Question: What position does Scott Flanders hold with Playboy?

I was thinking about my friend when I read the news that Playboy, the venerable purveyor of celebrity interviews, literary fiction and female nudity, had decided to stop publishing pictures of naked ladies. “You’re now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free. And so it’s just passé at this juncture,” said Scott Flanders, Playboy’s chief executive. With a once-mighty circulation of 5.6 million now hovering around 800,000, Playboy has been left with no choice but to put on its big-girl panties and try to compete with other glossy lad mags and their versions of the Good Life.

Answer: chief executive

I was thinking about my friend when I read the news that Playboy, the venerable purveyor of celebrity interviews, literary fiction and female nudity, had decided to stop publishing pictures of naked ladies. “You’re now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free. <hl> And so it’s just passé at this juncture,” said Scott Flanders, Playboy’s chief executive . <hl> With a once-mighty circulation of 5.6 million now hovering around 800,000, Playboy has been left with no choice but to put on its big-girl panties and try to compete with other glossy lad mags and their versions of the Good Life.

I was thinking about my friend when I read the news that Playboy, the venerable purveyor of celebrity interviews, literary fiction and female nudity, had decided to stop publishing pictures of naked ladies. “You’re now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free. And so it’s just passé at this juncture,” said Scott Flanders, Playboy’s <hl> chief executive <hl>. With a once-mighty circulation of 5.6 million now hovering around 800,000, Playboy has been left with no choice but to put on its big-girl panties and try to compete with other glossy lad mags and their versions of the Good Life.

And so it’s just passé at this juncture,” said Scott Flanders, Playboy’s <hl> chief executive <hl> .


Question: How many more jobs are needed to match pre-recession levels?

Moreover, the economy is still 2.8 million jobs short of where it would have to be to match pre-recession employment levels while also absorbing new entrants into the work force, according to the Hamilton Project, a research group associated with the Brookings Institution in Washington. Even if the current trend continues, that so-called “jobs gap” will not be closed until mid-2017. In addition to the tempo of hiring and the unemployment rate, Fed policy makers have been paying close attention to the pace of wage increases. In November, the government said wages rose by 0.2 percent, leaving the 12-month change in average hourly earnings 2.3 percent higher. Despite steady hiring gains and a falling unemployment rate, wage growth in recent years has barely advanced faster than inflation. In October, that trend seemed to improve, with an unexpectedly strong 0.4 percentage point increase in average hourly earnings that pushed the 12-month gain to 2.5 percent even as the pace of inflation fell, mostly because of lower energy prices. But with November’s figures reverting to the earlier trend, Mr. Clemons said, “I don’t think there’s a lot of wage pressure yet.”

Answer: 2.8 million

<hl> Moreover, the economy is still 2.8 million jobs short of where it would have to be to match pre-recession employment levels while also absorbing new entrants into the work force, according to the Hamilton Project, a research group associated with the Brookings Institution in Washington. <hl> Even if the current trend continues, that so-called “jobs gap” will not be closed until mid-2017. In addition to the tempo of hiring and the unemployment rate, Fed policy makers have been paying close attention to the pace of wage increases. In November, the government said wages rose by 0.2 percent, leaving the 12-month change in average hourly earnings 2.3 percent higher. Despite steady hiring gains and a falling unemployment rate, wage growth in recent years has barely advanced faster than inflation. In October, that trend seemed to improve, with an unexpectedly strong 0.4 percentage point increase in average hourly earnings that pushed the 12-month gain to 2.5 percent even as the pace of inflation fell, mostly because of lower energy prices. But with November’s figures reverting to the earlier trend, Mr. Clemons said, “I don’t think there’s a lot of wage pressure yet.”

Moreover, the economy is still <hl> 2.8 million <hl> jobs short of where it would have to be to match pre-recession employment levels while also absorbing new entrants into the work force, according to the Hamilton Project, a research group associated with the Brookings Institution in Washington. Even if the current trend continues, that so-called “jobs gap” will not be closed until mid-2017. In addition to the tempo of hiring and the unemployment rate, Fed policy makers have been paying close attention to the pace of wage increases. In November, the government said wages rose by 0.2 percent, leaving the 12-month change in average hourly earnings 2.3 percent higher. Despite steady hiring gains and a falling unemployment rate, wage growth in recent years has barely advanced faster than inflation. In October, that trend seemed to improve, with an unexpectedly strong 0.4 percentage point increase in average hourly earnings that pushed the 12-month gain to 2.5 percent even as the pace of inflation fell, mostly because of lower energy prices. But with November’s figures reverting to the earlier trend, Mr. Clemons said, “I don’t think there’s a lot of wage pressure yet.”


Question: What place did the team come in Lorient, France?

The team rebuilt the boat in four months and rejoined the fleet last weekend in Lisbon for the final two legs of the 39,000-nautical-mile race. Nicholson’s second-place finish in Lorient, France, this week behind the all-women crew of Team SCA confirmed his high hopes for Team Vestas Wind’s return, although he said last week that two podium finishes would be bittersweet. “Everyone on our team has a lot of pride,” Nicholson said the day before the start of this week’s race from Lisbon to Lorient. “If we do show our potential, it will probably hurt even more, knowing we could have done well and had a chance to win the event.”

Answer: second-place

The team rebuilt the boat in four months and rejoined the fleet last weekend in Lisbon for the final two legs of the 39,000-nautical-mile race. <hl> Nicholson’s second-place finish in Lorient, France, this week behind the all-women crew of Team SCA confirmed his high hopes for Team Vestas Wind’s return, although he said last week that two podium finishes would be bittersweet. <hl> “Everyone on our team has a lot of pride,” Nicholson said the day before the start of this week’s race from Lisbon to Lorient. “If we do show our potential, it will probably hurt even more, knowing we could have done well and had a chance to win the event.”

