Bush, Lawmakers Fail to Agree On a U.S. Troop Iraq Timeline
After weeks of acrimonious sparring over financing the next phase of the war, President Bush and congressional leaders softened their tone on Wednesday but failed to resolve their differences over a timeline for removing most U.S. combat troops from Iraq next year.
Looking Past the Finish Line
Our recent bit of un-springlike weather seems partially responsible for a creeping malaise spreading through the normally cheerful New England population. I noticed that I was getting progressively grumpier, but I hadn't realized how bad it was until I read a Metro reader's letter to the editor calling for serious harm to befall Puxatawney Phil: the adorable ball of fur that symbolically determines our climatic fate.
Shorts (left)
New Hampshire's governor said Thursday that he would sign a bill legalizing civil unions for same-sex couples.
Justices Uphold Partial-Birth Abortion Ban in a 5-4 Decision
The Supreme Court reversed course on abortion on Wednesday, upholding the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in a 5-4 decision that promises to reframe the abortion debate and define the young Roberts court.
World Bank Head Seeks Support To Stop Criticism Over Leadership
Paul D. Wolfowitz sought Wednesday to quell discontent over his leadership of the World Bank by promising top aides that he would change his management style, but he suffered a blow when one of those aides urged him to resign, bank officials said.
With New Technique, Doctors Remove Woman's Gallbladder Through Vagina
Doctors in New York have removed a woman's gallbladder with instruments passed through her vagina, a technique they hope will cause less pain and scarring than the usual operation, and allow a quicker recovery. The technique can eliminate the need to cut through abdominal muscles, a major source of pain after surgery.
Attorney General Encounters Criticism at Senate Hearing
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales encountered anger and skepticism from senators on Thursday as he insisted that he had nothing to hide in the dismissals of eight U.S. attorneys, an episode that has cast a shadow on the Justice Department and brought calls for his resignation.
Death Toll in Algeria Bombings Rises to 33; Manhunt Underway
The death toll from Wednesday's suicide bombings in Algeria rose by 10 on Thursday, to 33, and the police mounted a nationwide manhunt for those responsible for the attacks.
Missing Repub. E-mails May Relate to Fired Prosecutors
The White House said Thursday that missing e-mail sent on Republican Party accounts may include some relating to the firing of eight U.S. attorneys.
Running Against the Wind
On every day this month, the mean temperature has been lower than the climatological average. This cold spell looks almost certain to continue through at least the middle of next week, as we will not get the southwesterly flow necessary for warm conditions this time of year. Instead, after a couple days of chilly northwesterly winds, we will have a potent Nor'easter to ride out. All of the long-range numerical weather prediction models develop the storm just off the mid-Atlantic coast on Sunday, and then park it somewhere off the south coast of New England on Patriot's Day. This means we will likely see a prolonged period of stiff easterly winds and heavy rain from Sunday night through Monday, with the timing of the heaviest rain and strongest winds dependent on the exact trajectory of the storm. Anyone participating in the Boston Marathon or planning to go out and cheer on the runners should keep a close eye on this late-season Nor'easter as it develops.
Shorts (left)
For American law enforcement agencies the smuggling investigations were among their most elaborate, producing dozens of arrests and hard evidence that Chinese criminal gangs had smuggled counterfeit U.S. currency, cigarettes and drugs made in North Korea into the United States.
Shorts (right)
U.S. officials said Thursday that they were working assiduously for the release of Amir Mohamed Meshal, an American who had been jailed in Ethiopia on suspicion of terrorist activities, and that they hoped he would be freed very soon.
Off the Air: the Light Goes Out For Radio Personality Don Imus
CBS brought the weeklong confrontation over racial and sexual insults by the radio host Don Imus to an end Thursday when it canceled the "Imus in the Morning" show, effective immediately.
Suicide Bomber at Parliament Kills Eight People in International Zone
A suicide bomber wearing an explosives vest struck deep inside the heavily fortified International Zone on Thursday, killing eight people when he detonated inside the Parliament building just a few feet from the main chamber.
Loyalists to Militant Cleric Rally Against U.S. in Massive Protest
Tens of thousands of protestors loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shiite cleric, took to the streets of the holy city of Najaf on Monday in an extraordinarily disciplined rally to demand an end to the American military presence in Iraq, burning American flags and chanting "Death to America!"
The Day After Tomorrow
Following the cold Easter weekend, we can expect warmer temperatures for the near future. A high pressure system is sweeping across the New England region, accompanied by clear skies and smooth sailing. For today and tomorrow, expect daytime highs in the high forties and overnight lows near freezing.
Iran Says It Can Now Enrich Uranium on Industrial Scale
Iran claimed on Monday that it is now capable of industrial-scale uranium enrichment, a development that would defy two U.N. resolutions passed to press the country to suspend its enrichment program.
Pfizer's Inhaled-Insulin Diabetes Drug Falters in Domestic Sales
Exubera, the first and so far only commercially available inhaled-insulin diabetes treatment, is on the verge of turning into an expensive flop for its maker, Pfizer.
Challenge Over Emissions Rule Set To Begin in Vermont Federal Court
The fight over cars and carbon dioxide moves Tuesday from the Supreme Court to a federal courtroom in Burlington, Vt., in a case that automakers say could reshape vehicles sold on the East and West coasts.
In Reversal, Britain Says Ex-Captives Can Not Sell Stories to Media Sources
After howls of protest from former military commanders, opposition politicians and relatives of service personnel who had been killed, Britain's defense secretary, Des Browne, on Monday abruptly reversed a decision to allow some of the sailors and marines captured by Iran to sell their stories to the media.