The questions that could make or break Rex Tillerson

NATO inviolate? - Is Russia’s conduct in Syria and contribution to genocide in America’s interest? Is it in America’s interest to allow Russia a military foothold in the Middle East? - In the event we reactivate sanctions against Iran and Russia violates those, will you retaliate against Russia? - Is it in our interest for Russia to be supporting Iran’s military? - Is Russia a human rights abuser? - Does Vladimir Putin engage in widespread corruption and direct or acquiesce in murders of journalists? - Do you think we should recognize Russian annexation of parts of neighboring countries? - Is RT a Russian propaganda outlet? - Was Russian reset a good deal for the United States? - Would a more conciliatory approach be taken as a sign of strength by Putin? - Are Russian elections free and fair? And those are only some of the questions — about a single country, Russia. Today, Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) will introduce legislation, which would, among other things, impose mandatory visa bans and asset freezes on those who undermine the cybersecurity of public or private infrastructure and democratic institutions; impose mandatory sanctions on those who materially assist, sponsor or provide financial, material or technological support for such activities; and impose mandatory sanctions on transactions with the Russian defense or intelligence sectors, including the FSB and GRU. Beyond that, the bill condemns Russian aggression in Georgia and Ukraine, imposes sanctions on Russia’s energy sector, bans investment in Russian privatization of state-owned assets and sales of sovereign debt and prohibits recognition of invaded territory as belonging to Russia. Moreover, the bill authorizes an extensive effort to expose Russian corruption and to uncover and prosecute networks responsible for illicit Russian financial flows. Frankly, the senators should read each major provision to Tillerson and ask whether he would agree to support such measures. If not, he should be asked why and whether he has a better way to combat Russian misconduct. We focus here on Russia, which has dominated the news lately, but there are equally critical questions on Cuba (Will Tillerson demand human rights improvements before sending an ambassador and lifting restrictions on commerce?) and Iraq (How do we prevent Iran from making it into a client state?) to China (What is Tillerson’s position on the South China Sea, and


This bumble bee was everywhere. Now it’s on the endangered species list.

Wis., and Minneapolis, cities that were once buzzing with them. The list of suspected causes for the disappearance, according to the agency, reads like an environmental most wanted list: farm pesticides, household herbicides, human development over bee habitat, disease and climate change. Although rusty patched bumble bees are the first to be considered endangered, and the first bee species on the U.S. mainland to get the designations (the yellow faced bee in Hawaii became the first overall in October last year), they are likely to be joined by others. “This bee is kind of like the canary in the coal mine,” Smith said, an indicator that many pollinator species — bees and butterflies — are in deep trouble. There were nearly 3.5 million honeybee colonies in 1989, according to the Agriculture Department. That number fell by a million colonies when colony collapse disorder was first documented in 2006. in the 10 years sinc, the number of colonies has climbed only slightly, by about 100,000. One state, Maryland, shows how eerie and perilous the decline has been for professional beekeepers. In 2015, the state lost more than 60 percent of its hives, each containing up to 20,000 honeybees. Beekeeper Steve McDaniel, owner of McDaniel Honey Farms, lost half of his hives in Manchester, Md., and all of them where he kept bees in downtown Baltimore. Hives with up to 20,000 bees cost about $1,200. Honeybees are agriculture’s go-to pollinator for many of the foods Americans eat, but bumble bees are no slouches. As a group, they “are some of the most significant pollinators,” Fish and Wildlife says in a fact sheet on its Web site. “Although bumble bees show a preference for certain native flowers, they are generally not picky about where they get their nectar and pollen — almost any source flower will do. “Bumble bees can fly in cooler temperatures and lower light levels than many other bees, which makes them excellent crop pollinators. They also perform a behavior called ‘buzz pollination,’ in which the bee grabs the pollen producing structure of the flower in her jaws and vibrates her wing muscles, dislodging pollen from the flower,” Fish and Wildlife said. Tomatoes, peppers and cranberries are among the crops that benefit. Read More More bad news for honeybees: Beekeepers lost nearly half their colonies in the past year Maryland’s honeybees are being massacred, often by pesticides in your home


Sessions on enforcing federal marijuana laws: ‘It won’t be an easy decision’

Attorney General-designate, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. testifies on Capitol Hill on Tuesday at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) In his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Jeff Sessions, President-elect Trump's nominee for attorney general, declined to say whether he'd adhere to the more lenient marijuana enforcement guidelines adopted by the Obama administration's Justice Department in states that have legalized medicinal or recreational marijuana use. "Would you use our federal resources to investigate and prosecute sick people who are using marijuana in accordance with their state laws, even though it might violate federal laws?" Senator Patrick Leahy (D.-Vermont) asked. "I won't commit to never enforcing federal law, Senator Leahy," Sessions replied. "I think some of [the Obama-era guidelines] are truly valuable in evaluating cases," he added. "Using good judgment about how to handle these cases will be a responsibility of mine. I know it won't be an easy decision, but I will try to do my duty in a fair and just way." Under Obama, the Department of Justice largely adopted a hands-off approach to marijuana enforcement in states that legalized the drug for medical or recreational use, provided that certain criteria -- like keeping the drug out of the hands of children -- were met under state laws. That policy was outlined in a Justice Department document that came to be known as the Cole Memo, for former U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole, who drafted the memo. Drug policy experts have said that this tacit green light from the Obama administration was instrumental in Colorado and Washington's decisions to fully follow through on recreational marijuana laws passed by voters in 2012. In November 2016, four more states including California voted to make the recreational use of marijuana legal, bringing the total to eight states plus the District. Medicinal marijuana has been legalized in 28 states. In prior public statements, Sessions was harshly critical of the Justice Department 's approach on the issue. In an April 2016 Senate drug hearing, Sessions said, "I think one of [Obama's] great failures, it's obvious to me, is his lax treatment in comments on marijuana. It reverses 20 years almost of hostility to drugs that began really when Nancy Reagan started 'Just Say No.'" Sessions also said at the time that "the Department of Justice needs to be clearer" on marijuana legalization and enforcement. Sessions didn't appear to


Tillerson to testify Russia must be held to account for its actions

Rex Tillerson. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News) In his first public remarks as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be secretary of state, former ExxonMobile chief executive Rex Tillerson will say he believes Russia is “a danger” and that NATO allies are right to be alarmed by its aggression. But he makes no mention of Moscow’s interference in the U.S. election campaign or the future of U.S. sanctions. “I come before you at a pivotal time in both the history of our nation and our world,” Tillerson will testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday morning in an opening statement that lays out a realist and tough view of foreign affairs. “Nearly everywhere we look, people and nations are deeply unsettled. Old ideas and international norms which were well-understood and governed behaviors in the past may no longer be effective in our time.” I obtained a copy of the statement. Tillerson will talk about several challenges in his opening remarks: an economically powerful China that is expanding militarily, the spread of radical Islam, Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Russian interference in Europe and beyond. His message on Russia will be much tougher than that of his new boss. “While Russia seeks respect and relevance on the global stage, its recent activities have disregarded American interests,” he will testify. “Russia must know that we will be accountable to our commitments and those of our allies, and that Russia must be held to account for its actions.” The United States should be clear-eyed about Russia and its various activities that are destabilizing countries in its near abroad and the Middle East, according to Tillerson. “Russia today poses a danger, but it is not unpredictable in advancing its own interests. It has invaded Ukraine, including the taking of Crimea, and supported Syrian forces that brutally violate the laws of war,” his statement reads. “Our NATO allies are right to be alarmed at a resurgent Russia.” Tillerson blames the Obama administration primarily for the failure of the United States so far to confront Russian aggression. He will argue that where possible, the United States should explore cooperation with Russia, such as with the fight against terrorism. But where Russian actions are threatening to the U.S. or our allies, we should push back, he will testify. “We did not recognize that Russia does not think like we do,” he will say. “Words alone do not sweep away an


I’ve seen the opioid epidemic as a cop. Living it as a patient has been even worse.

not be impaired, because I carry a gun. It had come to the point that I had begun to consider quitting police work. Then I visited Dr. Robert Semlear, a family medicine practitioner. I’m working in New York, and I thought I was seeing him on something unrelated. He looked at my chart and said, “okay, the first thing we’re doing is getting you off these opioids.” I hadn’t even said anything. I told him I was in a lot of pain. He said we’d start a plan to wean me off and find the right combination of medicine, exercise and physical therapy to keep me off opioids for good. It’s early, but this seems to be working. I’ve started (for the second time) the opioid wean and am seeking treatment from a specialist to handle issues related to the physical dependence. I am terrified, I am thrilled, I am excited. I wake up less groggy, in less pain than in more than a year. How can it be that, in the name of “health,” we moved away from demanding our doctors do more than just hand out pills? Where is the exploration for new therapies to help for pain? In Germany, doctors prescribe warm mud packs and massage. Acupuncture is used in many countries with great success. In 28 states and the District of Columbia, medicinal marijuana is now legal — but the federal government still bans it. Almost anything is better than what we are doing now. Of course, as a cop, I’m not free to even consider marijuana — which effectively managed my father’s pain and nausea when he was dying of cancer. Even if it were legal in my state — it is not — it would still be against department policy. In addition to my doctors’ drug tests, I’m also subject to drug testing on the job. Which means something I believe truly is effective against pain, and has fewer side effects than opioids, is not available to me. When I was 14, I read Eugene O’Neill’s classic play, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” Set in 1912, it opens with a mother just out of rehab from the morphine her doctor prescribed. If you’ve read it, you’ll remember the play doesn’t end well. Can it be possible that American medicine has been running in place for more than a century? I don’t think so, either.


