Developer serves up plan for building behind Back Bay tennis club

Developers are proposing a 10-story mixed-use, glass-faced building that would rise above a 1902 Beaux Arts building on Boston's Boylston Street, across from the Hynes Convention Center.

The $40 million project by Boston-based Hamlen Co. would replace an existing 18-space parking lot behind 927-939 Boylston St. and build upon what's considered an original building in the Back Bay neighborhood, according to documents filed with the Boston Redevelopment Authority. It would include 15 residential units, two ground-floor retail spaces, a second level of shell office or educational space and a new enclosed parking garage with 35 spaces.

"The proposed project will create much-needed housing and retail space in the Back Bay neighborhood in a manner that is consistent with and complimentary to the existing architecture and character of the neighborhood," the project developers said in a letter submitted to the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

Hamlen's plans include refurbishing the existing classical revival style building at 927-939 Boylston St. that's home to the Boston Tennis and Racquet Club — Boston's oldest athletic and social club. Residents of the proposed project would have access to the club's fitness facilities, food service, social areas and meeting space. The existing building also houses Berklee College of Music facilities, including its student-run Cafe 939 music venue and coffee house.

The project still must be vetted by the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay's Architectural Committee and the Back Bay Architectural Commission in addition to the BRA.

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Chipotle apologizes for NY worker's police protest

NEW YORK — Two Chipotle chief executives have apologized to New York City police officers who were greeted by a restaurant employee making the "hands up, don't shoot" gesture popular with protesters.

Co-Chief Executive Officers Steve Ells and Monty Moran said in a statement Monday that the employee's action appeared to be spontaneous. They said it happened at one of their Brooklyn restaurants on Dec. 16 when a group of nine police officers entered. They said the officers were not refused service, but chose to leave after encountering the gesture while in line.

The executives said appropriate actions had been taken toward the crew member after the Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. reviewed video footage from security cameras. They said they could not discuss what actions were taken.

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Making their Fort Point: Group to brand Southie district

Fort Point residents, businesses and property owners are backing a branding campaign that celebrates the historic South Boston neighborhood's waterfront location, industrial warehouse buildings, artists and growing number of companies and hot restaurants.

The first step calls for a five-year, $50,000 streetlight banner initiative highlighting Fort Point, which encompasses about 55 acres in the broader South Boston Seaport District area that's taken on the city-coined Innovation District name in recent years.

The goal is to give Fort Point a "sense of place," said Rachel Borgatti, executive director of the Friends of Fort Point Channel.

The branding is intended to reflect Fort Point as those who live and work there see it — a thriving neighborhood with artists, restaurants, businesses, industry and amazing architecture, said Gabrielle Schaffner, a 25-plus-year Fort Point ceramic artist.

"There was time when you said you lived in Fort Point, and nobody knew where you were," she said. "The Innovation District is not just Fort Point. That's something that came about without input from Fort Point — that was just decided by the mayor's office ... or the (Boston Redevelopment Authority)."

The Boston Wharf Co. developed Fort Point starting in the 1830s. It has the city's "largest, most cohesive and most significant" collection of late-19th and early-20th century industrial loft buildings, according to the city's Fort Point Channel Landmark District Commission. Artists began moving there in the 1970s, and it's recognized as one of New England's largest artist communities.

Fort Point's Stoltze Design was selected from 14 companies to design the banners. "We want to project the fact that (Fort Point) has these historic buildings, a sense of history and a lot of culture, but also it's a very contemporary area and has a lot of innovative things happening," said founder Clif Stoltze, who's lived in Fort Point for more than 30 years.

The banners include plays on phrases that include the word "point." "Point After" banners with a wine glass and bottle signify after-work options such as restaurants and nightlife spots in the neighborhood, while "Point of View" banners with an easel refer to the artist community. "Point of Purchase" banners are a nod to growing retail options.

