Big business leaves the deficit to the politicians
WASHINGTON — If you want to understand why cutting the deficit is so hard, you can’t do much better than to look at the Business Roundtable.
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Netflix said Tuesday that it would begin offering its streaming movie and television service in Central America, South America and the Caribbean this year, a major expansion of the company’s geographic footprint.
Romney questioned on critique of economy under Obama
HAMPTON, N.H. — For much of this year, Mitt Romney has laid low, seeking to reap the benefits of being the presumed front-runner in the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination (strong fundraising, positive polling) without suffering the downsides (intensive media scrutiny, endless shelling from rivals).
Summer in Boston; floods and droughts elsewhere
After a hot Fourth of July that allowed hundreds of thousands of spectators to watch fireworks along the Charles River without fear of rain or cold, it looks as though summer has arrived in full force in Boston. Even with a cold front passing through the region on Wednesday night, daytime temperatures should not drop below the 70s.
US to prosecute Somali terrorism suspect in civilian court
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration announced Tuesday that it would prosecute in civilian court a Somali accused of ties to two Islamist militant groups. The decision to fly the man to New York for trial, after interrogating him for months aboard a U.S. naval vessel, is likely to reignite debate about the detention and prosecution of terrorism suspects.
Citigroup breach raises questions about industry’s security
Citigroup’s revelation that hackers stole personal information from more than 200,000 credit card holders makes it one of the largest direct attacks on a major bank.
Defense nominee Panetta demurs on Afghanistan drawdown
WASHINGTON — Leon E. Panetta, President Barack Obama’s nominee to be secretary of defense, deflected persistent questions Thursday about one of the most pressing issues at the Pentagon, the scope of the American troop withdrawals from Afghanistan next month.
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KARBEYAZ, Turkey — Security forces loyal to President Bashar Assad of Syria converged in the country’s restive northwest Thursday as hundreds of residents fled across the border into Turkey, heightening fears of a budding refugee crisis and a widening crackdown on dissent.
$1 billion in aid pledged to Libyan rebels
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The nations intervening in Libya pledged as much as $1 billion in support for the opposition there on Thursday as senior officials continued to predict that the collapse of Moammar Gadhafi’s government could be imminent.
Gains made, but Arizona fire still threatens electric grid
PINETOP, Ariz. — The gusty winds that have been fueling a vast wildfire in eastern Arizona slowed somewhat Thursday, allowing firefighters to make some headway against the blaze, which has turned much of the lush green pine forest here to black soot and sent thousands of residents fleeing for their lives.
Gingrich campaign staff quits en masse, citing conflicts
WASHINGTON — Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign imploded Thursday as his top advisers banded together and resigned, setting off a further exodus of aides and supporters and battering his hopes of a political comeback.
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WASHINGTON — Michael E. Leiter, head of the nation’s main counterterrorism center, is resigning after nearly four years in a job that has increasingly focused on detecting and thwarting smaller and more diverse terrorist plots.
Weekend cool-down
The National Weather Service has confirmed the intensities of the three tornados that struck western Massachusetts last Wednesday, June 1. The strongest left a path of devastation 39 miles long, from Westfield to Charlton, and was half a mile wide at some points. That tornado was classified as an EF-3, the third-highest rating on the scale with estimated maximum winds of 160 mph — a rarity for this part of the country. Two shorter-lived EF-1 tornadoes were confirmed in Wilbraham and North Brimfield.
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TOKYO — Japan underestimated the danger of tsunamis and failed to prepare adequate backup systems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, a team of inspectors from an international nuclear regulator said Wednesday in a critical report that came as the Japanese prime minister prepared to face a no-confidence vote in Parliament.
Fighting spreads in Yemen, raising fear of civil war
SANAA, Yemen — Yemen edged closer to civil war Wednesday as fighting spread to new parts of the country and government troops waged increasingly bloody street battles with opposition tribesmen for control of crucial areas in the capital.
Tornadoes hit Mass.
Those of you staying in the Boston area after Commencement can look forward to a great weekend, with highs around 70°F and lots of sun. The work week might bring some worse weather, with a 30 percent chance of showers on Monday.
Multiple tornadoes touch down in Massachusetts, causing fatalities
BOSTON — At least four people were killed when tornadoes touched down Wednesday in Springfield, Mass., and a number of nearby towns. The twisters flipped vehicles, collapsed buildings and stunned residents who are not used to such violent storms.
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PARIS — The U.N. refugee agency has urged the crews of ships in the Mediterranean to keep watch for unseaworthy vessels carrying migrants from war-torn Libya after a report that a ship with 600 people on board broke up just off the port of Tripoli on Friday.
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DEPEW, N.Y. — This village of strip malls, car dealerships and working-class neighborhoods is an unlikely stage for a battle between the two major parties in Washington.
Deaths, injuries reported in Yemeni protest march
Security forces and government supporters opened fire on protesters in the Yemeni city of Taiz on Monday, witnesses said, while a doctor confirmed that four people were killed and scores injured after almost a month of stalled negotiations over how and when President Ali Abdullah Saleh would leave office.