Biden calls on Congress to avert rail strike

President Joe Biden called Monday evening for Congress to act immediately to head off an economically crippling freight rail strike, saying there appeared to be “no path to resolve the dispute at the bargaining table.” Biden asked that Congress act “without any modifications or delay” to impose a tentative settlement that leadership of railroads and 12 unions had hammered out in September. However, of the … Continue reading Biden calls on Congress to avert rail strike

Google provided FBI with location data as part of federal investigation into attack on US Capitol

The FBI’s biggest-ever investigation included the biggest-ever haul of phones from controversial geofence warrants, court records show. A filing in the case of one of the January 6 suspects, David Rhine, shows that Google initially identified 5,723 devices as being in or near the US Capitol during the riot. Only around 900 people have so far been charged with offenses relating to the siege. The … Continue reading Google provided FBI with location data as part of federal investigation into attack on US Capitol

Israel, US to hold air drill simulating striking Iran nuclear program

The Israel Air Force this week will hold one of its largest drills in years with the United States Air Force simulating offensive strikes against Iran’s nuclear program. The drill will take place from Tuesday until Thursday over the Mediterranean Sea and Israel. It will include long-range flights such as those that Israeli pilots might need to make in order to reach the Islamic Republic. … Continue reading Israel, US to hold air drill simulating striking Iran nuclear program

China strengthens grip after rare protests against Covid lockdowns and communism

Police on Monday stopped and searched people at the sites of weekend protests in Shanghai and Beijing, after crowds there and in other Chinese cities demonstrated against stringent COVID-19 measures disrupting lives three years into the pandemic. From the streets of several Chinese cities to dozens of university campuses, protesters made a show of civil disobedience unprecedented since leader Xi Jinping assumed power a decade … Continue reading China strengthens grip after rare protests against Covid lockdowns and communism

President Biden calls for assault weapons ban after latest mass shootings

United States President Joe Biden renewed his call to pursue a national ban on assault weapons following the latest mass shooting at a Walmart store in the state of Virginia, and he said it’s “sick” that the United States still continues to sell semiautomatic weapons. The President made no comments regarding the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. constitution which grants individual Americans the right to … Continue reading President Biden calls for assault weapons ban after latest mass shootings

Erdogan threatens Syria ground operation ‘as soon as possible’

The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared to say that Ankara is planning to deploy ground forces to attack Kurdish forces based across the border in Syria. Turkey blames the groups for the November 13 bombing in central Istanbul, that killed six people. “We have been bearing down on terrorists for a few days with our planes, cannons and guns,” Erdogan said in a speech … Continue reading Erdogan threatens Syria ground operation ‘as soon as possible’

Kamala Harris says U.S. will defend Philippines in South China Sea

Vice President Kamala Harris called on countries Tuesday to stand up for territorial integrity and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, which has been challenged by China, and said Washington would press an international campaign against “irresponsible behavior” in the disputed waters. Harris did not cite China by name but was obviously referring to Beijing when she underscored America’s support to treaty ally … Continue reading Kamala Harris says U.S. will defend Philippines in South China Sea

FTX lawyer calls this case ‘a different sort of animal’ in first bankruptcy hearing

Lawyers for collapsed crypto exchange FTX said in the company’s first bankruptcy hearing on Tuesday that regulators from the Bahamas, where FTX was headquartered, have agreed to consolidate proceedings in Delaware. FTX’s lawyers, who were brought in by new leadership to handle restructuring, filed an emergency motion last week to secure the move to the U.S. The hearing on Tuesday was the initial step in … Continue reading FTX lawyer calls this case ‘a different sort of animal’ in first bankruptcy hearing

Delphi double murder suspect Richard Allen may not have acted alone: prosecutors

Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen, who has been charged in the 2017 slayings of teens Liberty “Libby” German and Abigail “Abby” Williams, may not have acted alone, prosecutors said Tuesday in court. In a major break in the case, Allen, 50, was arrested and charged with two counts of murder for killing German, 14, and her best friend, Williams, 13, last month. At a bail … Continue reading Delphi double murder suspect Richard Allen may not have acted alone: prosecutors

