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The vote means important economic, political and social problems across Europe will not be addressed.
Most Popular Stories
Britain's decision to leave the E.U. is a warning to AmericaAnne Applebaum24 Jun 2016 | 4:25 am
Trump has succeeded in making a fool out of John McCainRichard Cohen20 Jun 2016 | 4:45 amMuhammad Ali and John McCain exemplified Vietnam-era courage in different ways, but McCain has chosen political expediency over honor in 2016.
Learning from Britain's unnecessary crisisE.J. Dionne Jr.26 Jun 2016 | 5:12 amThe nationalism behind Britain's vote to leave the European Union was English, not British (or Scottish or Northern Irish).
Evangelical Christians are selling out faith for politicsMichael Gerson23 Jun 2016 | 4:41 amReligious leaders' meeting with Donald Trump shows how badly misplaced their priorities are.
To be fixed, Europe needs a wrecking ballDavid Ignatius21 Jun 2016 | 4:30 amModern politicians in Britain and on the continent should be thinking about change.
Anne Applebaum
Britain's decision to leave the E.U. is a warning to America24 Jun 2016 | 4:25 amThe vote means important economic, political and social problems across Europe will not be addressed.
The Brexit referendum transcends the economy21 Jun 2016 | 8:07 amWhat started as an argument over taxes and spending morphs into a debate about immigration and the preservation of Englishness in a dangerous world.
Orlando, Jo Cox and the deadly ideas that shape our world17 Jun 2016 | 4:11 amWere the killers' actions the result of personality disorders, or were they political? Or both?
Brace yourself for another wave of drowning refugees — unless Europe takes action1 Jun 2016 | 9:05 amEurope is only paying lip service to the refugee crisis. Leaders should work together to ease it.
The rise of national socialism: Why Austria's revolution is not over23 May 2016 | 3:00 amAcross Europe, far-right parties are remodeling themselves.
Richard Cohen
Trump has succeeded in making a fool out of John McCain20 Jun 2016 | 4:45 amMuhammad Ali and John McCain exemplified Vietnam-era courage in different ways, but McCain has chosen political expediency over honor in 2016.
The Orlando shooting shows again that it always comes back to the guns13 Jun 2016 | 4:24 amIt is crazy that you can now buy a weapon similar to the one I trained on when I was in the Army.
Paul Ryan's profile in cowardice6 Jun 2016 | 4:25 amIn capitulating to Donald Trump, the House speaker puts politics before principles.
Trump has taught me to fear my fellow Americans30 May 2016 | 5:53 amTo look the other way during his rise is to let the country down.
America's bathroom bigotry, then and now23 May 2016 | 8:59 amPublic facilities continue to be the locus of anxiety and prejudice.
E.J. Dionne Jr.
Learning from Britain's unnecessary crisis26 Jun 2016 | 5:12 amThe nationalism behind Britain's vote to leave the European Union was English, not British (or Scottish or Northern Irish).
Trump peddles religious ignorance22 Jun 2016 | 4:36 amHis use of prejudice condemns himself as both ill-informed and a bigot.
The gun lobby's Pyrrhic victory20 Jun 2016 | 11:42 pm
Is the gun lobby finally cornered?19 Jun 2016 | 4:38 amAfter Orlando, the rejectionists of "common-sense" laws are finally feeling the pressure.
Trump and the GOP's Jurassic Park15 Jun 2016 | 4:32 amRepublican leaders can no longer control what they created.
Michael Gerson
Evangelical Christians are selling out faith for politics23 Jun 2016 | 4:41 amReligious leaders' meeting with Donald Trump shows how badly misplaced their priorities are.
A delegate revolt has become Republicans' only option20 Jun 2016 | 4:47 amIncreasingly bleak polling adds a strategic case to the moral case to dump Trump.
The GOP is learning the hard way that character matters16 Jun 2016 | 4:15 amThe presumptive Republican nominee's instincts are on full view in the wake of Orlando.
After Orlando, divided we mourn13 Jun 2016 | 4:24 amIs silence the only tribute to Orlando that Americans can offer together?
The party of Lincoln is dying9 Jun 2016 | 5:20 amBy kneeling to Trump, the GOP is failing a basic test of public justice: Don't support racism.
David Ignatius
To be fixed, Europe needs a wrecking ball21 Jun 2016 | 4:30 amModern politicians in Britain and on the continent should be thinking about change.
What Obama's last year in office teaches us about resilience16 Jun 2016 | 4:24 amAs the president leads the United States through tragedies, we see glimpses of greatnes.s
Can Venezuela be helped off the ledge?14 Jun 2016 | 4:44 amRegional powers work to improve the improve the political situation in the troubled nation, without the U.S. shouldering the burden.
Trump's reckless, dangerous Islamophobia helps the Islamic State13 Jun 2016 | 1:47 amThe presumptive Republican nominee's polarizing rhetoric may be the best thing the Islamic State has going for it.
North Korea is an urgent challenge for the next American president9 Jun 2016 | 4:47 amPyongyang's nuclear threats and instability in the South China Sea are top issues in Asia.
Ruth Marcus
Meet the anti-Trump who's spearheading the GOP platform24 Jun 2016 | 7:05 amSen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) has the thankless task of being in charge of writing the Republican platform.
The menacing Trump is a danger we can confront17 Jun 2016 | 4:10 amAfter the past week, we cannot be a fearful public susceptible to the tyrant who vows to implement quick solutions.
Donald Trump's 'least racist' assurances aren't very reassuring12 Jun 2016 | 9:02 amIf you've found yourself having to defend yourself against accusations of racism for going on five years now, maybe there's some problem.
The Cincinnati Zoo gorilla, the Stanford case and why parenting is so complicated10 Jun 2016 | 4:21 amBig news stories of the past week have heightened the debate over proper parenting.
Rule of Trump vs. Rule of Law3 Jun 2016 | 4:25 amHis ignorance and reliance on his gut over any guiding principle are disturbing.
Eugene Robinson
The Democrats' sit-in is one small step toward new gun laws23 Jun 2016 | 4:50 amThe Democrats' rare action may have been a "publicity stunt," but it was a righteous one.
Eugene Robinson Live (June 21)21 Jun 2016 | 12:40 amEugene Robinson discussed his latest columns and political news.
Eugene Robinson Live (June 28)20 Jun 2016 | 11:10 pmLive chat with Eugene Robinson about his latest columns and political news.
Trump's special version of Jim Crow — for Muslims20 Jun 2016 | 4:46 amDoes the GOP want a nominee who supports discrimination based on religion?
The challenges in covering Trump's relentless assault on the truth16 Jun 2016 | 4:22 amThere are no rules for evaluating a candidate who routinely says things that are not true.
Robert J. Samuelson
Is the middle class moving up?24 Jun 2016 | 7:02 amDespite perceptions to the contrary, living standards for most people have been steadily rising.
Some possible Brexit consequences24 Jun 2016 | 12:47 amWhatever the long-term consequences of Brexit, the immediate effects are adverse.
How health care creates wage inequality22 Jun 2016 | 8:17 amA new economic study shows how this perverse bargain works.
Are you a 'work martyr'?19 Jun 2016 | 4:41 amMillions of Americans aren't taking all the vacation time they've earned. Is that part of our new work culture?
Is the Brexit camp about to triumph?13 Jun 2016 | 11:00 pmA shift in popular opinion for Britain to exit the European Union is unmistakable.
George F. Will
Brexit: Britain's welcome revival of nationhood24 Jun 2016 | 5:32 amA wave of skepticism may lead other countries to leave the European Union.
Republicans: Save your party, don't give to Trump22 Jun 2016 | 4:37 amThe GOP would benefit from a humiliating defeat of the narcissist.
Wendell Willkie's 1940 nomination: When party establishments mattered17 Jun 2016 | 4:09 amWillkie lost the election, but the coming war would be won.
Purdue has the president America needs15 Jun 2016 | 4:29 amMitch Daniels tells graduates that hard work can bring success and, more important, happiness to their lives.
In Britain, anti-Semitism endures10 Jun 2016 | 4:07 amIt survives by mutating, even migrating across the political spectrum from the right to the left.
Going Out Guide
The month of June in restaurant openings and closings27 Jun 2016 | 11:30 amHello Bantam King: The Daikaya team opens another ramen shop (plus fried chicken), but this one focuses on chicken. Beefsteak Tenleytown: José Andrés's fast-casual, vegetable-centric chain opened its third location in the District. Cheesetique Ballston: Now there's a third location where you can sample the 40 Eats-worthy Pimiento grilled cheese. District Doughnut Georgetown: The temporary storefront will be open […]
11 things to do in the D.C. area the week of June 27-July 127 Jun 2016 | 9:19 amMonday, June 27 Paul Simon at Wolf Trap: For Paul Simon's first appearance at Wolf Trap, expect to hear "Mother and Child Reunion," "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" and even a few Simon and Garfunkel-era favorites, in addition to songs from his adventurous new album, "Stranger to Stranger." Through Tuesday. 8 p.m. $48-$130. The Royal's […]
Pizzeria Vetri is about to start slinging pies on 14th Street24 Jun 2016 | 9:00 amName: Pizzeria Vetri Vitals: 2221 14th St. NW. 202-794-9057. pizzeriavetri.com. Neighborhood: 14th Street NW Description: Philadelphia-import pizza joint Ambiance: Casual eatery for families or friends Previously: N/A Owner: Vetri Family, the newly branded group acquired last year by URBN (parent company of Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People) Chefs: German Jarquin, culinary director Jeff Michaud Open: Dinner daily and lunch Friday through Sunday beginning […]
Former DCity Smokehouse pitmaster Rob Sonderman's next barbecue venture is still a year away23 Jun 2016 | 1:33 pmIt's been six long months since we last tasted Rob Sonderman's barbecue at DCity Smokehouse, which the pitmaster left in January to work with former &pizza CEO Steve Salis on some new projects, including a below-the-radar revamp of the Afterwords Cafe inside Kramerbooks. Expect the dry spell to continue. When reached by phone, Sonderman says […]
Hazel, Neighborhood Restaurant Group's newest spot, makes its debut in Shaw23 Jun 2016 | 1:20 pmName: Hazel Vitals: 808 V St. NW. 202-847-4980. hazelrestaurant.com. Neighborhood: Shaw Description: Contemporary fare with a global influence Ambiance: Urban-cool hangout or date night Previously: N/A Owner: Neighborhood Restaurant Group Chef: Rob Rubba Open: Dinner daily beginning Monday (reservations now available on OpenTable) The food Like the late Tallula in Arlington, Hazel is a Neighborhood Restaurant Group property with chef Rob Rubba in the kitchen. Other than […]
Carolyn Hax
Carolyn Hax: Fiance's texting 'crush' leaves her feeling betrayed26 Jun 2016 | 12:55 amIt stopped, but there was a bigger problem: his view that she was overreacting.
Carolyn Hax: A mother desires family ties, but for whose benefit?25 Jun 2016 | 7:09 amForcing a daughter to have relationship with her aunt reflects misplaced priorities.
Carolyn Hax Live (July 1)24 Jun 2016 | 9:45 amAdvice Columnist Carolyn Hax takes your questions and tackles your problems.
Carolyn Hax Live: "Sometimes a party is just a party" (June 24)24 Jun 2016 | 9:45 amAdvice Columnist Carolyn Hax took your questions and tackled your problems.
Mom-to-be needs a support network (just not those people)23 Jun 2016 | 3:49 am"Mommies groups . . . filled with pert, cardio-obsessed 20-somethings"? Ouch!
