NTSB points to battery defect in 787 blaze
NTSB points to battery defect in 787 blaze
WASHINGTON (AP) — A short circuit likely due to a manufacturing defect in a Boeing 787 airliner battery caused a fire last year that grounded the planes for more than three months, federal accident investigators said Monday.
They also faulted the plane’s maker and the Federal Aviation Administration for designing and approving a battery that didn’t protect against such a failure.
An inspection of the GS Yuasa manufacturing plant in Japan where the battery was made found that flaws and debris in lithium-ion aircraft batteries were going undetected, according to the National Transportation Safety Board report. Investigators were able to rule out other possible causes of the short circuit such as overcharging, external heat, or improper installation, the report said.
Boeing failed to anticipate, when testing the battery’s design, that a short circuit in one of its eight cells might lead to uncontrolled overheating known as thermal runaway, which would spread to the other cells and cause them to vent smoke-like vapors and catch fire, the report said.
The Federal Aviation Administration was faulted for not catching the design deficiency when it approved the batteries for inclusion in the plane.
Supreme Court weighs Facebook threats case
WASHINGTON (AP) — From the violent lyrics of rap music to the crude comments of teenagers in video-game chat rooms, the Supreme Court struggled Monday over where to draw the line between free speech and illegal threats in the digital age.
The justices considered the case of a Pennsylvania man convicted of posting violent threats on Facebook — in the form of rap lyrics — about killing his estranged wife, shooting up a school and slitting the throat of an FBI agent.
Lawyers for Anthony Elonis say he didn’t mean to threaten anyone. They contend his posts under the pseudonym “Tone Dougie” were simply a way for him to vent his frustration over splitting up with his wife.
The government argues the proper test is not what Elonis intended, but whether his words would make a reasonable person feel threatened. That’s the standard a jury used in convicting him under a federal law barring threats of violence.
Some justices seemed concerned that the government’s position is too broad and risks sweeping in language protected by the First Amendment. But there seemed to be little agreement over what standard to use.
House nearing vote on package of tax breaks
WASHINGTON (AP) — Struggling to reach a long-term agreement, House Republicans are weighing a one-year extension of temporary tax breaks affecting millions of businesses and individuals.
Most of the more than 50 tax breaks expired at the end of 2013, so the extension would only run through the end of the month. However, it would allow taxpayers to claim the tax breaks when they file their 2014 tax returns.
The tax breaks benefit big corporations and small businesses, as well as commuters, teachers and people who live in states without a state income tax. In all, they affect about one in six taxpayers, according to The Tax Institute, the independent research arm at tax giant H&R Block. Senate Democrats and House Republicans were negotiating to make some of the tax breaks permanent. But talks faltered last week.