Construction of a new passenger rail system linking the Los Angeles area to Las Vegas began yesterday. The Brightline West system, spanning 218 miles mostly along Interstate 15, is expected to be the nation's first true high-speed intercity rail network. The route (see map) is expected to take around 30,000 travelers per day between Rancho Cucamonga, California, and Las Vegas.
The all-electric trains can reach speeds up to 200 mph, with the typically four-hour travel time between the two cities expected to take just over two hours. Sister company Brightline opened its Miami-Orlando line last year; its trains reach speeds up to 125 mph. The International Union of Railways defines “high-speed rail” as new rail lines capable of going at least 155 mph.
Israel’s military intelligence chief announced his resignation yesterday over failing to prevent Hamas' Oct. 7 cross-border raid that left 1,200 people in Israel dead and more than 250 others taken hostage. Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first senior Israeli leader to resign over the attack.
The news came as Israel maintains it will advance a full-scale invasion of Gaza's southern border city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering. Meanwhile, a report yesterday found facilities for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees have at times been used for "political or military gains" but that Israel has not provided evidence supporting its claim that 12% of the agency's 13,000 staffers are members of Hamas or other militant groups.
SCOTUS appears ready to side with cities regulating homelessness. During...
SCOTUS appears ready to side with cities regulating homelessness. During oral arguments yesterday, the majority of the high court seemed prepared to allow cities to ban sleeping outdoors in public spaces even if they don’t provide shelter. The case, considered the most important legal battle concerning homelessness in decades, has created unusual political alliances: Some liberal cities have joined with conservative groups as they try to address public encampments. But the justices appeared divided along more typical ideological lines, with the conservative judges seeming more sympathetic to an Oregon city’s argument that local communities should be able to decide how to handle the problem.
The FTC sued to block a $8.5 billion fashion industry acquisition. Tapestry, parent of Coach and Kate Spade, wants to acquire Capri Holdings, which owns Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Michael Kors.
The Supreme Court will consider whether the Biden administration can regulate “ghost guns,” which people assemble themselves, making them harder for law enforcement to trace.
The head of Israeli military intelligence stepped down over the country’s failure to anticipate the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, potentially prompting more government resignations. Separately, an independent report found Israel had not provided evidence for its claims that the UN agency that administers humanitarian services in Gaza had been compromised by militants.
Kroger and Albertsons agreed to sell more grocery stores in hopes of winning approval from regulators to merge.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame named its latest inductees, and it’s probably the first time Cher, the Dave Matthews Band, and Ozzy Osbourne have been grouped together.
Oil prices declined on Monday, with the global benchmark ending at its...
Oil prices declined on Monday, with the global benchmark ending at its lowest level since late March as Middle East tensions appeared to ease, calming concerns over potential disruptions to global crude supplies.
Traders also shifted some of their focus back to inflation and the prospect of interest-rate cuts from the Federal Reserve this year.
Benchmark U.S. crude oil for May delivery fell 29 cents to $82.85 per barrel Monday. Brent crude for June delivery fell 29 centsto $87 per barrel.
Wholesale gasoline for May delivery fell 2 cents to $2.69 a gallon. May heating oilrose 2 cents to $2.56 a gallon. May natural gasrose 4 cents to $1.79 per 1,000 cubic feet.