south — would take a whack. A business on the north side of the border would face greater hassles in recruiting workers and customers in the south, because the inter-Irish frontier would have to be subjected to passport and customs checks. This uncertainty could last anywhere from a couple of years to, say, seven — the number plucked out of the air this week by a senior E.U. leader. The only precedent for Brexit was set by Greenland in 1985. But Greenland’s population came to a grand total of 53,000, the only issue Greenland cared about was fish, and even then the divorce proceedings took three years to settle. Britain


Many top golfers still wary of committing to the Olympics due to Zika concerns

Jordan Spieth is among the golfers who are unsure if they’ll play in the Rio Olympics because of Zika concerns. (Rob Carr/Getty Images) OAKMONT, Pa. — While only two golfers — Australia’s Marc Leishman and Fiji’s Vijay Singh — are known to have removed themselves from consideration because of Zika, others, including world No. 8 Adam Scott, have pulled out over “scheduling” issues that may have been influenced by Zika concerns. Zika, which is transmitted primarily by mosquitoes, has been found to cause a severe birth defect called microcephaly, marked by abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains, and also has been linked to cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can cause paralysis in adults. The World Health Organization has classified the virus as a “public health emergency of international concern.” At this week’s U.S. Open, Jordan Spieth, ranked second in the world, became the latest to hedge on his plans, saying his commitment to playing in Rio was “pending schedule changes,” and adding, “If I thought the threat was significant, I certainly would not go.” Phil Mickelson avoided practicing shots out of the rough at Oakmont after injuring his wrist that way before the 2007 Open at Oakmont. (Michael Madrid/USA Today Sports) “But based on . . . my knowledge at this point,” said Spieth, 22, “it seems like it’s going to be an extremely memorable experience, and I look forward to trying to win a gold for the United States.” Spieth’s pivot came two weeks after a similar one from Australia’s Jason Day, the No. 1-ranked player in the world, who said it was “difficult to say” whether he would participate. “We’re just really trying to monitor what’s going on and make an educated decision,” Day, 28, who has a 3-year-old son and a 7-month-old daughter, told reporters, “because obviously, we’re not done having kids. . . . I think there’s a lot of guys who are on the fence about it.” Golfers are being advised on Zika by the PGA Tour’s medical personnel, but many have also sought outside opinions. “We have to see an independent doctor,” Day said, “not just the PGA doctor. I’m not saying it’s [a case of] bias. I’m just saying we need independent advice.” Masters champion Danny Willett of England, whose wife, Nicole, gave birth to their first child in March, said his plans for Rio “were still up in the air” but that


SpaceX loses Falcon 9 reusable booster in landing failure

The Kopp family of Pennsylvania, foreground, watches the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The reusable booster was destroyed on impact. (Malcolm Denemark/Florida Today via AP) TECHNOLOGY SpaceX fails latest landing attempt Elon Musk’s SpaceX failed to complete what would have been its fifth landing of a reusable booster rocket Wednesday. The failure was a down note on what appeared to be an otherwise successful mission to deliver two Boeing-built communication satellites to high orbit above Earth. “Falcon 9 was lost in this attempt,” the company said in its webcast. As the satellites headed on their way Wednesday, the booster rocket began its descent toward the ocean for a landing on a special floating platform. Video footage seemed to show the booster touching down, then flames, before the picture froze. As with previous attempts, SpaceX had said landing the reusable booster rocket would be more difficult because it would be falling from a higher altitude. The rocket, the company said, would also have less fuel than normal to control its descent. SpaceX founder Elon Musk later tweeted that it appeared the thrust in one of three landing engines was insufficient, causing the rocket to come in far too fast. In what he said may have been a SpaceX rocket’s “hardest impact” ever, the booster suffered a “rapid unscheduled disassembly.” Upgrades to compensate for the problem could come by year’s end, Musk said. — Brian Fung PUERTO RICO Senators seek SEC probe on bonds Seven senators are urging the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate potential misconduct involving Puerto Rico’s bonds as the Senate takes up a bill that would impose a control board to oversee the restructuring of the commonwealth’s $70 billion in debt. “We write to ask you that you investigate possible market manipulation, conflicts of interest, trading practices, and fraud in the underwriting, sale, distribution and trading of municipal securities of and relating to Puerto Rico, as well as any other fraudulent, illegal or wrongful conduct,” said a letter to SEC Chair Mary Jo White released Tuesday by the office of Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.). Menendez has said he opposes provisions of the House bill, such as the control board, rather than general oversight. The Senate is expected to take up the bill by the end of the month. Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten


Britain’s E.U. vote could bring Cameron’s government crashing down

former London mayor Boris Johnson — has all but declared his intention to topple the man who has led Britain for the past six years. Johnson and other pro-Brexit dissidents, said professor Tim Bale of Queen Mary University of London, form a “pop-up government in waiting” that is prepared to seize power if the Brexit vote does not go Cameron’s way. That dynamic, he said, has made for a particularly nasty campaign. “Given the division in the party over Europe, there was always going to be some friction,” said Bale, who has written books on the Conservatives. “But it’s been made worse by the fact that there are an awful lot of personal ambitions at stake here as well.” In recent weeks, as polls have revealed an electorate stubbornly divided on E.U. membership, both sides have resorted to personal attacks of a sort rarely seen within the highest reaches of a British governing party. Johnson and his allies have accused Cameron of misleading the public with scary stories about the devastating effect Brexit would have on the country’s economy. In campaign appearances, the voluble Johnson has lacerated the prime minister’s case for staying in the E.U.as “propaganda” and “a hoax.” Cameron and his allies have returned fire by calling Johnson out on what they regard as his naked ambition. In a nationally televised debate last week, Cameron loyalist Amber Rudd noted pointedly that “the only number Boris is interested in is the one that says ‘Number 10’ ” — a reference to the door number on the prime minister’s Downing Street residence. Although the acerbic and personalized tone of the debate is new, the profound split within the Conservative Party is not. It dates at least to the 1980s and the reign of Tory icon Margaret Thatcher. Her views on Europe were decidedly mixed, and both sides in the current debate have claimed her backing from beyond the grave. The question of whether Britain should be part of the E.U. cuts across the country’s left-right political divide. Among Tories, staying in the union appeals to pro-business politicians who favor the benefits of low trade barriers with continental economies. But the party also has a deep nationalistic tradition, and the idea that Britain can only be truly sovereign outside the E.U. resonates with the Conservative grass roots. So, too, does the pro-Brexit camp’s claim that leaving Europe will allow the United


