Search / 1245 results found Showing: 1-10 of 1245
Most railroad workers weren't surprised that Congress intervened this week to block a railroad strike, but they were disappointed because they say the deals lawmakers imposed didn't do enough to address their quality of life concerns about demanding schedules and the lack of paid sick time. Railroad workers face difficult tradeoffs that sometimes force them to skip doctor's appointments or miss family events. The railroads acknowledge that more needs to be done to address workers' “work-life balance concerns," but managers believe these new contracts should help create more predictable schedules. And the five-year deals include 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses.
Many people on the Big Island of Hawaii are bracing for major upheaval if lava from Mauna Loa volcano blocks the quickest route connecting two sides of the island. The molten rock could make the road impassable and force drivers to find alternate coastal routes in the north and south. That could add hours to commute times, doctor’s visits and freight truck deliveries. The lava is oozing slowly at a rate that could reach the road next week. But its path is unpredictable and could change course, or the flow could stop completely and spare the highway.
South Korean prosecutors arrested the country’s former national security director over suspicions he engaged in a cover-up to hide details and distort the circumstances surrounding North Korea’s killing of a South Korean fisheries official near the rivals’ sea boundary in 2020. Suh Hoon’s arrest came as President Yoon Suk Yeol’s conservative government investigates his liberal predecessor’s handling of that killing and another border incident the year before that prompted criticism that Seoul was desperately trying to appease the North to improve relations. Former President Moon Jae-in has reacted angrily to the investigation, accusing Yoon’s government of raising groundless allegations and politicizing security matters.
The United States' newest nuclear stealth bomber has made its public debut after years of secret development. The new bomber is part of the Pentagon’s answer to rising concerns over a future conflict with China. The B-21 Raider is the first new American bomber aircraft built in more than 30 years. The Pentagon provided the public its first glimpse of the Raider at an invitation-only event in Palmdale, California, on Friday. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin calls it “the embodiment of America’s determination to defend the republic that we all love.” Falls Church, Virginia-based Northrop Grumman is building the Raider, which will take its first flight next year.
A tiny Nevada toad at the center of a legal battle over a geothermal project has officially been declared an endangered species. U.S. wildlife officials had temporarily listed it on a rarely used emergency basis last spring. The Fish and Wildlife Service said in a formal rule published Friday that the Dixie Valley toad is at risk of extinction "primarily due to the approval and commencement of geothermal development” about 100 miles east of Reno. Other threats to the quarter-sized amphibian include groundwater pumping, agriculture, climate change, disease and predation from bullfrogs. The temporary listing in April marked only the second time in 20 years the agency had taken such emergency action.
Worries about inflation weighed on Wall Street, leaving major indexes mixed after another bumpy day of trading. The S&P 500 fell 0.1% and the Nasdaq lost 0.2% after being down even more earlier in the day. The Dow ended slightly higher. A government report showing that wage growth accelerated last month spooked investors since it could mean the Federal Reserve will be less able to ease up on its fight against inflation. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which tends to track expectations for future Fed action, rose following the release of the report, which also showed that hiring was stronger than anticipated.
FBI Director Chris Wray is raising national security concerns about TikTok. He warned Friday that control of the popular video sharing app is in the hands of a Chinese government “that doesn’t share our values.” Wray said the FBI was concerned that the Chinese had the ability to control the app’s recommendation algorithm, “which allows them to manipulate content, and if they want to, to use it for influence operations.” He also asserted that China could use the app to collect data on its users that could be used for traditional espionage operations. A TikTok spokesperson says it is “on a path to fully satisfy all reasonable U.S. national security concerns.”
An American service member who survived the notorious Bataan Death March during World War II but later died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp has finally been accounted for. Military officials announced Friday that the remains of Army Air Forces Pvt. Joseph E. Lescaut, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, were identified in August using mitochondrial DNA analysis as well as dental and anthropological analysis and circumstantial evidence. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency says Lescaut was reported captured in the Philippines in 1942. After the 65-mile forced march, he died in July 1942. Lescaut will now be buried in Arlington National Cemetery at a date to be determined.
Distaste for Herschel Walker appears to be bolstering Democratic enthusiasm for Sen. Raphael Warnock in Georgia's Tuesday runoff. Criticism of Walker is often top-of-mind for Warnock supporters. They frequently say they believe Walker is in over his head, lured into the race by former President Donald Trump or other Republicans. Republicans voters are more likely to say they're motivated by dislike of President Joe Biden’s administration and Warnock’s support of Biden’s policies. Warnock and other Democrats have been playing up the idea that Walker could disgrace Georgia. Even some Walker voters say they are uneasy about his qualifications and past acts.
Russian news agencies say former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who fled prosecution after revealing highly classified surveillance programs, has received a Russian passport and taken the citizenship oath. Lawyer Anatoly Kucherena was quoted as saying Snowden got the passport and took the oath on Thursday, about three months after Russian President Vladimir Putin granted him citizenship. Friday's reports did not specify whether Snowden has renounced his U.S. citizenship. The United States revoked his passport in 2013, leading to Snowden being stranded in a Moscow airport for weeks after arriving from Hong Kong, aiming to reach Ecuador. Russia eventually granted him permanent residency. He married American Lindsay Mills in 2017 and the couple has two children.