USDA’s Wildlife Services killed 4 million animals in 2013; seen as an overstep by some

each kill of a native animal, for whose benefit and the methods used. The petition called Wildlife Services “a rogue agency” that was “out of control.” At the time, a Wildlife Services spokeswoman, Lyndsay Cole, responded that it kills birds at 800 airports nationwide so they won’t gum up the works of airplanes. Cole said the department kills some animals that are a threat to endangered animals. Other animals, such as raccoons, are eliminated as part of the National Rabies Management Program. Cole said the agency is guided by a science-based decision-making model. For example, wolves are killed to “lessen the negative impacts of expanding wolf populations,” even though those populations are still recovering from earlier government programs that aimed to exterminate them. Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.) has railed against the secret methods of Wildlife Services, at one time calling it “one of the most opaque and obstinate departments I’ve dealt with.” DeFazio has asked to know what goes into poisons used by the agency that are a danger to people and harmless animals but hasn’t gotten an answer. “We’re really not sure what they’re doing.” Wildlife Services has been around under different government names for more than a century. It essentially cleared away wildlife for America’s westward expansion. In a 2012 report, Wildlife Services relied on a National Agricultural Statistics Service survey to show that wildlife caused $944 million in agricultural damage in 2001. Atwood dismissed the “science-based model” Cole mentioned as a document that “basically says they can use whatever methods at their disposal whenever they want.” Her organization’s petition called on the USDA and the Obama administration to develop a policy based on ecological science, showing how removing animals from the wild affects the natural balance of the habitats. In the Northeast, for example, the elimination of red wolves led to a proliferation of coyotes, which the wolves rarely tolerate in their range. Coyotes push away foxes, which prey on deer mice, which spread ticks. The execution of wolves and other predators, such as bears, allows deer to proliferate across the country, destroying trees that serve as habitat for other animals. Atwood described Wildlife Services’ work as “a staggering killing campaign, bankrolled by taxpayers” and happening “beyond the view of most Americans.” Related: Petition targets ‘rogue’ killings by Wildlife Services Officials give up on evicting pythons from Everglades Virginia acts to reduce population of feral pigs


‘The Late Starters Orchestra,’ by Ari L. Goldman

while re-learning the cello has everything to do with journey and process, and much less to do with some final public performance of a Bach minuet. Moreover, his plan calls to mind the recent “Play It Again,” in which the Guardian editor and amateur pianist Alan Rusbridger described his attempt to master Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 in one year, all the while facing some of the most momentous newsmaking events of recent times, the Arab Spring and the WikiLeaks scandal among them. It is not a comparison that Goldman ought to invite. Rusbridger’s account is far more sophisticated, both in terms of musical understanding and literary ambition. Goldman’s aw-shucks naiveté and frequent sentimentality aren’t the only problems here. He simply shouldn’t have to explain to his readers what tuning up is, or that a cello is larger than a violin and is held between the legs. His constant referring to instrumental pieces as “songs” is both irritating and incorrect. Still, the book has its charms, and Goldman’s endeavor is nothing if not noble. “The Late Starters Orchestra” is an anthem for the amateur, and if more people to took up an instrument with Goldman’s level of commitment, our classical music culture would surely improve. In a recent article in the New York Times, the conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim identified the lack of education among audience members as “the main problem with music in the world of today.” Not declining ticket sales or a lack of arts funding or the pervasiveness of a coarse popular music culture — but a lack of education. There was a time (and this, admittedly, was long ago) when families that could afford a piano in the home would make music together in the evenings; it didn’t matter if it was some popular tune of the day being played or a piece by Beethoven or Liszt. By virtue of their ability to read and play music, amateur musicians became better listeners of music. When they attended concerts, they took in the experience in a deeper, more intelligent way. Goldman’s book made me wonder: What if more people decided to learn the cello, or the piano, or the flute? The objective of the late starter is not virtuosity or a career. Nobody is deluded enough to think that, if he just practices hard enough, he can become the next principal cellist of the Baltimore Symphony. The


Dogs get a sniff of the stage life with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s casting call

Dog actors audition for a spot in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s production of Shakespeare’s fairy-fueled comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The actors arrived at the audition early, so each could sniff out the competition — which they did, quite literally, in the traditional reciprocal canine rear-view salutation. For the parents of these pets, the trip to center stage at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall was a chance for their big break. For the dogs, their tepid enthusiasm for the event ranked somewhere in between going to the vet and discovering a barbecue chicken wing on the sidewalk. There was Casper, a rambunctious 1-year-old German shepherd-collie mix, whose trick repertoire included a fist-bump. Barry Maanilow — yes, with two A’s — was an upbeat beagle-basset hound mix. Griffin, a husky-golden retriever mix, had a school production of “Annie” on his résumé. And Blue — well, Blue was just a sweet, lazy 90-pound dog with bright eyes who, minutes after arriving, was ready for his nap. “He’s here to make every other dog look good,” his owner, Sue Patz, said as she handed him a treat. The dogs’ humans had answered a notice from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra seeking mild-mannered dogs for a cameo in a production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a collaboration with the Folger Theatre. While the symphony played Felix Mendelssohn’s incidental music for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on stage, seven actors portrayed the more than 20 roles in a four-night engagement last weekend. The ideal “dream dog” — a companion to the man in the moon, one of the characters in “Midsummer’s” play-within-the-play, “Pyramus and Thisbe,” would be calm, a little sleepy looking and tolerant of loud music. The latter, Melanie Kuperstein knew Casper could handle. The University of Maryland student is working on her master’s in violin performance, and 1-year-old Casper — who, minutes earlier, had placed his massive paws on director Edward Berkeley’s shoulders — was so completely acclimated to the sound of orchestral music that it had a sedative effect. Mild-mannered dogs are catching their big break: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is seeking a dog for a cameo in a production of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a collaboration with the Folger Theatre. Here are some of the highlights from the doggie auditions. “Every time I practice, he gets so bored,” Kuperstein said. “It’s, like, painful. He just falls asleep during quartet rehearsal.” Across the room, Griffin had already


Sedona has fine dining — if you’re willing to pay for it

The reader who shared her thoughts on Sedona, Ariz., in “Back to roots in Red Rock Country” [Travel, May 25] really missed the boat. We have spent the past 18 winters in Arizona, and have made a couple of trips to see the beautiful red rocks. Contrary to her assertion, Sedona does not have “a dearth of good to fine dining options.” René at Tlaquepaque and L’Auberge are every bit as good as any restaurant in the D.C. area. They are pricey, but fine dining is available in Sedona if one is willing to pay the fare. I wondered why The Post did not mention a couple of other spots to stop at on the way to Sedona, such as Tuzigoot National Monument and Montezuma Well. Both are quite interesting. Cheryl Mandala,Havre de Grace, Md.


In Washington, a taste of the World Cup and loyalty to El Salvador’s La Selecta

a metro area where 250,000 Salvadorans have put down roots since the 1980s, it was like a home game. Now the third-largest Hispanic group in the United States, Salvadorans across the D.C. region have established an identity of their own, opening scores of small businesses from cleaning and construction companies to tax and legal services. At neighborhood eateries, the pupusa, a Salvadoran staple, is the queen. U.S.-born children wear the blue and white colors of their parents’ homeland almost as much as they wear Team USA gear. A large portion of D.C. United’s fan base is Hispanic, much of it made up of Central Americans. Henrique Dias, 28, a Brazilian studying information technology at Howard Community College, said he was there for good fútbol. “It is a training session for Spain,” Dias said. “I am excited to see a lot of goals.” In the end, there were not that many. And even before the ball got rolling, fans celebrated outside the stadium with traditional American hot dogs and beer. Others had their grills with carne asada, chorizos and tortillas. Vendors sold traditional Central American snacks, from mango con chile (mango with hot sauce) to minutas (snow cones) and elotes locos (corn on stick). The sounds of Latin rhythms — cumbia, salsa and reggaeton — took over FedEx Field’s parking lots. A DJ kept the crowd excited, chanting, “El Salvador in the house!” and, “Viva la Selecta!” The blue-and-white Salvadoran flag hung from cars, trees and around fans’ shoulders. Half the fun was the prospect of seeing European soccer stars going up against a young squad that has limited experience playing outside of El Salvador. After a match-fixing scandal last year that resulted in lifetime bans for 14 La Selecta players and sanctions against six others, fans are eager for a fresh start. “It doesn’t matter if we win or lose,” said Rivera, a funding officer at the Inter-American Development Bank. “My friends and I are always excited when El Salvador comes to play in D.C. We love the stadium, the environment and the crowd that comes to support the team.” It all helps “keep those ties alive between the people here and the people in El Salvador,” he said. “It is just a big sense of community that you get at these games that you don’t always get in the city. It is a celebration of anything and everything Salvadoran.”


Plane enters D.C. airspace, causes evacuations

A small plane got too close to the U.S. Capitol on Saturday, triggering an evacuation of the building and nearby structures. Meanwhile, a more potentially dangerous threat was streaking toward the planet from outer space. An asteroid, discovered only weeks ago, is to come within about 777,000 miles of Earth on Sunday, according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. However, no evacuations have been suggested. “There is zero chance of an impact,” said Don Yeomans, manager of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program Office at the lab. Yet the size and estimated 30,000 mph speed of asteroid 2014 HQ 124 give pause, even if it comes no closer than 3.2 times the distance to the moon. It would “be catastrophic if it hit the Earth,” said asteroid impact expert Mark Boslough of Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, as quoted on the Web site Space.com. He said the hurtling space rock, thought to be at least 800 feet across, has the energy to “wipe out an entire metropolitan area.” Perhaps less terrifying to contemplate was Saturday’s incident in Washington’s restricted airspace. A Mooney M20C, flying from Massachusetts to North Carolina, flew toward the nation’s capital, and its pilot could not be contacted, authorities said. The Capitol, the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court were evacuated as fighter jets were scrambled, according to officials. But contact was restored, and the buildings reopened as the plane was escorted away. A security official said it appeared that the pilot was confused and had no nefarious intent.


