Making bones at science fairs

The path to success is not paved with paper mache volcanoes — but it can wind through the science fair.

It did for Randolph resident Barnas Monteith, a science fair champion in middle school and high school. Monteith took home top honors at the state, regional and international levels — and his wins paid for college.

Now the 38-year-old hopes to guide young students to science fair glory with his book "Dinosaur Eggs and Blue Ribbons: Science Fairs Inside and Out." Monteith will share his tips tomorrow during a signing at Barnes and Noble in the Prudential Center.

"There is a widespread perception, because sometimes science is boring in school that it is boring in real life, but that's not true," said Monteith.

Monteith first found success with a presentation on plants and fish at the science fair as a student at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Randolph. But it was an opportunity through the Museum of Science to work alongside famed paleontologist Jack Horner, who served as consultant to both Michael Critchton and Steven Spielberg for "Jurassic Park," that stoked his interest in science. It led to Monteith's science fair reign in high school. He won four years in a row with projects based on dinosaurs.

"They were pretty stressful for me, too, but I did enjoy them," said Monteith, a Tufts University graduate. "I think the thing about science fairs is you get to pick your own topic. That is one of the reasons why I still stayed with it in the adult world with advocacy. It's an alternative way to assess a kid's ability."

Monteith is now an entrepreneur and president of Tumblehome Learning, a Pembroke- and Taiwan-based company that makes educational tools promoting science and engineering.

"It's about exposure," said Monteith, co-chairman of the Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair. "EMC2, Raytheon, they are our sponsors. If you are a really smart kid, they will offer you a scholarship or internship on the spot."

Monteith said times have changed for the better.

"Kids are actually publishing peer review articles now," said Monteith. "There are a few kids even at the Massachusetts state fair who end up publishing their work. By the time you are out of high school, you have a patent you can earn money on. It's something you couldn't imagine in the '90s."

Monteith will be signing his book at Barnes and Noble, Prudential Center, 800 Boylston St., Boston. Sat.,
1. p.m.; 617-247-6959.

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Ink Block makes mark at former Herald HQ

The Ink Block is the transformation of the 24-acre former Boston Herald building in the South End into a destination residential area, and now the first two apartment buildings in the complex have opened.

They join a 50,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market that had its debut last month, in a four-building complex that will have 315 apartments, 83 condos, cafes and restaurants. A second phase will include an adjacent boutique AC Hotel by Marriott as well as a sixth building with more residential units.

"We're trying to create a community here that fits in with the rest of the South End, but has a design edge that reflects the area's history, food, art and music," said Ted Tye, managing partner of Newton's Nation­al Development.

Each of the three Ink Block apartment buildings is designed to appeal to different renter demographics. The Euro-styled 1 Ink features a glass exterior with bump-outs and floor-to-ceiling windows, and its apartments have a sleek and sophisticated vibe. The metal and precast stone-clad 2 Ink has hip, more industrial-looking interiors geared toward millennial renters. 3 Ink, which opens next month, goes with a more traditional Boston look, with its brick exterior and warmer interiors with wood cabinets.

Rents in the three buildings range from $2,529 to $2,804 for studios, $3,234 to $4,304 for one bedrooms, $4,104 to $4,704 for two bedrooms and $5,404-$5,804 for three bedrooms. Garage parking costs $325 a month.

The connected 1 Ink and 2 Ink share a lobby with a 24/7 concierge, as well as lounge areas with Wi-Fi, a projection TV and workspace. The funky decor is inspired by the site's news printing history, with wall coverings fashioned from thin strips of newspaper, pixelated wall displays and Ben-Day dot stenciling. Herald publisher Patrick J. Purcell has a minority interest in the Ink Block project.

We took a look at 1 Ink model Unit 411, a 753-square-foot one bedroom that's renting for $3,800 a month. The stylish kitchen features white quartz countertops and white Thermofoil finished cabinets, along with stainless-steel GE appliances and a quartz-topped island that seats three.

The open dining/living area has a built-in desk and floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic city views, as does the carpeted bedroom. The bathroom has porcelain tile floors and a white-tiled shower and there's a closet that holds a stacked Bosch washer and dryer.

