2011 Wimbledon: Venus Williams Rallies to Reach Third Round

Abstract: WIMBLEDON, England — It was as if time had been cranked back at Wimbledon: back to an era before polyester strings and big rips on every shot, which was also the era when officials at the All England Club were still scoffing at the idea of a roof over their hallowed Centre Court. But without that new age roof, there would have been no marveling at Kimiko Date-Krumm on Wednesday afternoon, no gasping with surprise at her retro game and now-exotic skills, no marveling that, at 40 years old, she was still able to run down ground strokes in the corners and conjure volley winners at full stretch or off the laces of her sneakers. It had been 15 years since Date-Krumm played on Wimbledon’s center stage, but she made the years melt away for nearly three hours in this second-round match. The only thing missing was the major upset, as she faltered at the finish against the five-time Wimbledon singles champion Venus Williams , who ultimately prevailed, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 8-6. “I played a very tough opponent today,” Williams said. “She doesn’t play anywhere near her age.” Experience has ruled in the women’s game of late with Li Na of China, 29, defeating Francesca Schiavone of Italy, who turns 31 on Thursday, in the French Open final earlier this month. But Date-Krumm is a decade older than Schiavone and nearly a decade older than Williams, who, at 31, is older than nearly everyone she plays at this stage of her career. No woman in her 40s has played singles at Wimbledon since Martina Navratilova got the urge for a last hurrah in 2004 and won a first-round match at age 47. On Monday, Date-Krumm became the second-oldest woman to win a singles match here in the Open era by defeating Katie O’Brien. But O’Brien, a low-ranked Briton who needed a wild card to play here, hardly represented the same sort of challenge as Williams, even if this is not yet the same imperious Williams who has turned so many grass-court matches into routs. Ranked 30th and seeded 23rd, Williams arrived at the All England Club short on matches after missing nearly five months with a hip flexor injury. She returned to the circuit only last week in Eastbourne, losing in the third round. She is now back in the third round at Wimbledon, where she will face María José Martínez Sánchez of Spain, another unusual player for this era who likes to serve and volley and has had an acrimonious exchange or two with Williams’s younger sister Serena, who once threatened her and accused her of cheating at the French Open for not admitting to being hit in the arm with a shot. But there is no one on tour who plays quite like Date-Krumm, the deft and diminutive Japanese star who had Williams bamboozled for long stretches of Wednesday’s match with her flat forehands, two-handed backhand slices and abrupt changes of pace and tactics. “You don’t really get a rhythm against her,” Williams said. “She hits a ball that no one else hits.” Rafael Nadal, the defending men’s champion, won under the roof later on Wednesday, defeating Ryan Sweeting of the United States, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. Though there was considerable anticipation here about Nadal playing the rising Canadian star Milos Raonic in the third round, it won’t happen this year. Raonic, seeded 31st in his first Wimbledon, retired while leading, 3-2, against Gilles Muller with right hip pain after falling in the fourth game. The two top American men, No. 8 seed Andy Roddick and No. 10 Mardy Fish, advanced to the third round in straight sets. Roddick will face Feliciano Lopez of Spain in what could be a preview of a Davis Cup match in Roddick’s home city, Austin, Tex., the week after Wimbledon. Fish will face Robin Haase of the Netherlands. In the women’s draw, No. 2 seed Vera Zvonareva, No. 4 Victoria Azarenka and No. 8 Petra Kvitova later won second-round matches. The first time Date-Krumm played here was in 1989, when 36 of the players in this year’s Wimbledon women’s field had not yet been born. The last time Date-Krumm played on Centre Court was in 1996, losing in the semifinals to Steffi Graf. Weary of the tour and the attention that came with being one of Japan’s biggest stars, she then took an extended leave, only to rediscover her passion for the sport in her late 30s after her marriage to the German racecar driver Michael Krumm. She returned to the circuit in 2008, 12 years after leaving it, and though this season has been less of a joy ride than last year, when she rose into the top 50, her enthusiasm was still evident from the first point on Wednesday as she scuttled around the grass like a youngster. Grass, where the ball stays low, is particularly suited to Date-Krumm’s game and to her low center of gravity; she is 5 feet 4 inches. “She really knows how to play on this stuff,” said David Witt, Williams’s hitting partner. Williams knows her grass-court tennis, too (and stands 6-1). But it was Date-Krumm who broke her in the opening game and jumped to a 3-0 lead that she soon extended to 5-1 before Williams began to reel her in. With rain keeping play from starting on all other courts, this match — played under the closed roof — was the only live programming available at Wimbledon throughout the early afternoon. But even if the sun had been shining, it is doubtful that many in the crowd would have felt the need to leave their seats and search for better entertainment. “Tough to beat that match,” said the veteran coach Nick Bollettieri, still shaking his head at some of Date-Krumm’s vintage shots and strategies. Date-Krumm learned the game before any of today’s current players, taking cues from the likes of Navratilova and Chris Evert as well as Steffi Graf and Gabriela Sabatini. “I like Martina Navratilova style,” Date-Krumm said. Attacking the net in this age of modern string technology is often considered a fool’s errand. Passing shots are too easy to hit with topspin now; baseline pace supposedly trumps subtlety. But Date-Krumm, at least on grass, offered a reminder Wednesday that timing and phenomenal placement can alter that balance of power, and playing under the roof — with no wind or glare to worry about — certainly helped her precision. Again and again, she caught Williams by surprise by hitting a groundstroke, waiting a half-beat for Williams to begin her stroke preparation and then scampering into the net to punch away a volley. On occasion, she mixed in a serve and volley. But it would be unfair to reduce Date-Krumm to a revivalist act. She has had to modernize her game, too, despite her Eastern forehand grip and yen for the sliced approach shot. She has had to learn to handle the faster pace, produce more power of her own and also improve her fitness. “Maybe I have more stamina than before, compared to when I was young,” said Date-Krumm, who ran the 2004 London Marathon in under 3 hours and 30 minutes during her retirement. She needed fitness Wednesday to play her demanding style and needed to find a way to return the two fastest serves of the women’s tournament so far — both 120 miles an hour — that Williams slammed late in the final set. But though Date-Krumm found plenty of solutions to modern problems, Williams was, despite her evident rust, too determined a champion to defeat. After Williams held serve, under considerable pressure, to 6-5 and then to 7-6, Date-Krumm finally cracked; she made four unforced errors in the final game of the match. “I think today it was a good fight for me,” Date-Krumm said. A good day to have a Centre Court ticket instead of an umbrella, too.

Tennis
Williams Venus
Date-Krumm Kimiko
Wimbledon Tennis Tournament


Canada Today: 150 Years Ago, the No. 1 Destination and Lots of Hockey

Abstract: There was no revolution to bind the nation together; instead, an array of factors drove the consolidation, including the descent of the United States into a Civil War that had only recently ended and the economic and military threats the country posed. Not everyone joined the new nation at first. And while most of the interior was only sparsely settled by Europeans, no one took the views of indigenous people into account. Even so, it was a moment of foundation: 150 years ago, the British North America Act was passed by Parliament in London, combining three British colonies — Canada (Ontario and Quebec), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick — into a single Dominion of Canada. As Canadians set out to celebrate all that the country has become and what they have achieved since then, the Times’s Travel editors have been looking north. And for their 12th annual Places to Go list, they have ranked Canada as the world’s top travel destination. “Canada has it all (O.K., maybe not tropical beaches),” the editors wrote . “It’s a world unto itself, with Vancouver Island surf breaks, culinary delights in Toronto and Montreal, and natural glories of parks like Banff in Alberta.” As many Canadian readers of this newsletter have pointed out in emails, the editors also noted that Canada’s wonders are not well known by many of the country’s American neighbors. “Let’s face it, clichés of Mounties and hockey aside, Canada remains a terra incognita for Americans and much of the world,” the editors wrote. “It’s a great time to correct that, as the country celebrates its 150th anniversary this year (which means free admission all year to those national parks) and currently offers a generous exchange rate with the United States dollar.” As part of Places to Go, five Canadian authors contributed essays about places in Canada “that have lodged in their psyches.” For Madeleine Thien, the author of “Do Not Say We Have Nothing,” which was recently awarded both the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction , that place is Port Hardy, British Columbia, which is on the northern point of Vancouver Island. “Port Hardy is a microcosm of Canada: a resource-dependent town with a complex human and environmental history,” Ms. Thien wrote. “The land of the Kwakiutl, whose name translates to ‘smoke of the world,’ was taken into ownership — both private and national — by gunpoint, dishonored treaties and restrictive and discriminatory laws.” We are also asking everyone, through Facebook, to share their recommendations for places to visit in Canada. The Times’s 360 Degree video producers also take you, in a virtual way, to the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge in Squamish, British Columbia. The result depends on your opinion of dizzying heights. While there is no signature event on the scale of Expo 67 , the world’s fair that was the highlight of the centennial celebrations 50 years ago, Canadians will still be celebrating the country’s birthday in a variety of ways this year, and we will be reporting on some of them. Finally, in Travel, and related to Canada’s top destination status, the 36 Hours feature comes to Ottawa , the city where I live. Remy Scalza, a writer from Vancouver, B.C., visited some classic but still worthwhile destinations, like Parliament Hill. Perhaps inevitably, he ate a BeaverTail , a flat, deep fried piece of dough. But he also made his way to neighborhoods that visitors often overlook, like Hintonburg (or Wellington West, as it has come to be known since its revival), and he sought out some of the city’s best breads and pastries at a bakery hidden in a gritty industrial complex. Grounded Canada also had a travel-related news event this week. Calgary police arrested an airline pilot who was apparently so drunk that he passed out in the cockpit of an airliner that was preparing to take off with 99 passengers bound for the sun and warmth of Mexico. Ice Battles Stephen Smith told the story of how the 228th Overseas Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force briefly became one of hockey’s best teams in the middle of World War I. Ice Ownership At 23, Alexandre Tanguay is one of the youngest team owners in professional sports. Tal Pinchevsky looked into the story of Mr. Tanguay, a member of a leading Quebec hockey family, who owns the Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League while he studies finance at the University of Quebec. Ice Heartbreak Canada lost the world junior hockey championship in Montreal on Thursday in a shootout with the United States. While the tournament was underway, Dhiren Mahiban looked into the lifelong friendships some players form while competing for their country as juniors on national teams — friendships that endure through later professional rivalries in the National Hockey League. Here are some articles from The Times over the last week, not necessarily related to Canada and perhaps overlooked, that I found interesting: — China, which Canada has identified as a potential oil customer, plans to spend more than $360 billion on renewable energy through 2020. — After a critic took exception to the season opener of the television series “Sherlock,” one of the creators of the series followed the lead of Arthur Conan Doyle and responded in verse . — Jean Vuarnet, the French Olympian who reshaped the form of downhill skiing, has died at the age of 83. — While Canada was in World War I from the beginning, the United States fought only briefly at the end. But the “war to end all wars” nevertheless influenced American art .

