FAA launches investigation into US airlines over flight cuts ordered during the shutdown

The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into whether U.S. airlines complied with an emergency order to cut flights at 40 major airports during the recent government shutdown. The FAA warned airlines on Monday that they could face fines of up to $75,000 for each flight over the mandated reductions, which varied between 3% and 6%. The 43-day shutdown that began Oct. 1 led to long delays as unpaid air traffic controllers missed work. The FAA has said it required the flight cuts to ensure safety. More than 10,000 flights were canceled.

AI-powered police body cameras, once taboo, get tested on Canadian city's 'watch list' of faces

Police in Edmonton, Canada, have started a pilot project using AI-equipped body cameras to detect faces on a "high risk" watch list. The move by Axon Enterprise, Inc. has raised ethical concerns, especially since the company previously paused facial recognition due to privacy issues. The pilot aims to enhance officer and public safety by identifying individuals flagged for a history of serious offenses. However, critics worry about societal risks and the lack of public debate. Axon CEO Rick Smith describes the project as "early-stage field research" to gather insights. The pilot will run through December, with results analyzed later at the station.

Tom Hicks, the Texas businessman who owned Stars, Rangers and Liverpool teams, dies at 79

DALLAS (AP) — Tom Hicks, the Texas businessman and philanthropist who owned two Dallas-area professional sports franchises and an English Premier League soccer team, died Saturday. He was 79. Spokesperson Lisa LeMaster said in statement that Hicks died peacefully in Dallas surrounded by family. Hicks owned the NHL’s Dallas Stars from 1995–2011, winning the Stanley Cup in 1999. He also owned baseball’s Texas Rangers from 1998–2010, leading them to three American West Division titles and a World Series appearance. In 2007, he acquired a 50% stake in Liverpool. Hicks co-founded Hicks & Haas in 1984 and Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst in 1989, helping reshape private equity and investing strategy. He served on the University of Texas’s Board of Regents from 1994 to 1999.

Netflix to acquire Warner Bros. studio and streaming business for $72 billion

NEW YORK (AP) — Netflix has struck a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max. The $72 billion deal announced Friday would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry. If approved by regulators, the merger would put two of the world’s biggest streaming services under the same ownership — and join Warner’s television and motion picture division, including DC Studios, with Netflix’s vast library and its production arm, which has released popular titles such as “Stranger Things” and “Squid Game.”

Notable early reaction to Netflix's deal to acquire Warner Bros.

NEW YORK (AP) — Netflix's $72 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. studio has sparked reactions from the worlds of entertainment, politics and business. Michael O’Leary, CEO of Cinema United, warns that Netflix's model could harm theaters and communities. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren calls the deal an “anti-monopoly nightmare,” fearing higher prices and fewer choices. Former WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar believes it will reduce competition. And the Producers Guild of America said Friday that a key test for Netflix to pass is whether the deal “promotes opportunities for workers and artists, empowers consumers with choices, and upholds freedom of speech.”

Wall Street rises to the edge of its all-time high

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market rose to the edge of its all-time high. The S&P 500 added 0.2% Friday and finished just shy of its record closing level, which was set in October. It had briefly topped the mark during the day, before paring its gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.3%. The modest moves capped a quiet week for Wall Street, offering a respite following weeks of sharp and scary swings. Ulta Beauty helped lead the market after delivering a better profit than analysts expected and offering encouraging signals about the holiday shopping season.

The Supreme Court weighs another step in favor of broad presidential power sought by Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts has led the Supreme Court’s conservative majority on a steady march of increasing the power of the presidency. And that began well before Donald Trump’s time in the White House. The justices could take the next step in a case being argued Monday that calls for the overturning of a unanimous 90-year-old decision that limits executive authority. The court’s conservatives already have allowed Trump to fire almost everyone he's wanted to in his second term. That's despite the court’s 1935 decision that prohibits the president from removing the heads of independent agencies without cause.

FACT FOCUS: Trump said weaker gas mileage rules will mean cheaper cars. Experts say don't bet on it

DETROIT (AP) — President Donald Trump this week announced plans to weaken strict gas mileage requirements for automakers set under former President Joe Biden. The Trump administration said the previous rules were the reason new vehicles have become so expensive, and that cutting them will drive down costs and make vehicles safer. Experts say there are many reasons that the average cost of a new vehicle is rising, including American consumers' love for big, expensive SUVs and trucks. And they say that cutting mileage standards is unlikely to lead to cheaper cars anytime soon.

Georgia Power says it needs a huge increase in power capacity to meet data center demand

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia's largest utility wants to spend more than $15 billion to increase its electricity capacity by 50% over the next six years to serve data centers. It would be one of the biggest buildouts to meet the demand from developers of artificial intelligence. The five elected Republicans on Georgia's Public Service Commission will vote on the request by Georgia Power on Dec. 19. The decision comes as electricity bills have emerged as a potent political issue. In Georgia, voters ousted two incumbent Republicans in favor of Democrats last month. Those Democrats won in campaigns that centered on Georgia Power bill increases, even though the company agreed to a three-year rate freeze.

Cloudflare says service restored after outage that brought down sites including Zoom and LinkedIn

MADRID (AP) — Cloudflare reports that it has resolved an outage that disrupted several global websites, including LinkedIn and Zoom. This marks the second such incident for the company in less than three weeks. On Friday, Cloudflare said the issue stemmed from a change in how its firewall handles requests, not an attack. Edinburgh airport experienced a brief shutdown but later said it was unrelated to Cloudflare. Last month, Microsoft and Amazon also faced outages affecting their cloud services. Cyber security experts warn that such outages are growing more common as organizations rely on a few companies for security and web solutions.