Two lawmakers are speaking out against a potential merger between United Airlines and American Airlines, saying a deal would weaken industry competition and harm consumers.
“If United and American were to merge, airlines would face less pressure from rivals to keep the cost of flying down, and airlines across the industry could raise ticket prices and fees even higher,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, said in an April 19 letter to United CEO Scott Kirby and American CEO Robert Isom.
The letter, which Warren’s office shared with CBS News, comes less than a week after Kirby floated the idea of a possible merger between the two carriers.
Combining United and American would also “hurt smaller airlines’ ability to compete for critical gate access” and reduce wages for airline workers by reducing the number of employers bidding for their labor, the senators wrote.
In their letter, Warren and Lee also asked the two airlines’ chief executives to indicate by May 3 if they have discussed a deal and to detail how a merger could potentially affect American consumers.
United declined to comment on the lawmakers’ letter, while American did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kirby brought up a potential United-American tie-up with Trump administration officials last week, according to sources familiar with the situation.
But American has dismissed the idea, saying in a statement on Friday that it is “not engaged with or interested in any discussions regarding a merger with United Airlines.”
A merger would be “negative for competition and for consumers,” American added.
— CBS News’ Kris Van Cleave contributed to this story
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Savers across the UK are being offered a record number of accounts and products – and with interest rates still well above 4 per cent on the most competitive options, should make sure their cash is working hard.
Data from Moneyfacts shows the number of savings accounts has risen to 2,486, including ISAs, the highest number on record. Cash ISAs alone, meanwhile, also saw the largest monthly rise since May 2024 and, at 712 offers in total, is again the highest tally since Moneyfacts started recording.
Both numbers come as the final tax year gets underway in which all savers are able to deposit a full £20,000 annual allowance into a cash ISA.
Starting from April 2027, under-65s will only be able to save a maximum of £12,000 into the tax-free savings wrappers, with the additional £8,000 reserved for investment purposes, such as a stocks and shares ISA.
High interest rates are important not only to earn a good return on cash, but to ensure money doesn’t lose its value, or buying power, when measured against rising prices – in other words, inflation, which currently sits at around 3 per cent and is set to rise.
That means consumers should whenever possible look to be beating that rate as a minimum when it comes to their saving accounts, and plenty of places are still offering 4.5 per cent and even higher right now.
“This year the competition around ISA season was particularly strong, fuelled by the fact that for savers under 65 it’s the final year for them to utilise their full £20,000 allowance. Providers have been enticing new deposits with attractive deals,” said Caitlyn Eastell, personal finance analyst at Moneyfacts.
(Getty/iStock)
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“Savers should be taking advantage of this all-time high, and it may be especially timely as the new tax-year is the perfect window to review their current deal and switch to ensure they can maximise their returns before thresholds tighten.
“The number of savings deals paying above the Bank of England base rate has surged to its highest level since December 2021. While this could largely be driven by base rate remaining unchanged several months, providers have also been proactively adjusting rates in response to shifting interest rate expectations.
“Fixed rates reflect this change, with the average one-year ISA rising to over 4 per cent, reaching its highest point since May 2025, while its non-ISA counterpart saw its biggest increase since September 2023. Savers may enjoy more competitive returns in this environment; however, it can be a tricky balancing act because sharp spikes to household bills and inflation could quickly catch up, meaning savers may be left out of pocket.”
Meanwhile, thisbank have pointed to growing evidence showing that many households have multiple money accounts but no clear overview of their true financial position.
Reviewing accounts – including joint and old current accounts – can turn up unexpected cash reserves, help families realise which subscriptions they are paying for but no longer using and aid better budgeting, the bank says, giving a better understanding of where income and expenses match up.
“For many households, financial stress is execrated by complexity. By taking a simple, step-by-step approach, people can implement structure and clarity in their everyday financial management,” said Chris Waring, CEO of thisbank, while recommending each savings account have a particular role such as everyday spending, long-term emergency buffer or fixed-term saver accounts with strong rates for predictable returns.
Underlining the need to be aware of where consumers are choosing to put their cash, analysis by savings app Spring shows that a huge majority of premium, paid-for accounts come with poorer returns, tiered interest rates or withdrawal restrictions.
Under a quarter (23 per cent) of easy access savings accounts on premium current accounts on the market are free of additional restrictions, their research showed, which included lower returns after £4,000 in an account with one, a paltry 1.35 per cent on balances under £100,000 elsewhere and nearly a third (30 per cent) having withdrawal limits.
Emily Saliers, one-half of the Atlanta folk duo the Indigo Girls, has revealed that she has been diagnosed with two incurable movement disorders that will forever change the way that she sings.
Saliers and Amy Ray posted a video on Instagram on Friday in which the singer acknowledged that many of her fans have noticed “that my voice is not what it once was.”
