Contractor pays settlement for installing vessel that exploded at Givaudan without permit
The contractor that installed the pressure vessel that caused the deadly explosion at the Givaudan Sense Colour plant in November without a permit paid $500 to settle the violation with Kentucky regulators, according to records obtained by The Courier Journal through an open records request.
Cochran Mechanical, LLC, the Elizabethtown-based contractor that installed the vessel that ultimately exploded and left two workers dead and several others injured, agreed to pay the settlement, "secure a permit" and "schedule and follow through with all required inspections" to resolve the violation with the Kentucky Department of Housing, Building and Construction, according to a signed copy of the settlement.
Prior to installing a vessel, contractors are required to obtain an installation permit, which notifies the department that an inspection needs to be performed. That never happened for the vessel that exploded and another vessel at the site, according to an investigation report written by Chief Boiler Inspector Mark Jordan.
Meaghan Schneider, an attorney for a law firm Cochran Mechanical, LLC hired to represent the company as the investigation into the Givaudan explosion unfolds, noted the vessel was installed in 2021, adding that it's unlikely the permitting violation had anything to do with the explosion.
The vessel's exact installation date is unclear. Records indicate it, along with the other vessel not inspected, were installed sometime after July 12, 2021, when a shop tasked with repairing them obtained repair permits from the commonwealth. There are no permitting or inspection records for the vessels since then, according to department records.
Jonathon "Max" Fuller, the department's commissioner, also wrote a letter to the Jefferson County Attorney's Criminal Division notifying the office of criminal penalties that could be brought against Givaudan, the plant operator. The letter explains that operating a pressure vessel in Kentucky without a valid certificate of inspection is a Class B misdemeanor and that each day in violation counts as a separate offense.
Fuller's letter says he reached out because his department does not have authority over the plant operator.
"Should you wish to pursue criminal penalties, the Department stands ready to assist," the letter reads.
A spokesperson from Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell's office did not say whether the office plans to pursue criminal charges.
"Our office is not an investigative agency. The Jefferson County Attorney's Office routinely reviews materials submitted by investigative agencies for potential criminal charges and takes appropriate action," said Josh Abner, a spokesperson for the office.
Contact reporter Killian Baarlaer at kbaarlaer@gannett.com or @bkillian72 on X.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Givaudan explosion: Vessel installer settles with Kentucky
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Chicago Tribune
33 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Troubled Cook County tech firm used insider lobbyist who was later convicted in ComEd corruption scheme
. As a fledgling tech contractor looking to build its business in the insular world of Cook County politics, Texas-based Tyler Technologies turned to one of Illinois' most well-connected lobbyists to get the job done. In 2016, Jay Doherty not only lobbied Chicago, Cook County and state agencies, he was also the longtime president of the City Club of Chicago, a popular nonprofit civic organization. The dual roles granted Doherty access to the halls of power and enabled him to easily hobnob with decision-makers such as Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who regularly appeared at the club's luncheons attended by hundreds of government and business leaders. He was a useful operative in the machine of longtime Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan. And he helped fundraise and organize the installation ceremony for Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, the wife of his longtime friend, Chicago Ald. Edward Burke. At the time Tyler hired Doherty in 2016, there was no indication any of the Tyler executives involved knew their new man in Illinois was also corrupt. Doherty would be convicted in 2023 of conspiracy in a scandal involving one of his other clients, Commonwealth Edison. It was part of a series of linked cases that ultimately ended Madigan's decades-long run as speaker. There is no direct connection between Doherty's work for ComEd and what he did for Tyler. Unlike Tyler's efforts seeking contract opportunities, the ComEd case detailed a vast criminal scheme of bribery and influence peddling as part of the utility's efforts to get legislation passed. But interviews and records about Doherty's work for Tyler and details from his 2023 trial reveal striking parallels in how he repeatedly smoothed paths for both clients, including creating informal interactions at City Club events attended by government officials so the two sides could discuss business outside the office. Tyler executives won't say exactly when they hired Doherty, only that it was sometime in 'late 2016.' Doherty didn't formally report any lobbying activity for Tyler until March 2017. It was a pivotal time for the company. In 2015, Tyler won a $30 million contract to upgrade and digitize the county's property