‘Zoos aren’t your babysitter’: Parenting critics flay mom after gorilla shot to protect her preschooler

noting that the stress of the situation had made the gorilla’s behavior even more erratic. “The child was being dragged around, his head was banging on concrete. This was not a gentle thing.” The director also addressed suggestions that the zoo was to blame for the fall since the barriers didn’t successfully keep the child out. Maynard told reporters the facility is inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and that the enclosure barriers exceed recommendations, Fox News 8 in Cleveland reported. “You can lock your car, you can lock your house, but if someone really wants to, they can get in,” Maynard said at the news conference. “Do you know any 4-year-olds? They can climb over anything.” But despite Maynard’s words and law enforcement’s decision not to press any charges against the woman, critics continued to assault her parenting. During interviews in which they defended the zoo’s lethal response to the situation, two well-known wildlife experts and TV personalities, Jack Hanna and Jeff Corwin, attacked her parenting. “Zoos aren’t your babysitter,” Corwin told Fox 25 News. “Take a break from the cellphone and the selfie stick and the texting. Connect with your children. Be responsible for your children. I don’t think this happened in seconds or minutes. I think this took time, for this kid, for this little boy to find himself in this situation. And ultimately, it’s the gorilla that has paid that price.” Corwin emphasized that the loss of Harambe is especially devastating because his species is on the “precipice of extinction.” “No amount of money or biology or science can ever bring back what was lost with the death of this gorilla,” he said. In an interview on CBS This Morning, Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, said he agreed “1,000 percent” with the zoo’s decision to shoot the gorilla. But he, too, spoke on the importance of parental supervision at zoos, comparing the locations to parks and malls. “Just watch your kids. … I’m sure that the mother here did the best she could. I guess maybe she was doing something else, I don’t know, I wasn’t there,” he said. By Tuesday morning, a Facebook group called Justice for Harambe had amassed 109,544 likes and described its purpose as a page to raise awareness about “Harambe’s murder” and to “see charges brought against those responsible.”


Bees’ secret superpower explained: How they sense flowers’ electric fields

But the bees that the British researchers studied seemed able to discern minute fluctuations in the electric charge of an artificial flower (flowers generate a faint electric field through their interactions with the earth and air around them), which helped them track down the sweet treats at the bottom. They could also sense the natural changes in charge emitted by petunias. Indeed, bees could tell when the charge of a flower had been altered by another bee landing on it. But how did they do it? Initially, Sutton suspected that the bees were using their antennae. But when he tested that theory, the feelers weren't particularly responsive. "So, we looked at the big fuzzy hairs on the bumblebees: They're so fuzzy!" Sutton told the Christian Science Monitor. So fuzzy indeed. Using a laser beam capable of detecting very small motions in the bees' hairs — and a electrode that could record activity in nerve cells at the bottoms of the hairs — they found that the fuzzy strands bent in response to the electric fields, much the same way human hair will stand up when mussed with a balloon. The bee hairs then sent signals to the bees' nervous system, allowing them to sense the electric fields and react accordingly. "I'm very excited by this because these little mechanically sensitive hairs are common all over the insect world," Sutton told NPR. "I think this might be something we see in more insects than just bumblebees." Robert Gegear "Basically this just adds to the long list of incredible things that bees can do," he told NPR. But it's still not clear whether the bees are really using their electric sensors to find the flowers they like, he added. Flowers have plenty of other distinguishing characteristics, and it's possible that the bees rely on the hairs for another purpose entirely — like navigation. "And so the one question I have is, 'What is the functional relevance?'" Gegear said. "Not just from the bee side but from the plant side as well." Read more: Scientists say humans certainly caused the spread of the virus that's killing honeybees How do these beetle moms make time for their kids? Very unsexy perfume. New studies find that bees actually want to eat the pesticides that hurt them Norway is creating a 'bee highway' to protect pollinators The humble dung beetle is a master of celestial navigation


The International Space Station has a new room

He sounded nervous, and why shouldn’t he be. His life’s work had been cinched up tight for more than a year, and who knew whether it would work in the harsh environment of space. In an interview in April, Robert Bigelow said he hopeful that the inflatable habitat his space company had developed would, in fact, inflate once it reached the International Space Station. But after SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket blew up last year, the launch of the habitat was delayed significantly. “This has been waiting for a year," said Bigelow, the founder of Bigelow Aerospace. "We’ve didn’t expect that. We thought, well maybe three or four months. But it’s been cinched up really tight in that mode for over a year. We’re not necessarily concerned. It’s just one more element that we would rather not have. We’d like to have not gone through that. We don’t know if t it makes a different if it's cinched up for one year or ten years.” Then, on Thursday, the big day came—the moment astronauts aboard the station would begin pumping air into the habitat, known as the BEAM, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module. It didn’t go so well. The pressure was off, and after two and a half hours, NASA officials called it off for another day. Finally, on Saturday, the BEAM inflated successfully, giving the station another room. [Meet the latest multimillionaire with an out-of-this-world idea for space.] The BEAM, made of a Kevlar-like material, is scheduled to stay attached to the station for two years, where it will be tested to see how it fares in space. Astronauts will enter the module from time to time to take readings. If successful, Bigelow said his habitats could be used to create commercial stations in space that could be used by other companies and even other governments that haven’t been able to fly to the International Space Station. The company has already developed another line of habitats, the B33, which is 20 times as large as the BEAM. And it hopes to test that habitat out on the space station in preparation for flying them by 2020.


The world is about to install 700 million air conditioners. Here’s what that means for the climate

experiences not only extremely hot temperatures, but has relatively little air conditioning installed so far — indeed, in coming years India hopes to first bring electricity itself to several-hundred-million people. “If they can focus on the efficient machines, they can save a tremendous amount of power,” Zaelke said. Zaelke and Moniz said that the real impact for the planetary greenhouse will be if the world can combine a restriction on emissions of HFCs under the Montreal Protocol, the global treaty originally adopted in 1987 to address ozone depleting substances like CFCs, with greater air conditioner efficiency overall. The Protocol “has never failed to do its job once it has gotten its assignment,” Zaelke said. The Berkeley Laboratory study found that if the world can shift toward 30 percent more efficient air conditioners, and phase out HFCs at the same time, that could effectively offset the construction of as many as 1,550 peak power plants. It further found that in terms of emissions avoided, this approach would have an even bigger impact than huge renewable energy projects – saving eight times as many emissions as China’s Three Gorges dam, and two times as many as India’s solar initiative. By the year 2050 for the globe as a whole, meanwhile, the total avoided carbon dioxide equivalent emissions could amount to some 4 billion tons annually — more than any single country other than China and the United States currently emit — with 1 billion tons of emissions avoided in India alone. Cumulatively, by 2050, the report finds that the world could avoid 98 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions. That figure is not only massive, but would represent fully 10 percent of the roughly 1,000 billion tons of CO2 that we could still emit from the year 2011 forward, according to scientists, and still have betting odds of keeping the planet’s warming below the international target of 2 degrees Celsius. The HFC shift seems set to play out under the Montreal Protocol. The question then becomes, how do you shift the global air conditioner market to favor far greater efficiency? According to Moniz, the world needs both research and development, but also businesses that sell or purchase large volumes of air conditioning — say, hotels — to commit to only carrying highly efficient models. And then, the whole global market could shift. If all this happens, he said, “that family in pick-your-favorite-non-temperate-zone


The month of May in restaurant openings and closings

Customers dig into pizza at All-Purpose, newly opened in Shaw. (Dixie D. Vereen for The Washington Post) Springtime: Blooming! Rebirth! New restaurants! In case you weren't paying attention, it was a typically busy month in dining debuts around the Washington area. Of course, there's a flip side: We saw plenty of closures, too. Here's a recap: Hello All-Purpose Bonfire Buttercream Bakeshop Cava Grill Alexandria Ottoman Taverna Radiator Shake Shack Pentagon City Shouk Taylor Gourmet Crystal City Whaley's Bethesda's Food & Wine Co. was among May's restaurant closures. (Stacy Zarin Goldberg for The Washington Post) Farewell Atlas Room Bakehouse Bistro Francais Cashion's Eat Place Food Wine Co. Melt Shop Olivia's Diner Poste Related items: The month of April in restaurant openings and closings The top 10 new restaurants in the D.C. area All-Purpose debuts with bready pizzas and whimsical Italian American fare Ottoman Taverna serves a vivid taste of Turkey Cashion's Eat Place to close, Johnny's Half Shell to take over the space


Arabic weather term ‘haboob’ is apparently troubling for some Texans

collapsing thunderstorm exhales a burst of wind. This burst of wind, or outflow, collects dust in the surrounding arid environment. The dust can grow into a towering dark cloud, the so-called haboob, that sweeps across the landscape, cutting visibility to near zero. Haboobs are common in the desert Southwest and the Middle East, where the term originated. It’s also true that many weather and Earth science terms we use are derived from other languages — hurricane, tornado and derecho are all Spanish in origin, not to mention El Niño and La Niña. There’s also the Japanese term tsunami. In fact, there is very little in the English language that doesn’t have roots somewhere else in the world. The National Weather Service released this footage of a haboob, a type of dust storm, engulfing Lubbock International Airport on May 29. At Weather Underground, meteorologist Bob Henson clarified the difference between haboobs, very localized phenomena, and dust storms and sand storms, which tend to cover more territory: Extreme blowing dust episodes, or duststorms, typically cover a large area, as opposed to the narrow zone of a haboob. Sandstorms occur when sand grains are blown across the lowest few feet of the landscape, usually in true deserts rather than semiarid regions. The term haboob has been around for decades. As Henson notes, “‘[H]aboob’ is hardly a new term in the meteorological literature. As noted by Maryland weathercaster and AGU blogger Dan Satterfield, a 1925 paper in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society was titled ‘Haboobs’.” Objections to the use of haboob are not unique to Texas. The New York Times wrote about an uproar over the term in Arizona in 2011, when Don Yonts of Gilbert, Ariz., told the Arizona Republic: “I am insulted that local TV news crews are now calling this kind of storm a haboob, How do they think our soldiers feel coming back to Arizona and hearing some Middle Eastern term?” Of course, the actions of a few shouldn’t color all Texans and Arizonans as prejudiced. The Times quoted David Wilson of Goodyear, Ariz., who said: “Let’s not become so ‘xenophobic’ that we forget to remember that we are citizens of the world, nor fail to recognize the contributions of all cultures to the richness of our language.” Meanwhile, on Facebook, a number of readers posted strongly worded retorts to those who posted complaints about the Weather


