Articles by David Shepardson

Uber Backup Driver Faces Homicide Charges in Fatal 2018 Arizona Crash

The back-up safety driver behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber Technologies test vehicle that struck and killed a woman in Tempe, Arizona, in 2018 was charged with negligent homicide, prosecutors said on Tuesday. Rafael Vasquez, age 46, who is …

Daimler to Pay $2.2 Billion for Clean Air Violations Over Diesel Emissions

Daimler AG will pay $2.2 billion to resolve a U.S. government diesel emissions cheating investigation and claims from 250,000 U.S. vehicle owners, court documents show. The German automaker and its Mercedes-Benz USA LLC unit disclosed on Aug. 13 it had …

Senators Back Tighter Aircraft Oversight, Quicker Plane Crash Data Disclosure

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee will vote on Wednesday to require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to quickly disclose risk assessments after fatal air crashes in a bid to significantly tighten industry oversight. Senate Commerce Committee chairman Roger Wicker, a …

4 Republican Attorneys General Back Trump Social Media Liability Move

Four Republican state attorneys general led by Texas backed President Donald Trump’s push to narrow the ability of social media companies to remove objectionable content and require new transparency rules. Texas, Louisiana, Indiana and Missouri’s state attorneys general said in …

U.S. Safety Agency Investigating Boeing 787 Dreamliners for Flaws

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday it is investigating manufacturing flaws involving some Boeing 787 Dreamliners but said it was too early to say if it will require new inspections. Boeing said in August airlines operating its 787 Dreamliners …

Internet Companies Urge FCC to Reject Trump Rules on Social Media Liability

A group representing major internet companies including Facebook Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google on Wednesday urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reject a Trump administration bid to narrow the ability of social media companies to remove objectionable …

EPA to OK Use by American Airlines of Surface Coating to Fight COVID-19

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is set to announce it will issue an emergency exemption to the state of Texas permitting it to allow American Airlines Group Inc. to use a new surface coating that kills coronaviruses for up to …

Trump Administration, Airlines Can’t Agree on Contact Tracing Plan

The Trump administration’s efforts to require airlines to collect contact tracing information from U.S.-bound international passengers has stalled, five people briefed on the matter told Reuters on Friday, adding such a mandate is unlikely this year. Major airlines and administration …

Judge Agrees to Some VW Requests to Limit SEC Lawsuit Over Diesel Scandal

A U.S. judge on Thursday dismissed portions of a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit accusing Volkswagen AG of defrauding American investors in connection with the automaker’s diesel emissions scandal. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco granted VW’s …

Mercedes-Benz Maker Daimler to Pay Nearly $3 Billion to Settle U.S. Diesel Claims

Daimler said on Thursday it has reached agreements costing nearly $3 billion to settle civil investigations by U.S. regulators and lawsuits from vehicle owners stemming from a long-running probe into software to cheat diesel emissions tests. The settlements in principle …