Am I going to be able to take Metro downtown this weekend?
Riders who live on the west side of the Red Line will have the most problems, with Metro shutting down the line at five stations downtown — Farragut North, Metro Center, Gallery Place, Judiciary Square and Union Station — for major track work. Because there are no transfer stations west of Dupont Circle, those riders will have to take Metro’s free shuttle buses or figure out another way to move around. Fans going to the Washington Nationals game Friday night need to remember that the shutdowns will start at 10 p.m., so unless the game ends quickly, they will not be able to get home by transferring from the Green to Red Line. The Orange and Yellow lines will be single-tracking, and trains will run on the Blue Line every 16 minutes to accommodate the Yellow and Orange Line work. The Green Line is the only one not affected by the track work.
How much of the smartphone market does the iPhone have?
Apple is not the leader in the smartphone market — in fact, it’s not even close. The iPhone has 16.8 percent of the market, according to second-quarter numbers from market research firm IDC. The Android is by far the leader in the clubhouse, with 68.1 percent of the market, or 104.8 million phones. That’s a big jump from a year earlier, when it commanded 46.9 percent of the market. BlackBerry is down to a 4.8 percent share, from 11.5 percent a year earlier.
How does MS affect you?
Multiple sclerosis — highlighted in speeches by first lady Michelle Obama, whose father had it, and MS sufferer Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney — is an autoimmune disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord. It is caused by damage to the myelin sheath, the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells, according to the National Library of Medicine. Symptoms vary from person to person, and episodes can last for days or months. The library has a long list of symptoms, but some include: loss of balance, problems walking or moving arms and legs, vision loss, painful muscle spasms, fatigue and slurred speech.
