A fight at the museum: When fossil fuels fuel fossils

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History opened its David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins in 2010. (Bill O’Leary/THE WASHINGTON POST) Three dozen scientists sent an open letter Tuesday to museums of natural history calling on them to cut ties with the Koch brothers and anyone else with connections to the fossil-fuel industry. In the letter, and a subsequent petition related specifically to the billionaire Koch brothers, the scientists contend that museums of science and natural history should not be associated with “those who profit from fossil fuels or fund lobby groups that misrepresent climate science.” The petition specifically calls for David Koch to be kicked off the boards of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington. The movement is being organized by a new “mobile” museum called the Natural History Museum, a pop-up whose exhibitions appear in existing institutions. The scientists plan to present the petitions to the museums in New York and Washington before their respective spring board meetings. Koch, the billionaire conservative donor and executive vice president of Koch Industries, donated $35 million in 2012 for a new Smithsonian dinosaur hall. He had previously given $15 million to the museum’s Hall of Human Origins, which is named for him. At the New York museum, he donated $20 million to a dinosaur wing that is also named after him. Randall Kremer Kremer told the Loop that the Kochs wouldn’t be supporting the museum if they “did not understand the science behind our public programs.” (The Smithsonian has been unequivocal in its belief that climate change is man-made.) Koch did not respond to the letter, but Ken Spain, Koch’s managing director for external relations e-mailed a statement to us: “David Koch and the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation have pledged or contributed more than $1.2 billion to educational institutions and cultural institutions, cancer research, medical centers, and to assist public policy organizations. Mr. Koch remains committed to supporting these causes.” It’s improbable that the museums are going to cut off a top benefactor. But the letter, signed by scientists from universities and environmental interest groups, is likely to be an irritant. (Actor Mark Ruffalo tweeted links repeatedly Tuesday to his 1.39 million followers.) Enviros have long pointed to the Kochs’ support for climate-change deniers. And several Democratic senators have wanted to investigate whether the


D.C. news in brief

Pepco offers free trees to customers through program Pepco is offering about 1,500 free trees to District and Maryland customers through a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, a nonprofit conservation group. The species offered are eastern redbud, crape myrtle, northern red oak, red maple and river birch. Each household can reserve up to two trees, which are two to four feet tall. The trees will be delivered at an optimal time for planting. Recipients are expected to plant them in the most strategic location as determined by an online tool. To apply, go to arborday.org/pepcotrees. For information, call 855-670-2771. Grants available to preserve D.C. neighborhood history The Humanities Council of Washington, D.C., and the D.C Preservation Office are offering Community Heritage Project grants of up to $2,500 for projects that document the city’s history. A major goal of the program is to have residents preserve the stories of their communities as new construction and demographic shifts hasten neighborhood change. Free one-hour workshops on the grant process are offered from 6 to 7 p.m. next Thursday at the Takoma Park Library, 416 Cedar St. NW; and April 9 at Lamond-Riggs Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE. Online ticketing is required. The next grant deadline is May 8, and the grant period is from June 15 to Oct. 15. For information, go to www.wdchumanities.org/grants. Arts commission seeks entries for writing contest The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities is accepting submissions for the Larry Neal Writers’ Competition. Cash awards and prizes are given for winners in poetry, essay, dramatic writing and short story categories. Applicants may submit in only one category. The contest is open to all ages. Entries must be submitted by 4 p.m. April 17. Winners will be announced at a ceremony May 27 in the Kogod Cradle at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. For information and to submit entries, go to www.dcarts.dc.gov, e-mail david.markey@dc.gov or call 202-724-5613. Agency releases report on language access The D.C. Office of Human Rights recently released its annual report on compliance with the D.C. Language Access Act, which mandates access to city services for people who speak limited or no English. Fiscal 2014 marked the 10th anniversary of the act. The regulations guiding its implementation were updated, a protocol was adopted for visits by public officials to linguistically diverse neighborhoods, and the District officially joined the Welcoming Cities Initiative — a


Montgomery County Animal Watch

These cases were received by the Montgomery County Animal Services Division. For information, call 240-773-5900. This number provides recorded information on topics such as the new animal services and adoption center’s hours and location in Derwood, adoption and licensing procedures, and lost-and-found and field services. A threatening manner: Dog kills chickens: Potbelly pig bites man: Reduced fees for cat adoption: Germantown Adopt dogs and cats at MCHS no-kill rescue: Rockville Adoptable cats at no-kill shelter: Gaithersburg Adopt or foster rescue dogs: Rockville — Compiled by Lisa M. Bolton


Going Out Guide for the District of Columbia, March 26-April 1, 2015

Jessica Lang Dance performs Saturday at Lisner Auditorium. ( Takao Komaru) THU 26 Baby Bry Bry and the Apologists The Luce Unplugged series continues with a concert by the D.C. punk band. 5:30-7 p.m. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-7970.americanart.si.edu. Free. Kid Creole and the Coconuts “Monster Fish: In Search of the Last River Giants” FRI 27 Don’t Block the Box “Tap Into Love” “NSO Pops: Do You Hear the People Sing La Grande Fête SAT 28 Blossom Kite Festival Cherry Blossom Celebration Jessica Lang Dance The Capital City Showcase “Stained Paintings: 1964-1970” SUN 29 Dead Men’s Hollow “Cutting-Edge Spanish Crafts” Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital MON 30 “Lights Rise on Grace” TUE 31 Gretchen Rubin The author discusses her book “Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives.” 7 p.m. Sixth and I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. 202-408-3100. www.sixthandi.org. $15, ticket plus book $30, two tickets plus book $40. Joshua Bell Whitey Morgan the 78’s WED 01 “The Painted Word” — Compiled by Carrie Donovan from staff reports


Heinz to acquire Kraft Foods in mega-merger

buyout kings, would produce a household-name powerhouse that its new leaders said will slash jobs and an estimated $1.5 billion a year in costs. With that leanness, the new company is expected to invest in sprucing up its healthful image. Kraft has already pushed to remove artificial coloring from some of its cheeses, and last year it unveiled an Oscar Meyer meat-and-cheese-cube combo called the P3 Portable Protein Pack. But it could be a tough sell. “If you were to ask, ‘What’s the core thing you associate with those two brands,’ ” said Hugh Tallents, a partner at management consultancy cg42, “healthy eating would not be in the top things anyone says.” Don’t expect a healthier Kraft Heinz food giant to appear overnight. All artisanal foods aside, these companies will still likely count on a market for classic comfort foods. “There is still a good part of America that fills their pantry with these products, to the tune of tens of billions of dollars a year,” said Bruce Cohen, a partner leading the retail private equity and strategy practice at consulting firm Kurt Salmon. “As much as my kids like organic crackers, they really still love ketchup.” Though the push to simpler, healthier eating was long derided as a fad, analysts said the strengthening sales of fresh-food upstarts have forced packaged-food conglomerates to take notice. Organic-food sales jumped 11 percent in 2013, to $35 billion, Organic Trade Association data show. Sales of high-protein wellness bars are growing at more than twice the speed of the overall food industry. Some packaged-food giants have spent heavily with hopes of capturing the growing trend toward healthier cuisine. General Mills said in September it would pay $820 million to buy Annie’s, which makes organic and unrefined food. Hershey, the chocolate titan, expanded into natural snacks in January by buying Krave Pure Foods, a maker of “healthy gourmet jerky.” Even Nestlé USA, maker of Baby Ruth and Butterfinger, said earlier this year it would remove artificial flavors and colors from more than 250 of its chocolate bars. Blaming “changes in consumer preferences” for sliding sales of its meal and dessert brand, Kraft has been unable to shake its preservative-packed legacy. Earlier this month, health advocates slammed a nutrition seal added to Kraft Singles, the lunchbox-size slices of “Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product.” Other bad headlines haven’t helped, including a recall this month of more than 6


D.C. community calendar, March 26-April 1, 2015

Thursday, March 26 Therapeutic yoga classes Garden tour and kids in snugglers Treasure quest Washington Cathedral behind-the-scenes ActionAid: Safe Cities Campaign for Women Patriotism, protest and the presidency Cooking demonstration Walk with a ranger A National Park Service ranger leads a walking tour of America’s front yard, sampling the memorials and the landscape of our history. Daily from 2-4 p.m. Lincoln Memorial, 23rd Street NW and West Potomac Park. 202-426-6841. Free. Afterschool lounge Teen tutor Chess for kids Luce unplugged with Baby Bry Bry The Apologists Jameson Rogers and Sarah McDonald “Black Ice ” “Rickover: The Birth of Nuclear Power ” Okay, I’ve Watched the Film, Now What? An Impact Filmmaking Panel with Experts in the Field “The Vanquishing of the Witch Baba Yaga” “Freedom’s Song: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War” Then and now: Women in civil rights leadership “Slow Falling Bird” “The Lower Depths ” “Laugh ” “The Norwegians ” “Man of La Mancha ” “The Originalist” “Shear Madness” Friday, March 27 Seniors line dancing U.S. Botanic Garden lunchtime tour “Song of the Sea ” Pipe organ concert Classical piano recital Kennedy Center comedy “The Leopard in the Land” “Who Owns Water” Groove theory hip-hop showcase Evening with T.C. Boyle Saturday, March 28 Cherry Blossom running tour Faberge egg festival Eggstravaganza Easter Bunny visit, egg roll and more Cherry Blossom ranger talks Friendship Between Nations Family Day Decorative impulse: Panel discussion Chocolate: Health benefits, botany, tasting Staged reading marathon Carillon concert Portrait story days: Toni Morrison “Of Oozies and Elephants ” Cherry Blossom bike tour “City Under the Sea” “Levitated Mass ” Storytelling science Classical music concert “Silent No More” Lantern walk Adriane Fang and Gesel Mason Performance projects. Sunday, March 29 All aboard: Beyond the Tidal Basin tram tour Art Signs Pups ’n’ Petals dog walk Classical music concert Bach’s “St. John Passion” Dead Men’s Hollow concert Rob Kapilow’s What Makes It Great? Monday, March 30 Income tax assistance Therapeutic yoga classes for cancer patients Mental health and HIV confidential group “RSC Live: Love’s Labour’s Lost” Fiction fun with Gary Hall “Lights Rise on Grace” Tuesday, March 31 Chair yoga Classical music concert Sketching workshop Growing gardeners Cherry blossom tour and tea Help for elementary, middle and high school students on all subjects Cathedral in quiet contemplation Irving Berlin: the last of the troubadours Looking West: Ataturk and the Creation of Modern Turkey Temperance and woman suffrage:


U of Md. student will not return to school after racist, sexist e-mail

according to a top university official. According to an e-mail from Linda Clement, vice president for student affairs at the university, “by mutual consent between the student involved, his family and the University” the student would not come back to the school for the year. It was not exactly clear whom she sent the e-mail to. The story was first reported by the Diamondback, the university’s student newspaper. The student is involved in an incident from a January 2014 e-mail that was posted to the Internet recently. That e-mail contained a racist, sexist message indicating that he wanted to have sex with women during rush week but didn’t want people to invite women of certain races. The note also contains a line using an expletive to indicate that “above all else” to forget about “consent.” The student newspaper also reported that Clement and other university officials have met with student group leaders to discuss the issue and how to make improvements at the school. Clement’s e-mail also said the Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life will begin mandatory training programs on sexual assault and hazing prevention and drug and alcohol education. University of Maryland President Wallace Loh has said the school became aware of the message on March 10. He has said in a previous statement that the “vulgar language in the email expresses views that are reprehensible to our campus community.” Loh said the university was “deeply saddened by the impact this email is having on our community.” The Maryland case comes at a time of increased scrutiny of Greek life following a viral video that showed members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at the University of Oklahoma chapter singing a song with a derogatory word for African Americans. Two students at that school have been expelled, and officials there shut down the chapter’s house at the campus. The fraternity has said that the student was “immediately suspended” from its chapter pending an investigation. The student’s parents have declined to comment. In an earlier statement, the fraternity said “the language and views expressed in the email were inexcusable and are in stark contrast to the values of Kappa Sigma Fraternity.” “They are counter to everything Kappa Sigma stands for.” The group called the incident “clearly unfortunate,” but said it was pleased to see the “swift and decisive action” taken by its chapter at Maryland. Susan Svrluga contributed to this report.


Public picks names for two Andean bear cubs at National Zoo

help in naming the black balls of fur in a roughly week-long search. Telling the two black balls of fur apart is a bit tough, but zoo officials said the two cubs have distinctive facial markings. Muniri has a slightly longer light brown line in between his eyes; Mayni does not have such a pronounced line. And their personalities are different. Zoo officials have said Mayni is a bit more rambunctious and “seems to need Mom’s attention a bit more than his brother.” His brother, Muniri, is described as playful and “likes to wrestle but is more laid back.” Zoo officials said that now that the bears have been named, it will help staff members as they teach them certain behaviors like opening their mouth, showing their paws, getting up on a bench and lying down. These learned behaviors are necessary, zoo officials said, to help staff give them vaccinations and care for their health. The cubs are trained one-on-one, and zoo keepers will call the cubs by their respective names into different enclosures, officials said. Every time a bear does one of its new, learned behaviors, the keepers will use positive reinforcement and call them by name. And they’ll get a treat — either grapes or peanuts, which are their favorites. The cubs have been getting used to their area since early March. A bed of hay is spread around the area to keep them safe as they explore, play and fall from trees and stumps. The cubs will remain with their mother, Billie Jean, for about one year, the zoo said. It is a popular tradition at the zoo to seek the public’s help in naming newborn animals. The zoo’s popular panda cub was named Bao Bao after the public voted. Zoo officials said more than 8,000 votes were cast for the Andean bear names. Each cub received about half the votes. Andean bears are the only bear species native to South America, and, as their name suggests, they live in the Andes and outlying mountain ranges. They are listed as vulnerable on a conservation nature list, and it is estimated that there are about 20,000 in the wild. At the National Zoo, these two cubs are the third litter of cubs born there since 2010. They are one of only five surviving litters born at zoos in North America in the past 10 years, zoo officials said.


Sure, bring the kids! Try these family-friendly activities in D.C.

minutes before each event begins; check the park’s Web site for the schedule). After visiting the Nature Center, take a short stroll to the Horse Center and visit the barn. (Keep an eye out for signs saying whether a particular horse bites.) You can thrill a young equestrian with a 15-minute pony ride ($20), which is offered on weekends from April through October and on weekdays from June through August, although reservations are required. Kids can dance, drum or just take it all in during the Sunday drum circle gatherings at Meridian Hill Park in Northwest Washington. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post) Parks, gardens and places to run Kids love to be outside, and these spots will let them have fun while burning off some energy. We have more suggestions online, including regional parks with miniature trains, huge playgrounds and a farm with llamas and rabbits. Beauvoir Playground 3500 Woodley Rd. NW. www.beauvoirschool.org. Free. The private Beauvoir school, next to the National Cathedral, has one of the most impressive playgrounds in the area, with a zip line, rope bridges, rocks to climb and multi-level slides. When school and camp are not in session — weekends, for instance — the playground is open to the public. It’s easy to pair an afternoon at Beauvoir with a trip to the nearby 2 Amys (see below) or other kid-friendly dining spots. DC Ducks Tour Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE. www.dcducks.com. Ducks depart every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adults $39; Children 12 and under $29. 10 percent discount for pre-purchase online. D.C. residents tour for free with a paid out-of-town guest when they sign up online. After you’ve lived in D.C. for a minute, you’ll swear you’ll never, ever take one of those touristy double-decker buses around the city. But if your visitors request a tour to see the sights, the DC Ducks is the most interesting and kid-friendly option. At Union Station, you board a World War II amphibious vehicle, which trundles past the White House and monuments on the way to the Memorial Bridge. Once in Virginia, the Duck “drives” into the Potomac, and then motors down the river towards Reagan National Airport before returning to dry land. It’s a view of the monuments you won’t get anywhere else. One word of warning: Everyone who boards receives a duckbill-shaped “quacker,” which they’re encouraged to


Washington, and they’re still worth the rave reviews. Some childless Washingtonians avoid the place because of all the rugrats, but parents will welcome the chance to enjoy a gourmet pizza or Italian snack in a family-friendly atmosphere. The Argonaut 1433 H St. NE. 202-250-3660. www.argonautdc.com. The Argonaut is known for its pub quiz, science experiment night and large patio, but it also offers one of the few family-friendly atmospheres to be found among H Street’s bustling bars and nightspots. Every Wednesday starting at 5 p.m., kids 12 and younger eat free from the kids menu, which includes peanut butter and honey sliders, house-made applesauce and child-size fish tacos. Brookland Pint 716 Monroe St. NE. 202-758-2757. www.brooklandpint.com. The Brookland neighborhood is home to many young families, and its growing restaurant scene is increasingly welcoming to customers of all ages. Brookland Pint, with its focus on American craft beers, will interest IPA-loving parents and also appeal to their thrifty side: On Tuesdays, kids 12 and younger get any entree on the menu for free, including miniburgers or cheese quesadillas. Comet Ping Pong 5037 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-0404. www.cometpingpong.com. You’ll find two kinds of people in Comet Ping-Pong on a weekend: Families who come to enjoy the pizzas and let their kids burn off energy on with free-to-play table tennis, and music fans who show up later in the night to catch some of the area’s top punk and indie acts. The Northwest restaurant is equally comfortable for both groups. Franklin’s Restaurant 5123 Baltimore Ave., Hyattsville, Md. 301-927-2740. www.franklinsbrewery.com. Now in its third decade in Hyattsville, Franklin’s got its start as an old-fashioned general store selling everything from rubber chickens to plush puppets to gourmet hot sauce. The adjoining restaurant and brewpub offers great sandwiches and stellar beers, but the real fun is letting your kids pick out something from the store before your meal. Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak Stone Crab 750 15th St. NW. 202-489-0140. www.joes.net. You might not expect an expense-account restaurant a stone’s throw from the White House to welcome the tiniest diners, but check out the Kid’s Club menu, which will keep them occupied with word games, mazes and coloring activities. Whether your foodie-in-training needs the $16.95 colossal lump crab cake is an individual decision — other options include mini cheeseburgers or crispy fried shrimp for $8.95 — but this white-table seafood spot is great for parents marking a


A year into a conflict with Russia, are sanctions working?

Rosneft, Russia’s largest oil producer, also was sanctioned and has sought billions in state loans. At the same time, more than $150 billion flowed out of Russia last year. The effects of the sanctions on Kremlin policymaking are difficult to assess, analysts say, since there is no way to know whether the economic pressure helped avert an even bloodier fight in Ukraine. Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said in an interview that sectoral sanctions had held Putin back from rolling far deeper into Ukraine, but he said only wider sanctions against Russia’s elite would force further policy changes. Violence has quieted in eastern Ukraine since a cease-fire reached in mid-February. But U.S. officials say Russian tanks continue to flow over the border. Secretary of State John F. Kerry said this month that sanctions were responsible for much of Russia’s current economic pain and that the administration stood ready to modify them based on Putin’s actions. “It’s obviously had a profound impact, but not sufficient that President Putin has decided that he isn’t going to pursue his particular strategy,” Kerry said. “We’re not doing this to hurt the people of Russia,” he said. "We're doing this to try to affect the choices that their leaders are making in order to uphold the norms of international law.” With Russia apparently still active in Ukraine and anti-Americanism fierce among the broad population, some analysts and investors are increasingly questioning whether the sanctions make sense in their current form. “If you’re fighting this battle, then pick the weapons that get the result you want. I don’t think sanctions are the right weapon for this fight,” said Bernard Sucher, a Moscow-based American investor long active in Russia. He said sanctions were most likely to hurt smaller businesses that cannot turn to the Kremlin for assistance. For now, the Obama administration appears likely to catch flak in Russia no matter what it does. After news reports in the past week that Obama remained skeptical about sending weapons to Ukraine, one prominent Russian television journalist, Mikhail Leontyev, said he was a coward. “That spineless peacemaker Obama is doing all he can to dodge rabid pressure exerted by those trying to force him to openly supply lethal weapons to Ukraine,” Leontyev said. Read more Russia imposes steep interest rate hike as ruble plummets Russia’s anti-American fever goes beyond the Soviet era’s U.S., E.U. toughen Russian sanctions to pressure Putin


