Science
Rethinking the Airplane, for Climate’s Sake
Although aviation was left out of the climate treaty adopted in December, reducing emissions remains a priority at the core of several research efforts.I am glad to know they are looking.
The area is old "art".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airfoil
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Rutan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingtip_vortices
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip-speed_ratio
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propeller
http://www.mh-aerotools.de/airfoils/jp_propeller_design.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propfan
2
Opinion
Factory Jobs and Robots
The Alliance for American Manufacturing writes that robots are less responsible for lost jobs than recessions and offshoring.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiduciary
3
World
New Health Advice for Britons: No More Than Six Pints a Week
Updated guidelines recommend keeping alcohol intake to less than the equivalent of about six pints of beer, seven glasses of wine, or half a bottle of whiskey a week.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_call_%28bar_term%29
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition#United_States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeal_of_Prohibition_in_the_United_States
Alcohol and fructose are equivalently toxic.
4
U.S.
At Supreme Court, Public Unions Face Possible Major Setback
In a California case, the justices will consider whether government workers who choose not to join a union may still be required to pay for collective bargaining.Such a ruling has been a Republican goal.
5
Business Day
New Jersey’s Private-Sector Retirement Plan Moves Forward
Lawmakers passed a bill, which was sent to Gov. Chris Christie, that would create a low-cost savings program for employees of small businesses.Earnings are necessary for such a plan.
6
U.S.
Issues and Implications in Supreme Court’s Public Union Case
A look at the litigants and the possible consequences in a case about the right of public-sector unions to collect fees from nonmembers.Management tends to hate unions. They empower workers.
7
Sports
Fatal Bus Crash in Mexico
A bus carrying amateur soccer players and fans plunged into a river after careening off a bridge in eastern Mexico, leaving at least 21 people dead, the authorities said.We may hear nothing more.
8
N.Y. / Region
New York Reaches $3.75 Million Settlement With Man Wrongfully Convicted in 1997 Murder
The state should get it right the first time.
10
The Upshot
Can U.S. Remain an Island of Stability in the Global Economy?
The economic mismatch between the United States and much of the rest of the world is not good for either party.http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/11/opinion/the-obama-boom.html
"Do
you remember the “Bush boom”? Probably not. Anyway, the administration
of George W. Bush began its tenure with a recession, followed by an
extended “jobless recovery.” By the summer of 2003, however, the economy
began adding jobs again. The pace of job creation wasn’t anything
special by historical standards, but conservatives insisted that the job
gains after that trough represented a huge triumph, a vindication of
the Bush tax cuts.
So what should we say about the Obama job record? Private-sector employment
— the relevant number, as I’ll explain in a minute — hit its low point
in February 2010. Since then we’ve gained 14 million jobs, a figure that
startled even me, roughly double the number of jobs added during the
supposed Bush boom before it turned into the Great Recession. If that
was a boom, this expansion, capped by last month’s really good report,
outbooms it by a wide margin.
Does President Obama
deserve credit for these gains? No. In general, presidents and their
policies matter much less for the economy’s performance than most people
imagine. Times of crisis are an exception, and the Obama stimulus plan
enacted in 2009 made a big positive difference. But that stimulus faded out fast after 2010, and has very little to do with the economy’s current situation.
The
point, however, is that politicians and pundits, especially on the
right, constantly insist that presidential policies matter a lot. And
Mr. Obama, in particular, has been attacked at every stage of his
presidency for policies that his critics allege are “job-killing” — the
former House speaker, John Boehner, once used the phrase seven times
in less than 14 minutes. So the fact that the Obama job record is as
good as it is tells you something about the validity of those attacks.
What did Mr. Obama do that was supposed to kill jobs? Quite a lot, actually. He signed the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform, which critics claimed would crush employment by starving businesses of capital. He raised taxes
on high incomes, especially at the very top, where average tax rates
rose by about six and a half percentage points after 2012, a step that
critics claimed would destroy incentives. And he enacted a health reform
that went into full effect in 2014, amid claims that it would have
catastrophic effects on employment.
Yet
none of the dire predicted consequences of these policies have
materialized. It’s not just that overall job creation in the private
sector — which was what Mr. Obama was supposedly killing — has been
strong. More detailed examinations
of labor markets also show no evidence of predicted ill effects. For
example, there’s no evidence that Obamacare led to a shift from
full-time to part-time work, and no evidence that the expansion of Medicaid led to large reductions in labor supply.
