were infected would return immediately to their home countries with no extended stays elsewhere, that they'd have enough virus in their system to spread the disease once they got home, and that the travelers wouldn't take precautions to prevent mosquito bites at home. Cetron said the CDC has shared the risk assessment with the World Health Organization, which is working with the four countries to emphasize the importance of prevention measures and safe sex practices. Zika is transmitted primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito but can also be spread through sex. The CDC is also providing Zika diagnostic kits to countries to help them test people for the virus. More than 100 countries now have the kits, but it's not clear whether these four nations have received them, Cetron said. "This is an ongoing process to focus on the gap areas," he said. "We're still in the scale-up phase. Even if the individual country doesn't have them, many are part of regional lab networks where they can send a specimen and get a test result." As the little-known disease's risks have become more understood, some experts have called for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to be moved or postponed because of health concerns. Nearly a dozen athletes, many of them golfers, have said they aren't going to compete in Rio because of concerns about Zika. There is no treatment or vaccine for Zika virus disease. About 80 percent of people who get infected have no symptoms, while the rest tend to only have mild symptoms that last for several days to a week. In rare cases, though, the virus has been linked to a nervous system disorder that can cause muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. It poses its biggest danger during pregnancy, when infection can cause a range of severe fetal abnormalities, including the condition known as microcephaly, where the brain is often underdeveloped. Zika has also been linked to an increasing number of cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, which causes muscle weakness and, sometimes, paralysis. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Zika virus and its spread across North and South America. Read more: WHO: Zika risk is not high enough to postpone or move Olympics Brazil says there is "almost zero" risk of Zika during Olympics. Really? Superbug gene detected in second person in U.S. A deadly, drug-resistant yeast infection is spreading around the world


‘The extraordinary years have become the normal years’: Scientists survey radical Arctic melt

This July 13 image captured by a device on NASA’s Aqua satellite shows Franz Josef Land in the Arctic Ocean. (AFP/NASA) A group of scientists studying a broad range of Arctic systems — from sea ice to permafrost to the Greenland ice sheet — gathered in D.C. Wednesday to lay out just how extreme a year 2016 has been so far for the northern cap of the planet. “I see the situation as a train going downhill,” said Marco Tedesco, who studies Greenland at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. “And the feedback mechanisms in the Arctic [are] the slope of your hill. And it gets harder and harder to stop it.” The word “record” was uttered repeatedly at the event at the National Press Club, which was sponsored by SEARCH (the Study of Environmental Arctic Change). Walt Meier, a scientist with NASA who studies Arctic sea ice, laid out a series of “really extreme conditions” that began with sharply anomalous above-freezing temperatures at the North Pole for a short stint during the winter, and then led to large early breakups of ice above Alaska and in other regions. Overall, the Arctic sea ice extent has been at record lows for five out of six months so far this year. “We’ve lost about twice the size of the state of Alaska in terms of area,” said Meier, referring to the long-term trend in Arctic sea ice over the past several decades. “It’s also thinning as well, we’ve lost about 50 percent of the thickness. And this is happening more rapidly than even the most aggressive climate models.” A series of researchers covering other Arctic systems then proceeded to tell very similar tales: * For Greenland, April through June temperatures were about 3 degrees Celsius above the long-term average, said Tedesco — a new high. “The surface temperature set new records for April to June 2016,” he said. The peak moment for Greenland melting each year is right around now, and it isn’t clear whether the overall loss of water will match a staggering more than 500 billion tons in 2012, but it is already possible to say that “2016 is among the top years for melting,” Tedesco said. * For Northern Hemisphere snow cover, the spring of 2016 set a new record low, said David Robinson, who runs the Rutgers University Global Snow Lab. “We lost the snow earlier


The obligations of the black athlete — and the costs

** FILE ** Extending gloved hands skyward in racial protest, U.S. athletes Tommie Smith, center, and John Carlos stare downward during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner after Smith received the gold and Carlos the bronze for the 200 meter run at the Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City on Oct. 16, 1968. Australian silver medalist Peter Norman is at left. Peter Norman, the Australian who stood alongside the U.S. athletes staging the civil rights protest from the medal podium at the 1968 Olympics, died Tuesday October 3, 2006, of a heart attack. He was 64. (AP Photo/FILE) For some Americans, the only thing they know about John Carlos is that he was one of two black Olympians who at the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico City, Mexico took the medal stand and raised a clenched fist during the National Anthem. Carlos, who won a bronze medal has much more to say about the political obligations of black athletes -- the only black people some Americans feel they "know," respect or admire -- and the price they may pay for meeting them. We know this because Vox.com, an online publication, gave Carlos the space to share his thoughts in one part of a series of first-person accounts from Olympians. Here's an excerpt: As soon as we raised our hands, it's like somebody hit a switch. The mood in the stadium went straight to venom. Within days, Tommie and I were suspended from the US Olympic team and had to leave Mexico City early. The first 10 years after those Olympics were hell for me. A lot of people walked away from me. They weren't walking away because they didn't have love for me or they had disdain for me. They were walking away because they were afraid. What they saw happening to me, they didn't want it to happen to them and theirs. My wife and kids were tormented.... People said, "Man, that's a courageous thing you did." Yeah, well, I have the same dang ingredients that you have. You just have to find yours within yourself. I say to them, "Do you think Rosa Parks didn't have fear when she moved up a seat on that bus? You think Gandhi, sheet wrapped around his body, with the best thing he had for his protection those wire-rim glasses — do you think he didn't have fear?" Fear is all


Coyotes have adapted to the streets of L.A., and biologists want to know how

of downtown Los Angeles. The National Park Service used a radio collar to track their mother, C-144, in 2015. (National Park Service) Coyotes have spread throughout North America, colonizing cities from Chicago to New York and its Central Park, though there’s no solid estimate of their population. They’ve been here in California since the Pleistocene, and they continue to find food, shelter and people-free space in this megacity of more than 18 million people. But biologists still aren’t even sure how many city coyotes there are, or whether they prefer scavenging garbage or hunting small game. That’s why Brown spends early mornings giving chase. By testing coyote whiskers, he can figure what’s on their menu. High concentrations of corn isotopes means human food. The Park Service has also recruited volunteers to scoop coyote scat for analysis. But it might take another five years gather enough information to make conclusions about urban coyote diets, he says. Last year, the NPS tracked two coyotes living entirely in developed areas. One was a mother with five pups denning in the packed Westlake neighborhood, a 2.72 square-mile patch of city where there’s virtually no green space. Dubbed C-144, she’s believed to have one of the most urban home ranges of any canid ever studied. Her collar battery died, but she’s since been spotted in a nearby neighborhood. One of C-144’s pups pauses on a porch in 2015. C-144 was spending most of her time in the Westlake neighborhood, a densely populated area just west of downtown. (National Park Service.) Other findings have been grimmer. C-146, a juvenile female who was captured last fall and used the river as a thoroughfare, was found dead in MacArthur Park. Forensic tests indicated drowning, but four types of anticoagulant rat poisons were found in her system. Brown says people are afraid of coyotes, and gathering information about how they live benefits both species. Tens of thousands of coyotes are killed by the government and hunters annually. But coyotes, as coy as their name implies, seem more scared than aggressive when confronted. Attacks are rare, Brown said, and often happen when humans feed them, which is illegal. According to one study, about a dozen coyote attacks occurred each year between 1985 and 2006. In contrast, about 4.5 million dog bites are reported every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Like all wildlife, coyotes can be


How a small diaper company explains Brexit

tape emanating from the political union’s seat of power in Brussels. Now they are hailing Brexit as the first step in removing burdensome regulations that have stifled innovation and growth and see new opportunities to strike favorable trade deals, not just with Europe but with fast-growing emerging markets across the world. To them, the country is not careening toward recession but building a new economic order that puts British interests first. “We now have to do everything we can to make the U.K. the most attractive place in the world to do business,” said George Osborne, the chancellor of the exchequer, as he kicked off a visit to New York this week to meet with investors. “Britain maybe leaving the E.U., but we are not quitting the world.” Yet Brexit has deeply divided the country, and many remain pessimistic about its outcome. Osborne warned of painful tax hikes before the referendum, though he has since pledged to cut corporate rates to encourage businesses to stay in Britain. Next week, he is slated to visit China and Singapore to assuage investor anxiety. “There is little doubt that the U.K. referendum vote in favor of leaving the E.U, will take a significant toll on the economy,” concluded a report by Fitch Ratings, which downgraded the country’s credit rating. And if trade with the rest of Europe is stunted, the biggest impact could be on places like Northampton, a midsize town about 90 minutes north of London that once was the manufacturing hub for England’s shoes, churning out millions of pairs of boots for soldiers during World War I. Now, a quarter of the workforce is employed in manufacturing, construction or transportation. Research by the Centre for European Reform, which opposed Brexit, found Northampton and the surrounding county of Northamptonshire were among those places most dependent on the E.U. Yet an overwhelming 59 percent of voters here backed Brexit. Andrea Leadsom, a Northamptonshire member of Parliament who was vocal about the benefits of leaving, was a top contender for prime minister. From the cramped warehouse offices of Bambino Mio, business looks brisk. The company sells its whimsically patterned diapers in each of the 27 other countries in the alliance, Schanschieff said. It sources fabric from Poland, manufactures baby swim diapers in Lithuania, and ships crib mattress protectors from Spain. Clocks on the wall at the company’s headquarters display the time for Hong Kong,