Stenciled door numbers, jelly-jar lights and pop art in the hallways give 2 Ink a funky vibe. Unit 432, a 591-square-foot studio at 2 Ink, rents for $2,529 and has a divider between the living room and bedroom. The kitchen has black granite counters and mostly black cabinets with white subway tile backsplash. This unit also has a tile bath and washer/dryer, plus a large bedroom closet and additional storage space.

Property manager Jessica Ryan says lot of young professionals are renting the 315 Ink Block apartments, which are 25 percent leased. The complex is offering one month of free rent and a "look and lease" promotion that gives an additional $1,500 off if a lease is signed within 24 hours of touring an apartment.

"People renting Ink Block are looking for a lifestyle, not just a well-designed apartment," Ryan said. "It's literally one-stop shopping here."

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Critics: Wal-Mart wage hikes aren’t enough for workers

Wal-Mart has budged in the battle with workers over higher wages, but critics say the hourly pay increases pledged by the world's largest retailer don't go far enough.

The Bentonville, Ark., company yesterday said it would raise the hourly pay of 500,000 Wal-Mart and Sam's Club workers in the U.S. to at least $9 in April — a 24 percent hike for those who get the federal $7.25 minimum wage. Current employees will earn at least $10 an hour by Feb. 1 of next year.

CEO Doug McMillon said Wal-Mart wants to ensure it remains a "ladder of opportunity."

"We firmly believe that our customers will benefit from a better store experience, which can drive higher sales and returns for our shareholders over time," he said.

Wal-Mart workers, who aren't unionized, have staged protests and strikes over low pay, benefits and scheduling for the past several years under the Organization United for Respect at Wal-Mart, which is affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

"It showed that Wal-Mart is actually starting to listen to us," said Fatmata Javvie, a Wal-Mart cashier in Alexandria, Va., and Our Wal-Mart member. "But, at the same time, we're looking for $15 and full-time."

The changes are "inadequate" for employees struggling to support themselves and their families, said Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project.

The wage changes will have little impact in Massachusetts, where the minimum wage rose to $9 in January and will rise to $10 in 2016. "That is why workers are still demanding $15 and consistent hours," said Russ Davis of Massachusetts Jobs with Justice.

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Fannie Mae posts $1.3B profit in 4Q; paying $1.9B dividend

WASHINGTON — Mortgage giant Fannie Mae reported net income of $1.3 billion for the fourth quarter. That's down sharply from $6.5 billion a year earlier due largely to losses on investments used to hedge against swings in interest rates.

Still, it was the 12th straight profitable quarter for the government-controlled company.

Washington-based Fannie also said Friday that it will pay a dividend of $1.9 billion to the U.S. Treasury next month. Fannie will have paid $136.4 billion in dividends, exceeding the $116 billion it received from taxpayers during the financial crisis.

The government rescued Fannie and smaller sibling Freddie Mac in September 2008.

For Fannie and Freddie, the decline in long-term interest rates last year brought losses on derivatives, financial transactions the companies use to hedge against rate swings.

Fannie and Freddie own or guarantee about half of all U.S. mortgages, worth about $5 trillion. Along with other federal agencies, they back roughly 90 percent of new home loans.

The two companies don't directly make loans to borrowers. They buy mortgages from lenders, package them as bonds, guarantee them against default and sell them to investors. That helps make loans available.

On Thursday, Freddie posted net income of $227 million for the fourth quarter. That was down sharply from the same period of 2013, as the company sustained losses on the investments it uses to hedge against swings in interest rates. Freddie also said it will pay a dividend of $900 million to the government in March.

Fannie Mae reported net income of $14.2 billion for all of 2014, down steeply from $84 billion in 2013.

Fannie's losses on derivatives reached about $2.5 billion in the fourth quarter and around $4.8 billion in 2014.

The gradual recovery of the housing market has made Freddie and Fannie profitable again.

The market's revival beginning in 2012 has been fitful, and housing has lagged behind the rest of the economy. Despite the low borrowing rates that could lure prospective homebuyers, the market has remained hampered by tight mortgage credit, rising home prices and stagnating incomes.

The federal agency that regulates Freddie and Fannie took action in December to allow consumers to buy homes with down payments as low as 3 percent, down from the current 5 percent minimum. The new guidelines are meant to make houses more affordable for low-income families and first-time buyers.