tax system, but in October 2016 the company blew its first major deadline. In a separate contract signed earlier that year, the Supreme Court had agreed to pay Tyler Technologies $8.4 million to digitally connect it to each of the state's 102 county clerk offices. And, despite concerns from some county commissioners regarding Tyler's problems in other localities, the company was trying to score yet a third contract worth $36.5 million to bring the Cook County Circuit Court database into the 21st century. A review of email correspondence, court and contract records and dozens of interviews by Injustice Watch and the Chicago Tribune reveals how Doherty went to work for his new client. He set up key meetings to lobby Tyler critics. He invited the county's chief technology officer — who was then hashing out final details on its second county contract — to speak at the City Club. And, at another City Club event, Tyler's vice president of sales was placed at the same table as County Commissioner John Fritchey — chair of the board's Technology and Innovation Committee and a leading Tyler skeptic. Over the next three years, Doherty lobbied for Tyler as it navigated blown deadlines and pursued new procurement opportunities even as failed rollouts had some county elected officials calling on Preckwinkle — who as board president was invited to speak 17 times at the City Club during Doherty's tenure — to fire Tyler. Tyler was not fired. Instead, what began as a series of three contracts for a total of $75 million has now ballooned to more than $250 million. A decade later, one of the projects has yet to reach its declared finish line, another is reaching completion this month after a yearslong delay, and the third is still in need of fixes — dogged by slowdowns and shortcomings. Tyler touted its Cook County contract wins to become a national powerhouse in local government technology, reporting $2.1 billion in revenues from taxpayer-financed contracts last year alone. After Doherty's three-year run shepherding Tyler through numerous controversies, the company fired him in 2019 following media reports that federal authorities raided his offices and the City Club as part of their ComEd investigation. Doherty's lobbying methods only came to light through federal trial testimony, Cook County Bureau of Technology emails obtained through the open records act, and internal City Club records obtained by the Tribune and Injustice Watch. Doherty, 71, and his attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. Tyler executives said, through a spokesperson, the company's contract with Doherty required him to comply 'with all applicable laws. Within approximately two business days of learning about the allegations against Mr. Doherty, Tyler ended its agreement with him. Tyler has had no relationship with him since that time. Tyler was not involved in any investigation or prosecution of Mr. Doherty.' The son of a small city mayor in McHenry County, Doherty in the 1980s became an important fundraiser and political consultant for Democratic candidates in Chicago, including members of the Kennedy family and Chicago Mayor Harold Washington. He kept six Rolodexes on the credenza behind his office chair and would flip through the cards, cradling a phone to one ear, one former lobbying associate recalled. In 1985, Doherty began his professional relationship with ComEd, receiving a $10,000-per-year retainer to lobby Washington's City Hall, where he claimed to have saved the utility more than $50 million, according to exhibits and testimony in Doherty's federal criminal trial. Ten years later, he began serving as the unpaid president of the City Club of Chicago, a 122-year-old nonprofit civic organization hosting bipartisan candidates' debates, journalist panels and speeches by political heavyweights from Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump. But starting in 2011 Doherty began using his lobbying firm, Jay Doherty & Associates, to funnel $1.3 million from ComEd to four Madigan allies for no-show subcontractor positions 'to influence and reward' Madigan, who helped orchestrate passage of three ComEd legislative proposals worth at least $150 million to the utility, prosecutors alleged. The utility admitted its role in the bribery scheme and agreed to pay the government a $200 million fine as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. Madigan was charged in a connected but separate case in which he was convicted in February on bribery and conspiracy charges. Madigan is set to be sentenced Friday. Doherty was convicted in 2023 of six counts, including conspiracy and falsifying records. His sentencing date is scheduled for August. A relentless political consultant who worked long hours and on holidays, Doherty kept much of his work for Tyler and others out of the public eye. Fellow lobbyists say he rarely contacted targets at board meetings, instead peppering county officials with short emails to arrange private meetings and phone calls. Lobbying records show Doherty's one-man firm had at least 27 clients since 2014, but also show Doherty sometimes failed to disclose his activity as required. In 2021, the city fined him $75,000 for failing to register as a lobbyist for three companies. His trial also revealed how much he leaned into his position as president of one of Illinois' most venerable civic organizations to boost his lobbying clients. In one wiretapped conversation with another ComEd lobbyist who turned government witness, Fidel Marquez, Doherty explained why ComEd made significant charitable donations to the City Club while paying his lobbying retainer, which rose to $450,000 per year. ComEd executives understood the importance of the City Club as a place where Doherty could facilitate informal contacts with government officials, he told Marquez. 