Being born with no arms or legs didn’t stop this man from completing a marathon

a partial right leg to propel himself all 26.2 miles at the Calgary Marathon. A native of Alberta, Koch enjoyed “an amazing day,” as he described it on Facebook. The moment has come! Chris Koch crosses the finish line! @IfICan79 @CalgaryMarathon @innfromthecold #yyc #ifican https://t.co/yFjrIPVhGd “It was a lot of fun,” Koch told Global News. “It was a pretty good workout; there were some good uphills that really took a lot out of me. I’m pushing with one leg, so my leg is pretty sore.” Koch, a farmer and motivational speaker, had previously become the first person without arms and legs to climb all 1,776 steps of Toronto’s CN Tower (he finished in just more than 50 minutes). He had completed shorter running distances, including half marathons, and was hoping to make February’s Los Angeles Marathon his first full-length effort, but event organizers told him that they would not allow his use of a longboard. Calgary organizers, though, were happy to accommodate the local athlete. “Completing a marathon is not easy for anyone, so it’s pretty cool that somebody that has been told it’s not something they’ll ever be able to do figured out a way to realize his dream to become a marathoner,” Kirsten-Ellen Fleming, executive director of the Calgary Marathon Society, told the Calgary Herald. Yearly, the Calgary marathon hosts feats of endurance and the triumph of the human spirit. https://t.co/ncyJYIpN2j https://t.co/0DjLklptrT “I came up along one lady who started crying when she saw me,” Koch told Runner’s World. “She said, ‘I was hoping I would get a chance to see you.’ We pushed each other to keep going.” “I was overwhelmed by emotion when I saw him turn the bend before the finish,” Koch’s girlfriend, Ally Iseman, said to Runner’s World. “It was all I could do not to run out and tackle him on the course. When he did cross, I just about knocked him over.” Being from a mountainous region in Canada, Koch enjoys skiing and snowboarding, plus golf, wakesurfing and traveling. What’s next for him? Completing a marathon in under four hours, for one thing. Oh, and Koch plans on trekking up to base camp at Mount Everest “to raise awareness for disabled people in Nepal,” as he told Runner’s World. But he’s being realistic about that dream — by not planning on achieving it until 2017. 2016 Calgary Marathon Profile - Chris Koch


Money is flowing over the U.S.-Mexico border, but it’s going north

The sun rises at the U.S.-Mexico border in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday, May 15, 2016. (Photo by Zoeann Murphy/ The Washington Post) In 2006, Hazleton, Pa., became the center of the national debate about illegal immigration. Faced with an influx of immigrants, many of them from Mexico, it was the first city to pass local ordinances that banned hiring or renting to unauthorized immigrants. Although the courts eventually struck down the ordinances, Hazleton’s city council had accurately captured the fears that many Americans had about the wave of unauthorized immigration then coming from south of the border, fears that still echo in this year’s election campaigns. But ten years later, illegal immigration from Mexico has dropped to historic lows, while Hazleton has become the center of another, newer — and perhaps more surprising — flow from Mexico. Instead of people coming across the border in large numbers, now products and investments are flowing north. And in and around Hazleton, at least four of the region’s main manufacturing plants are owned by Mexican companies, which have hired thousands of American workers to produce some of the U.S. market’s best-loved products. In 2009, the U.S. division of Mexico City-based Grupo Bimbo, the largest bread producer in the world, started the first of its two large plants in Hazleton, which produce and package its leading brands such as Sara Lee, Orowheat, Stroehmann’s, Arnold, Freihofer’s, Brownberry, Boboli Pizza Crust, and Thomas’ English Muffins. More recently, Mission Foods, owned by Mexico’s Gruma, built and later expanded a plant in nearby Mountain View that makes tortillas and health-food wraps. And Arca Continental, a Mexican snack-food company based in Monterrey, acquired Wise Foods in Berwick, Pa., only a few minutes away, to produce potato chips and Cheez Doodles. At a time when few Mexicans are coming to the United States as immigrants, Mexican investors have started pouring billions of dollars into the U.S. economy. Today, Mexican companies are among the industry leaders not only in bread, tortillas and wraps, but also in milk and dairy products — thanks to Borden Milk, owned by Mexico’s Lala, the second-largest producer of dairy products in the United States — and in hot dogs and lunch meat, where Mexico’s Sigma Foods sells its American-made products under the Bar-S and Fud labels. Mexico’s America Movil owns the largest prepaid wireless service in the United States, TracFone, while Mexico’s Cemex is the second-largest


Tigers closer Francisco Rodriguez says he contracted Zika in the offseason

Francisco Rodriguez has a message for anyone traveling to the Rio Olympics: Be careful. (Duane Burleson/Getty Images) Detroit Tigers closer Francisco Rodriguez says he understands if certain athletes are wary of the Zika virus as they prepare for the Rio Olympics. He would know, because he contracted Zika in the offseason. Rodriguez told ESPN.com’s Katie Strang “It wasn’t a cold, trust me,” he said. “It wasn’t a cold. A cold, you have a sneeze, have a headache, take a couple Tylenol and you’re done. You don’t have a cold for two weeks, you don’t have a bodyache for two weeks, you don’t have headaches, throwing up, weaknesses for two weeks.” A number of prominent athletes are either skipping the Olympics or planning on taking extreme caution during their time in Rio, with tennis legend Serena Williams telling reporters recently that she will be “super-protected, maybe.” “It could be a concern,” she added. “I’m not an expert on pathogens. I’ve watched a lot of movies like ‘Outbreak’ and stuff, but it didn’t leave me in a position where I could comment on this. Of course, would we’re hoping it doesn’t happen.” Rodriguez says taking such caution is a good idea for anyone traveling to Rio. “I wouldn’t blame them,” Rodriguez, 34, told ESPN.com. “If they have plans to have kids in the future, you’ve got to think about it. You have to be aware of that as well. You have to do some homework, some research about it.” Zika has been rampant in Brazil, and some have called on the Olympics to either be postponed more moved out of the country entirely. On Friday, however, the World Health Organization said that “canceling or changing the location of the 2016 Olympics will not significantly alter the international spread of Zika virus,” which it says has been found in 60 countries. WHO added that pregnant women should not travel to the Rio Games and that anyone attending the Olympics should not have sex during their time in Brazil and abstain from it for four weeks after their return, as the virus can be transmitted sexually.


Main Street Morning: Jose Cuervo is eyeing a $1 billion IPO

epa05330589 US Foods CEO Pietro Satriano (C) rings a ceremonial bell to mark the company’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, New York, USA, 26 May 2016. US Foods, which is one of the largest food distributors in the United States, raised over the 1 billion US dollars with the IPO. EPA/JUSTIN LANE Welcome to Main Street Morning, The Washington Post’s daily collection of news affecting entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses with a special focus on policy and government. Here’s what’s affecting my small business, my clients and other entrepreneurs today. Washington - A refinancing program through the Small Business Administration has been made permanent. The Economy - Consumer Confidence dropped again in May but consumer spending surged. - A prominent Yale economist warns of another possible housing collapse. - Small business job growth declined in May. - Americans are on the road to driving a record number of miles. The Elections - Gov. Jerry Brown endorses Hillary Clinton ahead of the California primary. - Trump launches an all-out attack on the press. - North Korea’s state media calls Trump a “far-sighted” and “wise politician.” - The stock market is getting more comfortable with a Trump presidency. - Bernie Sanders continues to fight on. People - Why strikes still work. - Most 2016 hirings will be in sales, IT and marketing, according to a new report. - It turns out that most people are actually pretty happy at work. - This company pays its employees to take vacations. - A hospital saves $10 million using employee analytics. - A gun shop faces $194,000 in fines for workplace hazards. Management - These are the eerie similarities between Tesla and a failed 1940s car company. - Why proper sitting will give you a leg up. - Staples CEO will step down after the company’s failed merger. - How to build a business on another company’s old gear. - These are 10 expert tips on managing cash flow as a new business. - Man-made diamonds are gaining acceptance, but the industry is still wary. Entrepreneurs - A teen’s new business is now worth more than six figures. - How this South African woman entrepreneur’s efforts are changing our world. - This is the hard side of selling soft treats. Restaurants - How a grilled cheese sandwich inspired a gourmet canned food company.


Did the Michelin Guide snub Los Angeles by choosing D.C.?

added, because, “The greatness of Los Angeles is small Asian, Latin, Persian restaurants. But not grand or fancy restaurants.” Gold doesn’t think that Michelin needs to change its methodology — “It’s silly for them to lower, bend or do backflips on their standards in order to fit the particular aesthetic of a city they are reviewing” — but he does think it tends to reward restaurants that operate within the French framework for haute cuisine. A city of casual dining, like Los Angeles, is just lost in translation. As for our fair city, “I think [Michelin] is probably a better fit in D.C.,” Gold said. “That kind of expense-account dining is so much more an important part of the restaurant scene than it is here,” and that’s not exactly a compliment. Yes, we have cool pop-ups and underground supper clubs and casual fare — “Looking forward to Michelin’s take on half smokes and jumbo slice,” tweeted Matthew Yglesias — but we also have a lot of chefs with classical training, opening restaurants that cater to people with a lot of money, even if they don’t have tablecloths. Pesto fusilli at Minibar, a Jose Andres restaurant that may do well in Michelin’s first D.C. rating. (Joseph Victor Stefanchik for The Washington Post) Though Gold said he doesn’t know the D.C. scene well, he has some predictions, based on L.A.’s experience. “I assume there is going to be a certain kind of stuffy restaurant that will end up doing extremely well, and an experimental restaurant that won’t do as well,” he said. People will be disappointed, but not surprised, that fancier restaurants get rewarded. “Is Minibar going to get three stars?” said Gold. “It might, because it aspires to that system. But is there anybody on earth that likes Minibar more than Jaleo?” And once the guide comes out, if it’s anything like what happened in L.A., everyone will debate Michelin’s selections for a day or two and then get on with their lives. “The city, as a whole, shrugged. I have a feeling that one of the reasons they stopped doing it was nobody cared about it here,” he said. “I think there’s going to be that top tier of restaurants where people are going to take it extremely seriously. I’m assuming that outside of those 10 to 12 places, it won’t matter.” Start placing your bets on that dozen now.


