An Interior Department official misused his position to get his son-in-law hired at the Environmental Protection Agency, according to a government investigation released Friday.Interior Department Assistant Secretary Douglas Domenech approached a top EPA official when they both attended a concert at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in fall 2017, according to by the department’s inspector general. “Please be aware [the family member] is actually applying for a job at EPA,” Domenech said, according to the investigation. In an interview with investigators, Domenech described the...…An Interior Department official misused his position to get his son-in-law hired at the Environmental Protection Agency, according to a government investigation released Friday.Interior Department Assistant Secretary Douglas Domenech approached a top EPA official when they both attended a concert at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in fall 2017, according to by the department’s inspector general. “Please be aware [the family member] is actually applying for a job at EPA,” Domenech said, according to the investigation. In an interview with investigators, Domenech described the...WW…

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Pentagon takes rare step of putting military police on alert to go to embattled Minneapolis.Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Receive the most important pandemic developments in your inbox every day. All stories linked in the newsletter are free to access.By signing up you agree to our and Receive the most important pandemic developments in your inbox every day. All stories linked in the newsletter are free to access.By signing up you agree to our and…DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Pentagon takes rare step of putting military police on alert to go to embattled Minneapolis.Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Receive the most important pandemic developments in your inbox every day. All stories linked in the newsletter are free to access.By signing up you agree to our and Receive the most important pandemic developments in your inbox every day. All stories linked in the newsletter are free to access.By signing up you agree to our andWW…

Stephanie Damassa lives in Ward 4.The novel has changed the nature of transportation in the District, and choices made now may reshape mobility in our city permanently. Unless the District prioritizes safe alternatives, it may become even more car-centric than before.The past two months have shown that the way people move around can change dramatically in a short time. by 95 percent on Metrorail and by more than 70 percent on Metrobus as teleworking for nonessential employees and distance learning for students have become the norm.As much as we yearn for a return to normal, a . Meanwhile,...…Stephanie Damassa lives in Ward 4.The novel has changed the nature of transportation in the District, and choices made now may reshape mobility in our city permanently. Unless the District prioritizes safe alternatives, it may become even more car-centric than before.The past two months have shown that the way people move around can change dramatically in a short time. by 95 percent on Metrorail and by more than 70 percent on Metrobus as teleworking for nonessential employees and distance learning for students have become the norm.As much as we yearn for a return to normal, a . Meanwhile,...WW…

Add to list On my list When a lone terrorist slaughtered 38 tourists at a Tunisian resort on June 26, the Islamic State turned to one of America’s leading social-media companies to claim responsibility and warn of more attacks on the world’s nonbelievers. “It was a painful strike and a message stained with blood,” the Islamic State announced on Twitter following the massacre in Sousse , a popular destination for Europeans on the Mediterranean. “Let them wait for the glad tidings of what will harm them in the coming days, Allah permitting.” Part of the series Confronting the ‘Caliphate’ See...…Add to list On my list When a lone terrorist slaughtered 38 tourists at a Tunisian resort on June 26, the Islamic State turned to one of America’s leading social-media companies to claim responsibility and warn of more attacks on the world’s nonbelievers. “It was a painful strike and a message stained with blood,” the Islamic State announced on Twitter following the massacre in Sousse , a popular destination for Europeans on the Mediterranean. “Let them wait for the glad tidings of what will harm them in the coming days, Allah permitting.” Part of the series Confronting the ‘Caliphate’ See...WW…

Every Fourth of July when I was a boy, the sponsored a carnival at our local park, followed by a concert from the town’s volunteer band and a fireworks show. The water-balloon toss and the cotton candy machine were delightful, I suppose, but the attraction that galvanized every boy at the fair was the chance to lay down two bucks for the chance to swing a sledgehammer at an old car.This was big money in those days. An hour and a half mowing and trimming a neighbor’s lawn would buy only two swings (plus a hot dog). The younger boys could barely lift the hammer. But there was always a line....…Every Fourth of July when I was a boy, the sponsored a carnival at our local park, followed by a concert from the town’s volunteer band and a fireworks show. The water-balloon toss and the cotton candy machine were delightful, I suppose, but the attraction that galvanized every boy at the fair was the chance to lay down two bucks for the chance to swing a sledgehammer at an old car.This was big money in those days. An hour and a half mowing and trimming a neighbor’s lawn would buy only two swings (plus a hot dog). The younger boys could barely lift the hammer. But there was always a line....WW…