When the Russians fake their election results, they may be giving us the statistical finger

gerrymandering and strategic voting can also cause these deviations. The 2016 Russian election So what happened in Russia? In the September Duma election, Russians cast two ballots. One ballot was called “proportional representation.” On that one, they voted for a party — and then legislative seats were divvied up among the parties to match the proportion of the vote each party won. On the other ballot, Russians voted for a particular candidate running for a single-member district seat, as a U.S. candidate would. Half the seats were allocated in each way. A similar mixed voting system was used between 1993 and 2003. The 2011 Duma election was marred by allegations of fraud and massive protests. And so in 2016, Russia worked hard to build up the election’s credibility — for instance, by appointing a new head of the election commission. At the same time, Russia restricted citizens’ ability to register as candidates, form party blocs or campaign, and they shifted Election Day to the fall, discouraging many voters. They also limited international observers’ ability to evaluate the election. Observers Many voters chose to ignore or to boycott the election, but the Kremlin apparently used regional political machines to manipulate votes — and report an overwhelming victory for the party of power. The Russian government denies any allegations of electoral violations. What makes us think the totals were fraudulent? Here’s one answer. Methods developed by New York University political scientist Arturas Rozenas show that too many precincts report that United Russia won more than 50 percent of the vote in numbers that can be evenly divided by five: 55 percent, 65 percent, 70 percent, 75 percent, 80 percent, 85 percent, 90 percent, 95 percent or even 100 percent (analysis details are here). We’ve found similarly obvious patterns in vote percentages in Russian national elections from 2000 to 2016. This kind of fraud can function as a signaling mechanism by which regional governors display their loyalty to the Kremlin. An article by Ashlea Rundlett and Milan Svolic presents analogous analysis showing that agents who commit frauds may do so in ways that allow their efforts to be detected. We also used a positive empirical model of election frauds, and found two kinds of fraud indicators were vastly higher in 2016 than in earlier years’ elections: incremental fraud, in which some votes appear to be redirected to the winner, and extreme fraud, in


As Obama leaves the world stage: Criticism, nostalgia — and concern over his successor

President Obama speaks during his farewell address at McCormick Place in Chicago on Jan. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Elsewhere in the Middle East, Obama steps down amid disappointment and unfulfilled expectations for his presidency. "There aren’t many in the region who will be sorry to see Obama go," wrote Joyce Karam in the Saudi Arabia-based Arab News. For the Middle East, she wrote, Obama’s accomplishments "are either non-existent, drowned by chaos or greatly diminished." Bashar al-Halabi, a Lebanese master's degree student in Paris, recalled staying up all night as a teenager in Beirut watching Obama’s 2008 victory speech in Grant Park. He also watched the farewell speech, but was full of embitterment this time. Addressing Obama in a post on his Facebook page, he wrote: "In reply to your iconic #YesWeCan slogan, I tell you, #NoYouDidnt" In China, Obama's farewell speech generated some interest — but was dwarfed by talk of Trump. Though many Chinese initially thought Trump, as a businessman, might bring a calm, pragmatic touch to U.S.-China ties, his comments and tweets as president-elect have raised questions about his fitness for office and his stance on hot-button issues such as Taiwan. As Obama took to the stage, one Communist Party-controlled newspaper known for its strident nationalism — and occasional anti-foreign screeds — offered an almost nostalgic goodbye to the "restrained" U.S. president. There have been “up and downs” during the Obama administration, the piece said, with downs related to the "pivot to Asia," tensions in the South China Sea and cyberwarfare. But there were ups: cooperation on climate change, for one — and also the president himself. "Obama's personal appeal earned him a good reputation in the world's most populous nation compared to many of his predecessors who took a tough stance on China," the piece said. The paper worried that will soon change: "Experts believe that Obama's successor, President-elect Donald Trump, will create more thorny issues for China after assuming power next week." Similar fears were echoed in Latin America and Africa. In Kenya, The Star newspaper's main headline reflected what many there might hope for: "Obama supporters ask for 'four more years' as he bids farewell." Emily Rauhala and Congcong Zhang reported from Beijing; Michael Birnbaum from Brussels; Ruth Eglash from Jerusalem; Andrew Roth from Moscow, and Liz Sly from Beirut. Read more: In stark farewell, Obama warns of threat to U. S. democracy


A super-cool science story about a really cold thing

scales — planets orbiting suns, galaxies turning — but on the smallest ones. Even the most seemingly impassive object buzzes with internal activity. The atoms that make up a piece of aluminum, like the one in Teufel's experiment, are always bumping into and bouncing off one another, jumping, spinning, spreading out and pressing together. This is what physicists are referring to when they talk about temperature: not some abstract idea of an object's “warmth” but a measure of the thermal motion of its atoms. Physicists are interested in supercooling for two reasons. First, if you can remove the thermal energy from an object, it becomes much more sensitive to outside perturbations. Researchers like those at LIGO — the lab that detected gravitational waves last year — want their instruments to be as cool as possible so they can be sure that any tiny fluctuations are a result of vast cosmic forces, and not just boring thermal motion. In addition, eliminating the distraction of an object's thermal motion allows scientists to finally see the motion that results from quantum energy, which is much more interesting. It will give insight into the forces that dictate how the universe functions at atomic and subatomic scales. Researchers have managed to cool individual atoms and even a quantum gas until they near or sink below absolute zero. But supercooling larger, solid objects — which will be essential to building better instruments and understanding quantum mechanics at a macroscopic level — has proved harder. The best technique for removing thermal energy from objects is called sideband cooling. It uses an array of lasers to slow the atoms down. This may seem counterintuitive — we're used to light warming things up, like the sun — but in sideband cooling, the carefully calibrated angle and frequency of the light allows photons to snatch energy from the atoms as they interact. “If you shine exactly the right light in the right way you can make sure the light is always pushing against the motion of the atoms,” Teufel said. (For an in-depth explanation of the process, see this great video from PBS.) Scientists have been cooling atoms with lasers for several decades, but there was a limit to how cold they could get. Quantum mechanics tells us that's because of the way light works. Instead of flowing in a continuous stream, it travels in discrete packets, called quanta. Each


Organic pioneer Nora Pouillon wins James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award

Nora Pouillon (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post) Nora Pouillon, the chef whose eponymous Washington restaurant paved the way for other chefs to cook with local, organic ingredients, will be honored with a James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award, the foundation announced Tuesday. She will accept the prize at the James Beard Awards on May 1, in Chicago. “To get a Michelin star – for me, that would not be as much as getting this award,” said Pouillon. The award is especially poignant because it reminded her of the time that James Beard himself dined at her restaurant in the early 1980s, a few years before the death of the prolific author, TV host and cooking teacher. “James Beard was my big hero. He believed in local, seasonal food, and he cooked delicious food, but simple food, and that’s what I wanted to do,” she said. “He came to the restaurant — he had so much terrible gout, he came in his slippers — and we sat at the bar.” There, she opened up to him about how difficult it was to get diners in her adopted country to understand her philosophy about food. “I told him I was struggling with the Americans because I had to buy whole animals, and no one wants to eat liver or kidney,” she said. “He said, ‘Just keep on doing what you’re doing, and they’ll come around.'” Austrian-born Pouillon, 73, moved to Washington in the 1960s with her French journalist husband and was shocked at the unhealthful food she saw here. She began a cooking school in her home, and opened Restaurant Nora in 1979. It was the first restaurant in the nation to become certified organic, inspiring a generation of chefs to source the best ingredients from farms with sustainable practices. She also became a female chef-owner in an era when they were scarce. “As the first chef to open an all-organic restaurant over 38 years ago, Nora has truly impacted the way people and the industry think about the food we eat,” said Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation, in a press release. Pouillon also helped establish FreshFarm Markets, the network of Washington-area farmers markets, and she serves on the boards of several environmental non-profits. In 2015, she published a memoir, “My Organic Life.” Her restaurant was mentioned in Washington’s first Michelin Guide, which called Pouillon “the Alice Waters of D.C.” The


Tillerson doesn’t deny climate change – but dodges questions about Exxon’s role in sowing doubt

President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, said he believes the risks of climate change "could be serious enough that action should be taken,” but he did not elaborate on what that action should be. Secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson on Wednesday said he believes “the risk of climate change does exist, and the consequences could be serious enough that action should be taken.” But while the Obama administration and other world leaders have aggressively pursued efforts to slash carbon dioxide emissions and stave off global warming, the former ExxonMobil chief executive expressed little such urgency when testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Asked by Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) about his personal position on climate change, Tillerson said he formed his views “over about 20 years as an engineer and a scientist, understanding the evolution of the science.” Ultimately, he said, he concluded that increasing greenhouse-gas concentrations in the atmosphere are having an effect on the earth’s climate. But he added, “Our ability to predict that effect is very limited,” and precisely what actions nations should take “seems to be the largest area of debate existing in the public discourse.” Tillerson’s statements on climate change were in line with views he has expressed in the past: In short, that climate change is real and could pose problems for humans, but the degree of threat remains unclear. Tillerson sees climate change primarily through the eyes of an engineer, as something that must be solved largely through innovation and ingenuity. Scientists, though, would dispute his claim that we have a “very limited” ability to predict what is happening to the planet’s climate due to our emissions — it is warming, and unless action is taken will warm well beyond 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. And they’d also dispute his refusal at the hearing to firmly link climate warming to specific weather events, an area where the research is becoming increasingly clear that some attributions are possible, in a statistical or risk-based way. At another moment, he said that when it comes to climate change, “I don’t see it as the imminent national security threat that perhaps others do.” Tillerson shared his views — which run counter to President-elect Donald Trump’s brazen skepticism, but also fall far short of a cry of urgency — in multiple segments of questioning as the subject surfaced


