Hillary Clinton Warns That Donald Trump’s ‘Thin Skin’ Would Set Off War or Economic Crisis

Abstract: Hillary Clinton delivered a lacerating rebuke on Thursday of her likely Republican opponent, Donald J. Trump, declaring that he was hopelessly unprepared and temperamentally unfit to be commander in chief. Electing him, she said, would be a “historic mistake.” Speaking in a steady, modulated tone but lobbing some of the most fiery lines of her presidential campaign, Mrs. Clinton painted Mr. Trump as a reckless, childish and uninformed amateur who was playing at the game of global statecraft. “This is not someone who should ever have the nuclear codes,” she said, “because it’s not hard to imagine Donald Trump leading us into a war just because somebody got under his very thin skin.” Mrs. Clinton, whose campaign had grappled for weeks over how to handle Mr. Trump , seemed to find her footing as she addressed an audience in San Diego that laughed and cheered as she deconstructed Mr. Trump’s foreign policy pronouncements. They were, she said, “not even really ideas, just a series of bizarre rants, personal feuds and outright lies.” The speech, which mixed biting sarcasm and somber assessments of the foreign crises of the Obama years, unfurled what is likely to be the core argument that Mrs. Clinton will carry into the general election. Her remarks were billed as a major foreign policy address, and she was flanked by a row of 19 American flags as majestic as those that often back Mr. Trump at his public events. Yet the speech was devoid of new policy prescriptions, and she skipped over difficult episodes during her tenure as secretary of state, including the NATO intervention in Libya and its bloody aftermath in Benghazi. Instead she borrowed a tactic from President Obama, reeling off zingers that are catnip to cable-news channels. It won her the kind of sustained live coverage that Mr. Trump has enjoyed routinely but Mrs. Clinton has not, though the announcement by Speaker Paul D. Ryan that he planned to vote for Mr. Trump stole her thunder in the opening moments of the 30-minute address. She said she imagined Mr. Trump was “composing nasty tweets” about her even as she spoke. And indeed he was: “Bad performance by Crooked Hillary Clinton!” Mr. Trump wrote . “Reading poorly from the teleprompter! She doesn’t even look presidential.” But Mrs. Clinton sought to turn Mr. Trump’s prolific Twitter habit into an additional bullet point demonstrating that he was “unfit” for the presidency, as she put it. She twice referred to the scene in the White House Situation Room where as secretary of state, she advised Mr. Obama on the raid on a compound in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden. “Imagine Donald Trump sitting in the Situation Room, making life-or-death decisions on behalf of the United States,” Mrs. Clinton said, eliciting cries of “No!” from her audience. “Imagine if he had not just his Twitter account at his disposal when he’s angry, but America’s entire arsenal.” In an interview with The New York Times during Mrs. Clinton’s speech, Mr. Trump said that Mrs. Clinton’s performance was “terrible” and “pathetic.” He added: “I’m not thin-skinned at all. I’m the opposite of thin-skinned.” For Mrs. Clinton, whose formal speeches tend to be earnest and laden with policy prescriptions, it was a striking departure — a rollicking political indictment that doubled as Mrs. Clinton’s first full-blooded response to Mr. Trump’s drumbeat of criticism about her ethics and judgment during a quarter-century in public life. The speech came after weeks of study by Clinton aides to determine which attacks by Mr. Trump’s Republican rivals had not worked. It was studded with punch lines: Mr. Trump “doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about,” Mrs. Clinton said at one point. “Donald doesn’t see the complexity,” she said at another. “This isn’t reality television,” she said of a Trump presidency. “This is actual reality.” After her campaign had initially issued a tepid response to Mr. Trump’s proposal of defaulting on the national debt , calling the idea “risky,” Mrs. Clinton said Thursday that such action would lead to “an economic catastrophe.” Video Donald J. Trump called a foreign policy speech by Hillary Clinton “pathetic” while at a campaign stop in California. Credit Credit Damon Winter/The New York Times “He believes we can treat the U.S. economy like one of his casinos,” she said. The speech was roughly 10 days in the making and written by Mrs. Clinton’s speechwriters, Dan Schwerin and Megan Rooney, and top policy aide, Jake Sullivan, with outside advisers including Mr. Obama’s former chief speechwriter, Jon Favreau, reviewing a late draft. Ms. Rooney, a former State Department speechwriter, was perched on the arm of Mrs. Clinton’s chair on a flight from Boston to San Diego on Wednesday night, making revisions on her laptop and making sure the lines echoed Mrs. Clinton’s sardonic humor. The address was a meaty rebuttal to Democrats who had expressed concern that Mrs. Clinton’s campaign lacked gumption in going after Mr. Trump, particularly because Mr. Obama and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts have relished opportunities to skewer him. By turns mocking and stern, Mrs. Clinton derided Mr. Trump for suggesting that Japan should acquire nuclear weapons to deter North Korea, that the United States should have walked away from the nuclear deal with Iran, and that “maybe Syria should be a free zone for ISIS.” “He says he has foreign policy experience because he ran the Miss Universe pageant in Russia,” Mrs. Clinton said. “And to top it off, he believes America is weak. An embarrassment. He called our military a disaster. He said we are, and I quote, a ‘third-world country.’” In vivid strokes, Mrs. Clinton framed not just her case against Mr. Trump but the broader foreign-policy debate in the election: She cast herself as the defender of an American-led world order against an insurgent who did not understand, let alone respect, the network of alliances the United States constructed after World War II to safeguard its interests. Mrs. Clinton presented herself as a sure-footed commander in chief, a fervent believer in America as an exceptional country, tested by her time in the Situation Room. She highlighted her ability to go “toe to toe” with leaders in Beijing and Moscow, contrasting that with what she said was Mr. Trump’s “bizarre fascination with dictators and strongmen who have no love for America.” “I’ll leave it to the psychiatrists to explain his affection for tyrants,” she said. “I just wonder how anyone could be so wrong about who America’s real friends are.” Even as she excoriated Mr. Trump, Mrs. Clinton kept a close eye on domestic politics. She noted, for example, that she understood the deep qualms that voters had with trade deals. Still, Mr. Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on Chinese imports , Mrs. Clinton said, would set off a trade war of the kind that deepened the Great Depression in the 1930s. Mrs. Clinton recited a handful of highlights from her time at the State Department, including her role in brokering a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in 2012 and rallying the world to impose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. But she failed to flesh out her proposals for dealing with the Islamic State or the civil war in Syria. To Mrs. Clinton, such policy details were not as important as the black-and-white differences between her and Mr. Trump. “He has said that he would order our military to carry out torture and the murder of civilians who are related to suspected terrorists, even though those are war crimes,” Mrs. Clinton said. “He says he doesn’t have to listen to our generals or our admirals, our ambassadors and other high officials, because he has, quote, ‘a very good brain.’” “He also said, ‘I know more about ISIS than the generals do, believe me.’ You know what?” she continued. “I don’t believe him.” Mrs. Clinton ended her remarks on a more solemn note, arguing that Mr. Trump’s proposals, like barring Muslims from entering the United States, “could fuel an ugly narrative about who we are.” Mr. Trump, she said, would undo decades of statecraft by Republicans and Democrats. Striking a bipartisan note, Mrs. Clinton recalled an advertisement Mr. Trump took out in newspapers in 1987, during the Reagan administration, “saying that America lacked a backbone and that the world was, you guessed it, laughing at us.” “You’ve got to wonder why somebody who fundamentally has so little confidence in America and has felt that way for at least 30 years wants to be our president,” she said.

2016 Presidential Election
Hillary Clinton
Donald Trump
Speeches
US Foreign Policy


New York Real Estate Executive With ‘Access to Politicians’ Is at Center of Scandals

