Tuesday Morning Headlines [Jul 31, 2012]

If you have difficulty viewing this newsletter, click here to view as a Web page. Click here to view in plain text. Tuesday, July 31, 2012 TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS Pepco defends its derecho response, saying it 'mobilized quickly' In reports required by District and Maryland regulators, the utility says that it "restored power as quickly as possible, particularly given the sheer number of outages." (By Aaron C. Davis and Mary Pat Flaherty) NASA readies for a landing on Mars With Mars mission and its rover Curiosity, NASA goes hunting for the building blocks of life. (By Marc Kaufman) Rural Syria slips from Assad's grip As the regime has poured resources into sustaining its hold on major population centers, it has been losing control of the countryside in a series of seesawing battles. (By Liz Sly) Joy and pain in the pool American swimmers win two golds and two silvers after Ryan Lochte misses the podium early. (By Amy Shipley) Mike Wise: Wise: Lochte 2012 is no Phelps 2008 After another disappointing day in the pool, Lochte needs to stop focusing on matching Phelps's achievements in Beijing, and just win races. (By Mike Wise) NATION Anti-leak measure targets background briefings The proposed legislation would keep analysts from the CIA and other intelligence agencies from speaking to the media without being identified publicly. ( by Greg Miller , The Washington Post) NASA readies for a landing on Mars With Mars mission and its rover Curiosity, NASA goes hunting for the building blocks of life. ( by Marc Kaufman , The Washington Post) What genetic autopsies can show Genetic autopsies can detect several forms of some causes of sudden death. (, The Washington Post) Genetic autopsies can explain deaths Genetic analysis after death can reveal why some children and teens die from no apparent cause. ( by Darshak Sanghavi Special to The Washington Post , The Washington Post) Down syndrome researchers see hope Down syndrome researchers see hope for a pill to boost patients' mental abilities. ( byDan Hurley , The Washington Post) More National: Breaking National News & Headlines - Washington Post LOCAL Cathedral taps new dean Washington National Cathedral has elected a dean who will serve as chief executive and spiritual leader of the historic institution, the official seat of the Episcopal Church in the United States. ( by Fredrick Kunkle and Michelle Boorstein , The Washington Post) Md. pastor gets 27-month prison sentence The judge gave Robert J. Freeman, who pleaded guilty to concealing assets in his bankruptcy case, six more months than prosecutors sought. ( by Ann E. Marimow and Hamil R. Harris , The Washington Post) Crackdown on panhandling in Frederick An undercover police officer who was asked for money handed over $5 on a suburban Maryland street and then called in another officer who made a panhandling arrest, authorities said. ( by Martin Weil , The Washington Post) Pepco defends its derecho response, saying it 'mobilized quickly' In reports required by District and Maryland regulators, the utility says that it "restored power as quickly as possible, particularly given the sheer number of outages." ( by Aaron C. Davis and Mary Pat Flaherty , The Washington Post) Supreme Court: Md. police can take DNA from charged criminals, for now Policy, which may become permanent, applies to suspects not yet convicted of violent crimes. ( by Matt Zapotosky , The Washington Post) More Post Local: Washington, DC Area News, Traffic, Weather, Sports & More - The Washington Post POLITICS Congress's watchdog on retirement issues When Congress calls, Barbara Bovbjerg is ready with the answers. ( by The Partnership for Public Service , The Washington Post) Congressional leaders near budget deal House and Senate leaders are nearing a temporary spending deal that would keep the federal government running for the first half of the next fiscal year. ( by Rosalind S. Helderman , The Washington Post) For traveling journalists, a waist is a terrible thing to mind Food on the road is something of an obsession for traveling journalists. We talk endlessly about how much food we're served, when our next meal will come. All of us are haunted by the prospect of gaining 20 pounds before November. ( by Amy Gardner in Reno, Nev. , The Washington Post) Jewish voters ponder Romney The numbers don't provide much hope for Romney's courting of Jewish voters because only about 6 percent of them vote solely based on Israel-centric issues, and most of them are already reliably Republican. ( by Jason Horowitz , The Washington Post) Federal