The team rebuilt the boat in four months and rejoined the fleet last weekend in Lisbon for the final two legs of the 39,000-nautical-mile race. Nicholson’s <hl> second-place <hl> finish in Lorient, France, this week behind the all-women crew of Team SCA confirmed his high hopes for Team Vestas Wind’s return, although he said last week that two podium finishes would be bittersweet. “Everyone on our team has a lot of pride,” Nicholson said the day before the start of this week’s race from Lisbon to Lorient. “If we do show our potential, it will probably hurt even more, knowing we could have done well and had a chance to win the event.”


Question: What was Mr. Fox supposed to secure money for?

Instead, the statement said that Mr. Fox would “make his anticipated transition back to the private sector by the end of the month.” Mr. Christie said that Joseph Bertoni, the department’s deputy commissioner, would take over as acting commissioner. In a statement, Mr. Fox suggested the move was related to his inability to secure funding for the state’s transportation fund. He said that serving as transportation commissioner twice had been “the best job I have ever had.” He did not mention the federal investigation.

Answer: the state’s transportation fund

Instead, the statement said that Mr. Fox would “make his anticipated transition back to the private sector by the end of the month.” Mr. Christie said that Joseph Bertoni, the department’s deputy commissioner, would take over as acting commissioner. <hl> In a statement, Mr. Fox suggested the move was related to his inability to secure funding for the state’s transportation fund . <hl> He said that serving as transportation commissioner twice had been “the best job I have ever had.” He did not mention the federal investigation.

Instead, the statement said that Mr. Fox would “make his anticipated transition back to the private sector by the end of the month.” Mr. Christie said that Joseph Bertoni, the department’s deputy commissioner, would take over as acting commissioner. In a statement, Mr. Fox suggested the move was related to his inability to secure funding for <hl> the state’s transportation fund <hl>. He said that serving as transportation commissioner twice had been “the best job I have ever had.” He did not mention the federal investigation.

In a statement, Mr. Fox suggested the move was related to his inability to secure funding for <hl> the state’s transportation fund <hl> .


Question: How many Republicans joined 45 Democrats in opposition?

WASHINGTON —  The Senate approved legislation on Thursday night that would repeal President Obama’s landmark health care law, a goal of Republicans since the law was adopted in March 2010. The measure, which would also halt federal financing for Planned Parenthood, will now be sent to the House, which adopted a different version last month. The bill is ultimately expected to pass both chambers, but faces certain veto by Mr. Obama. Congress has held dozens of votes to gut the health care law, but this bill would be the first to reach the president’s desk. The Senate vote was 52 to 47. Two Republicans, Senators Mark S. Kirk of Illinois and Susan Collins of Maine, joined 45 Democrats in opposition. Senator Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president, did not vote.

Answer: Two

WASHINGTON — The Senate approved legislation on Thursday night that would repeal President Obama’s landmark health care law, a goal of Republicans since the law was adopted in March 2010. The measure, which would also halt federal financing for Planned Parenthood, will now be sent to the House, which adopted a different version last month. The bill is ultimately expected to pass both chambers, but faces certain veto by Mr. Obama. Congress has held dozens of votes to gut the health care law, but this bill would be the first to reach the president’s desk. The Senate vote was 52 to 47. <hl> Two Republicans, Senators Mark S. Kirk of Illinois and Susan Collins of Maine, joined 45 Democrats in opposition. <hl> Senator Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president, did not vote.

WASHINGTON — The Senate approved legislation on Thursday night that would repeal President Obama’s landmark health care law, a goal of Republicans since the law was adopted in March 2010. The measure, which would also halt federal financing for Planned Parenthood, will now be sent to the House, which adopted a different version last month. The bill is ultimately expected to pass both chambers, but faces certain veto by Mr. Obama. Congress has held dozens of votes to gut the health care law, but this bill would be the first to reach the president’s desk. The Senate vote was 52 to 47. <hl> Two <hl> Republicans, Senators Mark S. Kirk of Illinois and Susan Collins of Maine, joined 45 Democrats in opposition. Senator Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president, did not vote.


Question: In what was every incidental character identified?

In “Letters to Véra” every incidental character — including those whom even the memorious Nabokov might not have recalled years later, and whose years of birth and death he would hardly ever have known, and who played no role worth mention in even a voluminous biography — would be identified, if possible, and usually by Voronina. She also solicited the aid of other Russian scholars, especially the chess master and logodaedalist Gennady Barabtarlo, who helped solve the riddles Vladimir posed for Véra. Credit where credit is due: The assiduity is Olga Voronina’s much more than mine. BRIAN BOYD

Answer: In “Letters to Véra”

<hl> In “Letters to Véra” every incidental character — including those whom even the memorious Nabokov might not have recalled years later, and whose years of birth and death he would hardly ever have known, and who played no role worth mention in even a voluminous biography — would be identified, if possible, and usually by Voronina. <hl> She also solicited the aid of other Russian scholars, especially the chess master and logodaedalist Gennady Barabtarlo, who helped solve the riddles Vladimir posed for Véra. Credit where credit is due: The assiduity is Olga Voronina’s much more than mine. BRIAN BOYD

<hl> In “Letters to Véra” <hl> every incidental character — including those whom even the memorious Nabokov might not have recalled years later, and whose years of birth and death he would hardly ever have known, and who played no role worth mention in even a voluminous biography — would be identified, if possible, and usually by Voronina. She also solicited the aid of other Russian scholars, especially the chess master and logodaedalist Gennady Barabtarlo, who helped solve the riddles Vladimir posed for Véra. Credit where credit is due: The assiduity is Olga Voronina’s much more than mine. BRIAN BOYD


Question: On what day is the celebration being held?