Canada
Ottawa
Rimouski Oceanic
Travel,Tourism
Ice hockey


Joe Biden Said to Be Taking New Look at Presidential Run

Abstract: Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his associates have begun to actively explore a possible presidential campaign, which would upend the Democratic field and deliver a direct threat to Hillary Rodham Clinton , several people who have spoken to Mr. Biden or his closest advisers say. Mr. Biden’s advisers have started to reach out to Democratic leaders and donors who have not yet committed to Mrs. Clinton or who have grown concerned about what they see as her increasingly visible vulnerabilities as a candidate. The conversations, often fielded by Mr. Biden’s chief of staff, Steve Ricchetti, have taken place through hushed phone calls and quiet lunches. In most cases, they have grown out of an outpouring of sympathy for Mr. Biden since the death of his son Beau, 46, in May. On Saturday, the New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd reported that Mr. Biden had been holding meetings at his residence, “talking to friends, family and donors about jumping in” to challenge Mrs. Clinton in Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two nominating states. One longtime Biden supporter said the vice president had been deeply moved by his son’s desire for him to run. “He was so close to Beau and it was so heartbreaking that, frankly, I thought initially he wouldn’t have the heart,” the supporter, Michael Thornton, a Boston lawyer, said in an interview. “But I’ve had indications that maybe he does want to — and ‘that’s what Beau would have wanted me to do.’ ” Mr. Biden’s path, should he run, would not be easy. Mrs. Clinton has enormous support among Democrats inspired by the idea of electing a woman as president, and her campaign has already raised millions of dollars. Who Is Running for President? Donald J. Trump officially accepted the Republican party's nomination on July 22. Hillary Clinton was officially nominated on July 26 at the Democratic Convention. Additionally, Mr. Biden, who is 72, has in the past proved to be prone to embarrassing gaffes on the campaign trail. He would also face the critical task of building a field operation. One Democrat with direct knowledge of the conversations described the outreach as a heady combination of donors and friends of Mr. Biden’s wanting to prop him up in his darkest hours, and of recent polls showing Mrs. Clinton’s support among independents declining, suggesting there could be a path to the nomination for the vice president. Ms. Dowd reported that as Beau Biden faced brain cancer, he “tried to make his father promise to run, arguing that the White House should not revert to the Clintons and that the country would be better off with Biden values.” Mr. Biden’s other son, Hunter, also encouraged him to run, she wrote. The support Mr. Biden has garnered speaks to growing concerns among Democrats that Mrs. Clinton could lose in Iowa and New Hampshire, as the populist message of one of her opponents, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, draws swelling crowds. “The reality is it’s going to be a tough, even-steven kind of race, and there’s that moment when a lot of party establishment would start exactly this kind of rumble: ‘Is there anybody else?’ ” said Joe Trippi, a Democratic strategist. At the same time, the slow trickle of news about Mrs. Clinton’s use of private email when she was secretary of state, and the coming Benghazi hearings, may be distracting some voters from the core message of her campaign: the need to lift the middle class. “It’s not that we dislike Hillary, it’s that we want to win the White House,” said Richard A. Harpootlian, a lawyer and Democratic donor in Columbia, S.C., who met with Mr. Ricchetti before Beau Biden died. “We have a better chance of doing that with somebody who is not going to have all the distractions of a Clinton campaign.” A spokeswoman for the Clinton campaign declined to comment. In a July 30 Quinnipiac poll , 57 percent of voters said Mrs. Clinton was not honest and trustworthy, and 52 percent said she did not care about their needs or problems. The same poll showed Mr. Biden with his highest favorability rating, 49 percent, in seven years, with 58 percent saying he was honest and trustworthy and 57 percent saying he cared about them. But Mrs. Clinton’s numbers are still strong, especially among likely Democratic primary voters. “The No. 1 thing voters want is a candidate who is honest and trustworthy, and the veep is leading in those polls,” said William Pierce, executive director of Draft Biden, a “ super PAC ” that is trying to build enthusiasm for a possible candidacy. Mr. Biden could still decide not to run. Confidants say they expect him to make something official by early September. Other than by not ruling out a run, and by holding preliminary meetings, he has not openly fueled speculation about his candidacy. As of Saturday, he had no trips planned to Iowa or New Hampshire in the coming weeks. But an intermediary recruited by the vice president’s office has been in touch with potential staff members who have not yet signed on to the Clinton campaign. Kendra Barkoff, a Biden spokeswoman, said, “As the Biden family continues to go through this difficult time, the vice president is focused on his family and immersed in his work.” A 2016 run would be the third time Mr. Biden, a longtime senator from Delaware, had sought the presidency, which friends say is his ultimate dream. Mr. Biden’s first campaign in 1988 ended in heartbreak after news reports that he plagiarized parts of a speech and exaggerated his academic record forced him to drop out. In 2008, he drew less than 1 percent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses and dropped out after making controversial comments about Barack Obama, then seeking his first term in the White House. Mr. Biden said he was “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean.” Mr. Obama later chose Mr. Biden as his running mate. In the early months of the 2016 campaign, the president has been careful not to undermine or wholeheartedly endorse either his former secretary of state or his vice president. “The president has said that the best political decision he’s ever made in his career has been to ask Joe Biden to run as his vice president,” Eric Schultz, a White House spokesman, said last week. Friends described Mr. Biden’s relationship with Mrs. Clinton in the Senate as cordial and warm. But in his long career in Democratic politics, Mr. Biden has clashed with former President Bill Clinton, and his relationship with Mrs. Clinton has not been without awkwardness. One close Biden confidant, Ron Klain, has been in contact with Mrs. Clinton’s campaign about helping her prepare for the Democratic debates, a sign some people interpreted as evidence that Mr. Biden would decide against a run. Mr. Ricchetti, a White House aide in the Clinton administration who is now Mr. Biden’s chief of staff, began talking to donors and supporters in the months before Beau Biden died. In recent weeks, those talks, with local elected officials and party leaders, started again, mostly because well-wishers were calling to check on the Biden family. The talk inevitably drifted to 2016, and many of these Democrats urged Mr. Biden to seriously consider getting into the race, said people with knowledge of the talks who agreed to discuss private conversations only anonymously. Mr. Ricchetti declined to comment. The speculation intensified on Thursday when friends of Mrs. Clinton’s spotted Mr. Ricchetti having breakfast at the Four Seasons in Washington with Louis B. Susman, a major donor and former ambassador to Britain. Fox News reported on the meeting. Mr. Susman — who has already made the maximum donation allowed in the primary, $2,700, to Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, and who is a longtime friend of the Biden family — dismissed any implication that he was discussing the vice president’s plans. “He wasn’t testing the waters with me,” Mr. Susman said of Mr. Ricchetti. “There was never any discussion of the presidential campaign or money.” Mr. Biden is by no means a virtuoso campaigner. But his entry into the race would add an unbridled, often unscripted passion for the presidency that some Democrats say the ever-cautious Mrs. Clinton at times lacks. One Democratic donor with direct knowledge of the overtures from the Biden camp said Mr. Biden had already thought about how he would position himself in the race, delivering an economic message to the left of Mrs. Clinton’s while embracing Obama administration policies, like health care reform , that are widely popular among Democrats.

Joe Biden
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
Beau Biden
2016 Presidential Election


