Hyundai shifts gears, turns heads

While I was photographing this car a man approached and asked what kind of car I had. Told a 2014 Hyundai Equus, he let out a whoop, a friendly cuss and exclaimed "A Hyundai!" and left chuckling about how much better the car was than the 1990s rust-buckets.

The cackling has stopped about paying nearly $70,000 for the Equus since its introduction in 2011 because this is one beautifully made luxury automobile.

Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Cadillac certainly aren't laughing anymore. These high-end carmakers are being challenged by the Koreans, with their imported European designers who are now making great looking, well-engineered and elegant machines while muscling in on market share.

This full-sized Ultimate — one of two trim levels available — with rear-wheel drive and a 5-liter V8 mated to an 8-speed transmission, is quiet, powerful and full of tech goodies including sunroof, navigation, a Blue Link integrated infotainment system, wonderfully comfortable leather seats and a rocking sound system. The 429-horsepower engine purrs on the highway and effortlessly accelerates through traffic. High-test gas is recommended but the car will run well on lower octane with only the miles per gallon dropping slightly from the estimated 15 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.

This car could easily assimilate into a livery fleet as rear-seat passengers get to enjoy individually controlled DVD screens, personal climate control, reclining seats and, in one model, a refrigerator. The trunk is massive, providing ample storage.

The refreshed interior is well laid out and trimmed with wood, brushed aluminum and leather. The infotainment center is run by a mouse-like controller, similar to that found in a Lexus, but not as intuitive. It was the only part of the car that left me underwhelmed. The newly designed dash has electronic display gauges and the center stack is smartened up, in­cluding a square analog clock.

The Equus may not have true European sport sedan handling but the sedan has three driving settings: normal, sport and snow. Sport was my preferred style, adjusting the car height, suspension and shift points to make cornering and performance just a bit tighter. Maneuvering the big machine is made easier by the fore and aft bird's-eye cameras that play out on the 12-inch video screen.

The exterior lines are simple and elegant. Also reworked for 2014, the simple five-fin horizontal grill is framed by LED headlights and running lights and Hyundai-­added fog lamps.

The catch? It's all included in the luxury budget $68,900 price tag.

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FEMA unveiling new Hub flood zone maps

Suffolk County residents will get a first look today at new flood zone maps that have prompted outcry over rising federal flood insurance costs and a deluge of lawsuits across the nation.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency today is unveiling the new maps that Boston officials say are likely to affect about 10,200 residential units and as many as 3,600 businesses.

"As a city, we're committed to accurately identifying the risks from coastal storm flooding and finding ways to support those home and business owners who will be impacted by the remapping of the flood zones," Mayor Thomas M. Menino said.

The city is working on hiring a consultant with the Boston Redevelopment Authority to review the maps to ensure their accuracy and applicability, he said.

The earliest the city of Boston expects to adopt a final flood hazard map is December 2014.

Sticker shock from the new federal mandate has kicked off a rising tide of opposition nationwide.

"These new rates will devastate many families and businesses throughout Massachusetts," said state Attorney General Martha Coakley, who yesterday joined a lawsuit against the new rates in Mississippi federal court. "In setting these new flood insurance rates, FEMA not only failed to evaluate their economic impact, but also failed to gather all the data required to ensure the new rates are accurate."

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4 questions to consider about insurance extensions

President Barack Obama is trying to make it possible for Americans to keep their health insurance coverage if they like it. But his now infamous promise may not be realistic.

Obama said Thursday that insurers should be allowed to continue selling individual coverage plans that would be deemed substandard under the health care overhaul to existing customers. The decision came after millions of people received cancellation notices alerting them that their plans would not have complied with overhaul coverage requirements set to begin next year.

A day later, the House of Representatives voted to let insurers sell those existing plans to new as well as existing customers. That bill now goes to an uncertain fate in the Senate.

Insurance experts say there are a number of obstacles that could keep insurers from letting customers renew old policies that the companies had planned to scrap for 2014. Here's what you need to know if you have received a cancellation notice:

WHAT WILL MY INSURER DO?

Your insurer likely doesn't know yet.

Several companies said shortly after Obama's announcement that they were still trying to understand the implications behind it. Obama planned to meet with health insurance CEOs on Friday.

