@21:05, 2/20/15

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1

Business Day

8 Tax Loopholes the Obama Administration Could Close

By VICTOR FLEISCHER | Feb 18th 2015

The Treasury Department has the legal authority to close some tax loopholes that Congress did not intend, writes Victor Fleischer in the Standard Deduction column.

Capital Gains Tax; Corporate Taxes; Federal Taxes (US); Foreign Investments; Income Inequality; Inheritance and Estate Taxes; Retirement; State of the Union Message (US); Tax Shelters 

Congressional gridlock continues.

The tax code will continue unchanged.

2

N.Y. / Region

Driver Faces Life Sentence in Crash That Killed Expectant Brooklyn Couple

By BENJAMIN MUELLER | Feb 19th 2015

Julio Acevedo, accused of plowing his car into a livery cab carrying a pregnant Orthodox woman and her husband, was convicted Thursday of second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

Murders, Attempted Murders and Homicides; Traffic Accidents and Safety 

I am not happy with the tone of the article.

The verdict pleases me.

3

Technology

Tech Investors Create a Billion-Dollar-Baby Boom

By MICHAEL J. de la MERCED and MIKE ISAAC | Feb 19th 2015

Less than a year after Snapchat was valued at about $10 billion, the hunt is on for the next proverbial “unicorn,” a nascent business worth $1 billion or more — on paper, at least.

Venture Capital; Start-ups; Computers and the Internet 

Social and evanescent  are qualities people desire from the net.

Advertisers hate that.

4

World

U.N. Envoy to Syria Announces Possible Truce in Aleppo

By SOMINI SENGUPTA and ANNE BARNARD | Feb 17th 2015

A senior United Nations envoy said Tuesday that he had persuaded President Bashar al-Assad to stop bombing and shelling the northern city of Aleppo as part of a proposed six-week truce.

Muslims and Islam; International Relations 

I simply do not know if this is a good development.

5

U.S.

Unlikely Cause Unites the Left and the Right: Justice Reform

By CARL HULSE | Feb 18th 2015

Groups like Koch Industries and the Center for American Progress, usually bitter adversaries, are banding together to reduce prison populations and overhaul sentencing.

Crime and Criminals; United States Politics and Government; Prisons and Prisoners; Sentences (Criminal) 

The fights in national and state government are essentially political.

All sides are agreed that the issues need attention.

"The Devil is in the details."

6

U.S.

California: Hospital Says ‘Superbug’ Infected 7

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Feb 18th 2015

A potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant “superbug” infected seven patients, including two who died, the University of California, Los Angeles, reported on Wednesday.

Infections; Hospitals; Antibiotics; Bacteria; Deaths (Fatalities); Medical Devices 

That hospital has a problem.

A disposable endoscope may be a solution.

7

World

Indonesia: Executions Imminent for Foreigners Convicted of Smuggling

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Feb 16th 2015

Two Australians are among eight convicted drug smugglers who will be transferred this week to the prison island of Nusa Kambangan for imminent execution, an official said Monday.

Capital Punishment; Drug Abuse and Traffic; Smuggling 

There is no reason their nationality should entail special privilege.

8

Opinion

Groundhog Day at the Supreme Court

By LINDA GREENHOUSE | Feb 19th 2015

Whether Supreme Court accepts a new challenge to affirmative action in college admissions will tell us a lot about its tolerance for conflict.

Admissions Standards; Colleges and Universities; Affirmative Action 

Yes, we will soon find out how desperate the reactionaries are.

9

U.S.

Veterans in Congress Bring Rare Perspective to Authorizing War

By ASHLEY PARKER and JEREMY W. PETERS | Feb 17th 2015

Lawmakers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have emerged as important voices in the debate over authorizing a military campaign against the Islamic State.

United States Defense and Military Forces; Veterans; War Powers Act (1973); Afghanistan War (2001-14); Iraq War (2003-11) 

Yes.

The U.S. military is a tool of government.  It is not skilled in democracy.

10

Sports

Reverent Tribute to a Coach Befits a Rivalry, and So Does the Game

By ROBERT HARMS | Feb 18th 2015

Duke and North Carolina fans, players and coaches honored the late Dean Smith with a solemn ceremony before the Blue Devils rallied to win at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Basketball (College) 

