BETHLEHEM, West Bank (RNS) — The Palestinian Authority has asked municipalities to tone down their public Christmas celebrations this year amid escalating violence between Palestinians and Israelis.
Hana Amireh, who heads a government committee on churches in the West Bank, confirmed the Palestinian Authority is requesting "a certain decrease" in festivities following the deaths of dozens of Palestinians since mid-September. The majority of them were killed during clashes with Israeli forces or carrying out terrorist attacks, according to the Israeli government.
BOSTON – The Massachusetts State House was abuzz Monday with reports and comments concerning a financial crisis gripping Boston's public transit service and how to pay for a planned Green Line expansion into Somerville and Medford that may cost as much as $3 billion.
The projected costs of extending the trolley line ballooned earlier this year, which may have stemmed from the way the contract was set up, according to consultants hired by the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board. In essence, the state enabled the contractor group, White Skanska Kiewit, to take advantage of it, did not cap indirect costs, did not allow the state to check the books on the contractor's costs and allowed the contractor to hone in on the maximum allowable price, according to the consultant, Terry Yeager, managing director of Berkeley Research Group.