Aetna Inc., the nation's third largest health insurer, plans to extend some of its cancelled policies, but it hasn't elaborated on that. The Hartford, Conn., insurer covers more than 22 million people, but only a small slice of that is individual insurance.

Robert Laszewski, a health care industry consultant, said he expects other insurers to make a decision over the next couple days on whether to let customers renew policies that they had decided to scrap.

CAN'T INSURERS JUST CONTINUE THE COVERAGE THEY HAD IN PLACE?

The decision is far more complex.

For starters, insurers would need to figure out how much to charge since they haven't set premiums, or the price of coverage, for plans they expected to scrap. They have to consider how the coverage will be used and how prices have risen before settling on what they need to collect to cover future claims.

They also have to send letters to customers with cancelled policies, telling them that the coverage can now be renewed. They also have to inform customers who want to keep canceled plans about any protections that are now required by the overhaul but that are not included under the old plans.

Insurers then have to wait for customers to decide whether to keep the coverage and respond. Then they must finalize their rates, change their billing for the different rates and reissue the policies.

All this adds up several months of work. But insurers would have to do all this in about 30 days in order to have coverage ready to start on Jan. 1.

ARE THERE OTHER REASONS AN INSURER CAN'T KEEP MY PLAN?

Yes.

State insurance regulators have to decide whether to allow insurers to do this. Many haven't made that call yet. Washington regulators have already said they will not allow insurers to extend their policies.

Aetna spokeswoman Susan Millerick said the company needs help from state regulators "to remove barriers that would make it difficult to make this change in such a short period of time."

WHAT CAN I DO IF I DON'T GET TO RENEW MY COVERAGE?

Customers still have until Dec. 15 to use the overhaul's insurance exchanges to sign up for health insurance coverage that starts in January. The premiums they find may be higher because the law requires more extensive coverage than what some plans currently offer. But customers also may be eligible for income-based tax credits to help them foot the bill.

Many insurers also are letting policyholders renew their coverage early, which would let them keep their plans through most of 2014.

Customers who do not qualify for a subsidy also should look beyond the overhaul's exchanges. They only show plans for which subsidies can be used, and an insurer may make other options available in the policyholder's state.

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Netflix revives 'The Killing' for final 6 episodes

LOS ANGELES — Netflix says it is reviving "The Killing" after its cancellation by AMC.

A fourth and final season will be available to Netflix subscribers, the streaming service said Friday. Six episodes are planned to give the crime drama a "proper send-off," Netflix executive Cindy Holland said in a statement.

Stars Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman will return to the crime drama for its conclusion, producer Fox Television Studios said.

"The Killing," based on a Danish series and developed by Veena Sud, has had a rocky history. AMC canceled it after a second-year ratings slump, reversed its decision and then axed it again after the third season aired in the summer.

Netflix said the final six episodes of "The Killing" will be available for instant viewing but didn't announce the release date.

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MSNBC suspends Alec Baldwin's show for 2 episodes

LOS ANGELES — Alec Baldwin's new weekly MSNBC talk show was suspended for two episodes after the actor was videotaped using an anti-gay epithet against a photographer during a New York street encounter.

The cable channel didn't specify the reason it yanked Friday night's "Up Late with Alec Baldwin" from its schedule this week and next, but the decision came the day after the Thursday run-in.

In a statement on MSNBC website, Baldwin wrote that he "did not intend to hurt or offend anyone with my choice of words, but clearly I have — and for that I am deeply sorry."

He said his actions came as he tried to protect his family — presumably from the photographer — but were unacceptable and undermine "hard-fought rights that I vigorously support."

The video, which was posted on TMZ, also drew a tweeted apology from Baldwin in which he claimed he was unaware the term he used was offensive to gays.

MSNBC declined further comment. Baldwin's representative said in an email Friday night that the actor would decline to comment.

The incident came during the week a Canadian actress was convicted in New York of stalking Baldwin with calls, emails and visits over a two-year period. Genevieve Sabourin was sentenced to six months in jail in addition to a month she's already serving for her courtroom outbursts.

Baldwin's wife, Hilaria, said in a statement afterward that the two "feel safe, relieved and happy to move forward" with the case resolved.

