nearing solstice

Dec. 21, 2008—A Jewish financier rips off millions of dollars devoted to memorializing the Holocaust—who could make this stuff up? Dickens, Balzac, Trollope and, for that matter, even Mel Brooks might be appalled. ... Last week ABC asked 16 of the banks that have received handouts from the Treasury Department’s $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program the same two direct questions: How have you used that money, and how much have you spent on bonuses this year? Most refused to answer. –Frank Rich, NYT WK 10