“The first digits are actually 3.1415,” said Cindy Lawrence, the museum’s executive director and co-founder. (Pi’s decimal places extend indefinitely.) “So Saturday’s date is the first five digits of pi.” Thus on Saturday, the museum has planned a grand celebration, starting at 9 a.m. in Madison Square Park, where even small children can help form circles. “We’ll get people to line up and count out the distance around the circles, and others to do the distance across them,” Ms. Lawrence said. This pacing will illustrate that the circumference is about three times greater. Staff members will also pass out a graphic and lead a brief countdown to 9:26:53 a.m. because, yes, those are the next digits in pi.

Answer: Saturday

“The first digits are actually 3.1415,” said Cindy Lawrence, the museum’s executive director and co-founder. (Pi’s decimal places extend indefinitely.) <hl> “So Saturday ’s date is the first five digits of pi.” <hl> Thus on Saturday, the museum has planned a grand celebration, starting at 9 a.m. in Madison Square Park, where even small children can help form circles. “We’ll get people to line up and count out the distance around the circles, and others to do the distance across them,” Ms. Lawrence said. This pacing will illustrate that the circumference is about three times greater. Staff members will also pass out a graphic and lead a brief countdown to 9:26:53 a.m. because, yes, those are the next digits in pi.

“The first digits are actually 3.1415,” said Cindy Lawrence, the museum’s executive director and co-founder. (Pi’s decimal places extend indefinitely.) “So <hl> Saturday <hl>’s date is the first five digits of pi.” Thus on Saturday, the museum has planned a grand celebration, starting at 9 a.m. in Madison Square Park, where even small children can help form circles. “We’ll get people to line up and count out the distance around the circles, and others to do the distance across them,” Ms. Lawrence said. This pacing will illustrate that the circumference is about three times greater. Staff members will also pass out a graphic and lead a brief countdown to 9:26:53 a.m. because, yes, those are the next digits in pi.

“So <hl> Saturday <hl> ’s date is the first five digits of pi.”


Question: Who is the creator of the popular WeChat messaging app?

Ford said it was in talks with Tencent, maker of the popular WeChat messaging app, to develop messaging functions for the manufacturer’s cars in China. David Huang, a senior engineer who heads Ford’s Asia Pacific connected-services unit, said, “People want to stay connected, stay informed and stay entertained all the time, even when they’re driving.” Drivers would sync their phone to their car’s software system and control WeChat functions, chosen by Tencent and certified by Ford as safe, through voice commands or limited use of buttons. Yale Zhang, managing director of the Shanghai-based consultancy Automotive Foresight, said connectivity was a deciding factor for Chinese customers buying a car. “Those kind of things are the fundamental things people will consider,” he added. Many Chinese use WeChat’s free voice messaging feature instead of phone calls, holding up their smartphones like walkie-talkies as they speak, tap and listen to replies. Rivals including Daimler and Nissan are also looking at ways to give drivers safe, hands-free access to mobile apps in China, home to the world’s largest number of smartphone users. WeChat is China’s most prevalent chatting app, with about half a billion active monthly users.

Answer: Tencent

<hl> Ford said it was in talks with Tencent , maker of the popular WeChat messaging app, to develop messaging functions for the manufacturer’s cars in China. <hl> David Huang, a senior engineer who heads Ford’s Asia Pacific connected-services unit, said, “People want to stay connected, stay informed and stay entertained all the time, even when they’re driving.” Drivers would sync their phone to their car’s software system and control WeChat functions, chosen by Tencent and certified by Ford as safe, through voice commands or limited use of buttons. Yale Zhang, managing director of the Shanghai-based consultancy Automotive Foresight, said connectivity was a deciding factor for Chinese customers buying a car. “Those kind of things are the fundamental things people will consider,” he added. Many Chinese use WeChat’s free voice messaging feature instead of phone calls, holding up their smartphones like walkie-talkies as they speak, tap and listen to replies. Rivals including Daimler and Nissan are also looking at ways to give drivers safe, hands-free access to mobile apps in China, home to the world’s largest number of smartphone users. WeChat is China’s most prevalent chatting app, with about half a billion active monthly users.

Ford said it was in talks with <hl> Tencent <hl>, maker of the popular WeChat messaging app, to develop messaging functions for the manufacturer’s cars in China. David Huang, a senior engineer who heads Ford’s Asia Pacific connected-services unit, said, “People want to stay connected, stay informed and stay entertained all the time, even when they’re driving.” Drivers would sync their phone to their car’s software system and control WeChat functions, chosen by Tencent and certified by Ford as safe, through voice commands or limited use of buttons. Yale Zhang, managing director of the Shanghai-based consultancy Automotive Foresight, said connectivity was a deciding factor for Chinese customers buying a car. “Those kind of things are the fundamental things people will consider,” he added. Many Chinese use WeChat’s free voice messaging feature instead of phone calls, holding up their smartphones like walkie-talkies as they speak, tap and listen to replies. Rivals including Daimler and Nissan are also looking at ways to give drivers safe, hands-free access to mobile apps in China, home to the world’s largest number of smartphone users. WeChat is China’s most prevalent chatting app, with about half a billion active monthly users.

Ford said it was in talks with <hl> Tencent <hl> , maker of the popular WeChat messaging app, to develop messaging functions for the manufacturer’s cars in China.


Question: Who is the chairwoman of the Federal Reserve?

Markets started the day higher, propelled by a jump in energy stocks, but then quickly gave up the gains. A comment by the chairwoman of the Federal Reserve, Janet L. Yellen, suggesting that stocks were generally overvalued added to the selling pressure. Uncertainty over how quickly interest rates will climb also weighed on markets as yields on bonds continued to rise. Some market experts say they think the Fed will have to increase its short-term rate relatively soon to fight inflation. The yield on the 10-year United States Treasury note rose to 2.25 percent, its highest level in two months.

