Author: David Shepardson
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U.S. agency opens probe into 50,000 Tesla Model X vehicles over front seat belts
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. auto safety regulators said Tuesday they are opening a probe into 50,000 Tesla Model X vehicles after receiving two complaints reporting front seat belt failures. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the preliminary evaluation covers 2022-2023 model year vehicles over reports of failures of the front seat…
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U.S. seeks to prevent China from benefiting from $52 billion chips funding
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Commerce Department on Tuesday released proposed rules to prevent $52 billion in semiconductor manufacturing and research funding from being used by China and other countries deemed of concern. The proposal limits recipients of U.S. funding from investing in the expansion of semiconductor manufacturing in foreign countries of concern…
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JetBlue sees ‘high likelihood’ of U.S. lawsuit to block Spirit deal
By Diane Bartz and David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -JetBlue Airways said Monday it believes the U.S. Justice Department has a “high likelihood” of filing an antitrust lawsuit this week to block its $3.8 billion takeover of low-cost rival Spirit Airlines Inc. “We have always accounted for that in our timeline to close the transaction in…
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Volkswagen’s Scout to build $2 billion plant in South Carolina
Volkswagen’s off-road brand Scout Motors said Friday it would build a $2 billion manufacturing plant near Columbia, S.C., for trucks and SUVs. The investment could potentially create 4,000 or more permanent jobs and more than 200,000 Scout vehicles could be produced annually at the facility. In May, VW said it would reintroduce the Scout off-road…
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Ford recalls 98,500 Ranger trucks over replacement air bag inflators
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ford Motor Co said it is recalling 98,500 older Ranger pickup trucks in the United States because replacement front passenger air bag inflators may have been installed incorrectly. The new recall covers 2004-2006 model year Ranger trucks recalled in 2017 and 2018 to replace a small number of inflators that…
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House panel approves bill giving Biden power to ban TikTok
WASHINGTON • The House Foreign Affairs Committee voted Wednesday along party lines to give President Joe Biden the power to ban Chinese-owned TikTok, in what would be the most far-reaching U.S. restriction on any social media app. Lawmakers voted 24 to 16 to approve the measure to grant the administration new powers to ban the…
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U.S. seeks $175,000 fine from SpaceX over failure to submit Starlink data
WASHINGTON • The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday proposed a $175,000 civil penalty against SpaceX for failing to submit some safety data to the agency prior to an August 2022 launch of Starlink satellites. The FAA said SpaceX was required to submit the information, known as launch collision analysis trajectory data, directly to the agency…
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U.S. senators blast Southwest holiday meltdown, labeled ‘unmitigated disaster’
By David Shepardson and Rajesh Kumar Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Southwest Airlines on Thursday faced harsh criticism from U.S. senators at a hearing investigating the airline’s meltdown that disrupted travel plans for 2 million customers, with one lawmaker calling the situation an “unmitigated disaster.” Senators recounted to Southwest a litany of horrendous travel stories: People missing…
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Southwest to tell U.S. lawmakers ‘we messed up’ during holiday meltdown
By David Shepardson and Rajesh Kumar Singh WASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) -Southwest Airlines Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson will apologize on Thursday before a U.S. Senate committee over the holiday meltdown that led to the cancellation of 16,700 flights and pledge changes to ensure that there will be no repeats. “Let me be clear: we messed up.…
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U.S. House panel to vote next month on possible TikTok ban
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The House Foreign Affairs Committee plans to hold a vote next month on a bill aimed at blocking the use of China’s popular social media app TikTok in the United States, the committee confirmed on Friday. The measure, planned by the panel’s chair Representative Michael McCaul, a Republican, would aim to give the…