Post Politics
Scott Brown says Warren could 'take a DNA test' to prove she's part Cherokee27 Jun 2016 | 11:08 amAs Donald Trump continues to call Elizabeth Warren "Pocahontas" for claiming Native American heritage, former Massachusetts senator Scott Brown -- who lost to her in 2012 -- is defending that line of attack. "As you know, she's not Native American," Brown, an early Trump endorser, told reporters on a conference call organized by the Republican […]
Here's what Bernie Sanders has won in the Democratic platform (so far)27 Jun 2016 | 9:05 amOn Friday evening, Sen. Bernie Sanders told supporters in Syracuse, N.Y., that the Democratic Party was not yet embracing the progressive platform planks that he wanted — that the whole movement wanted. On Sunday, he repeated himself, telling CNN's Jake Tapper that "we're going to take that fight to Orlando, where the entire committee meets […]
Together for the first time, Clinton and Warren knock Trump, talk policy27 Jun 2016 | 8:56 amCINCINNATI — After teasing a combined effort for weeks, Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren joined forces here Monday for what was both a tag-team attack on Donald Trump and a recitation of their shared progressive policy priorities. "I'm here today because I'm with her," said Warren, the Massachusetts senator and darling of the Democratic left-wing, […]
With voters fed up with Washington, Clinton decries inaction in the nation's capital26 Jun 2016 | 3:31 pmINDIANAPOLIS — Hillary Clinton took aim Sunday at Washington politicians, telling a meeting of the country's mayors that they could never stay in good stead with their constituents amid the kind of inaction and paralysis that has become commonplace in the nation's capital. Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, cited an inability to pass gun control […]
Sen. Bob Corker: Trump's Scotland golf course event 'one of his best'26 Jun 2016 | 11:14 amSen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) defended presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's comments highlighting the benefits of the Brexit vote for his business, saying Trump was giving an example of how currency fluctuations after the historic decision could affect Americans. During a news conference in Scotland after the Britain's referendum, Trump said about the plummeting value of the British pound: "Look, if the pound goes down, they're going to […]
David Addington, Dick Cheney's former chief of staff and lawyer, joins NFIB as general counsel27 Jun 2016 | 11:39 amDavid Addington, former vice president Dick Cheney's chief of staff and legal counsel, is joining the National Federation of Independent Business as the trade group's top lawyer. Addington was most recently vice president for research at the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation. At the NFIB, which lobbies for privately-owned businesses, Addington will oversee litigation and provide […]
Pushing Britain out of the E.U., ISIS out of Fallujah, and how CIA arms for Syrian rebels ended up on the black market27 Jun 2016 | 8:21 amE.U. WANTS BRITAIN OUT FASTER The United Kingdom might want more time to ease its way out of the European Union, but the rest of the E.U. may push it to go faster. The fear is that the initial shocks that have already affected Britain — such as a crashing pound — could only worsen and radiate if […]
Subaru spot closed Skyline Drive: park promotion or corporate commercialism?27 Jun 2016 | 4:00 amWhen does the use of national parks by private companies cross the line between park promotion and corporate commercialization? That is the question raised by television spots shot in Shenandoah National Park that feature its beautiful vistas and not incidentally, a Subaru. Skyline Drive, which runs 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge […]
Veteran preference in federal hiring: The 'third rail of civil service reform,' expert says27 Jun 2016 | 3:00 am� With an effort in Congress to scale back veteran preference in federal hiring awaiting action by a House-Senate conference committee, a former top personnel official says there's a better plan. Jeffrey Neal, who was in charge of hiring for the Department of Homeland Security until he retired in 2011, says a Senate proposal to limit veteran […]
Brexit vote invigorates Trump supporters in Congress24 Jun 2016 | 12:20 pmDonald Trump's supporters were invigorated Friday by the shocking news that British voters opted to leave the European Union. They even called on American voters to follow Britain's lead and elect Trump — who has said "America First" will be the "major, overriding theme of my administration" — as their president in November. "The failed […]
Fact Checker
Recidivism Watch: Hillary Clinton's claim about her role in creating a child health program27 Jun 2016 | 11:30 am"I know Democrats and Republicans can work together. I know it, because I have done it. I worked with Republicans and Democrats to create the Children's Health Insurance program, which today insures eight million kids." –Hillary Clinton, campaign rally in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 27, 2016 "I helped create the Children's Health Insurance Program when I […]
Trump campaign's claim that State Department gave $55.2 million to Laureate Education after hiring Bill Clinton27 Jun 2016 | 12:00 am"As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton laundered money to Bill Clinton through Laureate Education, while Bill Clinton was an honorary chairman of the group. Clinton's State Department provided $55.2 million in grants to Laureate Education from 2010-2012. Laureate thanked Bill for providing unbelievable access to the Secretary of State by paying him off $16.5 million. […]
Pro-Clinton ads quote Trump's comments on women and nuclear weapons without context24 Jun 2016 | 12:00 am"This is the Trump theory on war. I'm really good at war. I love war, in a certain way." "Including with nukes, yes, including with nukes." –Quotes by Donald Trump used in a political ad by pro-Hillary Clinton group Priorities USA Action Howard Stern: "So you treat women with respect?" Trump: "Uh, I can't say […]
Fact-checking Donald Trump's attack on Hillary Clinton23 Jun 2016 | 12:00 amRepublican Donald Trump gave a speech on June 22 attacking Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, in back-to-back speeches by the two presumptive presidential nominees aimed at undermining each other's credentials. A large portion of his speech criticized Clinton's record as secretary of state and donations given to the Clinton Foundation, as outlined in Peter Schweizer's book, "Clinton […]
Fact-checking Clinton's speech on Trump's business practices22 Jun 2016 | 12:00 amHillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, on June 21 gave a speech attacking Donald Trump and his business record. She made a lot of claims, all of which are impressively documented, with links, in a fact sheet issued by the Clinton campaign. Trump certainly has given opposition researchers a wealth of material to mine. […]
The Fix
Wendy Davis: 'I feel vindicated' on behalf of women27 Jun 2016 | 11:56 amThe Supreme Court decision throwing out Texas's strict abortion clinic law is a big moment for abortion-rights advocates. But perhaps no one feels more personally vindicated than Wendy Davis, the former Democratic Texas state senator who in 2013 filibustered the bill on the Texas floor in her pink sneakers for 11 hours, launching her to national stardom and spurring […]
The incredibly unappealing choice at the heart of the 2016 election27 Jun 2016 | 11:52 amThis quote is remarkable. "Trump is just insane," said Joe Place, 57, a retired autoworker who is undecided. "I vote Democrat, but I can't vote for Hillary. . . . I think she's beholden to interests other than mine or the middle class." It comes from a WaPo story about Hillary Clinton's struggles to lock down parts […]
Elizabeth Warren just cemented her status as the media favorite for Hillary Clinton's VP27 Jun 2016 | 11:28 amElizabeth Warren has been the subject of vice presidential speculation for months, but the media has generally downplayed the likelihood that she will join Hillary Clinton on the Democratic ticket. A Politico story in April, for example, threw cold water on "the Clinton-Warren fantasy." Under the headline "Why Hillary Clinton won't pick Elizabeth Warren for […]
So you want to secede from the U.S.: A four-step guide27 Jun 2016 | 10:55 amWhen my little sister graduated from high school outside of Dallas earlier this month, I was reminded of the extent to which the country's second-largest state (in population and area) fancies itself a reluctant participant in this whole "United States" thing. Every morning for years, my sister's schools would ask that she pledge allegiance to […]
The first major post-Orlando gun control showdown is happening in Missouri right now27 Jun 2016 | 10:30 amIn Washington in the days after the Orlando massacre, there was a lot of talk about new gun-control measures but very little legislative action. In the states, it's a different story. State legislatures are where most of the gun policy fights have been happening for years anyway. And one of the first big gun policy showdowns since Orlando […]
Monkey Cage
Do Americans care about the rest of the world? These two Google maps give you the answer.27 Jun 2016 | 10:00 amWhat countries do Americans care the most about? When talking about Western bias in the news media, or the short attention span paid to global disasters, some people imply that the media is ignoring the American public's global interests. Others suggest that Americans simply aren't interested in the rest of the world, and that's why U.S. news focuses at home. As Facebook's founder was famously quoted as saying, "a squirrel dying in your front yard may be more relevant to your interests right now than people dying in Africa." Does the relative lack of U.S. news coverage of areas like Africa reflect systematic media bias -- or are Americans simply uninterested in those parts of the...
Four reasons why killing insurgents in Syria might backfire27 Jun 2016 | 8:00 amWhat's the next step in the war against Islamic State-based terrorism? U.S. presidential candidates have talked about their plans to "smash the would-be caliphate" (Hillary Clinton); "knock the hell out of ISIS" (Donald Trump); and "carpet bomb them into oblivion" (Ted Cruz). Republicans and Democrats in Congress have made similar statements but have yet to pass new bills to authorize use of military force. Is military might in Syria the best way to combat the group, also known as ISIS? Our new article, forthcoming in the journal Terrorism and Political Violence, examines the coalition's use of violence to suppress insurgency during the Iraq War. We found that excess reliance...
Here's why Saudi Arabia is loosening its restrictions on women27 Jun 2016 | 6:00 amWhy is Saudi Arabia — a highly conservative state where very little changes — suddenly embracing various kinds of reform, including loosening its repressive gender policies? Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has launched a media offensive to sell Vision 2030, which Bloomberg BusinessWeek called "the $2 trillion project to get Saudi Arabia's economy off oil." At the same time, the monarchy is loosening restrictions on social policy. The religious police have been stripped of the power to arrest. In December, Saudi women cast their first-ever votes. Last month, the Justice Ministry announced that women would be allowed to view their marriage contracts. And the deputy crown prince...
Are voters really guided by gender stereotypes? New research says no.27 Jun 2016 | 4:00 amKathleen Dolan is a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the author of the recent book "When Does Gender Matter? Women Candidates and Gender Stereotypes in American Elections." Her findings contradict a great deal of conventional wisdom about gender and elections. She kindly answered some questions via email. Below is a lightly edited transcript. How would you describe the conventional wisdom about how gender matters in U.S. elections and for female candidates in particular? The conventional wisdom is that the presence of a woman candidate disrupts the traditional influences that shape voting behavior. Pundits, the media and campaign professionals tend to...
Women vote at higher rates than men. That might help Clinton in November.27 Jun 2016 | 2:00 amHillary Clinton owes her historic victory in the race for the Democratic nomination in no small part to substantial support among women. In every primary, the former secretary of state won more votes from women than from men, with the gender gap — her support among women compared with her support among men — averaging 11 points. This gap has received significant attention. But many observers have ignored the fact that women also were more likely to vote in Democratic primaries than were men, which boosted Clinton's margins at the polls. Recent electoral history suggests the same thing could happen in November. If so, women would help Clinton beat Donald Trump. In Democratic primaries,...
Act Four
'Independence Day: Resurgence' is terrible, and yet still ahead of its time27 Jun 2016 | 11:00 amIt's an actual challenge to describe just how terrible "Independence Day: Resurgence" is, even in a year when the disaster that was "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" should have had me limbered up and ready to sling some juicy, pejorative adjectives. This is a movie where the putative hero imitates a tasteless decal in what is supposed to be a meaningful act of defiance. It's a film that offers a grim look at just how far Hollywood blockbusters will go to pander to Chinese censors and Chinese audiences. The dialogue seems straight from Wikipedia, and the plot makes no sense. But watching "Independence Day: Resurgence" and then rewatching "Independence Day" itself, I couldn't help but be...
'Game of Thrones,' Season 6, Episode 10 Review: "The Winds of Winter"26 Jun 2016 | 8:40 pmhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/video/entertainment/game-of-thrones-episode-10-a-new-queen/2016/06/27/bbe09cbe-3c48-11e6-9e16-4cf01a41decb_video.html Note: I'm reviewing "Game of Thrones" from the perspective of someone who has read all of George R.R. Martin's novels, while my colleague David Malitz, who hasn't read the books, will be writing straight recaps. His write-up of episode 10, "The Winds of Winter" will appear at The Post's Style Blog. This post discusses the events of the June 26 episode of "Game of Thrones," "The Winds of Winter," in detail. You can find my recaps of every prior episode of the show here. Can't get enough "Game of Thrones"? Join me and Malitz for...
'Finding Dory' isn't just about disability — it's about community and support24 Jun 2016 | 11:18 amFrom its first line -- "Hi, my name is Dory, and I suffer from short-term memory loss" -- it's clear that Pixar's "Finding Dory" will deliver very pointed messages about disability and how society treats members of the disabled community. The film opens on a flashback. Dory is tiny, her voice making clear that she's school-aged and just beginning to navigate a world beyond her doting, overprotective parents. And because we know Dory (Ellen Degeneres) so well from "Finding Nemo," the 2003 film that introduced her character, we understand what's at stake for her future. When audiences met Dory more than a decade ago, she had no family. She was just a friendly, free-floating...
Five things Hillary Clinton definitely shouldn't do at the Democratic convention24 Jun 2016 | 6:00 amJust what the Republican convention in Cleveland might look like has been the subject of much morbid speculation. But as Politico and other outlets have started to report on Hillary Clinton's plans for the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, it's worth thinking about what she shouldn't do. As with everything about the campaign, the portable insanity generator that is Donald Trump's operation shouldn't be a cause for complacency, and the Democrats should avoid these missteps: 1. No skits: As I'll discuss below, I think humor ought to be carefully rationed on the campaign trail in order to be effective. And in particular, I think Clinton should avoid doing anything as risky and potentially...
In praise of Albert Brooks, who makes everything he's in just a little bit better23 Jun 2016 | 11:00 amAs "Finding Dory" continues to rack up beaucoup bucks at the box office, I wanted to take a moment to appreciate the work done by one of its stars, Albert Brooks. For 40 years now, he has been making everything he's in just a little bit better. Brooks's turn in "Finding Dory" — playing the long-suffering father, Marlin — is pleasingly familiar, insofar as one can practically see the actor delivering the lines. His clown fish is halting and nervous and, ultimately, resigned to his fate as being a stand-up guy in a relatively harsh world. It's always nice to hear Brooks go to work; as a child of the '90s, my first exposure to him was as a voice actor on "The Simpsons." Despite...
The Switch
How much Uber drivers actually make per hour27 Jun 2016 | 11:38 am(Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images) Nearly two-thirds of Uber drivers use the ride-hailing service to collect additional income to supplement full- and part-time jobs. But in three large metropolitan cities, drivers make far less than the national average, about $20 per hour, after expenses. In Detroit, drivers make on average $8.77 per hour. In Houston, $10.75 per hour. And in Denver, $13.17 per hour. Those figures come from a report published by BuzzFeed News last week, which, based on what BuzzFeed said were leaked internal Uber payscale and driver history documents, estimates hourly wages after expenses, including vehicle depreciation, insurance, maintenance and gasoline. Uber, using other internal data,...
How Brexit affects the global technology industry24 Jun 2016 | 1:36 pmA Union flag flies beside the London Eye in front of Big Ben and Parliament in London on June 24. Britain's economy plunged into the unknown Friday after the country voted to exit the European Union. (Pool photo by Rob Stothard/AFP/Getty Images) Brexit has officially happened, and the implications of the vote to leave the European Union has raised many questions for the global technology industry. In Britain, a majority of tech firms were against leaving the E.U. A technology industry group survey found that 87 percent of British technology firms wanted to stay in the European Union, and that 70 percent of them worried a vote to leave would damage London's reputation as a technology hub. Global...
Calm down everyone, Brexit won't affect 'Game of Thrones'24 Jun 2016 | 1:00 pmThere's a lot at stake with the United Kingdom's recent vote to leave the European Union. But here's one thing everyone can breathe a sigh of relief about: Filming of the HBO series "Game of Thrones," primarily shot in Northern Ireland, will not be affected by Brexit. Amidst the Brexit media storm, articles have surfaced that the smash-hit series could see a huge hike in production costs from the U.K.'s decision to leave the E.U. But HBO confirmed Friday that filming of the series will go on as scheduled. "We do not anticipate that the result of the EU Referendum will have any material effect on HBO producing Game of Thrones," said HBO spokesperson Jeff Cusson in an email to The Post on Friday. It was...
It's official: Drone delivery is coming to D.C. in September24 Jun 2016 | 12:53 pmThis week, federal regulators rolled out new rules for unmanned flying vehicles, in a first step that helps pave the way for drones to start delivering packages to your door. But because of a federal no-fly zone, drones are prohibited in the D.C. area. So the nation's capital is finding a workaround. In a unanimous vote Thursday, the District of Columbia's city council gave the green light for an Estonian company to start testing its ground-based robot delivery technology right on the sidewalks. The move represents the first time ground-based drones have been approved for testing anywhere in the country, according to the company, Starship Technologies. "We're really glad that D.C. is one...
The British are frantically Googling what the E.U. is, hours after voting to leave it24 Jun 2016 | 6:55 amThe whole world is reeling after a milestone referendum in Britain to leave the European Union. And although leaders of the campaign to exit Europe are crowing over their victory, it seems many Britons may not even know what they had actually voted for. Awakening to a stock market plunge and a precipitous decline in the value of the pound that Britain hasn't seen in more than 30 years, voters now face a series of economic shocks that analysts say will only worsen before they improve. The consequences of the leave vote will be felt worldwide, even here in the United States, and some British voters say they now regret casting a ballot in favor of Brexit. [No, Brexit isn't a good sign for...