The human factor in fixing the military’s procurement process

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Tex.) will fail in his war against the bureaucratic folderol hobbling the Defense Department weapons-acquisition process [“Proposal would change acquisition process,” news, March 23]. The problem in making the acquisition of breakthrough technologies for our military faster, better and cheaper is the overly cautious mind-set of the weapons buyers. These people are conservative by nature. Adding to their cautious disposition, the risk-averse reality of being a public servant is the more formidable choke point. No one wants to make a mistake especially when major weapons systems cost billions upon billions. Mr. Thornberry and Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter can make slick as grease the purchase process, but without also changing the reward matrix, procurement specialists will continue to opt for job security over national security by making sure every conceivable glitch is addressed. No wonder the process of fielding new airplanes, ships and guns is always over budget and delayed. Jimm Roberts, Alexandria


Around the world in 26.2: The rising trend of racing on every continent

and competitive niche market in the travel industry. “In the beginning, running was enough,” said Steen Albrechtsen, press manager with Denmark-based Albatros Adventure. “The classic marathon was the ultimate goal, then came the mega-marathons, like London and New York. But when 90,000 people a year can take that challenge, it is no longer exciting and adventurous. Hence, the search for new adventures began.” Runners push through the Petra Desert Marathon in Jordan, organized by the company Albatros. (Albatros Adventure Marathons) Competitive by nature? “No one could ever have imagined that running would become the lifestyle activity that it is today,” said Thom Gilligan, founder and president of Boston-based Marathon Tours and Travel. Gilligan, who has been in business since 1979, is partly responsible for the seven-continents phenomenon. It started with an offhand quip to an interviewer about his company offering trips to every continent except Antarctica. “Within two days of the article hitting the streets, I got a call from the owner of a shipping company that offered polar excursions using Russian ships,” Gilligan said. “I told him, ‘I don’t know much about it, but let me get back to you and take a look.’ ” In 1995, Marathon Tours hosted its first Antarctica Marathon on King George Island, off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula: 160 runners got to the starting line of a dirt- and ice-trail route via a Russian icebreaker through the Drake Passage. After the race, Gilligan said, four runners announced that they had now completed a marathon on each continent. Others wanted in. “They were on the ship and saying, ‘Where are we going next? This is a great idea.’ ’’ Thus began the Seven Continents Club, what Gilligan calls a “VIP travelers club” that verifies runners who achieve the goal. As of publication, 507 are on the list. Other operators have since sponsored races in Antarctica. Minnesota-based Marathon Adventures, owned by Steve Hibbs, holds the White Continent Marathon, while Irishman Richard Donovan hosts the Antarctic Ice Marathon and the Antarctic 100K. Yes, that last race is about 62 miles, running on the icy Antarctic shelf. For the record, relations between race operators aren’t entirely congenial. Hibbs began his White Continent Marathon after what he deemed a negative experience with Marathon Tours’ version; he started Marathon Adventures to offer his own packages. Their disagreements extend to the verification of runners who have officially raced on


The next epidemic

Medical workers in Conakry. Guinea, on March 8. (Cellou Binani/AFP/Getty Images) “Of all the things that could kill more than 10 million people around the world,” writes philanthropist Bill Gates in the New England Journal of Medicine, “the most likely is an epidemic stemming from either natural causes or bioterrorism.” Beginning with this blunt and clinical assessment, we are given a detailed picture of the specter that haunts Gates’s nightmares: the emergence of a highly infectious virus that would spawn global panic, overwhelm the supply of medical commodities, set off a desperate technological race against death, reduce global wealth by trillions of dollars and fill millions of graves. The genetic mutation that would lead to this outcome is not likely to occur tomorrow. It is likely to occur as tomorrows gather into decades. The Spanish flu of 1918 infected about a third of the world’s population and caused 50 million deaths. An elevated temperature in the morning could mean death by dinnertime. The AIDS virus, in contrast, kills slowly and spreads without obvious symptoms — a different but highly effective evolutionary strategy of mass slaughter. About 40 million people have died because of AIDS. Like others in his field, Gates describes the Ebola outbreak as “a wake-up call.” This is fair, with the caveat that the crisis is not over. Liberia has demonstrated (remarkably, heroically) that the goal of zero new infections is achievable. Sierra Leone, however, is still seeing transmissions occur from unsafe burial practices. In remote parts of Guinea, traditional healers still resist basic prevention methods (while sometimes accusing foreigners of importing the disease). But this killer, even after taking about 10,000 victims, is not the mass murderer that Gates is warning against. Ebola is spread through bodily fluids by people who are highly symptomatic — mainly putting families and caregivers at risk. The disease originated in three small countries with a limited number of citizens traveling beyond West Africa. And these countries welcomed outside intervention. (Imagine trying to send the 101st Airborne Division to respond to a disease outbreak in Islamabad.) What Gates calls “the next epidemic” is likely to be an airborne virus, turning markets or airplanes — really any congregation of breathing humans — into places of mass transmission. Modern travel would hasten the globalization of death. Following the Ebola crisis, we know one thing with complete certainty: The world would be utterly unprepared for


Shinzo Abe’s optimistic vision

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks in Tokyo. (Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press) TOKYO Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he wants to restore “animal spirits” in the long-moribund Japanese economy. That kind of muscular talk makes some critics anxious, but Abe gave a compelling explanation Thursday of how he’s trying to push Japan out of its 15-year “doldrums.” In an hour-long interview at his office here, Abe offered a preview of the upbeat message he’ll bring to Washington next month. A simple summary is that Japan is back — as a growing economy, an enthusiastic friend of the United States and a counterweight to Chinese power in Asia. For an embattled Obama administration, Abe’s visit should be a tonic. He may be the most enthusiastically pro-American foreign leader around these days. He expressed the “fullest confidence” in President Obama, who last year pledged U.S. support for Japan in its confrontation with China over the Senkaku Islands. He lauded Obama’s “pivot to Asia” as “indispensable,” and he called the U.S.-Japan alliance “unshakable.” As for the administration’s hopes that Abe’s visit will cement the free-trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Abe said only that Japan was “into the final leg of negotiation.” This embrace of Washington is partly the self-interested stance of a leader who depends on the United States for security guarantees. But it’s also the affirmation of a country that, while it has receded from American consciousness during its lost decade and a half, shares with this country fundamental values of democracy and openness. Abe walks a tightrope in his efforts to invigorate Japan. He wants a more robust Japanese defense policy without kindling fears of renewed militarism. He seeks a less apologetic, inward-looking Japan but said he doesn’t want to undo apologies by previous prime ministers about procurement of “comfort women” or other sins of World War II. “On the question of comfort women,” he said, “when my thought goes to these people, who have been victimized by human trafficking and gone through immeasurable pain and suffering beyond description, my heart aches.” An aide said this was the first time he had publicly referred to “trafficking” in connection with the women. The Japanese leader favors new security legislation that would bolster Japan’s “self-defense forces,” allowing them to assist U.S. vessels that come under attack, for example. But he also touted recent improvement in Sino-Japanese relations, including discussion of new communications


An act of terror on Flight 9525

A monument honoring victims of the Germanwings crash. (Patrick Aventurier/Getty Images) We don’t need to know the political or religious views of Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Günter Lubitz to call his crashing of a crowded airliner into a mountainside an act of terrorism. And we don’t need any further evidence to recognize a cruel irony: Legitimate fear of potential terrorist attacks apparently made this tragedy possible. Imagine the final moments of Flight 9525 as it hurtled toward oblivion. Passengers were screaming. Some, I am certain, must have been praying. According to French prosecutor Brice Robin, the pilot, who had stepped out of the cockpit for a moment, was pounding on the door, trying desperately to get back in. But, according to Robin, Lubitz, 27, who had been regarded as a rising star at the airline, refused to open the door — and it was impossible for the pilot, identified by German media as Patrick S., to break it down. “The door is reinforced according to international standards,” Robin said Thursday, using the wrong verb tense. He meant “was” reinforced. The door is now in bits and pieces, along with the rest of the Airbus A320, scattered among the crevices of the French Alps. In the post-9/11 era, the cockpit doors of airliners are made to be impregnable. This is to ensure that terrorists cannot force their way inside and seize the controls — a logical precaution that probably has saved many lives. Terrorists may still attempt to smuggle explosives aboard commercial aircraft, but they know that invading the cockpit and crashing the plane would be all but impossible. The deterrent is effective, however, only if nobody can open a locked cockpit door under any circumstances — not the passengers, not the flight attendants, not even the captain. Some sort of hidden latch or override switch would defeat the purpose, since terrorists could learn the secret. So the Germanwings plane was safe from terrorists — until the trusted co-pilot, in Robin’s account, committed a grotesque act of terrorism. Officials involved in the investigation have been rejecting the word I just used. “There is no reason to suspect a terrorist attack,” Robin said, echoing the words of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other leaders. I disagree. What they mean is that there is no known link to terrorists or any known group such as al-Qaeda. Indeed, no such connection was immediately apparent from


