@12:20, 3/3/15

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Business Day

Bank of England’s Chief Currency Dealer Fired for Rule Breaches

By JENNY ANDERSON | Mar 3rd 2015

Mark Carney, the bank’s governor, said the executive was dismissed for actions that “could’ve brought the bank’s reputation into disrepute,”

Ethics and Official Misconduct; Regulation and Deregulation of Industry 

The London banks have been manipulating the exchange rate "Fix" as they learned to do with the LIBOR.

It is not significant for us but the money markets care deeply.

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World

3 Israelis Are Charged on Suspicion of Supplying Materials to Hamas Militants

By ISABEL KERSHNER | Mar 2nd 2015

Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, accused one of the defendants of storing merchandise in his warehouse on the Gaza border and organizing its transfer.

Palestinians; Smuggling 

I am going to have to let the courts sort this one out.

Michael Peretz says his paperwork was in order.

Shin Bet says it should not have been.

The problem is with Shin Bet if the paper work was in order.

The first project is a review of the paperwork.

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N.Y. / Region

Safety Advocates Want Harsher Penalties for New York’s Drivers

By EMMA G. FITZSIMMONS | Mar 2nd 2015

The push and the pushback show some of the challenges Mayor Bill de Blasio faces as he campaigns to eliminate traffic deaths.

Traffic Accidents and Safety; Drivers Licenses; Drunken and Reckless Driving 

The goal of zero traffic deaths is laudable.

Let the law be enforced.

The mix of automobiles and pedestrians is unavoidably dangerous.

I expect the goal of no traffic deaths could only be achieved by banning traffic.

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World

French Development Worker Is Kidnapped in Yemen

By ALISSA J. RUBIN | Feb 24th 2015

A Frenchwoman working on a World Bank project was abducted in Sana, the Yemeni capital, with Yemeni officials saying Al Qaeda was probably responsible.

Kidnapping and Hostages 

Kidnapping exerts leverage on obdurate conditions.

It will be a constant threat.

5

Sports

Games on a Reservation Go By in a Blur

By MICHAEL POWELL | Mar 2nd 2015

Native American high schools like Window Rock and Chinle in Arizona play rez ball, or reservation basketball, an extremely up-tempo version of basketball with an intense following to match.

Basketball; Native Americans; Navajo Indians; Interscholastic Athletics 

Far better than tribal war.

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World

Study Says Pregnant Women in India Are Gravely Underweight

By GARDINER HARRIS | Mar 2nd 2015

In one of the world’s most perplexing public health issues, Indian mothers tend to be less healthy than their counterparts in poorer countries.

Malnutrition; Infant Mortality; Women and Girls; Pregnancy and Childbirth; Babies and Infants; Anemia; Diet and Nutrition 

One must also look at the distribution of wealth.

The children of starving mothers have poor survival.

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U.S.

Support for V.A. Chief Who Lied About Serving in Special Forces

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS | Feb 24th 2015

Trivial.

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Sports

Record Set in World Cup Victory for West Indies

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Feb 24th 2015

I do not know enough of the game to form an intelligent comment.

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Sports

In Los Angeles, Stadiums Battle Heats Up

By KEN BELSON | Mar 1st 2015

With three N.F.L. teams vying to move to the same city, studies criticize one proposal for a stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

Football; Stadiums and Arenas 

Both Los Angeles and the NFL are brain damaged.

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U.S.

Video: Reaction to ‘American Sniper’ Verdict

Feb 25th 2015

There must be a cure for P.T.S.D.

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U.S.

Nebraska: Marriage Ban Struck Down

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Mar 2nd 2015

A Federal District Court judge, Joseph Bataillon, on Monday struck down Nebraska’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, triggering a quick appeal by the state attorney general’s office.

Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships 

The state attorney general's office is mistaken.

Marriage is a civil rite.

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The Upshot

If Patients Only Knew How Often Treatments Could Harm Them

By AUSTIN FRAKT and AARON E. CARROLL | Mar 2nd 2015

People say they would opt for less care if they had more knowledge of benefits and harms, studies show.

