After Service, Veteran Deaths Surge

Abstract: In the six years after Reuben Paul Santos returned to Daly City from a combat tour in Iraq, he battled depression with poetry, violent video games and, finally, psychiatric treatment. His struggle ended last October, when he hung himself from a stairwell. He was 27. The high suicide rate among veterans has already emerged as a major issue for the military and the families and loved ones of military personnel. But Mr. Santos’s death is part of a larger trend that has remained hidden: a surge in the number of Afghanistan and Iraq veterans who have died not just as a result of suicide, but also because of vehicle accidents, motorcycle crashes, drug overdoses or other causes after being discharged from the military. An analysis of official death certificates on file at the State Department of Public Health reveals that more than 1,000 California veterans under 35 died between 2005 and 2008. That figure is three times higher than the number of California service members who were killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts over the same period. The Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs said they do not count the number of veterans who have died after leaving the military. The figures, according to the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, legislators and experts in post-traumatic stress, underscore how veterans in Bay Area communities and across the state engage in destructive, risky and sometimes lethal behaviors. The data show that veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan were two and a half times as likely to commit suicide as Californians of the same age with no military service. They were twice as likely to die in a vehicle accident and five and a half times as likely to die in a motorcycle accident. “These numbers are truly alarming and should wake up the whole country,” said United States Representative Bob Filner, Democrat of San Diego, who is the chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “They show a failure of our policy.” The coroners’ reports do not indicate whether each veteran was deployed to a war zone. But the ages at which they died — 18 to 34 — match the ages of at least two-thirds of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even the veterans in this cohort who did not see combat served in support functions, often at locations like Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington or Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, caring for those who were wounded on the front-lines. The analysis was conducted by New America Media, a non-partisan news organization, in partnership with The Bay Citizen. It examined the most recent death certificates filed by coroners, medical examiners, physicians and funeral homes from California’s 58 counties. According to the data, veteran fatalities exceeded the number of combat deaths involving service members from almost every county from 2005 through 2008. In the Bay Area, 114 young veterans died after returning home, nearly three times the number of Bay Area service members who died in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts over the same period. Suicides represented approximately one in five deaths of young veterans, the data showed. Many other deaths resulted from risky behaviors that psychologists say are common symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Jonathan Shay, a clinical psychiatrist who counseled Vietnam veterans for more than 20 years and has taught at the U.S. Army War College, said the high number of deaths shows how the combat experience can create psychological damage that manifests itself in a range of dangerous and nihilistic activities. Veterans with post-traumatic stress often try to re-create the rush of combat, Dr. Shay said. “There is definitely an inclination of danger seeking,” he said, “seeking out fights, living on the edge, fast motorcycle riding, anything to get that adrenaline rush.” The Department of Veterans Affairs only began to track suicides committed by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in 2008. Kerri Childress, a V.A. spokeswoman, said the analysis conducted by New America Media and The Bay Citizen was more accurate than figures available from the federal government. She described the figures as “extremely high and extremely devastating.” Paul Sullivan, a Gulf War veteran and executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, said that the V.A. and Department of Defense are not serious about slowing the death rate of returning soldiers. These government agencies could monitor this information on a regular basis, Mr. Sullivan said, adding that many other states in addition to California report a veteran’s status on death certificates. “V.A. and D.O.D. appear to have a policy for veterans called ‘Don’t look, don’t find,” Mr. Sullivan said. Ms. Childress said the V.A. had begun efforts to monitor stateside casualties. The agency has started numerous outreach campaigns focusing on veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, she said. But less than half of returning veterans turn up at a V.A. facility for treatment. On Sept. 24, Berkeley police found Alex Lowenstein, an Iraq veteran who was months from earning his degree in Peace and Conflict studies at the University of California at Berkeley, dead in his room at the Delta Upsilon fraternity house. Mr. Lowenstein, a Mill Valley native who was 24, died of a bullet wound to the head from his own gun. The police initially concluded that his death was a suicide, but now say it may have been accidental. According to the police report, Mr. Lowenstein had been drinking and smoking marijuana on the night he died. No suicide note was found. He was the second Iraq war veteran to die while attending Berkeley over the past two years. In 2008, Elijah Warren, a 26-year-old political science student who served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, shot himself in the head. “These deaths are a difficult thing for everybody because of the preventative nature of it,” said Trevor Harris, the secretary of the veterans club at the university. Mr. Harris, a former marine who served two tours in Iraq, said he personally knew three veterans who had died from suicide or motor vehicle accidents. “We all understand that in war people get shot, but this doesn’t have to happen,” he said. Neither Mr. Lowenstein nor Mr. Warren had visited V.A. health centers before their deaths, Ms. Childress said. Stephen Xenakis, a retired brigadier general who formerly served as Commanding General of Southeast Army Regional Medical Command, said he expected the stateside death toll to increase because the psychological wounds associated with combat may not emerge right away. “What you’re seeing is young men and women who saw combat in their early 20s as well as everything else that went on in the theater and then in their late 20s they get symptomatic,” he said. When Mr. Santos, the Daly City veteran, first returned from Iraq in October 2003, his family thought he was fine. “He still had his sense of humor,” his mother Paula, a secretary at a local elementary school, said in an interview. Mr. Santos, who was known as Chip, was the son of Native American parents. He left Westmoor High School early with a G.E.D. to join the Army. It was before the Sept. 11 attacks, and Mr. Santos never thought he would go to war, according to his parents. After he returned from Iraq, he slowly began to lose his spark and wit, his friends and family said. He rarely worked, and he could not keep a job. He would take a class at City College of San Francisco, then drop out. Mostly, he stayed home and played violent video games for most of the day and into the night. His fixation on the video games infuriated his parents, but in a poem published after his death by the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, Mr. Santos described the games as a way of “holding onto denial that is burning cancer into hope.” Mr. Santos met his girlfriend, Waci Lone Hill, at the institute. The two were enrolled in the same creative-writing program. Ms. Lone Hill said she was attracted to Mr. Santos by his intelligence, his sense of humor and his old-fashioned style of courtship. But, as early as 2005, Mr. Santos would “wake up in the middle of the night hollering” from nightmares, his girlfriend said. Sometimes, Mr. Santos would hold her so tight that she felt like she was being strangled. He started to drive erratically, sometimes at more than 120 miles an hour. “If there was a lot of traffic, I could see the sweat break out on his forehead and hear the shallow breathing,” Ms. Lone Hill said. “He’d get this completely stone face, and I’d get scared and just be quiet.” Not until five years after his return from Iraq did Mr. Santos see a social worker or a psychiatrist from the V.A. At first, his mother said, Mr. Santos did not want to admit that he had a problem. Then, after three years passed, he erroneously thought he was no longer eligible for V.A. health care. When Mr. Santos finally applied, Ms. Lone Hill said it was difficult for him get regular appointments. He was only able to see a therapist once a month, she said. The therapists were often different, so Mr. Santos was forced to tell his story over and over. Six months before his death, Mr. Santos enrolled in a study overseen by Charles Marmar, an expert in post-traumatic stress who recently left the V.A. to become chairman of the department of psychiatry at New York University. As part of the study, Mr. Santos was able to get treatment every week from the same therapist, who administered cognitive behavioral therapy, in which the veteran relives the traumatic experiences in an effort to overcome them. Dr. Marmar described the therapy as “the gold standard” for treating post-traumatic stress. Nine weeks into the treatment, Mr. Santos left the study, Dr. Marmar said. His therapist rated him as having “no clinical anxiety at that time.” Dr. Marmar said the V.A. tried repeatedly to contact Mr. Santos after he withdrew from the study, but he did not respond. Three months after leaving the program, Mr. Santos hung himself in his Santa Fe apartment. In an e-mail to his brother and his girlfriend that he said took him almost a month to complete, Mr. Santos wrote: “I’m tired of fighting this. I feel like I’ve tried everything but electro shock therapy.” By the time his brother opened the e-mail, Mr. Santos was dead.

United States Defense and Military Forces


Speaker to Seek Expulsion of Assemblyman Over Harassment Scandal

Abstract: ALBANY — Sheldon Silver, the speaker of the New York Assembly, said on Thursday night that he would seek the expulsion of Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez, the once-powerful Brooklyn Democrat, over accusations of sexual harassment by multiple women who worked for the Legislature. Mr. Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, had rejected suggestions that Mr. Lopez be expelled last year, after the allegations of harassment first became public. But he reversed course on Thursday amid a firestorm of criticism not only of Mr. Lopez’s behavior toward women, but also of the Legislature’s handling of the allegations. The Assembly leadership, with Mr. Silver’s approval, had secretly settled two harassment allegations against Mr. Lopez without referring the conduct to a legislative ethics committee for investigation. Only after two more women said that they, too, had been harassed did Mr. Silver censure the lawmaker and make some allegations public. Mr. Lopez has denied the charges against him and was re-elected last year after the charges became public. But anger over his behavior, and the Assembly’s reaction to it, intensified after a 68-page report by the state’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics was released on Wednesday. The report shocked many with its descriptions of female employees saying that Mr. Lopez had demanded they massage him, travel with him, stay in hotel rooms with him or write fawning messages to him. Earlier on Thursday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, said Mr. Lopez should be expelled if he did not resign. Mr. Silver, an Orthodox Jew, announced his decision to seek expulsion late Thursday night, after concluding his observance of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. “Speaker Silver intends to draft and introduce a resolution tomorrow to be voted on Monday to ask the Ethics & Guidance Committee to consider the full JCOPE report and to recommend appropriate sanctions including expulsion of Assemblymember Lopez,” Mr. Silver’s spokesman, Michael Whyland, wrote in an e-mail. “Given that an exhaustive investigation has already occurred by two public agencies, he expects the committee to be able to act quickly and to bring this matter back to the full Assembly with its recommendations for prompt resolution.” Expulsion is exceedingly rare. The Legislature has expelled only a handful of members since it was established, and the Assembly has not expelled any of its members since the early 1920s. At that time, it ousted all five members of the Socialist Party delegation in a chaotic (and reportedly alcohol-fueled) vote that was essentially repudiated when several of the ousted assemblymen won their seats back in the next election. (One of the assemblymen was expelled again after it turned out he was living in New Jersey when he was elected.) The Senate expelled one of its members, Hiram Monserrate, in 2010, after he was convicted of domestic assault. Mr. Silver’s announcement came after a day in which multiple elected officials from both parties called for Mr. Lopez to leave the Legislature. Reaction to Mr. Silver’s handling of the allegations was divided largely along party lines. Republicans called for his ouster, while Democrats generally said they accepted the speaker’s acknowledgment of his mistakes and his pledge to handle future allegations more forthrightly. Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause New York, a government watchdog group, suggested that the Assembly should reconsider its leadership. She called on the speaker “to provide justification for why he should continue to lead the conference.” And Jane L. Corwin, a Republican assemblywoman from the Buffalo area, echoed the view of her party, saying: “The only person I’m more appalled by than Vito is Speaker Silver. I don’t know who he was trying to serve by doing this quietly or under the table, but it’s tantamount to condoning that behavior.” The criticism of Mr. Silver was far more muted among Assembly Democrats, and probably with good reason: Mr. Silver, a Manhattan Democrat who was first elected to the Assembly in 1976, has served as speaker since 1994; he leads a sizable majority in the Assembly and rules his caucus with near complete authority. The last time Mr. Silver’s leadership was seriously challenged was in 2000, and the coup attempt not only failed but also proved disastrous for some of those who supported it; Mr. Silver removed them from leadership positions and cut their pay. Edward C. Sullivan, a former Democratic assemblyman from Manhattan who for a time supported the 2000 challenge, said criticizing Mr. Silver would not be a productive exercise, particularly because no viable challenger had emerged. “There’s a political saying: You can’t beat somebody with nobody,” Mr. Sullivan said. “I don’t see the person who’s going to beat Shelly Silver, frankly.” Even if Mr. Lopez leaves the Legislature, he may have another life in politics. He has filed papers that would allow him to run for the City Council in New York this fall.

