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☆ NTSB rips Boeing for failing to produce key door plug documents
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Gregory Wallace | Pete Muntean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Boeing has not turned over important records to investigators probing the door plug blowout on a 737 Max earlier this year, investigators say. She testified that because of Boeing’s actions, NTSB investigators do not know who on the Boeing assembly line removed and reinstalled the door plug that – months later while the plane was in service carrying passengers – blew out. Homendy said that Boeing has not fully cooperated with the NTSB Board's investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 door plug incident. The plane flew about 150 commercial flights before the door plug flew off the plane mid-flight on January 5, just over two months ago. NTSB investigators have made multiple visits to Boeing facilities and created a special team to handle requesting and processing documents from Boeing and its key contractor, Spirit AeroSystems.

Persons: Jennifer Homendy, Homendy, Kevin Dietsch, ” Homendy Organizations: CNN, Boeing, Transportation, Commerce, U.S . National Transportation Safety Board, Senate Commerce, Science, Russell Senate, NTSB, Alaska Airlines, Getty, Federal Aviation Administration Locations: Renton, Washington ,

“The FAA identified non-compliance issues in Boeing’s manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control,” the FAA said in a press release, but did not immediately provide further details. The FAA said the findings of both this audit and the separate report should be part of Boeing’s quality improvement plan. But in January Boeing CEO David Calhoun conceded Boeing needed to improve its quality controls. Without giving details, the FAA said it found multiple instances where both companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements. The agency is not the only government body looking into Boeing’s quality issues.

Persons: David Calhoun, ”, Calhoun, “, Mike Whitaker, Jennifer Homendy Organizations: Washington DC CNN, Federal Aviation Administration, Alaska Airlines ’ Boeing, FAA, Boeing, Spirit, Max, National Transportation Safety, Alaska Air, NTSB, Justice Department, Alaska, Senate Locations: Renton , Washington

☆ Before part of an Alaska Airlines plane blew off, Boeing had removed and adjusted it, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( David Goldman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems are under multiple investigations that probe their safety policies and procedures. Boeing said it couldn’t comment on the reports about what may have led to the door plug blowing off the plane, citing the ongoing investigation. The process also includes tightening fasteners and performing “detailed inspections of…dozens of associated components.”FAA on Sunday also required airlines to ensure older Boeing 737 planes with similar door plugs were secure. The FAA said airlines operating the Boeing 737-900ER model should visually inspect the planes but didn’t require them to be grounded. Two Max variants — the Max 7 and the Max 10 — are still awaiting approval to begin carrying passengers.

Persons: Max, AeroSystems, Washington Democratic Sen, Maria Cantwell, ”, David Calhoun, Jennifer Homendy, Ben Minicucci, Lester Holt, Mike Whitaker, Whitaker, “, —, Wells Organizations: New, New York CNN, Boeing, Alaska Airlines, New York Times, Seattle Times, Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety, Washington Democratic, Senate, US National Transportation, ” Boeing, Max, NBC, FAA, ., Sunday Locations: New York, . Airlines, Alaska, United, Indonesia, Ethiopia

The official, Mike Whitaker, said the FAA would not agree to any Boeing request to expand production of Max planes until the agency is satisfied that quality-control concerns have been addressed. The move came on the same day that a key senator indicated that Congress will join the scrutiny of Boeing. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident on an Alaska Airlines Max 9. Investigators are building a timeline of the door plug that failed, from the early stages of its production to the flight on which it blew off the plane. The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into whether Boeing and its suppliers followed proper safety procedures during manufacturing.

Persons: Mike Whitaker, Max, Sen, Maria Cantwell, David Calhoun, jetliner, Cantwell, Calhoun, ” Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Boeing, Max, Federal Aviation Administration, Alaska Airlines Boeing, FAA, Senate Commerce, Science, Transportation Committee, National Transportation Safety, Alaska Airlines Max, NTSB Locations: Oregon, Portland , Oregon, Renton , Washington

New York CNN —Boeing CEO David Calhoun’s Wednesday was decidedly a mixed bag: The Federal Aviation Administration finally approved a set of inspection criteria for the 171 grounded 737 Max 9 planes that, if followed, could return the aircraft to service. And the FAA said it would not grant any production expansion of the 737 Max lineup while its safety probe of Boeing continues. “We fly safe planes,” Calhoun said to reporters assembled on Capitol Hill. A week earlier, Calhoun acknowledged the company made a “mistake” at a staff-wide safety meeting, but he did not specify what that mistake was. Two Max variants — the Max 7 and the Max 10 — are still awaiting approval to begin carrying passengers.

