House approves $447 billion omnibus spending measure

Washington PostThe House voted Thursday to approve half a dozen spending bills contained in one large package, as the chamber races to complete its work before adjourning for the year.The $447 billion measure, which combines six appropriations bills, passed 221 to 202, with 28 Democrats joining all 174 Republicans present in opposing it. GOP lawmakers said the measure was overinflated and rushed… Read more

Slowing Expansion, Harvard Suspends Work on Tower

New York TimesBOSTON – Harvard announced Thursday that it would indefinitely suspend construction on a high-tech science complex in the Allston neighborhood of Boston because of money problems.’The altered financial landscape of the university, and of the wider world, necessitates a shift away from rapid development in Allston,’ Drew Gilpin Faust, Harvard’s president, wrote in a letter released… Read more

Rule 5 Draft

According to David Lennon of Newsday, a scout said teams had been trying to move up to select RHP Carlos Monasterios, who the Mets drafted then immediatly traded to the Dodgers. …by the way, the Mets just announced the trade in a press release… Updated at 10:32 am: The major-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft is over. …i will do a recap of the minor-league phase later in the day…… Read more

Tiger Woods — the hits just keep on coming

MiamiHeraldWould anyone want to be Tiger Woods right now?In the wake of the bevy of women who have surfaced claiming to have had an affair with the golf titan, the money well appears to be drying up. A big endorsement (Gatorade’s Tiger Focus drink) dropped him, and no ads featuring Woods have aired since Nov. 29 (a Gillette spot). Since then, the PGA icon’s commercials have been MIA from all… Read more

Fla. House set to vote on rail bill

MiamiHeraldTALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida House is set to vote on a bill that would clear the way for the proposed SunRail commuter system in central Florida.The chamber Monday is expected to pass the legislation. It’ll then go to the Senate, where the outcome remains in doubt. Lawmakers there have twice before defeated similar measures.Supporters say SunRail will create thousands of… Read more