Sexual harassment
Vito J Lopez
Andrew Cuomo
New York
State legislature
Sheldon Silver


Human Rights Groups Press Obama on India

Abstract: NEW DELHI — A year after the arrest of an Indian diplomat accused of exploiting a domestic worker in New York ruptured relations, India and the United States have put the episode behind them, and President Obama arrived here Sunday to hail a new era of cooperation. During his visit, the president plans to seek common ground on climate change, civilian nuclear power, trade and security. But human rights groups worry that Mr. Obama, in his eagerness to make diplomatic breakthroughs, will brush aside serious issues that may stand in the way. Human rights advocates say they suspect that Indian diplomats are still circumventing American law to exploit domestic workers in the United States and have asked the State Department to investigate. They have voiced concern over forced labor and human trafficking inside India as well. And they say they hope Mr. Obama raises questions about free expression, gay rights and political intimidation. “There’s a lot of issues bubbling under the surface that they’re not talking about publicly,” said John Sifton, the Asia director for Human Rights Watch, an advocacy organization based in New York. Mr. Obama has raised none of those issues explicitly before the visit. Instead, he has emphasized the improvement in ties, citing rising trade, more joint military exercises and cooperation on counterterrorism and counterproliferation issues. “While it’s true that progress has not always come as fast as we would have liked, we’ve succeeded in deepening the U.S.-India relationship across the board,” Mr. Obama said in written answers to questions submitted by India Today, the country’s leading weekly newsmagazine. To the extent that he touched on issues raised by human rights groups, it was only obliquely, as when he said each country was working at “creating more opportunities, including for girls and women.” The president’s priorities for the trip were exemplified by the officials he invited to join him, including Penny Pritzker, the commerce secretary; Michael B. Froman, the trade representative; and John D. Podesta, the presidential counselor who focuses on climate issues. Also joining the president will be several congressional Democrats: Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Ami Bera of California and Joseph Crowley of New York as well as Senator Mark Warner of Virginia. In addition to attending the Republic Day parade, Mr. Obama will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attend a state dinner. He will also participate in a wreath-laying and tree-planting ceremony at the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, and he will host a meeting of American and Indian corporate executives. Mr. Obama, who visited in 2010, is the first sitting American president to travel to India twice. In effect, the visit is part of an effort to get the relationship back to where it was before the arrest of the Indian diplomat, Devyani Khobragade. American authorities arrested Ms. Khobragade, the deputy consul general in New York, in December 2013 after she was accused of submitting false documents to obtain a work visa for an Indian housekeeper, whom she paid less than $1.42 an hour and forced to work longer than what was allowed. India was outraged not at the treatment of the housekeeper but at the fact that Ms. Khobragade was strip-searched as part of the arrest, which is policy for processing suspects. India retaliated with investigations into several American institutions in New Delhi, and ultimately the American ambassador, Nancy Powell, resigned early. Ms. Khobragade was allowed to leave the United States on diplomatic immunity. As it happened, it took a man with a checkered human rights record of his own to revive relations between the countries. Prime Minister Modi had been denied a visa to the United States in 2005 on human rights grounds, stemming from his time as chief minister for Gujarat when more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in sectarian riots. Mr. Modi denied wrongdoing. After being elected last year, Mr. Modi proved to be far more pro-American than expected, and he and Mr. Obama forged a working relationship during a visit to Washington last fall. Mr. Obama sent a new ambassador, Richard R. Verma, and the two sides moved past the diplomatic dispute. But a coalition of organizations like the A.F.L.-C.I.O., the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking and the Human Trafficking Pro Bono Legal Center pressed the Obama administration not to forget about the issue of domestic workers. In a letter last month, they asked Secretary of State John Kerry to make sure that India was not breaking American law in its treatment of domestic workers. What Do You Expect From Obama’s Visit to India? The New York Times would like to hear from readers in India about what President Obama’s visit means to you. Citing Indian news reports, the groups said it appeared that India was sending domestic workers to the United States on A-2 visas meant for administrative workers, who are not protected from exploitation under American law, rather than the A-3 or G-5 visas that are required. Tiffany Williams of the National Domestic Workers Alliance said the administration did not seem eager to look into the matter. “I don’t think they’re looking the other way,” Ms. Williams said, “but I think they know they can’t prove it. So I don’t know if they want to open that can of worms to try to figure that out.” The Indian Embassy in Washington did not respond to messages seeking comment. The State Department said that to guard against fraud, it scrutinized any applications for A-2 visas from individuals formerly in A-3 status. “As part of our discussions with Indian officials, we highlighted the differences between visa classifications and requirements for different categories of staff that perform official activities for the Indian government as opposed to individuals employed in a domestic or personal capacity in the homes of diplomatic and consular staff,” said a State Department spokesman, who was not permitted to be identified without approval from a superior and had not yet received it. Additional groups pressed Mr. Obama on other issues. Amnesty International urged him to address efforts by Dow Chemical to avoid Indian court action to hold its subsidiary responsible for the chemical disaster in Bhopal that killed thousands more than 30 years ago. (Dow bought the subsidiary, Union Carbide, after the disaster and says a 1989 settlement with the government resolved liability.) Human Rights First said Mr. Obama should raise the issue of the reinstatement of a colonial-era law criminalizing sexual activity between men. In a letter to Mr. Obama, Elisa Massimino, the group’s president, also cited the forced labor of tens of millions of Indians. “More people are enslaved in India than in any other country in the world,” she wrote. Mr. Sifton said he hoped Mr. Obama would press Mr. Modi to rein in his own supporters, who Mr. Sifton said had been intimidating political rivals. “There’s a heckler’s veto where Modi’s supporters can shout down their opponents,” Mr. Sifton said. “The argument is that Modi isn’t doing enough to tamp down his own supporters.”

India
Barack Obama
US Foreign Policy
Human Rights
Narendra Modi
AFL-CIO
Human Rights Watch


