2013 The New York Times. NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013.
Late Edition. Today, heavy rain, flooding, strong wind, high 60, falling later.
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Late Edition Today, heavy rain, flooding, strong wind, high 60, falling later. Tonight, snow, windy, low 29. Tomorrow, strong wind, mostly sunny skies, high 34. Weather map, Page A18.
VOL. CLXIII . . . No. 56,333
© 2013 The New York Times
$2.50
NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013
New Rules Would Rein In Nonprofits’ Political Role I.R.S. Moves on Groups That Shield Donors — G.O.P. Sees a Free-Speech Issue By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE
RINA CASTELNUOVO FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES
A Tel Aviv woman, 28, who found a lump in her breast. Cancer-causing gene mutations are common among many Jews in Israel.
Push to Test for Cancer Gene U.S. Sends Two B-52 Bombers Sets Up a Dilemma in Israel Into Air Zone Claimed by China By RONI CARYN RABIN
KFAR SABA, Israel — Ever since she tested positive for a defective gene that causes breast cancer, Tamar Modiano has harbored a mother’s fear: that she had passed it on to her two daughters. Ms. Modiano had her breasts removed at 47 to prevent the disease and said that the day she found out her older daughter tested negative was one of the happiest of her life. Now she wants her younger daughter, Hadas, 24, to be tested so she can start a family early if she is positive and then have a double mastectomy too. Ms. Modiano’s elder daughter, Suzi Gattegno, 29, disagrees. “You’re keeping her from living her life,” Ms. Gattegno told her mother. “You want to marry
THE CANCER DIVIDE Acting on Knowledge
her off early.” “If she’s a carrier, she should marry early,” her mother countered. “She doesn’t even have a boyfriend,” the daughter said. “You need to stop pressuring her.” “I want to protect her!” Ms. Modiano replied. Such family debates are playing out across Israel these days. The country has one of the highest rates of breast cancer in the world, according to a World Health Organization report. And some leading scientists here are advocating what may be the first national screening campaign to test women for cancer-causing Continued on Page A10
By THOM SHANKER
WASHINGTON — Defying China, two long-range American bombers flew through contested airspace over the East China Sea, days after the Chinese announced they were claiming the right to police the sky above a vast area that includes islands at the center of a simmering dispute with Japan. Pentagon officials said Tuesday that the B-52s were on a routine training mission planned long in advance of the Chinese announcement on Saturday that it was establishing an “air defense identification zone” over the area. But the message was clear. A senior Pentagon official said that the mission overnight Monday from Guam “was a demonstration of long-established inter-
national rights to freedom of navigation and transit through international airspace.” The official said the unilateral Chinese declaration of expanded control “was provocative,” and “only increases the risk of miscalculation in the region.” There was no immediate Chinese response to the flights conducted without prior notification as demanded under the new declaration from Beijing, which asserted the right to identify, monitor and possibly take military action against any aircraft that enter the area. The unexpected announcement by China was among its boldest moves yet in a struggle for power in Asia with the United States, and by extenContinued on Page A4
The Obama administration on Tuesday moved to curb political activity by tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, with potentially major ramifications for some of the biggest and most secretive spenders in American politics. New rules proposed by the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service would clarify both how the I.R.S. defines political activity and how much nonprofits are allowed to spend on it. The proposal covers not just television advertising, but breadand-butter political work like candidate forums and get-out-thevote drives. Long demanded by government watchdogs and Democrats who say the flow of money through tax-exempt groups is corrupting the political system, the changes would be the first wholesale shift in a generation in the regulations governing political activity by nonprofits. The move follows years of legal and regulatory shifts, including the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling in 2010, that have steadily loosened the rules governing political spending, particularly by those with the biggest bank accounts: corporations, unions and wealthy individuals. But the proposal also thrusts the I.R.S. into what is sure to be a polarizing regulatory battle, with some Republicans immediately criticizing the proposal on Tuesday as an attack on free speech and a ploy to undermine congressional investigations into the agency’s handling of applications from Tea Party groups. “Before rushing forward with new rules, especially ones that appear to make it harder to engage in public debate, I would hope Treasury would let all the facts come out first,” said Representative David Camp of Michigan, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Political spending by tax-exempt groups — from Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies, cofounded by the Republican strat-
NEWS ANALYSIS
Karzai’s Bet: U.S. Bluffing By ROD NORDLAND and ALISSA J. RUBIN
KABUL, Afghanistan — When President Hamid Karzai met with an audience of supporters gathered by the Afghan state television network, RTA, six months ago, he was asked what he would consider a favorable conclusion to the security negotiations he was conducting with the United States. “It is favorable if they surrender to us,” he said. Another question: But what if instead they just left? He smirked, then said: “The U.S. has come and will not go, brother. It does not go. Therefore, ask for your demands and don’t worry.” That unguarded moment in front of a friendly audience speaks volumes about the impasse between Mr. Karzai and his American allies. In the face of a warning delivered in person on Monday by the national security adviser, Susan E. Rice, that the United States would consider leaving no troops at all in Afghanistan past 2014 if Mr. Karzai did not promptly sign a long-term security agreement, he has made it clear that he considers it a bluff. Not only did he Continued on Page A12
OWEN HUMPHREYS/PRESS ASSOCIATION, VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Murmuration Taking Flight, and Shape Starlings over Gretna, in southern Scotland, on Monday. The birds visit the area twice a year, in February and November.
