The Irish rugby team may have had a hard fought match behind them, but they certainly still had the energy to celebrate with their loved ones after the game. Ireland clinched a win over Australia in tonight's IRFU 150 Test Match at the Aviva Stadium, ending the game with a 22-19 victory. The team celebrated with their families after the game, with many of their joined by their children after the match came to a close. READ MORE: Brian O'Driscoll & Johnny Sexton's kids are on the same rugby team: 'We're on the sideline together' READ MORE: Simon Zebo worries about his kids playing rugby and doesn't want them to follow in his footsteps Cian Healy shared some sweet on pitch moments with his children Beau and Russell, with Beau running up and sharing a hug with his father on the grass. Meanwhile, Jamison Gibson-Park left the pitch with his daughter Isabella and son Jai. Ireland's Peter O'Mahony celebrated with a cheer as he and his son Theo raised their arms in victory as they posed for a snapshot. RSVP Live daily newsletter Solus embed
U.S. federal prosecutors moved Monday to dismiss the criminal charges against U.S. president-elect Donald Trump that accused him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election and to abandon the classified documents case against him, citing longstanding U.S. Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. The decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had fiercely sought to hold Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president following his election victory this month, despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him. The decision, revealed in court filings, also amounts to a predictable but nonetheless stunning conclusion to criminal cases that had been seen as the most perilous of the multiple legal threats Trump has faced. It reflects the practical consequences of Trump's victory, ensuring he enters office free from scrutiny over his hoarding of top-secret documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Smith's team emphasized that the move to abandon the prosecutions, in federal courts in Washington and Florida, was not a reflection of their view on the merits of the cases but rather a reflection of their commitment to longstanding department policy. "That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government's proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind," the prosecutors wrote in Monday's court filing in the election interference case. Trump victory forced issue of how to proceed The decision was expected after Smith's team began assessing how to wind down both the 2020 election interference case and the separate classified documents case in the wake of Trump's victory over U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris . The Justice Department believes Trump can no longer be tried in accordance with longstanding policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted. Special counsel Jack Smith speaks in August 2023 about the indictment of Trump. Smith's decision to dismiss the criminal charges and to abandon the classified documents case against Trump represented the end of the federal effort against him following his election victory earlier this month. (Jacquelyn Martin/The Associated Press) Trump has cast both cases as politically motivated, and had vowed to fire Smith as soon as he takes office in January. The 2020 election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing the Republican. But it quickly stalled amid legal battles over Trump's sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for his actions while he was in the White House. The U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution , and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year's election. Smith's team in October filed a lengthy brief laying out new evidence they planned to use against Trump at trial, accusing him of "resorting to crimes" in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will of voters after he lost to Biden .
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DUBLIN (AP) — Vote counting was underway Saturday in Ireland’s national election after an exit poll suggested the contest is a close-fought race among the country’s three largest political parties. Election officials opened ballot boxes at count centers across the country, kicking off what could be several days of tallying the results. If the exit poll is borne out, that could be followed by days or weeks of negotiations to form a coalition government. The exit poll suggested voters’ support is split widely among the three big parties — Fine Gael , Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein — as well as several smaller parties and an assortment of independents ranging from the left to the far right. The poll said center-right party Fine Gael was the first choice of 21% of voters, and another center-right party, Fianna Fail, of 19.5%. The two parties governed in coalition before the election. Left-of-center opposition party Sinn Fein was at 21.1% in the poll. Pollster Ipsos B&A asked 5,018 voters across the country how they had cast their ballots. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.4 percentage points. The figures only give an indication and don’t reveal which parties will form the next government. Ireland uses a complex system of proportional representation in which each of the country’s 43 constituencies elects several lawmakers and voters rank candidates in order of preference. As a result, it can take some time for full results to be known. Fianna Fail politician Michael McGrath, a former finance minister and now a European Union official, said “a number of different parties and groups will have to be involved” in forming a government. “I hope it is a stable government that has the prospect of lasting the five years because of the challenges we are facing in Ireland and throughout the European Union," he told the PA news agency at a count in Cork, southwest Ireland. “Let’s allow the picture to emerge over the days ahead.” The result will show