Shorts (right)
As mayor of New York City, Rudolph W. Giuliani became the favorite Republican of gun control advocates.
Residents Hold Out as Egyptian Govt. Evicts Hundreds of Peasants
The Egyptian authorities have evicted hundreds of peasants from this village in southern Egypt because their mud brick houses, which have sat atop some of the world's most treasured and ancient tombs for centuries, were leaking sewage onto priceless antiquities.
Edwards Says Presidential Bid 'Goes On' Despite His Wife's Breast Cancer
John Edwards, the North Carolina Democrat, said Thursday that his wife's cancer had returned, but that his bid for the presidency "goes on strongly."
Shorts (left)
Trade negotiations between the United States and South Korea have failed to narrow gaps on issues like agriculture, automobiles and textiles, leaving them for next week, negotiators said Thursday.
Pentagon Chief Gates Sought Early Guantanamo Shutdown
In his first weeks as defense secretary, Robert M. Gates repeatedly argued that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had become so tainted abroad that legal proceedings at Guantanamo would be viewed as illegitimate, according to senior administration officials. He told President Bush and others that it should be shut down as quickly as possible.
Back Taxes Unchecked By Gov’t As Doctors Accumulate Wealth
Thousands of doctors and other health professionals who participate in Medicare are delinquent in paying federal income and payroll taxes, owing more than $1.3 billion, but they continue to receive Medicare payments because the government does little to check their background, federal investigators said Monday.
Spring Snow?
This weekend’s snowfall was eight inches, but it could have been a lot more. With the air temperature close enough to freezing, most of the snowflakes were in the form of wet snow. With all the ice, sleet, and rain at the tail end of the storm, the snow to liquid ratio was only 4:1. On average, a winter storm’s ratio is 10:1 and when the temperature is around 20°F, the ratio can get up to 20:1. Thus, if we had gotten the “fluff” factor, Boston could have received 40 inches of snow! Nonetheless, the observed eight inches more than doubled the season’s low snow totals and cost us our chance at setting the lowest recorded snowfall total (9") ever in Boston.
Shorts (left)
President Bush marked the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq on Monday with a stark warning against the temptation “to pack up and go home.”
McCain and Brownback Discover Immigration is Big Issue For Iowans
Immigration, an issue that has divided Republicans in Washington for the last several years, is reverberating across the party’s presidential campaign field, causing particular complications for Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
Senate Moves to Prohibit Unconfirmed Appointment of Federal Prosecutors
The Senate moved Monday to revoke new authority it granted the Bush administration last year to name federal prosecutors, with Democrats accusing the administration of abusing the appointment power at the center of an escalating clash over the firing of eight U.S. attorneys.
Failings of Global Effort Seen In South Africa TB Outbreak
The spread of a particularly virulent form of tuberculosis in South Africa illustrates a breakdown in the global program that is supposed to keep the disease, one of the world’s deadliest, under control.
State Farm Insurance Casts Off Judge in New Hurricane Plans
After more than eight weeks of stalemate over a federal court agreement to reopen thousands of insurance claims from Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi, State Farm said Monday that it would work instead through state regulators. The new plan would speed the flow of money to storm victims but they would lose the court’s oversight.
Shorts (right)
Russia on Monday signaled its opposition to the United Nations proposal to settle the status of Kosovo, Serbia’s breakaway province, and said a new negotiator should be named and fresh talks started.
Effy, Brace Yourself
After a spot of Arctic air that was drier than a Churchill martini and colder than Dick Cheney's heart, there have been several beautiful days with temperatures in the 60s — we even opened the windows during dinner in my apartment. Given this time of year in New England, it should come as no surprise, though, that things are about to change. The first day of spring is only about a week away, but we will experience some weather whiplash as we're yanked back into winter.
Shorts (right)
Massachusetts public safety officials said Wednesday they are looking into problems at the state medical examiner's office, which acknowledged that an increase in autopsies has recently led to a shortage of body bags, more autopsy-related injuries to staff, and on one occasion an overwhelmed plumbing system that resulted in blood and water pooling on the floor.
Senators Reject Democrats' Call to Pull Troops Thursday
The Senate on Thursday rejected a Democratic resolution to withdraw most U.S. combat troops from Iraq in 2008, but a similar measure advanced in the House, and Democratic leaders vowed to keep challenging President Bush to change course in Iraq.
UN Security Council Will Vote On New Draft of Iran Sanctions
The U.N. Security Council received on Thursday a draft of a new resolution to impose sanctions on Iran for its defiance of demands that it suspend its nuclear enrichment activities and return to negotiations over its nuclear program.
Hamas Aligns With Fatah But Fate Of Foreign Aid Remains in Doubt
The Hamas-led Palestinian government, boycotted by the West since its election more than a year ago because of Hamas' support of terrorism, announced on Thursday a unity coalition with the more moderate Fatah movement in hopes of ending the boycott.
Terrorist Confession Shoulders Blame But Complicates Linked Prosecutions
The admissions made by the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks illuminated and transformed the cases against him and the 13 other Qaida leaders transferred last year from CIA prisons to the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
China Moves to Protect Private Property Rights Amid Discord
After more than a quarter-century of market-oriented economic policies and record-setting growth, China on Friday is expected to approve its first law to protect private property explicitly.