Abstract: There are two phrases that Charles C. Dorego’s friends and colleagues use to describe him: “very smart” and “very charming.” That is why colleagues in the real estate industry are wondering how he finds himself at the center of a corruption scandal that has toppled two of the most powerful politicians in the state: Sheldon Silver, the former Democratic speaker of the State Assembly and Dean G. Skelos, the former Republican majority leader in the State Senate. Mr. Dorego, the general counsel for one of Manhattan’s biggest developers, Glenwood Management, is an influential figure in real estate circles whose warm smile and easygoing demeanor could disarm even those with whom he disagreed in an industry famous for its bitter rivalries. But Mr. Dorego also likes to let associates know about the political access he enjoyed to the governor, the mayor and top lawmakers that came from being a major developer who dispensed millions of dollars in political contributions on behalf of Glenwood and its owner, Leonard Litwin. “Charlie likes access,” said one executive who worked with Mr. Dorego at the Real Estate Board of New York. “He likes to talk about access to politicians.” Lawyers at Mr. Dorego’s former law firm and several real estate executives all spoke admiringly of Mr. Dorego but declined to be identified for fear of being dragged into the matter. Mr. Dorego hired an army of lobbyists that eclipsed the contingents from either of real estate’s two most powerful trade groups — the Real Estate Board and the Rent Stabilization Association — ensuring he had the ear of state officials who oversee important housing rules, including a lucrative tax abatement program set to expire next month. The fate of the housing program, known as 421-a, is critical to Glenwood. The company owns nine Manhattan apartment buildings with a total of nearly 3,000 apartments that receive 421-a tax breaks worth more than $700 million over 20 years. The newest building, Hawthorn Park, overlooks Lincoln Center and features two-bedroom apartments renting for $7,400 a month. Mr. Dorego, who friends say once considered leaving the law to manage a minor-league baseball team, figures prominently in the federal criminal complaints against Mr. Silver and Mr. Skelos, that involve payoffs, graft, fraud and solicitation of bribes. In exchange for a non-prosecution agreement, Mr. Dorego in April began cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecutors in the office of the United States attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Dorego, whose lawyer did not return calls, has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He is not identified by name in the criminal complaints, but is referred to as CW-1, or cooperating witness, in the complaint against Mr. Skelos and his son, and as “a representative of Developer-1” — which is Glenwood — in the charges against Mr. Silver. Prosecutors have declined to release a copy of the non-prosecution agreement, which could illuminate which crimes, if any, Mr. Dorego may have committed; why the government chose not to charge him; and how and what he knows about potentially illegal acts by Mr. Silver, Mr. Skelos or others. Mr. Dorego has had cancer, which friends say returned last fall. It is unclear if that may have affected his decisions in the investigation. J. Bruce Maffeo, a former top federal prosecutor who is not involved in the case, also noted that “the line between a victim and a co-conspirator is left to the whim of the prosecutor.” Mr. Dorego is one of three people running Glenwood, which owns at least 26 luxury rental buildings in Manhattan. In recent years, the company’s founder, Leonard Litwin, has turned over the reins to his daughter Carole Litwin Pittelman; Gary Jacob, a longtime executive; and Mr. Dorego, who was responsible for hiring lobbyists and distributing political contributions. As a young man, Mr. Dorego, who is divorced with two sons, played semiprofessional baseball, according to a partner at his old law firm. Shortly after graduating from Brooklyn Law School in 1984, he joined a law firm headed by Leonard Boxer, a prominent real estate lawyer. The firm later merged with Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, a Manhattan firm with a large real estate practice. In the early 1990s, Mr. Litwin asked Mr. Boxer if he could “borrow” Mr. Dorego for a project in Arizona, where his grandson, Steven Swarzman, owned a minor-league baseball stadium. After failing to lure the Kansas City Royals there for spring training, the men demolished the stadium in 1994 and erected an apartment building for older people. Mr. Dorego returned to Stroock for five years, before joining Glenwood in 2001 as a senior executive. He and Mr. Litwin served on the Real Estate Board’s executive committee where Mr. Dorego successfully argued against several major developers, including Related and the Durst Organization, that wanted to sue the city over what they viewed as unfairly high taxes on multifamily rental housing. He managed to maintain good relations with them. “Charlie’s a good guy,” one real estate lawyer said. “He really is. He doesn’t lie. He always had a big smile on his face. Sometimes you get yourself into a situation with people that you come to regret.” From the beginning, Mr. Dorego was engaged in politics and power relations, all the while protecting Glenwood’s interests. Image Charles C. Dorego, the general counsel for Glenwood Management, is cooperating with the F.B.I. and prosecutors. Credit Cindy Ord/Getty Images Since 2005, Glenwood has given more than $12 million in political contributions in New York, including donations to Mr. Silver, Mr. Skelos and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, according to an analysis by Common Cause New York, which included contributions from related companies and individuals. Glenwood — along with its affiliates — was the second-largest single political donor to state-level candidates and party committees in 2013, according to an analysis by the New York Public Interest Research Group. Glenwood’s “business model depends in substantial part on favorable tax abatements and rent regulations that must be periodically renewed” in Albany, according to the criminal complaint against Mr. Skelos. The complaint as well as the one against Mr. Silver provide another glimpse of Mr. Dorego. At the insistence of Mr. Skelos, the complaint says, Mr. Dorego arranged for Mr. Skelos’s son Adam to receive a $20,000 commission from a title company for work he did not perform. Mr. Dorego also arranged for a consulting job for Adam Skelos at an environmental firm, in which Mr. Dorego and Mr. Swarzman, Mr. Litwin’s grandson, had ties, according to the complaint. The firm eventually paid Adam a total of $200,000, prosecutors say, and his father used his position to help the company win a government contract. For Mr. Silver’s part, the complaint filed against him says he asked Mr. Dorego and Glenwood, which owns three buildings in his Manhattan district, to hire a small law firm to handle some property tax work. Mr. Dorego, the complaint says, was unaware that Mr. Silver collected 25 percent of the fees paid to the firm. The complaint, however, does not indicate what Mr. Dorego thought he would get in return for steering work there. But a battle in the State Legislature in 2011 over renewing the 421-a tax program as well as rent regulations that govern one million apartments in New York City provide some clues. Housing and tenant activists wanted major changes to both programs. But the state’s two major real estate organizations were not on the same page. The Real Estate Board, which is dominated by Manhattan developers, concentrated on extending the 421-a tax abatements, while the Rent Stabilization Association, which represents mostly landlords in the boroughs outside Manhattan, was focused on fending off attempts to eliminate regulations allowing landlords to deregulate apartments and escalate rents. Mr. Litwin, as head of Glenwood, is one of the rare developers who is a major player in both organizations. Today, nine Glenwood buildings get 421-a tax benefits, according to New York City records. In exchange for the tax breaks, Glenwood set aside 459 units, a relatively low 15 percent, of the 2,987 apartments for low- and moderate-income households, according to city records and an analysis by the Association for Neighborhood Housing Development. “Glenwood takes an absurd amount of benefit from the taxpayer’s pocket to boost its bottom line,” said Benjamin Dulchin, executive director of the housing group, which has called for reforming the housing program. “No wonder they use every bit of influence at their disposal.” Days after Glenwood contributed $1,000 to Mr. Cuomo’s re-election campaign, Mr. Dorego and a lobbyist met in April 2011 with the governor to discuss rent regulation, according to state records. A short while later, after Glenwood contributed $25,000 to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, Mr. Dorego met with Mr. Skelos to discuss real estate regulations and legislation affecting Glenwood, the complaint says. As the legislative session heated up, Mr. Cuomo met one day in June with representatives from two real estate groups, Mr. Dorego and Mr. Jacob, another top Glenwood executive, as well as Mr. Silver and Mr. Skelos. Two weeks later, Mr. Cuomo had another meeting on rent regulations that included Mr. Dorego and the trade groups. Though it is common for the groups to meet with top officials in Albany, it was unusual, according to several Real Estate Board members, for Mr. Dorego to attend. In the end, real estate executives said, Mr. Dorego and the Real Estate Board were successful in lobbying lawmakers to renew the 421-a program. But the landlords’ association felt betrayed by their allies. The Legislature passed changes to rent laws making it more difficult to deregulate apartments, but they were more painful for landlords outside Manhattan than for companies like Glenwood, which build in Manhattan where rents are already high. Glenwood was “more aligned with Rebny, so we got hurt,” said Joe Strasberg, the president of the Rent Stabilization Association, referring to the board. “We lost ground on rent regulation.” With both rent regulations and the tax credit program up for renewal, housing advocates have mounted a strenuous campaign for changes that they say are needed to increase the amount of low-cost housing. This time, however, the battle playing out in Albany is unfolding without Mr. Dorego, Mr. Silver or Mr. Skelos.

Charles C. Dorego
Glenwood Management
Real Estate
Housing
Sheldon Silver
Dean G Skelos
Bribery and Kickbacks
Corruption
Commercial Real Estate
NYC


Hewitt Claims Title

Abstract: Lleyton Hewitt of Australia beat Gaël Monfils of France, 7-5, 6-3, in the final of the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne, a warm-up for the Australian Open, which begins Sunday night Eastern.


Knicks’ Mobley Undergoing Heart Testing

Abstract: ATLANTA — Cuttino Mobley did not join the Knicks here. He is still a patient, and he is still patiently undergoing medical tests that may determine his basketball future. Mobley underwent another series of tests with a specialist in Minneapolis on Thursday. He is expected to return shortly to New York, where he will meet with team officials, who remain concerned that a heart ailment may end Mobley’s career. “You cross that bridge when you get to it,” Coach Mike D’Antoni said. “Obviously, everybody’s looking for a favorable solution and we hope it works out, but nobody really knows that now.” According to two N.B.A. front-office members with knowledge of Mobley’s medical history, Mobley was being examined for signs of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The condition, in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick and can make it harder for the heart to pump blood, has been linked to the sudden cardiac deaths of several basketball players, including, most notably, Reggie Lewis of the Celtics in 1993, Hank Gathers of Loyola Marymount in 1990 and the former Trail Blazers center Kevin Duckworth in August. In Minnesota, Mobley met with Dr. Barry Maron, an expert on the disease. It was Maron who in 2005 recommended that Eddy Curry, then with the Chicago Bulls, submit to a DNA test to determine if he held a predisposition for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Curry declined, and his decision led to his trade to the Knicks. The Knicks’ medical staff concluded that Curry was not at risk and cleared him to play. He has had no known heart issues since. Until the concerns raised by the Knicks, it was not generally known that the 33-year-old Mobley, an 11-season N.B.A. veteran, suffered from any type of heart ailment. But according to the two front office members, his previous teams — the Houston Rockets, the Orlando Magic, the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Clippers — were aware that Mobley did have a heart condition, believed to be an enlarged heart, and had him sign a waiver before allowing him to play. The waivers stated Mobley’s awareness of his condition and his consent to playing, cleared the teams from any legal liability if Mobley experienced medical issues from the condition and limited Mobley’s ability to obtain health insurance. What appears to be new is the Knicks’ concern that Mobley’s heart condition is more serious than previously thought. The Knicks acquired Mobley and Tim Thomas from the Clippers on Nov. 21 in a trade for Zach Randolph, their leading scorer, and Mardy Collins. Mobley was to replace Jamal Crawford, who had been traded to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Al Harrington, as the shooting guard. The concerns the Knicks raised after they gave Mobley a physical examination briefly stalled the completion of the trade, with the Knicks trying to adjust its parameters. In the end, the trade went though despite Mobley’s uncertain status, a testament to how much the Knicks wanted to create salary-cap space for the summer of 2010, when a number of stars, notably LeBron James, will become free agents. Mobley’s and Thomas’s contracts come off the Knicks’ payroll at that point, giving the team flexibility. In his N.B.A. career, Mobley has played in 747 games, averaging 16 points a game. He started 11 games for the Clippers this season, averaging 13.7 points. Thomas said he and Mobley exchanged text messages the last few days. “He’s just trying to see what’s the best for him health-wise,” Thomas said. “I told him, ‘Your health is more important than anything else.’ He played 11 years, made some good money. If he’s not able to play, it’s just time to invest and move on.” If Mobley’s condition does end his career, the organization would be required to waive him in order to create a roster spot. He is owed about $19 million over the next two seasons, and all of that money will count against the Knicks’ salary cap until the contract expires. The Knicks could also apply for a disabled-player exception, which would allow them to sign another player for up to 50 percent of Mobley’s salary. In 2006, the N.B.A. became the first professional sports league to require annual cardiac testing for all players after Jason Collier, a 28-year-old center for the Atlanta Hawks, died from an abnormally large heart, and after Curry’s stalemate with the Bulls. The screening process includes blood work and three heart tests: an electrocardiogram, a resting echocardiogram and a stress echocardiogram. Maron and Dr. Lisa Callahan, the Knicks’ medical chief, were central figures in devising the protocol. Mobley’s previous teams required him to undergo additional screening. His last examination before the trade, in September, found no additional health irregularities. REBOUNDS The Knicks practiced Thursday with Jared Jefferies, who went through a full workout and was expected to make his season debut Friday against the Hawks. Jeffries, who broke his left leg in training camp, said he experienced discomfort while jumping two weeks ago, but now reports no pain. He will play with an air cast the next week or two. . ... A league spokesperson said that Al Harrington’s flagrant foul against LeBron James on Wednesday would stand and Harrington would not be further penalized.