Energy and Environment
Deep down, California may have a lot more water than scientists thought27 Jun 2016 | 12:01 pmIn a surprising new study, Stanford researchers have found that drought-ravaged California is sitting on top of a vast and previously unrecognized water resource, in the form of deep groundwater, residing at depths between 1,000 and nearly 10,000 feet below the surface of the state's always thirsty Central Valley. The resource amounts to 2,700 billion tons of freshwater, mostly less than […]
Thanks to climate change, the Arctic is turning green27 Jun 2016 | 8:51 amEarlier this month, NASA scientists provided a visualization of a startling climate change trend — the Earth is getting greener, as viewed from space, especially in its rapidly warming northern regions. And this is presumably occurring as more carbon dioxide in the air, along with warmer temperatures and longer growing seasons, makes plants very, very happy. Now, new research in Nature […]
Why an E.U. without Britain is bad news for the fight against climate change24 Jun 2016 | 8:43 amIt's not just the upheaval in global financial markets. Now that Britain has voted to leave the European Union, there may also be negative consequences for international climate change policy, a number of climate change advocates and analysts say. Even before the Brexit vote, there had been data suggesting an overlap between those who wanted Britain out of the […]
Save the driver or save the crowd? Scientists wonder how driverless cars will 'choose'23 Jun 2016 | 11:19 amResearchers who study human morality — and, its intersection with human psychology — have long noted that we are frustratingly inconsistent beings. For instance, past research has suggested that people aren't always consistent "utilitarians," willing to promote the greatest good for the greatest number. Rather, research exploring multiple variants of the famous trolley dilemma — in […]
This chart perfectly explains what's at stake in the quest to stop climate change23 Jun 2016 | 8:16 amHere at the Energy and Environment blog, we cover, regularly, the tipping points of climate change — how, for instance, the glaciers of West Antarctica may already have passed a key threshold that leads to unstoppable melt. We cover the history of the Earth's climate — including why the Holocene era, which began some 11,700 […]
Inspired Life
Dr. Seuss's little-known book for grown-ups is just as poignant 30 years later27 Jun 2016 | 4:00 amDr. Seuss, creator of some of history's most quirky and beloved children's books, was a famously private man. But during one of his most vulnerable periods — while he was being treated for oral cancer in his early 80s — he wrote a book for adults, a memoir-esque saga of an old man in a […]
Theirs was a 25-year romance. Then the love of her life took a bullet to save a stranger.24 Jun 2016 | 4:00 amNorma Winffel and her husband Mike had their morning ritual. He'd wake up before dawn for work and kiss her goodbye. They'd exchange I love yous. As he left for his job at the naval base in Potomac, she'd whisper: "Holy Spirit, stay with my husband and take care of my family." Then Mike would […]
The life of a supermodel sounds glamorous. But I lived it — and it made me severely depressed23 Jun 2016 | 4:30 amThe phone wakes me at noon. I squint to see who's calling then place my cell face down on the mattress next to me, letting it go to voicemail. The mid-day sun makes the white down comforter glow as I wrap it tightly around me despite the summer heat. I roll over and pull the […]
Pulling your hair out is actually a mental illness. Here's how I learned to stop doing it.23 Jun 2016 | 4:30 amI follow the receptionist through the turquoise and white blowout bar past the counter where women perch sipping Bellinis while their hair is dying and their nails are drying. She seats me at a makeshift station set up in a private back room. This is where they serve women whose religion doesn't allow men to […]
I invited 12 people to write about their mental illnesses for the first time. Here's what happened next.22 Jun 2016 | 7:19 pmAinsley and Camille were the two I worried about the most. Ainsley, because she seemed so fragile, sitting so stiffly in a chair around our conference table, as if she was sucking in her breath, afraid to exhale, awaiting judgment. Camille couldn't stop second guessing her work. If I soothed her doubt about what she […]
Another heroic journey into the wilderness we call America27 Jun 2016 | 9:35 amLast week I had to do some road-trip reporting that included much driving in the hinterlands. (Weirdly, when you type "hinterlands" into Google Maps you get a bar in Brooklyn; someone needs to adjust the algorithm.) I had a vague notion that I'd camp along the way, and therefore brought a few camping essentials: tent, […]
Orlando, 'soft targets,' and how to survive a mass shooting17 Jun 2016 | 9:46 amThis post has been updated. "Avoid, Deny, Defend": That's the advice of experts who have researched the best ways to survive a mass shooting, or some other disaster. Here's my story. (Just fyi, I don't actually go through life worried that I'm going to have to make a run for it, but I think it's […]
The Year Without a Summer1 Jun 2016 | 6:48 amToday marks the official start of "meteorological summer." Don't take my word for it — ask my pals at the Capital Weather Gang. There's a meteorological winter (starting Dec. 1), a meteorological spring (March 1), and so on. This notion of the season as a meteorological unit is a nice annotation of the imperfect nomenclature of […]
'A headlong sprint into an abyss'20 May 2016 | 6:52 amThrough a very good source I obtained a document given to college students to prepare them for a midterm test in an introductory biology class, and it included a list of technical terms, like "allele" and "codon" and "meiosis" and "introns" and "recombination pleiotropy" and "plesiomorphic traits" and various other genetic and biological and evolutionary […]
The secret to happiness (cont.)6 May 2016 | 9:11 amLately I've been a sucker for How To Live a Happy Life essays, not out of self-help desperation, but just because we all need pointers and tips and booster-shots and upgrades. Like, the happy-life experts will tell you that you should not just sit on the couch and watch baseball, but should do other things […]
All Opinions Are Local
Why are some Virginians picking up on Trump's bigotry toward Mexicans?21 Jun 2016 | 2:36 pmThe other day, I was lounging at my neighborhood pool. The sun was pleasantly warm and I was cool from a dip. Then, I heard some junior high school kids playing water basketball. "Mexico sucks! "Mexico sucks!" they shouted. I have lived in the neighborhood in Chesterfield County on the fringe of Richmond for nearly […]
Why Susan Swecker should meet with Justin Fairfax20 Jun 2016 | 5:18 pmOver the weekend, Virginia Democratic Party Chairwoman Susan Swecker raised the shadow of a return to what former lieutenant governor Henry Howell once labeled "appointment and anointment," the policy where the Democratic Party establishment decided who could be nominated for statewide office. Or put it another way: It's a "We'll decide when your turn comes" […]
Include the environment in New Columbia's constitution17 Jun 2016 | 11:58 amThe draft constitution circulated recently by the New Columbia Statehood Commission is a significant milestone for the District that all residents can applaud. The document seriously falls short in is its failure to make mention of the natural environment and the need to conserve, manage and protect that environment for the health and well-being of present and […]
Communities pay the price for congressional inaction on guns16 Jun 2016 | 1:25 pmEvery night I go to sleep praying to God that I am not awakened by a message from the police commander that someone has been shot in the community I was elected to serve. It's a feeling of fear and of powerlessness, and it's a feeling I shouldn't have to have as a local government […]
An experiment in ornamentation in White Flint15 Jun 2016 | 2:04 pmThe Pike + Rose development on Rockville Pike is a surprisingly experimental collection of buildings. It's contemporary in style but also filled with architectural ornament. The result upends the common architectural conceit that ornament cannot be "of our time." Pike + Rose is one of the region's most ambitious attempts to retrofit an aging suburban […]
Arts and Entertainment
Jesse Williams's passionate BET Awards speech: Share your reactions27 Jun 2016 | 9:03 am"Grey's Anatomy" actor Jesse Williams gave an acceptance speech at the 2016 BET Awards last night that we at the Post called "one of the most memorable speeches in award show history." Williams has been an outspoken advocate in the Black Lives Matter movement, and his Humanitarian Award speech was a passionate tribute to the men […]
Who will end up sitting on the Iron Throne? A look at the major players.27 Jun 2016 | 7:10 amThis post contains spoilers for season six of "Game of Thrones." "You're in the great game now," Tyrion Lannister tells his dragon queen, Daenerys Targeryen, during the season finale of "Game of Thrones." "And the great game is terrifying." It certainly is. Just think about all the people who have died in pursuit of the […]
'Game of Thrones' has always been cruel to the Starks. Is their luck finally turning?27 Jun 2016 | 4:00 amRemember how "Game of Thrones" started? After a brief interlude with some White Walkers, viewers were introduced to the Starks at Winterfell. They seemed like a nice family. There was adorable little Bran, working hard at target practice, and Arya, showing him up with an arrow to the bull's-eye. Sure, Ned beheaded a guy — […]
BET Awards: 10 things you missed, from Beyoncé to Prince tributes; complete list of winners27 Jun 2016 | 3:00 amTwitter (understandably) exploded after actor Jesse Williams's powerful speech on race at the BET Awards on Sunday night. In addition, the rest of the nearly four-hour show featured tributes to Prince and Muhammad Ali, dozens of performances and one very singular political message — here are 10 things you missed. 1) Jesse Williams's speech. The "Grey's […]
Celebrities at the BET Awards have a message: Vote, but not for Trump26 Jun 2016 | 11:44 pmCelebrities came together at the BET Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night to celebrate black artists and pay tribute to Prince during a nearly four-hour show. Several stars also had a message: Make sure to vote this November. Just don't vote for Donald Trump. Multiple high-profile performers spoke about the importance of the upcoming presidential election. […]
Ask The Post
Site maintenance Friday will temporarily disable commenting login process9 Jun 2016 | 12:59 pmSoftware developers on Friday night will temporarily disable The Post's login process to perform site maintenance. The login outage is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. and last for up to an hour. The Post's pay meter will be disabled during this period. Users wishing to comment on Post stories who have not logged in […]
Readers weigh in on Washington Post comment sections26 May 2016 | 1:39 pmIn a blog post published on Wednesday, The Post pointed readers toward a survey of commenters and comment readers conducted in connection with The Coral Project, a collaboration between The Post, the New York Times and Mozilla to help publishers create and enliven communities around their journalism, and the Engaging News Project at the University of Texas […]
Survey: What do you think of comments on The Post?25 May 2016 | 1:12 pmProviding our readers with a space to discuss current events and interact with each other (and with us) is important to us at The Washington Post. To learn more about how we can better serve you in our comment threads and other digital interactive spaces, we're asking interested commenters and comment readers to complete a survey […]
An updated home for all your comments, permalinks to share them23 May 2016 | 9:52 amGood news — alongside the scheduled maintenance last week, we're adding two new features to the comments section. First, we updated the My Comments page for readers. If you don't already know, the My Comments page is a place to find every post you've made on The Washington Post. Quick reminder: You can find the My Comments page […]
Site maintenance Friday will temporarily disable commenting login process20 May 2016 | 10:26 amSoftware developers on Friday night will temporarily disable The Post's login process to perform site maintenance. The login outage is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. and last for up to an hour. The Post's pay meter will be disabled during this period. Users wishing to comment on Post stories who have not logged in […]
The world's abortion policies, explained in 7 charts and maps27 Jun 2016 | 12:23 pmThe Supreme Court struck down Texas abortion restrictions on Monday in a decision that means similar rules in other states will likely be unconstitutional. Our colleague Robert Barnes wrote that the 5-3 ruling is "a resounding win for abortion rights advocates in the court's most important consideration of the controversial issue in 25 years." In […]
'The decision must be accepted': Read British prime minister's full speech to Parliament on Brexit vote27 Jun 2016 | 11:04 amBritish Prime Minister David Cameron addressed Parliament on Monday, saying he has no plans for a second referendum. Here is what he said: With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the result of the EU referendum. Last week saw one of the biggest democratic exercises in our history with over […]
Brexit campaign wipes website clear, sparking speculation it is hiding its promises27 Jun 2016 | 10:26 amThis post has been updated. In the aftermath of Britain's vote to leave the European Union, many who had voted to "remain" have accused the "leave" campaign of relying on dodgy facts to make false promises to voters. Early on Monday, many were furious that the "leave" campaign's website — formerly home to many of these promises — appeared to […]
As Britain reels, the queen stays silent. For how long?27 Jun 2016 | 10:15 amLONDON — From pubs in Peterborough to beaches in Brighton, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone in the United Kingdom holding back their views on Brexit. Well, actually, there is one person: Queen Elizabeth II. She is Britain's longest-serving monarch and is the head of state of the U.K., a political union made up of England, Scotland, […]
This video shows what some Brexit supporters are fearful of: Muslim immigration27 Jun 2016 | 9:52 amIn Barnsley, 70% of the population voted to leave the European Union @C4Ciaran found out whyhttps://t.co/KursMuHHOV — Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) June 24, 2016 In the days leading up to and after Britain's historic vote to leave the European Union, one of the main questions that's still being debated is why people in Britain would want […]
Book Party
"White Trash" — a cultural and political history of an American underclass23 Jun 2016 | 8:15 amWHITE TRASH: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America By Nancy Isenberg Viking. 460 pp. $28 If slavery is America's original sin, class may be its hidden one. It is part of our national creed that the opportunity to achieve and improve ourselves is not predetermined at birth; that upward mobility, while hard, is possible. We are not the British, after all, trapped in some "Downton Abbey" hell of self-aware stratification — we rebelled against all that, right? Nancy Isenberg, a professor of history at Louisiana State University, has authored a gritty and sprawling assault on this aspect of American mythmaking. Ours is very much a class-based society, she argues, and had...
Yes, there is something 'going on' with Muslims. But it's not what Donald Trump suggests.17 Jun 2016 | 12:15 pmISLAMIC EXCEPTIONALISM: How the Struggle Over Islam is Reshaping the World By Shadi Hamid St. Martin's Press. 306 pp. $26.99 There's something going on with Muslims, Donald Trump repeats ominously, something about this faith and this group that threatens the West. So let's bar their entry into the United States, the presumptive Republican nominee argues, until we figure out what it is. Well, it turns out, there is something going on with Islam, and Shadi Hamid, quite helpfully, has figured it out. But his answer does not focus on conspiracy theories, lone wolves, or terrorist plots; instead, it centers on the intricate relationship between faith and the state in the Middle East. In...
How does Donald Trump stack up against American literature's fictional dictators? Pretty well, actually.9 Jun 2016 | 11:30 amIT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE By Sinclair Lewis. Signet Classics. 397 pp. $9.99 THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA By Philip Roth. Vintage. 391 pp. $9.99 Americans have seen this leader before. Boastful, deceptive, crudely charismatic. Dabbling in xenophobia and sexism, contemptuous of the rule of law, he spouts outlandish proposals that cater to the lowest instincts of those angry or frightened enough to back him. He wins the nation's top office, triggering fears of an authoritarian, even fascistic U.S. government. Normally, though, this leader resides safely in the pages of American fiction. Donald Trump's ascent to become the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has released a spasm of...