Scientists have a new way to calculate what global warming costs. Trump’s team isn’t going to like it.

variety of federal environmental rules. Currently, it’s set at about $36 per ton of carbon dioxide. But the new NAS report, requested by the federal Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Carbon, suggests the methodology used to arrive at this value is in need of updating, both to make it more transparent and more scientifically sound. It makes a number of recommendations for future estimates aimed at helping the process “draw more readily on expertise from the wide range of scientific disciplines relevant to [the social cost of carbon] estimation.” “I think the report has laid out an important blueprint for how to update the most important number that you’ve never heard of,” said The method developed by the original federal working group relies on a set of three models which translate current carbon emissions into future temperature increases, factor in the damages that may be caused by the resulting climatic changes in the future and then translate these damages into dollars. The method also applies a discount rate to account for the fact that these damages will occur in the future, rather than right away — the discount rate can be thought of as a kind of interest rate addressing how much the future generation is willing to pay now to avoid climate consequences in the future. The new report recommends a new framework that unbundles the various steps of the calculation process and addresses them in separate modules, all of which feed into and inform each other. The report suggests that, over the next two-to-three years, these modules be shaped to rely on the most relevant and up-to-date science in each area — and it also suggests that estimates of the social cost of carbon be updated every five years. These recommendations address a growing concern in the scientific community that our increasing scientific understanding of the consequences of climate change isn’t adequately represented in the current methodology. In fact, climate scientists and economists alike have begun to argue that the current models may actually be underestimating the social cost of carbon. A Despite these concerns from the scientific community, recent documents suggest that the incoming Trump administration may But the opposite effect could occur if the academy’s recommendations are applied. A second factor involves the report’s approach to the use of discounting. When calculating the social cost of carbon, applying a higher discount rate causes


Ben Carson’s prepared HUD testimony included accidental plagiarism — but he didn’t use it

conditions including asthma, which currently affects over 20 million Americans and is the most common chronic disease among children. Approximately forty percent of diagnosed asthma among children is believed to be attributable to residential exposures. In 2004, the cost of preventable hospitalizations for asthma was $1.4 billion, a 30 percent increase from 2000. That text appeared to be lifted word-for-word from “Where We Live Matters for Our Health,” published in 2008 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Deteriorating paint in older homes is the primary source of lead exposure for children, who ingest paint chips and inhale lead-contaminated dust. Between 1998 and 2000, a quarter of the nation’s housing — 24 million homes — was estimated to have significant lead-based paint hazards. Substandard housing conditions such as water leaks, poor ventilation, dirty carpets and pest infestation can lead to an increase in mold, mites and other allergens associated with poor health. Indoor allergens and damp housing conditions play an important role in the development and exacerbation of respiratory conditions including asthma, which currently affects over 20 million Americans and is the most common chronic disease among children. Approximately forty percent of diagnosed asthma among children is believed to be attributable to residential exposures. In 2004, the cost of preventable hospitalizations for asthma was $1.4 billion, a 30 percent increase from 2000. But when he appeared at his confirmation hearing, Carson departed almost completely from the prepared text. His remarks more closely resembled his speeches as a candidate for president, tackling everything from how the brain worked to how his experience made him ready to manage large organizations. The dry data from the prepared testimony didn’t get read at all — meaning that Carson didn’t end up reading the lifted paragraphs. Prepared statements from nomination hearings are typically entered into the congressional record, and according to a Trump transition spokeswoman, the copied text was an error. “It was a written statement for the record — his oral testimony, as I am sure you’ve heard, is extemporaneous and planned that way,” the spokeswoman said. “The original written statement was sourced with hyperlinks and footnotes, but unfortunately that seems to have fallen off.” As given to reporters at the hearing, the prepared text had no indication that the two paragraphs had come from another source. The Senate is getting an early start on the president-elect’s choices for several top jobs in his administration.


Catholics like the European Union more than Protestants do. This is why.

they came out of the religious wars of the 17th century — but the Protestants saw the nation state as very important for guaranteeing their liberty. For people in the Nordic states and the United Kingdom, the continent was the source of instability and of hegemony, and that’s part of why they developed a strong commitment to the nation and to national sovereignty — this was really the main vehicle for defense against, first, expanding Catholic control in the 16th and 17th centuries, and then, later on, Napoleon and Hitler. NL SW-L -Did religion play a part in the Brexit vote? JG: Yes. If you look at the 2014 European Parliamentary Election Study, in the run-up to the Brexit vote, it’s clear that in the United Kingdom, Catholics were supportive of the E.U., as were minority religions — Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists — whereas Evangelical Protestants were the most critical of the E.U. And a lot of the surveys that were done just before and after the Brexit vote, even though they weren’t very good at identifying different religious groups, found pretty consistently that the more Protestant you were, the more critical you were of the E.U. That may have made the difference: If those Protestants had voted the way the average citizen of the United Kingdom had, Brexit wouldn’t have passed. NL SW-L: Was this religious split evident after World War II, when the idea of the E.U. was first being debated? BN: The division has been clear from the beginning. Just look at the religious backgrounds of the E.U.’s founders. [Robert] Schuman, [Konrad] Adenauer, and [Alcide] de Gasperi were Catholic, and very devout Catholics at that. ([Jean] Monnet wasn’t so much — he only became a Catholic on his deathbed.) The Protestants, even early on, were very skeptical. The British did not contribute to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community. At first they were cut out, then they didn’t want to be part of it, and then they observed for a while. They even created their own European free trade area. The Nordics, for various reasons, didn’t like what was going on on the continent. In Germany and the Netherlands, which have mixed confessional cultures, it’s the Protestants that are, if not overtly resisting the process, certainly trying to shape it in a less federal direction. NL SW-L: Do you observe the same trend when it


A Georgetown rowhouse with history and ‘the best neighbors’

(Photo by Pavlos Karalis) The circa 1990 home has crown molding, niches and hardwood floors. As sad as Christopher Tavlarides is to sell his circa 1900 Georgetown rowhouse, he is even more downcast about leaving the neighborhood. “It breaks my heart,” said Tavlarides, who is president of Capitol Outdoor and Sophia Entertainment. “I’ve been there a long time. I love it there.” Born and raised in Washington, Tavlarides liked living in a walkable neighborhood close to his office. “I’ve also got some of the best neighbors,” he said. “There’s a lot of nice political conversation going on. There’s always been a stimulating group of neighbors. It’s a cool little neighborhood. Everybody looks out for each other.” (Photo by Pavlos Karalis) Known as the Mary Jo Kopechne house, the rowhouse is on the market for $1.575 million. One of Tavlarides’s former neighbors, Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker, wrote an ode to the street when she moved: “Leaving Olive Street but keeping the memories.” Tavlarides has lived in one of the more famous homes on the block, though he wasn’t aware of its history when he bought it. Known as the Mary Jo Kopechne house, the rowhouse is where the 28-year-old was living at the time of her death. She was killed when a car driven by Sen. Ted Kennedy plunged off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, Mass., in July 1969. After purchasing the home in 2001, Tavlarides completely renovated it, adding a double archway on the main floor, crown molding and niches. The murals in the home, except for the one in the stairway, were done by his sister, Nia Stratos. The roof deck offers an unobstructed view of the Washington Monument and is an ideal spot to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July. The Washington Post’s picks of local distinguished homes on the market. Tavlarides loves many things about his home, but one of his favorite activities is hanging out by the fireplace on cold winter nights. “You can light a fire, chill out,” he said. “You never had to worry about driving. I always embraced bad weather because it really felt like you were in an old village. I felt bad for people who had to run to the store and stock up.” Tavlarides never knew whom he might meet on his street. One day he walked out of his front door and into Owen Wilson, who was


D.C. area’s most expensive homes sold in 2016

Memorial, to design his home at 2320 S St. A decade later, Myers bought the adjacent mansion, which was designed by architect Waddy Butler Wood. Both properties are on the National Register of Historic Places. Barnes Vanze Architects will renovate the property for new owner Jeff Bezos. (Photo by HomeVisit) 3055 Whitehaven St. NW, Washington, D.C. $10.4 million (list price $14.7 million) 3055 Whitehaven St., Washington, D.C. Bedrooms/bathrooms: Approximate square-footage: Lot size: Listing agent: Designed by Washington architect Nathan C. Wyeth, who designed the West Wing of the White House and created the first Oval Office, the home was built in 1930 in the Palladian style. It was where Paul Mellon, the late heir to the Mellon banking fortune and the primary benefactor of the National Gallery of Art, and his wife, Bunny, once displayed their extensive art collection. The house next door was their in-town residence. In 2000, it was featured as the National Symphony Orchestra Show House. (Photo by HomeVisit) 3134 Ellicott St. NW, Washington, D.C. $9.1 million (list price $10 million) 3134 Ellicott St. NW, Washington, D.C. Bedrooms/bathrooms: Approximate square-footage: Lot size: Listing agent: The 1925 Tudor in the Forest Hills neighborhood was built for George N. Everett, a vice president of the late Washington department store chain Woodward & Lothrop. The fieldstone house has a massive great room with a soaring ceiling. The exposed beams in the ceiling resemble the ribs of a Viking ship. A pool house, with a large clubroom and kitchenette, is near the swimming pool. A one-bedroom apartment is above the three-car detached garage. The home was featured as a DC Design House in 2011. (Photo by Megan Witt Photography) 1641 Lake Farm Rd., Marshall, Va. $7.175 million (list price $8.775 million) 1641 Lake Farm Rd., Marshall, Va. Bedrooms/bathrooms: Approximate square-footage: Lot size: Listing agent: Known as Atoka Farm, the estate is where John Warner and Elizabeth Taylor were wed and lived during their six-year marriage. In the 1980s, Warner, by then a Republican U.S. senator, hosted an annual Atoka Country Supper, which attracted prominent politicians such as then-Vice President George H.W. Bush. Taylor kept horses in the barns. The farm takes its name from a Cherokee Indian chief. The fieldstone manor dates from 1816. The property includes an indoor pool, tennis court, barns, run-in sheds and a half-mile of waterfront on Goose Creek. (Photo by HomeVisit) 1202 Ballantrae Lane, McLean, Va.