'They saw the value of being able to sit next to people in soft situations,' Doherty told Marquez in February 2019 as Marquez wore an FBI wire. Marquez responded: 'No, they, they, they know very, very well the value of a good relationship.' 'Yeah, and, and a soft relationship,' Doherty responded. 'A soft one, yes,' Marquez said. Marquez explained on the witness stand in Doherty's criminal trial that Doherty enabled ComEd leaders to appear as featured City Club speakers, and arranged for them to sit alongside government officials at the head table with the event's speaker, where they could 'get to chat with them for a little while.' At least half a dozen times, Doherty introduced ComEd executives at City Club events without mentioning he was also the company's lobbyist, the nonprofit's online archive shows. It helped boost the revenues of City Club — which raised and spent more than $1 million per year — when Doherty featured government officials who oversaw contracts as luncheon speakers, and brought in his clients to sit with them at reserved tables where they could talk privately, according to interviews and trial testimony. They were the same tactics Doherty used to benefit Tyler, the Tribune and Injustice Watch found. Four months before he reported any official work as Tyler's lobbyist, Doherty began taking steps that would benefit the rapidly growing Texas tech company. Among his late 2016 moves was booking Cook County's chief technology officer, Simona Rollinson, as a featured City Club speaker for the first time since she took the job four years earlier. Emails show Doherty had lobbied Rollinson for several years on behalf of other tech clients. He did not note that work or Tyler when he introduced Rollinson before her appearance at the City Club on Feb. 21, 2017. In her speech about ongoing efforts to upgrade the county's aging computer systems, she took credit for being a tough tech contract negotiator. Without naming Tyler, she declared the company was on schedule to install cloud-based, mass appraisal software for the county. 'We're going live with the assessor's office next year,' Rollinson announced. Her City Club prediction would prove premature. Tyler's revamp of basic Cook County assessor's office functions — called iasWorld — was scheduled to go live in December 2018, but it did not happen until 2021 after years of complaints about delays and cross-accusations of incompetence, government records show. In the weeks before and after Rollinson's City Club speech, final negotiations for Tyler's court contract were also taking place behind the scenes, records show. In emails, county and Tyler officials grappled over remaining sticking points, formed strategies to address board opposition, and discussed their talking points. Emails and lobbying disclosures also show Rollinson was scheduled to meet with Doherty and two of his other tech clients in the days leading up to crucial board votes. Rollinson, who no longer works in government, did not respond to requests for comment from the Tribune and Injustice Watch. On March 21, 2017, Tyler Vice President of Sales Eric Cullison met with Fritchey and separately with tech committee vice chair, Sean Morrison, to discuss their concerns about the pending $36.5 million contract with Cook County Circuit Clerk Dorothy Brown, Cullison's lobbying records show. At a County Board hearing the next day, Commissioner Robert Steele raised questions about problems Tyler was having in other parts of the country. County Court Clerk Dorothy Brown's top deputy, Bridget Dancy, said at the hearing county officials reached out to other satisfied counties, and Tyler had demonstrated they knew how to convert and transfer data. Much of the data, images and talking points Dancy used originated from Cullison, emails show. Contacted by phone, Dancy said all the information she used came from other county officials. After the hearing, commissioners 'returned' it for further study until the next month. Although he had already been under contract with Tyler for months, Doherty registered his first lobbying activity for the company that day, disclosing the meetings with Rollinson, Fritchey and Morrison. Three weeks later, records show Cullison reported lobbying Rollinson at an April 10 'event' the day before a crucial Finance Committee vote. Although Cullison did not report any details about the event, Fritchey recalled being seated at the speaker's table with Cullison at a City Club luncheon. The next day, the Cook County Board approved the court clerk's $36.5 million contract with Tyler. Fritchey voted 'present.' 'It wasn't lost on me that it was one of the only times I recalled sitting at the City Club speaker's table or that I was seated with one of Jay's clients who had a large pending matter before my committee,' Fritchey said in an interview. 