A biographer sums up Donald Trump in a single, devastating 210-word sentence8 Jun 2016 | 4:30 amJournalist Timothy O'Brien is the author of "TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald," a 2005 book that prompted a $5 billion lawsuit from Donald Trump for daring to argue that the real estate developer was not a billionaire but merely a millionaire a few hundred times over. A superior court judge in New Jersey dismissed the suit in 2009, and that decision was affirmed on appeal two years later. There is no love lost between O'Brien and Trump, who has disparaged the journalist as "a whack job, a total nut job . . . one of the sleaziest people I've ever done business with." And now that Trump is the biggest story going in American politics, O'Brien is coming out with a new edition of the...
Why does Hillary Clinton say books by and about women make for 'easier' reading?1 Jun 2016 | 9:54 amParsing the book preferences of presidential candidates is a recurring journalistic game, complicated by the fact that we never know if politicians are truly reading the books they list, or if they're just mentioning titles that they want the public to think they're reading. Even so, in a recent New York Magazine profile by Rebecca Traister, Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton offered a glimpse not just of what she's supposedly reading these days, but of the kind of books that help her unwind: When [Clinton] tells me what she reads, she sounds just like my mother and so many other women I know, describing how she has become addicted to mystery novels. She cites the Maisie...
Capital Weather Gang
They're auctioning off Twister's 'Dorothy' on eBay27 Jun 2016 | 12:20 pmWe all remember the point of the movie Twister, right? It wasn't just about corny lines, amazing CG and cows flying through massive tornadoes — it was about science. Jo Harding and her team designed and built several science-labs-in-a-tin-can with the goal of hurling them into storms. Now one of those tin cans — Dorthy IV […]
Showers, maybe some thunder, possible this afternoon and evening (TIMELINE)27 Jun 2016 | 12:08 pmShowers and a few thundershowers may move through parts of the region this afternoon and evening. They are not expected to be severe, but may include some brief downpours and lightning. Onset time: 4-7 p.m., first west and last east All clear: 8-11 p.m., first west and last east Duration: 30-60 minutes Coverage: Scattered Chance […]
The sun has 'gone blank' for the second time this month. Here's what that means.27 Jun 2016 | 10:26 amThe sun is blank for the second time in less than a month — not a single dark sunspot mars its surface. It's a sign our star is entering a new period of decreased activity — one that will continue to last for about five years. But, despite the overall decline, history has proven that some of the largest solar storms […]
West Virginia flood was 'one in a thousand year event,' Weather Service says; more heavy rain forecast27 Jun 2016 | 9:28 amThe torrential rain that inundated parts of southern and central West Virginia on Thursday was truly an exceptional meteorological event that has had devastating consequences. In Greenbrier County, W.Va., where some of the worst flooding occurred, the National Weather Service described the responsible rainfall as "historic" and "extremely rare." "Return period data suggest this would be […]
D.C. area forecast: Chance of storms late today but plenty of nice summer weather this week27 Jun 2016 | 2:00 amTODAY'S DAILY DIGIT A somewhat subjective rating of the day's weather, on a scale of 0 to 10. 5/10: Much of the day is dry, but humidity rises and a few storms possible late. EXPRESS FORECAST Today: Partly sunny, late day storms possible. Highs: 83-87. Tonight: Evening storms possible. Muggy. Lows: 65-70. Tomorrow: Variably cloudy. […]
After deadly crash, Blue Angels set to resume airshow schedule27 Jun 2016 | 10:40 amThe U.S. Navy's demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, will return to the skies in time for the July 4th weekend following a fatal crash that killed Blue Angel pilot Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss earlier this month, according to a Navy release. [In bizarre coincidence, a Blue Angels F-18 and a Thunderbirds F-16 crash on same […]
Soldier at center of Medal of Honor controversy recalls the day he faced suicide bombers27 Jun 2016 | 9:43 amArmy Sgt. 1st Class Earl D. Plumlee had just taken a photograph with other members of his unit when an enormous explosion shook his base in Afghanistan. The elite Special Forces soldiers didn't know it yet, but the Taliban had detonated a 400-pound car bomb and were about to start pouring through a hole in […]
Pentagon officials: Repeal of ban on transgender service members coming within weeks24 Jun 2016 | 1:40 pmThe Defense Department is expected to repeal its ban on transgender service members within weeks, Pentagon officials said Friday, putting to rest a long and complicated debate that has stretched out for a year. Specifics of the repeal are still under review, but the expectation among officials working on the issue is that the announcement […]
Ban on transgender service members expected to end in July, defense officials say24 Jun 2016 | 1:28 pmThe move could end internal debate in the Defense Department about how to allow such troops to serve openly. This is a developing story. It will be updated.
Navy removes task force commander after investigation of sailors' detainment by Iran24 Jun 2016 | 8:54 amThe Navy has removed the commanding officer of a task force in the Middle East following an investigation into how 10 U.S. sailors were detained by Iranian forces in January after two boats drifted into territorial waters. Capt. Kyle S. Moses was effectively fired from his job Friday by Vice Adm. Kevin M. Donegan, the […]
Comic Riffs
'Finding Dory's' trouncing of 'Independence Day: Resurgence' underscores a rule of Hollywood sequels27 Jun 2016 | 7:43 amTHE WEEKEND box office held fast to two truths Comic Riffs offered up just last month: 1. The "Independence Day" franchise, by waiting two decades for the resurgence of a sequel, faced an awfully steep hill toward success. 2. Cartoon sequels, as far as audiences are concerned, exist in their own blissful state of suspended […]
Sketchbook: The Great Brexit Break, as illustrated by classic British literature27 Jun 2016 | 2:00 amWHENEVER WE need to better understand the present, we can always turn to the history of literature and find a tale that lends some perspective. As the Great Brexit Break of 2016 roils the globe and leaves a kingdom reeling with questions, some minds might be inclined — seeking literary enlightenment — toward a title […]
Meet the new Green Lanterns. Yes, there are two of them.24 Jun 2016 | 7:21 amThe Green Lanterns are here to protect planet Earth. And as soon as they figure out how, the world will be a better, safer place. This month, DC Comics, as a part of its new "Rebirth" revamp, introduced the first issue of "Green Lanterns." The "s" at the end of Lanterns is important. There are two […]
The world's most striking Brexit reactions, through cartoons24 Jun 2016 | 7:11 amU.K. to leave E.U.! P.M. resigns ASAP! Pound now down! The headlines rippled 'round the globe overnight as Britons shocked the world by voting to exit — or "Brexit" — the European Union. Next thing we knew, British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was stepping down; Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon spoke of a referendum to […]
What the nation's political cartoonists saw at the Democratic sit-in24 Jun 2016 | 3:00 amFOR 26 HOURS, in the fresh wake of 49 Orlando deaths, Democrats staged a sit-in on the House floor to draw attention to stalled gun-violence legislation. And before the protest officially ended, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) called for the body to adjourn a day early for the Fourth of July holiday. In acting, Democrats […]
After Brexit, here are further British downgrades24 Jun 2016 | 2:36 pmIf I learned anything from the opening to the 2012 London Olympics, it is that Britain's value lies not just in its economic properties but in its intellectual properties. The pound may have experienced a drop of 7.6 percent, which is, as the New York Times notes, 21 times its usual average daily move, since […]
Keep calm and what the hell just happened?24 Jun 2016 | 6:31 amDang it, Britain, we thought you had things under control. We were supposed to be the place where everything was on fire. You were supposed to keep calm and carry on. Were all of those posters a lie? Torching the place for literally no reason other than to send a message about voter anger, we thought, […]
Waiting for Pivot: A GOP Tragicomedy20 Jun 2016 | 4:41 pmVladimir Ryan and Estragon Priebus, members of the GOP establishment, sit glumly in rags beneath a small leafless tree, next to a slowly decomposing elephant carcass. They wear matching flag pins. Estragon struggles mightily to remove his "Jeb 2016″ button. At last it comes off with a pop. Estragon: Nothing to be done. Vladimir: I'm beginning […]
How to get fired by the Trump campaign20 Jun 2016 | 9:49 amWhat do you have to do to be fired from the Trump campaign? Word emerged on Monday that Donald Trump had parted ways with his famously contentious campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. "The Donald J. Trump Campaign for President, which has set a historic record in the Republican Primary having received almost 14 million votes, has today […]
Against 'dad jokes'17 Jun 2016 | 4:36 pmLet me begin by stating that I have nothing against fathers. I have one, myself, and I approve highly. I also have nothing against bad puns. If someone ever told me that bad puns were illegal, I would respond, "No, illegal is a sick bird!" And then they would cart me off to the pun […]
DC Sports Bog
Kirk Cousins's confidence is returning to 'Michigan State Kirk' levels27 Jun 2016 | 12:31 pmRedskins quarterback Kirk Cousins has spoken several times this offseason about how much more confident he feels compared to this time last year. "You have permission now to take ownership," Cousins said during Washington's optional three-day workouts in May. "As a backup, or as a guy competing for the spot, it doesn't get received very well when […]
John Wall reconnects with Wizards Make-a-Wish kid: 'That's my guy'27 Jun 2016 | 12:07 pmWhat did John Wall think when he ran into Nitin Ramachandran at his basketball camp Saturday morning? "Holy [bleep]," Wall recalled. "I told my sister, that's my guy Nitin right there." Ramachandran, you might recall, was "signed" by the Wizards to a one-day deal late in the 2015 season, as part of an elaborate Make-a-Wish […]
Kevin Durant won't meet with the Wizards. Fans can now finally, mercifully move on.27 Jun 2016 | 10:07 amOver the weekend, ESPN's Marc Stein reported that the Warriors, Spurs and Thunder will get the first three opportunities to woo Kevin Durant this offseason. Stein's ESPN colleague, Chris Broussard, reported Monday that the Celtics, Heat and Clippers have also scheduled meetings with the NBA's premier free agent-to-be. Has Ernie Grunfeld checked to make sure his voicemail inbox isn't […]
Guns N' Roses N' Redskins: Daniel Snyder meets Axl Rose27 Jun 2016 | 7:15 amThe Guns N' Roses "Not in This Lifetime" tour rolled into Landover on Sunday and rocked out with the FedEx Field crowd for more than two hours. Sometime during the night, Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose posed for a photo with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and his wife, Tanya, as well as General Manager Scot […]
People are reacting very badly to the report of the Wizards going after Joakim Noah24 Jun 2016 | 8:31 pmUPDATE: The Wizards, according to a league source, deny they have any intention of offering a max contract to Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah, calling reports to that effect completely erroneous. On second thought, maybe the Wizards should sit free agency out this summer. After Washington was a bystander during Thursday's NBA draft, having traded […]
In pay dispute at Trump hotel, workers' advocates see same old story27 Jun 2016 | 2:05 amThe Department of Labor is investigating whether a subcontractor working on Donald Trump's Old Post Office hotel has underpaid employees there, highlighting a concern workers' advocates and union backers say is widespread in District construction projects. A Labor Department spokesman confirmed only that that the agency is looking into whether subcontractor The Craftsmen Group, a Brentwood, Md., glass […]
Maryland, Virginia offer hundreds of millions for chance at $2.5 billion FBI HQ21 Jun 2016 | 12:35 pmIn the run-up to a final decision on where to build a new FBI headquarters, governors Larry Hogan and Terry McAuliffe have engaged in a high-stakes bidding war aimed at persuading federal officials to relocate the FBI's 11,000 jobs to their states, raising the costs on a prize that both men view as a cornerstone of their economic agendas. Hogan (R) […]
Growing cost of planned Fannie Mae headquarters comes under fire16 Jun 2016 | 12:35 pmCosts to complete Fannie Mae's new downtown headquarters ballooned 53 percent after the agency inked a lease for the space early last year, according to a watchdog report released Thursday, creating "significant financial and reputational risks" to the housing giant's oversight agency. The report cites pricey improvements at the new headquarters, currently under construction, including three enclosed glass […]
International Spy Museum moving to L'Enfant Plaza in 201816 Jun 2016 | 4:00 amThe world's largest purported collection of international espionage-related artifacts plans to move about eight blocks south when the International Spy Museum relocates to L'Enfant Plaza in 2018. Developer JBG Cos., owner of L'Enfant Plaza, announced a deal with the museum Wednesday after more than 18 months of negotiations. JBG said construction was already underway on the […]
Virginia's economy shows signs of recovery despite cuts in federal employment, workspace14 Jun 2016 | 1:48 pmNot all is well in Virginia. Vacated office parks are dragging down local tax coffers. Home values in the exurbs of Fairfax and Loudoun counties are lagging the rest of the region. The federal government continues to slim its workforce and its work space, which historically does not bode well for other sectors. But there is little […]
Early Lead
Justin Timberlake stars in Grizzlies' video pitch to free agent Mike Conley27 Jun 2016 | 12:18 pm"Memphis. We grit. We grind. But we're all heart." That's how Justin Timberlake opens up his video plea in an attempt to persuade free-agent point guard Mike Conley to re-sign with the Memphis Grizzlies. In what appears to be a public service announcement at first, Timberlake, part owner of the Memphis Grizzlies, introduces the short […]
Bulls coach can't tell Brook and Robin Lopez apart. So here's a helpful guide.27 Jun 2016 | 12:10 pmIdentical twins get mixed up all the time. It's pretty much inevitable. Thus, Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg can play this off as an honest mistake, right? "You look at Brook Lopez, a guy that I've always thought very highly of," Hoiberg said Monday. "… I think he's terrific." Problem is, the Bulls just […]
Man arrested for attempting to extinguish Olympic torch tells police it was a dare27 Jun 2016 | 11:07 amThe journey of the Olympic torch from Olympia, Greece, to the spot of the games may be one of sports' greatest traditions. But sometimes, folks have simply had enough. Police arrested a man Sunday after he tried to put out the Olympic flame as the torch was being run through the town of Maracaju in central […]
Supporting Donald Trump comes at a cost, says retired NFL star Herschel Walker27 Jun 2016 | 10:48 amFormer NFL star Herschel Walker has remained loyal to presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump throughout Trump's presidential campaign. But that loyalty is apparently costing Walker money, in the form of speaking appearances. In an interview with TMZ Sports, Walker said that clients are canceling his speaking gigs because of his relationship with Trump. "First of all, I've […]
U.S. Olympics men's basketball roster is set, and players are showing some pride27 Jun 2016 | 8:48 amAfter what felt like forever, the 2016 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team has been selected. The 12 players named to the Olympic men's basketball team this weekend: No. 4: Jimmy Butler, F No. 5: Kevin Durant, G No. 6: DeAndre Jordan, C No. 7: Kyle Lowry, G No. 8: Harrison Barnes, F No. 9: DeMar […]
