U.S. regulators ease banking rules in light of California fires
Banks that operate in fire-blasted regions of California will not be punished if they ease loan terms or miss some federal reporting requirements, federal banking regulators said on Thursday.
Labor unions file pension lawsuit against Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico violated a law meant to safeguard the pensions of its public-sector workers who have been unable to invest the more than $300 million they contributed to a new retirement plan, according to a lawsuit filed against the U.S. commonwealth’s go…
Jurors in ‘El Chapo’ trial told of Mexico’s drug wars, corruption
A key prosecution witness in the U.S. trial of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman on Thursday told jurors that there were “a lot of deaths” as the accused Mexican drug lord and his associates built the Sinaloa Cartel in the 1990s through bloody conflict with ri…
Still counting: Uncalled U.S. federal and state elections
Democrats took control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the Nov. 6 elections and Republicans held onto a majority in the U.S. Senate, but 12 federal and two state gubernatorial races remain undecided more than a week later.
PG&E’s stock deepens slump as wildfire fans liability fears
Shares of PG&E Corp sank 31 percent on Thursday, bringing the loss in its stock market value to nearly $16 billion since the breakout of a deadly wildfire in northern California that investors fear will be blamed on the utility.
Florida races to complete recount in U.S. Senate, governor races
Florida election officials on Thursday were racing toward a deadline to finish a recount of ballots in close races for the U.S. Senate and governor’s seat, and a federal judge expressed frustration with an election system he called “the laughing stock …
Crews still searching for bodies a week after fire destroys California town
Firefighting crews made progress against the deadliest wildfire in California history on Thursday amid concerns that the death toll of 56 would rise as search teams work their way through the burned-out town of Paradise in the state’s north.
Pentagon fails its first-ever audit, official says
The Pentagon has failed what is being called its first-ever comprehensive audit, a senior official said on Thursday, finding U.S. Defense Department accounting discrepancies that could take years to resolve.
California taps war-zone DNA specialists after wildfire
Paradise looked like a war zone when authorities decided to turn to a team of combat-trained DNA specialists to quickly identify human remains believed to be in the charred ruins left after a wildfire incinerated the northern California town.
U.S. mail bomb suspect pleads not guilty to all charges
The man charged with mailing bombs to prominent Democrats and other critics of U.S. President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to all 30 charges against him in a federal court in New York.