'You unfortunately can't help but think that he was leveraging his role at one of Chicago's leading civic institutions in furtherance of his private lobbying activities.' Charities such as the City Club can jeopardize their tax-exempt status if they're used to enrich their own officers, allegations Doherty had successfully faced down years before. In 2009, longtime City Club board member Kathy Posner complained to then-state Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office about Doherty's use of the club's staff, downtown office and power-elite database for his political consulting business. In response to the allegations, the City Club hired three attorneys who once worked in the AG's office to negotiate an agreement with Lisa Madigan's office. The agreement resulted in no violations, but City Club revised its bylaws and corrected its past financial reports — while keeping Doherty on as club president, records and interviews show. 'We investigated the allegations and none of it was true,' said Mike Hayes, one of the three attorneys who defended the City Club against the whistleblower's allegations. A year after the AG's investigation wrapped, in 2011, Doherty began working covertly with associates of Lisa Madigan's father, Speaker Madigan, according to trial testimony. He continued using City Club's offices and staff for his private lobbying work and showcasing his clients at club events, according to trial testimony and court records. He listed the City Club offices as his lobbying business' address; an administrative aide split her time between the club and his lobbying firm; and filing cabinets at the City Club office held folders on lobbying activity by two of Speaker Madigan's no-show subcontractors. 'If the AG had done its job and stopped Jay in his tracks back then, he wouldn't have been able to keep abusing City Club's tax-exempt status for his lobbying,' Posner said in a recent interview. Lisa Madigan declined to comment, but top staffers who investigated the City Club allegations in 2009 said she never meddled in the probe. In an email response to questions, Tyler executives said Doherty was recommended by a 'highly respected and well-established' vendor the company refused to name. The company said the vendor called Doherty 'a resource who could help Tyler navigate the County's complicated operational landscape.' Doherty reported Tyler paid him $45,325 to lobby Cook County officials. Tyler would not confirm his compensation or respond to other specific questions about Doherty's work. Tyler said Doherty's role was limited to Cook County, and he did not 'engage with' the Illinois Supreme Court, which had a separate contract at the same time. By the fall of 2017, Tyler faced serious problems on its Cook County property tax contract. Rollinson by then had become one of Tyler's critics. On Nov. 15, 2017, Rollinson wrote to Tyler 'to express my concern regarding Tyler's management.' Doherty met with her the same day, his lobbyist disclosure reports show. Doherty's last lobbying contact with Rollinson was in May 2018, records showed, but days later, she left her county post and moved back to the private sector. 'Jay, like most lobbyists, was more interested in lining his pockets than protecting taxpayers from dubious business and utility deals,' said Andy Shaw, a former executive director of the Better Government Association where he acted as liaison for City Club whistleblowers. 'This, sadly, is the 'Chicago Way' — on steroids.' .
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mass. attorney general cites rehab company for $1.1M for unpaid wages to nearly 500 workers
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Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jetstar Asia closure: Affected staff get 4 weeks' salary for each year of service; ChatGPT down for a few hours – what to know about the ChatGPT outage: Singapore live news
Staff affected by the Jetstar Asia closure will receive four weeks' salary for every year they have worked with the company. The Singapore-based airline announced earlier on Wednesday (11 June) that they will cease operations from 31 July. The decision was made after an extensive and careful review. Qantas Group, parent company of Jetstar Asia, clarified that only 16 intra-Asia routes will be impacted by the closure of Jetstar Asia, with no changes to Jetstar Airways (JQ) and Jetstar Japan (GK) services into Asia. AI chatbot ChatGPT was down for a few hours on Tuesday morning and experienced degraded performance, according to parent company OpenAI and the website Downdetector. The company began investigation into the outage around 2.36am on Tuesday morning, with problems spiking about three hours later at 5.30am – as per Downdetector's data. Downdetector received nearly 2,000 error reports at its peak. Read more in our live blog below, including the latest local and international news and updates. A male employee from Mediacorp, who was found "behaving suspiciously" in the female toilet on his company's premises, has been dismissed. A spokesperson for the company told The Straits Times on 10 June that the man's employment was terminated with immediate effect following the "serious incident". The matter was referred to the police and the man has been detained. "The safety and well-being of our employees is of paramount importance to us, and we remain committed to maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for all," said the spokesperson. For more on the dismissal of the Mediacorp employee, read here. Staff affected by the Jetstar Asia closure will receive four weeks' salary for every year they have worked with the company. The Singapore-based airline announced earlier on