Town Hall News

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former leading scientist at the National Institutes of Health sued the Trump administration Tuesday, saying she was illegally fired for warning that abrupt research cuts were endangering patients and public health. The NIH has cut billions of dollars in research projects since President Donald Trump took office in January, bypassing the usual scientific funding process. The cuts included clinical trials testing treatments for cancer, brain diseases […]

To those who argue that the U.S. penny had no value: some coin collectors beg to differ. In fact, they doled out millions for the final pennies circulated in the U.S. before the government ended the cent’s production back in November. The U.S. Mint sold 232 three-cent sets for a whopping sum of $16.76 million at an auction last Thursday hosted by Stack’s Bowers Galleries. The 232nd set — containing […]

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Israel on Tuesday blocked a private Canadian delegation that included six members of Parliament from entering the occupied West Bank. The Israeli Embassy in Canada said the group was denied entry because of its links to Islamic Relief Worldwide, a nongovernmental organization that Israel lists as a terror group. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said in a post on social media that Canada has expressed its […]

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) – A U.S. House of Representatives committee on Thursday plans to vote on legislation aiming to prevent aviation disruptions during government shutdowns by ensuring air traffic controllers and other key workers are paid. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said Tuesday it also plans to vote on legislation this week that would require the Federal Aviation Administration to approve supersonic jet transport by April […]

Dec 16 (Reuters) – Alphabet unit Waymo is in talks with potential investors to raise money at a valuation of at least $100 billion, the Information reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the ride-hailing service provider’s plans. The size of the financing round will at least be several billions of dollars, possibly even more than $10 billion, according to the Information. The exact valuation has not yet been set, the […]

The San Francisco Giants agreed to a two-year, $22 million contract with veteran right-handed pitcher Adrian Houser, ESPN reported Tuesday. The deal includes a club option for the 2028 season and was reported hours after San Francisco announced a one-year contract for free agent right-hander Jason Foley. Houser, 32, split 2025 with the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays and went a combined 8-5 with a 3.31 ERA in […]

By Lisa Baertlein LOS ANGELES, Dec 16 (Reuters) – The nation’s busiest seaport handled 11.5% less import volume in November than in the year-ago month after shippers built early inventories to avoid President Donald Trump’s tariffs on goods such as toys, auto parts and metal furniture, Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said on Tuesday. The Port of Los Angeles handled 406,421 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) […]

Dec 16 (Reuters) – U.S. homebuilder Lennar missed Wall Street’s estimates for fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday, as affordability pressures continued to weigh on homebuying demand, sending the company’s shares down more than 4% in after-hours trading. Co-CEO Stuart Miller said that while interest rates edged lower during the reported quarter, the housing market remained under pressure as affordability constraints persisted and consumer confidence stayed weak. “Despite the added pressure of […]

By Scott Murdoch and Renju Jose SYDNEY, Dec 17 (Reuters) – Sydney will pause in grief on Wednesday as funerals begin for some of the 15 people killed in Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in three decades — a Jewish Hanukkah celebration-turned-tragedy that shook the nation and intensified fears of rising antisemitism and violent extremism. Police are zeroing in on the alleged father-and-son shooters, Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son […]