1
Real Estate
$835,000 Homes in Alabama, Maryland and Rhode Island
This week’s properties include a beach house on Ono Island, Ala., a contemporary in Pikesville, Md., and a Victorian in Providence, R.I.I think we should build.
2
Opinion
Women’s Wariness of the Risks of Osteoporosis Drugs
Readers discuss the huge drop in women’s use of these drugs because of fear of rare side effects.Knowledge works better than fear.
4
World
Not Just a U.S. Problem: Black Lives Matter Here, Too, Canadians Say
A growing protest movement in Toronto, fueled by several police shootings of black men, has laid bare the frustrations of black residents.Racism is infectious.
So is activism.
5
Books
‘From Wolf to Woof!’ and ‘Babak the Beetle’
Two new books artfully blend fact and fiction about animal life.Cute.
6
The Upshot
Yes, Obamacare Premiums Are Going Up
A new study shows health plans are asking for rate increases twice as high as last year’s. Two health reporters discuss what it means for the future.http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/?s=obama+care+premiums
"Dec 23 1:34 pm 245
Checking Up On Obamacare
One of the remarkable
aspects of the politics of health reform is the way conservatives —
even relatively mild, seemingly informed conservatives — have managed to
keep believing that Obamacare is unraveling, despite the repeated
failure of disaster predictions to come true. Part of the way this works
is that captive media and the right’s pet “experts” hype every bit of
bad news, but go silent when the news is good (and, often, when the bad
news turns out to have been a false alarm.) How many will even hear
about the news that enrollments are once again running above
expectations, and the pool is getting younger?
Anyway, it’s really helpful to have this new report from the Commonwealth Fund
comparing actual performance with pre-implementation predictions.
Premiums came in far below expectations; part, but only part, of this
positive surprise was given back by 2016 premium hikes, with overall
costs still looking very good.
On enrollments: fewer
people than expected signed up for the exchanges, but an important
reason was that fewer employers than expected ended coverage and moved
their employees into the individual market. Meanwhile, Medicaid expanded
more than expected — and the overall reduction in the number of
uninsured was pretty much in line with forecasts:
So the program is
achieving its goals, albeit with a somewhat different mix of kinds of
insurance than predicted, and doing so more cheaply than expected.
That’s a big success story — and remember, the critics scoffed at those
expectations and predicted utter disaster."
7
Business Day
Why the I.R.S. Fails to Crack the Small-Business Tax Nut
The government has been trying to figure out how small-business owners can be persuaded to report their earnings more accurately. More audits may not be the answer.No income.
8
World
Australia’s Answer to Invasive Carp: Unprotected Group Sex (For the Fish)
European carp are muddying rivers and crowding out native fish Down Under. So scientists hope to control their numbers using a strain of herpes.Good luck to the Australians.
9
Travel
Extreme Coaster Makeovers
One company is adding a twist and rehabilitating old wooden coasters, giving them new features, a new look and new life.It could be fun.
10
Science
Scientists Hear a Second Chirp From Colliding Black Holes
The noise, which lasted about a second, emanated from the collision of black holes roughly 14 and 8 times as massive as the sun.OK!
12
Real Estate
House Hunting in ... Austria
The Austrian housing market remains strong, with inventory of available homes on or near major lakes limited.A significant Windex bill.
13
U.S.
Moving to Make Amends, Georgetown President Meets With Descendant of Slaves
A meeting between John J. DeGioia, the university’s president, and a great-great-great granddaughter of two slaves sold to aid the college may have been historic.I feel no twinge of guilt for the specific sale.
14
Travel
Theme Park Dining Beyond Burgers and Turkey Legs
At three theme parks — Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios and Dollywood — it takes some work to find good food. But it exists.I will pass.
15
Business Day
Judge Rejects F.T.C. Effort to Block Health System Merger
The decision is a significant setback in the agency’s attempt to police the industry during a flurry of deals among hospitals and physician groups.The F.T.C. is probably correct.
Time for bed.
16
Real Estate
Bushwick, Brooklyn, Colorful and Eclectic
The working-class neighborhood began gentrifying around the early 2000s, when artists started looking for cheap industrial spaces as studios.Dreams exceed reality.
ttps://www.google.com/maps/place/Bushwick,+Brooklyn,+NY/@40.6942861,-73.9389312,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c25c11aa458453:0x8b29c89949c0c67c!8m2!3d40.6944282!4d-73.9212858
17
Magazine
Should a Friend Be Told the Real Reason He Didn’t Get the Job?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on when social considerations are trumped by expectations of confidentiality and what to do when someone in your co-op is renting out her apartment on Airbnb.Nothing to add.
18
Science
Samuel K. Wasser, a Scientific Detective Tailing Poachers
A conservation biologist discusses his forensic analysis using DNA to determine the origins of seized elephant ivory.There should be elephants in the world.
There are not enough captives to maintain a population.
The constant pressure of the human population will eventually destroy their habitat.
Poaching for ivory is faster.
19
N.Y. / Region
New York’s $325 Million Gamble on Ferry Service
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan, which includes three new routes by the end of June 2017, would be one of the biggest bets any city in the world has made on boats as vehicles for mass transit.The ferries were so unsatisfactory that the bridges and tunnels were built.
Nothing has so changed as to reverse the balance.
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/45470
Food
What to Cook This Week
Consider the lobster with some delicious and cost-saving recipes.Boil them and eat them.
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