Persons: David Calhoun’s, Max, Mike Whitaker, United, Whitaker, ”, “, Mr, Calhoun, ” Calhoun, Washington Democratic Sen, Maria Cantwell, ” Cantwell, Jennifer Homendy, —, Wells Organizations: New, New York CNN, Boeing, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Alaska Airlines, Airlines, Washington Calhoun’s, Washington, Capitol, Washington Democratic, Senate, National Transportation Safety Locations: New York, Alaska, United, Washington, Wells, Indonesia, Ethiopia

The panel that blew out of an Alaska Airlines jetliner this month was manufactured in Malaysia by Boeing’s leading supplier, the head of the agency investigating the incident said Wednesday. The officials indicated that their separate investigations of Boeing and the accident are in the early stages. Boeing said CEO David Calhoun visited the Wichita factory of Spirit AeroSystems, which makes a large part of the fuselage on Boeing Max jets and installs the part that came off an Alaska Airlines jetliner. An Alaska Airlines Max 9 was forced to make an emergency landing on Jan. 5 after a panel called a door plug blew out of the side of the plane shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon. The NTSB is investigating the accident, while the FAA investigates whether Boeing and its suppliers followed quality-control procedures.

Persons: Jennifer Homendy, Spirit AeroSystems, AeroSystems, “, Mike Whitaker, ”, Sen, Jerry Moran, Moran, Whitaker, ” Moran, David Calhoun, Patrick Shanahan —, Donald Trump, —, “ We’re, ” Calhoun, Max Organizations: Alaska Airlines, Boeing’s, National Transportation Safety, Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing, Max, Senate, Kansas Republican, FAA, Boeing Max, Pentagon, Alaska Airlines Max, NTSB, United Airlines, Dow Jones Locations: Malaysia, Washington, Wichita , Kansas, Kansas, Wichita, Calhoun, Portland , Oregon, Alaska, United, Arlington , Virginia

☆ 5 things to know about Boeing’s latest 737 Max crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Here is the latest on what to know as Boeing faces yet another 737 Max crisis. “We’ll make sure that we take steps to ensure that it never, never can happen.”The 737 Max 9 remains groundedOn Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered most Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft to be temporarily grounded as regulators and Boeing investigate the cause of the incident. That has led to hundreds of cancelations, particularly from Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, which have dozens of the 737 Max 9 planes. United Airlines said it is canceling 167 Boeing 737 Max 9 flights today and expects significant cancellations on Thursday, too. Alaska Airlines also said Monday it found loose hardware on some of its 737 Max 9 planes during inspections.

Persons: Dave Calhoun, company’s ‘, “, Calhoun, ” Calhoun, Patrick Shanahan, “ We’re, ”, “ We’ll, Max, Jennifer Homendy, CNN’s Poppy Harlow, AeroSystems, Republican Sen, J.D, Vance, Joe Biden, John Lovell, David Calhoun, ” Homendy, “ I’ve, I’ve, What’s, Eric Weiss, it’s, —, Catherine Thorbecke, Chris Isidore, Greg Wallace, Pete Muntean Organizations: New, New York CNN, Alaska Airlines, Max, Boeing, CNBC, Alaska Airlines midflight, Spirit, Federal Aviation Administration, United Airlines, . United Airlines, National Transportation Safety, CNN, FAA, NTSB, Republican, Senate, National Transportation Safety Board, Alaska Airlines Flight, Reuters, Airbus, Transportation Safety Locations: New York, Portland , Oregon, ”, Ohio, Alaska, U.S, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Calhoun, Portland

CNN —American Airlines said it is reviewing a video posted on TikTok that shows a baggage handler releasing a passenger’s wheelchair to slide down a jet bridge chute, where it crashed into a metal barrier, flipped over and tumbled onto an airport tarmac. In the video, as the first man lets the wheelchair go, a second baggage handler, who is on the ground at the other end of the chute and wearing an American Airlines vest, steps back. American Airlines said in a statement, “We recognize how important it is to support the independence of customers with disabilities by ensuring the proper care of mobility devices throughout their journey with us. In 2022, American Airlines’ rate of damaging, delaying or losing wheelchairs and scooters was 2.00 per 100, DOT statistics show. It also calls on the agency to study whether it is possible for passengers to use wheelchairs in the main cabin.