The four children showed up at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital in late April and early May, almost exactly one month after the peak of New York City’s surge. All had fevers, rashes and strange blood readings that did not look like any illness doctors had seen before. And yet, the cases looked remarkably similar to one another., ages 13, 12, 10, and 5, published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, provides the first detailed look at the rapid progression of a mysterious syndrome linked to covid-19 that has alarmed public health officials.The Centers for Disease Control...…The four children showed up at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital in late April and early May, almost exactly one month after the peak of New York City’s surge. All had fevers, rashes and strange blood readings that did not look like any illness doctors had seen before. And yet, the cases looked remarkably similar to one another., ages 13, 12, 10, and 5, published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, provides the first detailed look at the rapid progression of a mysterious syndrome linked to covid-19 that has alarmed public health officials.The Centers for Disease Control...WW…

Turbulent and in some cases violent protests erupted around the country Thursday night over the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers. Demonstrators damaged buildings, blocked traffic and demanded justice for Floyd and other victims of police violence.At the center of the fury was Minneapolis, , set fire to the building and launched fireworks toward police, forcing all officers to evacuate the precinct. The unrest multiplied from Phoenix to Columbus, Ohio, as hundreds of people converged in city centers and descended on state capitol buildings in the face...…Turbulent and in some cases violent protests erupted around the country Thursday night over the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers. Demonstrators damaged buildings, blocked traffic and demanded justice for Floyd and other victims of police violence.At the center of the fury was Minneapolis, , set fire to the building and launched fireworks toward police, forcing all officers to evacuate the precinct. The unrest multiplied from Phoenix to Columbus, Ohio, as hundreds of people converged in city centers and descended on state capitol buildings in the face...WW…

President Trump took to Twitter early Friday to condemn Minneapolis demonstrators as “THUGS,” threaten military intervention and predict local looting could lead to “shooting,” prompting the social-media company to take the unprecedented step of limiting the public’s ability to view and share his tweet.The label Twitter appended -- which the company also added later to a tweet from the White House -- marks the second time in a week the tech giant has taken action in response to Trump’s controversial remarks. Trump and his allies again decried the move as censorship, promising to regulate...…President Trump took to Twitter early Friday to condemn Minneapolis demonstrators as “THUGS,” threaten military intervention and predict local looting could lead to “shooting,” prompting the social-media company to take the unprecedented step of limiting the public’s ability to view and share his tweet.The label Twitter appended -- which the company also added later to a tweet from the White House -- marks the second time in a week the tech giant has taken action in response to Trump’s controversial remarks. Trump and his allies again decried the move as censorship, promising to regulate...WW…

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) on Thursday urged federal judges who are in their mid-to-late 60s to step aside so that Republicans, increasingly nervous about holding the Senate majority in the November election as they eye President Trump’s poll numbers, can fill the vacancies now.Graham made the comments with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.“This is an historic opportunity,” Graham said. “We’ve put over 200 federal judges on the bench. . . . If you can get four more years, I mean, it would change the judiciary for several generations. So if you’re a...…Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) on Thursday urged federal judges who are in their mid-to-late 60s to step aside so that Republicans, increasingly nervous about holding the Senate majority in the November election as they eye President Trump’s poll numbers, can fill the vacancies now.Graham made the comments with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.“This is an historic opportunity,” Graham said. “We’ve put over 200 federal judges on the bench. . . . If you can get four more years, I mean, it would change the judiciary for several generations. So if you’re a...WW…

President Trump on Thursday signed that could open the door for the U.S. government to assume oversight of political speech on the Internet, a broadside against Silicon Valley that a wide array of critics derided as a threat to free speech.The new directive seeks to change a federal law that has spared tech companies from being sued or held liable for most posts, photos and videos shared by users on their sites. Tech giants herald these protections, known as , as the bedrock of the Internet. But Trump repeatedly has argued they allow Facebook, Google and Twitter to censor conservatives with...…President Trump on Thursday signed that could open the door for the U.S. government to assume oversight of political speech on the Internet, a broadside against Silicon Valley that a wide array of critics derided as a threat to free speech.The new directive seeks to change a federal law that has spared tech companies from being sued or held liable for most posts, photos and videos shared by users on their sites. Tech giants herald these protections, known as , as the bedrock of the Internet. But Trump repeatedly has argued they allow Facebook, Google and Twitter to censor conservatives with...WW…

always, promises President Trump. Unless of course it comes to his political enemies.Furious that Twitter deigned to fact-check him, Trump has threatened “” against the company, including through an signed Thursday. He accused social media platforms of silencing conservatives and to “strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen.”Constitutional scholars that shuttering a private firm for producing speech the president dislikes would violate the First Amendment. Notably, it also contradicts a core plank of his economic agenda: reducing burdensome government...…always, promises President Trump. Unless of course it comes to his political enemies.Furious that Twitter deigned to fact-check him, Trump has threatened “” against the company, including through an signed Thursday. He accused social media platforms of silencing conservatives and to “strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen.”Constitutional scholars that shuttering a private firm for producing speech the president dislikes would violate the First Amendment. Notably, it also contradicts a core plank of his economic agenda: reducing burdensome government...WW…

