New York and New Tax

According to a Manhattan Institute survey, more than half of high-earning New Yorkers are working entirely from home and 44% are considering leaving the city. Ned Lamont, Connecticut’s governor, has said “the old idea of the commuter(通勤者) going into New York City five days a week may be outdated.” It does seem     1     that the tens of thousands commuting from Mr. Lamont’s state will continue to do so. The region’s governors have     2     well together to deal with the pandemic(流行病), but the friendliness may soon end over taxes.

When people from     3     states like New Jersey and Connecticut commute to New York to work for a New York-based employer, they must pay New York tax on the related earned income. Even those who work from home must pay New York taxes unless the employee is working outside New York by     4    .

Taxpayers and those states are looking closely at this loophole(漏洞). In December, Connecticut and New Jersey applied to the Supreme Court to consider a case which     5     a state’s authority to tax non-residents’ income while they are working remotely. They think this is definitely a(n)     6     to the city’s finances. “Firms have considered leaving the city before, and employees are gradually accepting the idea. They have been working remotely for almost ten months and they’ve     7     to that idea.”

Companies are also watching the progression of the billionaire Mark to Market Tax Act, which would treat capital     8     from billionaires’ property as taxable income. New York’s Democratic governor said he would reject any laws     9     heavy taxes on the rich, because it would drive out wealthy, mobile residents. It would not take too many moving trucks for the city to feel the economic loss, says Michael Hendrix. A 5%     10     of New Yorkers making about $10,000 would result in an annual loss of $933m—roughly the amount distributed to the city’s health department.

Some American cities are banning drive-through windows at fast—food restaurants. There are two basic reasons for the bans: concern for the environment and the need    1    (fight) obesity.

In the US, most adults drive automobiles and almost 40% of the adults are overweight. That’s partly    2    people are worried about the environment and unhealthy diets. Supporters of the bans hope fewer drive-through windows    3    (reduce) litter and air pollution from customers driving cars. Some also think that people will choose healthier food if there is no longer the convenience of a drive-through window.

8 . China's ban on the domestic sale and processing of ivory(象牙) and its products took effect on Sunday, at the very beginning of 2018, making good on a commitment Chinese authorities made last year.

The move, which effectively closes one of the world's largest ivory markets, has been supported by conservationists as a crucial step toward combating elephant poaching."This ban alone won't end the poaching of elephants," Ginette Hemley,senior vice-president of the World Wildlife Fund, said in a statement. "It's equally critical that China's neighbors follow suit and shut down ivory markets across Asia. Only then can we ensure the open trade doesn't simply shift to other countries for newly-poached ivory."

China's ban on the domestic ivory trade follows a similar measure adopted in the U.S. in 2016, when the Fish and Wildlife Service set a ban to reduce the movement of ivory within U.S. borders. Both the U.S. and China had been negotiating on their proposed ivory regulations since 2015.

An international ban on the commercial ivory trade was established in 1990 — but that rule hasn't exactly achieved all its aims."Wildlife experts had thought that the international ban on ivory trade would slow or even stop the killing of elephants for their tusks. However, the killing got worse. That's mostly because the ban didn't cover older ivory," Joyce, a journalist, reported, noting that ivory taken from elephants before the ban was still legal to trade. "So people are still killing elephants but passing off their ivory as old."That has had disastrous effects for elephants. Over the span from 2007 to 2014, for instance, there was a decline of roughly 144,000 animals in seven years.

Still, there have been some signs of hope for the campaign against elephant poaching: Prices for the animals' tusks in China had dropped from $2,100 per kilogram in 2014 to just $730 per kilogram in March 2017. And this, at least, is offering conservationists reason for cautious optimism — assuming the China’s ban is enforced effectively.

9 . In Mexico, first Oaxaca's state legislature (立法机关) passed a ban on selling or giving out high-calorie packaged foods and sugar-sweetened drinks to minors (未成年人) recently. Less than two weeks later, Tabasco state approved a prohibition too. Now at least a dozen other states in Mexico are considering similar legislation.

Two-thirds of those who died from COVID-19 in Mexico had health problems such as obesity and diabetes, according to Health Department officials. That has led to a new urgency to change diets so that the younger generation doesn't suffer those diseases. The country consumes large amounts of sugar-sweetened drinks and processed snacks. One-third of Mexicans aged 6 to 19 are overweight, according to UNICEF. They can suffer many health issues, especially in adulthood.

Assistant Health Secretary Hugo, who has called soda "bottled poison", has been calling on citizens to cut back on junk food. He said the country's overweight health issue is the fault of a nutritional environment that has been developed to favor those junk food products instead of health.

In addition to Tabasco, Chihuahua state is debating a junk food ban. A federal senator from Oaxaca says he wants to make it a national law. A nationwide law would not be easy. There are powerful commercial interests that don't want it to happen. The business owners' association COPARMEX said the lawmaking “will be a barrier to commercial freedom”.

Public health groups applauded the junk food ban for minors as it is another encouraging step toward nutrition. With their effort, in the rural Oaxacan town, citizens have physically blocked chips and soda delivery trucks from entering, saying they don't want outsiders to bring in junk food. Almost all teenagers there know about health problems related to junk food thanks to the non-profit workshops from the health group. “I'd be annoyed at first,” said 16-year-old Wendy, “but I'd adapt. And maybe I'd think twice and buy fruit or something healthy instead.”

10 . Tens of thousands of drone (无人机)owners will have to register their devices for the first time under regulations designed to safeguard privacy.

Rules introduced yesterday require all drones that are fitted with cameras to be logged with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Anyone who fails to do so faces being taken to court and fined up to £1,000. Drones heavier than 250g already have to be registered with the CAA, which costs £9 and must be renewed annually, but the new measures extend this requirement to all devices, including the lightweight models that are used by hobbyist pilots.

The move comes after sharp rise in the number of drones bought by enthusiasts or those operating them for commercial reasons, such as to inspect infrastructure or for photography and filming.

However, the rise has prompted concerns over privacy, with fears that drones are being used to spy on private residences and other buildings. It has also led to an increase in the number of near-misses between drones and other aircraft, including commercial passenger jets. The latest figures show 531 near-misses involving drones were logged in the past decade, including 125 recorded in 2019.

By law drones are supposed to be operated within an operator's line of sight. They have to remain below an altitude of 400ft to avoid interfering with aircraft and flown at least 164ft away from people and buildings. The government has already toughened up regulations in recent years. This includes requiring all operators to pass an online test before being allowed to fly devices. Other changes to the regulations include allowing drones that weigh up to 25kg to be operated, compared with a previous limit of 20kg.

Devices will also fall into three new categories of risk --high, medium and low -- depending on how they will be flown. Low-risk drones, including those typically used by hobbyists, will have operational limitations but will not need authorisation （授权）for flights. Authorisation is needed for larger medium-risk and high-risk drone flights, which are typically carried out in more complex environments, including those beyond the operator's line of sight, which is banned under normal circumstances.

Christian Struwe, the director of public policy, said of the new regulation: "It simplifies different processes and allows customers to travel from country to country without having to worry about different rules in different foreign locations.”