Persons: Haeley Dyrdahl, Dyrdahl, ”, “, Pete Buttigieg, Sen, Tammy Duckworth, ” Duckworth, “ It’s, Duckworth, John Thune, –, Steve Cohen, Pete Stauber, CNN’s David Williams, Ross Levitt, Gregory Wallace Organizations: CNN — American Airlines, Miami International Airport, CNN, American Airlines, Transportation, Department of Transportation, DOT, United Airlines, Illinois Democrat, Republican, Senate Commerce, Science, ”, Tennessee Democrat, Minnesota Republican Locations: America, American, Illinois, South Dakota, Tennessee, Minnesota

☆ US to brief senators on foreign online influence focused on Israel, Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Smoke rises above Gaza, as seen from southern Israel, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's administration is holding a joint classified briefing for members of the U.S. Senate Intelligence and Commerce committees Wednesday on recent foreign online influence focused on Israel/Gaza and the Ukraine conflict. The bill was introduced by Senate Intelligence Committee chair Mark Warner and Republican John Thune and 24 other senators in March called the Restrict Act. Warner said some misinformation social media posts suggest the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas did not happen or were started by Israel. Republican Senator Jerry Moran, who backs the Restrict Act, told Reuters recent online misinformation "will be another impetus" to get Congress to act.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Joe Biden's, Mark Warner, Republican John Thune, Warner, Jerry Moran, Maria Cantwell, TikTok, Josh Hawley, Janet Yellen, Biden, David Shepardson, Diane Craft, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Senate Intelligence, National Intelligence, Biden, Senate Intelligence, Republican, Warner, Reuters, Senate, Guard, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, Congress

☆ NTSB chair says US near miss aviation incidents 'clear warning sign'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy testifies during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing titled "Improving Rail Safety in Response to the East Palestine Derailment" in Washington, U.S., March 22, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 8 (Reuters) - National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy will tell a U.S. Senate subcommittee that an increase in near miss aviation incidents is a "clear warning sign that the U.S. Aviation system is sharply strained." Homendy, who will testify at a Senate Commerce aviation subcommittee hearing along side the Federal Aviation Administration and aviation unions, will tell senators the aviation system has a lack of redundancy around technology to prevent runway incursions and wrong surface landings. "We cannot ignore or avoid the warning signs of strain from all these recent events," Homendy will say. Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Franklin PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jennifer Homendy, Evelyn Hockstein, Homendy, David Shepardson, Franklin Paul Organizations: Transportation, Commerce, Science, REUTERS, Transportation Safety, U.S, Senate, U.S . Aviation, Senate Commerce, Federal Aviation Administration, Franklin Paul Our, Thomson Locations: East Palestine, Washington , U.S

☆ US FAA to hold new round of runway-safety meetings after close calls
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A commercial aircraft approaches to land at San Diego International Airport in San Diego, California, U.S., January 6, 2022. The new meetings with the FAA, airlines, pilots, airport vehicle drivers and others will take place by Dec. 31. On Thursday, a U.S. Senate Commerce subcommittee will hold a hearing on recent incidents that raised questions about FAA air traffic control operations. The hearing will include FAA Air Traffic Organization head Tim Arel, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy, National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Rich Santa, Air Lines Pilots Association President Jason Ambrosi and former FAA administrator Randy Babbitt. The FAA said in September it was seeking recommendations on making it compulsory for airports to include cockpit-alerting technologies that could improve runway safety.

Persons: Mike Blake, Washington Reagan, Tim Arel, Jennifer Homendy, Rich, Jason Ambrosi, Randy Babbitt, Homendy, Bernadette Baum Organizations: San Diego International Airport, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, National Transportation Safety Board, Fort, U.S, Senate, FAA Air Traffic Organization, Transportation, National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Rich Santa, Air Lines Pilots, Southwest Airlines, Boeing, Cessna, FedEx, Southwest Boeing, Thomson Locations: San Diego , California, U.S, Boston, Newark, Washington, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin , Texas