The Trump administration mishandled the initial distribution of the only approved medication, delaying treatment to some critically ill patients with covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, according to nine current and former senior administration officials. remdesivir, was distributed in early May — in some cases to the wrong hospitals, to hospitals with no intensive care units and therefore no eligible patients, and to facilities without the needed refrigeration to store it, meaning some had to be returned to the government, said the officials familiar with the distribution...…The Trump administration mishandled the initial distribution of the only approved medication, delaying treatment to some critically ill patients with covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, according to nine current and former senior administration officials. remdesivir, was distributed in early May — in some cases to the wrong hospitals, to hospitals with no intensive care units and therefore no eligible patients, and to facilities without the needed refrigeration to store it, meaning some had to be returned to the government, said the officials familiar with the distribution...WW…

Ask any conservative what kind of judges they like, and they’ll say they want “originalists” and “strict constructionists,” meaning they are guided by the intent of the Framers and the text of the Constitution. They’ll also insist that judges should “apply the law, not make the law,” i.e., that they shouldn’t impose their values to achieve desired outcomes.These are lies. Conservatives are quite happy with the most aggressive forms of the “judicial activism” they pretend to abhor, so long as they get the results they want, which usually involves favoring those with power.And every once in a...…Ask any conservative what kind of judges they like, and they’ll say they want “originalists” and “strict constructionists,” meaning they are guided by the intent of the Framers and the text of the Constitution. They’ll also insist that judges should “apply the law, not make the law,” i.e., that they shouldn’t impose their values to achieve desired outcomes.These are lies. Conservatives are quite happy with the most aggressive forms of the “judicial activism” they pretend to abhor, so long as they get the results they want, which usually involves favoring those with power.And every once in a...WW…

It is rarely a good idea to make campaign promises that put you in a box or could go very wrong, as nearly every president can attest.Joe Biden must have skipped that chapter in the campaign how-to handbook. He’s now stuck with vows to appoint women and minorities to key positions, vows which he could find complicated to keep.Not only has the presumptive Democratic nominee to choose a female running mate, but also to name an . There’s nothing wrong with these goals, which are overdue, but problems arise when circumstances change.The , for example. It would be smart for Biden to consider New...…It is rarely a good idea to make campaign promises that put you in a box or could go very wrong, as nearly every president can attest.Joe Biden must have skipped that chapter in the campaign how-to handbook. He’s now stuck with vows to appoint women and minorities to key positions, vows which he could find complicated to keep.Not only has the presumptive Democratic nominee to choose a female running mate, but also to name an . There’s nothing wrong with these goals, which are overdue, but problems arise when circumstances change.The , for example. It would be smart for Biden to consider New...WW…

On Election Day 2004, Donald Trump — then a private citizen and — went to vote. In accordance with his status as a television star, , with host Billy Bush watching as Trump tried repeatedly to figure out where he was supposed to cast his ballot. The result was a brief segment in which Trump ultimately cast a provisional ballot, yielding the second-most politically important snippet of tape involving Bush and Trump.The point is that Trump clearly didn’t vote in person very often. As president, he still doesn’t, voting by absentee ballot even when it’s . He’s not alone. White House press...…On Election Day 2004, Donald Trump — then a private citizen and — went to vote. In accordance with his status as a television star, , with host Billy Bush watching as Trump tried repeatedly to figure out where he was supposed to cast his ballot. The result was a brief segment in which Trump ultimately cast a provisional ballot, yielding the second-most politically important snippet of tape involving Bush and Trump.The point is that Trump clearly didn’t vote in person very often. As president, he still doesn’t, voting by absentee ballot even when it’s . He’s not alone. White House press...WW…

White House officials have decided not to release updated economic projections this summer, opting against publishing forecasts that would almost certainly codify an administration assessment that the pandemic has led to a severe economic downturn, according to three people with knowledge of the decision.The White House is supposed to unveil a federal budget proposal every February and then typically provides a “mid-session review” in July or August with updated projections on economic trends such as unemployment, inflation and economic growth.Budget experts said they were not aware of any...…White House officials have decided not to release updated economic projections this summer, opting against publishing forecasts that would almost certainly codify an administration assessment that the pandemic has led to a severe economic downturn, according to three people with knowledge of the decision.The White House is supposed to unveil a federal budget proposal every February and then typically provides a “mid-session review” in July or August with updated projections on economic trends such as unemployment, inflation and economic growth.Budget experts said they were not aware of any...WW…

