Justice Department Inquiry Ties Prosecutor Firings to Politics
An internal Justice Department investigation concluded on Monday that political pressure drove the dismissals of at least three federal prosecutors in a controversial 2006 purge, but the White House’s refusal to cooperate in the high-profile investigation produced significant “gaps” in the understanding of who was to blame.
Shorts (right)
China said Monday that it had detained 22 people suspected of operating an underground network that intentionally adulterated milk with an industrial chemical, melamine. The contamination has led to the nation’s worst food safety crisis in decades.
Concerns About Palin’s Candidacy As She Crams for Thursday Debate
A month after Gov. Sarah Palin joined Sen. John McCain’s ticket to a burst of excitement and anticipation among Republicans, she is heading into a critical debate facing challenges from conservatives about her credentials, signs that her popularity is slipping and evidence that Republicans are worried about how much help she will be for McCain in November.
With Bill Stalled, Fed and Treasury Have Other Options
For the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department, it is crunch time.
Shorts (left)
The crisis gripping the nation’s banks took a dangerous turn on Thursday as investors’ confidence in even the largest and strongest institutions spiraled lower.
October Sky
On Sunday, Hurricane Kyle passed quietly off to our east by only 200 miles, bringing no more than a few showers to the Boston area during its passage. As we enter October tomorrow, weather phenomena such as hurricanes and thunderstorms in our vicinity become even a more remote possibility as the ocean cools and the solar angle rapidly decreases. October in Boston can still be very pleasant — combine fall foliage with average high temps in the mid 50s (13°C) to mid 60s (18°C) and it’s not hard to see why.
Dow Plunges 777 Points as Bailout Plan Fails to Pass
Even before the opening bell, Monday looked ugly.
Shorts (left)
Pakistani and U.S. ground troops exchanged fire along the border with Afghanistan on Thursday, according to a top U.S. military official, ratcheting up tensions as the United States increases its attacks against militants in Pakistan’s restive tribal areas.
Promising Bailout Package Ends in Partisan Discord
The day began with an agreement that Washington hoped would end the financial crisis that has gripped the nation. It dissolved into a verbal brawl in the Cabinet Room of the White House, warnings from an angry president and pleas from a Treasury secretary who knelt before the House speaker and appealed for her support.
Risks Seen for McCain in Politics of Economic Crisis
Sen. John McCain had intended to ride back into Washington on Thursday as a leader who had put aside presidential politics to help broker a solution to the financial crisis.
Shorts (right)
Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. secretary-general, announced Thursday that the organization had received an additional $16 billion in pledges to fight a host of global ills like hunger and malaria, calling it an important signal that the world financial crisis would not impair aid efforts.
Washington Mutual Seized By Federal Regulators
Washington Mutual, the giant lender that came to symbolize the excesses of the mortgage boom, was seized by federal regulators on Thursday night in what is by far the largest bank failure in American history.
Violence Increases as Settlers Begin Challenging Israel
A pipe bomb that exploded late Wednesday night outside the Jerusalem home of Zeev Sternhell, a Hebrew University professor, left him lightly wounded and created only a minor stir in a nation that routinely experiences violence on a much larger scale.
Rain … Lots of it
Hopefully you got the most out this stretch of very nice, dry weather we’ve been happily mired in the last few weeks. Mother Nature has some catching up to do in the rain bucket, and boy will she certainly fill up the bucket today and tomorrow. The culprits are two systems to our south.
Economists’ Skepticism Deepens on Bailout Plan
As economists puzzle over the proposed details of what may be the biggest financial bailout in American history, the initial skepticism that greeted its unveiling has only deepened.
Market Volatility Makes Some Retirees Nervous
Older Americans with investments are among the hardest hit by the turmoil in the financial markets and have the least opportunity to recover.
With First Debate on Friday, Strategists Analyze Candidates
Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, heads into the first debate Friday with a track record as a scrappy combatant and the instincts of a fighter pilot, prepared to take out his opponent and willing to take risks to do so.
Infighting in Iraq Grows as Sunni Patrols Await Power Shift
In Adhamiya, a neighborhood that only a year ago was among the most dangerous in Baghdad, the violence last week seemed almost negligible. A shootout near a checkpoint left two people dead on Sunday. Another man was killed on Monday by a small bomb placed under a car.
Worries About Bailout Plans Give Stocks a Downward Shove
Fresh concerns about the biggest government bailout in history sent stock markets down sharply on Monday, while a weakening dollar sparked a frantic rush into commodities as investors remained nervous about the financial health of Wall Street.
Shorts (left)
There are swing states, and within them, swing counties. Here in northern Nevada, there are also swing streets.