In Chicago, Worrying Is in Season

Abstract: Was it coincidence that the Seattle Mariners fired our affable old friend Milton Bradley after losing two in a row to the White Sox ? Probably. But if local accounts of the Sox’s early season doings are to be believed, any team capable of losing anything to Ozzie Guillen’s stumbling squad is in dire need of a shakeup. Much like the Sox themselves. When April turned dreary after a promising beginning, all the good will generated by the Adam Dunn signing and other off-season moves went the way of $3 gas. Sox fans reacted with customary tranquillity: off with their heads, all of them. It got so frustrating — 17 losses in 21 games — that Ken Williams, the unfailingly self-assured general manager, felt compelled to call a news conference to deliver, essentially, no news. No changes were forthcoming, no one was being fired, reassigned, drawn and quartered, excommunicated, deported. More than 130 games remained as Williams spoke, and an equilibrium-jarring move at that point would have been one born of panic: Was Cleveland really a threat to run away with the division? Cleveland? Still, Williams’s statement spoke to how turbulent the atmosphere had become. And it’s pretty much the natural order for edgy White Sox fans. They always seem happier when they’re unhappy, at any point in a season. Here it’s worth noting that the San Francisco Giants, en route to their first World Series title in 56 years, took the National League West with a 92-70 record just last season. The White Sox, after winning their first series in a month, split two games in Anaheim to stand at 14-23. They’d have to go 78-47 in their remaining 125 games to finish 92-70. That’s a .624 pace, and it’s admittedly difficult to attain, even in a less challenging division. But it’s hardly impossible: the Sox played .611 ball (99-63) from start to finish in 2005, their World Series year. You may recall that championship season ending with an exuberantly joyful parade, but it was hardly a stress-free romp. Remember the mood in September, when those dynamos from Cleveland trimmed seven games off an eight-game deficit in about two weeks? Panic in the streets. The South Side’s angst was history by the time Captain Paul Konerko presented Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf with the final-out ball from the Series-clinching win over Houston in late October. But it served as a reminder that a baseball season is an enervating six-month grind in which lesser clubs are exposed and even the best are subject to wild fluctuations. April missteps can always be corrected if a team is good enough. Dunn and his colleagues now seem to be swinging the bats with more authority, and the pitching should be strong enough no matter how much or how little the star-crossed Jake Peavy contributes. This is too talented a team to abandon in mid-May. Besides, the Bulls are a better candidate to induce panic. Wasn’t Carlos Boozer the $14 million centerpiece of an ambitious off-season roster renovation? Didn’t he average 17.5 points and 9.6 rebounds in 59 games as the formidable interior presence the team has lacked since, say, Artis Gilmore? Peculiar injuries aside, didn’t Boozer have at least something to do with the 62 wins that got the Bulls the No. 1 seed for the playoffs? Yes, but so what? He’s hurt again, torn ligaments in a toe this time. Get him out of there. He’s overmatched against the longer, more athletic front lines Indiana and Atlanta have been putting on the floor. Boozer looks old, lumpy, slow. Taj Gibson is younger, quicker and more explosive. He’s the guy we need out there. You can almost feel Tom Thibodeau bite his tongue each time he is asked about Gibson for Boozer. He’s a first-year head coach, but this is not his first rodeo: he has been deep into the playoffs before, to the finals two of the last three years. He knows playoff basketball is different — tougher, more purposeful, intensely star-driven — but he also knows you don’t abandon what helped get you 62 wins over the 82-game regular season. Thibodeau is diplomatic. Each man, he explains, has a role on a team of role players who complement the Bulls’ one star (that would be Derrick Rose). Boozer’s rebounding, bulk and playoff savvy are important even if he’s not putting up big offensive numbers. Gibson, meanwhile, brings energy and fresh legs off the bench, which translate into defense, rebounding and an occasional put-back basket. Gibson is a useful player, capable of some productive spurts, like his 11-point fourth quarter in Game 5 against Atlanta. But with what he brings to the floor each night, he is not the one who will determine the Bulls’ playoff future. That, too, would be Derrick Rose. At least the Bulls have a playoff future. While they were settling their conference semifinal business with Atlanta’s Hawks, the Cubs were quietly entertaining some old friends from St. Louis. No buzz at all over the division-leading Cardinals’ first visit of 2011 to Wrigley Field — they might as well have been the Pirates or the Padres. And no panic or angst over the Cubs’ fourth-place standing in the N.L. Central, none whatsoever. Maybe there’s something to be said for diminished expectations.

Chicago (Ill)
Chicago White Sox
Baseball
Athletics and Sports


Texas Will Require Burial of Aborted Fetuses

Abstract: Texas approved new rules this week requiring health care facilities that perform abortions to bury the fetal remains instead of disposing of them in a sanitary landfill like other forms of biological medical waste, ending months of contentious debate and dismaying abortion rights groups. The rules , which go into effect on Dec. 19, mandate that aborted fetal tissue must be buried regardless of how long it has been gestating. The rules state it can either be buried directly after an abortion has been performed or it can be buried or scattered after it has been incinerated. Fetal remains can also be steam disinfected before burial, according to the guideline. The rule was quietly proposed in July at the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott, according to The Texas Tribune , shortly after the Supreme Court struck down parts of a Texas law that could have sharply cut the number of abortion clinics in the state, particularly those outside large urban areas. The Tribune reported in July that Mr. Abbott, a Republican, cited the proposal in a fund-raising email as evidence of his commitment to protect the “rights of the unborn” and “turn the tides” against abortion in the state. “I believe it is imperative to establish higher standards that reflect our respect for the sanctity of life,” he said in the email, which The Tribune published in full . “This is why Texas will require clinics and hospitals to bury or cremate human and fetal remains.” “I don’t believe human and fetal remains should be treated like medical waste and disposed of in landfills,” Mr. Abbott added. According to the rules, aborted fetal tissue must be handled like a deceased person and treated “using the process of cremation, entombment, burial, or placement in a niche or by using the process of cremation followed by placement of the ashes in a niche, grave, or scattering of ashes as authorized by law.” The Texas Department of Health and Human Services held two public comment hearings on the proposal and reviewed about 35,000 comments since it was introduced, said Carrie Williams, a department spokeswoman. She said people’s comments and concerns were taken into consideration as the rules were finalized. One concern — voiced by the Texas Medical Association and the Texas Hospital Association, among others — was if the proposal would require women who miscarried at home to transport their fetal remains to a health care facility to arrange for burial. “We made certain changes to the rules along the way, including adding language to make clear that these rules don’t apply to miscarriages or abortions that occur at home, and adding language to clarify that birth or death certificate issuance is not required for proper disposition under the rules,” Ms. Williams said. But abortion rights activists said the new rules added nothing to the safety and well-being of women undergoing an abortion procedure and amounted to an unnecessary intrusion into patient privacy. The Texas Medical Association and Texas Hospital Association expressed a similar concern in a letter sent last month to the Department of State Health Services, saying “these rules once again will present regulatory intrusion” into the "unique relationship” between doctors and patients. Heather Busby, the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, an abortion rights group, criticized “the addition of non-medical ritual” to a medical procedure and called the new rules “a thinly veiled attempt to shame Texans who have abortions and make it harder for the doctors who provide them.” “The state agency has once again ignored the concerns of the medical community and thousands of Texans by playing politics with people’s private health care decisions,” Ms. Busby said, adding that the Texas Department of State Health Services "has failed to show any evidence this rule benefits public health or improves the safe practice of modern medicine.” Texas is not the first state to approve mandatory burial for fetal remains. Indiana and Louisiana passed similar measures this year but neither state has put the new rules into effect amid continuing legal challenges, said Gavin Broady of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which filed a lawsuit against the rules in Louisiana. Indiana’s law was signed by Gov. Mike Pence, the vice president-elect of the United States. Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said the Texas rule was not medically justified and would “only increase barriers to reproductive care while deliberately shaming and stigmatizing Texas women.” “Just five months ago the U.S. Supreme Court struck down two Texas sham laws and declared that medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion access are unconstitutional,” she said. “Texas politicians have now responded with one of the most blatantly pointless and insulting restrictions yet.”

Abortion
Greg Abbott
Texas
Women's rights,Feminism


Cisco Shareholders Are Due to Rise Up

Abstract: Cisco Systems makes a juicy target for an activist assault — and the chief executive, John T. Chambers, seems to know it. True, most presumptuous investors don’t have the means to build a significant stake in the $100 billion technology giant. But Cisco’s poor performance, valuable assets, cash pile and years of capital misallocation provide the kindling to spark long-suffering shareholders into an uprising. Indeed, Mr. Chambers, who has been chief executive for 16 years, seems to be bracing for such a possibility. In a 1,500-word e-mail sent to staff members on Monday, he defended his strategy while acknowledging flaws of “operation execution” that have led to a loss of “accountability.” The memo pleads for employees to prepare for “a number of targeted moves” in coming weeks, but offers no concrete solutions to Cisco’s problems. And these are myriad. The former high-flier’s shares have earned a negative return of around 55 percent since the start of 2001. By comparison, the Nasdaq composite gained 13 percent and I.B.M. nearly doubled. Even a fellow misfit, Hewlett-Packard, is in the black. And that’s before accounting for dividends, which Cisco is just beginning to pay. This has come even though Cisco has shoveled money into share buybacks. In the last decade, the firm repurchased $70 billion of shares, paying an average price of more than $20 apiece, Barclays Capital estimates. The stock closed Tuesday at $17.22. Since 2000, the company has also plowed $34 billion into acquisitions, according to Thomson Reuters data. Many of these deals failed to deliver adequate returns and created mission creep away from Cisco’s core business serving the technological needs of big companies. The firm bought the set-top box maker Scientific-Atlanta, the home networking group Linksys and the makers of the Flip camera. Those bets haven’t worked out. Sales in Cisco’s consumer division tumbled 15 percent in the most recent quarter. Worse, there are signs that price declines may be starting to outrun volume increases in core businesses like switches, where sales fell 8 percent. As a result, Cisco disappointed investors with a tepid sales forecast in November, and again in February, when it said gross margins shrank. Cisco can improve its fortunes. It controls about two-thirds of the market for switches and routers. Cisco doesn’t break out the figures, but its operating margin last year was 23 percent, or about twice as high as at H.P.’s servers and storage unit and four times as high as those of many consumer electronics companies. It should stop funneling those dollars into highly competitive — and lower margin — businesses. Selling or spinning off the consumer division, which represents less than 5 percent of sales, should be considered, too. Likewise, Cisco may want to shut down new operations, like servers. The overall goal should be to refocus management on its hugely profitable markets in switches and routers. There’s also Cisco’s $44 billion cash pile. Much of this is offshore and subject to taxation upon repatriation. But even that might be preferable to wasting it on deals. The upside could be considerable. Cisco shares now trade at 10 times estimated earnings for the next fiscal year. That’s almost a 20 percent discount to I.B.M. Adjust for Cisco’s cash and the gap is twice as big. If Cisco can fix its problems, this discount should disappear and the stock could be worth some $25. Of course, all these moves require Mr. Chambers to repudiate much of the strategy of the last decade. That would also implicate his board, which is populated by Silicon Valley heavyweights, including the chief executive and founder of Yahoo and the former chiefs of Vodafone, Compaq and Wells Fargo. Given this, Cisco shareholders, not to mention its employees who are highly incentivized with the shares, would probably only rally around an outsider with a track record of winning board seats and inspiring companies to do better. Luckily for would-be cage-rattlers, Cisco has no single giant shareholder. That’s an impediment to urging, say, Microsoft — whose shares have underperformed Cisco’s — into action. Even after 16 years at the helm and some hefty options grants, Mr. Chambers has less than half of 1 percent of the company. The good news for shareholders is that he seems to be getting the message. But it may be too late to avoid a fight.

