Latest news with #JenniferHomendy
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Chicago Tribune
Chris Spear: America's truckers need a place to park — before it's too late
Every day, more than 3.5 million professional truck drivers keep America's economy on the move. They haul more than 73% of the nation's freight, ensuring that food reaches our shelves, medicine arrives at hospitals and manufacturers stay in business. But there's one thing many drivers can't count on at the end of a long shift: a safe place to park. For every 11 truck drivers on the road today, there is one truck parking space. When truck drivers are unable to find safe, authorized parking, they're stuck in a no-win situation — forced to either park in unsafe or illegal locations, or to violate federal hours-of-service rules that regulate their daily drive time to search for safer, legal alternatives. Many spend upward of an hour each day searching for parking — time that's unpaid and amounts to an average of $6,800 in lost compensation each year. In the worst cases, they're forced to park on highway shoulders, exit ramps or vacant lots, putting themselves and other motorists at serious risk. Delays in deliveries increase costs for businesses and consumers alike. Worst of all, the parking shortage contributes to thousands of accidents and dozens of fatalities each year. One of those avoidable tragedies occurred in 2023, when a Greyhound bus struck three semitrailers parked on the shoulder of an Interstate 70 rest area ramp in Illinois, killing three passengers on board the bus. In the agency's report on the accident released just a few weeks ago, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jennifer Homendy put the cause bluntly: 'Our investigation brought to light a critical shortage of safe truck parking and made clear a painful lesson: Until we address this important safety issue, lives are at risk on our nation's roads.' For policymakers and business leaders alike, the message is clear: If we want our supply chains to remain resilient and our roads to remain safe, we must invest in truck parking infrastructure. More designated rest areas. More capacity at existing facilities. Smarter deployment of real-time parking information systems. Last month, President Donald Trump's administration took a major step toward addressing this crisis, issuing project agreements to move forward more than $275 million in grant funding to expand truck parking access nationwide. Among the projects funded is nearly $180 million targeted at the Interstate 4 corridor in Florida, which will add 917 much needed parking spots across Volusia, Seminole and Osceola counties. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's leadership, backed by Trump's commitment to the trucking industry, is a clear signal that Washington is finally listening. By increasing funding specifically targeted toward truck parking, they are addressing one of the most pressing and solvable challenges our industry faces. Congress can protect American motorists by passing the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Illinois Rep. Mike Bost that would authorize $755 million in dedicated funding over four years to expand truck parking capacity. These funds could have prevented tragedies such as the 2009 murder of New York truck driver Jason Rivenburg, who was shot and killed for the $7 sitting on the dashboard of his truck while parked in an abandoned lot he used out of desperation for rest. The $200 million allocated to truck parking in the House transportation appropriations bill released last week is a welcome start to preventing similar tragedies. A dedicated federal funding stream, paired with state-level grant programs, would cut through the red tape that often sidelines critical parking projects. These resources must be allocated in a targeted, flexible way that allows states to build, expand and modernize truck parking across freight corridors and logistics hubs. It's not enough to authorize projects — we must fund them with real dollars that reflect the scale and urgency of the problem. Accounting for 87% of truck parking spaces, the private sector plays a vital role in providing parking, but it cannot solve this alone. Market forces don't always align with safety and infrastructure needs. Truck stops face high land and development costs, and zoning hurdles often block new projects. That's why a public-private solution is not only prudent. It's essential. Arkansas Republican Rep. Steve Womack has proved himself a staunch advocate who was instrumental in including $200 million toward expanding trucking parking in last year's House transportation appropriations subcommittee funding bill. We need more champions like Womack in Congress who will help prioritize and accelerate funding, treating truck parking as the safety and commerce issue it is, rather than an afterthought. Truckers don't ask for much. They don't expect luxury accommodations or special treatment. What they do expect — and deserve — is a safe place to stop after moving America's economy day and night. Let's make sure they have it. Chris Spear is president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Tesla faces temporary sales suspension in California
Tesla has long called its most sophisticated driver-assist features "Autopilot" and "Full Self-Driving," which is inaccurate as neither system allows for autonomous driving. Now the automaker might finally face serious consequences for this practice. First reported by Electrek, Tesla could temporarily lose its license sell cars in California amid a lawsuit brought by the state's DMV, which alleges that the automaker is misrepresenting the capability of its driver aids, constituting false advertising. The DMV is looking to suspend Tesla's ability to sell cars in California for 30 days. That would be a major blow to the automaker. According to Electrek, the California DMV has been investigating Tesla for misleading customers about the capabilities of its driver-assist tech since 2021. The agency is reportedly concerned not only about the names of the features, but about statements by the automaker, such as one claiming that such tech "is designed to be able to conduct shot and long-distance trips with no action required by the person in the driver's seat." The California DMV also flagged a public statement from Tesla in which the automaker claims that "all you need to do is get in and tell your car where to go." In response, Tesla has reportedly argued that in-car warnings for drivers to stay attentive at all times are sufficient to prevent customers from misconstruing the capabilities of its driver-assist systems. That doesn't seem to have been a convincing argument as, during a five-day court hearing on the matter, the California DMV said that it is seeking a suspension of Tesla's manufacturer and dealer license "for not less than 30 days," as well as financial restitution, with an amount to be determined at a future hearing. This isn't the first time Tesla has faced scrutiny from government agencies over the way it's portrayed its driver-assist tech to customers. In 2021, Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), called Tesla's Full Self-Driving nomenclature "misleading and irresponsible." The federal government has also investigated Tesla driver aids multiple times in recent years, including one earlier this year of the "Smart Summon" remote parking feature involving 2.6 million vehicles. But where previous investigations have usually resulted in recalls or orders to address potential safety faults, this lawsuit could impact Tesla's already-declining sales. California is not only the biggest market for EVs in the United States, but the biggest market for new cars overall. Even a short suspension of sales is not what the automaker needs. Tesla saw a big year-over-year sales drop in the second quarter, just as top sales executives left the company. Meanwhile, its new head of sales is a former IT executive with no sales experience. And the federal government's suspension of emissions penalties means Tesla could lose business from the sale of compliance credits-a revenue stream that's often been more important to the company's bottom line than car sales. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