Quiz: Test your financial IQ

(iStock) The latest progress report on how well Americans are handling their money is in. And as it turns out, many consumers are struggling to understand the basics. The report from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, which is done every three years, found that many people are making some of the same mistakes they were making at the end of the recession. Even as their financial situations have improved, many consumers remain confused by important financial concepts. Many scored poorly on a financial literacy test from the foundation that gauged their understanding of the financial forces that affect how much they can buy with their paychecks, how much they pay for a home and how much risk they take with their savings. The questions “were meant to really not test deep specific knowledge, but to cover a series of questions that people would encounter day to day,” Gerri Walsh, president of the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, said about the financial literacy questions asked in the survey. Overall, consumers understood some of the money topics at hand. Only 14 percent of respondents answered all five questions correctly. Thirty-seven percent answered at least four of the questions correctly, down slightly from 42 percent in 2009. When you look at the topics people were polled on, which include interest rates, inflation, bond prices, mortgages and investment risk, the share of people who answered each question correctly has barely changed over the years. That suggests that even as more people returned to work after the recession and found financial stability, they remained vulnerable to making costly financial mistakes. For consumers using credit cards or taking out other high-interest loans, misunderstanding how interest charges are added to their debt can lead them to end up with a bigger debt load than expected, or extend the amount of time it takes to pay off their balance. (FINRA Investor Education Foundation) Who aced this quiz? Higher earners, or those making more than $75,000 a year, answered more questions correctly on average than people earning less than $75,000 a year. Consumers 55 and older and those with an undergraduate degree or more also had higher scores. Wondering where you stand? Take the quiz below or visit FINRA’s website to see how you compare with others in your state or region. Read more: Three big mistakes Americans keep making with their money What happens to your credit score when


How Boris Johnson became Britain’s top diplomat, despite having offended much of the world

could blame, should negotiations with the E.U. stall? The power of British foreign secretaries has diminished in recent years. There will be a separate Brexit minister, David Davis, as well as a new department which deals with international trade. Yet it might be Johnson who will be publicly held accountable. Shortly before the referendum in June, Johnson said he would make a public TV apology should Brexit lead the country into a recession. “I don’t think London has anything to fear from coming out of the E.U., and neither does Britain," said Johnson. Recent economic forecasts, however, have painted a much gloomier picture of the United Kingdom's future. As unemployment is expected to rise the country might now indeed face a recession next year. It was also Johnson who made some of the Brexit promises that might never become reality. He frequently claimed that the U.K. was sending 350 million pounds to Brussels every week — although the actual contribution is far lower. Johnson said that British funding to the E.U. would be used for the country's health-care system after Brexit. But other leading "leave" campaigners have since expressed doubts that this will ever happen. Johnson was strongly criticized by fellow Brexit campaigners for a column he wrote in the Telegraph after the referendum. "EU citizens living in this country will have their rights fully protected, and the same goes for British citizens living in the EU," Johnson wrote in it, striking a sensitive nerve among many patriotic voters. Many had voted for Brexit to stop the influx of E.U. migrants into the country. Johnson's quick reassurance also contradicts Theresa May who recently said that the future of E.U. nations in the U.K. was still uncertain. The decision could affect more than 3 million non-British E.U. citizens in the U.K. and more than 4 million British citizens living outside of the country. If Britain wants to remain in the E.U. single market (and economists say not remaining could have worrying repercussions), it will likely need to continue to allow E.U. migrants to enter the country. Someone will have to explain this to the Brexit voters, eventually. Jennifer Hassan contributed to this report. Read more: Boris Johnson ‘lied a lot,’ says French foreign minister Boris Johnson, Britain’s new top diplomat, has said some very undiplomatic things Theresa May and Angela Merkel: Europe’s two most powerful women have a lot in common


Britain’s new top diplomat once likened Hillary Clinton to ‘a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital’

the chancellor of the exchequer. To be sure, Johnson is an unusual candidate for the job. The former journalist is known for his deliberately provocative manner, ruffled appearance and penchant for sometimes-insulting commentary. Just two months ago, a poem he concocted about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan having sexual congress with a goat won the first-place prize in a contest sponsored by Spectator magazine. "There was a young fellow from Ankara, Who was a terrific wankerer," the limerick begins. "Till he sowed his wild oats, With the help of a goat, But he didn't even stop to thankera." Before the news of Johnson's new appointment, the BBC had pressed Turkish Prime Minister Bilal Yildirim on the conservative politician's bawdy verse, as well as his anti-Turkish rhetoric ahead of Britain's E.U. referendum. "May God help him and reform him," Yildirim said, "and I hope he won't make any more mistakes and tries to make it up with the Turks." With regard to the conflicts of the Middle East, Johnson has controversially bucked the Western trend and praised Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for battling the Islamic State, no matter his parallel campaign of violence on Syria's civilian population. He also hailed the "ruthless clarity" of Russian President Vladimir Putin's support for the Assad regime. In 2006, he wrote an op-ed laying out the logic for giving Iran a nuclear bomb. In the past, Johnson has had to apologize for referring to Africans as "piccaninnies" with "watermelon smiles." He even once suggested Africa would be better off if it were still administered by the former colonial powers. On Thursday, a Ugandana government spokesman responded to queries about Johnson's new role. “Boris Johnson’s opinion that countries like Uganda would be better off as a colonies is inconsequential,” said Ofwono Opondo, a government spokesman. “We would be more concerned if the U.S. or Russia appointed someone like Boris. But Britain no longer wields much power globally, that’s why they have run away from the EU.” Pro-'Brexit' leader Boris Johnson reaches out to 'remain' voters after results show more people chose to leave the European Union than stay. Foreign affairs commentator Ian Bremmer quipped that British-U.S. ties with Johnson as foreign secretary will go from the "special relationship" to the "special needs relationship." That's because the loud-mouthed former mayor has said some unsavory things about American leaders. In a 2007 Daily Telegraph column that he wrote


Main Street Morning: Philadelphia airport workers to strike during Democratic National Convention over minimum wages

These mom entrepreneurs are focused on success in business and at home. - Why this entrepreneur wants to see a conflict zone aisle at Whole Foods. - A man creates a cleaning business to help former inmates struggling with employment. - Two scientists raise $4 million to test soil health for farmers. Retail - Cereal and pressure cookers help Amazon set a record on its second annual Prime Day. Sales Marketing - Google launches smarter, more visual ads timed for holiday shopping. Finance - Why I don’t believe that you can’t get a loan for your business. - AT&T plans to award $50,000 to most agile small business in America. Start-ups - A start-up tackles the lack of workplace productivity. - This start-up sees security threats in everyday devices. - Why bootstrapping is so important for start-ups. Technology - These are three technologies that will immediately reduce your overhead. - If you don’t upgrade to Windows 10, this will happen. Online - Google Fiber is rolling out new plans for small business owners. - In the battle of video services, Vine isn’t doing so well. - An online marketing expert lists his seven reasons you should stop managing your seo and hire a pro. Social Media - Instagram’s CEO is counting on Selena Gomez, Kevin Hart and 500 million more to win digital media’s new game. Around the Country - Massachusetts’ Senate is set to tax Airbnb. - CNBC ranks Rhode Island as the worst state for business. - A marijuana tax for homeless services to appear on November’s Los Angeles county ballot. - This is the town where everyone is allergic to life. Around the World - Boris Johnson is England’s new Foreign Minister. - This Asian nation tops Switzerland as the world’s safest country to do business. - Uber will have to suspend operations in Hungary over a new law. - Mobile retail is red hot in India. - A group of British small business owners join forces to produce a humorous parody of Adele hit Chasing Pavements to raise awareness of the “late payment epidemic.” Small Business, Big Impact - A business leader in Arizona dies at the age of 83. Gene Marks owns the Marks Group, a Bala Cynwyd PA consulting firm that helps clients with customer relationship management. Follow Gene Marks and On Small Business on Twitte News we should know about? Email us here.


‘The most singular of all the things that we have found’: Clouds study alarms scientists

my goodness,” Ramanathan said. “Maybe the 4 to 5 degree warming, certainly we were all wishing there was some certainty that would make it go away. So I consider the findings of this paper, the data shows major reorganization of the cloud system.” This matters because clouds are fundamental regulators of how much solar radiation makes it to the Earth’s surface (rather than being reflected back to space by white cloud tops), and how much infrared or “longwave” radiation escapes back to space once again. The new study used satellite records going back to 1983 to show that cloud patterns have shifted on the Earth as cloud belts have pushed poleward, expanding what are called subtropical dry zones between about 20 and 30 degrees latitude in both hemispheres. The shift is expected to exacerbate climate change, as moving clouds toward the poles means they reflect less sunlight back to space — there is less sunlight at the poles than at Equator, so the reflectivity of clouds counts for less there. The shift has long been predicted by climate models — but is not exactly something that’s easy to measure. Thus the new study presents key observational evidence that it is actually happening. Ramanathan isn’t the only scientist to embrace the new study and point to its significance. “This study is a big deal, both generally for climate change science, and also for understanding recent trends in regional hydroclimate,” said Jonathan Overpeck, who co-directs the Institute of the Environment at the University of Arizona in Tucson, by email. Overpeck added that the findings are particularly bad news for key parts of the U.S. “The agreement between the new cloud observational data and model simulations confirm that storms bringing much needed water to the US West are indeed moving poleward and away from the Southwest,” he said. “The new work thus indicates that the already drought-plagued Southwest, from California to Colorado and New Mexico will likely continue to dry out over coming decades and as long as greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere continue. The research highlights that there are winners and losers with global warming, and that the US Southwest is one of the losers when it comes to water generating storms moving north.” “This work is yet another example of how, as we resolve some of the outstanding uncertainties (in this case, by producing a more reliable estimate of historical


Brazil’s national guard threatened to drop out of Olympic security over lack of beds, pay