Bob Paine, ecologist who identified ‘keystone’ species, dies at 83

communities. A groundbreaking idea when Dr. Paine introduced it in the late 1960s, the “keystone” species is today a fundamental of ecology textbooks. He was a naturalist “in the tradition of Charles Darwin,” Simon Levin, a Princeton University ecologist and recipient of the National Medal of Science, said in an interview. Dr. Paine identified the existence of "keystone” species. (Courtesy of Robert Paine/University of Washington) Dr. Paine’s fieldwork in Washington — first in Makah Bay, on the outer reaches of the Olympic Peninsula, and later on the nearby uninhabited Tatoosh Island — was “one of the most famous experiments in all of ecology,” Levin said. In a defined swath of rock, Dr. Paine manually removed each starfish of the species Pisaster ochraceus and tossed it to sea. He repeated the process several times a year, clearing the rock of all ochre sea stars, as the animals are commonly known. The result was astonishing: In short order, the rock scarcely resembled its former self. The population of mussels, on which the starfish feed, skyrocketed. Mussels took over the rock, eventually crowding out other species that competed for space, including barnacles, the aquatic snails known as limpets and chitons, a type of marine mollusk. Anemones and sponges also became less populous. In all, seven of 15 original species disappeared, according to an account in the publication Nautilus. By a description in the journal Nature, “a diverse tidal wonderland became a black monoculture of mussels.” Dr. Paine published his findings of the event, which he called a “trophic cascade,” in a now-classic article in the journal the American Naturalist, “Food Web Complexity and Species Diversity” (1966). Three years later, he introduced “keystone” species as an ecological term. “These individual populations are the keystone of the community’s structure,” he observed, “and the integrity of the community and its unaltered persistence through time, that is, stability, are determined by their activities and abundances.” Along with competition between species, the notion of keystone predators helped shape modern understanding of ecology and was later revised to describe any species, not necessarily a predator, with disproportionate influence on its environment. “Its importance,” Dr. Paine explained, “is that it convinced managers and conservationists alike that the ecological impact of single species matters.” Besides the impact of his findings, Dr. Paine’s work was notable, Levin said, because “nobody had done this level of experimental manipulation of a natural system.” Dr.


Baltimore prosecutor accuses Freddie Gray detective of ‘sabotaging’ case

reason police did not buckle Gray was that he was combative and it would have been unsafe for officers to enter the narrow compartment of the van with the arrestee. Assistant medical examiner Carol Allan testified last week that she never considered the manner of death accidental, ruling instead that it was a homicide. But Taylor's notes suggest that Allan told investigators she initially believed Gray’s death was a “freakish accident” and that “no human hands caused this injury.” During a fiery cross-examination, Schatzow claimed that police pressured Allan in those meetings to classify Gray’s death an accident. Schatzow accused Taylor of doctoring her notes after fighting with Bledsoe. “When you started having problems with Ms. Bledsoe, you went back and created these notes,” Schatzow said. “All notes aren’t going to be written at that time," Taylor responded. “My problems with Ms. Bledsoe were about her integrity.” Taylor testified that she later tried to give her notes to Bledsoe but Bledsoe refused to accept them. “She pushed them back across the table and stormed out of the room in a tantrum,” Taylor said. Goodson faces the lone murder charge in connection with Gray’s death, as well as counts of manslaughter, reckless endangerment, assault and misconduct in office. He is among six officers who were charged in the Gray case; last month, one of those officers was acquitted. The court also heard testimony from Donta Allen, the arrestee who rode on the other side of a thin metal partition from Gray in the van during the final leg of the ride through West Baltimore. Allen told police last April that Gray banged his head “loudly” several times on the partition, but in testimony Thursday he said that he did not know what Gray was doing before the van reached Baltimore’s Western District police station. “I can’t tell you if he was banging his head if I can't see on the other side” of the partition, Allen told the court. Allen’s testimony has been a source of contention. After giving his initial statement to police about Gray banging his head, Allen told The Washington Post and other media outlets that his statement was mischaracterized and that he never said Gray was harming himself. Under direct examination by Goodson’s attorney, Allen was uncooperative, saying repeatedly, “I don't recall anything from that day.” Attorneys played the full video of Allen’s statement to police, during


Orlando shooter posted messages on Facebook pledging allegiance to the leader of ISIS and vowing more attacks

front in a neighborhood that is ethnically diverse and middle class. Many of the immediate neighbors are of Indian descent. Mohamed Diouf, 23, went to the same high school with Salman’s cousins Sana and Salam. Diouf described them as straight-A students — “a couple of the smartest ladies I’ve ever met.” Diouf added about their mother: “She raised two successful, intelligent daughters that I got to grow up with, and I kind of respect that. I feel she’s someone to respect. The family is someone to respect.” Diouf describes them as mainstream in their Muslim faith. He also grew up in a Muslim household. “They’re like my parents — my mother and father, devout Muslims. It’s Ramadan right now. They would be fasting, they would be praying. They would wear their hijabs sometimes. But they were just regular people.” On Wednesday, the family was holed up inside their home all day, with the shades drawn. Multiple visitors came and brought food and other household goods. Salman accompanied Mateen at one point to buy ammunition and went with him on at least one trip to Pulse described as “reconnaissance” not long before the shooting, according to officials familiar with the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing probe. Whether she knew the purpose of that trip remains unclear. Investigators are still working to corroborate what Salman told them during interviews, according to authorities, and will also try to determine if she suffered any abuse at the gunman’s hands. His first wife — Sitora Yusifiy, to whom he was briefly married in 2009 — said he beat her repeatedly while they were married. How authorities ultimately view Salman’s role and actions could change if she was a victim of abuse or feared for her life, officials say. As investigators continue probing Mateen’s life, they are also scouring digital forensics and are trying to reconstruct his actions dating back months. Meanwhile, evidence technicians were methodically tracing the path of the barrage of bullets that flew inside Pulse as they attempted to diagram precisely what happened. “We’re looking at everything,” Hopper said. He also said authorities had found no evidence yet that Mateen intended to target any other locations, and officials said they had no information about any possible surveillance at Disney or any knowledge of Mateen patronizing clubs besides Pulse. At least two witnesses at Pulse said Mateen


Will the European Union survive?

record. Given a choice between returning power to their national governments and transferring more to the E.U., Europeans were more than twice as likely to choose the former. Hostility to the E.U. is strongest in two countries: Greece, which is not surprising, given that country’s predicament, and France, whose population now registers 61 percent disapproval, despite Paris’s historic role in creating it. These numbers suggest that a vote for Brexit could prove contagious, with disruptive repercussions wider than analysts currently assume. None of this is to imply the E.U., held together by law, moral suasion and enlightened self-interest, is morally or politically equivalent to monarchies or communist dictatorships of the past. Yet as a matter of realpolitik, the E.U.’s reliance on “soft power” for cohesion has mutated into a source of instability: Britain’s secessionist referendum is perfectly lawful under the foundational Lisbon Treaty’s Article 50, which is not the sort of escape clause a truly eternal solution to Europe’s ancient rivalries would have included. If Britain does leave, it will negotiate with the E.U. over separation terms. The latter will face a dilemma: Dealing punitively with Britain might deter copycat exiters but also contradict the non-coercive principles upon which E.U. legitimacy depends. Getting 27 nations to forge a common approach to Britain, and the accompanying debate, diplomacy and drama, could distract the E.U.’s already overburdened politicians, eroding their ability to govern effectively on migration, economics and security — which would play into the hands of anti-E.U. populists. Meanwhile, Brexit might administer a grave, and to other Euroskeptics, exemplary, self-inflicted wound for Britain, as many warn (or secretly hope). Or it might not. Would it weaken the pound? Maybe, but core inflation in Britain is only about 1 percent at present, implying manageable, not catastrophic, risk. Would growth come to a standstill? A comprehensive study by Open Europe suggests that Britain’s economy would be roughly the same size by 2030 with Brexit as it would have been without it, assuming, plausibly, some sort of trade agreement with the E.U. The ray of hope in all of this, for the E.U. and its leaders, is that support for the union is strongest among the young; a majority of 18-to-34-year-olds view the E.U. favorably in every country but Greece, according to Pew. If Europe’s rising generation still has faith, this may give the E.U. time and space to adapt and survive, with or


