Peak Color
The end of October is usually when the Boston area sees the peak autumn colors, and this year is no different. Aided by the recent chilly nights, the transition to the colorful landscape that New England is so famous for has accelerated in recent days. It appears that peak color in the urban areas is approaching, and these next 7–10 days will likely feature the best combination of color and minimal leaf drop. If you have a chance, be sure to enjoy the colors before they fade. Popular spots that are a short distance from campus include the Arnold Arboretum, Middlesex Fells, and Blue Hills.
To Curb Risk, Fed to Track Banks’ Top Paychecks
The Federal Reserve announced Thursday that it would crack down on pay packages that encouraged bankers to take excessive risks, but officials acknowledged that the plan might not reduce the biggest paychecks on Wall Street.
Behind War Between White House and Fox
Late last month, the senior White House adviser David Axelrod and Roger Ailes, chairman and chief executive of Fox News, met in an empty Midtown Manhattan steakhouse before it opened for the day, neutral ground secured for a secret tete-a-tete.
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A short midlevel cleric, with a neat white beard and a clergyman’s calm bearing, Mehdi Karroubi has watched from his home in Tehran in recent months as his aides have been arrested, his offices raided, his newspaper shut down. He himself has been threatened with arrest and, indirectly, the death penalty.
Senate Votes to Expand Hate-Crime Protection
The Senate voted Thursday to extend new federal protections to people who are victims of violent crime because of their gender or sexual orientation, bringing the measure close to reality after years of fierce debate.
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Stocks moved upward on Thursday, riding momentum from stronger-than-expected earnings reports despite a round of jobless figures that showed persistent weakness in the labor market.
Another Rainy Weekend
The past week has been a terrific example of how variable fall weather can be. While last weekend was cold and rainy (and even a bit snowy on Sunday!), the last few days have been warm and sunny. This variability continues over the next couple of days. Today should be significantly cooler than the past couple days. The temperature will only make it to around 50°F, and brisk winds from the north mean it will feel even cooler. The next low pressure system will move into our area late tonight.
Pressed, Sen. Reid Says Health Bill May Have Public Option
Under immense pressure from the liberal wing of his caucus, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, has told colleagues that he may include a government-run health insurance plan in a health care bill he will soon take to the Senate floor, Democratic senators said Thursday.
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Apple, in its recent history, has overcome nearly every obstacle thrown its way. Now it has surpassed another: the burden of high expectations.
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After nearly a month of deliberations by President Barack Obama over whether to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, frustrations and anxiety are on the rise within the military.
Financial Giants Donating Little to Obama & Democrats
The Wall Street giants that received a financial lifeline from Washington may have no compunction about paying big bonuses to their dealmakers and traders. But their willingness to deliver “thank you” gifts to President Barack Obama and the Democrats is another question altogether.
Justice Department Will Not Prosecute Medical Marijuana Use
People who use marijuana for medical purposes and those who distribute it to them should not face federal prosecution, provided they act according to state law, the Justice Department said Monday in a directive with far-reaching political and legal implications.
Afghan Leader Is Said to Accept Runoff Election
Under international pressure, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan appears set to concede as early as Tuesday that he fell short of a first-round victory in the nation’s disputed presidential election, but the path to ensuring that the country has credible leadership remains uncertain, U.S. and European officials said Monday.
Iran Issue Veiled Threats as Nuclear Talks Begin
Iran opened two days of nuclear talks with the United States, Russia and France on Monday with veiled public threats that it could back away from an agreement to ship more than three-quarters of its stockpile of nuclear fuel out of the country, unless the West acceded to Iranian demands to provide it with new fuel.
Going From Less to Zero Waste Catches on in U.S.
At Yellowstone National Park, the clear soda cups and white utensils are not your typical cafe-counter garbage. Made of plant-based plastics, they dissolve magically when heated for more than a few minutes.
An El Niño Winter
NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, recently stated that El Niño would be a dominant factor in this winter’s climate. But how is it that one phenomenon apparently restricted to the tropics can affect climate around the world? Well, it’s all due to the circulations in the atmosphere and ocean in the equatorial Pacific. Normally, there is great upwelling of the waters to the west of Peru; cold, nutrient-rich water is brought up and is blown westward by the trade winds, creating a “cold tongue” of water near the equator. More convection is seen to the west; but when El Niño conditions set up, the trade winds decrease; cold, nutrient-rich water does not upwell as much; and warmer waters set up further to the east than normal. As low pressure tends to coexist with warm waters, the pressure field in the Pacific tropics shifts, changing surface pressures and weather patterns, across the globe. However, despite all of these changes in the atmosphere, New England will not be affected significantly. For us, there are equal probabilities for a relatively cold or warm winter and for a relatively wet or dry winter.
H1N1 Vaccine Is Fresh Fodder For Opponents
People who do not believe in vaccinating children have never had much sway over Leslie Wygant Arndt. She has studied the vaccine debate, she said, and came out in favor of having her 10-month-old daughter inoculated against childhood diseases. But there is something different about the vaccine for the H1N1 flu, she said.
Holiday Travelers Who Wait to Book Flights May Pay More
Procrastinators were rewarded last year when they finally got around to booking flights for holiday travel. Back then, airlines were not prepared for the sharp falloff in travel and offered last-minute deals to fill up empty planes.
A Woman,Her Son and His Father, the Priest
With three small children and her marriage in trouble, Pat Bond attended a spirituality retreat for Roman Catholic women in Illinois 26 years ago in hopes of finding support and comfort.
Shorts (left)
For hours on Thursday, people around the country were gripped by television images of a homemade, silvery balloon careening through the skies near here, whooshing over fields and trees and yards with a 6-year-old boy believed to be inside.