Trump appointees on climate change: Not a hoax, but not a big deal either

I have said previously with respect to that issue.” Nobody is saying that a changing climate is the only thing one should focus on in foreign policy or national security — it’s hardly the only danger. But it’s clearly relevant. First, large volumes of research have now documented a close relationship between natural resource exploitation, environmental degradation, and conflicts. As we reported here, summarizing United Nations Environment Program research on the matter: Exploitation of natural resources can help start or revive conflicts in a variety of ways. Competition for land and water resources, for instance, can be a big source of tension between human communities, and environmental degradation — for example, deforestation, pollution or the redirecting of water resources — can increase this competition. Damaged or degraded environments also leave human populations more vulnerable to natural disasters, disease, food shortages and other crises, which can increase the odds of civil unrest or even force people to migrate to other areas. It’s easy to see how a changing climate could compound these kinds of problems. Indeed, recent research on the link between climate-related disasters and violent conflicts has reached a nuanced conclusion. As a study published earlier this year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences put it: We find evidence in global datasets that risk of armed-conflict outbreak is enhanced by climate-related disaster occurrence in ethnically fractionalized countries. Although we find no indications that environmental disasters directly trigger armed conflicts, our results imply that disasters might act as a threat multiplier in several of the world’s most conflict-prone regions. So you don’t have to place a changing climate at the center of your security thinking in order to include it in a worldview that takes into account all changing sources of risk. Maybe we’re getting a taste, though, of what Trump’s more environmentally focused picks — Ryan Zinke for interior secretary, Scott Pruitt for the Environmental Protection Agency, Rick Perry for energy secretary — will say next week. These appointees, despite their own histories of doubt-raising comments on climate change, probably won’t want to get into a science fight with their Senate interlocutors either. So they may not deny, but they too will probably continue to minimize. On one level, this is progress. While Trump himself has often suggested climate change is a hoax, his appointees, in serious Senate confirmation discussions, aren’t going there. On another, it could


The definitive guide to what experts know about the effects of marijuana use

Cannabis plants grow in the greenhouse at Vireo Health's medical marijuana cultivation facility on Aug. 19, in Johnstown, New York. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) As eight states plus the District of Columbia have moved to fully legalize recreational marijuana, debates on the merits of legalization have focused on the effects of marijuana use on individuals and society: Is marijuana bad for your lungs, or for your brain? Does it have therapeutic applications? Is it safer than alcohol or tobacco? Marijuana is one of the most studied substances in scientific literature, but the answers are scattered across tens of thousands of scientific papers. The quality of evidence these papers offer can vary wildly and the results sometimes contradict each other. Fortunately, the National Academies of Sciences, Medicine and Engineering have brought a great deal of clarity to the situation with an encyclopedic report summarizing pretty much everything researchers know (and don't know) about the health effects of marijuana use. For the 395-page report, a team of dozens of drug policy experts at some of the nation's most prestigious universities analyzed 24,000 scientific papers to arrive at more than 100 conclusions regarding the effects of marijuana use. In addition, they also published a number of recommendations for policymakers and researchers going forward. The work was sponsored by a number of public and private health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Here's what they found: Therapeutic effects Can it treat chronic pain? How about nausea and vomiting? What about glaucoma or epilepsy? Physical health risks Does marijuana cause cancer? Does marijuana use cause heart attacks or lung issues? How about driving while stoned? What about kids who get exposed to weed? Is there any risk of fatal marijuana overdose? Should pregnant mothers use marijuana? Mental health risks What kind of cognitive effects does marijuana have? Reviewing the literature, the committee found limited evidence that these impairments continue even after sustained abstinence from marijuana use. There's also limited evidence of links between long-term marijuana use and impaired academic achievement and job outcomes, although the authors stress that the myriad social and economic factors that also affect these outcomes make it difficult to draw firm conclusions. Any other mental health connections? There's also moderate evidence linking marijuana use with a small increased risk of depressive disorders and social anxiety disorders. Perhaps


Animal activists finally have something to applaud at Ringling Bros. circus: Its closure

at the command of the ringmaster — and then were retired to a reserve in central Florida. The move exacerbated the show’s demise; the elephants’ departure ultimately expedited what was a “difficult business decision.” “Ringling Bros. ticket sales have been declining, but following the transition of the elephants off the road, we saw an even more dramatic drop,” Kenneth Feld said in a statement Saturday. “This, coupled with high operating costs, made the circus an unsustainable business for the company.” Among animal activist groups, news of its closure Saturday was met with a resounding cheer. The Humane Society of the United States described itself as “long a bitter adversary of Feld Entertainment and Ringling Bros.” in its response to the news. In 2014, Feld Entertainment won $25.2 million in settlements from groups including the Humane Society, ending a 14-year fight over allegations that circus employees mistreated elephants, the AP reported. A major moment as big brands that harm animals fade away and more humane businesses emerge I applaud @RinglingBros announcement. “Ringling Bros. has changed a great deal over a century and a half, but not fast enough,” Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society, said in a statement. “It’s just not acceptable any longer to cart wild animals from city to city and have them perform silly yet coercive stunts. I know this is bittersweet for the Feld family, but I applaud their decision to move away from an institution grounded on inherently inhumane wild animal acts.” The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals also welcomed the announcement Saturday night, calling it “the end of the saddest show on earth” and demanding that other acts follow suit. “All other animal circuses, roadside zoos, and wild animal exhibitors, including marine amusement parks like SeaWorld and the Miami Seaquarium, must take note: society has changed, eyes have been opened, people know now who these animals are, and we know it is wrong to capture and exploit them,” PETA said in a statement. After 36 years of PETA protests, which showed the world the plight of animal captivity, PETA heralds the end of the saddest show on earth. As The Washington Post’s Elahe Izadi reported in 2015, the death in 1998 of Kenny, a 3-year-old Asian elephant with the Ringling Bros., ultimately led to complaints about and greater attention to the treatment of the circus’s elephants: He sat out


Shaw Bijou, one of D.C.’s most expensive restaurants, has closed after less than three months

Chef Kwame Onwuachi lost his debut restaurant after less than three months of business. (Photo by Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) This post has been updated The Shaw Bijou Kelly Gorsuch, the principal owner of Shaw Bijou, says he saw himself as a silent investor, providing the capital for first-timers chef Kwame Onwuachi and general manager Greg Vakiner to build and run the high-concept restaurant they had been planning for years. But in retrospect, Gorsuch says he should have pushed the duo more from the start. He says that the restaurant's pricey tasting-menu dinner wasn't filling seats or covering costs. So on Sunday, Gorsuch called Onwuachi and Vakiner into a meeting and told them he was closing Shaw Bijou, effective immediately. Gorsuch and the other principal investor Glenn Paik could no longer afford to keep the place running. "Thank you to all the people that supported us," Onwuachi said Monday on Facebook. "Thank you to all of the people that worked countless hours on this project. Thank you to my best friend for opening this place with me. Thank you to my friends that moved across the country to work with me. Thank you to all of the people that came in to dine with us. Thank you to my family. . . . Thank you to my fiancé for being my rock. Thank you life for this lesson. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Neither Onwuachi nor Vakiner could be reached for comment. "[The restaurant] bled too much, at too much of a clip, to be able to salvage it," says Gorsuch, the president of Gorsuch Holdings, a company that operates upscale salons and other luxury brands. "It just cost a lot of money. It was a very expensive business. I've never quite seen that in business at all. That was new for me. The numbers were staggering." The closing of Shaw Bijou, first reported by Washingtonian, brings an abrupt end to a restaurant that endured wild mood swings before it served a single meal. Even before appearing on "Top Chef," where he finished sixth out of 17 contestants last year, Onwuachi was a hot commodity. He not only had a compelling back story, but he also had an impressive run with Dinner Lab, a series of pop-up dinners in which the chef consistently impressed diners. Onwuachi's appearances on "Top Chef" only contributed to the buzz around the


Donald Trump’s team has questions about China in Africa. Here are answers.

