Illinois sets election to replace Jesse L. Jackson Jr.
CHICAGO — A special primary election to replace Jesse L. Jackson Jr. in Congress will be held in February, Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois announced Monday, as numerous potential candidates were already floating their names in public, calling leaders in search of financial and political backing, and sizing up the competition.
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Grover Norquist on Monday found a new way of dismissing the handful of Republican lawmakers — including the House majority leader — who are now publicly wavering about his pledge they signed not ever to raise taxes.
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BARCELONA, Spain — Artur Mas, the president of Catalonia, was hoping to lead Spain’s economically most powerful region toward secession from the rest of the country.
Chilly weather sticking around for the week
Below normal temperatures will be common across our area in the coming days. No significant southerly surface winds are expected this week, keeping cool polar air in place. A low pressure just to our southeast will slowly strengthen tonight just offshore. As it does, we could get some spotty precipitation today and into the overnight hours. Given the cold temperatures some snow could fall tonight, before the low departs towards Canada on Wednesday. Following the low a high pressure will slowly build off the Carolina coast and bring clear weather back to New England. The high’s southerly flow looks somewhat weak at this point, hence it will keep cool air over the northeastern U.S. through late week. Wind speeds should also remain fairly calm as the high moves closer. So despite cool temperatures, wind chill readings will not be significant even during nighttime hours.
Egypt’s president agrees to limit scope of decree
CAIRO — President Mohamed Morsi agreed Monday to scale back a sweeping decree he had issued last week that raised his edicts above any judicial review, according to a report by a television network allied with his party. The agreement, reached with top judicial authorities, would leave most of Morsi’s actions subject to review by the courts but preserve a crucial power: protecting the constitutional council from being dissolved by the courts before it finishes its work.
Politics in play over safety net in deficit talks
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s re-election and Democratic gains in Congress were supposed to make it easier for the party to strike a deal with Republicans to resolve the year-end fiscal crisis by providing new leverage. But they could also make it harder as empowered Democrats, including some elected on liberal platforms, resist significant changes in entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.
Church of England prepares for vote on female bishops
LONDON — Two decades after it supported the introduction of women as priests, the Church of England began three days of deliberations Monday that will include a critical vote on the ordination of women as bishops — a notion that still splits its members into rival camps.
As it emerges from scandal, News Corp. looks to buy again
News Corp. is starting to look like its old self again. The media conglomerate, which had been on its heels for more than a year because of the phone hacking scandal in Britain, is looking to make acquisitions. First on the list could be a 49 percent stake in the Yes Network in New York, a purchase that could aid in the formation of a new nationwide sports network to compete with ESPN.
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LONDON — The leader of Britain’s biggest business lobby issued a stark warning Monday about the growing risk that the country will leave the European Union and urged British business executives who favor staying in the bloc to speak out in response to skeptics of further European integration.
Scores of Palestinians killed, wounded as conflict continues
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — After a night of sustained Israeli strikes by air and sea and a morning of rocket attacks on Israel, the Health Ministry here said Monday that the Palestinian death toll in six days of conflict had risen to 91 with 700 wounded, including 200 children, as the assault ground on unrelentingly despite efforts toward a cease-fire.
Quiet weather in store for Thanksgiving
The high pressure system that has been parked over the Northeast for the last few days will remain in control of our weather through the end of the week. It will continue to be dry and seasonably cool (highs around 50°F). Onshore flow off the ocean today and tomorrow will advect some moist air, causing some cloudiness. Thanksgiving looks to be a pleasant day, with mostly sunny skies and highs in the low 50°F’s expected. The high pressure will finally move away from our region on Friday, with a cold front approaching from the west. Southeasterly flow could allow temperatures to make it into the mid 50°F’s. Looking ahead to the weekend, the cold front is expected to move through on Saturday, but shouldn’t bring a great deal of precipitation. Following that, Sunday will be much cooler and breezier.
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BEIJING — In his first speech to the Chinese Communist Party’s elite Politburo, Xi Jinping, the new party chief, denounced the prevalence of corruption and said officials needed to guard against its spread or it would “doom the party and the state.”
Fighting breaks standoff between rebels and Congo forces
KAMPALA, Uganda — Heavy shelling and gunfire Monday broke a tense standoff between Congolese rebels on the outskirts of the eastern Congolese city of Goma and government soldiers backed by U.N. troops who were hunkered down inside, as fears also rose of a direct military confrontation between the Democratic Republic of
Bold response by Hamas tests Arab alliances
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Instead of the wedding drums that typically provide the evening soundtrack in this forlorn coastal strip, the black, still air was pierced by gunshots Thursday, as citizens fired celebratory rounds after the ruling Hamas faction announced that one of its rockets had hit an Israeli aircraft.
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WASHINGTON — The Postal Service on Thursday reported a record $15.9 billion net loss for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, bringing the financially troubled agency another step closer to insolvency.
Wal-mart expands foreign bribery investigation
Wal-Mart disclosed Thursday that it has expanded an internal investigation into bribery accusations in Mexico to Brazil, China
Pentagon to review ethical standards
WASHINGTON — Responding to a string of recent scandals that have tarnished the military, the Pentagon’s top two leaders, Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta and Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, served notice on Thursday that they would strictly enforce ethical standards for their most senior officers.
Here comes the sun
While dull, grey skies have been the norm for the last couple of days, sunshine is due to return for the weekend. A broad high pressure system will move very slowly across the Northeast United States over the next few days, bringing with it sunshine, calm winds, and moderate temperatures. In fact, almost the entire region east of the Mississippi River will be enjoying clear skies and relatively warm temperatures at least through Monday.
US in talks with Afghans on presence after 2014
WASHINGTON — The United States and Afghanistan began talks Thursday on a security agreement that would authorize a U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan after 2014, when Afghan forces are to assume responsibility for the war.
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NEW YORK — President Barack Obama got a look on Thursday at the muddy wreckage that Hurricane Sandy left in its wake, flying over ravaged neighborhoods in Queens, consoling devastated homeowners under tents and in the streets on Staten Island, and promising a strong and continuing federal role in the recovery.