New York – In the holiday season battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” edged out Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” to take the top spot at the box office ahead of lucrative earnings. Christmas aisle in cinemas. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” debuted with $62 million in ticket sales … Read more
Washington — The nearly two-year investigation by Democratic senators into Supreme Court ethics has detailed the more luxury travel of Justice Clarence Thomas and urged Congress to establish a way to enforce a new ethics code. Any movement on the issue appears unlikely as Republicans prepare to take control of the Senate in January, underscoring … Read more
Washington — Foreign workers looking for US jobs have almost guaranteed visa success in fiscal year 2024, with immigration authorities approving more than 97% of H1-B visa applications, the National Foundation for American Policy reports. This was the second-highest approval rate in more than a decade. But according to immigration lawyers, the exceptionally high success … Read more
Washington — After two failed attempts to pass a bill to fund the US government, the US House passed a stopgap bill to fund the federal government until March. The vote was 366 versus 34, with one member present in the voting. All 34 votes against the bill were cast by Republicans. House Republicans agreed … Read more
London – It’s a photo that caused a stir in British politics: Elon Musk poses with British politician Nigel Farage and a wealthy supporter in front of a gilt-framed painting of a young Donald Trump. The image, taken at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida this week, suggests Musk, a key player in the incoming US … Read more
Washington — The Biden administration’s top diplomats are in Damascus on Friday to meet with new Syrian officials led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a State Department spokesman said, marking the first in-person meeting between Washington and Syria’s de facto new rulers. There is an official meeting. , The State Department’s top Middle East diplomat, … Read more
Washington – A Republican spending bill backed by President-elect Donald Trump failed in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, leaving Congress with no clear plan to prevent a government shutdown that could disrupt Christmas travel. By a vote of 174-235, the House rejected the spending package, which was hastily assembled by Republican leaders after … Read more
Washington — Immigration has been a defining challenge of Biden’s presidency, which has been marked by record numbers of asylum seekers and other migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border. President Joe Biden promised to modernize the country’s immigration system and rebuild the refugee resettlement program, which had hit historic lows under the previous administration. But … Read more
New York – U.S. life expectancy jumped last year, and early data suggests there may be another — much smaller — improvement this year. Deaths from nearly all leading causes declined last year, especially from COVID-19, heart disease and drug overdoses, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Thursday. This added … Read more
Washington — The Commerce Department’s efforts to block China and Russia’s access to American-made advanced computer chips have been “inadequate” and do more to curb their ability to make advanced weapons, according to a report published Wednesday by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Money will be required. The Biden administration imposed export controls to … Read more