The long odds of starting a local bank: Recession, interest rates deplete ranks

It used to be easy to start a local bank: Find investors. Get a charter. Hire staff and appoint a board of directors. Off you go. Not anymore. A confluence of factors spawned by the Great Recession have combined to decimate the number of bank start-ups. Regulatory compliance is more expensive. Bank approvals have slowed to a crawl. Low interest rates have sapped profit margins. Loan demand has dropped. “It’s almost impossible to start a bank because you have to hire so many people to get it started,” said Bernard H. Clineburg, chairman and chief executive of McLean, Va.-based Cardinal Bank, which has $3.5 billion in assets and launched 15 years ago. “It’s not like when you get a charter, get your deposit and make a loan. The fun is gone. We used to help people succeed. It’s very hard now. The bottom line is it’s regulatory.” The number of independent commercial banks nationally dropped by 14 percent, or more than 800 institutions, from 2007 to 2013, “driven by an unprecedented collapse in new bank entry,” according to a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Some banks and financial institutions disappeared through gigantic mergers during the financial crisis, when JPMorgan Chase took over the assets of Washington Mutual, Wells Fargo absorbed Wachovia, and Bank of America swallowed Merrill Lynch. But the mergers aren’t the whole story. The number of newly formed banks has fallen from an average of about 100 a year since 1990 to three a year in the past five years. Most of that is because of the lack of new community banks, which generally start with less than $50 million in assets. (JPMorgan Chase, by comparison, has $2.5 trillion in assets.) The drop could have far-reaching consequences for local businesses, many of which rely on small community banks for money. Clineburg was one of several Washington-area bank executives who discussed the lousy market for new banks. Several said we are on the downside of a typical economic cycle, which should reverse when conditions change. Others said the new regulations are justified. “Regulators have raised the bar,” said Shaza L. Andersen, chief executive of Reston-based WashingtonFirst Bank, which has 17 branches and $1.3 billion in assets. “Banks have hit a little bit of a bump, and regulators wanted to ensure that any bank that starts is bound to succeed.” Andersen said new bank formation will increase


Local digest: D.C.-area news briefs

The tribe has not indicated that it wants to open a casino, but its bid for federal recognition was strongly opposed by casino giant MGM, which next year intends to open a $1.2 billion casino complex in Maryland, just across the Potomac River from Virginia. — Joe Heim Man dies in hospital after Fairfax shooting A 64-year-old man who was found shot in a Fairfax County home on Thursday night has succumbed to his injuries, police said Friday. Santos Rafael Zelaya died at a hospital after suffering gunshot wounds, police said. Officers were searching for four men wanted in connection with the shooting, which police said did not appear to be random. Officers went to the 6100 block of North Kings Highway, in the Alexandria area of Fairfax, about 8:15 p.m. Thursday in response to a report of a wounded person, police said. They found Zelaya in a single-family house, and he was flown to a hospital for treatment. Officers shut down North Kings Highway and Fairhaven Avenue to search for the attackers, who may have fled in a dark-colored, older model sedan. Police have not released information about a motive for the shooting. — Justin Jouvenal MARYLAND Police identify victim of Greenbelt stabbing Greenbelt police say they have identified a 38-year-old man from Texas who was fatally stabbed Tuesday. City police said they were called Tuesday night to an altercation at a home in the 9100 block of Edmonston Road. When officers arrived, they found the man — identified as Kelley W. Robbins of Irving, Tex. — lying on a living room couch with stab wounds to his neck, police said. Police said they found a kitchen knife at the scene. They later charged Patrick C. Hunter, also 38, of Greenbelt with first-degree murder and other crimes. — Dana Hedgpeth THE DISTRICT Gunfire wounds girl, 14, near ballpark A 14-year-old girl was wounded and windows were struck in a burst of gunfire Friday afternoon a block west of Nationals Park. D.C. police said the girl, apparently outdoors, was hit in the leg when shots were fired at people on P street SW, near Half Street. The site is about 200 yards from the baseball stadium. The shooting occurred about 5:40 p.m. A resident of the neighborhood described hearing something that sounded like “pow, pow, pow, pow.” It was “just awful,” the resident said. — Clarence Williams and Martin Weil


Why the chaos in Yemen could force Obama to take a harder line with Iran

Yemeni protesters shout slogans during a demonstration in the strategic city of Taez on March 28, 2015, in support of the Saudi-led 'Firmness Storm' operations against Shiite rebels. (-/AFP/Getty Images) President Obama has for years stuck to a strategy aimed at keeping the United States from getting pulled into a big regional war between Iran and America’s traditional Arab allies. The net result was a tailored, country-by-country approach to the region’s turmoil that put a priority on nuclear negotiations with Iran and the fight against terrorism. Containing Iranian proxies took a back seat. As chaos and sectarian bloodshed have spread, the White House is facing heavy pressure from its traditional Sunni Arab allies, Congress and some in the U.S. military to confront Iran more forcefully over its support for militant groups. Such a pivot carries big risks for the White House, which doesn’t want to be drawn into a worsening conflict between Sunnis and Shiites that its policies didn’t start and that it cannot stop. “We’ve always had concerns about Iran’s destabilizing behavior and abetting some of the worst actors in the region,” said a senior administration official who was authorized to speak on the issue, but not be quoted by name. “We also have a realization of the precise limitations of how much we can impact that behavior.” In recent days Saudi planes and Egyptian warships have launched attacks against Iranian-backed Shiite rebels in Yemen. The United States has supported the Saudi attacks with intelligence and logistical help. (Gene Thorp/The Washington Post/Source: American Enterprise Institute, news reports) In Iraq, the United States has pressured Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to disentangle Iranian-supported militias from government forces in exchange for the firepower of U.S. warplanes over the city of Tikrit. The Iraqi army, along with militias and Shiite volunteers, has been locked in a bloody, month-long stalemate there with Islamic State insurgents. “Our actions have sought to marginalize the worst of the Shiite militias,” the administration official said of the Iranian-backed fighters. “They are standing on the sidelines and not invested in the Iraqi project.” To critics, though, the push to confront Iran has come too late and at far too high a cost to regional stability. The administration has “finally and belatedly” started to talk about the threat that Iran poses to the region, said Tamara Wittes, a former top Obama administration State Department official and director of the Center


Skywatch: See Jupiter and celebrate Hubble Telescope’s 25th anniversary

entertaining us through sunrise all month. Hope for a clear evening April 22 to catch the Lyrid meteor shower, which peaks at about 20 shooting stars an hour into the morning hours of April 23. Persistent skygazers probably will not catch all 20, but you may catch a few. The young moon sets about midnight so as not to interfere. Amazing features on the Red Planet. Western North America, the Pacific, western Australia and Asia will enjoy a short total lunar eclipse April 4. For the low, poorly placed moon, the partial phase here in Washington starts at 6:15 a.m. (according to NASA eclipse information). Civil twilight here starts at 6:22 a.m., though, with sunrise occurring at 6:49 a.m. and the moon setting at 6:53 a.m., according to the U.S. Naval Observatory. In other words, buddy, you’re out of luck. Your best bet is to see it live online from Australia at www.slooh.com. Down-to-Earth events: ● April 5 — “Catching a Comet: First Results from the Rosetta Mission,” a talk by astronomer Dennis Bodewits, at the University of Maryland Observatory, College Park. 8 p.m. Scan the cosmos through telescopes afterward, weather permitting. www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse. ● April 6 — “Stars Tonight,” at the David M. Brown Planetarium, 1426 N. Quincy St., Arlington. 7:30 p.m. $3. www.friendsoftheplanetarium.org. ● April 11 — It’s Explore the Universe Day at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Hands-on learning activities for kids. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. www.airandspace.si.edu. ● April 11 — Discussing exoplanets — those planets far from our solar system — is Timothy Rodigas of the Carnegie Institution for Science. He’ll discuss “High Resolution Views of Planets and Disks” at the National Capital Astronomers meeting at the University of Maryland Observatory, College Park. 7:30 p.m. www.capitalastronomers.org. ● April 12 — “Solar Storms: 2000 Years of Calamity,” a talk by Sten Odenwald, who runs the Astronomy Cafe (www.astronomycafe.net). At the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club meeting, 163 Research Hall, George Mason University. 7 p.m. www.novac.com. ● April 18 — To catch a glimpse of Jupiter and constellations, enjoy the season’s first “Exploring the Sky” program, hosted by the National Park Service and the National Capital Astronomers, at Rock Creek Park, near the Nature Center in the field south of Military and Glover roads NW. 8:30 p.m. www.capitalastronomers.org. ● April 20 — “Women in Astronomy,” a talk by astronomer Marc Pound, at the University of Maryland Observatory, College


the David M. Brown Planetarium, 1426 N. Quincy St., Arlington. 7:30 p.m. $3. www.friendsoftheplanetarium.org. ● April 11 — It’s Explore the Universe Day at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Hands-on learning activities for kids. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. www.airandspace.si.edu. ● April 11 — Discussing exoplanets — those planets far from our solar system — is Timothy Rodigas of the Carnegie Institution for Science. He’ll discuss “High Resolution Views of Planets and Disks” at the National Capital Astronomers meeting at the University of Maryland Observatory, College Park. 7:30 p.m. www.capitalastronomers.org. ● April 12 — “Solar Storms: 2000 Years of Calamity,” a talk by Sten Odenwald, who runs the Astronomy Cafe (www.astronomycafe.net). At the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club meeting, 163 Research Hall, George Mason University. 7 p.m. www.novac.com. ● April 18 — To catch a glimpse of Jupiter and constellations, enjoy the season’s first “Exploring the Sky” program, hosted by the National Park Service and the National Capital Astronomers, at Rock Creek Park, near the Nature Center in the field south of Military and Glover roads NW. 8:30 p.m. www.capitalastronomers.org. ● April 20 — “Women in Astronomy,” a talk by astronomer Marc Pound, at the University of Maryland Observatory, College Park. 8 p.m. Scan the night skies after the lecture, weather permitting. www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse. ● April 20 — The Philosophical Society of Washington celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope’s deployment with short lectures by Robert Smith, NASA historian; Robert Williams, former director of the Space Telescope Sciences Institute (STScI) ; Jennifer J. Wiseman, Hubble senior scientist; and Matt Mountain, STScI director. A panel discussion moderated by former astronaut John M. Grunsfeld follows. At the John Wesley Powell Auditorium, adjacent to the Cosmos Club, 2170 Florida Ave. NW, Washington. 8 p.m. www.philsoc.org. ● April 22 — “Hubble Space Telescope: Exploding Stars and the Accelerating Universe,” a lecture by Harvard University’s Robert Kirshner. At the Lockheed Martin Imax Theater, National Air and Space Museum, National Mall. 8 p.m. www.airandspace.si.edu. (Webcast: tinyurl.com/qapklnp) ● April 24 — “Advanced Spacesuits: Wearable Technology for Exploring the Solar System,” a talk by MIT professor Dava Newman, hosted by the Philosophical Society of Washington at the John Wesley Powell Auditorium, adjacent to the Cosmos Club, 2170 Florida Ave. NW, Washington. 8 p.m. www.philsoc.org. ● April 25 — Hubble Space Telescope 25th Anniversary. Participate in educational activities for all ages. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Udvar-Hazy Center,


