Intentions of whale in killing are debated
MIAMI — Homicide investigators in Orlando said Thursday that the death of a trainer at SeaWorld on Wednesday occurred when the theme park’s largest male Orca whale grabbed the trainer by her hair while she stood in shallow water, and dragged her into a deep pool.
Despite pressure, China still resists Iran sanctions
WASHINGTON — Despite intense public and private pressure by the Obama administration, China has not yet shown any sign that it will support tougher sanctions against Iran, leaving a stubborn barrier before President Barack Obama’s efforts to constrain Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Greek debt and a weak job sector weigh on investors
A tense day for Wall Street ended with a tinge of hope, as a rise in commodity prices helped temper anxiety about Greek debt and the American jobs market.
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A lackluster report on durable goods on Thursday resurrected doubts about the sustainability of a recovery for manufacturing. In addition, the number of people filing unemployment claims touched a three-month high, and a barometer of home prices unexpectedly fell.
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The sickly housing market was socked with another dose of bad news on Wednesday when the Commerce Department reported that new home sales fell in January to the lowest level since record-keeping began in 1963.
Coastal storm pounds northeast
A major coastal storm has again hit the Northeast, bringing snow and rain as well as high winds to the I-95 corridor from Washington, D.C. to Boston. The same storm that brought rain and snow to the Midwest earlier this week has now moved off of the coast of the Mid-Atlantic. After moving over the ocean, the storm began to rapidly strengthen, resulting in additional precipitation and high winds for much of the Northeast region. As of Thursday evening, the National Weather Service had issued winter storm warnings, high wind warnings, and flood warnings up and down the coast in anticipation of dangerous conditions created by the coastal low.
A new plan envisions U.S. contracts as a wage lever
The Obama administration is planning to use the government’s enormous buying power to prod private companies to improve wages and benefits for millions of workers, according to White House officials and several interest groups briefed on the plan.
Five Republicans break ranks to help advance jobs bill
WASHINGTON — Five Republican senators broke ranks with their party on Monday to advance a $15 billion job-creation measure put forward by Democrats, a rare bipartisan breakthrough after months in which Republicans had held together to a remarkable degree in an effort to thwart President Barack Obama’s agenda.
Apple bans some iPhone applications for sexually suggestive content
Apple has started banning many applications for its iPhone that feature sexually suggestive material, including photos of women in bikinis and lingerie, a move that came as an abrupt surprise to developers who had been profiting from such programs.
Man is guilty in plot to bomb in New York subway system
NEW YORK — The Afghan immigrant at the center of what the authorities described as one of the most serious threats to the United States since 9/11 pleaded guilty Monday to terrorism charges in what he said was a Qaeda plot to detonate a bomb in the New York subway.
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For many households trying to improve their finances, tossing out pitches from the bank has become almost automatic. But in recent weeks, Chase has been fanning special letters out to consumers with an offer that it urges them not to refuse.
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WASHINGTON — At a closed briefing in 2003, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee raised no objection to a CIA plan to destroy videotapes of brutal interrogations, according to secret documents released on Monday.
With Olympic win, U.S. hockey team starts to believe again
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA — The American men skated onto the Canada Hockey Place ice on Sunday with a clear sense of purpose. They wore their 1960 replica sweaters, commemorating the United States’ first gold medal in Olympic hockey, won 50 years ago at Squaw Valley. They knew where they stood and what might come.
House panel criticizes Toyota’s response to accelerator problems
WASHINGTON — Leading Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee said Monday that Toyota relied on a flawed study in dismissing the notion that computer issues could be at fault for sticking accelerator pedals, and then made misleading statements about the repairs.
Rain and snow for the remainder of the week
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this week is going to be wet. Yesterday’s clear skies and relatively comfortable temperatures are gone. As I write this, certainty in the various models is not particularly high as to when the rain will start today. There is a low system, headed up the coast, that will bring much moisture our way. However, the type of precipitation, rain or snow, is going to depend on the timing of the storm and how much warm air is advected northward.
Judge keeps his word to immigrant who kept his
The judge and the juvenile had grown up on the same mean streets, 40 years apart. And in fall 1996, they faced each other in a New York court where children are prosecuted as adults, but sentenced like candidates for redemption.
Malicious software infects computers
A malicious software program has infected the computers of more than 2,500 corporations around the world, according to NetWitness, a computer network security firm.
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WASHINGTON<i> </i>— President Barack Obama met with the Dalai Lama on Thursday, welcoming the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader to the White House for a low-profile meeting that nonetheless raised the hackles of China.
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UNITED NATIONS — The sense of disarray in the global effort to address climate change deepened Thursday with the resignation of Yvo de Boer, the stolid Dutch bureaucrat who led the international climate change negotiations over four tumultuous years.
WEATHER Melting Winter Games
If you’ve been watching the Olympics, you’re probably well aware of the weather problems that have plagued the outdoor Olympic venues, especially Cypress Mountain where the freestyle and snowboard events are being held. Since the sites are selected way ahead of time, there is no way to forecast how the weather will play out during the games themselves. Unfortunately for Vancouver, an exceptionally warm winter has caused a severe shortage of snow at Cypress Mountain. Snow actually had to be transported down from higher elevations in order to firm up the courses. Though there is plenty of snow to be found at Whistler, warm temperatures have caused the snow to be quite soft during the day posing an added challenge to athletes as they adapt on the fly to the changing conditions.