Saliers revealed that he had been diagnosed with cervical dystonia with torticollis, a rare neurological disorder in which the brain sends signals that cause involuntary muscle contractions in the neck.
“It’s impossible for me to hold my head centrally without shaking,” she said.
Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls performs onstage at Ravinia on August 11, 2024, in Highland Park, Illinois.
Natasha Moustache / Getty Images
The other disorder, described by Saliers as harder for her, is an essential tremor, which she says causes involuntary shakes and movements in her jaw, throat, and diaphragm. Because of the condition, Saliers says she now has a vibrato in her singing, which she calls “horrible.”
“I am completely physically unable to hold a straight tone the way I used to, and this is what you, our community, have come to, I think, appreciate and love about our harmonies is the way we can hold long straight tones together,” she said.
Saliers said that she was doing everything she could to mitigate the disorders, including therapeutic massage, physical therapy, acupuncture, and Botox shots in her neck and shoulders. She is also working with a vocal coach who specializes in the type of disorders.
“Unfortunately, there is no cure for these, so the honest fact is that my voice will not be what it was,” Saliers said. “That’s really hard for me.”
The announcement comes as the band is set to begin a months-long tour, which includes a free concert in Decatur, Georgia as part of the FIFA 2026 World Cup events.
The pair said that they will be doing “everything we can” to make the songs sound as good as they possibly can, including adding other singers and using digital tools.
The announcement was met with a large number of comments from fans and other artists, including Brandi Carlile, Sara Bareilles, and Chely Wright, supporting Saliers and Ray.
One of the most visited national parks in the U.S. is closing parts of its hiking trails as officials deal with a spike in bear activity.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee has temporarily shut down several trails and backcountry areas due to increased sightings of black bears, according to the National Park Service.
Officials said closures are put in place when bears frequent specific areas or show signs of unpredictable behavior, posing a risk to both visitors and wildlife.
The park draws more than 12 million visitors each year, meaning even a small increase in bear encounters with visitors can escalate quickly.
The Smokies are home to roughly 1,900 black bears, one of the densest populations in the country, the National Park Service said.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has temporarily closed several trails and backcountry areas after a surge in black bear sightings.(iStock)
Bear activity tends to increase in the spring and summer months as the animals emerge from hibernation and search for food, often bringing them closer to hiking trails, campsites and roadways.
Park officials say human behavior is also contributing to the problem.
When bears access food left out by visitors or are intentionally fed, they can start to associate humans with food, the National Park Service said.
The Smoky Mountains are home to around 1,900 black bears.(iStock)
Officials warn this can lead to more aggressive behavior and increase the likelihood of dangerous encounters, and, in some cases, lead to bears being euthanized.
Last week, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a new law addressing the feeding of black bears in certain areas, set to take effect in July, FOX 17 reported.
The measure makes it a Class B misdemeanor to knowingly feed bears where warning signs are posted, with violators facing fines of at least $250.
Feeding bears or leaving food out can make them link people with food, increasing the risk of dangerous encounters.(iStock)
Park officials are also urging visitors to know how to respond if they encounter a bear.
If a bear notices you and changes its behavior, such as stopping or moving toward you, officials say you are too close and should slowly back away while facing the animal.
“It still feels surreal,” Karli Aylesworth said. “… This feels like something you just watch in a movie, but it’s my life.”
Cadaver dogs in the Bahamas to help search for missing American Lynette Hooker, April 16, 2026.
ABC News
Aylesworth’s mother, Lynette Hooker, has been missing since the evening of April 4 when Aylesworth’s stepfather, Brian Hooker, said she went overboard. The couple had departed Hope Town for their yacht, Soulmate, in Elbow Cay, when bad weather caused her to fall off their dinghy, Brian Hooker told authorities.
Brian Hooker, 58, was arrested on April 8 and questioned by police. He was released on April 13 without charges.
Brian and Lynette Hooker in a photo posted to their social media.
the_sailing_hookers/Instagram
Brian Hooker told ABC News on April 14 that he was staying in the Bahamas with a “sole focus” of finding his wife, “no matter how likely or unlikely that is.”
But Brian Hooker then left the Bahamas, his attorney said on April 15, noting that his mother is not well.
Aylesworth and her boyfriend said they doubted Brian Hooker’s story from the beginning and are now left with more questions than answers.
“I don’t understand how she drowned or got floated away,” Aylesworth said. “It just made me be more, ‘Why didn’t he do this? Why didn’t you do that? Why did that happen?'”
Aylesworth said she met with the Coast Guard and the Bahamian authorities, who allowed her to visit the sailboat her mother and stepfather called home.
“I went and got some of her belongings, like a headband. I got her ‘L’ necklace that she used to always wear. I got a picture frame I made for her, something that my grandma sewed for her,” she said.