IAAF, deciding whether to lift Russia’s suspension, faces its own scrutiny

Sebastian Coe took over as IAAF president last year after his predecessor was indicted in France on corruption charges. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via Associated Press) The global organization that oversees track and field is expected to decide Friday whether to restore the eligibility of Russia’s suspended team before the Rio Olympics in August, following multiple reports of systemic, state-sponsored drug cheating. But as International Association of Athletics Federations council members meet in Vienna, significant questions remain about the organization itself, which has been implicated in the same far-reaching doping scandal. In January, a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) investigation concluded that a “powerful rogue group” in the IAAF had extorted athletes and allowed Russian doping to continue unabated for years. A former IAAF president faces criminal corruption charges in France in connection with the scandal, a former IAAF treasurer has been banned from the organization for life, and just last week, the IAAF suspended its current president’s chief of staff, Nick Davies, as it investigates allegations that Davies took money to cover up Russian doping violations. Russian officials have acknowledged doping problems on the nation’s Olympic teams but deny any government involvement. WADA is investigating allegations made by a former Russian anti-doping doctor that his government bosses condoned and supported both drug cheating and testing sabotage, but that investigation will not be concluded until mid-July. Russia’s track and field team currently is suspended from international competition, a penalty the IAAF imposed in November after a previous WADA investigation found widespread drug cheating among the nation’s track athletes. At some point this week in Vienna, a five-member IAAF task force will update the entire council (there are 27 members; it’s unclear how many will be in attendance) on Russia’s progress in reforming its anti-doping operations. There are no other IAAF council meetings scheduled between now and August’s Summer Games in Rio, so a decision to maintain the suspension on Russia effectively will bar the nation’s track and field team from the Olympics. An IAAF spokesman said a decision should be announced at a Friday news conference in Vienna. While Russian officials have publicly pledged that they have met all of the IAAF’s terms, others in the anti-doping community are skeptical. Travis Tygart, chief executive of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, has called for Russia’s track athletes to be barred from Rio and for all Russian Olympic athletes to be banned from competition if allegations


doctor that his government bosses condoned and supported both drug cheating and testing sabotage, but that investigation will not be concluded until mid-July. Russia’s track and field team currently is suspended from international competition, a penalty the IAAF imposed in November after a previous WADA investigation found widespread drug cheating among the nation’s track athletes. At some point this week in Vienna, a five-member IAAF task force will update the entire council (there are 27 members; it’s unclear how many will be in attendance) on Russia’s progress in reforming its anti-doping operations. There are no other IAAF council meetings scheduled between now and August’s Summer Games in Rio, so a decision to maintain the suspension on Russia effectively will bar the nation’s track and field team from the Olympics. An IAAF spokesman said a decision should be announced at a Friday news conference in Vienna. While Russian officials have publicly pledged that they have met all of the IAAF’s terms, others in the anti-doping community are skeptical. Travis Tygart, chief executive of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, has called for Russia’s track athletes to be barred from Rio and for all Russian Olympic athletes to be banned from competition if allegations of government involvement in doping are found to be true. The vote will be an early test for IAAF President Sebastian Coe, the former British Olympic runner who took over the job last year from Lamine Diack, who was indicted in France last November and charged with money laundering and corruption in connection with allegations he took bribes to cover up doping cases. In an interview last week, Dick Pound, the former WADA president whose investigation found corruption was “embedded” in the IAAF, said he felt Coe could be trusted to reform the organization. While Coe and others probably knew about allegations of Russian drug cheating for years, Pound said, former IAAF president Diack told them he was handling things appropriately. “When that issue [of Russian doping] was raised in council, you’d have Diack saying, ‘We’re aware of that, it’s a very serious problem, and you can all rest assured the IAAF rules will be applied,’ ” Pound said. “They were getting that assurance from leadership.” Diack has denied the charges of corruption, as has his son, Papa Massata Diack, a former IAAF marketing consultant also criminally charged in France but avoiding extradition in his native Senegal. Pound’s investigation likewise


Sloth bear named Francois dies at National Zoo in Washington

officials said they euthanized Francois. Francois was described as being a playful, genteel and positive sloth bear. He came to the zoo in 1991 and his favorite activities included basking in the sun and interacting with visitors, zoo officials said. He was part of a species survival plan at the zoo and spent seven years at the Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas, where he sired four cubs. He came back to Washington’s National Zoo in 2010. At the National Zoo, he was bred with a sloth bear named Hana. They had a male cub named Hank in December 2012. And in December 2013, after breeding with Khali, Francois sired three cubs. But only one from that litter, named Remi, survived. She was hand-raised by zookeepers. One thing was unusual about Francois, zookeepers said. Typically male sloth bears don’t play a big role in raising their offspring. But Francois, known for his “sensitive and social nature,” showed interest in Remi when she was being hand-raised, the zoo said. And he “readily became her companion.” Francois “helped teach her how to be a bear,” the zoo said in a statement. Remi and Francois eventually cohabitated and spent the past year and a half together, the zoo said. Sloth bears have a dark, shaggy coat and long claws. They suck up ants, termites and other insects through a gap in their teeth. The animals are native to Nepal, Sri Lanka and India, and fewer than 20,000 remain in these countries. The animals are considered “vulnerable to extinction” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Francois had been closely monitored for the past few months and treated with anti-inflammatory and nerve-pain medications. To try to help keep him comfortable, zookeepers mulched the floor of his indoor enclosure to “give him more traction.” He was trained to help in his blood draws and monitoring his blood pressure. Zoo officials said that “while improvement was noted” about five months ago, after he had undergone some of these medical treatments, there was “a marked decline in their effectiveness” over the past several weeks. They made a decision to euthanize him. Francois is survived by Hana, Hank and Remi. They can be seen at the zoo’s Asia Trail exhibit. A final pathology report will be done and it is likely to give more details about the sloth bear’s death. That will take several weeks, zoo officials said.


