Wednesday, December 31, 2014

@20:40, 12/29/14

|


Health

How Ebola Roared Back

For a fleeting moment last spring, the epidemic sweeping West Africa might have been stopped. But the opportunity to control the virus, which has now caused more than 7,800 deaths, was lost.
Ebola Virus; Epidemics 

Epidemic porn.
The detail and personalities are not required.
I want the broad politics of the failure and the statistics of the disease propagation.
The heroes and villains are of little interest to me. 
U.S.

Pot Pie, Redefined? Chefs Start to Experiment With Cannabis

As states legalize marijuana, cooking with cannabis is emerging as a legitimate and very lucrative culinary pursuit.
Marijuana; Cooking and Cookbooks; Restaurants; Bakeries and Baked Products; States (US); Law and Legislation 

The fad will pass.
There is little reason to stone people in the social interaction of eating.
Cannabis may make television programing tolerable.
World

Mexico: Body of Kidnapped Priest Is Found

State prosecutors in Guerrero opened an investigation Friday into the slaying of the Rev. Gregorio López Gorostieta, whose body was found on Christmas Day.
Murders, Attempted Murders and Homicides; Priests; Kidnapping and Hostages; Missing Persons 

Civil disorder is growing in Guerrero.
The drug traffic must be regulated. 
Fashion & Style

I Will Be Your Mother Figure

He called me “mother” because I was his former priest. At 71, Ned was in love with a 28-year-old man. And the church was going nuts.
Modern Love (Times Column); Love (Emotion); Homosexuality and Bisexuality; Christians and Christianity 

Braided love of several kinds.
I would like to listen more directly.
World

An Economic Boom Recedes, but South America Might Avert the Bust

Governments of Brazil, Peru and Venezuela are seen as less likely than before to load up on debt and ignore danger signs.
Economic Conditions and Trends 

The world has gone into recession. 
Demand has fallen driving down prices.
More supply will drop prices further.

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1831306?sid=21104961673471&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&uid=3739832
World

The Cost of the U.S. Ban on Paying for Hostages

Former hostages and Syrian rebel commanders say that they offered information they believed could help free American captives, but that officials seemed uninterested.
Kidnapping and Hostages; United States International Relations 

Yes.  

We send the marines and regret it later.
It has not worked yet.
Business Day

Entering the Secret Garden of Private Equity

U.S.

Video: On Tribal Lands, Oil and Trouble

Murder charges sparked an investigation into a tribal chairman’s business dealings on the oil-rich Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota.
Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline; Murders, Attempted Murders and Homicides; Corruption (Institutional); Native Americans; Water Pollution; Hydraulic Fracturing 

nytimes.com/2014/12/29/us/in-north-dakota-where-oil-corruption-and-bodies-surface.html

A tale of corruption from the top.
false

Could a Personality Test Improve Your Health?

A growing body of research suggests that personality can affect your health, and that changing it could help you get better.
Emotions; Genetics and Heredity; Longevity; Psychology and Psychologists; Research; Tests (Medical) 

Yes.  How powerfully is a question.
Technology

PlayStation Network Returning After Hacking That Also Targeted Xbox Live

Sony’s PlayStation Network was hampered for a fourth straight day since hackers attacked it on Christmas Day.
Cyberattacks and Hackers; Computer and Video Games; PlayStation (Video Game System); Xbox (Video Game System) 

Probably just noise.
Sports

Both on the Field and Off, 2014 Was an Eventful Year in the World of Cricket

Though the global cricket community is reeling from the death of the Australian Phillip Hughes, the most significant events of 2014 probably occurred off the field.
Cricket (Game) 

NCAA Women's Scoreboard
Previous Day | Mon., December 29 | Next Day
Final 1 2 T
10
26 26 52
2
33 50 83
Boxscore | Recap 
Leaders Duke Connecticut
Points A. Stevens 16 M. Jefferson 18
Rebounds E. Williams 8 M. Tuck 7
Assists K. Johnson 3 3 tied with 4
   
w9 © 2014 by STATS LLC.