whether Ireland bucks the global trend of incumbents being ousted by disgruntled voters after years of pandemic, international instability and cost-of-living pressures. The cost of living — especially Ireland’s acute housing crisis — was a dominant topic in the three-week campaign, alongside immigration, which has become an emotive and challenging issue in a country of 5.4 million people long defined by emigration. The outgoing government was led by the two parties that have dominated Irish politics for the past century: Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. They have similar policies but are longtime rivals with origins on opposing sides of Ireland’s 1920s civil war. After the 2020 election ended in a virtual dead heat, they formed a coalition. Before polling day, analysts said the most likely outcome was another Fine Gael-Fianna Fail coalition. That remains a likely option. The front-runners to be the next taoiseach, or prime minister, are current Taoiseach Simon Harris of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin — despite their parties’ relatively lackluster showing. The two parties would need the support of smaller groups or independents to achieve a majority in the 174-seat Dail, the lower house of Parliament. The Green Party, which held 12 seats in the last parliament and propped up the governing coalition, acknowledged that it was headed for a disappointing result. Among a large crop of independent candidates was reputed organized crime boss Gerry “the Monk” Hutch, who has seen a groundswell of support since he was bailed on money-laundering charges in Spain this month in order to run for election. Early results suggested he stood a good chance of winning a seat in Dublin. Sinn Fein achieved a stunning breakthrough in the 2020 election, topping the popular vote, but was shut out of government because Fianna Fail and Fine Gael refused to work with it, citing its leftist policies and historic ties with militant group the Irish Republican Army during three decades of violence in Northern Ireland. Though Sinn Fein, which aims to reunite Northern Ireland with the independent Republic of Ireland, could become the largest party in the Dail, it may struggle to get enough coalition partners to form a government. During the election campaign, both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail maintained they would not go into government with it. A Sinn Fein-led government would shake up Irish politics – and the future of the United Kingdom. The party is already the largest in Northern Ireland, and a Sinn Fein government in the republic would push for a referendum on Irish reunification in the next few years. The party, which had urged people to vote for change, hailed the result after the exit poll was released. “There is every chance that Sinn Fein will emerge from these elections as the largest political party,” Sinn Fein director of elections Matt Carthy told broadcaster RTE on Friday night. Lawless reported from London.PORTLAND, Maine -- Honey, they shrunk the catalogs. While retailers hope to go big this holiday season , customers may notice that the printed gift guides arriving in their mailboxes are smaller. Many of the millions of catalogs getting sent to U.S. homes were indeed scaled down to save on postage and paper, resulting in pint-sized editions. Lands’ End, Duluth Trading Company and Hammacher Schlemmer are among gift purveyors using smaller editions. Some retailers are saving even more money with postcards. Lisa Ayoob, a tech-savvy, online shopper in Portland, Maine, was surprised by the size of a recent catalog she received from outdoor apparel company Carbon2Cobalt. “It almost felt like it was a pamphlet compared to a catalog,” she said. Catalogs have undergone a steady recalibration over the years in response to technological changes and consumer behavior. The thick, heavy Sears and J.C. Penney catalogs that brought store displays to American living rooms slimmed down and gave way to targeted mailings once websites could do the same thing. Recent postal rate increases accelerated the latest shift to compact formats. The number of catalogs mailed each year dropped about 40% between 2006 to 2018, when an estimated 11.5 billion were mailed to homes, according to the trade group formerly known as the American Catalog Mailers Association. In a sign of the times, the group based in Washington rebranded itself in May as the American Commerce Marketing Association, reflecting a broadened focus. But don't expect catalogs to go the way of dinosaurs yet. Defying predictions of doom, they have managed to remain relevant in the e-commerce era. Retail companies found that could treat catalogs with fewer pages as a marketing tool and include QR and promo codes to entice customers to browse online and complete a purchase. Despite no longer carrying an extended inventory of goods, catalogs are costly to produce and ship. But they hold their own in value because of growing digital advertising costs, helping retailers cut through the noise for consumers barraged by multi-format advertisements, industry officials say. In an unlikely twist, notable e-commerce companies like Amazon and home goods supplier Wayfair started distributing catalogs in recent years. Amazon began mailing a toy catalog in 2018. That was the same year Sears, which produced an annual Christmas Wish Book Wish starting in 1933, filed for bankruptc y. Fans of printed information may rejoice to hear that apparel retailer J.Crew relaunched its glossy catalog this year. Research shows that the hands-on experience of thumbing through a catalog leaves a greater impression on consumers, said Jonathan Zhang, a professor of marketing at Colorado State University. “The reason why these paper formats are so effective is that our human brains haven’t evolved as fast as technology and computers over the past 10 to 20 years. We retain more information when we read something on paper. That's why paper books remain relevant," Zhang said. “The psychology shows that three-dimensional, tactile experiences are more