Members of Brazil's National Force, charged with protecting Olympic sites, have threatened to quit over poor accommodation and working conditions. The Vila Carioca public housing complex in Rio de Janeiro is one of the places where they are housed. (Courtesy of Associacao Nacional dos Pracas) RIO DE JANEIRO — Preparations for Rio’s troubled Olympic Games suffered another blow this week when hundreds of agents with Brazil’s National Force, a key security unit brought in for the event, threatened to quit over poor accommodation and working conditions. The National Force is Brazil’s equivalent of the U.S. National Guard and is made up of police officers and firefighters from across the country. During the Olympics, this unit will be responsible for protecting arenas and other event locations. But Tuesday, hundreds of National Force agents held a meeting outside the government complex where they are housed, with many urging fellow officers to quit. The meeting was preceded by a noisy protest. “Everyone wanted to leave. The conditions were very bad,” said an out-of-state police officer on the force, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of fear of disciplinary measures for talking publicly without authorization. One officer said the conditions at the Vila Carioca public housing complex "were very bad." (Courtesy of Associacao Nacional dos Pracas) The Vila Carioca public housing complex, where agents of the National Force are housed. Some agents complained they were working up to 16 to 20 hours a day and not getting a full day off. (Courtesy of Associacao Nacional dos Pracas) The unrest is particularly worrying as violent crime is rising across Rio state and concerns about security during the Olympics, which officially opens Aug. 5, are increasing. Up to 500,000 international visitors are expected. A "pacification" policy to install police bases in low-income communities, called favelas, long dominated by armed drug gangs is crumbling in some areas. Shootouts and armed robberies are on the rise. Stray bullets have killed three people in the past two days alone. The police officer said the unit's personnel had gone through a rigorous selection process to work for the National Force during the Olympics as part of a wider 85,000-strong security force that includes troops. The National Force personnel arrived June 22 at their new barracks — a public housing complex in west Rio, near the main Olympic site — and found there was no furniture. Some apartments lacked showers


The diversity of life across much of Earth has plunged below ‘safe’ levels

for human development throughout history, but the cost to biosphere integrity has been high,” notes the study published Thursday in Science, which was led by Tim Newbold of the United Nations Environment Programme and University College London with a large group of colleagues representing several British, Australian, Danish and Swiss universities and institutions. The researchers compiled 1.8 million separate measurements of the abundance of species (39,123 of them) at 18,659 locations across the globe — a volume of data that an accompanying essay in Science, by ecologist Tom Oliver of the University of Reading, calls the “most comprehensive quantification of global biodiversity change to date.” The researchers then extrapolated across the rest of the planet, and compared the results to a “Biodiversity Intactness Index” to determine where species declines were too great. The research is based on a “planetary boundaries” concept that “attempts to set some sort of safe limit to the amount of biodiversity we can lose, while biodiversity still supports important ecosystem functions,” said Newbold, the study’s lead author. And it is important to note that in the context of this analysis, safety actually means safe for humans, in significant part. The concern is that species-anemic ecosystems will struggle or fail, and so become unable to provide us what we actually need in the form of stored carbon, filtered water, fertile soils and much else. Animals need these ecosystem “services,” to be sure, but so do humans. “Biodiversity supports a number of functions within ecosystems, things like pollination, nutrient cycling, soil erosion control, maintenance of water quality,” Newbold said. “And there’s evidence that if you lose biodiversity, that these functions don’t happen as well as they would have done in the past.” As a conservative or precautionary standard, the researchers therefore assumed that a decline of more than 10 percent of species abundance in a given area (compared with what that abundance was before human interference) represented crossing into a danger zone for biodiversity. But their study found that overall, across the globe, the average decline is already more like 15 percent. In other words, original species are only about 85 percent as abundant (84.6 percent to be precise) as they were before human land-use changes. Some places are, of course, better off than others — for instance, northern tundras and boreal forest ecosystems were still relatively intact, the study found. So was much of the Amazon rain


More on Brexit, libertarianism, and the European Union [updated with a response to Seth Barrett Tillman]

heard mostly the arguments put forth by decent liberal Brexiteers. I certainly hope that their vision of an open and deregulated Britain will be realized, but sadly, those voices were drowned out by the nationalists. Furthermore, most free-market Brexiteers did not even campaign for those ideas. Instead leading free-market Tories Boris Johnson and Michael Gove drove around in a campaign bus emblazoned with the message that government health care will get another £350 million a week outside of the E.U. The Leave campaign also promised more tax money to universities, scientists, and distressed regions. At least with respect to Britain, Norberg’s pessimism may well turn out to be prescient. Theresa May, the new post-Brexit referendum prime minister, has a distinctly non-libertarian record on many issues. The European Union has many flaws. But thanks to its promotion of free trade and freedom of movement, and the limitations it imposes on national-level regulation, it has, overall, done more to enhance liberty in Europe than undermine it. Free market advocates on both sides of the Atlantic would do well to work to improve the EU rather than try to get rid of it. At the very least, it would be unwise to junk the EU at a time when the alternative is likely to be statist nationalism, often with authoritarian tendencies of the sort evident in many anti-EU parties, such as France’s National Front. Norberg’s take on Brexit and the EU has much in common with Jacob Levy’s earlier libertarian critique of Brexit, which I discussed here. UPDATE: Legal scholar Seth Barrett Tillman responds to this post and other libertarian critics of Brexit here. Tillman’s main point is that the EU is far from an unequivocal good from a libertarian point of view because it imposes a variety of tariffs, taxes, and regulations. This is true. But it ignores the important point of the net effect of EU membership on economic freedom. As Norberg and Jacob Levy explain, that net impact tends to be positive, as shown by the fact that EU membership significantly increases economic freedom in member states, and by the reality that there does not seem to be any great push for deregulation that the EU is somehow blocking. Tillman also disputes the argument that Brexit will strengthen the hand of nationalist xenophobic parties such as the National Front. He argues that growing support for those parties is really about


For zoo elephants, social lives may be more important than space

Ambika, a female Asian elephant, used her trunk to spray herself with sand in the Smithsonian’s National Zoo Elephant Community Center in 2013. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post) There’s a churning national conversation about the welfare of animals in zoos, and one of the biggest debates is about elephants. Infertility, obesity and shortened lives are common afflictions among the zoo populations of these highly social, intelligent and enormous animals. Scientists have probed, in a limited way, how captivity affects them. Some zoo managers have closed elephant exhibits, saying their facilities couldn’t adequately support the animals’ needs. Critics say elephants have no place in zoos at all. Among the major concerns are limited exhibit space — elephants roam for miles in the wild — and social groupings that are much smaller and less complex than the matrilinear herds of wild elephants. Now a sweeping, first-of-its-kind study of nearly all elephants at accredited zoos in North America has applied epidemiological research methods to extract information that has often been missing from these debates. And some of its findings, published Thursday in PLOS One, are counterintuitive. More than two dozen researchers, who gathered and analyzed data on 255 elephants at 68 zoos, found no link between the size of an exhibit and three key indicators of poor elephant welfare: obesity, reproduction problems or “stereotypical behavior,” such as repetitive rocking or swaying. Elephants that walked more each day, as measured by GPS recordings, were no less likely to be obese than their sedentary counterparts, said the lead author of the study’s overview, Cheryl Meehan, who is a research associate for the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California at Davis and executive director of the Animal Welfare, Research and Education Institute. To measure space, the researchers looked at zoos’ total elephant habitat sizes, which ranged from about 7,700 to 347,000 square feet, but also created a new metric to account for the fact that individual elephants use space differently from one another. They called this “Space Experience,” and it ranged from 1,200 to 170,000 square feet per animal. “This was really surprising,” Meehan said. “This adds a twist to the current narrative, which is heavily biased toward this idea of more and more space is necessary and better.” Instead, she said, the researchers found that the quality of the space was “extremely important.” Diverse enrichment activities and feeding methods — such as hanging


Gary Player rips Jordan Spieth and other golfers for skipping Olympics due to Zika fears

(Matt Slocum/AP) Golf legend Gary Player isn’t happy with the likes of Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and others who have decided not to participate in the upcoming Rio Olympics because of fears over the Zika virus. “This excuse about Zika is feeble,” the 18-time major champion told FOX Business’s Stuart Varney on Wednesday. “You have Zika in America in some states right now. You’ve got more of a chance of being killed by a gun or a motor car in America than getting Zika. … I think it’s pathetic and I’m sad to see it.” Player, who will turn 81 in November, lamented that he never got the chance to play in the Olympics. The sport is only returning to the Games this year after a 112-year absence. “If I could’ve, with my 18 majors and 165 tournaments, had an Olympic gold medal amongst them, it would’ve been the joy of my life,” he said. “I would have given anything. I would have taken a rowing boat and rowed over to play in the Olympics.” Player suspects that because so many golfers have decided not to play in Rio — including the top four in the world right now in Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Spieth and McIlroy — the sport may not be invited back when the summer Olympics head to Tokyo in 2020. “I wouldn’t blame them if they kicked us out,” he said. Player offered a solution, though. He said “professional golf should be kicked out” to make room for amateurs. “We all worked hard to get golf in the Olympics,” he said. “They should replace us with amateurs who would hold it at high esteem to represent their country with great joy.”


Did protests in Zimbabwe really go from ‘tweets to streets’?

