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U.S. Hurricane forecasters lose critical access to government data
After July, the U.S. will no longer share data from three satellites that monitor weather. Data loss makes it difficult to accurately monitor hurricanes Half of the previous remote sensing data is no longer used by hurricane forecasters Rachel Parsons In response to Hurricane Sandy, crews on Clearwater Beach, a tiny island just off the coast of Florida have begun to raise the remaining structure by more than 13 feet in order to comply with new federal building codes. According to the National Weather Service, the disaster of September 2024 caused damages worth nearly $79 billion and killed 250 people, making it one of the most deadly hurricanes in the United States in the last 20 years. Lisa Avram is Scholl's child and oversees the reconstruction. As families recover from last year's storms and prepare to rebuild, the Atlantic hurricane season of this year is already underway. The risk is even greater than before. Forecasters have a more difficult job to do than ever before, not only because they predict three to five "major hurricanes" but also because the forecasting is now busier. Last month, the U.S. Department of Defense surprised hurricane forecasters when it announced that three of its satellites would no longer share data. This effectively reduced the amount of data available to meteorologists by half. Data sharing has allowed forecasters to accurately predict the location, size and intensity of hurricanes over the past two decades. Michael Lowry, former National Hurricane Center employee and television station WPLG Miami, Florida, said, "It is all kinds of problematic." NOAA sent an internal message to announce that the service will end by June 30. NOAA suspended the service until July 31. This was done to "mitigate an important cybersecurity risk." Lowry stated that "[the data sets] are really important in telling us not only how strong the hurricane is currently, but how much stronger it could get." Lowry says that these satellites do not track things high above clouds, as can be seen in radar images. Instead, they operate in low-polar orbits and use microwaves to "see" into a hurricane. He said that without them, forecasters are unable to provide early warnings. People can't leave because they have less time to prepare. Lowry added that there are more lives and people at risk. Emergency management services also cannot preposition resources like search-and rescue teams to look for survivors. Lowry stated that the loss of data from Defense Meteorological Satellite Programs (DMSP) has reduced the amount of information remote sensing forecasters have access to by half. He said that with three fewer satellites, forecasters may be able to get information about a hurricane strengthening every six to twelve hours rather than every few hours. This would give storms more time to develop without being noticed. Satellites that are used for traditional satellites provide limited detail in the daylight and even less at night. Lowry explained that the concern was what some in his community call a "sunrise shock," whereby you go to sleep at eight in the evening and wake up to a tropical storm. He said: "We wake up the next morning to find it on our doorstep. It's a category three or four hurricane." 'GIANT LOSS' Satellites of the DMSP closely track sea ice, even thousands of miles away from the hurricane zone. Zachary Labe is a climate researcher at Climate Central, who has been using these data sets to study the polar sea ice, climate change, and other related topics for decades. Labe described the loss of access as "quite shocking". He said, "These satellites... have really shown the story of Arctic Climate Change for almost five decades." He added that the data was "a key piece of information for cryosphere research" because it allowed observation of sea ice trends and variability over time. Sea ice data is used by coastal communities in Alaska to prepare for storms, flooding and transportation decisions. Labe stated that other satellites controlled and operated by countries like Japan also have the same capabilities. Japan's satellites haven't been in operation as long. Now there is a scramble to match the timelines for different satellites, so that there are no gaps in the records. He said that climate scientists needed "more data and not less" for their research. Satellites were used to support a variety of climate studies. Labe stated, "It is a huge loss." In an email, a spokesperson for the U.S. Navy confirmed that DMSP data-sharing would cease on July 31, 2017. According to the spokesperson, "the DMSP will be completely discontinued in September 2026" as it no longer "meets our information technology requirements." Lisa Avram, her husband and their family are constantly on edge in Florida. She and other storm survivors whose houses are in different elevations may find it "a seriously dangerous proposition". She said that because it's hurricane season, houses in the air are even more dangerous, as they're not properly secured.
