DOT levies largest-ever penalty against American Airlines for tarmac delays

The Transportation Department has issued a $4 million fine against Texas-based American Airlines for leaving passengers stranded on the tarmac for three hours or more — the agency's largest penalty to date for a single domestic airline for breaking the rule. DOT’s rules permit aircraft to idle awaiting takeoff for only three hours max for a domestic flight, without offering...

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Joe the Plumber, who questioned Obama's tax policies during the 2008 campaign, has died at 49

TOLEDO, Ohio — Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher, who was thrust into the political spotlight as “Joe the Plumber” after questioning Barack Obama about his economic policies during the 2008 presidential campaign, and who later forayed into politics himself, has died, his son said Monday. He was 49. His oldest son, Joey Wurzelbacher, said his father died Sunday in Wisconsin after...

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Pentagon bets on quick production of autonomous systems to counter China

The Pentagon is about to make a huge bet that it can field thousands of autonomous systems within two years — an attempt to use technological innovation to counter China’s much larger stockpile of traditional weapons. The ambitious effort, named Replicator, will be spearheaded by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who previewed the push in an interview. Hicks will formally...

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Pope slammed for telling Russians to hold on to ‘legacy’ of a ‘great empire’

While he also advocated for peace, remarks seeming to praise Russia’s imperialist past come under fire. from Politics, Policy, Political News Top Stories https://ift.tt/zcyIUGR via IFT...

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First test in Georgia v. Trump: Can prosecutors keep home-court advantage?

The first big showdown for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in her case against Donald Trump and 18 of his allies will take place on unfamiliar turf: a federal courtroom. Officially, the Monday hearing in Atlanta will focus on a bid by co-defendant Mark Meadows to move the case out of Georgia state court. But the session will also be a post-indictment courtroom...

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Stefanik plans $100M campaign push in home state New York

POTSDAM, N.Y. — Elise Stefanik is betting big on 2024. The No. 3 House Republican says she convinced her party to flood key swing districts in New York with $100 million in campaign cash. She brought Speaker Kevin McCarthy to the Hamptons for a previously unreported fundraiser with deep-pocketed donors and lawmakers. And she shared a sprawling digital database of contributors...

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Republicans seize on gasoline prices, but the U.S. is pumping oil faster than ever

The late-summer surge in gasoline prices is heightening the risks that inflation poses for President Joe Biden, and offering Republicans a new chance to pin the blame on his green agenda. The GOP narrative has a major hole: U.S. oil production — already the highest in the world — is on track to set a new record this year, and will probably rise even more in 2024. But the...

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