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JetBlue flight avoids collision with US Air Force jet in mid-air
A JetBlue passenger plane bound for New York avoided a mid-air crash on Friday with a U.S. Air Force Tanker near Venezuela by taking evasive actions, according to a recording of an air traffic control system. JetBlue Flight 1112 was departing from Curacao in the Caribbean and flying approximately 40 miles (64km) off the coast Venezuela when an Airbus A320 reported spotting the Air Force jet. The Air Force plane did not have its Transponder turned on. JetBlue's pilot stated that the Air Force pilot flew within a few mile of the plane at the same height. They passed directly through our flight path... The transponders are not on. "It's outrageous", said the pilot. JetBlue's pilot said that the Air Force jet entered Venezuelan airspace. "We nearly had a mid air collision up here." INCIDENT RECALLS DEADLY JANUARY CRASH Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz noted on Monday that an Army helicopter had ?collided with an American Airlines flight on January 29 near Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people, and was not using an advanced tracking technology called an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast system, also ?known as ADS-B. Why do we tolerate near misses? Cruz spoke about the JetBlue incident. Maria Cantwell said that the JetBlue incident 'raised concern and the public needs a better system. Cantwell stated that "this is not acceptable". You can't have military planes and commercial aircraft flying in the same corridors without letting one another know. "We just can't do that." They spoke at a Monday press conference to push for the removal of a provision in a defense bill, which must be passed annually, that, according to them, would weaken safety by allowing military planes to fly through Washington, DC's airspace without transmitting ADSB information. JetBlue's spokesperson stated on Monday that safety was the company's number one priority. Our crew is trained in proper procedures to handle different flight situations. We appreciate that our crew reported this incident promptly to our leadership team. We have reported the incident to federal authorities, and we will be a part of any investigation." U.S. Military Active in Region The incident occurred as the United States mounted a massive military buildup in southern Caribbean, as President Donald Trump campaigns against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. This has pushed relations to the most volatile point they have been in years. U.S. 'Southern Command' said in a Monday statement that it was aware and was reviewing the matter. The military said that its "aircrews" are highly-trained professionals who follow established procedures and adhere to applicable airspace requirements. Safety is our top priority. We are using the "appropriate channels" to evaluate the facts of the situation. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning to major airlines last month about a "potentially dangerous situation" while flying over Venezuela, and encouraged them to be cautious. As tensions worsened, major airlines around the globe have suspended flights. Trump has also threatened to start hitting Venezuelan land targets. The FAA didn't immediately comment on Monday about the JetBlue incident. (Reporting and editing by Lisa Shumaker, Jamie Freed, and David Shepardson from Washington)
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US FTC and 21 states file amended complaints against Uber regarding subscription practices
Uber is accused of deceptive billing practices and cancellations by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The agency, 21 states as well as the District of Columbia have filed an amended complaint. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, alleges that Uber charged users for subscriptions they didn't consent to, did not deliver on promised benefits like zero-dollar delivery charges and monthly savings and made it difficult for them to cancel. Following the news, shares of Uber dropped more than 3%. Uber was first sued by the FTC in April for similar allegations. The amended complaint aims to seek civil penalties in connection with alleged violations of state consumer protection laws and the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act. Uber One is marketed as a subscription that can be purchased monthly or annually. It promises benefits such as $0 delivery charges and up to $25 monthly savings. The FTC stated that many consumers paid delivery fees in spite of the promise, and did not receive the advertised savings. Uber is also accused of enrolling users into subscriptions without their consent, including those who had signed up for a free trial, and charging them before the trial ended. Uber has denied these allegations, saying that it never charges or signs up customers without their consent. According to the filing, canceling was described as being "extremely difficult" with users having to navigate through up to 23 screens. Uber stated in an emailed statement that most cancellations can be made in less than 20 seconds and in the Uber app at any time. "Prior until December 2024, customers had to call Support within 48 hours to cancel their next billing cycle, as was explained when signing up." California, New York and Texas are among the states that have joined the FTC. Reporting by Kritika Lama in Bangalore, Costas Pittas in Los Angeles, and Ryan Patrick Jones at Toronto; editing by Chris Reese & Shinjini Ganuli
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Trinidad and Tobago allows US military aircraft to transit through airports
Trinidad and Tobago approved on Monday for United States military aircraft to transit their airports in the coming weeks. This is due to the rising tensions between Venezuela and the U.S. In a press release, the Caribbean country's Foreign Ministry said it was "committed" to working with the U.S. on regional security. It added that the aircraft movements were "logistical in nature". Pentagon: In November, an American military official met with the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad Bisssar, to "reaffirm" the partnership and "discuss priorities for regional stability and security". In recent months, the U.S. increased operations in the Caribbean and Pacific. This included more than 20 strikes on suspected drug-trafficking ships this year. Nearly 90 people were killed. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has raised the?possibility of military??intervention? in Venezuela. He cited allegations that Venezuela ships?narcotics? to the United States. Caracas, however, denies this.