Mobley Cuttino
New York Knicks
Basketball
Heart


John A. Wheeler, Physicist Who Coined the Term ‘Black Hole,’ Is Dead at 96

Abstract: John A. Wheeler, a visionary physicist and teacher who helped invent the theory of nuclear fission, gave black holes their name and argued about the nature of reality with Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr , died Sunday morning at his home in Hightstown, N.J. He was 96. The cause was pneumonia, said his daughter Alison Wheeler Lahnston. Dr. Wheeler was a young, impressionable professor in 1939 when Bohr, the Danish physicist and his mentor, arrived in the United States aboard a ship from Denmark and confided to him that German scientists had succeeded in splitting uranium atoms. Within a few weeks, he and Bohr had sketched out a theory of how nuclear fission worked. Bohr had intended to spend the time arguing with Einstein about quantum theory, but “he spent more time talking to me than to Einstein,” Dr. Wheeler later recalled. As a professor at Princeton and then at the University of Texas in Austin, Dr. Wheeler set the agenda for generations of theoretical physicists, using metaphor as effectively as calculus to capture the imaginations of his students and colleagues and to pose questions that would send them, minds blazing, to the barricades to confront nature. Max Tegmark, a cosmologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said of Dr. Wheeler, “For me, he was the last Titan, the only physics superhero still standing.” Under his leadership, Princeton became the leading American center of research into Einsteinian gravity, known as the general theory of relativity — a field that had been moribund because of its remoteness from laboratory experiment. “He rejuvenated general relativity; he made it an experimental subject and took it away from the mathematicians,” said Freeman Dyson, a theorist at the Institute for Advanced Study across town in Princeton. Among Dr. Wheeler’s students was Richard Feynman of the California Institute of Technology, who parlayed a crazy-sounding suggestion by Dr. Wheeler into work that led to a Nobel Prize . Another was Hugh Everett, whose Ph.D. thesis under Dr. Wheeler on quantum mechanics envisioned parallel alternate universes endlessly branching and splitting apart — a notion that Bryce DeWitt, of the University of Texas in Austin, called “Many Worlds” and which has become a favorite of many cosmologists as well as science fiction writers. Recalling his student days, Dr. Feynman once said, “Some people think Wheeler’s gotten crazy in his later years, but he’s always been crazy.” John Archibald Wheeler — he was Johnny Wheeler to friends and fellow scientists — was born on July 9, 1911, in Jacksonville, Fla. The oldest child in a family of librarians, he earned his Ph.D. in physics from Johns Hopkins University at 21. A year later, after becoming engaged to an old acquaintance, Janette Hegner, after only three dates, he sailed to Copenhagen to work with Bohr, the godfather of the quantum revolution, which had shaken modern science with paradoxical statements about the nature of reality. “You can talk about people like Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Confucius, but the thing that convinced me that such people existed were the conversations with Bohr,” Dr. Wheeler said. Their relationship was renewed when Bohr arrived in 1939 with the ominous news of nuclear fission. In the model he and Dr. Wheeler developed to explain it, the atomic nucleus, containing protons and neutrons, is like a drop of liquid. When a neutron emitted from another disintegrating nucleus hits it, this “liquid drop” starts vibrating and elongates into a peanut shape that eventually snaps in two. Two years later, Dr. Wheeler was swept up in the Manhattan Project to build an atomic bomb. To his lasting regret, the bomb was not ready in time to change the course of the war in Europe and possibly save his brother Joe, who died in combat in Italy in 1944. Dr. Wheeler continued to do government work after the war, interrupting his research to help develop the hydrogen bomb, promote the building of fallout shelters and support the Vietnam War and missile defense, even as his views ran counter to those of his more liberal colleagues. Dr. Wheeler was once officially reprimanded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower for losing a classified document on a train, but he also received the Atomic Energy Commission’s Enrico Fermi Award from President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. When Dr. Wheeler received permission in 1952 to teach a course on Einsteinian gravity, it was not considered an acceptable field to study. But in promoting general relativity, he helped transform the subject in the 1960s, at a time when Dennis Sciama, at Cambridge University in England, and Yakov Borisovich Zeldovich, at Moscow State University, founded groups that spawned a new generation of gravitational theorists and cosmologists. One particular aspect of Einstein’s theory got Dr. Wheeler’s attention. In 1939, J. Robert Oppenheimer, who would later be a leader in the Manhattan Project, and a student, Hartland Snyder, suggested that Einstein’s equations had made an apocalyptic prediction. A dead star of sufficient mass could collapse into a heap so dense that light could not even escape from it. The star would collapse forever while spacetime wrapped around it like a dark cloak. At the center, space would be infinitely curved and matter infinitely dense, an apparent absurdity known as a singularity. Dr. Wheeler at first resisted this conclusion, leading to a confrontation with Dr. Oppenheimer at a conference in Belgium in 1958, in which Dr. Wheeler said that the collapse theory “does not give an acceptable answer” to the fate of matter in such a star. “He was trying to fight against the idea that the laws of physics could lead to a singularity,” Dr. Charles Misner, a professor at the University of Maryland and a former student, said. In short, how could physics lead to a violation itself — to no physics? Dr. Wheeler and others were finally brought around when David Finkelstein, now an emeritus professor at Georgia Tech, developed mathematical techniques that could treat both the inside and the outside of the collapsing star. At a conference in New York in 1967, Dr. Wheeler, seizing on a suggestion shouted from the audience, hit on the name “black hole” to dramatize this dire possibility for a star and for physics. The black hole “teaches us that space can be crumpled like a piece of paper into an infinitesimal dot, that time can be extinguished like a blown-out flame, and that the laws of physics that we regard as ‘sacred,’ as immutable, are anything but,” he wrote in his 1999 autobiography, “Geons, Black Holes & Quantum Foam: A Life in Physics.” (Its co-author is Kenneth Ford, a former student and a retired director of the American Institute of Physics.) In 1973, Dr. Wheeler and two former students, Dr. Misner and Kip Thorne, of the California Institute of Technology, published “Gravitation,” a 1,279-page book whose witty style and accessibility — it is chockablock with sidebars and personality sketches of physicists — belies its heft and weighty subject. It has never been out of print. In the summers, Dr. Wheeler would retire with his extended family to a compound on High Island, Me., to indulge his taste for fireworks by shooting beer cans out of an old cannon. He and Janette were married in 1935. She died in October 2007 at 99. Dr. Wheeler is survived by their three children, Ms. Lahnston and Letitia Wheeler Ufford, both of Princeton; James English Wheeler of Ardmore, Pa.; 8 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 6 step-grandchildren and 11 step-great-grandchildren. In 1976, faced with mandatory retirement at Princeton, Dr. Wheeler moved to the University of Texas. At the same time, he returned to the questions that had animated Einstein and Bohr, about the nature of reality as revealed by the strange laws of quantum mechanics. The cornerstone of that revolution was the uncertainty principle, propounded by Werner Heisenberg in 1927, which seemed to put fundamental limits on what could be known about nature, declaring, for example, that it was impossible, even in theory, to know both the velocity and the position of a subatomic particle. Knowing one destroyed the ability to measure the other. As a result, until observed, subatomic particles and events existed in a sort of cloud of possibility that Dr. Wheeler sometimes referred to as “a smoky dragon.” This kind of thinking frustrated Einstein, who once asked Dr. Wheeler if the Moon was still there when nobody looked at it. But Dr. Wheeler wondered if this quantum uncertainty somehow applied to the universe and its whole history, whether it was the key to understanding why anything exists at all. “We are no longer satisfied with insights only into particles, or fields of force, or geometry, or even space and time,” Dr. Wheeler wrote in 1981. “Today we demand of physics some understanding of existence itself.” At a 90th birthday celebration in 2003, Dr. Dyson said that Dr. Wheeler was part prosaic calculator, a “master craftsman,” who decoded nuclear fission, and part poet. “The poetic Wheeler is a prophet,” he said, “standing like Moses on the top of Mount Pisgah, looking out over the promised land that his people will one day inherit.” Wojciech Zurek, a quantum theorist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, said that Dr. Wheeler’s most durable influence might be the students he had “brought up.” He wrote in an e-mail message, “I know I was transformed as a scientist by him — not just by listening to him in the classroom, or by his physics idea: I think even more important was his confidence in me.” Dr. Wheeler described his own view of his role to an interviewer 25 years ago. “If there’s one thing in physics I feel more responsible for than any other, it’s this perception of how everything fits together,” he said. “I like to think of myself as having a sense of judgment. I’m willing to go anywhere, talk to anybody, ask any question that will make headway. “I confess to being an optimist about things, especially about someday being able to understand how things are put together. So many young people are forced to specialize in one line or another that a young person can’t afford to try and cover this waterfront — only an old fogy who can afford to make a fool of himself. “If I don’t, who will?”

