Severe weather leads to canceled flights, United blames FAA: June 28 rundown

KARAH RUCKER: COMING UP — FLIGHTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE BEING CANCELED DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER IN THE NORTH-EAST. A MAJOR AIRLINE IS CALLING OUT THE FAA OVER THEIR DECISION TO GROUND THE FLIGHTS.

AND – FORD IS MAKING MORE JOB CUTS. HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WILL BE OUT OF WORK AS THE COMPANY LOOKS TO INVEST IN THE FUTURE OF E-V’S.

THE RUNDOWN STARTS NOW. THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS.  BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I’M KARAH RUCKER.

UNITED AIRLINES CEO BLAMES FAA FOR THOUSANDS OF FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS

HUNDREDS OF FLIGHTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN CANCELED TODAY IN THE U.S. FOLLOWING THOUSANDS OF CANCELLATIONS YESTERDAY. AND A MAJOR AIRLINE IS POINTING THE FINGER AT THE F-A-A FOR THE MAJOR DISRUPTIONS.

IN AIRPORTS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST – THOUSANDS OF PASSENGERS WERE WAITING FOR HOURS TO REACH THEIR DESTINATION. 2 THOUSAND FLIGHTS WERE CANCELED AND 7 THOUSAND FLIGHTS WERE DELAYED ON TUESDAY AS SEVERE STORMS STRUCK THE NORTHEAST.

UNITED AIRLINES SAYS 150 THOUSAND OF ITS CUSTOMERS HAD BEEN IMPACTED.

AND IN A MEMO TO EMPLOYEES – THE COMPANY’S CEO SLAMMED THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION’S DECISION TO CANCEL FLIGHTS IN THE NEWARK REGION CLAIMING THE SEVERE WEATHER IS SOMETHING THE F-A-A HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE.

THIS COMES AS THE F-A-A FACES NEW SCRUTINY AFTER A GOVERNMENT AUDIT RELEASED LAST WEEK REVEALED A “CRITICAL SHORTAGE” OF EMPLOYEES IN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL FACILITIES. THE AUDIT CLAIMS THE STAFFING ISSUE POSES A RISK TO FLIGHT OPERATIONS WITH A BUSY SUMMER TRAVEL SEASON APPROACHING.

Henry Harteveldt | Aviation Analyst: “In addition to the bad weather problems, we’re in the peak of the summer vacation season, and we’re approaching the July Fourth holiday. All these flights are booked close to or completely full. So there’s very little slack in terms of empty seats to accommodate people.”

CHICAGO, DETROIT RANKED WORST AIR QUALITY IN WORLD DUE TO WILDFIRE SMOKE

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS WARNING THAT MORE SMOKE FROM THE CANADIAN WILDFIRES WILL LIKELY MOVE INTO THE NORTHEAST AND MID-ATLANTIC 

TODAY – POTENTIALLY IMPACTING MORE FLIGHT SCHEDULES ACROSS THE REGION.

THE CITIES OF CHICAGO AND DETROIT RANKED AS HAVING “THE WORST AIR QUALITY IN THE WORLD” YESTERDAY – DUE TO THE WILDFIRE SMOKE LOOMING OVER THE CITY.

MORE THAN 80 MILLION AMERICANS FROM THE MIDWEST TO THE EAST COAST ARE UNDER AIR QUALITY ALERTS TODAY. CANADA IS SEEING ITS **WORST FIRE SEASON ON RECORD WITH HUNDREDS OF WILDFIRES BURNING OUT OF CONTROL.

U.S. TO HOUSE MIGRANT CHILDREN AT FORMER BOARDING SCHOOL

HAPPENING LATER THIS SUMMER — THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PLANS ON HOUSING UP TO 800 UNACCOMPANIED MIGRANT CHILDREN AT A REPURPOSED BOARDING SCHOOL IN GREENSBORO — NORTH CAROLINA.

THE FORMER AMERICAN HEBREW ACADEMY WILL HOUSE BOYS AND GIRLS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 13 AND 17 WHO ENTERED U.S. BORDER CUSTODY WITHOUT THEIR PARENTS OR LEGAL GUARDIANS.

THE 800 AVAILABLE BEDS WILL MAKE THE FORMER BOARDING SCHOOL THE GOVERNMENT’S LARGEST ACTIVE HOUSING FACILITY FOR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS.