Addition to Metro safety manual suggests problems at control center

includes the train controllers. Starin said he did not know whether the phrasing of the new rule was shaped directly by behavior in the control center on Jan. 12. But he said that in his experience, controllers remain focused during an emergency. He said the ongoing investigation left him unable to elaborate on the event near L’Enfant Plaza. James Madaras, chief safety officer for Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, which includes train operators, also declined to discuss the new rule or the events of Jan. 12. After the smoke event, some passengers said there was an obvious breakdown in communication between the train operator and the ROCC, as the operator, unable to move the train, tried to reach controllers by radio. “At one point, he’s relaying information to what he says are transit [police] officers on the subway train, asking them to please communicate with central, to get them to move the train,” recalled Luis Clemens, a National Public Radio editor, who was on the train. In an audio account of the emergency on the Web site of radio station WAMU, Clemens added: “I never saw said transit officers. They may have been on, but it was a chaotic scene, and it was tense and scary.” Whether the smoke-enveloped train had a mechanical problem that prevented a return to L’Enfant or whether the ROCC did not authorize the operator to back up is under investigation. In any case, the station was soon occupied by another train. The ROCC had not stopped that second train from pulling into L’Enfant 10 minutes behind the outgoing train that had stopped in the tunnel. Passengers in the tunnel were choking on smoke that was drawn into the train by its air-intake system, which remained activated. Under procedures in place at the time, the operator needed ROCC approval before shutting down the system. It is not known whether controllers did not give permission to shut down the system or whether the operator did not ask. A recent change in procedure allows a train operator to turn off the system without seeking approval. Meanwhile, the tunnel’s huge ventilations fans, controlled from the ROCC, were activated improperly, which exacerbated the crisis, the NTSB said. The control center is the “heart and soul of daily operations, but particularly of critical operations,” said Downey, the Metro board chairman. “They’ve got to be up to their game, really at the


Slow economy could prompt Iran to take nuclear deal

willingness to reassess its nuclear ambitions.” Without that link, he said, there would be no change in behavior. “You haven’t seen Iranians begin to reassess their approach to Israel or their support for Assad or for Hezbollah,” he said. Economic sanctions are blunt instruments. In South Africa, they lasted years before apartheid ended, and even then, internal rebellion was probably more important. Sanctions against India over its nuclear weapons program were lifted without any effect. Economic sanctions against China after the Tiananmen Square crackdown failed to instill democratic values. And President Obama has called for the end of a half-century-old embargo against Cuba, which two Castro brothers have ruled through 10 U.S. presidencies. But Obama has made use of economic sanctions against Iran as well as against Russia because of its seizure of the Crimean Peninsula and support for rebels in eastern Ukraine. Those have been much more effective than other sanctions because they have been multilateral — and because plunging oil prices have further hobbled the targeted nations. In the case of Iran, a series of U.S. and U.N. sanction measures in 1979, 1995 and 2006 were tightened greatly in January 2012 when the European Union imposed an embargo on Iranian oil and a freeze on the assets of Iran’s central bank. “The sanctions that we put in place helped make this opportunity possible,” Obama said in his 2014 State of the Union address. Richard Nephew, who in February finished a two-year stint as principal deputy coordinator for sanctions policy at the State Department, said that sanctions had brought Iran to the negotiating table but that the United States the other P5+1 countries could still not dictate terms. The Iranians “come to these negotiations because they really wanted to solve the nuclear problem,” he said. “They could have done that without sanctions, but sanctions drove them to do that. But if sanctions are about getting people to give up their fundamental national interest, that’s not going to happen.” The new 2012 sanctions stood out because they went to the core of the Iranian economy: the oil industry. The International Energy Agency estimates that Iran’s oil exports averaged about 1 million barrels a day last year. The United States has succeeded in pressing some of Iran’s best customers — China, Japan, South Korea and India — to curtail imports of Iranian oil. The IEA estimates that Iran could easily produce


We don’t need labels on genetically modified foods

A tomato breeder displays varieties grown at the Monsanto Co. facility in California. Photographer: Noah Berger/Bloomberg (Noah Berger/Bloomberg) E IGHTY-EIGHT percent of scientists polled by the Pew Research Center in January said genetically modified food is generally safe to eat. Only 37 percent of the public shared that view. The movement to require genetically modified food products to be labeled both reflects and exploits this divergence between informed opinion and popular anxiety. Mandated labeling would deter the purchase of genetically modified (GM) food when the evidence calls for no such caution. Congress is right to be moving toward a more sensible policy that allows companies to label products as free of GM ingredients but preempts states from requiring such labels. Lawmakers and voters in some states have considered requiring GM labeling, but only a few have chosen to label, and none have yet started. That’s good: The GM-food debate is a classic example of activists overstating risk based on fear of what might be unknown and on a distrust of corporations. People have been inducing genetic mutations in crops all sorts of other ways for a long time — by, for example, bathing plants in chemicals or exposing them to radiation. There is also all sorts of genetic turbulence in traditional selective plant breeding and constant natural genetic variation. Yet products that result from selective gene splicing — which get scrutinized before coming to market — are being singled out as high threats. If they were threatening, one would expect experts to have identified unique harms to human health in the past two decades of GM-crop consumption. They haven’t. Unsurprisingly, institutions such as the National Academy of Sciences and the World Health Organization have concluded that GM food is no riskier than other food. Promoters of compulsory GM food labeling claim that consumers nevertheless deserve transparency about what they’re eating. But given the facts, mandatory labeling would be extremely misleading to consumers — who, the Pew polling shows, exaggerate the worries about “Frankenfood” — implying a strong government safety concern where one does not exist. Instead of demanding that food companies add an unnecessary label, people who distrust the assurances that GM food is safe can buy food voluntarily labeled as organic or non-GM. This isn’t just a matter of saving consumers from a little unnecessary expense or anxiety. If GM food becomes an economic nonstarter for growers and food


Man fatally shot in Brightwood neighborhood of Northwest D.C.

A 34-year-man was shot and killed early Monday in Northwest Washington’s Brightwood neighborhood, according to D.C. police. Officers responding to a call for a shooting about 2:40 a.m. found the victim near 13th and Van Buren streets NW. He has been identified as Antonio Ayala, of Northwest. Ayala had been shot at least once and died in an area hospital, according to Police Inspector Vendette T. Parker, who posted a short description of the crime on the department’s Internet bulletin board. Police said in a statement that officers responded to the scene for a robbery and shooting, but released no other information. Authorities are urging anyone with information to call 202-727-9099 or text 50411. The shooting was one block south of the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and one mile north of where a 20-year-old man was found fatally shot inside a car on March 12, in Brightwood Park at 8th and Jefferson streets. Police have made an arrest in that case and said the shooting occurred during a drug deal involving the victim. The areas of Petworth and Brightwood have been circulating a petition in recent weeks to call attention to a spate of shootings, at least three of them fatal. The D.C. Police Department’s Citizens Advisory Council meeting for the Fourth District will be held April 30 at 7 p.m. and is scheduled to feature Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier. The meeting is at the Fourth District police station at 6001 Georgia Avenue NW.


Calorie labels coming for some beer and liquor

Drinkers will soon find out just how good Guinness is for them. Diageo, the world’s largest distiller, will disclose alcoholic content and nutritional information per serving for its iconic Irish stout, Smirnoff vodka and Tanqueray gin online and on product packaging as soon as possible, the London-based company said this month. Diageo, which operates in more than 180 countries, is working with regulators globally and has already gained approval for a label on its products in the United States from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the company said. “Consumers are increasingly discerning about what’s in their glass,” the distiller’s chief executive, Ivan Menezes, said in an e-mailed statement. “We are committed to ensuring our consumers have the best possible information from which to make informed choices.” In the European Union, alcoholic drinks are exempt from regulations to provide nutritional information on labels, Diageo said. “Consumers are increasingly discerning about what’s in their glass,” a distiller says. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Guinness) Other foods must provide the information per 3.5-ounce portion, which Diageo said doesn’t reflect the way alcohol is consumed. It’s working with the EU to establish a standard alcohol unit across the 28 member states. “This is a hugely positive step,” Ian Duncan, a member of the European Parliament’s environment, public health and food safety committee, said in the statement. It will be a “major improvement on the confusing current system, where there are different measurements of alcohol units across the EU.” Diageo said it is the first company to voluntarily disclose nutritional information on alcoholic drinks. The move “is a smart one that is out in front of the trend for packaged food and beverage products to disclose more about what is inside the product,” said Kenneth Shea, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence in New Jersey.


Local digest: March 31, 2015

THE DISTRICT Man is fatally shot in Brightwood area A 34-year-old man was shot and killed early Monday in Northwest Washington’s Brightwood neighborhood, D.C. police said. Officers responding to a report of a shooting about 2:40 a.m. found the victim near 13th and Van Buren streets NW. He was identified as Antonio Ayala of Northwest. The shooting occurred one block south of the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and one mile north of where a 20-year-old man was found fatally shot inside a car March 12. Residents of the Petworth and Brightwood areas have been circulating a petition in recent weeks to call attention to a spate of shootings, of which at least three were fatal. MARYLAND Police identify victim of fatal car crash Prince George’s County police identified the victim of a fatal Saturday night car crash in Capitol Heights as Andre Lamont White, 57, of Suitland. A child who had been listed in critical condition after the crash is expected to survive, police spokesman Harry Bond said. White was driving with the child in the car about 9 p.m. Saturday when the vehicle veered off Central Avenue and hit a tree. Two are chargedwith killing man Two men were arrested shortly after they killed a man during a robbery in a Langley Park apartment building, Prince George’s County police said. Sergio Elias Serrano, 23, and Julio Cesar Jacome-Rosales, 25, were arrested Sunday near the site of the crime. Police said in a statement that both men live in the 1400 block of Kanawha Street, where the victim was killed. The victim has not been identified publicly. The two suspects were charged with first- and second-degree murder. After ATV crash, man dies; friend is injured A man is dead and a friend suffered critical injuries after an all-terrain vehicle accident early Monday on a trail near Bowie. The Maryland-National Capital Park Police in Prince George’s County said the two were riding an ATV about 2 a.m. on the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Trail. The driver apparently lost control, police said, and both riders were thrown from the ATV. Brandon Diante Barnes, 23, of Lanham was pronounced dead at the scene, and his companion, 25, also from Lanham, suffered critical injuries and was listed in grave condition. “An ATV is not only illegal [on the trail] but dangerous,” said Lt. Brian Waters, a spokesman for the park police.


