Iraq, Gay Rights Prompt Tensions Between Dems., Loyal Party Base
Of the three most recognizable Barneys in America, one is a singing purple dinosaur, another is a prehistoric cartoon character and the third is a gay congressman from Massachusetts.
Lessing, Who Inspired a Generation Of Feminists, Wins Literature Nobel
Doris Lessing, the Persian-born, Rhodesian-raised and London-residing novelist whose deeply autobiographical writing has swept across continents and reflects her engagement with the social and political issues of her time, Thursday won the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Drug Companies Remove Infant Cold Medications From Market
Major makers of over-the-counter infant cough and cold medicines announced Thursday that they were voluntarily withdrawing their products from the market for fear that they could be misused by parents.
Many Happy Returns
Following the overcast Columbus Day holiday, a lingering low pressure system has been responsible for our recent spate of showers. Later today, the storm will migrate into Maine, but its effects will still be felt: cyclonic winds will remain gusty into Saturday. These strong winds will pull in dry air from Canada, and by early next week a high pressure ridge will cover New England, ushering in clear autumn skies.
Bill Passed: U.S. Contractors In Iraq to Be Under U.S. Law
With the armed security force Blackwater USA and other private contractors in Iraq facing tighter scrutiny, the House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would bring all U.S. government contractors in the Iraq war zone under the jurisdiction of U.S criminal law. The measure would a require the FBI to investigate any allegations of wrongdoing.
South Africa Closes Mine That Trapped 3,200 Below Ground
One day after a freak accident stranded 3,200 gold miners more than a mile underground, South African officials said Thursday that they had closed the huge Elandsrand mine for up to six weeks to determine the cause of the mishap.
Musharraf-Bhutto Deal Struck In Pakistan as Elections Loom
The government of Gen. Pervez Musharraf announced Thursday an accord that includes amnesty for the opposition leader and former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, clearing the way for the general to run for re-election as president on Saturday and for Bhutto to return to Pakistan for parliamentary elections at the end of the year.
Congressional Debate Erupts Over Interrogation Techniques of CIA
The disclosure of secret Justice Department legal opinions on interrogation on Thursday set off a bitter round of debate over the treatment of suspected terrorists in American custody and whether Congress has been adequately informed of administration legal policies.
Unseasonably Warm Weather Continues
Boston continues to be treated to unseasonably warm autumn temperatures. In fact, yesterday’s high temperature of 86°F (30°C) at Logan Airport (where official weather measurements for Boston are taken) exceeded the previous record high of 85°F (29°C) set in 1983. The average high temperature for the first week of October is 66°F (19°C). Our warm trend will continue with pleasantly warm temperatures Friday and Saturday. A weak cold front will move through the region on Saturday night, bringing cooler temperatures and a slight chance of showers. No heavy rain is expected at least through the beginning of next week. In terms of precipitation, Boston has been on the dry side the past month, with September seeing only half of its normally measured rainfall.
Shorts (right)
Autopsies on two Boston firefighters who were killed while battling a restaurant blaze in August revealed that one had a blood alcohol content more than three times the legal limit and the other had cocaine in his system, news media outlets here reported Thursday.
Shorts (left)
Sen. Larry E. Craig of Idaho, defying the wishes of many in his own Republican Party, said Thursday that he would remain in the Senate through next year despite a court ruling against him in Minnesota, where he sought to rescind his guilty plea stemming from an undercover sex sting.
Wall Street Posts Records After Write-Downs by Banking Giants
Wall Street’s banking giants on Monday started to admit their problems, which began in the mortgage lending business and led to a summer of wild stock market swings.
Security Alert Issued Regarding Toys With Remotes at Airports
Citing “credible specific information” about terror tactics, Transportation Security Administration officers nationwide on Monday stepped up their scrutiny of passengers carrying remote-control toys aboard airplanes.
Texas Oilman Admits to Cheating U.N.’s Iraq Oil-For-Food Program
Oscar S. Wyatt Jr., the Texas oilman accused of cheating the U.N.’s oil-for-food program, pleaded guilty Monday to paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal kickbacks to Saddam Hussein’s government in 2001 to gain access to lucrative Iraqi oil contracts.
Supreme Court Turns Down Two Cases Concerning Church-State Separation
One contentious topic missing from the Supreme Court’s docket as the new term opened Monday was religion. The justices evidently plan to keep it that way, at least for now.
Shorts (left)
Taliban insurgents in the southern province of Helmand kidnapped a 15-year-old key maker, accused him of being a spy for the Afghan and foreign authorities, beat him severely, then hanged him from an electrical utility pole, Afghan officials said Monday.
Russian President Positions Himself to Be Prime Minister
Vladimir V. Putin, who is constitutionally barred from seeking another consecutive term as president of Russia, announced on Monday that he might become prime minister next year.
Shorts (right)
A U.N. envoy was to meet with the leader of Myanmar’s junta Tuesday as authorities continued a crackdown after crushing huge peaceful demonstrations last week.
Spring (in the Southern Hemisphere)
The reversal of seasons between hemispheres should not be a surprise to most educated people in the world (although we are reminded of a famous educational experiment in which Harvard graduates failed to give a good reason for why this happens). As we entered the autumn season in the northern hemisphere, the winter came to an end in the southern hemisphere. The sun being close to the equator this time of the year makes the mean temperatures similar across the same latitudes in both hemispheres. According to this simple rule, we should find that locations in the southern hemisphere around 42° of latitude have about the same temperatures as we are experiencing in Boston.
Hasta La Vista, Summer?
Summer has come and gone as of last Sunday morning at 5:51 EST, but try telling that to the weather! We have been in an unusual high pressure pattern lately, which has allowed temperatures this week to soar and cut down precipitation to just 35 percent of normal since Aug. 1. Logan’s high of 88°F on Tuesday nearly tied the record high of 89°F for the same date in 1926. Again on Wednesday and Thursday, highs of 93°F and 85°F were only two degrees and one degree off from tying records, respectively. Thankfully, the muggy and rainy conditions today will usher in much drier and cooler air for the weekend.