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Alert issued after likely HIV porn set infection

LOS ANGELES — California public health officials issued an alert Monday after finding "very strong evidence" that an adult film actor became infected with HIV as a result of unprotected sex on an out-of-state film shoot.

The Department of Public Health said the male actor tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS after engaging in unprotected sex with several other male actors during two separate film shoots. He had tested negative before the shoot.

"During the second film shoot, he had symptoms of a viral infection," the alert states. "The actor went to a clinic and had another blood test that showed he had recently become infected with HIV."

One actor from the second shoot has since tested positive for HIV. According to the health department, lab results indicate the first actor who tested positive "probably transmitted" HIV to the second.

A health department official was unable to immediately release further details regarding the lab testing and investigation. The alert notes that very early in an HIV infection, the test can be negative "even though the actor really does have HIV."

"In this case, the actor and production company thought he was HIV-negative during filming," the alert states. "Shortly after his negative test, HIV levels in his body rose rapidly to where he could infect other actors through unprotected sex.

A California-based trade group for the adult film industry declined to comment.

A health department official declined to release any information regarding when the transmission had taken place or which company it involved, citing privacy restrictions, but said the apparent transmission occurred in Nevada.

"It's happened before, it's happened now, and it will happen in the future," said Michael Weinstein, president of the Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "The big lie the industry has been saying all these years, there are no on-set transmissions, has been proven to be untrue."

The foundation championed an ordinance adopted by Los Angeles County voters in 2012 requiring actors in pornographic films to use condoms. The porn industry has fought the ordinance, saying having actors use condoms would interfere with a film's fantasy element by subjecting viewers to real-world concerns like pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

A federal appeals court recently ruled the ordinance does not violate First Amendment rights.

Several porn companies have moved shoots out of the county over the last two years in response to the ordinance. The number of porn filmmakers applying for permits in LA County has declined sharply, from 485 in 2012 to 40 in 2013.

The last confirmed on-set HIV infection was in 2004. After that, the porn industry adopted monthly testing for a range of STDs. Last year, the industry increased testing to every 14 days after a woman who performs under the name Cameron Bay contracted HIV. Her diagnosis triggered a moratorium on adult film production until all performers who worked with her were medically cleared.

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No health insurance? Penalties to rise in 2015

WASHINGTON — The cost of being uninsured in America is going up significantly next year for millions of people.

It's the first year all taxpayers have to report to the Internal Revenue Service whether they had health insurance for the previous year, as required under President Barack Obama's law. Those who were uninsured face fines, unless they qualify for one of about 30 exemptions, most of which involve financial hardships.

Dayna Dayson of Phoenix estimates that she'll have to pay the tax man $290 when she files her federal return. Dayson, who's in her early 30s, works in marketing and doesn't have a lot left over each month after housing, transportation and other fixed costs. She'd like health insurance but she couldn't afford it in 2014, as required by the law.

"It's touted as this amazing thing, but right now, for me, it doesn't fit into my budget," she said.

Ryan Moon of Des Moines, Iowa, graduated from college in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in political science and is still hunting for a permanent job with benefits. He expects to pay a fine of $95. A supporter of the health care law, he feels conflicted about its insurance mandate and fines.

"I hate the idea that you have to pay a penalty, but at the same time, it helps other people," said Moon, who's in his early 20s. "It really helps society, but society has to be forced to help society."

Going without health insurance has always involved financial risks. You could have an accident and end up with thousands of dollars in medical bills. Now, you may also get fined. In a decision that allowed Obama's law to advance, the Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that the coverage requirement and its accompanying fines were a constitutionally valid exercise of Congress' authority to tax.

In 2015, all taxpayers have to report to the IRS on their health insurance status the previous year. Most will check a box. It's also when the IRS starts collecting fines from some uninsured people, and deciding if others qualify for exemptions.

What many people don't realize is that the penalties go up significantly in 2015. Only 3 percent of uninsured people know what the fine for 2015 will be, according to a recent poll by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

Figuring out your potential exposure if you're uninsured isn't simple.

