Author: Leslie Stewart

The remaining 16,000 residents of the Southern California city were allowed to return home on Tuesday, days after the threat of a catastrophic chemical tank explosion raised concerns about an environmental disaster.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The crisis at GKN Aerospace Corp.’s 7,000-gallon tank of the toxic and flammable chemical methyl methacrylate in Garden Grove, first discovered Thursday, prompted the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.By Tuesday night, there was no longer any explosion risk, chemical leak or fire risk, and there was no danger to the public, according…

Moscow says similar attacks could occur in the future. Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Monday warned of a “coordinated attack” against military targets, including what it called a “decision-making center” in Kiev.The newspaper said this was in retaliation for a drone strike last week that authorities said killed 21 people, including university students, in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine. Kiev’s military denied the accusations and said it was targeting military units near the town. Ukraine has been attacking deep inside Russia in recent months, making things increasingly uncomfortable for the Kremlin. Meanwhile, Ukrainian cities are under almost daily attack…

The European Central Bank “will do what is necessary” to keep inflation on target, one of the bank’s top policymakers told CNBC.Speaking with CNBC’s Lisa Kim in Singapore on Tuesday, Bank of France Governor François Villeroy de Galhout sought to reassure government bond markets that Europe’s central bankers are committed to minimizing the impact of the Iran war.Soaring oil prices due to the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz are raising concerns that the energy crisis could lead to a resurgence of inflation in various markets.ECB Governing Council member Villeroy-de-Galleau added that European policymakers “will do what is…

A “catastrophic” explosion at a chemical tank in a city near Los Angeles was averted by Monday, but the risk remains and about 16,000 people are under evacuation orders, officials said.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Liquid in a 7,000-gallon methyl methacrylate tank at the Garden Grove facility began overheating Thursday after a problem with a valve in the refrigeration system led to tense days for first responders and experts trying to avoid an explosion. Officials said Monday that the biggest risk, a potential boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE), had…

SHANGHAI—Chinese technology giant Huawei announced Monday that it has achieved a breakthrough that will allow it to produce cutting-edge chips within five years, touting the news as a major milestone in Beijing’s efforts to circumvent U.S. technology regulations.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.U.S. sanctions that began in 2019 have largely cut Huawei off as a global maker of semiconductor chips, the tiny brains that power everything from smartphones to computers to cars, as the U.S. and China battle for global dominance in artificial intelligence.The U.S. government has also restricted the…

LA PALMAR, Calif. – A potential crack inside a toxic chemical tank in Southern California may be releasing pressure, officials announced Sunday, hoping the development could help avert a catastrophic steam explosion.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Orange County Interim Fire Chief TJ McGovern said Sunday that the possible crack was identified during a visual inspection of the 7,000-gallon tank Saturday night at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove.”This new information could change our trajectory and strategy for this event,” he said, noting that each team is reviewing and verifying…

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) warned in an interview on “Meet the Press” on Sunday that the Republican Party will be “very vulnerable” during the midterm elections.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Asked if the Republican Party is starting to break with President Donald Trump, Massey said the party is “concerned about its own political death.””Certainly we can beat the Republicans in the primaries, but the Republicans will be very vulnerable this fall.”Massey lost in last week’s primary to former Navy SEAL Ed Galine, who was backed by Trump. The president strongly…

Firefighters were trying to cool down a chemical tank literally on the “brink” of exploding in Southern California to avert a dire “worst-case” scenario, the incident commander said Saturday.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.A 7,000-gallon tank containing methyl methacrylate, a toxic chemical used in the manufacture of resins and plastics, could later cause an explosion in a nearby 15,000-gallon tank containing the same substance, Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Incident Commander Chief Craig Covey told NBC News on Saturday. “What we’re talking about may be one of the worst chemical…

On Friday, the estranged husband of a prominent New York City art dealer was found guilty of hiring a hitman to kill her in Brazil.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Daniel Sikkema, 55, could be sentenced to life in prison. Brent Sikkema, 75, was found stabbed to death in his Rio de Janeiro townhouse in January 2024.Daniel Sikkema, a US and Cuban citizen living in New York, was arrested in April 2024. He was found guilty in federal court in Manhattan on charges including conspiracy to commit murder and manslaughter.The alleged…

Miodrag Ignjatovic | Eplus | David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesU.S. consumers will pay more for everything from fuel to hot dogs and hamburgers heading into Memorial Day weekend as the Iran war reignites inflation.Federal government data released this month showed shoppers’ total inflation rose 3.8% in April from the same month last year, the highest annual rate since 2023. Travel, recreation and food prices rose particularly sharply, draining Americans’ wallets as the unofficial start of summer began.”They’re not going to be satisfied with what they see,” said Stephen Juneau, senior U.S. economist at Bank of America. “You’re…