egist Karl Rove, to the League of Conservation Voters — skyrocketed to more than $300 million in 2012 from less than $5.2 million in 2006, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Much of the money has been funneled through chains of interlinked nonprofit groups, making it even harder to determine the original source. And unlike political parties and “super PACs,” political nonprofits are permitted to keep the names of donors confidential, making them the vehicle of choice for deep-pocketed donors seeking to influence campaigns in secret. The new rules would not prohibit political activity by nonprofits. But by seeking to establish clearer limits for campaign-related spending by groups claiming tax exemption, the I.R.S. proposal could have an enormous impact on some of the biggest groups, forcing them to either limit their election spending or register as openly political orContinued on Page A16
A Plea to Avoid Crush of Users At Health Site By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and ROBERT PEAR
WASHINGTON — White House officials, fearful that the federal health care website may again be overwhelmed this weekend, have urged their allies to hold back enrollment efforts so the insurance marketplace does not collapse under a crush of new users. At the same time, administration officials said Tuesday that they had decided not to inaugurate a big health care marketing campaign planned for December out of concern that it might drive too many people to the still-fragile HealthCare.gov. With a self-imposed deadline for repairs to the website approaching on Saturday, the administration is trying to strike a delicate balance. It is encouraging people to go or return to the website but does not want to create too much demand. It boasts that the website is vastly improved, but does not want to raise expectations that it will work for everyone. “We are definitely on track to have a significantly different user experience by the end of this month,” Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, said Tuesday. “That was our commitment.” Ms. Sebelius, who supervised development of the troubled website, tried to rally state and local elected officials in a conference call organized by the White House. “I would urge you and your folks on the ground to not hesitate to recommend that peoContinued on Page A17
Pulling a More Diverse Group of Achievers Into the Advanced Placement Pool By MOTOKO RICH
ORLANDO, Fla. — Every year, more than 600,000 academically promising high school students — most of them poor, Latino or black — fail to enroll in Advanced Placement courses, often viewed as head starts for the collegebound.
Some of them do not know about these courses, which offer an accelerated curriculum and can lead to college credit. Others assume they will be too difficult. But many are held back by entrenched perceptions among administrators and teachers, whose referrals are often required for enrollment, about who belongs in what has long served as an elite
preserve within public schools. “Many teachers don’t truly believe that these programs are for all kids or that students of color or low-income kids can succeed in these classes,” said Christina Theokas, director of research at the Education Trust, a nonprofit group. Ms. Theokas said that if those underrepresented students had taken A.P. courses at the
NATIONAL A13-17
ARTS C1-12
Haitians Die as Boat Capsizes
A Tighter Hold on Artworks
At least 30 Haitians who tried to sail to the United States were found drowned after their overloaded boat ran aground PAGE A13 off the Bahamas.
Sicily has stopped loans of 23 artworks, reflecting concern that the island’s treasures are often out of the country while its own museums suffer. PAGE C1
Reversal on Gynecologists INTERNATIONAL A4-12
Rejected Deal Roils Ukraine Demonstrators in favor of European integration protested after their leaders backed away from a trade pact. PAGE A6
Pope Seeks an Active Church Pope Francis declared his support of inclusive policies in a document. PAGE A7
same rate as their white and more affluent peers in 2010, there would have been about 614,500 more students in those classes. In an effort to overcome those obstacles, an increasing number of school districts, including Boston, Cincinnati and Washington, have recently begun initiatives to expand Advanced Placement course offerings and enroll more
After an outcry, a professional group will allow gynecologists to treat men PAGE A14 and screen them for cancer. BUSINESS DAY B1-10
Fallout From Benghazi Report Lara Logan, a CBS News correspondent, was put on leave after a flawed report about an attack in Libya. PAGE B7
black and Hispanic students, children from low-income families and those who aspire to be the first in their generation to go to college. In the spring, lawmakers in Washington State passed legislation encouraging all districts to enroll in advanced courses any student who meets a minimum Continued on Page A3
DINING D1-8 NEW YORK A19-23
Around the Table
SPORTSWEDNESDAY B11-16
Salvaged From the Storm
Mark Bittman and five of his favorite chefs share Thanksgiving memories and cook holiday dishes, like potato PAGE D1 latkes and pumpkin soup.
The Knicks’ Bluesman
Mementos recovered after Hurricane Sandy have been posted online in hopes PAGE A19 their owners might see.
A Book Fetches $14.1 Million A copy of the Bay Psalm Book went for a record price at auction. PAGE A20
EDITORIAL, OP-ED A24-25
Maureen Dowd
PAGE A25
James L. Dolan, owner of the struggling Knicks, opened for the Eagles. PAGE B11
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