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JetBlue flight avoids collision with US Air Force jet in mid-air
JetBlue avoids collision with Air Force jet that was not tracked Incident after US military build-up near Venezuela FAA warns airlines about risks in Venezuelan airspace By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, DECEMBER 15: A JetBlue passenger plane bound for New York avoided a midair collision on Friday with a U.S. A pilot reported in an air traffic recording that a?Air Force aircraft was near Venezuela. JetBlue Flight 1112 was departing Curacao in the Caribbean and flying approximately 40 miles (64km) off the coast Venezuela when an Airbus A320 reported that it had encountered the Air Force plane, which didn't have its transponder turned on, according to a recording taken by liveatc.net. JetBlue's pilot stated that the Air Force pilot flew within a few miles and was at the same height as the plane. They passed directly in our flight path. The transponder on their aircraft was not turned on. "It's outrageous", said the pilot. JetBlue's pilot reported that the Air Force jet entered Venezuelan airspace. "We nearly had a mid air collision up here." JetBlue's spokesperson stated?on Sunday that safety is the company's number one priority. Our crew is trained in proper procedures to handle various flight situations. We appreciate that our crew reported this incident promptly to our leadership. We have reported the incident to federal authorities, and we will cooperate in any investigation. The incident occurred as the United States mounted a 'large-scale military buildup' in the southern Caribbean, as President Donald Trump campaigns against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. This pushed relations to their most explosive point in years. U.S. Southern Command stated in a Monday statement that it was aware of the incident, and is'reviewing' the matter. The military said that its "aircrews" are highly-trained professionals who follow established procedures and adhere to applicable airspace requirements. Safety is our top priority and we're working through the appropriate channels to gather the facts about the situation. Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning to major airlines that they were flying into a "potentially dangerous situation" over Venezuela, and asked them to be cautious. As tensions worsened, major airlines around the globe have suspended flights. Trump has also threatened to start hitting Venezuelan land targets. The FAA didn't immediately comment on Monday about the JetBlue incident. (Reporting and editing by Lisa Shumaker in Washington, with David Shepardson reporting from Washington)
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Kenya signs power line deal worth $311 million with Africa Fund, Indian company
Kenya signed a $311 million agreement on Monday with PowerGrid Corporation?of India and a pan-African Infrastructure Fund for the construction of high-voltage transmission lines. In order to fund infrastructure projects, the East African nation has turned to public-private partnership and securitisation. This is due to high public debts and a tight fiscal environment. According to the Ministry, under the power line deal, Africa50, an infrastructure fund based in Morocco that is owned primarily by African countries, will work with PowerGrid on the design, financing, construction and operation of?the transmissions lines and sub-stations. Africa50 announced that the project company would "undertake the complete lifecycle?of the transmission network, from construction through to operation -- over a 30-year period of concession". It said that the two lines "would unlock cleaner, more affordable and reliable power for millions Kenyans." It was unclear how much money would be invested and what the increase in transmission capacity would look like. Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited, a state-owned firm, is the contracting party. According to the Finance Ministry, the project will "enhance the system stability, reduce load-shedding and technical losses, and facilitate renewable energy integration." In the past, high demand-driven 'overloads' were blamed for tripling up the grid and causing nationwide blackouts. The government is trying to 'address this by expanding infrastructure in order to accommodate increased demand without straining network. The debt burden of 'Kenya and the resistance to tax increases have closed off traditional financing sources for such infrastructure. President William Ruto responded by negotiating with the private sector. Critics claim that the strategy exposes state liabilities to increased liability through opaque "contracts". The government has dismissed the criticism. Last year, Ruto's attempt to build new transmission lines with India’s Adani Group fell through after the founder of Adani was indicted by the United States. Duncan Miriri, Aiden Lewis and Duncan Miriri contributed to this report.
