DOT fines JetBlue $2 million for ‘chronically delayed flights’
JetBlue Airways has a $2 million fine to pay from the Department of Transportation (DOT), marking the first time the agency has held a major airline accountable for what it calls “unrealistic” scheduling. The penalty stems from several routes flown between June 2022 and November 2023 consistently delayed by the airline.
The DOT defines a flight as “chronically delayed” if it is more than 30 minutes late over half the time and runs late at least 10 times a month.
The DOT specifically warned JetBlue about four of its East Coast routes as they work to improve overall service for travelers.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigiegsaid, “Illegal chronic flight delays make flying unreliable for travelers. Today’s action puts the entire airline industry on notice that we expect their flight schedules to reflect reality.”
Frequent delays have affected flights between New York’s JFK Airport and Raleigh, North Carolina, as well as routes from New York to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida. The department also flagged flights between Fort Lauderdale and Connecticut.
Data submitted by JetBlue to the Transportation Department shows the airline was responsible for 70% of the delays. The agency said it resulted in 395 delays and cancellations for passengers.
Under the Transportation Department’s rules, airlines are prohibited from setting schedules that do not reflect actual departure and arrival times.
However, JetBlue is pushing back, blaming the government for air traffic control issues.
JetBlue spokesperson Derek Dombrowski said, “We have used tens of millions of dollars to reduce flight delays, particularly related to ongoing air traffic control challenges in our largest markets in the Northeast and Florida.”
Half of the $2 million fine will go to passengers who experienced delays on the affected flights. The other portion will go to the U.S. Treasury.
Trump cabinet picks, Connecticut lawmakers targeted in bomb threats
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, multiple Cabinet picks for President-elect Donald Trump and several Democratic members of Congress were targeted with bomb threats and “swatting” incidents. Swatting involves falsely reporting emergencies to police in an attempt to get a SWAT team to respond to a location where no emergency exists.
Among those targeted was Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who has been nominated by Trump to serve as ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik, who was driving home to New York from Washington on Thanksgiving, learned of a bomb threat at her residence.
Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, tapped by Trump to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, said in a social media post that a pipe bomb threat targeting him and his family was sent with a pro-Palestinian-themed message. Zeldin added that he and his family were not at home at the time and were safe.
A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message. My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops. We are thankful for the swift…
Pete Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer and Fox News host selected by Trump for secretary of defense, posted on X Thanksgiving morning, saying a police officer arrived at his home, where his seven children were still sleeping. Hegseth said the officer notified him and his wife of a credible pipe bomb threat targeting their family.
This morning, a police officer arrived at our home—where our seven children were still sleeping. The officer notified my wife and I that they had received a credible pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family. We are all safe and the threat has been cleared. We want to thank law…
The FBI launched an investigation into these threats, and a spokesperson said the agency is working with multiple law enforcement agencies across the country to track down those responsible.
While law enforcement investigates, a series of other incidents unfolded in Connecticut. Bomb threats were reported against several Democratic members of Congress on Thursday, Nov. 29. Reps. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., Jim Himes, D-Conn., and John Larson, D-Conn., all reported bomb threats at their homes in Connecticut.
Himes said in a statement that police found no evidence of a bomb during their search of his home.
Hayes released a statement saying that police had been notified of a threat involving a pipe bomb in her mailbox, but no bomb was found.
“There is no place in our country for political violence,” she added.
Local and federal authorities continue to investigate these incidents. As of now, the FBI has not confirmed whether the threats targeting Trump’s Cabinet nominees are connected to those aimed at the Connecticut lawmakers.
Infowars sale to The Onion on hold pending judge’s review
A judge has paused the sale of Alex Jones’ Infowars to satirical news outlet The Onion over concerns about the auction’s transparency. The decision comes as families of Sandy Hook victims back the deal, which would transform Infowars into a parody site focused on far-right conspiracy theories.
According to The Associated Press, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez announced the pause during a court hearing Thursday, Nov. 14, stating that he plans to hold an evidentiary hearing to review the sale.
“We’re all going to an evidentiary hearing, and I’m going to figure out exactly what happened,” Lopez said.