Democratic state legislators in Pennsylvania accused their Republican counterparts Wednesday of keeping a GOP lawmaker’s positive diagnosis under wraps for days, arguing the lack of transparency may have increased their risk of contracting the potentially deadly infection.Republican state Rep. Andrew Lewis released a Wednesday revealing he received his positive test result on May 20 — a jarring announcement that rattled House Democrats who said they had no idea he had been sick or other GOP members had been told to self-quarantine due to possible exposure.Lewis, whose last appearance at the...…Democratic state legislators in Pennsylvania accused their Republican counterparts Wednesday of keeping a GOP lawmaker’s positive diagnosis under wraps for days, arguing the lack of transparency may have increased their risk of contracting the potentially deadly infection.Republican state Rep. Andrew Lewis released a Wednesday revealing he received his positive test result on May 20 — a jarring announcement that rattled House Democrats who said they had no idea he had been sick or other GOP members had been told to self-quarantine due to possible exposure.Lewis, whose last appearance at the...WW…

with Brent D. Griffiths The Federal Reserve just tossed a glass of cold water in the face of anyone predicting a swift economic recovery. The ongoing crisis brought on by the pandemic shutdowns has caused “steep" job losses, with activity “falling sharply” across the map, the central bank’s of economic conditions on the ground finds. And business owners report their outlook for the recovery remains “highly uncertain” and most are pessimistic about the trajectory of the rebound, according to the Fed’s new beige book, which collects anecdotal information from a wide swath of business owners...…with Brent D. Griffiths The Federal Reserve just tossed a glass of cold water in the face of anyone predicting a swift economic recovery. The ongoing crisis brought on by the pandemic shutdowns has caused “steep" job losses, with activity “falling sharply” across the map, the central bank’s of economic conditions on the ground finds. And business owners report their outlook for the recovery remains “highly uncertain” and most are pessimistic about the trajectory of the rebound, according to the Fed’s new beige book, which collects anecdotal information from a wide swath of business owners...WW…

For 64 days, Kevin Smith had shut down the Liberty Tree Tavern to comply with government orders. Now he was cleaning and disinfecting and removing stools to cut seating by three-quarters as he prepared to reopen the bar.Plexiglass screens had gone up at the supermarket checkout. His neighbors in Elgin, Tex., were still wearing masks outside, even after it was no longer mandated by the county. He did not think such a response was necessary, he said, and he wanted to push back.“Sorry, no mask allowed,” read the poster taped to the front door of his bar Friday. “Please bare with us thru the...…For 64 days, Kevin Smith had shut down the Liberty Tree Tavern to comply with government orders. Now he was cleaning and disinfecting and removing stools to cut seating by three-quarters as he prepared to reopen the bar.Plexiglass screens had gone up at the supermarket checkout. His neighbors in Elgin, Tex., were still wearing masks outside, even after it was no longer mandated by the county. He did not think such a response was necessary, he said, and he wanted to push back.“Sorry, no mask allowed,” read the poster taped to the front door of his bar Friday. “Please bare with us thru the...WW…

JERUSALEM — Israel’s national cyber chief Thursday officially acknowledged the country had thwarted a major cyber attack last month against its water systems, an assault widely attributed to arch-enemy Iran, calling it a “synchronized and organized attack” aimed at disrupting key national infrastructure.Yigal Unna did not mention Iran directly, nor did he comment on the alleged Israeli retaliation two weeks later said to have shut down a key Iranian port, but he said recent developments have ushered in a new era of covert warfare, ominously warning that “cyber winter is coming.”“Rapid is...…JERUSALEM — Israel’s national cyber chief Thursday officially acknowledged the country had thwarted a major cyber attack last month against its water systems, an assault widely attributed to arch-enemy Iran, calling it a “synchronized and organized attack” aimed at disrupting key national infrastructure.Yigal Unna did not mention Iran directly, nor did he comment on the alleged Israeli retaliation two weeks later said to have shut down a key Iranian port, but he said recent developments have ushered in a new era of covert warfare, ominously warning that “cyber winter is coming.”“Rapid is...WW…