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USDOT declares energy emergency in Northeast US because of propane shortage
U.S. Department of Transportation declared a regional disaster for Delaware, New Jersey?, New York? and Pennsylvania because of cold weather, and an outage of power at a Pennsylvania gas refinery? that disrupted propane flow. Declaratory action taken on Friday allows propane, natural gas and heating oil carriers to circumvent the maximum driving time rule while still providing direct assistance in an emergency. Propane is a vital heating fuel, particularly during the winter months. It powers furnaces, water heaters, and stoves for homes and businesses. Cold snaps and winter storms may cause a shortage of propane, so timely deliveries are essential to maintaining?energy security. The National Propane Gas Association states that the emergency is a result of an incident in November at Energy Transfer's Marcus Hook Terminal. The operator declared force majeure and implemented allocation to cover 70% of the contracted loads. Energy Transfer didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration of the USDOT, the emergency declaration would remain in place 'until the emergency ends or until 11:59 pm ET on December 25, 2015. The department also stated that it could modify the declaration if necessary, including the modification of transportations and goods, or extend or terminate the declaration based on the conditions. FMCSA stated that the exemption from the "declaration" only applied to shipments supporting humanitarian relief, and that it did not waive any other safety requirements such as drug and alcohol tests, commercial driver licenses, and hazardous materials regulations.
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Spirit Airlines receives bankruptcy funding of $100 Million
Spirit Aviation announced on Monday that it had secured $100 million in bankruptcy financing as the struggling?carrier worked on a restructuring plan. Spirit Airlines' parent company filed for bankruptcy a second-time in August after struggling to cope with shrinking cash reserves and mounting losses. Spirit Airlines has been cutting jobs, trimming routes, and reducing operations as part of its broader cost-cutting strategy. The company has already withdrawn from 14 airports and refused leases for over 80 aircraft. The ultra-low cost carrier announced on Monday that all operations, including flights and ticket sales, will continue as normal. Spirit can access $50 million right away, and the rest is subject to restructuring discussions or a possible deal. The?carrier didn't disclose the source of?funding. The Aviation-focused publication, The Air Current, reported on Friday rival airlines are preparing to capitalize on Spirit Airlines' routes if it is forced shut down. (Reporting and editing by Sahal Muhammad in Bengaluru, with Nathan Gomes reporting from Bengaluru)
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Airbus delivered 30 jets during the first half of December, according to sources
Sources and analysts in the industry said that Airbus has delivered 30 aircraft during the first half December. This is a lower-than-average rate for the month, as some airlines are waiting for information on fixes for a recent fuselage issue. Airbus has delivered 657 jets between January and November. "If they have to deliver another 104 planes to reach the revised?guidance around 790 aircraft, it seems to be a very difficult challenge at this stage in the month," said analyst Rob Morris. He noted that Cirium data indicated 29 deliveries by last Friday. Airbus declined to comment on the mid-month figures. Airbus has cut its delivery target for the full year by 4%, to 790 jets instead of 820. This is after CEO Guillaume Faury referred to "weak" deliveries in November following the discovery that some A320 family fuselage panels had a problem. Sources in the industry said that several airlines were reluctant to accept delivery of up to 628 aircraft either in production or already in their fleet until they received more?technical information about inspections to be performed on these planes. They said that some carriers have pressed for better warranty terms and compensation for the disruption. This comes after a software recall. Airbus has declined to comment on any commercial discussion. The company said that the panel defect did not affect safety in?flight. However, the emergency software recall addressed a vulnerability to cosmic radiation revealed by a midair loss of altitude on JetBlue flight. Airbus is ahead of Boeing in terms of deliveries, which helps determine revenue. However, last week, it admitted that it would likely lose the race to win orders for the first time since six years. Tim Hepher is the reporter. (Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Mark Potter.)
As the US invests in critical minerals, Washington lobbying is boosted by these firms.
A review of public documents and interviews with executives revealed that critical mineral companies have increased their lobbying efforts to Washington in order to benefit from the ambitious investments made by U.S. president Donald Trump to firms considered essential to national safety.