The Hotlist: 12 things to see, eat, drink and do in June

a still from her "Lemonade" visual album. (Courtesy of Parkwood Entertainment.) Beyoncé at M Bank Stadium, Beyoncé’s The Formation World Tour is a spectacle of sound and vision, with cameras and lights tracking the singer's every move -- and, this being Queen Bey, there are many, many moves; she's slaying more than 25 songs each night. For her sold-out performance at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium, expect a set list filled with popular bangers -- "Bow Down," "Run the World (Girls)" and "Flawless" -- as well as new tracks from "Lemonade," such as "Hold Up," "Don't Hurt Yourself" and "All Night." She also has mixed in Prince tributes, singing "Purple Rain" and "The Beautiful Ones." Sold out. Last year's DC JazzFest at The Yards, pictured here, featured performances by Common and Esperanza Spalding. (Frits PhotoGraphics.) D.C. JazzFest, This year’s D.C. JazzFest promises to be the biggest yet. The nine-day festival has lengthened its stay at Yards Park from two days to three (June 17-19), featuring performances by Cécile McLorin Salvant, Kamasi Washington and Eddie Palmieri’s Latin Jazz Septet. Plus, expect concerts at a variety of venues, ranging from ticketed gigs at the Kennedy Center and Sixth & I to free shows at the Sylvan Theatre and Dupont Circle. Looking to eat while you listen to some tunes? Several restaurants – Acadiana, Sotto D.C., Bistrot Lepic Wine & Bar, Rumba Café – are hosting concerts as part of the festival. Prices vary. Americana Beer Fest at Morven Park, The increasing number of beer festivals in the Washington area makes it hard for newcomers to stand out from the competition. But the Americana Beer Fest, which makes its local debut at Leesburg's Morven Park, has a few advantages. The 66 participating breweries include a few big names – Bell's, New Belgium, Boulevard – and an exceptionally strong cast of local producers, including Aslin, Ocelot, Crooked Run and Vanish. Samples are unlimited. Food trucks hawk snacks. Musical performances are headlined by the national bluegrass act Trampled by Turtles. And the event is a fundraiser for Boulder Crest Retreat, which offers therapeutic programs to combat veterans and their families. $45-$100. Porcelain St. Clair marches in 2013's Capital Pride Parade. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post) Capital Pride Alliance's Pride Parade and Concert, This year’s Capital Pride events officially begin June 1, but its main attractions – the parade and concert – take place later


As Obama’s tenure nears end, he’s open to ‘modifications’ to his Afghanistan plan

President Obama lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during Memorial Day observance at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30. (Reuters/Yuri Gripas) President Obama will soon face what is likely his last major decision on the war in Afghanistan, as the administration examines how many U.S. troops to leave there and what role they will play. The issue will arise in coming days, as Army Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr. presents the results of a 90-day assessment he has compiled since becoming the senior U.S. military commander in Afghanistan on March 2. U.S. military and administration officials have been hesitant to put a specific timeline on when decisions will be made, but there is broad acknowledgement that senior officials will be formulating some plans ahead of the Warsaw Summit, a meeting in July of NATO heads of state. “We have routine meetings on Afghanistan, and I’m sure we will in the context of preparing for the Warsaw Summit,” said Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a recent interview. “I think in the coming weeks there will be a lot of focus on Afghanistan.” An Obama administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to speak about internal policy discussions, also indicated the president is open to “possible modifications” to the U.S. military role in Afghanistan in order to best carry out the mission, protect deployed U.S. troops and address evolving threats. “Any potential consideration would balance adjustments to how we currently execute our mission with our efforts to continue to develop the capabilities of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces,” the administration official said. The issue comes at a complicated time in Afghanistan following the May 22 death of top Taliban leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, who was targeted by a U.S. drone strike in the western Pakistani town of Ahmad Wal, about 30 miles south of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. The Taliban have continued to clash with Afghan soldiers and police who are trained and advised by a U.S.-led military coalition, and the group holds territory in numerous parts of the country. Army Lt. Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr. speaks during his confirmation hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee on Jan. 28 before becoming the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Army Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, a senior military spokesman in Afghanistan, said Wednesday that Nicholson


‘This hurts’: D.C. restaurants are bracing for Metro’s earlier weekend closing

Chef-owner Tim Ma was hoping to offer a new late-night menu at the bar at Kyirisan in Shaw. No longer, thanks to Metro's daily midnight closure. (Dayna Smith for The Washington Post) The midnight closing of Metro on weekends is an inconvenience to most Washingtonians. For restaurants and bars that cater to late-night crowds, however, the curtailing of train service that would otherwise extend until 3 a.m. is a huge deal. The changes take effect this Friday night and will continue for approximately the next year, though no end date has been specified. "For us small businesses, it’s going to make a difference," said chef Tim Ma, who recently opened Kyirisan, his first restaurant in the District. He'd been planning to debut a new Thursday-through-Saturday late-night menu of Asian tacos and drinks that would have been available for two hours after the Shaw restaurant's last seating at 10 p.m. He nixed the idea once Metro announced its SafeTrack plan, which also includes a series of single-tracking and total shutdowns of various rail segments over the next year. As it is, Ma said he is "pushing it" to get staff home on weekdays, when Metro already closes at midnight. Shutting down a restaurant is much more than just ending service and sending customers on their way. Equipment has to be turned off and cooled down. The refrigerators used during service must be emptied out, with items returned to and organized in the walk-in storage. Even at 12:30 a.m., employees can still be washing dishes, pots and pans, not to mention the grills and ovens than must be scrubbed down for a minimum of 90 minutes, Ma said. "You can't just turn everything off and walk out," he said. On a staff of 25 people, Ma is one of the five who live in the city. Ma said the great thing about Shaw and other growing D.C. neighborhoods is that they're thriving, but that growth comes at a price when staff can't afford to live near where they work. They also can't afford to take a taxi or Uber at the end of the night, unless they want to burn through whatever they've made. The core of Ma's team relies on Metro to get back to their homes in places such as Springfield and Takoma Park, and while he's thought of using some kind of car service, he doesn't think he can


When female sparrows cheat on their mates, males make sure the kids suffer

but also the costs of females producing EPO, Erythropoietin, a hormone that controls red blood cell production.” It’s a popular theory among scientists that as a trade-off for being a cuckold to a philandering female, males “should provide less care to a brood that contains more EPO than to a brood of the same female that contains no or fewer EPO.” The study was published Tuesday in the American Naturalist. For the research, the scientists studied sparrows on the island of Lundy in the Bristol Channel for a dozen years. Schroeder, a researcher in the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College London, could not be reached when the study was released because of travel to a remote region where phone and digital connections are spotty. But in a statement, she said males in the study “changed their behavior based on their partner. When they switched from a faithful partner to one prone to infidelity, they provided less food for their brood. Females might also change their behavior when paired with a less lazy male, cheating less with a more attentive father.” Cheating less, but not stopping altogether. Before drawing any conclusions, keep in mind that male sparrows on the island couldn’t exactly point feathers. They’re hypocrites that constantly cheated themselves. “Biologists believe that the male birds are unfaithful to ensure that they father as many chicks as they can, while females are unfaithful with males of better ‘genetic quality’ — ones that are fitter and could produce stronger offspring,” a statement announcing the study said. Two hundred males and nearly that many females were observed for the study. Over the 12 years, they formed more than 300 unique pairs and hatched more than 850 broods. There were some of what the researchers called “sparrow divorces,” a topic perhaps deserving more study, “but most changes in life partners were due to death,” they said. Schroeder’s team of six genotyped each sparrow and traced their family trees, paying close attention to unfaithful partners of both genders. The researchers said they chose Lundy because few birds leave the island or migrate from the mainland. Males had no way of knowing they were being deceived by their partner through sensory perception such as touch or smell. But it was important to keep their eye on the female sparrow, Schroeder said. The more faithful the female, the more diligent the male. “If chicks were


Two of the most famous examples of evolution have the same, simple explanation

Left: A Heliconius erato demophoon butterfly feeding on a flower in captivity. (Melanie Brien) Right: Light and dark morphs of the peppered moth.(Ilik Saccheri) Over hundreds of years, among the dense, sun-dappled rain forests of the American tropics, a family of brilliantly colored butterflies have been evolving at breakneck speeds. Though they come in a wide range of species and forms, they share a taste for poisonous plants — which makes them unpalatable to those who might try to make them into a meal. And they've capitalized on their shared toxicity, evolving to mimic one another's wing patterns in order to send one powerful message to predators: "Things that look like us taste bad. Stay away." More recently, but no less dramatically, another winged creature changed its form in order to avoid being eaten. When the rapid industrialization and rampant coal use of 19th century Britain coated the country's birch trees in a layer of soot, the once white-speckled peppered moth turned black, the better for blending in and keeping out of sight of potential predators. If these stories sound familiar, that's because they're textbook cases of evolution and adaptation, taught in high school biology classrooms around the world. When the English naturalist Henry Walter Bates discovered the mimetic Heliconius butterflies during an expedition to Brazil in the mid 19th century, he held them up as evidence that Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection was correct. In a letter to Darwin not long after, entomologist Albert Brydges Farn told his friend of the curious change in peppered moths' appearances and asked, "Do these variations point to the 'survival of the fittest?' I think so." And now we know how they were able to pull it off. A pair of studies published Wednesday in the journal Nature pinpoint the genes behind the crazy patterns of Heliconius butterflies and the dull, dark coloring of British peppered moths. It turns out they're one and the same. There's a kind of poetry to it, said Ilik Saccheri, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Liverpool and an author of the peppered moth study. Two cases that have helped inspire, defend and teach the theory of evolution by natural selection now have a single, potent explanation. "We’re looking under the bonnet of this machine now and starting to gain insight rather than just imagining that evolution just happens at random," Saccheri said. But the identified


