A Wet and Windy Weekend
So far this week, we have seen a departure from the sunny, enjoyable autumn weather of early October for cloudy skies and chillier temperatures. This weather has been more reminiscent of late November than mid-October, but those looking for a reprieve will have to endure a few more days of cold. In fact, a bit of storminess will be added to the equation, as two low pressure systems will bring wind and rain to the Boston area over the weekend.
Congress Splits on Taxing High-Cost Health Plans
A proposed tax on high-cost, or “Cadillac,” health insurance plans has touched off a fierce clash between the Senate and the House as they wrestle over how to pay for legislation that would provide health benefits to millions of uninsured Americans.
Ads Are Taking On A Rosier Hue
The American economy is back or so some of the country’s biggest advertisers are saying in new campaigns.
Renewed Attention for Longstanding California Water Issues
In a sign that a deal addressing California’s longstanding water supply problems may be near, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger convened a special session of the Legislature on Monday to revisit a package of water bills.
Shorts (left)
Caijing, a respected Chinese business magazine, has been thrown into turmoil after a dispute over its editorial direction recently led to the resignation of 11 high-ranking executives and nearly 70 other workers from the business staff, according to people close to the magazine.
Russia-German Pipeline Sparks Fears in Eastern Europe
With an ambitious new pipeline planned to run along the bed of the Baltic Sea, the Russian natural gas giant Gazprom is driving a political wedge between Eastern and Western Europe.
Market Attack Shows Pakistani Militants’ Tenacity
Militants on Monday launched their fourth assault in a week on strategic targets across Pakistan, this time with a suicide car bombing against a military vehicle in a crowded market in the northwest, killing 41 people and wounding dozens more.
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Many small and midsize American businesses are still struggling to secure bank loans, impeding their expansion plans and constraining overall economic growth, even as the country tentatively rises from its recessionary depths.
Grab Your Blanket
As winter approaches, the days and nights grow colder and colder as the sun’s position above the horizon gets lower and lower. At night, the temperature is also dependent on the presence of clouds. On a clear night, radiation from the earth’s surface escapes efficiently to space. On a cloudy night, the clouds act as a blanket that traps radiation. Tonight, as the clouds clear out, temperatures will plummet into the upper 30s°F, the coldest night we have seen yet this fall. Temperatures this week will be generally colder than average, as cold air from the north dominates our region.
At Harvard, Leaner Times Mean No More Hot Breakfast
Gone are the hot breakfasts in most dorms and the pastries at Widener Library. Varsity athletes are no longer guaranteed free sweatsuits, and just this week came the jarring news that professors will go without cookies at faculty meetings.
17 Die in Bombing Near Indian Embassy in Kabul
A car packed with explosives blew up beside the Indian Embassy on Thursday, leaving 17 people dead in what India’s foreign secretary said was a direct attack on the embassy compound, the second in two years.
Shorts (right)
In the year since the government stepped in to rescue the collapsing mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the agencies have taken $96 billion from the Treasury, and may still need more.
For U.S., Leaving Iraq Is a Feat That Requires an Army
There is no more visible sign that America is putting the Iraq war behind it than the colossal operation to get its stuff out: 20,000 soldiers, nearly a sixth of the force here, assigned to a logistical effort aimed at dismantling some 300 bases and shipping out 1.5 million pieces of equipment, from tanks to coffee makers.
House Votes to Cover Sex Orientation Hate Crimes
The House voted Thursday to expand the definition of violent federal hate crimes to cover those committed because of a victim’s sexual orientation, a step that would extend new protection to lesbian, gay and transgender people.
The True Windy City
Chicago is frequently termed the “windy city,” but the honor, according to the National Climatic Data Center, belongs to the nearby Blue Hill Observatory in Milton, MA which has an average wind speed of 15.4 mph (24.8 kph). Boston is considered to be the windiest major metropolitan area with an average wind speed of 12.5 mph (20.1 kph) while Chicago is much further down the list at 10.4 mph (16.7 kph).
In Trial, 500,000 Homeowners Get Lower Mortgage Payments
For months, troubled homeowners seeking to lower their mortgage payments under a federal plan have complained about bureaucratic bungling, ceaseless frustration and confusion. On Thursday, the Obama administration declared that the $75 billion program is finally providing broad relief after it pressured mortgage companies to move faster to modify more loans.
Shorts (right)
When the Dalai Lama landed here on Monday, he set off on a characteristically hectic, weeklong schedule including lectures, seminars, an awards ceremony and meetings with a senior State Department official and the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi.
Prepaid, But Not Prepared For Debit Card Fees
Buying a prepaid debit card these days is just about as easy as picking up a bottle of shampoo or a candy bar. Walk into a Wal-Mart or almost any major drugstore, and rows of plastic worth $25, $100 and even $500 beckon from kiosks alongside prepaid phone cards and gift cards for retailers.
Three Americans Share NobelFor Work in Cell Biology
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded Monday to three American scientists who solved a problem of cell biology with deep relevance to cancer and aging. The three will receive equal shares of a prize worth around $1.4 million.