By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
Unless the mercury takes a significant dive in the next three weeks, 2012 is set to become the warmest year on record for the United States — a historic benchmark but the cause for more chaos than comfort for most people.
Temperatures more suited for the spring couldn't keep hundreds of people from lacing up their skates for the opening weekend at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink.
Mr. Connor said because his rink is kept cool by a cement floor beneath the ice, the thinner the ice, the easier it is to keep frozen.
"The ice is great, fortunately. Even though the temperatures have been rather all over the place, we haven't gotten much precipitation," Mr. Connor said.
