Beleaguered Boeing to cut 17,000 jobs

Beleaguered Boeing to cut 17,000 jobs.

92 still missing in N Carolina 3 weeks after Helene.

Israel continues assaults on UN peacekeepers, Lebanon, and Gaza.

NATIONAL NEWS

Boeing announced today that it is planning to cut about 10% of its workforce, about 17,000 jobs. More rounds of layoffs could follow. Boeing is also planning to raise about $35 billion – $10 billion through loans, and another $25 billion in stock sales. While some have blamed losses from the now month-long strike of 30,000 of its West Coast workers for these drastic moves, Boeing has been on the ropes financially for quite a long time. As a result, Boeing’s credit rating is currently just above junk status, which is quite a feat for one of America’s biggest defense contractors.

The production losses from the strike have only contributed to Boeing’s growing economic and reputational woes. The company’s image has taken hit after hit this year. These include highly publicized safety failures involving its planes, accusations of lax safety standards and retaliation against whistleblowers, or the Starliner capsule debacle which stranded two NASA astronauts on the International Space Station.

However, even before 2024’s fiascos, the company was already experiencing serious financial and operational problems. Boeing’s safety culture was already under heavy scrutiny after two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed a total of 346 people. Furthermore, the company has not had a profitable year since 2019, and since then its losses have totaled over $33 billion.

Helene: 92 still missing in North Carolina nearly 3 weeks after hurricane

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper held a press conference today alongside representatives from the National Guard, FEMA, and the state’s disaster response and public safety agencies. According to the latest count, which Cooper warned is “not definitive”, there are still at least 92 people still unaccounted for in North Carolina nearly 3 weeks after Hurricane Helene rampaged through the western part of the state as well as much of Southern Appalachia.

This number is only from North Carolina and does not count those who may still be missing in Eastern Tennessee or other heavily affected areas. At one point, almost 600 people were missing across the 6 states. Many of those missing have either reported in as communications have been restored while others have been confirmed deceased. Across six states, 243 people have been confirmed killed by Helene, 118 of them from North Carolina.

Cooper and FEMA chief Deanne Criswell also urged citizens to stop spreading disinformation about the 1200 FEMA workers and other first responders who are in the area trying to help. Earlier this week, a North Carolina man, carrying a handgun and a rifle, was arrested after threatening FEMA workers. Some armed militias have reportedly also made threats against emergency workers. Criswell and Cooper said that they had taken steps to ensure workers’ safety and that they would not be deterred.

Road to recovery

The press conference also provided progress updates on work to aid recovery in the state. The overall picture is one of devastation over much of the western part of the state that will take years to fully recover from.

Helene washed out or damaged 6,000 roadways in the western part of the state, some of them major roads and highways. Many of these roadways remain too damaged or dangerous to traverse, while some are currently reserved for essential traffic like utilities and provisions. Some communities in the area, which depend heavily on tourism, have reopened to welcome visitors. Those wishing to visit should consult DriveNC.gov to see which roads are open, and contact local businesses to see if they are back up and running.

According to the state emergency management director William Ray, over 170,000 North Carolinians have applied for individual recovery assistance from FEMA. Over $100 million has been directly dispersed to survivors.

Forty five mobile sites across 13 counties are handing out 11,000 hot meals a day to those affected by the storm. Some areas, including the majority of Buncombe County where Asheville is located, are still without running water. Crews from several states working around the clock have also managed to restore about 90% of cellular coverage in the affected area.

Click here to see status updates on 27 North Carolina counties affected by Helene (opens in new tab).

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Israel continues assaults on UN peacekeepers, Lebanon, and Gaza

Last week, invading Israeli forces fired upon several bases of operation for the UN’s peacekeeping force in Lebanon, injuring at least five international peacekeepers. Despite condemnations from the international community, including several European nations who contribute to the 10,000-strong peacekeeping force, Israel’s assaults on these UN facilities have not ceased. In total there have been at least 20 Israeli attacks on peacekeeper positions since October 1.

Early Sunday morning, two Israeli tanks stormed the gate of a UN post in Ramyah nearly Israeli border, according to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). UNIFIL says that the two tanks forced their way into the base and then demanded multiple times that the base turn out its lights. UNIFIL personnel refused and the tanks withdrew. About two hours later, the Israelis fired several rounds about 100 meters north of the base which emitted some sort of chemical irritant. “Despite putting on protective masks, 15 peacekeepers suffered effects, including skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions, after the smoke entered the camp”.

Later that same day, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his demand that UN peacekeepers withdrawal from the area. He alleged that the peacekeepers’ presence is “providing Hezbollah terrorists with human shields”. Israel frequently uses such rhetoric to justify its attacks on civilians in Gaza and elsewhere.

Despite Netanyahu’s bluster and thinly-veiled threats, the UN has stood firm, announcing today that their peacekeepers will be remaining at all their posts along the border.