So
what do we learn from this impressive failure to fail? That the
conservative economic orthodoxy dominating the Republican Party is very,
very wrong.
In
a way, that should have been obvious. For conservative orthodoxy has a
curiously inconsistent view of the abilities and motivations of
corporations and wealthy individuals — I mean, job creators.
On
one side, this elite is presumed to be a bunch of economic superheroes,
able to deliver universal prosperity by summoning the magic of the
marketplace. On the other side, they’re depicted as incredibly sensitive
flowers who wilt in the face of adversity — raise their taxes a bit,
subject them to a few regulations, or for that matter hurt their
feelings in a speech or two, and they’ll stop creating jobs and go sulk
in their tents, or more likely their mansions.
It’s
a doctrine that doesn’t make much sense, but it conveys a clear message
that, whaddya know, turns out to be very convenient for the elite:
namely, that injustice is a law of nature, that we’d better not do
anything to make our society less unequal or protect ordinary families
from financial risks. Because if we do, the usual suspects insist, we’ll
be severely punished by the invisible hand, which will collapse the
economy.
Economists
could and did argue that history proves this doctrine wrong. After all,
America achieved rapid, indeed unprecedented, income growth in the
1950s and 1960s, despite top tax rates beyond the wildest dreams of
modern progressives. For that matter, there are countries like Denmark
that combine high taxes and generous social programs with very good
employment performance.
But
for those who don’t know much about either history or the world outside
America, the Obama economy offers a powerful lesson in the here and
now. From a conservative point of view, Mr. Obama did everything wrong,
afflicting the comfortable (slightly) and comforting the afflicted (a
lot), and nothing bad happened. We can, it turns out, make our society
better after all."
11
U.S.
Chicago Hires Ex-Prosecutor to Review Law Department’s Conduct
The hiring of a former United States attorney followed a judge’s finding that the city agency concealed evidence in a lawsuit over a fatal police shooting.The action may save Rom Emanual's job.
12
Science
DNA From Facial Tissue?
A used tissue can provide copious amounts of DNA, so the chief concerns are proper identification and safe storage.Identity is easy.
Identification is less so.
The databases are not enormous.
13
U.S.
‘Affluenza’ Case Mother, Tonya Couch, Appears in Texas Court
Ms. Couch, who is accused of helping her son escape to Mexico to avoid jail, was ordered held in custody for now.She should have known better.
14
U.S.
With Freddie Gray Murder Trial Set to Begin, Hints of a ‘Rough Ride’
It is a high-stakes, high-profile prosecution that would have been unimaginable here a year ago, before Mr. Gray’s death in police custody.Officer William G. Porter has not been tried successfully.
If he testifies in the Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr trial He should not be retried.
Maryland should try Officer Porter to a verdict first if he is to be a witness in the next trial.
15
Science
Parasitic Infections Common in Roman Times
Despite advances in sanitation, Romans were often infested with lice, tapeworms and more.Probably.
Roman practice was better but far from good.
The practices continue in the Far East.
16
U.S.
Insurers Say Costs Are Climbing as More Enroll Past Health Act Deadline
Many people wait until they become ill or need medical services to sign up under the Affordable Care Act, driving up costs broadly, insurers have told federal health officials.The insurance companies should stop whining.
17
Sports
Rangers Rally but Lose Edge as Washington Capitals Catch Up and Slip By in Overtime
The Rangers were poised for victory until Nicklas Backstrom scored the tying goal with 5.7 seconds left in regulation, and then Alex Ovechkin scored in overtime to secure the win.http://nytimes.stats.com/nhl/scoreboard.asp
|
|||||||||||||||
| Preview | Box | Gameview |
18
World
Cubans, Fearing Loss of Favored Status in U.S., Rush to Make an Arduous Journey
Worried that an advantage in immigration law may end as the United States restores relations with their country, many Cubans have rushed off the island, only to be stalled in Central America."Use it or Lose it"
19
Opinion
Oversight for New York Prisons
Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell writes that the New York governor should include funding for such an entity in the 2016-17 budget.Introduce a bill.
20
Sports
Fourth-Tier Oxford Knocks Swansea Out of the F.A. Cup
Oxford won, 3-2, while Chelsea beat third-tier Scunthorpe and Leicester tied with Tottenham.http://www.nytimes.com/pages/sports/soccer/index.html?action=click&contentCollection=Soccer&module=Kicker®ion=Header&pgtype=article
http://www.theguardian.com/football
http://www.theguardian.com/football/results
No comments:
Post a Comment