How Obama’s Afghanistan plan is forcing the Army to replace soldiers with contractors

locations that may not permit the deployment of contractors.” According to the Army document, three CABs have deployed to Afghanistan since 2013 with reduced maintenance staffs. A typical CAB usually deploys with 1,500 soldiers but can swell above 2,500 depending on the mission. In 2013, a brigade deployed with 1,900 troops, but as U.S. forces were reduced in Afghanistan, a brigade of only 800 deployed in 2015. Despite the reduction in troop levels, the brigade was still expected to maintain and fly its roughly 100 aircraft. Currently, the 4th Infantry Division’s CAB is deployed to Afghanistan and provides “country-wide aviation support,” according to a breakdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan that was compiled by the Institute for the Study of War. It primarily provides rotor-wing support in the form of helicopter gunships and transports. According to the Army document, only 6 percent of the 4th’s CAB is dedicated to maintaining aircraft. That small number is specifically for recovering aircraft that land or crash in a hostile environment. Instead, 427 civilian personnel — at a cost of $101 million annually — are maintaining the CAB’s fleet of helicopters. Through 2014 and 2015, 390 contractors maintained both the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions’ aircraft for $86 million when their CABs were deployed to Afghanistan. While U.S.-led combat operations in Afghanistan officially ended in 2014, last fall, as the Taliban gained momentum throughout the country, President Obama agreed to keep about 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan through 2016, and 5,500 into 2017. Although the troop levels are low compared to the 45,000 deployed at the start of 2014, the number of uniformed service members in Afghanistan is only part of the U.S. war effort there. As of April, 26,000 Pentagon contractors are in Afghanistan, about half of whom are assigned to logistics and maintenance duties, according to publicly available reports. Although the number of contractors has almost always exceeded the number of uniformed troops in Afghanistan, the ratio of civilian employees compared to U.S. military personnel has more than doubled in the past two years, from 1.34 to 2.92. “I am not at all convinced that the only units affected are the combat aviation brigades,” Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Tex.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a recent interview. “Aside from financially … is there a potential that it increases the risk that our folks face just because of these political


Another daylight shooting in D.C., but few in this Northeast neighborhood are surprised

The scene shortly after a shooting Wednesday morning on Brentwood Road in Northeast Washington. (Peter Hermann/The Washington Post) It’s not even 10 in the morning and already a man is running from bullets. He had just emerged from a liquor store in Northeast Washington, was struck as he stepped onto Brentwood Road and collapsed under a tree a few steps away. Witnesses told police the assailant, gun in hand, ran across busy Rhode Island Avenue and disappeared. Wednesday morning’s shooting in front of the Woodridge Vet’s Liquor store was one of two dozen in the District since mid-May, and with a wound that appeared minor, it barely registered on the city’s broader landscape of violence. In all, 53 people have been killed by homicide this year, up from 50 at this time in 2015, when killing surged 54 percent. The shooting on Brentwood was one of at least 14 since May 16 — when five people were wounded by gunfire on a single afternoon — to occur during daylight hours. “There are a lot of kids with guns out here,” said a woman watching police search for evidence along Brentwood Road. “If they see someone they’re after, they go after him, no matter what time of day it is.” The woman, like others, declined to provide her name. She and two friends had parked in front of Sam’s Grocery & Deli for a loaf of bread and cigarettes when they heard the gunfire outside. The ran out and saw the man lying in the grass. Their car became trapped behind the yellow tape cordoning off the crime scene, and all they could do was wait in the sun until the police had finished. This shooting scene was not unlike any other in the District — a car with its back window shattered by an errant bullet, cards littering the grass of a small park and pavement marking found evidence, such as bullet casings. Detectives in suits struggling to find witnesses. Two people who told The Washington Post they had seen the gunman shook their heads no when asked the same questions by the police. It is a snapshot of what has become routine, of violence becoming banal. The small strip shopping center contains the liquor store, the deli and a Quick Trip 24 grocery. It is along a stretch of litter-strewn Brentwood Road off 14th Street NE, a small park


Thai monks, who charged tourists $17 for tiger selfies, kept 40 dead cubs in temple freezer

Thai national parks officials officers remove a sedated tiger from the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand, on Wednesday. When Thai officials cracked open a freezer in the Buddhist monastery’s kitchen on Wednesday, they were greeted by a blast of chill air and an unnerving sight: the bodies of 40 frozen tiger cubs. The Tiger Temple, in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, is far from a typical Buddhist temple. Until wildlife authorities took action this week, more than 100 tigers lived under the monks’ care, attracting tourists en masse as well as controversy. Though officials were surprised to find the cubs’ corpses during this week’s investigation, the incident had a long-burning wick. The temple’s two-decades-long history is marred by accusations that the monks bred the tigers for profit, hid missing animals and fueled the wildlife trade. “We don’t know why the temple decided to keep these cubs in the freezer,” Anusorn Noochdumrong, an official with Thailand’s Department of National Parks, told the Associated Press. “We will collect these carcasses for DNA analysis.” A raid at a Buddhist temple in Thailand uncovered the carcasses of 40 tiger cubs and a bearcat in a freezer. Known as Tiger Temple, the popular tourist destination is under investigation for alleged illegal trafficking and animal abuse. On its Facebook page, the monks denied any impropriety, saying that freezing the bodies was a practice instituted by a veterinarian who had previously worked at the monastery, possibly “to combat the allegations” that the temple had sold dead cubs and tiger parts. During the raid, however, officials say they nabbed a monk who had loaded his car with tiger parts while attempting to escape the zoo. “Today we found tigers skins and amulets in a car which was trying to leave a temple,” Anusorn told Agence France-Presse on Thursday. Inspection of the monks’ living quarters also revealed a collection of fangs, fur patches and a pair of whole tiger pelts. The temple opened in 1994, in an area of Thailand close to a wild tiger habitat. It remained free of big cats for its first five years, until February 1999. The monks rescued a tiger cub from an affluent Bangkok resident, after a taxidermist botched an attempt to kill and stuff the animal. Though that cub died shortly thereafter, locals began to deliver other cubs taken from poachers, according to a history of the Tiger Temple published on its website. “The


What Harambe’s death means for a critically endangered species of gorilla

see exotic animals, full stop. Animals were purchased from dealers or “collected” in Africa, and the breeding they did was incidental. Talk about conservation became more common in the 1960s. But it remains controversial whether zoos mean what they say about conservation, or whether what they do has an impact. This week, I asked Smithsonian’s National Zoo, the AZA and the Wildlife Conservation Society — which manages conservation projects around the world as well as zoos in New York — to talk about this. The WCS flat-out said no, and the National Zoo and AZA didn’t respond to interview requests. According to publicly available information and experts, though, zoos promote wildlife conservation in a few ways. One is by raising funds for conservation projects in the wild. The AZA’s 2014 conservation report says 241 U.S. zoos spent $154 million on conservation initiatives in 130 countries that year. Among other efforts, the Cincinnati Zoo says it helps fund a long-running gorilla field study in Congo, and it also collects donated cellphones, which it says helps reduce the demand for coltan mining in gorilla habitats. Hutchins said zoos also allow scientists to conduct important research that can’t be done in the wild and serve as training grounds for biologists. The animals, he said, act as ambassadors for their kind, teaching visitors about their importance and the threats to them. Visitors take pictures of Bao Bao at the panda’s first birthday celebration at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in 2014. (Yue Wu/The Washington Post) “They’re connecting with people who don’t have any other experience with wildlife. These are urban populations; they’re not traveling to Africa, for the most part,” Hutchins said. “They’re not ever going to see a gorilla except on TV.” Quality zoos, he said, “are probably needed more than ever, because the situation in the wild for animals is just not good. We’re still losing habitat and losing species, and we shouldn’t be giving up on these institutions that are so focused on them.” Then do zoos inspire new generations of conservationists? That’s unclear. The AZA says they do and cites studies supporting that claim. But when British sociologist Eric Jensen and colleagues surveyed 5,661 zoo-and-aquarium-goers in 19 countries for a study that published in Conservation Biology in 2014, their findings were more ambiguous. Most visitors reported having a greater understanding of biodiversity and conservation. “But the challenge for zoos and aquariums now


and serve as training grounds for biologists. The animals, he said, act as ambassadors for their kind, teaching visitors about their importance and the threats to them. Visitors take pictures of Bao Bao at the panda’s first birthday celebration at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in 2014. (Yue Wu/The Washington Post) “They’re connecting with people who don’t have any other experience with wildlife. These are urban populations; they’re not traveling to Africa, for the most part,” Hutchins said. “They’re not ever going to see a gorilla except on TV.” Quality zoos, he said, “are probably needed more than ever, because the situation in the wild for animals is just not good. We’re still losing habitat and losing species, and we shouldn’t be giving up on these institutions that are so focused on them.” Then do zoos inspire new generations of conservationists? That’s unclear. The AZA says they do and cites studies supporting that claim. But when British sociologist Eric Jensen and colleagues surveyed 5,661 zoo-and-aquarium-goers in 19 countries for a study that published in Conservation Biology in 2014, their findings were more ambiguous. Most visitors reported having a greater understanding of biodiversity and conservation. “But the challenge for zoos and aquariums now is how to use these findings to directly improve the conservation of biodiversity, because it’s important to remember that an increase in knowledge does not necessarily lead to a change in behavior,” Jensen said at the time. One of the most prominent naysayers of zoos’ claims about conservation is David Hancocks, a longtime zoo director and architect. As he argued to Conservation magazine in 2013: “If you strip away the rhetoric of what zoos claim they do and what they actually do, it’s still 99.99 percent putting animals on show.” Hyson said that’s probably also the way many visitors see it. “I often like to say that people go to zoos for the same reason today that they went to zoos 160 years ago: To see exotic animals up close and active,” he said. “The mission, they have changed; the frame and the design, they have changed. But that visitor experience is still fundamentally the same.” Flowers lay around a bronze statue of a gorilla outside the Cincinnati Zoo’s Gorilla World exhibit. (William Philpott/Reuters) Back to the gene pool. What does the loss of Harambe mean? It’s impossible to know how many baby gorillas Harambe might have sired. But Maynard,