Getty Images
Lopez, presiding in Houston, did not set a date for the hearing but raised concerns over why the auction didn’t include an overbidding round. Walter Cicack, an attorney for First United American Companies, which bid $3.5 million, said his client was not allowed to improve their offer.
Christopher Murray, the trustee overseeing the auction, said The Onion’s bid was deemed better despite not being the highest because some Sandy Hook families agreed to forgo proceeds to pay other creditors.
Alex Jones owes nearly $1.5 billion to these families after falsely claiming the 2012 school shooting was a hoax.
Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion’s parent company, Global Tetrahedron, said the company’s bid was intended to prevent Jones from continuing his controversial online presence.
If approved, Infowars would relaunch in January as a satirical site parodying far-right conspiracy theories. Everytown for Gun Safety would serve as the exclusive advertiser, aligning with The Onion’s history of promoting gun law reform through satire.
The judge plans to review the auction process at next week’s hearing, though no date has been set.
Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $15M in baby powder cancer case
Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $15 million to a Connecticut man who claims he developed a rare form of cancer, mesothelioma, after using the company’s baby powder for decades. The jury in Fairfield County, Connecticut, on Tuesday, Oct. 15, found that the talc in the baby powder, which the man says he inhaled regularly, caused his illness. The jury also ruled that Johnson & Johnson should pay additional punitive damages, which will be determined by the judge later.
The plaintiff, Evan Plotkin, sued Johnson & Johnson in 2021 after being diagnosed with mesothelioma. His legal team argued that the talc powder was contaminated with asbestos, a known carcinogen, leading to his illness.
Johnson & Johnson plans to appeal the decision, with the company’s vice president of litigation, Erik Haas, stating that “erroneous rulings” by the judge prevented the jury from hearing critical facts that would have shown the talc is safe. Haas cited decades of scientific evaluations that found no evidence of asbestos in their products.
This ruling comes as Johnson & Johnson faces more than 62,000 lawsuits related to claims that its talc-based products caused ovarian and other cancers. The company is currently pursuing a nearly $9 billion settlement plan to resolve the majority of these cases through bankruptcy, though mesothelioma claims, like Plotkin’s, are not part of the proposed settlement. Johnson & Johnson withdrew its talc-based baby powder from the U.S. market in 2020, globally in 2022, but maintains that the products are safe and do not cause cancer.
Black-colored plastics found in kitchen utensils, toys linked to toxic chemical
Harris, Trump field questions during town halls as Election Day nears
With less than three weeks until the presidential election, the candidates are blitzing battleground states and the airwaves with town halls. And in a possible blow to small businesses hoping to rebuild after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, one federal agency is running out of money. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024.
Harris, Trump field questions during town halls as Election Day nears
With less than three weeks to go until Election Day, the candidates fielded questions on Tuesday, Oct. 15, in two different town hall settings.
Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris took part in a town hall in Detroit hosted by radio personality Charlamagne tha God as she looks to reach Black voters. During the town hall, the vice president said she believes slavery reparations should be studied.
Harris said while she is running for “president for everyone” she is “clear-eyed about the history and the disparities that exist for specific communities.”
The vice president also urged Black Americans not to sit out on Election Day.
Vice President Harris: Ask Donald Trump what his plan is for Black America. I'll tell you what it is. Project 2025 wants to implement stop-and-frisk. It wants to make it more difficult for workers to receive overtime pay. He wants to terminate the Constitution, which includes… pic.twitter.com/ZAQNgRkRyq
“The solutions that we all want are not going to happen in totality because of one election but here’s the thing: the things that we want and are prepared to fight for won’t happen if we’re not active and if we don’t participate,” she said. “We cannot allow circumstances to take us out the game because then basically what we’re saying is all those people who are obstructionist, who are standing in the way of change, they’re winning because they are convincing people that it can’t be done so take yourself out, don’t participate. Look at that circle, look at that vicious circle, then so let’s not fall for it.”
Meanwhile, Republican nominee former President Donald Trump participated in a Fox News town hall in Georgia moderated by host Harris Faulkner.
