National News - Page 99

Wall Street Closes to Honor Former President Jimmy Carter

By Maria Aspan Wall Street’s opening bells will remain silent on Thursday. The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq will both close for trading today, as the financial industry joins a national day of mourning for former President Jimmy Carter. The global humanitarian died on Dec. 29, at age 100, and will be eulogized at a state funeral today in Washington. The rare mid-week trading shutdown continues a Wall Street tradition that goes back to 1865. After President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, the New York Stock Exchange closed for days. Since then, the U.S. stock markets have regularly shuttered to mourn deceased

10 people have now died in the wildfires spreading across Southern California

By Ayana Archie Fires continue to rage on in Southern California, as tens of thousands of acres of land have been decimated, and the flames have been partially contained. What you need to know Ten people have died due to the fires, the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed. Identification may take several weeks, the examiner said. About 180,000 people have had to evacuate and another 200,000 people are under evacuation warnings, the LA County Sheriff’s Department said. The fires More than 35,000 acres have been burned, with the Palisades and Eaton fires driving the destruction, according to the California Department

Biden Signs Social Security Fairness Act, Boosts Benefits

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By Lorie Konish President Joe Biden on Sunday signed the Social Security Fairness Act, bipartisan legislation that clears the way for teachers, firefighters, policeman and other public sector workers who also receive pension income to receive increases in their Social Security benefits. The benefit boost comes as the new law repeals two provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision, or WEP, and the Government Pension Offset, or GPO — that have been in place for more than four decades. The WEP reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who receive pension or disability benefits from employment where Social Security payroll taxes were not withheld. As of December

Jimmy Carter’s Hospice Journey Redefines End-of-Life Care

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By Shelia Poole and Ariel Hart Hospice advocates said the end-of-life journey of former President Jimmy Carter was a “powerful” message to terminally ill patients and their families about the benefits of hospice care. Carter, the nation’s 39th president, died December 29 at his home in Plains, Georgia, after being in home hospice care for 22 months. “It’s pretty remarkable that he got to celebrate his 100th birthday, he got to vote and, as I understand, it was important to him that he was able to do these things with the support of hospice,” said Dr. Vicki Jackson, president of

NYC Launches $9 Congestion Pricing to Cut Gridlock

By Robbie Griffiths Congestion pricing was introduced in the center of New York City on Sunday, after a late attempt by officials in neighboring New Jersey to stop it in court failed. The measure — which charges many drivers $9 dollars to enter Manhattan during peak hours — is intended to bring relief to the country’s most populous city. According to traffic-data analysis firm INRIX, New York had the worst traffic in the world in 2023: drivers lost 101 hours to traffic during peak commuting times. Advocates say the new charge, which is the first of its kind in America, will ease traffic gridlock,

Biden Mourns Victims of New Orleans Terror Attack

By Adam Cancryn President Joe Biden traveled to New Orleans on Monday to offer condolences to those mourning the New Year’s Day terrorist attack, drawing from his own personal grief as he has done repeatedly during his term in response to horrific acts of violence. The president also vowed to stand by the community as it recovers from an attack by an Army veteran who drove his pickup truck into revelers in the city’s iconic French Quarter. “I know events like this are hard — the shock and pain still so very raw,” Biden said at a prayer service at

Biden Bans Offshore Drilling Before Trump Takes Office

US President Joe Biden has announced a ban on offshore oil and gas drilling along most of America’s coastline, weeks before Donald Trump takes office. During his campaign, Trump pledged to “unleash” domestic fossil fuel production in a bid to lower gas costs, despite the US already seeing record high extraction rates. The ban announced by Biden covers the entire Atlantic coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico, as well as the Pacific coast off California, Oregon and Washington, and a section of the Bering Sea off Alaska. It is the latest in a string of last-minute climate policy actions by

New Orleans Mourns After Tragic New Year’s Day Attack

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By Ashley Brown In a letter to the Dillard University community and the residents of New Orleans, President Monique Guillory expressed sorrow over the heartbreaking events that marred the start of the new year. “We are all heartbroken that the start to the New Year has been tainted by a local tragedy,” she wrote, acknowledging the city’s long-standing reputation as a sanctuary for visitors drawn to its vibrant culture. The New Year’s Day Attack The incident unfolded early on January 1st when a pickup truck drove into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street, resulting in at least 15 fatalities

Sugar Bowl Postponed After Deadly Bourbon Street Attack

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By Chandelis Duster The Sugar Bowl that was slated to take place in New Orleans Wednesday night has been postponed after a deadly attack during New Year’s celebrations, according to local officials. The new kickoff time is 3:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, according to the Sugar Bowl as of Wednesday evening. “With law enforcement assets that would typically be allocated to an event of this stature currently engaged in active investigations related to the incident, the postponement will allow for additional security resources to be put in place in order to maintain the typical standards of a major event in the

DEI Under Fire: The Future of Inclusion in 2025

By Curtis Bunn One by one, diversity, equity and inclusion programs at some of the country’s biggest companies fell apart in 2024, with signs that efforts to reverse DEI initiatives will only ramp up in 2025. This year saw the rise in prominent figures like Elon Musk and Lululemon founder Chip Wilson, among others, who vocally pushed against DEI initiatives. Major companies, including Walmart, Lowe’s, Ford and Toyota, heeded the calls and dialed back their DEI programs, particularly after social media-driven campaigns by influencers like Robby Starbuck. Meanwhile Utah, Alabama and Iowa joined Florida and Texas by banning DEI offices in their public universities, and three more states

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