For 2014, the fine is the greater of $95 per person or 1 percent of household income above the threshold for filing taxes. It will jump in 2015 to the greater of 2 percent of income or $325. By 2016, the average fine will be about $1,100, based on government figures.

People can get a sense of the potential hit by going online and using the Tax Policy Center's Affordable Care Act penalty calculator.

Many taxpayers may be able to get a pass. Based on congressional analysis, tax preparation giant H&R Block says roughly 4 million uninsured people will pay penalties and 26 million will qualify for exemptions from the list of more than 30 waivers.

But it's unclear whether taxpayers are aware of the exemptions.

Deciding what kind of waiver to seek could be crucial. Some can be claimed directly on a tax return, but others involve mailing paperwork to the Health and Human Services Department. Tax preparation companies say the IRS has told them it's taking steps to make sure taxpayers' returns don't languish in bureaucratic limbo while HHS rules on their waivers.

TurboTax has created a free online tool called "Exemption Check" for people to see if they may qualify for a waiver. Charges apply later if the taxpayer files through TurboTax.

Timing will be critical for uninsured people who want to avoid the rising penalties for 2015.

That's because Feb. 15 is the last day of open enrollment under the health law. After that, only people with special circumstances can sign up. But just 5 percent of uninsured people know the correct deadline, according to the Kaiser poll.

"We could be looking at a real train wreck after Feb. 15," said Stan Dorn, a health policy expert at the nonpartisan Urban Institute. "People will file their tax returns and learn they are subject to a much larger penalty for 2015, and they can do absolutely nothing to avoid that."

The insurance requirement and penalties remain the most unpopular part of the health care law. They were intended to serve a broader purpose by nudging healthy people into the insurance pool, helping to keep premiums more affordable.

Sensitive to political backlash, supporters of the health care law have played down the penalties in their sign-up campaigns. But stressing the positive — such as the availability of financial help and the fact that insurers can no longer turn away people with health problems — may be contributing to the information gap about the penalties.

Dayson, the Phoenix resident, says she's hoping her employer will offer a health plan she can fit into her budget, allowing her to avoid higher fines for 2015.

In Des Moines, recent college graduate Moon has held a succession of temporary local and state government jobs that don't provide affordable coverage. The penalties are on his mind.

"When it gets up to $325, I hope I have a career that actually offers me a good health care plan," he said.

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Associated Press Social Media Editor Eric Carvin contributed to this report.

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Online:

Tax Policy Center ACA penalty calculator: http://tinyurl.com/mrppjoe

TurboTax Exemption Check: http://bit.ly/1xu9hDl

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Key decisions on drones likely from Congress

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is on the verge of proposing long-awaited rules for commercial drone operations in U.S. skies, but key decisions on how much access to grant drones are likely to come from Congress next year.

Federal Aviation Administration officials have said they want to release proposed rules before the end of this month, but other government and industry officials say they are likely to be delayed until January. Meanwhile, except for a small number of companies that have received FAA exemptions, a ban on commercial drone flights remains in place. Even after rules are proposed, it is likely to be two or three years before regulations become final.

That's too long to wait, say drone industry officials. Every year the ban remains in place, the United States loses more than $10 billion in potential economic benefits that drones could provide, according to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, a trade group.

"We need some sort of process that allows some of the low-risk operations," said Jesse Kallman, the head of regulatory affairs for Airware, a drone technology company backed by Google Ventures. "I think Congress understands that, and hopefully they'll take steps in the coming year to address that."

That appears to be what some key lawmakers have in mind. "We in Congress are very interested in UAS," Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said at a hearing this month, referring to unmanned aerial systems, or drones. "We understand UAS are an exciting technology with the potential to transform parts of our economy. ... It is our responsibility to take a close look."

One of the committee's first priorities next year is writing legislation to reauthorize FAA programs and overhaul aviation policy. The bill is expected to include directions from lawmakers on how to integrate drones into the nation's aviation system. The last reauthorization bill, passed in 2012, directed the agency to integrate drones by Sept. 30, 2015, but it's clear the FAA will miss that deadline.