Faces: Barbara Bovbjerg of the GAO Barbara Bovbjerg, of the Government Accountability Office, keeps a close eye on retirement issues for Congress. (, The Washington Post) More Post Politics: Breaking Politics News, Political Analysis & More - The Washington Post STYLE Carolyn Hax: Learning to be leaned on A reader feels woefully inept in dealing with someone who is close and either stressed out or in need of emotional support. Can that be remedied? (, The Washington Post) Whitney Houston's last release The "Sparkle" soundtrack contains what will be the last music ever released by Whitney Houston. (, The Washington Post) Quick Spins: Kiwanuka 'Home Again' On his full-length debut, Michael Kiwanuka is the anchor for a collection of eclectic tunes that draw from folk, jazz and R&B. (, The Washington Post) Catch these cats If you don't mind the heat, the cheetah cubs at the National Zoo are on display twice each day. (, The Washington Post) Fun away from the sun Area movie theaters, bowling alleys and skating rinks offer admission for $5 or less. (, The Washington Post) More Style: Culture, Arts, Ideas & More - The Washington Post BUSINESS Report: Apple to announce new iPhone, scaled-down iPad Sept. 12 The timing the report lays out would mean both the iPhone and iOS 6 would arrive a bit earlier than expected. ( by Erica Ogg | GigaOM.com , gigaom.com) Libor lawsuits just a prelude Lawsuits are mounting over the ma­nipu­la­tion of the global interest rate known as Libor as a broad range of investors and lenders take stock of losses tied to the rigging of the rate. ( by Danielle Douglas , The Washington Post) Will Fed cut the interest rate it pays on bank reserves? Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke may be considering it. ( by Caroline Salas Gage and Liz Capo McCormick Bloomberg News , Bloomberg) 'The Dark Knight Rises' leads U.S. box office again "The Dark Knight Rises," the last film in Warner Bros.' trilogy with Christian Bale as Batman, led the U.S. box office again with sales of $62.1 million a week after 12 people died in a shooting at a Colorado cinema. ( by Kelly Blessing Bloomberg News , Bloomberg) As 'fiscal cliff' looms, debate over contractor layoff notices heats up The Labor Department said it would be "inappropriate" for companies to send out wide-scale dismissal notices. ( by Zachary A. Goldfarb , The Washington Post) More Business News, Financial News, Business Headlines & Analysis - The Washington Post SPORTS Blake rallies for victory American overcomes slow start for three-set victory in opening match at Citi Open ( by Matt Breen , The Washington Post) TV and radio listings: July 31 TV and radio listings: July 31 (, The Washington Post) Orioles win in the Bronx Starter Miguel Gonzalez has a solid outing, and Baltimore wins for the third time in four games at Yankee Stadium this season. ( by Eduardo A. Encina , The Washington Post) Wise: Lochte 2012 is no Phelps 2008 After another disappointing day in the pool, Lochte needs to stop focusing on matching Phelps's achievements in Beijing, and just win races. ( by Mike Wise , The Washington Post) Betting on Olympic spirit Host nation's gambling industry expects to handle anywhere from $75 million to $150 million worth of bets. ( by Rick Maese , The Washington Post) More Sports: Sports News, Scores, Analysis, Schedules & More - The Washington Post TECHNOLOGY Report: Apple to announce new iPhone, scaled-down iPad Sept. 12 The timing the report lays out would mean both the iPhone and iOS 6 would arrive a bit earlier than expected. ( by Erica Ogg | GigaOM.com , gigaom.com) 16GB Nexus 7 back in stock in Google Play store Google's 16GB Nexus 7 tablet is back in stock online a week after it sold out in the Google Play store. ( by VentureBeat.com , VentureBeat.com) Siri's voice-to-text feature makes Apple a target for another patent suit Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University says it owns two U.S. patents for the technology that allows Siri to translate voice commands into texts and notes. ( by Erica Ogg | GigaOM.com , gigaom.com) Mountain Lion most successful operating system release in Apple's history Apple says that Mountain Lion, its new operating system for Mac computers, has topped 3 million downloads. (, The Washington Post) Mountain Lion downloads top 3M Apple says downloads of its newsoftware exceeded three million in four days, making it the most successful operating system release in the company's history. ( by Lisa Rapaport Bloomberg News , Bloomberg) More Technology News - The Washington Post WORLD Japan concerned by Chinese naval activity, opaque