The United States is considering reviewing a travel ban put in place barring most American citizens from traveling to North Korea, the State Department’s top North Korea negotiator said Wednesday. Steve Biegun told reporters the evaluation would take place “early next year” if the conditions are right. However, the US appears to only be looking…… MORE
GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer are combining their consumer healthcare businesses in a multibillion-dollar merger. The two pharmaceutical giants — which own household names like Advil and Tums — said Wednesday that the new company would have combined sales of $12.7 billion a year. The merger will bring together Pfizer’s big sellers like Centrum and Caltrate with…… MORE
“The Voice” has crowned a new winner, and it’s good news for Team Kelly. Chevel Shepherd, a 16-year-old from New Mexico whose powerful vocals impressed all season, bested three other finalists to become the long-running reality show’s latest victor. Her coach was Kelly Clarkson. Kennedy Holmes, of Jennifer Hudson’s team, came in fourth place. And…… MORE
A cybersecurity firm says hackers were able to infiltrate a European Union communications system for years and copy thousands of sensitive diplomatic cables, The New York Times has reported. Area 1, the cybersecurity firm which discovered the vulnerability, said thousands of EU diplomatic cables were accessed using “techniques resembling those long used by an elite…… MORE
A newly obtained document shows President Donald Trump signed a letter of intent to move forward with negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Russia, despite his attorney Rudy Giuliani claiming on Sunday the document was never signed. CNN’s Chris Cuomo obtained a copy of the signed letter of intent that set the stage for…… MORE
A key informant in the case against Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman testified in federal court on Tuesday, highlighting his meetings with the reputed cartel boss and the bloody drug war that drove him to cooperate with investigators. Pedro Flores, who operated a cocaine and heroin distribution business with his twin brother Margarito in Chicago, said…… MORE
William Asa Hutchinson III was given no additional jail time for driving while intoxicated last summer in West Fork. Hutchinson, son of Governor Asa Hutchinson, pleaded guilty Thursday (Dec. 13) in West Fork District Court to a first offense of driving while intoxicated. Judge Casey Jones gave Hutchinson 365 days in jail with 364 days…… MORE
Senate Republicans are drafting a stopgap spending bill to extend the funding deadline for approximately 25% of the federal government until February 8, according to three sources. The decision to move forward on the short-term plan hasn’t been finalized, the sources said. There are still senators who are urging GOP leaders to negotiate for a…… MORE
One of the deadliest Ebola outbreaks in history continues to worsen in the Democratic Republic of Congo with as many as 319 people now dead. The Ministry of Health said Tuesday that 542 Ebola cases had been recorded in the province of North Kivu — 494 of which have been confirmed. Of the 319 believed…… MORE
SoftBank’s blockbuster IPO has flopped in its market debut. Shares in the Japanese company’s mobile telecommunications unit plunged 15% in Tokyo on Wednesday, their first day of trading. The business is one of Japan’s biggest wireless carriers and has provided the foundation for SoftBank CEO Masa Son’s vast tech empire. By listing a big chunk…… MORE