In Zimbabwe, dissent can be costly: a nationally representative survey conducted after the violent 2008 elections found that 51 percent of Zimbabweans had experienced politically motivated intimidation, threat or harassment between 1980 and 2009, and 38 percent had witnessed someone else being injured or killed for political reasons. In addition to calculating the potential costs of dissent, a citizen’s decision to protest is also affected by their expectation of how many others will participate. Zimbabweans had reason to doubt that others would join in active dissent. First, the ruling party, the ZANU-PF, having recently won a peaceful election by almost 1 million votes suggests most Zimbabweans supported the government. But second, Zimbabweans are likely aware of their compatriots’ experience with political violence and they might expect that experience would suppress protest participation. A supporter of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe wears a headscarf with his portrait as she dances during a rally of supporters in Mashonaland Central, about 90 kilometers west of Harare, July 8. (Aaron Ufumeli/EPA) My research As Zimbabwean scholar Eldred Masunungure wrote ten years ago, Zimbabweans “were made risk-averse through a process of conditioning over time. The risk-averseness has made them politically passive and inert.” A young protester holds a police shield during a demonstration on July 6 in Bulawayo. (AFP Photo/Getty Images) Nevertheless, over the past two weeks Zimbabwean citizens organized the July 6 shutdown, and then on July 13 a peaceful demonstration outside the courthouse where one of the movement’s spokesmen was being held. How did citizens coordinate? Was social media the catalyst? The recent protests in Zimbabwe suggest that social media helps organize mass action, but in different ways than we would expect. Social media was used to coordinate the shutdown, but it’s likely that Twitter played a relatively minor role, especially compared to WhatsApp. The shutdown required massive coordination of tens and perhaps hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans. Zimbabweans with $30 smartphones can buy generous WhatsApp data “bundles” for $3 per month. By contrast, internet browsing is relatively expensive. WhatsApp smartphone icon. (Sam Azgor/Flickr) WhatsApp groups can be used to communicate in a semi-private forum, which involves less risk than a public stream. These groups had already been set up by activists to disseminate messages and facilitate discussion. Non-partisan activist groups also facilitated cooperation across Zimbabwe’s growing list of opposition parties and citizen movements. Social media was also used as a sandbox to


Did Ireland’s economy really grow by 26.3 percent? Only on paper. Here’s the real story.

what some U.S.-based pharmaceuticals companies have been doing in Ireland.) Remarkably, tax inversion now appears as investment in “research and development” on the nation’s balance sheet. While there can be no doubt that U.S. firms have a real presence in Ireland, these new “intangible assets” are unlikely to affect the real Irish economy or employment growth. As Paul Krugman notes, they simply shouldn’t be recorded in GDP. 2. Airline leasing. The former governor of the Irish Central Bank has argued that this all means that it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between a financial and nonfinancial firm. National statistics have simply not kept pace with the reality that large multinationals, while legally based in a single jurisdiction, move their capital assets all around the world. For example, it has been estimated that one aviation finance company transferred an estimated €39 billion into Ireland in 2015, saving the company €200 million in tax. The income earned from these companies’ leasing contracts is then accrued to Ireland in the form of a management fee. But the only people likely to benefit from this investment “growth” on the nation’s balance sheet are the brokers who sealed the deals. 3. What’s called “contract manufacturing.” It’s pure financial alchemy. In sum, Ireland’s ostensible growth is really a sign that it increasingly looks like a global corporate tax loophole for a handful of U.S. firms. The 26.3 percent growth figure is meaningless. The national accounts don’t reveal real economic growth. Instead, they reveal Ireland’s central role in helping global companies avoid taxes. This might sounds great for Ireland, but it actually may not be. These unbelievable figures undermine the real Foreign Direct Investment-led export growth model that underpins the Irish economy. It undermines the real presence of U.S. companies, for example, in the Internet-tech sector. The Irish debt-to-GDP ratio has now been reduced to about 80 percent. The budget deficit has been significantly improved. Ireland will be asked to make bigger contributions to the E.U. budget. When the National Treasury Management Agency goes out to sell Irish bonds, it will be speaking to international markets with a national balance sheet that is based on Monopoly money. The fact that Ireland’s national accounts have no credibility should concern the Irish government and its eurozone partners. Aidan Regan is an assistant professor at the School of Politics and International Relations, University College Dublin. Follow him @aidan_regan. Save Save


A simple change that could help solve one of the biggest problems facing poor people

1, 2016, and then assess if the program should be implemented nationwide. "We look forward to working with states to get these projects running and learn how best to bring online access to SNAP participants in an efficient and secure manner," USDA press secretary Cathy Cochran wrote in a statement. Ed Bolen, senior policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said that buying food can be exhausting for the poor. Those earning low wages are already pressed for time as many work multiple jobs. A big-box supermarket, which would probably have the lowest prices, could take hours to visit by public transportation. A neighborhood grocery store could be closer but have higher prices, a sacrifice hard to accept when the average monthly food stamp allowance is “Just the litany of challenges when you’re resource scarce, when you don't have a lot of options, can make it very difficult to go to a store that has the best selection,” Bolen said. Access to at-home Internet is somewhat more common among the poor than access to a car — 88 percent vs. 79.6 percent. Take Mobile, Ala., where a third of residents are both below poverty level and live further than half a mile from the nearest supermarket. Ninety-one percent of those below the poverty line have Internet access, and only 76 percent have a car. The option of home-delivered groceries, assuming the Internet access is fast enough to use the websites of grocery providers, could make life less stressful. It may also take less time to shop online than in brick-and-mortar stores, particularly when comparing prices. Today, visiting multiple stores in search of the best prices is common for SNAP households, said Kathy Edin, who studies poverty as a professor at Johns Hopkins University. Spending food stamps online involves several barriers, beyond the USDA's sluggishness in getting the pilots up and running. For starters, all vendors that accept SNAP benefits must meet standards that regulators have put in place to prevent food stamp fraud. And the way benefits are conferred altogether would need to be changed. SNAP transactions require entering an encrypted pin, which is not currently compatible with online credit card forms. Broadband, while common, is not universal among the poor. According to a Center for Public Integrity analysis, 2.6 percent of upper-middle-class and wealthy lack high-speed Internet, compared to 11.9 percent of the poor. Edin said


how to market for this population in order for it to make sense,” Edin said. “Poor people do eat less healthy food when it's cheapest.” Major grocers such as Walmart and Kroger that provide grocery delivery services do not accept electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards that are traditionally used to distribute food stamp benefits. The same goes for Instacart and Peapod. Kroger spokesman Keith Dailey said in an email that the company is "watching the conversation closely," but doesn't have any plans to accept food stamps online. Peapod would support a USDA move to allow food stamps to be used online, said Peg Merzbacher, regional marketing vice president. Walmart and Instacart did not reply to a request for comment. Some companies are taking a more proactive approach to the issue. In some locations, Safeway accepts EBT cards for online deliveries, but only for people with a disability. New York City-based FreshDirect, one of the first delivery services, started accepting EBT cards in the two area codes in the Bronx in 2012. A delivery driver must have a card reader to accept EBT. Larry Scott Blackmon, vice president of public affairs for FreshDirect, said that the company hopes to expand the program and will work with the USDA to show how mail delivery for food stamp households could work. It would take widespread involvement of the biggest players to make a true difference. In the meantime, far smaller companies are pushing for the option. Thrive Market, an online store focused on healthy food and organic products, has been leading a coalition of health food companies pushing to make it possible for food stamp families nationwide to use their EBT cards online. After the USDA dragged its feet on launching a trial, Thrive launched an online campaign late last month to speed up the pilot program, with partners like Clif Bar & Company, the Hispanic Federation and celebrity fitness trainer Jillian Michaels. With 300,000 paying members, Thrive, which was founded in 2014 and based in Los Angeles, ships nonperishable health foods and other home products at discounted prices while providing free memberships to low-income families for each paid one. For those low-income customers, chief executive Gunnar Lovelace said his company has made it easier to shop for natural and higher quality cleaning supplies, cereals, and oils — though it must be said many of these are more Whole Foods and less bare


The Daily 202: Why Trump postponing his V.P. announcement will probably backfire

of a truck that had just mowed down dozens of people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice July 14. GET SMART FAST: - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said in a statement that she regrets her “ill-advised” criticisms of Trump. "It's over and done with and I don't want to discuss it anymore," she later added to NPR. (Robert Barnes) - BP announced it will spend another $5.2 billion related to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, bringing the total estimated cleanup cost to $61.6 billion. The energy giant’s assessment is expected to be the final price tag placed on the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico accident. (Steven Mufson) - Angry residents in rural South Korea egged the prime minister, lobbing water bottles and appearing in tractors to protest construction of the U.S. missile defense system in their neighborhood. Residents are concerned about possible health hazards. (AP) - Georgia executed a sixth inmate this year, setting a nationwide record since the death penalty was re-instated four decades ago. (Mark Berman) - Brazil’s national guard threatened to quit providing security at this year’s Olympics, citing poor accommodations and working conditions. Their protest is the latest blow to Rio as it seeks to overcome a number of hurdles before next month's games. (Dom Phillips) - Former Chris Christie ally David Samson pleaded guilty to bribery charges, admitting that he used his former post as Port Authority chairman to coerce United Airlines to run direct flights to his South Carolina vacation home. (Star Ledger) - New Jersey taxpayers have now spent more than $10 million related to the Bridgegate scandal. (NJ.com) - Many ecosystems are in danger: A major new study has found that more than 10 percent of species across the globe have populations that have fallen below levels considered “safe” by biologists. Scientists conducted 1.8 million measurements at 20,000 locations across the globe. (Chris Mooney) - A California couple was arrested for child abuse after police discovered three children – ages 7, 6, and 5 – stranded in the Mojave Desert for “disciplinary purposes.” Officers found the children shoeless and waterless in the 95-degree heat. (Elahe Izadi) - Baton Rouge zoo officials blamed “irresponsible pet owners” after two terrier dogs entered an exhibit in the facility overnight, attacking and killing a band of monkeys. (Sarah Larimer) - The State Department plans to let you renew your passport online starting in 2017. To