American Athletic Conference
 ConferenceOverallvs
  W-L Pct Hm Rd W-L Pct Hm Rd Nt  Top 25
2 Connecticut 1-0 1.000 1-0 0-0 10-1 .909 4-0 2-1 4-0 3-1
Tulane 1-0 1.000 0-0 1-0 10-2 .833 5-1 4-0 1-1 0-0
South Florida 1-0 1.000 1-0 0-0 10-3 .769 5-1 2-1 3-1 0-2
UCF 1-0 1.000 0-0 1-0 5-7 .417 4-2 1-5 0-0 0-0
Temple 1-0 1.000 0-0 1-0 5-8 .385 1-4 2-3 2-1 0-1
Tulsa 0-0 - 0-0 0-0 5-6 .455 2-4 2-2 1-0 0-0
East Carolina 0-1 .000 0-0 0-1 9-3 .750 4-0 3-2 2-1 0-1
Memphis 0-1 .000 0-1 0-0 6-6 .500 5-3 1-3 0-0 0-0
Houston 0-1 .000 0-1 0-0 5-7 .417 1-3 2-2 2-2 0-1
SMU 0-1 .000 0-0 0-1 4-8 .333 4-3 0-3 0-2 0-2
Cincinnati 0-1 .000 0-1 0-0 3-9 .250 3-2 0-5 0-2 0-0

Conference W-L - conference win-loss record
Conference Pct - conference winning percentage
Conference Hm - conference home record
Conference Rd - conference away record
Conference Nt - conference neutral site record

Overall W-L - overall win-loss record
Overall Pct - overall winning percentage
Overall Hm - overall home record
Overall Rd - overall road record
Overall Nt - overall neutral site record
vs Top 25 - record vs. Top 25 teams

Business Day

How Dreams and Money Didn’t Mix at a Texas Distillery

World

South Korea: 3 Die at Nuclear Plant’s Construction Site

Three South Korean workers died Friday after apparently inhaling toxic gas at a construction site for a nuclear plant being built by South Korea’s monopoly nuclear power company, which has come under recent threats by hackers, a company official said.
Nuclear Energy; Building (Construction); Accidents and Safety 

Nitrogen at atmospheric pressure is not toxic.
It does not sustain life.  It is 80% 0f air.  
U.S.

Building a Park to Span a Divide in Washington

Turning a disused bridge into a public park could link some of the district’s tourist-oriented neighborhoods with Anacostia, one of its final frontiers in the march toward gentrification.
Parks and Other Recreation Areas; Gentrification; Area Planning and Renewal 

"Mr. Kratz said he is working carefully to avoid that, by pushing for city policies that would manage development and growth and sustain housing that existing residents can afford. “If we end up building a bridge park and people who were part of the process can no longer afford to live here, we have failed,” he said."

Doomed to failure.   Developers want quick gentrification and high rents.
If it works as a bridge it is a failure.  If it works as a park it will fail the community.
Business Day

In Reversal, Germany Cools to Russian Investment

After years of post-Cold War business and political alliances, mistrust over the conflict in Ukraine has created a slew of canceled deals and ventures.
International Trade and World Market; Foreign Investments; Embargoes and Sanctions 

The first signs of panic.
World

Sweden Strikes Deal to Avoid Vote Expected to Strengthen Far Right

Sweden’s mainstream political parties announced a deal on Saturday to preserve a minority center-left government by adopting the center-right’s budget for next year.
Legislatures and Parliaments; Budgets and Budgeting 

The long term solution is an end to open borders.
Opinion

Kids and Jails, a Bad Combination

Despite reforms, there are still too many juveniles behind bars, sometimes for offenses like skipping school or violating curfew.
Juvenile Delinquency; Prisons and Prisoners; Editorials; United States Politics and Government; Law and Legislation 

We will try it.  The present law is unsatisfactory.
Opinion

Silicon Valley’s Mirror Effect

Is the concept of a meritocracy in the technology industry a myth?
Computers and the Internet; Women and Girls; Discrimination; Hiring and Promotion; Blacks; Race and Ethnicity 

Fashion accessories.
The Upshot

Why Greece’s New Crisis Isn’t Spreading to the Rest of Europe

This time around, financial markets seem to view Greece’s problems as limited to Greece. That’s great, unless the markets are wrong.
European Sovereign Debt Crisis (2010- ); Government Bonds; Euro (Currency) 

A crisis in Greece has become expected.  
Greek debt is held by the E.C.B. only.
Greece will exit the Euro gracefully.
U.S.