In the Bronx, Tracking an Arrow to a Distant Time

Abstract: In the mid-19th century, the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “I shot an arrow into the air, it fell to earth, I knew not where.” The mystery facing the police this week was the opposite. They knew where the arrow landed on Sunday afternoon — in the abdomen of a woman standing in a nursing home driveway in Riverdale. What they did not know was who had shot it into the air. After five days of searching rooftops, eyeing potential trajectories and using a classic “good cop, bad cop” strategy, the answer they came up with was this: The 2 ½-foot arrow that struck the woman, Denise Delgado Brown, 51, came from the ramshackle house next to the nursing home that a plumber named Eric Collins was moving into. How Mr. Collins came to be there leads to a tale of that place in another time. In 1949, Charles and Ethel Collins, already the parents of a 2-year-old and living in a cramped apartment, had quadruplets . The newspapers said the four babies were the first quads in Bronx history. All four survived, and after a barrage of publicity, the Collinses moved into a brand-new house built with donated labor on donated land on Independence Avenue in Riverdale. The Dionne quintuplets stopped by on their way to Gracie Mansion when they visited New York the following year. Then the Collinses faded from the headlines. The family had backyard cookouts. The parents voted at the nursing home after it was built in the 1980s. The quadruplets, grown up and married, had children of their own, one of whom was Eric Collins. Nothing more was heard from 3001 Independence Avenue until Sunday. Then the arrow hit Ms. Brown, who was standing in the driveway of the Schervier Nursing Care Center next door. She had just dropped off a friend who lives at the home. On Thursday, the police arrested Mr. Collins, 27, a plumber who works for the Westchester County parks department, on charges of assault, reckless endangerment and weapons possession. The police said he had shot one of six arrows in his possession. “This is the freakiest thing I ever heard of because he’s a family guy, a normal guy,” said Joe Amici, who owns a deli in Yonkers, near the apartment that Mr. Collins was leaving. He said Mr. Collins was a regular customer whose daily routine revolved around walking his dachshunds, going to work and looking after his wife and 18-month-old daughter. Mr. Collins was moving into the house that had been built for his grandparents — his grandmother, the mother of the quadruplets, died in December at 88. He had told his across-the-hall neighbor in the Yonkers apartment he was vacating that he wanted to look after his grandfather, who is 89. He also confided that, like his grandparents in 1949, he needed the space. His wife is in her second pregnancy. The police said Mr. Collins was shuttling boxes in and out of the house on Sunday. Around 2 p.m., said Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman, “he stopped, picked up a bow and arrow and shot it at the fence” separating his grandfather’s yard from the nursing home. They police said that when it pierced the plastic fence about 10 inches from the ground, its trajectory changed, putting it on a collision course with Ms. Brown. They said that Ms. Brown had not been a target, and that her being wounded was accidental. Ms. Brown said on Monday that the arrow was in so deep that she decided not to risk pulling it out. She was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital for emergency surgery. A woman who answered the telephone at her home on Friday said that she had just come home and was doing fine but was too tired to talk. Mr. Collins, a stocky man in a green T-shirt and tan pants, was arraigned on Friday before Judge Doris M. Gonzalez in Bronx Criminal Court. His lawyer, Victor N. Piacente, entered a plea of not guilty. Mr. Collins was released on $5,000 bail. Neither family members nor Mr. Piacente would discuss details of the case. Mr. Browne said that the Collins house was the first place detectives went when they began their investigation on Sunday. He said Mr. Collins told them he had been inside all day and had not seen or heard anything. “It was a quick interview,” Mr. Browne said. The detectives went on to interview at least 50 others in the neighborhood that day. They also searched two nearby parks. On Thursday, Mr. Browne said, Sgt. James Foley, the detective squad commander of the 50th Precinct, went back to Independence Avenue with Detective Brian Bartlett. They noticed something that had apparently been overlooked: a hole in the white plastic fence between the Collins yard and the nursing home. That led the sergeant to conclude that the arrow had come from much closer than the police had initially believed. The sergeant and the detective went back to the Collins house. There was no answer, but they saw two men in the street. One was Mr. Collins, walking his three dachshunds. Mr. Browne said that Mr. Collins repeated what he had told the detectives on Sunday, that he had not seen or heard anything. But the detectives kept the conversation going. “They say, ‘Hey, did you happen to see that hole in the fence over there? Any idea what caused that?’ ” Mr. Browne said. Mr. Collins, he said, suddenly seemed “eager to end the interview.” After the detectives took his telephone number, he went in the house and the sergeant and the detective went toward the nursing home. The sergeant called in two more detectives, Chris Burke and Paul Sullivan. They huddled at the nursing home before going back to the Collins house to ask Mr. Collins for a formal statement. Detectives Burke and Sullivan went to the door, with Sergeant Foley and Detective Bartlett about 20 feet away. Detective Burke made the request. “You could just see the breath leave his lungs,” Mr. Browne said. “You could see this large exhale of ‘Oh, no.’ ” At the station house, Mr. Browne said, Mr. Collins told the detectives that he had spoken to his real estate agent, who had urged him to get a lawyer. Though no fingerprints were found on the arrow that struck Ms. Brown, a search warrant turned up five other arrows that belonged to Mr. Collins, Mr. Browne said. At the nursing home on Friday, the mood brightened at the news of the arrest and arraignment. “Everyone is relieved,” said Jim Carroll, 62, as he pushed his mother Sarah, 96, in a wheelchair in the parking lot. “The uncertainty had really gotten to us all.”

Collins Eric
Bronx (NYC)
Archery
Brown Denise Delgado
Multiple Births
Families and Family Life
Babies


N.H.L. Players Watch as a Young Prospect Grows Before Their Eyes

Abstract: TORONTO — Michael Peca met a newborn Justin Bailey in the summer of 1995. Peca and several Sabres teammates, including Rob Ray and Matthew Barnaby, lived in the same town house complex as Bailey’s mother, Karen Buscaglia. They stayed in touch with Buscaglia while living in Buffalo, attending Bailey’s birthdays and mentoring him. Bailey, now 17, is a playmaking forward with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League. A 6-foot-3, 186-pound right wing, Bailey is projected to be a second-round selection in the N.H.L. draft on June 30 at Prudential Center in Newark. He is the son of the former N.F.L. linebacker Carlton Bailey but considers his childhood experience with the Sabres as the reason he plays hockey. “Just watching them and being able to see them, on a personal level, I just wanted to be like them,” Bailey said. “Got into hockey and loved it ever since.” Peca, who attended numerous community relations events throughout his 14-year N.H.L. career, was never certain of the influence he had. “Several years later, you come to realize the impact you had on people,” said Peca, who spent five seasons with the Sabres before joining the Islanders for three seasons. “It’s always great to know you had a positive impact on somebody’s life. We got to see him a lot when he was a young boy, and it’s amazing to see the big young man he’s become.” Bailey spent much of the 2011-12 season playing for the under-16 Long Island Royals, coached by the former Islanders and Sabres star Pat LaFontaine, with whom he also lived. Peca endorsed the arrangement with LaFontaine, a Hall of Famer, saying, “Getting a sense of what it’s like from a guy who’s been where you want to get to — there wasn’t anybody that handled it and dealt with it better than Pat LaFontaine.” With LaFontaine’s guidance, Bailey said, he learned more of the mental side of the game, the way to watch hockey and break down game film. But the toughest part of living with the LaFontaines had nothing to do with hockey. Image Justin Bailey, right, of the Kitchener Rangers grew up around Buffalo Sabres players and may be an early N.H.L. draft pick. Credit Terry Wilson/OHL Images “Their family eats very healthy,” Bailey said. “I was a pretty picky eater before I went there. The whole family would get on me a bit to try some new things, and so I was able to do that.” Kitchener’s coach and general manager, Steve Spott, had a chance to watch Bailey when he played in a Buffalo tournament with the Royals. The Kitchener Rangers selected Bailey in the 2011 O.H.L. priority draft. Despite Bailey’s commitment to attend Michigan State, Spott persuaded him to visit Kitchener and learn about the program. “His confidence in me and the way that he said he’d help me develop as a player, that was definitely that was something of interest to me,” said Bailey, who had 17 goals and 36 points in 57 games with the Rangers this season. Spott speaks highly of Bailey, saying that his skating, puck handling and shooting are at the N.H.L. level. “I think whoever drafts him in New Jersey is just going to get a tremendous talent to work with,” Spott said. “The only thing that Justin lacks is experience. That’s going to come over the next couple of years here in Kitchener and then obviously in the American Hockey League and the National Hockey League.” McKeen’s Hockey ranked Bailey 40th among N.H.L. draft prospects. David Burstyn, McKeen’s director of scouting, was more critical of Bailey. “He just struggled a little bit with consistency,” Burstyn said. “There were times where you were like, ‘Wow, this guy is unstoppable.’ But then there were other games where you were like, ‘Is Bailey even playing?’ “I think everything with this player right now is about projection, and it’s about what kind of player, not that he is today, but where he will be in about five years.” Bailey, who is scheduled to graduate June 22 from Williamsville South High School in suburban Buffalo, is thinking beyond hockey. “I still want to get into some communications,” he said. “I look at the guys that are on the panels: ex-N.B.A., N.F.L. players. That wouldn’t be something that’s bad for me. That’s something I look forward to doing while I’m playing in Kitchener, whether it’d be next year or after my career.”

Ice hockey
NHL
Sports Drafts and Recruits
Buffalo Sabres
Justin Bailey


Casual Casualties (3 Letters)

Abstract: TO THE EDITOR: Natalie Kitroeff confirms what I have learned over my professional career as a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. Manifest sexual behavior may be seemingly casual, yet the emotional underpinnings in these and all relationships are more complex than meets the eye. Close relationships are serious, complicated, and take time to mature. Those who take intimacy too casually are at risk for casualty. Bruce J. Levin, M.D. Plymouth Meeting, Pa.


In U.S.-Cuba Embrace, Rusty Gears of Cold War Diplomacy Finally Move

Abstract: Alan Gross was the obstacle that would not be moved: the American contractor whose imprisonment kept relations between the United States and Cuba locked in place, as paralyzed as a seized transmission. Now, in both Washington and Havana, the obstacle has been removed, and the rusty gears of Cold War diplomacy have begun to move. Mr. Gross’s release on Wednesday , along with the release of another person held in Cuba and three convicted Cuban spies held in the United States, amounts to a collective break from more than 50 years of distrust, anger and inertia. Though President Obama and Raúl Castro, the president of Cuba, will find their own ways to describe what they have done, it is clear that they have both taken a chance on pursuing reconciliation. How America’s Relationship With Cuba Will Change Some trade and travel restrictions will be eased. Others depend on congressional action. The prisoners held by each country have been a central complaint raised by hard-liners in both Washington and Havana who favored the status quo. But Mr. Obama and Mr. Castro have now gone against the hard-liners, engaging in a simultaneous release of prisoners who have been used and reused, over and over, by critics who have long known — and favored — distance and enmity. Both leaders now have victories to trumpet and concessions that they will have to explain. But the steps they have taken so far, and the broader policy changes the White House announced on Wednesday, have the potential to transform relations between the United States and Cuba, perhaps in ways not seen since a rebel named Fidel came down from the Cuban mountains. “What this set of measures can do is to overcome well over 50 years of unproductive and unfortunate hostility between us and Cuba, which has worked to the detriment of both countries,” said Eric Hershberg, director of the American University Center for Latin American and Latino Studies, who is in Havana for a conference. Video Excerpts from a speech by President Raúl Castro of Cuba, following the release of Alan P. Gross and the announcement of a restoration of full diplomatic relations with the United States. Credit Credit Agence France-Presse — Getty Images It will not be easy. The practical policy options open to Mr. Obama are relatively limited. Even lawyers who interpret the president’s executive powers quite broadly say he cannot just lift the trade embargo against Cuba. But he can work around the edges, and that is what he promised on Wednesday. The changes Mr. Obama is announcing include allowing Americans to send up to $2,000 to Cuba each quarter, four times the current ceiling of $500; allowing Americans to travel to Cuba for a wider range of reasons, including travel in “support for the Cuban people”; and allowing goods and supplies to be sold directly to Cubans from America, to help spur and expand the growing number of small and medium-size private businesses on the island. Mr. Obama also said he would allow expanded sales of information technology to Cuba, with the aim of helping the Cuban people “communicate freely.” Video The president outlined the steps the United States would take to “end an outdated approach” and begin to normalize relations with Cuba. Credit Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times In turn, Cuba will be pressed to allow more freedom of expression, release domestic dissenters from prison and open up access to information and technology — one of the major demands of young Cubans on the island. In their eyes, if Cuba and the United States are talking again and no longer just enemies, then the Cuban government’s logic of limiting information to protect against American intrusion begins to break down. Old habits and cultures will not be easy to update. Cuba has seen the United States for decades through the lens of sovereignty. Cubans are raised to be proud of the country’s ability to thumb its nose at the United States, and the island’s history is filled with examples of Cuban heroes fighting to throw off the yoke of foreign powers, starting with Spain, followed by the “Yanquis.” One important way Washington could help reset the relationship would be removing Cuba from the American list of state sponsors of terrorism. President Obama said he had instructed Secretary of State John Kerry to begin that process. In the coming months and years of discussions between Cuban and American officials over the issues that divide them, they will have to work around these and other third rails of past conflicts. Releasing Mr. Gross and the other prisoners allows for access, for discussion, for diplomatic therapy as a precursor for improving relations. But navigating through the old slights and new challenges will require a deftness that no leader from either country has managed to exhibit in decades of confused, intense relations.

