Boeing whistleblower’s death sparks cover-up allegations
The death of a Boeing whistleblower has investigators probing for answers. On March 9, John Barnett’s body was found in a hotel parking lot in Charleston, South Carolina, reportedly with a gunshot wound. Despite the coroner’s ruling of a “self-inflicted” gunshot, a close friend, identified only as “Jennifer” by ABC News 4, casts doubt on the findings.
Before his death, Jennifer claims Barnett told her, “If anything happens to me, it’s not suicide.” She remains resolute, stating, “I know he did not commit suicide. There’s no way.”
Barnett had accused Boeing of using substandard parts in airplane construction, a claim Boeing refuted. Jennifer believes someone aimed to silence Barnett and staged his death to appear as suicide.
While Boeing expressed condolences, Barnett’s attorneys said there is “no indication” he would take his own life.
According to Newsweek, his lawyers’ noted Barnett was nearing the end of a deposition in a whistleblower retaliation case against Boeing.
Meanwhile, Boeing faces criticism with reported incidents involving its planes. In the latest, a LATAM Airlines flight attendant accidentally activated a cockpit seat switch on a 787 Dreamliner, causing a sudden descent, according to The Washington Post.
Around 50 passengers were hurt on the Sydney-to-Auckland flight. Boeing issued a memo advising Dreamliner operators to inspect cockpit seat switches.
DIY self-screening unveiled at Vegas airport as spring travel ramps up
New technology is now on full display at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. The Transportation Security Administration unveiled new passenger self-screening lanes Wednesday, March 6, as plans to test it in other undisclosed cities are being made, according to The Associated Press.
The TSA said the new self-screening lanes are designed to cut down wait times for passengers. The new lanes feature a glass “body scanning booth” that has a screen inside with instructions on how passengers can pass themselves and their luggage through the screening process. The new system means no pat-downs are required, and minimal help is needed from TSA officers. TSA officials said that the self-screening lanes also help them reallocate officers to busier aspects of the checkpoint.
“We’re also looking at how we can reallocate officers to busier aspects of the checkpoint,” said Christina Peach, who works for the TSA. “We’re hoping that the system is going to inform a lot of those decisions.”
On its website, the TSA said that passengers should expect wait times of up to 30 minutes or less for standard lines. For PreCheck lanes, the website said that passengers should expect 10 minutes or less.
Currently, the new self-screening lanes are only for PreCheck customers in Las Vegas, and the technology is available only in English.
According to Airport Council International, Harry Reid International Airport was rated as the 10th busiest airport in the world in 2023. The data also shows that 39.75 million people traveled through the airport last year. So, Harry Reid International Airport officials are prepared for any potential problems the new self-screening lanes may encounter.
“There’s a checkpoint directly above us with 13 lanes where passengers are able to be processed, so we’re not really interrupting the local operations,” Peach said.
The new pre-flight screening process also comes as the TSA is predicting spring break travel to be up 6% from last year. According to the agency the busiest travel period will be between March 7 and March 25.
The U.S. Justice Department maintained that the merger would significantly cut down competition in the airline industry. Spirit Airlines’ CEO, Ted Christie, expressed disappointment over the inability to proceed with the merger.
“We are disappointed we cannot move forward with a deal that would save hundreds of millions for consumers and create a real challenger to the dominant ‘Big 4’ U.S. airlines,” Christie said. “However, we remain confident in our future as a successful independent airline. We wish the JetBlue team well.”
Joanna Geraghty, CEO of JetBlue Airways, echoed a similar sentiment, emphasizing the decision to move forward independently after evaluating the remaining hurdles to closing the deal.
“Given the hurdles to closing that remain, we decided together that both airlines’ interests are better served by moving forward independently,” Geraghty said.
Financial uncertainties loom for both airlines in the wake of this terminated agreement. JetBlue reported a loss for the year ending 2023 and anticipates continued declines in early 2024.
Spirit faces even greater challenges, with analysts speculating about potential bankruptcy — a narrative firmly rejected by CEO Ted Christie. With $1.1 billion in debt due in 2025, Spirit plans to explore refinancing options, reinforcing its stance on operating as a standalone entity throughout the merger discussions.
As part of dissolving the merger agreement, JetBlue will compensate Spirit $69 million. This comes after JetBlue’s previous payments to Spirit shareholders, totaling about $425 million in prepayments while the merger agreement was active.
Biden considers executive action to handle crisis at U.S.-Mexico border: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 22, 2024
President Biden is reportedly considering taking executive action for the migrant crisis at the southern border. And it’s the return of “panda diplomacy” as China plans to send two giant pandas to the U.S.
