 TOP NEWS
Senate Leaders Set to Work on a Last-Minute Tax AgreementBy JONATHAN WEISMAN and JENNIFER STEINHAUER
After weeks of fruitless negotiations with the House speaker, John A. Boehner, President Obama turned to Senator Harry Reid and Senator Mitch McConnell to try to avert a fiscal crisis.
414 Homicides in '12 Is a Record Low for New York CityBy WENDY RUDERMAN
Overall crimes increased slightly, officials said, because of a rise in thefts - a phenomenon based solely on robberies of iPhones and other Apple devices.
A Record Worth Wilting For: Death Valley Is Hotter Than ...By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Death Valley is officially the hottest place on earth, now that meteorologists have invalidated a 136.4-degree reading claimed since 1922 by a city in Libya.
QUOTATION OF THE DAY
"The hour for immediate action is here. It is now."
PRESIDENT OBAMA, urging Congress to avert a fiscal crisis.
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Sunday Review
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WORLDAs Walmart Makes Safety Vows, It's Seen as Obstacle to ChangeBy STEVEN GREENHOUSE and JIM YARDLEY
Critics of Walmart say its factory monitoring system is flawed, and the company has shown little interest in changing the practice of demanding that factories meet safety standards at their own cost.
In Russia, Exile in Comfort for Leaders Like AssadBy ANDREW E. KRAMER
Barvikha, a town of villas and luxury boutiques near Moscow, is a magnet for deposed leaders given asylum in Russia, and offers a possible future for Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad.
China Toughens Its Restrictions on Use of the InternetBy KEITH BRADSHER
New rules require Internet users to provide their real names to service providers, while assigning companies greater responsibility for deleting forbidden postings.
U.S.Sprawling Memphis Aims to Be a Friendlier Place for CyclistsBy BOBBY ALLYN
The Tennessee city, which had been named one of the worst cities in American for cyclists, has opened dozens of miles of bike lanes as it tries to change commuting habits.
"MEMPHIS — John Jordan, a 64-year-old condo appraiser here, has been pedaling his cruiser bicycle around town nearly every day, tooling about at lunchtime or zipping to downtown appointments.
“It’s my cholesterol-lowering device,” said Mr. Jordan, clad in a leather vest and wearing a bright white beard. “The problem is, the city needs to educate motorists to not run over” the bicyclists.
Bike-friendly behavior has never come naturally to Memphis, which has long been among the country’s most perilous places for cyclists. In recent years, though, riders have taken to the streets like never before, spurred by a mayor who has worked to change the way residents think about commuting.
Mayor A. C. Wharton Jr., elected in 2009, assumed office a year after Bicycling magazine named Memphis one of the worst cities in America for cyclists, not the first time the city had received such a biking dishonor. But Mr. Wharton spied an opportunity.
In 2008, Memphis had a mile and a half of bike lanes. There are now about 50 miles of dedicated lanes, and about 160 miles when trails and shared roads are included. The bulk of the nearly $1 million investment came from stimulus money and other federal sources, and Shelby County, which includes Memphis, was recently awarded an additional $4.7 million for bike projects. " /Cont./
Partial Deal With Union Averts a Strike at 14 PortsBy STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Shipping companies and dockworkers reached a deal on their main dispute, and the longshoremen's union agreed to drop its threat of a strike this Sunday.
Newspaper on Cape Cod Apologizes for a Veteran Reporter's FabricationsBy KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
A not-quite-right article set off alarm bells for an editor at The Cape Cod Times and the discovery of years of made up subjects by a longtime reporter who had appeared "down in the dumps."
POLITICSFederal Power to Intercept Messages Is ExtendedBy ROBERT PEAR
Congress gave final approval on Friday to a bill extending the government's power to intercept electronic communications of spy and terrorism suspects under a law known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Loss of Inouye Means Loss of Clout for HawaiiBy JEREMY W. PETERS
After the death of Senator Daniel K. Inouye, and the retirement of the state's other senator, Daniel K. Akaka, Hawaii will lose all of its seniority in the Senate.
The CaucusDemocratic Establishment Voices Support for Markey's Bid to Succeed KerryBy KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
Several big guns in the Democratic Party began on Friday to line up behind Representative Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts in the race to succeed Senator John Kerry.
BUSINESSYour MoneyHow to Prepare When Next Year's Tax Rates Are Anyone's GuessBy RON LIEBER
The fiscal stalemate in Washington has left many with no idea how much they'll be paying in federal income taxes in 2013, but taxpayers can take some steps amid the uncertainty.
Partial Deal With Union Averts a Strike at 14 PortsBy STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Shipping companies and dockworkers reached a deal on their main dispute, and the longshoremen's union agreed to drop its threat of a strike this Sunday.