The killing of five cops in Dallas fit a disturbing pattern

some researchers call a "code of the street" develops, a strict set of rules that takes the place of the law. "Where the criminal justice system fails to respond vigorously to violent injury and death, homicide becomes endemic," writes Jill Leovy, a journalist at the Los Angeles Times, in her book "Ghettoside." This failure, she adds, has "left ample room for vigilantism." Americans' distrust of the police can have unexpected consequences. For example, researchers have found that female victims of domestic abuse are less likely to call the police if they are wealthy or if they are white — perhaps because these women do not expect the police to do anything about an abusive partner who is wealthy and white. In rare cases, when victims of domestic abuse feel they cannot rely on the police for whatever reason, sometimes they retaliate violently in order to protect themselves. Criminologists have observed similar patterns elsewhere in the world. In Latin America, dozens of vigilante groups have emerged in recent years where citizens have come to see formal law enforcement as corrupt and ineffectual. One such group famously posted a sign in the rural Mexican jurisdiction of Cherán. "Thief, if we catch you we will not take you to the authorities," it read. "We will lynch you!" Likewise, vigilantism has long been common in tribal societies where the force of law is weak. "Blood revenge executed by kinsmen of a murdered party is expected among all Eskimos (so far as the data go)," wrote one researcher in 1941. Leovy notes that those who have studied the Gebusi of New Guinea and the !Kung San, a foraging tribe in Botswana, have come to similar conclusions. An analysis of data from a few dozen primitive societies found that homicide was less frequent in places where people in positions of authority had the power to decide disputes involving a killing and punish the perpetrator. In the United States, it isn't just that many feel the authorities allow murderers to kill with impunity. Some Americans feel the police themselves have the same freedom. Nearly two in three respondents in a recent poll by the Pew Research Center rated law enforcement "only fair" or worse with regard to holding officers accountable for misconduct. Given this crisis in public confidence, it could be that the officers who were killed in Dallas were victims of that same universal vigilantism, that


The mystery surrounding 28 pages said to show links between 9/11 plotters and Saudi Arabia

inquiry in regard to Saudi Arabia," former U.S. senator Bob Kerrey (D) told CBS. What happens if the 28 pages are released? It depends a lot on what is actually in these pages. If they really do contain some kind of smoking gun that links the Saudi government to the 9/11 plot, there could be a large public outcry. There has long been skepticism among the U.S. public about their government's relationship with Saudi Arabia — survey research from Gallup suggests that more Americans have had an unfavorable view of the country than a positive one since 2002 — but the recent rise of the Islamic State, a group partially inspired by the radical Islam many Saudi clerics espouse, has thrown the relationship into an especially harsh light. To add to this pressure, in April the Senate passed a bill that could make it easier for families of victims to sue the Saudi government for any link to the 9/11 plot, despite reports that the Saudi government would sell off U.S. investments if the bill passed. However, it may be more likely that the pages might contain some theories and suggestions for ways that the Saudi government could be linked to the 9/11 plot, but no hard proof. The net result here would be murkier, but it seems unlikely that this would satisfy those who suspect a conspiracy. Either way, their release comes at an important time. The United States is in the middle of a complicated and controversial election season. Trump has spoken in favor of releasing the 28 pages and hinted at Saudi involvement in the 9/11 attacks. "It’s sort of nice to know who your friends are and perhaps who your enemies are," the presumptive Republican candidate said in April. "You’re going to see some very revealing things released in those papers.” Meanwhile, the Saudis are having their own succession drama. The 90-year-old King Abdullah died last year, to be replaced by his half-brother King Salman. But the 80-year-old Salman has switched up the line of succession, bringing his son Mohammed bin Salman closer to holding power, raising fears of a power struggle in the kingdom. More on WorldViews: The facts — and a few myths — about Saudi Arabia and human rights Saudi Arabia’s ‘Islamic military alliance’ against terrorism makes no sense What Saudi Arabia is (and isn’t) doing in the fight against the Islamic State


‘Quiet crisis’: A stark look in graphics at how many fighter pilots leave the Air Force

includes everything from carrying out air-to-air combat to facing ground fire in a contested environment. Goldfein has previously raised concerns about what effect that could have “if you ask us to retake Estonia,” as he put it in March when he was vice chief of the Air Force. But reduced time in the cockpit at home is historically the kind of thing that drives down morale for pilots who want to stay busy and prepared. But the Air Force also attributed the departure of fighter pilots to high operational tempo in its written response to The Post. That’s a direct reflection of the nearly two-year-old air war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, continued air operations in Afghanistan and new missions that have emerged in eastern Europe, where tensions have spiked with Russia and more U.S. fighter jets are now stationed. Air Force officials also said they are examining “home station quality of life and readiness,” an issue that has the potential to affect morale. And it has pressed Congress to boost funding so it can offer greater financial incentives to fighter pilots to stay in the military. Air Force F-16 fighter jet takes off from Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan on July 28, 2015. (Tech. Sgt. Joseph Swafford/Air Force) These issues have been raised before, however. In one example, the Rand Corp. published a report last year that said the service faced a “persistent and critical shortage of fighter pilots” and said the service should consider measures to not only retain more pilots but also effectively integrate newer ones faster and reassign a number of non-flying staff jobs that are currently filled by fighter pilots to other kinds of officers. The report states that overall fighter pilot dynamics have been out of whack ever since the military began drawing down after the Cold War. A summit of four-star generals that addressed the issue in 1996 set a goal of training 370 new fighter pilots per year, according to the report, but funding was not provided to do so until 1999 and that number was never reached. The Rand report was funded by the Air Force, with a draft report delivered to service leaders in October 2014, just after air operations against the Islamic State began. Two years later, the problems are even worse. Related on Checkpoint: How this elite Air Force rescue squadron’s mission has evolved in Afghanistan


The feds want to launch peanut butter drone strikes to save endangered ferrets

to design the pellet-shooting drone, which he hopes will get a trial run later this summer. “I know nothing about drones, but he does,” Matchett said. “And I’ve explained the requirements that we need, and he says, ‘I can do that.'” Flea-powder spraying and ATVs will probably also remain in use, Moehring said. “This is conceptual and limited in scope,” he added. “There is not an army of drones heading to the West.” A black-footed ferret prepares to leave its carrier during a release of 30 ferrets by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City, Colo. (David Zalubowski/AP) Though the use of drones would be novel, this is hardly the first time airdrops have been used for conservation. Among the most delightful examples involved airdropping actual animals. In the 1950s, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game rounded up beavers that were wreaking havoc on private property, packed them by twos into wooden boxes, attached them to parachutes and dropped them into remote areas where the toothy rodents’ dam-building skills were needed. As in the case of the ferrets, the beaver paratrooper force grew out of a need for efficiency: Previously, the animals had been trapped, packed onto horses, driven by truck to a forest, then packed onto horses again and “subjected to more handling, heat and jolting,” according to a 1950 article by the department’s Elmo W. Heter, who devised the parachute plan. Here’s a video of it: The Idaho Department of Fish and Game had two problems in the '40s and '50s: a post-WWII parachute surplus and an unmanageable beaver population. They found an unusual solution in a recently uncovered trap-and-drop beaver program. In 2013, U.S. helicopters dropped 2,000 dead mice strapped to makeshift cardboard and tissue parachutes onto the forests of Guam. Their mission: Kill invasive brown tree snakes. The mice had been studded with acetaminophen, the painkiller in Tylenol, which is lethal to the snakes. The parachutes tangled mice in the trees, where they made perfect tree snake snacks. Department of Agriculture wildlife specialist Tony Salas holds a brown tree snake outside his office on Andersen Air Force Base on the island of Guam. The U.S. government is dropping toxic mice from helicopters to battle the snakes, an invasive species that has decimated Guam’s native bird population. (Eric Talmadge/AP) In the 1970s and 1980s, tens of


D.C.-area forecast: Strong line of thunderstorms rolls through metro area this evening

5:20 p.m. update: There’s a train of storms lined up to the southwest and we expect these will continue to move east over the next few hours. A couple severe thunderstorm warnings could be issued, especially in our southern areas. Models suggest this line of storms will clear the area by 8 or 9 p.m., but showers could linger behind for an hour or so. The Nationals game does look like it will be impacted by rain — a delay seems likely at this point, but the back edge of the rain should move out in time to get things started (eventually). 4:25 p.m. update: Continue reading for the full forecast…. TODAY’S DAILY DIGIT 4/10: EXPRESS FORECAST Today: View the current weather conditions at The Washington Post headquarters. FORECAST IN DETAIL This weekend cool-down isn’t looking like it will amount to much. A cold front that dropped into the area last night is settling in for a stay. It’ll actually mostly fall apart overhead. But first, it might spark up some late-day showers and storms. It seems quite likely we’ll keep piling on 90s up ahead. Today (Saturday): Tonight: Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates. For related traffic news, check out Dr. Gridlock. Keep reading for the forecast through the weekend… Tomorrow (Sunday): Tomorrow night: The Washington Monument in summer. (Erik Cox Photography via Flickr) A LOOK AHEAD Despite the next cold front beginning to approach from the northwest, Monday is rather sun-filled. Lots of sun and some downsloping (warming) wind off the mountains should equal another scorcher. Highs are mainly in the low and-mid 90s. There could be an isolated to scattered shower and storm threat in the afternoon, but the main impact from the cold front seems to want to hold off until Tuesday. Confidence: Medium Following sticky 70s for lows, that cold front pushes through the area on Tuesday. The timing is a bit uncertain from this range, but it should try to touch off some showers and storms as it moves by. If it holds off until late in the day, those storms could be strong. Highs head for the low 90s. Confidence: Medium


Pending WADA report, anti-doping leaders could call for ban of Russia from Rio Olympics