The town hall had an all-female audience, with the women posing questions to Trump on issues such as the economy, immigration, and abortion. According to reports of the event, which will air later Wednesday, Oct. 16 on Fox News, Trump said some states are “too tough” when it comes to restrictions on abortion and those laws “are going to be redone.”
“The African American community and the Hispanic community are being devastated with the jobs, the numbers are down 6, 7, 8, 9%. They are going to work, and they’re saying, ‘I’m sorry, we’re not going to take you any more.’ People that have worked there and worked there well for years are now being told that they no longer have a job because they have illegal immigrants coming in and taking their job,” Trump said. “Any African American or Hispanic, and you know how well I’m doing there, that votes for Kamala, you got to have your head examined, because they are really screwing you.”
Early voting begins in Georgia with record turnout
Early voting has begun in the battleground state of Georgia and it’s already seeing a record turnout. Voting for the Nov. 5 presidential election started Tuesday and by the late afternoon, at least 252,000 voters had already cast ballots at early voting sites.
That’s nearly double the 136,000 who voted on the first day of early voting in the 2020 election, according to a top Georgia election official.
Also Tuesday, a judge blocked a new rule requiring Georgia Election Day ballots to be counted by hand after the close of voting. That ruling came just a day after the same judge ruled county election officials must certify election results by the deadline set in law.
Small Business Administration runs out of disaster relief funding
The Small Business administration has run out of funding for its disaster assistance loans right after the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. That means much-needed financial assistance will be delayed for people applying for help right now.
After a disaster, the SBA provides loans to businesses and people who need them. The organization had warned it expected to run out of money by the end of the month.
Congress can approve more funding, but lawmakers are not set to reconvene until Nov. 12. The SBA administrator said in the meantime, people that need them should keep applying for the loans.
HURRICANE #MILTON SURVIVORS: Business owners and residents in declared disaster areas can now apply for SBA assistance.
Israel strikes Beirut despite U.S. opposition; vows to avoid nuclear sites in Iran
At least one Israeli air strike rocked a Beirut, Lebanon suburb early Wednesday morning, killing at least 15 people according to the Associated Press. The strike came just hours after a State Department spokesperson said the U.S. told its key ally it opposed the bombing campaign there in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, the United Nations’ Human Rights Office called for an investigation into an Israeli air strike that happened on Monday which killed at least 21 people in northern Lebanon, saying it posed “real concerns” because it may have violated international laws governing war.
This comes as a Biden administration official said Israel has assured the U.S. it will not hit nuclear or oil sites when it retaliates against Iran for its missile barrage earlier this month.
However, that does not mean Israel will keep its word. In the past, the country’s track record of sticking to what it tells the U.S. has been mixed.
Just last month, U.S. officials were told by their Israeli counterparts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would welcome a U.S.- and French-led temporary cease-fire initiative in Lebanon, only for Israel to launch a massive airstrike that killed a Hezbollah leader two days later.
Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $15M in baby powder cancer case
A jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $15 million to a Connecticut man who says he developed a rare form of cancer after using the company’s baby powder for decades. The man says he contracted mesothelioma from inhaling the talc powder.
The jury also said Johnson & Johnson should pay additional punitive damages, which will be determined later by the judge overseeing the case.
After the ruling, Johnson & Johnson’s vice president of litigation said the company will be appealing the decision, saying “erroneous” rulings by the judge kept the jury from hearing critical facts about the case.
Tom Brady approved to become minority owner of Raiders
Tom Brady has been called many names: the GOAT, Super Bowl champion, and NFL commentator, to name a few. Now, he can add team owner to that list.
On Tuesday, NFL team owners voted to approve Brady’s purchase of a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. The former NFL quarterback said in a statement he is eager to contribute to the Raiders organization in any way.
Because of his new title, Brady faces some restrictions in his other role as a Fox broadcaster, including being barred from weekly production meetings with the players and coaches in the games he will cover.
DraftKings fined after online slot machine has no winners for a week
DraftKings and White Hat Gaming have been fined over $22,000 after an incident last summer involving 522 online casino players. What happened to those players may have seemed like a case of bad luck at first, but had nothing to do with the laws of probability. It was a problem with the slot machine.