International Business Times
2 days ago
- Business
- International Business Times
Alaska Airlines Requests Ground Stop for All Mainline Aircraft, as Flyers Brace for Travel Delays
Alaska Airlines has issued a ground stop for all its mainline and Horizon Air flights throughout the United States. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) updated its status page on Sunday to reflect the unusual request, which stemmed from a widespread IT system outage. The ground stop reportedly began at 10:50 p.m. EST and was initially expected to end at midnight. However, the order was extended at the last moment to at least 12:30 a.m., with a moderate possibility of further delays. The original ground stop applied only to Alaska Airlines' mainline fleet, but the extension sometime later added a separate request to halt all Horizon Air flights as well. Sudden Stop Alaska Airlines (Representational purpose only) X While the restriction does not affect aircraft already in flight, it does stop any scheduled departures during the specified timeframe, potentially causing widespread travel disruption with delays and long lines. Alaska Airlines runs a fleet of at least 238 aircraft, all of which are Boeing models. "At approximately 8 p.m. Pacific on Sunday, Alaska Airlines experienced an IT outage that's impacting our operations," the airline said in a statement Sunday evening. "We requested a temporary, system-wide ground stop for Alaska and Horizon Air flights until the issue is resolved." "We apologize to our guests for this inconvenience." The airline has warned that there may be ongoing disruptions to its operations throughout the night, raising concerns about extensive travel delays. "If you are traveling tonight, please check the status of your flight before leaving for the airport." According to the FAA status page, the ground stop affecting Alaska Airlines' mainline fleet impacted all destinations. Passengers Troubled Alaska Airlines (Representational purpose only) X This incident comes weeks after a scathing report revealed serious mistakes by Boeing were responsible for a door plug detaching mid-flight from an Alaska Airlines 737 Max, endangering the lives of 175 passengers and crew members. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the near-disastrous event was the result of poor manufacturing practices at Boeing and a lack of adequate regulatory oversight. "An accident like this only happens when there are multiple system failures," NTSB chairman Jennifer Homendy said. The NTSB has been investigating the events that went terribly wrong just six minutes into a January 2024 flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, initial investigation revealed that four essential bolts, designed to secure the door plug, were missing from the aircraft. It was later confirmed that the door panel left Boeing's Renton, Washington factory without these critical bolts in place. Even a single properly installed bolt would have been enough to hold the door securely, while the remaining three served as extra safety measures. Investigators found no issues with Alaska Airlines' flight crew training or preflight checks. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy credited the quick-thinking and heroic actions of the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 crew with ensuring the safety of everyone on board.
The Star
3 days ago
- General
- The Star
Air India crash reporting is ‘premature', says US probe agency
The head of the US National Transportation Safety Board said it's too soon to draw conclusions about what caused the deadly crash of an Air India jetliner following reports that the captain of the plane likely moved switches that control the flow of fuel to the engines. 'Investigations of this magnitude take time,' NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said Friday in a post to social media platform X. She called recent media reports 'premature and speculative,' without providing any specifics on what exactly she was referring to. Investigators, led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau with the assistance of the NTSB, have been piecing together evidence to determine what caused Air India Flight 171 to crash on June 12, killing 260 people. AAIB and Air India chief executive officer Campbell Wilson have also urged the public not to draw conclusions while the probe is ongoing. It can take a year – sometimes longer – for authorities to release a final report laying out the probable cause of an accident and recommendations for avoiding future tragedies. A preliminary report released by the AAIB found two fuel control switches on the Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner were moved to a 'cutoff' position immediately after the aircraft lifted off, starving the engines of fuel. While the move was reversed about 10 seconds later, it was too late to avert the crash. A cockpit voice recording from the aircraft revealed that one pilot – since identified as First Officer Clive Kunder – asked the other, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, why he moved the switches, to which the latter replied he didn't. How and why the switches came to be turned off are the key lines of inquiry for investigators. Officials are probing whether it could be the result of human action – deliberate or inadvertent – or a failure of the plane's systems. Following the release of AAIB's preliminary report, India's civil aviation authority ordered an inspection of fuel switches on Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft operating in the country in an effort to ascertain whether the crash was caused by equipment failure. Investigators at this point haven't identified any mechanical or design issues with the Boeing plane or the engines. — Bloomberg
Deccan Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Reports on AI plane crash premature, speculative: US probe agency NTSB says it fully supports AAIB probe
Statement from NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy: 'Recent media reports on the Air India 171 crash are premature and speculative. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau just released its preliminary report. Investigations of this magnitude take time. We fully support the…
