NYTimes website homepage Feb. 6th

My usual home paper is the Boston Globe, but, as I am reporting this month in Sochi, Russia, I have switched from reading the Boston Globe on daily basis to the New York Times. 

The first article is "Boehner Doubts Immigration Overhaul Will Pass This Year.” It was chosen for the front page because immigration legislation has been a contentions issue in the US in the past year. The article focuses on a speech given by House Republican leader John Boehner, in which he states that the Republican Party could not reach a consensus on whether to overhaul current immigration legislation. 

This article contains some important interviews with those in the Republican party who disagree with Mr.Boehner, as well as leading Democratic voices who wish to pass reformed legislation. However, at points it is very unclear where the quotes and attributed statements were taken from, whether in direct interviews or at news conferences. The article also says Mr.Boehner, by not rallying house Republicans, is placing the burden of action on President Obama to overall immigration.

Personally, I have not followed the debate closely enough to make a judgement on whether this is a fair and balanced conclusion.

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The next article is “Ex-SAC Trader Convicted of Securities Fraud.” This is a story focused on Mathew Martoma, an employee of SAC Capital Advisor’s who was sentenced to two years in prison after a trial in New York. It was chosen for the front page because of the long investigation into SAC Capital Advisors, and the Connecticut-based hedge fund’s boss, Steven A. Cohen. Mr. Martoma fed insider information about the pharmaceutical industry for SAC, and although Mr. Cohen was shown to be linked to the decision making behind the information, Mr. Cohen has not been convicted.

Although it is mostly a court-hearing summary, this is story is particularly compelling because of the magnitude of the fraud involved and the larger trend of the the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan’s crackdown on insider trading by hedge funds. 

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Another article is titled “Russia Claims U.S. Meddling Over Ukraine.” This article is regarding a leaked tape where Victoria Nuland, the assistant secretary of state for European affairs, and Geoffrey Pyatt, the ambassador to Ukraine discuss candidly their views on the current crisis in Ukraine, which is split between pro-European protestors and pro-Russian leadership. In the tapes, the America pair discuss Mr. Yatsenyuk, a leader of the the opposition, as their preferred candidate for prime minister, along with views of other opposition leaders. Dmitry Losukov, an aide to Russia’s deputy prime minister, is accused by the Americans of leaking the tapes, but he claims that he was not the first to leak the video on Youtube and that it is an attempt to pin the blame on the Russians. 

This article begins with the news peg of the Winter Olympics, which have brought increased scrutiny to the situation in Ukraine and US-Russian relations. This article was chose for the front page on the basis of this element, as well as the content of the leaks.

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There is also an article titled “Legal Troubles Barely Subdue a Bitcoin Evangelist’s Sermons.” This is a profile of Charles Shrem, a 24 year old entrepreneur in the digital-current Bitcoin. He was recently arrested in New York City, arriving home from a trip to Amsterdam. The article focuses on Mr. Shrem’s rise to fortune through his working with the currency, and his recent downfall. The article is mostly an interview-based profile, with a good amount of background info drawn into the piece. This is a newsworthy story because of the topical idea behind Bitcoin, which has grown in popularity recently, and the larger implications of such a currency, while focusing on the real-world implications for Charles Shrem, who has been highly involved in Bitcoin’s innovation and use.

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Finally, there is an article titled “U.S. Issues Penalties Over Violations of Iran Sanctions.” This article concerns a decision by President Obama to penalize companies and individuals seen as aiding the Iranian government, in spite of a sanctions regime in place agains the country. The decision was made public by the US Treasury Department, stating that the move was in part intended to demonstrate the US’s commitment to taking a hardline against Iran’s developing nuclear weapons. 

This article made the front page because of the ongoing debate in the US and international community following a US-brokered agreement easing sanctions against Iran. I believe this type of international reporting is a strong point for the New York Times, and it is one the main reasons I turn to the Times for my daily news.