US Foreign Policy
Cuba
Raul Castro
Barack Obama
Alan Gross
Embargoes Sanctions


Among Germanwings Crash Victims, Opera Singers and Newlyweds

Abstract: BARCELONA, Spain — Outside the Liceu opera house in Barcelona on Wednesday, staff members gathered at noon for two minutes of silence to honor two singers who had recently performed there. The singers — Oleg Bryjak, a bass baritone, and Maria Radner, a contralto, who had spent about a month and a half in Barcelona rehearsing and then performing Wagner’s “Siegfried” — were among the 150 people believed to have died on Tuesday when a Germanwings jet en route from Barcelona to Düsseldorf, Germany , crashed in the French Alps . “When you are in an opera, it means working very hard and a lot together, so you become a mini-family,” said Christina Scheppelmann, artistic and production director of the Liceu. “These were not only great singers but also wonderful colleagues.” As the two singers were mourned in Barcelona, details about other passengers, from at least 15 countries, began to emerge on Wednesday. The dead included a couple who had just married three days earlier, an Australian hoping to start teaching English in France , the wife of a prominent Catalan politician and a mother and daughter from suburban Washington. Thomas Winkelmann, the managing director of Germanwings, a Lufthansa subsidiary, confirmed that as of 11 a.m., the families of 123 victims — including 72 Germans and 35 Spaniards — had been notified. Citizens of Australia, Argentina, Iran, Venezuela, Britain, the Netherlands, Colombia, Mexico, Japan, Denmark, Belgium and Israel were also on board. Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, confirmed that three Americans had been killed and identified two of them as Yvonne Selke, 58, of Nokesville, Va., and her daughter, Emily Selke, 22. Ms. Psaki said the department was not identifying the third American. Victims of Germanwings Flight 9525 Passengers from at least 15 countries were aboard the flight from Barcelona, Spain, to Düsseldorf, Germany, including 72 Germans and 35 Spaniards. Here are profiles of some of the 123 victims whose families have been notified. In a family statement, Raymond Selke, Ms. Selke’s husband, said: “Our entire family is deeply saddened by the losses of Yvonne and Emily Selke. Two wonderful, caring, amazing people who meant so much to so many.” Ms. Selke, who was taking a European vacation with her daughter, was an employee of Booz Allen Hamilton, the technology consulting firm, in Washington for nearly 23 years. “Yvonne was a wonderful co-worker and a dedicated employee who spent her career with the firm supporting the mission of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency,” which coordinates satellite-based mapping for the Pentagon, said a company statement. The younger Ms. Selke was a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts, according to her LinkedIn page , and an alumna of Drexel University, majoring in the music industry and graduating in 2013. She worked at Carr Workplaces in Washington, which helps companies find office space. At school she was also a member of a sorority, Zeta Gamma Sig, that named her “member of the week” i n May 2014 and said she was “a great friend, a caring member, and able to make us all smile.” Emily Selke graduated summa cum laude from Woodbridge High School, said Phil Kavits, a spokesman for the Prince William County public school district. “She was a very high achiever,” he said. Mr. Bryjak, 54, a native of Kazakhstan, had been a member of Deutsche Oper am Rhein, a German opera house, since the 1996-97 season. “We have lost Oleg Bryjak, a great artist and a great man,” the opera house’s general director, Christoph Meyer, said in a statement. “We are stunned.” The baritone sang at the prestigious Bayreuth Festival last year and was expected to perform there again in August. Ms. Radner , a rising star of Wagnerian opera, made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in “Götterdämmerung” in January 2012, and at La Scala in Milan in “Die Frau Ohne Schatten” in March 2012. She had been expected to perform at Bayreuth this summer, according to her management company’s website. Ms. Radner, who was traveling with her husband and baby, was “one of the few contralto voices that we now have,” Ms. Scheppelmann said. Image A memorial of flowers and candles drew people to a school in Haltern am See, Germany, where some crash victims had lived. Credit Rolf Vennenbernd/DPA, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The victims included a class of 16 German high school students returning from a study program near Barcelona, along with their two teachers. Ariadna Falguera, the wife of a politician active in the Catalan campaign to secede from Spain , was also a passenger, according to Esquerra Republicana, a party leading the movement. Her husband, Lluís Juncá, is a high-ranking member of the party. Ms. Falguera worked for a fashion company and was traveling to Germany for business. A Spanish-Moroccan woman, Asmae Ouahhoud el-Allaoui, 23, was moving to Düsseldorf to live with her Moroccan husband, Mohamed Tehrioui, 24, whom she had just married on Saturday, according to Juan José Maestre, a town hall official at La Llagosta, outside Barcelona. Another person from La Llagosta, Francisco Javier Goñalons, 42, was on the flight, according to the town hall. Carles Milla Misanas, the general manager of Mimasa, a Spanish supplier of equipment to the food industry, was among a handful of Spanish executives believed to have been flying to a trade show in Cologne. Marina Bandrés López-Belío, a Spanish citizen living in Manchester, England, was killed in the crash, along with her 7-month-old son, Julian Pracz-Bandres, her husband, Pawel Pracz, said. Another Briton on the plane, Paul Andrew Bramley, 28, of Hull, England, had just finished his first year at César Ritz College in Lucerne, Switzerland, studying hospitality and hotel management, his family said in a statement. His mother, Carol Bramley, said, “He was the best son, he was my world.” Two Australians were aboard the flight. They were identified on Wednesday by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop as Carol Friday, a 68-year-old registered nurse, and her son Greig Friday, 29, a mechanical engineer, both from the state of Victoria. Mr. Friday had hoped to soon start teaching English in France, and the two were spending a few weeks together in Europe beforehand, their family said in a statement. Two Iranian sports journalists who traveled to Barcelona to cover Sunday’s Clásico clash between the two giants of Spanish soccer, F.C. Barcelona and Real Madrid, were among the victims. One, Milad Hojjatoleslami, worked for the Tasnim News Agency, while the other, Hossein Javadi, was a reporter for Vatan-e Emruz, a daily newspaper, Tasnim reported on its website, saying their deaths had also been confirmed by Iran’s Foreign Ministry. What Happened on the Germanwings Flight Maps and timeline of what is known about the crash. In Tokyo, the Foreign Ministry identified the two Japanese passengers onboard as Satoshi Nagata, a man in his 60s, and Junichi Sato, a man in his 40s. Israeli news media identified the Israeli victim as Eyal Baum, 39. Two Colombians were killed in the crash, that country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. María del Pilar Tejada, 33, was studying economics in Germany and was returning from a visit to see her husband in Barcelona, according to Colombian news reports. Luis Eduardo Medrano, 36, had worked in Equatorial Guinea as an architect since 2009, according to a statement from Fundación Universitaria de Popayán, the Colombian university he attended. At least one victim was from Belgium, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Twitter, but it released no names. Mexico said as many as three of its citizens might have been aboard, but it cautioned that the information had not been confirmed. Two Spanish employees of Delphi, an American automotive company, were killed in the crash, the company said. Rogelio Oficialdegui, 62, was human resources director in Spain and was set to retire soon. Manuel Rives Salinas, 51, was a labor union representative. Both men, who worked at Delphi’s diesel systems factory in Sant Cugat, near Barcelona, were traveling to Delphi’s German headquarters for a meeting, according to Marie-Pierre Ygrié, a spokeswoman for Delphi. Bayer, the German chemical company, said at least one of its employees, as well as the wife of another employee, were among the passengers. The company did not name them. Mr. Winkelmann, of Germanwings, said there would be two special flights Thursday, one from Düsseldorf and another from Barcelona, to take relatives to the area where the crash occurred. He and Carsten Spohr, the chief executive of Lufthansa, plan to fly to Düsseldorf and then on to Barcelona to speak with relatives of victims. “The individual care for each relative left behind is our top priority,” he said.

Plane Crash
Germanwings
France
Germany
Spain
Prads-Haute-Bléone


U.N. Budget Trims Staff and Spending

Abstract: UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations General Assembly on Friday approved a budget of $5.53 billion to cover the organization’s regular operations in 2014-15, cutting it for a second successive time. But the 193-member body again delayed action on proposals that would allow greater mobility of the United Nations staff and the strengthening of arrangements for partnerships with the private sector. After lengthy negotiations, the General Assembly voted to reduce the budget by 1 percent from the final spending level set for 2012-13. It also approved a 2 percent reduction of staff positions, or 221 jobs, and a one-year freeze of compensation for staff members. The regular operating budget does not include the United Nations’ far-flung peacekeeping operations, which are financed by a separate budget that is currently more than $7 billion a year. The United States pays 22 percent of the organization’s regular budget. The American Mission at the United Nations said it welcomed the “fiscal discipline.”