China’s high-speed rail network leaves D.C. transit in the dust

The same week I read about the District struggling to open just two miles of a streetcar system [“At least the ennui is on track,” Style, March 27], and knowing about the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s badly maintained system, I read in the China Watch advertising supplement that China has built a 10,000-mile high-speed train network in fewer than 20 years. The more you look into the development of that network, the more you see how far behind the United States is. Twenty-five years ago, China had the same train issues as the United States: slow passenger trains sharing freight lines. Our situation is even more critical now with the dramatic increase of the shipment of millions of gallons of oil. It is often pointed out that it was easy for the Chinese government to push its high-speed train network through. But that’s not the case. It had to justify the project every step of the way and address citizen and regional concerns. The centers of our large cities are where people want to be. It is time to connect our cities — with a system not affected by weather extremes — for the economic good of the country. Doing so would bring high-tech manufacturing jobs to the people left behind during the recession. Brian England, Columbia


U.S. establishes sanctions program to combat cyberattacks, cyberspying

A man types on a computer keyboard in Warsaw in this February 28, 2013 illustration file picture. (KACPER PEMPEL/REUTERS) President Obama on Wednesday signed an executive order establishing the first sanctions program to allow the administration to impose penalties on individuals overseas who engage in destructive attacks or commercial espionage in cyberspace. In the works for two years, the order declares “significant malicious cyber-enabled activities” a “national emergency” and enables the treasury secretary to target foreign individuals and entities that take part in the illicit cyberactivity for sanctions that could include freezing their financial assets and barring commercial transactions with them. The move expands the set of legal tools available to the administration to punish and deter activities including the theft of large quantities of credit card data, espionage conducted for commercial gain and cyberattacks aimed at damaging critical computer systems. In a statement, Obama said the executive order would help to counter cyberthreats that “can emanate from a range of sources and target our critical infrastructure, our companies, and our citizens.” The new sanctions regime is modeled in part after regimes that have been used effectively in the past for counterterrorism and counterproliferation purposes. A senior administration official said the new order puts people on notice “that we’re not going to just stand by while these threats grow.” “Part of the message it will send is if you think you can just hide behind borders and leap laws and carry out your activities, that’s just not going to be the case,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record. “We have other ways of getting at you, and we can hit where it hurts in terms of a financial impact.” The order was set to be issued last week, but Obama wanted the language clarified to convey that the program was aimed at significant malicious cyberactivity, according to several people familiar with the process. To meet the threshold for sanctions, a malicious activity will have to be harmful to national security or the nation’s economic health of foreign policy. And it will have to meet one of four “harms”: attacking critical infrastructure such as a power grid; disrupting major computer networks; stealing intellectual property or trade secrets; or benefiting from the stolen secrets and property. “You can’t use it to go after Joe Schmo the petty criminal,”


Cava Grill raises $16M, prepares move to Los Angeles

From left, Cava executives Brett Schulman, Dimitri Moshovitis, Ted Xenohristos and Ike Grigoropoulos. (Jeffrey MacMillan/The Washington Post) Cava Mezze Grill, the homegrown chain of fast-casual Greek restaurants, has secured $16 million in venture capital to help fund an expansion to Los Angeles, the company announced Wednesday. The Rockville-based company has raised a total of $21.65 million in venture capital since 2010. The latest round of Series C funding will also help Cava expand its line of dips and spreads to Whole Foods markets in the Midwest. “We looked at everything: cities on the East Coast, in the heartland, on the West Coast,” said Brett Schulmann, chief executive of Cava. “In the end, we decided on L.A. because it’s a great market with a health-conscious population.” The company has signed deals to open two Cava Grill restaurants in the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Westwood Village and Woodland Hills. Each new location costs between $500,000 and $800,000 to open, Schulman said. Ted Xenohristos, one of the company’s three founders, will be moving to Los Angeles to oversee the company’s West Coast operations. Cava Grill, the fast-casual spin off of the full-service Cava Mezze, has become a $30-million-dollar-a-year enterprise with 300 employees and a number of packaged dips that are sold at grocery stores along the East Coast. Xenohristos and childhood friends Ike Grigoropoulos and Dimitri Moshovitis opened their first Cava restaurant in Rockville in 2006. In the years since, the company’s enterprise has grown to include 11 Cava Grill locations in the Washington area, including one at Reagan National Airport, and three full-service restaurants. Schulman said the company plans to eventually expand into other parts of the country as well. The latest round of funding was led by Leesburg-based SWaN & Legend Venture Partners.


Do transgender athletes have an edge? I sure don’t.

be promptly dispatched if she competed in the top-tier Ultimate Fighting Championship. Science provides a clear explanation for why, in many sports, trans women don’t maintain any athletic advantage. Hormone therapy for trans women typically involves a testosterone-blocking drug plus an estrogen supplement. As their testosterone levels approach female norms, trans women see a decrease in muscle mass, bone density and the proportion of oxygen-carrying red cells in their blood. The estrogen, meanwhile, boosts fat storage, especially around the hips. Together, these changes lead to a loss of speed, strength and endurance — all key components of athleticism. I understood that this would happen to me, too. But I was surprised how fast it happened. Within three weeks of starting hormone therapy in August 2004, I was markedly slower. I didn’t feel any different while I was running. But I could no longer match my previous times. By 2005, when I was racing in the women’s category, the difference was astounding. I finished one 10K in 42:01 — almost a full five minutes slower than I’d run the same course two years earlier as a man. Interestingly, when I looked up my times in USA Track & Field’s age-grading tables — used to compare runners of all ages and both sexes — I found that I was just as competitive as a 48-year-old woman as I had been as a 46-year-old man. I was curious whether my experience was typical. There had never been any studies of transgender athletes, only of transgender women generally. So over the next seven years, I collected almost 200 race times from eight distance runners who were transgender women (including myself as runner No. 6). My research, published last month in the Journal of Sporting Cultures and Identities, found that collectively, the eight subjects got much slower after their gender transitions and put up nearly identical age-graded scores as men and as women, meaning they were equally — but no more — competitive in their new gender category. (The outlier was a runner who had raced recreationally as a 19-year-old male and became serious about the sport — doubling her training load and shedding 22 pounds — years later as a female.) To be clear: This study speaks only to distance running. Trans women who are sprinters may maintain something of an advantage over other female runners in that they tend to carry more muscle


D.C. news in brief

privately owned nonresidential building that is visible from the street and has been a target of graffiti or is in a neighborhood with a lot of graffiti. The owner must donate the space for a year or longer. MuralsDC provides artists, helpers and supplies. Property owners can download an authorization and release form at dpw.dc.gov by selecting “Sanitation Services” in the left navigation menu, then “Litter and Graffiti Prevention” and then “MuralsDC.” Graffiti artists and art teams are also needed to design and create the murals. All artists must be professionals, 18 and older, with graffiti or aerosol mural art experience and no criminal record. D.C. artists will get preference. The budget for each mural will range from $3,000 to $13,500. Artists can apply at the Call for Artists link at www.dcarts.dc.gov by 4 p.m. May 1. For information, call 202-673-6833. House history research workshops at MLK library Two free D.C. house history workshops will be offered from 10 a.m to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 to 3 p.m. April 18 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 901 G St. NW. Historians and archivists will show residents how to use the library’s Washingtoniana Division to research the history of their homes and other historical properties. The event is sponsored by the nonprofit groups HumanitiesDC and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., along with the D.C. Historic Preservation Office and the D.C. Public Library. To register, go to www.wdchumanities.org. Banneker Recreation Center closed for repairs The Banneker Recreation Center, at 2500 Georgia Ave. NW, is closed until April 28 for major maintenance and repairs, including upgrades to the interior lighting system and new flooring. Scheduled outdoor activities and amenities are not affected during the interior renovations. All indoor programs, community meetings and activities at Banneker are temporarily suspended. In the interim, other nearby Parks and Recreation facilities offer the same programs as Banneker. These include yoga from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays at Kennedy, 1401 Seventh St., NW; Zumba from 7 to 8 p.m. Mondays at Columbia Heights, 1480 Girard St. NW, and from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Marie Reed, 2200 Champlain St. NW; boot camp from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Petworth, 801 Taylor St. NW; and body flex from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Raymond, 3725 10th St. NW. For information, go to dpr.dc.gov. — Compiled by Terence McArdle


Prince George’s County Animal Watch

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY These were among cases received recently by the Prince George’s County Animal Management Division. Call 301-780-7200 for directions to the county animal shelter, hours of operation, and adoption and licensing procedures. The department Web site is www.princegeorgespets4us.com. Raccoon enjoys dog food: Leashed dog gets loose: Bleeding dog in yard: Bird down: VACCINATION CLINIC MOVES TO SATURDAY Because of Easter Sunday, the Prince George’s County SPCA/Humane Society will host its low-cost shot clinic for dogs and cats Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. at 8210 D’Arcy Rd., Forestville. Rabies and distemper shots are $10. Microchip IDs are $25. Only cash and credit cards are accepted as payment. All animals must be on a leash or in a carrier. Owners should bring an up-to-date rabies certificate. Call 301-262-5625 or visit www.pgspca.org. Volunteer needs The SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George’s County, Prince George’s County Animal Management Division The Partnership for Animal Welfare — Compiled by Jillian S. Jarrett


TV highlights: First lady Michelle Obama stops by ‘The Tonight Show’