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Time	TV	Result
11/14	at California-Davis	10:00 PM ET	ESPN3	W 102 - 43
11/17	at 6 Stanford	9:00 PM ET	ESPN2	L 86 - 88
11/23	vs. Creighton	1:00 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3	W 96 - 60
11/28	vs. Charleston*	8:30 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3	W 85 - 24
11/29	vs. Vanderbilt*	8:30 PM ET		W 91 - 52
11/30	vs. Wisconsin-Green Bay*	8:30 PM ET		W 89 - 53
12/6	at 2 Notre Dame	3:15 PM ET	ESPN	W 76 - 58
12/19	vs. 25 DePaul	7:30 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3	W 98 - 64
12/21	vs. UCLA*	5:00 PM ET	ESPN2	W 86 - 50
12/27	vs. Southern Methodist	1:00 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3	W 96 - 45
12/29	vs. 10 Duke	9:00 PM ET	ESPN2	W 83 - 52
12/31	at East Carolina	2:30 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3	W 89 - 38
1/4	vs. St. John's (NY)*	1:00 PM ET	ESPN2	W 70 - 54
1/7	vs. Tulsa	7:00 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3	W 98 - 60
1/11	at Southern Methodist	3:00 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3	W 87 - 28
1/14	vs. Temple	7:00 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3	W 92 - 58
1/18	vs. South Florida	1:00 PM ET	ESPN2	W 92 - 50
1/21	at UCF	7:00 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3	W 100 - 45
1/25	at Cincinnati	3:00 PM ET	ESPN2	W 96 - 31
1/28	vs. East Carolina	7:00 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3	W 87 - 32
2/1	at Temple	2:00 PM ET	ESPN2	W 83 - 49
2/3	vs. Cincinnati	7:00 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3	W 96 - 36
2/7	at Memphis	3:30 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3	W 80 - 34
2/9	vs. 1 South Carolina	8:00 PM ET	ESPN2	W 87 - 62
2/14	vs. Tulane	4:00 PM ET	CBSS	W 87 - 39
2/17	vs. Houston	7:00 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3	W 85 - 26
2/21	at Tulsa	3:00 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3
2/23	at Tulane	8:00 PM ET	ESPN-FC/ESPN3
2/28	vs. Memphis	2:00 PM ET	CBSS
3/2	at South Florida	7:00 PM ET	ESPN2

11

false

What If We Lost the Sky?

By ANNA NORTH | Feb 20th 2015

One proposal for reversing climate change could alter the appearance of the sky — and that in turn could affect everything from our physical health to the way we see ourselves.

Creativity; Emotions; Geography; Global Warming; Hubble Space Telescope; Milky Way Galaxy; Photography; Research; Space and Astronomy; Stars and Galaxies; Telescopes and Observatories 

I have not seen the night sky for decades.

My neighbors fear the dark.

12

false

Flexible Work: Nice, if You Can Get It

By ANNA NORTH | Feb 17th 2015

Flexible work arrangements have helped Op-Talk readers care for their families and themselves. But some say their schedules have no flexibility at all.

Anxiety and Stress; Children and Childhood; Labor and Jobs; Paid Time Off; Productivity; Telecommuting; Work-Life Balance; Working Hours 

yes

13

N.Y. / Region

Mayor de Blasio’s Traffic Law Vilifies Bus Drivers, Union Says

By EMMA G. FITZSIMMONS | Feb 19th 2015

The union says arrests in recent accidents involving pedestrians were unfair and called on lawmakers to exempt drivers from a new right-of-way law.

Traffic Accidents and Safety; Buses 

The driver's union is badly advised.

14

Opinion

The Government’s Bad Diet Advice

By NINA TEICHOLZ | Feb 20th 2015

America’s dietary guidelines have long been based on weak science.

Diet and Nutrition; Weight; Heart; Obesity 

The Department of Agriculture is learning.

Nina Teicholz needs to think critically. 

The meat industry is not an unbiased source.

"Eat food, mostly vegetables."

15

U.S.

Killing in Washington State Offers ‘Ferguson’ Moment for Hispanics

By JULIE TURKEWITZ and RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr. | Feb 16th 2015

The shooting of a man who threw rocks at the police in Pasco, Wash., has led to comparisons to Ferguson, Mo., and drawn condemnation from the Mexican president and multiple investigations.

Police Brutality, Misconduct and Shootings; Hispanic-Americans; Murders, Attempted Murders and Homicides 

This "suicide by cop" was too easily accomplished.

16

World

Iran Judge Blocks Effort to Hire Lawyer for Reporter

By RICK GLADSTONE | Feb 18th 2015

The family of Jason Rezaian, The Post’s Tehran correspondent who has been jailed since July, has been frustrated in efforts to hire a lawyer to represent him.

Political Prisoners; Freedom of the Press; News and News Media 

Jason Rezaian is a hostage.

17

Opinion

What Would Malcolm X Think?

By ILYASAH SHABAZZ | Feb 20th 2015

My father would urge today’s activists to move from slogans to actions.

Demonstrations, Protests and Riots; Police Brutality, Misconduct and Shootings; Blacks; Civil Rights Movement (1954-68) 

She knows the words.  

The music is missing.

18

false

A Look Behind the Headlines on China’s Coal Trends

By ANDREW C. REVKIN | Feb 18th 2015

A reality check on coal trends in China and their implications for the climate.

Carbon Capture and Sequestration; Carbon Dioxide; Coal; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Regulation and Deregulation of Industry 

As far as I can tell carbon dioxide capture and storage is energy negative.

It takes more energy to capture and store the carbon dioxide than burning coal yields.

19

World

Gold Coins, at Bottom of Sea for Millennium, Go on Display

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Feb 18th 2015

Israel has unveiled the largest collection of medieval gold coins ever found in the country, a cache accidentally discovered by amateur divers.

Archaeology; Shipwrecks (Historic); Gold; Currency 

It will be interesting if we can learn more of the boat that carried them.

$250,000 in North African gold is not enough for taxes.

Could be profit from trade.  Could be a bank transfer. 

20

World

Video: Pope Francis Leads Ash Wednesday Mass

Reuters | Feb 18th 2015

Pope Francis, in his homily during an Ash Wednesday Mass at the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome, urged humility among the Roman Catholic clergy.

Popes; Lent; Priests 

The pope may understand his problems

With his priests.

It is not required that they be ours.

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