Cisco Systems Inc
Stocks and Bonds
Company Reports


A.I.G. Receives Approval From F.A.A. to Use Drones

Abstract: The American International Group said on Wednesday that the Federal Aviation Administration had approved its request to use drones to conduct inspections. A.I.G. said in a statement that unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, could help accelerate surveys of disaster areas with high-resolution images, speeding up claims handling, risk assessment and payments. They can also reach areas that could be dangerous or inaccessible for manual inspection, the company said, and they provide richer information about properties and structures. “A.I.G. is committed to continuous improvement and innovation in providing better, faster and safer risk and claims assessments to our customers,” Eric Martinez, executive vice president for claims and operations, said in the statement. “Leveraging cutting edge technologies like U.A.V.s can enhance our ability to assess and mitigate risks to better help our customers and their communities prepare for and rebuild after a catastrophic event.” The company said that it had already set up a research and development program and tested drones in New Zealand.

Drones
American International Group
FAA
Personal finance


Costs Seen in Romney’s Medicare Savings Plan

Abstract: WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney ’s promise to restore $716 billion that he says President Obama “robbed” from Medicare has some health care experts puzzled, and not just because his running mate, Representative Paul D. Ryan , included the same savings in his House budgets. The 2010 health care law cut Medicare reimbursements to hospitals and insurers, not benefits for older Americans, by that amount over the coming decade. But repealing the savings, policy analysts say, would hasten the insolvency of Medicare by eight years — to 2016, the final year of the next presidential term, from 2024. While Republicans have raised legitimate questions about the long-term feasibility of the reimbursement cuts, analysts say, to restore them in the short term would immediately add hundreds of dollars a year to out-of-pocket Medicare expenses for beneficiaries. That would violate Mr. Romney’s vow that neither current beneficiaries nor Americans within 10 years of eligibility would be affected by his proposal to shift Medicare to a voucherlike system in which recipients are given a lump sum to buy coverage from competing insurers. For those reasons, Henry J. Aaron, an economist and a longtime health policy analyst at the Brookings Institution and the Institute of Medicine , called Mr. Romney’s vow to repeal the savings “both puzzling and bogus at the same time.” Marilyn Moon, vice president and director of the health program at the American Institutes for Research, calculated that restoring the $716 billion in Medicare savings would increase premiums and co-payments for beneficiaries by $342 a year on average over the next decade; in 2022, the average increase would be $577. Beneficiaries, through their premiums and co-payments, share the cost of Medicare with the government. If Medicare’s costs increase — for instance, by raising payments to health care providers — so, too, do beneficiaries’ contributions. And those costs would be on top of the costs involved with a full repeal of the health care law, which would eliminate expanded coverage of prescription drugs, free wellness care and preventive checkups. “One can only wonder what’s going on inside their headquarters in Boston and among their policy people,” said John McDonough, the director of the Center for Public Health Leadership at Harvard. “But there are only two explanations: Either they don’t understand how the program works, which is hard to imagine, or there is some deliberate misrepresentation here because they know how politically potent this charge is.” The potency of the Republicans’ charge was evident in the 2010 midterm elections, when they accused Mr. Obama and Congressional Democrats of cutting Medicare by $500 billion to pay for new coverage under the health care law. They went on to recapture control of the House. Led by Mr. Romney, Republicans revived that line of attack for 2012. But Mr. Romney cited a higher $716 billion in the same week that he announced his selection of Mr. Ryan, who had supported the reductions until joining the Republican ticket. The different dollar figures reflect a shifting time frame: $500 billion represented the projected Medicare savings in the decade after the 2010 health care law was enacted; $716 billion reflects savings from 2013 through 2022. The Romney campaign adamantly disputes the critics’ assertions. “The idea that restoring funding to Medicare could somehow hasten its bankruptcy is on its face absurd,” said Andrea Saul, a spokeswoman for the Romney campaign. She added, “Governor Romney’s plan is to repeal Obamacare and replace it with patient-centered reforms that control cost throughout the health care system and extend the solvency of Medicare.” What Mr. Romney proposes to restore to Medicare, however, is not money but additional costs, for higher payments to hospitals, insurers and other care providers. Lobbying groups representing some care providers accepted those reductions during the health care debate, and in exchange they got the law’s mandate for nearly all individuals to have insurance , which meant that providers and insurers would have millions of new paying patients and policyholders. But Mr. Romney’s policy director, Lanhee Chen, argued in a memorandum last weekend that reducing provider payments would backfire and hurt beneficiaries — a concern about the health care law, known as the Affordable Care Act, that is widely shared. “In the real world,” he wrote, “the result will be fewer providers accepting Medicare payments and worse care for today’s seniors.” Mr. Chen cited recent annual reports from the trustees for the Medicare program and from the chief actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Richard S. Foster. The trustees and the actuary each said that the law could well lead to significant savings in the delivery of health care, but both also suggested that over time the scheduled cuts to providers’ payments could prove unrealistic. “While the Affordable Care Act makes important changes to the Medicare program and substantially improves its financial outlook, there is a strong likelihood that certain of these changes will not be viable in the long range,” Mr. Foster wrote. He added, “The best available evidence indicates that most health care providers cannot improve their productivity to this degree — or even approach such a level — as a result of the labor-intensive nature of these services.” Mr. Romney has been especially critical of the cuts for insurance companies that provide Medicare Advantage, a popular private-policy alternative to Medicare. “This is the president’s plan: $716 billion cut, four million people losing Medicare Advantage and 15 percent of hospitals and nursing homes not accepting Medicare patients,” he said in a recent campaign appearance. But Medicare Advantage, which was created 15 years ago in the hope that private-market competition for beneficiaries would result in lower prices, has consistently cost more than standard Medicare — costs that Medicare beneficiaries must help subsidize through their premiums. The reductions for Medicare Advantage providers are “a matter of basic fairness because they’ve been overpaid for years,” Ms. Moon said. As for beneficiaries, she added, “they’re guaranteed basic Medicare benefits. They may lose some extra benefits they may have been getting, but in effect you’re saying some of the windfall benefits may go away.” “The bottom line,” said Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland , the senior Democrat on the House Budget Committee, which Mr. Ryan leads, “is that Romney is proposing to take more money from seniors in higher premiums and co-pays and hand it over to private insurance companies and other providers in the Medicare system.”

Medicare
Obamacare,Affordable Care Act
Mitt Romney
Barack Obama
2012 Presidential Election
Health Insurance


Gordon B. Hinckley, Mormon Leader, Is Dead at 97

Abstract: Gordon B. Hinckley, the president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who led Mormonism through a period of global expansion, died Sunday at his home in Salt Lake City. He was 97. The church, which announced his death on its Web site, said a successor to Mr. Hinckley was not expected to be chosen until after his funeral. Mr. Hinckley spent 46 years in the church’s top leadership ranks, 12 of those as its 15th president. He was the oldest president in the church’s history. In a faith that is relatively young, founded in 1830, Mr. Hinckley’s impact was formative. He traveled to 60 countries and dedicated 95 of the church’s 124 temples, some on sites that he himself had surveyed and selected. Wherever he went, he drew large crowds of church members waving white handkerchiefs, a sign of affection that began in Chile and spread. With his buoyant personality and affinity for public relations, Mr. Hinckley made Mormonism more familiar to the public and more accepted in the Christian fold. He gave news conferences and was the first church president to sit for interviews on “60 Minutes” and “Larry King Live.” When the Winter Olympics went to Salt Lake City in 2002, the church’s home base, he guided the church outreach campaign. To emphasize its commonality with other churches, he changed the church’s logo, making the words “Jesus Christ” in the church’s name much larger than “Latter-day Saints.” He arranged to make the church’s huge library of genealogical records publicly available on the Internet. “He’s been the face of the church, not only for church members, but more than any other president, to the world at large,” said Richard Lyman Bushman, professor of history emeritus at Columbia University, a member and scholar of the church. “He exposed himself to all these interviews and seemed to enjoy it. That has won the admiration of church members. We have been a little bit isolated and clannish, and it’s wonderful to see our church presented to the world.” During his tenure, Mr. Hinckley faced tough questions about whether the church had muzzled critical scholars and about the role of Mormons in the Mountain Meadows massacre in 1857, when a wagon train of emigrants crossing the Utah territory was attacked. Under Mr. Hinckley, a church magazine published an article about the event and a memorial was constructed at the massacre site. He would often disarm interrogators with peppery humor, once welcoming a reporter for The New Yorker magazine to his office with the greeting, “All writers should be put in a box and thrown in the sea.” In President Hinckley’s term, the church grew to count more than 12 million members worldwide — more than the largest Lutheran denomination. It is now believed to be the fourth-largest church in the United States. (But the Mormon church has acknowledged reports that a significant percentage of new converts, especially overseas, do not remain active members.) Mormon presidents serve in office until their death, but Mr. Hinckley stood out for his enduring vigor. When his wife of 67 years, Marjorie Pay Hinckley, died in 2004, he told Larry King: “The best thing you can do is just keep busy, keep working hard, so you’re not dwelling on it all the time. Work is the best antidote for sorrow.” President Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004. Gordon B. Hinckley was born on June 23, 1910, in Salt Lake City, a descendant of a governor of the Plymouth Colony. His grandfather joined the Mormons as a teenager in Nauvoo, Ill., where they had taken refuge in 1839 after being run out of Missouri. But five years later in Carthage, Ill., anti-Mormon mobs killed the church’s founder, Joseph Smith, and chased his followers out of the state. Mr. Hinckley said his grandfather was among those who made the trek by covered wagon and handcart across the Great Plains to Utah. Mr. Hinckley returned 158 years later to Nauvoo as the 14th successor to Joseph Smith to dedicate the rebuilt temple, which had long ago been destroyed by a fire and tornado. “This is the greatest season in the history of the church,” he said in a news conference, “and it will only get better.” He grew up in Salt Lake City, where his father ran the LDS Business College and invested in real estate. His mother was a former English teacher who kept a large library at home. He graduated from the University of Utah with an interest in writing, intending to become a journalist. But at 23, he accepted the call from the church to become a missionary in England, where he preached from a portable stand in Hyde Park in London. After two years, Mr. Hinckley returned to Salt Lake City and informed headquarters that missionaries needed better materials to explain the church’s teachings to prospective converts. He was soon assigned to direct the church’s publicity efforts, which he did for the next 20 years. For seven years after that, he managed the church’s missionary program. As the church was growing overseas in the 1950s, Mr. Hinckley came up with the idea of producing a film to be shown in temples as a part of the instructions in the ritual. The film, which teaches about salvation and redemption, was easily translated into many languages and is still part of temple ritual. In 1961, Mr. Hinckley was brought into the upper echelon of church leadership. For 20 years he served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the church’s second-highest governing body. Then he ascended to the First Presidency, an office that consists of a church president and his two advisers. The presidents he served, Ezra Taft Benson and then Howard W. Hunter, were in failing health for much of the time. Mr. Hinckley had effectively been leading the church well before he was ordained as president on March 12, 1995. To Latter-day Saints, the church president is not merely a temporal figure but also an inspired prophet who interprets church teachings for the present day. In his first year in office, Mr. Hinckley issued a proclamation on the family. Besides reaffirming Mormon belief that families live on together after death, it condemned domestic abuse. It also said that gender was a characteristic determined even before birth, and that procreation was reserved only for a man and a woman as husband and wife. Under Mr. Hinckley, the church endorsed a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman and financed political campaigns to support legislation that would bar same-sex marriage in California and Hawaii. In his worldwide travels, Mr. Hinckley became attentive to the needs of church members in developing countries. He established a “Perpetual Education Fund” to pay for needy church members to attend college. And he designed a smaller version of a temple that could be built more quickly, for less money — giving many more church members access to the sacraments at the core of Mormon spirituality. “That was hands-on, sitting at his desk drawing the floor plan,” said Boyd K. Packer, the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve. “They are being built everywhere in the world.” In Salt Lake City, he oversaw the renovation of the historic Mormon Tabernacle, where the famed choir sings, as well as the construction of a new 21,000-seat assembly hall four times the size of the tabernacle to seat the faithful who attend the church’s semiannual general conferences. Mr. Hinckley is survived by his children, Kathleen Barnes Walker, Virginia Pearce, Jane Dudley, Richard Hinckley and Clark Hinckley; 25 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren.

Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)


Hoosier Star Gives Illini More Bad News

Abstract: Eric Gordon, the high-scoring freshman who reneged on a commitment to Illinois and signed instead with Indiana, had 11 of his 17 points in the second half Sunday as the 10th-ranked Hoosiers rallied from a 7-point deficit to defeat the Illini, 62-58. It was Indiana’s 10th consecutive victory, and its 27th in a row at home. D. J. White added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Armon Bassett had all of his 11 points in the second half for the Hoosiers (14-1, 3-0 Big Ten). Shaun Pruitt led Illinois (8-9, 0-4) with 14 points. Gordon, who was the state high school player of the year at Indianapolis North Central last season, had only 6 points in the first half, when Illinois led by as many as 9. The Illini still led, 44-37, before two free throws by Gordon started a 12-2 run that put the Hoosiers in front for good. Gordon was 4 of 10 from the field but made 8 of 10 free throws. LOUISVILLE 64, RUTGERS 49 Jerry Smith scored 14 points to lead visiting Louisville (12-4, 2-1 Big East). Jaron Griffin had a career-high 23 points for Rutgers (8-9, 0-4), which has lost four in a row. J R Inman added 11 points but committed 7 of Rutgers’s 16 turnovers. WEST VIRGINIA 81, SYRACUSE 61 Alex Ruoff scored 23 points and made a career-high seven 3-pointers as West Virginia (12-4, 2-2 Big East) won its 14th consecutive home game. Syracuse (12-5, 2-2), with the conference’s leading offense, was held to its fewest points of the season. DUKE 87, VIRGINIA 65 DeMarcus Nelson scored 20 points to lead No. 9 Duke (13-0) over visiting Virginia (10-4) in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams. The Blue Devils never trailed, led by double figures for the entire second half and made 11 3-pointers. RHODE ISLAND 80, DUQUESNE 78 Will Daniels tied a season high with 28 points and Jimmy Baron made a fadeaway jump shot with three seconds remaining to lift No. 22 Rhode Island (15-2, 1-1 Atlantic 10) at home. Reggie Jackson scored 19 points for Duquesne (11-4, 1-1). OREGON 71, STANFORD 66 Maarty Leunen scored 16 points, and host Oregon (12-4, 3-1 Pacific-10) used an 8-0 run in the last two minutes to beat No. 23 Stanford (13-3, 2-2). IN OTHER GAMES Charron Fisher scored 32 points to lead host Niagara to an 80-63 victory over Manhattan (8-8, 2-4 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference), which scored the game’s first basket but then let Niagara (11-4, 5-1) go on a 21-1 run. ... Devon Clarke scored 15 points and Iona (6-12, 2-4 MAAC) beat visiting St. Peter’s, 69-50, to end a five-game losing streak. ... Jason Thompson had 28 points, 17 rebounds and 5 blocked shots to lead host Rider (11-6, 4-2 MAAC) over Loyola, Md., 81-67.

Basketball
College Athletics
Indiana University


Lifted by Economic Growth, Obama Speaks Optimistically of Policies

Abstract: KANSAS CITY, Mo. — President Obama on Wednesday delivered an optimistic report about the effects of the administration’s policies in spite of congressional inaction, buoyed by the announcement that the economy grew more than anticipated in the spring. The president told a crowd of about 1,500 at the Uptown Theater here that the economic strides were starting to reap rewards, including putting the United States back on top with investors. “The decisions that we made to rescue our economy, to rescue the auto industry, to rebuild the economy on a new foundation, to invest in research and infrastructure, education — all those things are starting to pay off,” he said. Video Responding to positive economic news, President Barack Obama tells a Kansas City crowd that economic decisons made now will determine whether gains are working for all Americans. Rough Cut (no reporter narration). Credit Credit Reuters With his shirt sleeves rolled up, Mr. Obama admonished Congress for not doing more to help, a message he has been spreading since promising in his State of the Union address to act alone if necessary to jump-start the economy. “Imagine how much further along we’d be, how much stronger our economy would be, if Congress was doing its job, too,” he said. Mr. Obama recalled a recent bipartisan bill-signing, painting a picture of lawmakers smiling side by side in their suits. “Nobody is shouting at each other,” he said to laughter. “It was really nice. I said: ‘Let’s do this again. Let’s do it more often.’ ” The president was informal and relaxed, interacting with a crowd that was quick to respond, cheering and booing — a bit of a foil to a number of signs outside the theater before his speech protesting his policies on immigration, the conflict in Gaza and other issues. With just a couple days left before Congress leaves for a five-week recess despite unresolved issues including the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs and the depleted Highway Trust Fund looming, the president told the crowd what lawmakers were doing in Washington on Wednesday: The House was preparing to vote on whether to authorize Speaker John A. Boehner’s lawsuit against Mr. Obama on accusations of overstepping his executive authority. Image President Obama greeted supporters after delivering a speech about the economy in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday. Credit Gabriella Demczuk/The New York Times Mr. Obama said that many had called it a political stunt — and one for which taxpayers would foot the bill. “It’s worse than that because every vote they’re taking like that means a vote they’re not taking to actually help you,” he said. The news that the economy had performed better than expected during the last quarter seemed to energize Mr. Obama as he spoke at the theater, an old building with painted stucco walls that opened in 1928 and once offered an escape for many during the Great Depression. After landing in Kansas City on Tuesday, Mr. Obama spent an hour at Arthur Bryant’s, a popular barbecue restaurant, greeting diners and sitting down for ribs with four people who had written to him about their struggles and successes. Each evening, Mr. Obama reads a number of letters from people, and recently he has started dining with a few of them when he is in their area.

Barack Obama
US Economy
Kansas City MO
US Politics
House of Representatives
Congress
Senate
Congress
Veteran Affairs
Highway Trust Fund