In North Dakota, a Tale of Oil, Corruption and Death

Tex G. Hall, a tribal chief connected to the oil industry, has pushed profits on the Fort Berthold Reservation. But accusations of corruption and murder for hire have upended business as usual.
Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline; Murders, Attempted Murders and Homicides; Hydraulic Fracturing; Series; Native Americans 

It is easier for me to read than to view the video.
Oklahoma is repeating without the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

@6:20,  12/30/14



Health

How Ebola Roared Back


There is no reason for the survival rate to change.
Business Day

Sony Streams ‘The Interview’ on YouTube, Google Play and Xbox

In getting behind “The Interview,” Google and Microsoft joined what had become more a campaign to defend free speech against foreign intimidation than a business initiative.
Movies; Cyberwarfare; Video Recordings, Downloads and Streaming 

"Spell the name right"
Business Day

Diabetes Drug Gains Approval for Treatment of Obesity

The first injectable drug approved for weight loss will be marketed for overweight adults who have weight-related health problems.
Diabetes; Obesity; Drugs (Pharmaceuticals) 

The problem is fructose.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lustig
Sugar: The Bitter Truth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
Fat Chance   Fructose II
http://www.uctv.tv/shows/Fat-Chance-Fructose-2-0-25641
The Upshot

Evidence That the Jim Crow Era Endures for Older Black Voters in the South

In states like North Carolina and Georgia, the black share of registered voters remains low among those who reached voting age before 1965.
 Blacks; Voting Rights Act (1965); Segregation and Desegregation; Age, Chronological 

Most people do not learn as adults.
Sports

Transcript of Winston Hearing Reveals Accuser’s Words, and Florida State’s Complicity

Jameis Winston was cleared of violating the student code of conduct, but the woman who accused him of raping her spoke powerfully at the university hearing.
Football (College); Sex Crimes 

Misogyny all the way to the top seems to be the rule in football.
U.S.

Overdose Cited in Death of Man Who Killed 6 in Pennsylvania

Officials initially believed that Bradley Stone, who they say killed his wife and five members of her family, had died of self-inflicted stab wounds.
Murders, Attempted Murders and Homicides; Drug Abuse and Traffic; Suicides and Suicide Attempts; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Veterans 

The cure for P.T.S.D. is not known.
Victims learn to live with it or it kills them.
It killed Bradly Stone.
Business Day

Rise in Loans Linked to Cars Is Hurting Poor


Yes.
World

Mexico: Body of Kidnapped Priest Is Found


Another revolution soon.

The fix is local manufacturing for the local market.
Commodity sales of extracted resources does not fix their economy.
Fashion & Style

I Will Be Your Mother Figure

He called me “mother” because I was his former priest. At 71, Ned was in love with a 28-year-old man. And the church was going nuts.
Modern Love (Times Column); Love (Emotion); Homosexuality and Bisexuality; Christians and Christianity 

The joy lasts.
U.S.

Video: On Tribal Lands, Oil and Trouble


Money does not bring joy.

Sooner is better.  As soon as you can is best.
U.S.

Law and Order Issues, Once G.O.P.’s Strength, Now Divide the Party

While some Republicans are seeking to overhaul the criminal justice system and reach out to minority voters, others are angered by protests and violence against the police.
Crime and Criminals; Police Brutality, Misconduct and Shootings; Attacks on Police; United States Politics and Government; Blacks; Race and Ethnicity; Minorities 

The G.O.P. cannot win with less than one third of the voters.
World

The Cost of the U.S. Ban on Paying for Hostages

Former hostages and Syrian rebel commanders say that they offered information they believed could help free American captives, but that officials seemed uninterested.
Kidnapping and Hostages; United States International Relations 

We sent the marines.
N.Y. / Region

An Animated History of New York’s Love-Hate Relationship With Commuting

Commuting is critical to New York City, and the metropolitan life it pioneered. The city has led the world in generating a miraculous daily movement that has now been mostly in place for a century.
Transportation; Boats and Boating; Commuting; Ferries 

Let us not forget the elevator.
N.Y. / Region

U.S. Said to Investigate Sheldon Silver, New York Assembly Speaker, Over Payments

Mr. Silver is being investigated for payments he received from a firm specializing in an area of law far removed from his personal injury law background, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Income; State Legislatures 

Sheldon Silver likes money.
He can be replaced.  Let the Feds try to indite him. 
The Upshot

Why Greece’s New Crisis Isn’t Spreading to the Rest of Europe

  
The panic will come after the exit.
Wolf has been cried to often.
U.S.

