Wealth Matters: Advisers Caution Against Hasty Decisions in Advance of Tax Changes

WITH all the ominous talk of tax increases and a “fiscal cliff” if President Obama and Congressional leaders can’t agree on a plan to avert automatic tax increases on Dec. 31, some investors may be tempted to act soon to take advantage of the current tax rates. But financial advisers say that in their rush to do something this year, investors may end up with regrets. “Any time you...

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Attacks Resume After Israeli Assault Kills Hamas Leader

KIRYAT MALACHI, Israel — Israel and Hamas widened their increasingly deadly conflict over Gaza on Thursday, as a militant rocket killed three civilians in an apartment block in this small southern town. The deaths were likely to lead Israel to intensify its military offensive on Gaza, now in its second day of airstrikes. In Gaza, the Palestinian death toll rose to 11 as Israel struck what...

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Bits Blog: Facebook Gains Even as More Shares Become Available

4:30 p.m. | Updated to provide closing price of Facebook stock.Even as the largest tranche of Facebook shares became eligible for sale on Wednesday, the stock rose more than 12 percent, one of the biggest single-day gains since the company’s messy public debut in May.The gain was particularly noteworthy for Facebook because of fears that the 800 million shares — the largest in a series of lockup...

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Well: Southern Flavors on a Vegetarian Table

If you’re looking for new ways to cook vegetables, a trip south of the Mason-Dixon line is a good place to start. The fair weather and long growing season of the South means there’s always a plentiful supply of fresh vegetables and produce.“We live in Memphis, and it’s true there is a lot of barbecue, but there are a good deal of farmers’ markets too,” says Amy Lawrence, co-author of “The Southern...

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Well: Southern Flavors on a Vegetarian Table

If you’re looking for new ways to cook vegetables, a trip south of the Mason-Dixon line is a good place to start. The fair weather and long growing season of the South means there’s always a plentiful supply of fresh vegetables and produce.“We live in Memphis, and it’s true there is a lot of barbecue, but there are a good deal of farmers’ markets too,” says Amy Lawrence, co-author of “The Southern...

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BP to Admit Crimes and Pay $4.5 Billion in Gulf Settlement

BP, the British oil company, said Thursday that it would pay $4.5 billion in fines and other payments to the government and plead guilty to 14 criminal charges in connection with the giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico two years ago. US Coast Guard, via Associated PressThe explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico that was connected to a well owned by BP...

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Israelis Launch Major Assault on Gaza, Killing Hamas Commander

ReutersPalestinians extinguished a fire after an Israeli airstrike on a car carrying Ahmed al-Jabari, who ran Hamas's military wing, on Wednesday in Gaza City. GAZA — Israel on Wednesday launched one of the most ferocious assaults on Gaza since its invasion four years ago, hitting at least 20 targets in aerial attacks that killed the top military commander of Hamas, drew strong condemnation from Egypt...

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App Smart: Apps That Dart and Delight, on Tablets Piloted by Android

Tablets are changing computing, there’s no doubt. I realized this when I saw my 2-year-old son pick up an iPad and master its basic controls, including discovering a child’s app, in about half an hour. The iPad led the way into this brave new world more or less alone at first. It has taken until now for the sheer pressure of innovation inside Apple’s rivals to lead to some great Android-based tablets...

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Filthy Water in California Farmworker Communities

Jim Wilson/The New York TimesStudents at Stone Corral Elementary in Seville, Calif. The school budgets $100 to $500 a month for bottled water. SEVILLE, Calif. — Like most children, the students at Stone Corral Elementary School here rejoice when the bell rings for recess and delight in christening a classroom pet. But while growing up in this impoverished agricultural community of numbered...

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Filthy Water in California Farmworker Communities

Jim Wilson/The New York TimesStudents at Stone Corral Elementary in Seville, Calif. The school budgets $100 to $500 a month for bottled water. SEVILLE, Calif. — Like most children, the students at Stone Corral Elementary School here rejoice when the bell rings for recess and delight in christening a classroom pet. But while growing up in this impoverished agricultural community of numbered...

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