Biden blocks $14 billion acquisition of US Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has blocked the nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel. This affirms his earlier vow to block the acquisition. In a Friday statement, Biden said, “We need major U.S. companies representing the major share of US steelmaking capacity to keep leading the fight on behalf of America’s national interests.” His decision comes after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States didn’t reach consensus on the possible national security risks of the deal last month. Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel blasted the decision, saying Biden cited no credible evidence of a national security problem and suggested they’ll sue.

Biden’s final actions as president leave some transgender people feeling unsupported

(AP) — Some transgender people worry President Joe Biden did not do enough to shield them from the torrent of Trump policies to come. President-elect Donald Trump declared last month that “it will be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders — male and female.” Biden and Democrats are grappling with how to handle transgender politics after the GOP weaponized Democrats’ support for the trans community to win back the White House and Congress. In his final month in office, Biden has scrapped unfinished plans to provide protections for transgender student-athletes and signed a defense bill that has provisions stripping coverage of transgender medical treatments for children in military families.

Pilot made a panicked attempt to land before a crash in Southern California that killed 2

LOS ANGELES (AP) — According to air traffic control audio, the pilot of a small plane attempted to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff before crashing through the roof of a building in Southern California. A voice could be heard saying “Oh my God” moments before the crash on Thursday that left two people dead and 19 injured near the Fullerton Municipal Airport in Orange County. The plane had just taken off from the airport when the pilot asked the air traffic control tower for an immediate landing. The people who died are believed to have been on the plane, while those injured were inside the building.

JetBlue is being fined for chronic flight delays, and passengers may get a cut

(AP) — JetBlue is getting hit with a $2 million penalty for chronically late flights. The Transportation Department said Friday that half the money will go to passengers who were delayed on flights along four routes on the East Coast between summer 2022 and late 2023. The department says it’s the first such fine against an airline over chronic delays, and it blames JetBlue for “unrealistic scheduling.” JetBlue says despite settling the matter, it blames the federal government for problems in the air traffic control system that contribute to late flights. JetBlue says the incoming Trump administration should modernize air traffic control technology and hire more controllers.