Preventive Medicine; Health Insurance and Managed Care; Tests (Medical) 

I am not shocked that medicine invests in selling its' services.

I am embarrassed that that effort is not more debunked.

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false

What Sound Annoys You?

By KAREN BARROW | Mar 2nd 2015

Popcorn munching, nut cracking, joint popping — pick which sound grates on your nerves.

Anxiety and Stress; Noise 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/02/snip-snap-slurp-misophonia-makes-them-unbearable/

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/23/please-stop-making-that-noise/

A squeaking bearing will get my attention every time.

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Opinion

Aid to Central America

Feb 25th 2015

Adriana Beltrán of the Washington Office on Latin America writes that “this aid package represents an important shift away from focusing predominantly on security assistance.”

Foreign Aid 

Not only is it proper to help, it is the only way to slow the flow of refugees.

Any reduction in the numbers fleeing unbearable conditions should begin with the correction of those conditions.

15

Health

Fatality Rate Is Falling in West African Ebola Clinics

By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. | Feb 26th 2015

At Doctors Without Borders’ remaining treatment centers, the average death rate has fallen to 52 percent from 62 percent, and doctors are not sure why.

Ebola Virus; Epidemics; Medicine and Health 

There is probably a Nobel in the work.

I noticed that Liberia preceded Sierra Leone in the fall off of deaths.

My first guess was that part of the population is more vulnerable to the virus.

That part would die soon leaving  more robust survivors to die in smaller numbers.

A recent recessive mutation might act that way.

Another possibility is a toxic exposure or a helper virus. 

16

Sports

Knicks Outlast Pistons to Halt a Skid

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Feb 28th 2015

The Knicks, who had lost eight straight games, won in double overtime with help from Shane Larkin’s 3-point play in the final minute.

Basketball 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/sports/ncaabasketball/iowa-state-sends-baylor-to-second-straight-loss.html

UCONN 87, MEMPHIS 24 Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis scored 21 points in her final home game to lead top-ranked Connecticut to a rout of Memphis, helping the Huskies secure their second straight regular-season championship in the American Athletic Conference.

Breanna Stewart added 20 points and 8 rebounds for the Huskies (28-1, 17-0), who have not lost a conference game since the inception of the A.A.C. at the start of last season.

Ariel Hearn scored 7 points on 3-of-20 shooting to lead Memphis (13-15, 7-10), which made just 11 of its 57 shots from the field.

Mosqueda-Lewis hit 8 of 11 shots and had five 3-pointers. Her second shot, part of UConn’s opening 10-2 run, pushed her past the 2,000-point mark in her career.

The Huskies led by 54-9 at the half.

The UConn freshman Gabby Williams had 16 points and 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double.

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World

American Is Kidnapped in Nigeria

By ADAM NOSSITER | Feb 24th 2015

Expect it.

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Sports

Cornell Stuns Harvard, Shaking Up Ivy League Race

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Feb 27th 2015

Cornell upset Harvard, 57-49, allowing Yale to move into a tie with Harvard for first place in the Ivy League.

Basketball (College) 

Take the women's roundup.

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Opinion

Finding Joy in My Father’s Death

By ANN PATCHETT | Feb 27th 2015

I was happy for all of us that this hideous struggle, which had extended past the most unreasonable expectations, was finally over.

Death and Dying; Families and Family Life; Grief (Emotion) 

We had to keep her alive long enough to get her home.

It was her wish and she understood our efforts.

I was left numb. It has been most of a year.  

I am slowly putting life together.

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

World

Deadly Attacks in Xinjiang Go Unreported in China

By MICHAEL FORSYTHE | Feb 27th 2015

China’s news outlets, controlled by the Communist Party, have not acknowledged recent bloodshed in the restive region, including a knife and gun battle in which 17 people died, according to Radio Free Asia.

Attacks on Police; Terrorism; Uighurs (Chinese Ethnic Group)

The P.R.C. has no wish to advertise the loss of legitimacy.
The U.N. should begin to mutter about genocide if they have not done so.

China will have a problem with net neutrality.

 The Chinese Firewall Must make them nervous.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewall_%28computing%29
There is more here than I can deal with tonight.

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