Answer: Janet L. Yellen

Markets started the day higher, propelled by a jump in energy stocks, but then quickly gave up the gains. <hl> A comment by the chairwoman of the Federal Reserve, Janet L. Yellen , suggesting that stocks were generally overvalued added to the selling pressure. <hl> Uncertainty over how quickly interest rates will climb also weighed on markets as yields on bonds continued to rise. Some market experts say they think the Fed will have to increase its short-term rate relatively soon to fight inflation. The yield on the 10-year United States Treasury note rose to 2.25 percent, its highest level in two months.

Markets started the day higher, propelled by a jump in energy stocks, but then quickly gave up the gains. A comment by the chairwoman of the Federal Reserve, <hl> Janet L. Yellen <hl>, suggesting that stocks were generally overvalued added to the selling pressure. Uncertainty over how quickly interest rates will climb also weighed on markets as yields on bonds continued to rise. Some market experts say they think the Fed will have to increase its short-term rate relatively soon to fight inflation. The yield on the 10-year United States Treasury note rose to 2.25 percent, its highest level in two months.

A comment by the chairwoman of the Federal Reserve, <hl> Janet L. Yellen <hl> , suggesting that stocks were generally overvalued added to the selling pressure.


Question: Who was responsible for two runs?

But David Cone, another Yankees war horse, walked in the tying run in the eighth, and the game went to extra innings. In the top of the 11th, the Yankees scored on a single by Randy Velarde, and all they had to do was hold the lead. They didn’t. In a play that seemed to unfold in slow motion so that you could see the heartbreak coming long before it arrived, Edgar Martinez doubled into the left-field corner off Jack McDowell, scoring two runs, including Ken Griffey Jr. on an all-out sprint from first base.

Answer: Edgar Martinez

But David Cone, another Yankees war horse, walked in the tying run in the eighth, and the game went to extra innings. In the top of the 11th, the Yankees scored on a single by Randy Velarde, and all they had to do was hold the lead. They didn’t. <hl> In a play that seemed to unfold in slow motion so that you could see the heartbreak coming long before it arrived, Edgar Martinez doubled into the left-field corner off Jack McDowell, scoring two runs, including Ken Griffey Jr. on an all-out sprint from first base. <hl>

But David Cone, another Yankees war horse, walked in the tying run in the eighth, and the game went to extra innings. In the top of the 11th, the Yankees scored on a single by Randy Velarde, and all they had to do was hold the lead. They didn’t. In a play that seemed to unfold in slow motion so that you could see the heartbreak coming long before it arrived, <hl> Edgar Martinez <hl> doubled into the left-field corner off Jack McDowell, scoring two runs, including Ken Griffey Jr. on an all-out sprint from first base.


Question: Which team was accused of deflation?

No, it was the Super Bowl’s turn. This was true despite the fact that many a non-American struggles to understand the rules and appeal of the country’s favorite diversion. This was also true despite the stiff headwinds facing the National Football League: the dead-serious concerns about head trauma and domestic violence, and the less-weighty obsession with whether Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were responsible for deflating footballs earlier in the playoffs in search of an unfair advantage. Deflategate (the French daily Le Monde called it “Le Deflategate”) dominated the build-up to the Super Bowl, and then dominated the off-season, too, with Brady initially suspended for four games before that ruling was overturned by a federal judge.

Answer: New England Patriots

No, it was the Super Bowl’s turn. This was true despite the fact that many a non-American struggles to understand the rules and appeal of the country’s favorite diversion. <hl> This was also true despite the stiff headwinds facing the National Football League: the dead-serious concerns about head trauma and domestic violence, and the less-weighty obsession with whether Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were responsible for deflating footballs earlier in the playoffs in search of an unfair advantage. <hl> Deflategate (the French daily Le Monde called it “Le Deflategate”) dominated the build-up to the Super Bowl, and then dominated the off-season, too, with Brady initially suspended for four games before that ruling was overturned by a federal judge.

No, it was the Super Bowl’s turn. This was true despite the fact that many a non-American struggles to understand the rules and appeal of the country’s favorite diversion. This was also true despite the stiff headwinds facing the National Football League: the dead-serious concerns about head trauma and domestic violence, and the less-weighty obsession with whether Tom Brady and the <hl> New England Patriots <hl> were responsible for deflating footballs earlier in the playoffs in search of an unfair advantage. Deflategate (the French daily Le Monde called it “Le Deflategate”) dominated the build-up to the Super Bowl, and then dominated the off-season, too, with Brady initially suspended for four games before that ruling was overturned by a federal judge.


Question: Does the legislation reprimand groups on the basis of their religious beliefs?

Nothing could be further from the truth. The legislation is not about punishing one group because of its religious beliefs; it is about acting to make sure that the civil rights of a community of overwhelmingly low-income minority children are not denied and that their constitutional right to a sound basic education is enforced. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has endorsed the need for action in East Ramapo. Lawmakers should join him, reject the false attacks and act in the interests of the students, who have been failed terribly and must not be made to wait any longer.

Answer: not about punishing one group because of its religious beliefs

Nothing could be further from the truth. <hl> The legislation is not about punishing one group because of its religious beliefs ; it is about acting to make sure that the civil rights of a community of overwhelmingly low-income minority children are not denied and that their constitutional right to a sound basic education is enforced. <hl> Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has endorsed the need for action in East Ramapo. Lawmakers should join him, reject the false attacks and act in the interests of the students, who have been failed terribly and must not be made to wait any longer.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The legislation is <hl> not about punishing one group because of its religious beliefs <hl>; it is about acting to make sure that the civil rights of a community of overwhelmingly low-income minority children are not denied and that their constitutional right to a sound basic education is enforced. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has endorsed the need for action in East Ramapo. Lawmakers should join him, reject the false attacks and act in the interests of the students, who have been failed terribly and must not be made to wait any longer.

