The Senate loses its longest-serving member. Robert Byrd passed away at the age of 92.

They have ways of taking your money: “This week, New York state senators vote on a bill that would make it illegal for any homeowner or renter to sublet for less than a month. The new law would be a blanket ban on short-term rentals no matter how ethical the renter is. (It’s always been illegal to violate co-op leases and condominium bylaws.) This proposed law is bad news for any budget traveler visiting New York City and renting one of the 3,000 spaces that go for much (much) less than the nightly rate at hotels. Cheap digs may be history.”