Wednesday (11 June) that they will cease operations from 31 July. The decision was made after an extensive and careful review. Qantas Group, parent company of Jetstar Asia, clarified that only 16 intra-Asia routes will be impacted by the closure of Jetstar Asia, with no changes to Jetstar Airways (JQ) and Jetstar Japan (GK) services into Asia. More than 500 staff will be retrenched, and they will also receive a bonus payment for the financial year of 2025, a special thank you payment and continued access to staff travel benefits for a period equivalent to their tenure. A Jetstar Asia spokesperson said, "We are committed to supporting team members who are impacted by this announcement the best way we can." For more on the retrenched staff from the Jetstar Asia closure, read here. The reunion of BTS draws near as two more members – Jimin and Jung Kook – of the insanely popular K-pop boyband have been discharged from mandatory military service in South Korea. On Wednesday, the pair wore their military uniforms, saluted and addressed the fans who had gathered to see them. About 200 fans gathered in Chuncheon City for this, with some coming from Mexico, Turkey and Brazil. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BTS (@ "Actually, it's been so long since I've been in front of cameras, and I didn't even put on makeup, so I'm a bit embarrassed," said Jung Kook. The pair are the latest and final members of BTS to be discharged from mandatory military service. Six of the seven members of BTS served in the army. The final member, Suga, will be dischaged later this month after fulfilling his duty as a social service agent, an alternate form of military service. For more on Jimin and Jung Kook being discharged from military service, read here. Former Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean has resigned from the GIC's board of directors and as its chairman of its international advisory board, announced the sovereign wealth fund on Tuesday (10 June). It was announced last week that Teo, 70, will take over from Lim Boon Heng as the fifth chairman of Temasek Holdings. Teo will first join Temasek's board as its deputy chairman on 1 July before assuming the chairman position on 9 Oct. Teo was with GIC for 14 years. He started as a director in December 2010, and assumed the role of chairman of its International Advisory Board in April 2015. "During his tenure, Mr Teo helped GIC navigate significant developments including the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerating technology and climate change, as well as rising geopolitical uncertainty," said GIC in a news release. For more on Teo Chee Hean's resignation from the GIC board, read here. AI chatbot ChatGPT was down for a few hours on Tuesday morning and experienced degraded performance, according to parent company OpenAI and the website Downdetector. OpenAI began investigation into the outage around 2.36am on Tuesday morning, with problems spiking about three hours later at 5.30am – as per Downdetector's data. Downdetector received nearly 2,000 error reports at its peak. The company has said that it is "seeing a recovery" on its developer tools and ChatGPT, but also said previously that a full recover could take hours. OpenAI on Tuesday morning shared on X that it is "observing elevated error rates and latency across ChatGPT", adding that it "identified the root cause" and is "working as fast as possible to fix the issue". We are observing elevated error rates and latency across ChatGPT and the engineers have identified the root cause and are working as fast as possible to fix the updates see our status page: — OpenAI (@OpenAI) June 10, 2025 Aside from ChatGPT, the video generator Sora, as well as application programming interface for developers are affected. According to the latest check on OpenAI Status, nearly all ChatGPT components are "now working properly for all users". However, there is still an "elevated error rate with voice mode" and OpenAI is working to completely fix it. For more on the ChatGPT outage, read here. Singapore-based airline Jetstar Asia will permanently close from 31 July, said the company in a statement on 11 June. Qantas Group, parent company of Jetstar Asia, clarified that only 16 intra-Asia routes will be impacted by the closure of Jetstar Asia, with no changes to Jetstar Airways (JQ) and Jetstar Japan (GK) services into Asia. In a Facebook post, Jetstar Asia explained that the decision was made after an extensive and careful review. "Jetstar Asia's (3K) business has been increasingly challenged in recent years by escalating supplier costs, airport fees and aviation charges as well as growing capacity and competition in the region. Despite our best efforts to offset these rising costs, they are expected to continue into the foreseeable future, putting unsustainable pressure on Jetstar Asia's ability to offer low fares," they wrote. The airline will continue to operate until 31 July with a progressively reduced schedule. For more on the Jetstar Asia closure and employees affected, read here. A male employee from Mediacorp, who was found "behaving suspiciously" in the female toilet on his company's premises, has been dismissed. A spokesperson for the company told The Straits Times on 10 June that the man's employment was terminated with immediate effect following the "serious incident". The matter was referred to the police and the man has been detained. "The safety and well-being of