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| Timeline confirms Metro riders’ accounts of wait for rescue on dark, smoke-filled train |
| A timeline of the emergency response to Monday’s Metro tragedy that left one woman dead and scores of passengers injured corroborates riders’ accounts that they waited at least 35 minutes trapped in a dark, smoky tunnel before firefighters began to rescue them. Read full article » |
| Guantanamo inmates sent to Oman, Estonia as military moves ahead with closure push |
| The Obama administration has moved five additional prisoners out of the Guantanamo Bay detention center, sending four Yemeni inmates to the Persian Gulf sultanate of Oman and a fifth to Estonia, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Read full article » |
| CIA finds no wrongdoing in agency’s search of computers used by Senate investigators |
| An internal CIA panel concluded in a report released Wednesday that agency employees should not be punished for their roles in secretly searching computers used by Senate investigators, a move that was denounced by lawmakers last year as an assault on congressional oversight and a potential breach of the Constitution. Read full article » |
| Contractor at center of Navy bribery scandal expected to plead guilty |
| A Malaysian defense contractor at the center of one of the biggest corruption cases in the Navy’s history is expected to plead guilty Thursday, giving federal prosecutors a major victory in criminal proceedings that have already ensnared several high-ranking commanders. Read full article » |
| Al-Qaeda assertion that it planned Paris attack draws some skepticism |
| U.S. intelligence has concluded that a video by al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen asserting responsibility for last week’s massacre at a Paris newspaper is genuine, but it has found no evidence so far to support the group’s declaration that it directly planned, ordered and funded the attack, Obama administration officials said. Read full article » |
| Oscar nominations FAQ: Where to watch the announcement |
| Finally, after a flurry of award show news, it’s time for the most important one of all. Bright and early Thursday morning, the Academy Award nominations will be announced. Here’s everything you need to know: Read full article » |
| 2 men reach top of Yosemite’s El Capitan in historic climb |
| YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — A pair of Americans on Wednesday completed what had long been considered the world’s most difficult rock climb, using only their hands and feet to conquer a 3,000-foot vertical wall on El Capitan, the forbidding granite pedestal in Yosemite National Park that has beckoned adventurers for more than half a century. Read full article » |
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| POLITICS |
| Conservatives shrug off Bush and Romney, remain confident in base-friendly hopefuls |
| Conservative leaders this week shrugged off the sudden moves by Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney toward 2016 presidential campaigns, saying the two establishment-friendly candidates are too far out of touch with grass-roots activists to win the Republican nomination. Read full article » |
| How Barack Obama is avoiding becoming George W. Bush |
| President Obama delivers his penultimate State of the Union address on Tuesday -- a speech that is expected to set the course for his work with the newly GOP-controlled Congress over his final two years in office. Read full article » |
| House passes bill to ‘rein in excessive regulatory costs.’ Could it become law? |
| The Republican-controlled House this week approved a bill that would impose additional red tape on federal regulators, the people normally dispensing the tape.The measure, which passed on Tuesday with support from eight Democrats, would require agencies to adopt the least-costly regulations considered during rule-making, with limited exceptions. Read full article » |
| The often-repeated claim that 1,800 college students die from ‘alcohol-related causes’ |
| “More than 1,800 students die every year of alcohol-related causes.”— article from the Chronicle of Higher Education that appeared in the New York Times under the headline “Why Colleges Haven’t Stopped Binge Drinking,” Dec. 15, 2014 Read full article » |
| OPINIONS |
| The Keystone catechism |
| Not since the multiplication of the loaves and fishes near the Sea of Galilee has there been creativity as miraculous as that of the Keystone XL pipeline. It has not yet been built but already is perhaps the most constructive infrastructure project since the Interstate Highway System. It has accomplished an astonishing trifecta: Read full article » |
| The Chamber of Commerce conveniently forgets its attacks on Obama |