Terror Stings May Strain Relationship Between F.B.I. and Muslim Leaders

Abstract: PORTLAND, Ore. — The arrest in a plot to bomb a popular Christmas tree-lighting ceremony here has renewed focus on the crucial but often fragile relationship that many Muslim communities have with federal law enforcement agencies. Many Muslim leaders nationwide say they are committed to working with the authorities to fight terrorist threats and applauded the work in Portland. But some say cases like the one in Oregon, in which undercover agents said they helped a teenager plan the attack, risk undermining the trust of Muslim communities that federal agents say is essential to doing their jobs. The failed Portland plot is one of several recent cases, from California to Washington, D.C., in which undercover agents helped suspects pursue terrorist plans. Some Muslims say the government appears to be enabling and even sensationalizing threats that can lead to backlashes against Muslim communities. On Sunday, a mosque in Corvallis, Ore., was firebombed. It had been attended by the Portland suspect, Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, a naturalized American citizen from Somalia. “Unlike the so-called plot at Pioneer Square, that was a real terrorist attack, against a house of worship,” said a man who attends the Islamic Center of Portland and Masjed As-Saber, another mosque where Mr. Mohamud worshiped. “What the F.B.I. did can be seen in Corvallis,” the man said, one of several people who spoke with a reporter but refused to give their names out of concern that they would bring negative attention to the mosque. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. defended the Oregon investigation and others this week as part of what he called a “forward-leaning way” that law enforcement is “trying to find people who are bound and determined to harm Americans and American interests around the world.” Hussam Ayloush, the executive director of the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said law enforcement was going too far. “ ‘Forward-leaning’ seems to be basically if someone has not crossed the bridge, we will push them forward, we will tip them over the edge,” he said. “And that is not how a government should be treating its citizens.” “My worry would be that the F.B.I. is pushing to a point where it becomes difficult to trust the F.B.I.,” said Mr. Ayloush, who added that he was a graduate of an F.B.I. Citizens’ Academy. “When people start doubting, then they might feel like, ‘Well, maybe it might make things worse if I call,’ and we don’t want this.” Amid the tension, Muslim leaders say their communities are doing more than ever to help in investigations — a fact they say is overlooked by many Americans. A November report by the Muslim Public Affairs Council said Muslim communities had helped law enforcement agencies foil almost 4 of every 10 Qaeda-related terrorism plots since the Sept. 11 attacks. The report is based on information the group draws from news media accounts, affidavits, academic studies and other sources. “There is an enormous countertrend that has emerged within the last few years,” said Alejandro Beutel, the author of the report. “People are saying: ‘This is a serious issue, and we are dealing with this. We are not tolerating this.’ ” Even as federal law enforcement officials have been criticized, they say their investigations have been strengthened by their outreach efforts and good relations with Muslims, including here in Oregon. Leaders of mosques, including those attended by Mr. Mohamud, regularly attend meetings with law enforcement officials. And Mr. Mohamud’s father, Osman Barre, provided information before his son’s arrest about his increasing radicalization, officials have said. Dwight C. Holton, the United States attorney for Oregon, said he would travel to Washington next week to meet with Mr. Holder to discuss Oregon’s participation in a new Justice Department program called Enhanced Muslim Community Outreach. “The minute I heard about this program, I signed Oregon up,” Mr. Holton said, adding that the meeting was scheduled before Mr. Mohamud’s arrest. “It’s so important to do this outreach, and this program will allow us to do even more work, to do more face-to-face meetings with not just the community leaders but with members of the community.” The events in Oregon have put many Muslims in unexpected and uncomfortable roles. Shahriar Ahmed is a jovial 55-year-old engineer and a self-described member of a group of “nerdy folks” with postgraduate degrees living in suburban Portland. He is also the president of his local mosque, Bilal Masjid, with skills that he said leaned more toward fund-raising than faith-building. “I’m not a theologian by trade,” said Mr. Ahmed, who knows only enough Arabic to get through his prayers. “I’m just good at begging for money.” But with the arrest of Mr. Mohamud and then the fire in Corvallis, Mr. Ahmed has been fielding questions on topics ranging from Islam in general to how the aftermath could affect worshipers at his mosque. For him, the broader questions are not necessarily the most pressing. “My 11-year-old son started crying in the back of the car,” Mr. Ahmed said, recalling a conversation about the fire. “I could not make him stop. He was saying: ‘Is our mosque going to get burned? Is our mosque going to get burned?’ ”

Terrorism
Islam
Muslim-Americans
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Portland (Ore)


Braves Shell Mets as Johan Santana Makes Early Exit

Abstract: The much-anticipated return of Johan Santana began with the expectation that three weeks on the disabled list with a sprained ankle had helped rest his fatigued left arm. The result, however, was a dizzying string of hard hits by the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night and a stunned Santana staring at the ground as he walked off the mound after recording only four outs. Santana allowed eight runs — the third most in a start in his 12-year career — and eight hits in the Mets ’ 9-3 loss at Citi Field. It was the sixth loss in eight games for the Mets (54-60). “It was just one of those nights where I didn’t execute pitches,” Santana said. Before the game, Manager Terry Collins voiced optimism that Santana’s stint on the disabled list had freshened him for the rest of the season and cured the ailments, mainly arm fatigue, that had contributed to a 6.54 earned run average since his no-hitter June 1. Afterward, Collins maintained that Santana was rusty. “His command was off,” Collins said. “At least he feels good, he feels like he’s O.K., and that’s the bright side, if there is one.”Most of Santana’s 43 pitches were pummeled by an aggressive Braves lineup, which pounced on his hanging changeups. Freddie Freeman drove in two runs with a double in the first inning. In the second, six of the first seven hitters reached base against Santana, who was relieved after a run-scoring single by Chipper Jones made the score 6-0. The next batter, Freeman, hit a three-run homer to center field off Jeremy Hefner, and two of those runs were charged to Santana. Santana’s E.R.A., which was 2.38 after his no-hitter, has risen to 4.58 nine outings later. “I’m just going through a tough stretch,” Santana said. “I’m struggling. I’ve got to bounce back. I haven’t pitched for the last three weeks. It takes a little bit of time.”Looking ahead to the final two months of the season, the Mets could be hoping for two things: that Santana rebounds from Saturday’s debacle to give the team a better chance for a strong finish, and that the remaining starts serve as an audition for other teams if the Mets look to deal him in the off-season. Trading Santana, a 33-year-old left-hander, is a long shot; he is owed $25.5 million in the final year of his contract next season (and a $5.5 million buyout) and has a full no-trade clause. But the Mets have starting pitching depth in their farm system and holes elsewhere, and they need immediate financial flexibility. If they could manage to split the difference with another team, would the Mets consider trading Santana to free up money to sign a free-agent outfielder like Michael Bourn or Melky Cabrera? “If they can move him, I think that they absolutely would consider it, to get out from underneath the money,” Steve Phillips, a former Mets general manager who hosts a show on Sirius XM Radio, said in a telephone interview. “I think that’s the easy part of it. The difficult part is finding who the partner would be and what’s the right amount of salary somebody would pay.” Phillips said that teams might be willing to pay $10 million to have Santana in 2013, with the Mets footing the rest of the bill. Finding suitors at even that high a price might be difficult, as injury concerns have knocked down Santana’s trade value. At that point for the Mets, “you might just have him pitch for you and get $15 million worth of performance out of him,” Phillips said. It is still premature to assess Santana’s 2012 season. With Santana coming off shoulder surgery that forced him to miss the 2011 season, his dominance early this season was encouraging. He was 6-5 with a 3.24 E.R.A. at the All-Star break. But he has significantly faded, and shoulder fatigue, velocity dips and eight-run outings are never a good thing. “When he was winning Cy Youngs, it was because he had plus stuff with great command,” Collins said. “He doesn’t throw 95 anymore, but command is still going to be what got him through it. You look at the games he’s pitched well: lots of swings and misses, lots of called strikes. Right now, they’re not swinging and missing.” One question is how much the Mets need him down the road. The team has already brought the rookie starter Matt Harvey to the majors, and the heralded prospect Zack Wheeler may not be far behind. Collins said that Jenrry Mejia was being reconverted into a starter for Class AAA Buffalo as well. By 2014, when outfielder Jason Bay and Santana come off the books, the Mets will have their desired financial flexibility. The difficulty is getting there without repeating what has happened on the field this season. INSIDE PITCH The Mets designated the left-hander Garrett Olson for assignment Saturday to make room for Johan Santana on the roster.

Atlanta Braves
Baseball
Santana Johan
Sports Injuries
New York Mets


Bichette and Mattingly Are a World Apart With Yankees

Abstract: TAMPA, Fla. — On Field No. 1 at the Yankees ’ minor league complex, Dante Bichette Jr. ripped a double into the right-field corner Monday. Bichette, the son of a former major league standout and the Yankees’ top draft pick last June, is only 19, but he has stardom projected for him. With time to develop, he could one day replace Alex Rodriguez at third base. The Yankees are enamored of what they see in Bichette’s talent, his desire and his team-first approach. “He has the best makeup we’ve seen here since Derek Jeter,” said Mark Newman, the team’s senior vice president for baseball operations. “He’s a really good player.” Earlier in the day, another son of a former major league star, and also a first-round draft pick, handed in his uniform. Preston Mattingly , the 24-year-old son of the former Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly , was released by the Yankees, perhaps ending his dream of following his father’s footsteps into the major leagues. Mattingly, who bears an almost eerie resemblance to his father at the same age, was originally selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers 31st over all in the June 2006 draft. He spent five years in the Dodgers’ minor league system before being traded to the Cleveland Indians in September 2010. After Cleveland released him, Mattingly, a career .232 hitter in the minors , was signed by the Yankees in January as a favor to his father, who is entering his second year as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Preston Mattingly was born Aug. 28, 1987, and his father celebrated that night by going 2 for 4 against the Seattle Mariners. For Preston, who was a Dodgers minor leaguer while his father was coaching the major league club, wearing the uniform his father did during his 14-year career with the Yankees was a brief thrill. “It’s very cool,” he said Sunday, before he was cut. “Obviously, people think I’m here just because of my dad. I’m very proud of my father and all he accomplished in this uniform, so that’s fine with me. I thank the Yankees for giving me the opportunity.” But for Preston Mattingly, good genes and a first-round pedigree do not guarantee success in baseball. The Yankees, however, have very different plans for Bichette. After hitting .342 last year for the Gulf Coast Yankees , Bichette will start this year with Class A Charleston. He has a lot to learn, but he has already shown the willingness to do so. Take one look at Bichette’s young face and his swing and, as with Mattingly, there is no mistaking that he is his father’s son. Bichette says he learned everything about the game from his father, whom he talks to several times a day. He clearly learned how to swing like his father, who hit .299 with 274 home runs in a 14-year career . “From the launch position onward, our swings are identical,” Bichette said. “The start is a little different, but really, since I was 11 years old, everything I’ve learned about the game I’ve learned from him, and everything I learn from other people, I check it out with him, too.” But Bichette said his mother, Mariana, also provided daily guidance and had been equally as instrumental to his young career as his father. He speaks to his mother multiple times a day, he said, and she provides strong support in the ever challenging mental aspects of the game. “She gives me books to read,” Bichette said, “like Ted Williams’s ‘ The Science of Hitting .’ She reads them first and then gives them to me. She gave me a CD from Steve Springer on the mental side of hitting, and I listen to that every single morning on the way to work. “We’ll talk after games or workouts, and she’ll ask me what happened and will ask if there was a better way I could have handled it.” Bichette, who was a top-100 junior tennis player before choosing baseball, says that despite his father’s playing days with five teams, including Boston, he was always a Yankees fan — another thing he shares with Mattingly. “It’s an honor to play for the Yankees and to wear this uniform,” Bichette said. “Even when my dad played for the Red Sox, he said there was nothing better than playing in Yankee Stadium. So it will be a fun time if I ever get the chance to get up there.” That would be a significant moment for Yankees Manager Joe Girardi. He and Dante Bichette Sr., who both joined the Rockies in 1993, are best friends. Girardi even named his son Dante, after Bichette. Their wives are close, too, and they can all remember when Dante Jr. was just a baby, asleep in the back of the minivan. “I knew Dante as a 3-month-old,” Girardi said. “From where we were, putting him to sleep in the back of the car, to where we are now is pretty amazing. I would love for him to be here when I’m still managing. That would be pretty special.” Girardi never had the chance to play with Mattingly’s father. Don Mattingly retired the year before Girardi joined the Yankees as a player in 1996, and now his son has left, too.