our employees is of paramount importance to us, and we remain committed to maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for all," said the spokesperson. For more on the dismissal of the Mediacorp employee, read here. Staff affected by the Jetstar Asia closure will receive four weeks' salary for every year they have worked with the company. The Singapore-based airline announced earlier on Wednesday (11 June) that they will cease operations from 31 July. The decision was made after an extensive and careful review. Qantas Group, parent company of Jetstar Asia, clarified that only 16 intra-Asia routes will be impacted by the closure of Jetstar Asia, with no changes to Jetstar Airways (JQ) and Jetstar Japan (GK) services into Asia. More than 500 staff will be retrenched, and they will also receive a bonus payment for the financial year of 2025, a special thank you payment and continued access to staff travel benefits for a period equivalent to their tenure. A Jetstar Asia spokesperson said, "We are committed to supporting team members who are impacted by this announcement the best way we can." For more on the retrenched staff from the Jetstar Asia closure, read here. The reunion of BTS draws near as two more members – Jimin and Jung Kook – of the insanely popular K-pop boyband have been discharged from mandatory military service in South Korea. On Wednesday, the pair wore their military uniforms, saluted and addressed the fans who had gathered to see them. About 200 fans gathered in Chuncheon City for this, with some coming from Mexico, Turkey and Brazil. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BTS (@ "Actually, it's been so long since I've been in front of cameras, and I didn't even put on makeup, so I'm a bit embarrassed," said Jung Kook. The pair are the latest and final members of BTS to be discharged from mandatory military service. Six of the seven members of BTS served in the army. The final member, Suga, will be dischaged later this month after fulfilling his duty as a social service agent, an alternate form of military service. For more on Jimin and Jung Kook being discharged from military service, read here. Former Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean has resigned from the GIC's board of directors and as its chairman of its international advisory board, announced the sovereign wealth fund on Tuesday (10 June). It was announced last week that Teo, 70, will take over from Lim Boon Heng as the fifth chairman of Temasek Holdings. Teo will first join Temasek's board as its deputy chairman on 1 July before assuming the chairman position on 9 Oct. Teo was with GIC for 14 years. He started as a director in December 2010, and assumed the role of chairman of its International Advisory Board in April 2015. "During his tenure, Mr Teo helped GIC navigate significant developments including the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerating technology and climate change, as well as rising geopolitical uncertainty," said GIC in a news release. For more on Teo Chee Hean's resignation from the GIC board, read here. AI chatbot ChatGPT was down for a few hours on Tuesday morning and experienced degraded performance, according to parent company OpenAI and the website Downdetector. OpenAI began investigation into the outage around 2.36am on Tuesday morning, with problems spiking about three hours later at 5.30am – as per Downdetector's data. Downdetector received nearly 2,000 error reports at its peak. The company has said that it is "seeing a recovery" on its developer tools and ChatGPT, but also said previously that a full recover could take hours. OpenAI on Tuesday morning shared on X that it is "observing elevated error rates and latency across ChatGPT", adding that it "identified the root cause" and is "working as fast as possible to fix the issue". We are observing elevated error rates and latency across ChatGPT and the engineers have identified the root cause and are working as fast as possible to fix the updates see our status page: — OpenAI (@OpenAI) June 10, 2025 Aside from ChatGPT, the video generator Sora, as well as application programming interface for developers are affected. According to the latest check on OpenAI Status, nearly all ChatGPT components are "now working properly for all users". However, there is still an "elevated error rate with voice mode" and OpenAI is working to completely fix it. For more on the ChatGPT outage, read here. Singapore-based airline Jetstar Asia will permanently close from 31 July, said the company in a statement on 11 June. Qantas Group, parent company of Jetstar Asia, clarified that only 16 intra-Asia routes will be impacted by the closure of Jetstar Asia, with no changes to Jetstar Airways (JQ) and Jetstar Japan (GK) services into Asia. In a Facebook post, Jetstar Asia explained that the decision was made after an extensive and careful review. "Jetstar Asia's (3K) business has been increasingly challenged in recent years by escalating supplier costs, airport fees and aviation charges as well as growing capacity and competition in the region. Despite our best efforts to offset these rising costs, they are expected to continue into the foreseeable future, putting unsustainable pressure on Jetstar Asia's ability to offer low fares," they wrote. The airline will continue to operate until 31 July with a progressively reduced schedule. For more on the Jetstar Asia closure and employees affected, read here.