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Reports: Biden considering executive action to handle border crisis
President Joe Biden is considering taking executive action to get a handle on the migrant crisis at the southern border. According to multiple reports citing officials within the administration, the changes being considered are not yet finalized and would be weeks away from taking effect.
CNN reported the Justice Department is reviewing the proposed executive action to determine if it could withstand legal challenges. In January, U.S. border patrol reported more than 124,000 migrant encounters along the U.S.-Mexico border. According to federal data, apprehensions dropped 50% from December 2023 amid ongoing talks between the U.S. and Mexico.
The news of a possible executive action comes after Republicans blocked a bipartisan bill in the Senate addressing immigration reform and foreign aid. A White House spokesperson released a statement in response to these reports criticizing Republicans for rejecting the border security bill.
“No executive action, no matter how aggressive, can deliver the significant policy reforms and additional resources Congress can provide,” the spokesperson added.
Boeing replaces head of 737 Max program after midair mishap
Investigators believed bolts needed to keep the panel in place were missing when it left the Boeing factory. The FAA later limited Boeing’s production of 737 Max jets. In an email to employees, Boeing said several leadership changes were underway as the company focuses on ensuring every one of its planes meets or exceeds safety requirements.
Chipmaker Nvidia’s profits surge amid growing demand for AI
The California company makes chips for AI systems developed by Microsoft and Meta. Nvidia currently accounts for around 70% of all AI semiconductor sales. The company said revenue for the current quarter is expected to be $24 billion, an increase of 233% from 2023.
President Biden’s dog ‘bit staff 24 times in one year’
Secret Service records released recently have unveiled that President Joe Biden’s German shepherd, Commander, was involved in at least 24 biting incidents over the past year, more than what was initially reported. The disclosure, which includes 269 pages of related emails, sheds light on the severity and frequency of these incidents.
The emails document the concern among Secret Service agents, with at least 11 of these incidents necessitating medical attention. The situation has highlighted the challenges faced by security personnel in managing the First Family’s pet within the confines of the White House.
Commander, Biden's banished German shepherd, had at least 25 biting incidents in a year https://t.co/ntR2hK6jhB
Commander, a gift to Biden from his brother James in December 2021, had to be removed from the White House premises in October. The decision came after one particularly severe incident where a Secret Service agent was bitten and required medical treatment. The two-year-old German shepherd’s behavior has sparked discussions about pet management and safety protocols within the presidential residence.
China to send more pandas to US, bringing back panda diplomacy
The announcement came months after a family of pandas who had lived at the Smithsonian National Zoo since 1972 was sent back to China, and as the last remaining family of pandas living in the U.S. at the Atlanta Zoo is set to return to China next year. According to San Diego Zoo officials, if all goes to plan, the zoo could welcome the new pandas as soon as the end of summer 2024. In return, the Associated Press reports, zoos typically pay the China Wildlife Conservation Association $1 million per year.
At a meeting in San Francisco in November 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Biden reportedly talked about panda diplomacy, which has long been a part of U.S.-China relations. While those relations have been rocky, Xi said at the meeting that China would again begin to lend the U.S. pandas to strengthen relations between our “two peoples.”
Odysseus, @Int_Machines’ uncrewed Moon lander, is targeted to touch down at the lunar South Pole at 5:30pm ET (2230 UTC) Feb. 22. Watch live with us as this Moon delivery brings science instruments to study the region. https://t.co/7U0WfJG56bpic.twitter.com/9JXBdD4y6K
NASA paid $118 million for the private spacecraft to deliver six experiments, including a stereo camera and radio receiver. The agency will be live-streaming the landing on its NASA TV service. Odysseus hopes to be the first private spacecraft ever to touch down on the moon and the first American moon landing since 1972.
If you are flying on American Airlines soon, you may want to pack a little lighter to save a few bucks. The airline has announced it is raising checked bag fees for the first time since 2018. Passengers checking bags at the airport on most flights will now pay $40 for their first checked bag, up from $30. But paying for your first checked bag before you get to the airport will cost $35. Checking a second bag will cost $45, up from $40.
American Airlines said the price bump has to do with fuel prices making the cost of transporting luggage “significantly higher.” Alaska Airlines and JetBlue have also recently increased checked bag prices. According to the Department of Transportation, in the first nine months of 2023, U.S. airlines raked in $5.5 billion in bag fees; American Airlines accounted for $1 billion of that.
Meanwhile for JetBlue, according to a CNBC report, the airline is bumping its luggage prices in an effort to become profitable while keeping airfares lower.