Baseball
Mattingly Preston
Bichette Dante Jr.
Mattingly Don
Bichette Dante
New York Yankees
Bichette Dante Jr


Celtics Rally in Win Over Suns and Surpass .500

Abstract: Jeff Green scored 14 points, the rookie Jared Sullinger added 12 points and a season-best 16 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics recovered from a dreadful third quarter to beat the slumping Phoenix Suns, 87-79, at home on Wednesday night. The Celtics survived a scoring drought that lasted almost half the third quarter, scoring just 14 in the period before regaining the lead and taking command against the Suns, who lost their 11th straight on the road. Jason Terry added 13 points as Boston’s reserves outscored Phoenix’s, 47-16. Kevin Garnett was the only Boston starter to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points and 5 rebounds. The Celtics (18-17), who opened the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run, have won four straight and are back above .500 for the first time in two weeks. CAVALIERS 99, HAWKS 83 Kyrie Irving scored 18 of his 33 points in the third quarter, and Cleveland beat visiting Atlanta. The Cavaliers had lost five of six over all and six straight at home. The 16-point winning margin was their biggest this season. The Cavaliers, who had only 10 available players, announced earlier in the day that Anderson Varejao would have surgery Thursday to repair a muscle that split near his right knee. Varejao, averaging an N.B.A.-leading 14.4 rebounds per game, was expected to miss six to eight weeks. His injury was initially diagnosed as a bruised knee. As his symptoms persisted, more tests revealed a longitudinal split between his quadriceps and knee. THUNDER 106, T’WOLVES 84 Kevin Durant scored 26 points, and Oklahoma City won at home. Terry Porter filled in as Minnesota’s coach for a second straight game with Rick Adelman tending to a personal matter. Before the game, Minnesota announced that Kevin Love, who needs surgery on his shooting hand, would miss the next 8 to 10 weeks. The hand is broken for the second time this season. IN OTHER GAMES Kenneth Faried scored 19 points and grabbed 19 rebounds to help Denver rally past visiting Orlando, 108-105. ... Brandon Jennings scored 20 of his 35 points in the third quarter, and Milwaukee beat host Chicago, 104-96, for its second straight win under the interim coach Jim Boylan. ... Roger Mason scored 15 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter to rally New Orleans to an 88-79 win over visiting Houston. ... Amir Johnson had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and host Toronto beat Philadelphia, 90-72, to hand the 76ers their fifth straight loss. ... Al Jefferson had 26 points and 8 rebounds, and Utah won at Charlotte, 112-102, for its fourth win in five games. WIZARDS’ WALL NEAR RETURN Washington guard John Wall, who has been recovering from a stress injury to his left kneecap, said he would be ready to make his season debut Saturday against Atlanta if he could get through the next couple of days of practice without pain. MAYORS RESPOND TO REPORTS The investor Chris Hansen has reportedly contacted the Maloof family about buying the Sacramento Kings, setting up the possibility of the N.B.A.’s return to Seattle. “I know as much as you do,” Mayor Mike McGinn of Seattle said when asked about the situation. “If it’s true, ain’t it cool?” At an afternoon news conference, Mayor Kevin Johnson of Sacramento said that Wednesday was significant because for the first time, Kings fans knew the team was for sale. Johnson said he would do all he could to find someone with a Sacramento connection to possibly buy the team and keep it in the city. Hansen, a Seattle native and a San Francisco-based investor, reached agreement with local governments in Seattle in October on plans to build an arena near the city’s other stadiums.


For Wisconsin, Student-Athlete Is Not an Oxymoron in N.C.A.A. Tournament

Abstract: ANAHEIM, Calif. — On the eve of their West Regional final Saturday against Arizona, the Wisconsin players were ensconced in a hotel down the street from Disneyland, in a meeting room with two walls of floor-to-ceiling windows. In the fishbowl that is the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament, temptation was giving the Badgers a full-court press. Outside, Wisconsin fans basking in the bright sunshine strolled past in shorts, red T-shirts and halter tops. A few held beer cans, including a woman who rapped on a window until the players looked up. The basketball portion of their day was done, but the Badgers had more business to tend to. They put their heads down and resumed studying, ignoring the foot traffic outside, the chocolate chip cookies left over from the lunch buffet and the officials’ whistles coming from the television, tuned to a regional game featuring their Big Ten rival Michigan, filtering in from the lobby bar on the other side of the double doors. As Tracey Maloney, the academic support staff member assigned to the team, looked on, the freshman guard Jordan Hill studied Italian vocabulary. Another freshman, Riley Dearring, researched Plessy v. Ferguson for a United States history class. Image Wisconsin players celebrating Thursday’s victory over Baylor. Every senior on the Wisconsin men’s basketball team in the past two seasons graduated. Credit Jae C. Hong/Associated Press Frank Kaminsky, a junior forward whose game-high 19 points and career-high 6 blocks had figured prominently in the Badgers’ 17-point victory against Baylor the previous night, worked on a blog post assignment. The senior guard Ben Brust told Maloney about a Nascar podcast for an independent studies project that he had completed a few hours before scoring 14 points against Baylor. And between emails with his project partners in Madison, the fifth-year senior Zach Bohannon, a reserve forward, helped the junior guard Josh Gasser with his accounting homework. The term student-athlete is not an oxymoron in the N.C.A.A. tournament. Every senior on the Wisconsin men’s basketball team in the past two seasons graduated, and the team is on track to achieve that again this year. With their 64-63 overtime victory against the top-seeded Wildcats, the Badgers also managed a first for a Bo Ryan-coached team. They earned a trip to the Final Four, which means they will spend another week juggling classwork and tournament games. “A lot of people think that it’s easy to be a student-athlete, that people just do things for you and this and that,” said Hill, a kinesiology major. “I don’t know about other schools, but at Wisconsin, that doesn’t fly.” The public tends to be less productive at the office during the N.C.A.A. tournament, especially when early-round games are played during business hours. But there is no dip in the players’ productivity when the postseason starts. If anything, the travel and the games conspire to make their workdays more onerous because they cannot afford to fall behind on lectures, midterms, research papers and projects. The Badgers got a breather in this tournament because the opening rounds coincided with the university’s spring break. N.C.A.A. Tournament: Who Do You Hate (and Love)? Which team do you think will win? Eh, never mind that. Tell us which teams’ losses would give you the greatest joy, and which team’s success would make you most happy. One player said he woke up one morning last week and caught his roommate with his nose buried in his geography text. “It’s definitely tough,” said Gasser, who is majoring in business marketing. “I know I spent Sunday and Monday before we left just trying to get ahead in classes.” The day the team left for California, Bohannon said, he was up until 4:30 a.m. working on a case study that he and two other students have to present this week. Bohannon, 23, who spent two years at the Air Force Academy before transferring to Wisconsin, completed his undergraduate degree in economics in December 2012 and then earned a master’s in life sciences communication. He is working toward a master’s in business administration. “My teammates kind of all make fun of me for being the nerd on the team,” Bohannon said. At 6 feet 6 inches and 206 pounds, Bohannon calls to mind the actor Jack McBrayer, who played the NBC page Kenneth Parcell on the sitcom “30 Rock.” He has a smile that draws people closer, a neat coif and an insatiable curiosity, all of which augur well for his political aspirations. A desire to find out more about issues affecting student-athletes led Bohannon to become involved with the College Athletes Players Association, which is behind the effort by a group of Northwestern football players, led by quarterback Kain Colter, to gain the right to form a union and bargain collectively. On Wednesday, a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board ruled in the players’ favor. Image “My teammates kind of all make fun of me for being the nerd on the team,” said Zach Bohannon, left. Credit Steve Gotter/Wisconsin Athletics Before Colter presented the players’ case in February to the N.L.R.B., Bohannon participated in several weekly conference calls, he said. They generally lasted about an hour and revolved around topics like the 50- to 60-hour workweeks many athletes routinely log, head injuries, sports-related medical expenses for current and former athletes, and athletes’ rights to pursue the majors of their choice and commercial sponsorships. “There’s no perfect model,” Bohannon said, “but there’s a lot of things the N.C.A.A. can fix.” The debate over whether basketball players are student-athletes or university employees resonated with Bohannon, who was initially turned away from Wisconsin’s M.B.A. program, he said, because he did not have at least two years of work experience. After earning his first master’s, Bohannon pleaded his case. “I told them I’ve worked my whole life as a student-athlete,” he said. “I think you should let me be a unique case.” His application fell on the desk of Cynthia Adams, the director of the Nicholas Center for Corporate Finance and Investment Banking at the Wisconsin School of Business. Her initial reaction was that Bohannon did not have the time or the work experience to be a good fit for the program. Then she thought of her daughter, a senior on the Syracuse rowing team, and reconsidered. If Bohannon could handle the demands of being a Division I athlete well enough to earn two degrees, why should anyone stand in the way of his pursuing an M.B.A.? Bohannon was given an interview and was so persuasive, his admission was a lock. “I never get a sense that Zach’s a basketball player that’s getting an M.B.A.,” Adams said. “I always think of Zach as an M.B.A. student on the basketball team.” The Badgers secured their spot in the Round of 16 with a win over Oregon in Milwaukee last weekend, and Bohannon met for four hours the next day with the students on his project team. As they discussed complex financial analysis models, Bohannon said, “I was actually sneaking behind my computer watching some of the tournament games.” The long days and late nights are tiring, but Bohannon’s smile masked the circles under his eyes. “I’ll have the rest of my life to learn,” he said. “I only have one more chance to try to win a national championship.”