Erik Wemple
A CNN staff revolt over Lewandowski hiring? Ha!27 Jun 2016 | 9:07 amThe New York Post has a low threshold for determining when upheavals are afoot in corporate corridors. "CNN staff revolts over Corey Lewandowski hire," reads the headline of a Friday story regarding CNN's decision to bring on the fired campaign manager of Donald Trump as a political commentator. Upon whom did the New York Post […]
Univision exclusive on Omar Mateen's secret gay life comes under fire24 Jun 2016 | 1:26 pmUnivision on Tuesday published quite an exclusive on Orlando gunman Omar Mateen. "Orlando massacre was 'revenge,' not terrorism, says man who claims he was gunman's lover," reads the headline of the story, in which Univision's Maria Elena Salinas interviews a man who labeled Mateen "100 percent" gay. Mateen's rampage at the Pulse nightclub in the […]
Pro-Trump CNN commentator Jeffrey Lord on pro-Trump CNN commentator Corey Lewandowski: 'A terrific asset'24 Jun 2016 | 1:18 pmJeffrey Lord is approaching his one-year anniversary as a designated pro-Donald Trump commentator on CNN's airwaves, and now he's got another colleague to assist with the mountainous task of apologizing for the frequent outrages of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Yesterday CNN announced that it had hired fired Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski to do […]
Another conflict of interest for CNN's Corey Lewandowski?24 Jun 2016 | 8:53 amIn his first appearance as a CNN contributor, former Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski showed an unsurprising reverence for his ex-boss. Appearing last night with host Erin Burnett, Lewandowski was careful to refer to "Mr. Trump," the proper honorific for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. He leveled no criticisms of the candidate. And he […]
Four questions about CNN's deal with Corey Lewandowski23 Jun 2016 | 2:00 pmNow we know how to view Corey Lewandowski's interview with CNN's Dana Bash on Monday after he was fired from the campaign of Donald Trump: As an audition. Pressed by Bash on a number of key issues and details, Lewandowski was cool and poised, never once showing a flash of the angry and difficult personality […]
USS Enterprise boldly goes from the Smithsonian's basement into the main gallery27 Jun 2016 | 3:00 amLong relegated to the Air and Space Museum's basement gift shop, "Star Trek's" USS Enterprise has moved to the central atrium. The newly restored, 11-foot-long studio model of the fictional starship, used for special-effects shots in the original TV series, will be unveiled Tuesday. (Just in time for the museum's all-night 40th birthday celebration.) "It's been […]
Cool new gadgets and an all-night party for the Air and Space Museum's 40th birthday27 Jun 2016 | 3:00 amMonths before the official opening of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on July 1, 1976, eager aviation fans smudged the museum's brand-new windows while trying to catch a glimpse of the headline-making vehicles inside. Back then, people instantly recognized aircraft like the Atlantic-crossing Spirit of St. Louis and the Apollo 11 command module, […]
Joel McHale on life after 'The Soup,' Chevy Chase and his idea for a new Washington Redskins name24 Jun 2016 | 11:49 amFormer "The Soup" host Joel McHale didn't have much to say about D.C. politics when he kicked off the Kennedy Center's first-ever District of Comedy Festival on Tuesday, but he did open his hourlong stand-up set up with a local reference: his idea for renaming the Washington Redskins. "Change it to the Washington Flaming Metro Trains," […]
'The Fits' owes its powerful message about black girlhood to simply asking 'what if?'24 Jun 2016 | 5:08 amThe Reelist is a column featuring Kristen Page-Kirby's musings on movies. For Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday's review of "The Fits," click here. "The Fits" was supposed to be about a cheerleading squad, with "race not being a part of it." That was the most surprising thing I learned when I talked to the […]
Dealing with a tiny closet? These tips can help you store all your stuff.24 Jun 2016 | 3:18 amKevin Ryan's Cleveland Park efficiency is small enough as it is. So he didn't want to add a chest of drawers or wardrobe for storing his jeans, T-shirts and other clothing, fearing that it would make the apartment feel even smaller. "I've really had to maximize the existing closet space and find ways to get […]
Fancy Stats
Jeremy Lin just had a nice bounce-back year. So how much is he worth now?27 Jun 2016 | 11:31 amJeremy Lin's arrival in the NBA was anything but ordinary. Undrafted out of Harvard University, he spent time with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2010 NBA Summer League before signing a two-year deal with the Golden State Warriors prior to the start of the 2010-11 campaign. Lin would be waived by the Warriors, and then again […]
How is the Texas Rangers' record so good? Simple — they come through in the clutch.27 Jun 2016 | 10:28 amAfter an utterly tepid start to the 2016 season, the Texas Rangers are not only surging, they're running away with the American League West. With a 6-2 win Sunday over the Boston Red Sox, Texas is now 49-27 on the season, 10 games ahead of the Houston Astros. After starting the season 1-4, Texas is […]
Three teams that should give Dwight Howard a serious look in free agency27 Jun 2016 | 7:28 amDwight Howard did the expected last week: He walked away from $23.2 million to pursue free agency. That an athlete is willing to leave that much cash on the table speaks to the deep-seated distaste Howard has for the Houston Rockets organization, which used him on 18.4 percent of possessions this season, his lowest rate […]
Shopper's guide to this year's NBA free agents27 Jun 2016 | 4:00 amIt's a good year to need a contract in the NBA. This year's free agents get the benefit of seeing a huge increase in the league's salary cap. With TV revenues expanding the coffers, the cap is expected to rise from $70 to $94 million, higher than what was previously expected. That means more money […]
David Ortiz saved his best for last24 Jun 2016 | 10:41 amDavid Ortiz, the 40-year-old slugger for the Boston Red Sox, announced his retirement in November, but you wouldn't know it from looking at his box-score stats. He is in the midst of one of the best years of his career, which says a lot about a player who has earned six Silver Sluggers as well as the Hank […]
The Insider
Redskins' 53-man roster projection, a month away from training camp27 Jun 2016 | 7:56 amExactly 30 days from today, the Washington Redskins will report to Richmond for training camp. Players will go through the conditioning tests and then the following morning, the team holds its first official practice of the preseason. The Redskins have a lot of starters returning on offense, but a number of jobs remain up for […]
Redskins secondary coach Perry Fewell pleased with Quinton Dunbar's progress24 Jun 2016 | 5:54 amThere's a lot more talent in the Washington Redskins' secondary this season. The additions of Josh Norman and Kendall Fuller have provided the team with a lockdown cornerback and promising rookie who can play both outside and in the nickel. Defensive backs coach Perry Fewell also has liked the development he has seen from the […]
Quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh wants Kirk Cousins to remain authentic as a vocal leader22 Jun 2016 | 8:10 amCoaches and teammates have praised Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins for stepping up as a prominent leader this offseason. As Cousins continues to gain confidence, quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh said Cousins has remained authentic to his personality despite the increased role. "I like him to be natural, and Kirk is naturally vocal," Cavanaugh said last week […]
Redskins defensive line coach Robb Akey seeks more consistency from similar cast21 Jun 2016 | 6:09 amThe Washington Redskins moved on from two of their three starting defensive linemen from last season. They didn't make a significant splash at the position during free agency or the NFL draft, but defensive line coach Robb Akey expects a more consistent unit this year "My expectation and our goal and desire is that you're going to […]
Junior Galette expecting to practice fully at the start of Redskins training camp17 Jun 2016 | 8:09 amThe Washington Redskins held their final offseason practice on Wednesday, and for Junior Galette, the agony has almost come to an end. The next six weeks of down time between now and the start of training camp will drag by at a slow pace for Galette. But at least the pass-rusher knows the end of his […]
Grade Point
Moody's gives Howard University's financial turnaround plan a nod27 Jun 2016 | 11:29 amCredit analysts at Moody's Investors Service say a pair of deals struck by Howard University is putting the historically black university on the path to a financial turnaround, a bright spot for a school that has struggled to reverse years of fiscal strain. In a recent analyst note, the credit rating agency highlighted Howard's $22 million deal to […]
Affirmative action is about the economic bottom line, not just racial diversity25 Jun 2016 | 5:00 amAs the president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, Michelle Asha Cooper has worked to give low-income, minority and other underrepresented groups a pathway to a college degree. Inclusion is a key part of the nonprofit's mission, just as it is central to Thursday's historic Supreme Court ruling to uphold race-conscious college admissions. But the decision is about much more […]
Race trumps income when it comes to creating a diverse college campus24 Jun 2016 | 9:02 amAdvocates for racial diversity on college campuses breathed a collective sigh of relief Thursday when the Supreme Court chose to uphold race-conscious college admissions. The 4-to-3 decision in Fisher v. University of Texas came as a bit of a surprise given the court's history of limiting the use of race in admissions decisions. The high court, after all, ruled in 2003 that […]
Federal advisory board votes to kick out the nation's largest college accreditor24 Jun 2016 | 7:53 amAn independent advisory board voted Thursday to bar the largest national accreditation agency from serving as the gatekeeper between colleges and billions of dollars in federal financial aid, bringing the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools a step closer to losing its power. In a 10 to 3 vote, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity […]
12,000 inmates to receive Pell grants to take college classes23 Jun 2016 | 9:02 pmAs many as 12,000 prison inmates will be able to use federal Pell grants to finance college classes next month, despite a 22-year congressional ban on providing financial aid to prisoners. The Obama administration selected 67 colleges and universities Thursday for the Second Chance Pell Pilot Program, an experiment to help prisoners earn an associate's or bachelor's […]
A House Divided
Virginia and Kentucky awarded Civil War battlefield grants23 Jun 2016 | 2:45 pmThe National Park Service has just announced this year's recipients of the annual grants made under the American Battlefield Protection Program. Only three of the 12 grants went to Civil War battlefields. Nine others went to battlefields of other wars fought on U.S. soil. Those eligible for grants include federal, tribal, state and local governments, […]
Funds to save land at five Virginia battlefields sought22 Jun 2016 | 2:15 pmThe Civil War Trust, which has funded and purchased 42,500 acres of battlefield land for preservation since its founding in 1999, has announced a new goal to raise $91,000 in matching funds to complete the purchase of 313 acres of Virginia land where five battles were fought. Those battles are Williamsburg (three acres); Gaines' Mill […]
Freeman Sign in Mechanicsville, Va., meets its demise in two-car accident11 Jun 2016 | 3:00 amA two-car accident has destroyed a concrete and iron marker at the Battle of Haw's Shop in Mechanicsville, Va., erasing one of a series of markers that date back to the mid-1920s to mid-1930s and are considered to be the oldest such Civil War battlefield signs in Virginia and the country. Beginning in 1925, a […]
Virginia battlefield park opening Saturday will honor both Confederate and Union soldiers10 Jun 2016 | 2:51 pmThis weekend, the 155th anniversary of the Battle of Big Bethel near Hampton, Va., a park laced with walkways and markers opens to the public. As with many such parks in the South, there are Confederate markers dating back to the mid-20th century, but this park has an unusual feature — a monument dedicated four years ago […]
Memorial Day ceremony planned at Civil War cemetery with ties to Lincoln27 May 2016 | 7:01 amYou can commemorate Memorial Day this year by attending a ceremony at the Soldiers' Home National Cemetery in Northwest D.C., the country's first national cemetery. Buried there are the Union soldiers who died in combat at the Battle of First Manassas, among others. The cemetery, which President Abraham Lincoln visited often, predates the better known […]
In Theory
Why the Supreme Court is right to overturn McDonnell's corruption conviction27 Jun 2016 | 11:57 am� Former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell won a major victory Monday at the Supreme Court, where the justices unanimously vacated a lower court's decision that found him guilty of bribery charges after he accepted more than $175,000 in loans, gifts and other benefits from a Virginia businessman. The win doesn't necessarily end McDonnell's high-profile fight to stay out of prison, but […]
What's the alternative to payday loans?27 Jun 2016 | 9:13 amAs the CFPB moves its proposed rules through the public review process, the debate for further action around payday loans will continue. Is federal regulation the answer? Or should government take a greater role in offering emergency finance for the poor?
For trans people like me, pronouns are about more than grammatical correctness24 Jun 2016 | 7:00 amNoah Lewis is a Staff Attorney at Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, a national New York City-based organization committed to achieving equality for transgender people. Does it take a little bit of effort to break out of old habits and refer to someone by a new pronoun? Sure. But given the stark realities facing transgender people who are excluded from jobs and education, it's the very least we can do. The simple act of calling me "Mr. Lewis" and "he" adds up to nothing less than creating a society in which transgender people don't merely survive, but thrive.
The Orlando shooter Googled my name. I wish he had reached out to me.24 Jun 2016 | 6:00 amHamza Yusuf is president of Zaytuna College, the first Muslim liberal arts college in the United States. He also serves as the vice president of The Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies. A few days ago, a colleague from the college where I teach and serve as president called to let me know the FBI had just paid a visit. They wanted to inform me that the Orlando shooter, Omar Mateen, had been Googling me on his computer and iPhone. They were concerned that he may have had malevolent intent, given that the Islamic State had called for my death twice in the last year, presumably due to my strong condemnation of the utterly anti-Islamic nature of their "state" in a sermon that went viral in the...
It's foolish to try to simplify the motives of terrorists23 Jun 2016 | 6:00 amDavid Sterman is a Senior Program Associate at New America's International Security Program. Find him on Twitter: @DSterms. In the wake of the shooting in Orlando, the deadliest terror attack in the United States since 9/11, the discussion of how people become radicalized has often sought a master narrative, one that can explain each case and assign a single motivation. Pundits decry a supposed tendency to refer to factors other than radical Islamist ideology when trying to explain an attack as erasing the role of ideology. Yet it is precisely the ability avoid either-or explanations that is essential to understanding the threat the United States faces from homegrown terrorists. As Enrique...