Fantasy Football: Week 9 Matchup Breakdown

Abstract: In a season in which Knowshon Moreno, who was undrafted in some leagues, is fantasy football’s No. 2 running back and Doug Martin, who was supposed to be fantasy’s No. 2 running back (based on average draft position), is probably available on your league’s waiver wire, nobody should be surprised that the rookie Marvin Jones (CIN) is suddenly a top-15 wide receiver. We could dedicate a lot of space to highlight the many fantasy surprises of the first eight weeks, but Jones’s emergence is among the most shocking. Before you become too excited, let’s look closer at the numbers. His 8-catch, 122-yard, 4-touchdown breakout performance occurred on only 19 snaps against the Jets. The fact that he took part in just 32 percent of the Bengals’ offensive plays suggests that he could struggle to churn out consistent fantasy numbers, but an injury to Mohamed Sanu could be just the opening he needs to start seeing first-team playing time. A Miami secondary that ranks as the third-worst matchup for receivers (14 fantasy points per game) is on deck, but the Dolphins’ elite cornerback, Brent Grimes, figures to be assigned to A. J. Green, so Jones still projects to be a solid WR3 in Week 9. If you have a tough lineup question for Week 9, you can ask us on Twitter. Follow us at @5thDownFantasy. Favorable Matchups Quarterback Tony Romo (DAL) vs. Minnesota — A pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns saved Romo’s owners from what was shaping up to be another mediocre fantasy outing in a very favorable matchup. The dysfunctional Cowboys offense travels home to take on the Minnesota Vikings, and for a fourth consecutive week, Romo’s matchup is desirable (24 fantasy points allowed per game, seventh-best QB matchup). Terrelle Pryor (OAK) vs. Philadelphia — Pryor got off on the right foot against an imposing Steelers defense with a 93-yard touchdown run on the first play. Sadly, the 15 fantasy points he earned on the play were all he would get for the game. Even a modest amount of success in the air to go along with the read-option would go a long way in Week 9, and that is very possible against the Eagles (ninth-best QB matchup). Cam Newton (CAR) vs. Atlanta — With Newton rushing for 76 yards and a touchdown over the last two weeks, it is safe to assume that the running quarterback is here to stay. That’s great news for his fantasy owners and bad news for the 2-5 Falcons, who have permitted a 23-point fantasy average to quarterbacks this season (fifth-best QB matchup). Philip Rivers (SD) vs. Washington — Rivers will be well rested after the bye week and should continue his outstanding season against a Redskins defensive unit that has surrendered the ninth-most passing yards (1,916) and fifth-most passing touchdowns (15) this season (23 F.P.P.G., sixth-best QB matchup). Russell Wilson (SEA) vs. Tampa Bay — Opposing quarterbacks have pinned a 31-point fantasy average on the Bucs over the last three weeks, which ties them with Buffalo for the most points allowed to the position during that time (eighth-best QB matchup). Image If Zac Stacy is healthy enough to play this week, he should be in fantasy lineups. Credit Tom Gannam/Associated Press Running Back Zac Stacy (STL) vs. Tennessee — Stacy seems to have avoided the dreaded high-ankle sprain and is tentatively expected to play this week. If he plays, he is a must-start against the Titans, who have been burned on the ground for an average of 28 fantasy points per game over their last three contests. Daryl Richardson will get the start if Stacy cannot go, but he would only be considered a flex start because we have seen his act before (3.1 yards per carry, 0 touchdowns). Ryan Mathews (SD) vs. Washington — Mathews strung together consecutive 100-yard rushing games before his bye week, and he is set up nicely this week: nobody has allowed more fantasy points on the ground this season than the Redskins (24 F.P.P.G., best RB matchup). DeMarco Murray (DAL) vs. Minnesota — Considering Jerry Jones thought Murray, his best running back, could have suited up last weekend, we will assume he will on Sunday. He will have a great opportunity to pick up where he left off before the injury. The Vikings have been run over for a 25-point fantasy average over their last three games by the likes of Peyton Hillis, Mike Tolbert and Eddie Lacy (second-best RB matchup). Giovani Bernard (CIN) vs. Miami — A Thursday night meeting with the Dolphins is just the matchup Bernard needs to get back on track. The Dolphins have held an opposing back to fewer than 13 fantasy points just once this year and have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points on the ground over all (21 F.P.P.G.). Eddie Lacy (GB) vs. Chicago — The Bears’ defense had permitted 20-plus fantasy points to running backs in four straight weeks before their bye week. The beneficiaries included the time-share warrior Pierre Thomas, the veteran Brandon Jacobs, and Washington’s second-string option, Roy Helu (sixth-best RB matchup). Wide Receiver Denarius Moore (OAK) vs. Philadelphia — One might assume that Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor could be blamed for Moore’s poor Week 8 showing (32 yards on two receptions), but the fact that the Raiders were sporting a 21-3 lead in the first half and his quarterback attempted only 19 passes needs to be factored in as well. Moore should bounce back against a generous Eagles secondary that has permitted the second-most fantasy points to the position this year (32 F.P.P.G.). Andre Johnson (HOU) vs. Indianapolis — The Colts have surrendered a 31-point fantasy average to opposing receivers over the last three weeks and are dealing with a banged-up secondary (safety Delano Howell, neck; cornerback Josh Gordy, groin). The Texans also have two injured running backs, which could lead to a greater reliance on Johnson and the passing game. Kendall Wright (TEN) vs. St. Louis — Wright is coming off a career-high nine catches for 98 yards against the 49ers and has a much friendlier matchup this weekend (25 F.P.P.G, 10th-best WR matchup). Keenan Allen (SD) vs. Washington — WR1s have averaged 86 yards and totaled four touchdowns against Washington in seven games this season. Allen, Philip Rivers’s new go-to receiver, carries WR1 upside this weekend against the third-best matchup for receivers (29 F.P.P.G.). Terrance Williams (DAL) vs. Minnesota — The standout rookie brings a four-game scoring streak into a home game with the Vikings, who have allowed at least one receiver to score in six straight games (26 F.P.P.G., ninth-best WR matchup). Image Tom Brady has been a major disappointment for fantasy owners in 2013. Credit Steven Senne/Associated Press Tight End Martellus Bennett (CHI) vs. Green Bay — The Packers have surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this year (77), but the uncertainly of Bennett’s role in a Josh McCown-led offense will limit his value. Antonio Gates (SD) vs. Washington — A week of rest and a date with the Redskins (9 F.P.P.G., 10th-best TE matchup) is the perfect remedy for a two-week slump. Defense/Special Teams New England vs. Pittsburgh, Tennessee vs. St. Louis, Carolina vs. Atlanta, Dallas vs. Minnesota Unfavorable Matchups Quarterback Tom Brady vs. Pittsburgh — Brady’s forgettable Week 8 was the third time he was held to fewer than nine standard fantasy points in the last four weeks, and astonishingly enough, he enters Week 9 as the 20th-ranked fantasy quarterback (114 F.P.s). Brady’s numbers are bound to improve as he gets reacquainted with a healthy Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski, but feel free to sit him until that happens, especially this week against a tough Steelers secondary that is coughing up just 13 fantasy points a week to quarterbacks in 2013 (third-worst QB matchup). Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) vs. New England — It is starting to look as if the Steelers’ offensive line is cursed (as if Roethlisberger hadn’t been wearing a “sack me” sign around his neck to begin with): three more linemen went down against the Raiders. Coming off his lowest passer rating of the season (70.1) and with just one multitouchdown day to his name in 2013, Roethlisberger is nothing more than a middling QB2 against a Patriots team allowing 15 points a week to opposing passers (sixth-worst QB matchup). Ryan Tannehill (MIA) vs. Cincinnati — Tannehill’s offensive line continues to fail him: he was sacked six times Sunday against New England. He also lost a reliable pass catcher in Brandon Gibson for the season with a ruptured patella tendon. He will have a short week to regroup against the Bengals, who have been pretty tough against the position this year (17 F.P.P.G., tied for seventh-worst QB matchup). Matt Ryan (ATL) vs. Carolina — The absence of the top receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White was bound to catch up with Ryan, who had an 11-point performance against the Arizona Cardinals last weekend. Ryan is in for another rough week against Carolina’s shutdown secondary. The Panthers have yet to give up more than 17 points to a quarterback in 2013 (12 F.P.P.G., second-worst QB matchup). Geno Smith (NYJ) vs. New Orleans — Smith is going through the ups and downs of being a rookie. Last week was a downer, with 2 interceptions returned for touchdowns, 159 passing yards and a seat on the bench early in the fourth quarter. While he has typically followed down weeks with good ones, it is hard to imagine that trend sticking in Week 9, considering the Saints have allowed just 14 fantasy points per week through the air in 2013 (fourth-worst QB matchup). Running Back Darren Sproles (NO) vs. Jets — Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson are getting the early-down work in the Saints’ backfield, and the red-zone looks just have not been there for Sproles this year. He will continue to be an asset in P.P.R. formats, but the Jets’ run defense is yielding just 16 receiving yards per game to the position this season (fifth-worst RB matchup). Chris Ivory (NYJ) vs. New Orleans — Ivory’s six carries to Bilal Powell’s 10 on Sunday could be attributed to the Bengals’ 28-6 lead by halftime because Ivory does not pay his bills at all in the Jets’ passing game. A similar situation could be brewing this week if Drew Brees and the Saints jump ahead to a big lead early. Image Tony Romo has another favorable matchup in Week 9. Credit Gregory Shamus/Getty Images Steven Jackson (ATL) vs. Carolina — Arizona has been tough against the run, but Jackson’s 11 carries for 6 yards in Week 8 evoked visions of Michael Turner. Don’t expect a major bounce back from Jackson this week against the N.F.L.'s top rushing defense (555 total yards allowed). Lamar Miller (MIA) vs. Cincinnati — Miller carried the ball 18 times to Daniel Thomas’s eight last week. Whether that happens for a second consecutive week is anybody’s guess, but both backs will have a tough time against a Bengals front that has limited opposing backs to a 12-point fantasy average over the last four weeks. Mike James (TB) vs. Seattle — Last week James managed 39 yards on 10 carries against a Carolina defense allowing 3.7 yards per rushing attempt. Seattle is also yielding 3.7 yards per carry. Basic math gives the crystal ball a much needed rest on this one. Wide Receiver Antonio Brown (PIT) vs. New England — New England’s ace cover man, Aqib Talib, was close to a return last week and is likely to be back against the Steelers. Regardless, Pittsburgh’s offense is more than capable of imploding on its own. Vincent Jackson (TB) vs. Seattle — The Seahawks rank third in the N.F.L. against the pass, but in fantasy, WR1s have managed a 7-point fantasy average against them this year, which keeps Jackson very startable in Week 9. Harry Douglas (ATL) vs. Carolina — We keep waiting for the wheels to fall off the Harry Douglas fantasy express, but despite games against two solid defenses, so far so good. He has another tough test this week against the Panthers, who have held opposing WR1s to a 5.7 fantasy average (sixth-worst WR matchup). Danny Amendola (NE) vs. Pittsburgh — Three receptions on six targets in his return from a concussion was underwhelming, to say the least, but he managed to stay injury-free. It does not get any easier against the Steelers, who have yielded more than 8 fantasy points to a receiver just once this season. Tight End Jordan Reed (WAS) vs. San Diego — Fifty-three yards in garbage time rescued a very mediocre Week 8. Next up are the Chargers, who have not surrendered a double-digit fantasy day since Week 1. Coby Fleener (IND) vs. Houston — With Reggie Wayne on the shelf for the rest of the season, Fleener’s role in the Colts’ offense should expand. It is worth noting, though, that just one tight end has reached double-digit fantasy points against the Texans this year (Vernon Davis). Defense/Special Teams Chicago vs. Green Bay, Jets vs. New Orleans, Houston vs. Indianapolis, Buffalo vs. Kansas City