SpaceX is working with and against its potential customer; Lockheed, Raytheon win big Air Force business

Air Force to achieve the necessary certification for military launches, said Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer. She was speaking at the Atlantic Council’s “Captains of Industry” event last week. “There’s mountains of paperwork,” Shotwell said. “This is new territory for the Air Force, too, so we’re paving the way for the next set of new entrants.” Shotwell also talked about the need to rebuild American dominance in the space sector, pointing out that the United States relies heavily on Russian rocket engines for national security launches. The issue has been in the spotlight as Russia and the United States spar over sanctions stemming from the turmoil in the Ukraine. A top Kremlin official has threatened to ban the export to the United States of powerful RD-180 engines unless Russia is guaranteed that they won’t be used by the U.S. military. “We build our own engines and tanks and write our own software,” Shotwell said with reference to SpaceX’s homegrown Merlin engine. “We own our technology.” SpaceX aims to boost production by eventually launching two rockets a month, up from one every month, she said. The company is also close to acquiring its own commercial launch pad facility in Brownsville, Tex. Contract wins for Lockheed, Raytheon, Northrop Lockheed Martin Lockheed is tasked with building a “space fence,” a high-frequency radar to track nearly every piece of floating rubble that orbits the earth. The new space fence will be more sophisticated at tracking small pieces of debris than the government’s current system. The $915 million contract was a toss-up between Lockheed and Raytheon, which ended up winning a different competitive contract the same day. Raytheon beat out Boeing for a $298 million contract to modify the Air Force’s Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals system. Boeing was the original prime contractor for the manufacture of the terminals in 2002. Raytheon is charged with upgrading the terminals, which allow the president and military leaders to communicate securely. The third major Air Force contract of the week went to Northrop Grumman, which was awarded a $9.9 billion sole-source contract to modernize the B-2 stealth bomber. Engility signals intent to raise more capital Engility Engility said it does not have immediate plans to raise more money. But the contractor’s expansion strategy does involve making more targeted acquisitions. Engility completed a $120 million takeover of IT company Dynamics Research Corp. earlier this year.


Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performs 9/11 tribute paired with Beethoven

Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano. (Matthu Placek/Matthu Placek) In 2002, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra commissioned a new work from American composer John Adams to commemorate the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The piece, “On the Transmigration of Souls,” received its premiere just weeks after the first anniversary of 9/11, sharing a program with Beethoven’s monumental Ninth Symphony. On Saturday night at Strathmore, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra reprised the Philharmonic’s 2002 program. Music director Marin Alsop opened the concert with remarks about how the now often-paired works show that “music can give us hope.” Yet beyond the platitudes, the program did offer a profound musical juxtaposition, at least on paper: Adams’s memorialization through a fragmented and highly localized musical language and Beethoven’s ode to universal brotherhood. In execution, however, the results were less than illuminating. “On the Transmigration of Souls,” which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003, sets to music fragments of text largely taken from missing-persons posters and makeshift memorials near Ground Zero. Adams’s quasi-minimalist accompaniment sustains a meditative, reflective atmosphere for this highly personal language of grief before building to a panicked, almost hysterical climax. A recorded track offers sounds of the city as a backdrop before giving way to a solemn recitation of victims’ names. Yet despite Alsop’s careful direction and urgent singing from the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and the Peabody Children’s Chorus, the performance could not disguise the essentially slender nature of Adams’s score. Adams has said he focused on individual family members as an antidote to the country’s collective “orgy of narcissism” after 9/11. Alas, the BSO’s performance of Beethoven’s Ninth was undermined by another form of narcissism: that of the conductor. Alsop led a frenzied dash through the score, with breathless tempos, sloppiness of execution and superficial drama. Forget nobility. Forget spirituality. The vocal quartet — Angela Meade, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Dimitri Pittas and Eric Owens — coped valiantly with Alsop’s demands, but all subtleties were lost in the headlong race to the finish. Chin is a freelance writer.


A lonely wolf gets a new mate, powerful friends and a little protection

anything like their father, they could wander hundreds of miles south. The California border is about 60 miles south of the new wolf den. The commission’s vote came after a 2012 petition from the Center for Biological Diversity and other groups. It was an extra layer of protection. Gray wolves were already listed as endangered by the federal government. “I’m just so thrilled that we have a new wolf family in southern Oregon and that these beautiful animals are finally getting protection in California,” said Amaroq Weiss, the Center’s West Coast wolf organizer. “This is the first chapter in a longer story of wolves returning to California and living here in the wild.” Not everyone was pleased. The California Cattlemen’s Association strongly opposed the vote, hoping the state would opt instead for a wolf management plan. Wolves sometimes prey on livestock. “It worries us,” said Kirk Wilbur, director of government relations for the association. “We don’t have a problem with the wolf per se . . . but in the event a wolf threatens the livestock of our members, we want them to have mechanisms in place to protect them.” The association is an influential group, representing 3,400 people, about half of them ranchers with cattle. “In Northern California, coyotes have been a massive problem,” Wilbur said. “Ranchers who run sheep had a major problem with depredation, and turned to cattle that are too big for coyotes. Wolves are a more threatening species than coyotes.” Stephenson said there’s enough concern for the safety of OR-7 and his new family that care is being taken not to disclose their location. The wolves are monitored around the clock. OR-7’s collar tracks his whereabouts via satellite four times daily and uploads that information into a computer program once a day. OR-7 was specifically named in California’s announcement about its vote. It said the regulatory language still needs several months to work out and approve, but when that happens it will be unlawful to “take” a wolf, which means “to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, collect or attempt to engage in any such conduct.” “No land animal is more iconic in the American West than the gray wolf,” said Michael Sutton, president of the commission. “Wolves deserve our protection as they begin to disperse from Oregon to their historic range in California.” California and Oregon can thank Idaho for OR-7.


Tom Steyer’s slow, and ongoing, conversion from fossil-fuels investor to climate activist

a ‘Paul on the road to Damascus’ moment,” his conversion has been more of a slow evolution — and it is still ongoing. While Steyer said in 2012 that he was halting his “ecologically unsound” investments, a review of his ties to the $20 billion hedge fund he led for two decades shows that he is only now becoming fully divested from energy firms linked to climate change. Responding to questions last week from The Washington Post, a Steyer spokeswoman said that his holdings will be free of all fossil-fuel firms by the end of this month. When he gave up his ownership of Farallon Capital Management in late 2012, Steyer directed that his personal holdings be divested only from tar sands and coal, two of the dirtiest energy sources, said the spokeswoman, Heather Wong. In late 2013, he directed that the ban be extended to natural gas and oil investments beyond those in the tar sands, Wong said. “Tom does not have an ownership stake in Farallon Capital Management, which reflects the fact that when Tom left Farallon he sold his management stake and directed that his investment holdings be divested from Farallon’s tar sands and coal related financial positions,” Wong said via e-mail. “Moreover, since directing Farallon to divest the coal and tar sands holdings, Tom expanded the divestment directive to include all of his fossil fuel energy holdings and as of this month he will be divested out of fossil fuels altogether.” Wong did not provide details as to why Steyer decided against divesting from all fossil fuels at first. She said that he had identified coal and tar sands as “the fossil fuels that are having a specific impact on climate” and expanded his restrictions later “because he felt it was simply the right thing to do.” A Farallon spokesman said the firm created a special investment “screen” in 2013, at Steyer’s request, to help steer his personal investments away from particular companies. The spokesman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitive nature of the topic, declined to explain or describe the criteria for companies or investments that would qualify for being screened out of consideration. Steyer declined requests for comment. His staff did not provide documents showing the new guidelines he has placed on his investments. A slow untangling The complications of Steyer’s untangling from fossil-fuel investments were clear even on the


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Report: Cybercrime and espionage costs $445 billion annually

the intellectual property will produce or the value the market places on it, the report said. Putting a price tag on it is difficult but not impossible, it said. Intellectual-property theft lessens companies’ abilities to gain a full return on their inventions, and so they turn to other activities to make a profit, the report states. That depresses overall global rates of innovation, it said. The report stated that countries appear to tolerate cybercrime losses as long as they stay at less than 2 percent of their national income. If losses rise above 2 percent, “we assume it would prompt much stronger calls for action as companies and societies find the burden unacceptable,” it said. The report breaks the harm into three categories, without giving figures. The largest, it said, is intellectual property theft. The second is financial crime, or the theft of credit card and other types of data largely by criminal rings. The third is theft of confidential business information to gain an advantage in commercial negotiations or business deals. CSIS used several methods to arrive at a range of estimates, from $375 billion to as much as $575 billion. Researchers looked for published data from governments around the world. They interviewed officials in 17 major countries. And they came up with a predictive model based on a CSIS report last year that estimated the cost of cybercrime to the U.S. economy. Their figures also included the cost of recovering from cyberattacks. The main assumption they used was that the cost of cybercrime is a constant share of national income — at least in countries with similar levels of development. In less developed countries, that cost is about 0.2 percent of gross domestic product, and in advanced economies it is almost 1 percent. In 2009, McAfee issued a news release that pegged global economic losses at more than $1 trillion. The figure was cited by the White House and then-National Security Agency director Gen. Keith B. Alexander. But this year’s CSIS report concluded that it was unlikely that cybercrime cost more than $600 billion, which is the cost of the global drug trade. The researchers said cybercrime and economic espionage require a response on par with global efforts to reduce drug trafficking. Besides better cybersecurity technologies, they said, governments need to devote resources to building defenses and to commit to observing existing international commitments to protect intellectual property.