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Uber loses UK Supreme Court Appeal over Tax on Rival Apps
Uber's competitors in England and Wales who operate taxis will not be charged a VAT of 20% on their margins outside London, after Uber lost an appeal against a previous decision on Tuesday. Uber wanted a court order that private-hire operators contract with their passengers. This means they must charge 20% VAT outside London, as Uber does. The case was brought after the Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that Uber drivers are workers and therefore entitled to minimum wage, holiday pay and VAT on rides. Uber wanted the same conditions to be applied to competitors and the High Court decided in its favor last year. The ruling was for rides outside London in England and Wales, where there is a different regulatory system. The Court of Appeal reversed this ruling in July 2024, following a challenge from private hire operators Delta Taxis as well as platform Veezu. Uber appealed to the Supreme Court which, on Tuesday, unanimously dismissed it, ruling that the operators were not required to sign a contract with the passengers. Uber spokesperson stated that the ruling confirms "that different contractual protections are applicable for people booking trips from London in comparison to the rest England and Wales", however, it has "no effect on Uber's VAT application". Layla Barke Jones from Aaron & Partners is the lawyer for Delta Taxis. She said that a win by Uber would have negatively affected many private hire operators. Veezu's chief legal officer Nia cooper said that the ruling prevented significant fare increases. In another case, the Estonian startup Bolt that offers food and ride-hailing services has defeated an appeal from Britain's tax authority HMRC this year on what it must charge VAT at 20 percent. HMRC was granted permission by the Court of Appeal to contest the ruling that Bolt only has to pay VAT on the margin and not the total cost of the trip. Kimberly Hurd is Bolt's senior UK general manager. She welcomed the Supreme Court decision regarding Uber's appeal but stated that a new regulatory structure was required to ensure rules are consistent throughout the UK. (Reporting and editing by Sarah Young, Susan Fenton and Sam Tobin)
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IFM, an Australian company, has bought 75% of Air Rail, a Spanish firm that manufactures ground support equipment.
IFM Investors announced on Tuesday that it had purchased a 75% share in Air Rail, which is the largest owner and operator in Spain and Portugal of ground support equipment. The Australian investment manager was expanding its presence in Iberia. The deal's financial terms have not been disclosed. Air Rail founder Jose Manuel Garcia Prieto retains a 25% stake. IFM said in a press release that the transaction is still subject to regulatory approvals. It should close by the end the year. Air Rail, based in Madrid, operates at over 50 European airports. It manages more than 4,000 ground support units, including boarding stairs and pushback tractors, as well as baggage carts. 70% of the fleet is electric. IFM, a company owned by Australian pension funds, said that it had invested more than 10 billion euros ($11.5billion) in Spain over the last seven years. This makes Spain one of the top markets for the firm.
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JetBlue posts smaller-than-expected loss as U.S. demand recovers
JetBlue Airways posted a second-quarter adjusted loss on Tuesday that was lower than Wall Street's expectations. This was due to cost-cutting measures and a recovering demand for travel within the U.S. In premarket trading, shares of the airline were up by nearly 3%. Delta and United, two of the largest peers, have indicated that bookings, although at lower than expected levels, are beginning to stabilize. This indicates an uneven recovery. JetBlue, along with several other major airlines, pulled its financial forecast for 2025 in April. JetBlue cited uncertainty related to the Trump Administration's sweeping tariffs policies and federal funding cuts, which weighed on travel by consumers. JetBlue President Marty St. George said that demand for air travel increased as the quarter progressed. This resulted in bookings for travel within 14 days of the travel date, and for travel during peak periods. The carrier expects the third-quarter revenue generated per available seat mile, also known as unit revenue, and used by industry to measure pricing power, will decline between 2% and 6 percent. The company also reaffirmed its 2025 forecast for unit costs, which it expects to increase between 5%-7%. New York's airline reported that unit revenue for the second quarter, a proxy of pricing power, declined by 1.5%. This was higher than previous guidance. Analysts had estimated a loss per share of 33 cents. The carrier's adjusted loss was 16 cents. Operating revenue was $2.18 Billion. LSEG data shows that analysts, on average were expecting $2.28billion. The carrier expects growth to return in 2026, in part because of the improved impact of ongoing inspections on RTX's Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan Engines. The company expects to have fewer than ten grounded aircraft by 2025, down from the mid-to high teens. Reporting by Aishwarya Jain from Bengaluru, and Doyinsola Oladipo from New York. Editing by Shailesh Kuber.