Football
Fantasy sport
Vincent Jackson
Tom Brady
Tony Romo


Appeals Court Throws Out Sentence for Millennium Bomber, Calling It Too Light

Abstract: A federal appeals court on Tuesday threw out the 22-year prison sentence imposed in 2005 on Ahmed Ressam , known as the Millennium Bomber, who plotted to set off explosives at Los Angeles International Airport on New Year’s Eve in 1999. The court said the sentence was too light. A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, said Mr. Ressam did not deserve the “substantial reduction” in his sentence from the minimum of 65 years in federal sentencing guidelines because he backed out of his agreement to cooperate with investigators. The court also took the unusual step of calling for a new trial judge to consider the next sentence, because the federal judge who issued the original decision had already once declined to increase Mr. Ressam’s prison term. It was the second recent ruling in which an appeals court called for consideration of tougher sentencing in a terrorism-related case. In November, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in New York, sent the case of Lynne F. Stewart, a lawyer found guilty in 2005 of aiding terrorism by smuggling information from an imprisoned client to his violent followers in Egypt, back to a trial judge to determine whether she should receive more than her 28-month sentence. Experts in national security law said the Ressam decision on Tuesday showed that the federal courts could handle terrorism issues, in the face of recent criticism that plea deals and defendant protections could make it difficult to convict and sentence terrorists. “Some might have pointed to the relatively low sentence Ressam received as evidence that somehow civilian prosecution does not pack enough of a punch in these cases,” said Robert Chesney, an expert on national security law at the University of Texas Law School. “This reversal shows that the appellate process can police for such things, to at least an extent.” During two years of cooperation under his plea agreement, Mr. Ressam provided information on Al Qaeda’s organization, recruitment and training, and also testified against one of his co-conspirators, Mokhtar Haouari. But he stopped working with investigators in 2003 and later recanted his previous testimony. In 2005, after a long delay, Judge John C. Coughenour of Federal District Court sentenced him to 22 years in prison with five years of supervised release. Both Mr. Ressam and the government appealed the decision, with the government asking for a tougher sentence. In 2007, the Court of Appeals struck down the 22-year sentence and sent the case back to Judge Coughenour for resentencing. But in December 2008, the judge handed down the 22-year sentence once again. The appeals court, taking up the case once more, demanded another round of resentencing, and in the opinion issued Tuesday concluded that the lower court erred in not justifying the sentence. “It is unclear what reason there is to reward a defendant at all for cooperation, at the same time that the defendant is disavowing having intended to cooperate and loudly proclaiming that his statements should not be believed,” Judge Arthur L. Alarcon wrote for the majority of the panel. Judge Coughenour’s previously expressed views, he wrote, “appear too entrenched to allow for the appearance of fairness.” In a dissent, Judge Ferdinand F. Fernandez wrote that the court had overstepped its authority and should defer to lower court sentencing decisions. “Even if we have to grit our teeth to do so, we should let it be,” he wrote. Andrew C. McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor who has tried terrorism cases and who has been critical of the Obama administration’s decision to try terrorism suspects in civilian courts, said Mr. Ressam’s case was one that was properly channeled through the criminal justice system — especially since he was arrested in 1999, before the Sept. 11 attacks and thus before Congress passed the authorization for the use of military force that put the nation on a war footing. Mr. McCarthy said defendants facing life sentences might be happy to take a deal at first, but after years of being asked for additional information and testimony might ask, “When does this ever end?” But, Mr. McCarthy said, “The fact is, it never ends — because it’s very valuable to get out from under a life sentence.”

Ressam Ahmed
Terrorism
Sentences (Criminal)
Appeals Courts (US)
Los Angeles (Calif)


Fantasy Football: Week 16 Player Tiers

Abstract: In this statistical model, I apply a clustering algorithm called the Gaussian mixture model to an aggregation of expert ranking data provided by Fantasypros.com . The algorithm finds natural tiers and clusters within the data. The charts that result visualize the tiers and help you decide your starting lineup each week. Quarterback Matt Ryan was off to a slow start this season. But after three consecutive games of 300 passing yards and two touchdowns, experts have him back in Tier 2 this week against New Orleans. This is a rare week where Peyton Manning (Tier 2) is not in the top tier. Unlike Ryan, Manning has been off his game in the last three weeks, averaging only 195 yards in that stretch. Most teams should still be starting Manning, though. Fantasy Football: Tiered Player Ranking Charts Charts resulting from a statistical algorithm find natural tiers and clusters within fantasy football player ranking data. Running Back C.J. Anderson breaks into Tier 1 this week facing Cincinnati, who have been better defending the pass than the run. Anderson has been running so well that Manning’s numbers have suffered. Arian Foster is also in Tier 1, where he arguably should normally be as long as he’s healthy. Mark Ingram has averaged 13.5 touches and 51 yards in the last two weeks. But after a few weeks of ranking in the middle tiers, Ingram is back up to Tier 2, facing a helpless Atlanta defense. Tre Mason (Tier 3) has also been cold the last two weeks, but most expect him to bounce back against the Giants this week. Daniel Herron (Tier 5) has been filling in well for the injured Ahmad Bradshaw. Herron significantly outclasses Trent Richardson (Tier 9), who he’s splitting carries with. Wide Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is now a lock for Tier 1 status, with 509 yards and six touchdowns over the last four weeks. Despite Jimmy Clausen starting at quarterback and a tough matchup against Detroit, Alshon Jeffery ranks in Tier 3. Jeffery’s fantasy value is benefitting greatly from an injured Brandon Marshal. Julio Jones (Tier 3) is questionable as of Thursday, but watch his status and he should be starting on most fantasy teams if he plays. Josh Gordon has not lived up to his WR1 status from last year, and is in Tier 5 this week coming off a season-low four catches. Tight End Jimmy Graham has been struggling a bit with shoulder issues and played on only 65 percent of snaps last week, but he’s too talented to sit. He’s still likely to score more than anyone besides Rob Gronkowski and Greg Olsen. Both of the Colts tight ends, Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener, rank in Tier 3 this week, as both have been running passing routes. The Colts are expected to be in a shootout against the Cowboys, in the highest projected scoring game of the week at 55.5 points, according to Vegas. Tiers 5 and 6 are very close, but if you’re in the championship game, the chances are this is not relevant to you.

Football
Fantasy sport
Odell Beckham Jr.
Matt Ryan


Federer Falls in Rome

Abstract: Roger Federer ’s French Open preparation hit a roadblock with a 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4) loss to Richard Gasquet in the third round of the Italian Open in Rome. Novak Djokovic extended his winning streak to 36 matches with a 6-4, 6-1 win over 14th-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka. Top-seeded Rafael Nadal considered withdrawing, but overcame a virus to beat Feliciano Lopez, 6-4, 6-2.

Tennis
Federer Roger
Gasquet Richard
Djokovic Novak


U.S. and Philippines Hold Joint Military Exercises

Abstract: SUBIC BAY, Philippines — Joint military exercises between the United States Navy and its Philippine counterpart kicked off on Monday in Palawan, the island closest to contested areas of the South China Sea. The war games, involving thousands of sailors and marines, will go on for 11 days at the former United States naval base at Subic Bay, which is now a commercial port, as well as in other areas in the northern and western part of the country. Such exercises between the United States and its former colony have been taking place since 1954 but are now being conducted amid a tense dispute over islets and rocky outcroppings in the South China Sea claimed by both the Philippines and China. The Philippines has filed a case with a United Nations arbitration panel seeking to stop China from occupying the areas in the South China Sea. China claims most of the South China Sea, and the Philippine government has released aerial photos purportedly showing Chinese reclamation of land to build islands and runways in the disputed areas. In April, the United States and the Philippines signed an agreement to expand military cooperation that would involve stationing American military ships, planes and troops in the country on a rotating basis. The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement would allow the Philippine armed forces, among the weakest in Southeast Asia, to bolster their maritime security in coordination with the advanced capabilities of the United States military. Three petitions have been filed with the Philippine Supreme Court, by labor and other groups, seeking to declare the agreement unconstitutional. The Philippine Constitution prohibits the establishment of foreign bases in the country unless they are approved by a Senate treaty. The April agreement was undertaken by executive action and was not presented to congress. The government has responded that the new United States military facilities will not be fixed bases and are not covered by the treaty requirement. The public affairs office of the Philippines’ Department of National Defense declined on Monday to comment on the status of the agreement while it is being considered by the Supreme Court. There is no temporary restraining order that would block the agreement, but according to one defense analyst, the government is holding off on implementation for now. “According to the defense officials I have spoken to, they want to resolve the constitutional issues in court first, before implementation,” said Renato Cruz De Castro, an international studies professor at Manila’s De La Salle University, who specializes in the strategic relationship between the United States and the Philippines. It is not clear when the Supreme Court might hear the case, although Mr. De Castro estimated it could be within a few months. In other high-profile cases, including one involving contraception for poor women that faced multiple court challenges, the Supreme Court ruled in less than a year. Those who oppose the agreement, and the war games, say that the increased United States military activity in the Philippines inflames the situation in the South China Sea. “For over three decades now, the U.S. and the Philippines have conducted the annual war games supposedly to improve our nation’s military prowess,” said Terry Ridon, a Philippine congressman who opposes the agreement. “Yet our armed forces remain weak and out of step from modernity. The promised benefits of the annual military exercises have yet to be seen, but now we have E.D.C.A., which will allow for unhampered military presence in the country.” The exercises that began Monday include about 5,000 sailors and marines from the two countries, who will practice working together on humanitarian activities, such as disaster response, as well as military procedures, including beach assaults. The U.S.S. Peleliu and the U.S.S. Germantown, ships used for beach assaults, are in Subic Bay for the exercises. The U.S.S. Halsey, a guided missile destroyer, also arrived on Monday for a routine port call.

