wire

US kills al-Qaida-linked militant in Pakistan

AP Wire — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (AP) - A U.S. drone fired two missiles at a house in Pakistan's northwest tribal region today, killing five suspected militants, intelligence officials said. The Taliban identified one of them as a prominent commander who has served as a key link to al-Qaida.

Mass. to get $318M, keep 2 claims open

AP Wire — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

BOSTON - Massachusetts will receive nearly $318 million from a national settlement announced Thursday with mortgage lenders over abusive foreclosure practices, Attorney General Martha Coakley said.

Massachusetts among 10 states to get waiver from No Child Left Behind requirements

AP Wire — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama today will free 10 states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.

Humanitarian crisis deepens in Syrian city of Homs

AP Wire — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

BEIRUT (AP) - Between blasts of rockets and mortar fire, Syrians used loudspeakers to call for blood donations and medical supplies Thursday in the stricken city of Homs, where a weeklong government offensive has created a deepening humanitarian crisis.

Priest sounds alarm on parish consolidations

AP Wire — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

BOSTON - The Boston Archdiocese's proposal to cut costs by organizing its 290 parishes into 125 groups that share resources could crush its pastors, who now face a bleak future after sustaining the church through the abuse scandal, a veteran priest wrote in a letter to Cardinal Sean O'Malley obtained by The Associated Press.

Leaving 'No Child' law: Obama lets 10 states flee

AP Wire — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) - It could be the beginning of the end for No Child Left Behind.

The goal was lofty: Get all children up to par in math and reading by 2014. But the nation isn't getting there, and now some states are getting out.

Drying out your home, Part II

Daily Hampshire Gazette — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

In a recent column, a newly minted Jersey Shore homeowner asked for help making his damp abode drier.

He said he'd been told that building code mandated that the vapor barrier be up against the floor over the crawl space, but the 2-year-old solid oak flooring was beginning to curl because of moisture.