What hit some turbulence…The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Yesterday, it blamed a corrupted database file for an outage that grounded thousands of planes. The glitch in a safety system — the Notice to Air Missions (aka NOTAM) — prevented pilots from getting crucial information (like bad weather conditions). And delayed more than 10,000 flights and canceled over 1,000 others — affecting an estimated 3 million passengers. The FAA said it's working to prevent this from happening again. Meanwhile, experts said the outage shows what can happen when relying on an “antiquated” system. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the dept will be reviewing the FAA's technology. Not chugging along: Earlier this week, a freight derailment delayed an Amtrak train carrying over 550 passengers by about 20 hours. Panicked passengers called 911, prompting conductors to clarify they weren’t being held hostage. Guess, the next trip may be a road trip. Where people are taking action…Illinois. Earlier this week, Gov. JB Pritzker (D) signed a bill banning the sale and distribution of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in the state. It comes six months after a gunman — who used a legally purchased AR-15-style gun — killed seven people at an Independence Day parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. Now, Illinois joins eight other states and DC in passing such a measure. Pritzker promised to “keep fighting” to ensure that future generations only hear about massacres in their textbooks. Meanwhile, gun-rights advocates said 'see you in court.' The fine print: Under the new law, people who already own assault weapons can still keep them on their property, at gun ranges, and hunting areas. But they have to register them with the Illinois State Police for tracking. Who’s saying ‘to infinity and beyond’…Russia. Yesterday, the country’s space agency said it’s launching a rescue mission to bring home three astronauts stuck on the International Space Station. Last month, a micrometeoroid struck the capsule that would've brought home two Russian cosmonauts and one US astronaut. The hit caused a leak and made travel unsafe. Now, Russia's sending up an empty capsule next month to bring the crew members back to Earth after a few more months in orbit. So far, space appears to be the exception for cooperation between Moscow and Washington since the invasion of Ukraine. Who checked the couch cushions…FTX. Yesterday, the crypto exchange said it found over $5 billion worth of cash and other assets. Because that much money is just so easy to misplace. The discovery comes after the disgraced founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in a New York court. Who saw what’s been happening with all of the awards shows and thought ‘I want that’...Netflix. Who is down to call things out whenever, wherever...Shakira. |