Japanese robot Pepper can read emotions

A Paris studio showing emotion reading robots opened on Wednesday. The robots were designed to be cute to help humans develop an emotional connection with the objects. A cooing, gesturing humanoid on wheels that can read emotions has been unveiled in Japan by a billionaire who says robots should make people smile. Masayoshi Son’s mobile phone company, SoftBank, said last week that the robot it calls Pepper will go on sale in Japan in February for $1,900. The company hasn’t decided whether to sell it elsewhere. The machine, which has no legs but has gently moving hands, appeared onstage near Tokyo. It touched hands with Son. Son said Pepper has been programmed to read the emotions of people around it by recognizing expressions and voice tones. “Our aim is to develop affectionate robots that can make people smile,” he said. Cuddly robots are not new in Japan, but no companion robot has been a major market success. The 48-inch-tall, 62-pound Pepper is loaded with more than a dozen sensors. It also has two cameras, four microphones and WiFi and Ethernet networking. Besides reading emotions, Pepper can dance and tell jokes. — Associated Press


D.C. bid to host 2024 Olympics receiving USOC consideration

its lack of readiness two years out has been cause for alarm. After sitting out the 2020 bidding process, USOC officials feel the time is right to try again. Once-frosty relations with the IOC appear to have thawed, thanks to a compromise in a long-running revenue-sharing dispute and the $7.75 billion that NBC Universal pledged this spring to broadcast six Olympic Games through 2032. The United States’ representation on the IOC recently expanded, with Probst named as the country’s fourth delegate of the 104-member body. Under the leadership of Probst and Scott Blackmun, who was named USOC CEO in 2010, the organization has attempted to rein in cities’ spending on the bidding process. In past Olympic cycles, some cities spent as much as $10 million to burnish their case. Like the other cities in the running for 2024, the Washington area has been visited more than once by a USOC working group that has been evaluating potential bid cities. A Washington-area bid would incorporate the region’s inventory of sporting venues within a compact geographical area, with only an Olympic stadium and athletes’ village required to be built. A look at some of the memorable moments in the history of the winter games. Much like the successful London 2012 Games, it would focus on integrating the competition with existing facilities and locating the hub of new construction — the Olympic stadium and village — in a region that needs redevelopment and reinvestment. One site under consideration is the area around RFK Stadium. Finally, a DC2024 bid would stress the region’s experience and readiness in public safety and securing high-profile events; its network of public transportation; and its multicultural population. By the time 2024 arrives, it will have been 28 years since the United States hosted a Summer Olympics, the 1996 Atlanta Games. The process started in February 2013, when the USOC sent letters to mayors of 35 cities gauging their interest in hosting the 2024 Summer Games. That letter stated that cities would be required to provide 45,000 hotel rooms, an Olympic village to house 16,500 athletes, work space for 15,000 journalists, an extensive public-transport system, a work force of 200,000 and should expect an operations budget of $3 billion. Russia reportedly spent a record $50 billion to host the recent Sochi Winter Games, despite the fact that Winter Olympics are shorter and involve fewer sports and athletes than Summer Olympics.


Rand study tries to focus on lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan, but what have we learned?

the military. One apparent post-Iraq outcome, according to Rand, is the avoidance of “large-scale, prolonged stability operations” in favor of “small-scale contingency operations,” with a recognition that stability and counterinsurgency activities may be required after any combat against a major country. There is also mounting appreciation for the value of “local intelligence” carried out by “lower-level units, whereby local intelligence about tribes, networks [and] economic issues . . . could be effectively collected and exploited,” the Rand study said. One of the most effective counterinsurgency tools for the military, Rand said, was the Commander’s Emergency Response Program (CERP), which — after some trial and error — allowed lower-level officers to use readily available funds “to repair battle damage, make condolence payments or start local reconstruction projects.” Used to better results in Afghanistan, Rand believes CERP “will hopefully inform future missions should they arise.” One result from Iraq has been the growth of military civil affairs units, but the biggest gainer for the future has been Special Operations Command, which has increased to almost 70,000 while the size of Pentagon’s overall force levels decline. Another effect of Iraq, according to Rand, is concern about combat casualties. While the fatalities have been far lower than in Korea or Vietnam, the ratio of wounded-to-killed was “higher than ever before, largely as a result of advances in battlefield medical treatment.” According to Rand, “these relatively low casualty rates may increase public expectations that future wars can and should be fought without losing large numbers of U.S. troops.” Cost is another factor. Iraq and Afghanistan were the first wars in which a president did not seek a tax increase to pay for the fighting. That was the case with George W. Bush when he invaded Iraq and with Obama when he added troops in Afghanistan. The bills are still coming in for both. The Cost of War Project, based at Brown University, has projected veterans’ benefitsfrom the Iraq war alone could top $450 billion. In the decade since 2001, the Pentagon’s base budget increased 40 percent in real terms, and though it has dropped since its 2010 peak, it is higher than “defense spending during the Reagan administration, at least in real dollars,” the Rand study said. What costs are those advocating increased intervention in Syria and Ukraine willing to pay in terms of casualties and funds? For previous Fine Print columns, go to washingtonpost.com/fedpage.


Five U.S. troops killed in friendly fire airstrike in Afghanistan

KABUL — It marked the deadliest day for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since a helicopter crash in December in the same province, Zabul, killed six service members. U.S. military officials said they are investigating Monday’s incident. The team of Afghan and U.S. troops had been patrolling the Arghandab district and was preparing to leave the area by helicopter when it came under attack from militants firing rockets and small arms, provincial police chief Ghulam Sakhi Roghlewanai said. Seeking to beat back the assault, the U.S. troops called in an airstrike. Ammunition dropped from a B-1B bomber appears to have killed the Americans, according to an official briefed on the preliminary investigation who was not allowed to speak on the record. At least two of the casualties were Special Operations troops, the official said. Officials said it was too early to conclude whether the incident was the result of aircraft malfunction, pilot error or miscommunication between troops on the ground and those in the aircraft. “Investigators are looking into the likelihood that friendly fire was the cause,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, Rear Adm. John Kirby, said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these fallen.” At a news conference Tuesday, Kirby confirmed the five U.S. deaths but did not provide details about those killed. He said there were no reports of any U.S. troops wounded in action. “We need to let investigators investigate,” he said, declining to comment further. Roghlewanai said one Afghan soldier was killed in the operation. “There were no Taliban casualties from the airstrike, but we had killed many of them during the day’s operation,” he said. A relatively small number of friendly fire incidents in the war have occurred during firefights. Some involved airstrikes in which pilots mistook friendly forces for militants. Monday’s incident appeared to be among the deadliest involving U.S. troops, according to a review of past cases. With the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan ramping up as the end of the American combat mission nears, U.S. troops are doing far less fighting and conducting fewer patrols than in years past. But service members deployed in the south and the east continue to come under attack. U.S. officials see Saturday’s runoff as a turning point in the war and have expressed concern that violence could mar the legitimacy of the vote. The Taliban has called the election a Western-designed charade and


Recent theater grad orchestrates new musical, ‘Cloak and Dagger,’ at Signature Theatre

Apple commercial, then you’ve seen the Finnish conductor-composer Esa-Pekka Salonen drinking coffee while playing the piano on his iPad. He’s using Notion. But many composers, including Dixon, have been reluctant to switch from the piano to a MacBook Pro. That has created a cottage industry for artistic techies such as Weinhold. He still had to learn other music fundamentals, such as instrument ranges and remembering that when a musician switches instruments, the composer must allow at least two bars of rests. Weinhold thought he had followed the latter rule, but then at Sunday’s rehearsal, when the musicians and singers ran through the music for the first time, music director Jenny Cartney decided to increase the tempo on one number, sending the musicians into a tizzy. Weinhold had to revise the score. He also had to overhaul a song set in an opium den that Schaeffer thought was too peppy.But he came away from the evening with a success story, too. “There’s this song in the middle of the show called ‘Love Is,’ and when I heard the entire song, I literally had to catch my breath,” he said. “I did not anticipate that it would sound so good.” Britton returns after attack While Signature marks the first performance of a new musical Thursday night in Northern Virginia, a theater north of the District will celebrate a veteran actor returning to a familiar role. Two weeks after he was beaten and robbed outside the Silver Spring Metro station, actor Frank Britton will be back onstage at Forum Theatre. Britton’s right cheekbone was shattered, and although he’ll need several more surgeries, he is looking forward to washing his hands as Pontius Pilate in “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.” “I have full voice, and my energy is coming back,” Britton said. “Just being back in the theater was so exhilarating.” Britton attended Forum’s industry night show Monday night at the urging of artistic director Michael Dove, who wanted Britton to see his understudy, Thony Mena. “Thony jumped into it and faced the challenge,” Britton said. “He had my full, full backing. I was so proud of him.” Britton will finish out the run, performing as Pilate in shows Thursday through Sunday, with approval from his oral surgeon. Britton’s face is still lined with gauze because doctors want to see more signs of bone growth before they operate again. The actor does not


