The Heat Is Gone
The series of hot days beginning last Saturday and ending last Tuesday was very unusual for this early in the season. Intense heating of the land relative to the chilly ocean (still about 60°F at the surface) typically supports a strong sea-breeze circulation, which serves to draw relatively cool air from Boston Harbor into Cambridge. During this heat wave, however, large-scale westerly winds generally did not allow the sea-breeze circulation to penetrate beyond the immediate coast line. The result was very hot afternoons, including as estimated high of 99°F (37°C) in Cambridge last Tuesday.
Critics Raise Cries of Sexism In Clinton Coverage
Angered by what they consider sexist news coverage of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, many women and erstwhile Clinton supporters are proposing boycotts of the cable networks, putting up videos on a “Media Hall of Shame,” starting a national conversation about sexism and pushing Clinton’s rival, Sen. Barack Obama, to address the matter.
Zimbabwean Opposition Leader Detained by Police
The Zimbabwean opposition presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai and other party officials were detained by police while campaigning on Wednesday and were taken into custody, his party said.
The Days After Tomorrow
My fellow members of the MIT Class of 2008, I know that this Commencement ceremony fills you with a variety of emotions, including happiness, excitement, nostalgia, and uncertainty. The same thoughts and questions are running through all of our heads: Is it June already? What am I going to do with my life? Can I really make the world a better place? Will anyone actually read my thesis? I spent a lot of time writing it.
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Antoin Rezko, a once-powerful fundraiser who helped propel the career of Sen. Barack Obama, was found guilty on Wednesday by a federal jury of 16 criminal counts, including fraud, money-laundering and bribery in an influence-peddling scheme that touched the highest levels of the administration of Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois.
Clinton Ready to End Bid and Endorse Obama, Aides Say
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will endorse Sen. Barack Obama on Saturday, bringing a close to her 17-month campaign for the White House, aides said. Her decision came after Democrats urged her Wednesday to leave the race and allow the party to coalesce around Obama.
Scientists Say China Disregarded Warnings on Earthquake Risk
Chinese scientists say that even before a final accounting can be made in last month’s earthquake in Sichuan Province, one thing is painfully evident: The huge death toll stems partly from a failure to heed clear warnings of a devastating earthquake in the area.
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In its first substantial move since taking power, the main political party in Pakistan has proposed sweeping constitutional changes designed to limit the authority of President Pervez Musharraf.
Palestinian Leader Urges Talk With Hamas
The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, called unexpectedly on Wednesday for a resumption of dialogue with the Islamic militant group Hamas, a move that could herald a breakdown of his peace talks with Israel.
U.N. Leader Bluntly Tells Myanmar to Hurry on Aid
As the authorities in Myanmar raised the cyclone death toll to nearly 32,000 and admitted one U.S. military aircraft, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pressed the junta to let international assistance and aid workers into the country without hindrance and expressed “deep concern and immense frustration” with what he called “the unacceptably slow response to this grave humanitarian crisis.”
Don’t Put Away That Jacket Just Yet
For the rest of the work week, Boston will continue to see slightly below average temperatures, with no dramatic warming trends on the horizon. The reason for these slightly chilly conditions can be blamed on the wind direction. There are three main factors in determining the temperature. The first is the sun. Obviously, it is warmer during the day rather than at night and during summer rather than winter, based on the sun’s presence. The second factor in determining temperature is cloudiness. Clouds can act to block sunlight from hitting the ground, or act like a blanket to trap heat. The third factor is the wind direction. Wind can blow warmer or cooler air into our region. Meteorologists call this phenomenon “advection.”
Powerful Quake in Western China Kills Thousands
A powerful earthquake struck Western China on Monday, toppling thousands of homes, factories and offices, trapping students in schools, and killing at least 10,000 people, the country’s worst natural disaster in three decades.
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The owners of The New York Post and The Daily News lost out to Cablevision in the battle for Newsday, the Long Island daily, on Monday, but the tabloid war may be far from over. Either paper could still strike a deal to share operations with Newsday, according to bankers and analysts.
McCain Asserts Greenhouse Gas Emissions Must Be Capped
Sen. John McCain sought to distance himself from President Bush on Monday as he called for a mandatory limit on greenhouse gas emissions in the United States to combat climate change.
Junior Coalition Partner Leaves Pakistan’s Fragile New Cabinet
In an early sign of instability in the new government in Pakistan, the junior partner in the coalition said Monday that it was withdrawing from the Cabinet over the government’s failure to reinstate the Supreme Court judges dismissed by President Pervez Musharraf.
Conflicts for Supreme Court Justices Halt Appeal in Apartheid Case
Financial and personal conflicts of interest affecting four Supreme Court justices left the court without a quorum last week and unable to decide whether to hear an appeal brought by more than 50 companies that did business in apartheid-era South Africa.
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The Dalai Lama said Monday that formal talks between his envoys and their Chinese counterparts were expected to resume in June, even as Chinese officials kept up their public denunciations of the Tibetan spiritual leader.
Russian Parliament Overwhelmingly Approves Putin As Prime Minister
Russia’s Parliament overwhelmingly confirmed Vladimir V. Putin as prime minister on Thursday, completing his managed departure from the presidency in a manner that left him the country’s dominant politician, with a firm grip on power.
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The general manager and possibly other senior staff at the Crandall Canyon Mine near Huntington, Utah, where nine miners died last August, hid information from federal officials that could have prevented the disaster and should face criminal charges, the chairman of a House investigation said Thursday.
Obama Returns to Capitol and Tries to Rally Democrats
Sen. Barack Obama began trying to rally the Democratic Party around him on Thursday. He struck a tougher tone against Sen. John McCain, saying McCain was “losing his bearings” in his pursuit of the presidency.