The review revealed that at least 12 companies, including those in the lithium, copper and rare earths industries, as well as geothermal, have signed agreements with Washington lobbying firms.
Influence campaigns have increased dramatically in recent years to secure federal investment, permit support and long-term contract guarantees. The White House is shifting its focus from the traditional emphasis on subsidies for industry to one that focuses on partial ownership of MP Materials, Lithium Americas, and other companies in order to counter China’s dominance on critical minerals.
"Since the U.S. Government began giving away money earlier this year, all minerals boardrooms in America began to wonder, 'What about me?' Ken Hoffman is a commodity analyst with Red Cloud Securities, and former mining consultant. Hoffman, a commodity strategist with mining investment bank Red Cloud Securities and a former mining industry consultant, said that government funding was crucial despite recent JPMorgan moves to invest up $10 billion in vital minerals and other industries. Hoffman added that many private investors are still hesitant to fund junior miners or novel processing technologies. Stock prices have soared across the industry as companies try to align themselves with Washington’s industrial strategy. Sprott Lithium Miners ETF has, for example, risen more than 35% over the last month. Ballard Partners is run by Republican fundraiser Brian Ballard who was a Trump ally. He raised more than $50m for Trump's campaign in 2024.
The Bernhardt Group is also linked to David Bernhardt who, during Trump's first tenure, ran the U.S. Interior Department is a major player in approving critical mineral projects.
Bernhardt and Ballard have not responded to any requests for comments.
To understand the complex industry, lobbyists must have a thorough understanding of geopolitics, science, trade, and procurement. They also need to be able to communicate with the 535 members in Congress and the hundreds of executive branch offices. Jim Sims, NioCorp's CEO, said that you need someone in Washington to educate lawmakers about what you are doing and the science involved. The company has been awarded $10 million by the Pentagon to develop a Nebraska scandium mining project. It is also being considered for a $800 million loan by the U.S. Export-Import Bank.
NioCorp hired Navigators global in April. The firm's roster included Marco Rubio’s former legislative assistant Cesar Conda.
Some companies who recently hired lobbyists have been in discussions with the administration, or landed deals. Lithium Americas hired Guidepost Strategies as a lobbying firm in July. This month, the company reached an agreement with Washington to exchange a 5% stake in its Thacker Pass project and its stock in General Motors for a $2.26billion loan. Filings reveal that the company has already paid Guidepost more than $200,000 this year. Tim Crowley is the vice president of Lithium Americas' government affairs. He said, "For years, we have worked to share with a variety of stakeholders the positive impact Thacker Pass has had, including Congress and the White House, as well as relevant federal agencies."
Reports earlier in the month stated that Critical Metals Corp., who hired Cornerstone Government Affairs back in February, had held discussions with White House officials about a potential U.S. equity stake in its rare-earths deposit in Greenland. Cornerstone has received $210,000 from the company so far in this year.
Tony Sage, Chairman of Critical Metals, said that the West's limited availability of rare earths made it "even more important" to make sure our deposit and vision were on the radars for key decision-makers in the United States.
Since hiring Cassidy & Associates in November last year, United States Antimony paid them $130,000. The company was awarded a $245-million contract by the Pentagon Defense Logistics Agency last month. Gary Evans, CEO of U.S. Antimony, said that the lobbying firm helped to reach out to officials in Alaska and Montana where the company plans to mine and process the antimony.
Evans stated that the purpose and intent of lobbying was to make legislators aware of what we do. Some didn't know that we existed. BHP Minerals Service is a subsidiary company of the mining giant BHP. It registered last month with Bernhardt to lobby for trade issues relating to minerals. BHP declined comment. Trigg Minerals (which is developing a Tennessee Tungsten Mine) hired Bernhardt’s firm in July for help securing U.S. Government support. Trigg Minerals did not respond when asked for comment.
Records show that Ballard's company has signed contracts with at least six important mineral companies including Korea Zinc and US Strategic Metals.
Korea Zinc has been lobbying the administration on behalf of The Metals Company, which has agreed that they will help process polymetallic nodules found in the seabed. Trump has been pushing for efforts to
Open seabeds to mine minerals
Falcon, US Strategic Minerals, and Korea Zinc were not available for immediate comment. TechMet refused to comment. (Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw, Ernest Scheyder and Editing by Veronica Brown & David Gregorio).
(source: Reuters)