President Obama is much more competitive than most people know

yesterday. The crowd, which was cheering and literally calling for more, energized him. Obama doesn't miss a chance when challenged about his skills as [a] politician to note that he's 2-0 when it comes to presidential elections. So maybe that's why he enjoys campaigning. He enjoys a good argument, especially when he thinks the facts are on his side and thinks he's winning. FIX: How concerned is Obama about his legacy — and even his final months in office — being framed by the Trump era of politics? He refused to say Trump’s name in Indiana yesterday. But presumably Trump and what Trump represents is on his mind quite a bit. What does he think about when he thinks about Trump? Jaffe FIX: Finish this sentence: The biggest difference in Barack Obama in Elkart in 2009 and Barack Obama in Elkhart in 2016 is ________. Explain. Jaffe: The biggest difference in Barack Obama in Elkhart in 2009 and today is that. ... Boy this is so hard. What's surprising to me at times is how little he's changed. Go back and read his best speeches: the 2009 Nobel, the 2004 Convention speech, his first Inaugural in 2009, the Selma speech, the Charleston eulogy. What's most surprising to me is how little he's changed. (Maybe that's a good thing or maybe it's a bad thing? I don't know.) There's an optimism that infuses all of those speeches; a belief that society is becoming more just, fair, inclusive, tolerant, rational, less violent and wiser. We in the White House press pool groan when he says it — because he says it again and again and again — but Obama loves to make the point that there's never a better time to be alive on this planet. He says this when he's talking to young and old audiences. He says it at home and when he's speaking overseas. He says it as pricey fundraisers and when speaking to minority activists. He said it yesterday at Elkhart! So by that logic, all of the anger and division and coarseness that we're seeing in American politics is just a blip. That diagnosis could be wrong and it could be leading him to misunderstand the current moment in American politics. But that's what he believed in 2009 at Elkhart and that's what he believes today. He's definitely more frustrated by Republicans, who he thinks are behaving


11 things to do in the D.C. area on the weekend of June 3-5

Welcome to the first weekend in June, D.C. To help you start the month with a bang, here are this weekend's best bets in nightlife, festivals, museums, music and much more around the Washington area. - D.C. tap takeover: The best beer events of Savor week - The Hotlist: 12 things to see, eat, drink and do in June - Garden party: 3 new beer gardens to check out More than 70 breweries from across the United States will have their beers flowing at the Savor craft beer festival this weekend at the National Building Museum. (© BREWERS ASSOCIATION) Through Sunday: [Local beer here: The definitive guide to D.C.’s best breweries] Friday-Sunday: Friday-Sunday: [It’s outdoor movie season. Here’s where to find free screenings.] Friday: PINKWASH - WALK FORWARD WITH MY EYES CLOSED (5/18/16) Friday: Awesome Con 2015 Cosplay and Overview (Washington DC) Friday-Sunday: Saturday: Saturday: "Awkward Sex ... and the City" returns to the Black Cat Saturday-Sunday: [Bound for the beach? Check out these new bars.] Sunday: Sunday: [D.C. restaurants are bracing for Metro’s earlier weekend closing]


Jackie Kennedy’s former Georgetown mansion is available for $10 million

WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 27:
First Lady Jackie Kennedy reportedly once lived in the house at 3017 N Street Northwest in Washington, DC on May 27, 2016.
(Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post) For sale: one Georgetown mansion with a pedigree — the circa 1794 home was where Jackie Kennedy briefly moved her family in 1963 after her husband’s assassination. Subsequent buyers included New Republic publisher (and onetime KGB spy) Michael Straight, who sold it to colorful socialite Yolande Betbeze Fox, who lived there until her death earlier this year. Price tag: a mere $10 million, according to Georgetown blogger Carol Joynt, who first wrote about the private sale. Since the property is currently what’s known as a “pocket sale,” or an off-market listing, there’s no gallery of photos for lookee-loos to gawk at. But Joynt describes the manse at 3017 N St. NW, which is being sold by Fox’s heirs, as a bit of a fixer-upper. The buyer will no doubt will be paying for the prestigious address — and for the home’s history. Jackie Kennedy picked the brick home as her post-White House residence, but decamped to Manhattan after less than a year, apparently less than enchanted by the attention from rubbernecking tourists (perhaps a cautionary tale for the Obamas, who are on the hunt for their next Beltway address?). Straight bought it, and later lived there with his second wife, Nina Auchincloss Steers, who coincidentally was Jackie Kennedy’s stepsister as well as the half-sister of writer Gore Vidal. In the 1970s, Fox — a former Miss America whose eclectic résumé also included stints as an off-Broadway producer and a civil-rights activist — purchased the property.


Cyclist believed to be first U.S. athlete to pass on Rio Olympics due to Zika concern

athlete to back out because of concerns about the Zika virus. Van Garderen, who was likely to make the team, is concerned that, if he contracted Zika, he could pass it along to his pregnant wife, who is due to give birth in October. “If Jessica were not pregnant right now, assuming I was selected, I would go,” he told Cyclingtips. “But the fact is, she is pregnant. If we were just going to start trying, I’d say we could start trying six months after the Olympics. But when she has a baby in her belly, I don’t want to take any chances.” Van Garderen, 27, was a member of the 2012 Olympic team and most likely would have qualified for one of the two spots on the U.S. team for road events. Both riders must compete in the time trial and road race. A veteran of the Tour de France, van Garderen is considered to be a strong time-trial cyclist whose climbing ability would have been valuable on Rio’s hilly course. Kevin Loughery, a spokesman for USA Cycling, confirmed van Garderen’s decision for the Associated Press, adding that he is the only athlete who has chosen to withdraw from consideration for the team, which is expected to be announced June 24. “People are probably going to have different opinions on this. I’m sure they will think what they are going to think, but the fact is, if anything were to happen, I couldn’t live with myself,” he told Cyclingtips. “I’m much more at ease with this decision than I would be if I were trying to go to the Olympics. “Besides, I don’t think this will be my last chance to go to the Olympics. I’m sure I’ll still be around in four years.” Earlier this month, Australia’s Mark Leishman, the 35th-ranked golfer in the world, announced that he would skip the Olympic tournament because of concerns about Zika. Leishman’s wife, Audrey, suffered a near-fatal case of toxic shock syndrome last year, and Leishman didn’t want to jeopardize her recovery by putting himself at risk to Zika in Rio de Janeiro. He is the fifth big-name golfer to back out of going to Rio, joining Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Vijay Singh. Last month, Major League Baseball moved a series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins from Puerto Rico to Miami because of concerns about Zika.


Save the climate and protect America: Build an ‘underground energy interstate’ now

military well-being of the United States. A properly planned, multiply connected electric network can be designed to be highly robust; power produced anywhere over the contiguous United States can reach anywhere it is needed, moment by moment, using numerous different paths. A protected underground HVDC network would be the core that allows power to get anywhere in the United States after an EMP attack or solar storm. Since the HVDC network is an overlay upon the existing AC transmission and distribution system, there would have to be efforts to harden selected parts of the existing electric system. A nationally planned integrated HVDC transmission network should be built and maintained privately, in contrast to the publicly built U.S. interstate that took 35 years to complete. Individual segments could be open to private bidders, paid for by usage fees. The existing AC power distribution and retail systems, investor owned utilities, independent system operators and much of the regulatory structure could remain in place, making a smooth transition likely. Our paper shows that the implementation cost, including new generation and transmission, would be low enough that it would not increase electricity costs to consumers. Investment at this level should be reasonably accommodated by private capital markets. The threat of greenhouse gases to both the global ocean and atmosphere is real and will continue to ratchet up in coming years. A national electricity market is crucial to address this problem without causing economic harm. Nuclear plants could be placed far from cities to enhance safety and along with wind and solar generators would have continuous access to the full national market. Fossil fuel plants with CO2 sequestration could compete on a level playing field. A low carbon electric system would enable other energy segments, such as autos and space heating, to use electricity to decrease their carbon footprint. The market would ultimately decide on the best mix of generators as energy consumers and their technologies change through time. Recent history shows that big things can happen, even in today’s legal environment. Since the 1990s, an entire national network of fiber-optic cables was put in place. It used existing rights-of-way such as roads and had significant segments underground. The proposed primary HVDC network is also similar to the fiber-optic network in that it would not be funded by tax dollars — it is an infrastructure project that could start now, create millions of jobs, and


it would not increase electricity costs to consumers. Investment at this level should be reasonably accommodated by private capital markets. The threat of greenhouse gases to both the global ocean and atmosphere is real and will continue to ratchet up in coming years. A national electricity market is crucial to address this problem without causing economic harm. Nuclear plants could be placed far from cities to enhance safety and along with wind and solar generators would have continuous access to the full national market. Fossil fuel plants with CO2 sequestration could compete on a level playing field. A low carbon electric system would enable other energy segments, such as autos and space heating, to use electricity to decrease their carbon footprint. The market would ultimately decide on the best mix of generators as energy consumers and their technologies change through time. Recent history shows that big things can happen, even in today’s legal environment. Since the 1990s, an entire national network of fiber-optic cables was put in place. It used existing rights-of-way such as roads and had significant segments underground. The proposed primary HVDC network is also similar to the fiber-optic network in that it would not be funded by tax dollars — it is an infrastructure project that could start now, create millions of jobs, and leave the United States much less dependent on foreign oil. There are HVDC cable manufacturing plants in the United States, and much of the project would be done by local contractors across the country — similar in scope to the building of the interstate highway system. The need to coordinate an integrated network design and sufficient legal authority for fast track implementation (i.e., built by 2030) requires robust enabling legislation. Since solar and security threats, weather scales and the benefits of large markets are similar the world over, it is likely that such a system would work in Europe, China, India and other areas. The United States could lead the world in electric-system transformation, creating increased energy self-sufficiency, stabilizing long-term energy cost and supply, and lessening the likelihood of catastrophic power disruptions. The security, environmental, and economic primacy of those countries that take action soon will be enhanced for decades. Alexander MacDonald recently retired as director of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory. He was president of the American Meteorological Society in 2015. He is currently director of Numerical Weather Prediction at Spire Global.


