Latest news with #HeadlinesUS
The Guardian
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Top Democrat calls for investigation into ‘chaotic' Newark airport delays
One of America's most important airports continued to be hit by delays and cancellations on Monday as the Senate's top Democrat called for an investigation into the chaotic crisis. The problems at Newark, a busy airport in New Jersey that acts as one of the main hubs for New York City and the surrounding region, have persisted since last week, causing serious issues for tens of thousands of travelers. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, who is from New York, called for an investigation into the 'chaos' that the Federal Aviation Authority says has been sparked by an air traffic controller shortage and thick cloud cover. 'To say that there is just minor turbulence at Newark airport and the FAA would be the understatement of the year. We're here because the FAA is really a mess. This mess needs a real forensic look, a deep look into it,' Schumer said. 'So today I am demanding a full inspector general investigation as to what went on.' Schumer added: 'The chaos at Newark very well could be a harbinger if issues like these aren't fixed, and if the FAA can't get real solutions off the ground.' Other politicians joined in. New Jersey's Democratic governor, Phil Murphy, called the delays 'completely and utterly unacceptable' in a post on X, and said he knows US transportation secretary Sean Duffy is 'committed' to hiring more air traffic controllers. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a letter to customers over the weekend that the technology used to manage planes at the New Jersey airport failed more than once in recent days. The flight delays, cancellations and diversions that the equipment problems caused were compounded when more than one-fifth of Newark's traffic controllers 'walked off the job', Kirby said. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Faulting the FAA's alleged failure to address 'long-simmering' challenges related to the air-traffic control system, United cut 35 daily flights from its Newark schedule starting on Saturday. Duffy, the transportation secretary, last week announced a program to recruit new controllers and give existing ones incentives not to retire. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, a workers' union, said at the time that those moves could help address staffing shortages, but it also said the system is 'long overdue for technology and infrastructure upgrades'.
The Guardian
27-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump warms to Zelenskyy after Vatican meeting but is ‘disappointed' by Russia
Asked to comment on his meeting at the Vatican with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump on Sunday expressed newfound sympathy for his Ukrainian counterpart, saying he 'wants to do something good for his country' and 'is working hard'. Reflecting on his conversation with the Ukrainian president in a 'beautiful' setting, the US president also said that he was 'surprised and disappointed, very disappointed' that Russia had bombed Ukraine after discussions between Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, and Trump's peace envoy, Steve Witkoff. 'I was very disappointed that missiles were flying, by Russia,' the US president said. Speaking to reporters at an airport in New Jersey, Trump said that Zelenskyy 'told me that he needs more weapons, but he's been saying that for three years'. Asked what he wants Putin to do, Trump replied: 'Well, I want him to stop shooting. Sit down and sign the deal. We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it and be done with it.' 'Do you trust President Putin?' Trump was asked. 'I'll let you know in about two weeks,' Trump said. Pressed to elaborate on what he expects to happen in two weeks, Trump evaded the question. 'Two weeks or less,' he said, vaguely, 'but you know they're losing a lot of people. We have 3, 4,000 people dying every week.' Trump also said that his relationship with Zelenskyy was improved by the face-to-face at the Vatican: 'Look, it was never bad. We had a little dispute, because I disagreed with something he said, and the cameras were rolling and that was OK with me.' 'Look, he's in a tough situation, a very tough situation. He's fighting a much bigger force, much bigger,' Trump added. The president then repeated his frequent false claim that the United States had given Ukraine $350bn to aid its defense from the Russian invasion. 'I see him as calmer,' Trump said, comparing the Zelenskyy he met at the Vatican with the one he confronted in the Oval Office in February. 'I think he understands the picture, and I think he wants to make a deal.' The president also claimed that there had been 'a little bit' of progress in trade talks with China, talks that Chinese officials have said are not taking place. 'They want to make a deal, obviously,' Trump said. 'Now, they're not doing any business with us, you know, because, not because of them, because of me. Because at 145%, you can't do business,' he said, in reference to the import tariff rate he imposed this month. 'But something's going to happen, that's going to be possible.' Asked about the death by suicide of Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent victims of the disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, Trump said: 'That whole situation is very sad, her and others, and so certainly that's a horrible thing.' Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Epstein had socialized with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, and video from 1992 showed the two men laughing together during a party Trump hosted there. In legal filings, Giuffre said she had been a teenage spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago – Trump's club in Palm Beach, Florida – when she was approached in 2000 by Epstein's girlfriend and later employee, Ghislaine Maxwell. Giuffre said Maxwell hired her as a masseuse for Epstein, but that the couple effectively made her a sexual servant for not only Epstein but his friends and associates.
