Shorts (left)
The Bush administration appears to be preparing to back away from a demand that North Korea fully disclose all of its past nuclear weapons activities, in an attempt to preserve a nuclear agreement requiring it to disclose and dismantle the bulk of its nuclear weapons program.
Shorts (right)
Trying to stem the infiltration of militia fighters, U.S. forces have begun to build a massive concrete wall that will partition Sadr City, the densely populated Shiite neighborhood in the Iraqi capital.
Warm Friday, Cooler Weekend
Spring is finally showing in all its splendor as temperatures today will approach, or even surpass the psychological barrier of 70°F (21°C). Of course, those who think in Celsius face a slightly different psychological barrier at 20°C (68°F).
Shorts (left)
Edward G. Rendell, the governor of Pennsylvania, demonstrated his value to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton last weekend, helping her quickly devise a strategy to counter and exploit remarks by Sen. Barack Obama.
Bankruptcies Sweep Retail Chains as Consumers Cut Back
The consumer spending slump and tightening credit markets are triggering a widening wave of bankruptcies in American retailing, prompting thousands of store closings that are expected to remake suburban malls and downtown shopping districts across the country.
Italy’s Slvio Berlusconi Returns To Power, Winning Majority
Silvio Berlusconi, the idiosyncratic billionaire who already dominates much of Italy’s public life, snatched back political power in elections that ended Monday, heading a center-right coalition certain to make him prime minister for a third term.
At State Level, Lawmakers Increasingly Try to Limit Guns
State lawmakers across the country are ramping up efforts to pass new restrictions on guns, following nearly a decade in which state legislative efforts have been dominated by gun advocates.
Bush and Pelosi Clash With Intensity Over Colombian Trade Pact
President Bush and the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, intensified an increasingly personal fight over a stalled trade deal with Colombia on Monday, trading accusations over who was best protecting the interests of American workers.
Shorts (right)
J.K. Rowling, the creator of the wildly popular Harry Potter series who rose from poverty to become the world’s most famous children’s author, took the stand in a Manhattan courtroom on Monday to sharply criticize a fan accused of stealing her work to publish a reference guide.
Dry Week Ahead
This week, an area of high pressure will dominate the eastern third of the country. This high pressure region is forecasted to move very slowly from west to east, which means we will see an extended period of dry weather. A low pressure system that might graze us Thursday night is the only chance we have for rain through Friday. Today will be sunny with perhaps a few fair weather cumulus clouds. Even though the sun will be shining, the wind will blow in cold air out of the north. On Wednesday and Thursday, the winds shift and come from the west, which will result in temperatures in the low to mid 60s. Evenings will still be chilly, since the lack of cloud cover lets thermal radiation escape easily into space.
Growing Use of Biofuels Stresses Global Food Markets
The idea of turning farms into fuel plants seemed, for a time, like one of the answers to high global oil prices and supply worries. That strategy reached a zenith last year when Congress mandated a five-fold increase in the use of biofuels.
Warm Weather on Hold for Now
The calendar says it’s spring and the sun is high in the sky, so why you say are 30s°F and 40s F in the forecast? No it’s (probably) not some cruel weather modification prank for campus preview weekend, but instead an inescapable characteristic of spring-time in coastal southern New England. After a long winter, water temperatures near Boston are still only in the upper 30s F (water has a high heat capacity). High pressure areas to our north (with clockwise wind circulation) or low pressure areas to our south (vice-versa) can both orient wind from the Atlantic which subsequently cools down all of New England. The latter is expected for this weekend, the low pressure also bringing rain and leaving the first two Sox-Yanks games in doubt.
Bush Signals No Early Troop Reductions for Iraq Forces
President Bush said Thursday that the senior U.S. commander in Iraq could “have all the time he needs” before reducing U.S. forces there any further, but he promised shorter tours for troops and longer breaks for them at home.
New Fight for Sadr City Becomes Proving Ground for Iraqi Military
The Iraqi soldiers pushed their way up a main thoroughfare in Sadr City over the past week, but the militias who still prowl the Shiite enclave were sniping at them from the alleyways.
Top Olympic Committee Official Makes Rare Criticism of China
China faced rare criticism of its human rights record from the head of the International Olympics Committee on Thursday, even as calls for a boycott of the opening ceremony of the games grew louder in Europe and the United States.
Clinton’s Poverty Policy Brings Back Memories of Rift in 1996 Campaign
In the summer of 1996, President Bill Clinton delivered on his pledge to “end welfare as we know it.” Despite howls of protest from some liberals, he signed into law a bill forcing recipients to work and imposing a five-year limit on cash assistance.
Thousands Struggle With Mass Cancellations of Airline Flights
On Monday, Karin Peyregne was in Mobile, Ala., kissing her husband and two young sons goodbye, on her way to a base near Chicago for basic training in the Navy.
Shorts (left)
Portions of the sky above, the water around, and streets all over New York will be sealed off next week when Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the city.
Shorts (right)
In the midst of yet another controversy about whether vaccines cause autism, the federal government will hold its first ever public meeting on Friday to discuss a government-wide research agenda to explore the safety of vaccines.
As Olympic Torch Reaches Paris, Protests And Scuffles Follow
China dubbed its Olympic torch relay the “Journey of Harmony,” a 21-nation promotional tour for the most expensive Games the world has seen and for a host nation eager to showcase its rising wealth and diplomatic clout.