The legislation is <hl> not about punishing one group because of its religious beliefs <hl> ; it is about acting to make sure that the civil rights of a community of overwhelmingly low-income minority children are not denied and that their constitutional right to a sound basic education is enforced.


Question: Where is the button for the doorbell located?

The doorbell at the Mann home in Lexington, Va., is a small, black, wrought-iron breast. Visitors announce themselves by pressing a red nipple within the raised areola. Like the red-metal dragons that line the driveway or the 20-by-24-inch blowups of the children in the foyer or the photograph on the living room wall of Sally Mann’s father, dead in his bathrobe, the doorbell seems designed to give a start to the uninitiated and to put some comic distance between the occupants and their neighbors. The same attitude of defiance is there in the cover portrait of “Immediate Family.” Bare-chested with arms crossed or akimbo, the three little Manns level their gaze at the world. Children and house both project the sensibilities of Sally Mann herself. A 41-year-old dark-haired beauty whose turned-up nose accentuates a natural hauteur, she is a cool mom. With her brood safely strapped in, she drives a black BMW 735i, very fast, and favors a subdued, asexual preppy look — turtle-necks and T-shirts, cut-off shorts, dirty Reeboks. Lexington is a genteel town, site of Stonewall Jackson’s house, Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute. Born and raised here, married to the same man for 22 years, Mann is secure enough in her surroundings to take liberties with the mores of a place only 50 miles from the headquarters of the Rev. Jerry Falwell and his Moral Majority. “I think the South depends on its eccentrics,” she says one summer afternoon on the back porch as Jessie and Virginia weave in and out of the house. (Emmett is away at camp.) “It loves them, and it rewards them in lots of ways. This community allows itself to be scandalized by me and by my work, but they love it. What else would they do if it wasn’t for me? I take being iconoclastic sort of seriously. It’s my role here.” Ex-”dirt hippies” who still grow much of their own food and until a decade and a half ago barely made enough money to pay taxes, Sally and Larry Mann are a tight couple. Both “Immediate Family” and “At Twelve,” her portraits of local girls on the cusp of puberty, are dedicated to him. While she has pursued her photography career with singleminded purpose, he has been a blacksmith and a two-term City Councilman; recently, he got a law degree. His office in town is 10 minutes away, and he walks home nearly every day for lunch. Their house has an airy mood of understated comfort, its three levels overlooking a wisteria arbor and a well-tended vegetable garden in a yard that slopes down to a creek. Rope swings and hammocks hang from ash-leaved maples. The decor includes photographs by Diane Arbus and Emmet Gowin, both important figures for Mann; walls of books; marble torsos of nude women; finches in cages and flying free; the skeletons of lizards and cats. An expansion completed this year provides each child his or her own room; Sally and Larry reside in a connecting wing, which also houses her new darkroom and offices. To meet the demand for her work, she can now afford to hire an assistant. The slow, wet air of southern Virginia in July and August, when even the trees perspire, serves as a backdrop for Mann’s idylls of leisure. “Even though I take pictures of my children, they’re still about here,” she says. “It exerts a hold on me that I can’t define.”

Answer: within the raised areola

The doorbell at the Mann home in Lexington, Va., is a small, black, wrought-iron breast. <hl> Visitors announce themselves by pressing a red nipple within the raised areola . <hl> Like the red-metal dragons that line the driveway or the 20-by-24-inch blowups of the children in the foyer or the photograph on the living room wall of Sally Mann’s father, dead in his bathrobe, the doorbell seems designed to give a start to the uninitiated and to put some comic distance between the occupants and their neighbors. The same attitude of defiance is there in the cover portrait of “Immediate Family.” Bare-chested with arms crossed or akimbo, the three little Manns level their gaze at the world. Children and house both project the sensibilities of Sally Mann herself. A 41-year-old dark-haired beauty whose turned-up nose accentuates a natural hauteur, she is a cool mom. With her brood safely strapped in, she drives a black BMW 735i, very fast, and favors a subdued, asexual preppy look — turtle-necks and T-shirts, cut-off shorts, dirty Reeboks. Lexington is a genteel town, site of Stonewall Jackson’s house, Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute. Born and raised here, married to the same man for 22 years, Mann is secure enough in her surroundings to take liberties with the mores of a place only 50 miles from the headquarters of the Rev. Jerry Falwell and his Moral Majority. “I think the South depends on its eccentrics,” she says one summer afternoon on the back porch as Jessie and Virginia weave in and out of the house. (Emmett is away at camp.) “It loves them, and it rewards them in lots of ways. This community allows itself to be scandalized by me and by my work, but they love it. What else would they do if it wasn’t for me? I take being iconoclastic sort of seriously. It’s my role here.” Ex-”dirt hippies” who still grow much of their own food and until a decade and a half ago barely made enough money to pay taxes, Sally and Larry Mann are a tight couple. Both “Immediate Family” and “At Twelve,” her portraits of local girls on the cusp of puberty, are dedicated to him. While she has pursued her photography career with singleminded purpose, he has been a blacksmith and a two-term City Councilman; recently, he got a law degree. His office in town is 10 minutes away, and he walks home nearly every day for lunch. Their house has an airy mood of understated comfort, its three levels overlooking a wisteria arbor and a well-tended vegetable garden in a yard that slopes down to a creek. Rope swings and hammocks hang from ash-leaved maples. The decor includes photographs by Diane Arbus and Emmet Gowin, both important figures for Mann; walls of books; marble torsos of nude women; finches in cages and flying free; the skeletons of lizards and cats. An expansion completed this year provides each child his or her own room; Sally and Larry reside in a connecting wing, which also houses her new darkroom and offices. To meet the demand for her work, she can now afford to hire an assistant. The slow, wet air of southern Virginia in July and August, when even the trees perspire, serves as a backdrop for Mann’s idylls of leisure. “Even though I take pictures of my children, they’re still about here,” she says. “It exerts a hold on me that I can’t define.”

