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Today's Headlines Tuesday, February 18, 2014

IN THIS EMAIL World | U.S. | Politics | Business | Technology | Sports | Arts | N.Y./Region | Science | Today's Video | Obituaries | Editorials | Op-Ed | On This Day | CUSTOMIZE »

Top News Bombings in Syria Force Wave of Civilians to Flee By BEN HUBBARD Aerial bombardment by the Syrian government has emptied neighborhoods in the rebel-held city of Aleppo, pushing a new surge of refugees into Turkey, the United Nations says. U.S. Steps Up Criticism of Russian Role in Syrian War By MICHAEL R. GORDON, DAVID E. SANGER and ERIC SCHMITT Secretary of State John Kerry sharply criticized Russia's support of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, saying it was undermining prospects for a negotiated solution. Financier Plans Big Ad Campaign on Climate Change By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE Tom Steyer, a retired hedge fund manager, plans to spend as much as $100 million this year on a hard-edge campaign to pressure officials and candidates to support climate change measures. For more top news, go to NYTimes.com »

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Editors' Picks FASHION & STYLE Video: Bill Cunningham | Ugh! Fashion and reality had a head-on smashup during Fashion Week, with more than 250 shows throughout the city in often freezing, snowy or slushy weather. OPINION | Op-Docs 'VHS vs. Communism' By ILINCA CALUGAREANU In Communist Romania, Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee became popular heroes thanks to a translator who illicitly dubbed thousands of foreign films.

QUOTATION OF THE DAY "The experience is as exciting for astronomers as it is for parents taking the first photos of their infant eating." AVI LOEB, a theoretical astrophysicist at Harvard, on the prospect of observing a black hole devour a gas cloud.

Today's Video Video: On Short-Track Speedskating Short-track speedskaters whip around a relatively small oval, pushing forward in short bursts of acceleration on extremely sharp blades. Video: The Hunter Collection Alasdhair Willis is the creative director for Hunter, the English boot maker, and its new Hunter Original clothing. The advice from his wife, the designer Stella McCartney? Trust your instincts. For more video, go to NYTimes.com/Video »

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World Spain, Land of 10 P.M. Dinners, Asks if It's Time to Reset Clock By JIM YARDLEY A pro-efficiency movement is pushing Spain, with its long siestas and late nights, to reset its clock to align the country with the rest of Europe's 9-to-5 schedule and become more productive. Russia to Release Loan Money for Ukraine, Lifting Leader By ANDREW HIGGINS and ALISON SMALE The Russian move does an end run around Europe's sluggish efforts to support the Ukrainian opposition by coming up with an aid package of its own. Little Optimism as Iran Nuclear Talks Resume By STEVEN ERLANGER Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expressed his mistrust of the motives of the United States and its allies and said he saw little chance of success in the negotiation effort. For more world news, go to NYTimes.com/World »

U.S. A Picture of Detroit Ruin, Street by Forlorn Street By MONICA DAVEY Urban planners are watching the census of blight in Detroit for what it might mean for the way the most troubled cities can track empty, decaying structures and decide what do about them. Small Towns in Southwest Fear Loss of Cherished Train Line By DAN FROSCH The Southwest Chief route, a lifeline to rural communities, is in danger if Amtrak cannot persuade three of the states it runs through to help fund track repairs and maintenance. Penn State Looks South in Naming New President By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr. Eric Barron, a nationally known climatologist, has been president of Florida State University for the past four years. For more U.S. news, go to NYTimes.com/US »

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Politics Retreat on Debt Fight Seen as G.O.P. Campaign Salvo By CARL HULSE and JONATHAN MARTIN With their party on offense in its push to capture the Senate, Republicans say they are determined to avoid the mistakes and stumbles that Democrats exploited in 2010 and 2012. In Diluting Measure to Ban Gay Marriage, Indiana Shows a Shift By MONICA DAVEY Indiana pushed forward a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, but language had been removed that some supporters of a ban had considered essential. For more political news, go to NYTimes.com/Politics »

Business France Tries to Tempt In More Foreign Investment By LIZ ALDERMAN Hoping for foreign investment, France's president pledged tax stability to a group of high-ranking executives from the world's multinationals. But forgetting some of his campaign rhetoric may not be easy. A Big Bet on Gluten-Free By STEPHANIE STROM The number of people who must avoid gluten for health reasons is relatively small, but other consumers have joined them to create a lucrative market the food industry covets. DealBook Regulators and Hackers Put Bitcoin to the Test By NATHANIEL POPPER The virtual currency's meteoric rise encountered stormy weather that could determine its future. For more business news, go to NYTimes.com/Business »

Technology At Newark Airport, the Lights Are On, and They're Watching You By DIANE CARDWELL LED lighting systems that can observe people and gather data are being introduced worldwide, but some experts say there is potential for misuse. Bits Blog Wireless Charging: Still Plenty of Kinks in the Cord By MOLLY WOOD Wireless charging is promising and has been promised for several years. But it is a mess of competing standards and technologies. Will this tangle of cords ever get unraveled? Bits Blog Threes, a New Addictive Puzzle Game By NICK BILTON Threes, a new puzzle game for iOS, is beautifully designed, highly addictive and has a soundtrack that makes you feel like you're in a haunted house. For more technology news, go to NYTimes.com/Technology »

Sports Davis and White Give U.S. First Olympic Gold in Ice Dancing By JERÉ LONGMAN Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who began skating together when she was 9 and he was 8, won the long program on Monday with a season best of 116.63 points and an overall score of 195.52. Exhausted Ice Dancers Have to Keep Their Smiles  Slide Show: U.S. Takes Gold in Ice Dancing Watching Sliding Sports Live? The Athletes Wish You Luck By SAM BORDEN Sliding sports, like bobsled or luge or skeleton, are often decided by thousandths of a second, making it difficult for fans to watch and to know when to cheer. Holcomb Skilled at Ending 62-Year Slumps By SAM BORDEN Steven Holcomb piloted an American bobsled to a third-place finish for the country's first medal in 62 years in the two-man event. For more sports news, go to NYTimes.com/Sports »

Arts Fighting (and Dancing) Like Bruce Lee By STEVEN McELROY David Henry Hwang's "Kung Fu," about the life and legend of Bruce Lee, highlights the complexities of making stage fighting look real to an audience while remaining safe for the performers. Critic's Notebook Manifest Destiny: Into the Wild With a Tool Belt By NEIL GENZLINGER Cable channels are offering several new shows about building rustic cabins, including "Mennonite Made," "Building Wild" and "Timber Kings." Lorrie Moore's New Book Is a Reminder and a Departure By CHARLES McGRATH The novelist Lorrie Moore's new book, "Bark," is her first story collection in 15 years. For more arts news, go to NYTimes.com/Arts »

N.Y./Region A Curse to Many in New York Is a Thrill for the More Daring By LIZ ROBBINS The snow was no inconvenience to the children (and adults) who took to the slopes in Central Park on Monday.  Slide Show: Tough Sledding Geologists Glimpse a Heaven Below By SAM ROBERTS Work on three subterranean projects in Manhattan have enabled them to see rock formations and faults they had only been able to imagine.

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