workers. African workers frequently make up over 80 percent of the factory workforce. Some receive further training in China. This investment in local workers indicates a serious commitment to the longevity of Chinese manufacturing operations in Africa. ‘China model’ vs. ‘U.S. model’ Africans rank China second as “a development model” after the United States. So how does the “China model” differ from the “U.S. model” in Africa? President Obama That could change under Trump. Observers argue that his support for undemocratic regimes threatens human rights around the world. Trump claimed global warming was created by the Chinese to disadvantage U.S. manufacturing, and several of his Cabinet nominees deny climate change and hold special interests in the oil-and-gas industry. In departing from the “U.S. model,” Trump may come to embody the characteristics that Obama and Clinton attributed to the “China model.” But this isn’t new. China has previously called out the United States for being hypocritical on human rights issues. And research reveals Chinese firms aren’t any more environmentally destructive in Africa than Western ones. Perhaps Trump will reveal that the United States and China are more similar than different in Africa, after all; the dichotomy between the two “models” may dissolve. As Trump continues to break with U.S. policy set by his predecessors, the effects will reverberate in Africa. When he breached protocol by taking a call from Taiwan’s president and openly questioning the one-China policy, Beijing responded by calling the policy “nonnegotiable.” In fact, Beijing takes the one-China policy seriously, everywhere: Our database reveals the three African countries that recognize Taiwan — Burkina Faso, Sao Tome and Principe, and Swaziland — don’t receive any Chinese loans. Each time Trump acts to change the status quo on U.S.-China relations, African countries are watching what it means for themselves. Trump’s “America First” outlook largely promotes protectionist, isolationist policies. But matters are more complex in a globalized world. Driven by internal economic upheaval, China has its own agenda for engaging with the rest of the world on trade, manufacturing and other economic affairs, and its relationship with the developing world will only continue to grow. To understand the future effect of Beijing’s policies on the U.S. economy and its workers, Trump would be wise to look at China’s role in Africa. Janet Eom is the research manager at the China-Africa Research Initiative at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.


Reading Martin Luther King with refugees who fled to the United States

having enough to eat and paying for a basic education, this is the daily work of their American Dream. It is their entry into the social contract; it is how you rise from struggle. I’m reading King’s landmark 1963 speech with these refugees, who come to my workplace for help navigating the health-care system, the job market and the public education system. They remind me that the most vital line is not “I have a dream,” but “I still have a dream.” Joseph first heard the speech as a student in Congo. “We used this against our president,” he told me. “After 50 years of independence, we have no equality, no justice, no freedom.” Joseph explained that discrimination and segregation aren’t only about race: In Congo, these tactics are used to agitate infighting between Congolese tribes. Joseph’s Sudanese neighbor Shihab comes from a country where slavery and ethnic cleansing are perpetrated by the state. The Arab Republic of Sudan massacres Africans in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile, who do not want the government to exploit their land and resources. Joseph was in Kinshasa, the capital of Congo, when Obama was elected in 2008. “No one slept,” he told us. When the results were announced about 5 a.m., everyone celebrated. Joseph said to himself, “King’s dream is accomplished.” “What about now?” I asked. Joseph and Shihab came to the United States just months before the 2016 election. They, too, watched Donald Trump malign immigrants, women, blacks, and Muslims. Minorities in this country are still not entirely free. Trump’s victory is painful, Joseph told me, “because the president of the United States is the president of the world.” Shihab added, “We got shocked. … Trump is a very aggressive man. But we don’t know what his policies will be.” They’re well aware that the United States was built with public institutions whose job is to protect our founding promise for all. Joseph read aloud the part in the speech when King speaks of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as a promissory note. “This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Shihab takes Trump’s victory in stride, perhaps because he comes from a country whose president is charged with three counts of genocide by the International Criminal Court. Shihab has seen mass graves, dug


Outgoing CDC chief talks about agency’s successes — and his greatest fear

CDC Director Tom Frieden is pictured at his office in Atlanta during the Ebola crisis in 2014. (Michel du Cille/The Washington Post) Tom Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been a central player and one of the most public figures in fighting infectious diseases in the United States. Appointed to his position in 2009 by President Obama, the 56-year-old New York native has led the Atlanta-based CDC longer than any director since the 1970s. His tenure has been tested by major disease outbreaks, including the 2009 global H1N1 swine flu pandemic and deadly respiratory virus known as MERS, the Ebola and Zika epidemics, and a growing domestic overdose crisis. Like all political appointees, Frieden has submitted his resignation to President-elect Donald Trump and expects to leave his job at noon Friday. Anne Schuchat, who was chief health officer during the H1N1 pandemic and has been principal deputy director since 2015, will take over as acting director. While in Washington late last week to take part in a National Security Council exercise for top officials across agencies who are coming or leaving, Frieden talked with The Washington Post about the accomplishments and frustrations of his tenure. He spoke about the successes in reducing smoking in this country, the importance of continued global leadership on fighting diseases abroad — the best way to protect Americans at home, he said — and the challenges ahead. The exchange that follows has been edited for length and clarity. TWP: Tom Frieden: When it comes to parents vaccinating children, the vast majority vaccinate their children on time and per physician recommendations. TWP: Frieden: These are programs that save lives and save money. And they are at risk. It’s a budget decision more than any other decision. Regardless of what happens to the prevention fund, it’s extremely important to Americans’ health and safety that those programs continue. TWP Frieden: We’ve done that through laboratory work that looks at microbial genomics so we can stop outbreaks sooner. We’ve done that by training the next generation of public health specialists — more than 1,000 of them, fresh out of college and graduate school — deployed out to state and local governments. These people will be protecting Americans for decades to come. Globally, we’ve increased laboratory, surveillance, epidemiology and response capacity around the world so we can stop diseases there and don’t have to


Will Donald Trump abandon Europe?

Amanpour. So too did French President Francois Hollande. Europe "has no need for outside advice to tell it what it has to do," he said on Monday. But both Merkel and Hollande represent a faltering status quo. On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to deliver an address outlining her plans to shepherd her nation out of the European Union. The prospect of a "hard" Brexit — that is, a departure from the bloc that would also mean leaving Europe's common market — spooked traders and sent the British pound to its lowest level in months. Nevertheless, Trump remains a huge booster of Brexit. The Times journalist who interviewed him over the weekend was none other than Michael Gove, a key pro-Brexit campaigner who for a fleeting moment was tipped to become Britain's prime minister following the referendum. Gove posed for a picture with the president-elect that would make most political journalists cringe. Michael Gove’s interview with Donald Trump: main points https://t.co/dVK0mWpamd https://t.co/NhmhnSDJdt Not surprisingly, Gove did little to push back against Trump's meandering responses, which included numerous evasions and misrepresentations of fact (refugees, for example, are not "illegal.") "You can see why Trump Tower granted [Gove] his hour," Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland wrote. "It’s the same reason Trump gives regular access to Sean Hannity of Fox News. He would prefer to be questioned only by those who are ideological sympathizers." Trump skirted questions about the European Union as best as he could. "I don't think it matters much for the United States," he declared, and went on to complain about how permits for one of his Irish properties were stymied by E.U. laws. "I think people want their own identity, so if you ask me, others, I believe [other countries] will leave" the European Union, Trump said, highlighting once more his own belief in the importance of borders and national sovereignty. Trump's legion of critics say such rhetoric is a populist smokescreen for a darker kind of ethnic nationalism. “The best response is European unity,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. But at a time when the cracks in a divided Europe are only widening, Trump's ascension in Washington doesn't bode well for its united future. Want smart analysis of the most important news in your inbox every weekday along with other global reads, interesting ideas and opinions to know? Sign up for the Today's WorldView newsletter.


Astronaut Gene Cernan was the last man on the moon — and ‘he wasn’t happy about that’

Astronaut Gene Cernan became the last man to walk on the moon during NASA's Apollo 17 mission more than 40 years ago. After a life dedicated to pushing the limits of space travel, he died on Jan. 16, at the age of 82. When Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan testified before Congress in 2011, it had been nearly four decades since man had set foot on the moon. Armstrong was the first to do so. Cernan, in 1972, was the last. So when the Obama administration canceled the Constellation program, which sought to once again place humankind on the moon, the astronauts who represented the bookends of the Space Race felt it was their duty to defend the boundless possibilities of celestial exploration. Cernan said the program had been replaced by a “mission to nowhere,” reported AFP at the time, and that “we are on a path to decay.” “We are seeing the book close on five decades of accomplishment as the leader in human space exploration,” Cernan testified before Congress. “Neil and I aren’t going to see those next young Americans who walk on the moon. And God help us if they’re not Americans,” he said. “When I leave this planet, I want to know where we are headed as a nation. That’s my big goal.” A year later, Armstrong died. On Monday, so did Cernan. He was 82. Not just during his numerous advocacy trips to Washington, but through his autobiography, a 2016 documentary film and in recorded interviews, Cernan spent his life challenging young people to eclipse his NASA legacy and put fresh footprints on the moon. He died without knowing for certain when — or if — that will happen. Cernan had famously predicted that, after the moon, man would be on Mars by the end of the 20th century. NASA says it still won’t meet that goal for more than a decade, a long delay in progress that became a point of consternation for the last person to set foot on the lunar surface. U.S. astronaut Eugene Cernan, the commander of the final Apollo lunar landing mission in 1972, “the last man to walk on the moon,” died at the age of 82 on Jan. 16, 2017. (EPA/NASA) For scientists and advocates of space exploration, Cernan’s death forced moments of reflection on the state of NASA and American ambition to discover what lies beyond Earth’s