Bergdahl’s writings reveal a fragile young man

of the novel “Atlas Shrugged,” military records and other items arrived at the home of his close friend Kim Harrison, whom Bergdahl designated in his Army paperwork as the person who should receive his remains. Harrison said she decided to share the journal and computer files with The Post because she is concerned about the portrayal of Bergdahl as a calculating deserter, a characterization she says is at odds with her understanding of him as sensitive and vulnerable . Bergdahl’s parents declined a request for an interview about their son’s writings and mental health. A military spokesman said questions could not be put to Bergdahl, 28, “at this point in his reintegration process.” Harrison and others close to Bergdahl said his writing and the events surrounding the Coast Guard discharge raise questions about his mental fitness for military service and how he was accepted into the Army in 2008. Typically, a discharge for psychological reasons would disqualify a potential recruit. An undated photo of Bergdahl provided to The Washington Post. (Courtesy of Kim Harrison) Bergdahl dances with Kayla Harrison in this undated photo. (Courtesy of Kim Harrison) According to Coast Guard records, Bergdahl left the service in early 2006 with an “uncharacterized discharge” after 26 days of basic training. The term applies to people discharged before completing 180 days of service. No reason is specified in such discharges, and a Coast Guard representative said no further information was available. A senior Army official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the Army was aware of a prior “administrative discharge” when Bergdahl enlisted. A separate Army official, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Bergdahl would have required a waiver to enlist under such circumstances. The official could not immediately confirm that Bergdahl received one. With two wars raging in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008, the Army was meeting recruitment goals by issuing waivers that allowed people with criminal records, health conditions and other problems to enlist. According to a 2008 Army War College study on the subject, the Army was issuing waivers at a rate of one for every five recruits at the time. Whatever the exact circumstances of Bergdahl’s enlistment, the Coast Guard discharge came as no surprise to Harrison and other friends who grew up with him in Ketchum, Idaho, and said he was a poor fit for military service. “He is the perfect example


A list of bees and wasps

Pollinators are under threat and gardeners can provide sustenance in the form of flowers. But some would prefer to hang out the No Vacancy sign. Here is a list of bees and wasps that are commonly encountered in the garden Read: Can a garden be too bee friendly? Honeybee Honeybee. (Matthew Shepherd) Description: Gregarious and numerous, honeybees follow cycles of blossoms on trees, shrubs, perennials and herbs, as well as patches of lawn clover. Threat: Unlike other bees and wasps, the honeybee leaves a venom sac with its stinger and dies in the process. If you are stung, you should scrape the sac, which continues to pump venom through the stinger, away from the skin. A honeybee swarm consists of thousands of bees and looks menacing, but the bees are simply clustered around their queen as they seek new permanent quarters. Still, a swarm should be given a wide berth. Aggressive, Africanized honeybees are found only in Southern border states. Bumblebee Common eastern bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) in squash flower. (Nancy Lee Adamson) Description: Threat: Carpenter bee Carpenter bee. (Bigstock ) Description: Threat: Sweat bees Sweat bee (Halictus ligatus) foraging in soft goldenaster (Nancy Lee Adamson/Nancy Lee Adamson) Description: Threat: Yellow jackets Yellowjacket. (Matthew Shepherd/Xerces Society) Description: Threat: Paper wasps Paper wasp on nest in gooseberry bush. (Sarah Foltz Jordan) With their slender waists and long abdomens, paper wasps appear even more menacing than yellow jackets, though they are not as aggressive. They form multi-celled nests from pulp, often building them under eaves or breezeway ceilings. Threat: Cicada killers Digger Wasp (Cicada Killer). (Bigstock) Description Threat: Hornets A yellow-jacket hornet. (Reuters) Description: Threat: Read: Can a garden be too bee friendly? — Adrian Higgins


Can a garden be too bee-friendly?

Pollinators are under threat and gardeners can provide sustenance in the form of flowers. But some would prefer to hang out the No Vacancy sign. Books, Web sites, whole organizations are in place to show you how to draw bees and other pollinators to your garden. But what if you don’t want them? The notion might seem ridiculous to many of us: Gardeners are by nature worried about nature and all its contemporary ills. We can install plants that will throw a lifeline to beleaguered honeybees, bumblebees and butterflies while creating gardens that are natural, floriferous and free of pesticides. Who wouldn’t want to do that? Cnidophobiacs — folks who harbor a fear of insect stings. A bee or wasp sting will induce one of three basic reactions in people. For most of us, the sting is a painful but localized event, and the pain and swelling will recede in a matter of hours. Some people get a moderate reaction that causes a limb to swell or hives to appear away from the sting site, and the symptoms last for days. A third group faces a life-threatening, systemic reaction called anaphylaxis. A person might develop a severe reaction even if previous stings evoked a milder one. Read: Idenntifying bees and wasps Still, it is fair to say that the fear of getting stung is greater than the risk. Less than 1 percent of people who are stung go into anaphylactic shock. An estimated 40 people die each year in the United States from insect stings, about the same number as from lightning strikes. More than 30,000 are killed in automobile accidents yearly. We blithely grab our car keys but grow anxious about getting stung in the garden. People who are allergic to a yellow jacket sting might not be to honeybee stings, but that distinction is often lost. “I have seen people with a strong or even local reaction become hysterical and consider that a systemic reaction,” said John Oppenheimer, an allergist and clinical professor of medicine at Rutgers University. “No one likes being stung, and [stings] are very frightening,” he said. I ’m a bee lover, and I do everything I can to identify, understand and help the dozens of species of bees and wasps that are drawn to my garden. I dislike yellow jackets but know other wasps as a class gardeners call “beneficials” — tiny helpers that


A top Russian official who once admired the U.S. is now on a sanctions list

MOSCOW — The Russian lawmaker’s faith in U.S.-style capitalism and democracy drove him into politics in the chaotic years after the breakup of the Soviet Union. But after he helped lead legislators in a March vote that granted President Vladimir Putin the power to invade Ukraine, the United States put Bushmin on its sanctions list. The Obama administration now is threatening more sanctions by early next month that could deeply disrupt life in Russia by squeezing the flow of dollars to the country’s financial system. In a conflict in which the two sides disagree about fundamental facts, the Obama administration says that sanctions are hurting Putin’s inner circle. Russian leaders retort that the measures are simply helping unite their nation against America. For onetime reformers such as Bushmin, 55, who is faced with the nation he once sought to emulate no longer allowing him on its territory, the attempt to isolate Russia is deeply misguided — and has set relations back to a Cold War time zone. Evgeniy Bushmin Bushmin is one of several former admirers of America on the list of 45 people targeted by U.S. sanctions. (Courtesy of Office of Evgeniy Bushmin) [Read: Russian candidate focuses on service, not ideology.] The chances for an enduring alliance in the 1990s were real, said Bushmin, who as an entrepreneurial young businessman-turned-politician once preached private ownership and democracy to voters in the industrial city of Nizhny Novgorod. Now he is the deputy speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament and a member of the Putin-allied United Russia party. His once boyish sandy hair has turned salt-and-pepper. After the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union, “I was sort of euphoric” about the United States, Bushmin said in an interview in Russia’s imposing Federation Council building. Now he says his youthful faith might have been misplaced. Back then, he said, “I was sure that people of the United States, who had come there from all over the world, were pioneers,” Bushmin said. “These people should have a very good attitude toward those who were choosing a new way.” But when Russia began to rebuild, “we started to raise our voice,” he said. “Economically, when we rose from our knees a little bit, tense moments followed.” Tensions between the United States and Russia have been building ever since the fall of the Soviet Union. But some of the ill will is a far newer


Man fatally shot in Southeast Washington

A man was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon in Southeast Washington, according to D.C. police. The shooting occurred about 1:30 p.m. in the 1900 block of Bruce Place SE, just off Suitland Parkway, between Garfield Heights and Congress Heights. Police said the victim, whose name was not immediately released, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other details were available. Get updates on your area delivered via e-mail.


National Symphony Orchestra says farewell to 7 members and their 251 years of service

Six of seven longtime members leaving the National Symphony Orchestra are pictured: from left, musicians Perry Holley, Yvonne Caruthers, Jacqueline Anderson, Sylvia Alimena and Elizabeth Adkins, and music librarian Marcia Farabee. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post) Two hundred fifty-one years. It’s longer than the United States has been a country. It’s longer than the time elapsed since Mozart’s death. And it represents the collected years of experience that the National Symphony Orchestra is losing at the end of this season. Thursday night, the NSO is honoring seven departing members: six musicians and one librarian, Marcia Farabee, each of whom has served between 28 and 47 years. Mass departures from orchestras are sometimes signals that a music director is cleaning house. This one, however, seems to be largely a matter of coincidence. The violinist Perry Holley, 67, has reached the age at which “Social Security kicks in.” The horn player Sylvia Alimena, 54, developed a focal dystonia of the jaw and tongue, a condition that causes involuntary muscle contractions and which she sadly calls “a career-ender.” Elisabeth Adkins, the orchestra’s associate concertmaster, is leaving to become a professor at Texas Christian University. And the cellist Yvonne Caruthers, 61, who has been with the orchestra since 1978, says, “I’m still young enough and healthy enough and have enough energy; it seemed like the door was open to try something else.” Their combined years is more than three times the age of the NSO. In that cumulative time, the players logged untold miles on airplanes and trains and buses through Europe and Asia and South America and every corner of the United States. They’ve played under dozens of conductors, five music directors and one principal conductor, Ivan Fischer, who started some rehearsals by having the winds and brass play a Bach chorale. The violinist Jacqueline Anderson, hired by Howard Mitchell in 1967, even remembers the pre-Kennedy Center days when the orchestra performed at DAR Constitution Hall. “The orchestra didn’t have a very good feeling about itself in the Mitchell days,” Anderson says. That changed with the advent of the Hungarian conductor Antal Dorati. “He had such a wonderful dignity and nobility about his music-making,” Anderson says. “I remember him making a speech to the orchestra that we really should take pride in ourselves. That was not something anyone had ever talked about before.” How has the orchestra changed? When Anderson arrived, there were five


Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, conductor known for his subtle interpretations, dies at 80

Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, a Spanish-born conductor who performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras and who paired technical aplomb with subtle yet lively interpretations in hundreds of recordings, died June 11 in Pamplona, Spain. He was 80. Doug Sheldon, his manager for North American engagements, confirmed the death, which came a week after the conductor said he was retiring because of a cancer diagnosis. In March, his frail appearance while conducting Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra visibly alarmed musicians onstage, according to a Washington Post account. Mr. Frühbeck de Burgos physically struggled through Italian composer Ottorino Respighi’s vigorous “Pines of Rome” before completing the work. Mr. Frühbeck de Burgos, who had been the NSO’s principal guest conductor in the 1980s, received an ovation by the players and the audience. Until last week, he was chief conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and maintained a steady schedule of guest-conducting jobs with organizations including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, seen here in 2002, led many orchestras around the world, including the National Symphony Orchestra. (MICHAEL MANNING/ASSOCIATED PRESS) In a career spanning more than five decades, Mr. Frühbeck de Burgos became Spain’s foremost conductor and cultivated a devoted following worldwide. Critically, he was known more for unleashing great zest from a score than for groundbreaking interpretation, although there were exceptions. Mr. Frühbeck de Burgos came to prominence as principal conductor of the National Orchestra of Spain in the 1960s and 1970s and for his many effervescent recordings showcasing Spanish composers, such as Manuel de Falla (“The Three-Cornered Hat”) and Isaac Albéniz (“Suite española”). The conductor’s Spanish repertoire was vast, from modern composers to Renaissance-era choral works, and he frequently collaborated with the Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha. But in hundreds of recordings and countless performances, Mr. Frühbeck de Burgos was not defined solely as a champion of music from the Iberian peninsula. He gained critical attention for his interpretations of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Requiem” and oratorios including Felix Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” and Franz Joseph Haydn’s “The Creation.” He also brought to international stages German composer Carl Orff’s cantata “Carmina Burana” before it became a concert staple — his 1965 recording with the New Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus is considered a classic — and he continued to champion that piece in the concert hall. When Mr. Frühbeck de Burgos conducted “Carmina Burana”


D.C. Council speeds toward law that would let medical marijuana be used for many ailments

than in states including California. The District’s medical marijuana program launched slowly last year after being tied up by Congress for nearly a decade. But with bipartisan support on Capitol Hill now for looser medical marijuana laws, council members said they were confident that a broader law would pass muster with congressional overseers. Congress also shows no sign of stopping the District law to decriminalize marijuana. Without an act of Congress and the president, that should take effect next month. To expedite passage of the legislation, the council’s Health Committee and its Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety held a joint hearing Thursday and moved toward a full council vote that could come before a summer recess in July. Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7), chairman of the Health Committee, said that with just 400 patients in the District, or a few dozen a month, approved for the use of medical marijuana so far, the city’s year-old program has yet to become the benefit to the District’s 645,000 residents that lawmakers envisioned. The committee also heard testimony on a companion bill by council member David Grosso (I-At Large) that would allow the city’s three current dispensaries, as well as those allowed to open in the future, to increase cultivation from a maximum of less than 100 plants to 500 each. Grosso said the increased production would be key to creating enough marijuana so it could be manufactured into pills and liquids, which, among other uses, are the methods of ingestion preferred for children with debilitating epilepsy. “If you push one button over here, you’re going to have an effect over there: We need to consider all of these issues together at once,” Grosso said. The city’s health director, Joxel Garcia, said he supported giving doctors more flexibility and added that the Health Department had begun allowing patients to apply online for permission to purchase medical marijuana to help more benefit. But he urged the council to move cautiously, both in ramping up production and raising expectations that marijuana can be a cure-all. “The problem is, people come in thinking it is a panacea, and when it fails, they are angered,” Garcia said. He said the drug should be thought of as experimental because it lacks any FDA guidance for effective uses. Judiciary Committee Chairman Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) said he did not think it was Garcia’s role or expertise to


In Tokyo, a traditional neighborhood with a bohemian vibe

of these changes have their eye on economic growth. Those opposing construction of the highway, however, argue that it would rob Shimokita of its charm. One community group proposes that the now-empty land be turned into a park instead, in the spirit of Manhattan’s High Line, where old railroad tracks have been converted into an elevated green space. But nothing’s been determined yet. As we stroll toward the temple festival at dusk, with neighborhood children dashing about us in the lanes, it’s not hard to see why this atmosphere would be worth preserving. Shimokita somehow comes across as vibrant yet relaxed, countercultural but still traditional. At the festival, Wakana hands us coins to toss into a well. Afterward, she receives a blessing written on a wooden stick that she will swap out with the one from last year in her living room. During our four-day stay, we find ourselves making it to only a few of Tokyo’s must-see spots, often lingering in Shimokita instead. One morning, we meander over to Bear Pond Espresso, a tiny Shimokita coffee shop with an international cult following, to order a special called the “Dirty” — a shot of espresso topped with cold milk topped with a second shot of espresso. On our last evening, we decide to try a local izakaya that Wakana recommended, called Uoshin. We arrive to find a Japanese-language-only wait staff and no English menu, which certainly signifies a good meal, as it turns out to be. Afterward, we wander through nearby thrift shops, where we unearth several maekake — vintage indigo-dyed Japanese aprons — to bring back as souvenirs. “I like introducing my mom to my guests,” Wakana told us at some point that weekend. “She can’t imagine why anyone would want to come to Tokyo and see Shimokita.” Thanks to Wakana, we’re happy to have done just that. Wan is a writer based in Beijing. DETAILS Shimokitazawa Shimokitazawa Station is served by two train lines from central Tokyo — the Keio Inokashira line from Shibuya Station and the Odakyu line from Shinjuku Station. Airbnb.com has studio and one-bedroom apartments from about $100 a night. The B Sangenjaya Hotel in nearby Setagaya has singles from about $80 and doubles from about $100. More from Travel: What a Trip: Going ninja in Japan Smart Mouth: A guesthouse that offers Italian cooking, Japanese-style In Japan, a respite from nation’s disasters Travel Guide


Details: Japan

GETTING THERE United and ANA offer nonstop flights from Washington Dulles to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport. From there, take Japan Rail’s Narita Express to Tokyo Station and transfer to the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto, where the Nakasendo Way begins. Tickets for the trip from Narita to Kyoto cost about $166. Multiple airlines offer slightly more expensive but much longer one-stop flights to Osaka’s Kansai International Airport. From there you can take Japan Rail’s Haruka Express to Kyoto Station for about $32. WHAT TO DO Walk Japan www.walkjapan.com Guided 11-day Nakasendo Way walking tour is about $4,085 per person and includes accommodation for 10 nights, breakfasts and dinners, baggage transfers and entrance fees. Flights, lunches and alcoholic drinks are not included. Maximum group size is 12 to 13 people. Pack some decent water-resistant trail shoes and plenty of cushiony socks. A daypack, a hat, a waterproof jacket or rain poncho and clothing that you can layer are also a good idea. Japanese law requires that you carry your passport with you at all times. INFORMATION www.jnto.go.jp More from Travel: Travel Guide Ski Guide Caribbean Guide


Wildlife Services minimizes human-wildlife conflicts to protect all beings

The article “4 million animals killed by U.S. agency last year ” [news, June 8], about the Agriculture Department’s Wildlife Services program, was an affront to the biologists and other professionals who provide outstanding service to all Americans. More than 85 percent of the animals removed last year were birds, mostly invasive species that eat crops, contaminate water and livestock feed with disease, cause damage in neighborhoods and increase the threat that airplanes full of travelers could crash. Because of a greater number of requests for help, we removed more birds last year than in previous years, and that made up the bulk of the increase cited by the article. U.S. natural resource and professional wildlife management organizations support this program, as does Congress through annual appropriations. They recognize that the responsible handling of human-wildlife conflicts is necessary to protect human health, people’s livelihoods and other wildlife. Wildlife Services recently received the Presidential Migratory Bird Federal Stewardship Award for preserving migratory birds even as it protected air passengers from bird strikes. Wildlife Service professionals provide a service to the public using sound science and humane practices and use non-lethal means whenever possible. They do not deserve derision for responsibly performing their duties. Kevin Shea, Washington The writer is administrator of the Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.


Anne Applebaum: The last democratic World Cup?

lead to euphoria, the national mood will lift, the crowds will be harmonious, the national team will be cheered; that, in turn, will be replaced by regret. The recent historical record is unambiguous. Several of South Africa’s stadiums — like many of those in South Korea and Japan, which hosted the World Cup in 2002, or those Beijing built for the 2008 Olympics — are scarcely used. The concrete poured for the Sochi Winter Olympics is already cracking. The widely trumpeted post-Olympic regeneration of East London has yet to materialize. Almost everywhere, the vast expenditures now required to host the biggest international sports competitions heavily outweigh the benefits. The aftermath in Brazil will be different only because the regret arrived in advance. For months now, protesters of various stripes have picketed stadiums, dressed the World Cup mascot up as a mafioso and created street art, including paintings of a child with nothing but a soccer ball to eat. Having watched the mounting bills and diminishing payoffs that followed the World Cup in other countries, Brazilian voters already know that some of their stadiums will become white elephants. They don’t need to wait until the tourists go home to learn that money thrown around during the last-minute construction frenzy will be wasted. Around the world, other governments have observed Brazilians’ reaction. In recent months, German, Swiss, Swedish and Polish bids to hold the 2022 Winter Olympics have been withdrawn over concerns about cost. Munich and Davos-St. Moritz withdrew after voters rejected their Olympic bids. So did Krakow, where more than 70 percent voted against the idea in a referendum, despite the perceived success of the feel-good European soccer championships held in Poland and Ukraine in 2012. The only remaining bidders for 2022 are likely to be Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan, both of which are, not coincidentally, authoritarian countries where the voters’ views will not be taken into account, where street protesters will not be allowed to picket the half-built stadiums and where leaders jump at the chance to strut on the world stage. For similar reasons, the location of the next two World Cups isn’t a coincidence either: Russia will host in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. Bribery on a massive scale partly explains Qatar’s successful bid — the Sunday Times of London has found “millions” of e-mails and bank statements to prove it — but so does both countries’ confidence