ANOTHER FACILITY IN TEXAS CURRENTLY HAS THE CAPACITY TO HOUSE UP TO 500 ADDITIONAL MIGRANT CHILDREN. HOWEVER — THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HAS TRIED TO REDUCE THE USE OF THE FACILITY FOLLOWING REPORTS OF SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS AND CHILD DEPRESSION.

SPACEY SEX ASSAULT TRIAL GETS UNDERWAY

NEW VIDEO THIS MORNING — YOU’RE LOOKING AT ACTOR KEVIN SPACEY AS HE ARRIVES AT A LONDON COURTHOUSE FOR HIS SEXUAL ASSAULT TRIAL — WHICH GOT UNDERWAY TODAY.

THE TWO-TIME OSCAR WINNER IS CHARGED WITH SEXUALLY ASSAULTING FOUR MEN BETWEEN 2001 AND 20-13 — WHILE HE WAS THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF LONDON’S OLD VIC THEATER.

THE TRIAL IS EXPECTED TO LAST FOUR WEEKS — WITH SPACEY POSSIBLY FACING PRISON TIME IF CONVICTED.

IF ACQUITTED — HOWEVER — IT COULD LEAD TO A REVIVAL OF AN ACTING CAREER THAT’S LARGELY BEEN ON ICE SINCE THE ALLEGATIONS SURFACED.

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH A GERMAN MAGAZINE EARLIER THIS MONTH — SPACEY SAID QUOTE “THERE ARE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW WHO ARE READY TO HIRE ME THE MOMENT I AM CLEARED OF THESE CHARGES” — ADDING THAT THE MEDIA HAS TURNED HIM INTO A MONSTER.

FORMER NFL QUARTERBACK RYAN MALLETT DEAD AFTER APPARENT DROWNING

FORMER ARKANSAS QUARTERBACK RYAN MALLETT — WHO WENT ON TO HAVE A SEVEN-YEAR CAREER IN THE NFL – TRAGICALLY DIED ON TUESDAY IN AN APPARENT DROWNING INCIDENT AT A FLORIDA BEACH.

MALLET’S SUDDEN PASSING HAS STUNNED THE NFL COMMUNITY – OFFERING AN OUTPOUR OF SUPPORT FOR THE FORMER NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS BACK UP Q-B.

MALLET ALSO PLAYED FOR THE HOUSTON TEXANS – WHERE HE MADE HIS FIRST CAREER TOUCHDOWN PASS TO DEFENSIVE END JJ WATT.

MALLET WAS MOST RECENTLY THE HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AT WHITE HALL HIGH SCHOOL IN HIS HOME STATE OF ARKANSAS. HE WAS 35 YEARS OLD.

FORD TO CUT ANOTHER 1,000 JOBS IN EV PUSH

FORD PLANS TO LAY OFF AT LEAST ONE THOUSAND SALARIED EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACT WORKERS IN NORTH AMERICA IN THE LATEST EFFORT TO CUT COMPANY COSTS – IN ORDER TO BETTER AFFORD THEIR NEW FOCUS ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

A CHUNK OF THOSE LAYOFFS WILL BE WHITE-COLLAR JOBS – INCLUDING HUNDREDS OF ENGINEERS IN THE U.S. AND CANADA.

FORD HAS MADE SEVERAL ROUNDS OF GLOBAL LAYOFFS OVER THE PAST YEAR —

NIXING THREE THOUSAND JOBS IN THE U.S. LAST SUMMER AND AN EVEN LARGER LAYOFF IN EUROPE EARLIER THIS YEAR.

VOLVO TO ADOPT TESLA’S CHARGE PORT

MEANWHILE IN THE E-V INDUSTRY – ANOTHER AUTOMAKER HAS ANNOUNCED IT WILL START USING TESLA’S CHARGING STANDARD PORT IN ITS ELECTRIC CARS STARTING IN 20-25. VOLVO JOINS FORD, GENERAL MOTORS, AND RIVIAN. COMPANIES THAT HAVE ALL ANNOUNCED PLANS TO USE TESLA’S TECHNOLOGY SO DRIVERS CAN USE TESLA’S BROAD CHARGING NETWORK ACROSS NORTH AMERICA.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES. THANKS FOR JOINING US ON THE RUNDOWN.

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WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW. UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. 

HAVE A GREAT DAY!