U.S. Weighs Sharif as Partner in Pakistan

Abstract: LAHORE, Pakistan — The opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif , sealed his place as the most popular politician in Pakistan this month when he defied his house detention and led a triumphant protest that forced the government to restore the country’s chief justice. Now, as the Obama administration completes its review of strategy toward the region this week, his sudden ascent has raised an urgent question: Can Mr. Sharif, 59, a populist politician close to Islamic parties, be a reliable partner? Or will he use his popular support to blunt the military’s already fitful campaign against the insurgency of the Taliban and Al Qaeda ? A former two-time prime minister, Mr. Sharif once pressed for Islamic law for Pakistan, tested a nuclear bomb and was accused by his opponents of undemocratic behavior during his tenure in the late 1990s. That political past has inspired distrust here and in Washington and left some concerned that Mr. Sharif is too close to the conservative Islamists sympathetic to the Taliban to lead a fight against the insurgents. His supporters and other analysts say that Mr. Sharif is now a more mature politician, wiser after eight years of exile in Saudi Arabia and London, and that he is eager to prove he can work with Washington and to put his imprint on a workable approach toward stabilizing Pakistan. In any case, opponents and supporters alike note, Mr. Sharif has made himself a political leader Washington can no longer ignore. Just weeks ago, Mr. Sharif appeared to be sidelined, when a Supreme Court ruling barred him from office, citing an earlier criminal conviction. After forcing the government to reinstate the chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who seems likely to reverse that decision, Mr. Sharif is now front and center in Pakistani politics. His protest tapped a deep well of dissatisfaction with the government of President Asif Ali Zardari, who seems increasingly unable to rally Pakistanis behind the fight against the insurgents. The new breadth of Mr. Sharif’s support will make him either a drag or a spur to greater Pakistani cooperation, and it positions Mr. Sharif as a potential prime minister, if the already shaky public support for the Zardari government completely erodes. “If Washington is going to carry Pakistan, it is important they do it with popular support,” said Senator Enver Baig, a disaffected member of the governing Pakistan Peoples Party , who resigned from a party post last month. “There’s the realization in Washington that he is the next guy we should talk to.” That would be a change. After Mr. Sharif’s return from exile in late 2007, the Bush administration kept him at a distance, choosing instead to broker a power-sharing deal between Pervez Musharraf, the president at the time, and another former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto. More secular in outlook, Ms. Bhutto and her Pakistan Peoples Party were considered more amenable allies for Washington. After Ms. Bhutto was assassinated in December 2007, her husband, Mr. Zardari, took up the party mantle. Both Mr. Musharraf and Mr. Zardari forged their own alliances with Pakistan’s religious parties. But Mr. Sharif’s ties have raised deeper suspicion. More nationalistic and religiously oriented, he and his party, the Pakistan Muslim League-N , have traditionally found common cause with the religious parties, some of which have run madrasas that have funneled fighters to the Taliban. Those who worry that the insurgency will engulf the country are perplexed by what they see as Mr. Sharif’s failure so far to mobilize a Pakistani public inured to its dangers. “Nawaz Sharif is a reflection of Pakistani society,” said Pervez Hoodbhoy, a physicist and a critic of current government policies. “He is silent on what matters most: the insurgency. What we need is a leader.” Some diplomats and analysts argue, however, that Mr. Sharif’s affinity with the Islamic parties could now be an asset as Washington tries to win Pakistani support to fight the militants. “We, and all sensible Pakistanis, need the support of Saudi Arabia and the more moderate Islamist parties, particularly Jamaat-e-Islami, if we are ever going to tame the jihadis,” said a former American ambassador to Pakistan, Robert B. Oakley. “Nawaz’s good standing with them is very, very important." Maleeha Lodhi, a former Pakistani ambassador to the United States, said Washington’s suspicions of Mr. Sharif might actually be helpful. “He is sufficiently distanced from the United States to be a credible partner in the eyes of Pakistanis,” she said. For his part, Mr. Sharif says the impression in Washington that he is too close to the Islamists is propaganda promoted by his political rivals. Mr. Sharif and his aides point to his close relationship with former President Bill Clinton and recite a litany of decisions Mr. Sharif made as prime minister that were favorable to Washington, like his politically risky decision to support the United States in the Persian Gulf war in 1991. Mr. Sharif, in a recent interview, emphasized the similarities between the approach he would take toward militancy and that currently being discussed in Washington, including separating the Taliban, whose members can be talked to, from Al Qaeda, whose adherents cannot. Some experts are skeptical that Mr. Sharif can distinguish between the militants and the conservative Islamic parties. “There’s no evidence that he understands the difference between these groups,” said Stephen P. Cohen, a scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington. Mr. Sharif served twice as prime minister, from 1990 to 1993, and then from 1997 to 1999. His second term was marked by a series of misadventures that rankled Washington, including his decision in 1998 to test Pakistan’s nuclear weapons after India tested its arsenal. In 1999, he introduced a parliamentary bill to enforce Islamic law, or Shariah, legislation that eventually failed in the Senate. Some of his supporters stormed the Supreme Court building in 1997. But Mr. Sharif made some remarkable initiatives as well. Previously unheard of for a Pakistani leader, he met with the Indian prime minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, in early 1999. In July 1999, he dashed to Washington in a gamble to avert war with India after the Pakistani Army, led by General Musharraf, made incursions into Indian-held territory in Kashmir. Mr. Sharif agreed to Mr. Clinton’s demands to force the army to withdraw to its original positions. Two months later, General Musharraf ousted Mr. Sharif in a coup and forced him into exile. How much Mr. Sharif has changed is a question many in Pakistan’s elite are asking. Pakistan’s lawyers had agitated on behalf of the chief justice, Mr. Chaudhry, for two years. But it was not until Mr. Sharif backed the protests, bringing Jamaat-e-Islami with him, that the government was forced to cave in. Aitzaz Ahsan , the leader of the lawyers’ movement, said it would not be difficult for the United States to work with Mr. Sharif. On March 15, the Sunday of the protest, Mr. Ahsan accompanied Mr. Sharif in a two-and-a-half-ton, bulletproof Land Cruiser, as the men were swamped by crowds. Their time together, Mr. Ahsan said, revealed an important characteristic about Mr. Sharif that Washington should know. “He’s about personal relationships,” he said. “If you befriend him, you can get him to move mountains.”

