• Five years later, the officer, Jerry Chun Shing Lee, has been arrested on the same charge of possessing classified information that he would originally have faced. But it’s still not clear if he spied for China.
Olympic détente draws tepid U.S. response
• North and South Korea’s agreement on Wednesday to march under one flag at the Winter Olympics next month is a powerful gesture. But it complicates President Trump’s strategy for dealing with Pyongyang.
Warning that the ultimate goal of the North’s leader is to rid the Korean Peninsula of American troops, the White House welcomed the two countries’ announcement but played down its significance.
• North and South Korea will also field a joint women’s hockey team at the Games, which begin Feb. 9.
A migration policy on trial
• After Germany opened its doors to more than a million migrants two years ago, crimes involving migrants or asylum seekers have stoked German insecurities.
A recent deadly stabbing involving a teenage Afghan migrant and his German former girlfriend has become Exhibit A for those arguing that the migration policy has increased violent crime.
• “The paradox is that Germany is still a very safe country, much safer than even a few years ago,” one criminologist said. “But the perception is the opposite.”
Photo
“The Daily”: Profiting from addiction
• Getting clean has become a lucrative business. But the death of a patient in California has raised questions about what it means to prosper from crisis.
Listen on a computer, an iOS device or an Android device.
Business
• Apple is bringing its money back. The company plans to repatriate a majority of the $252 billion in cash that it held abroad, capitalizing on the new tax law.
• Amazon has named 20 finalists in the fierce contest to host its second headquarters. The cities include existing tech hubs, and a few surprises.
• Fed up with drug shortages and high prices, a group of hospitals is creating its own nonprofit drug company.
• Four high-profile restaurateurs who have been accused of sexual harassment have stepped away from their empires. But for the companies, the hard part lies ahead.
• HuffPost announced today that it would no longer run self-published pieces by unpaid contributors. Founded nearly 13 years ago as The Huffington Post, the news site is seeking to reduce clutter and minimize unverified stories.
• President Trump announced his long-promised “Fake News Awards” on Wednesday. The Times “won” two.
• U.S. stocks were up on Wednesday. Here’s a snapshot of global markets today.
Smarter Living
Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life.
• Should you buy Bitcoin? Ask a different question first.
• Remember these tips to fight forgetfulness.
• Recipe of the day: Make Hunan beef at home.
Photo
Noteworthy
• “Vision, chutzpah and some testosterone”
The Times editorial board has been sharply critical of the Trump presidency. In the spirit of open debate, it asked his supporters to make their best case for him after his first year in office. Here are their letters.
Tomorrow, we’ll present letters from disillusioned Trump voters and from readers reacting to today’s letters and to The Times’s decision to provide this platform.
• Beyond the Bitcoin bubble
Yes, it’s driven by greed — but the mania for cryptocurrency could build something much more important than wealth. The Times Magazine explains.
The bubble is deflating, however. For a time on Wednesday, the price of Bitcoin dipped below $10,000.
Photo
• Did Rembrandt paint ... you?
Museum visitors have been seeking their art twins, and a Google app has helped the trend explode.
• Best of late-night TV
Samantha Bee addressed the recent claims against Aziz Ansari: “We know the difference between a rapist, a workplace harasser and an Aziz Ansari,” she said. “That doesn’t mean we have to be happy about any of them.”
• Quotation of the day
“North Korean propaganda is in a category all its own. It is not surprising that North Korea is sending more cheerleaders and musicians than athletes.”
— Michael Anton, a spokesman for the National Security Council, on the announcement of a thaw between North and South Korea for the Winter Olympics.
• The Times, in other words
Here’s an image of today’s front page, and links to our Opinion content and crossword puzzles.
Back Story
Double your money in just 90 days.
That’s what Charles Ponzi, who died 69 years ago this week, promised investors. In the end, Ponzi swindled more than $15 million in 1920, the equivalent of about $190 million today.
Photo
The trickery took Ponzi’s name, as the headlines noted 10 years ago when Bernard Madoff defrauded clients of more than $50 billion. But the original scheme centered on postal notes.
Ponzi took advantage of international postal reply coupons, which allowed customers in one country to buy a voucher redeemable for stamps in another country.
The idea was that Ponzi’s company would take investors’ dollars, use them to buy foreign postal coupons, convert each coupon into a 5-cent stamp, and convert the stamps into cash.
But the plan was a fraud.
Instead, Ponzi collected the money and paid off his investors while waiting for another influx of cash. Millions of dollars began arriving every week.
Ponzi’s scheme was eventually exposed, and he later died in a charity hospital in Brazil, with only $75 to his name.
Remy Tumin contributed reporting.
_____
Your Morning Briefing is published weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern and updated all morning. Browse past briefings here.
If photographs appear out of order, please download the updated New York Times app from iTunes or Google Play.
What would you like to see here? Contact us at briefing@nytimes.com.
You can get the briefing delivered to your inbox Sunday through Friday. We have four global editions, timed for the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia, and an Evening Briefing on weeknights. Check out our full range of free newsletters here.
Continue reading the main story Source: http://ift.tt/2Dp34SP
0 comments:
Post a Comment