Rising number of lithium battery incidents on airplanes worry pilots, flight attendants
CBSN
Saindy Pyles thought she was going to die with her baby son, Liam, clutched to her chest as she flew home to Wichita from Miami after photographing a wedding. Spare (uninstalled) lithium-ion and lithium metal batteries, including power banks and cellphone battery charging cases, must be carried in carry-on baggage only. When a carry-on bag is checked at the gate or at planeside, all spare lithium batteries and power banks must be removed from the bag and kept with the passenger in the aircraft cabin. Damaged or recalled batteries and battery-powered devices, which are likely to create sparks or generate a dangerous evolution of heat must not be carried aboard an aircraft (e.g. carry-on or checked baggage) unless the damaged or recalled battery has been removed, or otherwise made safe.
Midway through the flight Pyles said smoke filled the cabin after she saw sparks and fire burst from a bag in the seat directly behind her.
"Honestly, I thought we were going to die," she said. "I looked and all I saw was flashes, just like flashes. I'm like, 'Oh my God, like, what is that?' And [the owner of the bag] is like, 'I don't know. I don't know.'"
Washington — President Trump, who calls voting by mail "cheating" and wants to restrict the method, voted by mail this month in Florida's special elections, public records show. In:
Washington — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed energy executive Alan Armstrong on Tuesday to replace newly confirmed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in the Senate.
Washington — The Senate is closing in on a deal to fund the bulk of the Department of Homeland Security and end the partial government shutdown that has stretched six weeks and snarled air travel. Seiji Yamashita and Alan He contributed to this report.
Ford Motor Co. is recalling 254,640 Lincoln and Explorer vehicles due to a software issue that may disrupt the rearview camera and other features intended to enhance safety while driving. Edited by Aimee Picchi In:
The Trump administration deployed ICE and other Homeland Security agents to 14 of the nation's airports on Monday to help shuttle passengers through overcrowded TSA checkpoints. In one airport, the security line wait-time was up to six hours. Nicole Sganga and Kaia Hubbard contributed to this report. In:
One of South Africa's most notorious apartheid police commanders testified on Monday at an inquiry into the killing of four activists in 1985 as part of the country's renewed focus on atrocities committed by security forces during decades of forced racial segregation that went unpunished. In:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to testify in federal court Tuesday in the ongoing criminal trial of former Florida Congressman David Rivera, who is accused of secretly lobbying for the Venezuelan government during the first Trump administration.
A U.S. Park Police officer was seriously wounded Monday evening in a shooting in Washington, law enforcement officials said.
A large explosion at a Valero oil refinery near the Texas Gulf coast Monday shot plumes of smoke into the air and forced some nearby residents to shelter in place. In:
The Defense Department said Monday it will remove media outlets' office spaces from the Pentagon after a federal judge sided with The New York Times in a lawsuit challenging limits on reporters' access to the building. In:
Washington — The Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security on Monday, finalizing President Trump's shakeup of DHS following months of scrutiny of Kristi Noem's leadership.
A civil jury in California found Monday that Bill Cosby was liable for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 1972 and awarded her $19.25 million. In:
With nearly 40% of TSA employees at George Bush Intercontinental Airport calling out as the partial government shutdown drags into a sixth week, Houston has a problem. In: