For love of space, astronomers share their telescopes on the National Mall on Friday

More than 7,000 people gathered for last year’s Astronomy Festival on the National Mall. At this telescope they saw Saturn, which from our Earthly perspective now shows the rings greatly tilted. (Geoff Chester) Enchanting stars and heavenly bodies — Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, deep sky objects, star clusters and the young crescent moon — will be yours to behold at the sixth annual Astronomy Festival on the National Mall. The free event is slated for this Friday, June 19, from 6 to 11 p.m., and will take place on the northeast grounds of the Washington Monument. Dozens of local astronomers will share their personal telescopes and binoculars, and serve as concierge to the cosmos, guiding you through all of the stellar sights. “Outreach events like this are lots of fun for all concerned, including folks like me who are sharing their scopes with the public,” says Guy Brandenburg, a retired math teacher and member of the National Capital Astronomers. “People who may be engaged in pursuits totally unrelated to science of any sort do often tell me that looking through a scope at the moon or at some planet was one of the most awesome events in their lives.” Saturn, Venus and Jupiter will all make an appearance at the Astronomy Festival on the National Mall on Friday evening. Of course, these planets are not to scale! (NASA) All the coolest cosmic objects will be there: Jupiter and Venus head for a romantic rendezvous, Saturn presents its tilted rings, you’ll be able to safely see the sun, capture double stars and and a lunar crescent. You can also discover the invisible universe of radio astronomy, and talk with astronomy’s historical greats like Tycho Brahe (played by Dean Howarth, physics teacher at McLean High School), Johannes Kepler (Jeff Jones, physics teacher at Mountain View Alternative High School, Centreville) and Caroline Herschel (Lynn King, an astronomer from Wilmington, Del.) as they mingle through the crowd. [Watch Venus and Jupiter converge over the next two weeks] While dark skies are always preferred, the abundance of urban light on the National Mall doesn’t curtail a grand cosmic show. (Geoff Chester) For an up close and personal sky view, the U.S. Naval Observatory’s Geoff Chester will bring his 9.25-inch Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain and his Hydrogen-alpha solar telescope – for an extraordinary view of the sun. Local astronomer Jim Simpson expects to bring his refractor telescope and Joe


all concerned, including folks like me who are sharing their scopes with the public,” says Guy Brandenburg, a retired math teacher and member of the National Capital Astronomers. “People who may be engaged in pursuits totally unrelated to science of any sort do often tell me that looking through a scope at the moon or at some planet was one of the most awesome events in their lives.” Saturn, Venus and Jupiter will all make an appearance at the Astronomy Festival on the National Mall on Friday evening. Of course, these planets are not to scale! (NASA) All the coolest cosmic objects will be there: Jupiter and Venus head for a romantic rendezvous, Saturn presents its tilted rings, you’ll be able to safely see the sun, capture double stars and and a lunar crescent. You can also discover the invisible universe of radio astronomy, and talk with astronomy’s historical greats like Tycho Brahe (played by Dean Howarth, physics teacher at McLean High School), Johannes Kepler (Jeff Jones, physics teacher at Mountain View Alternative High School, Centreville) and Caroline Herschel (Lynn King, an astronomer from Wilmington, Del.) as they mingle through the crowd. [Watch Venus and Jupiter converge over the next two weeks] While dark skies are always preferred, the abundance of urban light on the National Mall doesn’t curtail a grand cosmic show. (Geoff Chester) For an up close and personal sky view, the U.S. Naval Observatory’s Geoff Chester will bring his 9.25-inch Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain and his Hydrogen-alpha solar telescope – for an extraordinary view of the sun. Local astronomer Jim Simpson expects to bring his refractor telescope and Joe Morris will bring his Celestron C-11 Schmidt-Cassegrain. Organized and hosted by Hosftra University and the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, volunteers from other groups – such as the National Science Foundation, the Carnegie Institution for Science, the International Dark Sky Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club and the American Geophysical Union — will offer demonstrations and discussion. This is the sixth annual Mall event that organizer Don Lubowich, astronomy outreach coordinator at Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y., has assembled and he hopes to guide even more people through the night’s heavens this year. Find this festival at the corner of 15th St. and Constitution Ave. NW, across Constitution Ave. from the Ellipse. In case of clouds: In case of rain:


Researchers across the country are putting organs on chips

the cells. The NIH plans to use the technology to study the inner workings of the human placenta in ways never done before. The temporary organ found in pregnant mothers, described by Romero as "completely understudied," acts like a "crossing guard" for substances moving from a woman to her fetus, according to a study released Thursday in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine. [See how scientists were able to create an "egg-on-a-chip"] The researchers replicated the organ by putting maternal cells from a delivered placenta on one compartment in the device and fetal cells from an umbilical cord on another. They then tested how substances like glucose are transferred from the two compartments. Generally, studying the placenta is time-consuming and dangerous because it's risky for the fetus. But now the team at NIH — including researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center, Seoul National University and Asan Medical Center in South Korea — can figure out how different materials move across that barrier. Romero said that may lead to big discoveries for the health of children, such as how viruses and chemicals passing from mother to fetus can affect development. "It allows us to ask many, many questions that are difficult to answer," he said. But the technology doesn't stop there. Institutions across the country are following up on the concept, pioneered at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University. Wyss has managed to put together a mini-lung, kidney and intestine on a chip, while the University of California-Berkeley has made a similar device that has live, pumping heart cells. UC Berkeley researchers are testing heart drugs on human cardiac muscle cells housed in an inch-long silicone device. The video shows cardiac muscle cells before and after exposure to isoproterenol, a drug used to treat certain heart ailments. Emulate Inc., a biotech company in Boston, also announced Thursday that it will be using the technology to recreate thrombosis — better known as a blood clot — to see how drugs can affect blood flow and the interaction of platelets. Don Ingber, director of the Wyss Institute, suggests that as the technology gains popularity, it will speed up the process for pharmaceutical companies to test new drugs for targeted populations. "It's caught on because it's so visual and so meaningful," Ingber said. "You're seeing some interdisciplinary interaction between engineering and biology. It's very moving and very powerful."


15 things to do in the D.C. area on the weekend of June 19-21

The weekend's best bets in nightlife, festivals, music, sports and so much more around the Washington area. Want more ideas? Check out Fritz Hahn's Nightlife Agenda. "Marty! You won't believe this, but people are still watching movies outdoors, with an orchestral accompaniment, in 2015!" (Image courtesy of Wolf Trap) Friday: Friday: [The 2015 Summer Movie Guide: Dinosaurs, superheroes and so much more] Friday: Friday-Sunday: [AFI Docs film festival opens 81 windows to the world] Friday-Sunday: Friday-June 28: Saturday: Saturday: [The 2015 D.C. Summer Concert Guide] Saturday: Victor VS Gravity - FINALS - Red Bull BC One North America Final 2014 Saturday: Saturday-Sunday: [Bound for the beach? Check out these new brewpubs and bars.] Sunday: Sunday: Sunday: Sunday: D.C. United


PM Update: Worst of storms exit, sticky on Friday with shower chance; Reston wind damage

* Power outage tracker * 2-hour radar loop. Refresh page to update. After highs in the upper 80s and low 90s this afternoon, storms erupted over the metro region, some of which were severe with damaging winds and hail. Friday gives us a break from the storms but scattered showers will ensure you’ll need your umbrella for the last day of the work week. [Earlier severe storm coverage] Through Tonight: Tomorrow (Friday): See Matt Rogers’s forecast through the weekend. And if you haven’t already, join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter Pollen: Stormy skies over Washington, D.C. June 18, 2015 (Richard Barnhill via Flickr) Storms in Reston: @capitalweather Terrifying tree damage in Reston http://t.co/6pcvXTxgrh .@capitalweather trees down across Glade in south Reston - crazy wind!!! http://t.co/eZ3rrGqR9c We’ll have a more detailed review of this evening’s storms in posts coming up Friday morning. CWG @ Banding Together: Banding Together My @capitalweather pals @camdenwalker and Kevin Ambrose will join me to emcee the @GFTH battle of the bands tonight! http://t.co/FOe0Z881Aj Kevin Ambrose, Camden Walker and I will be there to emcee on the Discovery stage all night! So come say hello and support a great cause! I’m not afraid to illustrate my forecast with a praying mantis. (Phil via Flickr)


North Korea claims it can cure MERS (and a whole bunch of other things)

strong immune-activator, the injection has been recognized to prevent different malignant epidemics," it quoted Jon Sung-hun, a doctor and director of the pharmaceutical company, as saying. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, a zoonotic virus that passed from camels to humans and was first seen in Saudi Arabia three years ago, has killed 24 people in South Korea since an outbreak began last month. There's no known cure or treatment for the virus, despite the best efforts of international science. North Korea — which shut its borders for four months amid concerns about Ebola, happening half a world away — has been clearly concerned about MERS and checking temperatures at an inter-Korean industrial park on the northern side of the border. But, surprisingly, it had not imposed the kind of blanket quarantine seen during the Ebola pandemic. Perhaps we now know why. People who had been injected with Kumdang-2 (the name means “golden sugar” in Korean, thought it's not clear what Kumdang-1 treated) had not contracted any infectious diseases, even as they had traveled to the areas hit by those diseases, KCNA reported. "This means that Kumdang-2 is effective in coping with the MERS virus," it said. North Korea had previously touted its golden concoction in 2003, when Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome hit Asia, and a few years later amid outbreaks of avian flu, the South’s Yonhap News Agency. The medicine even has its own Web site, available in English and Russian, declaring: “Everyone has the right to be healthy!" Screenshot of Kumdaug Web site. The Web site makes for some fun reading. Under “Dosing and treatment course,” the North Koreans recommend using one or two ampoules on the first day and then gradually increasing the dosage. After two days of injections, most people will “feel strong, refreshed and happy,” although “some patients may feel that their diseased parts are stimulated to a small extent,” the website says. The Web site warns that a few patients (“less than 0.001 % of the total”) will feel “heavily stimulated at the diseased parts and/or experienced throbbing or stifled feelings at the heart.” “Such feelings were found especially among feeble girls and weak elders,” it says. “They are not side effects, but signs of healing response. Therefore, you should not worry about them.” Kumdang-2 can be used for an impressive array of illnesses, according to the Web site: from chilblains and diabetes to impotence and


Baked & Wired’s Mount Vernon Triangle shop ventures beyond sweets, breads and coffee

or along a banquette. (Tim Carman/The Washington Post) The owners are apparently struggling with the name as well because they still haven't settled on one. For the time being, the shop has been dubbed, simply, A Baked Joint. It's a temporary handle, says operations director Tessa Velazquez, daughter of the owners. Even without a permanent moniker, the 90-seat space will afford customers plenty of spots to sit, eat, read, drink and contemplate a name for the shop. Should you choose to eat, the sandwiches here are a joint effort between Teresa Velazquez and Gerald Addison, former chef at Eat the Rich. Among their creations (full menu below) are a meatloaf sandwich with bourbon ketchup and crispy shallots on grilled white bread and smoked eggplant puree with roasted sweet potato, goat cheese, peppers and crispy kale on ciabatta. The breads are the rock stars here. (Tim Carman/The Washington Post) The breads, all produced at A Baked Joint for both locations, are the rock stars. They're available as loaves for takeaway or sliced and slathered for a line of gourmet toasts (including one with peanut butter and Sriracha!) or wrapped around various fillings for sandwiches. The breads vary daily but can include baguettes, sourdoughs, ciabatta, focaccia, whole wheat, country loaf and more. The drinks menu is small, featuring only four wines by the glass (two reds, two whites), three local beers (DC Brau Pils, 3 Stars Peppercorn Saison and Atlas Rowdy Rye for now) and several cocktails with freshly squeezed fruit juices (created by Rob Tinney from CopyCat Co.). Tinney's pisco libation, mixed with watermelon juice and basil simple syrup, sounds like my kind of summer drink. Smoked eggplant sandwich with sweet potato, goat cheese, crispy kale and peppers. (Tim Carman/The Washington Post) As long as I want it before 8 or 9 p.m., that is. Starting next week, a Baked Joint will follow the hours of Baked & Wired. Tessa Velazquez says the hours will remain fixed for a couple of months, then expand as the new place is ready for longer days. A Baked Joint, 440 K St. NW, 202-408-6985, www.abakedjoint.com. Hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. The morning menu. (Tim Carman/The Washington Post) The lunch menu. (Tim Carman/The Washington Post) The drinks menu. (Tim Carman/The Washington Post)


MERS crisis: Do we need a NATO-type war strategy for potential epidemics?

Bill and Melinda Gates speak with parents whose children are participating in a malaria vaccine trial at the Bagamoyo District Hospital in Tanzania on June 28, 2011. (Photo courtesy Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) Health officials in Thailand on Friday confirmed the country's first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in a 75-year-old businessman from Oman. With the death of a MERS patient in Germany and the "superspreading event" in South Korea that has claimed 24 lives, the crisis has prompted calls for a better early warning and response process to stop the spread of infectious diseases that threaten the planet. At the top of many researchers' lists are a more structured way to prioritize, fund and work on vaccines for such pathogens. MERS was first discovered in 2012, and while scientists understand its molecular structure, there has been little progress toward a vaccine due to lack of interest from pharmaceutical companies. [Why MERS spread so far, so fast in South Korea] "The question is: How long are we going to wait around and just follow these outbreaks before we get serious about making vaccines?" Adrian Hill, a professor and director at the Jenner Institute at Britain's Oxford University, told Reuters. Matthew Frieman, an immunologist at University of Maryland School of Medicine, has been working on such a vaccine since 2013, according to the International Business Times. He said he's still looking for partner to begin clinical trials. “There's nothing standing in our way from pushing this forward other than the money and the will to do it,” he said to the IBT. With the MERS death toll climbing higher in South Korea, here's what scientists know about the virus, how it spreads, and whether it poses a global threat. During the Ebola crisis, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates described the need for a way for governments to join together in manner similar to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). “It’s instructive to compare our preparations for epidemics with our preparations for another sort of global threat -- war,” Gates wrote in the The New England Journal of Medicine in April. [Ebola’s lessons, painfully learned at great cost in dollars and human lives] Warning that there is a significant chance that an epidemic of a substantially more infectious disease will occur sometime in the next 20 years, Gates said Ebola is far from the most infectious disease we know. "Although


Saturn shows off its rings in a stunning new photo

NASA's Cassini imaging scientists processed this view of Saturn's moon Dione, taken during a close flyby on June 16, 2015. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute) NASA's Cassini spacecraft is doing great science, making important observations of the planet Saturn as it orbits. But it's also taking amazing photos, and this might be the best yet. [NASA’s Cassini catches sunlight glinting off the oceans of Saturn’s moon] Saturn looms in the background, with its moon Dione positioned perfectly for its host planet's rings to make it into the shot. Saturn's rings are the most impressive in the solar system. While they're only about 3,200 feet thick at most, they span 175,000 miles in width, which is 1/3 the distance from the Earth to the moon. The rings are made of particles that vary from the size of a speck of dust to the bulk of mountains, and are mostly made of water and ice with some rocky material in the mix. In the upper right corner, the moon Enceladus appears as a bright dot perched atop the rings. Dione and Saturn's rings. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute) The June 16 photos were taken during a breathtakingly close flyby with Dione. The spacecraft came within just 321 miles of the moon's surface. In August, Cassini will pass even closer to Dione -- just 295 miles from the surface -- during its last planned flyby. Read More: The wobbling of Saturn’s moon might mean there’s an ocean sloshing inside of it The moon may have dusty ‘clouds’ NASA hurls insults at Curiosity, the world’s favorite rover This unusually bright ancient galaxy may show signs of the first generation of stars


Dylann Roof reportedly wanted a race war. How many Americans sympathize?

whites expressed explicit anti-Hispanic attitudes. And a stunning 57 percent did the same in an implicit bias test. The AP did not conduct previous studies on attitudes about Latinos. Of course, these studies are testing for racist tendencies that people might not even be aware of -- not avowed white supremacism or anything close to it. But whatever the limits of a hate group data and attempts to measure the feelings of Americans, the combination might be the best information available when it comes to just how many Americans have deep-seated racist feelings. And that's likely to be the case for the foreseeable future. In 2009, the Department of Homeland Security released a report analyzing, among other things, participation in domestic hate groups and recruiting efforts. The report revealed that some hate groups focus their recruiting energy on veterans and those entering the military, and it described veterans struggling after a return from war and those affected by the recession as particularly vulnerable to these outreach efforts. Conservative critics of the report described it as an insult to a whole range of anti-abortion and anti-immigration groups as well as an unnecessary attempt to smear veterans. [Homeland Security Department curtails home-grown terror analysis] The controversy has had consequences. Despite warnings from a range of civil rights and law enforcement agencies that hate group activity seems to be on the rise, the Department of Homeland Security scaled back efforts and even the number of staff charged with tracking non-Islamic domestic extremism. The FBI does track hate crimes and trends but relies on local law enforcement agencies to identify and pass along the information the agency needs. This approach means that what happens in some states -- like Mississippi -- simply aren't part of the FBI's annual tally of hate crime and the assessments of local police officers shape which crimes are even investigated as possible hate crimes, much less described as such to the FBI. Even the term "hate group" has joined the list of issues that appear to be viewed through a political lens. That has already spilled over into the national conversation about the church shooting this week. Witness reports The full list of reasons that Roof entered a South Carolina church and, according to his confession, shot and killed nine people, might never be known. But just how many race-war seeking Americans walk among us seems just as elusive.


Saving children from slavery

to act. Satyarthi rents a truck, rounds up some friends and descends on the brick kiln. Repelled at first by the owner, his armed goons and corrupt police, he persuades a judge to intervene, and manages to rescue the villagers, including the 15-year-old girl. If his name sounds familiar, it is because Kailash Satyarthi has gone on to rescue more than 80,000 children from slavery, help change laws and expectations in India and then the world –and, last year, win the Nobel Peace Prize, along with Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan. But there is no fairy-tale ending yet, as Satyarthi told me when he visited The Post this week. “Still children are sold for less than the cost of a cow, and once sold they have less freedom than cows,” he said. In Syria, he said, the Islamic State is said to be selling captured girls for less than the cost of a cigarette pack. “So what kind of a world we are living in?” he asked. “They are all our girls. They are all our boys.” The chair of the Nobel committee noted at the award ceremony in December that 168 million children around the world are working instead of going to school — a shocking number, but 78 million fewer than in the year 2000. “In this, as in so many other areas, things are thus moving in the right direction, and often much faster than we think,” the Nobel chair, Thorbjorn Jagland, said. “Satyarthi indeed believes that child labour can be more or less eliminated in his own lifetime.” How? Satyarthi, 61, said it will require further changes in culture and greater political will. He is using his Nobel platform to push countries to adopt stronger laws against child labor and development agencies to spend more on schooling, which he said receives only 4 percent of overseas development aid. He is pushing for more accountability from businesses, too. Some of the biggest western companies, he said, have learned to leave no traces in the Indian sweatshops where children sew their clothes, sometimes having labels affixed in Turkey on the merchandise’s route to western shops. Satyarthi hearkens back to the day a desperate father appeared at his door. “When I was writing his story, I gave up my pencil and started thinking: If she was my daughter, what would I do?” he recalled. “I would not just write something.”


Tiny, silver flies deployed to save East Coast hemlock trees

released near Grandview, Tenn., about a month ago, and again in central New York State at the start of June. To track the fly population, many were released inside bags attached to branches, called bug dorms. Some had 10 flies, others had fewer and a few had none to serve as a control for the experiment. "There's always risks involved," Wallin said, noting that the fly population might create other problems to the area. "I hope to take a bigger view of it. They're killing the hemlock trees, and that's altering the ecosystem. It's balancing those risks." The flies released include two species — Leucopis piniperda and Leucopis argenticollis — known to prey on adelgids that infest hemlock trees found in Washington. A decade-long study by the scientists, though, has found that the flies will also attack the invaders on eastern and Carolina hemlocks. [This invasive fish can live for days on land, dragging itself along with its gills] That's important because another species of silver flies native to the East Coast evolved only to look for pine trees and ignore hemlocks. The study was carefully conducted to prove the flies would be effective, essential to getting a permit under the U.S. Animal Plant Health Inspection Service. Regulators found the release to be safe and useful, especially because hemlocks are known to be "keystone species" to the East Coast ecosystems. The trees create ideal conditions for many other wildlife species to thrive, including under-story plants, trout and other fish. Experiments are in the works to introduce Laricobius beetles to treat the infestations, but Wallin's team sees the flies as most promising. Still, nothing is for sure. Darrell Ross, another team leader from Oregon State University, said the flies might not survive their new climate — especially the colder winters — or multiply enough to make a dent in the infestation. There's still not much known about how flies locate and affect the growth of adelgid populations. [Check out the 12 most destructive invasive animals in the United States] Early results from the Tennessee release show that the flies have mated, laid eggs and preyed on the adelgids, but the true test will be to see if the flies make an impact over the next year or so. The team doesn't expect the flies to completely eradicate the invaders, just to keep them at bay. Right now the efforts are in


Olympic track champion Mo Farah denies ever taking PEDs

his coach, Alberto Salazar, and the Nike Oregon Project, Olympic champion distance runner Mo Farah of Great Britain posted a statement Friday on Facebook strongly denying speculations that he has ever taken performance enhancing drugs. The 32-year-old Farah called the rumors “completely false” and that two drug tests he missed – one in 2010 and another in 2011 – were “simple mistakes.” As reported by the Telegraph earlier this week, a third missed test would’ve resulted in a ban from the 2012 London Olympics, where he won the 5,000 and 10,000 meter races. “I have never taken performance enhancing drugs in my life and I never will,” Farah said in the statement. “Over the course of my career I have taken hundreds of drugs tests and every single one has been negative.” I have never taken performance enhancing drugs in my life and I never will. Over the course of my career I have taken… Posted by Mo Farah on Friday, June 19, 2015 A report published by ProPublica and a BBC Panorama documentary earlier this month accused Salazar, a celebrated American track coach and former runner, of committing several doping violations, particularly with his star pupil, Galen Rupp. The crowning achievement of the Nike Oregon Project was at the 2012 Olympics where Rupp took silver in the 10,000 meters behind Farah, his frequent training partner. Both Salazar and Rupp have denied the allegations. Although the report does not accuse Farah of any wrongdoing, he withdrew from the Diamond League meeting in the English city of Birmingham earlier this month to see Salazar in the United States. “I went to Portland to speak to Alberto Salazar and demand answers,” Farah said. “He reassured me that the claims are false and that he will soon be providing evidence to make that clear. Until then I will not be commenting further on the allegations.” According to the Telegraph Salazar told the Oregonian’s Ken Goe on Thursday that this is a normal schedule for Farah and that reports of a rift between Farah and the Oregon Project are “absolutely false.” “Mo is on a different training cycle, as he always is at this time of year,” Salazar said. “So I send him to Europe to get accustomed to the time zone. This is how we’ve always done it.” Farah’s next race is scheduled for July 17 at the Diamond League meet in Monaco.


Obama will be first sitting U.S. president to visit Ethiopia

strengthening ties with our African partners and highlighting America’s longstanding commitment to investing in Africa," the statement read. "This will be the first visit of a sitting U.S. President to Ethiopia and to the African Union headquarters, underscoring our efforts to work with the countries and citizens of sub-Saharan Africa to accelerate economic growth, strengthen democratic institutions, and improve security." Human rights activists praised Obama for highlighting the work of the African Union, which has worked to promote both political stability and economic integration across the continent. But they said the president must use his trip to draw attention to the government's repeated use of targeted arrests and prosecutions to suppress any opposition from journalists, bloggers, protesters and political activists. “Ethiopia is too often presented as an African success story instead of the human rights disaster that is the reality,” said Sarah Margon, Human Rights Watch's Washington director. “If Obama wants to make the case for investing in Ethiopia, he should be clear that means investing in the human rights of its people, not the repression of its government.” Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, White House deputy press secretary Eric Schultz said the stop in Addis Ababa is more about America's relationship with sub-Saharan Africa than a single nation. Referring to human rights violations, Schultz said, “As you know, we regularly -- both in public and in private -- communicate our concerns about some of the issues you've raised. I don't think that's going to stop because of this visit." The president is likely to focus on counterterrorism efforts within Africa while in Ethiopia: the government there has worked with the United States on countering the extremist group al-Shabab in Somalia and promoting peace efforts in South Sudan. [READ: What's behind the return of al-Shabab?] A senior administration official, who asked for anonymity in order to speak frankly about diplomatic matters, said the two countries have "a long-standing and strategic relationship," and the visit came out of a meeting Obama had with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in the fall. Ethiopia has played a key role "advancing and promoting broader regional stability," the official said, adding that when it comes to next month's visit, "this is an opportunity to hold frank discussions with our Ethiopian counterparts, and urge them to make progress in areas of concern."


This journalist didn’t just interview North Korean defectors, he followed them on their escape

have escaped from North Korea? LHJ: I think South Korea is helping North Korean defectors a lot to settle down in the South, even though the level of support is significantly lower than when they were respected as “returned heroes.” They receive housing and education benefits, as well as other benefits to help them begin a new life as ordinary citizens. Let me give you an example. A North Korean defector I interviewed had a son with cerebral palsy and that's why she decided to defect through China. Her story is known in many countries. She came from an artistic group in North Korea and was good at playing musical instruments. She had the so-called “star quality” that outsiders want from a defector. Many human rights groups, churches and TV networks wanted her to appear for lectures or shows. In short, she was offered money to sell her horrible personal stories. She asked my opinions about selling stories for living. My advice was this. "It's your decision in the end, but I don't think that kind of life is an ideal way to settle down. What if another defector emerges with more horrible or stronger stories? The attention given to you would move to the other person and you might try to make up a story to win the attention back. It's a vicious circle. How about looking for a way to earn decent money and live with your family?" With help of her local church and charity groups, she learned to be a hairdresser and got a job. A hospital sponsored her son's medical treatment. She once lived in the middle of media spotlight, but she now happily lives as an ordinary citizen in Seoul with her family. I consider this as a model case of a North Korean defector settling down in South Korea. An ordinary citizen is valued in a democratic society. To do more of this, regular people in South Korea need to pay more attention to North Korean defectors so they can live normal lives without being tempted by human rights groups or the media to sell their stories. North Korean defectors need to get jobs without discrimination and local community need to try harder to embrace them. Read more: North Korea claims it can cure MERS (and a whole bunch of other things) South Koreans blame government in spiraling MERS outbreak The sad story


Updates: Worst of storms move off, lingering flood threat overnight

for central Anne Arundel County. Tornado Warning including Annapolis MD, Arnold MD, Belvedere Heights MD until 10:15 PM EDT http://t.co/mAqub7kx1Y 9:38 p.m. update: 9:27 p.m. update: In the immediate metro area, no severe storms, but heavy rain continues and flooding will be a concern for the next hour or two before we catch a break. 9:06 p.m. update: Flash Flood WARNING issued for Washington, D.C. and close-in areas through midnight Intersection of Wythe and West by Braddock metro- totally flooded, can't see median @capitalweather @redbricktown http://t.co/vYIWPUpxSJ 9:00 p.m. update: Tornado Warning including Towson MD, Catonsville MD, Fullerton MD until 9:30 PM EDT http://t.co/PvgvSy9Ffg 8:51 p.m. update: Washington Monument measuring up to a lightning bolt @capitalweather #DC http://t.co/bRqq3q3APz The tornado warning for northwest Charles County remains in effect through 9 p.m., and doppler radar continues to show rotation in the storm moving towards Bennsville and Accokeek. 8:37 p.m. update: A tornado WARNING is in effect for northwest Charles Co. until 9 p.m. An actual tornado was reported near Triangle, Va and is moving NE at 30 mph into Charles County. Tornado Warning including Marbury MD, Potomac Heights MD, Ripley MD until 9:00 PM EDT http://t.co/i86k0dVPSA 8:30 p.m. update: Wide view of storms and warnings. Odenton, Bowie and Waldorf, coming your way next 30 mins. http://t.co/J14FL5aNiS 8:25 p.m. update: Tornado warning until 8:45 p.m. issued for southeast Fairfax County, northwest Charles County, and southwest Prince George’s County. Tornado Warning including Accokeek MD, Tantallon MD until 8:45 PM EDT http://t.co/yEnKj08Z1C 8:12 p.m. update: A new severe thunderstorm warning has been issued covering the entire immediate D.C. metro area through 8:45 p.m. Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Adams Morgan DC, Washington DC, Arlington VA until 8:45 PM EDT http://t.co/ET4UAYHNv0 8:00 p.m. update: The scene in Falls Church @capitalweather @fox5newsdc http://t.co/cAlyAr2dSO 7:50 p.m. update: View of line of storms w severe tstorm and tornado warnings to move inside Beltway next 30 mins. http://t.co/Igz598NjLc 7:45 p.m. update: An intense line of storms with torrential rains and possible damaging winds is sweeping through our western and southwest suburbs and will impact the immediate metro area over the next hour. Radar indicates possibility of tornado in western Fairfax County near Centreville moving east. Everyone in western Fairfax County to Fairfax City should be inside in lowest level. 7:33 p.m. update: TORNADO WARNING for central Prince William to western Fairfax County – this includes the city of Fairfax. Tornado Warning


Star teenage athlete dies after flu symptoms turn out to be plague

officials remain perplexed because he didn’t exhibit swollen lymph nodes, a characteristic marker of the illness that would have alerted officials sooner, Katie O’Donnell, a Larimer County Health Department spokeswoman, told the Los Angeles Times. Instead, the Times reported, Gaes complained of fever and muscle aches — common flu symptoms. O’Donnell told the Times that the plague is “very rare, which makes it hard to diagnose.” “There is a small chance that others might have been bitten by infected fleas, so anyone who was on the family’s land in the last seven days should seek medical attention immediately if a fever occurs,” Larimer health officials said in a statement on Friday. “The last exposure to others was likely on June 14.” The plague has taken the life of a 16-year-old boy in Colorado. http://t.co/ijPxgDuEn4 http://t.co/pp3kXs9wbH Health officials think Gaes is the first resident in Larimer County to contract the disease since 1999, the Coloradoan reported. The infectious disease is usually concentrated in the Southwest and parts of California, Oregon and western Nevada, acccording to USA Today. Three people have contracted the plague in the same county in the past 30 years, O’Donnell told the Times. An average of seven human plague cases are reported each year across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During Bubonic plague, bacteria grow inside a person’s lymph nodes, according to the CDC. Septicemic plague occurs when plague bacteria multiply in the blood, the CDC states, and Pneumonic plague infects the lungs. To reduce the chance of death, antibiotics must be given within 24 hours of the appearance of the first symptoms, the agency recommends. A week before he died, Taylor was in superb health, his coach told the Post. But two days after first getting sick, Gaes’s condition worsened quickly. His family was forced to leave a Colorado Rockies game in the fifth inning because of his pain, according to USA Today. His symptoms appeared to improve later that evening after his parents put heating pads on his back, but the next morning he woke up his parents to tell them he’d just coughed up blood, the paper reported. Family members tried to rush him to the hospital 20 miles away, but it was too late. The teenager stopped breathing with five miles to go. The Gaes family started a memorial fund in Taylor Gaes’s name to raise money to


Jake Lloyd, former child actor who played Anakin Skywalker, arrested

Left: Jake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker in ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.’ (Keith Hamshere/Lucasfilm Ltd. via AP) Right: Jake Lloyd mugshot. (Colleton County Sheriffs Office) After doing his best to avoid unwanted media attention for years, former child actor Jake Lloyd is back in the spotlight this week after being arrested for speeding and evading police. Colleton County Sheriff Sgt. Kyle Strickland told NBC News Sunday that officers arrested Lloyd, 26, in South Carolina on Wednesday for failing to stop for officers and speeding, as well as driving without a license. His bond is set at $10,700, NBC reported. When arrested, Lloyd told police his name was Jake Broadbent, the AP reported. However, a former talent agent confirmed Lloyd’s identity with the police, the AP reported, and the birthday and hometown of the arrested man and Lloyd are the same. After receiving a report of reckless driving at about 2 p.m. Wednesday of last week, police caught up with Lloyd’s car on Interstate 95 and he started to drive away, Strickland told NBC News. Lloyd reportedly hit speeds of 100 miles per hour as he attempted to evade police by, among other things, driving off-road and into a wooded area and hitting several small trees before stopping. “He starts passing cars on the double yellow line,” Strickland said. “He’s going head on into oncoming traffic.” Strickland told NBC that it is unclear why Lloyd tried to evade police and that he “didn’t appear to be on drugs or intoxicated.” This undated picture released by Lucasfilm shows Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (L), Anakin Skywalker (C) and Jedi apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi played by actors Liam Neeson, Jake Lloyd and Ewan McGregor in the new movie “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace”. (Keith Hamshere/Lucasfilm Ltd./AFP) Lloyd is best known for his role as Anakin Skywalker in the 1999 “Star Wars” prequel “The Phantom Menace.” According to IMDB.com, Lloyd had several acting credits before then, including the “Jingle All the Way” and television show “ER.” However, his “Star Wars” role made him too recognizable and brought Lloyd a wave of unwanted attention, he said in a 2012 interview with The Daily Telegraph. With staggering amounts of interview requests, plus other students constantly taunting and bringing up the movie to him, Lloyd said his life was “a living hell.” “Other children were really mean to me,” he told the Telegraph. “They


7 foods you’re buying that you could make more cheaply at home

One of the first steps to saving money on food is to cut down on the fancy nights out and cook at home. So if you’re already doing that, congratulations! But you could probably be saving even more. A ton of the items people toss into their grocery carts can often be made more cheaply at home using just a few basic ingredients. It might take a little more time, but many of these dishes can be prepared in large batches that you can package, freeze and store for later. There’s not just savings in it for you. Making food at home is often much healthier: fewer preservatives, less sugar, and the comfort of knowing more about the food you’re eating. Below are some recipes that might save you money on your next trip to the grocery store: Granola Bear Naked granola is popular, but you can make gourmet granola at home for half the price. (Julia Ewan/The Washington Post) A 12-ounce bag of gourmet granola likely costs somewhere between $4 and $6, if not more, depending on the brand. This chunky date granola recipe from Epicurious recipe yields about 6 cups (48 ounces) of granola for roughly $10, or roughly half the price per serving. Total prep time is an hour and a half, including baking and cooling. (That estimate assumes that you already have sugar, honey and butter at home, but if you don’t, the amounts needed are pretty small.) This granola recipe from The Post makes more than 13 cups that can be stored for up to eight weeks or frozen for several months. Hummus You can make a bowl of fresh hummus in 10 minutes. (iStock) A 10-ounce container of hummus typically cost $4.50. But you can make that much hummus at home in about 10 minutes and for half the price. You need one 15-ounce can of chickpeas, which costs about $1.20, and some garlic, lemon juice and tahini. After blending the chickpeas, tahini and garlic in the food processor, drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle paprika, cumin and some other garnishes. You might even chop up some red pepper to make things more interesting. One can should lead to roughly 10 ounces of hummus, or about the same amount that you can get at the supermarket. The rest of the garnishes are things you probably already have at home. It should be good in


How the price of pot differs in 50 states and 8 major cities

states, the price is higher. As the map shows, marijuana is now significantly cheaper throughout most of the West, as well as Florida and Mississippi. It remains the priciest in Virginia, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, New Hampshire and Vermont. Source: Priceofweed.com These graphs of prices at the city level show a similar trend, with marijuana prices significantly cheaper on the West coast than the East coast: The reasons for price trends aren't crystal clear, since marijuana is still illegal in many places (including federally), and there isn't a lot of data on growing and distribution. However, the price trends appear related to the supply of marijuana in the U.S., which is in turn partly linked to state-by-state legalization and decriminalization of the drug. Currently, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Alaska and Washington D.C. have all legalized recreational marijuana, and medical marijuana is legal in roughly two dozen more states. Although states that have legalized marijuana often add hefty taxes, the increase in supply that comes with legalization tends to drive down the price in those areas anyway. Whether it's legal weed or street weed, the presence of increased supply of both medical and recreational marijuana around the U.S. is pushing the prices down. Floating Sheep, a blog that created a map of marijuana prices using PriceofWeed.com data in 2011, also attributed the price differences to variations in supply. The blog noted the lower prices near areas with a lot of marijuana production, including Mendocino, Trinity and Humboldt County in California -- a huge marijuana-growing area known as the "Emerald Triangle" -- as well as Kentucky and Tennessee. (In 2012, a profile of California marijuana growers by the Los Angeles Times discussed how indoor cultivators around the state and industrial-sized operations in the North Coast counties were giving the Emerald Triangle a run for its money.) One mystery is D.C., where prices remain high despite our (sort-of) legalization in February. The high price could have to do with a lack of officially sanctioned sales. The District's rule change made marijuana legal, but prohibited pot shops, open-air smoking or exchanging of marijuana for money, though barter is okay. You might also like: -A huge new study finds that medical marijuana doesn’t “send the wrong message” to kids -More and more little kids are finding mom and dad’s (legal) marijuana stash -This is what sane marijuana enforcement looks like — in one tweet


NASA’s New Horizons captures the first color movies of Pluto and Charon

The first "movie" of Pluto and its largest moon in near-true color, with Pluto fixed to show Charon's rotation relative to it. (NASA) Back in April, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft sent home the first-ever image of Pluto in near-true color. It was pixelated and tiny, but for the first time humans got a glimpse of what the dwarf planet might really look like. Now NASA has released the first moving color images, showing that Pluto and its largest moon Charon have very different colors -- even though they're locked in a close orbital dance. [NASA’s New Horizons sends back its first color image of Pluto and Charon] “It’s exciting to see Pluto and Charon in motion and in color," New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern said in a statement. “Even at this low resolution, we can see that Pluto and Charon have different colors—Pluto is beige-orange, while Charon is grey. Exactly why they are so different is the subject of debate.” [A spacecraft launched in 2006 is about to try for our first good photo of Pluto] A recent study using images from the Hubble found that several of Pluto's smaller moons seem to be similar to Charon in reflectivity --which suggests they might have been formed from the same material, or even by the same event -- but that at least one of the moons, Kerberos, is very dark in comparison. As we get closer and closer to the edge of our solar system, scientists will be able to make more informed guesses about how Pluto got its moons and what they're made of. [Graphic: Humanity reaching out with New Horizons] The new images came from several photographs taken from May 29 to June 3. In the animation at the top of the post, we're given a Pluto-centric view, where Pluto's position is fixed so we can see how Charon moves in relation to it. But NASA also processed a barycentric view, which shows how the dwarf and its moon truly move around the fixed point they orbit in tandem. Pluto and Charon orbit in tandem around a fixed point. (NASA) As the spacecraft comes closer to its July 14 flyby with Pluto, New Horizons continues to tease at the beautiful detailed images we have to look forward to. If all goes well, by mid-July we'll have images of Pluto that rival those we have of Earth in terms


Budget fight could threaten military pay raises; new Pentagon press secretary

Budget fight could threaten military pay raises: Four biggest challenges for the defense bill: New Pentagon press secretary:


Wild bees are dying off and need to be protected — but not for the reasons you think

species that haven’t shown themselves to be economically important. To complicate matters, the wild bees most in need of protection are generally species that don’t account for much crop pollination. This means conservationists need to come up with other ways of convincing policymakers that protecting wild bees — all of them — is the right thing to do. “There’s more than just economic reasons to protect nature and the species in it,” Ricketts says. For one thing, species that aren’t pollinating crops are still pollinating other wild plants, which may be important to the larger ecosystem, creating food and habitat for other wild species. In addition, there’s no guarantee that the species providing agricultural benefits now will be the same species providing them in the future. Different bee species may respond differently to environmental changes in the future, such as climate change, and some of the species that play an important agricultural role now may start to decline in the future, Ricketts says. Protecting all wild bee species now is a kind of economic investment: If some species start to die off, others will still be around to step in and take their place as key pollinators. In some ways, wild pollinators have already made it to the national stage, Ricketts says. Last month, the White House released its National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honeybees and Other Pollinators, which outlines strategies for conserving and protecting pollinators around the nation. While the document has a particular focus on honeybees and monarch butterflies, Ricketts says its suggestions — which include stricter regulations on pesticides and better natural habitats for insects — can be helpful to many species that don’t have a significant impact on agriculture. The same pesticides that are harmful to honeybees may be harmful to wild bees too, he says, and expanding gardens and wild spaces will only benefit all wild pollinators. In the end, Ricketts argues, it’s important to address conservation issues from a variety of angles. Using only an economic-based argument for conservation may exclude many species, but using only moral arguments — the idea that we should protect wildlife simply because it’s the right thing to do — may not always hit home with policymakers. Presenting multiple reasons at the same time for protecting related species is, according to Ricketts, “a powerful way to make sure [the argument] connects to multiple interest groups and audiences.”


Study sees a ‘new normal’ for how climate change is affecting weather extremes

the new paper, you first have to understand this distinction that is fundamental to atmospheric science — between dynamics and thermodynamics. Dynamics governs the large scale motions of the atmosphere — the way in which the fluid flow of air molecules on a rotating planet leads to major patterns, such as gigantic cyclonic storms or the jet stream. In effect, dynamics governs the arrival of a given weather event in a given place, at a given time. Thermodynamics, in contrast, involves how temperature and moisture shape atmospheric events. Here, hotter temperatures can lead to more evaporation of water — and are also directly related to the ability for more retention of water vapor, or humidity, in the air. (“The water-holding capacity of the atmosphere goes up exponentially at a rate of about 7% per degree Celsius,” noted Trenberth and his colleagues.) Meanwhile, hotter ocean temperatures can also have a variety of effects, such as strengthening storms like hurricanes. The researchers therefore argue that for a given severe weather event, you should basically set aside whether climate change altered atmospheric dynamics in such a way as to make that particular event more likely. Just table it, at least until computer models or other analytic approaches get more powerful. Instead, they argue, given that an event did happen, to identify a climate influence you should simply ask if thermodynamic factors were at play in such a way as to worsen it (not cause it), and if climate change altered those thermodynamic factors in some way. “Assume that that weather system would have occurred anyway,” said Trenberth of his methodology, “and then ask the question how the change in the environment affected the outcome, in particular through higher temperatures, grater rainfalls, more rapid drying in the case of the drought — and these things are answerable. But they’re really starting from a viewpoint that all weather systems are in fact being influenced by climate change, and then trying to estimate the magnitude of the influences that are occurring.” The authors give a number of examples: * 2010’s “Snowmageddon,” they said, was worsened by anomalously warm sea surface temperatures off the Atlantic coast which fed the storm moisture. “The unusually high [sea surface temperatures] in the tropical Atlantic Ocean (1.5 °C above normal) led to an exceptional amount of moisture flowing into the storm, which resulted in very large amounts of snow,” the authors


Retail


Supreme Court lets its nerd flag fly with comic book references in Spider-Man toy decision

Spider-Man appeared before the Supreme Court this term -- well, there was a patent case about a Spider-Man toy anyway. And the Supreme Court went full on nerd in its decision, quoting one of the most famous lines from the Spider-Man comic books: "In this world, with great power there must also come -- great responsibility." (Supreme Court) The responsibility quote is a classic Spidey reference -- although the sentiment behind it can be found in earlier works, including the Bible and French philosopher Voltaire's writing. The case, Kimble v. Marvel, involved an inventor, Stephen Kimble, who patented an idea for a toy based on the arachnid-enhanced superhero in 1990: essentially a glove that would shoot out a web-like foam. After Marvel produced a toy similar to his design, Kimble sued Marvel, and they settled in 2001, with Marvel agreeing to purchase the patent and pay royalties to Kimble with no set end date for the payments. The court, on Monday, let its nerd flag fly again while describing this deal, alluding to the theme song of the 1960s Spider-man television show: (Supreme Court) Spiderman theme song 1960s But Marvel later pointed to a Supreme Court case, Brulotte v. Thys Co., which found that companies didn't have to pay royalties after a patent expired. Marvel took the issue to the courts, arguing that it shouldn't have to pay Kimble after his patent expired in 2010. On Monday, the Supreme Court sided with Marvel, with Justice Elena Kagan delivering the majority opinion. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Clarence Thomas, dissented. Kagan undoubtedly knew exactly what she was doing when she wove a web of references into the decision: According to the Supreme Court Review, she is "a comic book fan and an avid fan of comic-book based action films."


The Obama administration just made medical marijuana research easier

In this photo taken Tuesday, May 5, 2015, marijuana plants grows at a Minnesota Medical Solutions greenhouse in Otsego, Minn. (Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP) A long-standing bureaucratic obstacle to privately-funded medical marijuana research has just been removed, effective immediately. Until today if you wanted to conduct marijuana research, you'd need to do the following: - Submit your study proposal to the Food and Drug Administration for a thorough review of its "scientific validity and ethical soundness." - Submit your proposal to a separate Public Health Service (PHS) board, which performs pretty much the exact same review as the FDA. - Get a marijuana permit from the Drug Enforcement Administration. - Finally, obtain a quantity of medical marijuana via the Drug Supply Program run by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which maintains a monopoly on medical marijuana grown for research in the U.S. As you might imagine, this can be a complicated, time-consuming process. Step 2, the PHS review, has been a subject of particular consternation among researchers and advocates. That step is not required for research into any other drug, including cocaine and heroin. The PHS review is nearly identical to the one performed by the FDA. Sometimes, it can take months to complete. In recent years, advocates of overhauling marijuana laws, researchers, members of Congress, and even marijuana legalization opponents have called for the PHS review to be eliminated in the name of streamlining research. This week, the Department of Health and Human Services agreed, determining that the PHS review process is redundant with the FDA review, and that it is "no longer necessary to support the conduct of scientifically-sound studies into the potential therapeutic uses of marijuana." "The president has often said that drug policy should be dictated by unimpeded science instead of ideology, and it’s great to see the Obama administration finally starting to take some real action to back that up," said Tom Angell of the Marijuana Majority, a pro-legalization group. Even those who oppose legalization agreed. "I think it's a sensible change; but people are being delusional if they think this will result in a flood of research on the drug," said Kevin Sabet of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, an anti-legalization group. "But it's a step in the right direction as the development of a non smoked cannabis medication goes forward." I've reached out to some researchers for reaction too, and will


Net of insecurity Part 3

past year finally has replaced hundreds of thousands of computers running Windows XP â an operating system first released in 2001, months before Gatesâs call to arms on product security â after the company withdrew free support after nearly 13 years. But as Microsoftâs products became more secure, hackers began feasting on alternative targets that did not get similar overhauls. âHackers are like water,â said Vigna, the computer scientist at the University of California at Santa Barbara. âThey always go for the path of least resistance. .â.â. If you put a plug in place, they will find another crack.â At the root is an issue raised by L0pht in its Senate testimony: The business incentives within the tech industry favor growth over security. And once companies get big enough that security is a major concern â as eventually happened to Microsoft â itâs extremely difficult to retrofit rigorous protections into systems built without them. Thompson, the Tennessee Republican who chaired the Senate panel in 1998 and left Congress in 2003, said in a recent interview that Internet security is the kind of problem the government has trouble fixing. âNumber one, itâs very difficult, and number two, thereâs no immediate political payoff for anyone.â Paul Nash, a.k.a. Silicosis, left, and Chris Wysopal, a.k.a. Weld Pond. The members of L0pht eventually quit their day jobs to join @Stake, a security company. âThe community we came from thought we were selling out to the Man, which of course we were,â Wysopal says. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) The rise of the black hats Some industry critics favor strict government standards and legal liability for failures, as long have existed for many critical offline systems such as cars, elevators and airplanes. Others would create an independent group, a tech industry equivalent to Underwriters Laboratories, which certifies the safety of electronic devices worldwide. Or perhaps insurance companies, which ultimately foot the bill for many cybersecurity incidents, may some day demand better safety practices from their clients, as insurers long have done for homes and cars. But others have argued that demands for greater security could damp innovation and make tech products harder to use. Given the industryâs increasingly central role in the national economy â and the massive expansion in tech lobbying power in Washington in recent years â tough new laws or regulations remain difficult to imagine. âThe only way to get in front of


What Pope Francis and scientists have in common when they look at the natural world

This image of the Crab Nebula, released by NASA and ESA (the European Space Agency) on Thursday, Dec. 1,2005, is one of the largest ever produced with the Hubble Space Telescope, the Earth-orbiting observatory. It gives the most detailed view so far of the entire nebula. The space agencies say the Crab Nebula is one of the most intricately structured and dynamic objects ever observed. (AP Photo/ NASA, ESA and Jeff Hester) This is the latest installment in a weekly column on energy and the environment — “Planetary.” This column will try to draw together major trends in this sphere and provide analysis and perspective that extend beyond our daily reporting. We welcome ideas from readers about major topics I should write about — click on my byline to email me, or tweet @chriscmooney. By now, people the world over have gotten a chance to look at the document that is deeply reshaping the global warming debate — Pope Francis’s encyclical, Laudato Si, or “Praise be.” The name comes from a phrase in St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Sun, in which the Pope’s namesake repeatedly praises God for his creation of the Earth, its animals, and the powerful forces it contains — water, fire, the air. In the phrase “Praise be”– and its history — may lie a key to the power of the encyclical. In particular, it may help to explain how this Pope, the leader of a church that has often been criticized for its dogmatism, has now formed a powerful allegiance with scientists by producing a document jammed with facts that affirms the planet’s plight. In one passage, discussing Saint Francis of Assisi, the Pope writes that, “Just as happens when we fall in love with someone, whenever he would gaze at the sun, the moon or the smallest of animals, he burst into song, drawing all other creatures into his praise.” And then the Pope says that to protect the environment, we need to feel the same way: If we approach nature and the environment without this openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs. By contrast, if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well


The real reason General Mills will cut fake flavors from cereals like Trix and Lucky Charms

in nutrition.” Still, some breakfast bowls will undergo a bit of a makeover: The new Trix, for instance, will kill off its fluorescent blue and green puffs, which chemists found hard to color without artificial dyes. [Subway is cutting fake colors and flavors. That won’t make it any healthier.] The move puts General Mills in the same food-conglomerate camp as Taco Bell, McDonald's and Kraft, which over the last year have loudly removed mostly-harmless additives in hopes of making their foods look fresher or more natural. But food experts said General Mills's changes are merely a marketing ploy, intended to make their cereals appear to be a healthier addition to breakfast bowls. "These companies are desperate to keep parents buying these really unhealthy foods ... and now they can trumpet ‘no artificial dyes’ as if that makes it a health food," said Michele Simon, a public-health attorney and president of Eat Drink Politics, a food-industry consulting firm. "These kid-oriented cereals are still extremely processed, have virtually no nutritional value and are fortified with vitamins because the real nutrients have been stripped in processing," Simon added. "If they really wanted to be healthier, they should stop bombarding children with messages to eat candy in a box." A General Mills representative points to puffs of Trix, old, left, and new. (Courtesy of General Mills) About 60 percent of General Mills's cereals — like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cheerios, Kix and Total — are already free of artificial colors, but the rest of the company's cereal aisle will drop the fake stuff by 2017. Prices won't change, the company said, when the new Trix and Reese's Puffs hit shelves this winter. Kate Gallagher, a company cereal developer, said some of the fake-ingredient removals have proven "more challenging than others." In Trix, "red is one where we haven't been able to get that same vibrant color, but we're still able to get a nice red that pops in the cereal bowl and is still a fun eating experience." The most herculean change, the company says, will come from removing fake colors and flavors from marshmallow-loaded cereals like Lucky Charms and Count Chocula because the spongy sugar balls are harder to reflavor than flakes of grain. "We are committed," Gallagher added, "to finding a way to keep the magically delicious taste." The Minneapolis-based General Mills is one of the world's biggest food giants and sold about


Forget drones. The Army could soon be using hovering speeder bikes.

(Malloy Aeronautics) Star Wars fans will no doubt remember that epic scene from "Return of the Jedi" in which Luke chases down a pair of fleeing scout troopers on a speeder bike. Well, get ready, because the U.S. military is designing a real-life version of that hovering vehicle. The prototype, which is being developed by Malloy Aeronautics and SURVICE Engineering, doesn't come with blaster cannons. But the Defense Department is imagining the carbon-fiber Hoverbike as a "multi-role tactical reconnaissance" vehicle that can be used to support a variety of missions, such as carrying supplies or gathering intelligence, according to Reuters. A hoverbike could soon become a reality, after British and American companies announce a deal with the U.S. Department of Defense at the Paris Airshow. The two companies have a contract with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, to do research and development on the Hoverbike, according to Malloy. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but U.K.-based Malloy is setting up an office in Maryland just so that it can test the product closer to its customer. The real selling point for the U.S. Army appears to be that hoverbikes offer a cheap, reliable alternative to traditional helicopters. It has fewer moving parts and is therefore easier to maintain, according to Malloy. A video of the quadcopter craft shows scale models pulling tight turns pretty low to the ground. Hoverbike Kickstarter Campaign The Hoverbike comes at a time when the Defense Department is investing heavily into unmanned robotic technology. In September, Malloy successfully wrapped up a Kickstarter for the project, collecting more than $101,000 for it. The company is trying to raise another $1.1 million on its Web site. This is the future of war. It won't be long before the military adapts these things to become listening platforms, pack carriers or even floating bombs. Of course, as Luke and his friends quickly discovered, all it takes to defeat a human riding on one of these is a clothesline.


Inaction on climate change would cost billions, major EPA study finds

Global Action,” seeks to measure the potential gains for Americans under an international accord to keeps global temperatures from rising by more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over historical averages. The study incorporates research from earlier peer-reviewed studies as well as modeling by scientists from the Energy Department’s Laboratory complex and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other centers. Researchers compared what would likely happen in a business-as-usual world, in which carbon-dioxide levels in the atmosphere soar to more than 800 parts per million by the year 2100, compared to levels of about 462 parts per million expected if aggressive action is taken over the coming decades to limit greenhouse-gas pollution. The report concludes that the effort expended in combating climate change would yield a substantial dividend for Americans, with the benefits accumulating over time. [Americans’ exposure to heat extremes could rise six-fold by mid-century] For example, improvements in air quality from reduced fossil-fuel emissions would lead to about 57,000 fewer premature deaths per year by 2100, the study said. Few extreme heat waves would result in 12,000 fewer deaths each year from heat-related illness, it said. Local governments would avoid tens of billions of dollars in damage from floods and other severe-weather events, while farmers would save up to $11 billion a year in damage to crops from a combination of drought, flooding and destructive storms. Tens of millions of acres of forests would be preserved because of fewer wildfires, the report said. “We not only have a moral obligation to act, but we also have an economic opportunity if we take smart but aggressive action to reduce gas emissions,” said Brian Deese, a special adviser to President Obama on environmental issues. The report’s authors acknowledged that they did not attempt to factor in all of the costs related to cutting greenhouses gases, or consider potential impacts overseas. Moreover, the study does not specify a strategy for keeping global temperatures from rising by more than 2 degrees Celsius. Diplomats from 197 countries will meet in Paris in December to try to negotiate a treaty on reducing carbon emissions, but many climate experts say the pact will likely fall short of that goal. But McCarthy pointed to the far greater costs of inaction, saying it was important start attacking the problem now. “It is really not too late to avoid the worst impacts of climate change,” she said.


Mother Nature is still the greatest innovator

across the sky. Even something basic like that the annoying cooling fan in your computer, say researchers, might be made quieter once it’s coated with this new material. And, of course, there’s a military application here as well – think stealth jet fighters that can noiselessly pick off unsuspecting targets. (Part of the funding for the project comes from the U.S. Office of Naval Research). Even if the term “biomimicry” only entered the innovation lexicon in the 1990s, this is not the first time in history that nature has been the inspiration for world-changing new innovations. Back in the 1500s, for example, Leonardo da Vinci started making sketches of flying machines inspired by birds. Humans have always been fascinated by nature’s ability to create wonderfully unique innovations. However, what appear to be some of Mother Nature’s simplest innovations – spider webs, for example – often turn out to be extraordinarily difficult to replicate in the lab. The classic example of an innovation inspired by nature, of course, is Velcro, which was modeled on the tiny hook-and-loop structure of burdock burrs. (According to innovation lore, a Swiss engineer out for a hike in the Alps with his dog thought up the concept for Velcro when some burrs got stuck to his clothing.) Digital display technologies found in some big-screen TVs are based on the unique color properties of butterfly wings. Self-cleaning glass is based on the properties of the lotus plant. There’s actually a fairly rich innovation literature around human attempts to mimic nature around it, mostly because Nature is wonderfully adept at making waterproof materials and finding new ways to heat or cool surfaces. After Janine Benyus published her groundbreaking book (“Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature”), R&D researchers have discovered growing numbers of applications for innovations found in nature (usually based around some creature that you’d never associate with innovation, such as the Namibian desert beetle). The goal in each case is to apply the natural genius of nature to solve real-world human problems. As Benyus explained in a 2009 TEDGlobal Talk, coral reefs can inspire better methods for making cement, bacteria-repellent sharks can inspire new ways to prevent hospital infections, leaf structures can inspire new types of solar cells and kingfisher birds can inspire new designs for bullet trains. On the Ask Nature Web site, in fact, you can match up potential innovations with the seemingly magical properties of


Nearly 30 percent of Americans are one emergency away from financial ruin

One quarter of Americans have no emergency savings. (iStock) With people less worried these days about losing their jobs, Americans are feeling much better about their finances. Yet after the bills are paid, many people struggle to keep extra cash in the bank. Some 29 percent of people don’t have money set aside to cover emergencies, up from 26 percent last year, according to an annual survey from Bankrate.com. The findings pointed to the lowest saving rates seen in five years. “This is the money that helps you sleep at night,” says Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate.com. “You know if something unplanned arises, you’ve got money squirreled away to cover it.” Many of the people who had savings didn’t have enough money to get them through a serious emergency or prolonged period of unemployment. About 20 percent of people said their savings would not last longer than three months, the amount often recommended by financial planners. At the same time, the number of people with substantial savings is falling. About 22 percent of people had enough cash to cover six months of expenses, the lowest level in five years. Why is it so hard to save? While more people are finding work and earning paychecks, those paychecks haven’t grown much over the past several years, McBride says. Once wages start to grow, that could lead to better saving habits in the near future, he says. Indeed, many people find there’s not much money left over after they’ve paid the bills, according to a separate study by Capital One Bank. About 25 percent of people said they are struggling just to “keep up with” their monthly bills like the mortgage, car payment and other expenses. One in 10 said they they spend more money than they earn. Still, people said they would be willing to make some sacrifices to boost their savings. Thirty-four percent of respondents said they would give up air conditioning if it meant having more money in the bank. Some 30 percent said they would give up their smartphones for six months. All of this is easier said than done, of course. But the changes needed to build saving habits don’t have to be drastic. People can start by saving $25 or $50 a month, increasing those amounts as they cut down on expenses elsewhere, says Nicole Lapin, a personal finance author. Others might be more


Main Street Morning: Instacart to give some contract workers employee status

Restaurants - Why customers will be paying more at diners and bakeries this summer. - A Nashville restaurant removes its Confederate flag artwork and Walmart stops selling Confederate flag merchandise. Finance - Ever wonder why small business lenders avoid talking about APR? Sales Marketing - Why programmatic advertising could be the future of marketing. - These ads show the most awkward times brands tried to target Millennials. - General Mills says it will remove artificial colors and flavors from its cereals. - What Instagram’s new ad business means for brands. Start-ups - A start-up raises $7 million to scale its same-day B2B delivery service. - How this start-up saved 200,000 pounds of food. Opportunities - The top five trends that are transforming U.S. energy. Online - Laxative teas seem to bring out the best (relatively speaking) in every one of Amazon’s many, esteemed reviewers. - Google broadens the availability of a couple of its cloud services for working with applications packaged up in containers. - A 17th-century word that didn’t exist on the Internet is now setting the digital world aflame. Social Media - The side of Taylor Swift’s Apple slam that no one’s talking about. Technology - Consumers spend 85 percent of their time on smartphones in apps, but only five apps see heavy use. Ideas - A sleep away camp for adults is just like when you were kids but with more alcohol and sex. - The Boozelator System aims to remove drunk drivers from the roads. Around the Country - NPR listeners outraged over Kim Kardashian interview. - South Carolina’s governor and CEOs want the state to take down its Confederate flag. - A famous New York cheesecake bakery moves its operations to New Jersey. Around the World - Pope Francis has his harshest words yet for the gun manufacturing industry. - Inflation is so bad in Venezuela that an iPhone costs more than $47,000. - Why the Netherlands is telling its tech start-ups to leave the country. - Greece offers new proposals to avoid default. - France attempts to blame Nutella for global warming. - China sees itself building an “American-style” entrepreneurial class. - British small business confidence picks up. Gene Marks owns the Marks Group, a Bala Cynwyd PA consulting firm that helps clients with customer relationship management. Follow Gene Marks and On Small Business on Twitter. News we should know about? Email us here.


How American occupation led to Japan’s ‘war on dance’

The Toranomon Hills, center left, and Atago Green Hills, center right, both developed by Mori Building, stand illuminated as seen from the observation deck of the Tokyo Tower at night in Tokyo on May 6, 2015. (Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg News) After a year of legal wrangling, Japan's parliament voted last week to relax laws that had officially banned dancing after midnight in clubs and bars. It's an important shift for cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, known for their burgeoning nightlife scenes: Although the ban had been barely implemented for decades, in the past few years it had been used to justify a number of raids. In the neon-soaked world of modern dance clubs, a midnight dancing curfew may sound like a relic from another era. It is: The Law on Control and Improvement of Amusement Business (better known as fueiho in Japan) that created the ban dates to 1948. And Japan may have Americans to thank for it. Why? Well, the law emerged during the U.S.-led occupation of Japan, which began at the end of World War II in 1945 and lasted until 1952. It was a time of immense change in Japan, with the Allies attempting to reshape an Imperial Japanese society in the mold of a Western democracy. By the end of World War II, many in Japan — spurred in part by government propaganda and the knowledge of what Japanese troops had done in places they had occupied — were fearful that occupying American troops might commit mass rapes on Japanese soil. Although rape on the scale feared may not have taken place, there are certainly many accounts of rapes by U.S. troops, notably after the battle of Okinawa in 1945. Perhaps compounding the problem were the very different attitudes toward women between Japan and the United States during the period. Whereas World War II brought with it a small amelioration in the status of women's rights in the United States, it led to a further tightening of controls for women in Japan. Historian Yukiko Koshiro has noted that the courteous way that U.S. GIs treated women was viewed by the Japanese as "ridiculous," in part because of its "flirtatious nature." In response to these concerns, government-approved brothels were hurriedly opened in 1945 as American forces entered Japan en masse. "Sadly, we police had to set up sexual comfort stations for the occupation troops," the official history


New jobs in region will boost number of low-income households, study says

less than the median income, a big question is where the new workers will be able to afford to live. [Why do people move out of D.C.? Housing.] “Housing that is affordable is essential to our region’s economic growth, thriving business community and high-quality of life for our residents and workforce,” said Heather Raspberry, executive director of the Housing Association for Nonprofit Developers, which is holding its annual convention this week in Washington. A worker takes a break from building the affordable housing complex Arlington Mill in 2013, where more than 3,000 people applied for 122 apartments. (Photo by Patricia Sullivan/The Washington Post) By 2023, the region is forecast to have 2.5 million households. About 36 percent will be low-income, very low-income or extremely low-income households — in essence, any family of four whose income is less than $66,750. “The overall demand for multi-family units is expected to grow somewhat faster than the demand for single-family detached and attached units for the region and in nearly every jurisdiction,” the report said. “Notably, the increase in demand for rental units will outpace the demand for owned units in the majority of Suburban Maryland and the closer-in jurisdictions in Northern Virginia.” [An affordable housing crisis with no end in sight] What will draw new residents will be the job market. Another 380,700 new jobs are expected to be added to the greater Washington region’s existing 3.2 million jobs by 2023, and the retirement of baby boomers, who currently fill more than 560,000 jobs, will leave an even larger number of vacant positions. But the shrinking numbers of federal jobs will ensure that not all of those will be filled, the study says. The report did not estimate how many of these new jobs would be low-wage. Almost 46 percent of the new and vacated jobs will be located in northern Virginia, with Fairfax County, Fairfax City and Falls Church City accounting for a third of them, a direct result of the new Silver Line Metro corridor and other developments. [Silver Line is over budget and behind schedule] Suburban Maryland will have 258,930 new jobs by 2023, including 121,460 in Montgomery County and 77,580 in Prince George’s County. The District will have the largest share of new jobs of any jurisdiction at 21 percent. The location of these jobs will influence where these new workers choose to live and the resulting commuting patterns.


Three-on-three basketball should be an Olympic sport

(Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters) Forget baseball, softball, surfing, rock-climbing, tug-of-war or any of the other sports that have been suggested for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Forget even korfball, which should be included because of its name alone. Three-on-three basketball should be the next Olympic sport. Tell me you wouldn’t watch a gold medal game between the United States (comprising Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul) and Australia (featuring Kyrie Irving — born in Melbourne and has dual citizenship — Matthew Dellavedova and Andrew Bogut). Or, alternately, the three best non-professional streetball players from the United States against the three best from any other country where all you need is a ball and a hoop. After a tryout at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, three-on-three is one of the sports on display at the otherwise disastrous European Games in Azerbaijan and apparently is a hit. Tom Hayward of Reuters breaks down three-on-three’s international rules: In official competition, matches last 10 minutes or until the first team gets 21 points, allowing many players to compete in multiple fast and furious games within a short span of time. It is played between teams of three, with one substitute, wearing standard basketball shorts and vest on a court measuring 15 meters (49 feet) wide by 11 meters (36 feet) long with one hoop instead of two. Baskets scored within the arc are worth one point while shots from outside are worth two, but must be scored within an allocated 12-second shot clock. The one sticking point, as alluded to earlier: Would you rather see pros or streetball amateurs playing Olympic three-on-three? Obviously, the top NBA stars almost certainly will stick with the five-on-five indoor game, but what about the ones who don’t make the cut? Or, alternately, each country could hold an amateur tournament to determine which teams they send to the Games. In either case: Nothing but eyeballs. Sadly, we won’t be seeing three-on-three basketball at the Olympics anytime soon, even though FIBA says 250 million people play the sport worldwide. It’s not on the schedule for Rio next year and wasn’t one of the sports petitioning to be included for Tokyo 2020. But 2024 seems doable, especially if Boston gets its act together and somehow wins the bid. Under recent IOC reforms, host cities now are allowed to propose the inclusion of one or more new sports that have a certain local


An increasing number of low-income college students have no financial cushion

and Hispanic students, who make up a growing percentage of the college population, still come from households with far less income and wealth than white students. Nearly two-thirds of African American undergraduates receive Pell funding, as do 51 percent of Latino undergrads, according to the Education Department. [Minorities and poor college students are shouldering the most student debt] "We have growing inequality that we know exists in terms of wages and salaries," said Margaret Cahalan, director of the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education. "When you have a society where half of students are eligible for free and reduced lunch, it should be no surprise that students have no resources when they get to college." Goldrick-Rab said Pell recipients may be a lot worse off than the data shows because of the way the government calculates financial aid. The FAFSA form, which is used to determine aid, does not ask questions about debt. It also judges the expected contribution of a family living below the poverty line the same as one teetering on the edge, masking the full extent of aid a student might need. Nine out of 10 Pell recipients who graduate from four-year colleges have student loans and owe on average $4,750 more than their peers, according to the Institute for the College Access and Success (TICAS). These students have few choices but to borrow as states are cutting need-based aid and Congress is threatening to do the same. [House Republicans want to cut back grants for poor college students] Twelve states and the District now spend more on scholarships and grants that are based on academic achievement instead of financial need, according to the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs. Middle- and upper-income students who can afford college prep classes and tutors disproportionately benefit from merit-based aid, meaning students with the means to pay for college are getting more money than those without. Meanwhile, congressional Republicans are supporting a budget plan that would eliminate guaranteed funding for Pell, which advocacy group the Committee for Education Funding said could result in the maximum award declining by 15 percent. Even at its current level, with maximum awards topping $5,775 per school year, Pell covers barely a third of the cost of college, according to TICAS. "We're going to see college completion rates go down if these policies continue," Goldrick-Rab said. "Folks are


Yes, there’s a hoverboard in a new Lexus ad. No, you can’t have it.

The "Slide" advert prototype hoverboard. (Lexus) Sorry, Marty McFly -- Lexus isn't about to bring hoverboards to a dealership near you. Toyota's luxury brand teased a hoverboard prototype in a short video released online this week that's created a splash: Lexus has created a real, rideable hoverboard The video features a skateboarder speeding along concrete when he is met with a hoverboard. The board appears to float a few inches off the ground before the video cuts out, just as the skateboard starts to step on to it. But Toyota is not planning to sell the board anytime soon. It "partnered" with outside researchers to create the prototype, which uses magnets and liquid nitrogen cooled superconductors to hover above the ground, according to a press release. Presumably, like other magnet-based levitation tech, that means that it requires a metal course -- although the teaser video appears to show it above concrete. The video, which was shot in Barcelona, is a small slice of a longer commercial, according to Lexus Communications Manager Moe Durand. Titled "Slide," the advert will be part of a series called "Amazing in Motion" based on words that start with the letter "s," like "Strobe," "Swarm" and "Steps" that try to tie the rush of wonder people feel about the future to the brand. "Back to the Future II," which featured the original hoverboard, came out in 1989, but the concept of a floating skateboards is still captivating the Internet. Last year, pro-skater Tony Hawk was in a prank video featuring a fake Marty McFly-style board called HUVr. Hawk made up for the joke by producing a video of himself trying out a real-life version of a hoverboard, known as the HendoBoard which raised more than $500,000 on Kickstarter. Certainly, the Lexus ad campaign is already creating a lot of buzz: Durand said his phone had been ringing off the hook since the early morning hours.


Former Table chef Patrick Robinson moves to the Ashby Inn

As The Post's Tom Sietsema wrote last month, "Keep an eye on Patrick Robinson." The former chef at Table in Shaw will succeed David Dunlap at the Ashby Inn & Restaurant in Paris, Va., a spokeswoman announced today. The changeover comes after Dunlap left the inn for the forthcoming Quirk Hotel in Richmond last month. [Ashby Inn chef David Dunlap is leaving for Richmond] WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Chef de Cuisine Patrick Robinson prepares a sample dish in the outdoor kitchen at Table on Saturday, June 14, 2014 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Amanda Voisard/For the Washington Post) Under Dunlap, the pastoral Ashby Inn was commended for a diverse menu spanning kimchi-spiked polenta and Moroccan-style hummus. Robinson, who also previously served as executive sous-chef at the late Citronelle in Georgetown, focused his Table menu on local and seasonal dishes. He left the Shaw restaurant last month shortly after making plans to move to the Virginia suburbs to spend more time with his family, the Washington City Paper reported. [Table review: Still making a fashion statement] Robinson will start July 1, working alongside new Ashby Inn general manager Reza Sabahi.


For-profit colleges aggressively target veterans for enrollment. These Democrats want it to stop.

that filed for bankruptcy last month amid allegations of predatory lending and lying to the government about its programs, received $186 million in military tuition funding. [Five questions on regulating for-profit college] “While not every for-profit college is a bad actor, one veteran mistreated is one veteran too many," Carper said, in a statement. "We need to use common sense here. It doesn’t make sense for taxpayers to send veterans to for-profit schools that can be 100 percent subsidized using taxpayers’ dollars.” Congress first capped the amount of taxpayer dollars for-profit colleges could receive at 85 percent in 1992 to crack down on fly-by-night schools making money from student aid programs. The government figured a for-profit school with quality programs should have no trouble deriving at least 15 percent of its revenue from students willing to put up their own money. The for-profit industry fought tirelessly against the rule, which was relaxed six years later as the cap was raised to 90 percent, and military education benefits were exempted. "These for-profit colleges charge twice as much as regular schools. Students give their Pell Grants, their G.I. Bill benefits and student loans to these schools...more than 90 percent of their revenue comes right out of the federal treasury," Durbin, who plans to introduce separate legislation to reinstitute the 85/15 rule, said in a news conference Wednesday. "It's a little hard to defend." Industry groups take issue with the senator's characterization of for-profit colleges and argue that veterans choose their schools because of the service they provide. "The only effect that the proposed changes will have will be limiting access to education for the students who need it most," said Noah Black of the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, which represents for-profit schools. The aggressive recruitment practices of for-profit colleges came to light in a 2012 Senate investigation, which found evidence of schools deploying teams at veterans hospitals and wounded warrior centers to enroll students. Investigators said recruiters misled or lied to service members about their military benefits covering the full cost of tuition. Despite the widespread attention the Senate investigation received, it failed to galvanize Congress to stop abuses in the for-profit industry. A series of bills to close the funding loophole since 2012 have failed to gain enough support to pass, and there is little indication that this latest attempt will have greater success. There is not a


North Korea unveils a gleaming new airport terminal featuring high-end stores and chocolate fondue

Kim Jong Un recently visited a shiny new terminal at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, according to photographs released by state media on Thursday that showcase amenities that — in all honesty — would make many domestic travelers in the United States jealous. A three-page spread in the newspaper Rodong Sinmun showed shops selling fancy clothes and jewellery, as well as Kim inspecting an espresso cafe and a wine bar. International confectionery brands such as Mars Bars are visible for sale in one duty-free shop. Leader Kim Jong Un toured the new terminal at Pyongyang International Airport, and it features plenty of fancy amenities. In one image, Kim is even seen inspecting what appears to be a chocolate fondue set. "He was very satisfied to see the terminal well built as required by modern architectural beauty and national character," Rodong Sinmum reported. (Rodong Sinmun) North Korea may be under international sanctions and have a reputation as a "hermit kingdom," but in recent years it has attempted to become a tourism mecca. Officials aim to eventually attract 1 million visitors a year, though current numbers are thought to be closer to 100,000, with only about 5,000 to 6,000 Europeans visiting each year, according to some sources. However, North Korea's grand aspirations have run into hurdles — often of its own creation. The country, a notorious police state, has arrested a number of Western tourists, for example, and last year it shut down its borders because of the Ebola crisis — a move that many considered an overreaction. In Pyongyang, a symbol of North Korea's failed tourism dreams looms on the horizon: The 105-story Ryugyong Hotel, where construction started in 1987 but was never completed, despite several attempts. The opening of the airport terminal comes at what might be a difficult time for North Korea. Recently, Pyongyang announced that the country was facing its worst drought in 100 years. It's unclear whether this is a real problem or simply an attempt to gain sympathy from abroad — but either way a new airport terminal with a chocolate fondue station doesn't look so great in these circumstances. More on WorldViews Why is North Korea suddenly talking about the ‘worst drought in 100 years’? The sad story of Kim Jong Chul, the North Korean leader’s brother and Eric Clapton megafan North Korea releases list of U.S. ‘human rights abuses': ‘The U.S. is a living hell’


Norway is creating a ‘bee highway’ to protect pollinators

Bees are threatened all over the world, and planting flowers is one easy way to help them. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post) The city of Oslo now has what it's calling a bee highway — a path of flowering plants designed to keep bees well-fed as they pass through the urban area. Supporters hope that initiatives like this one can help protect bees — one third of Norway's native bee species are now endangered — and by extension protect the crops that rely on bees for pollination. The idea is pretty simple: The Oslo Garden Society has placed flowerpots full of bee-friendly plants on roofs and balconies throughout the city, creating a route for bees to travel through without starving. A Web site shows locals where more flower coverage is needed and encourages them to plant more. [Graphic: We all get stung by bee colony collapse] “The idea is to create a route through the city with enough feeding stations for the bumblebees all the way,” Tonje Waaktaar Gamst of the Oslo Garden Society told a local paper in May. “Enough food will also help the bumblebees withstand man-made environmental stress better.” Agence France-Presse reports [Why you shouldn’t freak out about swarming honeybees — and how to save bees from those who do] The decline of the pollinating bee — and the potential causes of that decline, which could include fungi, pests, lack of food and pesticide use — is a subject of much debate. But while the restriction of pesticides like neonicotinoids, which some believe have an adverse effect on honeybees, may not make sense without more evidence, planting flowers is a fix that's hard to argue with. Besides, research suggests that so-called “green spaces” in urban areas — ones with trees, grass, flowers, and animals — are beneficial to human health and wellness. So planting flowers for transient bees is really a win-win. Those outside of Oslo can take advantage of a similar site with a global reach. The Pollinator Partnership encourages individuals to create bee-friendly environments on their property and add them to an online map. Read More: Bill Nye explains how climate change works (with emoji, obviously) New studies find that bees actually want to eat the pesticides that hurt them How the White House plans to help the humble bee maintain its buzz