Physics
Wheeler John A.
Deaths (Obituaries)
Science and Technology
Einstein Albert
Bohr Niels
Black Holes (Space)


Things to Do on Long Island, July 9 Through July 17

Abstract: A guide to cultural and recreational events on Long Island. Items for the calendar should be sent at least three weeks in advance to lical@nytimes.com. Comedy HUNTINGTON Eric Stonestreet. July 17 at 8 p.m. $29.50 to $74.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Avenue. 631-673-7300; paramountny.com. LINDENHURST Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling. July 23 at 9:30 p.m. $30. Studio Theater, 141 South Wellwood Avenue. 631-226-8400; studiotheatreli.com. ROCKVILLE CENTRE “11th Annual Long Island Comedy Festival.” July 16 at 8 p.m. $35. Madison Theater at Molloy College, 1000 Hempstead Avenue. 516-323-4444; madisontheatreny.org. SAG HARBOR Paul Reiser. July 11 at 8 p.m. $75 to $125. Bay Street Theater, 1 Bay Street. 631-725-9500; baystreet.org. Film CHERRY GROVE Cherry Grove Archives Committee Outtakes Film Festival, contemporary and historical documentaries, short films and restored masterpieces that were filmed on Fire Island. July 15 through 17. Free; donations accepted. Cherry Grove Community House and Theater, 180 Bayview Walk. 917-208-3076; artsprojectcg.org. EAST HAMPTON Hamptons International Film Festival SummerDocs Series: “Author: The JT LeRoy Story” (2016), directed by Jeff Feuerzeig. July 9 at 7 p.m. $23 and $25. Guild Hall, 158 Main Street. 631-324-0806; guildhall.org. GLEN COVE “Facing Arthur” (2002), by Stefan Knerrich and Michael Rey, documentary about the relationship between a young German and a 101-year-old Holocaust survivor. July 17 at 12:30 p.m. $10. Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center, 100 Crescent Beach Road. 516-571-8040; hmtcli.org. ROSLYN HARBOR “Graffiti/Post Graffiti” (1984), documentary. Through July 10. Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Free with museum admission, $4 to $10; children 4 and under and members, free. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Drive. 516-484-9337; nassaumuseum.org. SOUTHAMPTON Jewish Film Festival, archival films about the Jewish experience. July 12 through Aug. 30. $7.50 and $15; some nights free. Southampton Center, 25 Jobs Lane. 631-287-4377; scc-arts.org. STONY BROOK “21st Annual Stony Brook Film Festival,” new independent features, documentaries and shorts. July 21 through 30. $5 to $85. Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook University. 631-632-2787; stonybrookfilmfestival.com. WESTHAMPTON BEACH “My Love, Don’t Cross That River” (2014), by Jin Mo-young. July 12 through 14. $10 and $16. Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, 76 Main Street. 631-288-1500; whbpac.org. For Children GARDEN CITY “The Wizard of Oz,” musical performance by Plaza Theatrical. July 9 and 10, 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. $12. “Messy Afternoons,” messy arts and crafts activities. Through July 10. Free with museum admission. “Painted Piggies,” learn about the presidents on coins and paint a piggy bank. July 11 through 13. $3 with museum admission. “KEVA Castles,” building a castle out of various materials. July 14, 2 to 4 p.m. Free with museum admission. “Kids in the Kitchen (Family Series),” children and adults cooking together. July 15, 11:30 a.m. to noon. $5 with museum admission. “The Art of Andy Warhol.” Create an original piece of art, dress up like characters seen in paintings and view works from Warhol’s “Myths” series. Through Sept. 4. Free with museum admission, $12 and $13. Long Island Children’s Museum, 11 Davis Avenue. licm.org; 516-224-5800. PATCHOGUE “Kid Flix,” international children’s films and animation activity. July 12 through 14. $7 to $10; accompanying adults free. The Plaza Cinema and Media Arts Center, 20 Terry Street. 631-438-0083; plazamac.org. ROSLYN HARBOR Neiman Marcus Family Sundays at the Museum. Through July 10. Free with museum admission, $4 to $10; children 4 and under and members, free. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Drive. nassaumuseum.org; 516-484-9337. SAG HARBOR “Caps for Sale,” puppet theater by PuppeTree. July 16 at 11 a.m. “Princess Pirate Pea,” presented by Crabgrass Puppet Theater. Ages 3 and up. July 21 at 11 a.m. $15. Bay Street Theater, 1 Bay Street. 631-725-9500; baystreet.org. SEAFORD Music and nature show: live animals and music, interactive songs, multicultural wooden instruments, Native American-style storytelling with puppets and rainbow parachute. July 16, 1 to 5 p.m. $5. Tackapausha Museum and Preserve, 2225 Washington Avenue. 516-571-7443; nassaucountyny.gov. Music and Dance BOHEMIA The Precisions, doo-wop and rock cover band. July 14, 7 to 8:30 p.m. “Tribute to the Grand Ole Opry,” Savannah Sky performs the classics of Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Bob Wills along with some contemporary artists. July 21, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Free. Connetquot Public Library, 760 Ocean Avenue. 631-567-5079; connetquotlibrary.org. BRIDGEHAMPTON “5th Annual St. Barth Hamptons Gala,” presented by Social Life Magazine and St. Barth Tourism, hosted by Christie Brinkley. July 23, 6 to 10 p.m. $100 and $150. The Bridgehampton Historical Society, 2368 Montauk Highway. 212-725-1860; stbarthhamptons.com. GARDEN CITY “’80s Arcade and Karaoke Night,” more than 60 classic arcade games, ’80s music, costume contest, raffles and prizes, cash bar and karaoke. July 23, 7 to 11 p.m. $10 and $15. Cradle of Aviation Museum, 1 Davis Avenue. 516-572-4111; cradleofaviation.org. GLEN COVE “Downtown Sounds,” concert series in downtown plaza Friday nights in July and August. Glen Cove Village Square, on the corners of Glen and School Streets. 516-759-6970; downtownsoundslive.org. GLEN COVE Young Performers in Concert and the Glen Cove High School Select Chorale. July 10 at 7:30 p.m. “Celebrating Sinatra at 100,” Jerry Costanzo and His All-Star Orchestra. July 17 at 7:30 p.m. “All Shook Up,” Elvis Presley tribute by Plaza Productions. Rain Location: St. Patrick’s Parish Hall, Glen Cove. July 24 at 7:30 p.m. Free. Morgan Park, Germaine Street and Landing Road. 516-671-0017; morganparkmusic.org. HUNTINGTON “Gaelic Storm,” traditional Irish music mixed with rock and folk. July 15 at 8 p.m. $20 to $40. “Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes,” rock. July 16 at 8 p.m. $14.50 to $49.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Avenue. paramountny.com; 631-673-7300. MONTAUK Eleventh annual Aviva Players concert with Karen Jolicoeur, Hillary Schranze, Mimi Stern-Wolfe and more. July 13 at 7:30 p.m. Free. Montauk Library, 871 Montauk Highway. 631-668-3377; montauklibrary.org. PORT WASHINGTON “When Nature Dances,” site-specific dance performance for Sands Point Preserve. July 10, 3 to 5 p.m. $20 and $25. “Still Searching Suite,” premiere performed by Bobby Katz Quintet. July 21, 8 to 10 p.m. $20. The Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road. 516-571-7901; sandspointpreserveconservancy.org. SOUTHAMPTON “Summer Roses VI: Shakespeare’s Musical Legacy,” concert commemorating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. July 16 at 5 p.m. $20 and $40. Southampton Cultural Center, 25 Pond Lane. 631-287-4377; scc-arts.org. STONY BROOK The Michael Daves and Jake Jolliff Duo, bluegrass. July 22 at 6:30 p.m. $18 and $22. Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A. 631-901-4499; bcliorg.wix.com/bcli. WESTBURY Almost Queen, Queen tribute band, performs with Bowieshow, David Bowie tribute band. July 9 at 8 p.m. $24.50 to $39.50. Justin Moore, country. July 15 at 8 p.m. $39.50 to $145. Blackstreet, Jagged Edge and Shai, R&B. July 16 at 8 p.m. $49.50 to $235.50. NYCB Theater at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road. 800-745-3000; livenation.com. WILLISTON PARK Long Island Choral Society’s Summer Sing: Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and Handel’s “Dettingen Te Deum.” July 16 at 7 p.m. $10. St. Aidan’s Church, 505 Willis Avenue. 516-581-3645; lics.org. Outdoors OYSTER BAY Walking tour of Oyster Bay, Philip Blocklyn leads a walking tour of historic sites in the heart of Oyster Bay. July 16 at 3 p.m. $15; $5 for ages 12 to 17. Oyster Bay Historical Society, 20 Summit Street. 516-922-5032; oysterbayhistorical.org. PORT WASHINGTON The biologist Eric Powers leads an adults-only hike to search for wildflowers and wildlife and delve into historical and medical uses of some of the plants found. July 23, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. $10 per car. The Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road. 516-571-7901; sandspointpreserveconservancy.org. Image BELLPORT “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” a musical revue by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby Jr., is running through July 16 at the Gateway Playhouse, 215 South Country Road. Tickets are$59 through $89. For more information: thegateway.org ; 631-286-1133. Credit Jeff Bellante QUOGUE “Westhampton Garden Club House Tour,” self-guided tour of six homes and gardens in the Westhampton, Quogue and Remsenburg areas. July 15, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. $75; $40 for lunch. Quogue Library, 90 Quogue Street. 631-352-1670; westhamptongardenclub.org. RIVERHEAD Brew Crew Cycles, group bike tours to the breweries in downtown Riverhead. Through November. Weekends: $35 per person, $450 for full 14-person tour. Weekdays: $30 per person, $350 for full tour. Brew Crew Cycles, 285 Pulaski Street. brewcrewcycles.com; 631-722-1516. SETAUKET “Culper Spy Day,” discover how America’s first spy ring came together secretly to provide General George Washington with the information he needed to turn the tide of the American Revolution. July 23, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. $25; children under 12 free. Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Road. 631-751-3730; culper.com/culperspyday. WANTAGH Sunset Stroll with the Long Island Health Collaborative, beachfront walk. July 21 at 6 p.m. Jones Beach Boardwalk, Field 4, 1000 Ocean Parkway. 631-257-6957; lihealthcollab.org/sunsetstroll. Spoken Word BOHEMIA “Landmarks and Historic Long Island,” Ralph Brady provides commentary on his extensive collection of current and vintage photographs. July 19, 7 to 8:30 p.m. “Long Island Wildlife Photography,” photographer Michael Busch shares tips and a slide show of Long Island wildlife. July 20, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Connetquot Public Library, 760 Ocean Avenue. 631-567-5079; connetquotlibrary.org. EAST ISLIP Dahlias Basics class, hosted by the Long Island Dahlia Society. July 21 at 6:30 p.m. Free. East Islip Public Library, 381 East Main Street. 516-578-7699; longislanddahlia.org. GLEN COVE “Northern Mexico: Canyons, Cave Dwellers and Curiosities,” presented by Irma and Bob Mandel. July 15 at 2 p.m. Glen Cove Public Library, 4 Glen Cove Avenue. 516-676-2130; glencovelibrary.org. RIVERHEAD “Book and Bottle.” Stephen Scanniello discusses his book “A Rose by Any Name.” July 16 at 1 p.m. $5; members free. Suffolk County Historical Society, 300 West Main Street. 631-727-2881; suffolkcountyhistoricalsociety.org. SOUTHAMPTON Helen Simonson discusses her book “The Summer Before the War,” set in England on the cusp of World War I. July 13 at noon. Rogers Memorial Library, 91 Coopers Farm Road. 631-283-0774; myrml.org. WATER MILL “The Hamptons Get Mortified, Vol. 3,” event with Mortified NYC featuring embarrassing readings. July 15 at 6 p.m. $10. Parrish Art Museum, 279 Montauk Highway. 631-283-2118; parrishart.org. WESTHAMPTON BEACH Cesar Millan, dog behaviorist, trains rescue dogs on stage. July 24 at 7:30 p.m. $100 to $250. Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, 76 Main Street. 631-288-1500; whbpac.org. Theater BELLPORT “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” musical revue by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby Jr. Through July 26. $59 to $89. Gateway Playhouse, 215 South Country Road. 631-286-1133; thegateway.org. HYDE PARK “Romeo and Juliet,” Shakespeare, performed by the Arena Players Repertory Theater. Through July 31. $15. Vanderbilt Mansion Historic Site, 119 Vanderbilt Park Road. 516-293-0674; arenaplayers.org. LINDENHURST “God’s Favorite,” comedy by Neil Simon. Through July 10. $25. Studio Theater, 141 South Wellwood Avenue. 