In Interview, Gop Chairman Strays From Party on Abortion
This was supposed to be the week that Michael Steele, the beleaguered new national Republican Party chairman, got his groove on, as he might put it: From filling vacancies left by the mass-firing he conducted upon taking office to issuing 100-day plans on how to make the Republican Party competitive on everything from fundraising to the Internet.
Shorts (left)
Tariq Aziz, the senior aide to Saddam Hussein who gained international renown as the public face of Iraq during the Persian Gulf War in 1991, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday for crimes against humanity.
Shorts (right)
The letter released Thursday in which Pope Benedict XVI admitted that the Vatican had made “mistakes” in handling the case of a Holocaust-denying bishop was unprecedented in its directness, its humanity and its acknowledgment of papal fallibility.
Obama’s Afghan Plan Focuses On Pakistan Aid to Militants
The emerging outlines of President Barack Obama’s plan for Afghanistan include proposals to shift more U.S. efforts toward problems in neighboring Pakistan and to seek some kind of political reconciliation with the vast majority of insurgents in the region, according to administration officials.
Rite of Spring
While our weather in New England can be cruel at times, Mother Nature’s most impressive display of sound and fury is reserved for the Midwest during the spring months. This time of year, the jet stream begins its slow drift northward, sending storms through the Rockies into the nation’s heartland. Particularly strong storms are able to tap in to plentiful amounts of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, sending a torrent of energy laden air out ahead of the storm.
Madagascar Crisis Worsens After Mutiny by Soldiers
A mutiny within the military has intensified the political crisis in Madagascar, an impoverished island nation off the southeastern coast of Africa that has suffered turmoil most of this year.
Shorts (right)
What could be worse than graduating from an American business school this year with an interest in banking?
Obama Vows Sparing Use of Signing Statements
Calling into question the legitimacy of all the signing statements that former President George W. Bush used to challenge new laws, President Barack Obama on Monday ordered executive officials to consult Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. before relying on any of them to bypass a statute.
The Factory’s Closed, But the Workers Keep Showing Up
What do you do when your employer announces that your company has shut down and that you no longer have a job, effective immediately?
Shorts (left)
The commander of a secretive branch of America’s Special Operations forces in February ordered a halt to most commando missions in Afghanistan, reflecting a growing concern that civilian deaths caused by U.S. firepower are jeopardizing broader goals there.
China Harassed U.S. Ship, The Pentagon Says
The United States has lodged a formal protest with the government in Beijing, saying five Chinese ships harassed a U.S. surveillance vessel in international waters, in actions the Pentagon described as illegal, unprofessional and dangerous.
Obama Puts His Own Spin on The Mix of Science, Politics
President Barack Obama’s directive on Monday to “guarantee scientific integrity” in federal policymaking could have a far-reaching impact, affecting issues as varied as climate change, national security, protection of endangered species and children’s health.
Surprise: Return to Winter!
It appears as if this year’s cold and snowy season is not yet over! In the wee hours of Monday (around 3 a.m. when I was up pondering today’s forecast), I noticed sleet. When I woke up a few hours later, I witnessed another attack from the snow gods. And what was there yesterday afternoon? More snow. This weekend’s glorious 60 degree temperatures are gone. We move from spring to winter in 24 hours, such is the will of the weather of Cambridge, Mass. But never fear, spring is nearly here! The temperatures this week aren’t returning anywhere near the January abyss, with highs in the mid 40s, and lows no lower than the low 30s. And after tonight, all the potential precipitation this week is more likely to be of the liquid variety.
Fear Slams Shares, as Blue Chips Trade for Pocket Change
The banking giant Citigroup once commanded a stock price of $55. But at one point on Thursday, as markets hurtled to their lowest close in 12 years, the shares were worth less than an item at the Dollar Store.
Quiet Layoffs Hit Workers By Thousands
With the economy weakening, chief executives want Wall Street to see them as tough cost-cutters who are not afraid to lay off workers. But plenty of job cuts are not trumpeted in news releases.
Food Safety Problems Slip By Private Auditors
When food industry giants like Kellogg want to ensure that American consumers are being protected from contaminated products, they rely on private inspectors like Eugene A. Hatfield. So last spring Hatfield headed to the Peanut Corp. of America plant in southwest Georgia to make sure its chopped nuts, paste and peanut butter were safe to use in foods like granola bars and ice cream.
Clinton Proposes Including Iran In Talks on Afghanistan
Setting up the prospect of its first face-to-face encounter with Iran, the Obama administration has proposed a major conference on Afghanistan later this month that would include Iran among the invited countries, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday.
Shorts (right)
Alex Rodriguez will try to play through a labrum tear of his right hip, the Yankees said Thursday, because the condition would require him to miss four months if he needs surgery.
Amid Outcry, Gandhi’s Simple Things Sold for $1.8 Million
More than a decade ago, a Los Angeles filmmaker and peace activist named James Otis began collecting items that represented the ascetic lifestyle of Mohandas K. Gandhi. They were the simple belongings of a man who did not care for possessions: his steel-framed spectacles, a pair of sandals, a bowl, a plate and a pocket watch.
Shorts (left)
President Barack Obama vowed Thursday to end a decades-long stalemate on overhauling the health care system, and he indicated for the first time that he was open to compromise on details of the proposal he put forth in the campaign.