“It was really hard because it was almost eerie, because I felt like she was going to, like, come out of the corner or something,” she said. “… Just knowing that she’ll never, I don’t know, it’s just hit me like a freight train that she’s not there.”
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is expected on Monday to charge singer-songwriter d4vd with murder, seven months after 14-year-old Celeste Rivas’ body was found in a car that he owned. The 21-year-old musician was arrested last week. Matt Gutman reports.
The pound sterling experienced a downturn on Monday, influenced by a combination of escalating international tensions and domestic political pressures. Investors sought the relative safety of the USdollar amid heightened friction between the US and Iran over the weekend.
The currency’s decline also coincided with growing calls for the resignation of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. This pressure mounted after it emerged that Peter Mandelson, a former US ambassador, had reportedly failed a vetting process.
Against the dollar, the pound was last down 0.1 per cent, trading at \$1.3503. Meanwhile, the euro strengthened against sterling, gaining 0.1 per cent to reach 87.10 pence.
The dollar’s overall strength was bolstered as global stock markets fell and oil prices climbed, following Iran’s announcement that it would not participate in a second round of peace talks. Tensions were further inflamed by reports of the US seizing an Iranian cargo ship attempting to breach its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to face scrutiny from MPs on Monday (Tom Nicholson/PA) (PA Wire)
Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club, commented: “Fresh worries are percolating about the fragility of the Iran ceasefire, sending oil prices higher and keeping investors on edge.”
Domestically, Prime Minister Starmer is under scrutiny ahead of a parliamentary address, as a scandal unfolds regarding Mandelson, whose proposed appointment as the UK’s ambassador to the US failed a vetting process. The controversy is linked to Mr Mandelson’s past associations with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The Guardian reported last Thursday that Mandelson had failed a security vetting, intensifying pressure on Starmer.
Chris Turner, global head of markets at ING, noted: “This will be a tough session for PM Starmer and one which will extend into tomorrow, when the top civil servant involved in the approval process also appears at a parliamentary hearing.”
He added: “GBP/USD could well hand back a big chunk of recent gains this week.”
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Despite Monday’s slip, the pound remains close to Friday’s two-month high of $1.3599, reflecting some market optimism that the worst of the Iran conflict may be over.
Sterling has seen a 2 per cent rise this month, following a 1.9 per cent decline in April, driven by hopes of a ceasefire deal.
However, some investors fear that a potential replacement for Starmer could lead Labour policies further to the left, potentially increasing government borrowing.
“There are examples of balls that transfer high or low energy through all eras of play” said Andy Harland, a professor of sports technology at Loughborough.
“There is no trend that suggests the magnitude of energy transfer is increasing or decreasing over time.
“Our evidence suggests that high energy pressure wave transfer was not limited to leather balls, so, if this energy is associated with neurodegenerative disease, it is not a problem that has gone away with modern balls.”
This comes with football under mounting pressure to take more action on brain injuries, and renewed scrutiny on the relationship between heading and neurodegenerative illnesses.
In January, a senior coroner declared that repeatedly heading footballs is “likely” to have contributed to the brain disease which was a factor in the death of former Leeds United and Manchester United defender Gordon McQueen.
McQueen, who was diagnosed with vascular dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repeated head impacts, died in 2023 aged 70.
“These findings provide opportunities to work towards ball designs and testing specifications that minimise energy transfer into the brain”, added Phillips.
“We’re hoping that this discovery provides some valuable information that could look more specifically at the potential causes of the disease that we’re seeing in retired players.
“At the moment, we see correlations and statistical observations about them and their careers in the game.
“As yet, it’s unexplained as to what exactly it is about the collision with a football in a header that is causing damage to the brain, and it may well be many years until we can reach that point. But I think this discovery allows us to focus specifically on something which we’ve never measured before.
“Most excitingly, it gives us the opportunity to make changes to the ball. This energy transfer that we’ve measured is separate from the big picture of the ball hitting the head and the player’s head recoiling. It is over at the very beginning of the collision and represents a very discreet pulse of energy that passes into the brain.”
In 2019 the ‘Field’ study, funded by the FA and the Professional Footballers’ Association, found that footballers were 3.5 times more likely to suffer from neurodegenerative disorders.
Since then, the FA has brought in a phased ban of heading in under-11s football and says it is investing in objective and robust research to get a better understanding of the issue. It has also issued guidelines to clubs on limiting high force headers in training, such as from balls which come at speed from free-kicks and corners.
The Scottish FA has gone further, banning heading the day before and after matches in the professional adult game.
FA Chief Medical Officer, Charlotte Cowie, said, “This new independent research provides us with innovative and previously undiscovered insight, and it is part of our ongoing commitment to gain a greater understanding of this highly complex area.
“The results of the study have also been shared with Fifa and Uefa, and we continue to welcome a global approach to support further research in this important area.”