631-226-8400; studiotheatreli.com. NORTHPORT “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” musical by Jeanine Tesori, Dick Scanlan and Richard Morris. Through July 10. $69 and $74. John W. Engeman Theater at Northport, 250 Main Street. 631-261-2900; engemantheater.com. OAKDALE Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” musical. Through July 9. $16 to $40. CM Performing Arts Center, 931 Montauk Highway. 631-218-2810; cmpac.com. PORT JEFFERSON “The Magic of Alexo,” magic and illusions. July 16, 7 to 9 p.m. $15. The Performing Arts Studio of New York, 224 East Main Street. 631-928-6529; performingartsstudioofny.com. PORT JEFFERSON “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” musical comedy. Through Aug. 11. $10. Theater Three, 412 Main Street. 631-928-9100; theaterthree.com. SAG HARBOR “The Last Night of Ballyhoo,” comedy-drama by Alfred Uhry. Through July 24. $25 to $125. “The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey,” written and performed by James Lecesne, with music by Duncan Sheik. July 18 through 24. $25 to $85. Bay Street Theater, 1 Bay Street. 631-725-9500; baystreet.org. WANTAGH “Hay Fever” comedy by Noël Coward. July 15 through 24. $15 and $20. East Line Productions, 2123 Wantagh Avenue. 516-749-5047; eastlineproductions.com. Museums and Galleries SAG HARBOR “Every Village Has a Story: People,” vintage and contemporary photographs and paintings. Through July 18. “Masters of American Realism,” artists pay tribute to Realism. July 22 through Aug. 4. Reception: July 22, 6 to 8 p.m. $2 and $6. Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sag Harbor Whaling Museum, 200 Main Street. 631-725-0770; sagharborwhalingmuseum.org. AMAGANSETT Koichiro Kurita and Takeshi Shikama, photography and collages. Through July 13. Ille Arts, 171 Main Street. 631-905-9894; illearts.com. BRIDGEHAMPTON “The Curiosities of Harry Squires,” exhibition of local wildlife, memorabilia of shipwrecks, Native American artifacts and more from the collection of a Bridgehampton figure. Through Oct. 1. Bridgehampton Museum Archives Building, 2539-A Montauk Highway. 631-537-1088; bhmuseum.org. BROOKVILLE “In the Garden,” Sandi Daniel, Claus Hoie, Eric Kamp and others. Through July 21. Mondays through Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Steinberg Museum of Art at Hillwood, 720 Northern Boulevard. 516-299-4073; liu.edu/museum. COLD SPRING HARBOR “#MyLongIslandLandmarks,” depictions of Long Island landmarks submitted via social media. Through Nov. 20. $5 suggested donation. S.P.L.I.A. Gallery, 161 Main Street. 631-692-4664; splia.org. CUTCHOGUE “Abstraction Exhibit,” Alex Vignoli, Christine Matthäi and Scott Farrell. Through Aug. 7. Thursdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment. Alex Ferrone Gallery, 25425 Main Road. 631-734-8545; alexferronegallery.com. CUTCHOGUE “Summer of Split Pop,” solo exhibition by Robert Perez. Through Sept. 30. Castello di Borghese Vineyard, Route 48 and Alvahs Lane. 631-734-5111; castellodiborghese.com. DIX HILLS “The Long Island Life,” photography. Through July 24. Reception: July 10, 1 to 3 p.m. The Art League of Long Island, 107 East Deer Park Road. 631-462-5400; artleagueli.net. DIX HILLS “Project Lives,” photographic exhibition of the book “Project Lives: New York Public Housing Residents Photograph Their World.” Through Aug. 22. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Art League of Long Island, 107 East Deer Park Road. 631-462-5400; artleagueli.net. EAST HAMPTON “Last Word From Paradise,” Peter Beard. Through July 31. Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.; Mondays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guild Hall, 158 Main Street. 631-324-0806; guildhall.org. EAST HAMPTON “Heavy Metal Picnic,” paintings by Genieve Figgis. Through Aug. 10. Harper’s Books, 87 Newtown Lane. 631-324-1131; harpersbooks.com. EAST HAMPTON “Planters On + Off the Ground,” horticultural exhibition judged by Martha Stewart in celebration of LongHouse Reserve’s 25th year. Through July 30. $10 and $20. LongHouse Reserve Art Center, 133 Hands Creek Road. 631-329-3568; longhouse.org. Image SOUTHAMPTON “Receive” (2016), oil on canvas by Reisha Perlmutter, is in “Water |Bodies,” an exhibition curated by Eric Fischl and David Kratz, at the Southampton ArtsCenter, 25 Jobs Lane, through July 31. For more information: 631-283-0967; southamptonartscenter.org . Credit New York Academy of Art EAST HAMPTON Thomas Nozkowski, oil paintings and works on paper. Through July 25. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Drawing Room, 66 Newtown Lane. 631-324-5016; drawingroom-gallery.com. EAST ISLIP “Shapeshifter,” new works by Anu Annam. Through Sept. 11. Suggested donation, $5. Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. Islip Art Museum, 50 Irish Lane. islipartmuseum.org; 631-224-5402. GLEN COVE “The North Shore Worships,” examining the area’s religious communities. Through Aug. 19. General admission, $5; members, free. Wednesdays, 2 to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. North Shore Historical Museum, 140 Glen Street. northshorehistoricalmuseum.org; 516-801-1191. GREENPORT “Cultivated Realities,” Corey Solinger and Katie Grove. Through July 31. The Gallery at Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, 234 Carpenter Street. 631-477-1100; harborbrewing.com. HEMPSTEAD “In Print,” group show. Through Sept. 18. Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. David Filderman Gallery, Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, South Campus, Hofstra University. 516-463-5672; hofstra.edu/museum. HEMPSTEAD “Africa: Sub-Saharan Diversity,” jewelry and masks. Through Aug. 12. Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. Hofstra University Museum, Hofstra University. hofstra.edu/museum; 516-463-5672. HUNTINGTON “Cornucopia: Still Lifes From the Collection.” Through Aug. 21. “Master of Illusion: The Magical Art of Gary Erbe.” Through Aug. 28. “Synapses: Threads for Thought.” Through April 9, 2017. $4 to $8; children under 10, free. Wednesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Avenue. 631-351-3250; heckscher.org. HUNTINGTON Margaret Minardi. Through July 9. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Fridays, 2 to 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and by appointment. Ripe Art Gallery, 1028 Park Avenue. ripeartgal.com; 631-239-1805. JAMESPORT Textile and mixed media by Valerie Zeman and still-life photographs by Harold Naideau. Through July 27. Rosalie Dimon Gallery, Jamesport Manor Inn, 370 Manor Lane. 631-722-0500; jamesportmanorinn.com. LOCUST VALLEY “Color and Light,” painted photographs by Ennid Berger. Through July 10. 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Ariel Fine Art Gallery, 45 the Plaza. 516-759-5422. OYSTER BAY “Boat Builders and Boatyards of Long Island,” featuring the Ida May Project’s replica of a 1925 oyster-harvesting boat. Through Sept. 4. Free. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. Oyster Bay Historical Society, 20 Summit Street. 516-922-5032; oysterbayhistorical.org. PORT WASHINGTON “Passage to India,” on the plight of more than 1,000 Polish orphans rescued from the Soviet Gulag and relocated to India. Through Aug. 1. Wednesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturdays, 1 to 4 p.m. Polish American Museum, 16 Belleview Avenue. polishamericanmuseum.com; 516-883-6542. REMSENBURG “ArtRemsenburg,” weekend showcases of works by local artists, sculptors and students. Through Sept. 30. Remsenburg Academy, 130 South Country Road. remsenburgassociation.com; 631-325-1834. RIVERHEAD “The Contemporary Portrait,” juried art show. Through July 29. East End Arts Gallery, 133 East Main Street. 631-727-0900; eastendarts.org. RIVERHEAD Anthony Graziano, photography exhibition. Through Aug. 31. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Riverhead Town Hall Gallery, 200 Howell Avenue. 631-727-3200; eastendarts.org. RIVERHEAD “Fullerton’s Long Island: ‘The Lure of the Land,’” photographs. Through Dec. 23. Suffolk County Historical Society, 300 West Main Street. 631-727-2881; suffolkcountyhistoricalsociety.org. ROSLYN HARBOR “Glamorous Graffiti: Basquiat, Crash, Haring and More.” Through July 10. Kenny Scharf, paintings, sculpture, full gallery installations by Mr. Scharf. Through July 10. $4 to $10; children 4 and under and members, free. Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Drive. nassaumuseum.org; 516-484-9337. SAG HARBOR “A Parallel Universe,” works by Salvatore Alessi, Margaret Bowland, Jennifer Gennari and others. Through July 17. Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Richard J. Demato Fine Arts Gallery, 90 Main Street. 631-725-1161; rjdgallery.com. SAG HARBOR “The Last Baymen of Amagansett,” photography by Michael Ruggiero Jr. July 12 through Sept. 19. Reception: July 17, 4 to 6:30 p.m. Estias Little Kitchen, 1615 Sag Harbor Turnpike. 631-725-1045; estiaslittlekitchen.com. SAYVILLE “Hanging by a Thread,” Renee Reilly. Through July 17. Saturdays and Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m.; Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bay Area Friends of the Fine Arts Gallery, 47 Gillette Avenue. 631-589-7343; baffa.org. SOUTHAMPTON “Scallop Pond, New Paintings,” Brian Rutenberg. July 9 through 17. Reception: July 9, 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and by appointment. Peter Marcelle Project, 4 North Main Street. 631-613-6170; petermarcelleproject.com. SOUTHAMPTON “WATER|BODIES,” works by New York Academy of Art alumni and other artists inspired by bodies of water. Through July 31. Southampton Arts Center, 25 Jobs Lane. 631-283-0967; southamptonartscenter.org. SOUTHAMPTON “Beach Light,” paintings by Eileen Dawn Skretch. Through Oct. 23. $4; members and children under 17, free. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Southampton Historical Museum, 17 Meeting House Lane. southamptonhistoricalmuseum.org; 631-283-2494. SOUTHOLD “School Girls and Their Samplers,” needlework. Through Oct. 9. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. Southold Historical Society, 54325 Main Road. 631-765-5500; southoldhistoricalsociety.org. ST. JAMES “Of a Botanical Nature,” juried group exhibition. Through July 20. Wednesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. Mills Pond Gallery, 660 Route 25A. 631-862-6575; stacarts.org. STONY BROOK “The Brush Is My Pen: Art That Tells Stories.” Through July 30. “Common Ground: The Music Festival Experience.” Through Sept. 5. $5 to $10; members and children under 6, free. Thursdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages, 1200 Route 25A. longislandmuseum.org; 631-751-0066. SYOSSET James Lumpp, paintings. Through July 27. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Syosset Public Library, 225 South Oyster Bay Road. syossetlibrary.org; 516-921-7161. UNIONDALE “Colorful Visions,” Linda Louis, Deborah Katz and Cindy Shechter. Through Sept. 10. OMNI Gallery, 333 Earle Ovington Boulevard. 631-385-0222. WATER MILL “Art Southampton,” modern and contemporary art fair. Through July 11. $15 to $150; children under 12, free with an adult. Nova’s Ark Project, 30-60 Millstone Road. 305-517-7977; art-southampton.com. WATER MILL “Radical Seafaring,” two-dimensional works, sculptural objects, vessels, models, film and video, off-site commissions and boat trips on East End waterways. Through July 24. “Platform: Jonah Bokaer,” installation of site-responsive works. July 9 through Oct. 16. “Connections and Context,” group show. Through Oct. 30. “Inscape: The Inner Nature of Things,” group exhibition. Through Oct. 30. “Process of Discovery,” works by James Brooks. Through Oct. 30. Photographs by Jean-Luc Mylayne. Through Oct. 30. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Parrish Art Museum, 279 Montauk Highway. parrishart.org; 631-283-2118. WATER MILL “Natural Forces,” Steven Kinder. Through July 18. Daily, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sara Nightingale Gallery, 688 Montauk Highway. 631-793-2256; saranightingale.com. WATER MILL “Best of Thirty Squared 2016,” results of “30 paintings in 30 days” challenge. Through July 17. Thursdays through Mondays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Water Mill Museum, 41 Old Mill Road. 631-726-4625; watermillmuseum.org. WESTHAMPTON BEACH Mixed media by Julia Salinger. Through July 31. Hamptons Yoga Healing Arts, 8 Moniebogue Lane. 631-355-1855; hamptonsyogahealingarts.com.