United States Defense and Military Forces


Things to Do in the Hudson Valley, July 30 Through Aug. 7

Abstract: A guide to cultural and recreational events in the Hudson Valley. Items for the calendar should be sent at least three weeks in advance to westweek@nytimes.com. Comedy HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON “Unconventionally Funny,” political comedy. Nancy Giles, David Feldman and Scott Blakeman. July 30 at 8 p.m. $15. Purpl, 52 Main Street. 914-231-9077; purpl.org. WEST NYACK Carlos Mencia. July 30 and 31. $25 to $50. Guy Torry. Aug. 4, 5 and 7. $15 and $17. Mike Epps. Aug. 12 through 14. $35 to $50. Levity Live, 4210 Palisades Center Drive. 845-353-5400; levitylive.com. Film BETHEL Moonlit Movie Mondays: “Labyrinth” (1986), directed by Jim Henson, starring David Bowie. Aug. 1 at 8:30 p.m. $20. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, 200 Hurd Road. 866-781-2922; bethelwoodscenter.org. COLD SPRING “To Catch a Thief” (1955), starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. Cold Spring Film Society, Dockside Park, West Street. coldspringfilm.org. CROTON-ON-HUDSON “Safety Last” (1923), silent film starring Harold Lloyd with live piano accompaniment performed by Jesse Beller. Aug. 5 at 7:30 p.m. Free. Croton Free Library, 171 Cleveland Drive. 914-271-6612; crotonfreelibrary.org. HUDSON “Kaili Blues” (2016), directed by Bi Gan. July 30 and 31. $7 and $9. Time & Space Limited, 434 Columbia Street. 518-822-8448; timeandspace.org. MONTROSE “Race” (2016), directed by Stephen Hopkins. Aug. 4 at 1:30 p.m. Free. “Miracles from Heaven” (2016), starring Jennifer Garner. Aug. 11 at 1:30 p.m. Free. Hendrick Hudson Free Library, 185 Kings Ferry Road. 914-739-5654; henhudfreelibrary.org. NYACK Pioneers of African-American Cinema, James and Eloyce Gist: “Hell-Bound Train” (1930), “Heaven-Bound Traveler” (1932), “Verdict: Not Guilty” (1933). July 30 at 8 p.m. $8 to $12. “Shaun the Sheep” (2015), animated film, playing in Memorial Park. Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. Free. Rivertown Film, 58 Depew Avenue. 845-353-2568; rivertownfilm.org. PLEASANTVILLE “Pianists Street (La Calle de los Pianistas)” (2015), a documentary about a 14-year-old piano prodigy and her 70-year-old concert pianist neighbor. Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m. $8 and $13. “The Winding Stream: The Carters, The Cashes and the Course of Country Music” (2014), directed by Beth Harrington. Includes live performance by the Shovel Ready String Band. Aug. 4 at 7:45 p.m. $10 and $15. “Stop Making Sense” (1984), documentary about the Talking Heads by Jonathan Demme. Aug. 5 at 9:30 p.m. “Purple Rain” (1984). Aug. 12 and 16. $8 and $13. Jacob Burns Film Center, 364 Manville Road. 914-747-5555; burnsfilmcenter.org. ROSENDALE “Swing Kids” (1993), starring Christian Bale, followed by a performance by Swing Kids and Vanaver Caravan Summerdance on Tour. Aug. 14 at 3 p.m. $6 to $12. Rosendale Theater, 408 Main Street. 845-658-8989; rosendaletheatre.org. YONKERS “Inside Out” (2015), starring Amy Poehler, Bill Hader and Lewis Black. Aug. 13 at 8 p.m. Free. Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Avenue. 914-963-4550; hrm.org. For Children BRONX Mario Batali’s Kitchen Garden: Solving Mario’s Menu Mystery. Through Nov. 1. Free with admission. The New York Botanical Garden, Southern Boulevard. 718-817-8700; nybg.org. BRONX Stories in the Garden: Plink! Plunk! Stories about Water. Aug. 3 at 11 a.m. Free with admission. Wave Hill, 675 West 252nd Street. 718-549-3200; wavehill.org. DOBBS FERRY Dobbs Ferry’s 11th Annual Road to Freedom Walk, a celebration of the country’s history. Aug. 7 at 1 p.m. Gould Park, Ashford and Washington Avenues. 914-693-8498; dobbsferryhistory.org. KATONAH Birdwalk with Anne Swaim and Paul Lewis. Binoculars recommended. Aug. 1, 7:30 to 10 a.m. Muscoot Farm, 51 Route 100. 914-864-7282; muscootfarm.org. MAMARONECK Missoula Children’s Theater Acting Camp: “Rapunzel.” August 15 through 19; performance on August 20 at 11 a.m. $165 for children ages 6 and 7; $195 for children ages 8 and up. Emelin Theater, 153 Library Lane. 914-698-0098; emelin.org. PEEKSKILL “Library Live 2016 Starring Magician Jim Vagias!” Live magic show with Magic Jim and his sidekick puppet Leonardo da Stinky. Aug. 4 at 6:30 p.m. “Juggling Funny Stories.” Acting, storytelling, comedy and juggling performed by Chris Fascione. Aug. 11 at 6:30 p.m. Free. Field Library, 4 Nelson Avenue. 914-737-0847; fieldkids.wordpress.com; peekskill.org. TARRYTOWN Random Farms Kids’ Theater presents “The Wizard of Oz.” Through Aug. 6. $18 and $23. Tarrytown Music Hall, 13 Main Street. 877-840-0457; tarrytownmusichall.org. Music and Dance BETHEL Dion with Ronnie Spector. July 31 at 8 p.m. $45 to $100. Toby Keith with Brandy Clark, country. Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. $37.50 to $104. Counting Crows with Rob Thomas. Aug. 5 at 6:45 p.m. $30.50 to $189. Jerry Garcia symphonic celebration featuring Warren Haynes and the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. $43 to $114.50. Pitbull with Prince Royce and Farruko. Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. $37.50 to $156.95. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, 200 Hurd Road. 866-781-2922; bethelwoodscenter.org. BRONX Scott Test, folk. Museum and garden tours. Aug. 5 at 5:30 p.m. $10 and $12; free for members. Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, 895 Shore Road. bpmm.org; 718-885-1461. CHATHAM Howard Fishman Quartet, jazz and blues. July 30 at 8 p.m. $20 and $25. Just for Fun: RIOULT Dance Workshop Performance, a program of modern dance. Aug. 5 at 1 p.m. Free. PS21 Chatham, 2980 Route 66. 518-392-6121; ps21chatham.org. HUDSON Robert Randolph and the Family Band, funk and soul. Aug. 5 at 9 p.m. $45 and $65. Club Helsinki Hudson, 405 Columbia Street. 518-828-4800; helsinkihudson.com. NEW ROCHELLE Leslie Pintchik Trio, jazz. Aug. 13 and 27. Free; reservations recommended. Alvin & Friends Restaurant, 14 Memorial Highway. newrochellearts.org; 914-654-6549. NEW ROCHELLE Music on the Green, Nanny Assis Trio, samba and bossa nova. Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. Lawton Street and Huguenot Street. Free. Ruby Dee Park at Library Green, 914-632-8254; newrochelledowntown.com; newrochellearts.org. PAWLING Moondance, the ultimate Van Morrison tribute concert. July 30 at 8 p.m. $20. An Acoustic Evening with Eric Hutchinson plus Skout. Aug. 4 at 8 p.m. $25. Daryl’s House, 130 Route 22. 845-289-0185; darylshouseclub.com. PEEKSKILL Adam Larson Trio, jazz. July 30 at 8 p.m. $10. Bean Runner Cafe, 201 South Division Street. 914-737-1701; beanrunnercafe.com. PEEKSKILL War, soul and funk band. Aug. 5 at 9 p.m. $25 to $42.50. Dead On Live, a Grateful Dead tribute band. Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. $20 and $25. Paramount Hudson Valley, 1008 Brown Street. 914-739-0039; paramounthudsonvalley.com. PORT CHESTER Beirut, indie rock. Aug. 1 at 8 p.m. $35 to $60. The Capitol Theater, 149 Westchester Avenue. 914-937-4126; thecapitoltheatre.com. POUGHKEEPSIE “Bridge Music,” public sound art installation featuring sounds from the Mid-Hudson Bridge. Music kiosks at the bridge’s towers and site-specific radio broadcasts on 95.3 FM from parks on both sides of the bridge. Through Oct. 31. Free. Mid-Hudson Bridge, 10 Gerald Drive. josephbertolozzi.com/bridge-music. ROSENDALE Inner Spaces III: Ovid’s “Metamorphoses,” dance, performance, singing, music and visual art based on a score by Benjamin Britten. Aug. 6 at 3 p.m. $12. Century House Historical Society, at the Snyder Estate, 668 Route 213. 845-658-9900; centuryhouse.org. WINDHAM Trio Solisti in Concert, Maria Bachmann, violin, Alexis Pia Gerlach, cello, and Fabio Bidini, piano, perform music of Beethoven, Arensky and Liebermann. Aug. 13 at 8 p.m. $5 to $25. Windham Civic and Performing Arts Center, 5379 State Route 23. windhammusic.com; 518-734-3868. YONKERS The vocalist Gaida and Dancers, Syrian vocalist. Aug. 5 at 8 p.m. Cocomama, women performing the music of Cuba, Brazil and the Americas on drums, brass and strings. Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. Free. Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Avenue. 914-963-4550; hrm.org. Outdoors BRONX “Andrea Doria Lifeboat Launching 60 Years Later,” from the waterfront at the SUNY Maritime College. All willing participants are invited to paddle the lifeboat out into Long Island Sound for a short excursion. July 30, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations required. Suggested donation $5 to $10. SUNY Maritime College, 6 Pennyfield Avenue. 914-737-7878; seahistory.org. CROTON-ON-HUDSON Saw Mill River Audubon Second Saturday Walk. Aug. 13 at 9 a.m. Free. Brinton Brook Sanctuary, Route 9A. 914-666-6503; sawmillriveraudubon.org. KATONAH Farmers Market. July 31. Muscoot Farm, 51 Route 100. 914-864-7282; muscootfarm.org. KINGSTON The Hutton Brickyard Presents Smorgasburg Upstate, a new weekly market will feature some of the Hudson Valley and upstate region’s most exciting chefs, food purveyors, and craft brewers. Aug. 6, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hutton Brickyards, 200 North St. 818-501-5600; huttonbrickyard.com. SLEEPY HOLLOW TaSH (Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow) Farmers Market. Free weekly entertainment, educational programs and activities for children. Through Nov. 19. Discounts available for low-income families, veterans and seniors. Patriot’s Park, U.S. Route 9. tashfarmersmarket.org. YONKERS Tours of the Persian Garden and ongoing estate restoration. July 31 at 11 a.m. $10. Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, 945 North Broadway. untermyergardens.org; 914-613-4502. Spoken Word BRONX Live taping of the podcast “Person Place Thing,” featuring Paul Giamatti and Maggie Siff, with host Randy Cohen. Aug. 7 at 4 p.m. Wave Hill, 675 West 252nd Street. 718-549-3200; wavehill.org. MOUNT VERNON The Battle of Yorktown, N.Y., 1781. Michael J. Kahn of the Yorktown Historical Society explores a little known battle of the Revolutionary War fought at today’s Yorktown Heights. Aug. 13 at 1 p.m. Free. St. Paul’s Church, 897 South Columbus Avenue. 914-667-4116; nps.gov/sapa. SLEEPY HOLLOW Natalie Diaz and Aracelis Girmay read from their poetry collections. Aug. 5 at 7:30 p.m. $10. Bill Christophersen reads poems with musical themes from his collection “Two Men Fighting in a Landscape.” Aug. 14 at 4:30 p.m. $11. Hudson Valley Writers’ Center, 300 Riverside Drive. 914-332-5953; writerscenter.org. TARRYTOWN “Read to Win: Adult Summer Reading Program,” prizes and readings. Through Sept. 9. Free. Warner Library, 121 North Broadway. 914-631-7734; warnerlibrary.org. Theater CARMEL “Spamalot.” Aug. 4 through 13; optional dinner theater on Aug. 5 and Aug. 12. $20 and $23, dinner theater is $45. Mission Theater Ensemble, 28 Gleneida Avenue. brewstertheatercompany.org; 845-232-0739. GARRISON The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, “As You Like It,” “Measure for Measure” and “Macbeth.” Through Aug. 28. $30 to $84; discounts available for groups, seniors, students and children 5 to 12. Mondays through Sundays at 7:30 p.m. Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival at Boscobel, Route 9D, 845-265-9575; hvshakespeare.org. POUGHKEEPSIE “The Wolves,” by Sarah DeLappe, directed by Lila Neugebauer. July 30 and 31. Powerhouse Theater, Vassar College, 124 Raymond Avenue. 845-437-5599; powerhouse.vassar.edu. WHITE PLAINS Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” July 30. $15. Archbishop Stepinac High School, 950 Mamaroneck Avenue. 914-946-4800; stepinac.org. YONKERS “Macbeth.” Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. Free. Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Avenue. 914-963-4550; hrm.org. Museums and Galleries BEACON “On Display,” work by Kirsten Lyon in Gallery One. “Tracing Form,” work by Ian George in the Beacon Room. Through Aug. 7. Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 6 p.m., and by appointment. Beacon Artists Union, 506 Main Street. 845-440-7584; baugallery.com. BEACON “Of American Perceptions: Studies,” works on canvas and paper. Through Aug. 28. Weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Lofts at Beacon Gallery, 18 Front Street. 845-202-7211; loftsatbeacon.com. BEACON “Archipelago,” group exhibition. Through Aug. 7. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.; and by appointment. Theo Ganz Studio, 149 Main Street. 917-318-2239; theoganzstudio.com. BRONX “Liberty,” Hank Willis Thomas. Through Sept. 5. Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse. 718-681-6000; bronxmuseum.org. BRONX “Celebrating the New York Botanical Garden: 125 Years,” photographs by Larry Lederman. “Impressionism: American Gardens on Canvas.” Through Sept. 11. Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The New York Botanical Garden, Southern Boulevard. 718-817-8700; nybg.org. COLD SPRING “THREADS/New Pastels,” work by Sheilah Rechtschaffer. July 30 and 31. Solo exhibition by Bill Kooistra. Aug. 5 through 28. Opening reception Aug. 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. Fridays through Sundays, noon to 6 p.m.; and by appointment. Buster Levi Gallery, 121 Main Street.busterlevigallery.com; 845-809-5810. COLD SPRING “Visions.” July 30 and 31. “Kunstleben” and “Woman Form,” exhibitions featuring work from local and German artists. Opening reception Aug. 5 at 6 p.m. Aug. 5 through 28. Fridays through Sundays, noon to 6 p.m. Gallery 66NY, 66 Main Street. 845-809-5838; gallery66ny.com. ELLENVILLE “Trio of Nature,” Roberta Rosenthal, Lorraine and Marie Devore. Through Aug. 3. Free. Aroma Thyme Bistro, 165 Canal Street. aromathymebistro.com; 845-647-3000. ELMSFORD “Treasures of the Night Sky,” northern lights and astrophotos by Scott Nammacher. Artist’s reception on Aug. 6 at 2 p.m. Aug. 2 through Sept. 9. Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. Greenburgh Public Library, 300 Tarrytown Road. 914-721-8200; greenburghlibrary.org. GARRISON “Ecstatic Light,” an installation of illuminated paintings by Peter Bynum in the house and studio of Russel Wright, modernist designer. Through Nov. 14. $20 general admission; $15 for seniors, students and members of Manitoga, docomomo, National Trust for Historic Preservation and Storm King Art Center; $10 for children 12 years and under. Public tours scheduled Friday through Monday at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Manitoga/The Russel Wright Design Center, 584 Route 9D.845-424-3812; visitmanitoga.org. GARRISON “Don Nice Icon: Forty Years of Posters,” An exhibition featuring selected fine art posters by American artist Don Nice. Aug. 13 through Sept. 11. Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Garrison Art Center, 23 Garrison’s Landing. 845-424-3960; garrisonartcenter.org. HARRISON “A Few of My Favorite Things,” collages by Jennifer Cadoff. Aug. 1 through 26. Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. Harrison Public Library, 2 Bruce Avenue. 914-835-0324; harrisonpl.org. HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON “Points of View From the Circle 2016,” exhibition by members of Red Circle PhotoArts, a collective of Hudson Valley and New York City fine art photographers. Opening reception, Aug. 4 at 6 p.m. Aug. 4 through 28. Free. Thursdays through Sundays, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.; and by appointment. Upstream Gallery, 8 Main Street. 914-674-8548; upstreamgallery.com. HUDSON “White on White/Black on Black,” work by H. David Stein. Through July 31. Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. 510 Warren Street Gallery, 510 Warren Street. 518-822-0510; 510warrenstreetgallery.com. HUDSON Walter Robinson, recent paintings. “Great Value,” sculpture by Dylan Languell. Through Aug. 7. Fridays through Sundays, noon to 6 p.m.; and by appointment. Jeff Bailey Gallery, 127 Warren Street. 518-828-6680; baileygallery.com. HUDSON “Sculpture,” Yi Zhang. Through Oct. 14. Thursdays through Mondays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. John Davis Gallery, 362½ Warren Street. 518-828-5907; johndavisgallery.com. IRVINGTON “InSPIREd,” photography by Lawrence Corio. Through Aug. 30. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Irvington Public Library, 12 South Astor Street. 914-591-7840; irvingtonlibrary.org. KATONAH “OnSite Katonah,” experimental, site-specific installations. “Victoria Fu: Egg.” Through Oct. 2. $5 and $10; members and children under 12, free. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Katonah Museum of Art, 134 Jay Street. 914-232-9555; katonahmuseum.org. KINGSTON “Paul W. Evans: Residual Tilt,” paintings. July 30. SUNY Purchase alumni show. Opening reception on Aug. 6 at 6 p.m. Aug. 6 through 27. Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m.; and by appointment. One Mile Gallery, 475 Abeel Street. 845-338-2035; onemilegallery.com. NEW PALTZ “Blue,” group exhibition. Through Aug. 27. Mondays, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, by appointment. The Mark Gruber Gallery, New Paltz Plaza. 845-255-1241; markgrubergallery.com. NORTH SALEM “Behold the Moon,” exhibition honoring the Hammond Museum’s 15th anniversary of moon viewing. Through Sept. 17. $4 and $5; members and children under 12, free. Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden, 28 Deveau Road. hammondmuseum.org; 914-669-5033. NYACK David LaChapelle: Gas Stations,” six large-scale photographs inspired by Edward Hopper’s painting “Gas” (1940). Through Sept. 11. $2 to $7; free for members and children 16 and under. Wednesdays through Sundays, noon to 5 p.m., and by appointment. Edward Hopper House Art Center, 82 North Broadway. 845-358-0774; edwardhopperhouse.org. OSSINING “Montauk — The End,” photographs. July 30. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ossining Public Library, 53 Croton Avenue. 914-941-2416; ossininglibrary.org. OSSINING “Wolves, Brides and Fairytales: Reflections on Women’s Intuition,” cardboard, felt, burlap, dye and chiffon installation by Mary McFerran. July 30 and 31. Free. Saturdays, 9 to 11 a.m.; Sundays, 2 to 4 p.m.; and by appointment. Steamer Co. Firehouse Theater, 117 Main Street. marymcferran.com; 914-862-2163. PELHAM “Faculty and Student Showcase.” Through Aug. 19. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pelham Art Center, 155 Fifth Avenue. pelhamartcenter.org; 914-738-2525. PORT EWEN “Selections@Seventy-five,” mixed media by Fran Sutherland. July 30. “Baroque Still Life and More,” oil paintings by Bob Blackmon. Aug. 6 through 27; opening reception on Aug. 6 from 4 to 7 p.m. Free. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Duck Pond Gallery, at Town of Esopus Library, 128 Canal Street. esopuslibrary.org; 845-338-5580. POUGHKEEPSIE “Touch the Sky: Art and Astronomy,” group exhibition. Through Aug. 21. Free. “Universal Collection: A Mark Dion Project,” visual art. Through Dec. 11. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. Vassar College, Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, 124 Raymond Avenue. 845-437-5632; fllac.vassar.edu. PURCHASE “Louise Fishman: A Retrospective.” July 30 and 31. $3 and $5; members and children 12 and under, free. Tuesdays through Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Neuberger Museum of Art of Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road. 914-251-6100; neuberger.org. RHINEBECK “Anchors Away,” Claudia Engel. July 30. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Betsy Jacaruso Studio and Gallery, The Courtyard, 43 East Market Street. betsyjacarusoartist.com;845-516-4435. RHINEBECK “Gehry Forms: Details of the Fisher Center at Bard,” solo exhibition by Phyllis Marsteller. Aug. 5 through Sept. 30. Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Opening reception on Aug. 20 at 4 p.m., in conjunction with the Third Saturday Artwalk in Rhinebeck, Red Hook and Tivoli. Montgomery Row Second Level, 6423 Montgomery Street. 845-876-0543; montgomeryrow.com. ROSENDALE “IN:SITE,” outdoor art show. Group sculpture, photography and dance exhibition at the Widow Jane Mine. Through Sept. 10. Free. Century House Historical Society, at the Snyder Estate, 668 Route 213. 845-658-9900; insiterosendale.com. SAUGERTIES “Gregory Crane: Watercolors and Works on Paper,” solo exhibition. July 30 through Aug. 21. Free. Thursdays through Mondays, noon to 6 p.m.; and by appointment. Cross Contemporary Art, 81 Partition Street. 845-399-9751; crosscontemporaryart.com. SCARSDALE “In the Country, by the Sea,” group exhibition. Through Aug. 20. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Madelyn Jordon Fine Art, 37 Popham Road. 914-723-8738; madelynjordonfineart.com. TIVOLI “Big Sky,” 11 artists interpret skies in paintings, photography and mixed media. Through Aug. 21. Fridays, 5 to 8:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and by appointment. Tivoli Artists Gallery, 60 Broadway. 845-757-2667; tivoliartistsgallery.com. YONKERS “Juan Bernal: Pure and Simple,” nature paintings. Through Sept. 18. “Tongue in Cheek: The Inflatable Art of Jimmy Kuehnle.” Through Sept. 18. Free with admission. Wednesdays through Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Avenue. 914-963-4550; hrm.org.