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Judge rules against American Express in antitrust suit

NEW YORK — American Express violated U.S. antitrust laws by barring merchants from asking customers to use one credit card over another, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

The case was a major blow to American Express, who argued that its policies kept it competitive against the larger payment networks of Visa and MasterCard and their bank partners. American Express plans to appeal the decision.

U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis said in his ruling that American Express nondisclosure policies harmed competition and prevented merchants from trying to lower their credit card processing costs. He also said AmEx's policies kept consumers unaware how much using their credit cards cost merchants, which required merchants to pass along those costs in the form of higher prices.

At the center of the case are the fees merchants pay to process credit and debit cards, which have been largely hidden from the average consumer but are a major cost for any merchant who wants to accept plastic. Every time a credit or debit card is used at a merchant, the banks and payment networks take a small percentage of the transaction as a fee.

The fee varies on what type of card is used, but typically debit cards are cheaper for merchants to process than credit cards. The credit cards that gave consumers perks such as reward points, cash back or airline miles, which are the cards American Express offers, were among the most expensive for merchants to process.

Consumers never directly pay for these fees, but do so through higher prices merchants must charge to cover the processing costs.

"Every day merchants make their vendors compete for their business and, hopefully, drive down prices. That type of competition does not exist at all in the payment industry," said Jeffrey Shinder, an antitrust and payments expert at the law firm Constantine Cannon, who represents merchants in a related class action case involving American Express.

American Express required its merchants to accept all credit cards equally and could not encourage consumers to use one credit card over another through practices like signs that say "We Prefer Visa" or possibly offering discounts to Discover cardholders.

Visa and MasterCard used to have similar nondisclosure policies, but ended those practices after settling with the Justice Department in 2010. American Express refused to settle, and the issue went to trial last summer. The company argued at trial that merchants could discriminate against AmEx cardholders due to the higher fees and also argued that, as the third-largest payment network, it was not in a position to stifle competition.

Those arguments were rejected. Judge Garaufis ruled that the loyalty American Express cardholders have for their cards have been often enough to keep merchants accepting American Express cards. Also, while American Express is the third-largest payment network, it is the second-largest credit card network by payment volume.

American Express Co., in a statement, called the decision "wrong."

"The court's ruling will not provide any benefit to consumers and will, in fact, harm competition by further entrenching the two dominant networks," the company said, referring to Visa and MasterCard.

Retailers applauded the decision.

"This is a pretty important step forward, and it vindicates what we've said all along: that the credit card market is broken and the consequence has been high fees for merchants and consumers," said Mallory Duncan, general counsel for the National Retail Federation, which represents most of the nation's most well-known retail companies.

The ruling will not change American Express' policies immediately. Judge Garaufis asked both American Express and the Justice Department to submit proposed ideas on how to remedy the situation as a result of the ruling. However, if American Express is required to lower its fees that is likely to have a long-term effect on the company's profitability and, for consumers, its ability to provide perks like points or airline miles.

Thursday's news is the latest chapter in what has been a difficult start to the year for American Express. The New York company said in January it would lay off 4,000 employees this year, and this month American Express said its partnerships with Costco and JetBlue would be coming to an end.

American Express shares closed down $1.38 to $78.40 following the ruling. The stock has declined nearly 16 percent so far this year.

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Ex-NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver indicted on 3 charges

NEW YORK — Former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was indicted Thursday on three charges after his arrest in a federal bribery case.

The indictment was returned in Manhattan federal court, where he appeared briefly last month when he was freed on bail just a day after sharing the stage with Gov. Andrew Cuomo during his State of the State address.

The indictment doesn't add to the charges against Silver when he was arrested, but it's a critical step that provides a legal roadmap for prosecutors' presentation of evidence at trial. Two conspiracy charges contained in a criminal complaint were not included in the indictment, though no explanation was offered.

Silver will now have to enter a plea at an arraignment scheduled for Tuesday to charges that include two forms of honest services fraud, plus extortion under the color of official duties.

"Our client is not guilty. We can now begin to fight for his total vindication. We intend to do that fighting where it should be done — in court," Silver's lawyers, Joel Cohen and Steve Molo, said in a statement. Silver has said he is confident he will be exonerated.

Silver's arrest came after he had led the Assembly for over 20 years, becoming one of the most powerful and savvy figures in New York state politics.