But Baldwin reportedly lost his cool again Friday when a reporter for a New York TV channel asked about the trial and, according to Variety.com, Baldwin called him "dumb." The exchange took place outside Baldwin's apartment building, the website said.

Baldwin's career has included Oscar and Tony nominations and originating action hero Jack Ryan in the 1990 film "The Hunt for Red October" as well as his Emmy-winning turn on "30 Rock."

He's also known for his temper. He was kicked off a plane in 2011 after refusing to stop playing a cellphone game, and he's gotten into confrontations with news photographers. He and a New York Post lensman filed harassment complaints against each other after an altercation in February, and a Daily News photographer said Baldwin punched him in 2012, which Baldwin denied.

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Townhouse condo has roomy charm

A townhouse condo in Cambridge's Inman Square that's priced at nearly $1 million shows just how much has changed in the once-inexpensive neighborhood known for its funky, independently owned shops and eateries, including the iconic S&S Restaurant.

A new three-bedroom attached townhouse at 15 Oak Street, one of three available units carved out of an expansive 1854 house and attached barn, was initially listed last week for a jaw-dropping $999,000, but has just been reduced to $969,000. For that money, you get three floors with 2,550 square feet of living space, oak floors throughout, custom maple cabinetry, Bosch appliances, a huge master bedroom suite and nicely done ceramic tile bathrooms.

The original house and rear barn have been gut renovated, with new clapboard siding, roof and windows and all-new systems added, including gas-fired heat and central air conditioning.

Unit 1, the front townhouse, has a covered front porch and opens into an oak-floored open living/dining area, with a picture window and a light/fan over the dining space. Off to one side is a sunny sitting room, and opposite is a half bathroom with gray ceramic tile. An adjacent formal dining room gets lots of sun but is cut off from the adjacent kitchen by a full wall.

Reachable through the living room, the well-
appointed kitchen features 25 custom maple cabinets and Absolute black granite counters. Appliances are all Bosch stainless-steel, including a side-by-side refrigerator, a dishwasher and a five-burner gas stove. Right off the kitchen is a good-sized pantry closet.

The three bedrooms on the second floor are reachable via a charming winding wood staircase with new custom-designed wrought-iron railings.

The oak-floored master bedroom is huge, with a row of four front-facing windows and recessed lighting. There's a large area suitable for a master closet and a smaller closet as well. The stylish en-suite master bathroom has striated ceramic-tile floors and walls for a glass-doored walk-in shower and an Absolute black 
granite-topped vanity.

There are two other decent-sized oak-floored bedrooms on this floor, along with a second stylish full bathroom with striated ceramic tile floors and walls surrounding a tub and shower. The vanity has a beige granite top. There's a closet in the hallway with a washer/dryer hookup, and the developer will throw in a washer and dryer on closing, says real estate agent Adam Day.

A winding staircase leads to two more finished, oak-floored rooms with windows on the third floor under the eaves. One room would make a great home office, while the other, with low headroom due to the eaves, could work as a playroom.

The townhouse has all-new electrical and plumbing systems, and new gas-fired heating and central air-conditioning systems.

The unit comes with one parking space in the three-unit complex's driveway. But there is no other open yard space.

Broker: Adam Day of Realty Executives at 617-908-5653

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Milford casino backer's all in

A newly formed spinoff of Penn National Gaming, which hopes to open a slots parlor in Plainville, came to the rescue yesterday of Crossroads Massachusetts and its gaming operator, Foxwoods, by agreeing to supply the financing they were missing in their bid to build a $1 billion resort casino in Milford.

The announcement that Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. had signed a letter of intent to finance the casino came four days before a Milford referendum on the project and only hours after the state Gaming Commission announced that the proposal was suitable to continue with the approval process, with conditions, one of which was that it obtain the equity financing before Dec. 31.

"This is a best case scenario for us, as GLPI is a known entity to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission," Scott Butera, Foxwoods' president and CEO, said in a statement. "Moving forward, we are fully invested in the application process and committed to delivering what we set out to build: a world-class resort casino bringing jobs, revenue, property tax abatement and infrastructure improvements in the best possible location in the state of Massachusetts."

The deal will also include the creation of a $1 million scholarship fund to allow Milford students to pursue college or "other vocational avenues within the gaming industry and elsewhere," Crossroads said in its announcement.