Two books on the bumblebee

The Victorians knew that cuddliest of pollinators as the humble bee. We know it as the bumblebee. Look for it when the rugosa rose blooms in spring: The bumblebee can be seen rolling in the pollen-rich blossom like a puppy that’s just been fed. Such behavior might reinforce the idea of this beautiful and gentle insect as bumbling carefree through the garden. In truth, it is a single-minded and steadfast creature, blithe to our presence, intent on gathering both nectar and pollen for the sake of its colony. The bee dusts itself in pollen and then deftly combs its shaggy coat until the grains form packets, glued together by nectar and stowed for flight on the bee’s hind legs. Those of us who stop to observe this will marvel at the spectacle — the bee brushes its head fastidiously, like a grooming cat. The rustic poet John Clare saw this as a way for the bees “to stroke slumber from their eyes.” More prosaically, in his new book, “A Sting in the Tale,” Dave Goulson observes that “an experienced bee makes this look easy, but it must take quite a bit of practice.” Goulson should know: He is one of Britain’s leading authorities on the genus Bombus and founder of the U.K.’s Bumblebee Conservation Trust. The smaller golden brown honeybee has become the poster child for the ills of environmental degradation, of harmful pesticides and an industrialized system of agriculture that requires 1 million mobile beehives to pollinate California’s almond crop alone. But the amiable, jolly bumblebee is also in some sort of death spiral, though its plight has not seeped into the public’s consciousness in the way that the honeybee’s has. In some respects, the bumblebee’s problems are greater. Honeybee colonies may die off, but the honeybee species is a long way from extinction. In contrast, many of the world’s 250 species of bumblebee are in decline or on the brink of extinction, with no keepers to husband them. The multiple authors of “Bumble Bees of North America” tell us that as many as half the 46 species found in the United States and Canada may be at risk, and several species are known to be in peril. The rusty-patched bumblebee was a common visitor to flowers as recently as the 1980s. But it “has been found at only a few sites in recent years despite targeted searches by


D.C. Animal Watch: Raccoons steal time away from mother

BANGOR STREET SE, Among cases received by the Washington Humane Society.


Why Eric Cantor’s loss is bad for big business

share. The IPO could value the company at about $3 billion, analysts said. Its devices, conceived by chief executive Nick Woodman to be used for surfers, are popular with active people who want to share their adventures. The U.S. Supreme Court Apple has taken measures to stop the practice that lets stores track shoppers using a code generated by a phone’s wireless Internet connection. TweetDeck, Expedia, ● A former BP senior engineer found guilty last year of destroying evidence related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill was granted a new trial based on his claim of juror misconduct during deliberations. Prosecutors said Kurt Mix deleted from his mobile phone text messages and voice mails related to BP’s effort to estimate the size of what turned out to be largest U.S. offshore oil spill. Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon’s largest defense contractor, is looking to expand its international sales and boost funding for internal research and development, chief executive Marillyn Hewson said. She has recently traveled to the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Poland, Germany, Singapore and Japan. Amazon.com will start managing subscription payments for start-ups and other companies. The service allows the company’s more than 240 million active users to use credit card details stored on Amazon to pay for services such as a monthly phone bill or a digital music subscription. Amazon charges a fee on each transaction. Chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Washington Post. Amazon Prime Target Deals Tyson Foods Priceline Merck Google Economy The World Bank Washington Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez The Food and Drug Administration launched open FDA, an Internet-cloud-based project that is meant to aid information sharing about side effects, product quality and other drug issues. Transitions American International Group named Peter Hancock as its chief executive. Hancock, head of the insurer’s global property-casualty business, succeeds Robert Benmosche, who will retire in September. David Marcus Richard Rockefeller, The Center for Strategic and International Studies What’s the world’s most popular beer? — From news services and staff reports 35,000 Museums in the United States Starbucks has about 11,000 U.S. locations. And McDonald’s has 14,000. But combined, the two don’t come close to the number of U.S. museums, the Institute of Museum and Library Services says. Most are small, mom-and-pop affairs. Of the roughly 25,000 museums with income data in the file, 15,000 reported income of less than $10,000 on their latest IRS returns.


D.C. police arrest NW man in homicide

D.C. police arrested a man Friday night in connection with an earlier undetermined death that has now been ruled a homicide, according to a police statement Sunday. Police from the Sixth District arrested 21-year-old Jeffery Bernard Neal of Northwest D.C. and charged him with second-degree murder. The victim, 22-year old Leon Young of Northwest D.C., was found dead in the 1800 block of 8th street N.W. The chief medical examiner determined that Young died from blunt force injuries, the statement said.


At Port City, brewers get help from the cloud

a keg to a restaurant, Butcher tracks the sale on software called VIP, so he can offer Port City’s most faithful drinkers special rewards. Based in the cloud, BeerRun tracks Port City through brewing, bottling or kegging, packaging and distribution. When Reeves decides to brew a batch of the Essential Pale Ale — one batch produces about 13 cases of beer — he clicks “Produce” in the app, which automatically subtracts the ingredients from Port City’s inventory. Butcher also uses the software to purchase orders for everything from cardboard six-pack holders to grains, and employees automatically update the inventory when orders are delivered. Before subscribing to BeerRun about a year and a half ago, Butcher and his handful of employees relied on Excel spreadsheets and Google Docs. “There was a lot of duplication of effort, a lot of reinventing the wheel,” Butcher said. “They weren’t necessarily sharing information.” For instance, on a brewing day about two years ago, Port City ran out of barley when employees hadn’t consistently tracked grain levels, Butcher said. Though Port City’s silo holds about 56,000 pounds of grain, employees had to make an emergency order from a local farm; in the time it took to be delivered, some of the other ingredients went bad, costing even more production time. Around that time, Butcher realized that his company was growing too fast for spreadsheets. In its first year, it was producing 3,000 barrels a year. Today, it does about four times that. “Once you get a certain amount of production you need to have more sophisticated tools.” As he ramps up production, Butcher uses VIP to see where and how often Port City’s distributors are shipping it; distributors who also use the software import their sales data into it. He usually accesses it from a laptop perched on the bar in Port City’s tasting room. “Based on VIP, we can look at loyalty — we can find the customers that carry our products on a regular basis,” Butcher said. He offers these top buyers limited batches, such as the Maniacal Double IPA brewed only six times a year. Butcher also uses VIP to compare Port City’s sales each year, especially to determine how much to produce of seasonal beers (porters and some IPAs are more popular in the winter, for instance, while Optimal Wit sales skyrocket in the summer) and whether to bottle them. A couple


Killer virus demands open accounting

FOR MANY months in 2012 and 2013, Saudi Arabia reassured the world that it was paying close attention to the outbreak of a novel coronavirus in the kingdom, known as Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS. But events this year have begun to pull back the curtain on a disease outbreak that was — and remains — dangerous and not fully explained or explored. This is more than just an accident, and the Saudi authorities are finally waking up to the full extent of the lapses, just in time for the pilgrimages that are expected to bring millions to Mecca and Medina in the months ahead. There is no known antiviral or vaccine for the MERS virus. So far it does not appear to transmit rapidly among humans in a way that could create a pandemic, although some transmission has occurred among those in close contact. It has infected 701 people and killed 287 in Saudi Arabia, with additional cases elsewhere. Public health experts have been puzzled and frustrated for most of the past two years about why so little information about the virus and the outbreak was coming out of Saudi Arabia, governed as a closed society by rulers who do not permit — and often punish — dissent. Now the Ministry of Health has made a startling admission: The number of cases in Saudi Arabia was undercounted by 113, or about 20 percent, according to Reuters. The new cases were found in a review of records and included 92 deaths. The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota quotes Tariq Madani, head of the scientific advisory board at the Saudi Ministry of Health, as saying that many of the cases were confirmed by government hospitals and labs that didn’t notify the ministry of the results. This is an alarming systemic failure and speaks volumes about such a closed society: People and institutions react out of fear and keep painful information secret from each other. The consequences of coverup can be grave. Clearly there were many more people infected with MERS in Saudi Arabia’s health-care system last year than the world knew. Some labs and hospitals had the facts but kept quiet. Without a free and open media or other channels to reveal the truth, the secret lay undisclosed. Only when a major outbreak appeared this spring in a hospital in Jiddah did the


Where’s the bread and butter in this campaign?