President Trump is designed to punish Twitter for a mild fact-check to his false tweets about vote-by-mail. This debate will get thorny, so let’s first state clearly exactly what Trump is trying to accomplish here:Now that Trump is trying to use the power of the state toward those profoundly corrupt goals, this marks a new low for Trump’s legacy of lies.A helps us make sense of this moment. It is a comprehensive effort to tally up the extraordinary range, depth and breadth of Trump’s lying.When you view all of the lies in one place — he has told more than 16,000 — the effect is striking....…President Trump is designed to punish Twitter for a mild fact-check to his false tweets about vote-by-mail. This debate will get thorny, so let’s first state clearly exactly what Trump is trying to accomplish here:Now that Trump is trying to use the power of the state toward those profoundly corrupt goals, this marks a new low for Trump’s legacy of lies.A helps us make sense of this moment. It is a comprehensive effort to tally up the extraordinary range, depth and breadth of Trump’s lying.When you view all of the lies in one place — he has told more than 16,000 — the effect is striking....WW…

High up in the western Himalayas, where China and India meet, soldiers pelted each other with stones and brandished iron rods and sticks at each other at Pangong Lake earlier this month. Dozens were injured, Indian media outlets reported.There was a similar faceoff in Sikkim, more than 1,000 miles away, a few days later in a patch of border in the eastern part of the Himalayas that had not previously been a flash point.What prompted the clashes at 14,000 feet — ­where parts of the border are disputed, and it is common for both countries to send patrols up to their respective claim lines and...…High up in the western Himalayas, where China and India meet, soldiers pelted each other with stones and brandished iron rods and sticks at each other at Pangong Lake earlier this month. Dozens were injured, Indian media outlets reported.There was a similar faceoff in Sikkim, more than 1,000 miles away, a few days later in a patch of border in the eastern part of the Himalayas that had not previously been a flash point.What prompted the clashes at 14,000 feet — ­where parts of the border are disputed, and it is common for both countries to send patrols up to their respective claim lines and...WW…

An effort to pass a significant surveillance overhaul package collapsed Wednesday evening, falling victim to presidential tweets, opposition from the Justice Department and the fracturing of a fragile coalition among liberals, moderates and conservatives.House Democratic leaders decided to abandon a scheduled vote a few hours after President Trump issued a veto threat on Twitter. They have not determined when — or whether — the legislation might be revived, according to two Democratic aides.The pulling of the bill to reauthorize a number of national security powers under the Foreign...…An effort to pass a significant surveillance overhaul package collapsed Wednesday evening, falling victim to presidential tweets, opposition from the Justice Department and the fracturing of a fragile coalition among liberals, moderates and conservatives.House Democratic leaders decided to abandon a scheduled vote a few hours after President Trump issued a veto threat on Twitter. They have not determined when — or whether — the legislation might be revived, according to two Democratic aides.The pulling of the bill to reauthorize a number of national security powers under the Foreign...WW…

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich sued Google on Wednesday, alleging the tech giant violated its users’ privacy by collecting information about their whereabouts even if they had turned off such digital tracking.The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages in arguing that Google, the maker of the Android smartphone operating system, set up its mobile software in a way that enriched its advertising empire and deceived device owners about the protections actually afforded to their personal data, running afoul of Arizona consumer-protection laws that prohibit companies from misrepresenting their...…Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich sued Google on Wednesday, alleging the tech giant violated its users’ privacy by collecting information about their whereabouts even if they had turned off such digital tracking.The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages in arguing that Google, the maker of the Android smartphone operating system, set up its mobile software in a way that enriched its advertising empire and deceived device owners about the protections actually afforded to their personal data, running afoul of Arizona consumer-protection laws that prohibit companies from misrepresenting their...WW…

Watching wildlife outside your window , and it’s something lots of people have been doing a lot more of lately.Maybe you’ve been wondering if you’re seeing one persistent gray squirrel or a rotating cast of furry characters. Maybe you’ve been thinking about which birds are passing through for the season and which are townies who stick around all year.As a wildlife ecologist, I’ve learned to pay attention to patterns that show me what the animals outside my window are up to, and I usually know which individuals are my regulars.Whether you’re spying on animals in a city, town or rural area,...…Watching wildlife outside your window , and it’s something lots of people have been doing a lot more of lately.Maybe you’ve been wondering if you’re seeing one persistent gray squirrel or a rotating cast of furry characters. Maybe you’ve been thinking about which birds are passing through for the season and which are townies who stick around all year.As a wildlife ecologist, I’ve learned to pay attention to patterns that show me what the animals outside my window are up to, and I usually know which individuals are my regulars.Whether you’re spying on animals in a city, town or rural area,...WW…