Milford Selectman Dino B. DeBartolomeis said news of the financing and the commission's conditional suitability decision "just eases people's doubts" about the proposed casino, which is expected to generate some 3,000 jobs and at least
$25 million annually in taxes for the town, lowering property taxes for the average single-family home by $1,500.

"Hopefully, people on Tuesday will say, 'Hey, this is a good thing,'" he said.

But Tim Spino, one of the project's most outspoken critics, said he was disappointed with the commission's decision and believed it was motivated by concern that Suffolk Downs — another contender for the sole casino license in Eastern Massachusetts — would not find a gaming partner, leaving only Las Vegas billionaire Steve Wynn's proposal in Everett.

"They wanted to keep another player in there as an option," said Spino, who has lived in Milford for 31 years. "The bottom line is the financial integrity of this town is stronger than the financial integrity of Foxwoods. You're going to forever change the character of your town for what?"

Meanwhile, a grass-roots effort to ban casinos in Massachusetts is making a final push to gather signatures ahead of a Wednesday deadline for a ballot question. Organizers of Repeal the Casino Deal, including Scott Harshbarger, held a news conference yesterday saying they would be flooding the state this weekend gathering signatures.

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Retailer group: One-year extension of health plans not enough

President Obama's decision to allow insurers to extend by one year health plans they had canceled for failing to meet the Affordable Care Act's requirements was a welcome admission that the law's rollout was botched, but it didn't go far enough to help small businesses, the head of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts said.

"We would hope the president's executive order would allow us to continue our policies for the next year and buy us some time and prevent, or at least delay, the double-digit premium increases due to the phasing out of state rating factors," said Jon Hurst, referring to the factors insurers use to determine the cost of a plan.

At a medical costs conference yesterday organized by the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, Hurst said he is unaware of any of his group's members canceling policies, but the rating factor change, coupled with the new federal definition of a full-time employee as someone who works 30 hours instead of 35, is cause for concern that some employees will be moved below 30 hours and not offered insurance.

Lora Pellegrini, president of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, said Obama's one-year extension of canceled policies raises many questions.

"Even in plans that could be grandfathered, it required us to modify or cancel existing policies because the grandfathering regulations were fairly prescriptive, and those plans didn't fit into that," Pellegrini said. "The big question is if we were to continue to offer these plans, what rules apply? If it's the old rating rules, those were changed a few months ago by the Legislature to comply with the Affordable Care Act."

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Logan runway gets debris detectors

Logan International Airport has installed a first-in-the nation automated runway debris detection system to prevent costly damage to planes and potentially save lives.

"Our No. 1 priority is safety on the airfield and anytime we can enhance that safety with technology that's what we strive for," said Ed Freni, director of aviation for the Massachusetts Port Authority.

The $1.7 million system uses small censors to scan the runway and automatically detect and alert inspectors of debris that could cause damage to planes, Christa Fornarotto, associate administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration said. The FAA paid for half the cost.

The foreign object debris (FOD) system, or 
FODetect, was developed by Israeli-based Xsight Systems, which has its U.S. headquarters in Boston.

There were 108 reports of debris in the past year at Logan, none resulting in serious accident or injury. Runway checks are manually conducted at least three times a day, and the new technology will enhance that, Freni said.

Logan installed the device on its busiest runway in September, and officials will evaluate its success to decide if they want to expand its use to all runways.

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Geithner to join private equity firm

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who played a central role in the government's response to the financial crisis of 2008-2009, is joining private equity firm Warburg Pincus LLC.

The firm announced Saturday that Geithner will serve as its president and managing director starting March 1.

Geithner led the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for six years before being becoming Treasury secretary in 2009. By that time, the economy had sunk into a deep recession.

Few Treasury secretaries received as much scrutiny. Supporters credited Geithner with helping prevent the recession from spiraling into a second Great Depression, but critics said he was too cozy with Wall Street.

Geithner stepped down from Treasury in late January, days after President Barack Obama was sworn in for a second term, and signed a deal with Random House's Crown Publishers to write a behind-the-scenes book about the response to the economic crisis.

Geithner was the last of Obama's original economic advisers to leave the administration. He was succeeded as Treasury secretary by Jack Lew.

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