Scientists say they’ve one-upped photosynthesis with a ‘bionic leaf’

Maple, ash and elm tree crown frame a blue sky. When visitors come to Pamela Silver's Harvard lab, they always ask to see the "bionic leaf." "And they're going to be disappointed," the biochemist said, laughing heartily. The experiment that has kept Silver and her colleagues occupied for the better part of the past year is little more than a humble jar. Several inches of cloudy, bacteria-filled liquid sits at the bottom, and a tangle of wires protrudes from all sides. "It really looks nothing like a leaf," Silver said. It's even better. On Thursday, Silver and her colleagues report in the journal Science that they've combined solar panels, genetically modified bacteria and a synthetic catalyst to create a system that does exactly what a leaf does — turn sunshine into fuel — but much more efficiently. "Photosynthesis really is unbelievable," said Silver's colleague Daniel Nocera, a fellow Harvard professor and a co-author of the report. "It's just water, air and sunlight, and plants can make biomass from that. And we can, too." If it's been a while since your high school biology class, here's a photosynthesis refresher: Plants take in water and carbon dioxide. Using sunlight as their energy source, they split those molecules into their component parts and reshape them as water, oxygen and, most important, complex sugar. Almost all the energy used on Earth traces back to those vital sugar molecules. For years now, scientists have been working with a bacterium, Ralstonia eutropha, that can perform the tail end of this process — turning assorted carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms into energy. But providing Ralstonia with the ingredients it needs for this process has proved complicated. Too often, the catalysts used to launch the reaction that splits water and carbon dioxide molecules would also produce toxic byproducts — killing the bacteria before they could do their jobs. So Nocera, who specializes in renewable energy, started to develop a new one. The catalyst he ended up with, made of cobalt and phosphorus, jump-starts the water-splitting reaction without poisoning the rest of the system. The end product is about 10 times better at turning sunlight into biomass than even the fastest-growing plants, Nocera says. The system can also produce a host of useful compounds: biofuels such as isobutanol, for example, or the molecule PHB, which can be used to make biodegradable plastic. Once it's scaled out of the lab


The U.S. wants to maintain cross-border data flows. That may be tough.

Parliament have all come out against it, demanding basic changes to the deal that the United States will not want to agree to. The agreement is certain to be challenged at the European Court of Justice (the E.U. equivalent of the Supreme Court) and is highly unlikely to survive the challenge. The United States will need to make changes, too All this suggests that reaching agreement on cross-border data flows is hard. It is especially hard because the United States, unsurprisingly, would prefer to reach agreements that reflect its basic preferences and don’t involve hard compromises. However, other states, obviously, have their own interests, and will want the United States to make major compromises in order to reach agreement. Kornbluh recognizes this and suggests that the United States needs to show flexibility on exchanging information, providing limited privacy rights to foreigners and other questions. Likely, the United States will have to do considerably more than Kornbluh proposes if it is to reach agreement with the European Union, let alone with those whose interests clash more starkly. To be clear: It is extremely plausible that Kornbluh recognizes these problems (while perhaps disagreeing with some of the arguments outlined above), even if she does not say so explicitly. If it is the job of academics to draw on research to point out problems and difficulties, it is the job of policy officials to try to figure out how to resolve those problems that can be resolved, while papering over the others. As a former (and perhaps future) U.S. high official, Kornbluh may also prefer not to say things that might be taken as implicit concessions in future negotiations. There also are some reasons to think that academics may sometimes be too skeptical. For example, one may want to temper some of Goldsmith and Wu’s arguments. After all, cross-border data flows are still happening more than a decade after their book, albeit with restrictions. If we aren’t in the world that Internet zealots dreamed of, where state authority would be undermined by free flows of information, nor are we in a world of complete state control. Instead, we are seeing complex and unresolved struggles between states — and between states and private actors — over who is going to set the rules. In this context, carefully aimed policy interventions can have real consequences, even if they are unlikely to lead to major transformations.


PM Update: Shower chances on the rise into tomorrow

Two-hour radar loop of rain and storm movement through the area. Refresh page to update. We’ve managed to mostly avoid showers these past couple days, but the potential to get wet is on the rise through Friday and into this weekend (especially on Sunday), as a pair of cold fronts bring a more unsettled pattern. It’s the kind of pattern where you can hope that any rain is well-timed to miss your outdoor plans, but have a Plan B at the ready just in case. Through Tonight: Tomorrow (Friday): See David Streit’s forecast through the weekend. And if you haven’t already, join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For related traffic news, check out Dr. Gridlock. Want our 5 a.m. forecast delivered to your email in-box? Subscribe here. [Storms on Sunday may produce ‘fairly widespread damaging wind event’ in Mid-Atlantic] A cloudy day for a bike ride in D.C. earlier today, June 2. (gypsybug via Flickr)


After secret Harvard meeting, scientists announce plans for synthetic human genomes

four lead organizers: Church, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School; Jef Boeke, director of the Institute for Systems Genetics at the NYU Langone Medical Center; Andrew Hessel, a researcher with the publicly traded company Autodesk; and Nancy J. Kelley, formerly executive director of the New York Genome Center. The news release stated that Kelley will be the top executive for the project, and that Autodesk has committed $250,000 in funding for the planning efforts. The organizers hope to raise $100 million by the end of this year, with an eventual goal of devoting $3 billion to the effort. The authors of the Science article wrote that some portion of the money that would be raised for the project should be directed toward addressing the ethical, legal and social issues surrounding how new genetic engineering technologies will be used. Church, informed of Endy's latest comments, said nine of the participants in the Harvard meeting were experts on the ethical, legal and social implications of technology, and he said he expects many more will respond to the article in Science. "Even when we identify something that we do not want, we need to think deeply about how to prevent it -- effective surveillance, deterrents and consequences," Church told The Post. Church, whose laboratory at Harvard Medical School is renowned for breakthroughs in genetic engineering, said that in a span of three to 10 years it should be possible to bring down the cost of synthesizing long stretches of DNA by a thousand-fold. That would mirror the huge declines in the cost of sequencing – that is, reading – human genomes. He said researchers are already synthesizing stretches of genetic code, but only in small pieces. The obstacle to widespread application and testing of synthetic genomes is the cost, he said. The field of genetic engineering has been dealing with ethical quandaries since the 1970s. In December, for example, scientists from the U.S., Europe and China met in Washington and agreed to put limits on the breakthrough gene-editing technique known as CRISPR, which has the potential to make heritable changes in a person's genome. Read more: Scientists debate the ethics of an unnerving gene-editing technique The rumors were true: Scientists edited the genomes of human embryos for the first time Gene editing could make pig-to-human organ transplants a reality Is unprecedented data good for doctors? Post Live examines the question on June 14


Hold on tight: The universe is expanding faster than we thought

This Hubble Space Telescope image shows one of the galaxies in the survey to refine the measurement for how fast the universe expands with time.<br />(NASA, ESA and A. Riess (STScI/JHU)) You've probably already heard that the universe is expanding. It's been doing so since the big bang — about 13.7 billion years ago — so you've had plenty of time to get in the loop. But according to new research, that relentless, ever-quickening expansion is happening at a rate 5 to 9 percent faster than previously thought. Led by Nobel Laureate Adam Riess of the Space Telescope Science Institute and Johns Hopkins University, the research team developed new, more accurate techniques for measuring the ever-increasing size of the cosmos. It measured stars and supernovae commonly used as "cosmic yardsticks": 2,400 Cepheid stars (in 19 different galaxies), which pulsate in a way that allows scientists to compare their true brightness to their apparent brightness and figure out how far away they are, and 300 Type Ia supernovae, which flare with a brightness so reliable it can be used to measure distance. The calculations, which will be published in an upcoming edition of the Astrophysical Journal, estimate the rate of expansion to be 45.5 miles per second per megaparsec (3.26 million light-years). That means that the distance between cosmic objects will double in another 9.8 billion years. And the more we learn, the less we know. “If you really believe our number — and we have shed blood, sweat and tears to get our measurement right and to accurately understand the uncertainties — then it leads to the conclusion that there is a problem with predictions based on measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation, the leftover glow from the Big Bang,” study co-author Alex Filippenko of UC Berkeley said in a statement. “If we know the initial amounts of stuff in the universe, such as dark energy and dark matter, and we have the physics correct, then you can go from a measurement at the time shortly after the big bang and use that understanding to predict how fast the universe should be expanding today,” Riess said in a statement. “However, if this discrepancy holds up, it appears we may not have the right understanding, and it changes how big the Hubble constant should be today.” Riess and his colleagues believe there must be some way to marry the two