decision-making Annual defense white paper expresses worries about China's assertiveness in regional waters. ( by Chico Harlan , The Washington Post) Rural Syria slips from Assad's grip As the regime has poured resources into sustaining its hold on major population centers, it has been losing control of the countryside in a series of seesawing battles. ( by Liz Sly , The Washington Post) Indian power failure puts 300 million in the dark The world's largest democracy cannot meet its energy needs as it strives to be an economic power. ( by Simon Denyer , The Washington Post) At home or abroad — Russia's heightened tension A renewal of Russia's traditional suspicion of all things foreign. ( by Will Englund in MOSCOW , The Washington Post) Anti-leak measure targets background briefings The proposed legislation would keep analysts from the CIA and other intelligence agencies from speaking to the media without being identified publicly. ( by Greg Miller , The Washington Post) More World: World News, International News, Foreign Reporting - The Washington Post EDITORIAL His own biggest fan Romney's disastrous overseas trip. (, The Washington Post) The right's brave idiocy The gap in the 'you didn't build that' fight. (, The Washington Post) An incentive not to work Fixing flaws in federal policies for the disabled. (, The Washington Post) Playing chicken with defense Obama's dangerous brinkmanship. ( by Howard P. "Buck" McKeon , The Washington Post) Stifling democracy in the Senate Amendments to the intelligence bill are misguided. (, The Washington Post) More Opinions: Washington Post Opinion, Editorial, Op Ed, Politics Editorials - The Washington Post LIVE DISCUSSIONS Got Plans: Advice from the Going Out GurusGot Plans: Got Plans? Discuss great ideas for local entertainment, dates and family fun. (, vForum) Myths about mass shootings A journalist and expert on the Columbine shooting weighs in on the Aurora attack. (, vForum) Chatological Humor: Monthly with Moron Gene Weingarten takes polls and chats about his recent columns. (, vForum) Advice from Slate's 'Dear Prudence' Live discussion with Slate advice columnist Dear Prudence, a.k.a. Emily Yoffe. (, vForum) Dr. Gridlock The Washington Post's Dr. Gridlock, Robert Thomson, will be online to take all your questions about Metro, traffic throughout the region and other transportation issues. (, vForum) More Conversations: Discussions, Blogs, Debates, Live Q&A's and More - The Washington Post Get The Washington Post, your way. Want to stay on top of the latest news, features, commentary and more? Here's how: Mobile: Alerts: Social Media: Applications Web site E-mail SMS RSS Feeds Facebook Twitter SEND TO A FRIEND UNSUBSCRIBE E-NEWSLETTER CENTER GET HELP Washington Post Digital E-mail Customer Care 1150 15th Street NW Washington, D.C. 20071 © 2012 The Washington Post Privacy Policy

Monday Morning Headlines [Jul 30, 2012]

If you have difficulty viewing this newsletter, click here to view as a Web page. Click here to view in plain text. Monday, July 30, 2012 TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS Inspector general's report criticizes Afghanistan projects The study calls into question a fundamental premise of the U.S. strategy to counter the Taliban insurgency — that expensive new roads and power plants can be funded and constructed quickly enough to help turn the tide of war. (By Rajiv Chandrasekaran) Romney in Israel: 'Any and all measures' should be used on Iran Speaking in Jerusalem, Romney said the U.S. would support Israel's efforts to defend itself from Iran, but he stopped short of supporting a unilateral military strike. (By Philip Rucker and Joel Greenberg) Chris Cillizza: No change of pace in the presidential race As the Obama and Romney campaigns make the turn into the home stretch, not much is expected to change. (By Chris Cillizza) Health insurance mandate faces huge resistance in Oklahoma Oklahomans don't like the government telling them what to do, and the state's political leaders haven't been supportive of the new law — even turning down $54 million from the federal government to plan for it. (By Sandhya Somashekhar) Empty seats have organizers scrambling Facing furor from shut-out ticket seekers, London organizers offer empty seats to military and students. (By Karla Adam) NATION Inspector general's report criticizes Afghanistan projects The study calls into question a fundamental premise of the U.S. strategy to counter the Taliban insurgency — that expensive new roads and power plants can be funded and constructed quickly enough to help turn the tide of war. ( by Rajiv Chandrasekaran , The