@12:30, 5/21/15

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1

Opinion

Moving to End Housing Segregation

May 20th 2015

Readers discuss how to make fair housing laws more effective.

Affordable Housing; Discrimination; Real Estate and Housing (Residential); Area Planning and Renewal 

There is not yet a right to poverty.

2

Magazine

Every Last Bit

By MARK BITTMAN | May 20th 2015

3

Real Estate

$650,000 Homes in California, Florida and Montana

By MIKE POWELL | May 20th 2015

Houses are designed.

Often houses are fitted to the climate of their location.

4

World

Iran’s Supreme Leader Rules Out Broad Nuclear Inspections

By THOMAS ERDBRINK | May 20th 2015

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran would not agree to any requirement to allow access to military sites or to its nuclear scientists.

Nuclear Energy; Nuclear Weapons; International Relations 

Sanctions on Iran will continue.

5

Science

Author of Study on Changing Views of Gay Marriage Seeks Its Retraction

By BENEDICT CAREY and PAM BELLUCK | May 20th 2015

The senior author of the widely publicized report, published in the journal Science in December, said his collaborator failed to produce raw data after questions were raised.

Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships; Science and Technology; Voting and Voters 

Peer review is broken.

6

Food

The Modern American Shrub

By KIM SEVERSON | May 19th 2015

The shrub is a fast-rising star among both cocktail-nation kids and teetotalers with good palates.

Beverages; Summer (Season); Vinegar 

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017410-summer-fruit-shrub

It is the sugar as much as alcohol that is objectionable.

I can't resist summer fruit.

7 

Business Day

Saudi Arabia Oil Exports Rose to Highest Levels Since 2005

By REUTERS | May 18th 2015

Saudi Arabia’s crude oil exports rose in March to their highest in almost a decade, data showed on Monday, a sign of unexpectedly strong global demand as the top oil exporter increased its output.

Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline; International Trade and World Market 

"The increase underlined Saudi Arabia’s determination not to cede market share to higher-cost producers, like shale drillers in the United States."

8

Sports

Another Wreck at Indy

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | May 18th 2015

The IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe was taken to a hospital for leg surgery after slamming his car into the wall at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Automobile Racing 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IndyCar

http://www.indycar.com/

9

N.Y. / Region

Taxi Panic Button Proposal Stirs Questions About Safety and False Alarms

By EMMA G. FITZSIMMONS | May 18th 2015

A New York councilman has introduced a bill that would require cabs and car services to provide a back-seat button for passengers in peril, but drivers’ advocates say they have concerns.

Taxicabs and Taxicab Drivers; Car Services and Livery Cabs; Automobile Safety Features and Defects 

It is just another app for the phone.

10

The Upshot

Dueling Views on the First-Quarter Slump

By JUSTIN WOLFERS | May 19th 2015

Economists disagree about the accuracy of arcane statistical measurements used to offset seasonal slowdowns.

United States Economy; Gross Domestic Product; Statistics; Consumer Confidence (Economic Indicator) 

Both these theories should be discounted.

This might help:

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/19/stupid-austerity-tricks/

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/19/trade-and-the-decline-of-us-manufacturing-employment/

The first quarter slump is mostly housing.

http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2015/05/existing-home-sales-in-april-504.html

image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDz2iMvbgdC_iTlB255CcvUjH2Kja86dJdMzAl99lDyDIPeA9Yw9Bn_6HExYQTrJtxLkbvbKt81AY8weQkpV5y_6T7iBSvyfvuxJSHPNdBIYQzBYznesZesIFpIQ30QQi28KWdx6lA5bj/s1600/EHSYoYInvApr2015.PNG

Read more at http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2015/05/existing-home-sales-in-april-504.html#xjOG1EbadiR3QgDH.99

11

U.S.

9/11 Ruling by Supreme Court Has Transformed Civil Lawsuits

By ADAM LIPTAK | May 18th 2015

12

U.S.

U.S. Details New Efforts to Support Ailing Bees

By MICHAEL WINES | May 19th 2015 

13

Opinion

How to Get Our Fish Stocks Back

May 18th 2015 

14

The Upshot

Why Insurance Doesn’t Always Prevent Giant Medical Bills

By MARGOT SANGER-KATZ | May 20th 2015

High-deductible plans, particularly when combined with low incomes and chronic health problems, can be a recipe for financial stress.