“While we don’t like increasing fees, it’s one step we are taking to get our company back to profitability and cover the increased costs of transporting bags,” JetBlue said. “By adjusting fees for added services that only certain customers use, we can keep base fares low and ensure customer favorites like seatback TVs and high-speed Wi-Fi remain free for everyone.”
American Airlines also announced on Tuesday, Feb. 20, that it is restructuring its frequent flyer miles to drive more traffic to its own website. Rewards for basic economy tickets will only be available to passengers who book through American Airlines. The airline will soon announce a list of third-party travel agencies whose bookings will earn customer rewards.
JetBlue-Spirit Airlines merger blocked by federal judge
A federal judge blocked a merger between JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines, Tuesday, Jan. 16. JetBlue planned to acquire Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion. However, U.S. Judge William Young in Boston agreed with the U.S. Justice Department that the deal was anticompetitive and would harm customers.
JetBlue’s lawyers argued against the decision calling it a “misguided” challenge to a merger of the nation’s sixth-and-seventh-largest airlines, which combined would control more than 10 percent of the domestic market dominated by four larger airlines.
The ruling marked a victory for the White House and its efforts to prevent further consolidation of the U.S. airline industry. The decision also puts another recently proposed deal in jeopardy, Alaska Air’s acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines.
President Joe Biden called the ruling “a victory for consumers everywhere who want lower prices and more choices.”
The U.S. federal judge who made the ruling found the deal violated U.S. antitrust law and also puts into question Spirit Airline’s future. The ultra-low-cost carrier has struggled to turn a profit in the midst of soaring operating costs and supply chain issues.
Spirit’s shares closed down 47% on Tuesday after the ruling, while JetBlue shares ended up 5% higher.
The airlines can appeal the ruling. In a joint statement, JetBlue and Spirit said they were evaluating “next steps as part of the legal process.”
This isn’t the first time has dealt been dealt a blow on a merger. In May, another Boston judge, Leo Sorokin, sided with the U.S. Justice Department in finding that JetBlue’s U.S. Northeast partnership with American Airlines violated antitrust law.
In response, JetBlue terminated the alliance. American Airlines is still appealing Sorokin’s decision.
Winter weather delays flights, holiday travel across US
Christmas Day created travel chaos for certain travelers. In parts of Nebraska, semis jackknifed, vehicles piled up, and some drivers slid off of the road, Monday, Dec. 25.
Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) reported responding to at least 100 weather-related incidents.
The NSP urged drivers to only travel if necessary and carry a survival kit in case vehicles get stranded. Authorities also say to stay in the car if waiting for help.
In the upper Midwest, heavy snow, freezing rain and whipping winds are the reason for those words of caution.
Nebraska isn’t the only state feeling the wrath of winter.
Parts of South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming were under blizzard warnings Tuesday, Dec. 26.
Forecasters expect the extreme conditions to get worse in some areas, and they predict up to a foot of snow in south-central South Dakota.
The storm is expected to weaken Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service. However, a “wintry mix” may last until Wednesday across the Plains and upper Midwest.
For travelers looking toward the skies, air travel seems a little more welcoming.
According to Flight Aware, a flight tracking website, just 2,430 flights were delayed and 68 canceled as of Tuesday morning.
Southwest Airlines had the most delays with 663, but just two cancellations.
Flight Aware reported 3,514 total delays and 174 cancellations Monday.
Substantially more flights were delayed or canceled Saturday through Sunday. On Saturday, there were 5,901 delays and 250 cancellations. Sunday, 3,881 flights were delayed and 363 were canceled.
The bulk of delays once again came from Southwest, accounting for 2,690.
A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines blamed most of the delays on fog at Chicago Midway.
This year, airlines have prepared for massive amounts of passengers by hiring thousands of pilots, flight attendants and other workers.
The enhanced hiring efforts are to avoid the delays and cancellations that created a travel nightmare in 2022, most notably, Southwest Airlines stranding more than 2 million people.
Earlier this month, Southwest Airlines reached a $140 million settlement with the federal government for the ordeal.
However, 2023 is proving to be a much better year for airlines. The Department of Transportation is reporting the lowest flight cancellation rate in five years.
The percentage of flights canceled is at 1.3%, down from 2.3% in 2022, and even lower than pre-pandemic flight cancellations. But the test isn’t over yet, with AAA predicting 115 million people to travel by car or air nationwide by the time New Year’s Day arrives. That number is up 2% from last year.
If traveling by air, experts say travelers should check their flight status before heading to the airport, and check in online to avoid lengthy lines.