(Paul Sancya/Associated Press) The U.S. and Canadian anti-doping agencies have drafted a letter calling to ban Russia from the Rio Olympics. Obtained by the Associated Press, the letter has been circulating and, depending on the findings of a World Anti-Doping Agency investigation, could be sent to the International Olympic Committee president and executive board. The independent WADA investigation, headed by Richard McLaren, was launched after the New York Times reported in May that dozens of athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi were part of a state-run doping program. The letter, drafted last week, calls for the IOC to act by July 26 and prohibit Russia’s Olympic Committee and sports federations from participating in the Rio Olympics, set to start Aug. 5. The decision of whether to send hinges on the findings of the report, according to USADA officials. The letter includes exceptions for Russian athletes who went through thorough anti-doping systems in other countries. Anti-doping agencies from at least six countries and athletes around the world have backed the letter, according to USADA CEO Travis Tygart. But the president of the European Olympic Committee, Pat Hickey, expressed concern that its circulation could undermine the credibility of the report, set to be released Monday. “There seems to have been an attempt to agree [on] an outcome before any evidence has been presented,” Hickey said. That’s a sentiment shared by David Larkin, an attorney specializing in international law, sport and anti-corruption: Tygart said the letter was drafted without intent of being released to the public unless the WADA investigation found evidence of a state-sponsored program. “Of course, we want and hope for universal inclusion, but we’re not blind to the evidence already out there,” Tygart said. “And if we’re not preparing for all potential outcomes, then we are not fulfilling our promise to clean athletes.” The New York Times story reported that Russia had at least 15 medal winners who were part of a state-run doping program planned over the course of several years. Grigory Rodchenkov, a former director of the country’s anti-doping laboratory, said he provided dozens of athletes with banned substances through a drug cocktail to help facilitate an elaborate doping ploy. “People are celebrating Olympic champion winners, but we are sitting crazy and replacing their urine,” Rodchenkov said. “Can you imagine how Olympic sport is organized? “We were fully equipped, knowledgeable, experienced and perfectly prepared for Sochi


Men drinking craft beer, women eating quinoa, and other millennial foodie trends, ranked

(Amy King/The Washington Post; iStock) Whether you identify as a foodie or Particularly if you’re a millennial. A study from Ypulse, a youth marketing research firm, recently surveyed how the young Americans approach food and found many differences how people ages 13 to 33 eat. They surveyed 1,000 people and separated their data by region, age, gender, race, academic status and parental status. Millennials are huge foodies, outspending all other population cohorts on restaurants by dropping $96 billion on food yearly, according to market research firm NPD. But the Ypulse survey shows there’s quite a range in how young Americans approach food -- even if they say they're a foodie -- with pronounced differences among men and women and people of different racial backgrounds. Around 42 percent of young men and women say they’re foodies. They were equally likely to try a trendy food, but differed on the type of trendy food they were likely to try. Men were most likely to have tried trendy types of beer, such as craft beer, beer bars and beer pairings. That’s because men generally pick beer as their go-to alcoholic beverage, Bliss said. Women picked more healthy trends, such as spiralized vegetables and quinoa. Aesthetically pleasing dishes -- such as meals served in bowls and poké, which is a raw fish salad -- were best at garnering female interest. Bliss attributed the hype those foods get on Instagram and Pinterest, which are majority women, to their female fandom. “Females are more apt to have tried food in bowls, for instance, when there's a thousand different Instagram accounts featuring these beautifully arranged food in bowls,” Bliss said. “You see things that really are viral foods.” There are even bigger differences when it comes to geography and race. People from the West and East coasts, followed by those in the Midwest, have tried more food trends compared with Southerners. Eighty-eight percent of people from the West said they had tried at least one trendy food, compared with 79 percent of Southerners. And those on the coasts had eaten a lot more of what was listed. That’s probably because many of these trends originate in the coastal urban areas. “Most of these trends are fueled by and taking off in urban areas. Then you see a trickle-down effect where chains are impacted or chefs in the smaller cities adopt them,” Bliss said. Of course, it could


A quarter of Americans worry about running out of money in retirement

Saving early and often is the key to not running out of money in retirement. (istock) What is our biggest fear when it comes to retirement? Well, according to a new survey from the Indexed Annuity Leadership Council, our biggest fear is running out of money. Twenty-five percent of Americans are worried about that. And it’s not the first survey to show that trend. “I think when you look at the top fears of people and what’s on their minds, and 25 percent of Americans are concerned about outliving their retirement, the immediate reaction is a lot of people aren’t thinking about that or don’t want to because they haven’t’ looked at what their future holds,” says Jim Poolman, executive director of the council. Millennials are the most worried. Twenty-nine percent cited running out of money as their biggest concern. But Gen X’ers were not far behind, at 28 percent. Nineteen percent of Baby Boomers have the concern and 21 percent of people 71 and older are worried, according to the survey. The next two biggest concerns: Covering health care expenses (19 percent) and maintaining their current lifestyles (23 percent). Not surprisingly, the age group most worried about health care expenses was baby boomers (24 percent), while the concerns about maintaining current lifestyle seemed to cross all generations: millennials, 20 percent; Gen X, 23 percent; boomers and people 71 and older, both 25 percent. For Poolman the biggest surprise was in the answers to questions on how much people have saved for retirement. “When you look at the top three fears, they all have to do with not saving enough for retirement,” he says. “That’s not a surprise. When you dive down into that, one in four baby boomers has less than $5,000 saved for retirement. “That’s shocking to me. It tells me we need to keep having a national conversation about retirement, about saving and about planning. “The average couple that retired last year will need $240,000 to cover future medical expenses in retirement,” he says. “Showing people those kinds of facts can only educate them about the need to start saving now.” Poolman says it is never too late to start saving for retirement. “Even though you may have not saved and you are way behind, don’t make yourself further behind,” he says. “People should not give up. Those who think they cannot afford to save can start


11 things to do in the D.C. area the week of July 18-22

Cantina Marina has one of the best views of the sunset in Washington. (Amanda Voisard/The Washington Post) Monday, July 18 Yappy Hour at Cantina Marina: Tuesday, July 19 DC Brau On the Wings of Armageddon at ChurchKey: Chefs Behind Bars at DNV Rooftop Lounge: Democratoz at Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage: Wednesday, July 20 Midnight North and Doobie Decibel System at Gypsy Sally's: A Taste of Greece at National Geographic Museum: Thursday, July 21 “Zootopia” screening at Films at the Stone: Belgian National Day at multiple area locations: Friday, July 22 MarketSW at Southwest Waterfront: Anniversary party at Luce Foundation Center: Gallery Talk at Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: Looking ahead: - "The Firebird" at Wolf Trap, July 23 - Fifth Harmony at EagleBank Arena, July 29 - John Taylor, Fritz Hahn, Rudi Greenberg and Emily Codik


The world is poised to take the strongest action of this year against climate change

at HFCs. And signs look positive that a phase-down amendment could happen this year, giving a key boost to climate-change momentum, said Durwood Zaelke, head of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development. “This year we have a tailwind because the parties to the Paris agreement understand that they need the Montreal Protocol success to keep their own ambition going and their own momentum going,” said Zaelke, who spoke by phone from Vienna on Friday. His institute’s research suggests that phasing out HFCs before they can become more prevalent in the atmosphere can avoid about 100 to 200 billion tons of carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions by 2050. Moreover, Zaelke notes, there’s a bonus — phasing out HFCs will also require air-conditioner manufacturers to go back to the drawing board and will lead to increased energy efficiency gains in air conditioners. That, in turn, will also take another major chunk out of greenhouse-gas emissions at a time when the world is expected to install enormous numbers of new air conditioners in coming years. For instance, a study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory last year found that adding 30 percent more efficiency to the world’s future air conditioners, while also switching away from HFCs, could avoid 98 billion tons of carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions into the atmosphere by 2050. For all of these reasons, the stars seem to be aligning for major action on HFCs this year. “The Montreal Protocol HFC amendment is now perceived universally in the climate context as the piece that you need to do this year,” Zaelke said. “There’s no disagreement about the value of this issue.” “The phase out of HFCs will achieve the largest temperature reduction in this century — 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit — of any available policy action,” Paul Bledsoe, a former Clinton administration adviser on climate change, said by email. “It will also eliminate one of the six major greenhouse gases” and reduce “near-term climate impacts.” Some alternatives to HFCs already exist. Honeywell has already announced that it will use far fewer HFCs in coming years in favor of alternatives with less global warming potential. The list of potential alternative substances is long and varied,and includes hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, and numerous other chemicals. There are also some HFCs with considerably less global warming potential than the currently used varieties. The unresolved questions at the center of the current HFC phaseout negotiations turn on the different roles of developed


Where to dine around the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, morning, noon and night

ticketed, prix-fixe ($75 or $100) Tasting Room. Just around the corner is Espita Mezcaleria, which offers the best selection of mezcal in Washington. (Espita's Mexican fare, focused on Oaxaca, is noteworthy, as well.) Columbia Room: 124 Blagden Alley NW. Open at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Espita Mezcaleria: 1250 Ninth St. NW. Bar opens at 5 p.m. daily. Lunch 11:30 to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; dinner 5 to 10 p.m. daily. Torchon of white mushroom at Kinship. (Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post) Catch up with acclaimed former CityZen chef Eric Ziebold in one of his two dining rooms. At ground level is Kinship, the a la carte yet swanky restaurant where showstoppers include the white mushroom torchon and whole roasted chicken. For an even bigger splurge, head downstairs to Métier, for a lavish -- jackets required, gentlemen! -- seven-course meal for $200 per person. 1015 Seventh St. NW. Kinship dinner 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Métier dinner 6 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, advance reservations highly recommended. Chef Jeremiah Langhorne preps food during dinner service at the Dabney. (Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post) Never thought about mid-Atlantic cuisine? The region has one of the best ambassadors in Jeremiah Langhorne, who is doing justice to local ingredients and history while stationed at a massive hearth at the heart of the Dabney in Blagden Alley. Must-try: The signature cornbread. 122 Blagden Alley NW. Open 5:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Customers dig into pizza at All-Purpose. (Dixie D. Vereen for The Washington Post) Step away from the Sbarro. Just a short walk away from the convention center is All-Purpose, an Italian-American restaurant from the teams behind Bloomingdale's Red Hen and Boundary Stone. Chef Michael Friedman's crusts are bready but crispy and covered in such interesting toppings as littleneck clams, zucchini caponata and fennel agrodolce. The Jersey-style eggplant parm and desserts from nearby Buttercream shouldn't be missed either. 1250 Ninth St. NW. Open 5:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5:30 to 11 p.m. Friday, 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday. Related items: - Where to dine around Eastern Market, morning, noon and night - Where to eat and drink near the Verizon Center - 11 new restaurants you should try right now


