New Jersey’s ailing economy may test governor’s charismatic allure
In a year as governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie has captivated conservatives with an in-your-face frankness and nonstop aggressiveness that few have seen from a chief executive.
Shorts (left)
FRANKFURT, Germany — BMW, the German luxury car builder, said on Monday that it would create a sub-brand known as BMW i to market a line of battery-powered cars starting in 2013, and gave the most complete picture yet of how the vehicles made of carbon fiber and aluminum would look.
Winter-like conditions return to New England
The cold temperatures of the winter season are back in full swing after an unusually warm period late last week. Last Friday evening, the warm weather came to an abrupt end as some surprising thunderstorm squalls raced through the area.
Strong in number and spirit, Republican freshmen hold sway
WASHINGTON — The last speaker was Rep. Steve Southerland, freshman lawmaker from Florida, and so he dug deep. Drawing on the two things that propel him through each day — his experience as funeral home operator, and his general loathing of all things Washington — Southerland politely lit into Republican House leaders one day last week, explaining that he had not come to Washington to whack the federal budget this year by one dollar less than the $100 billion he had pledged to cut in his campaign.
Iran opposition leader missing as tensions rise
A main leader of Iran’s opposition was reported missing on Thursday and both the opposition “green movement” and Iran’s hardliners issued calls for street rallies, escalating tensions after the re-emergence of street protests and their brutal suppression on Monday.
Planned Parenthood funding caught in budget feud
Almost unnoticed in the wars over the federal budget has been a pitched battle over funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides contraception, medical services and abortions at 800 clinics around the country.
Despite combustible conditions, no unrest yet In Uganda
KAMPALA, Uganda — Fresh from fighting in the bush, Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, a former rebel commander, electrified the crowd at his inaugural address in 1986 when he declared that “the problems of Africa, and Uganda in particular, are caused by leaders who overstay in power.”
Shorts (left)
SAN FRANCISCO — Apple has been exploring ways to broaden the appeal of the iPhone by making the popular device less expensive and allowing users to control it with voice commands.
British government begins an overhaul of welfare system
LONDON — The British government on Thursday introduced legislation meant to simplify and reduce the cost of the country’s welfare system, saying that it wanted to change a culture in which welfare recipients risked losing income if they found jobs.
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OTTAWA — A federal Cabinet minister said Thursday that hackers, perhaps from China, compromised computers in two Canadian government departments in early January, leaving bureaucrats with little or no Internet access for nearly two months.
Weekend weather returns to normal
For the last several days, we have been experiencing temperatures in the 50°Fs, tricking us into thinking that spring has arrived. Yesterday it reached 59°F at Logan Airport, just shy of the 61°F record high. Warm temperatures will persist today thanks to a high pressure system in the Atlantic that is spinning warm air our way. However, the rest of the weekend will feature a return to normal conditions, with high temperatures in the upper 30°Fs. A cold front will pass through tonight, but a lack of moisture associated with it means any precipitation will be minimal. Saturday and Sunday will be partly cloudy with blustery conditions that will make it feel quite cold compared with yesterday and today, especially on Saturday, when gusts of up to 45 mph are possible. For our day off on Monday for President’s Day, a low pressure system will bring the possibility of a wintry mix of precipitation.
Koch Industries quashes global warming parody
In December, a fake news release was sent out by a group claiming to be Koch Industries, the oil processing company owned by Charles D.G. Koch ’57 and David H. Koch ’62, the Republican donors, arts benefactors and global warming skeptics.
Iran uses force against protests as Persian Gulf region erupts
Hundreds of riot police officers in Iran beat protesters and fired tear gas Monday to contain the most significant street protests since the end of the 2009 uprising there, as security forces around the region moved — sometimes brutally — to prevent new unrest in sympathy with the opposition victory in Egypt.
Trade and monetary issues top agenda at G-20 meeting
PARIS — Developed economies still recovering from the financial crisis are looking for ways to regain momentum as the global economy shifts in favor of China and other emerging markets.
With $9 billion in cuts, Gates sees crisis in military budget
WASHINGTON — Even as the Obama administration on Monday rolled out its budget for 2012, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was dueling with Congress over military spending for this year, saying the Pentagon cannot do its job with cuts of more than $9 billion.
New system to add internet addresses as numbers run out
Who could have guessed that 4.3 billion Internet connections wouldn’t be enough?
Shorts (right)
WASHINGTON — The House on Monday voted to reauthorize and extend through Dec. 8 three ways in which Congress expanded the FBI’s counterterrorism powers after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Shorts (left)
President Barack Obama proposed a 2012 Department of Education budget Tuesday that would, if approved, significantly increase federal spending for public schools, and maintain the maximum Pell grant — the cornerstone financial-aid program — at $5,550 per college student.
Glimpses of springtime
Perhaps Punxsutawney Phil was right on Groundhog Day when he predicted an early end to winter this year. Since Feb. 2, there has been no accumulating snowfall in Boston, and about 10 inches of existing snow cover has melted away. Additionally, this week will feature some of the highest temperatures of the year so far. Yesterday’s high temperature of 56°F was our highest recorded temperature since Jan. 1, and temperatures could reach the 50s once again by the end of the week.
US faces stark choice as Mubarak clings to office
WASHINGTON — President Hosni Mubarak’s refusal to step down Thursday, after a day of rumors galvanized the crowds in Cairo, confronts the Obama administration with a stark choice: Break decisively with Mubarak or stick to its call for an “orderly transition” that may no longer be tenable.