Partial Metro shutdown starts Saturday; commuters urged to avoid using subway

Metro’s months-long SafeTrack rebuilding effort. Officials are trying to revitalize a subway that has fallen into dangerous disrepair because of decades of maintenance neglect, resulting in chronic breakdowns and safety problems. Here's what Blue Line riders need to know about how the second phase of Metro's maintenance plan, known as SafeTrack will affect them. The second phase runs June 18-July 3 on the Blue Line. The first SafeTrack project, scheduled to be finished Thursday, caused service delays on the Orange and Silver lines for two weeks, with trains traveling in both directions forced to share one track between the East Falls Church and Ballston stations. But that single-tracking on the subway’s western side was a relatively small aggravation compared with the next disruption, which will be centered on the system’s eastern side. From Saturday through July 3, rail service will be halted from the Eastern Market station, on the Orange, Silver and Blue lines, to the Orange Line’s Minnesota Avenue station and to the Benning Road station on the Silver and Blue lines. For people who have no choice but to use the subway, Metro will provide shuttle buses to ferry them past the Stadium-Armory and Potomac Avenue stations, which will be shuttered for 16 days. However, there will not be nearly enough buses to carry the tens of thousands of rail commuters who normally ride in that area, transit officials warned. “They should allow well over an hour of additional travel time,” Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said of shuttle bus riders. “Expect crowding. Expect it to be hot. Expect it to be frustrating. It’s not going to be a pleasant experience.” Four partial rail-line shutdowns in other areas of the system — two in July and one each in October and December — also are scheduled as part of the SafeTrack effort. While Metro riders who live in Prince George’s or in the District’s eastern corner and work downtown will bear the worst of this month’s inconvenience, the ripple effects of the shutdown will be felt all along the Orange, Silver and Blue lines, especially by Blue Line commuters who travel into the city from the Alexandria area. For example, to ease train traffic in downtown Washington, Blue Line trains will run only between the Franconia-Springfield station and Arlington National Cemetery, “and only during the hours that the cemetery is open,” Wiedefeld said. From April to September, the cemetery


Some in Guam push for independence from U.S. as Marines prepare for buildup

Aircraft assigned to various countries fly in formation during an exercise off the coast of Guam on Feb. 17. (Petty Officer 1st Class Ace Rheaume/Fleet Combat Camera Pacific) HAGATNA, Guam — There is “America’s unsinkable aircraft carrier,” because the island is home to a huge air force base. And then there is “Fortress Pacific,” because of the huge military buildup that is planned to take place over the next decade. But Guam’s population calls it by another name: Ours. And a sizable portion wants a real say in how it is run. “This American territory is not enjoying democracy, where citizens can determine who their leader will be and what laws will be put upon them,” said Gov. Eddie Baza Calvo, who has called a vote for November on Guam’s political status. “It’s up to our people to decide which way to go: whether to be fully in union with the United States or to chart a separate course.” A “decolonization commission” is set to report to Calvo (R) next month on whether to proceed with the plebiscite, which would give Guamanians three alternatives to their current status as a U.S. territory. That status — shared by Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands — confers U.S. citizenship on people born here but does not give them the right to vote in presidential elections or a voting representative in Congress. Maj. Tim Patrick of the Marine Corps unit on Guam shows plans for the expansion of Andersen Air Force Base, part of a military buildup taking place in the territory over the next decade. (Anna Fifield/The Washington Post) “Guamanian soldiers have gone to fight in countries so they can have democracy and vote, yet we have never voted for the person who sends us to war,” the governor said. The three alternatives under consideration are: ● Statehood, which would give Guam all the rights (and burdens) of being a state, albeit a very small one, with a population less than one-third that of Wyoming. ●Free association with administrative power, like Palau and the Marshall Islands. ● Independence, which would make Guam a (minuscule) sovereign state. The vote would not be binding — only Congress can change Guam’s political status — but would be symbolic of the territory’s sentiment. The issue has been simmering for years but returned to the political front burner with the Pentagon’s preparations to relocate thousands of


Philadelphia approves first major U.S. city soda tax despite industry opposition

to sue. — Associated Press TRADE Current account deficit hits seven-year high The deficit in the nation’s broadest measure of trade increased in the January-March quarter to the highest level in more than seven years. The current account trade deficit jumped 9.9 percent in the first quarter to $124.7 billion, the Commerce Department reported. It was the biggest gap since a deficit of $152.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008, the height of the financial crisis. The higher deficit reflected a $9.6 billion decline in the surplus on investment earnings. That offset a $2 billion decrease in the deficit on merchandise trade and an increase of $400 million in the surplus on services. The current account is the broadest measure of trade because it covers not only trade in goods but also services and investment flows. Economists watch the figure because it indicates how much the United States needs to borrow from foreigners. The first-quarter deficit represented 2.7 percent of overall economic output, as measured by the gross domestic product, up from 2.5 percent in the fourth quarter, when the deficit totaled $113.4 billion. For all of 2015, the current account deficit totaled $462.97 billion, an i — Associated Press Also in Business ● FedEx Ground Package System has agreed to pay drivers in 20 states $240 million to settle lawsuits claiming that the second-largest U.S. parcel delivery company misclassified them as independent contractors instead of FedEx employees. The settlement, if approved, would be divided among 12,000 drivers, a lead attorney for the plaintiffs said. The drivers claimed that they were owed overtime pay and reimbursement for expenses, among other benefits. ● Macy’s reached a tentative deal with workers, averting what could have become the first strike at its flagship Manhattan store in more than four decades. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union said it negotiated higher wages and more affordable health care. The union declined to release details about the four-year contract until it is approved by workers. Macy’s also did not discuss specifics. The strike would have brought in other area Macy’s stores as well. ● U.S. consumer prices rose a moderate amount in May, driven up by rising energy costs and the biggest increase in shelter costs in more than nine years. Consumer prices increased 0.2 percent last month after a 0.4 percent April increase, the Commerce Department reported. Energy prices rose for a third


A ‘Brexit’ would be perilous for not just for the U.K., but for the world

vote “leave.” This would be contrary to the pleas of Prime Minister David Cameron, President Obama and practically every elected leader across Europe. It would be contrary to the internationalist example set by Ms. Cox, a committed and thoughtful campaigner for the rights of refugees and supporter of a vigorous British response to the Syrian war that has forced so many to flee. It also would be dangerous for the world, for Europe and, not least, for Britain. We understand the populist impulse behind the Brexit surge. Brussels and its multiple officious agencies are remote; their ponderous processes offer no prompt resolution to the issues that worry Britons most, including a surge of immigrants via the borderless E.U. That this impulse is understandable, however, does not make it any less, well, impulsive; there’s nothing particularly new, or particularly admirable, about the politics of anti-immigrant backlash. Any control Brexit would “take back,” to paraphrase the Leave campaign slogan, would be offset by increased economic uncertainty and political tension, to include conflict, potentially, with Scotland, which might rethink its recent vote to remain in the U.K. rather than join a flight from Europe. Brexiteers promise a boom born of deregulation; practical people grasp that Britain’s global financial center and export economy require regulation and standard-setting, including some that will inevitably be carried out multilaterally. Leaving the E.U. won’t change that reality, just render Britain less influential in shaping it. For all its defects, the European Union is still a force for comity and commerce among the peoples of the continent, and a multiplier of their power and influence on the world stage. The E.U. is a strong partner with the United States, especially so when it includes Britain’s economy, the world’s fifth largest, and its military, the fifth most powerful . What’s more, it is a force for stability, possibly the most important of all the public goods that governing institutions provide — but, alas, the one most often taken for granted. Sensible citizenries prize stability as well as grievance and don’t lightly vent the latter at the risk of the former. Come June 23, we hope the British people will vote accordingly. Read more on this topic: Sebastian Mallaby: The economic shock of a ‘Brexit’ Robert J. Samuelson: Is the Brexit camp about to triumph? George F. Will: The ‘Brexit’ referendum is the most important vote in Europe in a half-century