A congressman asks Olivia to help his father escape his looming death penalty on “Scandal.” (Nicole Wilder/ABC) (All times Eastern)A sudden rush of incoming injured police officers into the E.R. adds drama to a school group’s field trip to the hospital on “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC at 8 p.m.). Amid the chaos, Stephanie keeps herself busy by developing a major crush on one of the chaperones. A conference at the University of California at Berkeley puts Leonard and Sheldon in a galaxy not too far, far away from their idol George Lucas’s Skywalker Ranch, and they consider dropping by to say hello on “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS at 8). The “Bones” (Fox at 8) team investigates the murder of a teacher who was found in an abandoned bookstore. Olivia Pope is brought in to help a congressman reconnect with his father, who happens to be serving a death sentence, on “Scandal” (ABC at 9). The task force pursues a provocative female frame-up artist targeting the moneyed elite on “The Blacklist”(NBC at 9). In a strangely topical turn of events, “Elementary” (CBS at 10) attempts to solve the murder of a ride-hailing company driver who looks to have been run over by a competitive and fed-up city cabdriver. FINALE WATCH After he’s released on bail, Carter goes on the run with Aubry to Canada so he can avoid trial and the possibility of the death penalty on “American Crime” (ABC at 10). SERIES PREMIERE SERIES PREMIERE SERIES PREMIERE RETURNING SHOW First lady Michelle Obama stops by “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC at 11:35), with “Glee” actor Matthew Morrison and music from Smashing Pumpkins. Television host Kelly Ripa and “Daily Show” comedian Aasif Mandvi are on “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS at 11:35), with a musical performance from Fat White Family. Actor Jason Statham comes to “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC at 11:35), along with musical guest Brian Wilson. — Rachel Lubitz


Simon Property withdraws $16.8 billion bid to create mall giant

shopping centers, including locations in Chicago, the metro New York area and the Washington area. Its malls include Tysons Corner Center and Queens Center in New York City. Macerich shares fell 6.6 percent to $78.73, and Simon Property Group rose 1.2 percent to $197.99. — Associated Press RETAIL Kraft, Mondelez sued over wheat prices The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Wednesday charged Kraft Foods Group and Mondelez International with manipulation of prices of wheat used in products such as Oreo and Chips Ahoy cookies. The regulator alleged that Kraft and Mondelez bought $90 million of wheat futures, or a six-month supply, but never intended to take delivery of the grain. The two then earned more than $5.4 million in profits as a result of market shifts in reaction to the enormous position, the CFTC said in its complaint. “A market participant who is not happy with cash prices available to it may not resort to manipulative trading strategies in an attempt to artificially lower that price,” CFTC enforcement head Aitan Goelman said. The regulator said it was seeking a permanent injunction from future violations by the two companies, as well as disgorgement and civil monetary penalties. Kraft said it did not expect the matter to have a financially material impact and that Mondelez would predominantly bear the costs of the matter. The complaint focused primarily on trading that occurred before the two companies split in 2012, Kraft said. Mondelez declined to comment. It said in a previous regulatory filing that it would seek to resolve the matter prior to any formal action being taken. — Reuters Also in Business ● HSBC Holdings is making progress toward cleaning up its operations, after reaching a $1.92 billion settlement of charges related to money laundering, but has not done enough, the U.S. Department of Justice said. The government made its criticisms after reviewing findings of an independent monitor, Michael Cherkasky, who was appointed in connection with HSBC’s so-called deferred prosecution agreement with U.S. authorities. That accord let HSBC avoid criminal charges for having, as federal prosecutors put it, devolved into a “preferred financial institution” for money launderers and Mexican and Colombian drug cartels, and handled transactions for customers in Burma, Cuba, Iran, Libya and Sudan, which were all subject to U.S. sanctions. ● Morgan Stanley boosted chief executive James Gorman’s pay 25 percent to $22.5 million last year. Gorman, 56, received a


Postal banking could make the postal system’s troubles worse

The post office in Star Tannery, Va. (Katherine Frey/THE WASHINGTON POST) With President Obama’s strong support, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has launched a regulatory crackdown on payday lending, the short-term, high-cost loans that lower-income people use to cope with cash crunches — at the risk, critics say, of trapping themselves in a cycle of unpayable debt. The question is, what’s the practical alternative? Payday lending is a $50 billion per year business because there’s a demand for it. People who can’t get quick cash from a storefront operator might turn to loan sharks, and nobody wants that. To many progressives, including the bane of payday lenders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), at least part of the solution is to turn the U.S. Postal Service into a financial institution, with the authority to provide small-dollar loans at reasonable rates — as well as an array of other services, including savings accounts. Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, says the post office could be a “public option” for the quarter of the population that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. identifies as being disconnected either totally or partially from the financial system. The idea has a certain superficial appeal. Brick-and-mortar post offices already dot the landscape, often in areas where there is no bank branch; their staffs already sell money orders, a bank-like function. Postal buildings could be retrofitted and postal employees retrained. Postal banking exists in other industrialized democracies; it began in Britain in 1861, and the United States itself had a version of it between 1911 and 1967. Yet postal banking’s long history should actually be a red flag: Can we really resolve the cash-flow issues of the 21st century’s “under-banked” population based on a business model from the 19th century? Giving this mission to a troubled, federally backed legacy institution would short-circuit potentially beneficial innovation by the private sector, including both existing financial institutions and “disruptive” newcomers. (Yes, postal banking also undermines check-cashing liquor stores and pawn shops, a desirable goal if you buy into the stereotype that these are unscrupulous exploiters, as opposed to family-run small businesses, that the government would be crushing.) Advocates tout prepaid debit cards and bill payment as potential postal bank products. Maybe, but they would have to beat American Express’s Serve cards, say, or PayNearMe, a smartphone-based, cashless payment system that people can use at FamilyDollar and 7-Eleven — and even


D.C. community calendar, April 2 to 9, 2015

Thursday, APRIL 2 Income tax assistance Washington Cathedral behind the scenes Age 11 and older. See gargoyles and stained-glass windows and climb stairs for a panoramic view of the city. Bring a camera. Weekdays except holidays at 10:30 a.m. Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-537-2228. $25, age 11 and 12 $21. Friendly gut microbes help fight cancer A lecture by Giorgio Trinchieri, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute. 11:30 a.m. Library of Congress, Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. SE. 202-707-1192. Free. Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead Jam “The Margins” “Laugh” Beth Henley’s comedy homage to slapstick 1920s silent films. Thursdays-Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m., Tuesdays-Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Through April 19, National Archives, William G. McGowan Theater, Mead Theatre, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street NW. 202-332-3300. $44-$88. “Man of La Mancha ” “Shear Madness” “The Norwegians ” “The Originalist” Lantern walk “Lights Rise on Grace” Friday, APRIL 3 “Eggstravaganza” Easter Bunny visit, egg roll and more, bring a basket, spoon, one hard-boiled egg per child and a camera. Friday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-noon. Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. 202-965-0400. www.tudorplace.org . Children $10, accompanying adult $5, registration required. Seniors line dancing U.S. Botanic Garden lunchtime tour Murder in Memphis Good Friday concert Saturday, APRIL 4 Cherry blossom running tour Shakespeare in action Cherry blossom ranger talks Capital Area Food Bank Elizabethan garden tours Congressional Cemetery Cherry blossom program Carillon concert Tea Talk with Teaism Art of musical composition Cherry blossom bike tour Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra Cynthia Oliver/COCo Dance Theatre Sunday, APRIL 5 American Indian Museum multimedia program Museum free entry day Pups ’n’ Petals dog walk Cathedral organ recital Gospel music concert Monday, APRIL 6 U.S. Botanic Garden lunchtime tour “Magna Carta from Runnymede to Washington: Old Laws, New Discoveries” Japanese soprano Asako Tamura A performance in honor of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. 6 p.m. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. Free. “Love’s Labour’s Won” Tuesday, APRIL 7 “Wacky Science with Ken Scott” Classical music lecture “Fortune’s Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth ” Washington Bach Consort Yoga at Georgetown Cherry blossom tour and tea Sketching workshop Integriti Reeves and her sextet Gallery Talk: V. Ramesh What the future holds: The think-tank take Roosevelt and Stalin: Portrait of a partnership Auditions for “Trial by Jury ” PEN/Faulkner fiction program Wednesday,


D.C. mayor proposes tax increases to confront homeless crisis, Metro woes

the facility. The budget found controversy with some vocal city constituencies, including parents. Bowser proposed delaying a $67 million renovation of Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, one of the city’s oldest, near Howard University, until 2019. At the same time, she committed to launching more than $100 million in renovations next year for Northwest elementary schools, including Garrison, which is at the epicenter of a baby boom along the District’s rapidly growing 14th Street and U Street corridors. And just two days after the mayor took ownership of the city’s troubled streetcar system, promising an end to delays and to complete an east-west line, her budget made clear that she would largely pause all spending on the project next year. Council members said she did not set aside enough money to complete the project before the end of the decade — if ever. But pleasing advocates for the poor, Bowser proposed a one-year delay in the city’s plan to end welfare payments for those who have received temporary assistance payments for five years or more. The District has been scaling back welfare payments to 6,000 families in that situation for years, and all were scheduled to lose remaining benefits in October. Bowser’s aides said that the delay was necessary to make sure the city had done all it could to connect those residents with jobs and with other help before welfare is cut off. But the highlight of the day for many was the mayor’s commitment and new challenge with homeless funding. By linking a tax increase to solving the city’s homeless problem, Bowser appeared willing to risk raising the stakes for her fledgling administration by training even more attention on one of the District’s most intractable social problems. Tying a general tax increase to the issue, most agreed, would only add pressure on her team to deliver tangible results before the end of her term. Ed Lazere, head of the liberal DC Fiscal Policy Institute, said he was encouraged but also worried that with an increase of 0.25 percentage points in the sales tax, the mayor had not sought a big enough hike. “We would have liked more on the revenue side,” Lazere said. “I think $25 on a $1,000 purchase . . . lots of D.C. residents would be willing to pay more to solve the big problem of homelessness.” Should Bowser be increasing the D.C. sales tax?