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and 22 other Democratic senators are urging federal regulators to investigate multibillion-dollar acquisitions by oil giants ExxonMobil and Chevron, saying the deals could lead to higher prices at the gas pump. “These deals are likely to harm competition, risking increased consumer prices and reduced output throughout the United States,'' the senators wrote. Chevron, Exxon and other oil companies have announced huge profits from strong energy prices and demand since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Exxon reported $9.1 billion in profits in the quarter that ended Sept. 30, while Chevron reported $6.5 billion in profits. Environmental groups hailed the call for an investigation of what some called “merger mania” within the oil industry that threatens competition.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Exxon's, Chevron’s, Minnesota Sen, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders, Chevron, Hess, Lukas Ross, ”, ” API's Bethany Williams, Schumer Organizations: WASHINGTON, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Federal Trade Commission, Natural Resources, Hess Corp, Exxon, FTC, Resources, Big Oil, American Petroleum Institute, Senate Commerce, Science, Transportation Locations: United States, Minnesota, Sens, Vermont, Ukraine, Texas, U.S, New York

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate voted 98-0 to approve President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday, ending a span of nearly 19 months in which the agency was without a Senate-confirmed chief. Michael Whitaker is a former deputy FAA administrator and most recently served as chief operating officer of a Hyundai affiliate that is developing an air taxi. Whitaker's confirmation seemed assured last week, when members of the Senate Commerce Committee endorsed him unanimously. The nomination of Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington languished for months, then failed to get out of the Commerce Committee because of opposition from Republicans and independent Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. The FAA has been without a Senate-confirmed administrator since March 2022, when Stephen Dickson stepped down midway through his five-year term.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Michael Whitaker, Whitaker, Whitaker's, Maria Cantwell, Phil Washington, Stephen Dickson Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Federal Aviation Administration, Hyundai, Senate, Denver International, FAA Locations: Arizona

☆ We can use AI to fight predatory robocalls, experts tell senators
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — Senators took a bipartisan stance against abusive robocalling on Tuesday, appealing to experts for enforcement measures as more scammers employ deceptive artificial intelligence. Witnesses told the Senate Commerce's Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband that generative AI can also work in regulators' favor. Mike Rudolph, chief technology officer for robocall-blocking firm YouMail, Inc., said the AI could flag insufficient mitigation controls in the Federal Communications Commission's Robocall Mitigation Database. "That's a great place where you could apply that [AI] technology and probably discard half the entries in the database in an afternoon or a week of work," Rudolph said. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., chair of the subcommittee, said robocalls have eroded the public's trust in the nation's communications networks.

Persons: robocalling, Mike Rudolph, Rudolph, Sen, Ben Ray Luján, Chuck Schumer Organizations: WASHINGTON, Senate, Communications, Media, Inc, Federal Communications, Capitol

☆ US Republican senators ask tech firms about content moderation in Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Kanishka Singh | Thomson Reuters | Kanishka Singh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Reuters In Washington Dc | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate panel's Republican lawmakers sent a letter on Friday to tech companies Meta Platforms, Google, TikTok and X, formerly called Twitter, seeking information on their content moderation policies in the Israel-Hamas war, the senators said. The Republican lawmakers of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee said they asked the companies "to commit to fully preserving a documentary history of Hamas's atrocities." Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people, mainly civilians. "We believe it is imperative that we preserve a full documentary history of Hamas's atrocities," the Republican lawmakers led by Senator Ted Cruz said. The senators said they requested a number of pieces of information, including content policies relevant to the dissemination of content from the Israel-Hamas War, data on content removed systematically without human review, and an explanation of how these policies are affected by international laws.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ted Cruz, Kanishka Singh, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Senate, Google, Twitter, Republican, U.S . Senate, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Washington

☆ U.S. Senate panel sends three FTC nominations to full Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter testifies on the "Oversight of the Federal Trade Commission" before the U.S. Senate Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance and Data Security Subcommittee in the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, U.S., November 27, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee voted on Wednesday to send three nominations for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to the full Senate. THE TAKEIf confirmed by the Senate, as expected, adding the two Republicans will not change the balance of power at the five-member FTC, which also enforces antitrust law. A previous Republican FTC commissioner, Christine Wilson, quit this year and sharply criticized agency leadership. Reporting by Diane Bartz; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rebecca Slaughter, Leah Millis, Andrew Ferguson, Melissa Holyoak, Lina Khan, Christine Wilson, Diane Bartz, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Federal, Federal Trade Commission, U.S . Senate Consumer Protection, Safety, Insurance, Data, Russell Senate, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Senate, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Democrat, FTC, Democratic, Amazon.com, Albertsons, Republican, Thomson Locations: Russell, Washington , U.S, Virginia, Utah