Washington Post) Cheney calls Palin selection in 2008 'a mistake' Former vice president Dick Cheney said selecting Sarah Palin as the 2008 GOP vice-presidential candidate was "a mistake." ( by Ellen Nakashima , The Washington Post) Enbridge rushes to repair Wisconsin oil line after spill The leak on a major pipeline spilled more than 1,000 barrels of oil in a Wisconsin field and prompted fresh criticism almost two years to the day after a line ruptured in Michigan. ( by Brendan O'Brien , The Washington Post) More National: Breaking National News & Headlines - Washington Post LOCAL Unusually dry in region so far this year Despite the weekend rumbles of thunder, flashes of lightning and sudden downpours, it remains unusually dry in the Washington region. ( by Martin Weil , The Washington Post) Va. rocket launch tests deceleration device A rocket was launched last week from Virginia in a test of a new mechanism for landing on other planets. ( by Martin Weil , The Washington Post) When getaway car is a bike Bicycles are gaining increasing favor for commuting and running errands — and, apparently committing crimes. ( by Martin Weil , The Washington Post) Report finds for-profit colleges serve shareholders over students A two-year investigation found that half of students who enrolled from 2008-09 left without a degree, and that for-profit colleges are better at recruitment than retention. ( by Daniel de Vise , The Washington Post) A park and a bridge, combined The old 11th Street Bridge could provide not just a physical but a cultural connection for a divided city, proponents of park plan say. ( by Susan Svrluga , The Washington Post) More Post Local: Washington, DC Area News, Traffic, Weather, Sports & More - The Washington Post POLITICS At fundraiser in Israel, Romney describes spiritual impact of visit Candidate and his wife describe to 40 high-level donors the "holy connection" forged in 36-hour stay. ( by Philip Rucker , The Washington Post) Star-spangled historic trail set for launch The new Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, which traces the British invasion of Washington, is set for dedication Monday. ( by Steve Vogel , The Washington Post) Romney in Israel: 'Any and all measures' should be used on Iran Speaking in Jerusalem, Romney said the U.S. would support Israel's efforts to defend itself from Iran, but he stopped short of supporting a unilateral military strike. ( by Philip Rucker and Joel Greenberg , The Washington Post) Health insurance mandate faces huge resistance in Oklahoma Oklahomans don't like the government telling them what to do, and the state's political leaders haven't been supportive of the new law — even turning down $54 million from the federal government to plan for it. ( by Sandhya Somashekhar , The Washington Post) No change of pace in the presidential race As the Obama and Romney campaigns make the turn into the home stretch, not much is expected to change. (, The Washington Post) More Post Politics: Breaking Politics News, Political Analysis & More - The Washington Post STYLE Carolyn Hax: Take the lust goggles off A woman finds intellectual spark with a co-worker. Is it the kind of thing that ends marriages? Often, yes. Sometimes, no. Avoid surrending to the laws of unintended consequences and leaving casualties and damage. Give objective attention to your marriage and take off the lust goggles off. (, The Washington Post) Holst evening at Wolf Trap misfires With the video accompaniments, without context, it was often unclear what we were looking at. Some of the images might just as well have been a close-up of an amoeba, a lichen or a hair-ball ( by Robert Battey , The Washington Post) Debuts do well Many debuts last Saturday evening with the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap: a British violinist in the Bruch "Scottish Fantasy," and four American vocal soloists in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. All did well. ( by Robert Battey , The Washington Post) Building on the success of Fringe Festival Capital Fringe Festival's success in showcasing talent should be nurtured by D.C. theaters. ( by Peter Marks , The Washington Post) Monday's TV highlights A television salesman gets to open for Jason Mraz in concert, and HBO's show on former supermodels talks to Cheryl Tiegs, Christie Brinkley and many others. (, The Washington Post) More Style: Culture, Arts, Ideas & More - The Washington Post BUSINESS Create A Cure raises $5,000 Eighty young professionals mingled recently in the small, dimly lit basement of Napoleon Bistro & Lounge in Adams Morgan, surrounded by dozens of pieces of artwork