Obama's greatest legacy may be the global entrepreneurship he sparked27 Jun 2016 | 7:49 amIt is rare to go to a government event, especially where political leaders are speaking, in which you can stay awake or be truly inspired. Indeed, I had very low expectations of President Obama's Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), which was held at Stanford University last week. I thought it would be nothing more than a […]
A new device could help bikers catch cars that drive too close to them24 Jun 2016 | 5:54 amDrivers who ride a little too close to cyclists on the road could soon be caught red-handed. A new technology adopted by law enforcement in Ottawa could help enforce legal distance between bikers and cars on the road. The device, which is mounted on a bicycle's handlebars like a bike bell, uses sonar technology to measure the distance between the bike and […]
Wake up to a freshly brewed cup of coffee with this alarm clock20 Jun 2016 | 6:00 amStumble to the coffeemaker on groggy mornings no more. The Barisieur, an alarm clock that brews coffee or tea as you wake up, may make its way to your bedside table via London. Britain-based industrial designer Josh Renouf began work on the product as an undergraduate at Nottingham Trent University in 2014. For his final project, […]
The amazing artificial intelligence we were promised is coming, finally17 Jun 2016 | 4:19 amWe have been hearing predictions for decades of a takeover of the world by artificial intelligence. In 1957, Herbert A. Simon predicted that within 10 years a digital computer would be the world's chess champion. That didn't happen until 1996. And despite Marvin Minsky's 1970 prediction that "in from three to eight years we will […]
NASA's new electric plane could be a significant step toward a cleaner era of aviation16 Jun 2016 | 10:49 amNASA is developing an electric plane to accelerate the introduction of zero-emission aircraft that use less energy and cruise at higher speeds than the aircraft of today. If successful, the plane could become a significant first step toward a new era of more efficient and environmentally friendly air travel. The electric plane, which NASA is […]
Morning Mix
'Super racist' pool safety poster prompts Red Cross apology27 Jun 2016 | 11:05 am(Courtesy Margaret Sawyer) When Margaret Sawyer first noticed the Red Cross safety poster at a pool in Salida, Colo., she thought she was looking at an unfortunate relic of the past. When she saw it a second time at an entirely different pool in the central Colorado town, she was shocked, according to NBC affiliate KUSA. "I saw this one, and I just kept thinking, 'It looks like they're trying to do something here that shows all kids together of all different backgrounds, but they're clearly not hitting the mark,'" she said. [Black and white Americans still worlds apart in views on race, Obama and Black Lives Matter] Not only were the poster's designers not hitting the mark, Sawyer thought,...
Mother fatally shoots 'unknown man' after discovering him in her child's bedroom27 Jun 2016 | 7:00 amWhen a woman returned to her Oregon home with her two children over the weekend, she made a discovery in the residence, according to Portland police. She found an "unknown man" inside the home, the Portland Police Bureau said in a news release. And, police said, she found him in one of her children's bedrooms. The 33-year-old mother was armed and fatally shot the suspected intruder, police said. "The victim cooperated with the investigation and was not arrested," a news release on the shooting stated. "Once the investigation is complete, the case will be presented to the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office for review." Authorities were called to a home at 1:47 a.m. Sunday, according to a release....
'I just escaped death!': Singapore Airlines jet catches fire after emergency landing27 Jun 2016 | 4:17 amLee Bee Yee was sleeping on her flight from Singapore to Milan early Monday morning when the flight crew informed her and the more than 200 people on board that their flight would be turning back to the airport. They'd been in the air for two hours, she told Channel NewsAsia, and the plane smelled strongly of fuel. The pilot said the right side engine was leaking oil, she told the TV station, which meant that they'd have to proceed without it. But that would make the whole plane vibrate, unfavorable conditions for the flight to Milan. She and her husband didn't think much of it, she told Channel NewsAsia. When the plane touched back down at the Changi airport in Singapore at about 6:50 a.m., the 222...
'It's not over yet,' says famed defense lawyer F. Lee Bailey after filing for bankruptcy27 Jun 2016 | 4:03 amIn this Oct. 3, 1995, file photo, defense attorney F. Lee Bailey, left, looks on as O.J. Simpson, center, reacts as he is found not guilty of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown. (Myung J. Chun/Daily News via AP) For those who've not followed the fortunes — and more recently the misfortunes — of F. Lee Bailey, it might have come as a shock to hear that Friday he filed for bankruptcy in a federal court in Maine. His assets: "A car worth less than two grand," he told The Washington Post via telephone Sunday, "and some personal property worth less than five and a condo with a mortgage." His liabilities: In excess of $5 million, owed to the to the IRS. And since the IRS imposes interest and penalties every...
Hate that bit of shampoo stuck at the bottom of the bottle? Scientists want to solve your first-world problem.27 Jun 2016 | 3:55 amSometimes scientists aim to answer long-standing mysteries, like the shared evolutionary origin of fur and feathers. Sometimes they can perform technological marvels, like detecting the gravitational waves from black holes on a collision course, or reading voters' brain waves to determine their preference for political candidates. But, occasionally, the problem at hand is a bit more pedestrian. Consider the struggle of trying to get that very last dab of soap out of a shampoo bottle. Perhaps you're the type to pound the bottom of the bottle, or you rely on gravity to draw the soap down into an explosive final burp. Or you dilute what remains to a weak froth. None of these, in the eyes of Ohio State...
Nationals Journal
Minor League Monday: Reynaldo Lopez promoted to Class AAA Syracuse27 Jun 2016 | 11:44 amHere it is, our weekly update on the up-and-comers in the Nationals' minor league system. Some affiliates embark on the second half of their seasons this week. Others are just beginning. Updates from all of them below. CLASS AAA SYRACUSE After a slow stretch in mid-June, shortstop Trea Turner is 10 for his last 20. He […]
Nationals-Mets primer: Things to know and what to watch for27 Jun 2016 | 5:42 amThe Nationals can finally unpack. The worst of their travel is over. After being on the road for 20 of the first 26 days of this month, they are home for 10 games now, and July will be easier. They end their toughest bit of scheduling — May spent fighting top teams, June spent fighting the rigors […]
Stephen Strasburg placed on 15-day disabled list with upper back strain26 Jun 2016 | 12:30 pmMILWAUKEE — Stephen Strasburg has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with an upper back strain, retroactive to June 16, the Nationals announced prior to Sunday's game against Milwaukee. The team is expected to announce a corresponding roster move on Monday. The lingering back issue for Strasburg began with a weight room mishap last […]
Wilson Ramos, Ryan Zimmerman get Sunday off in series finale against Brewers26 Jun 2016 | 9:19 amMILWAUKEE — The Nationals haven't lost eight consecutive games since the 2009 season, and they will try to avoid doing so in today's series finale against the Brewers. Plagued by shoddy starting pitching in Milwaukee during the first two games, Washington turns to right-hander Tanner Roark (6-5), whose start was bumped up a day because […]
Stephen Strasburg won't make start Sunday against Brewers, is listed as day-to-day25 Jun 2016 | 5:27 pmMILWAUKEE — Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg will miss his second consecutive start Sunday because of lingering discomfort in his back, according to Washington Manager Dusty Baker. Tanner Roark will start in the series finale against Milwaukee, which extended the Nationals' losing streak to seven with a 6-5 win Saturday. "He's on day-to-day. He went down to […]
The Plum Line
Bernie Sanders has won some big concessions. But he still won't endorse Hillary Clinton.27 Jun 2016 | 12:11 pmWhat is Bernie Sanders thinking? That isn't intended as snark or even as a rhetorical question. I genuinely don't understand what Sanders thinks is going to happen if he continues to refrain from endorsing Hillary Clinton, as he did on CNN yesterday. It seems unlikely at this point that holding out in this fashion will […]
The Supreme Court strikes down one of the worst scams in American politics27 Jun 2016 | 9:19 amToday, the Supreme Court struck down one of the most pervasive scams in American politics today, the effort by Republican state legislatures to shut down abortion clinics in the name of protecting "women's health." In a 5-3 decision, the Court invalidated a Texas law requiring that abortion clinics meet the same standards as outpatient surgical […]
Hillary Clinton, not Donald Trump, will win the argument over Brexit27 Jun 2016 | 6:32 amTHE MORNING PLUM: Today, Hillary Clinton will campaign for the first time with Elizabeth Warren, and the duo will make the case in Ohio that Clinton has a real economic agenda that will help working Americans, while Donald Trump is offering them nothing but bluster. This comes as the conventional wisdom is already hardening that […]
Sunday Open Thread26 Jun 2016 | 3:59 amEnjoy. �
Open Thread25 Jun 2016 | 4:23 amAll yours. �
Why everyone panicked and stock markets plunged after the Brexit vote27 Jun 2016 | 5:45 amDespite reassurances that we shouldn't listen to the experts, the financial markets have gone and behaved almost exactly as the experts predicted. After the news that Britain will leave the European Union, the pound has dropped to a level not seen since 1985. The London-based Financial Times Stock Exchange has had the biggest one-day drop ever. On […]
Pod's Podcast of Westeros27 Jun 2016 | 5:38 amMassive SPOILER ALERT for seasons 1-6 of HBO'S "Game of Thrones." NOTE: The following transcript is sponsored by the Faceless Men. The Faceless Men: you won't see us, but we see you. If a boy or girl is interested in serving the Many-Faced God, then a boy or girl should book passage for Braavos. Valar Dohaeris!! PODFAN1: Hello, […]
The NHL is coming to Las Vegas because America is now a casino nation27 Jun 2016 | 4:36 amIn 1950, America was waking up to the problem of organized crime. U.S. Attorney General J. Howard McGrath convened a conference, primarily of big-city mayors, to discuss the root causes of the rackets (the word "mafia" had not yet entered the popular lexicon). Gambling, he said, was a fundamental nuisance in a country that was […]
The Brexit and budget austerity: What's the connection?27 Jun 2016 | 3:00 amA great deal of digital ink has been spilled in recent days on two topics of great interest in the aftermath of the Brexit vote: why the "Leavers" won and what will be the economic impact. The first has many answers; the second is largely unknowable. The predictions about how, thanks to the Brexit vote, […]
The tea party spirit crossed the Atlantic during the Brexit campaign24 Jun 2016 | 1:11 pmEDINBURGH, Scotland — Friday, as it turned out, was an appropriate moment for Donald Trump to arrive in the United Kingdom. "Come November, the American people will have the chance to re-declare their independence," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said in a statement issued as he landed to visit his golf course at Turnberry. "I hope America […]
Post Nation
Black and white Americans still worlds apart in views on race, Obama and Black Lives Matter27 Jun 2016 | 8:28 amAbout two-thirds of black Americans say they support Black Lives Matter, the national protest movement born after the deaths of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, while 43 percent of all Americans say they support the movement, according to new polling released Monday by the Pew Research Center. Among white Americans, support for the protest movement […]
Supreme Court unanimously rules for former Va. governor McDonnell27 Jun 2016 | 7:37 amThe decision was written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. "If the court below determines that there is sufficient evidence for a jury to convict Governor McDonnell of committing or agreeing to commit an 'official act,' his case may be set for a new trial," Roberts wrote. "If the court instead determines that the […]
Supreme Court strikes down Texas abortion restrictions27 Jun 2016 | 7:06 amThe Supreme Court struck down Texas abortion restrictions that had caused more than half of the state's abortion clinics to close. The decision was a win for abortion rights advocates, who say that state legislatures around the country have passed more than 200 restrictions on abortion in the past five years. The challenged Texas provisions […]
The surprisingly dark, twisted history of presidential impersonators in America27 Jun 2016 | 5:14 amWhen you think of presidential impersonators, you think funny, ha-ha, frivolous. But the little-known history of presidential impersonation in America is surprisingly dark and twisted. It's filled with fascinating instances in which the zany world of comedy collides in unpredictable ways with the dead-serious power corridors of Washington. And if you peer close enough into that […]
How well do you know your news?25 Jun 2016 | 1:00 amHave you been paying close enough attention to the big events happening every day? Take our weekly test and find out. Speed counts: You'll get bonus points the faster you correctly answer the questions. (If the quiz does not appear below, go here.)
Different polls, same conclusion: Trump is on a downward trend27 Jun 2016 | 8:43 amTwo new polls on the presidential race offer different answers to an important question: How much has Donald Trump's mensis horribilis impacted his standing in the race? If you accept the most recent Post/ABC News poll, Clinton has opened a highly significant 12-point lead, while a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll has Clinton up by 5 in a […]
Bernie Sanders has a lot of nerve27 Jun 2016 | 7:39 am"We are trying to say to Secretary Clinton and the Clinton campaign, 'Make it clear which side you are on,' " Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told CNN's Jake Tapper yesterday when asked what would it take to win over his supporters. He's got a lot of nerve. Sanders got 3.7 million fewer votes than Hillary […]
New Post-ABC poll: Trump's June has been an utter disaster in every way26 Jun 2016 | 6:49 amWhen last month's Washington Post-ABC News poll showed Donald Trump leading Hillary Clinton 46 percent to 44 percent among registered voters, it was the third poll in a week to show the presumptive GOP nominee in a surprising lead. Many Democrats began to worry (or at least worry more openly) about the Clinton campaign. Now […]
Let's not forget the man behind the Stonewall monument to LGBT history24 Jun 2016 | 12:46 pmPresident Obama has made it official. The Stonewall Inn, Christopher Park across the street from it and surrounding streets in Greenwich Village will be our nation's first national monument that celebrates the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. For it was there in the early hours of June 28, 1969, and for the next […]
Donald Trump is no Boris Johnson24 Jun 2016 | 11:44 amThere are clear parallels between the Brexit movement in the United Kingdom and the Trump movement in the United States. This morning, Chris Cillizza wrote a useful piece about the similarities between the Brexit vote and the rise of Donald Trump that is definitely worth reading in full. But one big difference between Brexit and […]
Will Americans eager to give a middle finger to the establishment learn from the panic across the pond?24 Jun 2016 | 9:08 amPeople literally woke up hundreds of billions of dollars poorer this morning than they were last night, largely thanks to a desire to exact revenge against some faceless group of "elites" and "bureaucrats."
What the U.S. economy looks like under three terrible economic shocks (one of which is President Trump)21 Jun 2016 | 8:24 amBrexit vs. China hard landing vs. the catastrophic policies advocated by Donald J. Trump.
McMansions are back (or never really went away)4 Jun 2016 | 10:45 amAmericans' waistlines aren't the only things expanding. The median size of newly-built single-family homes reached nearly 2,500 square feet in 2015, its highest level on record.
Wondering whether today's college students have become too fragile? Read this document.13 May 2016 | 5:06 pmA sample of the "bias" incidents students at the University of Oregon thought worthy of redress or punishment from school administrators.
The GOP's 'embarrassment of riches' of presidential contenders, down to just one rich embarrassment11 May 2016 | 10:21 amReading my colleagues' accounts of all the ways that Republican politicians are waffling on their new party leader has made me nostalgic for the time when pundits still touted the right's "deep bench" for 2016.
