Shorts (left)
Three months after BP capped its runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico, the state of Louisiana is still doggedly building a chain of sand berms off its coast to block and capture oil, even as federal officials and many scientists argue that the effort will prove pointless. Since early June, a series of low-lying islands stretching nearly eight miles have been constructed several miles from the coastline by hundreds of workers with sand dredged from gulf waters.
Large corporate donors help Chamber influence campaign
Prudential Financial sent in a $2 million donation last year as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched a national advertising campaign to weaken the historic rewrite of the nation’s financial regulations.
Fall fluctuations
Fall weather in New England is characterized by a great deal of variability in the day to day weather, particularly the temperature. The temperature oscillates back and forth between warm and cold, while overall trending colder as we move towards winter. This will be especially apparent over the next couple of days. A cold frontal passage last night brought dry, cold air into the region, making today’s high 5–10°F below normal. Breezy conditions out of the northwest will make it feel even colder, so it is definitely a day to break out a jacket. The dry, clear conditions mean the temperature could drop quite a bit over night into the lower to mid 30s °F . Over the weekend, partial sunshine and warm air advection will moderate the temperatures, before we enter a few days of above average temperatures (upper 60s °F) at the beginning of next week. The weekend should be mostly rain free, with the exception a chance of showers on Sunday afternoon.
The $116 billion income tax cut that Obama gets no credit for
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — What if a president cut Americans’ income taxes by $116 billion and nobody noticed?
Four found guilty in plot to bomb synagogues in the Bronx
NEW YORK — Four men were convicted Monday on charges of planting what they believed were bombs outside synagogues in the Bronx and plotting to fire missiles at military planes.
Shorts (left)
BEIJING<i> — </i>A dispute between China and the United States over Beijing’s subsidies to clean energy industries escalated on Sunday when a senior Chinese economic official warned that Washington “cannot win this trade fight.”
Democrats’ grip on the South continues to slip downward
JONESBORO, Ark. — The Southern white Democrat, long on the endangered list, is at risk of being pushed one step closer to extinction.
The X factor of economics: Why do economists disagree so much?
Economists — they certainly are a contentious bunch.
Facebook vows to fix a flaw in data privacy in Farmville
SAN FRANCISCO — When you sign up for Facebook, you enter into a bargain. You share personal information with the site, and Facebook agrees to obey your wishes when it comes to who can see what you post.
Shorts (right)
MOSCOW — BP raised $1.8 billion Monday to help pay for the cost of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by selling assets in Venezuela and Vietnam to its own joint venture in Russia.
Enjoyable autumn continues
The pleasant fall weather that has been prevalent so far in New England this year will continue this week, with sunshine, light winds, and temperatures around 60°F. With last week’s nor’easter long gone out to sea, and no new storm systems expected to pass through the area until the end of the week, seasonable autumn weather will continue to dominate for the foreseeable near future.
Shorts (left)
Enough Tea Party-supported candidates are running strongly in competitive and Republican-leaning congressional races that the movement stands a good chance of establishing a sizeable caucus to push its agenda in the House and the Senate, according to a <i>New York Times</i> analysis.
Shorts (right)
The local-and-sustainable food movement has spread to the nation’s largest retailer.
Rescued miners showered with gifts, vacation offers
SAN JOSE MINE, Chile — Most of the 33 rescued miners were still in a hospital about an hour away Thursday. But when they feel stronger, they may return to lives filled with gifts, rich offers to tell their stories and opportunities to see the world.
Weather
A low pressure system that was located yesterday in the Carolinas will move up the Atlantic coast today, bringing with it rain, high winds, and plunging temperatures. While temperatures will be in the high 50s (°F) this morning, the passage of the cold front associated with this storm will cause temperatures to drop sharply throughout the day, eventually falling into the lower 40s (°F) by early evening. Combined with rain and gusty winds, deteriorating conditions will make for rather miserable weather this afternoon and evening.
U.S. uses attacks to nudge Taliban toward a deal, break stalemate
KABUL, Afghanistan — Airstrikes on Taliban insurgents have risen sharply here over the past four months, the latest piece in what appears to be a coordinated effort by U.S. commanders to bleed the insurgency and pressure its leaders to negotiate an end to the war.
Administration seeks stay of ruling that halted ‘Don’t Ask’
WASHINGTON — Saying it will appeal a ruling striking down the law that bans gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the U.S. military, the Obama administration Thursday asked the federal judge who issued the ruling for an emergency stay of her decision.
Targeting of ‘closed’ professions alarms some Greek workers
ATHENS, Greece — Antonios Avgerinos, 59, a retired army pharmacist, always wanted his own pharmacy here. And why not? Greek law ensures that pharmacists get a 35 percent profit on all drugs sold, even over-the-counter medications.
Conservative group gives donors secrecy, then attacks
The American Future Fund, a conservative organization based in Iowa, has been one of the more active players in this fall’s campaigns, spending millions of dollars on ads attacking Democrats. It has not hesitated to take credit for its attacks, issuing news releases with headlines like “AFF Launches TV Ads in 13 States Targeting Liberal Politicians.”