Shorts (right)
Russia added Serbia’s oil monopoly to its recent string of energy acquisitions in a deal that will also allow Moscow to send more natural gas to Europe through its South Stream pipeline, it was announced Tuesday.
Fed Lowers Rates in Reaction To Monday’s Market Turmoil
The Federal Reserve, confronted by deepening panic in global financial markets about a possible recession in the United States, struck back on Tuesday morning with the biggest one-day reduction of interest rates on record and at least temporarily stopped a vertigo-inducing plunge in stock prices.
Padilla Sentenced to Lenient 17 Years for Role in Conspiracy
Jose Padilla, the Brooklyn-born convert to Islam whom the government once accused of plotting to detonate a “dirty bomb” in the United States, was sentenced Tuesday to 17 years and four months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to help Islamic jihadist fighters abroad.
World Powers Agree on Sanctions Against Iranian Nuclear Program
The world’s leading powers agreed Tuesday on a new set of sanctions against Iran to present as a draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council, but they did not announce details of the sanctions, which are intended to induce Tehran to give up its nuclear program.
Facing Wide Criticism, Israel Opens Fuel Lines to Gaza Strip Temporarily
After widespread criticism of its decision to cut off supplies of industrial diesel oil required to run a power station that serves Gaza City and its hospitals, Israel resumed fuel shipments on Tuesday on what it said would be a temporary basis.
Thompson Drops Out of Race; Candidates Seek His Supporters
Fred D. Thompson, the former senator from Tennessee, dropped out of the Republican race for president Tuesday after a third-place primary showing Saturday in South Carolina, a state he had hoped to win when he entered the race riding a wave of optimism among conservatives looking for a strong general election candidate.
(Un)Comfortably Numb
Arctic air will continue to be the rule for the next several days, making this the coldest week so far of the winter. Invasions of cold, dry air from the north are an inevitable result of the radiation deficit at high latitudes this time of year, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I find everything to be uncomfortable after an Arctic front blows through, whether I’m freezing outside or sitting in the extreme low humidity of a heated building. Thankfully the air masses don’t usually last more than a few days at our latitude, and the fresh batch of Arctic air late this week will be no different.
Shorts (left)
Heath Ledger, the Australian-born actor whose breakthrough role as a gay cowboy in the 2005 movie “Brokeback Mountain” earned him a nomination for an Academy Award and comparisons to the likes of Marlon Brando, was found dead Tuesday in an apartment in Manhattan with prescription pills near his body, the police said.
Romney Obtains Crucial Win Over McCain in Mich. Primary
Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who ran as a son of Michigan though he left the state nearly 40 years ago, won the Republican primary here with a message aimed at voters deeply anxious about the state’s economy and their own financial prospects.
Bush Tells Saudi Leaders That High Cost of Oil Hurts American Economy
President Bush on Tuesday urged Saudi Arabia and other members of OPEC to consider the strain the high cost of oil was having on the American economy, addressing an issue that has begun to color the last year of his presidency and dominate the presidential election campaign.
Shorts (left)
Justice Department officials have told Congress that they face serious legal difficulties in pursuing criminal prosecutions of Blackwater security guards involved in a September shooting that left at least 17 Iraqis dead.
Shorts (right)
At least 18 Palestinians, including 13 members of the military wing of Hamas, were killed in Gaza early Tuesday by Israeli army fire, the highest death toll there in half a year.
Apple Announces Movie Rentals, Ultralight ‘Macbook Air’ Laptop
Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, took several big gambles on Tuesday, betting that he could repeat his success in selling digital music by convincing Hollywood to allow Apple to rent digital movies, while at the same time returning to his original Macintosh roots with an elegant — but limited — ultralight computer called the MacBook Air.
FDA Announces That Food From Clones Is Safe for Humans to Eat
After years of debate, the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday declared that food from cloned animals and their progeny is safe to eat, clearing the way for milk and meat derived from copies of prized dairy cows, steers and hogs to be sold at the grocery store.
In Market Downturn, Investors Reveal a Deepening Pessimism
The stock market fell sharply to its lowest level in nearly a year Tuesday after Citigroup announced a large quarterly loss and an economic report offered more evidence that consumers were cutting back.
Coastal Storm Brings Friday Rain
Monday’s snow storm brought seven inches of snow to Boston, which also happened to tie the record maximum snowfall for that date set in 1982. The city was lucky, since some numerical weather forecast models were predicting as much as 14 inches. An unusual event that occurred briefly with this storm was a report of thunder early Monday morning. Thunder and snow do not usually happen at the same time.
Clinton Primary Upset Defies Predictions of Pollsters, Pundits
New Hampshire kept Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton alive.
Massachusetts Drivers Under 18 Feel The Sting of New, Tough Driving Laws
The number of license suspensions of Massachusetts drivers under 18 has soared over the past year because of a tough new law aimed at curbing bad driving habits by junior operators.
Clinton Wins N.H., Defeating Obama; McCain Is Also Victor
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York rode a wave of female support to victory over Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday night. In the Republican primary, meanwhile, Sen. John McCain of Arizona revived his presidential bid with a Lazarus-like win.
Stocks Fall as a Wary Market Considers New Developments
Shares tumbled late Tuesday after the head of AT&T suggested that consumers may be cutting back and Countrywide Financial denied that it was tumbling into bankruptcy.