Outgoing OPM chief hits incoming GOP policies on hiring and firing feds

attacked civil service protections for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) executives. Rep. Todd Rokita (R-Ind.) said he will soon reintroduce his bill allowing political appointees to fire federal employees for “no cause at all.” Cobert says slashing civil protections like this is bad for Uncle Sam’s business. “There is a critical role for due process. There is a critical role for making sure decisions are not politically motivated,” she said during the interview, adding that “those underlying principles” have to be maintained. “We need great people to come to work for the federal government.” Cobert said due process protections “make our civil service stronger” by allowing employees to live without “an atmosphere of fear.” Although President Obama was late to stand up for the workplace rights of VA senior executives, his administration called for civil service reform, which would include how employees are held accountable, Cobert said. But nothing came of it. “After lots of conversations we had with the Hill, there was not an appetite to take it up, “she said. There could be fewer great people joining the civil service because of Trump’s promise to impose “a hiring freeze on all federal employees to reduce the federal workforce through attrition,” exempting military, public safety and public health, during his first 100 days in office, Cobert suggested. In addition, she said, “an across-the-board hiring freeze gets in the way of delivering services and also prevents, in my mind, smart decisions on where do we need those people.” She also pushed federal managers to confront unconscious bias in their hiring and promotion practices. Women and Latinos are severely under-represented in the Senior Executive Service (SES), though the female rate is “significantly higher, about double” the private sector, according to Cobert. “Probably the most unconscious bias exhibited during the hiring process is the ‘like me’ bias,” Cobert said at a diversity and inclusion summit in April. “The ‘like me’ bias means leaders and managers typically look to hire or promote people who look like themselves. A white male will select a white male, for example.” She praised the Agriculture Department for significantly increasing the diversity of its SES pool by using a blind review process in which managers initially did not know the race or gender of candidates. The government has an obligation “to treat people fairly. … That’s just the right thing to do,” she added during the conversation with


Pakistani mom promised her daughter a wedding reception. Instead, she burned her alive.

his wife as his high school sweetheart in an interview with Newsweek Pakistan. “We were just friends in the beginning,” he said, “but both of us realized we loved each other after some time.” Eventually, the two decided to get married. Khan said he urged Rafiq to discuss their engagement with her family. When she did, he said, they beat her “mercilessly.” “Her family found it a matter of great dishonor,” he said. The couple tried on other occasions to get the family’s permission to marry, Khan told Newsweek, but they were rejected. So in the summer of 2016, they eloped. For the first two days, Khan said, they hid at a cousin’s house, fearing retribution from Rafiq’s relatives. Then they went to Khan’s mother’s house. A few days later, Khan said, Rafiq’s mother and an uncle arrived with something of an olive branch: if you let Rafiq return home, they said, we’ll arrange a formal wedding reception. It took some coaxing, but a male relative guaranteed Rafiq’s safety, Khan told Newsweek. But even after Rafiq agreed to go, she knew she was taking a risk, he said. “Please forgive me if I don’t come back,” Khan recalled his wife saying. It was the last time he saw her alive. Rafiq had been home just a couple days when her mother and brother burned her. Neighbors heard screams and saw smoke rising from the house, but family members prevented them from coming inside, the AP reported. Khan said he learned about her death through one of her cousins, who called and said, “They have killed her.” “I couldn’t believe my ears,” Khan told Newsweek. “I rushed to their house and saw the burned remains of a body — it was so badly disfigured I couldn’t even tell if it was a person.” Before Rafiq’s mother and brother were sentenced, Khan vowed to seek justice for his wife. He told Newsweek he refused to let her killing cloud his memory of her. “She was full of joy,” he said, “and had such a beautiful smile.” More from Morning Mix ‘They kept coming back’: Dogs attack schoolchildren, killing one and mauling another Not even the Girl Scouts are safe from the anti-Trump resistance Video showing alleged ‘animal abuse’ on set of ‘A Dog’s Purpose’ sparks PETA-led boycott One by one, 3 utility workers descended into a manhole. One by one, they died.


All clear: Bei Bei, the giant panda cub, gets the okay to go back outside at the National Zoo

As part of his recovery from surgery, Bei Bei ate sweet potato, biscuits and apples until he was ready to return to his bamboo diet. The giant panda underwent surgery in late November after a large piece of bamboo got stuck in his intestine. Bei Bei, the National Zoo’s baby giant panda, has been given the all clear to return to his normal outside setting at the facility in Northwest Washington after getting a large piece of bamboo stuck in his intestine. The cub is now eating larger amounts of bamboo after not having it for several weeks and is “doing well,” zoo officials said in a Facebook post. In late November, the cub underwent emergency surgery after experts found a life-endangering blockage — a dense mass of bamboo the size of a lemon — atop his small intestine. That type of blockage is rare for giant pandas and quick care is probably what saved his life, officials had said. Since the incident, Bei Bei had been recovering and mostly on a diet of softened biscuits, apples and sweet potatoes. Bei Bei, the giant panda cub, at the National Zoo. (National Zoo) The panda house at the zoo had been closed for a bit to give Bei Bei and his mother, Mei Xiang, a chance for him to recover. He also had not been on display in the outdoor yard area. But it is now fine for him to go out, zoo officials said. In Bei Bei’s first ventures back outside, viewers of the panda camera — which allows panda lovers to watch his every move — reported him wrestling with his mom and climbing trees. One Facebook user, Eileen Bacza wrote, “Hip hip hooray for the Bei Bei!!!!!!!!”


Full transcript: Theresa May’s speech on Brexit

Joint Ministerial Committee on E.U. Negotiations, so ministers from each of the UK’s devolved administrations can contribute to the process of planning for our departure from the European Union. We have already received a paper from the Scottish government, and look forward to receiving a paper from the Welsh government shortly. Both papers will be considered as part of this important process. We won’t agree on everything, but I look forward to working with the administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to deliver a Brexit that works for the whole of the United Kingdom. Part of that will mean working very carefully to ensure that — as powers are repatriated from Brussels back to Britain — the right powers are returned to Westminster, and the right powers are passed to the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. As we do so, our guiding principle must be to ensure that — as we leave the European Union — no new barriers to living and doing business within our own Union are created, That means maintaining the necessary common standards and frameworks for our own domestic market, empowering the UK as an open, trading nation to strike the best trade deals around the world, and protecting the common resources of our islands. And as we do this, I should equally be clear that no decisions currently taken by the devolved administrations will be removed from them. 4. Maintain the Common Travel Area with Ireland We cannot forget that, as we leave, the United Kingdom will share a land border with the E.U., and maintaining that Common Travel Area with the Republic of Ireland will be an important priority for the UK in the talks ahead. There has been a Common Travel Area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland for many years. Indeed, it was formed before either of our 2 countries were members of the European Union. And the family ties and bonds of affection that unite our 2 countries mean that there will always be a special relationship between us. So we will work to deliver a practical solution that allows the maintenance of the Common Travel Area with the Republic, while protecting the integrity of the United Kingdom’s immigration system. Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past, so we will make it a priority to deliver a practical solution as soon as


‘$10,000 stuffed in a diplomat’s car’: Moscow has its own complaints about spies — American spies

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks at a news conference in Moscow on Tuesday. He complained about American espionage. (Ivan Sekretarev/Associated Press) MOSCOW — U.S. spies under diplomatic cover sneaking along Russia's borders with Europe. Ten thousand dollars and a recruitment letter shoved into a Russian diplomat's car. Those are just some of the sensational allegations that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov leveled against the United States on Tuesday as he laid out Moscow's case against Washington in the hidden intelligence war. Many of the alleged incidents were previously undisclosed. In Washington, State Department spokesman John Kirby declined to respond directly to Lavrov’s allegations about trying to turn diplomats into spies. For months, Russian officials have seethed at accusations that they hacked the U.S. presidential election and were harassing U.S. diplomats in Russia. In a nationally televised news conference, Lavrov fired back, complaining that U.S. Embassy employees in Moscow were disguising themselves to join in Russian opposition protests and that Russian diplomats in the United States were increasingly being targeted for recruitment. “In the last several years, especially during the Obama administration's term, unfriendly [recruitment attempts] toward our diplomats has grown,” Lavrov said in response to a question about harassment of diplomats during his annual news conference. Washington has repeatedly complained about the treatment of its diplomats in Russia. A brawl between an embassy employee and a Russian guard caught on tape last year caused a major diplomatic scandal. U.S. officials claimed that the attack was an unprovoked assault while Russia said the man was a CIA officer attempting to sneak into the embassy. Russia: Alleged CIA spy taken down outside US Embassy in Moscow Lavrov on Tuesday said the Russian guard had acted correctly because the man had not provided identification and was wearing a disguise. In another case, he said, a U.S. diplomat had disguised himself as a woman before changing outfits in a public restroom. “Over the last year or plus, we have seen an increase in harassment of our diplomats,” Kirby told reporters. “You saw the very dramatic video yourself of one of our employees literally being assaulted as he was trying to enter the embassy grounds.” Kirby said the increased harassment was one reason why President Obama imposed sanctions on some Russians, expelled about 35 Russian diplomats and shut down two large houses the U.S. claims were used in intelligence gathering. Lavrov implied that U.S.