Will indoor, vertical farming help us feed the planet — or hurt it?

there’s no runoff, which translates to no algae blooms in rivers, lakes and estuaries. Less fertilizer is a win. Then there’s less water. As that commodity is in increasingly short supply in many parts of the world, a system that can cut water use by up to 95 percent should command our attention. Less water is a win. Because the climate is controlled, and there’s no soil to harbor pests or disease, indoor farming requires few pesticides. Workers are exposed to fewer toxic substances, and there are no threats to honeybees or other desirable plants or animals. Fewer chemicals is a win. Lettuce grown indoors can also be fine-tuned nutritionally by adjusting the fertilizer, but studies comparing indoor and outdoor lettuce nutrition find little difference, so I’ll call that a wash. Still, that’s four non-trivial wins, and they are part of the reason vertical farming seems to have captured the imagination of urban food growers and consumers. But before you shell out for the microgreens, there are a couple of disadvantages. The first is that you’ll have to shell out a lot, and the second gets at the heart of the inevitable trade-off between planet and people: the carbon footprint. If you farm the old-fashioned way, you take advantage of a reliable, eternal, gloriously free source of energy: the sun. Take your plants inside, and you have to provide that energy yourself. In the world of agriculture, there are opinions about every kind of system for growing every kind of crop, so it’s refreshing that the pivotal issue of vertical farming — energy use — boils down to something more reliable: math. There’s no getting around the fact that plants need a certain minimum amount of light. In vertical farms, that light generally is provided efficiently, but, even so, replacing the sun is an energy-intensive business. Louis Albright, director of Cornell University’s Controlled Environment Agriculture program, has run the numbers: Each kilogram of indoor lettuce has a climate cost of four kilograms of carbon dioxide. And that’s just for the lighting. Indoor farms often need humidity control, ventilation, heating, cooling or all of the above. Farmworkers would be among the beneficiaries of indoor vertical farming, which would lessen their exposure to pesticides. (Eric Thayer/Reuters) Let’s compare that with field-grown lettuce. Climate cost varies according to conditions, but the estimates I found indicate that indoor lettuce production has a carbon footprint


IAAF will not lift the ban on Russian track athletes in time for Rio Games

the IAAF taskforce on Russia, listens to a question during a news conference Friday in Vienna, Austria. (Leonhard Foeger/Reuters) Rune Andersen, who chaired the IAAF task force, explained at a news conference that Russia has made progress since the initial suspension but has failed to fully address its cheating tolerance. “The head coach of the Russian athletics team and many of the athletes on that team appear unwilling to acknowledge the nature and extent of the doping problem in Russian athletics,” Andersen said, “and certain coaches and athletes appear willing to ignore the doping rules.” Russian athletes have faced myriad charges of wrongdoing in recent months, most recently in a World Anti-Doping Agency report that was released Wednesday, two days before the IAAF council meeting. The report detailed some of the measures Russian athletes have taken to avoid drug-testing in the months that followed the initial IAAF suspension, including one incident in which an “athlete used a container inserted inside her body (presumably containing clean urine).” “When she tried to use the container it leaked on to the floor and not into the collection vessel,” the report said. “The athlete threw the container into the trash which was retrieved by [a doping official]. The athlete also tried to bribe the [doping official].” The report found that many athletes failed to properly report their whereabouts for tests and that doping control officers often faced intimidation. In addition, some athletes would report their whereabouts as military cities, where “athletes know that special permission is needed to gain access,” the report stated, noting that “athletes provide this location even if they aren’t there, to deter test planning.” Doping allegations are among several issues plaguing the Olympics just seven weeks before the Opening Ceremonies in Brazil, which has tried to play down the outbreak of the Zika virus, economic and social unrest, cost overruns, crime, and pollution at the venues for water sports such as sailing. The IAAF did adopt a pair of rule changes Friday, however, that provide some wiggle room for Russian athletes. Andersen said those who “are not tainted by the Russian system” could apply for an exemption. He said that would affect any Russian athletes who have been subject to reliable testing outside of the Russian system. Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko gestures during a December news conference in Moscow. Despite Mutko’s efforts, the IAAF chose not to life a


ban on Russian track and field athletes for the Rio Games. (Pavel Golovkin/AP) The organization also will give special consideration to “any athlete who has made an extraordinary contribution to the fight against doping,” which could include whistleblowers such as sprinter Yuliya Stepanova. In a statement Friday, Vitaly Mutko, the Russian Federation’s minister of sport, expressed disappointment in the IAAF’s decision and said the Russians “have nothing to hide and feel we had met the IAAF’s conditions for reentry.” “Clean athletes’ dreams are being destroyed because of the reprehensible behavior of other athletes and officials,” Mutko said. “They have sacrificed years of their lives striving to compete at the Olympics, and now that sacrifice looks likely to be wasted.” Russia traditionally fields a competitive track and field team. At the 2012 Games in London, Russia sent more than 100 track and field athletes, who claimed 18 medals in all. Two of those have already been stripped because of doping violations, and others could be in jeopardy. The Rio Games don’t formally begin until Aug. 5, but Olympic organizers have been trying to stem doping before a single event is contested. The International Olympic Committee has retested doping samples from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and identified 55 men and women who could be banned from competing in Rio. At a meeting Tuesday in Lausanne, Switzerland, the organization will discuss whether individual athletes from banned teams should be granted exemptions, an IOC spokesman said. “We now appeal to the members of the International Olympic Committee to not only consider the impact that our athletes’ exclusion will have on their dreams and the people of Russia,” Mutko said in his statement Friday, “but also that the Olympics themselves will be diminished by their absence. The Games are supposed to be a source of unity, and we hope that they remain as a way of bringing people together.” Coe said he will attend the meeting and also emphasized that IAAF alone has the authority to determine athlete eligibility in international competitions. Andersen said given the breadth of doping in Russia, it would be difficult for the IAAF to grant exemptions. The line separating dirty and clean Russian athletes, he said, is a blurry one. “The systematic doping that has been ongoing in Russia, it’s difficult to pick the clean athletes,” Andersen said. “As you know, one or two or 100 negative tests does