CityTime Payroll Project’s Main Contractor Fires a Manager

Abstract: Doubts about CityTime , a troubled New York City payroll automation project, grew on Wednesday as the company overseeing the project said it had fired a senior employee for misrepresenting the number of hours he had worked. The firm, Science Applications International Corporation , pledged to return $2.4 million to the city, the amount the company billed for Gerard Denault, a CityTime manager. The firing of Mr. Denault was the latest setback for the embattled project. In December, federal authorities accused several employees of CityTime subcontractors of defrauding the city in an $80 million scheme that began in 2005. Science Applications International Corporation, the primary contractor, has not faced criminal charges. On Wednesday the city comptroller, John C. Liu, called on investigators to broaden their inquiry into the project in light of Mr. Denault’s firing. “The very company entrusted by our city to build a timekeeping system for our employees has grossly mismanaged their own timekeeping,” Mr. Liu said. Mr. Liu would not say whether he thought Mr. Denault or other employees of the company had committed a crime. But he said, “The total amount that should be returned to the city is potentially far larger.” In a letter sent to city officials on Monday, the company said Mr. Denault had “routinely recorded set hours each day rather than the actual hours he worked,” a violation of the company’s ethical standards. “Because he did not precisely record the hours he worked, we cannot accurately calculate the amount that should have been billed to the city for his work,” the letter said. Mr. Denault, 49, who worked on the project from 2002 until he was suspended in December, denied any wrongdoing. He said that he was paid a flat salary for his work and that, if anything, he had underbilled the city. “There’s absolutely no advantage to me to bill extra hours,” he said in an interview. “Why would I do it?” The CityTime scandal has been a thorn in the side of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, an accomplished businessman who prides himself on his managerial skill. For the mayor’s critics, CityTime became a symbol of wasteful government spending, as the cost of the project ballooned to $700 million from an initial estimate of $68 million. The city says the much-maligned CityTime system is now working. “The project is essentially fully online and operational,” said Marc LaVorgna, a spokesman for Mr. Bloomberg. Mr. LaVorgna said the city would withhold future payments to Science Applications International Corporation until the conclusion of a city investigation that began in December. Under its contract with the company, which expires June 30, the city is supposed to pay the company $32 million upon completion of the project.

CityTime
Saic Inc
Suspensions Dismissals and Resignations
New York City
Denault Gerard


Bill De Blasio Proposes Higher Taxes on Wealthy to Pay for Education

Abstract: Bill de Blasio , the New York public advocate, laid out a provocative plan on Thursday to finance education programs by raising income taxes on the city’s wealthiest residents, an early populist salvo in his presumptive campaign for mayor. Speaking at a breakfast event for a prominent civic group, Mr. de Blasio also attacked a mayoral rival, Speaker Christine C. Quinn of the City Council , for proposing a set of small-business reforms that he dismissed as “a joke,” and he chastised Ms. Quinn for declining to challenge Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on the issue. Mr. de Blasio’s criticisms were a signal of the intraparty combat that is expected to accompany a competitive, and potentially decisive, Democratic primary in 2013. But the focus of his speech — education — also proved contentious, with members of the well-heeled audience seemingly cool to his idea of raising taxes to provide more prekindergarten classes and after-school activities for students in grades six through eight. Mr. de Blasio argued that improvements in early childhood education were critical to improving the city’s long-term economy and its middle class. He estimated that the new programs would cost about $500 million, which could be generated through a small tax surcharge on New Yorkers who earn $500,000 or more. “The idea would be not to build more bureaucracy, but to build the middle class, to give kids the kind of educational foundation they need to move forward,” Mr. de Blasio told members of the Association for a Better New York, a group whose events are a standard stop on the city’s political circuit. “We will be asking people who worked hard and have done well to contribute a little more and make this happen.” A person earning $1 million in annual income would pay an additional $2,120 under Mr. de Blasio’s plan, which was modeled after a similar surcharge used to hire new police officers under a 1990s anticrime initiative of Mayor David N. Dinkins, Mr. de Blasio’s former employer. Any new surcharge would require approval by the State Legislature. Mr. de Blasio’s proposal was an incursion into policy territory typically dominated by Ms. Quinn, who has made early childhood education a priority. This year, Ms. Quinn successfully pressed Albany to make kindergarten mandatory for 5-year-olds; Mr. de Blasio said his proposal would affect 4-year-olds. Mr. de Blasio is a longtime beneficiary of labor support whose expected candidacy has been viewed warily by the city’s business elite. His proposal received a tepid response from the crowd, which included many wealthy civic leaders who would almost certainly be affected by his higher tax. A question from the audience that challenged the rationale behind Mr. de Blasio’s tax proposal received more applause than many lines in his prepared remarks. “When you come to a group like this and you say to them, ‘I want to tax you,’ they immediately shut down,” said Ernest A. Logan, president of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, a city union. But Mr. de Blasio, who joked in his speech that he was delivering his remarks in “the lion’s den,” said he believed that the goal of improving the city’s schools ought to require some investment from the wealthy. “It’s a roomful of people who know our educational status quo is unacceptable,” Mr. de Blasio said. He added, of his proposal, “I’m sure they’d love it if there was some other way to fund it, but I bet they will not disagree that this is fundamental to our future success.” Mr. de Blasio has reached out to small-business groups in recent weeks, and he criticized a recent plan by Speaker Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg to simplify regulation of city businesses. “What the mayor and the speaker did was lip service,” Mr. de Blasio told reporters after his speech. “They don’t really intend to change it, and they should just come out and say that,” Mr. de Blasio said. Of Ms. Quinn, he added, “She is clearly not challenging the mayor, and working with him to continue a bad policy.” Ms. Quinn’s office referred an inquiry about Mr. de Blasio’s speech to Robert Bookman, a lawyer who often represents the hospitality industry in disputes with the city. Mr. Bookman said he was disappointed to hear Mr. de Blasio dismiss an effort that he said would help small-business owners. “He should be careful who he’s insulting when he does this kind of stuff,” Mr. Bookman said of the public advocate. Mr. Bloomberg had his own sharp words for Mr. de Blasio, telling reporters that the public advocate wishes to tax “anything and everything.” “He wants to drive everybody out of the city,” the mayor, who has clashed frequently with Mr. de Blasio, told reporters at a news conference on Thursday. He added, in a sarcastic tone: “But that’s O.K. He’s a good guy.”

de Blasio Bill
Quinn Christine C
Education (K-12)
Elections Mayors
Income Tax
New York City
City Council (NYC)


