Capt. R.K. Smithley pauses as he searches for the appropriate word. He’s been asked to describe what it’s like flying a DC-10 just a few hundred feet above the ground, at 170 mph and carrying an 85,000-pound load, all while dealing with heavy winds, hilly terrain, other aircraft in the area and thick smoke billowing from the wildfires he’s helping to combat.What it takes is a special type of person, possessing specific qualifications. Smithley meets that standard.“Some guys adapt to this, some don’t,” Smithley, father of NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Garrett Smithley, told The Athletic on Monday. “It takes kind…
Author: usaeverydaylife
Marco Rubio, the Republican senator from Florida named by Donald J. Trump to be the next secretary of state, was warmly welcomed by senators from both parties at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. He has served for years on the Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees in the Senate, and is known as a lawmaker devoted to the details of foreign policy.“I believe you have the skills and are well qualified to serve as secretary of state,” Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of Hampshire, said in her opening remarks.The notable lack of tension at the hearing indicated that Mr. Rubio would almost…
BlackRock reported better-than-expected earnings Wednesday, lifting shares of the asset management giant higher as it embarks on a pivotal year of expansion into fast-growing markets. Revenue of $5.68 billion in the three months ended Dec. 31 exceeded expectations of $5.49 billion, according to LSEG. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $11.93 topped the consensus estimate of $11.19, LSEG data showed. Assets under management (AUM) totaled $11.55 trillion at the end of the quarter, a bit shy of the $11.65 trillion estimate, according to FactSet. BLK .SPX 1Y mountain BlackRock’s stock performance over the past 12 months versus the S &…
Investors are facing the prospect of “higher for longer” interest rates, and that presents an opportunity for those who want to build up portfolio income. The Federal Reserve dialed back its expectations for 2025 rate cuts at its December meeting, penciling in only two reductions this year – down from the four predicted in September. Inflation fears have also grown of late, spurring Bank of America to revise its forecast to zero cuts in 2025. At the same time, the 10-year Treasury yield has been on a steady upward march since late 2024, briefly topping 4.8% on Tuesday. Bond yields…
CEO of Chase Jamie Dimon looks on as he attends the seventh “Choose France Summit”, aiming to attract foreign investors to the country, at the Chateau de Versailles, outside Paris, on May 13, 2024. Ludovic Marin | Via ReutersJPMorgan Chase executives said the bank would increase share buybacks so that a mounting pile of tens of billions of dollars in excess cash doesn’t grow further.Fresh off a record year for profit and revenue, JPMorgan is facing questions over what CFO Jeremy Barnum admitted was a “high-class problem”: the bank has, by some estimates, roughly $35 billion in money that it doesn’t…
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 departs Los Angeles International Airport en route to Las Vegas on September 19, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Carter | Getty ImagesThe Department of Transportation on Wednesday sued Southwest Airlines, alleging the carrier operated chronically delayed flights, and fined Frontier Airlines for late-arriving flights.The lawsuit follows a $2 million DOT fine on JetBlue Airways for similar allegations.The lawsuit and fines come at the end of the Biden administration, which has taken a harder line toward consumer protections than previous administrations.The DOT said that Southwest’s flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Oakland, California, and from Baltimore to…
Charred remains of buildings are pictured following the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, U.S. Jan. 15, 2025. Mike Blake | ReutersGoogle and YouTube will donate $15 million to support the Los Angeles community and content creators impacted by wildfires, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan announced in a blog post Wednesday.The contributions will flow to local relief organizations including Emergency Network Los Angeles, the American Red Cross, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and the Institute for Nonprofit News, the blog said. When the company’s LA offices can safely reopen, impacted creators will also be able to use YouTube’s production…
Let me tell you about my sister-in-law the proud Ohio State Buckeye. She grew up less than an hour away from campus. She graduated in 1998. Her three siblings attended Ohio State. Her parents too. And when it comes to Ohio State football, she is both fervent in support and gentle in judgment — you’re getting the benefit of the doubt if you coach or play for her team.This is not the “lunatic fringe” of which Kirk Herbstreit sometimes speaks. But this is what she said on the eve of Ohio State’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Tennessee: “I couldn’t…
The Department of Commerce building is seen before an expected report of new home sales numbers in Washington, January 26, 2022.Joshua Roberts | ReutersThe U.S. Commerce Department said Wednesday it is imposing new export controls on biotechnology equipment and related technology because of national security concerns tied to artificial intelligence and data science.Washington has raised concerns that China could use U.S. technology to strengthen military capabilities and help design new weapons through AI. The department said the laboratory equipment could be used for “human performance enhancement, brain-machine interfaces, biologically-inspired synthetic materials, and possibly biological weapons.”The new export controls, which restrict…
A Citibank branch in New York, US, on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesNumerous Citibank customers reported receiving fraud alerts and difficulties accessing their accounts Wednesday.According to DownDetector.com, which tracks reports of digital services interruptions, hundreds of Citibank users had flagged issues related to their accounts as of midday.The site indicated the interruptions had been occurring since at least 9 a.m. Eastern time.On social media platform X, some customers reported receiving fraud alerts and subsequently experiencing long hold times with bank’s fraud department. Others said they couldn’t access their mobile accounts.A Citi spokesperson did not immediately respond to…