College basketball
NCAA Men's Basketball,March Madness
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Education


Though Not Quietly, Kentucky Moves to Cut Reliance on Coal

Abstract: BURGIN, Ky. — The E. W. Brown power plant rides like an ocean liner on a rolling ridge in Kentucky, its smokestacks and plumes visible across fields of corn and cattle for miles around. The coal-fired plant has lighted homes since Dwight D. Eisenhower was in office. But under the Obama administration’s plan to fight global warming, its days could be ticking down. Two of its three coal-fired generating units are among the oldest and least efficient in the state, and concerns that the plant could close are making residents of this small town deeply anxious. “It would completely shut Burgin down,” said Ann Phillips, who with her husband, Scott, runs the Burgin Depot, a small grocery (“American Owned & Operated. In God We Trust. Penns Country Ham $7.99”), which does 40 percent of its business with employees of the plant. Here in coal country, the reaction from politicians and the coal industry to President Obama’s climate plan has been swift and close to apocalyptic. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican minority leader, called the proposed rule “a dagger in the heart of the American middle class.” His Democratic opponent in a fierce Senate race this year, Alison Lundergan Grimes, matched his outrage, accusing the president of “targeting Kentucky coal with pie-in-the-sky regulations that are impossible to achieve.” But beyond the campaign rhetoric, even here in Kentucky, which ranks No. 1 in the nation in carbon emissions per unit of electricity produced from all sources, others more quietly are saying that doom may not be at hand. In drafting its regulation, the Environmental Protection Agency listened to energy-rich states like Kentucky and offered wide flexibility to meet its requirement, the most aggressive federal effort yet to address climate change. Despite cries of a “war on coal” that echo through mining country in eastern Kentucky, the region is already taking hardheaded steps toward a post-coal economy. John Lyons, Kentucky’s assistant secretary for climate policy, is cautiously optimistic that the carbon limits will not raise electric prices sharply enough to drive out manufacturers, who set up in the state for rates that are among the lowest in the country. “I think our electric prices are going to go up, regardless of what’s done with this rule,” he said. Image Alison Lundergan Grimes, the Democratic Senate candidate in Kentucky. Credit Win McNamee/Getty Images Representative John Yarmuth, a Democrat from Louisville, said Kentucky had already been moving toward a future less reliant on coal because of competition from cheaper, cleaner natural gas. “If you add all the numbers up, we can probably comply with the terms of the rule with very little impact, if any, because everybody’s heading in that direction to begin with,” he said. “Anybody who’s actually looked at the subject understands coal is going to play a dramatically reduced role in our nation’s energy portfolio.” In drafting its regulation, the E.P.A. endorsed a 23-page “white paper” that Kentucky’s energy department sent last year asking that states be given wide flexibility in reducing carbon. Rather than regulate emissions from every smokestack, the E.P.A. is giving states an overall target to meet — in Kentucky’s case, a reduction of 18 percent of carbon pollution by 2030. The target is lower than for many states, taking into account Kentucky’s heavy coal habit, which accounts for 93 percent of its electricity. The state has great flexibility in devising a plan to reach the goal. It can include switching plants from coal to natural gas, developing renewable energy like solar, and encouraging the use of efficient home appliances and insulation to reduce demand. And none of it will happen immediately: Any shutdowns are years away, as the E.P.A.’s proposal faces a political and legal onslaught. But it is clear that if the plan goes into effect, there will be short-term disruptions, including to local economies tied to individual coal plants that might close, and in mining regions like eastern Kentucky, where the number of coal jobs is already at a historic low. The E.P.A. estimated that coal production in central Appalachia would fall by up to 37 percent as a result of its proposal. “It’s going to be devastating if the power plant goes down,” said Dionna Sizemore of Burgin, a mother of two, ages 11 and 16, who moved from Harlan County, the heart of Appalachian coal country, to escape dead-end prospects there. “We know the impact it’s having on friends and family back home: people having to move off.” Mr. Lyons said it was impossible to say this early which of the state’s 56 coal-fired generating units, if any, might close. Many have already installed costly upgrades to comply with earlier pollution rules. But Laura Sheehan, a spokeswoman for the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, a trade group, said about 15 of the state’s oldest and smallest units were at risk of being shut down because of the new carbon rule. Synapse Energy Economics, a research company based in Boston, identified the two older units at the E. W. Brown plant as “uneconomic” based on the estimated cost of complying with projected caps on carbon. A spokeswoman for the plant’s owner, Kentucky Utilities Company, said it had no plans to retire the units, which opened in 1957 and 1963 and have a combined capacity of about 270 megawatts. Along with a third, newer coal-burning unit, the plant consumes 1.5 million tons of coal annually, which arrives on railroad cars that thunder through Burgin. Nationwide, the E.P.A. projects that as much as 19 percent of electricity from the country’s 600 coal-fired plants will be uneconomical under the carbon regulation by 2020. Image Senator Mitch McConnell expressed outrage over President Obama’s climate plan. Credit Gabriella Demczuk/The New York Times Such estimates are what send critics to the barricades, warning of steep increases in electric rates and steep job losses. With electricity in Kentucky priced around 7 cents per kilowatt-hour (compared with 16 cents in New York), the state has attracted energy-intensive industries like aluminum and steel. There are no studies yet of the impact of the E.P.A.’s proposal on the state’s economy. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest business lobby, projected 21,400 job losses annually in a four-state region that includes Kentucky. But the study was based on deeper carbon reductions than the E.P.A. proposed. The agency says that nationwide, electric bills will rise in the short run by 3.2 percent, but will decline by 8 percent by 2030, as a result of increased energy efficiency. It also says reducing carbon pollution from power plants, the nation’s leading source of emissions linked to global warming, will save money and create jobs. Jobs in coal mining are another story. Bill Bissett, the president of the Kentucky Coal Association, called the E.P.A. proposal “very bad news for states like Kentucky who mine and use coal to create electricity.” On Tuesday, Mr. McConnell introduced the Coal Country Protection Act, which would require the administration to prove that no jobs would be lost and that electric rates would not rise before the E.P.A. rule could take effect. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, blocked it. In truth, coal jobs have been declining in central Appalachia since the 1980s for a variety of reasons. They include competition from natural gas and cheaper coal from Wyoming that is easier to dig out of the ground, as well as earlier environmental regulations under Mr. Obama. While Mr. McConnell and Ms. Grimes bludgeon each other in their Senate race over who will be coal’s best friend, other politicians, notably Gov. Steven L. Beshear, a Democrat, and Representative Harold Rogers, a Republican from eastern Kentucky, have worked less noisily to move the region’s economy beyond coal. Last year, they held a bipartisan conference in Pikeville, Ky., on developing a post-coal economy. Mr. Rogers favors running high-capacity, high-speed Internet cable into rural areas, which has already created thousands of jobs in digital record keeping, like those at a State Department visa processing center in Williamsburg, Ky., that uses facial-recognition technology. “We could make some great progress,” Mr. Rogers said. He did not minimize the impact of the carbon emissions rule, which he called devastating. But he pointed out that coal jobs had been in decline for decades. “We have no choice but to find additional ways to make a living,” he said.

Kentucky
Coal
Greenhouse gas
Barack Obama
Electric power
EPA
Energy industry


JPMorgan to Pay $55 Million to Settle Mortgage Discrimination Complaint

Abstract: JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay $55 million to settle an investigation into whether it charged thousands of African-American and Hispanic borrowers higher interest rates on mortgages than white customers. The proposed settlement, which was announced Wednesday, would conclude a federal inquiry that began nearly seven years ago into possible discriminatory mortgage practices by JPMorgan, the nation’s largest bank. The discriminatory loans were originated from at least 2006 to late 2009, according to a complaint filed this month by Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York. Black and Hispanic borrowers were charged, on average, $1,000 more than comparable mortgages given to whites, the complaint said. The mortgages were made by independent brokers and then funded by JPMorgan, a standard practice in the years before the 2008 financial crisis, when banks relied on third parties to bring them lucrative loans through what was known as a wholesale network. Many banks, including JPMorgan, no longer rely on third-party agents to broker loans. JPMorgan released a statement Wednesday that said: “We’ve agreed to settle these legacy allegations that relate to pricing set by independent brokers. We deny any wrongdoing and remain committed to providing equal access to credit.” The United States attorney’s settlement with JPMorgan, which is subject to a judge’s approval, will close another mortgage case lingering from the fallout of the 2008 financial crisis. The $55 million penalty is far less than the $175 million that Wells Fargo agreed to pay in 2012 to settle accusations that its independent brokers discriminated against African-American and Hispanic borrowers. Under President Obama, federal prosecutors have investigated many lenders, large and small, on suspicion of discrimination. In 2010, the Justice Department established a unit to focus on unfair lending practices. Prosecutors expanded their focus on racial discrimination into auto lending, where lenders were accused of buying loans brokered by car dealers who charged minority borrowers higher rates. The financial and auto industries questioned the method prosecutors and regulators used to determine whether loans were discriminatory. Consumer and civil rights advocates said they expected the Justice Department to bring fewer racial discrimination cases against banks after Donald J. Trump becomes president. Even though JPMorgan did not originate the loans, the federal complaint said that the bank gave mortgage brokers some discretion in setting the rates and fees on loans. The prosecutors cited a “causal connection” between the bank’s price discretion policies and the racial disparities among the mortgages. The complaint also said that JPMorgan was “directly and extensively involved in setting the complete terms and condition of wholesale mortgage loans.” Even when JPMorgan had reason to know there were pricing disparities, it did not determine the extent of the problem and act to stop it, the complaint said. On average, an African-American borrower with a wholesale mortgage was charged $1,126 more in fees and interest on a loan of $191,100 over the first five years, the complaint said.