The Slow Process of Removing Rick Perry’s Footprint from Texas

It sounds a little crazy, but the governor is not usually the real power player in state government in Texas. Or was not, before Rick Perry.
Appointments and Executive Changes 

I do not want to live in Texas.

Desertification is not fun.  
We can keep looking.
I want to avoid the oil patch.

For a winter vacation we could try the "Big Bend National Park".
World

Sweden Strikes Deal to Avoid Vote Expected to Strengthen Far Right

Sweden’s mainstream political parties announced a deal on Saturday to preserve a minority center-left government by adopting the center-right’s budget for next year.
Legislatures and Parliaments; Budgets and Budgeting 

A change in immigration policy is sought by the reactionaries.
World

Human Rights Groups in Egypt Brace for Crackdown Under New Law

Advocates worry about how prosecutors will apply a sweeping law decreed by the new military-backed president as a tool to fight terrorism.
Human Rights and Human Rights Violations; Nonprofit Organizations 

The law is excessively broad. 

Dissidents  properly fear it.

|

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

@9:30, 12/28/14

|

1
U.S.

Some Top Officials Knew of V.A. Woes, Before the Scandal

Long before revelations that the Veterans Affairs hospital in Phoenix had hidden that veterans were facing long delays, senior department officials had been made aware of problems at the hospital.
Veterans; Hospitals

Find the reports in the files.  
Technology

Risks in Using Social Media to Spot Signs of Mental Distress

The ill-fated introduction in Britain of an app to detect predictors of suicide shows what may happen when social media posts are scrutinized for cues about a person’s mental health.
Social Media; Research; Mental Health and Disorders; Mobile Applications; Cyberharassment; Computers and the Internet; Depression (Mental); Suicides and Suicide Attempts

Interventions should continue to be based on individual relationships.
The robot shrink is a bad idea.
Opinion

The Dazzle of the Southern Sky

Our constellations may be upside down, but our stars shine brighter.
Stars and Galaxies; Space and Astronomy; Milky Way Galaxy

Losing the night sky is a high price to pay for time to read.
Automobiles

Move Over Land Yachts, Compact S.U.V.s Are in Demand

Consumers are flocking to smaller S.U.V.s, fueling a boom in vehicles that handle like a car, get the mileage of a midsize sedan, and yet offer features many drivers want.
Sports Utility Vehicles and Light Trucks; Fuel Efficiency

Yes,  cheap gas is temporary.
U.S.

A Bipartisan Push to Limit Lobbyists’ Sway Over Attorneys General

An effort is emerging to try to prevent lawyers and lobbyists from shutting down investigations or enlisting attorneys general as partners in litigation.
Attorneys General; Gifts to Public Officials; Lobbying and Lobbyists; Conflicts of Interest

We learn that money is not political speech.
Movies

One Day Your Prince Will Come (Whining)

Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen play agonized princes in “Into the Woods,” a highly anticipated adaptation of the 1986 Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine fairy-tale mash-up.
Movies

The story is richer if it builds from reality.
World

Pakistani Premier Announces Military Courts for Terrorism Cases

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced plans early Thursday to set up military courts to deal with terrorism cases after a deadly Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar last week.
School Shootings and Armed Attacks; Terrorism

Pakistan is its military.
Health

Diabetes Prevention That Works

Lifestyle modification prevents Type 2 diabetes even more effectively in the elderly than in middle-aged patients.
Diabetes; Elder Care; Elderly; Exercise; Preventive Medicine; Weight

Sugar does not make life better.
The Upshot

The Big Economic Unknowns of 2015, From Unemployment to Oil

No one can predict where the economy will land next year, but a handful of factors will help set its course.
United States Economy; Economic Conditions and Trends; Inflation (Economics); Interest Rates; Unemployment; International Trade and World Market; Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline

The national government budget will not grow.
We can start there.
Opinion

The Best Lawyers Money Can Buy

When most of the cases accepted by the Supreme Court are argued by elite litigators, who work mainly for corporate clients, all Americans suffer.
Corporations; Editorials; Legal Profession; News and News Media; Courts and the Judiciary