Pedro Valdes: The Baseball Journeyman’s Journeyman

Abstract: SAN JUAN, P.R. — Pedro Valdes stepped inside the batting cage at Hiram Bithorn Stadium on Thursday morning and took cut after cut, each swing a perfect reproduction of the last. His mechanics were distinctive: the high leg kick and the way he whipped the bat across the plate, his left hand releasing after impact. Edwin Rodriguez, the manager for Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic, watched with great familiarity. It was the same swing that first caught Rodriguez’s attention some 25 years ago when he scouted a teenage Valdes in nearby Loiza. His swing had not changed, not one bit. “Effortless,” Rodriguez said. “You can’t teach that.” It has been the one constant in a nomadic career. There may not be a more well-traveled professional baseball player than Valdes. At 39, he is the journeyman’s journeyman, a designated hitter whose greatest attribute has nothing to do with his fluid form or his reputation as a solid teammate. Instead, it has everything to do with his ability to find employment. In 23 seasons, Valdes has played for 18 teams. In 13 leagues. In five countries. Or as he put it, “Everywhere.” His first two teams, the Huntington Cubs and the Geneva Cubs, no longer exist. He later joined the Oklahoma RedHawks of the Pacific Coast League and the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks of the Japan Pacific League. There were three seasons in Iowa, four in Japan and five in Mexico, where he stayed true to form by playing for different clubs each summer, from Tabasco to Oaxaca. And he still cannot figure out how to pack a suitcase. “I have left clothes all over the place,” he said. Although this tournament is flooded with name-brand stars, Valdes is representative of a baseball underclass that plies its trade on the margins, far from the grand stages of Yankee Stadium and Wrigley Field. For Valdes, who will start in Puerto Rico’s Pool C opener here against Spain on Friday night, the end is near. He plans to retire after the tournament, which he described as a difficult decision. After more than two decades roaming the globe, he still feels he can contribute. “I guess I’d rather walk away now when I’m productive than have a bad season and, you know, have them push me away,” he said. Valdes said his selection to the Puerto Rican team was unexpected. He was playing for Gigantes de Carolina of the Puerto Rican League when he announced his retirement in January. He even had a job lined up scouting for a Japanese team this summer. His plans changed after his final playoff game when Rodriguez and the former major league first baseman Carlos Delgado, who now coaches for Puerto Rico, presented him with an official team hat. They told him that he was invited to the W.B.C. Valdes said he was confused: invited to watch or invited to play? Rodriguez quickly clarified that he wanted Valdes to be part of the team. “There were tears that day,” Valdes said. Image Pedro Valdes being greeted by Mike Aviles after homering against the Minnesota Twins in an exhibition game Wednesday. Credit David Goldman/Associated Press Rodriguez said nostalgia had nothing to do with Valdes’s selection. “He deserves to be here,” Rodriguez said. On Wednesday, in an exhibition game against the Minnesota Twins in Florida, Valdes showcased the virtues of experience by going 3 for 5 with a home run and three runs batted in, powering Puerto Rico to an 8-7 victory. The Twins were flummoxed. “They were asking: ‘Who is he? Where is he playing?’ ” said Rodriguez, adding that he was not convinced that Valdes would retire. “I think he’s going to think it over. I don’t think he’s 100 percent sure, not with the way he’s swinging right now.” Valdes is something of an institution in Puerto Rico, where he has a home in the mountains. “Away from the noise,” he said. His teammates respect him so much that it borders on reverence. Angel Pagan, an outfielder with the San Francisco Giants, said it was a “great honor” to play with Valdes in the tournament. “Being around a guy like that, you have to pick his brain before he leaves,” Pagan said. Valdes spent bits of three seasons with the Chicago Cubs and the Texas Rangers, most recently in 2000, but could never stick in the major leagues. He said he tired of waiting for an opportunity that might never materialize, so he chose a different path. He left for Japan (2001-4) and Mexico (2005-6, 2008-11), with a cameo in South Korea (2007). And he has supplemented his income by playing winter ball in Puerto Rico. Robin Jennings, a former minor league teammate, said Valdes did not benefit from coming up in the Cubs organization at a time when the front office seemed to value high-priced free agents over up-and-coming prospects. In three seasons at Class AAA Iowa, Valdes hit .294 with 53 home runs and 160 R.B.I. “He was a big-league hitter,” Jennings said in a telephone interview. “He was never going to win any Gold Gloves, but there’s a reason the guy has been playing for 20 years.” Jennings, who retired in 2007, recalled that Valdes was mild-mannered until a call went against him or a pitcher annoyed him. Pitchers were the enemy. “Petey did not like striking out,” Jennings said, referring to Valdes by his nickname. Valdes said he never expected his career to play out this way. Given the opportunity, he said, he believes he could have excelled at the highest level. Handed a baseball card to sign, he sometimes flips it over to examine his minor league statistics. “I had good numbers,” he said. “I was a foreigner everywhere I went,” he said. “That was my mind-set — that I had to perform better than the homegrown players to keep my job. And every year was a challenge for me, but I had to push it. I had to make it work for me.”

Baseball
World Baseball Classic
Puerto Rico
Pedro Valdes


Scottish Authorities Seek Clues to Copter Crash

Abstract: LONDON — Investigators continued on Sunday to recover and examine the wreckage of a police helicopter that plunged through the roof of a crowded pub in Glasgow late Friday, killing eight people and injuring many others. The eight dead included all three aboard the helicopter as well as five people inside the pub, where a band was performing at about 10:30 p.m. when the helicopter, carrying two police officers and a civilian pilot, spun down into the building, apparently after losing power. On Sunday, the police identified the victims on the helicopter as Constable Tony Collins, 43, and Constable Kirsty Nelis, 36, who were part of Police Scotland’s operational support division; and Capt. Dave Traill, 51, the pilot, who worked for Bond Air Services. Image Credit The New York Times Chief Constable Stephen House said in a statement that he wanted to “pay tribute to all three and recognize the important contribution they made to our public service and to the communities they have served.” A separate police statement said that emergency workers were still trying to recover bodies from the site. One of the dead was identified as Gary Arthur, 48, from the Paisley area west of Glasgow. Twelve of the injured remained hospitalized on Sunday, the police said, adding that the job of removing what remained of the helicopter from the pub, the Clutha, was complex. Images showed wreckage from the tail of the helicopter on the pub’s roof, with one piece sticking out of a gash in the building. On Saturday, Scotland’s first minister, Alex Salmond, said it was a “black day for Glasgow and Scotland,” and David Cameron, the British prime minister, called the accident a “tragic event.” Rescue workers were among those in attendance at Glasgow Cathedral on Sunday as the congregation prayed for the victims and their relatives.

Glasgow
Great Britain
Helicopter
Plane Crashes and Missing Planes
Fatalities,casualties
Scotland


Oil Output Freeze Has a Catch: Attracting OPEC Unity

Abstract: MOSCOW — As prices have dropped ever lower, smaller oil producing nations on precarious financial ground have regularly pushed their bigger brethren to stop pumping at record levels and help calm the markets. Now, even the giants are joining the chorus, with Saudi Arabia and Russia on Tuesday calling for a coordinated effort to freeze production. The plan, which also included Venezuela and Qatar, is a tentative sign that major oil producers are ready to cooperate. And it indicates how deeply prices have fallen, as Russia and Saudi Arabia have previously resisted tempering production. But whether the plan actually goes anywhere — or is just chatter meant to bolster prices — is an open debate. The four countries said they would proceed only if others commit. It is not an easy sell. Iraq has a longstanding policy of seeking to raise production regardless of the price-stabilizing policies of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, to which it belongs. And Iran has staked out a policy of increasing oil exports now that sanctions have been lifted as part of its nuclear deal. How Oil Prices Are Falling Again, Explained in Four Charts A glut of crude oil on the markets is pushing the price of oil down to levels not seen since the global financial crisis. “It throws the ball in Iran’s court, because they have said their output is going to increase,” said Bhushan Bahree, an oil analyst at IHS, a research firm in Washington. The markets have little confidence in the plan. Brent Crude oil prices initially surged above $35.50 a barrel on discussion of a deal. But the details prompted a drop in prices below $33. “The market does not need a freeze. It needs a reduction,” said Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy and Economic Research in Massachusetts. “They are not offering anything like that.” He added that the plan announced on Tuesday was in the early stages. “People are talking and admitting to concerns about price levels,” he said. Even a speculative deal represents a step forward, albeit a somewhat symbolic one. For months, the market chatter focused on the possibility of production cuts. But countries are generally less willing to cut, because doing so means giving up market share for their oil, which might be hard to win back. Oil Prices: What to Make of the Volatility Over the last two and a half years, the oil industry experienced its deepest downturn since at least the 1990s. By holding steady, producers can help ease the pressure on the markets without making difficult decisions. Saudi Arabia, which has kept production at near record levels, cannot pump much more. Venezuela and Qatar have already been maintaining. Russia in January, the month chosen as the high-water mark for output, produced oil at a post-Soviet record of 10.88 million barrels a day. Maintaining this gusher through the year, far from limiting supply on the global market, would allow Russian oil companies to pump more this year than last. “It doesn’t cost them much,” said Ildar Davletshin, oil and gas analyst at Renaissance Capital, a Russian investment bank. For Russia, “this deal only means maintaining the status quo.” The plan, even at this early stage, is a change of tack for Saudi Arabia. As oil prices have slumped, the country, the de facto leader of OPEC, has declined to cut its own production to try to manage the markets. It is also symbolic that Saudi Arabia and Russia are now presenting a united front on oil. The two countries are geopolitical rivals, backing opposite sides in the Syrian civil war . And Russia, which is not an OPEC member, has historically resisted any binding coordination with the cartel to bolster global oil prices. The rare cooperation reflects the extreme weakness in oil, with prices falling about 70 percent in the last 18 months. Venezuela — and other smaller producers that felt the pain early — has been especially vocal about managing production. The country’s economy , which is critically linked to oil prices, is in disarray, and its leadership has little financial backup. Now, the biggest players feel the need to do something about production, or at least talk about it. Although Saudi Arabia still has more than $600 billion in financial reserves, the low price of oil has pushed it to make budget-cutting moves like raising the price of gasoline, electricity and water. Its government is also considering raising money through the sales of assets like airports and, possibly, a stake in the national oil company, Saudi Aramco. In Russia, oil and natural gas taxes make up about 50 percent of the federal budget. And President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia depends deeply on oil, to pay the public sector salaries and pensions that underpin his popularity. It also helps Mr. Putin keep up the army that gives Russia its geopolitical muscle. The next step in the process will be rallying support. The Venezuelan and Qatari oil ministers will meet with their counterparts in Iran and Iraq. They will also visit non-OPEC producers like Oman, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Assuming all are on board, the oil glut could begin to ease, particularly with American output on the decline. “It is a positive step in the right direction in a transition period,” said a gulf oil official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity given the nature of the talks. “The main driver is prices going below $30 a barrel, which was very disturbing.” He added that it was important that four major oil powers, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar, were involved in the discussions. He cited a “clear road map” of what countries to approach next, which he said could lead to a more formal agreement on production.