Many Libyan Rebels, Blaming NATO, Flee City in East

Abstract: AJDABIYA, Libya — Large numbers of rebel fighters fled this city on Sunday after a rocket and artillery attack by government forces who were reportedly on the western outskirts. Scores of rebel pickups and other vehicles could be seen leaving the eastern approaches of Ajdabiya, and explosions could be heard in the city. They were headed toward the rebel capital, Benghazi, about 100 miles north. Their flight seemed to end a rebel push that they said had taken them to the outskirts of the oil-refinery town of Brega, about 50 miles farther west of Ajdabiya, but some rebels did remain at positions in Ajdabiya to try to prevent it from falling to forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi. Many of the fighters in the vehicles criticized NATO as failing to give them enough support and also said that they had insufficient weapons to match those of government forces. In Benghazi, a spokesman for the rebels, Mustafa Gheriani, also expressed frustration with NATO airstrikes. “Maybe NATO took off Saturday and Sunday,” he said, adding that the rebels were unaware of any airstrikes by the alliance in the past two days. “Where are the NATO forces?” asked Absalam Hamid, who identified himself as a rebel captain. “We don’t know why they didn’t bomb them.” Strong winds and a sandstorm lowered visibility on Sunday and may have made it difficult for aircraft to operate. Captain Hamid said NATO planes had not been active the day before, either, when government forces began advancing toward Ajdabiya from Brega. The captain turned around his pickup, which, like many trucks, had a mounted machine gun on the back, and headed toward Benghazi, followed by a dozen other vehicles. Some truck beds had rocket pods from helicopter gunships and jet fighters mounted on the rear; others sported long rocket tubes but no rockets to use in them. “Where is America? Where is France? We need Sarkozy,” one of the men shouted, referring to President Nicolas Sarkozy of France. “We have no army.” Many of the fighters were clearly jittery and frightened. In Brussels, a NATO official said Sunday, “Air sorties, including strike sorties, have continued throughout today.” Operational reports released by the alliance’s military headquarters showed that airstrikes continued at a high tempo through Saturday, the latest day for which details were available. NATO warplanes flew 144 sorties on Saturday, 42 of them airstrikes, according to the operational reports. That was fairly typical of the tempo of the air campaign since March 27, when NATO began to enforce a United Nations mandate to establish a no-fly zone and to protect civilians. None of those 42 airstrikes on Saturday, nor any of a similar number on Friday, were near the front lines in eastern Libya . They were concentrated in the country’s west, particularly around the besieged city of Misurata, as well as in Tripoli, the capital, and Surt, the hometown of Colonel Qaddafi. NATO’s mandate does not include providing close air support to reverse the military fortunes of rebel forces, although many of the individual fighters make it clear that they regard NATO as the rebel air wing. On Saturday, the rebel military leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah Younes, told Al Arabiya television that rebel fighters were already in Brega and expected to conclude their capture of the city by Sunday. “We are in a not-too-bad state of preparedness, and our army fighters, youths and rebels are now doing a good job — and in the morning there will be good news,” Al Arabiya quoted General Younes as saying about Brega on Saturday. Repeated efforts to reach a spokesman for General Younes on Saturday and Sunday were unsuccessful. Fighting has seesawed around Ajdabiya for weeks, with neither side firmly in control of the highway that runs through it, connecting the rebel-held east with the rest of Libya.

Middle East and North Africa Unrest (2010- )


Georgia: Ebenezer Baptist Reopens

Abstract: The sanctuary where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached in Atlanta is again open to the public. The King family was joined on Friday by members of the civil rights movement and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in celebrating the reopening of Ebenezer Baptist Church, which is considered the cornerstone of the King legacy. An $8 million project restored the church to its appearance from 1960 to 1968, when Dr. King served as co-pastor with his father.

King Martin Luther Jr
Restoration and Renovation
Atlanta (Ga)


Judge Orders Release of Nixon’s Watergate Testimony

Abstract: A federal judge in Washington has ordered the release of hundreds of pages of President Richard M. Nixon ’s 1975 testimony about Watergate. The judge, Royce C. Lamberth III of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, wrote in a decision issued Friday that “nearly 40 years later, Watergate continues to capture both scholarly and public interest.” The Obama administration objected to the release, citing the privacy of people mentioned in the testimony. But Judge Lamberth wrote that the “undisputed historical interest” in the testimony, among other factors, far outweighed “the need to maintain the secrecy of the records.” The transcripts will not be released right away; the government can appeal the decision. Stanley I. Kutler, a leading Watergate historian who filed suit to get the documents last year, said that Nixon’s grand jury testimony was “a rare opportunity to hear him — what should I say? — unplugged. There are no aides, there are no lawyers, there are no spin doctors.” With the possible penalty of perjury over his head, Professor Kutler said, “My guess is he told those people the truth.” A spokesman for the Department of Justice, Charles S. Miller, said the agency was reviewing the judge’s decision and had not determined its next step.

Decisions and Verdicts
Watergate Affair
Nixon Richard Milhous
Royce C. Lamberth III