I am not much worried by the lawyers.  They continue to be mercenary.
The Justices do worry me.  They should believe in government.
Fashion & Style

Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin Are Naughty and Nice

The television journalist and the stand-up comic discuss their oddball chemistry, which will be on full display when they host CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live” celebration for the eighth year in a row.
Comedy and Humor; Careers and Professions; News and News Media; Television

Television should not try to do holidays.
Technology

Out of Tragedy, a Protective Glass for Schools

The killer at Sandy Hook Elementary School shot through a window, a detail that stuck with the co-founder of School Guard Glass, maker of a strong glass intended to thwart intruders.
Windows; Newtown, Conn, Shooting (2012); School Shootings and Armed Attacks; Glass; Security and Warning Systems

Effective safety glass is perhaps the best result the Sandy Hook incident.
World

A Boy in ISIS. A Suicide Vest. A Hope to Live.

Usaid Barho, a Syrian teenager who gave himself up rather than bomb a Shiite mosque, is one of thousands of children recruited by the Islamic State militants.
Child Soldiers; Terrorism

Sweet story.
U.S.

New Mexico: City to Revise Police Camera Policy

Albuquerque police officials say their policy for the use of body cameras is nearly impossible to follow, and they told The Albuquerque Journal that a new policy for the cameras would be put in place next year.
Cameras; Police; Attacks on Police

One would think storage and indexing had costs.
I can think of no reason not to record everything on duty.
The police can be human off duty.  We can ignore minor infractions for a time.
Sports

Teams Turn to a Face Reader, Looking for That Winning Smile

Last May, the Milwaukee Bucks hired a facial coding expert to evaluate college prospects to determine their emotional attributes.
Basketball; Face; Psychology and Psychologists; Draft and Recruitment (Sports); Emotions

Previous Day | Mon., December 29 | Next Day
9:45 1st Half 1 2 T
10
14   14
2
22   22
 
Business Day

Rise in Loans Linked to Cars Is Hurting Poor

With a crackdown on payday lenders, subprime borrowers are increasingly using auto title loans, whose high interest rates can lead to repossession and financial ruin.
Automobile Financing; Banking and Financial Institutions; Credit and Debt; Credit Scores; Interest Rates; Payday Loans; Regulation and Deregulation of Industry; Used Cars

Subprime loans are by design abusive.
Business Day

How Dreams and Money Didn’t Mix at a Texas Distillery

The founder of Balcones, an award-winning artisanal distillery in Waco, Tex., sought out capital to expand. But his passion collided with investors’ bottom line.
Whiskey; Alcoholic Beverages; Entrepreneurship

Accountants and craftsmen are not compatible. 
Business Day

Entering the Secret Garden of Private Equity

It’s a rare shift in a long-opaque industry: A firm is letting investors hire an outside monitor to review a fund’s books and practices.
Private Equity; Regulation and Deregulation of Industry; Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010); Prices (Fares, Fees and Rates)

The investment banking "game" has changed in the past few years.
Practices that were permitted are not now allowed.
If one is not participating in the game these changes are invisible.
World

AirAsia Flight Said to Be Lost in Indonesia

Flight QZ8501 was en route from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore when it requested a “deviation” from its usual flight path because of weather, the airline said. The plane was carrying 155 passengers and seven crew members.
Aviation Accidents, Safety and Disasters; Airlines and Airplanes

Debris and bodies have been found 12/30/14
Opinion

Drilling and Gambling in New York

Readers respond to a column by Joe Nocera disagreeing with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s decisions to ban fracking and allow gambling.
Hydraulic Fracturing; Casinos; Gambling

Andrew Cuomo is doing the politically possible.
Neither casino gambling or fracking should be allowed.
Casinos do not increase wealth.
Fracking does add carbon to the atmosphere.
Neither practice improves life.



|

Sunday, December 28, 2014

@20:20, 12/27/14

|



1
Business Day

E.P.A. Wrestles With Role of Nuclear Plants in Carbon Emission Rules

The agency is trying to complete a regulation governing emissions from power sources, and a formula for how to treat nuclear plants is proving contentious.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Carbon Dioxide; Nuclear Energy; Factories and Manufacturing; Electric Light and Power; Alternative and Renewable Energy; Environment

Nuclear energy has almost no supporters.
We need it.  We don't have to like it.