The doorbell at the Mann home in Lexington, Va., is a small, black, wrought-iron breast. Visitors announce themselves by pressing a red nipple <hl> within the raised areola <hl>. Like the red-metal dragons that line the driveway or the 20-by-24-inch blowups of the children in the foyer or the photograph on the living room wall of Sally Mann’s father, dead in his bathrobe, the doorbell seems designed to give a start to the uninitiated and to put some comic distance between the occupants and their neighbors. The same attitude of defiance is there in the cover portrait of “Immediate Family.” Bare-chested with arms crossed or akimbo, the three little Manns level their gaze at the world. Children and house both project the sensibilities of Sally Mann herself. A 41-year-old dark-haired beauty whose turned-up nose accentuates a natural hauteur, she is a cool mom. With her brood safely strapped in, she drives a black BMW 735i, very fast, and favors a subdued, asexual preppy look — turtle-necks and T-shirts, cut-off shorts, dirty Reeboks. Lexington is a genteel town, site of Stonewall Jackson’s house, Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute. Born and raised here, married to the same man for 22 years, Mann is secure enough in her surroundings to take liberties with the mores of a place only 50 miles from the headquarters of the Rev. Jerry Falwell and his Moral Majority. “I think the South depends on its eccentrics,” she says one summer afternoon on the back porch as Jessie and Virginia weave in and out of the house. (Emmett is away at camp.) “It loves them, and it rewards them in lots of ways. This community allows itself to be scandalized by me and by my work, but they love it. What else would they do if it wasn’t for me? I take being iconoclastic sort of seriously. It’s my role here.” Ex-”dirt hippies” who still grow much of their own food and until a decade and a half ago barely made enough money to pay taxes, Sally and Larry Mann are a tight couple. Both “Immediate Family” and “At Twelve,” her portraits of local girls on the cusp of puberty, are dedicated to him. While she has pursued her photography career with singleminded purpose, he has been a blacksmith and a two-term City Councilman; recently, he got a law degree. His office in town is 10 minutes away, and he walks home nearly every day for lunch. Their house has an airy mood of understated comfort, its three levels overlooking a wisteria arbor and a well-tended vegetable garden in a yard that slopes down to a creek. Rope swings and hammocks hang from ash-leaved maples. The decor includes photographs by Diane Arbus and Emmet Gowin, both important figures for Mann; walls of books; marble torsos of nude women; finches in cages and flying free; the skeletons of lizards and cats. An expansion completed this year provides each child his or her own room; Sally and Larry reside in a connecting wing, which also houses her new darkroom and offices. To meet the demand for her work, she can now afford to hire an assistant. The slow, wet air of southern Virginia in July and August, when even the trees perspire, serves as a backdrop for Mann’s idylls of leisure. “Even though I take pictures of my children, they’re still about here,” she says. “It exerts a hold on me that I can’t define.”

Visitors announce themselves by pressing a red nipple <hl> within the raised areola <hl> .


Question: Who was presenting evidence against two motorcyclists?

Answer: Prosecutors

<hl> Prosecutors presenting evidence against two motorcyclists accused of taking part in a gang assault on a young family have put a larger phenomenon on trial: wild motorcycle tours, organized on the Internet, that occasionally rip through New York City, with riders snarling traffic, doing stunts, running red lights and generally creating a nuisance. <hl>

<hl> Prosecutors <hl> presenting evidence against two motorcyclists accused of taking part in a gang assault on a young family have put a larger phenomenon on trial: wild motorcycle tours, organized on the Internet, that occasionally rip through New York City, with riders snarling traffic, doing stunts, running red lights and generally creating a nuisance.


Question: What decorations were Rep. Ryan and his children hanging?

WASHINGTON — Last week, as members of Congress did the things they do during recess — drink merlot at fund-raisers, zip to fact-finding missions abroad, meet with local chambers of commerce — Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin and two of his three children strung Halloween decorations across their Janesville lawn. In his lengthy enumeration of conditions for taking on the role of House speaker, Mr. Ryan made it clear to his Republican colleagues Tuesday night that one was sacrosanct: “I cannot and will not give up my family time.”

Answer: Halloween

WASHINGTON — Last week, as members of Congress did the things they do during recess — drink merlot at fund-raisers, zip to fact-finding missions abroad, meet with local chambers of commerce — <hl> Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin and two of his three children strung Halloween decorations across their Janesville lawn. <hl> In his lengthy enumeration of conditions for taking on the role of House speaker, Mr. Ryan made it clear to his Republican colleagues Tuesday night that one was sacrosanct: “I cannot and will not give up my family time.”

WASHINGTON — Last week, as members of Congress did the things they do during recess — drink merlot at fund-raisers, zip to fact-finding missions abroad, meet with local chambers of commerce — Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin and two of his three children strung <hl> Halloween <hl> decorations across their Janesville lawn. In his lengthy enumeration of conditions for taking on the role of House speaker, Mr. Ryan made it clear to his Republican colleagues Tuesday night that one was sacrosanct: “I cannot and will not give up my family time.”


Question: How many rinks did the hockey complex have?

BUFFALO —  They were pushed, prodded, measured, weighed and otherwise subjected to a kind of scrutiny familiar to anyone who has inspected produce before buying. But in this case, the commodities were teenagers, the top draft-eligible hockey prospects in the world, who last week were examined and tested — physically and mentally — at the 2015 N.H.L. scouting combine here at HarborCenter, part of a two-rink hockey complex completed in 2014 by the host Sabres. For the first time in its history, the combine moved from the Toronto area, where it had been held the last several years in a crowded ballroom in Mississauga, Ontario. There were other changes, too. Physical testing took place over two days, Friday and Saturday, instead of one. And new tests were added, all designed to mimic skills better suited for hockey.