Health Insurance and Managed Care; Polls and Public Opinion; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) 

The insurance industry and the Republican party hate the ACA.

15

Food

What’s In and Out at Berg’n

By FLORENCE FABRICANT | May 19th 2015

Berg’n’s lineup rotates; Brooklyn gets a new steakhouse; new around the Hamptons; and more.

Restaurants 

Your choice.

16

World

Iran Sets Trial Date for Washington Post Reporter Jason Rezaian

By THOMAS ERDBRINK | May 19th 2015

Mr. Rezaian, who is accused of spying for the United States, will go on trial with his wife and a third defendant on May 26.

Espionage and Intelligence Services; Americans Abroad; Courts and the Judiciary; United States International Relations 

Iran wants the sanctions lifted.

17

Science

Secret Vessel to Test Durability of Materials in Space, NASA Says

By KENNETH CHANG | May 19th 2015

The X-37B, a secret unmanned spacecraft operated by the Air Force, is expected to take off from Florida on Wednesday.

Rocket Science and Propulsion; Space and Astronomy; United States Defense and Military Forces 

I believe them.  The ion drive is important.

18

Real Estate

Block by Block: Inwood (Video Series)

By THE NEW YORK TIMES | May 19th 2015

Inwood, in upper Manhattan, is the focus of the next video in our new monthly series, ‘Block by Block.’

Real Estate and Housing (Residential) 

I do not wish to live in the city.

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Dover-NY/pmf,pf_pt/2105573958_zpid/396991_rid/days_sort/41.820455,-73.356056,41.546103,-73.791389_rect/10_zm/?view=map

19

World

Nepalese Officials Set Two-Story Limit on Height of New Buildings

By BHADRA SHARMA and GARDINER HARRIS | May 20th 2015

20

N.Y. / Region

In Liberty Park, a Leafy Refuge for Residents Annoyed by Construction

By DAVID W. DUNLAP | May 18th 2015 

Ride the ferry to Governor's Island.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governors_Island

?

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent/Dover-NY/house,condo,apartment_duplex,townhouse_type/53715262_zpid/396991_rid/days_sort/41.820455,-73.356056,41.546103,-73.791389_rect/10_zm/

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

1

Travel

Video: 36 Hours in Bilbao

Fritzie Andrade | May 20th 2015

Beyond Bilbao’s Guggenheim museum, there’s much to explore, from Michelin-star restaurants and medieval streets, to a bar run by a world-class mixologist.

Travel and Vacations

A day and a half is not enough time.

2

Science

Indian Subcontinent’s Quake-Causing Collision Course

By KENNETH CHANG | May 18th 2015

Geologists have conflicting theories as to why India is still on the move, up to two inches a year, and why it has crashed into Eurasia.

Geology; Earth; Earthquakes

Details in the distant past.  They are intellectually interesting.

3

Technology

Video: App Smart | Track Your Water Usage

Kit Eaton | May 20th 2015

Many people are looking for ways to keep track of their water consumption. New apps like Vizsafe, Drip Detective and Dropcountr can help you save water and save money.

Water; Drought; Mobile Applications

Reading the water meter  is good practice.

4

U.S.

Workers Race to Clean Up Oil Spill on California Coast

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | May 21st 2015

Up to 21,000 gallons of crude oil reached the sea near Santa Barbara after a leak in a pipeline linking a large offshore rig to refineries.

Oil Spills; Environment; Fish and Other Marine Life; Birds; Coastal Areas

It does not look good.   We will know more in a few days.

5

U.S.

Lawmakers Back Broader Access to Contraceptives for Women in the Military

By ROBERT PEAR | May 19th 2015

Lawmakers were moved, in part, by concerns over the rate of unplanned pregnancy in the armed forces.

United States Defense and Military Forces; Women and Girls; Birth Control and Family Planning; Pregnancy and Childbirth

Sexual activity will happen.  The military must make contraception available.

6

Business Day

Wind Power Is Poised to Spread to All States

By DIANE CARDWELL | May 19th 2015

Larger, taller machines could eventually make faster winds at higher altitudes an economical source of electricity, said Ernest Moniz, the energy secretary.