Discrimination
JPMorgan Chase
Preet Bharara
Justice Department
Mortgage loan


Lost Letter Raises Questions About Mbeki’s Role in Zimbabwe

Abstract: JOHANNESBURG — The curious case of the mysterious letter from Zimbabwe ’s opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai , to South Africa ’s president, Thabo Mbeki , got a new chapter this weekend that raised yet more questions about Mr. Mbeki’s credibility as the regional mediator in Zimbabwe’s increasingly tumultuous political crisis. News of Mr. Tsvangirai’s impassioned, four-page missive broke a week ago in South African newspapers. In the May 13 letter, marked “privileged, private and confidential,” Mr. Tsvangirai, a former trade union leader, maintained that Mr. Mbeki had favored Zimbabwe’s aging strongman, President Robert Mugabe , and that he should step aside as the sole mediator. Mr. Tsvangirai, now campaigning for a June 27 runoff election with Mr. Mugabe, recounted his shock at seeing Mr. Mbeki on television on April 12 holding hands with Mr. Mugabe in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, and saying there was no crisis. That day, regional heads of state were meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, to confront Zimbabwe’s crisis, set off by the government’s extraordinary delay in releasing the results of the March presidential election. “In fact, since the 29 March election, Zimbabwe has plunged into horrendous violence while you have been mediating,” Mr. Tsvangirai wrote. “With respect, if we continue like this, there will be no country left.” Then last week, the story of the letter to Mr. Mbeki — who had been designated by the Southern African Development Community, a regional bloc of nations, to mediate the political conflict in Zimbabwe — took a strange turn. Frank Chikane, director general of Mr. Mbeki’s office, held a news conference on Wednesday in which he denied not only that the president had received the letter, but that it even existed, according to the South African Press Association. And in a statement, Mr. Mbeki’s office accused the news media of printing a fabrication and being taken in by a disinformation campaign. “Regarding these reports, the presidency reiterates that President Thabo Mbeki has not received any such letter from Mr. Tsvangirai,” the statement said. The statement also took the news media to task for asking about rumors that many South Africans were struggling to understand Mr. Mbeki’s silence since the election as dozens of opposition supporters in Zimbabwe were killed and hundreds brutally beaten. The rumors “include claims that either President Mbeki or Mrs. Zanele Mbeki are supposed to be blood relatives of Mrs. Grace Mugabe,” Mr. Mugabe’s wife, the statement noted in a tone of disbelief. Trying to understand Mr. Mbeki is a favorite parlor game here in Johannesburg. Its latest iterations include wondering why he never visited South Africa’s impoverished townships as they exploded with xenophobic violence last month. Asked this question on Sunday, Mr. Mbeki’s spokesman, Mukoni Ratshitanga, replied that the government had responded appropriately. “Government is a collective,” he said. “It’s not an individual.” Then his phone buzzed with another call that he said was very important and he signed off. Another persistent question is why Mr. Mbeki has stuck to his “quiet diplomacy” with Mr. Mugabe as Zimbabwe’s economy has sunk ever deeper into ruin and sent millions of despairing Zimbabweans pouring into South Africa. Does he have a soft spot for the 84-year-old Mr. Mugabe because he led a liberation movement against white rule that resonates in South Africa? Does he dislike Mr. Tsvangirai? Mr. Tsvangirai, when interviewed in mid-May, seemed to lean toward the theory that the nations’ shared liberation history was the cause. Asked if Mr. Mbeki liked him, he laughed heartily and said, “If he had his choice of who would be the president of Zimbabwe, I think he would not jump up and say, hallelujah, Morgan Tsvangirai is the president of Zimbabwe!” Mr. Tsvangirai said Mr. Mbeki seemed to think Zimbabwe could solve its own political problems. “He said Zimbabweans must solve their own problems,” Mr. Tsvangirai said. “Zimbabweans went on the 29th and voted! How else do you want Zimbabweans to solve their problems?” On Wednesday, Mr. Tsvangirai was detained for nine hours on his way to a political rally in Zimbabwe. The next day, Mr. Mbeki’s office said he had called the authorities in Zimbabwe on Mr. Tsvangirai’s behalf. “President Mbeki appeals for calmness and proportionate use of language, the better to manage tensions generally associated with election campaigns in many parts of the world,” the statement from Mr. Mbeki’s office said. It maintained an evenhanded tone that drives the opposition in Zimbabwe to distraction, particularly since civic and human rights groups insist that the political violence there is carried out overwhelmingly by Mr. Mugabe’s agents. South Africa’s opposition leader, Helen Zille, denounced Mr. Mbeki in an open letter on Friday. “By appeasing Mugabe and endorsing every fundamentally flawed election in Zimbabwe,” she wrote, “you are complicit in the tyranny that has befallen that country.” Finally on Saturday, Zimbabwe’s opposition party issued a statement saying that, indeed, it had sent Mr. Tsvangirai’s letter to Mr. Mbeki and promising to send him a fresh copy. George Sibotshiwe, Mr. Tsvangirai’s spokesman, said the original letter had been sent by courier while Mr. Tsvangirai was in South Africa. “I’ve made sure,” he said. “I’ve confirmed that the letter was delivered to them.”

Zimbabwe
South Africa
Tsvangirai Morgan
Mbeki Thabo
Politics and Government
Mugabe Robert


Germany's No. 2 Looks to the Spotlight

Abstract: BERLIN — There is a great boon to being Germany’s foreign minister. Within a short time, the minister usually becomes one of the country’s most popular politicians. So no wonder that when there is a change in the government, the junior partner in any coalition makes sure it grabs the Foreign Ministry. It is a sure way to sharpen the profile of a party that is otherwise under the shadow of the chancellor. That is what is happening now as Angela Merkel, who won a second term Sunday, starts coalition talks with her new political ally, the pro-business Free Democratic Party led by Guido Westerwelle. He is widely expected to become foreign minister, hoping the job will bolster his and his party’s standing. Mr. Westerwelle, 47, has no experience of foreign policy. He would also be the first openly gay man to hold this office. But if any of his new counterparts in the world should take offense at that, he is well suited to soothe their fears. Mr. Westerwelle, 47, is courteous and keeps his temper closely under control. He is not prone to gaffes. Also, he is now being tutored by the veteran former Free Democrat foreign minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, who held the post for a record 18 years. Continuity is expected in many areas, reaching from European integration and Afghanistan to relations with the United States. Yet German foreign and security policy could be in for a shake-up in two respects. The first is over military policy, the second over who controls it. Take military conscription. Germany is one of the last European countries that still has conscription even though few young men actually carry out their nine months in the army. Many opt for “zivildienst,” or the civil service, working in hospitals or retirement homes instead of standing guard outside a barracks. Even more never get called up at all. They are not needed. The Free Democrats want to end conscription because they regard it as unjust, costly and inefficient. They want to transform the army into a smaller, professional and well-equipped corps. “The issue of ending military conscription is out there,” said Karl-Heinz Kamp, director of research at the NATO College in Rome. But Mrs. Merkel’s conservative bloc regards conscription as a socially binding force. And because of Germany’s militarist past, the combination of conscript and professional soldiers is seen as a way of assuring democratic control over the army. The Free Democrats are different in other ways too. They want to rid Germany of the nuclear weapons the United States has stationed here. Mr. Westerwelle first raised the idea five years ago when his party was in opposition but got nowhere with it. Last year, however, a study commissioned by the U.S. Air Force criticized the security and safety standards at most sites for nuclear weapons in Europe, including Germany. Mr. Westerwelle quickly picked up on the topic again. “The atomic weapons are a holdover from the Cold War,” he said. “They must go.” The conservatives think otherwise. As foreign minister, Mr. Westerwelle could get a sympathetic hearing in Washington since President Barack Obama has called for a worldwide reduction of nuclear weapons, aimed at a nuclear-free world. So together with his policy of ending military conscription, Mr. Westerwelle’s Free Democrats could actually start changing foreign policy. But what about Mrs. Merkel’s agenda? Now that she is an experienced leader on the international stage, would she want her foreign minister to hog the limelight, knowing that domestic popularity will follow? When Mrs. Merkel became chancellor in 2005, German foreign policy was close to a shambles. Her Social Democrat predecessor, Gerhard Schröder, had forged very close ties with Russia at the expense of the United States, NATO and the European Union. Mrs. Merkel worked hard to redress that imbalance by ensuring that the Foreign Ministry under Frank-Walter Steinmeier — who was Mr. Schröder’s chief of staff at the Chancellery — did not control the Russian and other important dossiers. As a result there was a constant tug of war between the Chancellery and the Foreign Ministry, especially over Russia and China. Mrs. Merkel was adamant about speaking openly about human rights violations in Russia. The Foreign Ministry, in contrast, played down those concerns. The same tensions will not exist between the Chancellery and the next foreign minister. But new ones could emerge. One idea the conservatives might revive is the establishment of a National Security Council. Mrs. Merkel’s foreign policy advisers proposed such a council before she was elected in 2005. Once in government, it was shot down for ideological and political reasons by her coalition partners, the Social Democrats: The Chancellery would end up dominating security and strategic policy at the expense of the Foreign Ministry. “Creating a kind of National Security Council would make sense,” said Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the Munich Security Conference and a former ambassador to Britain and the United States. “It could bring together all the disparate elements — defense, security, foreign policy, development aid — into a coherent unit.” That could work, he added, if the chancellor and the foreign minister agreed on who should head it. But it would still weaken the Foreign Ministry. Mrs. Merkel also will have to decide how to organize her European policy, including such issues as enlargement and Turkey, whose membership in the E.U. she opposes. Other countries, including France and Britain, have created the post of minister for Europe to coordinate their approaches to Brussels. But Mr. Westerwelle is certain to oppose such a move if it would weaken the Foreign Ministry and give the Chancellery a greater say over shaping policy. Mrs. Merkel will have to tread carefully. To make her new government work, she will need much support and trust from Mr. Westerwelle, who will also be deputy chancellor. It helps that both are on very good terms — using the informal “Du” that Mrs. Merkel rarely uses with other colleagues. With such an understanding, foreign policy in the E.U.’s largest country might become really interesting.