The FAA is expected to propose restricting drones weighing less than 55 pounds to altitudes below 400 feet, forbid nighttime flights and require drones be kept within sight of their operators. Drone operators may also be required to get pilot's licenses, a possibility already drawing fire from critics who say the skills needed to fly a manned aircraft are different from those needed to operate a drone.

Shuster indicated he's concerned that requiring pilot's licenses might be burdensome and unnecessary. And keeping drones within sight of operators would be too strict and limit their usefulness, he said.

The reason for keeping drones within line of sight is that they don't yet have the ability to detect and avoid other aircraft.

AUVSI, the drone industry trade group, recently hired Mark Aitken, former legislative director to Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., as its government relations manager. LoBiondo is chairman of the House Subcommittee on Aviation, which will write the FAA reauthorization bill.

"We're really looking at an incremental approach still," Aitken said. "It's not something that is going to happen overnight."

FAA officials have been working on drone regulations for nearly a decade. The agency twice drafted regulations that were later rejected by the White House or Transportation Department. The FAA has long maintained that unmanned aircraft must meet the same regulations as manned aircraft unless waiving or adjusting those regulations doesn't create a safety risk. However, FAA officials more recently have begun talking about "risk-based" regulations, giving industry officials hope the agency might propose a blanket exemption from regulations for the smallest drones — usually defined as weighing under 5 pounds — as long as operators follow a few basic safety rules. Canadian authorities recently approved a blanket exemption for very small drones.

Congress already is getting pushback from private and commercial pilots who worry about possible collisions. The FAA receives reports nearly every day about drones sighted flying near manned aircraft or airports.

"As a (Boeing) 737 captain, I'll be damned if myself and 178 other people are taken down by a 12-pound or a 50-pound or a 150-pound piece of metal coming through my windshield," said Ben Berman at a recent forum hosted by the Air Line Pilots Association. "There are too many near misses occurring every day like this."

Mark Baker, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which represents private pilots, said online videos show that "operators are flying near airports, in the clouds and in congested airspace." He called such actions "reckless" and said they will inevitably lead to a collision.

FAA regulations permit recreational users to fly small drones as long as they stay at least 5 miles away from an airport, limit flights to less than 400 feet in altitude, keep the aircraft in line of sight and fly only during the daytime.

Last week, drone industry trade groups teamed up with the FAA and model aircraft hobbyists to launch a safety campaign aimed at amateur drone operations. The campaign includes a website, www.knowbeforeyoufly.com , where operators can find FAA regulations and advice on how to fly safely. The trade groups said they also plan to distribute safety pamphlets at industry events and are working with manufacturers to see that safety information is enclosed inside the package of new drones.

Retailers say small drones, which are indistinguishable from today's more sophisticated model aircraft, were popular gifts this Christmas.

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Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

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Online:

Drone safety campaign: http://www.knowbeforeyoufly.com

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Russian ruble drops 7 percent as economy shrinks

MOSCOW — The Russian currency extended its losses on Monday after a report showed the economy has started shrinking in annual terms for the first time since 2009 as the country is buffeted by falling oil prices and Western sanctions.

Meanwhile, the government, which has been scrambling to support the ruble and the economy, announced fresh steps to keep the banks afloat.

The ruble has been one of the world's worst performing currencies this year and was down another 5 percent on Monday, trading at 56 rubles per dollar in early afternoon in Moscow, wiping off some of the gains it made last week.

The fall came as the Economic Development Ministry issued a report showing the economy shrank by 0.5 percent in November compared with a year earlier. The ministry attributed the year-on-year decline in the economy, Russia's first in five years, to a sharp drop in manufacturing and investment.

The economy has been buffeted by a combination of lower prices for the country's crucial oil exports and the impact of Western sanctions.