But prosecutors said there was a dark side to his reputation as a potent backroom operator who played a major role in state budgets and laws, controlling which lawmakers sat on which committees and what bills got a vote.

The government said he had collected nearly $4 million in bribes and kickbacks since 2002 and disguised the proceeds as legitimate income.

The Democrat has since resigned as speaker but has said he intends to keep his Assembly seat.

Silver's arrest rocked the state Capitol, even though state lawmakers' arrests have become ruefully common. Some 28 New York legislators have stepped down because of criminal or ethical issues in the past 15 years. Four others remain in office while they fight charges, including Silver.

A day after announcing Silver's January arrest, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said at a breakfast meeting at a law school that it sometimes seems like Albany has become a "cauldron of corruption."

He was particularly critical of what he called a "three-men-in-a-room" system of government that puts too much control in the hands of the governor, Assembly speaker and Senate president.

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Tokyo stock rise as other Asian markets closed for holidays

TOKYO — Asian trading was quiet with most markets closed for the Lunar New Year holidays Friday, and Tokyo shares continued to rise on recent optimism about an economic recovery.

KEEPING SCORE: Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.3 percent to 18,323.17 in morning trade, building on the upbeat mood that marked the previous day, when it closed at a nearly 15-year high. Japan has been pushing ahead with export-encouraging policies such as the cheap yen. Toyota was up 0.8 percent. Softbank gained 1 percent, and Canon added 0.3 percent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 edged down 0.5 percent to 5,873.80. Other regional markets were closed for the holidays.

WALL STREET: Standard & Poor's 500 index ended the day down 2.23 points, or 0.11 percent, at 2,097.45. The index is still within a fraction of the all-time high of 2,100.34 reached on Tuesday. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 44.08 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,985.77. The Nasdaq composite rose 18.34 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,924.70.

CURRENCIES: The U.S. dollar was down slightly against the yen, trading at 118.92 yen, but little changed against the euro at $1.1369.

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Advocates push preventative care

Advocates pushed for greater preventative health care for the state's poor and elderly — services they claimed would save money in the long run — even as Gov. Charlie Baker continued to vow that "reforms and initiatives" for the money-hemorrhaging MassHealth program have "gotta happen."

"The lens has to widen," said Al Norman of Mass Home Care, which released a new report yesterday. "The health care system in this state has been too narrowly focused on medical care and needs to take a broader look."

The organization's report recommends the state provide MassHealth patients with "short-term coaching" for a month after hospital stays — things like ensuring they take prescribed medications and have enough money to take care of themselves — which would save money by avoiding costly repeat hospital stays or even more expensive nursing home care.

"We feel the state has not done a good job of coordinating that care," said Norman. "I believe the Baker administration knows that there's a lot of inefficiency and a lack of coordination in services for the elderly and disabled and I believe they will be receptive. How far they are willing to go ... I guess we're going to find out."

Speaking to the New England Council yesterday, Baker vowed a series of "reforms and initiatives" to MassHealth — though he didn't mention specifics, suggesting the plan is still being worked on. He blamed the runaway cost of temporary Medicaid — the emergency insurance provided to people who couldn't sign up for Obamacare last year because of the state's costly website failure — for a 13-14 percent increase in MassHealth spending. That's a $13 billion total price tag this year, representing the largest piece of the state budget, said Baker.

"In this budget and future budgets, the administration is looking for reforms to MassHealth that will have the smallest impact on the fewest people," a Baker administration official told the Herald. "That's the discussion that's happening now."

Dr. Richard Pieters, the president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, said doctors already experience roadblocks with the current MassHealth setup and don't want more of them.

Just this week, he said MassHealth required an extra — and, he claimed, unnecessary — layer of authorization for his female cancer patient who lost her hair after undergoing radiation, just so she could be covered for the cost of a wig.

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The Ticker

Connector extends hours

The Massachusetts Health Connector is extending hours and adding workers at its walk-in and call centers ahead of Monday's deadline to complete an application and pick a health plan.

The Boston walk-in center at 133 Portland St. is bringing in additional staff today through Monday.

Those who visit the center should make sure they have Social Security numbers and other documentation for everyone on their application. They also should have income information and their checkbook if they plan on making a payment.