Search underway as magnitude-5.6 earthquake leaves over 200 dead in Indonesia

Rescuers were digging through debris on Tuesday to find survivors of a powerful earthquake that toppled homes and buildings in a highly populated area of Indonesia’s West Java province, killing at least 268 people. A further 151 people remain missing and more than 1,000 were injured, the country’s National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) said. The 5.6-magnitude quake hit the Cianjur region in West Java … Continue reading Search underway as magnitude-5.6 earthquake leaves over 200 dead in Indonesia

Iran commander threatens to kidnap and enslave Netanyahu

The Iranian regime’s commander of the Revolutionary Guards in the province of Isfahan said on Sunday that the theocratic state seeks to kidnap Benjamin Netanyahu and bring him to the Islamic Republic as a slave. Iranian-regime-controlled Bahar News reported that Mojtaba Fada, the commander of Isfahan’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said that “the former prime minister of the Zionist regime hoped that the protests … Continue reading Iran commander threatens to kidnap and enslave Netanyahu

France in shock after murder of tax inspector

The French government on Tuesday expressed shock after a tax inspector was stabbed to death as he was trying to audit the books of a business owner in the north of the country. The murder victim, a 43-year old civil servant for the tax authorities, was found dead on Monday, killed “most likely by repeated stabbing”, the prosecutors’ office in the northern French city of … Continue reading France in shock after murder of tax inspector

China’s Guangzhou locks down millions in ‘zero-COVID’ fight

The southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou locked down its largest district Monday as it tries to tamp down a major COVID-19 outbreak, suspending public transit and requiring residents to present a negative test if they want to leave their homes. The outbreak is testing China’s attempt to bring a more targeted approach to its zero-COVID policies while facing multiple outbreaks driven by fast-spreading omicron variants. … Continue reading China’s Guangzhou locks down millions in ‘zero-COVID’ fight

Indonesia: Java quake kills 162 and injures hundreds

An earthquake on the main Indonesian island of Java has killed at least 162 people and injured hundreds, regional governor Ridwan Kamil has said. The 5.6 magnitude quake struck Cianjur town in West Java, at a shallow depth of 10km (six miles), according to US Geological Survey data. Scores of people were taken to hospital, with many treated outside. Rescuers were working into the night … Continue reading Indonesia: Java quake kills 162 and injures hundreds

Top Russian official warns of possible nuclear accident at Zaporizhzhia

The head of Russia’s state-run atomic energy agency, Rosatom, warned on Monday there was a risk of a nuclear accident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, following renewed shelling over the weekend. Moscow and Kyiv have traded accusations of shelling the facility for months since Russian forces took control of it in March, shortly after invading Ukraine. Renewed shelling on Sunday triggered fresh … Continue reading Top Russian official warns of possible nuclear accident at Zaporizhzhia

Gay bar shooting suspect faces murder, hate crime charges

The man suspected of opening fire at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs was being held on murder and hate crimes charges Monday, two days after the attack that killed five people and left 17 others with gunshot wounds. Online court records showed that 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich faced five murder charges and five charges of committing a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury in Saturday … Continue reading Gay bar shooting suspect faces murder, hate crime charges

Stressed-Out Americans Plan to Buy Fewer Christmas Gifts, Donate Less to Charity

Households, retailers and charities nationwide, feeling the pinch of inflation, are bracing for a humbug holiday season. U.S. consumers and businesses have trimmed spending plans for gifts, charitable contributions and holiday events, data show. The penny-pinching threatens to spoil the year-end for many, especially firms and nonprofits that tally their largest share of sales and donations in November and December. “We’re hopeful for a strong … Continue reading Stressed-Out Americans Plan to Buy Fewer Christmas Gifts, Donate Less to Charity

A Quarter of Americans at Risk of Winter Power Blackouts, Grid Emergencies

Large swaths of North America may face blackouts and other energy emergencies during bouts of extreme cold this winter as coal and natural gas supplies tighten, according to a US regulatory agency. The electric grids at most risk of supply shortfalls are in Texas, the central US system stretching from the Great Lakes to Louisiana, New England and the Carolinas, the North American Electric Reliability … Continue reading A Quarter of Americans at Risk of Winter Power Blackouts, Grid Emergencies