Europe Seems to Stick to Same Economic Strategy

Abstract: PARIS — With much of Europe mired in a debt crisis and hamstrung by austerity budgets, one would think that European Union leaders are busy examining their economic models, looking for ways to promote growth amid tougher global competition. If so, they are keeping any radical new thinking well concealed. In a recently announced growth strategy for the next decade, policy makers in Brussels are offering more of the same, even though the last set of goals, aimed at making Europe the world’s most dynamic region by 2010, has not hit the mark. For the last decade or so, the European Commission, the European Union’s policy-drafting arm, has favored the Anglo-Saxon model of loosely regulated markets over the more statist impulses of France, Italy and, to a lesser extent, Germany. That has not changed much, despite two years of financial and economic turmoil that highlighted some of the defects of that model. Britain and Ireland, which epitomized the free-market orthodoxy, both boomed for a time but then were flattened by the bursting of a credit and real estate bubble and required to nationalize weakened banks. Yet the classic Continental model of large and costly welfare states, with more tightly regulated labor markets and governments that are less shy about intervening to keep struggling industries afloat, has hardly emerged unscathed: Witness countries like Greece, Portugal and Italy, where mountains of debt threaten the euro zone. “An awful lot of people would be happy to dance on the grave of the Anglo-Saxon model,” said an ambassador at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris, who was not authorized to speak publicly. “But it’s not that simple.” While France and Italy went through a shallower downturn than many others in the European Union, they were also hampered by slower growth during boom years. That makes it harder to fix today’s budget woes as well as future challenges like keeping their pension systems afloat. The recent struggle in France over establishing limited changes to retirement rules suggests that further steps will be painful. Yet with international investors increasingly unwilling to provide cheap financing to fill budget holes, options are becoming limited. Some are looking now to Germany’s more-controlled Rhineland model of social capitalism, which prizes consensus over confrontation, with the state playing a supporting role when needed. Years of productivity gains, labor market changes and wage restraint seem to have paid off, as Germany is the strongest-performing major economy in the region. “The Anglo-Saxon model was sexier than the Rhinelandic, and a lot of the Anglo-Saxon orientations have been introduced in Continental Europe,” Jan Peter Balkenende, the former Dutch prime minister, said in a recent interview. “Now you can see that people are rethinking what has happened.” For Mr. Balkenende, the defining difference between the models has been the degree of financial regulation and control of credit. “Supervision must be organized in the right way,” he said. “You need more transparency and integrity.” But more broadly, he said, if it is to compete, Europe has to follow its core beliefs of open labor and product markets, while “rethinking the concepts of the welfare state.” Since 2000, the European Commission intently drove its mandate to open markets, pushing an ambitious set of policy goals laid out by governments in an initiative known as the Lisbon Strategy. They set targets of achieving 3 percent average economic growth a year, as well as “full employment,” or 70 percent of the population, by 2010. Neither has been achieved. Still, a handful of the goals have been met, like improving broadband availability and reducing greenhouse gases in some countries. European Union countries also were supposed to do more to support the digital economy and small businesses as well as reduce regulation and improve competition in natural gas, electricity and telecommunications markets. The commission and national governments have now tweaked that plan, extending its shelf life with a new name, Europe 2020. At a recent conference at the O.E.C.D., José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, described the package as “a new growth model for Europe.” But as before, expectations are muted. To most, the newer package looks little different. It has seven flagship initiatives based around a “digital agenda,” innovation and resource efficiency. The predominant underlying direction still appears to be free market, emphasizing the obsolescent nature of national sectors and industries. It again presses for “structural reform” — a mantra for lower budget deficits, less-regulated labor markets and the removal of perceived impediments to growth like state aid for struggling sectors. Reducing budget deficits remains at the top of that list. “Without fiscal consolidation,” Mr. Barroso said, “we will not have growth for a very simple reason: There will be no confidence. Without confidence, no investment; without investment, no growth.” The O.E.C.D.’s secretary general, Ángel Gurría, urged members to “go structural” at the same time, even while many countries were mired in austerity programs. These deep structural changes were “put aside for the sake of dealing with the emergency,” he said. “Now it is the time to pick these things up and put them on the front burner.” One big motivator for change this time is ensuring the future of the euro. It is hard to tell, though, if following the European Union’s rule book will be enough. The Irish in particular have a good case for feeling ill-treated. During the last decade, Dublin was regularly lauded as a good student, opening up its goods, services and capital markets. A 2008 O.E.C.D. survey of Ireland, written just before the bust, concluded that the economy had “performed remarkably well over the past decade” and that “the economic fundamentals remain strong.” The report noted weaknesses, notably in infrastructure and the ability of public finances to deal with an aging populace. But it praised immigration policy and said Irish banks were “highly profitable and well capitalized, so they should have considerable shock-absorption capacity.” Last week, the Irish government effectively nationalized a fourth major bank, Allied Irish, as required under the terms of its 67.5-billion-euro, or $89.1 billion, international bailout.


Marlboro to Introduce Device That Heats Real Tobacco

Abstract: Philip Morris International, the world’s second-biggest tobacco company, on Thursday discussed its plans to release the Marlboro HeatStick, which heats tobacco rather than burning it, in cities in Japan and Italy later this year, with further expansion in 2015. The short, cigarettelike sticks are heated to maximum of 660 degrees Fahrenheit (350 degrees Celsius) to create a nicotine vapor. Unlike popular e-cigarettes that use liquid nicotine, the HeatStick contains real tobacco. The company, based in New York and Switzerland, has spent about $2 billion over more than a decade on development and expects that the new device to increase its profit by $700 million when sales reach 30 billion units. The company announced plans in January to invest up to 500 million euros (about $680 million) for two plants in Italy to make the products.

Smoking
Philip Morris Companies
Italy
Japan
Switzerland


After Geno Auriemma’s Reign, UConn Could Lose Clout

Abstract: South Carolina travels to Connecticut on Monday night for a meeting of the top two N.C.A.A. women’s basketball teams. The matchup will tell us something about the present and raise a thorny question about the future. In this turbulent, uncertain period of college sports, how long can UConn sustain its dominance as one of the few women’s basketball powers not affiliated with a Power 5 football conference? The reflexive answer for many is: for as long as Geno Auriemma remains head coach. That seems reasonable enough. But he will turn 61 next month and will not remain at UConn forever. History suggests that his successor will not recreate Auriemma’s success. Even with the Hollywood allure of Los Angeles, U.C.L.A. could not maintain the greatness that John Wooden brought to men’s basketball there from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s. “I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be there; after I leave, I have no idea what’s going to happen,” said Auriemma, whose contract extends through the 2017-18 season and pays him more than $2 million a year. “But we haven’t had any problems recruiting players,” Auriemma said. “We haven’t had any problems in terms of what our goals are to win a national championship. That hasn’t been an issue at all. Will it become one? Not as long as I’m there.” Last Tuesday, Auriemma won for the 900th time in 1,034 career games. No men’s or women’s coach has free-climbed to that perch so quickly. He made it 901 on Saturday. In April, he can match the record 10 national titles that Wooden won at U.C.L.A. And Breanna Stewart, UConn’s 6-foot-4-inch forward who is considered the nation’s top player, still has another season on campus. “As long as it says, ‘Connecticut Head Coach Geno Auriemma,’ they ain’t going nowhere,” said Tyler Summitt, the first-year women’s coach at Louisiana Tech. And yet Summitt understands as acutely as anyone that there are two sides to the athletic coin. He grew up watching his mother, Pat, win eight N.C.A.A. championships at Tennessee. Now he is trying to revive a Louisiana Tech program that collected three national titles in the 1980s and trails only the Lady Vols in overall victories but has struggled to remain relevant while lacking the resources of elite football powers. “Money inevitably is the driver behind a lot of this,” Summitt said. Like Tennessee, top-ranked South Carolina (22-0) belongs to the Southeastern Conference, which has a raft of national football championships and its own television network and is soaked in money as much as beer. Six SEC women’s teams are ranked among basketball’s top 25. Second-ranked UConn (22-1) competes in a rump league called the American Athletic Conference, or A.A.C., where the level of football is as middling as the league’s finances. Image Coach Geno Auriemma after Connecticut won the N.C.A.A. championship in April 2013. Credit Gerald Herbert/Associated Press Forbes reported that the SEC paid each of its universities an average of $19.4 million in 2013-14 from television deals, the NCAA basketball tournament and bowl games, while the A.A.C. paid an average of $6.55 million. That does not include conference swag from the first College Football Playoff , which earned $87.5 million for the SEC and $12 million to $17 million for the A.A.C., according to the Business of College Sports website. The Power 5 conferences — the SEC, the Big Ten, the Big 12, the Pacific-12 and the Atlantic Coast Conference, plus Notre Dame — can offer scholarships that cover the full cost of attendance. Those leagues’ athletes can also borrow against future earnings to buy “loss of value” insurance. And as legal challenges to the N.C.A.A. seek unionization and free-market compensation, these power conferences seem best prepared to offer everything from bank shots to bank accounts. “The SEC has always been what it is, and UConn and Geno have always been what they’ve been,” said Dawn Staley, the Hall of Fame player and women’s coach at South Carolina. “I think everybody will hold serve on paper, but it is my aspiration to make South Carolina the best team in the country year in and year out.” Like Kim Mulkey, who has guided Baylor to two N.C.A.A. titles, Staley belongs to a generation of former star players and Olympic champions who have become top-level coaches. She landed the nation’s top recruit — the 6-5 freshman forward A’ja Wilson — by applying full-court pressure to keep Wilson in her native South Carolina and away from prominent suitors like UConn, Tennessee and North Carolina. Staley pitched Wilson on the dream of leading South Carolina to its first Final Four. Wilson joined throbbing crowds for every Gamecocks home football game as a high school senior, Staley said, and knew she would play regularly on national television on the SEC Network. “We’ve got football,” Staley said. “Football is driving college sports.” There are basketball outliers, of course. The UConn men and women are reigning national champions. And it is impossible to predict the future. Perhaps the A.C.C. will reconsider and accept UConn to fortify its seaboard base from Miami to New England. Or maybe the Big 12, snubbed in the first football playoffs, will come calling as it seeks enough football teams to stage a conference championship game. “For us to remain who we are, it doesn’t matter what league we’re in,” Auriemma said. “Everybody aspires to make as much money as they can, but all that money doesn’t guarantee an opportunity to win championships.” True, Auriemma has held his own against the SEC, winning seven of his national titles while his chief rival, Pat Summitt, coached at Tennessee. And UConn alone has won more women’s championships than the A.C.C., the Big 12 and the Big Ten combined. But, ever candid, Auriemma said: “Any place that’s had tremendous success, you know it can’t last forever. It’s not supposed to.” And surely it won’t help if UConn continues to face a disadvantage in its bottom line once he leaves the sideline. “Does every university want to be in a league where you’re getting a check for $30 million just for showing up?” Auriemma said. “The answer would probably be yes, but it’s not anything we can control.”

College basketball
Geno Auriemma
College Sports
College football
American Athletic Conference
University of Connecticut