military officials were conducting undercover reconnaissance in Russia, saying that U.S. military attaches “love to travel across our motherland in rented cars,” naming a number of regions on the border with several NATO countries, Ukraine and the Caucasus region. “Accordingly, they don't bear diplomatic license plates, but Russian plates, meaning there is less chance of being noticed.” U.S. officials have also complained about harassment and surveillance by Russian intelligence in cities across Europe, which reportedly grew worse following the 2014 annexation of Crimea. In Moscow, one military attache's dog was killed, according to multiple former officials citing intelligence reports, and embassy employees have complained about slashed tires and their children being followed to school. There have also been complaints that Russian officials have been encouraged not to meet with the U.S. ambassador to Russia. Lavrov brushed these off, saying that the Russian Foreign Ministry had compiled statistics showing that “Russian ministries, agencies, and members of parliament host the U.S. ambassador tens of times more often, than Americans host the ambassador of the Russian Federation.” He then gave a wide-ranging account of Moscow's complaints about harassment of its diplomats in Washington, including the arrest of Russian military attaches working in the United States as well as recruitment attempts. One of the cases was previously reported by the ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova: That U.S. agents had approached a Russian diplomat attempting to buy medicine from a doctor for Yevgeny Primakov, a former Russian foreign minister who died last year, and sought to recruit him. “To recruit in this kind of situation, one must have a special professional audacity and a deep feeling of cynicism,” Lavrov said. There were others, he added. “In April last year, there was an unprecedented [recruiting] attempt on the level of the second [highest-ranking] person in our embassy,” Lavrov said. “The American intelligence agencies made an attempt at recruitment, literally stuck $10,000 in his car while he wasn’t there with a proposal of cooperation.” The money was turned in, he said, adding that it “is now working for the betterment of the Russian government.” In what he called a “disgusting episode,” Lavrov said that two employees of the Russian military attache in Washington were detained while having lunch with their spouses, interrogated and denied contact with the Russian Embassy. When the officials were freed, he said, “there was not even an apology.” Read more: Putin rejects Trump dossier


Federal grant will pay for armbands designed to warn Metro inspectors, track workers of trains

Federal Transit Administration to outfit workers with special armbands designed to warn them when trains are close by. Metro officials announced the launch of the wearable technology program in November, following an incident in which two federal inspectors and two Metro workers were nearly struck by a train while walking on the tracks near the National Airport station. Officials blamed poor communication for the near-miss, saying the train operator apparently was not aware that there were speed restrictions in the zone in which he was traveling. The technology is straightforward: Sensors placed on the tracks and on work vehicles send signals to the armbands worn by workers in the areas. The bands vibrate and emit a flashing light and alarm. Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said the bands will be used in areas of limited visibility where it is difficult for train operators to spot workers on the tracks. The program is expected to launch next month. He said the bands will serve as an additional layer of safety. Metro will continue to require human flagmen to be present to alert workers to approaching trains. “Improving safety on Metro will require a sustained focus from transit, local, and federal officials,” Virginia Sens. Mark Warner (D) and Tim Kaine (D) said in a joint statement announcing the grant. “First and foremost, that means establishing a culture of safety across the system, and, where possible, deploying leading-edge technology to bring the decades-old system into the 21st century. Today’s grant announcement is a relatively small step, but one that represents a continued investment and commitment to addressing Metro’s safety issues.” Use of the technology may also allow Metro to close out a recommendation made by the National Transportation Safety Board after a Metro worker walking on the tracks was struck and killed by a train about to enter Dupont Circle station in 2006. “On behalf of our Metro riders and employees, I want to thank the Senators for supporting grant funding that will allow us to test new wearable safety technology to warn track workers of approaching trains,” said Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld. “If the tests are successful, this technology will mean a safer workplace for hundreds of track workers and inspectors across the Metrorail system.” In all, Metro will receive $1,884,992 in grant money, which will pay for wayside equipment, sensors to be placed on work vehicles and roughly 50 armbands.


Days before Trump’s inauguration, State Dept. sends $500 million to United Nations climate fund

likely to spark controversy for this reason. Kirby said in a statement that the funds came from a 2016 appropriation for the agency’s Economic Support Fund. This $4.3 billion fund contains some dollars earmarked for specific programs and other dollars that are not officially allocated — the current monies came from the latter. By the year 2020, under the 2009 Copenhagen accord, developed nations are supposed to be allocating $100 billion annually on climate-change aid to poorer, developing nations, money to be used for clean energy projects and climate change adaptation measures, among other expenditures. Much, but not all of this money is intended to be distributed through the Green Climate Fund, which has already raised $10 billion so far. The broader idea of wealthier nations helping poorer ones adapt to a changing planet, and to transition their energy systems, was a fundamental component of bringing all nations on board to the agreement, and environmental groups hailed the move Tuesday. “The amount paid-in today, $500 million, constitutes only 0.012% of the federal budget each year, or $1.53 per American,” said Heather Coleman, climate change manager at Oxfam America, in a statement heralding the payment. “This contribution shows that even as we face an incoming Administration that engages in dangerous climate denial, those of us in the United States who believe in taking action to save our planet, our economy, and our future will continue doing everything in our power to move forward,” added Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in a statement. “I am glad that other countries are continuing to take this challenge seriously and that we can continue to work together to fight climate change.” At the State Department press briefing, when asked about the timing of the release of the funds, Kirby said that “this is an investment that had been long-planned. I don’t — I don’t believe there was any nefarious desire or intent to do it just two days before [the inauguration].” He said that the monies had already been transferred to the Green Climate Fund. But of course, the Trump administration and a sympathetic Congress could block further payments. However, that would create awkwardness with other countries that are deeply committed to climate change, said John Coequyt, director of international climate policy at the Sierra Club. Coequyt pointed out that Trump’s nominee to head the State Department, Rex Tillerson, has signaled that he wants to keep


Ryan Zinke admits humans ‘influence’ climate change. But scientists say we’re the ‘dominant cause.’

said that it is “extremely likely” that “human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century.” Later in the hearing, Democratic Senator Al Franken of Minnesota also asked Zinke about climate change, and pressed him when Zinke said he was “not an expert in this field.” “That to me is a cop-out,” Franken said. “I’m not a doctor but I have to make healthcare decisions.” Zinke responded, “And I too sit on the Natural Resources Committee and I have went through hundreds of hours of testimony on all topics. There is no model today that can predict tomorrow.” Climate change models don’t “predict” the future precisely but they project the large scale influence of increasing greenhouse gases on the climate system, based on basic physical equations that are understood to govern the way the atmosphere and the oceans work. While scientists know models aren’t perfect, they generally argue that they’re useful tools for understanding how the climate system works and the role that different components (like, human greenhouse gas emissions) play in driving the overall temperature. Still, Zinke’s overall approach here seems consistent with how other Trump nominees have addressed this tough question. Last week, State Department nominee Rex Tillerson and CIA nominee Mike Pompeo both answered climate change questions at their confirmation hearings by perhaps minimizing the scale of the problem, but not by denying its reality outright. It remains to be seen what other nominees — specifically Environment Protection Agency nominee Scott Pruitt and Energy Department nominee Rick Perry — will say at their own confirmation hearings this week. Many of the decisions that Zinke will make, as head of the Interior Department, will have climate change implications. Most important, the department manages lands and offshore areas that are attractive for coal, oil, and gas exploitation — and in general, the Obama administration has slowed down mining and drilling in these areas, while also promoting the development of renewable energy on public lands. Concern about climate change was central to these moves. But if you aren’t concerned about the issue, then it becomes more justifiable to continue withdrawing fossil fuels from the ground, fuels destined to be burned. That’s something Zinke defended Tuesday. He favored both coal mining and also renewable energy installations on public lands. “I think that’s the better solution going forward, is ‘all of the above’ energy,” Zinke said.


Brexit is only the beginning

point: Britain, economically speaking, is either going to be slightly worse off or slightly more worse off. There are no good Brexits. Think about it like this. A world where it's harder for Britain to trade with Europe is one where it doesn't trade as much, and, as a result, doesn't specialize as much. That, in turn, means its workers won't be quite as productive as they could be, and the country as a whole won't be able to afford to buy quite as much from the rest of the world. Now, that doesn't mean the country is going to fall into a recession. It probably won't. But it does mean Britain will be poorer — and more than you might think if Europe's Wall Street really does move from the City of London to Frankfurt. (Among other issues, Brexit might mean that London bankers lose their “passporting” rights to provide services in the E.U.). You can see that in how much the pound has fallen since the Brexit vote. It's down 12 percent against the euro and 17 percent against the dollar. That's the trade-off 52 percent of British voters signed off on, though. They wanted a Britain for the British, even if it meant not as many exports for the British. Which, of course, they were well within their rights to choose. It's a reminder that man does not live by GDP alone. National identities matter too. Although the irony is that's more true the less the economy has grown. As economist Benjamin Friedman argues in “The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth,” there are two ways you can compare yourself: to how you were doing before, and to how other people are doing now. When the economy is growing well, people don't tend to worry about everyone else since they themselves are better off than they used to be. But that changes if their incomes don't. People become jealous of others, particularly Others with a capital-O. That is, they're less likely to be tolerant of people who don't look, sound, or worship like they do when they don't feel like they're getting ahead. That doesn't excuse a move away from openness, but it does at least partially explain it. A lack of growth, then, can actually make people more willing to sacrifice it. And as the rest of the world is finding out, Brexit is only the beginning.