Organization Help for Turning Phone Photos Into Albums

Abstract: THEY say the best camera is the one you have with you. Nowadays, that’s probably your cellphone’s camera. And there are great apps that can help you sort your many cellphone pictures into digital albums. On iOS, the best photo album app I’ve found is called Photoful. It doesn’t have many bells and whistles, but it does its job — organizing your photo collection — very well. When you run the app, it asks for access to your phone’s photo library and then presents you with a tutorial while it’s connecting to all the images in your archive. Once Photoful has scanned your images, it presents them as tiny thumbnail photos listed by date. To view an image you tap its thumbnail and it zooms to fill the screen. You can also select multiple thumbnails by tapping on one and sliding your finger across the screen. When you’ve selected a photo or group, you can edit or view them. The app also has buttons to create collages or slide shows, but its creator hasn’t turned those features on yet. To delete a photo from the archive, you swipe it to the left, as if throwing it in trash (you can look inside the “trash bin” and undo the delete if you change your mind). This feature makes organizing photos easy. I used it to quickly sift through multiple snaps of the same thing and ditch the bad versions. You can also rename albums, and then tag them as “#family” or “#vacation” and so on for easy sorting by category. A calendar-based view lets you skip to earlier months or years. You can also share individual photos or groups of them via email, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I do wish Photoful had more features, but then I remember it is free. A great equivalent on Android is Smart Album — Photo Calendar. Like Photoful, it’s free and it keeps things simple. It grabs your photo archive and presents your images in the form of albums sorted by name or month, or chronologically in a calendar view. It’s easy to share your photos, view them as a slide show or delete the less desirable ones. Tapping on an image makes it zoom to fill the screen. For an Android app with more features you can try Photo Gallery (Fish Bowl). Fish Bowl is very fast and has an attractive interface. It’s more visual than its rivals; it can, for example, tile thumbnails of photos together into one image so you can quickly see what’s in a particular folder. Fish Bowl, which is free, also has extras like a photo “locker” that is password-protected so you can conceal certain photo galleries. You can also edit images, like cropping or rotating them, within the app. It also shows you the Exif (exchangeable image file format) data of your photos, which is hidden data about where and when a photo was taken, how big it is and so on. All these features, however, mean it is sometimes easy to get lost inside various menus or to forget the gesture or button needed to access a particular feature. Photo Manager Pro is an iOS app similar to Fish Bowl. It can do the same album curation, photo editing, slide show generation and so on. It has a few nice features, like being able to color the icons for the photo folders you keep in it. This might be handy to find, say, vacation photos at a glance. But its strength is editing and file transfer powers. You can transfer groups of photos to a computer over a wireless connection. You can also edit the Exif data, adding captions and star ratings to your images to help you find favorites quickly. The app is not as easy to use as some, but its interface doesn’t take long to learn. It costs $3. Cluster is a free iOS album app with basic features and a simple interface that’s worth trying. One useful feature is the ability to back up your photos to an online locker where they can be safe from accidental deletion. It can also share albums via a special coded web link. But be careful when using these or similar apps. Double-check before you delete photos; you don’t want to lose a precious image to a slip on the touch screen. Quick Call Reporter, $4 on iOS, is a life-logging app that prompts you throughout the day with questions like “who are you with?” The point is to tell you how you use your time, in the same way you may use other apps to count how many steps you walk each day or track what you eat.

Photography
Mobile Apps
Social Media
Smartphone


Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza Trot Into Baseball Hall of Fame

Abstract: Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza, two of the most prolific sluggers of the high-scoring 1990s, were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Griffey, who slammed 630 home runs, was elected on the first ballot with a record 99.3 percent of votes cast by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Piazza, whose 396 homers as a catcher are the most for anyone at the position, got in on his fourth try, with 83 percent. Griffey, who was named on 437 of 440 ballots, eclipsed Tom Seaver’s record for highest voting percentage of any player elected by the writers. Seaver received 98.8 percent of the votes when he was inducted in 1992. Candidates need 75 percent to be elected and can remain on the writers’ ballot up to 10 years, as long as they maintain at least 5 percent of the vote. “I’m truly honored to be elected, and to have the highest percentage is definitely a shock,” Griffey said. “I don’t think that way; the big thing is to get into the Hall of Fame. As long as you get in, that’s what it is. I was really surprised at the high.” The inductees hinted strongly at the caps they would wear on their plaques: a Seattle Mariners cap for Griffey, a Mets cap for Piazza. Griffey would be the first player to represent the Mariners, having starred for the team from 1989 to 1999 and returning a decade later to end his career. Piazza, who played in New York from 1998 to 2005, would be the second player, after Seaver, to go in as a Met. He came to the team in a trade from the Marlins, with whom he played five games after spending six and a half seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and at first did not know how long he would stay. “The Mets fans were just so gracious to me, and even in my post-career as well,” Piazza said. “Every time I go back, I can’t tell you how much I feel embraced. It’s very special, and it’s a relationship that — I can’t describe how emotional it is for me.” Piazza’s case had been complicated by speculation among some writers that he used performance-enhancing drugs, although he has never been linked by any credible evidence. He was muscle-bound, like so many players then and now, and his best years came during the era of rampant steroid use, before baseball began testing in 2003. Piazza also rose to stardom from an unlikely spot: the 62nd round of the draft, which now lasts only 40 rounds. Piazza was selected by the Dodgers in 1988 as a favor to their manager, Tommy Lasorda, a family friend and fellow native of Norristown, Pa. He was the 1,390th player selected in that draft, the lowest spot a team has ever found a Hall of Famer. “There’s so many opportunities in this game that you can sort of find a role and be an underdog,” Piazza said. “If you do one thing exceptionally well and you refine that and you improve your weaknesses that are acceptable, you can definitely make a living at this game. That, to me, is a lesson about how special the game is.” Image Piazza and Tom Seaver, Mets stars from two eras, were honored in 2008 at Shea Stadium’s regular-season finale. Credit Barton Silverman/The New York Times Piazza said he viewed his wait for the Hall of Fame through the lens of history, noting that others, like Yogi Berra and Joe DiMaggio, did not make it on their first try. (The former Mets catcher Gary Carter, who represents the Montreal Expos on his plaque, needed six elections.) As for the steroids issue that complicates his era, Piazza said there were “no flawless institutions” and brushed off the accusations that had dogged him. “Today is just a day that I really want to celebrate my career and dwell on the positive parts of my career,” he said. “So many of those things are just out of my control. That’s something I can’t worry about. It’s an interesting world today.” Griffey becomes the first player taken with the No. 1 overall pick to land in Cooperstown. He was chosen by the Mariners in 1987 out of Moeller High School in Cincinnati, where his father, Ken Sr., had been an All-Star outfielder for the Reds. The Griffeys later played together in Seattle — they hit back-to-back homers on Sept. 14, 1990 — and Griffey Jr. would spend nearly nine seasons with the Reds, from 2000 to mid-2008. His home run total ranks sixth on the career list, 132 behind the leader, Barry Bonds. Bonds won seven National League Most Valuable Player Awards at roughly the same time Roger Clemens was winning seven Cy Young Awards (and an M.V.P.). While both stars received a greater portion of the vote than they had in their first three appearances on the ballot, they remained well short of the threshold for election because of strong ties to performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds got 44.3 percent of the vote, and Clemens 45.2 percent. Bonds’s previous high had been 36.8 percent, and Clemens’s high had been 37.6. They have six years left on the ballot to gain about 30 percentage points. Griffey, who said he spoke often with Bonds — although not about baseball — would not say if he would vote for players tainted by steroids. But he did explain why he never used, saying that he was already well known and highly paid and never worried about what others were doing. Having a father who had been a star, Griffey said, “only fueled me to go out there and want to play and be the best.” He added: “But it wasn’t that I had to have help. If you couldn’t do it on your own, then so be it.” The uptick for several players, not only Bonds and Clemens, could be attributed to a change in the electorate, which consists of writers with 10 consecutive years of service in the association. Voters previously held ballots for life, whether or not they still covered baseball. The Hall of Fame’s board of directors voted last summer to eliminate writers who had not been actively covering baseball for the last 10 years, a decision that helped reduce the voting pool by 109. (The New York Times does not allow its writers to vote.) A voting pool more familiar with the modern game — including analytics that often drive discussion of players’ historical merits — seems to have helped the case of many players. All of these candidates — and others — improved their percentage over last year: Jeff Bagwell (71.6 percent, from 55.7 percent), Tim Raines (69.8, from 55), Curt Schilling (52.3, from 39.2) and Mike Mussina, who made the biggest leap, jumping to 43 percent from 24.6 in his third year of eligibility. Trevor Hoffman made a strong debut on the ballot, at 67.3 percent. Mark McGwire (12.3 percent) finished with 583 career home runs but now falls off the ballot after 10 tries. McGwire, who admitted to using steroids, staged a memorable home run race in 1998 with Sammy Sosa, who is also tainted by ties to banned drugs. Sosa had 609 career homers but received only 7 percent of the vote in his fourth try. First-time candidates next year will include Vladimir Guerrero, Jorge Posada, Manny Ramirez and Ivan Rodriguez.

Baseball Hall of Fame
Baseball
Mike Piazza
Ken Griffey Jr
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Mark McGwire


Thursday’s Matchup: Cardinals (10-3) at Rams (6-7)

Abstract: 8:25 p.m. Eastern, NFL Network Line: Rams by 4 ½ This may be the most intriguing matchup of Week 15, for many reasons. First, Arizona is in first place in perhaps the toughest division in the N.F.L. and is tied for the league’s best record, but the Cardinals could miss out on the playoffs if they fail to win another game. Six N.F.C. teams not in the South Division have at least nine wins, at least one of which will be left out. The suddenly red-hot Seattle Seahawks, whom the Cardinals face at home next weekend, are a game behind Arizona at 9-4 in the N.F.C. West, and the Cardinals’ other remaining game is, like this one, on the road against a division rival (San Francisco). St. Louis suddenly resembles a cross between the 1985 Bears and the 1999 Rams, shutting out its last two opponents while outscoring them by 76 points. The Rams were playing hapless Oakland and Washington, but shutting out any N.F.L. team is no easy task. This game will probably come down to the performance of Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton. At home Stanton is 3-0 as a starter, with five touchdown passes and two interceptions. (He threw for a sixth touchdown in a home game he did not start.) On the road, Stanton is 1-3, with one touchdown pass and three interceptions. He has also played considerably better when wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has been on the field. Fitzgerald has been limited in practice this week but was listed as probable. Pick: Rams

Football
Arizona Cardinals
Rams
Larry Fitzgerald
Drew Stanton


Priest in Zanzibar Is Burned in Another Attack on Clergy

Abstract: LONDON — In another sign that religious tensions are on the rise in Zanzibar, a Roman Catholic priest was burned in an acid attack on Friday. The attack was the latest aimed at Christian clergy members and churches in the last year on the Tanzanian island, which has a Muslim majority. It also came a month after two British teenage girls volunteering at a nursery school had acid thrown at them in Stone Town, the old part of Zanzibar City, and had to be flown back to Britain for skin grafts. Mkadam Khamis, the deputy police commissioner for Zanzibar, said that by midnight no arrests had been made in the attack on the priest, the Rev. Joseph Mwang’amba, who was hospitalized after the attack. News reports said that his attackers had waited for Father Mwang’amba as he was leaving an Internet cafe in the Mlandege area of the island, a popular tourist destination about 20 miles off the coast of the mainland. “Still we don’t know who did this,” Mr. Khamis said in a telephone interview. Conservative Muslims and Western visitors have long coexisted peacefully on Zanzibar, which welcomes some 200,000 tourists a year. The attack on Friday was the third on a Christian clergy member on the island in the last year. In February, a Catholic priest was shot to death, and last year, another priest was shot and wounded. There have also been several arson attacks on Catholic churches. Last November, a moderate Muslim cleric suffered burns from an acid attack. The cleric, Sheik Fadhil Soraga, has blamed an Islamic group for the attacks on himself and on the two British girls. The group, which calls itself Uamsho, Swahili for “Awakening,” has said it wants Zanzibar to split from mainland Tanzania and force strict dress codes on foreign visitors. It also wants to ban alcohol outside private hotels. So far, Mr. Khamis said, there is no evidence linking Uamsho to the attack on the teenagers or the Muslim cleric.