memorable.” Pint-sized presentations still can work, though, because the purpose of catalogs these days is simply to get customers’ attention, Zhang said. Conserving paper also works better with younger consumers who are worried about the holiday shopping season's impact on the planet, he said. Postal increases are hastening changes. The latest round of postage hikes in July included the category with the 8.5-by-11-inch size that used to be ubiquitous for the catalog industry. Many retailers responded by reducing the size of catalogs, putting them in a lower-cost letter category, said Paul Miller, executive vice president and managing director of the American Commerce Marketing Association. One size, called a “slim jim,” measures 10.5 by 5.5 inches. But there other sizes. Some retailers have further reduced costs by mailing large postcards to consumers. Lands' End, for one, is testing new compact formats to supplement its traditional catalogs. This year, that included folded glossy brochures and postcards, along with other formats, Chief Transformation Officer Angie Rieger said. Maine resident Ayoob said she understands why retailers still use catalogs even though she no longer is a fan of the format. These days, she prefers to browse for products on the internet, not by flipping through paper pages. “Everybody wants eyeballs. There’s so much out there -- so many websites, so many brands,” said Ayoob, who spent 35 years working in department stores and in the wholesale industry. Targeting customers at home is not a new concept. L.L. Bean was a pioneer of the mail-order catalog after its founder promoted his famous “Maine Hunting Shoe” to hunting license holders from out-of-state in 1912. The outdoor clothing and equipment company based in Freeport, Maine, is sticking to mailing out regular-sized catalogs for now. “By showcasing our icons, the catalog became an icon itself,” L.L. Bean spokesperson Amanda Hannah said. "Even as we invest more in our digital and brand marketing channels, the catalog retains a strong association with our brand, and is therefore an important part of our omni-channel strategy, especially for our loyal customers.”
As November wraps up, Spotify users favorite day of the year nears. The annual Spotify Wrapped campaign, where users reflect on their listening habits, is expected to drop any day now, based on previous years' trends. Typically between November or December, the streaming platform creates a presentation of a user's most streamed songs, podcasts and artists to share on social media. Spotify also creates a playlist with a user's 100 most streamed songs, ordered from most to least played. The campaign also shares quirky data-driven facts about their listening habits including what color their music aura is, what region their taste is similar to and whether they're in the top 1% of Bad Bunny listeners. While there's no official release date, here's what to know about Spotify Wrapped 2024's release. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Cowboy Carter: Beyoncé receives more country music nominations at Billboard Music Award When does Spotify Wrapped come out? Spotify has yet to announce when its 2024 Wrapped will drop, but in previous years it's been released in late November or early December. Over the past few years, Spotify has bumped up the Wrapped release date. When did Spotify Wrapped come out last year? Last year's Wrapped dropped on Nov. 29, while in 2022 it was released on Nov. 30. In 2021 and 2020, it was released on Dec. 1. In 2019 , it was Dec. 5 and in 2018 it dropped on Dec. 6. Is Spotify still tracking for Wrapped? Users have long speculated that the service only tracks data between Jan. 1 to Oct. 31. However, Spotify has debunked that theory, confirming that it continues to track listening habits for its annual Spotify Wrapped past Halloween. How to see past Spotify Wrapped playlists Spotify users can find their previous Spotify Wrapped playlists, showing their 100 most streamed songs of the year, through the platform's search engine. However, the Wrapped presentation sharing annual statistics is only available to see for around a month. What does Spotify Wrapped show? Established in 2016, Spotify Wrapped is an annual campaign that combines Spotify listening data into an interactive display of the music the user listened to the most. Typically, Spotify Wrapped displays a user's top songs, artists and genres. Users are encouraged to share their Spotify Wrapped on social media. User data is collected from Jan. 1 through the fall of that same year to produce a user's Spotify Wrapped. How to check your Spotify Wrapped When Spotify Wrapped 2024 releases, users can see their results on the app, as long as no updates are pending. Contributing: Greta Cross
Military courts’ verdicts under law enacted by parliament: FODOJ, Google Make Closing Arguments in Advertising Antitrust TrialDana Announces Leadership Transition and Actions to Accelerate Value Creation
LOS ANGELES , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cadiz, Inc. CDZI ("Cadiz," the "Company"), a California water solutions company, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared the following cash dividend on the Company's 8.875% Series A Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (the "Series A Preferred Stock"). Holders of Series A Preferred Stock will receive a cash dividend equal to $560.00 per whole share. Holders of depositary shares, each representing a 1/1000 fractional interest in a share of Series A Preferred Stock CDZIP , will receive a cash dividend equal to $0.56 per depositary share. The dividend will be paid on January 15, 2025 , to applicable holders of record as of the close of business on January 3, 2025 . About Cadiz, Inc. Founded in 1983, Cadiz, Inc. CDZI is a California water solutions company dedicated to providing access to clean, reliable and affordable water for people through a unique combination of water supply, storage, pipeline and treatment solutions. With 45,000 acres of land in California , 2.5 million acre-feet of water supply, 220 miles of pipeline assets and the most cost-effective water treatment filtration technology in the industry, Cadiz offers a full suite of solutions to address the impacts of climate change on clean water access. For more information, please visit https://www.cadizinc.com . Safe Harbor Statement This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "anticipates", "expect", "may", "plan", or "will". Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, projections, predictions, expectations, or beliefs about future events or results and are not statements of historical fact, including statements regarding the Company's expectations regarding payments of dividends in the future. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These and other risks are identified in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"), including without limitation our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings subsequently made by the Company with the Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management's assumptions and estimates as of such date. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, the occurrence of future events or otherwise. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cadiz-inc-declares-quarterly-dividend-for-q4-2024-on-series-a-cumulative-perpetual-preferred-stock-302339009.html SOURCE Cadiz, Inc. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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Appoints Current Dana Director R. Bruce McDonald as Chairman and CEO Announces Plan to Sell Off-Highway Business Initiates $200 Million Cost Reduction Plan Confirms 2024 Full-Year Guidance Ranges for Sales, Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow MAUMEE, Ohio , Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Incorporated (NYSE: DAN) today announced the appointment of R. Bruce McDonald , a member of the Dana Board of Directors, as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. McDonald's appointment follows the retirement of James Kamsickas as Chief Executive Officer and his departure from the Board. Mr. Kamsickas will remain as an advisor to the Company through March 2025 to support the transition. The Board has retained a leading executive search firm to identify the Company's next permanent CEO. Keith Wandell , Dana's Lead Independent Director, said, "Jim is an exceptional leader with more than 18 years as a CEO in the industry. He led Dana through one of the industry's most challenging periods while successfully building a high-performance culture, enabling a world-class manufacturing company and assembling a portfolio of leading products and technologies. The Board and Jim agreed that now is the right time to transition the leadership of Dana, and we thank Jim for his many contributions over his nine years leading the Company and wish him all the best." Mr. Kamsickas said, "I am proud of the work the Dana team has done over the past decade to grow revenues and successfully enhance the technology to serve all mobility markets no matter what type of propulsion they may use. It has been an honor to lead this talented global team during that time and I am confident the Company is well positioned for the future." Mr. Wandell continued, "We continue to have confidence in the long-term opportunity in the mobility industry, however it is undergoing a significant transformation, including protracted cost pressures and demand uncertainty. To address these challenges and deliver more value to customers and shareholders, Dana is taking action to streamline the business, unlock the value of its Off-Highway business and further reduce costs. Bruce is an experienced public company CEO in our industry with significant M&A expertise, and we are confident that he is the right person to oversee this transformation while the Board conducts a search for a permanent successor." Plan to Sell Off-Highway Business Dana today also announced it has engaged financial advisors Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC to sell its Off-Highway business, which the Board believes will unlock substantial value for shareholders. The Off-Highway business provides drive and motion systems for heavy-duty vehicles in markets such as agriculture, materials handling, mining, construction and forestry. A sale will position Dana with a streamlined go-to-market approach focused on serving its light and commercial vehicle customers, with traditional and electrified products that are largely shared across the remaining portfolio. Proceeds from a potential sale will enable Dana to strengthen its balance sheet through substantially reduced leverage, and to return capital to shareholders. While the Company and its advisors believe there is strong interest in the Off-Highway business, there can be no assurance that the sale process for Off-Highway will result in a transaction. There is no timeframe for the conclusion of the process, and the Company does not intend to comment further regarding this matter unless and until further disclosure is determined to be appropriate. Cost Reduction Actions While Dana continues to improve its profitability in a challenging operating environment, the Company announced further actions to support sustained long-term profitability and enhanced cash flow generation. This includes substantial reductions in selling, general & administrative costs across all the Company's businesses and engineering expenses to match current industry dynamics, including the ongoing delay in the adoption of electric vehicles. The Company expects to deliver annualized savings of approximately $200 million by 2026. Furthermore, the Company plans to reduce capital spending to reflect the revised market demand for electric vehicles. Bruce McDonald , Chief Executive Officer said, "Dana is committed to a strategy that accelerates value creation and has taken action to flex its cost structure and generate efficiencies by leveraging its core strengths through current market conditions. It is clear that further actions are needed, and I am confident that the new incremental