Wind Power

I am not enthused with wind power.

7

Science

Secret Vessel to Test Durability of Materials in Space, NASA Says

By KENNETH CHANG | May 19th 2015

The X-37B, a secret unmanned spacecraft operated by the Air Force, is expected to take off from Florida on Wednesday.

Rocket Science and Propulsion; Space and Astronomy; United States Defense and Military Forces

The military has a space program. It is news but not a surprise.
The ion drive more interesting.

8

Technology

Video Feature: As California Thirsts, These Apps Help Save Water

By KIT EATON | May 20th 2015

The apps nag.

9

Business Day

Energy Drink Industry, Under Scrutiny, Looks to Gamers to Keep Sales Surging

By HILARY STOUT | May 19th 2015

Drinks like G Fuel and GungHo that are marketed to gamers are sugar-free and infused with vitamins, but their effects on the young are questioned.

Energy Drinks; Computer and Video Games; Teenagers and Adolescence; Caffeine

Caffeine can be a nasty drug.
Some is not bad.  
More can get ugly.

10

N.Y. / Region

‘Opt Out’ Becomes an Anti-Test Rallying Cry in New York State

By ELIZABETH A. HARRIS and FORD FESSENDEN | May 20th 2015

A small, if vocal, movement urging parents to have their children sit out standardized exams took off this year, maturing from scattered displays of disobedience into a widespread rebuke.

Tests and Examinations; Education (K-12); Performance Evaluations (Labor)

A reason to skip the test is hiding the children's incompetence.

11

Science

Data Suggests Legs and Toes in Ancestor of Living Snakes

By NICHOLAS ST. FLEUR | May 19th 2015

All of today’s more than 3,400 snake species may have descended from the same prehistoric prowler, according to an article in the journal BMC Evolutionary Biology.

Snakes; Biology and Biochemistry; Genetics and Heredity; Evolution (Biology)

Not a new thought.

12

Sports

Former Jet Pleads Guilty in Domestic Dispute Case

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | May 20th 2015

Jermaine Cunningham, who was with the Jets last year, pleaded guilty to three charges in connection with a domestic dispute case that invoked New Jersey’s revenge pornography law.

Football; Privacy

Perhaps it is chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

13

Real Estate

Jackson Heights, Queens: Diverse and Evolving

By C. J. HUGHES | May 20th 2015

Jackson Heights can have a uniform appearance, with block after block of similar six-story brick structures. But its sidewalks are strikingly diverse.

Real Estate and Housing (Residential)

Not for me. I would only visit.

14

U.S.

Oil Slicks Spread 9 Miles Off California, Foul Beaches, Air

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | May 20th 2015

I don't want to shovel.

15

Travel

Hotel Review: The Dean

By ELIZABETH FIELD | May 21st 2015

A stylish hotel imbued with originality and the creative spirit of the Providence arts community.

Travel and Vacations; Hotels and Travel Lodgings

OK by me.

16

N.Y. / Region

Cuomo to Offer New Measures to Improve Conditions in the Nail Salon Industry

By SARAH MASLIN NIR | May 17th 2015

The legislation would subject salons in New York to some of the strictest health regulations in the country and give regulators greater authority to punish those that mistreat workers.

Beauty Salons; Nails (Body Part); Law and Legislation; Labor and Jobs

Unions could be a better option.

17

Food

The Modern American Shrub

By KIM SEVERSON | May 19th 2015

18

Sports

Alberto Contador Keeps Giro Lead

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | May 19th 2015

Contador gained time on his rival Richie Porte in the relatively flat 10th stage.

Giro d'Italia (Bicycle Race)

There would be no time for scenery.

19

N.Y. / Region

Prosecutors in George Washington Bridge Case Seek to Seal Evidence

By KATE ZERNIKE | May 20th 2015

A strong case.

20

Science

Stone Tools From Kenya Are Oldest Yet Discovered

By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD | May 20th 2015

The tools, dating to 3.3 million years ago, may indicate that hominins were making tools much earlier than previously thought by some 700,000 years.

Archaeology and Anthropology; Fossils; Science and Technology

Learning more.

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