The Daily 202: Trump may generate “mini wave” for House Democrats

project to radically reduce the cost of synthesizing genomes, a controversial and potentially revolutionary biotech development that could enable technicians to grow human organs for transplantation. (Joel Achenbach) - A dagger found in King Tut’s tomb was made out of meteorite, new evidence of iron mining dating back to 14th century BCE. (Ishaan Tharoor) - More than 300 migrants were rescued off the island of Crete after their boat capsized this morning, ending a week that has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people seeking passage to Europe. (James McAuley) - Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr., who argued both the Affordable Care Act and same-sex marriage cases before the Supreme Court, is stepping down at the end of the month. (Matt Zapotosky and Robert Barnes) - The German Parliament voted to formally recognize the 1915 killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as a "genocide," escalating already-fraught relations and prompting Turkey to withdraw its ambassador to Germany. (Rick Noack) - Patients and doctors at the National Institute of Health are urging the director to reconsider his planned overhaul of the agency, contending that recent blame for safety problems identified by an outside task force has been “misplaced.” The leadership shakeup came in response to an April report that said research needs and interests at the Clinical Center had taken priority over ensuring patient safety. (Lenny Bernstein) - Saudi Arabia announced a $3.5 billion investment in Uber, further aligning the ride-sharing company with a Middle Eastern country that basically bans female drivers. (Adam Taylor) - The MacArthur Foundation, best known for its “genius grant” awards, announced it will give away $100 million to a group that can best identify and solve a societal problem. (Colby Itkowitz) - That Japanese boy who went missing after his parents abandoned him in a bear-infested forest has been found following an exhaustive week-long search. The 7-year-old appeared to be in good condition. (Anna Fifield) - North Dakota children were credited with extinguishing a neighborhood fire using their Super Soakers. (Sarah Larimer) -- The gunman who killed a UCLA professor before shooting himself had A KILL LIST and apparently murdered his estranged wife in Minnesota before flying to California to continue his spree. Terry McAuliffe (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File) -- Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, the close Clinton ally who is under federal investigation, gave several violent felons in prison or on supervised probation the right


The fascinating restaurant Jose Andres wanted to put in the Trump Hotel

If Donald Trump hadn’t kicked off his candidacy by insulting Mexicans, D.C. restaurant-goers would have been eagerly anticipating the opening of Jose Andres’ newest restaurant this fall. But he did, and Andres, a naturalized American citizen who employs many immigrants in his restaurants, walked away from the deal. Trump sued. Andres countersued. The restaurant was no more. The companies are still mired in litigation; a hearing on the case is scheduled for June 15. Restaurateur and chef Jose Andres. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post) Andres kept mum on his plans for the restaurant for a while. But he revealed them during a lunch at Minibar with Quique Dacosta, a three-star Michelin chef from Denia, Spain, who was in town for a visit. If you were wondering: It wasn’t going to be a Mexican restaurant, as nice of a face-slap as that might have been. But it is an immigrant story. “The concept I was thinking was Spanish-Japanese — mainly Spanish, with touches of Japan,” he said. His idea is grounded in an interesting historical detail, he explained. In 1613, Japan sent a ship full of diplomats to negotiate trade with Spain’s King Philip III. Led by Hasekura Tsunenaga, a samurai of noble descent, they sailed to Mexico, crossed overland, and sailed across the Atlantic, arriving near Seville. Hasekura continued on to Rome, where he was honored in a nobleman’s portrait by Archita Ricci. But he left members of his crew in the Spanish town Coria del Río, where they became a part of the community and married locals, giving their children the surname Hasekura de Japón. The first part of that name was eventually dropped, and there are now about 650 people with the surname Japón in Coria del Rio today. Andres thought about what would have happened if those samurai had been chefs, too. Besides, he pointed out, the Japanese actually learned to make tempura from Spanish and Portugese traders. Some sources say the word tempura comes from the Portugese word temporas, referring to a time of religious avoidance of meat. “It was this kind of funny connection in history,” said Andres. “That was the concept I was dreaming for that place.” He told reporters at the lunch that he never officially named the restaurant, though legal filings use the name Topo Atrio LLC. He hopes he will open it one day, somewhere else. “I always tell


Can you trust British polls on whether to leave the E.U.?

end result is a much lower share of undecided voters, and a much narrower gap between the sides, than we reported in the Monkey Cage last fall. Our method allows us to estimate how each pollster’s methods affect their results compared with the average of other pollsters. This does not reveal who is the most accurate, since there is no way to compare their results with that of a past referendum, and we do not know whether the polling industry as a whole is wrong (as it was last year). It does provide important information, however, about whether we should expect a given poll to show a lead for one side or the other. For instance, a recent In Table 1 below, we report all polling companies’ support for Remain or Leave (and undecideds) relative to the average pollster. Here we see that Given the wide divergence of the polls, where else can we look for possible clues about the outcome June 23? We’ve explored a range of expert predictions, summarized in Table 2 below. The British love a good bet, and betting markets are often cited as a source of predictions about election outcomes. The implied probability of Britain leaving the E.U. is just above 25 percent with traders on the online betting exchange Predictions of “super-forecasters” (individuals whose personality traits rather than specialist knowledge make them extremely skilled forecasters) on Philip Tetlock’s Good Judgment Project have been much heralded. At present they put the probability of Brexit at a much lower 11 percent than either the betting markets or the forecasters. If you trust the super-forecasters, a bet on Britain staying in the E.U. looks like good value right now. This week, the U.K. Political Studies Association released findings from its own expert survey of more than 500 political scientists, pollsters and journalists. This indicated rather higher odds of Britain leaving the E.U., with political scientists most hawkish of all about the prospects for the Leave campaign — standing at just under 40 percent. What to make of these wildly different but highly informed and often methodologically sophisticated predictions is anyone’s guess. All the predictions agree on the favorite — Remain — but not on much else. A victory for Leave would thus upend the consensus expectations of pollsters, punters, pundits and political scientists. Just like the Conservatives’ victory did last year. Robert Ford Will Jennings Mark Pickup


Rio’s ‘symbol of hope’: The incredible stories of the world’s first refugee Olympic team

went to Nairobi to train at a camp run by former women’s marathon record-holder Tegla Loroupe of Kenya. Biel, 21, fled fighting in South Sudan in 2005, and grew up on his own in a refugee camp. He eventually went from playing soccer to running, and will feature in the 800 meters in Rio. “I focused on my country, South Sudan, because we young people are the people who can change it,” he said in a U.N. profile. “And secondly, I focused on my parents. I need to change the life they are living.” Lokoro, 24, was a cattle herder a few years ago, until he fled conflict to Kenya. “Before I came here I did not even have training shoes,” he said of the training camp in Nairobi. “Now we have trained and trained, until we see ourselves at a good level, and now we know fully how to be athletes.” He will run the 1,500 meters. Rose Nathike Lokonyen (IOC) Chiengjiek, 28, who like Biel will run the 800 meters, fled at the age of 13 amid fear of kidnapped and forced to become a child solider. It was while living in a Kenyan refugee camp, and attending a school in a town known for its long-distance runners, that Chiengjiek discovered his passion for the sport. “I realized I could make it as a runner,” he said in a U.N. profile. “If God gives you a talent, you have to use it.” Lokonyen, now 23, fled war in South Sudan with her family and arrived in Kenya in 2002. A few years later, her parents returned, but Lokonyen and her siblings stayed behind. She competed in school running competitions but didn’t begin formal training after participating in a 10k organized by Loroupe’s foundation. She will compete in the women’s 800 meters. “I will be very happy and I will just work hard and prove myself,” she said. “I will be representing my people there at Rio.” Yonas Kinde, Ethiopian marathon runner #TeamRefugees: Yonas Kinde Kinde, 36, has been living in Luxembourg for five years. And in between taking French classes and driving a taxi, he runs. A lot. “I normally train every day, but when I heard this news [about the refugee team] I trained two times per day, every day, targeting for these Olympic Games,” he said in a U.N. profile. “It’s a big motivation.” Kinde left


Watch Muhammad Ali dodge a ridiculous number of punches in 10 seconds

Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, stands over challenger Sonny Liston on May 25, 1965, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/John Rooney, File) Many people today are too young to really remember Muhammad Ali, the boxing legend who died Friday at the age of 74 -- except for that famous phrase of his, which lingers on. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. His hands can't hit what his eyes can't see." That memorable quote came to describe Ali's original fighting style. And looking back at footage from his career, it's easy to see why. The 10-second clip below, from a fight Ali had with Michael Dokes in 1977, shows just how amazingly swift and light on his feet the three-time heavyweight champion was. Muhammad Ali dodging 21 punches in 10 seconds vs. Michael Dokes. https://t.co/P3XWuC2SHG Here's a longer clip from that same fight. Ali is admittedly out of shape and overweight, the announcer says -- yet he "opens himself up as a human punching bag, and still, they can't do any damage to him." Ali puts on a show for the crowd, dancing, swaggering and even turning his back on Dokes. Muhammad Ali vs Michael Dokes fight exhibition (1977) "I don't run. I dance," Ali once quipped. See also: Muhammad Ali, boxing icon and global goodwill ambassador, dies at 74 ‘Wait till you see Muhammad Ali': A look back at the boxing great’s way with words People of the world, famous and common, pay tribute to Muhammad Ali


A shocking number of college men surveyed admit coercing a partner into sex

non-athletes. Having to rely on subjects from only one institution was an unavoidable limitation of the research, according to the scientists. Prior research has indicated an outsize proportion of sexual violence cases on campus are committed by intercollegiate athletes. This new survey examined the previously unexplored population of intramural athletes, those who play recreationally and are the largest group of undergraduate athletes nationwide, and found that the risk factor for those club athletes was not significantly different from that of intercollegiate athletes. "I actually was surprised," said lead author Belinda-Rose Young, who acknowledged that many scientists think intercollegiate athletes are at greater risk because they tend to be isolated from much of the rest of the university community. "That leads to sexual violence," she said, "because of the closed environment. They are in separate dorms, separate classes ... and there's that constant reiteration of male superiority and athletes who are rewarded for being aggressive. That’s the reality. But we saw that that attitude is just a part of the general sporting environment." Young and a team of researchers at four universities also found that almost 38 percent of men who were non-athletes used verbal or physical pressure to engage in sex. The scientists also found an association between admitting to coercive sex acts and endorsing two distinct attitudes: the belief in rape myths, such as "If a woman doesn't fight back, it isn't rape," and traditional views of gender roles, such as "Women should worry less about their rights and more about becoming good wives and mothers." "It was the attitudes toward women and acceptance of the rape myth that explained the difference between athletes and non-athletes," said Sarah Desmarais, a forensic psychologist at North Carolina State University and a member of the team. "[The idea of] comparing recreational and intercollegiate athletes — that's filling a gap. That’s really important," said Kristy McCray, an assistant professor of health and sport sciences at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. "This idea of engaging in athletic behavior, even if you’re not on an [intercollegiate] team — just being in a sports culture — is really interesting." At that same time, it was not surprising. "Sports are a hypermasculine endeavor, and there’s a lot that connects hypermasculinity to violence," said McCray, who was not part of the research team. Young says the athletic departments at five universities were contacted, but only one agreed to


Hillary Clinton’s email: Is the FOIA security review endangering CIA officers?