US Military
Philippines
China
South China Sea
Military Bases
International relations


Young Republicans in New York

Abstract: On a recent Wednesday evening, a young woman wandered, alone, into the dimly lighted basement of the Penny Farthing, a bar in the East Village, and cautiously asked one of the few people there, Jen Saunders, 36, if she was a Republican. She nodded; the woman looked relieved. “It’s almost like we’re a secret society,” Ms. Saunders said later, laughing. Soon enough, the group swelled to around 60 for the New York Young Republican Club’s monthly social. It was an informal, meet-and-greet-style networking event with political undertones, as strangers in suits mingled and debated candidates over drinks. (Other subjects overheard during the happy hour: Barry Goldwater, and the New York Jets.) The millennials (members’ ages ranged from about 18 to 40) who turned out know they are not typical New Yorkers. According to recent Board of Elections data , of the 8.4 million residents of New York City, the number of registered Republican voters hovers just over 470,000 — compared with 3.1 million Democrats. The state is undeniably blue: In 2012, nearly 63 percent of New York voters chose President Barack Obama, and in New York City his re-election tally was even higher . Interviews with a dozen or so members of the club, the oldest Young Republicans chapter in the country, made it clear that being so outnumbered can pose serious challenges. Some believe that they have ruined job interviews by disclosing their Republican leanings; others said they lie about their political beliefs to avoid confrontation. Out of fear of retribution in their industries, several members refused to be interviewed or would give only their first name. Image Joseph Pinion, 32, works in the nonprofit sector and supports Jeb Bush. Credit Christopher Lee for The New York Times One attendee, Andy, 30, said he had lost friends after “coming out” as conservative. “When I told my mom,” he recalled, “she said, ‘I failed you as a mother.’” This presidential race brings to this group another complication: Donald J. Trump, New York Republican. While the club waits until the general election to endorse the Republican Party’s nominee, many in attendance expressed frustration with Mr. Trump’s status as front-runner and voiced concern as to what the 69-year-old billionaire businessman’s candidacy could do to their party’s political brand come November. “I’m very worried about it,” said Ms. Saunders, who works as a publicist and handles public relations for the club. “When people ask me at work about him, I tell them he doesn’t represent all of us.” Ms. Saunders, who comes from a “big family of conservatives” in Connecticut, described herself as a libertarian and an atheist. She was involved with the College Republicans as a student at the University of California, Berkeley, and has worked for Republican politicians in the past — which is something she has stopped telling employers. Image Jaime Sanders, 28, who is currently running for Congress in Brooklyn’s 9th District. Credit Christopher Lee for The New York Times “We’re normal, middle-of-the-road people,” she said. “Trump is pushing this stereotype of Republicans, that we’re all wearing camo and hunting deer, or men smoking cigars and drinking Scotch.” Now that former Gov. George E. Pataki of New York has left the race, Ms. Saunders said, she is inclined to support Senator Marco Rubio of Florida or Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey. If Mr. Trump is her party’s nominee, she said, she would consider voting for Hillary Clinton. “But only if she moves a little bit back to the right,” Ms. Saunders added. Steven Ballew, a student at Brooklyn Law School, said Mr. Trump’s hometown credentials did not affect his vote. “I’m from a middle-class family on Staten Island,” he explained. “So coming from a rich family in Queens doesn’t do much for me.” Instead, he believes that Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Mr. Rubio, who are both Latinos in their mid-40s, are the “two best ideological spokespersons” for the party. Image Alexandra Fasulo, 22, a freelance writer and Carly Fiorina supporter. Credit Christopher Lee for The New York Times “Because of Trump, you have people saying, ‘That’s what the Republican Party is,’ ” Mr. Ballew, 24, said. “It’s not. “A lot of younger Republicans are not for him. He’s not an ideological purist; he’s a firebrand. And that resonates less with people my age.” Therein lies a conundrum for the Republican Party. Data from the Pew Research Center shows an incoming generation of voters that is more culturally liberal, and demographically diverse, than any previous age group. For many younger Republicans, their libertarian-leaning stances on social issues , such as abortion and gay rights, have made them outsiders in their own party. “Show me someone under the age of 30 who is against same-sex marriage,” said Alexandra Fasulo, 22, who during her time at the State University of New York in Geneseo worked as a social media intern for Republican representatives in Albany. “It’s tough! “I have friends who are Muslim. I have friends who are black, and Latino,” she continued. “For me, I don’t know what it’s like for them to hear what Trump has to say.” Image Steven Ballew, 24, studies at Brooklyn Law School and supports Sen. Marco Rubio. Credit Christopher Lee for The New York Times Even on gun control, members seemed more willing to break from their party’s common ideology. “We grew up with Columbine and Sandy Hook in the news,” Ms. Saunders said. “So we’re a bit more open-minded on these topics.” In the crowded Republican field, which, Ms. Fasulo pointed out, includes 10 men and one woman, she sees trouble. “I’ve been worried about the party’s future long before Trump,” she acknowledged. “Even when I worked in Albany, it was all men.” Her support lies with the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina, “even though I know she doesn’t stand a chance,” she said. If Mr. Trump is the eventual nominee, she said she will vote for him. “He plays the game, ruthlessly,” she said. “But he plays the game.” Just after 10 p.m., the social came to an end and the crowd shuffled upstairs. With less than a month until the Iowa caucuses, the polls were not to be trusted, members said. And though the New York primary in April tends to have little impact on the race’s outcome, the nomination, in their minds, is still up for grabs. “They say in New York you have to be a strong conservative, because you live in such a liberal city,” said Joseph Pinion, 32, a Bronx native who supports former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida. “But it’s the same thing nationally, for our party: In tested conditions, we have to hold tested convictions.”

Republicans
NYC
Youth
2016 Presidential Election
Donald Trump
US Politics


Florida Democratic Race Echoes Top of Ticket: Progressive vs. Establishment

Abstract: Two years after a little-known college professor pulled off a stunning upset by defeating the House majority leader, Eric Cantor , in a Republican primary contest, another obscure professor is hoping to replicate that feat in Florida, riding a wave of progressive fervor that seeks to upend the Democratic Party’s leadership. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, frustrated by how he has been treated by Democratic Party officials in his primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, bolstered that effort over the weekend when he endorsed Tim Canova , a law professor at Nova Southeastern University. Mr. Canova is hoping to unseat Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, in a primary contest in August. The support of Mr. Sanders led to an infusion of more than $250,000 into Mr. Canova’s campaign in less than two days, arming him for a more vigorous fight against the veteran congresswoman. “She’s certainly out of touch with the grass-roots of the Democratic Party,” Mr. Canova, 56, said of Ms. Wasserman Schultz in an interview. “She has been a very out-of-touch political insider and she has not been representing her constituents well.” The contest is in many ways a microcosm of the national Democratic race, in which an insurgent progressive candidate is taking on an establishment figure, mirroring the debate occurring within the party across the country. Mr. Canova, who has never run for political office before, was once a legislative aide to former Senator Paul Tsongas, the Democrat from Massachusetts. He went on to practice law, fighting to strengthen he Glass-Steagall Act, before shifting to academia and settling in South Florida in 2012. He was active in the Occupy Wall Street movement and was tapped by Mr. Sanders to serve on an advisory committee on Federal Reserve changes after the financial crisis. Sensing that Ms. Wasserman Schultz was vulnerable, Mr. Canova embarked on his campaign in January and has now raised more than $1 million. These days he often echoes Mr. Sanders as he rails against the influence of big money in politics and predatory lending practices while calling for more government action to improve the nation’s infrastructure. There is even a green banner on his campaign website that reads “JOIN THE REVOLUTION” — a favorite rallying cry of Mr. Sanders. As Mr. Sanders has done to Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Canova expressed doubts about whether Ms. Wasserman Schultz is a true progressive. He criticized her for supporting the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and opposing the use of medical marijuana, and accused her of allowing corporate money to have excess influence in the Democratic Party. “This is a party that has gone way too corporate in recent years,” Mr. Canova said. “It’s turned its back on the working class.” Mr. Canova is also unimpressed with the performance of Ms. Wasserman Schultz on the national stage. He accused her of struggling to keep the party together and showing favoritism to Mrs. Clinton, whose progressive credentials he also questions. “She has been very divisive,” Mr. Canova said of his Ms. Wasserman Schultz, who has not faced a primary challenger since being elected to Congress in 2004. “If the Democrats are able to unify at the convention, apparently it will not be because of her. It will be in spite of her.” A spokesman for Ms. Wasserman Schultz’s campaign, Ryan Banfill, pushed back against Mr. Canova and said that her constituents know that she is “a compassionate and effective voice who has always been there for them and provided strong, results-oriented, progressive leadership at home.” He also noted that in the Florida primary Mrs. Clinton outperformed Mr. Sanders in the 23rd Congressional District, which Ms. Wasserman Schultz represents, suggesting that Mr. Canova faces a steep uphill battle. Mr. Canova acknowledged that Ms. Wasserman Schultz holds advantages over him in fund-raising and name recognition, but he has faith in the campaign playbook of Mr. Sanders. With a robust social media strategy, a flood of small donations and a growing team of volunteers, Mr. Canova thinks he can win in a district that is reliably Democratic. And the recent history of the Republicans adds to his optimism. “Look at what happened two years ago to Eric Cantor losing to a college professor,” Mr. Canova said. “When any long shot candidate goes up against an entrenched incumbent there are usually grass-roots movements that these challenges are riding.”