Answer: two-rink

BUFFALO — They were pushed, prodded, measured, weighed and otherwise subjected to a kind of scrutiny familiar to anyone who has inspected produce before buying. <hl> But in this case, the commodities were teenagers, the top draft-eligible hockey prospects in the world, who last week were examined and tested — physically and mentally — at the 2015 N.H.L. scouting combine here at HarborCenter, part of a two-rink hockey complex completed in 2014 by the host Sabres. <hl> For the first time in its history, the combine moved from the Toronto area, where it had been held the last several years in a crowded ballroom in Mississauga, Ontario. There were other changes, too. Physical testing took place over two days, Friday and Saturday, instead of one. And new tests were added, all designed to mimic skills better suited for hockey.

BUFFALO — They were pushed, prodded, measured, weighed and otherwise subjected to a kind of scrutiny familiar to anyone who has inspected produce before buying. But in this case, the commodities were teenagers, the top draft-eligible hockey prospects in the world, who last week were examined and tested — physically and mentally — at the 2015 N.H.L. scouting combine here at HarborCenter, part of a <hl> two-rink <hl> hockey complex completed in 2014 by the host Sabres. For the first time in its history, the combine moved from the Toronto area, where it had been held the last several years in a crowded ballroom in Mississauga, Ontario. There were other changes, too. Physical testing took place over two days, Friday and Saturday, instead of one. And new tests were added, all designed to mimic skills better suited for hockey.


Question: Who were reunited when Alex confessed that  she and Holden are in danger?

Speaking of children, Alex and John are reunited when Alex confesses that both she and Holden are in danger from the Countess unless the pack of rabid vampire children Alex inadvertently created are dealt with. After luring the children into the hotel’s dungeon (where Ramona Royale is still lurking) the Lowes tumble into bed, much to Sally’s murderous fury. “What we have is an addict’s high,” John explains to Sarah Paulson’s junkie ghost. “In the moment, it seems like it’s never ends. But it always ends.” Alex, John and Holden leave the Cortez, hopefully to retrieve daughter Scarlett, as forgotten by them as by the show’s writers. But what will happen when Alex discovers John has spent the past five years slaughtering people to appease a ghost? Or when John realizes there’s something different about his wife? But sure, cancel the divorce papers, romance is for optimists! The Countess, meanwhile, threatens the ghost of Will Drake, her former fiancé and current owner of the Cortez: “I don’t kill children,” she explains after reminding Drake that his young son, her legal ward, is his sole heir, “but I could make him a blood relative.” Keeping his son uninfected might just be Will Drake’s unfinished business.

Answer: Alex and John

<hl> Speaking of children, Alex and John are reunited when Alex confesses that both she and Holden are in danger from the Countess unless the pack of rabid vampire children Alex inadvertently created are dealt with. <hl> After luring the children into the hotel’s dungeon (where Ramona Royale is still lurking) the Lowes tumble into bed, much to Sally’s murderous fury. “What we have is an addict’s high,” John explains to Sarah Paulson’s junkie ghost. “In the moment, it seems like it’s never ends. But it always ends.” Alex, John and Holden leave the Cortez, hopefully to retrieve daughter Scarlett, as forgotten by them as by the show’s writers. But what will happen when Alex discovers John has spent the past five years slaughtering people to appease a ghost? Or when John realizes there’s something different about his wife? But sure, cancel the divorce papers, romance is for optimists! The Countess, meanwhile, threatens the ghost of Will Drake, her former fiancé and current owner of the Cortez: “I don’t kill children,” she explains after reminding Drake that his young son, her legal ward, is his sole heir, “but I could make him a blood relative.” Keeping his son uninfected might just be Will Drake’s unfinished business.

Speaking of children, <hl> Alex and John <hl> are reunited when Alex confesses that both she and Holden are in danger from the Countess unless the pack of rabid vampire children Alex inadvertently created are dealt with. After luring the children into the hotel’s dungeon (where Ramona Royale is still lurking) the Lowes tumble into bed, much to Sally’s murderous fury. “What we have is an addict’s high,” John explains to Sarah Paulson’s junkie ghost. “In the moment, it seems like it’s never ends. But it always ends.” Alex, John and Holden leave the Cortez, hopefully to retrieve daughter Scarlett, as forgotten by them as by the show’s writers. But what will happen when Alex discovers John has spent the past five years slaughtering people to appease a ghost? Or when John realizes there’s something different about his wife? But sure, cancel the divorce papers, romance is for optimists! The Countess, meanwhile, threatens the ghost of Will Drake, her former fiancé and current owner of the Cortez: “I don’t kill children,” she explains after reminding Drake that his young son, her legal ward, is his sole heir, “but I could make him a blood relative.” Keeping his son uninfected might just be Will Drake’s unfinished business.


Question: What did the person start in junior high?

It was with my classmates. Someone had been stealing from the cubbies in our classroom, and so I organized a couple of my classmates and we started the Star Detective Group. And I got my teacher to sign off on this group to make it legit, and we then investigated. When I got to junior high, I organized a walkout from the school to protest the first Iraq war. But I also got it endorsed by the teachers, because I was never too much of a rebel. I also learned resilience from my mother. The confidence that you have to have as a survival skill — I saw that in her and learned that from her. You have to feel that your voice matters and that you can drive change and impact change, because if you feel like you can’t, then you won’t.

Answer: a walkout from the school to protest the first Iraq war

It was with my classmates. Someone had been stealing from the cubbies in our classroom, and so I organized a couple of my classmates and we started the Star Detective Group. And I got my teacher to sign off on this group to make it legit, and we then investigated. <hl> When I got to junior high, I organized a walkout from the school to protest the first Iraq war . <hl> But I also got it endorsed by the teachers, because I was never too much of a rebel. I also learned resilience from my mother. The confidence that you have to have as a survival skill — I saw that in her and learned that from her. You have to feel that your voice matters and that you can drive change and impact change, because if you feel like you can’t, then you won’t.

