Taps of dancer’s conversations add to Berlusconi scandal
ROME — A tabloid tidal wave washed over Italy on Tuesday as newspapers published wiretapped conversations from a nightclub dancer who said she had dallied with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as a minor, but whether it would sweep Berlusconi out to sea was still anyone’s guess.
Census says gay parents find South more welcoming
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Being gay in this Southern city was once a lonely existence. Most people kept their sexuality to themselves, and they were reminded of the dangers of being openly gay when a gay church was bombed in the 1980s. These days, there are eight churches that openly welcome gay worshipers.
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The individuals and companies whose offshore account information may be detailed in Swiss banking documents disclosed to WikiLeaks could face U.S. prosecutors or go untouched, senior tax lawyers said on Tuesday.
Yet another winter storm
Yesterday’s storm system took a track similar to that of last week’s blizzard, but wasn’t accompanied by nearly as much cold air. Thus, we received the dreaded “wintry mix”; snow followed by sleet, freezing rain and rain, instead of all snow. Most of that should be out of the region today, leaving us with relatively dry conditions until the next storm system comes Thursday night into Friday. Different models have that system tracking differently, either eastward from the Ohio Valley or coming up the coast. In Cambridge, most, if not all, the precipitation associated with it should be snow (possibly around 6 inches). Following this, a high pressure will move in giving us a sunny but frigid weekend, with highs in the teens and lows in the single digits. Bundle up!
Doctors say Rep. Giffords’ condition points to survival
TUCSON, Ariz. — Just three days after a bullet passed through Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ brain, and one day before the president was scheduled to come here to address the shooting rampage in which she was wounded, doctors said Tuesday that Giffords’ chances of survival were certain. She is able to breathe on her own, although she remains on a ventilator as a precaution.
A dramatic taste of winter for today
The top weather story on this Jan. 12 becomes apparent just by looking outside! Heavy snow has moved into southern New England as a strengthening low pressure system plows up the East Coast. The heavier snow squalls should taper off by this evening. In Massachusetts, excluding the Cape, snowfall amounts will average around a foot before the nor’easter exits by tonight. In fact, Boston’s average January snowfall is 12 inches (the forecasted storm total!). Winds will be increasing through today to near 25 mph, creating some areas of blowing snow as well.
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BEIJING — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates warned Tuesday that North Korea was within five years of being able to strike the continental United States with an intercontinental ballistic missile and said that, combined with its expanding nuclear program, the country “is becoming a direct threat to the United States.”
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WASHINGTON — The presidential panel investigating the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico recommended Tuesday that Congress approve substantial new spending and sweeping new regulations for offshore oil operations at a time when the appetite for both is low.
Drug makers win support by Obama admin. in price dispute
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration, following a lengthy internal debate, has unexpectedly come down on the side of pharmaceutical companies that are accused of overcharging public hospitals and clinics that care for large numbers of poor people.
Chinese military tests stealth fighter while Gates visits
BEIJING — China’s military conducted a test flight of a new stealth fighter jet Tuesday, overshadowing a high-profile visit by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates aimed at improving defense ties — and apparently catching China’s civilian leadership off guard.
Verizon announces plans to sell iPhone 4 early next month
Ending months of speculation, Verizon announced Tuesday that it would begin selling a version of the iPhone 4 early next month.
Turkish cultural and economic influence on the rise in Iraq
ZAKHO, Iraq — A Turkey as resurgent as at any time since its Ottoman glory is projecting influence through a turbulent Iraq, from the boomtowns of the north to the oil fields near southernmost Basra, in a show of power that illustrates its growing heft across an Arab world long suspicious of it.
Killing of politician Salman Taseer adds to turmoil within Pakistan
ISLAMABAD — The assassination of an outspoken secular politician by one of his police guards Tuesday plunged the Pakistani government deeper into political crisis and highlighted the threat of militant infiltration within the nation’s security forces.
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BERLIN — For the first time in a decade, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is no longer the leading Web browser in Europe, ceding the position to Mozilla’s Firefox, an Irish research company that tracks web use said Tuesday.
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WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are both looking for new chiefs of staff now. Those are the more prominent changes under consideration for a midterm makeover that so far suggests continuity more than a shakeup.
Many implanted defibrillators unnecessary, study finds
Doctors are implanting high-tech heart devices in thousands of people who probably do not need them, a new study finds. The procedures cost more than $35,000, involve surgery and anesthesia, and may unnecessarily harm some patients.
Birthright citizenship looms as next immigration battle
NOGALES, Ariz. —Of the 50 or so women bused to this border town on a recent morning to be deported back to Mexico, Inez Vasquez, eight months pregnant, stood out.
Qualcomm said to be near deal to purchase chip maker
Qualcomm, the pioneering wireless technology company, is near an agreement to buy the chip maker Atheros Communications for about $3.5 billion, according to two people with direct knowledge of the talks, in a deal that underscores the emerging dominance of smart phones and tablet computers. The transaction is expected to be announced on Wednesday morning, said these people. They added the negotiations were in their final stages but could still fall apart.
A Snowy December
According to the National Weather Service, this December was the 9th snowiest December on record for Boston, MA, with 22 inches of snow recorded. A significant portion of that (18.2 inches) was due to a single storm, the December 26–27 storm. This snowstorm tied for the 10th greatest snowstorm total for Boston, and was also the greatest 24 hour December snowfall amount. We won’t need to wait long for our next chance at significant snowfall. Following a high pressure system that will have control over the area until Friday, the forecast models are predicting the development of a strong coastal or offshore low pressure system that would impact our area Friday–Saturday. There is still much uncertainty surrounding this system, both in terms of the timing and track (which of course affects the snowfall total), but there is a good likelihood for precipitation in our region.
September 11 rescue worker health bill blocked by Senate this week
WASHINGTON — Republican senators blocked Democratic legislation on Thursday that sought to provide medical care to rescue workers and others who became ill as a result of breathing in toxic fumes, dust and smoke at the site of the 9/11 World Trade Center attack.