Government

Reuters: Feds Are Investigating Tesla For Wire Fraud

Reuters reports: U.S. prosecutors are examining whether Tesla committed securities or wire fraud by misleading investors and consumers about its electric vehicles’ self-driving capabilities, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. While Tesla has warned drivers to stay ready to take over driving, the Justice Department is examining other statements by Tesla and Chief Executive Elon Musk suggesting its …

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DHS: You Now Have One Year To Get Your “Real ID”

USA Today reports: If you plan on flying around the country in 2025 and beyond, you might want to listen up. You have about 365 days to make your state-issued driver’s license or identification “Real ID” compliant, per the Department of Homeland Security. The Real ID compliance is part of a larger act passed by Congress in 2005 to set …

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FAA Investigates Boeing Over Falsified Inspections

CBS News reports: After being notified by Boeing that some company employees failed to complete specific inspections on some 787 Dreamliners but reported the checks as having been completed, essentially falsifying inspection records, the Federal Aviation Administration has opened a formal investigation. The inspections verify there is adequate bonding and grounding of the fasteners connecting the wings to the fuselage. …

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SEC Charges Truth Social Auditor With “Massive Fraud”

CNBC reports: The auditing firm for Trump Media and the auditor’s owner were charged Friday with “massive fraud” by the Securities and Exchange Commission for work that affected more than 1,500 SEC filings, the federal regulator announced. The auditor, BF Borgers CPA and its owner Benjamin Borgers have agreed to be permanently suspended from practicing as accountants before the SEC, …

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Auto Industry Pushes Back On Mandate For AM Radios

Courthouse News reports: A panel of automotive industry experts and advocates on Tuesday sought to dissuade lawmakers from moving forward with a bill that would require new vehicles to be fitted with analog radio receivers, despite growing bipartisan momentum behind the measure. Both the House and Senate are considering versions of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, which would …

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DEA To Reclassify Weed As Less Dangerous Drug

The Associated Press reports: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country. The DEA’s proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would …

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NSA Staffer Gets 21 Years For Attempted Espionage

From the Justice Department: Jareh Sebastian Dalke, 32, of Colorado Springs, was sentenced today to 262 months in prison for attempted espionage in connections with his efforts to transmit classified National Defense Information (NDI) to an agent of the Russian Federation. According to court documents, Dalke pleaded guilty in 2023 to six counts of attempting to transmit classified NDI to …

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Williams-Sonoma Fined $3.2M For “Made In USA” Ads

The Associated Press reports: Home products retailer Williams-Sonoma will have to pay almost $3.2 million for violating a Federal Trade Commission “Made in USA” order. Williams-Sonoma was charged with advertising multiple products as being “Made in USA” when they were in fact manufactured in other countries, including China. That violated a 2020 commission order requiring the San Francisco-based company to …

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Feds Open Investigation Into Tesla’s Autopilot Recall

Reuters reports: U.S. auto safety regulators said Friday they have opened an investigation into whether Tesla’s recall of more than 2 million vehicles announced in December to install new Autopilot safeguards is adequate. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it was opening an investigation after the agency identified concerns due to crash events after vehicles had the recall …

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FCC Reverses Trump-Era Ruling, Restores Net Neutrality

Reuters reports: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 on Thursday to reinstate landmark net neutrality rules and reassume regulatory oversight of broadband internet rescinded under former President Donald Trump. The commission voted along party lines to finalize a proposal first advanced in October to reinstate open internet rules adopted in 2015 and re-establish the commission’s broadband authority. Reinstating the …

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Secret Service Agent Assigned To Protect Kamala Harris Removed From Detail After Fistfight With Other Agents

Via press release from the Secret Service: At approximately 9 a.m. April 22, a U.S. Secret Service special agent supporting the Vice President’s departure from Joint Base Andrews began displaying behavior their colleagues found distressing. The agent was removed from their assignment while medical personnel were summoned. The Vice President was at the Naval Observatory when this incident occurred and …

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Biden Admin Makes It Easier For Flyers To Get Refunds

Politico reports: Passengers whose flights are canceled or “significantly” delayed won’t have to fight to get a cash refund from the airline under a new Biden administration rule issued Wednesday. The rule comes after more than a year of promises by the administration to shore up protections for air passengers, who have suffered through a glut of delays, cancellations and …

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SCOTUS To Hear Challenge To Ghost Gun Regulation

NBC News reports: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider whether the Biden administration can lawfully regulate so-called ghost guns — firearms that are made from kits available online that people can assemble at home. The justices took up a Biden administration appeal in defense of regulations that a lower court invalidated. The provisions in question are currently in …

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Weather Service Forecasts Extra-Hot Start To Summer

Nexstar reports: You may want to clean out the kiddie pool and dust off the patio furniture early this year. We’re in for a hot start to summer, according to a national weather outlook released Thursday by the National Weather Service. All but two states on the new national forecast map are show in shades of orange and red. The …

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DOJ To File Antitrust Suit Against Ticketmaster Parent

Axios reports: The Department of Justice (DOJ) is planning to sue Live Nation, one of the largest ticketing and live events companies in the country, on antitrust grounds, a regulatory source familiar with the DOJ’s plans told Axios. The company faced intense scrutiny from lawmakers and consumer advocacy groups over botched ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in late …

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FBI Opens Criminal Probe Into Key Bridge Disaster

The Washington Post reports: The FBI has opened a criminal investigation focusing on the massive container ship that brought down the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last month — a probe that will look at least in part at whether the crew left the port knowing the vessel had serious systems problems. Authorities are reviewing the events leading up …

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TSA: 93% Of 1503 Guns Found In Q1 Were Loaded

Via press release from the TSA: Transportation Security Administration (TSA) intercepted 1,503 firearms at airport security checkpoints during the first quarter of 2024, which ended March 31. This total represents an average of 16.5 firearms per day detected at TSA checkpoints, comparable to firearm detections during the same time period in 2023, when TSA officers intercepted 1,508 firearms at airport …

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Biden Budget Ends Tax-Free Launches For Space X

The New York Times reports: Every time a rocket soars into the sky carrying satellites or supplies for the International Space Station, air traffic controllers on the ground must take crucial steps to ensure that commercial and passenger aircraft remain safe. The controllers, hired by the Federal Aviation Administration, close the airspace, provide real-time information on rockets and their debris …

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WH Directs NASA To Establish Lunar Time Standard

Reuters reports: The White House on Tuesday directed NASA to establish a unified standard of time for the moon and other celestial bodies, as the United States aims to set international norms in space amid a growing lunar race among nations and private companies. The head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy instructed the space agency …

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Feds Launch National “Distracted Driver” Crackdown

The National Highway & Traffic Safety Administration writes: For the past decade, distracted driving has taken U.S. roadways by storm, endangering not only the distracted drivers, but their passengers, pedestrians and others using the road. When we’re behind the wheel, we must focus on one task: safe driving. Anytime you shift your attention from driving, you’re distracted. Distracted driving comes …

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