What if they held an election and nobody talked about how to improve people’s lives? The 2014 campaign is being waged against a backdrop of national news dominated by everything except the core economic worries of most Americans. Benghazi and Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl have been getting more attention than job opportunities and student borrowing costs. We are said to be a nation focused on the home front, yet the foreign policy news — from Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan and now, with extraordinary drama, Iraq — has been relentless. The nature of the public discussion has been a strategic advantage for the GOP. Partly through their own efforts but also because of the flow of events, Republicans have kept President Obama on the defensive and the spotlight off themselves — at least until House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s primary loss threw the Republican Party into chaos. Bread-and-butter concerns are the stuff of Democratic victories because the polls show that most voters still think of the GOP as more protective of the interests of the wealthy than of their own. The less we hear about economics, the better it is for Republicans. It’s not that the Democrats aren’t trying. Last week, Obama and Senate Democrats touted steps to ease the burdens on the holders of student loans. The president issued an executive order that will give an additional 5 million Americans a chance to cap their student debt payments at 10 percent of their income. He also endorsed a bill by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) — it’s part of the Democrats’ “Fair Shot for Everyone” agenda — that would make it easier to refinance debt at lower rates. It would be paid for by closing some tax loopholes. College access is an important issue. The average tuition at public universities has more than tripled over three decades that saw, as Obama noted, only a 16 percent increase in “the typical family’s income.” The average borrower owes nearly $30,000 by graduation day, and Americans now owe “more on student loans than they do on credit cards.” And at one point, Obama interrupted himself to say: “I don’t know, by the way, why folks aren’t more outraged about this.” How, he asked, can anyone justify allowing “tax loopholes for the very, very fortunate to survive while students are having trouble just getting started in their lives?” His frustration reflected the way in which Washington gridlock


Changing pot laws create gray areas in child-welfare and custody cases

DENVER — And police officers in New Jersey visit a home after a 9-year-old mentions his mother’s hemp advocacy at school. While the cases were eventually decided in favor of the parents, the incidents underscore a growing dilemma: While a pot plant in the basement may not bring criminal charges in many states, the same plant can become a piece of evidence in child custody or abuse cases. “The legal standard is always the best interest of the children, and you can imagine how subjective that can get,” said Jess Cochrane, who helped found the Boston-based Family Law & Cannabis Alliance after finding that child-abuse laws have been slow to catch up with pot policy. No data exists to show how often pot use comes up in custody disputes, or how often child-welfare workers intervene in homes where marijuana is used. But in dozens of interviews with lawyers and officials who work in this area — and with activists who counsel parents on marijuana and child endangerment — the consensus is clear: Pot’s growing acceptance is complicating the task of determining when kids are in danger. A failed proposal in the Colorado legislature illustrated the quandary. Colorado considers adult marijuana use legal, but pot still is treated like heroin and other Schedule I substances as they are listed under federal law. When it comes to defining a drug-endangered child, pot can’t legally be in a home where children live. Two Democratic lawmakers tried to update the law by saying that marijuana also must be shown to be a harm or risk to children to constitute abuse. But the effort led to angry opposition from both sides — pot-using parents who feared the law could still be used to take their children, and opponents of marijuana legalization who argued that pot remains illegal under federal law and that its very presence in a home threatens kids. After hours of emotional testimony, lawmakers abandoned the effort as too complicated. Among the teary-eyed moms at the hearing was Moriah Barnhart, who moved to the Denver area from Tampa in search of a cannabis-based treatment for a daughter with brain cancer. “We moved here across the country so we wouldn’t be criminals,” Barnhart said. “But all it takes is one neighbor not approving of what we’re doing, one police officer who doesn’t understand, and the law says I’m a child abuser.” Supporters vow to


GAO: $10 billion worth of current federal IT contracts could fail

because so many contractors are based here. The GAO report did not identify specific programs or contracts at risk. Although federal agencies are required to publicly update the progress of their technology programs, Powner described what he called a “troubling trend toward decreased transparency” in federal IT reporting. For instance, when reporting to the Office of Management and Budget’s IT Dashboard — a public online listing of federal IT investments and contracts and their progress — the Energy Department reclassified several of its supercomputer investments as “facilities” instead of “IT,” according to the GAO. The GAO also found that the Commerce Department reclassified its satellite ground system investments. The watchdog noted that prior to December 2013, the administration provided no updates to that official scorecard in 15 of the 24 months leading up to the release of the president’s proposed budget. Neither the Energy nor Commerce departments responded to requests for comment. An OMB spokesman referred to comments that agencies submitted after a draft of the report was circulated in November. In those, the Energy Department maintained that supercomputer investments did not have to be reported on the IT Dashboard, but agreed to partner with OMB to develop an alternate mechanism for tracking those investments. The Commerce Department disagreed that its satellite investments needed to be classified as IT, arguing that the projects were still subject to OMB oversight even if they aren’t part of the IT Dashboard. U.S. Chief Information Officer Steve VanRoekel wrote that OMB would explore updating the dashboard during the federal budget development period, although it previously has waited until after budgets are submitted. Another problem was agencies reporting that IT projects were going well even as crises were escalating, Powner said in an interview. For instance, the Department of Health and Human Services was rating major IT projects, including a pre-launch HealthCare.gov, as low-risk until March 2013, when the assessments were suddenly bumped up to“moderately high risk” or “high risk” closer to the site’s launch, he said. Any rating is a subjective measurement and “really depends on how actively engaged some of those CIOs are” with IT projects; some chief information officers may not understand how likely the projects are to fail, Powner said. Still, he estimated, the value of contracts at risk of failure is probably more than the reported $10 billion. The GAO said the government has taken several steps to improve the


Zoo closing invertebrate exhibit to save money: spiders, roaches, shrimp must go

The National Zoo announced Monday that it will shut down its exhibit of invertebrates — water and land creatures that don’t have backbones — on June 22. The closure of the exhibit, which is in a secluded part of the zoo, is a cost-cutting move, zoo Director Dennis Kelly said in a statement. Some of the animals — the hissing cockroach, the bird-eating tarantula, the peppermint shrimp, among others — may be sent to other zoos, the zoo said. Some may be moved to other locations in the zoo. Some may have to be euthanized if new homes can’t be found. The exhibit has cost $1 million a year to operate, and needs an estimated $5 million in upgrades, the zoo said. Its five staff members will get jobs elsewhere in the zoo. The last day to visit the exhibit is June 21.


What’s going where in Loudoun County: Proposed and approved building projects

east of Pinebrook Road and south of Route 50. Subdivide 54.57 acres zoned R-4 (Residential, four units per acre) for 55 single-family lots and two open parcels. 7. Brambleton Shreveport South, north side of Evergreen Mills Road, east of North Star Boulevard. Special exception to allow office, administrative, business, professional, medical and dental uses, in excess of 20 percent of the total floor space of the community center, on 72.94 acres zoned PDH-4 (Planned Development Housing, four units per acre). 8. Willowsford Gate Station, north of Route 50, off Racefield Lane, near the intersection with Youngwood Lane. A natural gas gate station and access road on 51.09 acres zoned PD-IP (Planned Development, Industrial Park), R1 and R2 (Residential). 9. Honest Auto Broadlands, Section 106 site plan, 43150 Broadlands Center Plaza. Construction of a 5,000-square-foot tire shop on a pad site on 24.03 acres zoned PDH-3 (Planned Development Housing, three units per acre). 10. Beaumeade/Loudoun County Parkway, Phase III site plan, northwest of the Gloucester and Loudoun County parkways. Improvements associated with three flex industrial/office buildings on 98.32 acres zoned PD-IP (Planned Development, Industrial Park). 11. Yak Ventures Data Center site plan, 21362 Smith Switch Rd. One-story data center with the associated parking and utility extensions, plus the upgrading of a regional dry pond to be a wet pond on 6.42 acres zoned PD-IP (Planned Development, Industrial Park). 12. Dulles 28 Centre Motorplex, Lot 5A site plan, within the inner loop formed between Auto World Circle and Pacific Boulevard. Construction of a car dealership, including repair services, on Lot 5A within the Dulles 28 Motorplex, on 6.62 acres zonedPD-CH (Planned Development, Commercial Highway). 13. East View at Stone Ridge II, Pond No. 4, east of Gum Spring Road at Tall Cedars Parkway. Stormwater management/BMP pond on 26.38 acres zoned CLI (Commercial Light Industry). 14. Intersport Performance site plan, northern end of Ashburn Road in the southeast corner of Claiborne Parkway and Route 7. Motor vehicle sales and accessory service commercial building, with associated parking and utilities, on 1.46 acres zoned RC (Rural Commercial). 15. DeSilva Montessori School, 25231 Elk Lick Rd. Construction of a 3,944-square-foot building for 60 students, Montessori school and associated parking space and landscaping on 0.97 acres zoned CR1 (Countryside Residential). 16. Ashburn Overlook, 20074 Belmont Ridge Rd. Rezone about 10.83 acres from PD-GI (Planned Development, General Industrial) to R-8 (Residential, eight units per acre) for 72 single-family


D.C.’s last serial killer: The Princeton Place murders, 20 years later

town, and the brutality of the Princeton Place murders seemed to catch the zeitgeist. D.C. was Murder Capital, U.S.A. Gentrification was a rumor. Drug markets were open-air and in your face. Police were overwhelmed. The coroner’s office was a mess . . . and, lost in the shuffle, black women caught up in drugs, sometimes in prostitution, started to disappear. Nobody noticed. Ernestine Young, left, Maria Peterson, middle, and Darlene Young were classmates and friends of murder victim Jessica Cole. The women have all lived in the neighborhood for over forty years and grew up with Cole. (Amanda Voisard/For the Washington Post) What a metaphor. I was the D.C. Superior Court reporter for The Washington Post when Turner was indicted for murders three and four. The hearing was 20 minutes, and he was unremarkable — average height, build, looks. Put a suit and tie on the man and he could have been a bank branch manager. The contrast between the banality of his appearance and the brutality of his crimes stuck in my mind, even as someone who has spent years reporting on war, violent conflict and killings over a large part of the world. I finally wrote a novel based on it, “The Ways of the Dead,” published this month. But this is what really happened. * * * About 9 a.m. on Feb. 14, 1994, the body of a partially clothed young woman was found on the baseball field at Hamilton Junior High School, on Sixth Street NE near Gallaudet University. Police weren’t sure at first how she died or even who she was. There were no gunshot or knife wounds, no ligature marks of strangulation, although they told reporters there were signs of “foul play.” By the time she was identified as Mary Haskins Ferguson, a 29-year-old known to sell sex for drugs, there were plenty of other dead bodies to worry about. For the five preceding years, the city had seen more than 400 homicides annually, and there were 399 the year Ferguson was killed. The sheer volume would tax any police department, but for D.C.’s squad at the time — disorganized, inefficient — it was too much. The closure rate on homicides was about 35 percent. You had two-to-one odds of getting away with murder. This bred a certain perspective. Shortly before Ferguson was killed, three people were shot to death in three incidents in