Stabilizing the ruble is a priority for the country's monetary authorities. The Central Bank in past weeks raised its key interest rate to 17 percent and said it will offer dollar and euro loans to banks so they can help major exporters that need foreign currencies to finance operations.

The bank's foreign currency reserve has now dropped below $400 billion for the first time since August 2009, as the government has been selling the currency on the market to support the ruble.

Many Russian companies and banks have been locked out of Western capital markets following the sanctions imposed on the country for its involvement in Ukraine.

The government on Monday announced new steps to prop up the banking sector. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told a government session that he has just signed a decree to provide a total of 1 trillion rubles ($19.6 billion) to Russian banks. The list of the banks and the amount that each of them will receive is expected drawn up by mid-January, according to Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov.

Shuvalov said the measures should help "the banking sector be more stable in the new circumstances and safeguard it from new shocks if they do occur," he was quoted by Tass.

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Greece heads for early election, stoking financial concerns

ATHENS, Greece — Greece will hold early national elections on Jan. 25, stoking concerns over the future of the country's financial bailout, after lawmakers failed to elect a new president in a third and final round of voting Monday.

The conservative-led coalition government's candidate for the presidential post, 73-year-old former European commissioner Stavros Dimas, garnered 168 votes from parliament's 300 seats — short of the 180 votes needed to win.

According to the country's constitution, parliament must now be dissolved within 10 days. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said national elections will be held "at the soonest possible date" — Sunday, Jan. 25.

"The country has no time to waste," he said in a televised address just after the presidential vote. "I am here to guarantee that the country continues on a safe course ... so that the sacrifices made and the (economic) recovery are not endangered."

The government's fall — two and a half years into its four-year mandate — comes among deep uncertainty over the debt-ridden country's international bailout. Investors sold off Greek stocks Monday, with the Athens stock exchange's benchmark general index losing 7.3 percent in midday trading, after falling as much as 11.3 percent just after the vote.

Investors are worried that the main left-wing main opposition Syriza, which is consistently ahead in opinion polls, might try to renege on the terms of the bailout deal that is keeping the country afloat.

Syriza has pledged to roll back some of the reforms the country has implemented in order to qualify for billions of euros in rescue funds from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund — although it has recently somewhat softened its rhetoric about unilaterally pulling out of the bailout deal.

"The main opposition party today forced elections," senior conservative lawmaker Dora Bakoyiannis said. "Elections at the worst possible moment for the country's economy."

Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras said Monday's vote marked a "historic day for Greek democracy."

"When the majority of the people is determined to end the policies of the bailout agreements and austerity, then lawmakers can do no else than respond to their duty to keep in line with the will of the people," he said.

"Today Mr Samaras' government, which for two and a half years plundered our society and had already decided and committed to take new measures, belongs to the past," Tsipras added. "With the will of our people, in a few days, the austerity agreements will also belong to the past.

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Vermont Yankee plant prepares to shut down

VERNON, Vt. — The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant is getting ready to shut down.

Its owner, Entergy Corp., says it is closing the plant for economic reasons. The plant in Vernon is expected to disconnect from the regional power grid Monday.

The plant employed more than 600 people when it announced it would close. The workforce will be cut in half after a round of layoffs and retirements Jan. 19.

In 2016, the plant will see another big reduction as it prepares for a 30-year period during which time its radiation will cool. The plant likely won't be dismantled until the 2040s or later.

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Allianz says it's lead insurer for AirAsia plane

BERLIN — Allianz says it is the lead insurance firm for the AirAsia jetliner that went missing off Indonesia with 162 people on board.

The Munich-based reinsurance giant said Monday that its subsidiary Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty UK is the lead insurer for AirAsia, including for liability insurance.

Allianz said in a statement that it is too early to comment on the incident itself, but expressed its support for those affected by it.

An international search is underway to determine the fate of AirAsia Flight 8501, which disappeared from radar Sunday morning over the Java Sea on its way from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore.

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