The Connector's call center also will have expanded hours over the weekend and on Monday.

Battery maker A123 suing Apple

Battery maker A123 Systems is suing Apple, claiming it aggressively poached some key staff members in violation of their nondisclosure and noncompete agreements when they left A123.

According to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, A123 is seeking a restraining order and preliminary injunction to stop former employee Mujeeb Ijaz from hiring former A123 employees at Apple, where he now works. A123 makes lithium-ion batteries for electric cars and other products,

The complaint says Apple is starting a battery division nearly identical to A123. Apple did not immediately return a request for comment.

Judge dismisses larceny charges

A state judge has dismissed larceny charges against a Northampton woman who was accused of embezzling money connected to a failed project to build condominiums catering to older gay and lesbian people.

Hampshire Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup dismissed the charges against Nancy Whitley on Wednesday. Whitley and her former spouse, Heather Whitley, were charged in the disappearance of $146,000 in deposits by potential owners of the condos planned for Easthampton in 2006 and 2007.

Charges remain pending against Heather Whitley, who has pleaded not guilty.

Mass. ad agency may pitch Santa Fe

A Bay State-based advertising agency could receive a $900,000 contract to promote the city of Santa Fe, despite objections from some.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the city's Finance Committee this week unanimously recommended hiring Winchester-based Fuseideas LLC to pitch New Mexico's capital to the world.

Fuseideas was among 10 agencies that submitted proposals for the contract with the city's convention and visitors bureau, now known as Tourism Santa Fe.

If approved by the full Santa Fe City Council, the contract for Fuseideas would begin March 1. It would be a multiyear contract with an option to renew for three additional years.

• Vantage Builders Inc., a general contracting and construction firm based in Waltham, has named Joe Rodriguez, left, as project manager. Rodriguez joins Vantage from project management roles at JDL Corporate Interiors and iConstructors.

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800,000 HealthCare.gov customers given wrong tax info

WASHINGTON — About 800,000 HealthCare.gov customers got the wrong tax information from the government, the Obama administration said Friday, and officials are asking those affected to delay filing their 2014 returns.

The tax mistake is a self-inflicted injury that comes on the heels of what President Barack Obama had touted as a successful enrollment season, with about 11.4 million people signed up.

California, which is running its own insurance market, on Thursday announced a similar problem affecting about 100,000 people in that state.

The errors mean that nearly 1 million people may have to wait longer to get their income tax refunds this year. And they could also affect the size of those refunds.

Another 50,000 or so who already filed may have to resubmit their returns.

Federal officials also announced Friday a special sign-up extension for uninsured people facing the health care law's tax penalties for the first time this year.

Several million households could benefit from that grace period, which had been sought by Democratic lawmakers in Congress. Uninsured people who go to file their taxes and learn they're facing a penalty will have between March 15 and April 30 to sign up for subsidized coverage through HealthCare.gov. The fines for being uninsured are going up in 2015.

The tax error highlights the complicated links between Obama's health care law and taxes, connections that consumers will experience for the first time this year. The law subsidizes private health insurance for people who don't have access to job-based coverage.

By delivering those subsidies through the income tax system, the White House and the law's supporters were able to tout the health care overhaul as a tax cut. But it also introduced new wrinkles to an already-complicated tax system.

The errors disclosed Friday are in new forms that HealthCare.gov sent to millions of consumers receiving coverage through the federal insurance market that serves most states. Those forms, called 1095-As, are like a W-2 for health care. They provided a month-by-month accounting of the subsidies consumers received to help pay their premiums. That information is then used to make sure everybody got the right amount, not too much, or too little.

Andy Slavitt, a top administration official overseeing federal health insurance programs, said the administration is still investigating the root cause of the problem. Slavitt said it had to do with erroneous calculations of a "benchmark" premium that is used to help determine the amount of subsidies that individuals receive.

It's unclear how the error would affect consumers, Slavitt said. He said it's a mix of people who would have gotten too much assistance with their premiums, or too little.

Slavitt said the administration started notifying the affected consumers today. He urged them to wait to file their taxes until they receive corrected forms.

An estimated 50,000 who have already filed will receive special instructions from the Treasury Department, he said.

"We're not doing any victory laps," HealthCare.gov CEO Kevin Counihan told reporters.

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