Several chances for showers amid sunshine
A series of disturbances will move across southern New England this week, creating an unstable weather pattern for the week of Orientation. Periods of sunshine and warmth will be punctuated by showers and thunderstorms. While no particular day is expected to be rain-out, the chance for occasional showers will persist through Thursday. The most likely times for precipitation will be this morning, Wednesday night, and Thursday afternoon, although there may be a slight chance of showers outside of these times as well.
High pressure creates picture-perfect weekend
The cold front that passed through our region yesterday has ushered in a high pressure system that will dominate our weather for the next few days. With the high pressure in control, we can expect clear skies, sunshine, and calm winds for the entire weekend. The substantial westerly winds that brought temperatures in the upper 80s °F to Boston earlier this week will now be absent, allowing for the development of a sea breeze. With sea surface temperatures near 70°F in Massachusetts Bay, the sea breeze will work to cool off the Institute, keeping afternoon temperatures around or below 80°F each day. This pattern is expected to continue at least until Monday night, when the next frontal system will begin to approach from the west.
NASDAQ technical problem results in three-hour trading halt
NEW YORK — Trading in a wide array of stocks, including popular ones like Apple and Microsoft, ground to a halt Thursday after a technology problem at the Nasdaq stock exchange. It was the latest prominent disruption in the markets caused by computer glitches.
Fed appeals rejection of rule on regulating debit-card fees
WASHINGTON — A fierce legal battle that pits financial firms against the retail industry took a new turn Wednesday when the Federal Reserve said it would appeal a recent decision involving debit-card transaction fees.
Obama plans to make attending college more affordable
President Barack Obama plans to announce on Thursday a set of ambitious proposals aimed at making colleges more accountable and affordable by rating them and ultimately linking those ratings to financial aid.
Manning sentenced to 35 years for leaking government secrets
FORT MEADE, Md. — A military judge sentenced Pfc. Bradley Manning on Wednesday to 35 years in prison for providing more than 700,000 government files to WikiLeaks, a gigantic leak that lifted the veil on U.S. military and diplomatic activities around the world.
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WASHINGTON - The Obama administration on Thursday escalated its efforts to restore a stronger federal role in protecting minority voters in Texas after the Supreme Court’s June ruling striking down part of the Voting Rights Act, announcing that the Justice Department would become a plaintiff in two lawsuits against the state.
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HONG KONG - An early reading Thursday of a closely watched survey of manufacturing-sector activity provided the latest indication that China’s economy had bottomed out after many months of slowing growth.
United Nations criticizes Australia over asylum policy
SYDNEY - Australia’s indefinite detention of 46 recognized refugees amounts to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, the United Nations said Thursday, applying more international pressure on the government’s tough policies toward asylum seekers.
Copyright lawsuit targets cover songs on YouTube
In the latest sign of friction over the licensing of online music, a group of music publishers has sued Fullscreen, one of the largest suppliers of videos to YouTube, saying that many of Fullscreen’s videos
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Former President George W. Bush underwent a surgical procedure Tuesday morning in which doctors inserted a stent to open a blocked artery, aides said.
Taliban leader says it will sit out Afghan elections
KABUL, Afghanistan - Despite efforts to broker a peace deal between the Afghan government and the Taliban, the insurgent group will not participate in presidential elections next year, its leader said in a statement Tuesday.
Bloomberg warns labor costs could increase under his successor
NEW YORK — Warning of the fiscal danger if New York City fails to rein in its spiraling pension and health care costs, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Tuesday challenged his would-be successors to take a tough line in negotiations with the city’s unions, while worrying aloud that whoever is elected will be too beholden to labor.
Utilities need to spend to beat cyberattacks, leaders say
WASHINGTON — To counter the growing threat of cyberattacks, power utilities must harness the same manpower, money and other resources that they throw at natural disasters, industry leaders said Tuesday.
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The Justice Department sued Bank of America on Tuesday, accusing the bank of defrauding investors by vastly underestimating the quality of mortgage-backed securities.
Separatists kill 13 in southwestern Pakistan
ISLAMABAD — Baluch separatists on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the killing of 13 people who had been abducted a day earlier in a remote area of southwestern Pakistan.
Extreme heat subsides
The beginning of this week has seen a welcome respite from the scorching heat that has been recurrent during the first part of this summer season. While there were nine days with high temperatures of 90°F or higher in July, the temperature has struggled to breach 80°F so far this August. In fact, on Tuesday morning, the temperature in Boston dipped below 60°F for the first time since summer began— a streak of 47 days in total.
Supreme Court rulings bolster same-sex marriage
WASHINGTON — In a pair of major victories for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled last Wednesday that married same-sex couples were entitled to federal benefits and, by declining to decide a case from California, effectively allowed same-sex marriages there.
Wet, Hot Boston Summer
A broad high pressure system located off the East Coast has brought warm, moist conditions to much of the Eastern United States for the past few days. The southwesterly flow associated with this system has created a train of showers and thunderstorms stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to New England. Here at the Institute, this has resulted in a pattern of hot, partly cloudy days punctuated by the occasional passing shower or thunderstorm. Fortunately for those who like this kind of weather, the strong Atlantic high pressure system is expected to persist for the foreseeable future, meaning the pattern of heat and storms will continue at least through the beginning of next week.
Obama administration to delay health law requirement until 2015
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration announced Tuesday that it would delay for a year, until 2015, the Affordable Care Act mandate that employers provide coverage for their workers or pay penalties, responding to business complaints and postponing the effective date beyond next year’s midterm elections.