Timothy A Canova
House races
Congressional elections
Bernard Sanders,Bernie Sanders
2016 Presidential Election
Political endorsement
DNC
Democrats
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Florida


Illinois Legislature Approves Retiree Benefit Cuts in Troubled Pension System

Abstract: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois legislature on Tuesday ended a day of emotional debate and fierce back-room arm-twisting by passing a deal to shore up the state’s debt-engulfed pension system by trimming retiree benefits and increasing state contributions. With one of the nation’s worst-financed state employee pension systems — some $100 billion in arrears — Illinois has been the focus of intense attention across the country as states and municipalities struggle to come to grips with their own public pension problems. The compromise reached in Illinois, a staunchly blue state with a strong labor movement that had successfully resisted previous efforts to trim pensions, could provide a template for agreements elsewhere. The top leaders of both legislative houses, Democrats and Republicans, had cobbled together the bill and pushed strenuously for its passage, supported by the state Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Farm Bureau. Union leaders and some Democratic lawmakers opposed it, just as strenuously, arguing that the bill fell too harshly on state workers who had paid into their pension plans over the years with the understanding that the benefits would be there when they retired. Some Republicans also opposed the bill, saying it did not trim enough to solve the state’s pension troubles. “Today, we have won,” Gov. Pat Quinn, who made overhauling the pension system a focus of his administration, said in a statement after the vote. “This landmark legislation is a bipartisan solution that squarely addresses the most difficult fiscal issue Illinois has ever confronted.” He is expected to sign the legislation on Wednesday. We Are One Illinois, a coalition of labor unions that opposed the bill, issued a very different assessment. “This is no victory for Illinois,” it said in a statement, “but a dark day for its citizens and public servants.” The battle now turns to the courts, where union leaders have promised to take the legislation. Some opponents have asserted that it violates the State Constitution by illegally lowering pension benefits. Image Representative Elaine Nekritz of Northbrook. Credit Seth Perlman/Associated Press The plan’s architects said it will generate $90 billion to $100 billion in savings by curtailing cost-of-living increases for retirees, offering an optional 401(k) plan for those willing to leave the pension system, capping the salary level used to calculate pension benefits and raising the retirement age for younger workers, in some cases by five years. In exchange, workers were to see their pension contributions drop by 1 percent. The measure also calls for the state to increase state payments into the system by $60 billion to $70 billion. The legislature opened late Tuesday morning, and almost immediately recessed so both parties could go into closed-door caucus and leaders could count votes. The fruit of those efforts became clear through the afternoon, as the measure passed by 30 to 24 in the Senate, with three members voting “present,” and in the House by 62 to 53, with one voting “present.” In both chambers, the debate was fiercely emotional. “It’s difficult work we have to do and a difficult vote we have to take,” said State Senator Kwame Raoul, a Chicago Democrat who was a co-chairman of the conference committee that passed the legislation. “We cannot continue to be the embarrassment of the nation.” There was no cheering or celebration when the bill passed in the Senate. “I don’t take any joy in this action today,” said Representative Elaine Nekritz, a supporter of the legislation. “But it is the responsible thing to provide for a pension system that gives workers retirement security without bankrupting our state.” Opponents were even more emphatic. “This is more than a vote, this is defining the future of American workers,” said Senator William Delgado, a Democrat. “This is morally corrupt. We are robbing the benefits of these hard-working people.” The break in the negotiations came last week when the Democratic and Republican leaders in the legislature ended months of wrangling and agreed on a plan that they said would save $160 billion and erase the state’s pension debt by 2044. It was the first time that top leaders from both parties had been able to reach a deal. Negotiations had been particularly difficult in a state with a strong labor tradition. And Mr. Quinn, a Democrat, was also under pressure put the matter to rest before next year’s election. Image Senator William Delgado of Chicago voiced his views. Credit Seth Perlman/Associated Press The vote on Tuesday came one day after the deadline for candidates to file to run for state office in next year’s primary, so legislators could know whether they faced a primary opponent. Democrats hold a solid majority in the State Senate. Many states have already voted to trim pension payments and make other adjustments to address skyrocketing retirement costs, but Illinois had thus far avoided doing so, with unions arguing that members should not be punished for mismanagement of the fund. Meanwhile, its pension mess got steadily worse, helping give Illinois the lowest credit rating of any state. Opposition to the plan rose swiftly, particularly from union leaders who found it too draconian. But two of the governor’s Republican challengers also denounced the deal, as too lenient. The state Chamber of Commerce also said it preferred even stronger measures to trim back state pensions. “The truth is that the savings in this bill are both insufficient and will make true, comprehensive reform more difficult,” said one challenger, Bruce Rauner, a wealthy business executive. Another challenger, the state treasurer, Dan Rutherford, said Monday that he also opposed the bill and that he did not believe it would survive a court challenge. Facing them in next year’s Republican primary will be State Senator Bill Brady, who supported the bill, and State Senator Kirk Dillard, who said that he would oppose the legislation. Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, whose city has retirement issues of its own — payments to the local pension fund are expected to more than double to almost $1.1 billion starting in 2015 — said he hoped the compromise would provide a template for Chicago, as well. In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Emanuel said “the work is far from finished.” “The pension crisis is not truly solved until relief is brought to Chicago and all of the other local governments across our state that are standing on the brink of a fiscal cliff because of our pension liabilities,” he said.

Pensions and Retirement Plans
State legislature
Illinois
Civil service


Red Sox’ Latest Turmoil Centers on Valentine — Leading Off

Abstract: With everything that changes each season in baseball, it is nice to have a constant, a touchstone that reminds you what era one is in. To that end, the Red Sox are performing a public service, their dysfunction so consistent that it is almost comforting. Only the details change, from booing Nomar Garciaparra out of town to Manny being Manny to fried chicken and beer to whatever has popped out of Bobby Valentine’s mouth today. The latest brouhaha involves the Red Sox players running to management for a meeting to vent their anger at Valentine, Jeff Passan has reported on Yahoo.com, which earns them some extra credit because full-scale mutiny had not yet been on the franchise’s list of greatest hits. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia responded to the news by claiming the players did not ask for Valentine to be fired (but did they beg?) and everyone was backtracking and trying to make it sound as if players meet with owners over coffee all the time to complain about the manager. Didn’t the Yankees text George Steinbrenner all the time? No? The Red Sox players certainly seem to be staying in character in this episode, but as John Tomase writes in The Boston Herald , Valentine has certainly precipitated this with his penchant for unwise comments. Of course, unwise comments are pretty much the top line of Valentine’s résumé, so it did not require tarot cards to see this coming. The rest of baseball isn’t nearly so colorful, but it is humming toward the playoff race stretch drive. The Yankees added a shutout victory over the Rangers, although the Rangers still look like awfully strong contenders, writes Joe Lemire on SI.com . In the National League, the Nationals are mired in the debate over shutting down Stephen Strasburg, but Thomas Boswell argues in The Washington Post that it proves the franchise is serious, and confident about its future. The N.F.L., meanwhile, is all about being a serious business, which is why receiver Chad Johnson is out looking for another job. Not only did the Dolphins cut him, but his wife, Evelyn Lozada, has filed for divorce after accusing him of head-butting her. The whole fiasco might end up being a boon for the Dolphins’ new head coach, Joe Philbin, Don Banks writes on SI.com , and it is certainly doing wonders for HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series, which is on hand to show all the fireworks . Maybe after they are done with the Dolphins, those cameras can follow Gregg Williams, the disgraced defensive coordinator, as he tries to keep in touch with the game while hoping for reinstatement by the league, as Jason LaCanfora writes on CBSSports.com . There are certainly enough cameras on Jets quarterback Tim Tebow, who has a photo shoot in GQ magazine , which people will go nutty over for whatever reason suits them. Mexico has a chance Wednesday night to go nutty over its national team, which will flex its superior muscles in an exhibition game against the United States, writes Jeff Carlisle on ESPN.com . Mexico’s leap ahead in this rivalry, however, will only help the United States in the long run because the Americans will have to respond, writes Grant Wahl on SI.com . The strangest soccer story of the day, however, is the one about the Russian soccer player/drug smuggler imprisoned in Chile who has turned his fate into a soccer career there . That’s a story you likely have not read before, unlike everything the Red Sox seem to come up with. Follow Leading Off on Twitter: twitter.com/zinsernyt

Baseball
Boston Red Sox
Valentine Bobby
Johnson Chad
Williams Gregg
Philbin Joe
Strasburg Stephen
Washington Nationals


Jill Abramson, Former New York Times Editor, to Write Guardian Column

Abstract: Jill Abramson, the former executive editor of The New York Times, will formally join The Guardian as a political columnist, the newspaper said Monday. Ms. Abramson, who has written articles for The Guardian about the American elections in recent weeks, will write biweekly as part of its coverage of the presidential race this year. “For over 40 years, Jill has been a trailblazer for women in journalism, and brings an unparalleled knowledge of the relationship between politics and the media in the U.S.,” Lee Glendinning, editor of Guardian US, said in a statement. “We’re delighted to add her experience, depth and gravitas to our distinct take on this fascinating election.” Ms. Abramson was dismissed from The Times in the spring of 2014, after less than three years in its top job. She had previously served as managing editor for eight years.