| Tom Donohue, the longtime president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, sounded ebullient as he gave his annual report on the health of American business Wednesday. “The economy is gaining momentum,” he declared at the business lobby’s marble palace across Lafayette Square from the White House. Read full article » |
| Paris response further strains relationship between Muslims, West |
| Talk about lost in translation. The new cover of the French publication Charlie Hebdo depicts the prophet Muhammad beneath the words “Tout est pardonné,” or “All is forgiven.” A columnist for the satirical newspaper said the headline is a message to the terrorists “that we can’t hate them.” Read full article » |
| The GOP’s scramble to court Wall Street |
| “If it were done,” says Macbeth as he contemplates killing Duncan — his kinsman, his houseguest, his king — “ . . . ’twere well it were done quickly.” A similar judgment seems to inform the newly empowered congressional Republicans’ rush to roll back the modest regulations that the Dodd-Frank Act imposed on Wall Street banks. Deregulating Wall Street is distasteful stuff that can claim no real public support or economic merit, but for reasons both political and financial, the Republicans have decided it’s best done quickly. Read full article » |
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| LOCAL |
| Jailed lawmaker’s return brings Virginia Capitol more unwanted attention |
| Joseph D. Morrissey left his jail cell Wednesday morning and headed to a tiny office cluttered with boxes next to the state Capitol, where he took an oath of office to serve in the Virginia House of Delegates. Read full article » |
| D.C. area forecast: Mainly sunny skies hold through Saturday, showers likely Sunday |
| Expect relatively nice weather until Sunday, when rain and fluries are possible. Read full article » |
| Teen: The PARCC Common Core test is ‘the most stressful thing I’ve done in school’ |
| A 14-year-old student named Jordan Barron who is a freshman at Mahwah High School in New Jersey recently shared his thoughts about the Common Core test known as PARCC with members of the New Jersey Board of Education— and he was pretty strong in his opinion. He called dealing with the test “the most stressful thing I’ve done in school” and he challenged board members to take it. Read full article » |
| SPORTS |
| Washington Wizards top Bulls despite 32 from Chicago’s Derrick Rose |
| CHICAGO — Nene sat at the locker by the showers exhausted. Ice packs were tied to his right shoulder and both knees. More ice filled a vast green container in front of his chair, soaking his feet. The Washington Wizards big man remained there for several minutes, treating the aches that come with shutting down Pau Gasol, one of basketball’s premier big men, at one end and facilitating offense with the aptitude few other 6-foot-11 men possess at the other. Read full article » |
| Maryland-Rutgers postgame: After ugly win, Terps closer to set rotation |
| For all the inconsistencies that Maryland experienced in Wednesday night’s game against Rutgers, it was ugliest at the beginning of the second half after Rutgers erased a seven-point halftime deficit with a 14-4 run. Maryland Coach Mark Turgeon was forced to shuffle his lineup at the point, and his first move was to substitute Richaud Pack for Jared Nickens with a little more than 17 minutes left. Read full article » |
| Victor Oladipo doesn’t just seal a Magic win, he does it with a 360 dunk |
| Victor Oladipo hit a basket toward the end of Wednesday’s Rockets-Magic game (won by Orlando, 120-113) that was more than just a highlight-reel dunk. It also constituted two points that effectively put the game out of reach for Houston, and as such, probably merited a little more caution than the guard exhibited — not that a fired-up crowd in Orlando cared. Read full article » |
| Paul Pierce passes Jason Kidd for fourth all-time in three-pointers made |
| CHICAGO — Paul Pierce watched the ball swish through the basket and held his follow-through, his right arm straight up and his right wrist curled, a few seconds longer than usual as he skipped to the Washington Wizards’ bench, staring off somewhere into the upper levels of United Center. Read full article » |
| FEDERAL GOVERNMENT |
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| Meet the 153 Americans who are one step closer to being president than Clinton or Romney |
| Despite all the speculation and frenzy about their anticipated candidacies, none of the buzzed-about White House hopefuls have actually filed to run for president in 2016.But as they play coy, there are other candidates who are all in. Read full article » |