Joseph Mwang'amba
Zanzibar
Assault
Acid
Islam
Tanzania
Uamsho


European Bank Buys 16.5 Billion Euros in Bonds

Abstract: FRANKFURT — The European Central Bank disclosed Monday that it had bought 16.5 billion euros in bonds in the first week since taking the unprecedented step of intervening in markets to halt a sell-off of Greek and other European debt. The bank did not say which countries’ debt it was buying, how much it would spend in the future, or whether it bought any corporate bonds. The 16.5 billion euros ($21 billion) was considered a relatively small amount for the market. Analysts said the bank would want to keep investors guessing to maximize the psychological impact of the move. The bank also announced steps to prevent the bond purchases from increasing the overall money supply and fueling inflation. The E.C.B. said it would take in a similar amount from banks, which will be able to deposit funds and earn interest. Banks will submit bids for the interest rate they are willing to accept, with an annual rate of 1 percent as the upper limit for one-week deposits. The E.C.B.’s interest rate for overnight deposits is 0.25 percent. The central bank took the controversial step of buying government bonds last week after signs that nervousness about the creditworthiness of Greece, Portugal and Spain was spreading to the banking system. “A number of markets were no longer functioning correctly; it looked somewhat like the situation in mid-September 2008 after the Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy,” Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the E.C.B., told the newsmagazine Der Spiegel in an interview over the weekend. Harvinder Sian, an analyst at the Royal Bank of Scotland, wrote in a note to investors that the prospect of unpredictable E.C.B. intervention would raise the risk for speculators who might want to bet against European government bonds. He forecast that the interest rate that the E.C.B. would pay on the special deposits would be much lower than 1 percent, with banks willing to accept 0.3 percent interest or less in return for the haven. Banks “will be very happy to give the E.C.B. excess cash,” Mr. Sian said.

Government Bonds
European Central Bank
Credit and Debt


Massachusetts: Suspect’s Body Exhumed

Abstract: The remains of Albert DeSalvo, the man suspected of being the Boston Strangler, were exhumed Friday so a medical examiner may take tissue or bone samples. Investigators are seeking to tie Mr. DeSalvo to the 1964 death of Mary Sullivan, possibly the Strangler’s last victim. DNA from Ms. Sullivan was recently matched to a relative of Mr. DeSalvo. Mr. DeSalvo confessed, but later recanted and was never convicted in the slayings. He died in 1973.

Boston
Albert DeSalvo
Serial killer
DNA
Rape


Australia Tied With Britain in Davis Cup

Abstract: Australia’s Bernard Tomic beat Dan Evans in four sets after Andy Murray gave Britain the early lead to leave its Davis Cup semifinal at Glasgow tied at 1-1. The other semifinal, between Belgium and Argentina at Brussels, was also level at 1-1 after the opening singles. In the World Group, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal helped put Switzerland and Spain into commanding positions in their playoffs with 2-0 leads, while Jack Sock breezed past Farrukh Dustov to draw the United States level with Uzbekistan at 1-1 in their playoff at Tashkent.

Tennis
Bernard Tomic
Davis Cup
Daniel Evans


High Taxes Are Not a Prime Reason for Relocation, Studies Say

Abstract: Last month, Vladimir V. Putin hugged his newly minted fellow Russian citizen, the actor Gerard Depardieu, posing for cameras at the Black Sea port of Sochi. “I adore your country,” Mr. Depardieu gushed — especially its 13 percent flat tax on personal income. Sochi may not be St. Tropez, but it does have winter temperatures in the 60s and even palm trees. Mr. Putin’s deputy prime minister confidently predicted a “mass migration of wealthy Europeans to Russia.” Here in the United States, the three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson recently walked off the 18th hole at Humana Challenge and said he might move from California because the state increased its top income tax rate to 13.3 percent from 10.3 percent. “Hey Phil,” Gov. Rick Perry of Texas wrote in a Twitter message , “Texas is home to liberty and low taxes ... we would love to have you as well!!” Tiger Woods later said that he had left California for Florida for just that reason years ago. Mr. Mickelson can “vote with his Gulfstream,” a Wall Street Journal editorial noted , and warned California to “expect a continued migration.” It’s an article of faith among low-tax advocates that income tax increases aimed at the rich simply drive them away. As Stuart Varney put it on Fox News: “Look at what happened in Britain. They raised the top tax rate to 50 percent, and two-thirds of the millionaires disappeared in the next tax year. Same things are happening in France. People are leaving where the top tax rate is 75 percent. Same thing happened in Maryland a few years ago. New millionaire’s tax, the millionaires disappeared. You’ve got exactly the same thing in California.” That, at least, is what low-tax advocates want us to think, and on its face, it seems to make sense. But it’s not the case. It turns out that a large majority of people move for far more compelling reasons, like jobs, the cost of housing, family ties or a warmer climate. At least three recent academic studies have demonstrated that the number of people who move for tax reasons is negligible, even among the wealthy. Cristobal Young, an assistant professor of sociology at Stanford, studied the effects of recent tax increases in New Jersey and California. “It’s very clear that, over all, modest changes in top tax rates do not affect millionaire migration,” he told me this week. “Neither tax increases nor tax cuts on the rich have affected their migration rates.” The notion of tax flight “is almost entirely bogus — it’s a myth,” said Jon Shure, director of state fiscal studies at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonprofit research group in Washington. “The anecdotal coverage makes it seem like people are leaving in droves because of high taxes. They’re not. There are a lot of low-tax states, and you don’t see millionaires flocking there.” Despite the allure of low taxes, Mr. Depardieu hasn’t been seen in Russia since picking up his passport and seems to be hedging his bets by maintaining a residence in Belgium. Meanwhile, Russian billionaires are snapping up trophy properties in high-tax London, New York and Beverly Hills, Calif. “I don’t hear about many billionaires moving to Moscow,” said Robert Tannenwald, a lecturer in economic policy at Brandeis University and former Federal Reserve economist. Along with Nicholas Johnson, he and Mr. Shure are co-authors of “ Tax Flight Is a Myth ,” a 2011 research paper. Of course, some people do move for tax reasons, especially wealthy retirees, athletes and other celebrities without strong ties to high-tax locations, like jobs and families. In renouncing his French citizenship, Mr. Depardieu follows other French celebrities, the chef Alain Ducasse, the singer Johnny Hallyday and Yannick Noah, a former tennis star. Several Paris hedge fund managers have decamped to London and the fashion mogul Bernard Arnault applied for Belgian citizenship, though not, he has said, for tax reasons. Stars like Mr. Depardieu and Mr. Mickelson certainly have incentives to move. Mr. Depardieu complained that he paid 85 percent of his income in taxes in France last year and has paid 145 million euros over 45 years. France has a top rate of 41 percent as well as a wealth tax, and the Socialist president, François Hollande, is trying to impose a temporary surcharge of 75 percent on incomes over 1 million euros. Mr. Mickelson earned more than $60 million last year, Sports Illustrated estimates, which means the three-percentage-point California tax increase could add up to an additional $1.8 million in tax. Gregory Mankiw, an economist at Harvard, said that tax rates did affect migration, at least of certain groups. “Rich people can pretty much live anywhere,” he said. “If you’re a retired person trying to decide between Palm Beach and Santa Barbara, the tax difference between Florida and California is huge. If you’re an academic choosing between Stanford and Harvard, it might be a factor.” (Massachusetts has a flat income tax rate of 5.3 percent.) For this affluent and mobile group, it doesn’t much matter where their official residence is. Mr. Mickelson and Mr. Woods travel the tournament circuit throughout the year. Very wealthy people often have multiple homes in different locations, even different countries, and can shuttle among them to avoid local taxes. One reason so many luxury apartments in Manhattan sit empty is that their foreign owners can’t spend more than half the year in them without incurring United States income tax liability. A star like Mr. Depardieu “can go to Paris whenever he wants,” Mr. Shure noted. Professor Tannenwald agreed. “People who are very rich, who are retired or who aren’t tied to a particular location, do change their residency at a high rate based on tax differentials.” But there aren’t many people like that. “Tax-induced flight is rare,” Professor Tannenwald said. “The rate of interstate migration is low to begin with. To the extent that people leave a state, or shun a potential destination, they do so primarily for other reasons, such as to find more affordable housing, better job prospects or a more attractive climate.” Low-tax advocates like Mr. Varney point to Maryland as a prime example of tax flight. Maryland created a millionaire tax bracket in 2008 with a top rate of 6.25 percent. But a year later, the state reported that the number of millionaires filing returns had dropped by a third, and that total tax revenue from the group fell despite the rate increase. After a chorus of media criticism — “ Millionaires flee Maryland taxes ” (The Washington Examiner) and “ Millionaires Go Missing ” (The Wall Street Journal) — the state legislature let the increase expire in 2011. But a study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy , a nonprofit research group in Washington, found that nearly all the decline in millionaires was the result of a drop in incomes largely attributable to the stock market plunge and recession, and not to migration — “down and not out,” as the study put it. In 2009, just 364 people in the millionaire bracket moved from Maryland or died (the data didn’t distinguish between the two) — about the same percentage who disappeared in 2007, before any tax increase. And in 2009, more than 1,500 taxpayers entered the millionaire rolls, either because they earned more or moved to Maryland that year. That data “directly contravenes the notion that changes in tax policy were discouraging the affluent from working hard and earning substantial sums of money, or driving them out of the state altogether,” the study concluded. Professor Young said his study looked at every millionaire tax record filed in California over the last 20 years, and “neither tax increases nor tax cuts on the rich have affected their migration rates.” He said that the two major tax overhauls before the recent increase didn’t have any effect on migration rates of millionaires. “Among the very richest, people making more than $2 million, out-migration actually declined slightly after the 2005 millionaire tax,” he said. Why didn’t they move? Professor Young said that for most people, even the very affluent, it’s not that easy, since most successful businesses and high-paying jobs are tied to specific locations. In addition, “entrepreneurship and earning power are clustered in highly competitive regions like Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and New York City,” he said. “People making over a million are typically close to their peak income years, and are enjoying the fruits of long-term career investments. This is hard to walk away from.” His research in New Jersey found that, while some people left, any lost revenue was more than made up for by added revenue from people who stayed. He estimated that New Jersey’s 2004 tax increase on incomes over $500,000 raised nearly $1 billion a year, “with little cost in terms of tax flight.” Mr. Shure added, “I can say flatly that no state has ever raised taxes and lost money.” Yet the tax flight myth remains surprisingly persistent, fanned by media coverage of celebrities, who are among those most likely to have the means and motive to choose a home based on tax considerations. “You can always find an anecdote.” Mr. Shure said. “Many people want this to be true as a way to discourage tax increases. The rich are always trying to find ways to make the middle class make their arguments for them.”

Income tax
HNWI,Wealth,Billionaires,1 Percent
Moving company
Personal finance
France
California
Maryland
Gerard Depardieu
Phil Mickelson
Tiger Woods