For drivers, check the weather, tire pressure and make sure to have a full tank of gas.
Blankets, flashlights and extra winter gear are also suggested, as well as food and water in case of emergencies.
Southwest Airlines’ $140 million fine includes future travel vouchers
Southwest Airlines is facing a $140 million penalty over 2022’s holiday hellscape. The airline’s nationwide meltdown disrupted travel for about two million passengers at the end of December. In all, Southwest Airlines canceled nearly 17,000 flights.
On Monday, Dec. 18, the Department of Transportation announced the record-setting fine, which is roughly 30 times what was previously the department’s largest airline penalty.
“Today’s action sets a new precedent and sends a clear message: if airlines fail their passengers, we will use the full extent of our authority to hold them accountable,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
Part of the $140 million penalty mandates Southwest Airlines set up a $90 million compensation fund. That fund will be used to distribute $75 travel vouchers to future passengers who get to their destination at least three hours late when it is the airline’s fault. The payout is on top of the airline already paying for hotels, food and handling rebooking.
The government said over 2022’s holiday travel, Southwest violated consumer protection laws in three ways:
Failing to provide adequate customer service assistance
Failing to provide prompt flight status notifications
Failing to provide refunds in a prompt and proper manner
Of the $140 million penalty, $35 million is a cash penalty Southwest will pay the government. The rest will go to passengers through the mandated $90 million compensation fund and Rapid Rewards points.
“Southwest is going to be leading the industry, if only because they’ve been ordered to,” Buttigieg said.
Buttigieg said the government is working on a rule that could make direct compensation an industry standard.
The Department of Transportation said Southwest Airlines has already paid more than $600 million in refunds and reimbursements to travelers affected by the notorious holiday meltdown of 2022. Together, the department said this penalty brings Southwest’s total compensation to more than $750 million. Southwest also distributed 25,000 reward points to each passenger affected in 2022.
Beijing court opens hearings for relatives of MH370 passengers
A Beijing court held compensation hearings for Chinese relatives of MH370 passengers on Monday, Nov. 27. The flight disappeared in 2014, enroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. More than 40 relatives are seeking compensation from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and Allianz.
239 people were on board, including 154 Chinese nationals. Everyone on board was declared or presumed dead, and the flight was officially declared an accident by Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation on Jan. 29, 2015.
Jiang Hui, whose mother was on the flight, announced that the court hearings are starting Nov. 27, 2023, and they’re expected to continue into mid-December.
“It has been 10 years that the court finally opened the case, which we think is a relief and a turning point,” Jiang told reporters. “But the deterioration of the living conditions of the families in the past 10 years, and the fact that many of the family members involved have died because of the lack of money to treat their illnesses, that does make us feel very sad.”
The court did not disclose case details, but plaintiffs are reportedly seeking up to $11.2 million each.
Malaysian investigators did not rule out the possibility that the aircraft had been deliberately taken off course. Debris believed to be from the MH370 aircraft has washed up along the African coast and on islands in the Indian Ocean in 2015.
The fate of the missing plane and passengers remains unknown after nearly a decade. Similar cases in the United States were dismissed and referred to the Malaysian legal system.
Off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot charged with 83 counts of attempted murder
According to police and the airline, the suspect, 44-year-old Joseph Emerson, was subdued by the flight crew mid-flight after allegedly attempting to “disrupt the operation of the engines” by pulling the fire extinguishing handles on the engines. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.
“The Horizon Captain and First Officer quickly responded, and the crew secured the aircraft without incident,” an Alaska Airlines statement read. “Engine power was not lost despite the off-duty pilot’s attempt to shut down the engines by engaging the Engine Fire Handle, also known as the fire suppression system.”
Flight 2509, operated by Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines, took off from Everett, Washington, and was on its way to San Francisco, where officials said the suspect was scheduled to be on a flight crew of another plane.
According to FlightAware, the plane was in the air for about an hour before landing in Portland at 6:26 p.m. PST on Sunday, Oct. 22.
No passengers or crew members were injured during the incident. The scare garnered the attention of U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg who said on “X” that he is grateful for the the way the situation was handled by the flight crew.
I am grateful for the professional flight crew and air traffic controllers who stepped up to guide this plane safely to Portland. FAA supports law enforcement in their response and will be focused on any safety considerations for the future that emerge from investigations. https://t.co/i9IMMfAGY3
Emerson was arrested by Port of Portland police officers and charged with 83 counts of attempted murder, along with a slew of other charges. Emerson was booked into the Multnomah County jail early Monday morning, Oct. 23.