>>Congressional Leaders Unveil Massive Government Funding Bill
(Washington, DC) -- Congressional leaders are releasing the language of a massive government funding bill with plans to pass it and avoid a shutdown ahead of a Friday deadline. The over-one-thousand-page legislation would keep the government open until October and includes six bills negotiated between the House and Senate with President Biden's support. House Republicans are looking at a vote on the measure on Wednesday through a fast-tracked process, according to a leadership aid. Then it would go to the Senate, where it'll need consent to vote quickly and needs 60 votes to pass.
>>EU Fines Apple $2 Billion Over Music Streaming Service
(Brussels) -- Apple is being slapped with a two-billion dollar fine by the European Union over music streaming apps. An investigation into Apple started in 2020 after Spotify filed a complaint saying it and other music streaming provides were forced to a pay a 30-percent fee for purchases made using Apple's in-app payment system. Meanwhile, Apple Music did not have to pay the fee. The EU said Apple prevented Spotify and other rival music streamers from notifying iPhone users there were cheaper ways to subscribe to their services without going through Apple's app store. Apple responded to the decision by saying it had failed "to uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm."
>>New FAA Audit of Boeing Highlights Multiple Areas For Concern
(Washington, DC) -- The FAA's audit of Boeing shows multiple issues with the manufacturer's production practices. This six-week probe is in response to a door plug that blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight on January 5th. In this audit, the FAA says it found "non-compliance issues in Boeing's manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control." In another separate report released prior to the door plug incident, officials also found "gaps" in the company's safety culture. These gaps included worker fears about retaliation for reporting safety concerns.
>>JetBlue, Spirit Agree To End Merger Deal
(Long Island City, NY) -- Budget airlines JetBlue and Spirit are agreeing to terminate their planned merger. This comes after a federal judge blocked the three-point-eight-billion dollar agreement. The judge agreed with the Department of Justice's argument that the merger would reduce competition and hurt consumers. The deal would have created the fifth-largest airline in the U.S.
>>Ford Sales Up In February With Increases In Electric, Hybrid Vehicles
(Dearborn, MI) -- Increases in the sales of hybrid and electric vehicles in February led to an eleven-percent sales increase at Ford Motor Company. The automaker reported sales of just over 174-thousand vehicles last month compared to 157-thousand for the same time one year ago. Electric vehicle sales year over year were 80-percent higher while hybrid sales increased by 32-percent. The company reported sales of gas-powered vehicles rose by over seven-percent while sales of the Maverick pickup truck jumped by 73-percent compared to one year ago. Sales for the Lincoln Division were up by 38-percent in February.