Emerging recruits Naji Marshall, A.J. Wilson use an extra year of summer basketball to their advantage

Forward Naji Marshall is headed to Hargrave Military Academy in the fall with double-digit scholarship offers. (Doug Kapustin / For The Washington Post) As Eleanor Roosevelt All-Met Naji Marshall got set to begin the final live recruiting period of his basketball career last week, a high-major college assistant coach walked into the dimly lit lobby of New 24 Fitness and Basketball in District Heights. He’d come specifically to watch and be seen by Marshall, who led the Raiders to a Maryland 4A state championship as a senior last winter and will attend Hargrave Military Academy next year. “He’s a special player,” the coach said. “But I never saw him play in high school.” This, of course, is how college basketball recruiting works today. The live evaluation periods that occur every year in April and July are when coaches see prospects the most, and it prompted several Washington area basketball players to return to the summer basketball circuit this offseason after using up their high school eligibility. For Marshall, the experience has been particularly rewarding. Playing with DC Premier as a 2017 recruit headed to prep school, his versatile skill set stood out and his scholarship offer list ballooned to more than 10 schools. He recently visited Virginia Tech, Xavier, Pittsburgh, Georgetown and Rhode Island, although a college decision is not imminent. “It’s one of my favorite times of the year. I’m going to miss it,” Marshall said earlier this month. “There’s a lot I have to learn and if I wasn’t out here, I’d probably have to play catch up when I get to prep. I want to get better and just seeing what I’m competing against and who’s the best of the best.” Marshall’s decision to play summer basketball is becoming an increasingly popular one. Though Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League does not allow fifth-year seniors to participate, most other shoe-sponsored and unaffiliated events have no such age restriction for prep school players. Oakland Mills guard Daniel Kiely, Riverdale Baptist’s Amanze Njoku-Ibu and former Montrose Christian forward A.J. Wilson were among the seniors joining Marshall on the courts at New 24 earlier this month for a Big Shots event. H.D. Woodson All-Met Antwan Walker is also playing this offseason with Team Loaded before heading to Massanutten Military Academy Hargrave for a prep year. Wilson’s situation could be an intriguing test case in maximizing exposure. After attending three schools in


A broken telescope just discovered 104 new planets

main mission. But the intrepid second mission occasionally has its own successes to celebrate. Some of the haul's most interesting planets — a quad of potentially rocky worlds about the same size as Earth — wouldn't even have been found without K2's unique handicaps. “Kepler’s original mission observed a small patch of sky as it was designed to conduct a demographic survey of the different types of planets,” Ian Crossfield, a Sagan Fellow at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, said in a statement. Crossfield is the lead author of the study announcing these newly confirmed worlds, published this week in Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. “This approach effectively meant that relatively few of the brightest, closest red dwarfs were included in Kepler’s survey," he explained. Because small, cool red dwarfs are so common in the galaxy (they make up about 75 percent of the local star population), scientists think they might be a good place to look for life. They're old — meaning that planets around them have had plenty of time to evolve life of some sort — and we have a lot of them close by. "The K2 mission allows us to increase the number of small, red stars by a factor of 20, significantly increasing the number of astronomical 'movie stars' that make the best systems for further study," Crossfield said. The M dwarf star K2-72, which sits 181 light years away, fits that description: It's just half the mass of our own sun and not as bright. But because the four could-be-rocky worlds discovered around it orbit so close, some of them might be in the star's habitable zone, the range in which liquid water could be found. The planets were confirmed using follow-up observations from the North Gemini telescope and the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, the Automated Planet Finder of the University of California Observatories and the Large Binocular Telescope operated by the University of Arizona. Like other K2 finds, these nearby worlds will make great study targets when NASA's much-anticipated James Webb Space Telescope launches in 2018. Read more: The seasons on this triple-sun planet last a lifetime The first female space shuttle commander will speak at the GOP convention. Huh? Why NASA’s new photos of the moon look super fake (even though they’re not) The first water clouds are found outside our solar system — around a failed star


Elderly Zika patient in Utah may have infected a family contact

that we would have seen this before." The elderly man became very ill and was hospitalized at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The family contact cared for him at his home and at the hospital "and could have been exposed to that individual's sweat or tears or bodily fluids," Frieden said. Researchers have detected Zika virus in blood, urine, semen, saliva and breast milk. It's also been found in genital tract swabs and fluid inside the eye, CDC officials said Monday. Scientists are investigating whether it is also present in sweat and tears. It's not immediately clear why the elderly man had such high levels of virus in his body, although he had an underlying disease that could have contributed, officials said. It's also possible that he had some "unique genetic susceptibility" unrelated to Zika, Frieden said. Officials said the second person showed symptoms of Zika but did not have the same high viral load that was present in the deceased patient. With infectious diseases in general, people who are more severely ill and showing symptoms tend to be more infectious than individuals who aren't as sick. If another type of person-to-person transmission is confirmed, Frieden said it would be hard to determine whether it has taken place in Brazil, the epicenter of the epidemic, because Zika has been so widely spread by infected mosquitoes there. Person-to-person transmission is much more likely to be identified in places like the United States, where there have not yet been documented cases of local mosquito transmission. If normal routes of transmission are ruled out, "that leaves us with an unknown, possibly new mode of transmission," said William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He said it will be important to determine whether Zika can be transmitted through saliva, a known pathway for other diseases. Officials are interviewing and testing all the health-care workers who could have come into contact with the elderly man. That investigation is likely to take at least several weeks. At the moment, CDC does not plan to change its guidance for hospitals or health-care workers, Frieden said. The CDC team includes two senior scientists with expertise in public health investigations, five epidemiologists, a public health advisor, two entomologists and others. The man's death in late June was the first Zika-related adult death in the continental United States. Salt Lake County health department


it would be hard to determine whether it has taken place in Brazil, the epicenter of the epidemic, because Zika has been so widely spread by infected mosquitoes there. Person-to-person transmission is much more likely to be identified in places like the United States, where there have not yet been documented cases of local mosquito transmission. If normal routes of transmission are ruled out, "that leaves us with an unknown, possibly new mode of transmission," said William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He said it will be important to determine whether Zika can be transmitted through saliva, a known pathway for other diseases. Officials are interviewing and testing all the health-care workers who could have come into contact with the elderly man. That investigation is likely to take at least several weeks. At the moment, CDC does not plan to change its guidance for hospitals or health-care workers, Frieden said. The CDC team includes two senior scientists with expertise in public health investigations, five epidemiologists, a public health advisor, two entomologists and others. The man's death in late June was the first Zika-related adult death in the continental United States. Salt Lake County health department officials said the exact cause of his death has not been determined. Zika is spread primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito. About 80 percent of infected individuals have no symptoms, while the rest tend to experience only mild problems that last for several days to a week. Symptoms include mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis ("pink eye"), muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache. In rare cases, though, the virus has been linked to a nervous system disorder that can cause muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. It poses its biggest danger during pregnancy, when infection can cause a range of severe fetal abnormalities. In April, the CDC reported the first U.S. adult death from Zika in a patient in Puerto Rico. That man, who was in his 70s, died from internal bleeding after developing severe thrombocytopenia -- a rare immune reaction to his infection that causes low levels of blood-clotting platelets. Last week, the CDC and New York City health department reported for the first time that a woman had transmitted the virus to her male partner during sex. All previously reported cases of sexually transmitted Zika infection have been spread from men. As


Gusty rush hour storms exit metro area, some damage left behind

zone for severe thunderstorms, largely due to high levels of instability in the region from the heat and humidity. “I don’t think coverage of strong-severe is going to be widespread BUT I do think the approaching line could regenerate once it gets east of the mountains, what is termed second generation activity, organized by a strong gust front,” says Jeff Halverson, Capital Weather Gang’s severe weather expert. Storms are likely to be strongest and most numerous north and northwest of the District, where there are stronger upper level winds to energize and sustain the storms. As the storms press east and southeast, they may start falling apart, especially after sunset when heating wanes. HRRR radar simulation between 4 and 6 p.m. (WeatherBell.com) Still, Halverson says conditions may be ripe for some isolated strong microbursts — that is strong downward bursts of winds that hit the ground and fan out — causing tree damage in some cases. Microburst potential is highest north and northwest of the District, but cannot be ruled out in any storm in the region. Expired updates 4:40 p.m. update: In Fairfax County, we have a report of tree down at Richmond Highway and Buckman Rd near Mt. Vernon. 4:25 p.m. update: Although severe thunderstorms warnings cover the region and we’ve seen some reports of gusty winds in the neighborhood of 40-50 mph, we haven’t seen reports of damaging winds (60 mph or greater). Mostly these are ordinary, somewhat vigorous summer storms. Right now, the heaviest activity is around Alexandria and Old Town, which could see some borderline severe winds. https://twitter.com/justinmrosen/status/755135894584254465 4:10 p.m. update: ⚠ Take Cover! Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Adams Morgan DC and Washington DC until 5:30 PM EDT https://t.co/ZLg8LgLAxI Some views of the storm approaching: Storm is coming to NW DC @capitalweather https://t.co/i5XMhZWwcH Leading edge of storms now reaching Silver Spring @capitalweather https://t.co/AnJixMWWnM . @capitalweather @nbcwashington storm headed into DC - view from Archived https://t.co/6VtWxgADfB 4:05 p.m. update: ⚠ Take Cover! Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Waldorf MD, Stafford VA, Woodbridge VA until 4:45 PM EDT https://t.co/CM2SPQ4BN2 3:45 p.m. update: ⚠ Take Cover! Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Rockville MD, Fairfax VA, Leesburg VA until 4:30 PM EDT https://t.co/QgbaeB0WzS 3:35 p.m. update: 3:05 p.m. update: @capitalweather Frederick, MD 3:00 pm. Recycle bins had blown down street during gusts prior to rain. Less wind now. https://t.co/eFNnA9Z2z2 A severe thunderstorm warning has just been issued for southern Loudoun, northern