According to a report from Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection’s Gaming Division recently provided to the outlet CT Insider, from Aug. 15-21, 2023, players wagered over $24,000 on Deal or No Deal’s Banker Bonanza with more than 20,000 spins and produced zero wins.
However, the game advertised the average payout to be nearly 95 cents for every dollar wagered.
“Effectively, it was impossible for any Connecticut patron to achieve a win on the game for a period of 7 days, while live on the gaming platform,” the report said.
A state investigation found a file in the game’s software had not been loaded properly, leading it to be impossible for a player to win any amount of money.
The lack of winnings did not go unnoticed by players, and one reached out to DraftKings on Aug. 20, 2023.
“I believe this is a problem as I have never played a slot game where I haven’t won a single cent in over 100 spins,” the player said.
“I understand it can be frustrating to have a bit of a cold streak, but I can assure you that there is nothing wrong with the game itself,” a DraftKings representative replied.
According to the investigation, when DraftKings sent that reply it was already aware of other complaints and White Hat Gaming already had identified a glitch in the game.
The game was relaunched on Aug. 22, 2023. According to the report, a week later, all users were refunded for their play during the affected week without DraftKings giving the players an explanation.
The investigation found neither DraftKings nor White Hat notified the DCP of what was happening until Aug. 31, 2023, after the issue was fixed and regulators had reached out over player complaints.
In Jan. 2024, White Hat agreed to pay a $3,500 in fines and, in April, DraftKings paid a $19,000 fine over the companies violating state regulations and failing to comply with reporting obligations.
Both companies released statements to CNBC this week in response to the details of last year’s incident being released.
“The issue in Connecticut arose from an error on the game developer’s side,” DraftKings said. “We identified a possible issue within 48 hours of launch and immediately escalated it for investigation.”
“All impacted customers were fully refunded within days of concluding there was an issue, and we have not encountered any similar issues with this vendor,” DraftKings continued.
“Regarding the technical fault concerning one of our games live with DraftKings in Connecticut in 2023, we took immediate action as soon as we became aware of the situation,” White Hat said. “It was a one-off incident and all affected players were fully refunded by DraftKings.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Consumer Protection told CNBC that this incident is “a great example of something that, if we were not there to intervene, may not have been taken seriously until our investigators got involved.”
Caesars cyberattack, days before MGM, may have exposed millions’ personal data
Historic flooding in Connecticut triggers widespread rescues, evacuations
Water rescues and flash flood warnings continue in parts of Connecticut after rain on Sunday, Aug. 18, brought heavy flooding to parts of the state. Some areas experienced a historic deluge, receiving more than 10 inches of rain in just 12 hours. Meteorologists termed the weather event a “once-in-1,000-year” rainfall.
Rivers reached major flood stages rapidly, roads were transformed into rushing waterways, and mudslides caused multiple evacuations.
In response, local emergency services, including fire and police departments, were called to numerous incidents involving stranded vehicles, flooded homes and missing people.
#BREAKING Two vehicles have been swept away by fast-moving floodwaters in Oxford.
The rear tail lights of one is being pummeled by the rapids. EMS says 2 people are trapped at the Brookside Inn and another person is trapped inside a home. Eversource is also here @WTNHpic.twitter.com/lt3EpTjn3q
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont reported that at least 100 people required assistance from search and rescue teams. Two people were reported missing after being swept away by the Little River in Oxford. Another 50 campers became stranded in Kettletown State Park due to washed-out bridges.
In Beacon Falls, firefighters rescued 19 people and a dog from a restaurant and home. They were trapped in over 100 feet of floodwaters.
Emergency crews responded to multiple car rescues as vehicles were overcome by heavy waters on the roadways.
Authorities asked people to stay off roads and not attempt to drive through floodwaters.
New York and New Jersey also saw powerful downpours.
The New York City Police Department warned of flooding in Central Park and several subway lines were down Monday morning.
Ørsted faces offshore wind delays after prior project cancellations
The U.S. offshore wind industry is facing another setback as Danish energy company Ørsted announced delays with its Revolution Wind project. This development comes less than a year after Ørsted canceled two planned wind farms off the coast of New Jersey.