Germany
United States
European Union
Berlin (Germany)
Merkel Angela


Soccer Provides Oasis in Mexican City Ravaged by Drug War

Abstract: CIUDAD JUÁREZ , Mexico — More than half a dozen soccer players refused to join the professional team in this border city, where so many tortured and beheaded bodies put fear in visitors and locals alike. Those who do play for the team live in gated areas, with high walls and fences topped with razor wire, to protect them from the turf war between the drug cartels that has left nearly 2,000 people dead over the past 14 months. Despite the forbidding environment, the team, Indios, advanced last May to the top division in the Mexican League. It soldiers on this season, and so do the team’s fans. On Sunday, even as the police announced the discovery of nine bodies buried outside this border city, the mood for a match at Olimpico Benito Juárez Stadium was one of celebration, not apprehension . Indios operates in a kind of neutral zone, which takes a lot to maintain. From 250 to 400 municipal police and security guards provide crowd control for each game. Some players said they left home only for training and games and to buy necessary items, sticking to main roads during daylight, restricting travel at night. Their wives are encouraged to travel in groups when taking their children to school. “I avoid TV news,” Javier Saavedra, a newly acquired defender, said through an interpreter. “It makes me feel more secure.” But the lurid headlines, the murder of the deputy police chief and the threats to decapitate the mayor have not deterred soccer fans, at least on game days. The stadium, just across the Rio Grande from El Paso , regularly fills to its capacity of about 22,000. Parents feel safe enough to bring their children. Mayor José Reyes Ferriz attended Sunday’s match, along with a top official of the surrounding state of Chihuahua. Even the bishop of Juárez is occasionally spotted in the grandstand. “We are a little afraid, but we still have to live our lives,” said Omar Gurrola, a hotel bus driver who brought his 5-year-old son to the stadium. On Sunday, the gates opened at 9 a.m., two hours before kickoff. Mariachi music played as fans arrived in jerseys, bandannas and masks borrowed from Mexico’s flamboyant tradition of professional wrestling. Dancers gyrated in halter tops and Spandex chaps. “This is our escape from reality, from the violence and the bad news,” said Miguel Carbajal, president of the largest Indios fan club, who wore a team scarf and a rosary for good luck. Last May, when Indios won a playoff to reach the top division after the team’s third year of existence, tens of thousands of fans defiantly ignored a viral e-mail warning that the weekend would be the “bloodiest and deadliest” in Juárez’s history. Instead of cowering indoors, fans took to the streets, standing on cars and the roofs of houses, stopping traffic and rejoicing as the returning players were bused from the airport to the Church of San Lorenzo to give thanks for their triumph. “We recovered part of the city that we were missing,” said Victor Valencia de los Santos, the highest-ranking state official in Juárez, Chihuahua’s largest city with a population of 1.3 million. “We were afraid of everybody, everything,” Mr. Valencia said. “Thanks to the euphoria Indios brought to the city, we started to recover. We still have problems, but people feel they can go outside and be good neighbors and have a drink with somebody they don’t know because he is wearing an Indios jersey or cap.” Not even soccer, though, has been fully immune to the fear of violence. Concerns over narco-danger and the slumping economy have delayed plans for a 37,000-seat stadium. It has become more difficult to attract corporate sponsors and to sign players. Andrés Chitiva, a native of Colombia , was released in December, partly because he played poorly, partly because he was shaken by a menacing phone call, team officials said. “He got scared,” said Francisco Ibarra Molina, the team president. “They wanted money or they would kidnap his kids.” Two other Indios players, Ezequiel Maggiolo and Juan Ramón Curbelo, sent their families home to Argentina and Uruguay after the violence escalated earlier this year. Mr. Ibarra said he would soon send his three youngest children to school in El Paso, where it was safer. “I’m a little worried,” said Mr. Ibarra, whose family owns a prominent construction firm. “I was born in Juárez and I have been here for 46 years. I hope to die in the city, but not with a bullet.” Unlike many professional athletes in the United States who carry licensed guns for protection, Mexican athletes are prohibited by more restrictive laws, team officials said. Still, Indios players said they did not feel particularly threatened. Security is unobtrusive during training sessions, and players come and go without bodyguards. Apart from that ominous phone call to Mr. Chitiva, players said they had experienced nothing more damaging than a single stolen car, a relatively minor nuisance given the circumstances. After a bloody February, killings here are down from an average of 10 a day to about one a day as 2,000 federal police officers and 5,000 soldiers stream into Juárez, Mayor Reyes said. “Probably some drug dealers come to the games, but if they do, it’s to have fun, not to do bad to anyone,” said Jesus Rodriguez, a sociologist and journalist in Juárez. “Soccer is neutral, like a treaty between the good and the bad.” Before Sunday’s game, three candles were lit in the locker room at shrines to Our Lady of Guadalupe, a revered 16th century depiction of the Virgin Mary. The players gathered in a circle as a priest led a prayer, then began to hug one another and shout, “Let’s go.” A victory against Tigres of Monterrey was considered vital. Indios is seeking to avoid demotion from the 18-team division after its rookie season. The club could be worth $30 million in the top flight, but only $1 million in a lesser division after a loss of television money, sponsorships and prestige, Mr. Ibarra said. And there would be a psychic cost, too. “Indios is hope and celebration,” he said. To be demoted at season’s end in May “might bring an ugly depression.” No amount of prayer, though, seemed sufficient as Indios trailed, 2-0, by halftime. Spirits lifted considerably after a late rally rescued a 2-2 tie. It was not a victory, but it was also not a defeat. “The way we started, a tie is O.K.,” Mayor Reyes said. “The restaurants will be full. The merchants will be happy.” He left the stadium with six security guards, but stopped outside to shake hands and pose for pictures with relieved Indios fans. “Life is pretty normal,” he said. “There are threats and they are real. We have to be careful. But I’m going to go about my business. I won’t be a slave in my city.”


Tortorella Apologizes for Remarks After Winter Classic

Abstract: GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Offering a detailed series of apologies, Rangers Coach John Tortorella expressed regret Wednesday for his comments after the N.H.L. Winter Classic. Tortorella had suggested the game’s on-ice officials may have conspired with the league and NBC with a goal of sending the game to overtime or a shootout. After the Rangers practiced Wednesday afternoon, Tortorella began his news briefing by asking for some time to clear the air. “I tainted the Classic with my mouth,” Tortorella said. “It was wrong with my sarcasm and frustration, and I apologize to everyone involved.” The apology did not come in time to avoid a fine from the N.H.L. in the amount of $30,000, according to a league official. “There is no acceptable explanation or excuse for commentary challenging the integrity of the league, its officials or its broadcast partners,” the N.H.L. senior vice president Colin Campbell said in a statement. “People can disagree with calls by officials on the ice, but even in instances of the utmost frustration, there is no justification for speaking as inappropriately and irresponsibly as Mr. Tortorella did.” After the Rangers’ victory at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Tortorella was asked about some questionable calls by the referees Dennis LaRue and Ian Walsh in the final minutes of regulation when his team held a 3-2 lead. “I’m not sure if NBC got together with the refs and wanted to turn this into an overtime game,” Tortorella said Monday. “For two good referees, I thought that game was reffed horribly.” He also called the officiating “disgusting.” Tortorella said that he had apologized to several league executives, and that he would like to apologize to the referees, LaRue and Walsh, in person. BRUINS 6, DEVILS 1 Patrice Bergeron scored two goals, and Tim Thomas made 30 saves in Boston’s rout in Newark. The Bruins moved within 1 point of the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers. David Clarkson put the Devils on top early with his team-leading 14th goal, but it wasn’t enough to keep them from their most-lopsided loss since a 6-1 defeat at Colorado on Nov. 30. (AP) CANADIENS 7, JETS 3 Lars Eller had four goals and an assist, Travis Moen had three assists, and Montreal bounced back from a 1-5 trip. (AP) SEVEN-GAME SUSPENSION Blackhawks forward Daniel Carcillo was suspended seven games by the N.H.L. for boarding Edmonton Oilers defenseman Tom Gilbert in Chicago’s 4-3 victory Monday. (AP)

Hockey Ice
Tortorella John
Officiating (Sports)
New York Rangers
National Broadcasting Co
Philadelphia Flyers


