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A very popular topic of conversation has always been the local cost of living. Based on a “breadbasket” of basic expenses, here is a list of the top ten most expen-
Notorious Spy and Betrayer Dies at 92
Recently, it was revealed that David Greenglass, who was an atomic spy for the Soviet Union and who served 10 years in prison for his participation in the most explosive atomic spying case of the Cold War, died at the age of 92. The traitor provided testimony that sent his brother-in-law and sister, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, to the electric chair in 1953. Decades later, Greenglass admitted that he lied on the stand about his own sister in order to protect himself and his wife. David and Ruth Greenglass, like the Rosenbergs, were active Communist sympathizers, having joined the Young Communist League in 1943. Both couples believed that the Soviet Union should have the bomb if the United States did. The Rosenbergs were convicted in 1951 of conspiring to steal secrets about the atomic bomb for the Soviet Union and were executed at New York’s Sing Sing prison, insisting to the very end that they were innocent. Greenglass, indicted as a co-conspirator, testified for the government that he had given the Rosenbergs research data obtained through his war-
time job as an Army machinist at the Los Alamos, New Mexico, headquarters of the top-secret Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb. He told of seeing his older sister transcribing the information on a portable typewriter at the Rosenbergs’ New York apartment in 1945. That testimony was a critical piece of evidence in convicting Ethel and her husband. In 2001, Greenglass was quoted in the book, “The Brother,” by New York Times reporter Sam Roberts as saying he had not actually seen Ethel typing with his own eyes. His testimony was based on what his wife Ruth had seen. However, as Roberts writes, for the prosecution, the typewriter “was as good as a smoking gun in Ethel Rosenberg’s hands.” Following the book release in a CBS interview, Greenglass dismissed any notion of a betrayal. He explained that he told the lie in order to assure leniency for himself and his wife. “I sleep well,” Greenglass said in the interview; he felt that the Rosenbergs’ own “stupidity” of pleading innocent had kept them from possibly saving themselves. Greenglass said he does not feel responsible for the Rosenbergs’ deaths and rationalized that he had not known their fate at the time when he told the little white lie. He added that in any case, his own family came first. Greenberg served close to ten years in prison and after his release from prison in 1960, he resided in Queens, New York, living under an assumed name, hoping to be forgotten for his shameful actions. According to the Rosenbergs’ sons, Michael and Robert Meeropol, David Greenglass died at the age of 92 on July 1 in New York City. In a statement on Tuesday, the Rosenbergs’ sons said that David and Ruth Greenglass were the ones who passed atomic secrets onto the Soviets, then “pinned what they did on our parents — a calculated ploy to save themselves by fingering our parents as the scapegoats the government demanded.” Unsurprisingly, Greenglass remained estranged for the rest of his life from his nephews. Supposedly, Greenglass said of
his nephews: “Their whole life has been involved with this kind of stupidity, to actually think they [the Rosenbergs] were innocent.” The Rosenberg boys were 10 and 6 when their parents were executed.
Apple Unveils New Products
If you are already bored of your iPhone 6, don’t fret; a new Apple product is about to hit the market. Last Thursday, the tech company unveiled a thinner iPad that is embellished with a faster processor and an improved camera. The goal of the new iPad Air 2 is to generate excitement for tablets since trends seem to be showing a declining demand. The device is just a quarter of an inch thin—a measly 6.1 millimeters. While previous models boasted a 5 megapixel camera, the Air 2 camera has an 8 megapixel camera to create sharp images and videos. This new device is pretty much as a light as a banana in the palm of your hand but about two thousand times the price, starting at $499. A new iMac model, Retina 5K, was also introduced with a 27 inch high-resolution screen. It is perfect for those who watch a lot of television on their computers. Along with the reveal of latest and hottest products, the company also released an update to its Mac operating system. The new operating system, Yosemite, became
OCTOBER 23, 2014
NY Tops Cost of Living List
sive states to live in. The average cost of a gallon of milk and a gallon of gasoline goes a long way in determining how much your monthly bills will be. This list also takes into account the average home price and energy bill. Meat prices and doctors’ expenses round out the considerations in determining the local cost of living. The 10th most expensive state in the nation is Maryland, followed by Rhode Island, New Hampshire and New Jersey. Massachusetts, Alaska and California are sixth, fifth and fourth in line. Connecticut is third and Hawaii is second. The most expensive state to live in should come as no surprise to you. New York tops the list with extremely high housing rates and dry goods costing way more than the national average. Some of the staggering averages in this great state of ours are: a half-gallon of milk is $2.23. A pound of ground beef costs $4.39. The average energy bill is $246.55 per month. And the average doctor’s visit costs $103.25. Despite the high prices, New Yorkers still love living in the Big Apple.
THE JEWISH HOME
was 82. De la Renta was often described as the “sultan of suave” and dressed every first lady since Jacqueline Kennedy. “The only realities in life are that you are born, and that you die,” he told an audience at New York’s 92Y “Fashion Talks” series in June 2013. “We always think we are going to live forever. The dying aspect we will never accept. The one thing about having this kind of warning is how you appreciate every single day of life.” Born July 22, 1932, in the Dominican Republic, de la Renta was the only son of seven children. His birthplace helped shape his eye for color. “From my island side comes my love for the exotic, for color and light,” he told the New York Times. At 18, he left for Spain to study at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid. For a time, he dabbled in abstract art. But fashion was his passion, he soon discovered. After the wife of the U.S. Ambassador to Spain saw some of his dress sketches, she commissioned him to design a gown for her daughter. After that success, de la Renta switched his focus to fashion, eventually making his way to Paris to work at the reputed fashion house, Lanvin. Two years later, he moved to New York and became a designer for Elizabeth Arden. In 1965, he launched his eponymous brand, seeking to dress “successful working women.” From there, he branched into fragrance, then into a home line, then into furniture. “I’m a very restless person. I’m always doing something. The creative process never stops,” he once said. Admired by contemporaries, adored by consumers, de la Renta had a long, successful run. He was the winner of numerous Cody awards, the fashion equivalent of the Oscars. His creations were a fixture on the red carpet and in the Oval Office. In recent years, he made headlines for admonishing Michelle Obama for her fashion choice to meet the Queen of England in a J. Crew cardigan. “You don’t go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater,” he said. “Being well dressed hasn’t much to do with having good clothes,” the designer once said. “It’s a question of good balance and good common sense.”