Breitbart has a recent story Here’s the legal background: In many cases, the Clinton email classification reviewers invoked exemption “B3” to delete email addresses and names from Secretary Clinton’s messages. FOIA exemption (b)(3) is for information that is protected from disclosure by statute. Because there are a lot of different statutes, it’s not uncommon for the government to identify which statute it is relying upon. Thus, the redactions highlighted by Breitbart are marked with the shorthand descriptor “B3 CIA PERS/ORG,” which implies that it is invoking a statute that protects the names of Agency officials. This is confirmed by an Agency explanation that it relies on this exemption to carry out “the Director’s statutory obligations to protect from disclosure intelligence sources and methods, as well as the organization, functions, names, official titles, salaries, or numbers of personnel employed by the Agency, in accord with the National Security Act of 1947 and the CIA Act of 1949, respectively.” In short, it does seem likely that some of Secretary Clinton’s homebrew emails mentioned Agency officials whose names are protected by law. It’s possible to make too much of this. While this story confirms how insouciant Hillary Clinton was about endangering classified information on the poorly secured server, we already knew that. And insouciance isn’t necessarily a knowing violation of law. Secretary Clinton may say that she didn’t know the people named in the messages were CIA officers. Actually, there’s something more troubling and more urgent buried in this story: It could be the FOIA security reviewers themselves who are disclosing CIA identities. Here’s how: Start with the entirely plausible view that foreign intelligence services discovered and rifled Hillary Clinton’s server. If so, those services already have copies of all her emails. But the emails don’t tell the foreign service which people named in her traffic are Agency officers. For CIA officers serving abroad as State Department officials, being named in the Secretary of State’s email traffic won’t necessarily blow their cover. Until now. Unhappily, the classification reviewers seem to have given a key to anyone who has the unredacted messages by using “B3 CIA PERS/ORG” whenever they redact names associated with the CIA. So if the foreign service simply compares the messages stolen from the Clinton server to the redacted message released by the government — presto! — the CIA names just fall off the page. Why did the reviewers do that?


I’m a stay-at-home mom. I’m an addict.

muscle spasm. Percocet was the magic elixir I was seeking. It did the impossible: It made me feel better. While tragic, Prince’s death is not unique. His death is the perfect example that yes, it can happen to anyone. My addiction is, as well. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 44 people die in the United States each day from an overdose of prescription painkillers. In fact, drug overdose is now the the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, surpassing car crashes, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine. I remember telling a friend that I didn’t understand why people got addicted to painkillers because I didn’t feel high, just better. But I quickly realized that when you are desperate and suicidal, better is preferable to high. You can’t function when you’re high — you can when you feel like an improved version of yourself. Percocet made me happier. It quelled my anxiety. It made me chattier, able to talk to my friends without breaking down into hysterics. Although I could no longer drink, it was similar to having a glass of wine — its warmth relaxed my body and helped turn off the terrible thoughts that had been taking over my mind. Once I knew it was possible to feel like that, I never wanted it to end. Almost immediately, I began taking Percocet daily, whether or not I was in pain. A few months later, I sought treatment for my post-partum depression and started taking Lexipro, an anti-depressant. It helped. My psychiatrist also wrote me a prescription for Ativan, a benzodiazepine (similar to Xanax) for anxiety. That helped, too. I started to feel more human. Although I was no longer suicidal, I was still depressed and didn’t feel good or even normal. Percocet made me feel as close to good as I could get. It wasn’t long before I started taking Ativan daily, too. The Percocet made me feel better; the Ativan made me not feel. Although Percocet was my drug of choice, for the majority of five years (excluding my second pregnancy and the months I spent nursing), I took any opioid (Percocet, Vicodin, Tylenol 3) and any benzo (Ativan, Xanax, Valium) that I could get prescribed, beg, borrow or steal. For more than a year, I had four different doctors prescribing Percocet to me. None of them checked to


Main Street Morning: U.S. pressures China to cut industrial output

Prepaid wireless retail stores are expanding. - Why Chick-fil-A’s new app is No.1 on iTunes. - A franchise owner feels that owning Subway restaurants has been just the right balance of his interests. Sales Marketing - This is everything stores do to trick their customers into buying more stuff. - T-Mobile plans to give away company stock to its customers. - Why the rich and famous are on fire for emojis, and why brands should care. Travel - The stock of Gogo Inc. tumbled after American Airlines split an order between the company and a competitor for in-flight internet service. Start-ups - A new business looks to beautify empty storefronts. - This hyped tech start-up around could see its secrets leak in a legal battle. Technology - A tiny sensor could help end the MLB’s epidemic of elbow injuries. - The U.S. Army’s smart earplugs are sparing soldiers from loud noises. - The Navy develops a diver’s helmet with augmented reality. - A new ultra-thin lens could replace bulky lenses in cameras, phones and telescopes. - Google is working on a kill switch to prevent an artificial intelligence uprising. Social Media - Twitter rolls out a “go live” Periscope button to a small group of iOS users. - Facebook is forcing even more people to use its Messenger app. - Snapchat secretly acquires a computer vision start-up that lets mobile users make 3-D selfies. On This Day in 1933 - The first concrete is poured for the Hoover Dam. Around the Country - A gallery owner in Virginia expands so his sons can join him in his business of inspiration. - How Muhammad Ali inspired a Denver gym owner to help troubled teens. - Storms in Texas have created a business uptick for towing and home improvement companies. - “Cupcake Wars” spawns a sweet Pennsylvania business. - Some companies near Omaha Nebraska has seen a fall-off in business with the rise of water levels at a local river. - Local seminarians in Villanova, Pa are getting a taste of the real world…of business. - A $331 million roadway through Cleveland nicknamed the “Opportunity Corridor” faces its share of business obstacles. - A business part in Rochester, New York has big dreams, but no money committed. Around the World - Norway reportedly reaches a deal to ban gas-powered car sales by 2025. - These are three signs that Germany’s economy is


Watch angry skies over the District transform into a beautiful sunset

Angry Skies, Beautiful Sunset -- June 5, 2016 (Time-lapse) After rain blew past the Beltway last night, the evening turned into a cloud-watching event. Storms seemed to track around D.C. in all directions — it’s like there was a dome over the capital. A brief shower lasted fewer than ten minutes and a small rainbow formed, but that was about it. Umbrellas were barely needed. Despite missing the storms, I shot time-lapse video of the clouds and the sunset with a few still photos. I’m still happy I made the trip. I really don’t mind cloud-watching and I love a good sunset. A small rainbow appeared just before sunset. (Kevin Ambrose) Stormy skies over the Jefferson Memorial. (Kevin Ambrose) Stormy skies over the Reflecting Pool. (Kevin Ambrose) After the storm there was a beautiful sunset. (Kevin Ambrose) A colorful sunset over the flags at the Washington Monument. (Kevin Ambrose)


What Charles Koch really thinks about climate change

for modest emissions reductions if revenues cut an especially distorting tax. Revenues could be used for new spending or reducing debt, though the social benefits should be comparable to those from cutting harmful taxes.” CK Both India and China are making major steps towards installing more renewable energy. (That’s what they’re “going to do anyway.”) China led the world in investment in renewable energy last year — as it has for some time. India has set forward a plan to install 175 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2022. JT: CK: While we’re at it, we should note that the Koch Nitrogen Co. plant near Enid, Okla., has also been highlighted as a leader in carbon capture and sequestration. Carbon dioxide from the process of making nitrogen fertilizer is piped to oilfields nearby, where it is used in enhanced oil recovery and then left buried beneath the ground, according to the Global CCS Institute. “Exceptionally, the Enid Fertilizer plant in Oklahoma, United States, operated by the Koch Nitrogen Company, has captured over 600000 tCO2 a year since 2003 for use in [enhanced oil recovery],” notes the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. KOCH AIDE: CK: First of all, based on this statement, Koch does not deny human-caused climate change. However, he does seem to minimize its potential gravity. So let’s look at this more closely. It is unclear why Koch goes back 160 years when NASA starts in 1880 with reliable temperature measurements. Here is their temperature record: (NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies) If you take the whole record, it presents a rise of about 1 degree from 1880 to the present — and that’s Celsius, not Fahrenheit (it would be 1.8 degrees F). Given that this is the temperature of the entire planet as an average — the Arctic warming is considerably greater, for instance — it is hard to see why this trend would be something to minimize. It is also clear that the 1980s is when the truly relentless upward temperature march began. The “no real increase in storms or bad weather” statement appears misleading, although it depends on precisely what is meant by “storms or bad weather.” Scientists have documented increasing weather and temperature extremes of many (although not all) kinds. “Some extreme weather and climate events have increased in recent decades, and new and stronger evidence confirms that some of these increases are related