Delta passenger fined for hitting attendant
Federal officials are seeking a $27,500 civil penalty against an airline passenger who allegedly struck a flight attendant who asked the woman and her companion to leave the plane after a dispute over wearing a face mask.
The confrontation on board a Delta Air Lines flight departing from Miami International Airport for Atlanta began when the passenger's companion refused to wear a mask, secure his tray table or fasten his seatbelt, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday. Delta, like most airlines, requires most passengers to wear masks except when eating or drinking.
Pilots returned the plane to the gate, and the pair was asked to disembark. The female passenger began yelling at the flight attendant and other passengers, then hit the flight attendant under her left eye, according to the FAA.
The FAA did not identify the passengers. The woman has 30 days to respond to the proposed penalty. The FAA said it appears that she violated a federal regulation against assaulting a crew member, which carries a civil penalty of up to $35,000.
The FAA announced tighter enforcement of rules against disturbances on planes after several rowdy incidents in early January on flights to and from Washington.
- Compiled by Dave Flessner
Bronco Sport recalled for rollover crash risk
Ford Motor Co. is recalling its popular 2021 Bronco Sport for a second time, now for an incorrect lower control arm that could result in reduced vehicle stability and increase the risk of a rollover crash at maximum roof load.
This recall involves 106 vehicles built on Dec. 9; Ford estimated 50% are defective.
Ford Bronco Sport was just launched in November. Ford had sold 13,170 Bronco Sports in the U.S. through January, according to its sales reports.
The recall is posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website dated Feb. 16 with Ford documents attached. The company did not send out a media notice, as is routine, because the action affected fewer than 250 consumers.
Ford confirmed early Friday the second recall and notice information is available to consumers on the Ford website.
United Airlines pay fine for Postal delivery woes
United Airlines will pay more than $49 million to avoid criminal prosecution and settle civil charges of defrauding the U.S. Postal Service in the delivery of international mail.
The Justice Department said Friday that former employees of United's cargo division falsified parcel delivery information between 2012 and 2015. Prosecutors said that as a result, United collected millions of dollars in payments that it should not have received.
Chicago-based United agreed to pay nearly $17.3 million in criminal penalties and forfeited revenue to end the criminal investigation, and separately United will pay $32.2 million in related civil penalties, according to the Justice Department.
United did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
United and several other U.S. airlines trace their roots to air mail delivery contracts in the early part of the last century, and mail remains a source of revenue for them.
IRS refunds slower with pandemic delays
Tax refund checks are flowing into pocketbooks - and the overall economy - at a much slower pace so far in February.
The Internal Revenue Service said the total dollar amount of tax refunds was down 59.2% through Feb. 19 - just one week after the IRS began processing tax returns on Feb. 12. That's the latest data available.
Nearly $47.4 billion in tax refunds have been issued so far this year, but that's a far cry from more than $117 billion in federal income tax refunds issued through Feb. 21, 2020.
The slowdown reflects the fact that the IRS was not dealing with coronavirus-related shutdowns in January and February last year, which continue to slow down operations this year. And the IRS also kicked off its tax season later than usual this year.
The average refund issued so far this year is $2,880 - down from $3,125. That's down 7.8%.