It was with my classmates. Someone had been stealing from the cubbies in our classroom, and so I organized a couple of my classmates and we started the Star Detective Group. And I got my teacher to sign off on this group to make it legit, and we then investigated. When I got to junior high, I organized <hl> a walkout from the school to protest the first Iraq war <hl>. But I also got it endorsed by the teachers, because I was never too much of a rebel. I also learned resilience from my mother. The confidence that you have to have as a survival skill — I saw that in her and learned that from her. You have to feel that your voice matters and that you can drive change and impact change, because if you feel like you can’t, then you won’t.

When I got to junior high, I organized <hl> a walkout from the school to protest the first Iraq war <hl> .


Question: Who was the last of the six person relay?

Jirkovsky and Stewart swam back toward the boat, and only Stewart got out. She would be the last of the six-person relay team to swim a shift. Each would swim for an hour before yielding to the next, and for the crossing to qualify officially, the team would have to maintain that order, and each athlete would have to spend an hour in the water when the time came. If one of them quit for any reason, the attempt would fail. Jirkovsky kept swimming, following the kayak, which followed the support boat. The current was at his back. After an hour, the team’s leader and coach, Jim McConica, 64, jumped in — the first shift change. By the time John Chung, 45, tapped him out, the Deep Enders were off to a splendid start. By 3 p.m. Monday, though, the team was fighting the current and dealing with a seven-foot swell. The battle peaked 20 miles into the swim as the team approached Santa Barbara Island that night. “The island is shaped like an airplane wing,” McConica said, “and the volume of water sweeping around that island was hugely powerful and cut our speed.”

Answer: Stewart

<hl> Jirkovsky and Stewart swam back toward the boat, and only Stewart got out. <hl> She would be the last of the six-person relay team to swim a shift. Each would swim for an hour before yielding to the next, and for the crossing to qualify officially, the team would have to maintain that order, and each athlete would have to spend an hour in the water when the time came. If one of them quit for any reason, the attempt would fail. Jirkovsky kept swimming, following the kayak, which followed the support boat. The current was at his back. After an hour, the team’s leader and coach, Jim McConica, 64, jumped in — the first shift change. By the time John Chung, 45, tapped him out, the Deep Enders were off to a splendid start. By 3 p.m. Monday, though, the team was fighting the current and dealing with a seven-foot swell. The battle peaked 20 miles into the swim as the team approached Santa Barbara Island that night. “The island is shaped like an airplane wing,” McConica said, “and the volume of water sweeping around that island was hugely powerful and cut our speed.”

Jirkovsky and <hl> Stewart <hl> swam back toward the boat, and only Stewart got out. She would be the last of the six-person relay team to swim a shift. Each would swim for an hour before yielding to the next, and for the crossing to qualify officially, the team would have to maintain that order, and each athlete would have to spend an hour in the water when the time came. If one of them quit for any reason, the attempt would fail. Jirkovsky kept swimming, following the kayak, which followed the support boat. The current was at his back. After an hour, the team’s leader and coach, Jim McConica, 64, jumped in — the first shift change. By the time John Chung, 45, tapped him out, the Deep Enders were off to a splendid start. By 3 p.m. Monday, though, the team was fighting the current and dealing with a seven-foot swell. The battle peaked 20 miles into the swim as the team approached Santa Barbara Island that night. “The island is shaped like an airplane wing,” McConica said, “and the volume of water sweeping around that island was hugely powerful and cut our speed.”


Question: How many bases in Germany does BRAC not apply to?

WASHINGTON — THERE are signs that Congress may soon approve another series of domestic military base closings, after the Pentagon threatened earlier this month to cut nearly 90,000 jobs instead. For years, the military has been trying to save money with new rounds of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), the congressionally mandated process for shuttering underutilized domestic military installations. The move could save billions since, by the Pentagon’s own estimate, our network of domestic bases is bloated by more than 20 percent. But Congress has resisted, since local bases mean local jobs, and votes. BRAC, however, does not apply to the more than 700 United States bases overseas, including 174 in Germany, 113 in Japan and 83 in South Korea, as well as hundreds more in some 70 countries from Aruba to Kenya to Thailand. The military and Congress should go further by closing installations abroad. They both waste taxpayer money and undermine national security.

Answer: 174

WASHINGTON — THERE are signs that Congress may soon approve another series of domestic military base closings, after the Pentagon threatened earlier this month to cut nearly 90,000 jobs instead. For years, the military has been trying to save money with new rounds of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), the congressionally mandated process for shuttering underutilized domestic military installations. The move could save billions since, by the Pentagon’s own estimate, our network of domestic bases is bloated by more than 20 percent. But Congress has resisted, since local bases mean local jobs, and votes. <hl> BRAC, however, does not apply to the more than 700 United States bases overseas, including 174 in Germany, 113 in Japan and 83 in South Korea, as well as hundreds more in some 70 countries from Aruba to Kenya to Thailand. <hl> The military and Congress should go further by closing installations abroad. They both waste taxpayer money and undermine national security.

WASHINGTON — THERE are signs that Congress may soon approve another series of domestic military base closings, after the Pentagon threatened earlier this month to cut nearly 90,000 jobs instead. For years, the military has been trying to save money with new rounds of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), the congressionally mandated process for shuttering underutilized domestic military installations. The move could save billions since, by the Pentagon’s own estimate, our network of domestic bases is bloated by more than 20 percent. But Congress has resisted, since local bases mean local jobs, and votes. BRAC, however, does not apply to the more than 700 United States bases overseas, including <hl> 174 <hl> in Germany, 113 in Japan and 83 in South Korea, as well as hundreds more in some 70 countries from Aruba to Kenya to Thailand. The military and Congress should go further by closing installations abroad. They both waste taxpayer money and undermine national security.