“Our children are in crisis, and it is up to us to save them,” Hochul said, comparing social media algorithms to cigarettes and alcohol. Those who opt out would receive chronological feeds instead, like in the early days of social media. Federal lawmakers have introduced a similar bill that would ban kids under 13 from using social media altogether. And numerous lawsuits against social media platforms have accused the companies of harming users’ mental health. Mulgrew called the New York legislation necessary in part due to a lack of action by the federal government to protect kids.

Persons: Kathy Hochul, Letitia James, Michael Mulgrew, Andrew Gounardes, Nily, “, ” Hochul, ” James, hasn’t, ”, TikTok, Mulgrew, ” Mulgrew Organizations: CNN, New York Gov, New York, United Federation of Teachers Manhattan, New, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tech, York Child Data, US Department of Health, Human Services, Social Media, Mental Health Locations: New York, States, Arkansas , Louisiana, Utah, York, United States

☆ Key Republican backs Biden nominee to head FAA
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) departs the U.S. Capitol building on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 5 (Reuters) - A key Senate Republican said Thursday he plans to support the White House nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as the agency addresses a series of near-miss incidents and air traffic controller staffing shortages. "The FAA is in desperate need of independent leadership willing to challenge the status quo," said Senator Ted Cruz, the top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee in a statement to Reuters. He said Whitaker "has expressly committed to focus on the FAA's primary responsibility, which is ensuring the safety of our national aerospace." Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ted Cruz, Nathan Howard, Joe Biden, Michael Whitaker, Barack Obama, Whitaker, David Shepardson, Bernadette Baum Organizations: U.S . Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Republican, White House, Federal Aviation Administration, Hyundai, FAA, Senate, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, KS

☆ US Commerce head hopes to make first chips funding awards this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo attends a press conference at the Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services near the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, in Shanghai, China August 30, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 4 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Wednesday she hopes to announce the first chips funding award announcements from the government's $39 billion semiconductor subsidy program this fall. "I hope we will have some chips funding announcements this fall." It is not clear how long from initial announcements it will take the Commerce Department to finalize funding agreements. Separately, Raimondo said she supports legislation that would give the Commerce Department new tools to address information and communications technology supply (ICTS) chain concerns posed by China and other foreign adversaries.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Aly, Raimondo, Mark Warner, John Thune, TikTok, Maria Cantwell, David Shepardson, Diane Craft, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, REUTERS, Rights, . Commerce, Senate, Commerce Department, Guard, Thomson Locations: Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai, China

☆ FAA must address US air traffic staffing crunch, nominee says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 4 (Reuters) - The Biden administration's nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Wednesday the agency must address a persistent air traffic controller shortage that has caused flight delays. Nominee Michael Whitaker, a former deputy FAA administrator, told the Senate Commerce Committee he would support opening a second air traffic controller academy to address staffing. The FAA has been without a Senate-confirmed administrator for 18 months after the prior nominee withdrew. U.S. airlines have expressed growing frustration with air traffic staff shortages. Whitaker told the confirmation hearing he was not involved in the certification of the Boeing (BA.N) 737 MAX when he was deputy FAA administrator.

Persons: Ronald Reagan, Evelyn Hockstein, Biden, Michael Whitaker, Whitaker, David Shepardson, Mark Porter, Rami Ayyub Organizations: Travelers, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, REUTERS, Rights, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Senate, New York, U.S, Boeing, Congress, Thomson Locations: Ronald Reagan Washington, Arlington , Virginia, U.S, New York City, New, New York

☆ Intel plans to IPO programmable chip unit within three years; stock rises after hours
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Intel said it will treat its programmable chip unit as as a standalone business, with an aim to spin it out through an IPO in the next two to three years. Intel's Programmable Solutions Group will have its own balance sheet as it heads toward independence. The move also highlights the strong demand in the semiconductor industry for field programmable gate arrays, or FPGAs. Intel's FPGAs are sold under the Agilex brand. Intel doesn't break out PSG sales yet, but said in July that the unit had three record quarters in a row, offsetting a slump in server chip sales.