Yannick, unique: Philadelphia Orchestra hopes it’s found its savior.

players. This isn’t the case in Philadelphia, where Nézet-Séguin has set about broadening the orchestra’s range — a “St. Matthew Passion” here, Strauss’s “Salome” there, or an initiative this season called 40/40, playing 40 works that the orchestra hasn’t performed for the last 40 years if ever, from Rossini to Nico Muhly — while genuinely connecting with its musicians. “His rehearsals are so invigorating and so inspiring,” says Robinson. “There’s not a lot of dead time.” He adds, “His musical instincts are fantastic. He knows exactly what he wants.” Everyone wants a happy ending. But it’s a little premature to say Philadelphia’s troubles are over. Vulgamore discusses what she calls “a happy palette of opportunity” — outreach programs, a new app that delivers program notes in real time (which my colleague Geoff Edgers wrote about last fall), a regular working relationship with China that is, through sponsorships, “accretive to the orchestra,” Vulgamore says, though she declines to discuss specifics. But the orchestra, though it emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2012, still needs to build up its endowment and find ways to continue attracting audiences. Even Nézet-Séguin’s arrival and subsequent popularity haven’t brought about the rise in ticket sales one might expect. Furthermore, the musicians’ contract is up for renewal in September, and the players are eager to restore some of the concessions to the bankruptcy that they made in their last contract. “One of the problems I have with all of the excitement surrounding Yannick is it creates a certain danger,” says Peter Dobrin, a music critic at the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Bankruptcy bought time. It didn’t solve the long-term budget gap. The orchestra continues to spend several million dollars more a season than it’s taking in, and while Yannick’s presence is certainly a necessary part of the solution, it isn’t the whole solution.” There’s one more question hovering in the background: the question of whether Nézet-Séguin, whose energy and exuberance certainly crackles through performances, is the real musical heir of some of the greats who have preceded him (like Carlo Maria Giulini, one of his mentors). At the moment, though, it’s an unimportant question, since no one denies that for music lovers over the coming years, it should be a lot of fun to find out. The Philadelphia Orchestra performs at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. Call 202-785-9727 or visit www.washingtonperformingarts.org. $35-$110.


It’s time to play ball at new bars and opening day parties

in early 2014. Then, celebrity chef Rock Harper left the restaurant in February after only four months in charge. Hopefully Willie’s can maintain its reputation for delicious slow-cooked meat — the brisket and Korean smoked wings are legit. The happy hour is good, not great: Specials offered from 4 to 7 p.m. on weeknights include craft beers for $5 per pint or $20 per pitcher, while $6 gets you three pulled pork sliders or two of the taco of the day. Gordon Biersch 100 M St. SE. 202-484-2739. www.gordonbiersch.com. Gordon Biersch isn’t a new arrival to the neighborhood, but what’s flowing now from its taps is a significant change from 2014. Last month, the brewpub chain caused a stir in the beer world when it ended its longtime policy of focusing exclusively on German beers and allowed brewmasters at each location to create whatever styles of beer they desired. If you’d been avoiding the bar because you prefer IPAs and Belgian ales to dunkelweiss and helles, you’ve got a new reason to visit. Brewer Travis Tedrow is already well stocked, pouring a piney and balanced double IPA, a fruity grand cru and, as of this week, a springy saison. Fans of traditional European beers should look out for the Keller Export, an unfiltered version of Gordon Biersch’s popular Golden Export lager. Specials include $1 off house-brewed beers from 3 to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. to close every night; $3 house beers all day Tuesday; and $5 margaritas on Thursday. OPENING-DAY EVENTS Bluejacket Opening Day Fest Bluejacket is taking over Lot O — at Fourth and Tingey streets SE, across from the brewery and restaurant — for its Opening Day Fest. The al fresco party, which runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, has a hands-on baseball theme: Kids of all ages can pay $5 per round to step into a batting cage or test their arm strength at the fast pitch booth, which measures a throw’s speed. Look for Bluejacket beers, chef Kyle Bailey’s burgers and grilled sausages, corn hole games and more. Admission is free, though a $30 “Triple Play” pass allows holders to skip lines for entry and includes two beers, a burger or sausage sandwich, and two rounds in the batting cage or on the fast-pitch machine. Advance tickets are available from openingdayfestbluejacket.eventbrite.com. The Fairgrounds 1299 Half St. SE. www.fairgroundsdc.com. Though the


U.S. should press for release of Saudi blogger

husband being publicly beaten in front of a mosque thousands of miles away. But recently I learned of efforts to retry Raif on a charge of apostasy — that he has abandoned or renounced Islam. This information chilled me to my core because, under Saudi law, such a charge is punishable by death — usually by beheading. My family has also received confirmation that the Saudi Arabian Supreme Court has referred Raif’s case to the same judge who sentenced him to flogging and 10 years imprisonment. This judge has twice requested that Raif be charged with apostasy. While in previous years his request was denied on the grounds that the criminal court did not have jurisdiction in apostasy cases, this has changed. This judge wrote in his original verdict against Raif that he is confident that Raif is an apostate. If the court finds my husband guilty, I fear we will never see him again. How will my children grow up without their father? When I am allowed to speak with Raif, I brief him about all that is being done on his behalf. Because of a global outcry by citizens and governments of the world, Raif has not been flogged for 11 consecutive weeks. But I know that as soon as the media spotlight fades and pressure on the repressive Saudi monarchy eases, Saudi Arabia may seek to do what it pleases with my husband. It is critical that the pressure not abate, not even for an instant. More than a million people The apostasy charge has been hanging over Raif’s head since he was arrested. But even if my husband is not sentenced to death, he will still face the cruel and unusual punishment of years in prison and hundreds of lashes. He cannot be safe until his sentence is quashed and he is released. Before his arrest, my husband wrote: “We want life for those who wish death to us; and we want rationality for those who want ignorance for us.” I carry his words and his courage with me on the darkest and most hopeless days. Raif inspires me and compels me to keep raising my voice. I will not stop until my husband is free. Read more on this topic: The Post’s View: Saudi Arabia’s outrageous repression Waleed Abulkhair: Sentenced in Saudi Arabia for peaceful activism Joshua Muravchik: Saudi Arabia is regressing on human rights


Getting past the zero-sum game online

we were fast realizing that our preferred limits were undermining the global competitiveness of the U.S. computer industry — the very industry on which we relied for our success. It was becoming clear that the overall health of that industry was more important than any MTOPS advantage against a specific target country. We still insisted on limits with regard to places such as Cuba and North Korea, but we became far more forgiving elsewhere. This, of course, had a powerful, positive commercial impact, but the NSA didn’t flip its position for commercial reasons. We did it for security reasons. On balance, this change made us stronger, not weaker, over the long haul, since retarding exports would inevitably retard the technological progress that was both our economic and our security lifeblood. That early lesson has caused me to continue to challenge arguments that technological protectionism furthers national security. It might, but then again, it could have the opposite effect if it freezes development, alienates allies, feeds distrust or invites the creation of similar barriers abroad. I would recommend these broader considerations to those in the U.S. security enterprise with responsibility for evaluating these trade-offs today. In a perverse way, as the saying goes, what goes around comes around. Precedents we set will be followed — or exploited — by others in an economic system that becomes more globalized and hence more interdependent by the day. Already others point to U.S. activities to justify their own, often nefarious, efforts. Witness the Chinese trying to create moral and legal equivalency between legitimate U.S. intelligence and their massive theft of intellectual property, or their placement of newly minted restrictions on U.S. IT firms. One wonders what the Russias and Chinas of the world will demand if U.S.-based firms are forbidden to create encryption schemes inaccessible to themselves or the government. Beyond the realm of speculation, the Chinese company Alibaba has announced plans to open a cloud data center in the United States. How will we feel when a Chinese court orders Alibaba to send data on Americans back to China, citing our own behavior as justification? These are serious, long-term questions requiring serious, strategic answers. Possible second- and third-order effects — such as generating a stampede toward data localization or a Balkanized Internet — need to be considered alongside a still-important calculus based on more transient, tactical advantage. U.S. intelligence was given a black


Sand, sun and craft beer in Florida

up since I moved down here from Chicago five years ago,” said Brent Morgan, a brewer at Largo’s Barley Mow Brewing Co., which began brewing a couple years ago. “In those days, you really had to search hard for any locally made beer. . . . Now, Tampa Bay and Asheville are the hottest craft beer spots on the East Coast.” Other beer lovers apparently agree. Tampa recently took second place in a poll of best beer towns by USA Today, besting craft brew meccas such as Asheville, N.C., and Portland, Ore. (Grand Rapids snagged the No. 1 spot.) I always ask for hometown suds at local watering holes, but figured a more scientific survey was in order. Which is why, on a recent weekday evening, I, along with my friend Lucius and brother-in-law Snow, visited several local breweries. As we soon learned, styles of brews vary as much as the spaces where they’re made and served. We started at one of the newest and biggest, St. Petersburg’s 3 Daughters Brewing, named for the founding couple’s trio of young children. At a cozy tasting room bar that wouldn’t be out-of-place in a high-end ski lodge, Leigh Harting, who a little more than a year ago started the brewery with her husband, Mike, poured us a flight of several signature beers. Our lineup started with a Beach Blonde Ale, a light and refreshing beer that, true to its name, would be an ideal seaside sipper. Next up was Brown Pelican Dunkelweizen, a German dark wheat beer with a lovely winey quality. Or as Lucius, a sommelier who manages a local restaurant and wine bar, happily put it, “Freaking rich.” We wrapped up with a glass of toasty, chocolate-hinted Summer Storm Stout, which Snow said “would also be great for breakfast.” Like most beers made here, this one managed to be both true to style and accessible to newbie craft beer drinkers. We agreed to come back when the newest batch of award-winning aged porter, resting in a couple dozen repurposed bourbon barrels, is ready to drink. Good beer isn’t the only draw at 3 Daughters. The cavernous brewing room doubles as a kind of craft beer lover’s amusement park, complete with several shuffleboard and ping-pong tables, and jumbo-sized Jenga sets. Local bands often play on a raised stage. There’s even an 18-hole mini-golf course outside. “This place is craft beer heaven,”