After boom and bust, solar power finds a place in Spain
PUERTOLLANO, Spain — Two years ago, this gritty mining city underwent a brief, 21st-century gold rush. Long famous for coal, Puertollano discovered another energy source it had overlooked: the relentless, scorching sun.
Blue skies smiling at me
The past few days have given us a taste of the spring weather to come with sunny skies and comfortable highs approaching 60°F (16°C). A cold front that moved through New England last night will keep highs a little cooler than the past few days, although still well above the normal high for this time of year. High pressure in the region will allow us to keep these dry conditions and mostly clear skies for today and tomorrow. Tonight’s clear skies and light winds will also be ideal for radiational cooling: Expect temperatures tonight to dip into the low 30s on campus, and into the 20s further inland. Clouds will begin to build in our region throughout Thursday, as the next storm system further strengthens over the mid-Atlantic and begins to move our way on Friday. Ample moisture means that we could see plenty of rain (potentially a few inches) for the whole weekend starting sometime Friday afternoon or evening. But for today and tomorrow, enjoy the sun — nothing but blue skies do I see.
Nigerians raise death toll from ethnic violence to 500
DAKAR, Senegal — Officials and human rights groups in Nigeria sharply increased the count of the dead after a weekend of vicious ethnic violence, saying Monday that as many as 500 people — many of them women and children — may have been killed near the central city of Jos, long a flashpoint for tensions between Christians and Muslims.
As states shrink budgets, concern over trimming prison populations
In the rush to save money in grim budgetary times, states nationwide have trimmed their prison populations by expanding parole programs and early releases. But the result — more convicted felons on the streets, not behind bars — has unleashed a backlash, and state officials now find themselves trying to maneuver between saving money and maintaining the public’s sense of safety.
Bracing for tepid job numbers, House grants tax breaks for hirers
WASHINGTON — The House on Thursday approved a $15 billion measure intended to spur job creation by granting tax breaks to businesses that hire workers, as Democrats, bracing for new jobless figures, tried to show that Congress was doing something about stubborn unemployment.
Deadly attacks on soldiers at polls mar early voting in Iraq
BAGHDAD — Iraq opened its polls early on Thursday for hundreds of thousands of soldiers and police officers responsible for protecting the country’s electorate, and they came under assault themselves.
China’s spectacular real estate boom may presage bubble
SHANGHAI — The spacious duplex comes with crocodile-skin bedposts, hand-carved bronze doors inlaid with Swarovski crystal lights — and a $45 million price tag.
Coupling solar energy to natural gas, and hoping for the best of both
INDIANTOWN, Fla. — In former swamplands teaming with otters and wild hogs, one of the nation’s biggest utilities is running an experiment in the future of renewable power.
Shorts (left)
SACRAMENTO — Angered by increases in tuition and cuts in state funding, thousands of students, parents and faculty protested across California on Thursday, demonstrating at colleges, universities and even elementary schools to plead for help with the state’s ongoing educational crisis.
Shorts (right)
Thousands of processed foods — from soups to hot dogs to dips — contain a flavoring ingredient contaminated with salmonella, but government food safety officials say most affected products are safe because cooking, either before or after sale, eliminates the risk.
Brighter weekend ahead
A series of slow moving storms has affected Boston’s weather for the past week. Overcast skies, breezy conditions, and intermittent precipitation have dominated the recent weather. These storms have also caused continuous flooding along the east coast of Massachusetts. The combination of ocean swells and high astronomical tide has put some coastal roads underwater. However, the ocean flooding and dreary weather should end by the start of the weekend. For today, residual precipitation will linger as the nor’easter over the west Atlantic finally begins to depart. In its wake, an area of high pressure will arrive in the northeastern U.S. A pattern of clear skies and warmer temperatures is in store by Saturday and into the middle of next week. This should keep the mythical and meteorological March “lion” under control for now!
For districts policing failing schools, Obama backs reward
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Monday that he favored federal rewards for local school districts that fire underperforming teachers and close failing schools, saying educators needed to be held accountable when they failed to fix chronically troubled classrooms and curb the student dropout rate.
Shorts (right)
ISTANBUL — The detention of top military officers in Turkey last week was nothing less than a quiet piece of history. The military, long considered untouchable in Turkey, was pushed from its political pedestal with startling finality.
Despite readiness for quake, Chile struggles as rescue efforts continue
ANGOL, Chile — Chile’s government, after initially waving off outside aid, changed course Monday as the devastation from the powerful earthquake sunk in and the nation’s pressing needs became clear.
In California, a divided Republican Party smells blood
BURBANK, Calif. — If Republicans are to have a serious chance of capturing control of the U.S. Senate in November, they must win in traditionally Democratic states like California, where Sen. Barbara Boxer, a three-term Democrat, is showing signs of vulnerability.
Shorts (left)
The Iranian authorities on Monday closed two major opposition publications, among the last to remain in circulation as the government has suppressed its opponents’ communications in recent months.
‘Hero of Ukraine’ Bandera splits nation, both inside and out
STARYI UHRYNIV, Ukraine — Half a century after his death at the hands of the KGB, Stepan Bandera, a World War II partisan, has not lost his ability to rally Ukrainians against Russia — and against each other.
Grey haven
With weather more reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest, we’ve been mired in clouds with intermittent rain and snow for the better part of a week. The wind and rain storm Thursday evening sent gusts roaring over 60 mph (97 kph) from Boston to Concord, NH knocking down trees, tearing off roofs, and even sending a shed full of snow tubes flying across I-495. While we got the brunt of the wind and rain, New York City experienced its fourth largest snow storm on record with 20.9 inches (53 cm) in Central Park. The higher elevations of the Green and White Mountains in northern New England received more than 3 feet (91 cm) of snow, a boon to ski resorts which have been desperate for natural snow.
Data shows Toyota Camrys not recalled also had problems
Toyota has recalled 6 million cars in the United States over concerns about sudden acceleration. But an analysis of government documents shows that many Toyota Camrys built before 2007, which were not subject to recalls, have been linked to a comparable number of speed-control problems as recalled Camrys.
Democrat seeks attention in Florida senate race
ORLANDO — Rep. Kendrick B. Meek, the leading Democratic candidate for Florida’s open Senate seat, listened quietly last week to tales of woe: a college student who nearly ended up homeless because her mother had lost her job; a laid-off mother who paid for health care with credit cards; an electrician struggling to get unemployment benefits.