A guide to inauguration week parties, exhibitions, concerts and more

well go to brunch. Shi-Queeta Lee and the rest of the Nellie’s divas are performing at two special editions of the U Street bar’s popular and perennially sold-out drag brunches. Tickets include an all-you-can-eat buffet, tax, gratuity and one mimosa or bloody mary. 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Nellie’s Sports Bar, 900 U St. NW. $39.84. Inauguration ESB release On Election Day, Port City Brewing opened the polls at its Alexandria brewery and allowed visitors to select the style of its next one-off beer: a Belgian-style Dubbel or an English-style Extra Special Bitter, or ESB. The winner of the popular vote was the ESB, so that’s what will be tapped in the tasting room on Inauguration Day. (Sorry, Dubbel supporters, there’s no electoral college in the beer world.) Musician Derek Evry performs from 7 to 9 p.m. 3 to 10 p.m. Port City Brewing Company, 3950 Wheeler Ave., Alexandria. Free admission, beers priced individually. Farewell President Obama and Diamond Joe Biden Rockin’ Taco Fiesta The outgoing president and vice president usually don’t make the rounds at inauguration week parties, but if they did, we could see Joe Biden — well, the Onion version of him — putting this event pretty high on his list. Park View’s Midlands Beer Garden offers an open bar and “endless tacos,” with music by the Katie Chambers String Band and Nation. The party also features a “prepper raffle,” with prizes including freeze-dried food and a propane-powered pizza oven, “to help you get through the next four years.” 7 to 11 p.m. The Midlands Beer Garden, 3333 Georgia Ave. NW. $47.41. Inaugural Idiocracy It’s fair to say that Denizens, a woman-owned brewery in Silver Spring, isn’t happy about Inauguration Day. The Facebook invitation for its Inaugural Idiocracy party reads, in part, “Happy Hour has been replaced with Depressed Day. All Day long. To drown your sorrows.” Doors open at noon, and the brewery will show the inaugural proceedings on one floor and the dystopian comedy “Idiocracy” on another. The day wraps up with DJ Blaqsquerade spinning dance music from 8 p.m. to midnight. A portion of the proceeds will go to Ayuda, a local charity that assists immigrants. Noon to 1 a.m. Denizens Brewing Company, 1115 East-West Hwy., Silver Spring. Free admission, beers priced individually. The Poetry of Rising and Resistance Busboys and Poets is the sponsor of the star-studded and sold-out Peace Ball, but you


Bell’s Hopslam Ale arrives in Washington on Monday. Here’s where you can try it.

Hopslam, the award-winning and highly sought-after double IPA from Bell's Brewery, made its debut in cans in 2016. (Bells Brewery) Monday is the day hopheads have been waiting for: The day that Bell's Hopslam Ale makes its annual debut in Washington. The vaunted double IPA, loaded with citrusy Simcoe hops and Michigan honey, has developed a cult following over the years, and many fans try to track down the ale as quickly as possible. This year, Washington's first keg will be tapped at Ivy and Coney, the cozy Detroit-and-Chicago-themed corner bar in Shaw, where Bell's year-round beers are fixtures on draft. “We'll tap Hopslam at 4 p.m. when we open,” co-owner Adam Fry says. A pint will cost $6, he adds, and “we've got a bunch of it. Regular day at Ivy, just with a beer that folks go bananas over.” The same night, Hopslam makes its Maryland debut at Victoria Gastropub in Columbia, where Hopslam will be on tap alongside three other Bell's beers. The party starts at 5 p.m. From then on, there's a release party almost every night. On Tuesday, Hopslam finds its way onto taps at Capitol Lounge on Capitol Hill; Wednesday brings Hopslam's official Northern Virginia release at the Bungalow Lakehouse in Sterling, beginning at 5 p.m. As always, you don't have to go to the biggest beer bars to enjoy Hopslam: Previous years have found it on tap in bars as diverse as the Black Cat, Town Hall and Roofers Union. Heck, even Looney's Pub in College Park is hosting a tapping party on Jan. 27. (If you're looking for a six-pack to drink at home, Hopslam is once again only available in 12-ounce cans; expect to pay more than $20 per six-pack.) Some Mid-Atlantic beer geeks will tell you that while Hopslam is a fine beer, there's a better hop-monster in our own backyard that's also released in January: Troeg's Nugget Nectar. ChurchKey will host the release party for Nugget Nectar on Jan. 25, where it will be available on draft and nitro, as well as in cask-conditioned form. Look for rare Troegs beers, too. (A full menu is on the ChurchKey website.) Of course, you don't have to choose one or the other: The Black Squirrel's eighth annual Hopslam-vs-Nugget Nectar Night features both of the sought-after brews on tap on Jan. 27. Read more: - Love bitter cocktails? Head to Copycat Co.


The full transcript from Obama’s final news conference

economy, improve their economy, use the incredible talents of the Russian people in more constructive ways. I think it's fair to say that after President Putin came back into the presidency, that an escalating anti-American rhetoric and an approach to global affairs that seem to be premised on the idea that whatever America's trying to do must be bad for Russians, so we want to try to counter act whatever they do. That returned to an adversarial spirit that I think existed during the Cold War, has made the relationship more difficult. And it was hammered home when Russia went into Crimea and portions of Ukraine. The reason we imposed the sanctions, recall, was not because of nuclear weapons issues, it was because the independence and sovereignty of a country, Ukraine, had been encroached upon by force, by Russia. That wasn't our judgment, that was the judgment of the entire international community. And, Russia continues to occupy Ukrainian territory and meddle in Ukrainian affairs and support military surrogates who have violated basic international laws and international norms. What I've said to the Russians, is as soon as you stop doing that, the sanctions will be removed. And I think it would probably best serve, not only American interests, but also the interests of preserving international norms if we made sure that we don't confuse why these sanctions have been imposed with a whole set of other issues. On nuclear issues, in my first term we negotiated the START II Treaty and that has substantially reduced our nuclear stock piles, both Russia and the United States. I was prepared to go further, I told President Putin I was prepared to go further. They have been unwilling to negotiate. If President-elect Trump is able to restart those talks in a serious way, I think there remains a lot of room for our two countries to reduce their our stock piles. And part of the reason we've have been successful on our non-proliferation agenda and on our nuclear security agenda, is because we were leading by example. I hope that continues. But I think it's important just to remember that the reason sanctions have been put in place against Russia, has to do with their actions in Ukraine. And it is important for the United States to stand up for the basic principal that big countries don't go around and invade and bully


New global coalition launched to create vaccines, prevent epidemics

An electron micrograph scan shows the Ebola virus emerging from an infected cell. (NIAID/NIH) A global coalition to create new vaccines for emerging infectious diseases launched Wednesday with the ambitious aim of protecting the world from future epidemics. Announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the initiative has an initial investment of nearly $500 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Britain’s Wellcome Trust and the governments of Japan, Norway and Germany. The partnership will be called the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, or CEPI. It grew out of the lessons from the world’s woeful lack of preparedness for the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people and caused at least $2.2 billion in economic losses in the three hardest-hit countries. As a result of that and the current Zika epidemic in the Americas, a global consensus has steadily grown among an array of governments, public health leaders, scientists and vaccine industry executives that a new system is needed to guard against future health threats. Global health experts welcomed the initiative, saying it would complement efforts already underway by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, which are working on Ebola and Zika vaccines. The United States is not providing funding for CEPI, but it is offering subject expertise. Officials took part in the planning discussions, and “while we are not a formal partner to CEPI, we foresee synergies between our approaches,” BARDA Director Rick Bright said in a statement. One such area is development of the most efficient technology for biodefense and infectious disease response, he said. Rebecca Katz, director of Georgetown University’s Center for Global Health Science and Security, expects the new coalition “will just add much needed resources to a hard problem” and not detract from other efforts' funding and resources. CEPI initially plans to target three viruses that have known potential to cause serious epidemics and can be transmitted from animals to humans: MERS, a deadly respiratory virus first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012 that can be spread by camels and now is in 27 countries, including the United States; Lassa fever, an acute viral illness mainly found in West Africa and spread by rats; and Nipah, a newly emerging infection initially identified in 1999 in Malaysia and Singapore. During a


(BARDA), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, which are working on Ebola and Zika vaccines. The United States is not providing funding for CEPI, but it is offering subject expertise. Officials took part in the planning discussions, and “while we are not a formal partner to CEPI, we foresee synergies between our approaches,” BARDA Director Rick Bright said in a statement. One such area is development of the most efficient technology for biodefense and infectious disease response, he said. Rebecca Katz, director of Georgetown University’s Center for Global Health Science and Security, expects the new coalition “will just add much needed resources to a hard problem” and not detract from other efforts' funding and resources. CEPI initially plans to target three viruses that have known potential to cause serious epidemics and can be transmitted from animals to humans: MERS, a deadly respiratory virus first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012 that can be spread by camels and now is in 27 countries, including the United States; Lassa fever, an acute viral illness mainly found in West Africa and spread by rats; and Nipah, a newly emerging infection initially identified in 1999 in Malaysia and Singapore. During a Nipah outbreak there among pig farmers and people with close contact with pigs, nearly 300 people were infected and more than 100 died. Each virus is among WHO's priority pathogens. Few or no medical countermeasures exist to combat them. The current system for vaccine development is in crisis, health experts say, because it’s a costly, complicated and labor-intensive development process that prioritizes therapeutics with the biggest possible market. CEPI hopes to develop two vaccine candidates against each of the target diseases. Officials said they did not choose Ebola and Zika vaccine work because considerable research is already underway. “The last thing we would like to do is duplicate efforts,” Trevor Mundel, president of the Gates Foundation’s global health division, told reporters during a briefing. Officials said they have raised $460 million, almost half of their $1 billion target for the first five years. They’re now seeking proposals from researchers and companies and expect to announce which will be funded by mid-year. They're also calling for other governments and organizations to help complete fundraising by the end of the year. The Indian government, one of the coalition founders, is finalizing a financial commitment, according to CEPI. Several major pharmaceutical companies are