2
Technology

A Flurry of Varying Cellphone Offers Sows Confusion Among Consumers

Even executives at the wireless phone companies say their industry has created a confounding abundance of competing plans.
Wireless Communications; Prices (Fares, Fees and Rates); Cellular Telephones; Advertising and Marketing; Customer Relations; Consumer Protection 

Phone plans will shake out soon. 
The first to transparently offer a generous plan will own the market.

3
Sports

New Zealand Entrenched as World Cup Favorites

The All Blacks will once again finish the year as the top-ranked team in the world, and the other top teams all have improvements to make if they want to challenge them next year for the world title.
Rugby 

NCAA Women's Scoreboard
Previous Day | Sat., December 27 | Next Day
Final 1 2 T
SMU
16 29 45
2
49 47 96
Boxscore | Recap 
Leaders SMU Connecticut
Points 3 tied with 7 M. Jefferson 24
Rebounds G. Wilkins 5 B. Stewart 12
Assists M. Reese 3 K. Nurse 7
   
w10 © 2014 by STATS LLC.

American Athletic Conference
 ConferenceOverallvs
  W-L Pct Hm Rd W-L Pct Hm Rd Nt  Top 25
2 Connecticut 0-0 - 0-0 0-0 8-1 .889 2-0 2-1 4-0 2-1
East Carolina 0-0 - 0-0 0-0 9-2 .818 4-0 3-1 2-1 0-1
Tulane 0-0 - 0-0 0-0 9-2 .818 5-1 3-0 1-1 0-0
South Florida 0-0 - 0-0 0-0 9-3 .750 4-1 2-1 3-1 0-2
Memphis 0-0 - 0-0 0-0 6-5 .545 5-2 1-3 0-0 0-0
Tulsa 0-0 - 0-0 0-0 5-6 .455 2-4 2-2 1-0 0-0
Houston 0-0 - 0-0 0-0 5-6 .455 1-2 2-2 2-2 0-1
UCF 0-0 - 0-0 0-0 4-7 .364 4-2 0-5 0-0 0-0
SMU 0-0 - 0-0 0-0 4-7 .364 4-3 0-2 0-2 0-1
Temple 0-0 - 0-0 0-0 4-8 .333 1-4 1-3 2-1 0-1
Cincinnati 0-0 - 0-0 0-0 3-8 .273 3-1 0-5 0-2 0-0

Conference W-L - conference win-loss record
Conference Pct - conference winning percentage
Conference Hm - conference home record
Conference Rd - conference away record
Conference Nt - conference neutral site record

Overall W-L - overall win-loss record
Overall Pct - overall winning percentage
Overall Hm - overall home record
Overall Rd - overall road record
Overall Nt - overall neutral site record
vs Top 25 - record vs. Top 25

4
World

U.N. Set to Cut Force in Darfur as Fighting Rises

United Nations officials say their forces are routinely attacked by Sudanese forces and their proxies and that it is virtually impossible for their peacekeepers to remain without Sudan’s blessing.
War Crimes, Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity; Refugees and Displaced Persons 

The limits of power are evident to all but those in greatest need of protection.

5
U.S.

Some States See Budgets at Risk as Oil Price Falls

A study projected that job losses tied to the decline in energy costs would be largest in Wyoming, Oklahoma and North Dakota.
Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline; Layoffs and Job Reductions; Budgets and Budgeting; States (US)

Texas and other oil economies will be surprised at the impact of the reduced income.
Oil has been providing "foreign exchange".  
Money will not be spent in the local economy.

6
Automobiles

Move Over Land Yachts, Compact S.U.V.s Are in Demand

Consumers are flocking to smaller S.U.V.s, fueling a boom in vehicles that handle like a car, get the mileage of a midsize sedan, and yet offer features many drivers want.
Sports Utility Vehicles and Light Trucks; Fuel Efficiency 

Yes.

7
N.Y. / Region

Settlement Talks Over Rikers Island Class-Action Lawsuit Are Planned

The federal prosecutor’s office, lawyers representing inmates and New York City officials will discuss four key issues, including use of force by guards.
Prisons and Prisoners; Suits and Litigation (Civil) 

The federal government wants change and will have it.
The possible monetary gain is not the government goal. 