Revolution Wind is an offshore wind project intended to supply renewable energy to the coasts of Rhode Island and Connecticut. Originally slated to begin operations sooner, the project’s start date has now been pushed back by a year, with energy production expected to commence in 2026.
The delay is primarily due to soil contamination issues at a former naval base where Eversource Energy is constructing a substation for the Ørsted wind farm. The site requires additional time to address lingering problem, which has hindered the project’s progress.
“While we were aware of the soil contamination at this site given its past use as a Naval disposal facility, the comprehensive analysis from Eversource as part of the early construction work showed that the level of contamination, and its impacts to the project schedule, are more substantial than anticipated,” Meaghan Wims, a spokeswoman for Revolution Wind, said in a statement. “As a result, an update to the site design was required, which has resulted in a delay to the onshore construction activities.”
Once completed, the Revolution Wind facility is expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately 350,000 homes, marking a significant contribution to the region’s renewable energy goals. However, residents of Connecticut and Rhode Island will have to wait longer than anticipated to benefit from this clean energy source.
Women’s risk of death higher depending on their state: Study
According to a new study, where in the U.S. women live could be a matter of life or death. In its first ever state-by-state analysis of women’s health, the Commonwealth Fund found women are facing a growing number of threats to their overall health and well-being.
The Commonwealth Fund is a private nonprofit that supports independent research and grants with the goal of improving health care.
The researchers used data from multiple sources — including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — to evaluate states on 32 specific metrics across three main areas:
Health outcomes.
Health care quality and prevention.
Coverage, access and affordability.
Researchers that found across the board, women are more likely to die from preventable causes, specifically those linked to reproductive health – like pregnancy-related issues or certain types of cancer. However, they also looked at other preventable causes, including substance use, COVID-19 and treatable chronic health conditions.
The study said life expectancy for U.S. women is the lowest it has been since 2006. Researchers contend that the biggest issues seem to be in states where abortion and contraception laws are stricter.
Straight Arrow News
States in the Northeast scored the highest for women’s health, with Massachusetts coming in on top. Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire rounded out the top five.
The lowest-ranked states are Mississippi, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The report shows the lowest ranked states tend more toward the southern U.S.
The study also found a link between states with expanded Medicaid coverage and lower mortality rates for women. The rolling back of pandemic-era Medicaid coverage has left millions of women either uninsured or facing significant gaps in their coverage – interfering with their access to care and leaving providers that serve low-income women at risk of closure.
According to the researchers, where a woman lives is becoming a key determinant in how dangerous it is to give birth, or if she’ll die from cancers that considered treatable with proper screening and routine care.
Steve Bannon begins 4-month prison sentence for contempt of Congress
Steve Bannon remained defiant as he turned himself in to serve four months in a federal prison Monday, July 1. The longtime Trump ally was convicted of contempt for defying a congressional subpoena from the committee that probed the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol attack.
“I’m proud to go to prison,” Bannon said in a press conference before turning himself over to authorities. “I am proud of going to prison today.”
“If this is what it takes to stand up to tyranny, if that’s what it takes to stand up to the [Attorney General Merrick] Garland corrupt criminal DOJ, if this is what it takes to stand up to Nancy Pelosi, if this is what it takes to stand up to Joe Biden, I’m proud to do it,” Bannon said.
“I was on a destroyer for four years in the Navy,” Bannon continued.” I am prepared for whatever prison has, right? Our prisons are run very well. The Bureau of Prisons does a great job. I’m prepared to do this, whatever task I do, I’m totally prepared mentally, physically, everything, for prison.”
In an interview on Monday, July 1, former President Trump blamed President Biden for what he claims is a “weaponization” of the justice system. Trump said Biden is “going to pay a big price” for it. Trump’s campaign told ABC News that Trump’s statement meant Biden will lose the election come November.
In 2022, Bannon was convicted of two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress after he refused to cooperate with a House committee investigating the Capitol riot. Bannon, a former chief strategist for Trump and a prominent figure in right-wing media, initially delayed his prison term through an appeal.
However, after the D.C. Circuit Court upheld his conviction, he was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols to begin his four-month sentence.