The Guardian
24-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
California's economy surpasses Japan's as it becomes fourth largest in world
California's economy has surpassed Japan's, making the Golden state the fourth largest economy in the world, governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday. The state's nominal GDP reached $4.1tn, according to data from the International Monetary Fund and the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, edging out Japan's $4.02tn nominal GDP. California now ranks behind the US at $29.18tn, China at $18.74tn and Germany at $4.65tn. Along with the tech and entertainment industry capitals, the state, which has a population of nearly 40 million people, is the center for US manufacturing output and is the country's largest agricultural producer. 'California isn't just keeping pace with the world – we're setting the pace. Our economy is thriving because we invest in people, prioritize sustainability, and believe in the power of innovation,' Newsom said in a statement. The state has outperformed the world's top economies with a growth rate in 2024 of 6% compared with the US's 5.3%, China's 2.6% and Germany's 2.9%. This week's new rankings come six years after California surpassed the United Kingdom and became the world's fifth largest economy. Newsom noted, however, that the Trump administration's agenda endangers California's economic interests. 'And, while we celebrate this success, we recognize that our progress is threatened by the reckless tariff policies of the current federal administration. California's economy powers the nation, and it must be protected.' Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion California last week became the first state to sue the federal government over Donald Trump's tariff policies, and has argued that the president's actions are unlawful and that constitution explicitly grants Congress the power to impose tariffs. 'No state is poised to lose more than the state of California,' Newsom said during a press conference announcing the lawsuit. 'It's a serious and sober moment, and I'd be … lying to you if I said it can be quickly undone.' California is a major contributor to economic growth nationally, with the money it sends to the federal government outpacing what it receives in federal funding by $83bn, according to a statement from Newsom's office. Despite an enormous shortage of affordable housing that has fueled a homelessness crisis in the state, the population has grown in recent years. Meanwhile, last year the state reported its tourism spending had hit an all-time high – though California has seen a drop in some areas. Canadian tourism in California was down 12% in February compared with the same month last year amid Trump's tariff war. In response, the state has announced a new campaign to draw Canadians back, while one city has put up pro-Canada signs across its downtown.
The Guardian
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Federal judge blocks Trump effort that could disenfranchise millions of voters
A federal judge on Thursday blocked Donald Trump's efforts to add a proof of citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form, a change that voting rights advocates warned would have disenfranchised millions of voters. The president sought to unilaterally add the requirement in a 25 March executive orders. The Democratic party, as well as a slew of civil rights groups challenged that order, arguing the president does not have the power to set the rules for federal elections. US district judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the federal district court in Washington, agreed with that argument on Thursday. 'Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the States—not the President—with the authority to regulate federal elections,' she wrote in a 120-page opinion. 'No statutory delegation of authority to the Executive Branch permits the President to short-circuit Congress's deliberative process by executive order.' Kollar-Kotelly also blocked a portion of the executive order that required federal agencies to assess the citizenship of individuals applying to vote at a public assistance agency before they offered them a chance to vote. The order would have made it significantly harder to register to vote, even for eligible voters. Nearly 10% of eligible voters lack easy access to documents, such as a US passport or birth certificate, that would be required to prove their citizenship, a 2024 survey found. Republicans in the US House have passed a similar bill that would require proof of citizenship to vote, but it almost certainly will not pass in the US Senate. Several states have also passed statutes to require proof of citizenship to vote. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Kollar-Kotelly left in place, for now, portions of the order that instructed the Department of Homeland Security to share information with states and to work with the so-called 'department of government efficiency' to find non-citizens on the rolls. She also left in place a portion of the order that sought to punish states that allow mail-in ballots to arrive after election day, saying the plaintiffs had not established legal harm. She left the door open to the challengers returning to court later to bring claims against those portions.
The Guardian
22-04-2025
- The Guardian
Harvey Weinstein's rape retrial to open with majority-female jury in New York
Opening statements are set for Wednesday in former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape retrial, this time with a majority-female jury deciding the landmark #MeToo case. After a days-long selection process yielded a seven-woman, five-man jury and five alternate jurors by Monday, prosecutors and Weinstein's lawyers finished choosing a sixth and final alternate on Tuesday. Alternates step in if a member of the main panel can't see the trial through. The main jury is more female than the five women and seven men who convicted Weinstein at his first trial five years ago. The verdict marked a signature moment for the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct, which had been fueled in 2017 by a slew of allegations against Weinstein, then a high-flying movie producer of a string of Oscar winners including Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love. But in a reversal that dismayed #MeToo activists, New York's highest court last year overturned Weinstein's 2020 conviction and 23-year prison sentence. The court found that the original trial judge allowed prejudicial testimony. That judge's term expired in 2022, and he is no longer on the bench. Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not guilty and denies raping or sexually assaulting anyone. Drawn from Manhattan's jury pool, the 12 members of the main jury for the New York retrial include a physics researcher, a photographer, a dietitian, a therapist, an investment bank software engineer and a fire safety director. Others have experience in real estate, TV commercials, debt collection, social work and other fields. One has a high school equivalency degree. Others have master's degrees. Some have served as jurors or grand jurors multiple times before; others, never. Hundreds of other potential jurors were excused for reasons ranging from language barriers to strong opinions about Weinstein – 'the first word that came in my head was 'pig',' said one man who was soon let go. Those chosen were quizzed about their backgrounds, life experiences and various other points that could relate to their ability to be fair and impartial about the highly publicized case. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion 'You may hear sexual allegations here of a salacious nature – graphic, perhaps. Would hearing that indicate that … Mr Weinstein must be guilty?' defense attorney Mike Cibella asked one prospective juror on Monday. The woman, who ultimately was chosen, answered no. Prosecutor Shannon Lucey sought assurances that prospective jurors could put aside any position or feelings they had about the #MeToo movement. 'Is there anyone who is going to think of the movement and think: 'OK, that's just something that I have to keep in the back of my mind when I'm deciding this case'? Everyone can put that aside?' Lucey asked a group of 24 possible jurors. All indicated they could do so. Weinstein's rape and sexual assault retrial involves accusations from three women: an aspiring actor who said he raped her in 2013, and two women who made separate allegations of forced oral sex in 2006. One of the two wasn't part of the original trial. Meanwhile, Weinstein is challenging a separate 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles.