8
false

What Science Can, and Can't Do, to Cut Losses from the Next Tsunami

Ten years after 230,000 died in the world’s first hemisphere-scale geo-catastrophe, a tsunami expert looks ahead.
Boxing Day; Disasters and Emergencies; Earthquakes; Evacuations and Evacuees; Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (Japan); Geology; Humanitarian Aid; Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (2011); Oceans and Seas; Tidal Waves and Tsunamis 

Refuge structures are a good idea.

9
World

After Long Fight, Groups Pry Memo on Migrant Killings From Mexican Government

In a small victory for transparency advocates, Mexico released a document from the attorney general’s office that describes police complicity in the killings of migrants by drug gangs.
Murders, Attempted Murders and Homicides; Drug Cartels; Police Brutality, Misconduct and Shootings; Illegal Immigration 

Mexico is not improved.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/mexico/index.html

10
U.S.

Water Source for Almonds in California May Run Dry

The business of growing almonds has thrived in California despite drought because of a federally controlled project that allowed for Sacramento River water flows, but the law requires that that source nurture salmon as well during scarcity.
Agriculture and Farming; Water; Nuts; Drought; Law and Legislation; Salmon 

Save the fish.
The trees can survive on less water.  
Drip irrigation  can help.

11
Fashion & Style

Facebook’s Last Taboo: The Unhappy Marriage

One particular change in relationship status remains a difficult subject to raise online.
Social Media; Computers and the Internet; Dating and Relationships; Divorce, Separations and Annulments; Marriages; Weddings and Engagements 

When you speak we will speak.

12
N.Y. / Region

In Battle Pitting Cablevision Chief Against Union, Neither Appears Ready to Relent

The fight between James L. Dolan and a union representing 270 technicians has made for one of the more acrimonious disputes in recent New York City history.
Organized Labor; Labor and Jobs 

I favor the C.W.A.

13
Business Day

Sony Streams ‘The Interview’ on YouTube, Google Play and Xbox

Opinion

Strong Safety Rules for Taxis and Uber

The new companies cannot claim that they are safer than taxis when they have failed to meet basic safety standards for their drivers.
Editorials; Traffic Accidents and Safety; Sex Crimes; Taxicabs and Taxicab Drivers; Regulation and Deregulation of Industry; Car Services and Livery Cabs 

Any rule would raise objections.

15
World

A Former Ground Zero Goes to Court Against the World’s Nuclear Arsenals

The Marshall Islands, the Pacific atolls where Americans once conducted nuclear tests, want to spur global disarmament in a case before the world’s top court.
Arms Control and Limitation and Disarmament; Nuclear Weapons; Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty

Yes, Quixotic.

16
U.S.

After Scrutiny, C.I.A. Mandate Is Untouched

Four decades ago, a Senate committee’s revelations about abuses committed by the intelligence community led to major alterations at the C.I.A. But times have changed.
Espionage and Intelligence Services; Classified Information and State Secrets; Torture

The C.I.A. is going to become invisible or it will be destroyed.

17
World

Ex-Marine Held in Iranian Prison Suspends Hunger Strike

Amir Hekmati, of Flint, Mich., has been incarcerated for more than three years and is the longest-serving among the three Americans of Iranian descent known to be jailed by Iran.
Hunger Strikes; Prisons and Prisoners 

Let the diplomats work.

18
World

Even Loyalty No Guarantee Against Putin

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who wields virtually unchallenged power to reward a new class of oligarchs, also uses the same instrument to punish those who oppose him.
Political Prisoners 

In all but name, Putin is Czar.

19
U.S.

California: San Jose Clearing Out Homeless Enclaves

After closing the Jungle, the nation’s largest homeless camp, officials in San Jose, Calif., are aggressively cleaning out other encampments before they grow.
Homeless Persons; Public and Subsidized Housing; Squatters 

Cities tend to clear surplus people.
It has not been considered a good thing.

20
Science

The Great Carnivores of Europe

Big carnivores are making a comeback in Europe without the aid of wildlife preserves, suggesting the animals are better at adapting to life with humans than once suspected.
Bears; Wolves; Animals 

I like the idea.


|