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JetBlue posts smaller-than-expected loss as U.S. demand recovers
JetBlue Airways posted a second-quarter adjusted loss on Tuesday that was less than Wall Street's expectations. This was due to cost-cutting measures and a recovering demand for travel within the U.S. Delta and United, two of the largest peers, have indicated that bookings, although at lower than expected levels, are beginning to stabilize. This indicates an uneven recovery. JetBlue, along with several other major airlines, pulled its financial forecast for 2025 in April. JetBlue cited uncertainty related to the Trump Administration's sweeping tariff policy and federal spending reductions that weighed heavily on consumer travel. JetBlue President Marty St. George said that demand for air travel increased as the quarter progressed. This resulted in a significant increase for bookings made within 14 days of travel as well as during peak travel times. The carrier expects the third-quarter revenue generated per available seat mile, also known as unit revenue, which is a measure of pricing power and an industry metric. The company also revised its forecast for 2025, predicting a rise of between 5% to 7% in unit costs. Analysts had estimated a loss per share of 33 cents. The carrier's adjusted loss was 16 cents. Operating revenue was $2.18 Billion. According to data compiled by LSEG, analysts expected an average of $2.28 billion. (Reporting by Aishwarya Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
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Uber loses UK Supreme Court Appeal over Tax on Rival Apps
Uber's competitors in England and Wales who operate taxis will not be charged a VAT of 20% on their margins outside London, after Uber lost an appeal against a previous decision on Tuesday. Uber wanted a court order that private-hire taxis enter into contracts with their passengers. This means they must pay VAT outside London at 20%, as Uber does. The case was brought after the Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that Uber drivers are workers and therefore entitled to minimum wage, holiday pay and VAT on rides. Uber wanted the same conditions to be applied to competitors and the High Court decided in its favor last year. The ruling was for rides outside London in England and Wales, where there is a different regulatory system. The Court of Appeal reversed this ruling in July 2024, following a challenge from private hire operators Delta Taxis as well as platform Veezu. Uber appealed to the Supreme Court which, on Tuesday, unanimously dismissed it, ruling that the operators were not required to sign a contract with the passengers. Uber spokesperson stated that the ruling confirms "that different contractual protections are applicable for people booking trips from London in comparison to the rest England and Wales", however, it has "no effect on Uber's VAT application". Layla Barke Jones from Aaron & Partners is the lawyer for Delta Taxis. She said that a win by Uber would have negatively affected many private hire operators. In another case, the Estonian startup Bolt that offers food and ride-hailing services has defeated an appeal from Britain's tax authority HMRC about what it must pay in VAT at 20%. HMRC was granted permission by the Court of Appeal to contest the ruling that Bolt only has to pay VAT on the margin and not the total cost of the trip. Kimberly Hurd is Bolt's senior UK general manager. She welcomed the Supreme Court decision regarding Uber's appeal but stated that a new regulatory structure was required to ensure rules are consistent throughout the UK. (Reporting and editing by Sarah Young, Susan Fenton and Sam Tobin)
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Union Pacific buys Norfolk for $85 billion in mega US rail deal
Union Pacific announced on Tuesday that it will buy rival Norfolk Southern for $85 billion. This deal will create the first coast-tocoast freight railroad operator in the United States and transform the movement of goods across the country, from grains to automobiles. If approved, this deal would combine Union Pacific’s dominant position in the western two thirds of the U.S. and Norfolk’s 19,500-mile network that spans primarily 22 eastern states. According to the companies, it is expected that both railroads will have a combined value of $250 billion. They would also unlock annualized synergies worth about $2.75 Billion. The merger of Union Pacific, America's largest railroad, and Norfolk, another top player, would be the largest ever in the industry. This would give the combined company a transcontinental advantage. The two companies announced on Thursday that they had begun preliminary discussions about a potential merger. The transaction will face numerous regulatory hurdles, and it will be a test of how President Donald Trump has changed his thinking on antitrust issues. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board has been signaling a more industry-friendly approach to merger reviews since early 2025. Surface Transportation Board (the federal agency that regulates railroads) has indicated a more industry friendly approach to merger review. President Trump appointed Chairman Patrick Fuchs to his post in January. He has pushed for a faster timetable for preliminary assessments. Union Pacific's Norfolk deal would need to be supported by labor unions, and it could also invite scrutiny from other federal agencies. The major railroad unions are opposed to consolidation. They argue that mergers could disrupt rail service and threaten jobs. "We will do everything we can to help the STB and the Trump administration," said Jeremy Ferguson of the SMART union's Transport Division, after both companies announced that they were in advanced discussions last week. He said, "This merger will not benefit the workers, rail shipper/customer and the public in general." The SMART TD's Transport Division is the largest railroad operating union in North America with over 1,800 railroad yardmasters. North American rail companies are struggling with unstable freight volumes, rising fuel and labor costs, and increasing pressure from shippers regarding service reliability. These factors could complicate the merger. CONSOLIDATION People familiar with the situation said that these talks also prompted BNSF (owned by Berkshire Hathaway) and CSX to consider merger options. A person familiar with the discussions said on Thursday that agents at the STB have already begun preparing for the possibility of receiving not one but two megamergers proposals. If both mergers were approved, there would be four Class I railroads operating in North America, down from six. This would consolidate major freight routes, and boost pricing power. The $31 billion merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern created the only single-line rail network that connected Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The deal, which was finalized in 2023 and approved by the government, was met with heavy regulatory opposition because of fears that it would reduce competition, disrupt services, and cut jobs.
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The U.S. Transportation Department gives the go-ahead to JetBlue and United's partnership
The U.S. Department of Transportation has cleared JetBlue and United Airlines' planned partnership, allowing them to move forward with implementation. JetBlue was seeking partnerships since a federal court judge in 2023 blocked its alliance with American Airlines. Jetblue and United announced a partnership in May called "Blue Sky". This would allow travelers the ability to book flights using both carriers' websites while earning and utilizing points from their frequent flyer program interchangeably. JetBlue will also give United slots at New York's JFK International Airport, which is currently congested, for up to 7 round-trip flights. This agreement will begin in 2027. Spirit Airlines had in June urged the U.S. Transportation Department to reject the collaboration of the two carriers. It said it was anti-competitive, and that other large carriers would pursue similar deals. Under the Trump administration, antitrust officials have taken a more lenient stance towards corporate deals compared to the stricter approach seen under Biden. In just one week in June, the FTC approved several multi-billion dollar deals, signaling an increased willingness to reach agreements with companies. According to FTC statistics from July, more than 100 transactions were given shorter reviews. JetBlue and United announced that Blue Sky will begin to introduce new customer benefits in the fall of 2025. They plan to roll them out in stages. (Reporting by Aishwarya Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
Russian media reports that a drone attack in Ukraine has resulted in one death and a fire at a train station near Rostov.
Russian authorities reported on Tuesday that multiple Ukrainian drone attacks in southern Rostov, Russia, killed one person, caused a fire, and stopped train traffic at the railway station.
The Russian defence ministry reports only the number of drones destroyed and not how many Ukraine launched. It said that its defence units shot down a total 74 drones over night, including 22 in the Rostov area.
The attack in Salsk resulted in a damaged car, which killed the driver. This was confirmed by the acting Rostov governor, Yuri Slyusar on Telegram.
Russia's Railways announced on Telegram that a stationary freight train caught a fire at a train station in Salsk and the power was cut. This forced the suspension of all train traffic.
Could not independently verify the story. Ukraine has not yet commented on the report, despite its repeated claims that it is a response to Moscow's constant attacks against Ukraine.
Both sides deny that civilians are being targeted in the war which Russia began with its full-scale invader in 2022. Reporting by Lidia Kelley in Melbourne, Editing by Tom Hogue & Lincoln Feast.
(source: Reuters)