How high-tech tools gave this often-injured runner hope

Adapted from technology designed to add weight to astronauts in space, the AlterG does the opposite on Earth, using air pressure to take some of the load off. (AlterG) I fell in love with running in the late 1990s, when I discovered the simplicity of lacing up my sneakers and heading out the door. As the miles ticked by, joy turned to passion. By the time I ran my first marathon in 2002 at age 26, I was addicted. Running had become a way of life. It didn’t last long. My third and last marathon was in 2003. Then came a stress fracture in my shin, followed by an excruciating three-year bout with plantar fasciitis that ended in surgery. Since then, I’ve tried several times to run casually, but those attempts have always ended in injury. And although I’ve managed to continue swimming, cycling and other forms of cross training, I’ve never entirely given up hope that one day I might run again. That hope surged recently when I learned about a suite of new high-tech tools designed (or at least marketed) to aid athletes with training, injury prevention and damage control. With such products as 3-D gait analyses and anti-gravity treadmills, the list is increasing and also increasingly available not just to elite athletes but also to the masses — for a fee. Could technology get me running again without pain? It’s a tricky question, experts say. Overall, the literature is sparse. And while some evidence suggests that new-generation devices can help sometimes, studies are often small, flawed or published by companies with a stake in the game. A fixation on data also can detract from a more fluid sense of how hard you’re working and how your body feels, and paying attention to how your body feels still matters for improving performance and avoiding injury, adds Stephanie Brooks, an athletic trainer at the University of Oregon. “You can get so caught up in shifting your focus to something external instead of what you’re feeling internally,” she says. “You can end up thinking too much.” Duly warned, I decided to try some of the newest tools. My personal goal was to compete in a few triathlons this summer without getting injured. Long term, I wanted to help other active people decide whether it’s worth the time and money to try out the kinds of sci-fi tools that elite athletes


Don’t let Zika stop the Olympics

The sun sets behind the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, the venue for the opening and closing ceremony for Rio's 2016 Olympics. (Felipe Dana/Associated Press) Ashish K. Jha is director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, the K.T. Li professor of health policy at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. An expert panel convened by the World Health Organization just declared that there is no scientific basis for canceling, postponing or moving the 28th Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August or the Paralympics in September because of the Zika outbreak. While many of us experts have expressed concerns about how the WHO handled Ebola and other outbreaks, this time the WHO got it right. There are ample reasons for alarm: The Zika virus continues to spread in Brazil. Zika infection during pregnancy can have devastating effects on developing fetuses, leading to severe brain damage. The risk is so substantial that the WHO has called the Zika outbreak and its effects on pregnant women a public health emergency of international concern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises pregnant women to avoid traveling to Zika-affected areas if possible. No wonder, then, that more than 200 medical ethicists and other experts penned an open letter to the WHO, calling for the Olympics to be moved or delayed. They contend that approximately 500,000 people flying into Rio to participate in or watch the Olympic Games would accelerate the spread of the disease as these individuals returned home, leading to a worldwide Zika outbreak. These arguments seem compelling on the surface, but they don’t stand up to scrutiny. First, several new studies estimate an exceedingly low risk of travelers getting Zika. One study suggests that there may be as few as 15 new cases as a result of the Games. And because most people infected with Zika suffer only mild symptoms (the real risk is to pregnant women and their babies), these few infections are unlikely to pose a substantial health threat. August and September are cool months in Brazil, when mosquitoes are far less active. Coupled with efforts to keep mosquitoes under control around Olympic venues, that should mean relatively few new infections. Second, 500,000 travelers to Rio may seem like an enormous number, but it’s tiny compared with the 6.4 million visitors Brazil had in 2014, for instance.


Watchdog ends probe into Lumber Liquidators’ sale of Chinese laminate flooring

official Friday, when Store No. 1 outside Philadelphia closed. A new, larger store is open nearby. Grahame Wood established the original outlet in Folsom, Pa., in April 1964. Wawa now has more than 645 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida. Wawa is beloved in the mid-Atlantic. One couple got married in one, and actress Ellie Kemper has called it one of her “most enduring relationships.” The new store has the original Wawa sign at a selfie station. — Associated Press Also in Business ● Construction of new homes nudged down slightly in May, with builders pulling back in the Northeast and Midwest. The Commerce Department said Friday that housing starts ticked down 0.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.16 million units. Home construction has improved much of this year, with single-family houses accounting for much of the gains. Housing starts have climbed 10.2 percent compared to the first five months of 2015. Starts rose 14.4 percent in the West and 1.5 percent in the South last month. They plunged 33.3 percent in the Northeast and fell 2.5 percent in the Midwest. Building permit applications, an indicator of future activity, rose 0.7 percent in May. ● HSBC Holdings agreed to pay $1.58 billion to settle a 14-year-old shareholder lawsuit over allegations that executives of a U.S. subprime-lending business acquired by the bank misled investors. The HSBC Finance unit will record a $585 million pretax charge in the second quarter to resolve the litigation, which the parent company inherited through its 2003 acquisition of Household International, the bank said Thursday. Investors of Household International sued in 2002, alleging the company and three executives made misleading comments about mortgage-lending practices. ● Viacom forecast earnings for the quarter ending in June that lagged behind estimates, adding to the woes of its leader under siege, chief executive Philippe Dauman. Profit will reach $1 to $1.05 a share in the fiscal third quarter, Viacom said Friday. Bloomberg analysts had forecast $1.38 a share. Earnings were hurt when a major film release, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,” failed to connect with moviegoers. The media giant’s Paramount Pictures is ramping up production after falling in box office performance among the major movie studios, and cable networks such as MTV and Comedy Central are facing viewership declines. ● Every dollar counts. Individuals proved as much, accounting for 71 percent


Financial calamity declared in Rio weeks before Olympics, but Games will go on

RIO DE JANEIRO — The Olympics start Aug. 5 with Brazil already facing an impeachment trial of suspended President Dilma Rousseff, a public health crisis over the Zika epidemic and a deepening recession. In an official decree published Friday afternoon by acting governor Francisco Dornelles, the state government said the crisis could cause a “total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management.” Coming less than two months before the city hosts its first Olympic Games, the move stunned many in the Olympic city. “It is completely unprecedented,” said Paulo Baía, a professor of political science at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He said while Brazilian cities had previously made similar declarations, he had never seen such a move from a state before. Less than two months before it hosts the Olympic Games, the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro has declared a state of financial emergency and has asked for funding during the Games. About half a million tourists are expected in Rio during the Games. The measure was intended “to call the attention of the whole society of Rio to the problems the state has, opening the way for us to take very tough measures,” Dornelles said Friday. Mário Andrada, executive director of communication for Rio 2016, said the Games would not be affected. “We knew since last year that the financial state of Rio state was critical. We work with them every single day. They have fulfilled all their obligations for the Games. They created a state law for tax breaks that we were able to use,” Andrada said. The state of Rio has 16 million inhabitants and relies heavily on royalties from the oil fields off its coast. Hit by falling revenues and the tumbling price of oil, the state has inched further and further into the red while a huge corruption crisis has left state-run oil firm Petrobras, one of Rio’s biggest companies, reeling. Rio state government has been struggling to pay salaries and pensions, public hospitals have complained they lack basic supplies, and earlier this month, local media reported that the state-run morgue was forced to stop receiving bodies because subcontracted cleaning services were no longer being paid for. The crisis has even affected the new metro line the state government is funding for the Olympics, which is now to be ready just days before the Games begin and will