Revival of Hitachi the Company Is a Detriment to Hitachi the CityBy HIROKO TABUCHI
After a staggering loss in 2009, the Hitachi Corporation has engineered a stunning turnaround, costing jobs and opportunity in its home city of Hitachi, Japan.
TECHNOLOGYRevival of Hitachi the Company Is a Detriment to Hitachi the CityBy HIROKO TABUCHI
After a staggering loss in 2009, the Hitachi Corporation has engineered a stunning turnaround, costing jobs and opportunity in its home city of Hitachi, Japan.
DealBookQuestions Remain Over Hewlett's Big Charge on Autonomy AcquisitionBy PETER EAVIS
In its annual report, H.P. discusses the methodology it employed when making the $8.8 billion charge, but it does not break out exactly how the alleged accounting improprieties were behind $5 billion of that charge.
Bits BlogDreams of 'Open' EverythingBy QUENTIN HARDY
GitHub, which encourages open-source software writers to discuss their work, has a long-term dream of taking its approach outside engineering and into all business, even government.
SPORTSA Fierce Playmaker Who Shrugs Off PraiseBy BEN SHPIGEL
The quiet demeanor and humility of A. J. Green, considered one of the top receivers in the N.F.L., only add to the admiration his Bengals teammates and coaches have for him.
Nets 97, Bobcats 81Nets Beat the Bobcats but Pine for JacksonBy HOWARD BECK
Interim Coach P. J. Carlesimo is on the bench for now, and he guided the Nets to an easy win on Friday, but Brooklyn has firmly targeted Phil Jackson to take over.
Q&ACovering J. R. Smith: A Knick Talks About His TattoosBy TODD HEISLER
Knicks guard J. R. Smith, who lost count of his body art at "around 70-something," said he once told himself that he "would never get like this."
ARTSCritic's NotebookTV Where Taking It Too Far Is Never Far EnoughBy NEIL GENZLINGER
Was 2012 a nadir for reality television? Can the offerings possibly get any worse? Has the genre become too ludicrous to parody?
Museum Review
A Place Comfortable With Boeing, Anarchists and 'Frasier'By EDWARD ROTHSTEIN
A revamped History & Industry Museum has a new home on Lake Union in Seattle, with some 50,000 square feet of exhibits about that city's past and future.
The Whole Nine Yards About a Phrase's OriginBy JENNIFER SCHUESSLER
Word sleuths, in hot pursuit of the origin of the phrase "the whole nine yards," have made a discovery that sheds light on the mystery.
 NEW YORK / REGIONWoman Sought After 2nd Fatal Shove Onto Subway Tracks This MonthBy MARC SANTORA and SARAH MASLIN NIR
A woman in her early 20s is blamed for shoving a man, identified as Sunando Sen, to his death at an elevated subway station in Queens.
Jean S. Harris, 1923-2012Headmistress, Jilted Lover, Killer, Then a Force for Good in JailBy JOSEPH BERGER
Mrs. Harris's 1981 murder trial galvanized a nation mulling feminist perspectives with its story of vengeance by an aging woman scorned.
Senate Passes $60.4 Billion for Storm Aid; Bill's Fate in House Is UnclearBy RAYMOND HERNANDEZ
With time running out on this Congressional session, leaders from states hit hard by Hurricane Sandy worry that action on the measure may be pushed into next year.
TRAVELDestination: WellnessBy JESSE McKINLEY
Wellness retreats, wellness rooms, wellness resorts, wellness weekends. Answering the insistent call of wellness tourism and trying to figure out what it all is.
Personal JourneysFor Some, the Slopes. For Her, the Cheese.By CEIL MILLER BOUCHET
On a trip to the mountains in southeastern France, the author finds that soft powder can't compete with silky cheese.
Journeys
Sichuan's Tibetan Corner, Outside of TimeBy KIT GILLET
Remote Tagong, one of the highest towns in the world, has a slow-paced existence that revolves around a Tibetan monastery.
EDITORIALSEditorialThe Deadly Fantasy of Assault Weapons
The illusions peddled by rifle makers put deadly power in the wrong hands.
EditorialRape in the World's Largest Democracy
India can never realize its potential if it does not treat women with dignity and justice.
EditorialStill Waiting for Sandy Relief
When a storm hits, lawmakers should provide immediate relief instead of letting ideology trump common sense.
OP-EDOp-Ed ColumnistDwindling AdoptionsBy CHARLES M. BLOW
Russia's new ban is just one more factor in a steep decline in international adoptions by United States citizens.
Op-Ed ColumnistGuns and Mental IllnessBy JOE NOCERA
Both better gun regulations and treatment programs for the mentally ill are needed.
Room for Debate Do We Still Need Libraries?
What are libraries for, and how should they evolve?
ON THIS DAY
On Dec. 29, 1940, during World War II, Germany began dropping incendiary bombs on London.
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lördag, december 29, 2012
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