Friday, February 22, 2013

@20:25, 2/21/13

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1
Business Day

Getting I.R.S. Help in Spanish

Spanish-speaking taxpayers can also stay connected to the I.R.S. through Twitter, by following @IRSenEspanol.
Federal Taxes (US); Income Tax; Spanish Language; 

The law is incomprehensible.  The instructions are direct.
Follow the instructions step by step.  There is really no escape.
 
2
Business Day

Supreme Court Gives F.T.C. a Win on Hospital Mergers

A Supreme Court ruling that strengthened the power of the Federal Trade Commission could limit the ability of public hospital authorities to claim immunity from federal antitrust laws.
Antitrust Laws and Competition Issues; Hospitals; Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures;

Consult a real expert.  
 
3
Opinion

Old and Rich? Less Help for You

A possible compromise: allocate Medicare and Social Security benefits according to need.
Medicare; Social Security (US); Federal Budget (US); 

These are not means tested.  
They are paid benefits supported by their own tax revenue.  
Cutting Social Security and Medicare is not in the cards.
I hope there will be no grand bargain.
The debt ceiling must die.

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4
Opinion

‘The Feminine Mystique,’ 50 Years Later

Readers respond to articles about Betty Friedan’s groundbreaking book.
Women and Girls; Careers and Professions; 

Do what works.
5
U.S.

Hip Replacements Less Successful in Women

Women, who make up the majority of Americans who have such operations, were 29 percent more likely than men to need a repeat operation within three years.
Hips; Surgery and Surgeons; Women and Girls;

No breakdown on the modes of failure. 
The J.A.M.A. is not easily accessible for me.
 
6
Opinion

Unjust Mandatory Minimums

When low-level offenders are unfairly being given sentences equal to those of major criminals, it’s time for reform.
Mandatory Sentencing; Sentences (Criminal); Law and Legislation; Editorials; Drug Abuse and Traffic; Prisons and Prisoners; 

This would be a minimal action.
I favor decriminalization and taxation at a modest tax rate.
 
7
Business Day

Quel Brouhaha! A Diatribe on Unions Irks the French

An American executive delivered a broadside as he rejected France’s plea to take over a Goodyear plant scheduled for closure.
Labor and Jobs; Shutdowns (Institutional); 

Nationalize it and run the plant on the French government.
Goodyear has no duty to run at a loss.
 
8
Autos

Wheelies: The Daredevil Edition

Snowboarders and skiers have long been doing back flips on the slopes. Now joining them is the Mini Countryman.
Automobiles; Motorcycles, Motor Bikes and Motorscooters; Stunts and Stuntmen; 

OK
 
9
U.S.

Democrats’ Man for Battles Will Lead New Senate Charge

Guy Cecil, who led the way to unlikely Senate victories for Democrats in 2010 and 2012, has a goal for next year: “To hold the majority, that’s it,” he said.
Elections, Senate; United States Politics and Government; 

A man with seasoning.  
I am unsure of the Democratic cause but very sure of the Republican cause.  It is enough.
10
Opinion

Beltway Foreign Policy

How the first-term Obama White House shunned diplomacy for domestic political calculation.
United States Politics and Government; Diplomatic Service, Embassies and Consulates; 

I understand Roger Cohen's agenda.  The others are less clear.
 
11
U.S.

White House Concerned About Delay in Security Confirmations

President Obama’s chief of staff said that the White House had “grave concern” that national security was at stake, given the delay in confirming a new Pentagon chief and a C.I.A. director.
Filibusters and Debate Curbs; United States Politics and Government; 

The G.O.P. is determined to prevent government.
 
12
Business

Fox Broadcasting Partners With YouTube Channel

WIGS, which was conceived last year as a channel for female-friendly dramas on the Web, is being taken under Fox's wing as an incubator for new show ideas.
Television; Web-Original Programming; 

One can hope.  
I just don't have the leisure.
 
13
Arts

A Network and Its Modern, Manly Goals

The Esquire Network needs to avoid the pitfalls of other TV programming geared toward men.
Television; Men and Boys;

Sad.
 
14
Opinion

The Pope’s Muffled Voice

Don’t let the media frenzy fool you. American Catholics pay only glancing attention to the Vatican.
Priests; Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships; Birth Control and Family Planning; 

Perhaps
 
15
N.Y. / Region

School Bus Drivers See No Gain From Strike

Leaders of the bus drivers’ union said the job action was the start of a long war that would spread to other fronts, like Albany.
Buses; Strikes; Organized Labor; Education (K-12); 

They will be back.
 
16
Health

New Federal Rule Requires Insurers to Offer Mental Health Coverage

The Obama administration said the rule would let millions gain access to treatment for mental illnesses and other conditions, but some worry about the lack of a national uniform standard of care.
Health Insurance and Managed Care; Mental Health and Disorders; Reform and Reorganization; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010); Standards and Standardization; 

Patching 
 
17
World

An Attempt to Take Tools From Tyrants

In a bid to prevent European companies from selling electronic eavesdropping gear to Bahrain, several groups have filed a complaint with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Science and Technology; Espionage and Intelligence Services; Surveillance of Citizens by Government; 

Good enough encryption is available to all.  Using it requires planning.
18
U.S.

Leak in Fuel Line Was Cause of Stricken Cruise Ship’s Trouble

The fire that resulted destroyed the Carnival Triumph’s generators, leaving it stranded in the Gulf of Mexico.
Maritime Accidents and Safety; Cruises; 

This was either gross incompetence of the engineering watch or a major design failure.  Possibly both.
We have not heard the last of this incident.
 
19
N.Y. / Region

Amid Questions About Ethics, a Battle-Tested Senator Digs In

Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, has projected a business-as-usual appearance even as he has hired a team to defuse a crisis that threatens to strip him of power.
Ethics (Institutional); 

I watch New Jersey politics with a periscope.
The flying dirt could hurt.
20
Opinion

T Magazine's New Editor Pledges to Make Future Issues More Diverse

Readers complained about the absence of people of color in T: The Times Style Magazine.
Race and Ethnicity; 

"Follow the money"
















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