Before Track Sprints, Breakfast Fit for Olympians

Abstract: LONDON — If food is the fuel of the human body, what do the world’s fastest men consume right before they race? “I had a chocolate cupcake for breakfast,” said Artur Rojas of Bolivia, still perspiring after clocking 10.65 seconds in his 100-meter heat . A chocolate cupcake? “Yes,” he said through an interpreter. “It was the first thing I saw in the cafeteria in the Olympic Village, and I always like to eat something light but sweet.” Rojas isn’t the only sprinter whose prerace diet would make a nutritionist blanch. Pavel Maslak of the Czech Republic ate a danish — or something that sounded like a danish, through an interpreter — on Saturday morning, but only because the cream-filled pastry that is his usual wake-up fare was not available. “I can’t find those here,” he said, right after placing second in his 400-meter heat and qualifying for the next round. Saturday was the opening rounds of the 100- and 400-meter races, two of the most celebrated and closely watched events at the Olympics. Before the first 100 heat, which began at 10 a.m., an announcer at the Olympic stadium urged the crowd to “shout yourself senseless,” a request that seemed unnecessary once the races were under way. In one heat, the audience started rhythmically clapping right as the runners waited for the starting signal. A runner waved a hand, asking for a delay, which led the same announcer to demand some silence. When a rebellious bit of rhythmic clapping started again, 30,000 people went “Shhhhhhhhhh” at once. That is a sound that some libraries might want to license. It worked. Serious upsets? There was one. Donald Sanford of Israel was seriously upset when someone stole his sneakers from his bag, as he discovered right before his heat. He stomped past reporters and, in a fury, took off his sneakers and tossed them to what looked like a member of the Israeli delegation, shouting in English. (He was born in the United States.) Reporters from Israel were told that Sanford said he was saved only by the generosity of a Canadian runner, who lent him a spare pair. “We don’t know the whole story,” said one Israeli reporter, who for some reason sounded a little incredulous. “It seems weird.” Sanford was one of the few sprinters who declined requests to speak to reporters. Most took a few moments to answer even trivial breakfast-related questions as they traversed a 20-yard slalom course of metal fencing, one that looked like the queue for the world’s largest Wendy’s. News media magnets like Usain Bolt and Oscar Pistorius were interviewed by groups of journalists, then chaperoned to an athletes-only area. A few athletes were in tears and avoided eye contact. Others were chatty and willing to linger. As Marek Niit of Estonia said, it took far longer to get through the Habitrail of reporters than the 100 meters he had just raced. Niit, who studies at the University of Arkansas, wanted to vent a little and dwell on a 10.4-second performance he deemed a miserable failure. “I can do that running backward,” he said of his time, which put him in 41st of the 54 runners who finished. The massive stadium and the crowd unnerved him a bit, as massive stadiums and crowds had in the past. “I feel good, but when the pistol goes off something doesn’t click,” he said, wincing. “The first 5 or 10 steps just aren’t there.” Would he blame his breakfast, which consisted of bacon and eggs? No. But he noted that he was looking forward to dinner, which was likely to include Chicken McNuggets. “They’re free,” he said, referring to the giveaway policy at the McDonald’s in the Olympic Village. “And I hear McNuggets are Usain Bolt’s favorite meal.” This could not be verified because after Bolt’s group interview, he scooted out a door. His Jamaican teammate Asafa Powell, who qualified with a 10.04, paused long enough to shout “orange juice” when asked about his breakfast. That’s it? “That’s it,” he said. That was easily the lightest meal among the runners polled, if orange juice can be considered a meal. On other end of the calorie spectrum was Erison Hurtault of Dominica. “Ready?” he said. “Four eggs, one sausage, an apple, a half a cup of granola and one bar of Weetabix.” The breakfast of real-life champions — or at least men fast enough to make the Olympics — runs the health continuum, from junk food on up. Oatmeal, it turns out, is a popular, as is coffee, eggs, apples, bananas, toast and sausage. “I’m from Yorkshire,” Gerald Phiri of Zambia said. “I don’t get a chance to eat Yorkshire sausage all that often. So I had that and baked beans, eggs and a piece of toast.” Daniel Bailey had a bowl of Rice Krispies, and for that little plug, Kellogg executives, you can send a check to him in care of the Antigua and Barbuda Olympic Association. Plenty of sugar and carbohydrates are favored, too. Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas has his own version of the Atkins diet. “I had a couple Nutri-Grain bars this morning, which are pure carbs,” he said. “I don’t think Dr. Atkins would have approved.” Tabarie Henry of the Virgin Islands wolfed down pancakes and syrup for his breakfast. Asked if he had any rituals on the starting blocks, he said he relies on a little incantation. “Lord, forgive me for my sins,” he says to himself, “because here I come.”

Food
Olympic Games (2012)
Track and Field


Fragile Matters of the Heart

Abstract: DEPENDING on your mood, you could interpret the giant red hearts being hung on the walls of the place you spend most of your days as evidence of a happy development. Those handmade hearts could bring some relief — a sunny twist in the routine, a splash of color on the dull psychic landscape. But if you were not in the mood for love, those hearts might seem a burden, an itchy reminder that love and the unquiet mind are a complicated mix. This was all grist for tender debate on Thursday afternoon at the weekly meeting of the Lonely Hearts Club at the Chelton Loft, a state-financed social club for the mentally ill on 19th Street near Avenue of the Americas in Chelsea. Lonely Hearts is a support group started last March on matters of the heart for people with schizophrenia, severe depression, bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses, and the topic Thursday was Valentine’s Day. While Lonely Hearts was meeting, staff and club members drew and painted hearts and hung them in a room already filled with plants and parakeets, in preparation for the club’s Valentine’s Day party this week. Gwen Munley, the social worker who leads the group, said Lonely Hearts was originally conceived of as a “how to find a date” group, but conversations among the club’s 12 members, who range in age from 30 to 60, quickly evolved into deeper meditations on the nature of relationships, how to find them, manage them and survive them, when merely moving through daily life can be treacherous enough. On Thursday, Ms. Munley asked the group, “What comes up for you around Valentine’s Day?” “I’ve never liked Valentine’s Day,” replied a 47-year-old club member who would identify herself only as Jeanne, and who has schizophrenia. Later, Jeanne told the group she had met someone a few months earlier and had “come out of the closet” about her illness. But a month into the relationship, after four weeks of emotional stability, she became suicidal and even asked her boyfriend to help her end her life, she said. Another member of the group said she planned to protest the pink-and-red holiday by wearing purple and green, an announcement that was met with nods of approval. Still another member said he had sweet memories of romance, chocolate and flowers. “I used to love it,” he said of the holiday. “I haven’t really celebrated in a long time. But maybe one day.” Vincent Sarro, a 55-year-old club member who said he had struggled with schizophrenia for 30 years, added, “I think about how far away it is, having a sweetheart or a wife.” Jeanne said, “I’m going to celebrate that I have love in my heart, and that I’m learning to love myself.”

Mental Health and Disorders
Valentine's Day
Dating (Social)


Metropolitan Diary - Unicycling Through a Downturn and Other Reader Tales

Abstract: DEAR DIARY: On a particularly balmy day last month, my boyfriend and I were walking on 14th Street when we noticed a young man near the curb. Leaning on a Muni-Meter, the man was trying to mount a unicycle. We stopped to witness this unusual sight. Sure enough, he got himself onto the unicycle effortlessly and rode away down a crowded sidewalk. We laughed and wondered what his story was — could he be a clown on his way uptown to the Big Apple Circus? But we were not the only curious ones. An older couple strolling arm in arm shared their hypothesis with us as they passed by. “In this economy,” the woman offered, “who can afford a second wheel?” Lily Shoretz  Dear Diary: Romantic scene: An M5 bus heading up Avenue of the Americas at the evening rush hour. An elderly couple was sitting on the sideways front seat, he very tall and beautifully dressed, she short and plump with shiny black shoes. Suddenly, those of us nearby heard him say loudly and angrily, “What do you want from me?” As we all strained to listen but tried not to reveal our rude curiosity, their spat continued. We didn’t hear it all, but we heard her say, “See, you treat me so mean.” At another point, she said, “When I die, you’ll be lost.” This argument proceeded apace as we hung on to every word we could manage to hear, fearing that this was a doomed relationship indeed, probably of many, many years’ standing. They got off the bus at Columbus Circle, he helping her off in a gentlemanly fashion. They then walked up Central Park West holding hands. We passengers breathed a happy sigh of relief. They were obviously still sweethearts — but perhaps with issues. Joan Wile  Dear Diary: I drove down from Connecticut before the holidays for the premiere of a film hosted by the Gustav Mahler Society of New York. The showing was in an auditorium near Lincoln Center. Wanting to know what I’d most likely be getting into with parking, I spent some time with a detailed map of that part of town. The map spoke to me: West 61st Street, between Broadway and Columbus Avenue. To my astonishment, there was a parking space on 61st Street. I was early for the showing and waited in the car. A man came to the window. “When are you leaving?” “Not until 9:30 or so.” “Would you call me so that I can have the space? There’s a case of beer in it for you. If I get the space, I’ll be good for the weekend.” I told him that the beer wasn’t necessary, and that I’d call him. A few minutes later, a second man came to the window, asking about the space. I told him there was a taker already lined up. Disheartened, he left. After the Mahler showing, I called the first man, only to find out he’d already found another spot. He was surprised, grateful that I’d called. I headed for Connecticut. Frank Creane  Dear Diary: Our American Airlines flight from Chicago to La Guardia had just landed. The announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived 20 minutes early. Please remember this when your future American Airlines flight is delayed.” Tom Frenkel  Dear Diary: After a brief, brief glimpse into what winter would feel like if New York suddenly found itself in Los Angeles, I awoke once again to snow-covered sidewalks. As I empathized with my friends’ frustrations of having to dig out their cars one more time, I couldn’t help but remember a scene from a winter morning several years ago: I had come out of the F train at 23rd Street heading east when I noticed a flurry of snowflakes. As I crossed Avenue of the Americas, I caught not one or two but three grown-ups with big smiles, their tongues out, happily catching snowflakes as they crossed the street. While I am sure that most New Yorkers have come to dread snow by now, it’s good to know that some of us are still kids at heart. Ron Mouadeb

Parking
American Airlines
New York City
Bicycles and Bicycling


Southeastern Conference Commissioner Out Early

Abstract: Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive unexpectedly stepped down minutes after announcing record revenue and a groundbreaking rule on athlete conduct. Slive, 74, had been scheduled to retire July 31, but he decided to hand the reins to Greg Sankey beginning Monday. Thanks to the successful debut of the SEC Network as well as the lucrative College Football Playoff, the conference generated an N.C.A.A.-record $455.8 million in revenue in 2014-15. The SEC will distribute $31.2 million to each of its 14 members. The SEC also adopted a proposal that prohibits its colleges from enrolling any student-athlete who has been involved in “serious misconduct” at a previous college. ■ The 10 members of the Big 12 will split $252 million in revenue, a record for the conference. It was the ninth year in a row of increased revenue. ■ A new organization of minority coaches sharply criticized N.C.A.A. eligibility standards that are set to take effect next year for freshmen, saying the rules will deny opportunities to too many athletes. The National Association for Coaching Equity and Development issued a statement saying the standards would disproportionately target minority and less-affluent students. The rules require high school athletes to have a grade-point average of at least 2.3 in 16 core courses, up from 2.0 in 13 courses.

Southeastern Conference
Michael L. Slive
College Sports