along the wall. ( Story by Vanessa Small , The Washington Post) Why large federal software programs fail After spending more than half a trillion on federal IT programs in the past decade, why do they keep failing? The federal government has not made it a high priority to ensure that program managers who oversee major IT projects are actually computer scientists with experience in developing software. (, The Washington Post) Growth of professional services firms hinges on the visibility of expertise Executives in professional services firms are the engines of growth. These professionals, who are often responsible for selling and delivering business, are looking for how best to build their reputations in ways that create new relationships and drive more revenue, and many are using their Web sites as captive publishing platforms to crank out a steady stream of "thoughtware." ( by Pauline Weger , The Washington Post) Washington area business events: Week of July 30 (, The Washington Post) 'Dark Knight' tragedy could hurt all cinema firms Now that the sanctity of theaters has been violated, investors will be watching whether those challenges grow more acute. ( by Tim Beyers , The Washington Post) More Business News, Financial News, Business Headlines & Analysis - The Washington Post SPORTS TV and radio listings: July 30 (, The Washington Post) Chen's record-setting day lifts Orioles Baltimore lefty sets major league record for most strikeouts by Taiwanese-born pitcher in 6-1 victory over Oakland. ( by Eduardo A. Encina , The Washington Post) Empty seats have organizers scrambling Facing furor from shut-out ticket seekers, London organizers offer empty seats to military and students. ( by Karla Adam , The Washington Post) Stephens, Chakvetadze win first round doubles match Sloane Stephens, the fifth-ranked U.S. women's tennis player, fell one spot short of making the Olympic team and as a result is in the field at the Citi Open this week ( by Matt Breen , The Washington Post) France rallies past U.S. in relay Lochte unable to hold lead for Americans during last leg of 4x100 freestyle. U.S. settles for silver. ( by Amy Shipley , The Washington Post) More Sports: Sports News, Scores, Analysis, Schedules & More - The Washington Post WORLD Inspector general's report criticizes Afghanistan projects The study calls into question a fundamental premise of the U.S. strategy to counter the Taliban insurgency — that expensive new roads and power plants can be funded and constructed quickly enough to help turn the tide of war. ( by Rajiv Chandrasekaran , The Washington Post) Lebanon's concerns over Syrian conflict Lebanese worry that Syrian army might escalate attacks against the country for sheltering opposition rebels. ( by Babak Dehghanpisheh , The Washington Post) Cheney calls Palin selection in 2008 'a mistake' Former vice president Dick Cheney said selecting Sarah Palin as the 2008 GOP vice-presidential candidate was "a mistake." ( by Ellen Nakashima , The Washington Post) Panetta says U.S., Israel unified in support of Iran sanctions Defense Secretary Panetta portrayed the United States and Israel as unified in their support for increasingly tough international sanctions on Iran to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. ( by Greg Jaffe , The Washington Post) Hong Kong protest assails Communist Party 'brainwashing' Tens of thousands of protesters parade through Hong Kong, calling for the scrapping of plans for "national education" courses in local schools. ( by Andrew Higgins , The Washington Post) More World: World News, International News, Foreign Reporting - The Washington Post EDITORIAL A blocking election The rationale is the frightening specter of an enemy win. (, The Washington Post) Behind the economic pessimism There is a loss of faith in economic ideas. (, The Washington Post) Bust-gate Waiting for an apology over furious blog post. (, The Washington Post) The go-for-broke election The right's bet on mainstreaming their ideas. (, The Washington Post) Russia's heavy hand Free the punk rock band that insulted the church and the president. (, The Washington Post) More Opinions: Washington Post Opinion, Editorial, Op Ed, Politics Editorials - The Washington Post Get The Washington Post, your way. Want to stay on top of the latest news, features, commentary and more? Here's how: Mobile: Alerts: Social Media: Applications Web site E-mail SMS RSS Feeds Facebook Twitter SEND TO A FRIEND UNSUBSCRIBE E-NEWSLETTER CENTER GET HELP Washington Post Digital E-mail Customer Care 1150 15th Street NW Washington, D.C. 20071 © 2012 The Washington Post Privacy Policy