Dallas, Baton Rouge and the troubled history of black veterans in America

armed forces. Black soldiers have fought in every war from the American Revolution to the present. I have written about their important role in World War I. They are powerful symbols of black patriotism and respectability, and demonstrate how — in spite of slavery, Jim Crow and institutionalized discrimination — African Americans have been willing to fight for their country and die for its ideals. Micah Johnson and Gavin Long violently disrupt this narrative. Their actions speak to a rarely acknowledged aspect of the history of African American veterans — one of injustice, disillusionment, trauma, racial militancy and undignified death. Johnson, Long and their troubled humanity remind us that the history of black servicemen and women has been fraught with tension. Johnson and Long were dedicated soldiers. Johnson’s mother, Delphine Johnson, said that her son, like so many black servicemen before him, “loved his country” and wanted to protect it. Johnson served in the U.S. Army Reserve for six years, enlisting out of high school in 2009. He completed a tour of duty in Afghanistan with the 420th Engineer Brigade before receiving an honorable discharge in 2015. Long was a former U.S. Marine who served for five years — including one year in Iraq as a data specialist. He achieved the rank of sergeant before his discharge in 2010. He received several awards during his time in the Marines, including a Good Conduct Medal. Like Long and Johnson, black men and women have joined the military for various reasons throughout U.S. history. Although love of country has been an important motivation, other factors such as the opportunity for freedom, the desire for adventure and the promise of gainful employment have also been meaningful. More than just patriotic symbols, black servicemen and women, like all individuals, possess complex identities that have shaped their military experiences. These experiences have not always been positive. According to his family, Johnson returned home from Afghanistan a different person. “The military was not what Micah thought it would be,” Johnson’s mother has stated, adding, “He was very disappointed, very disappointed.” In her words, he became “a hermit” and resentful toward the government. After his discharge, Long also seems to have become isolated and aggrieved. He divorced his wife, changed his name to “Cosmo Setepenra,” accused the government of placing him under surveillance and in numerous online videos decried systematic racism against African Americans, including the July


IMF: Brexit is slowing world economy — and it could be worse

Newly installed Prime Minister Theresa May has yet to formally announce the country’s intention to leave the E.U., and negotiating the terms of the separation will take at least two years. “The real effects of Brexit will play out gradually over time, adding elements of economic and political uncertainty that could be resolved only after many months,” Obstfeld said. “This overlay of extra uncertainty, in turn, may open the door to an amplified response of financial markets to negative shocks.” The worst-case scenario encompasses severe disruptions in trade, Britain’s loss of access to Europe’s common market and significant volatility in financial markets. That would reduce economic growth in the United Kingdom by 5.6 percent over the next three years, the IMF said, in one of the bleakest surveys of the country’s post-Brexit prospects. In that environment, global growth would also fall significantly. The IMF estimated a worst-case scenario would force it to lower its world economic forecast 0.3 percentage points this year and twice that amount next year. “The impact and persistence of that uncertainty are hard to quantify at this stage,” the IMF said in its report. Source: International Monetary Fund In Britain, there are signs that the referendum is beginning to trickle down into the real economy. On Tuesday, ratings agency Moody's Investors Service said Britain's credit status has come under "downward pressure" and that navigating the exit would test the island nation's institutions. A recent survey of chief financial officers by consulting firm Deloitte found business sentiment had plunged to the lowest level since the 2008 financial crisis. More than half expected to slow down capital investment and two-thirds predicted hiring would take a hit. “CFOs do not seem to be waiting for growth to slow before adjusting direction,” Deloitte's chief economist, Ian Stewart, said. The IMF also reduced its forecast for U.S. growth by 0.2 percentage points to 2.2 percent this year. The downgrade was driven by a weaker-than-expected winter, but the IMF said recent data suggest the economy has picked up speed. It predicted that the impact of Brexit for the United States would be “muted,” particularly if interest rates remain low. Its estimate for 2017 was unchanged at 2.5 percent. Read more: Britain's new foreign minister avoided paying his U.S. taxes for years 9 out of 10 experts agree: Britain doesn't trust the experts on Brexit Bank of England leaves key interest rate unchanged


The Daily 202: Melania’s plagiarized convention speech shows Trump’s campaign is still not ready for prime-time

Get on with it. If the Never Trump movement keeps this up, they'll turn into the Helping Hillary movement. It's time to unify. It's time to beat Hillary. Here's a response from the communications director on Jeb Bush's presidential campaign: Trump thinks you were warned about 9/11 and that Saddam was strong on terror. Support him if you want. #NeverTrump https://t.co/ZLnQXnACZ8 And from a fellow Bush-Cheney alum: Trump called our former boss a war criminal. And Mexicans "rapists." He's attacked the Pope, for cryin' out loud. https://t.co/X2hVB3kkQN Xavier Becerra posted this selfie with Democratic interns after House Republicans and Paul Ryan were criticized for their nearly all-white summer intern class: Thank you to all my hardworking #CapitolHill interns! We had a great group this summer. #BecerraSelfie https://t.co/VEJIiL3UtJ Don King was spotted at the convention: Don King at media row in Cleveland. And they said this wouldn't be a circus. https://t.co/0Z9rrcjnJQ Anyone who follows Virginia politics will appreciate this one: Ken Cuccinelli shows off his "troublemaker" ribbon on his credential. Helped collect signatures for roll call. https://t.co/PrahLPXHSz A warning to Trump and his VIPs: This is the sign/warning inside of the Trump campaign's VIP box https://t.co/hJ1F2OdPFx Instagram is partnering with a photographer to snap portraits of major GOP figures backstage at the convention. Here's Haley Barbour and Greg Walden: Today in convention fashion: This convention goer from Southern Cali is the most best dressed I've spotted so far. #RNCinCLE #RNC2016 https://t.co/oQFiZkL3oX Legendary Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz carrying a bottle of Crown Royale at #RNCinCLE https://t.co/UeXt0q9cOD Elephants awaited New Jersey GOP delegates in their hotel rooms: Awaiting the NJ delegates in their hotel rooms: a towel origami elephant https://t.co/bDy7znscjp Reaction from someone not in the hall: This is a national nightmare. #GOPConvention A beautiful sunset photo from Pat Leahy: Finally, check out photos of this week's SpaceX launch: Well, that's a hell of a shot of last night's SpaceX launch (Tim Shortt/AP/Florida Today). https://t.co/F66fYFdrGv HOT ON THE LEFT: "“Paul Ryan Says Poor Are Victims, But Blames Them For Being Poor,” from HuffPost: "The Speaker in an NPR interview Monday acknowledged that the poor are victims of our economic system. The interview sounds reasonable, almost soothing, until you examine what Ryan is really saying. After acknowledging that poverty is systemic, he turns around and blames the poor themselves as being personally — even morally — responsible for being poor. ... He cited


IOC considering legal options regarding Russia Olympic ban

A World Anti-Doping Agency report found evidence of widespread doping in Russia. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, file) The International Olympic Committee announced Tuesday that its executive board has begun to consider its legal options regarding a total ban of Russia’s athletic teams from this summer’s Olympics in Rio. On Monday, a report issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency found “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the Russian government ran a widespread doping system for years in multiple Olympic sports and called for the IOC to ban Russia from this year’s Games, which begin Aug. 5. The IOC “will explore the legal options with regard to a collective ban of all Russian athletes for the Olympic Games 2016 versus the right to individual justice,” the governing body said in a statement, issued after an emergency meeting of top Olympic officials. Russia’s track and field teams already have been banned from this year’s Olympics by the International Association of Athletics Federations because of doping, a decision that Russia has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The CAS ruling is expected on Thursday, and the IOC said in its statement that it will take the ruling into consideration when making its decision on a collective ban. Many observers have called for Russia to be completely banned from this year’s Olympics because of its elaborate, widespread doping program. Others, however, say a blanket ban would unfairly hurt certain Russian teams and athletes that were not implicated in any doping scheme. The IOC also has appointed a five-member disciplinary commission that will hand out punishments to the Russian Ministry of Sports officials who were implicated in the WADA report, adding that any official implicated in the report will not receive IOC accreditation to the Rio Olympics. “The findings of the report show a shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sports and on the Olympic Games. Therefore, the IOC will not hesitate to take the toughest sanctions available against any individual or organisation implicated,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in the statement. The IOC also announced that it’s provisionally withholding patronage of any sporting event held in Russia, including the 2019 European Games, which were awarded to the Russian cities of Sochi and Kazan so long as the country addresses concerns uncovered in a previous WADA doping investigation. The IOC also will investigate every Russian athlete who participated in the 2014 Winter Olympics in