cost reductions, paired with the benefits of a potential Off-Highway sale, will enhance shareholder value. Following the Off-Highway business sale, we believe Dana will have an adjusted EBITDA margin and free cash flow margin in excess of current levels." Mr. McDonald continued, "Dana is differentiated by leading technology innovation and a track record of continuous improvement. My conviction in our businesses, the team and the opportunities to capitalize on the EV transition over the long term remain strong. I look forward to stepping into my new role as CEO at such an important time for Dana and will work diligently alongside the Board and management team to deliver on these actions and drive value for Dana shareholders." Reaffirms 2024 Full-Year Guidance Ranges Dana is also reaffirming its previously announced guidance ranges for sales of $10.2 to $10.4 billion , Adjusted EBITDA of $855 to $895 million and free cash flow of $90 to $110 million for full year 2024, as outlined in the Company's third quarter 2024 earnings announcement on October 30, 2024 . About R. Bruce McDonald R. Bruce McDonald is a senior executive with over 30 years of experience in the automotive and manufacturing industries and significant expertise. Mr. McDonald has been a member of the Dana Board of Directors since 2014. He is also the retired chairman and chief executive officer of Adient plc., a global mobility supplier. He previously served as executive vice president and vice chairman of Johnson Controls, Inc., a global manufacturer of automotive, power and building solutions from 2014 to 2016. Mr. McDonald also served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Johnson Controls from 2005 to September 2014 . Before joining Johnson Controls as vice president and corporate controller in 2001, he was vice president for finance at TRW Automotive. Prior to his appointment as Chairman of the Board, Mr. McDonald served on Dana's Audit Committee and as chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements and projections contained in this news release are, by their nature, forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates, and projections about our industry and business, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," and similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Dana's Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss important risk factors that could affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. The forward-looking statements in this news release speak only as of this date. Dana does not undertake any obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement for any reason. About Dana Incorporated Dana is a leader in the design and manufacture of highly efficient propulsion and energy-management solutions that power vehicles and machines in all mobility markets across the globe. The company is shaping sustainable progress through its conventional and clean-energy solutions that support nearly every vehicle manufacturer with drive and motion systems; electrodynamic technologies, including software and controls; and thermal, sealing, and digital solutions. Based in Maumee, Ohio , USA, the company reported sales of $10.6 billion in 2023 with 42,000 people in 31 countries across six continents. With a history dating to 1904, Dana was named among the "World's Most Ethical Companies" for 2023 and 2024 by Ethisphere and as one of "America's Most Responsible Companies 2023" by Newsweek. The company is driven by a high-performance culture that focuses on valuing others, inspiring innovation, growing responsibly, and winning together, earning it global recognition as a top employer. Learn more at dana.com . Craig Barber , +1-419-699-4990, craig.barber@dana.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dana-announces-leadership-transition-and-actions-to-accelerate-value-creation-302315797.html SOURCE Dana Incorporated
WASHINGTON — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request. The airline said in an email that the problem was caused by trouble with vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. An American Airlines employee wearing looks toward quiet check-in counters Tuesday in the American terminal at Miami International Airport in Miami. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the system known as FOS. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Out of the 3,901 domestic and international American Airlines flights scheduled for Tuesday, 19 were canceled. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights departed within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — arrived at their destinations as scheduled. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 3,712 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed Tuesday, with 55 flights canceled. It did not show any flights from American Airlines. Cirium said Dallas-Fort Worth, New York's Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Travelers wait in line for security checks Tuesday at the Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms developed in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. Any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have "interline agreements" that let them put stranded customers on another carrier's flights. An American Airlines employee wearing a Santa Claus hat walks through the American terminal Tuesday at Miami International Airport in Miami. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers an automatic cash refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. Finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. American Airlines employees check in travelers Tuesday in the American terminal at Miami International Airport in Miami. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. "Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday," AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation's highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. "It's not the destination, it's the journey," said American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Ralph clearly was not among the travellers on one of more than 350 cancelled or 1,400 delayed flights after a worldwide tech outage caused by an update to Crowdstrike's "Falcon Sensor" software in July of 2023. U.S. airlines carried nearly 863 million travellers in 2023, with Canadian carriers accounting for another 150 million, many of whom experienced lost luggage, flight delays, cancellations, or were bumped off their flights. It's unclear how many of them were compensated for these inconveniences. Suffice it to say, posting a crabby rant on social media might temporarily soothe anger, but it won't put wasted money back in pockets. Money.ca shares what to know in order to be compensated for the three most common air travel headaches. Bags elected to go on a vacay without you? Check off the following: If you expect a large payout, think again. Tariffs (air carrier contracts) limit the compensation amounts for "loss of, damage to, or the delay in delivery of baggage or other personal property." In the case of Air Canada, the maximum payout is $1,500 per passenger in the currency of the country where the baggage was processed. To raise that limit, purchase a Declaration of Higher Value for each leg of the trip. The charge is $0.50 for each $100, in which case the payout limit is $2,500. For Delta Air Lines, passengers are entitled to up to $3,800 in baggage compensation, though how much you'll receive depends on your flight. Delta will pay up to $2,080 for delayed, lost, and damaged baggage for international travellers, almost half of what U.S. domestic passengers can claim. If your flight is marked delayed for more than 30 minutes, approach the gate agent and politely request food and hotel vouchers to be used within the airport or nearby. Different air carriers and jurisdictions have their own compensation policies when flights are delayed or cancelled. For example, under European Union rules, passengers may receive up to 600 Euros, even when travelling on a non-EU carrier. Similarly, the DOT states that travellers are entitled to a refund "if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel." However, US rules regarding delays are complicated. Some air carriers, such as Air Canada, do not guarantee their flight schedules. They're also not liable for cancellations or changes due to "force majeure" such as weather conditions or labour disruptions. If the delay is overnight, only out-of-town passengers will be offered hotel accommodation. Nevertheless, many airlines do offer some compensation for the inconvenience. If your flight is marked delayed for more than 30 minutes, approach the gate agent and politely request food and hotel vouchers to be used within the airport or nearby. In terms of cash compensation, what you'll get can differ significantly based on things like departure location, time, carrier, and ticket class. The DOT offers a helpful delay and cancellations dashboard designed to keep travellers informed about their compensation rights. The dashboard is particularly helpful because, as the DOT states on its website, "whether you are entitled to a refund depends on a lot of factors—such as the length of the delay, the length of the flight, and your particular circumstances." The Canadian Transportation Agency is proposing air passenger protection regulations that guarantee financial compensation to travellers experiencing flight delays and cancellations, with the level of compensation varying depending on the situation and how much control the air carrier had. The proposed regulations include the following: The airline is obligated to complete the passenger's itinerary. If the new ticket is for a lower class of service, the air carrier would have to refund the cost difference; if the booking is in a higher class of service, passengers cannot be charged extra. If the passenger declines the ticket, the airline must give a full refund, in addition to the prescribed compensation. For overnight delays, the air carrier needs to provide hotel accommodation and transportation free-of-charge. Again, if you are unsatisfied, the Canadian Transportation Agency or Department of Transportation may advocate on your behalf. Passengers get bumped because airlines overbook. When this happens, the air carrier must compensate you. For international flights in the US, the rate is 200% of your one-way fare to your final destination, with a $675 maximum. If the airline does not make travel arrangements for you, the payout is 400% of your one-way fare to a maximum of $1,350. To qualify, you must check-in by the stated deadline, which on international flights can be up to 3 hours ahead. Keep in mind that if you accept the cash, you are no longer entitled to any further compensation, nor are you guaranteed to be rebooked on a direct flight or similar type of seat. Don't be too quick to give up your boarding pass. Negotiate for the best compensation deal that would include cash, food and hotel vouchers, flight upgrade, lounge passes, as well as mileage points. But avoid being too greedy—if the gate attendant is requesting volunteers and you wait too long, you'll miss the offer. According to Air Canada's tariff, if a passenger is involuntarily bumped, they'll receive $200, in cash or bank draft, for up to a two-hour delay; $400 for a 2-6 hours delay; and $800 if the delay is over six hours. (Air Canada was forced to raise its payouts in 2013 due to passenger complaints.) The new rules would raise the payout significantly: $900 for up to six hours; $1,800 for 6-9; and $2,400 for more than nine hours, all to be paid within 48 hours. Statistically speaking, Delta Airlines is the carrier most likely to bump. A few years ago, Delta raised its payout maximum to $9,950, while United Airlines tops out at $10,000. This story was produced by Money.ca and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Friday's riot in Montreal is proof Trudeau’s Canada is broken, Poilievre saysDana Announces Leadership Transition and Actions to Accelerate Value Creation
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