Persons: Pat Gelsinger, Sandra Rivera, Patrick Gelsinger, Gelsinger Organizations: Intel Corporation, Senate Commerce, Science, Innovation, Russell, Intel, Programmable Solutions, Center, PSG, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Lattice Semiconductor, AMD, Intel's Data Locations: Mobileye

☆ US FCC chair to seek reinstating net neutrality rules rescinded under Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Alex Wong/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Federal Communications Commission chair Jessica Rosenworcel plans to begin an effort to reinstate landmark net neutrality rules rescinded under then-President Donald Trump, sources briefed on the matter said Monday. The FCC is set to take an initial vote on the net neutrality proposal in October, the sources added. In July 2021, Biden signed an executive order encouraging the FCC to reinstate net neutrality rules adopted under Democratic then-President Barack Obama in 2015. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 that the 2017 decision by the FCC to reverse federal net neutrality protections could not bar state action, rejecting a challenge from telecom and broad industry groups to block California's net neutrality law. Days after Biden took office, the U.S. Justice Department withdrew its Trump-era legal challenge to California's state net neutrality law.

Persons: Jessica Rosenworcel, Alex Wong, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Anna Gomez, Biden, Barack Obama, Rosenworcel, David Shepardson, Himani Sarkar, Kim Coghill Organizations: U.S . Senate Commerce, Science, Transportation, Federal Communications Commission, Rights, . Federal Communications, FCC, Democratic, U.S, Circuit, Appeals, Industry, U.S . Justice Department, Trump, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ Net neutrality may be US regulators’ next quagmire
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jonathan Newton/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - U.S. regulators risk another quagmire. The Federal Communications Commission wants to reinstate net neutrality rules that regulate how traffic flows on the internet. As with antitrust enforcers’ often-frustrated deal crackdown, the agency is stuck in a cycle of trying to litigate future problems, today. Regulators are trying to use yesterday’s tools to address the hypothetical problems of tomorrow. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Jessica Rosenworcel, Jonathan Newton, ’, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, Jennifer Saba, Jonathan Guilford, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: U.S . Senate Commerce, Science, Transportation Committee, Federal Communications Commission, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Verizon Communications, Netflix, Regulators, X, Republicans, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Ukraine

"With its missionary zeal for consumers, Amazon has marched toward monopoly by singing the tune of contemporary antitrust," Khan, then 29, wrote in the Yale Law Journal. Six years later, Khan, who became the FTC's chair in 2021, is leading the agency's antitrust charge against the online retailer. The FTC's lawsuit filed on Tuesday asks a court to consider forcing the company to sell assets to stop what it said was ongoing harm to consumers. Amazon has fought back and rejected the antitrust lawsuit filed on Tuesday. "By contrast, the FTC's 2021 budget topped out at only $351 million, or slightly more than 1% of Amazon's earnings."

Persons: Lina M, Khan, Bill Nelson, Graeme Jennings, Lina Khan, Andy Jassy, Jeff Bezos, Bezos, David Shepardson, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Commerce, Science, NASA, Capitol, Rights, Federal Trade, Amazon.com, Amazon, Yale Law, FTC, Apple, Facebook, Google, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, Washington

☆ 'Learning period' for US commercial space regulations should be extended -US Sen. Cruz
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Go Nakamura/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 13 (Reuters) - A federal moratorium on commercial spaceflight safety regulations should be extended to support more innovation in the space sector, U.S. The fast-growing sector since 2004 has been shielded from federal safety regulations by what is widely called a "learning period." "Now is not the time to impose new regulations on commercial space," Cruz said, speaking on the sidelines of an industry conference in Washington. The moratorium, established by the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, was most recently extended in 2015. The law requires private space companies that send humans into space to have passengers sign "informed consent" documents acknowledging the absence of federal safety regulations.

Persons: Ted Cruz, Artemis, Go Nakamura, Cruz, Doug Ligor, Ligor, Kelvin Coleman, it'll, Elon, Jeff Bezos, Joey Roulette, Chris Reese, Leslie Adler, Daniel Wallis Organizations: NASA, REUTERS, Rights, Federal Aviation Administration, RAND Corporation, RAND, FAA, Spaceflight, Senate, SpaceX, Origin, Shepard, Virgin Galactic, Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, Washington, American, Texas, Van Horn

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