| It will take more than a high-powered memo to fix federal employee morale |
| How bad is federal employee morale?The good news tells the story.In the 2014 government-wide survey of federal employees, positive responses dropped for 35 questions and increased for just 10 compared with 2013. Read full article » |
| NATIONAL |
| The religious chants the Islamic State is using to woo recruits |
| Paris is on high alert this week after terrorists killed 17 people. Though the attackers were affiliated with the Islamic State, reports suggest at least some were French-born. Which means they might have been wooed by the organization’s infamous recruiting videos. Read full article » |
| Is religion a force for good? |
| Do we need religion in order to be moral? George Washington cautioned against “indulg[ing] the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion,” and today more than half of Americans believe morality is impossible without a belief in God. Read full article » |
| Even for-profit universities are better than America’s terrible community colleges |
| President Obama announced a plan Friday to provide free community college to any “responsible” student who wanted it.That’s a bad idea. Community colleges perform poorly, and any additional government subsidy of these already heavily subsidized, weak performers would likely be a waste of money. For proof, compare them to much derided for-profit institutions. While these schools have their own flaws, their students do better on a variety of measures. Read full article » |
| WORLD |
| Did Boko Haram attack leave 150 dead — or 2,000? Satellite imagery sheds new light. |
| Recent reports of a large-scale massacre by Boko Haram in the northeastern state of Borno have served as a brutal reminder of the threat posed to Nigeria by the Islamist extremist group.Yet, more than a week after the attack, there's little confirmed information about it. Reported death tolls vary wildly — one local politician told the BBC that 2,000 people had died, but others put the number at just dozens. On Monday, Nigeria's director of defense information said the number of those killed “has so far not exceeded about 150," including Boko Haram fighters. Read full article » |
| Russia’s culture minister calls for new ‘patriotic Internet’ to combat Western spin |
| MOSCOW—Russia’s culture minister is calling for a “patriotic Internet” to combat Western spin and win the “war for the minds” of Russians.Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin were among the signatories to a statement the Russian Military-Historical Society posted to its Web site Tuesday warning of a “new blitzkrieg” against Russia — “and thus against the truth,” as the statement explained. Both officials later promoted it via their Twitter accounts. Read full article » |
| No Mark Zuckerberg, you are NOT Charlie, argues Tibetan writer |
| BEIJING — "Je suis Charlie," Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg wrote as he made a passionate defense of free speech this month, arguing that extremists would never be able to silence other voices and opinions on his social media platform. Read full article » |
| Moscow pet owners on edge after dog cull rumors spread online |
| MOSCOW—Panic is percolating among Russia’s dog owners after Internet warnings that vigilantes are planning a canine culling next week, ostensibly to kill off strays, but endangering pets as well.Dog owners are warning each other on various Russian chat forums and social media sites to look out for poisoned food, carry first-aid kits, and know how to give their dogs emergency doses of vitamin B6, should they show signs of being infected with Isoniazid, an anti-tuberculosis drug that is expected to be the preferred poison. Read full article » |
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| BUSINESS |
| Wall Street and colleges are cutting some sketchy deals. Here’s what the government’s doing about it |
| Colleges are in the business of educating students, not brokering deals with Wall Street. Yet hundreds of schools are striking agreements with banks to promote debit and prepaid cards on campus in exchange for millions of dollars. Read full article » |
| This powerful Reddit thread reveals how the poor get by in America |
| The poor pay more for everything, from rolls of toilet paper to furniture. It's not because they're spendthrifts, either. If you're denied a checking account, there's no way for you to avoid paying a fee to cash a paycheck. If you need to buy a car to get to work, you'll have to accept whatever higher interest rate you're offered. If you don't have a car, the bus fare might eat up the change you'd save shopping at a larger grocery store as opposed to the local corner store. Read full article » |
| How your family finances factor into financial aid calculations |
