Edward Helmore and Agencies

Telecom failure resulted in ‘most dangerous situation you could have’ and hundreds of delays

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Wednesday that it was taking immediate steps to address ongoing problems that have disrupted hundreds of flights at the Newark Liberty international airport, one of the US’s busiest hubs, which serves New York City and the surrounding region.

The FAA said it was increasing air traffic controller staffing, adding three new high-bandwidth telecommunications connections and deploying a temporary backup system to the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, which is handling Newark traffic during the switch to a more reliable fiber-optic network.

Case has been unfolding in state court in Reno but proceedings have remained under seal

A hearing before Nevada’s high court on Wednesday could provide the first public window into a secretive legal dispute over who will control Rupert Murdoch’s powerful media empire after he dies.

The case over the Murdoch family trust has been unfolding behind closed doors in state court in Reno, Nevada. But the proceedings have remained under seal, with the Nevada courts barely acknowledging the legal action even exists.

Plan to expand and reuse long-shuttered penitentiary off San Francisco described as ‘not serious’ by Nancy Pelosi

Donald Trump has said he is directing the administration to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious former prison on an island off San Francisco that has been closed for more than 60 years.

California Democrats called the idea “absurd on its face” and part of the US president’s strategy of political distraction. Other officials pointed to the closure of the prison complex in 1963, known for its brutal conditions, due to operational expense and the high number of (unsuccessful) escape attempts.