Recruiting Insider
Friendship Collegiate slot receiver Nykeim Johnson chooses Syracuse football24 Jun 2016 | 2:11 pmFor Friendship Collegiate's Nykeim Johnson, plays start differently but develop the same way. He gets his hands on the ball, finds a lane and blows by the pursuit. "He's a special talent. You want to do the best you can to get him the ball and get him in space to let his true talents […]
A fond farewell and thanks from AllMetSports reporter Brandon Parker24 Jun 2016 | 8:47 amWriting for The Washington Post — the same newspaper I grew up reading as a wide-eyed kid in Northern Virginia — had always been more of a dream than a goal for me. After all, these were the same pages graced by the bylines of Michael Wilbon, Tony Kornheiser, David Aldridge, Rachel Nichols and many others […]
NBA draft: Houston Rockets select former Riverdale Baptist, Louisville center Chinanu Onuaku in second round24 Jun 2016 | 6:19 amLouisville center Chinanu Onuaku, a former All-Met at Riverdale Baptist, was selected with the No. 37 overall pick by the Houston Rockets in the second round of Thursday's NBA draft. The Rockets will likely look to the 6-foot-10 center to help fill the void left in the paint by All-Star Dwight Howard, who will become […]
Louisville center, Riverdale Baptist alumnus Chinanu Onuaku is an old school NBA draft prospect22 Jun 2016 | 8:16 amBasketball players like Chinanu Onuaku are rare in these days of small ball. The former Riverdale Baptist and Louisville center is a throwback in almost every sense of the word — a 6-foot-10 big man who is satisfied with rebounding, blocking shots and running the floor while shooting his free throws under-handed. And that is […]
IDEA late bloomer Kierell Green signs basketball scholarship with Niagara21 Jun 2016 | 7:02 amWhen IDEA boys' basketball Coach James Pope convinced senior Kierell Green to play organized basketball for the first time two years ago, Green's motivation was pretty simple. He was a 6-foot-6 junior who couldn't yet dunk. He accomplished that goal before even playing a game for the Timberwolves, slamming home a basket during the team's […]
Reliable Source
Former 'Bachelor' turned Colorado politician?27 Jun 2016 | 8:53 amFormer "Bachelor" star Ben Higgins found love on the ABC reality show — and his next made-for-TV conquest might be even more of a challenge. The software salesman is mulling a run for a seat in the Colorado legislature, which would be documented in a new "Bachelor" franchise spin-off show announced last week, optimistically titled "Ben And Lauren: Happily Ever […]
All those emails about 'Hamilton' clogging up your inbox? They're from the Clinton campaign.27 Jun 2016 | 8:49 amThe initial announcement was pretty exciting. And so was the second missive sent straight from the rich mahogany desk of President Obama. But by the third — okay, sixth — email touting the Clinton campaign's very special "Hamilton" fundraiser, the once-in-a-lifetime experience started to smell a lot like spam. On Friday, Clinton's presidential campaign announced a fundraiser starring the July 12 matinee of the Broadway musical […]
Plenty of political heckling at this year's Congressional Baseball game24 Jun 2016 | 8:20 amIt was a tough day for House Democrats on and off the field. Just hours after House Republicans prevented a vote on gun-control legislation following a hours-long sit-in by their colleagues across the aisle, the GOP scored another "w" after it won the 55th annual Congressional Baseball Game 8-7 off a game-winning hit in the […]
The funniest, most outrageous moments from last night's roast of James Carville24 Jun 2016 | 5:21 amProminent political adviser James Carville might have been the intended target of a roast on Thursday night, but no one was spared from barbs — not the VIP roasters onstage at the Kennedy Center concert hall, not Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, not even black people or Muslims. Comedian Bob Saget hosted, and roasters included conservative political consultant […]
Morgan Freeman visits Capitol Hill to promote shark-fin bill23 Jun 2016 | 8:29 amJust in time for Shark Week, the marine creatures got a powerful advocate in actor Morgan Freeman, who came to Capitol Hill on Thursday to support bipartisan legislation banning the sale of shark fins. What's the "Invictus" star's connection to the issue? Well, he happens to really dig sharks, okay? And he's got a track record […]
Right Turn
Candidates for an irresponsible federal budget27 Jun 2016 | 10:45 amMaya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, appeared on Face the Nation on Sunday to preview her group's report. Essentially she warns neither candidate is serious about the debt, but Donald Trump is a whole lot worse. He would add a total of $20T more in debt over the next ten years: […]
Score one for pro-Israel Democrats27 Jun 2016 | 9:45 amHillary Clinton is not President Obama when it comes to foreign policy, her defenders argue. She does not travel around the globe bemoaning America's past sins. She derides the notion — held by both Donald Trump and Obama — that we are burdened by "free riders," namely allies. She speaks forthrightly about America's leadership in […]
Supreme Court news: Social conservatives and Trump lose, so does DOJ27 Jun 2016 | 8:51 amTwo Supreme Court decisions handed down today, for vastly different reasons, are a powerful blow against the argument that Donald Trump must be elected so he can appoint the next Supreme Court justice. Furthermore, in a unanimous ruling the court sided with former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell in vacating his bribery conviction, dealing a stinging blow […]
What Trump's awful poll numbers tell us about the general election27 Jun 2016 | 8:30 amA Post-ABC News poll has Donald Trump losing by 12 points. Trump was up 2 points in May's poll. An NBC-Wall Street Journal poll has him trailing by 5 points, down from 3 points in the previous survey taken in May. Overall, Hillary Clinton's RealClearPolitics average lead over Trump is 6.7 points. It is not hard to see why […]
The GOP is tied up in knots over Trump27 Jun 2016 | 7:15 amFor Republicans, the Sunday shows are becoming one giant pileup on the interstate. You don't want to look, afraid of what you might see. But the sheer awfulness attracts one's curiosity. Donald Trump started the pileup, but Republicans by and large are doing little defensive driving. Instead, they're careering through the guard rail, multiplying the political […]
Soccer Insider
Is Lionel Messi really retiring from the Argentine national team?26 Jun 2016 | 10:56 pmEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Consumed by frustration, anger and emotion, soccer superstar Lionel Messi suggested Sunday that he would retire from the Argentine national team. After losing to Chile in the Copa America Centenario final at MetLife Stadium, the third consecutive summer Argentina has fallen one game short of a major championship, the greatest player […]
Euro 2016: Italy must deal with its demons in Monday match against Spain26 Jun 2016 | 7:14 pmItaly pulled off a convincing upset of Belgium, sucked the life out of Sweden and silenced its skeptics by topping Group E. Now here's its prize: two-time defending European champion Spain. The two Mediterranean powers are set to clash at the Stade de France on Monday (noon Eastern, ESPN2) in what sets up as the most intriguing matchup in […]
D.C. United wins at home, Washington Spirit loses at home25 Jun 2016 | 8:23 pmDillon Mullan's match report from RFK Stadium, where D.C. United defeated the New England Revolution, 2-0. United's record: 5-6-5, 20 points. Lineup: Hamid; Franklin, Robinson, Opare, Kemp; DeLeon, Sarvas, Acosta (Jeffrey 73rd); Neagle (Vincent 84th), Saborio (Kamara 82nd), Espindola. Attendance: 16,051. Next: at Real Salt Lake on Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET (UniMas). Video: Ava Wallace's […]
Lionel Messi and Argentina seek long-sought trophy in Copa America final25 Jun 2016 | 9:42 amEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – In the summer of 1993, a boy from the Argentine city of Rosario began to take soccer seriously. Well, as seriously as a 6-year-old could take anything. He had joined Newell's Old Boys, a club with 90 years of tradition. He was small for his age, still years from being diagnosed […]
Copa America third-place game: Tim Howard returns for United States-Colombia25 Jun 2016 | 6:00 amUnited States vs. Colombia in Glendale, Ariz., 8 p.m. (FX, Univision) The United States men's national team will end the Copa America Centenario the way it started: with a game against Colombia. But it will hope not to end exactly the way it started: with a loss against Colombia. One change is guaranteed: Tim Howard, the […]
I get my best relationship advice from my ex-boyfriend27 Jun 2016 | 9:00 amI used to believe exes could not be friends. Friendly? Sure. Friends where you hang out and keep each other apprised of what's happening in your life? No way. I didn't believe it was possible. Perhaps that's because I've had my share of breakup trauma, and I believed that an ex didn't deserve my friendship. At the core […]
Will I have a husband or a wife? I'm not sure.27 Jun 2016 | 4:00 amI was in a six-year relationship with an incredible man that ended a year and a half ago. We had been together for most of my adult life, so when we broke up, I had yet to experience dating as a grown-up. I wasn't ready to jump into a new relationship, but my foray into […]
Dating as a single mom was awful. Then Tinder gave me options I never expected.24 Jun 2016 | 4:00 am"You know, you should really try dating more than one person," Andrew said as he drove me home. We'd just had pizza at his place and sort of watched a movie while making out on the couch. Our third date. "Is that what you plan to do?" I said. "Date us both?" Andrew had been […]
Six months without sex. Six more to go.22 Jun 2016 | 9:00 amSix months ago, I decided to abstain from sex for a year. During my first months of celibacy, I resisted temptation by signing off dating apps and staying in on Saturday nights. But I soon found myself missing the stream of messages and texts blowing up my phone. Even if those conversations never amounted to substantive relationships, […]
7 dating rules that also apply to your housing search22 Jun 2016 | 4:00 amThe search for a perfect living situation is similar to the search for a mate. Emotions and delusions run high when people are looking for companionship, sex, affirmation or someone to split the cable bill. Then factor in the Internet, with its toxic mix of seemingly endless options plus relative anonymity. Whether they're looking for a roommate on […]
Speaking of Science
See the best images of Jupiter yet, just in time for NASA's Juno probe27 Jun 2016 | 9:09 amThe NASA probe is just a week away from Jupiter. This is what it will find.
Dear Science: Why aren't apes evolving into humans?27 Jun 2016 | 8:00 amWe hate to be the ones to break it to you, but you are an ape.
Meet the keepers of the Jurassic dead27 Jun 2016 | 5:00 amBracing himself against the Jurassic sandstone, high above the floor of Dinosaur National Monument's bone-packed quarry wall, paleontologist Dan Chure recalls some of the original plans for the ancient graveyard. In the initial phases of planning the living museum — when no one was certain how many bones might be uncovered in the tilted rock […]
Food grown in fake Mars soil probably won't kill you24 Jun 2016 | 11:40 amBut we still don't know if they taste any good.
Scientists solve the mystery of where feathers, fur and scales come from24 Jun 2016 | 11:10 amA fundamental shift 320 million years ago led to the diverse skin appendages we see today.
