Norfolk Southern will pay $600 million to settle a class-action lawsuit related to last years train derailment in East Palestine‚ Ohio‚ the company announced Tuesday‚ following complaints from residents who said they were affected by the incident after hazardous chemicals leaked into the nearby water‚ air and soil.The settlement‚ if approved by the court‚ will resolve all class action claims from a 20-mile radius of the derailment and personal injury claims within a 10-mile radius for...

Hamas rejected an Israeli ceasefire proposal made at talks in Cairo‚ a senior Hamas official said on Monday‚ and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a date was set for an invasion of Rafah‚ Gaza';s last refuge for displaced Palestinians.Israel and Hamassent teams to Egypton Sunday for talks that included Qatari and Egyptian mediators as well as CIA Director William Burns.Burn';s presence underlined rising pressure from Israel';s main ally the U.S. for a deal that...

Small business confidence hit its lowest level in more than 11 years for March as proprietors worried that inflation is still very much a problem.At a time when other data points show inflation receding‚ the National Federation of Independent Business reported Tuesday thatits surveyshowed a reading of 88.5‚ down nearly a point from February and the lowest since December 2012.A quarter of all respondents reported that rising costs were the biggest problem.

More than 200 chemical plants across the country will be required to curb the toxic pollutants they release into the air under a regulation announced by the Biden administration on Tuesday.The regulation is aimed at reducing the risk of cancer for people living near industrial sites. This is the first time in nearly two decades that the government has tightened limits on pollution from chemical plants.The new rule‚ from the Environmental Protection Agency‚ specifically targets ethylene...

The company whose freight train derailed inEast Palestine‚ Ohio‚ causing a massive chemical spill last year has reached a $600 million settlement agreement with residents.Norfolk Southern on Tuesday announced an agreement in principle to resolve a class action lawsuit brought by residents and businesses impacted by the derailment. If accepted by the court‚ the settlement will provide financial payments to members of the community and includes a voluntary program to compensate...