1
Banging Pots and Beating Dogs in a Polarized Brazil
Politics have gotten so bad in my country that you can’t take your dog for a walk safely.Real money has gone astray.
Let the prosecutors figure it out.
Leave the political battles over policy out of the legal process.
2
U.S.
Donald Trump Is Not Paul Ryan’s Only Roadblock
The transformed landscape of 2016 keeps placing more obstacles in the House speaker’s path.http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/trump-didnt-put-the-con-in-conservatism/
. . . " I wanted to note something about the reactions to the John Harwood interview with Paul Ryan, which are very relevant to understanding the Republican mess.
Liberals have been
jumping, rightly, on Ryan’s extraordinary dismissal of any attempt to
look at the distribution of tax cuts as “ridiculous.” But conservative
writers — even those who are relatively moderate, or at least try to
seem that way — clearly still view Ryan as an almost saintly figure:
serious, intellectually honest, and compassionate toward the poor.
He isn’t, of course.
His various budgets all have the same basic outline: huge tax cuts for
the rich combined with savage cuts in benefits for the poor, with the
net effect being to increase, not reduce the budget deficit. But he
pretends that they’re deficit-reduction proposals by claiming that he
will raise trillions in revenue by closing unspecified loopholes and
achieve trillions more in unspecified savings. In other words, Ryan has
been playing a con game in which he uses magic asterisks to mask a
reverse Robin Hood agenda — take from the poor, give to the rich — as
deficit hawkery.
This isn’t hard to
see, and it has been pointed out many times. Back in 2011, at the height
of media Ryanolatry, the truth even became slightly mainstream, as
reporters started to point out the absurdities of his assumptions.
But moderate
Republican pundits can’t, won’t see the obvious. For them it’s all about
affect — how he comes across — which is also why they saw tax-slashing,
war-starting Marco Rubio as somehow a break from the failures of the
Bush years.
So when these
commentators lament the blindness of primary voters, their willingness
to be taken in by an obvious con, they might want to take a look in the
mirror. Is it really the con that bothers them, or just the vulgarity?"
3
U.S.
California: Navy Captain Gets Prison in Bribery Case
He received 46 months for giving classified information to a Malaysian defense contractor in exchange for hotel stays and the services of prostitutes.Proper.
4
U.S.
Illinois: Alleged Victim May Testify at Hastert Hearing
A person alleged to be a sexual abuse victim could testify next month at former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert’s sentencing in a hush-money case, according to a federal court transcript.Unnecessary but useful.
5
Food
What to Cook This Weekend
Plans for Easter, pulled lamb shoulder and more for the weekend.http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017452-pulled-lamb-shoulder
6
T Magazine
Face Masks for the Morning — That You Leave on All Day
A new crop of no-rinse products promises to replenish the skin and make it easier to apply makeup.What pleases you pleases me.
7
World
Hong Kong Bookseller Returns From Mainland China, Denying He Was Abducted
The disappearance of Lee Bo and four other people associated with Mighty Current Media drew concern over the state of media freedom in the semiautonomous city.I have no reason to believe the story.
8
T Magazine
Three Young Labels Making Old Methods New Again
The founders of Etkie, Kinsfolk and Mataano employ artisans trained in ancient practices to create their globally minded clothing and accessories.Originality counts.
9
N.Y. / Region
Queens Man Accused of Making Over 30 False Calls to 911
Kenneth Campbell repeatedly reported fake emergencies to dispatchers during February and March, the authorities said.We will see how the judge treats the case.
10
U.S.
Sexual Harassment Cases Tarnish Berkeley’s Image as a Center of Social Activism
A spate of high-profile cases has students and alumni accusing administrators of failing to prevent sexual violence and doing too little when it occurs.Pressure has been brought.
11
U.S.
Pennsylvania: Governor Ends Resistance to Budget
Gov. Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, a Democrat, backed off his threat to veto the budget after nine months of gridlock threatened to close schools and forced social-service agencies to lay off employees.Pennsylvanians must vote for the legislature they desire.
Bankruptcy is a possibility.
12
U.S.
Heroin Epidemic Is Yielding to a Deadlier Cousin: Fentanyl
Cheaper and far more potent, the synthetic painkiller is becoming the drug of choice for some addicts — and is killing them more quickly.I refuse to be shocked.
13
U.S.
North Carolina to Limit Bathroom Use by Birth Gender
A move is aimed at countering Charlotte officials’ passage of a measure letting transgender people use the public bathrooms aligned with their gender identity.These fights will end badly for North Carolina.
14
U.S.
Ted Cruz Blames Donald Trump and ‘Henchmen’ for Tabloid Report of Affairs
The Texas senator, dismissing a National Enquirer article as “garbage,” insisted that it was peddled by his campaign rival through close allies.I doubt The National Enquirer will need to print a retraction.
15
N.Y. / Region
Peter Liang, Ex-Police Officer, Apologizes to Akai Gurley’s Partner in Meeting
The meeting with Kimberly Ballinger came a day after a recommendation that Mr. Liang, who was convicted of manslaughter in Mr. Gurley’s shooting, receive no prison time.Accidental death.
16
U.S.
Indiana Governor Signs Restrictive Abortion Bill
The law holds doctors liable if a woman has an abortion because of objections to the fetus’s race, sex or a disability and restricts fetal tissue donation.The new law is unduely restrictive.
17
N.Y. / Region
2 Killed and One Injured in Staten Island Shooting
The police said the gunman opened fire around 6 p.m., striking a 47-year-old woman in the head and a 21-year-old man in the face, killing them both.The rest of the story is not known yet.
18
U.S.
Wrong Man Convicted of 1957 Murder in Illinois, Prosecutor Says
The defendant, an ex-police officer, is seeking to have his conviction overturned in the case of a 7-year-old girl who was kidnapped and strangled.Read the evidence every time.
19
Business Day
Plan to Rescue Puerto Rico Advances, Led by House Republicans
The plan falls short of permission for the island to restructure its $72 billion debt, and would involve close federal oversight.The situation smells like moral hazard.
20
U.S.
Joe Biden Denounces Republicans Over Refusal to Consider Court Nominee
The vice president rejected the use of a speech he gave in 1992 as a shield for inaction, saying the Senate was ignoring its “solemn constitutional duty.”The senate should back off and confirm.
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