Terrapins Insider
Rasheed Sulaimon will join Chicago Bulls' summer league team24 Jun 2016 | 1:11 pmFormer Maryland guard Rasheed Sulaimon has agreed to join the Chicago Bulls' summer league team, according to a report from Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops. Sulaimon was not selected in Thursday's NBA draft, but he'll now have a chance to make an NBA roster alongside former Maryland star Dez Wells, who will also compete on Chicago's summer […]
Robert Carter Jr. joins Golden State Warriors as undrafted free agent24 Jun 2016 | 7:31 amAfter not being selected in Thursday night's NBA draft, former Maryland forward Robert Carter Jr. is headed to Golden State. Carter, who confirmed the free-agent signing via text message, wasn't among the 60 players selected in the draft's two rounds. Maryland had two former players selected in the second round on Thursday, with center Diamond Stone […]
Maryland's Jake Layman selected in second round of NBA draft, headed to the Portland Trail Blazers23 Jun 2016 | 9:03 pmOn the perhaps the most significant day of his life, Jake Layman rose out of bed and decided to go golfing with three of his friends at a course outside of Boston. It was a built-in stress reliever from the countdown of the NBA draft, which has essentially been ticking since he was a boy. […]
Diamond Stone selected 40th overall in the NBA draft, dealt to Clippers23 Jun 2016 | 8:51 pmDiamond Stone has never believed himself to be an emotional person, but his composure was put to the full test during Thursday night's NBA draft. The former Maryland center was surrounded by family and friends in College Park as he watched pick after pick unfold. As the first round came and went, Stone was left […]
Maryland pursuing Alabama graduate transfer Maurice Smith23 Jun 2016 | 1:34 pmMaryland is pursuing former Alabama defensive back Maurice Smith as a graduate transfer, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed Thursday afternoon. Smith, a former four-star recruit who had established himself as a solid contributor for the Crimson Tide's defense over the past three years, would be a major late addition for the Terrapins […]
The Intersect
How online bots conned Brexit voters27 Jun 2016 | 12:07 pmHundreds of thousands of Twitter accounts tweeted about the #Brexit in the lead-up to last week's historic vote. In its aftermath, millions of people signed a government petition claiming they wanted a do over. Both of those "groundswells" were taken as important signals of what British voters actually felt and thought. And both were also, […]
Twitter wants you to use Snapchat-like stickers as visual hashtags27 Jun 2016 | 10:12 amTwitter will have stickers soon, just like Snapchat, so that you can add cute little symbolic expressions of your feelings to your photos. The stickers will be searchable, like a "visual spin on the hashtag," Twitter explained in its announcement. The stickers, Twitter's announcement emphasizes, are primarily supposed to be fun — the sample illustration […]
The terrible way a father learned that his son had been killed24 Jun 2016 | 3:45 amMan learned of son's murder by viral photo on #Facebook @TarynAsherFox2 https://t.co/IPnUtLyplD pic.twitter.com/wYCvDSnxMS — FOX 2 Detroit (@FOX2News) June 22, 2016 It had been only hours since Jeff Davis had seen his son. The two spent Father's Day together, celebrating until early the next morning, when Davis's son, Jeffery Hagler, decided to head out and drive toward Detroit's east side, Davis told Fox […]
How the creators of YouTube's first viral phenomenon plan to revolutionize the Internet (again)23 Jun 2016 | 4:00 amThe instant a new video appeared on the YouTube channel lonelygirl15, rumors began to ricochet around the Internet. The channel, dormant for seven years, had been the breakout phenomenon of early YouTube and a cult obsession ever since: a web series that not only defined the genre, but convinced millions of people it was actually […]
Rape threats on a stranger's Facebook photo could land a man in prison. Why that's a big deal.22 Jun 2016 | 3:30 am'That #Tinder girl': Olivia Melville speaks out about online #harassment https://t.co/0YxSFdh7Wd pic.twitter.com/QV9tpafLnL — ABC News (@abcnews) June 18, 2016 Last year, Olivia Melville discovered someone had taken a screenshot of her Tinder profile and posted it to Facebook with the caption, "stay classy, ladies." The image — which included her name, photo and a Drake lyric […]
The Watch
In Alabama death penalty cases, judges' opinions are routinely written by prosecutors23 Jun 2016 | 10:25 amWe have long been assured that state governments treat the death penalty with the utmost reverence and solemnity. There are lots of checks and balances to prevent the execution of innocent people. Prosecutors are extra careful to dot every "i" and cross every "t." Judges provide extra scrutiny. Appeals courts carefully review jury decisions. Defendants […]
Morning links: DOJ drops 'drug trafficking' case against FedEx22 Jun 2016 | 9:05 amThe Justice Department dumps dumb "drug trafficking" charges against FedEx. This trend in which the government demands private companies carry out law enforcement operations — sometimes under threat of criminal sanctions — is getting more and more disturbing. Supreme Court delivers another critical blow to the Fourth Amendment. And J Sonia Sotomayor (read her dissent) […]
Guest post: The 'low-hanging fruit' of police reform20 Jun 2016 | 9:26 amA little more than a year ago, my colleagues and I started the StreetCred Police Killings In Context data project. There were already several projects tracking police shootings, including Fatal Encounters, and new projects at The Washington Post and the Guardian. But we felt that they left out crucial context. Why did the police become involved in these […]
Afternoon links: House tries to override Obama restrictions on military giveaways to police departments16 Jun 2016 | 12:51 pmHouse votes to block Obama's plan to limit the transfer of military equipment from the Pentagon to domestic police agencies. Happy 50th birthday, Miranda. You have the right to eat cake. Judge rules that Pennsylvania prosecutor's misconduct is so egregious that to retry defendants would violate double jeopardy clause. Donald Trump wants America to become a […]
The Orlando shooting was not a vindication of police militarization14 Jun 2016 | 12:15 pmIn the few days since the horrific mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, a number of pundits and law enforcement officials have cited the incident and the ensuing police response as vindication for the idea that we need to further militarize the United States' police forces. Or more to the point, they're citing Orlando as proof that […]
To Your Health
Your perfectionist parenting style may be detrimental to your child27 Jun 2016 | 10:24 amEven if you were horrified at the idea of hovering over your child as Amy Chua did in her polarizing 2011 bestseller "The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," I'm betting there was a part of you that looked at her perfect children with at least a tinge of envy. As portrayed in the book, Chua's magic formula of no playdates, […]
Supreme Court rules against Texas and for science in abortion case27 Jun 2016 | 7:06 amFew issues have left Americans as deeply splintered as abortion. The debate encompasses countless philosophical, religious and legal questions about when life begins, the rights of an unborn fetus and the legal authority of a woman to choose what to do with her body. But in the Texas legislature in 2011, when measures were enacted that imposed new regulations on where, […]
New data shows blood lead levels spiked in children in Flint, Mich.24 Jun 2016 | 8:34 amThe ill-fated decision two years ago to switch drinking-water sources in Flint, Mich., resulted in a sudden spike in the number of young children with elevated blood lead levels, according to data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public health officials have long known that the city's water crisis left nearly 9,000 children […]
'Brain-eating amoeba' blamed in teen's death following church trip24 Jun 2016 | 8:13 amLauren Seitz, who died of brain-eating amoeba after visiting Whitewater Center, graduated H.S. less than a month ago pic.twitter.com/vZplDF6wyI — Liz Foster (@lizfosterWSOC9) June 22, 2016 It's referred to as the "brain-eating amoeba." Naegleria fowleri resides in warm freshwater, hot springs and poorly maintained swimming pools. When the single-celled organism enters a person's body through the […]
You have one week to tell the government what to do about cancer24 Jun 2016 | 7:00 amHave an idea about how to make progress against cancer? The federal government wants to know, but the suggestion box closes next Friday. For months, the National Cancer Institute has been gathering research ideas from the public and experts around the country via a special portal, CancerResearchIdeas.cancer.gov. The suggestions are being funneled to seven working […]
Tom Toles
Sketchpad: Brexit seemed like a good idea at the time27 Jun 2016 | 9:23 amNo one had tried it before.
What's a global elite supposed to do now, anyway?27 Jun 2016 | 6:58 amRead some history.
Donald Trump goes on a world golfing swing26 Jun 2016 | 11:04 pmProfessional oddball tour.
If Paul Ryan sounds like a quack, duck25 Jun 2016 | 10:02 pmHis health care plan may cost you an arm and a leg.
Oops. The globalization project forgot to consult the little people sooner24 Jun 2016 | 6:56 amAnd now we pay the tarriff on that mistake
The Volokh Conspiracy
Unanimous Supreme Court throws out former Governor Bob McDonnell's conviction27 Jun 2016 | 10:34 amFormer Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) In the final opinion of the term, the Supreme Court threw out the corruption conviction of former Virginia governor Robert McDonnell. According to the Court, in an opinion by Chief Justice Roberts, the trial court had adopted an overly expansive interpretation of the relevant statutory provisions, and the definition of what constitutes an "official act," in particular. Given the Chief Justice's clear preference for broad agreement on the Court, it's perhaps fitting that he authored the final opinion for the term for a unanimous court. U.C. Irvine's Rick Hasen offers some early analysis of the opinion on the Election Law Blog. He writes: The...
Byzantine art and history27 Jun 2016 | 9:36 amCongratulations to my dear friend Sharon Gerstel, an art history professor at University of California at Los Angeles, on her Runciman Award, which she just got for her book, "Rural Lives and Landscapes in Late Byzantium." The Runciman Award is given each year by the Anglo-Hellenic league for an English-language book dealing with Greek history and culture. Here's something about the book from the chair of the judging panel, Prof. Tom Harrison (paragraph break added): The product of over twenty years of painstaking fieldwork in Greece, Sharon Gerstel's Rural Lives and Landscapes in Late Byzantium seeks to reconstruct the lives of the rural poor in Greece from a wide range of sources: from the material...
When Justices Thomas and Sotomayor dissent together27 Jun 2016 | 9:01 amVoisine v. United States was among the final three decisions handed down this morning by the Supreme Court. In Voisine, the court concluded 6-2 that a reckless domestic assault qualifies as a "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" under §922(g)(9), which prohibits firearm possession by those convicted of violent crimes. The most interesting thing about Voisine is the lineup. Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the court, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Samuel Alito. Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, joined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor (save for the last part of Thomas's opinion which concerned the Second Amendment). Thomas's...
Star Wars, science fiction and the Constitution – my review of Cass Sunstein's "The World According to Star Wars"27 Jun 2016 | 8:42 amThe Jotwell website recently posted my review of Cass Sunstein's fascinating new book The World According to Star Wars. It focuses on Sunstein's analysis of the portrayal of constitutional and political issues in the Star Wars universe. Here is an excerpt: Cass Sunstein is one of America's leading legal scholars. Both his work generally and his book about Star Wars specifically have attracted enormous attention from both academics and the general public. But one theme of his new book, The World According to Star Wars, highlights an area that is often neglected: the depiction of constitutional issues in science fiction and fantasy. Both legal scholars and other commentators on law and public policy would...
N.Y. Senate passes bill banning funding for university student groups that "encourage" "hate speech"27 Jun 2016 | 8:31 amEarlier this month, the New York Senate passed a bill (S8017), co-sponsored by state senators Jack Martins and Todd Kaminsky, that would require New York public college and universities to adopt rules that any student group … that receives funding from the [university] that directly or indirectly promotes, encourages, or permits discrimination, intolerance, hate speech or boycotts against a person or group based on race, class, gender, nationality, ethnic origin or religion, shall be ineligible for funding, including funding from student activity fee proceeds…. "Boycott" shall mean to engage in any activity, or to promote or encourage others to engage in any activity, that will result in any person...
Where We Live
Why home sellers should think twice about some provisions in their contract with their listing agent27 Jun 2016 | 6:00 amI contacted a Realtor to sell my home and was asked to sign a listing agreement that contains this language: "Seller shall indemnify and hold harmless Broker, Brokers agents, Cooperating Brokers and their agents and service providers from any and all liability for any reason as result of injury to person(s) or damage or loss […]
Selling a home can be tricky after a spouse dies. Here's how to do it.27 Jun 2016 | 4:30 amMy husband and I purchased a home. He passed away some years ago. If I sell the property, would I receive the $500,000 deduction for a jointly owned property or not? If not, why not? You are referring to a provision in the IRS tax code that allows home sellers with profits on the sale […]
Two-bedroom, end-unit townhouse in Alexandria, Va., lists for $375,00027 Jun 2016 | 2:30 amSwapping a condo for a single-family dwelling and opting to be near a bus stop rather than directly adjacent to a Metro station can increase your chances of finding a home in your price range. With the median home price in the region at $430,000 in May, according to Rockville-based ShowingTime RealEstate Business Intelligence, finding […]
D.C. open houses June 25-2624 Jun 2016 | 5:00 amHere's a list of open houses taking place June 25-26 in the District. We've divided the list by quadrants. To learn more about the properties for sale, click on the link underneath the address, which will take you to the listing. As always, feel free to search a listing of properties for sale in the Washington […]
Maryland open houses June 25-2624 Jun 2016 | 4:55 amHere's a list of open houses taking place June 25-26 in Maryland. We've divided the list by counties. To learn more about the properties for sale, click on the link underneath the address, which will take you to the listing. As always, feel free to search a listing of properties for sale in the Washington […]
Wizards Insider
Kevin Durant did Wizards a favor. Now they can focus on these NBA free agents.27 Jun 2016 | 10:52 amThe Washington Wizards have waited a long time for this summer and the chance to chase Kevin Durant. It's a chance they won't appear to be getting, as league sources have indicated the former Montrose Christian star hasn't granted his hometown team a meeting once free agency begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday, and it seems […]
Wizards fired head trainer Eric Waters following injury-plagued season27 Jun 2016 | 9:46 amThe Washington Wizards have dismissed head trainer Eric Waters, according to a league source, following a season in which ailments plagued the majority of the roster, most notably the starting back court of John Wall and Bradley Beal. The unannounced move came several weeks ago, the source indicated. Waters had one year remaining on his […]
Bradley Beal withdraws from consideration for Rio Olympics24 Jun 2016 | 1:23 pmWashington Wizards guard Bradley Beal has withdrawn from consideration for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, indicating via Twitter that he plans to use the time to focus on getting healthy for the regular season. Beal played a career-low 55 games this past season while dealing with a stress injury to his right fibula. Wizards officials […]
Wizards sign four undrafted free agents after sitting out NBA draft24 Jun 2016 | 7:16 amThe Washington Wizards signed four undrafted free agents shortly after the conclusion of Thursday's NBA draft in which the team did not make a selection on draft night for the first time in franchise history. The Wizards, according to people familiar with the situation, added center Daniel Ochefu from national champion Villanova; Miami guard Sheldon […]
After trading away picks, Wizards remain quiet on draft night23 Jun 2016 | 10:05 pmThousands of fans filled Verizon Center on Thursday night during the NBA draft, but they weren't in the building for a Washington Wizards draft party. The applause coming from the event level was for a concert featuring Sting and Peter Gabriel. Several floors upstairs, meanwhile, in the offices of Monumental Sports and Entertainment, there was […]
Trump economic plan is the best and everybody should love it, Trump adviser says27 Jun 2016 | 11:13 am(Andrew Milligan / PA via AP) An independent analysis that predicts Donald Trump's economic policies would plunge the United States into a deep recession is a "hit piece" that "lacks credibility," from a lead author who "appears to be pursuing a political agenda on behalf of the Democratic Party," an economic adviser to the Trump campaign declares in a brief report set to be unveiled on Monday. The report offers no new projections or modeling of the effects of Trump's proposals. It simply attacks the previous analysis, published earlier this month by a team of researchers at Moody's Analytics. It in particular targets the lead author of that analysis, Mark Zandi, who donated $2,700 last year to the...
The real reason why Americans love bacon for breakfast27 Jun 2016 | 9:29 amThere's a secret history of bacon that almost nobody knows. As we tell in this new video, it involves Sigmund Freud, 4,500 doctors and a man who has been linked to the overthrow of a democratically elected president. Bacon always had a place on the breakfast table when the majority of Americans lived in rural communities. But after the Industrial Revolution, and during the Progressive Era of the early 1900s, bacon fell out of favor as people turned to newly created packaged cereals and simple breakfasts of coffee, cereal or toast and juice. Enter Edward Bernays, widely regarded as the father of public relations. Bernays was hired by the Beech-Nut Packing company (of baby food fame) to sell bacon in the...
Ginsburg smacks down a major abortion myth after historic SCOTUS ruling27 Jun 2016 | 9:08 amOn Monday, the Supreme Court struck down a set of Texas restrictions that shuttered half the state's abortion providers, and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg used her concurring opinion to blast a key argument for the state's tighter regulations — that terminating a pregnancy in a clinic is dangerous. She alluded to cases similar to former physician Kermit Gosnell, a criminal named 10 times in Monday's court opinions. The Philadelphia physician was convicted of first-degree murder five years ago for killing three infants who were born alive during attempted abortions. He was also found guilty for the wrongful death of a patient. Texas attorneys had pointed to Gosnell in their oral arguments...
Why Japan will pay a big price for Britain's vote to leave the E.U.27 Jun 2016 | 8:28 amBritain's decision to leave the European Union has sent stock markets and currencies across the globe somersaulting. But the changes are particularly pronounced and worrying in Japan, where Brexit has caused the yen to strengthen more than any other major currency and where the Nikkei 225 last Friday plunged more than any index outside of Europe, its worst drop in five years. In the 24 hours after Brexit, Japan lost nearly the same amount of wealth as after the 2011 nuclear meltdown that threatened to leave a wide part of the country uninhabitable. (The Nikkei bounced back a little Monday, rising 2.39 percent.) Last week's British referendum vote created a surge of global uncertainty not seen since...
This is the scariest thing that's happening right now in the markets27 Jun 2016 | 7:41 amAlessandro Della Bella/Keystone via AP One of the biggest immediate casualties of Britain's decision to leave the European Union appears to be the banking sector. Stocks of the world's biggest banks, especially those headquartered in Britain and elsewhere in Europe, are on track for the largest two-day fall in their history. U.S.-listed shares of Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse both plummeted to never-before-seen lows on Monday. London-listed shares of Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland had both fallen roughly 15 percent as of 3 p.m. British Standard Time, after the London Stock Exchange temporarily suspended trading for both stocks because of sharp losses Monday morning. In Hong Kong, shares of...