Dana Milbank: Heritage’s ugly Benghazi panel

Representatives of prominent conservative groups converged on the Heritage Foundation on Monday afternoon for the umpteenth in a series of gatherings to draw attention to the Benghazi controversy. But this one took an unexpected turn. What began as a session purportedly about “unanswered questions” surrounding the September 2012 attacks on U.S. facilities in Libya deteriorated into the ugly taunting of a woman in the room who wore an Islamic head covering. The session, as usual, quickly moved beyond the specifics of the assaults that left four Americans dead to accusations about the Muslim Brotherhood infiltrating the Obama administration, President Obama funding jihadists in their quest to destroy the United States, Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton attempting to impose Sharia blasphemy laws on Americans and Al Jazeera America being an organ of “enemy propaganda.” Then Saba Ahmed, an American University law student, stood in the back of the room and asked a question in a soft voice. “We portray Islam and all Muslims as bad, but there’s 1.8 billion followers of Islam,” she told them. “We have 8 million-plus Muslim Americans in this country and I don’t see them represented here.” WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 24: Frank Gaffney, founder and president of the Center for Security Policy, testifies during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee July 24, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Panelist Brigitte Gabriel of a group called ACT! for America pounced. She said “180 million to 300 million” Muslims are “dedicated to the destruction of Western civilization.” She told Ahmed that the “peaceful majority were irrelevant” in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and she drew a Hitler comparison: “Most Germans were peaceful, yet the Nazis drove the agenda and as a result, 60 million died.” “Are you an American?” Gabriel demanded of Ahmed, after accusing her of taking “the limelight” and before informing her that her “political correctness” belongs “in the garbage.” “Where are the others speaking out?” Ahmed was asked. This drew an extended standing ovation from the nearly 150 people in the room, complete with cheers. The panel’s moderator, conservative radio host Chris Plante, grinned and joined in the assault. “Can you tell me who the head of the Muslim peace movement is?” he demanded of Ahmed. “Yeah,” audience members taunted, “yeah.” Ahmed answered quietly, as before. “I guess it’s me right now,” she said. Plante had kicked


Capital One to stop using program to weed out customers with history of account overdrafts

that if nothing is done to curb the restrictive policy, New York will continue to have more than 825,000 adults without bank accounts who are forced to turn to pricey fringe outfits to cash checks or pay bills. “No one — least of all struggling New Yorkers — should be forced to rely on high-cost alternatives to banks just because they bounced a check or were a victim of identity theft,” Schneiderman said. “Equal access is the least we can do to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to widely used services such as our nation’s banking system.” McLean, Va.-based Capital One is the first of the six banks under investigation to agree to only use ChexSystems to screen customers for past fraud, not to predict whether they are a credit risk. The policy change, which takes effect by the end of this year, extends to all of the bank’s branches throughout the country, not just those in the state of New York. “We greatly appreciate the work of the Attorney General’s staff in bringing these concerns to light, and we’re pleased to be able to work together to expand access to critical banking services,” Kleber Santos, senior vice president of retail and direct banking at Capital One, said in a statement. Advocates say banks blindly discredit anyone listed in ChexSystems without any review of the circumstances that may have landed them in the database. Lisa Allen, 26, said that days after she opened a checking account with Wells Fargo in 2011, the bank sent her a letter stating that the account would be closed because her name appeared in ChexSystems. She immediately requested a copy of her file from ChexSystems but found no black marks in the report. “There was no explanation why I was even in the system,” said Allen, a resident of Santa Cruz, Calif., who works in purchasing at defense contractor Lockheed Martin. “But when I told the bank, they still wouldn’t keep me as a customer.” Allen suspects the mix-up has something to do with her Social Security number being issued to another person, a mishap that was cleared up the same year she tried to open the Wells Fargo account. Yet the only financial institution willing to work with her was a small credit union, Patelco, that overlooked the ChexSystems file and allowed her to open an account. Founded in 1970, ChexSystems gathers


Beer: Citrus brews, however they’re made, taste like refreshment

Think of a fruit, any fruit you might encounter — in the produce aisle, at a juice bar, piled high in Chinatown. Well, a beer has probably been brewed with it, and almost definitely compared to it. German hefeweizens smell like bananas, and certain Belgian ales like plums; starfruit, jackfruit and “fruit smoothie” have been detected (or at least imagined) by beer geeks. Who among us is innocent? Not I, who have inhaled the musk of overripe pineapple and have even used what might be the most embarrassing phrase of all, written but never spoken: “hints of stone fruit.” There’s one descriptor, however, that requires no apology, especially at this time of year: “citrusy.” It’s too synonymous with refreshment — and with America’s craft-beer darling, the India pale ale — for anyone to complain. (“Tart” is also having a moment, thanks to the rise of German- and Belgian-inspired sour beers.) So you might be glad, as I am, that it has seemingly never been easier to find creative beers that incorporate actual citrus. The usual suspects (lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit) and more exotic ones (blood oranges, yuzu and beyond) are finding their way into craft beer with admirable regularity and equally admirable results. Brewing with citrus isn’t new: The Belgian-style wheat ales known as witbiers, for instance (the most popular of which is Blue Moon), traditionally are made with orange peel. Neither are the citrusy qualities of beers such as pale ales and IPAs, in which flavor and aroma hops — strains of the pinecone-shaped flowers made juicy and pungent by rigorous selective breeding — contribute orange and grapefruit notes. But younger brewers, especially, not to mention trendy ones at places such as Vermont’s Hill Farmstead Brewery, Colorado’s Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project and Westbrook Brewing of South Carolina, are using citrus in less typical ways, from fermenting IPAs with fruit puree to adding orange zest to intense, chocolaty stouts. As Mike McGarvey, chief executive and head brewer of Washington’s 3 Stars Brewing, points out, this sort of play is consistent with the beer world’s interest in ever-greater experimentation and with the growing popularity of fruit beers in general. “Fruit beers have historically had a lot of stigma; it’s almost been considered a girly thing,” McGarvey says. “But when you look at breweries like us — I’ve heard people use the term ‘third-wave’ brewers — we don’t always look


Secular group protests Navy’s rejection of humanist chaplain

service members face the same questions about life and death, fear and loss as any other person in the military.” Openly Secular was formed in April as an umbrella group for secular movements seeking to combat what they see as discrimination in public places such as schools or the U.S. military. Advocacy groups supporting various nontheistic spiritual movements — including Secular Humanism, Ethical Culture Ethical Union and Humanistic Judaism — have just in recent years become more organized. They are bringing deeper responses to questions about what nontheists believe, what differentiates one group from another and whether they should and will establish the same institutional rights as religious denominations. While the U.S. military is a more traditional sector of society, the country is going in a few directions when it comes to embracing religious pluralism. Polls show the fastest-growing religious affiliation is “none” — now 20 percent of Americans — yet this week new research found one half of Americans said they’d be unhappy if someone in their family married an atheist. Groups have been pressing for other services outside just the chaplaincy. Wiccans in 2007 successfully sued the Department of Veterans Affairs And this April the U.S. Army added “humanist” as one of the preference codes soldiers can use to identify themselves officially. According to Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, there are about 4,800 chaplains, none of who are explicitly nontheistic. Heap, who was born in Texas and grew up in Philadelphia, was a youth minister in the mid-1990s at various Methodist and Baptist churches, according to Jason Torpy, president of the Atheists and Freethinkers group and a West Point graduate who served as a captain in the Army in Iraq in the early 2000s. Heap then moved away from Christianity and received a Master’s from Oxford University in religious history. He has been teaching religion in various European schools and would not speak for this article beyond a brief statement. “I am exceptionally disappointed and aggrieved by the Navy’s initial rejection of my application. I will continue to seek acceptance. I hope military leaders will open their hearts to humanists,” the statement said. Heap has never served in the military. Torpy says the requirements to provide spiritual care are stacked against nontheists because they require a master’s in divinity and an affiliation with some religious group that would be seen by the federal government as akin to a


children, self Hagerstown police are investigating the deaths of a mother and her two young daughters found in a car Monday as a murder-suicide. Capt. Paul Kifer said that an investigation is ongoing but that police think the 32-year-old Hagerstown resident killed herself and her 6- and 18-month-old daughters. The woman was in the front seat and the two girls were in the back seat of a small silver car that was found in the Western Heights Middle School parking lot about 4 p.m. Monday. Police said that the car was not running. The doors and windows were closed, and Kifer said heat may have contributed to the deaths. Kifer said that the bodies bore no signs of trauma and that no potentially deadly objects were found in the car. — Julie Zauzmer the Region 3 children die in apparent drownings Three children in the Washington region were found dead in apparent drownings this past weekend. A 6-year-old boy from Ashburn, Va., died Friday after drowning in a swimming pool during an end-of-school party. The Loudoun County sheriff’s office said that Paul X. Wetshtein wandered away from a group during the party, which was held indoors at a private residence. Adults went looking for him and found him in the pool. Also Friday, Faith J. Lee, 11, disappeared while swimming in Southern Maryland and was found dead Sunday. And a 14-year-old girl died after she was pulled from a community pool in Montgomery County on Sunday. Police identified her as Abrama Grace Tamo. — Julie Zauzmer The District National Zoo to close invertebrate exhibit The National Zoo announced Monday that it will shut down its exhibit of invertebrates — water and land creatures that don’t have backbones — on Sunday. The closure of the exhibit, which is in a secluded part of the zoo, is a cost-cutting move, zoo Director Dennis W. Kelly said in a statement. Some of the animals — the hissing cockroach, the bird-eating tarantula, the peppermint shrimp, among others — may be sent to other zoos, moved to other locations in the zoo or euthanized if new homes can’t be found. The exhibit has cost $1 million a year to operate and needs an estimated $5 million in upgrades, the zoo said. Its five staff members will get jobs elsewhere in the zoo. The last day to visit the exhibit is Saturday. — Michael E. Ruane