| It’s 103 questions that could make all the difference in how you pay for college. Yet every year families shy away from filling out the form known as the FAFSA, which the government and colleges use to determine need- and some merit-based financial aid. Read full article » |
| TECHNOLOGY |
| Bitcoin revealed: a Ponzi scheme for redistributing wealth from one libertarian to another |
| If Bitcoin were a currency, it'd be the worst-performing one in the world, worse even than the Russian ruble.But Bitcoin isn't a currency. It's a Ponzi scheme for redistributing wealth from one libertarian to another. At least that's all it is right now. One day it could be more. Venture capitalists, for their part, are quick to point out that it's really a protocol, like the early internet, and its underlying technology could still be revolutionary. What are they supposed to say, though, when they've bet hundreds of millions of dollars on it? Read full article » |
| 5 new technologies that may change how you shop |
| As more shopping moves online, retailers are looking for ways to step up the in-store experience to make sure it remains compelling and convenient.The retail industry descended on New York this week for the National Retail Federation’s Big Show, an annual trade event where vendors showed off the innovative offerings that they hope will soon become commonplace in malls across the globe. Read full article » |
| Lockheed Martin’s latest health partnership is very personal |
| Lockheed Martin made several forays into healthcare last year, buying small, specialized companies.But the defense giant’s latest move in this space is its most personal yet.Lockheed and San Diego company Illumina are teaming up to study the human genome — the stuff that makes you you — to develop personalized healthcare solutions based on a person’s DNA. Terms of the partnership were not disclosed. Read full article » |
| Facebook will now include AMBER alerts in the News Feed |
| Facebook will now include AMBER alerts in users's news feeds, expanding the child abduction alert program's reach into the social media world.The integration kicks off Tuesday in commemoration of National Amber Alert Awareness Day. When officials issue an AMBER alert, Facebook users in the area will see a post in their feeds that they can click on for more information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Users can also share these posts with friends. Read full article » |
| LIFESTYLE |
| Trying to quantify teen suicide |
| On a recent Wednesday evening, I wanted nothing more than to sit on my couch with a steaming mug of hot tea in one hand and a remote control in the other.Instead, I sat in a half-full auditorium under bright lights at our local high school, W.T. Woodson, listening to two national experts speak about teen suicide. I had been tempted to skip it. My three daughters are in middle school or younger, and our weekly routine is over-scheduled as it is. But W.T. Woodson has lost six students to suicide over the last three years, including two in a single week last spring. My daughters, all three of whom already show signs of stress and anxiety, will someday be W.T. Woodson students. My neighbors and babysitters already are. So I forced myself out into the wet night and attended the talk. Read full article » |
| Ann Curry, at long last, leaves NBC News — sort of |
| More than two years after Ann Curry said a tearful goodbye on “Today” — pushed out by NBC execs who felt her non-chemistry with Matt Lauer accelerated the show’s falling ratings — the veteran anchor is finally leaving the network. Read full article » |
| Car seats are a (life-saving) pain. But do they have to be? |
| I have a confession to make—I’m a bad car seat mom. Every morning when I put my kids in their seats, the following monologue runs through my head: “Why won’t he (my 14-month-old) fit in these *^%&$ straps? Oh it’s because he’s growing like crazy and has a jacket on. Wait—kids aren’t supposed to wear jackets in their car seats, right?” I pause for a second as a wave of parental guilt washes over me. “Does a fleece really count as a jacket anyway? Oh well, it’s cold and we’re already running late—I guess I’ll just squish him in there and adjust the straps tonight.” Read full article » |
| Carolyn Hax: A present concern when 7-year-old twins are having a party |
| Adapted from recent onlinediscussions.Hi, Carolyn:This is the first year my 7-year-old twins are in separate classes, and each has invited 10 classmates, some of whom know the other twin, to their joint birthday party. Many do not. Family and friends who know both equally well will be in attendance as well. Read full article » |
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