Animal Watch: Stuck turtle is in no hurry to budge

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


Beer of the Week: Other Half/Stillwater Rockstar Farmer

Stillwater Rock Star Farmer. (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post) If in-the-know beer drinkers pick up a bottle of Rockstar Farmer to take a closer look at the colorful modernist label, they’ll probably end up buying it — even if they’ve never tasted a drop. This “Farmhouse Session India Pale Ale” is a collaboration between small, Brooklyn-based Other Half Brewing, which has developed a cult following for its balanced-yet-hop-forward IPAs and imperial IPAs, and Stillwater Artisanal, a gypsy brewery that tends to throw style guidelines out the window. That partly explains the jumble of buzzwords on the label, including “farmhouse,” “session” and “IPA.” Stillwater and Other Half’s joint project uses multiple strains of Brettanomyces yeast, a combination yielding aromas of peaches and pineapples, as well as a more general light funk. It obviously started as a dry saison; the grassiness and earthiness are noticeable. But there’s a pronounced hoppiness and citrus-peel bitterness at play, as well, with more stone fruit and tangy funk in the finish. Crisp, flavorful and only 4.5 percent alcohol by volume, this is an ale that doesn’t taste like all the other farmhouse beers on the shelf. — Fritz Hahn Other Half Brewing and Stillwater Artisanal Rockstar Farmer. stillwater-artisanal.com. $11 for a 22-ounce bottle. More from Food: Beer Column archive


Why Brexit alarms Britain’s Baltic allies

Germany and France. If Britain left the E.U., the Balts fear that Scotland, which is more pro-E.U. than the rest of the United Kingdom, would leave Britain. Scotland just happens to be where Britain’s nuclear deterrent is based aboard four Vanguard-class submarines. The naval base at Faslane could be relocated, but it would be costly to do so at a time when the British defense budget has already been cut to the bone. Odds are that a Britain outside the E.U. would be smaller and weaker than it is today. Moreover, if Britain does vote for Brexit, it will lead to a period of turmoil with Brits and other Europeans debating the nature of their future relationship. Britain and the E.U. will have to pass a trade treaty, and the terms are sure to be contentious. While the negotiations are going on, Europeans will be focused inward — not at the external threat to the east. The Balts fear, finally, that a British exit could set off a chain reaction of other exits. There is great unhappiness with the E.U. in many member states, and Putin has been supporting anti-E.U. parties in Europe of both the far left and far right. Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party and a leading pro-Brexit voice, has harsh words for Brussels but nothing but kind words for Moscow. He has expressed admiration for Putin and been a regular guest on the Russia Today propaganda channel. Campaigning resumes ahead of Britain's referendum on European Union membership after the killing of Labour MP Jo Cox. France’s far-right National Front, led by Marine Le Pen, has admitted receiving tens of millions of euros in “loans” from a Kremlin-linked bank. Russia is also supporting in various ways other extremist parties, including the far-right Jobbik in Hungary, the far-left Podemos in Spain, the far-left Syriza in Greece and the far-right Freedom Party in Austria, that are pro-Russia and anti-E.U. Oh, and Putin goes out of his way to praise Donald Trump, who has called NATO “obsolete” and vowed to improve relations with Russia. It’s clear that the Russians are hoping to promote disunity in the West by breaking up the two alliances that oppose them — NATO and the E.U. The Balts are concerned — and so should we be — that a British vote for Brexit would play into Putin’s hands. The last thing the West


Brexit’s generational divide is a major fault line in the E.U. referendum

and older are the most likely to vote to leave the E.U., a position also known as Brexit, which claims that leaving would allow Britain to dramatically curb immigration. David Banks, organizer for Veterans for Britain, said that older people are more pro-Brexit partly because “they want their independence back,” and partly because they have a longer experience of reading negative headlines about the E.U. from the British press, which is largely Euroskeptic. On June 23, Britain faces a fateful decision: whether or not to leave the European Union. And the world will be watching. For instance, when the E.U. received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 for ushering in an era of peace and democracy on a previously war-torn continent, there was bemusement across Europe — but the British press was particularly critical. “EU have got to be joking!” was a headline in the Sun, Britain’s best-selling newspaper. Older people are also the most motivated to vote. In the YouGov poll, 81 percent of those 65 and older said they were certain to cast a ballot. The Brexit supporters “tend to hold stronger opinions,” said Will Jennings, a politics professor at the University of Southampton. He added that unlike the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, where a turnout of 85 percent broke records, people were not as engaged with this referendum. But there are several efforts underway to drive more people to the polls. Bite the Ballot, a nonpartisan charity that encourages young people to vote, has joined Starbucks, Uber, Tinder and other businesses in an effort to boost turnout. In its partnership with Uber, a screen popped up urging users of the ride-hailing app to register while they waited for their car. Users of the dating app Tinder have been greeted with “fact or fiction” quizzes on Britain’s relationship with the E.U. Michael Sani, the charity’s founder, said it is more difficult to get young people to vote in Britain than in the United States “because the U.S. fought for the freedom it has today, it almost wrestled for its flag and the Constitution, and you see kids in kindergartens reciting their forefathers. Here we don’t have that, and I think because we never had to fight for it, it’s taken for granted. It’s no one’s fault, but we need a solution.” Tom Harwood, a 19-year-old who chairs a group called Students for Britain, agreed that it is


Russian agitprop lands in Washington

A portrait of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in jail, is held by his mother, Nataliya Magnitskaya, in 2009. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/Associated Press) THE NAME Sergei Magnitsky has become synonymous with a United States law that imposes sanctions on Russian individuals who commit serious human rights violations. The actual Magnitsky was a 37-year-old tax law expert who died in a Moscow prison on Nov. 16, 2009, after he exposed Russian officials who fraudulently obtained a $230 million tax refund using corporate shell companies. The companies were seized from a prominent Western investor, William Browder, who employed Magnitsky and is seeking justice for his death. The story of Magnitsky’s defiance and prison ordeal were at the heart of Mr. Browder’s recent bestseller, “Red Notice.” Although the Obama administration was at first reluctant to implement the Magnitsky Sanctions, there are now 39 Russians on the list, including those directly linked to the fraud and its coverup. The Senate’s recently-voted-on annual defense bill would authorize an expansion of the sanctions program globally; similar legislation cleared the House Foreign Affairs Committee in May. Not surprisingly, the Magnitsky Act has rankled Russia’s ruling clans. They are furious at not only the individual sanctions but also the way Magnitsky’s name has become a rallying cry for those fighting corruption and human rights abuses. In Russia, Mr. Browder is frequently portrayed on state television as serving the CIA and British intelligence or as puppetmaster of the Russian opposition figure and anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny. A campaign to discredit Mr. Browder and the Magnitsky Act reached Washington on June 13 with a screening at the Newseum of “The Magnitsky Act — Behind the Scenes,” a lengthy film by Andrei Nekrasov. The film is a piece of agitprop that mixes fact and fiction to blame Magnitsky for the fraud and absolve Russians of blame for his death. The filmmaker uses facts highly selectively. He repeatedly holds up one document as evidence Magnitsky did not identify the fraudsters by name. In fact, in another document, just months before, Magnitsky had identified them repeatedly. Mr. Nekrasov declares, “Magnitsky wasn’t a whistleblower. Magnitsky did not accuse any police officers. Magnitsky did not even investigate anything.” He adds, “The young man died in a Russian prison. I do not believe it was murder. It was a case of negligence and the Russian system is to blame in many ways, but it wasn’t murder; he


