Новости за 21.12.2017

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In the landmark tax reform overhaul, congressional Republicans axed a critical financing tool that cities and towns have used to upgrade aging drinking water infrastructure: advance refunding bonds. These bonds allowed municipalities to refinance outstanding debt at lower interest rates. The loss of this tool—combined with historically low levels of federal enforcement and support for basic drinking water standards—could deepen the nation’s ongoing lead contamination... Читать дальше...

The biggest story in entertainment this year wasn't just one story. It was hundreds, thousands, millions of different stories connected by a single horrifying thread. 

George C. Herring, Michael C. Desch

Security, Americas

An understanding of some of the things that went wrong in our once-longest war (Vietnam) might help us deal with its successor (Afghanistan).

AMERICA’S FOREIGN-POLICY difficulties are multiplying, from Asia to the Middle East. Faced with the prospect of losing in Afghanistan, the president on the recommendation of his military advisers (and reversing a previous stand) has announced a new, notably vague and apparently... Читать дальше...

A transgender dad who had his first pregnancy while living as a woman says he prefers giving birth as a man. Kaci Sullivan, who began transitioning from female to male four years ago, endured a seven-hour labor before welcoming son Phoenix on November 11, 2017, via C-section. The 30-year-old business student from Missouri had been...

Breaking election ties like that in Virginia by a coin toss or picking a name in a hat is a tradition—and experts say it's probably going to stay that way.

A joint NFL and players union review unveiled Thursday found Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson was allowed to return to the game in breach of concussion protocol on November 9 against Arizona.

Saturn and the sun will align in front of the constellation Capricorn for the first time since 1664, not good tidings, astrologers say.

AP

• Walmart is developing a personal shopping service that will allow "high net worth urban consumers" to purchase items through text messages.
• Couriers will deliver household products free of charge to shoppers' doorsteps within 24 hours of ordering, and other items will be delivered within two days, according to Recode.
• The service will focus on "the curation of aspirational and highly relevant products," according to a Walmart job posting.  

Walmart... Читать дальше...

Q: The Comfort Inn & Suites Knoxville West is charging me for two rooms, even though I had a reservation for only one room. I need some help getting this sorted out. I had made the booking through Orbitz. When I checked in, a hotel representative claimed that I had two rooms reserved. I explained that I had a reservation for only one room. I called Orbitz, and a representative assured me that I had a reservation for only one room. Читать дальше...

Thomas Edsall, NY Times
What may prove even more significant is the shift to chained CPI — a less generous, slower-growing measure of inflation than the one currently in use that would result in a tax increase over time and sets a precedent for Republicans who would like to use the same method to pare back so-called entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare. It is, in effect, a backdoor method of reducing benefits for the elderly and the disadvantaged without public scrutiny or debate.

How well can machines interpret beautiful landscapes? After all, some sceneries are beautiful because they tug at human emotions, something that machines lack. Other landscapes, desert dunes in particular, look like nudes to robot eyes. To help, on Monday Google introduced a neural image assessment to figure out the most aesthetically pleasing images.

We had one of these in the MAKE magazine office for years. I think the shrimp's name was Fred. Amazon has the small one on sale for $44, which is an all-time low price.

People take cover from the rain next to a Christmas tree in central Syntagma Square in Athens Thursday. Snow fell in northern Attica and on Mount Parnitha Thursday as a cold front swept in, with temperatures in Athens expected to drop to 3 degrees Celsius (37 Fahrenheit) tonight, while rain and strong winds are also forecast. Southern and central parts of Greece can expect heavy snowfall while strong storms will batter the mainland and the islands. Conditions are expected to start improving from tomorrow... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON (AP) — About 8.8 million people have signed up for coverage next year under the Affordable Care Act, the government said Thursday. The surprisingly strong numbers come after a deadline surge last week. The update came via Twitter from Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Total national sign-ups won't be known for weeks, as some states with later deadlines continue to enroll customers. A detailed breakdown was not immediately available, but last year the... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON (AP) — About 8.8 million people have signed up for coverage next year under the Affordable Care Act, the government said Thursday. The surprisingly strong numbers come after a deadline surge last week. The update came via Twitter from Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Total national sign-ups won't be known for weeks, as some states with later deadlines continue to enroll customers. A detailed breakdown was not immediately available, but last year the... Читать дальше...

Referee Gene Steratore’s used a folded piece of paper as visual affirmation on a first-down measurement in a game between the Raiders and Cowboys.

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Im Bestreben, ihre Beziehungen vor dem Brexit zu vertiefen, haben Großbritannien und Polen einen neuen Verteidigungspakt geschlossen. "Unsere Verteidigungs- und Sicherheitszusammenarbeit ist bereits stark, aber mit der Unterzeichnung dieses richtungsweisenden Vertrags gehen wir noch weiter", sagte die britische Premierministerin Theresa May am Donnerstag in Warschau.

pa href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/calvin-klein-sponsor-khloe-kardashians-pregnancy-announcement-203452476.html"img src="http://l.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/EzbMFNaqBL3j_Q8LLabSCw--/YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b247aD04Njt3PTEzMDs-/http://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/b51741b5d127ac3b0dd14eee757f6d33" width="130" height="86" alt="Did Calvin Klein sponsor Khloé Kardashianapos;s pregnancy announcement?" align="left" title="Did Calvin Klein sponsor Khloé Kardashianapos;s pregnancy announcement?"... Читать дальше...

NEW YORK (AP) — Move over, Alexa. While Amazon pioneered the internet-connected speaker that responds to voice commands, it now has plenty of competition from other tech heavyweights. Even the original Amazon Echo has six Alexa-powered alternatives vying for your attention and dollars. Digital assistants on these speakers — Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant, Microsoft's Cortana and soon Apple's Siri — can play music, set timers and read off your calendar events. These speakers can also serve as a... Читать дальше...

East Harlem is booming with 37 more businesses over the last 10 years — double the citywide average, according to a report released on Thursday. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s snapshot shows that the neighborhood is enjoying record-high employment, while while maintaining itself as a hub for Puerto Rican heritage. “East Harlem has undergone robust economic...

Universal Music Group just became the first major music label to license its recorded music and videos on Facebook. The global, multiyear deal will enable users of Facebook, as well as its Instagram app and Oculus virtual-reality platform, to upload videos that contain licensed music. They’ll also be able to personalize their music experiences while...

I don't really want to share my unbridled love for the Hill at Muza. Its tiered stone beer garden — dug into the steep back terrace of Muza, the Polish-European restaurant on 15th Street — has, hands down, the best view over Troy. The narrow entrance on Congress Street is magically speckled with artsy light from a shiny metal wall installation. Critically, the patio (two-thirds of the operation) has enough flaming heaters to tempt patrons outside in subzero temperatures, with beer coozies, "hillows"... Читать дальше...

Let's talk shop. You may be ready to drop, after several frenzied weeks of holiday sales and spending, but don't rest your weary wallet just yet. Some of the most significant sales of the holiday season will arise before Santa hits the sack. Even though some retailers began touting "after-Christmas sales" before the big guy shimmied down his first chimney, canny consumers can still bag some of the best bargains of the season when store doors swing open on Tuesday. Here's a rundown of the best post-holiday bargains... Читать дальше...