Reusable rocket clears fourth trial run at Bezos space-exploration firm

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin completed its fourth successful rocket launch and landing with the same vehicle, this time to test the rocket's backup landing safety measures. (Amazon’s founder and CEO, Jeffrey P. Bezos, is also the owner of The Washington Post.) Billionaire Jeffrey P. Bezos’s space-exploration company Blue Origin launched and landed an unmanned rocket Sunday while running a parachute failure test, a key step in checking the safety of the firm’s New Shepard vessel before sending it to space with astronauts aboard. The mission was the fourth time the same Blue Origin rocket has flown to suborbital space and returned to Earth intact. It was the first time testers intentionally caused a failure in the landing equipment of the rocket’s capsule; the purpose of such a trial is to test backup plans meant to protect the vessel and its passengers. The capsule, which would carry astronauts on a manned mission, landed successfully in West Texas on Sunday at 9:46 a.m., after two instead of a typical three parachutes deployed. The capsule and the rocket split after takeoff and landed separately. The rocket uses wings and refires its engine to slow its descent. It landed before the capsule, at 9:43 a.m., about seven minutes after takeoff. Streamed online, it was the first Blue Origin launch to be broadcast live. New Shepard made its first test flight in April 2015. Bezos, who founded Amazon.com and owns The Washington Post, and billionaire Elon Musk want to reduce the cost of space exploration by building rockets that are reusable. Blue Origin and Musk’s SpaceX have conducted frequent tests in the past couple of years. SpaceX rockets could be used to deliver people, supplies and equipment to space. The smaller Blue Origin rockets would be used to bring tourists to the edge of space for a few minutes of weightlessness. The company aims to send crews into space next year and expects to sell seats to tourists in 2018 for $250,000 to $350,000. — Bloomberg News


Suspect arrested in Saturday death near Capitol Hill

A suspect has been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting of a woman church worker that occurred Saturday just east of the Capitol Hill area. D.C. police said Sunday that Donald Hairston, 49, of District Heights, Md, was arrested in the death of Stephanie Goodloe, 40, of Southeast. Goodloe was the coordinator of youth ministry at the Mt. Gilead Baptist Church. She had been in that post for a year, said Rev. Leroy Gilbert, pastor of the Northwest Washington church. She was also described as the former daycare director of another church in Northwest Washington. She “was taken from the world far too soon,” the Christian Tabernacle Church of God, Inc. said Sunday on its Facebook page. Goodloe was found indoors about 1:25 a.m. Saturday in the 700 block of Kentucky Avenue SE. The site is about two blocks east of the Potomac Avenue metro station. Hairston was charged with first-degree murder, the police said.


Prince William County news in brief

Free taxis to be available for July Fourth revelers To help prevent Fourth of July revelers from driving drunk, free taxi rides are being offered. SoberRide, offered by the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, will be available throughout the Washington area from 10 p.m. July 4 to 4 a.m. July 5. The program covers cab fares up to $30. To request the service, call 800-200-TAXI (8294). For information, go to soberride.com. Pr. William police release 2015 crime report The Prince William County Police Department released its 2015 crime report last week, which showed a continued decline in the county’s crime rate. According to the report, 14.7 crimes per 1,000 residents were committed in 2015, down from 15.6 in 2014. Although crimes against property (larceny, robbery and arson) decreased by 3.7 percent, crimes against people (homicides, assaults and sexual assaults) increased by 4.2 percent. Visit pwcgov.org for information and to read the complete 2015 crime report. Registration opens July 5 for local Senior Olympics Online registration for the 34th annual Northern Virginia Senior Olympics begins July 5. Participants may register at nvso.us or by mail to compete in more than 50 events scheduled for Sept. 10 to 21 at more than 20 locations across Northern Virginia. New events this year include a spelling bee and orienteering. Registration forms are available at senior centers, community centers and senior residences; by emailing nvso1982@gmail.com; or calling 703-228-4721. The deadline to register is Aug. 27 by mail and Aug. 31 online. Mail registrations to Jack Hobbs, 12167 Cathedral Dr., Lake Ridge, Va. 22192. Those who will be 50 or older by Dec. 31 and who reside in a sponsoring jurisdiction are eligible to compete. NVSO is sponsored by the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church and by Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William counties. The fee is $12, which covers multiple events, typically divided by age and gender. Calhoun to become director of the Governor’s School W. Jason Calhoun was recently named the director of the Governor’s School @ Innovation Park. His new job begins July 1. He is replacing Karen Dalfrey, who will serve as chair of the science department at the new Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School in Manassas. Colgan opens in August. Calhoun currently serves as the county school system’s curriculum supervisor of science and family life education. — Compiled by Sarah Lane


Europe worries Brexit vote could trigger a stampede of exits

Mini-demonstrators for Brexit are seen in front of a miniature of British Parliament in the Mini-Europe miniature park in Brussels on June 20. (Olivier Hoslet/European Pressphoto Agency) BRUSSELS — Euroskeptics across the continent are salivating at the prospect of Britain’s departure, hoping to sever their own territories from a map that stretches from the sunny coasts of Portugal to the frigid taiga of Finland. With populist parties surging across the continent, the Brits could be only the first to leave. The region has been dramatically tested in recent years, by the Greek debt crisis, renewed Russian aggression and, more recently, a historic migration crisis. Britain’s exit, officials and experts say, could provide the biggest challenge yet. Britain’s departure could also damage the union’s relationship with Washington. Britain remains one of the biggest advocates of globalization in Europe, and its exit could give new voice to trade protectionists across the region. Among the casualties, critics fear, could be plans for a massive free-trade deal between the United States and Europe. On June 23, Britain faces a fateful decision: whether or not to leave the European Union. And the world will be watching. The question is whether a British exit — or Brexit — could spark a stampede for the door in other countries where the Brussels-seated body remains highly unpopular. At the moment, the list of countries that might consider bolting is relatively short: France, Denmark, the Netherlands and a handful of others. But that could change quickly, experts warn. Even if nations defuse their own burgeoning Euroskeptic movements, the days in which leaders convened in Brussels to hand ever more sovereignty to the E.U. may be over if Britain departs, diplomats say. That would be a major blow to a project that started after World War II to bind nations together so tightly that they could never battle one another. Some of those who have occupied the E.U.’s highest offices now say they were mistaken to think that if they knocked down economic barriers, a feeling of political unity underneath the blue-and-gold E.U. flag would follow. “We have the flag and the anthem. We don’t have much of what supports the flag and the anthem,” said Pascal Lamy, who was the chief of staff to Jacques Delors, the leader of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995 and considered one of the main architects of the modern E.U. The turmoil