Romney, Warren urge FAA to temporarily ground Boeing 737 MAX 8

(Reuters) – U.S. senators Mitt Romney and Elizabeth Warren on
Tuesday called on the Federal Aviation Administration to follow
several other countries and temporarily ground Boeing Co’s 737 MAX
8, days after a crash in Ethiopia killed everyone onboard one of
the planes.

“Out of an abundance of caution for the flying public, the (FAA)
should ground the 737 MAX 8 until we investigate the causes of
recent crashes and ensure the plane’s airworthiness,” Romney said
in a tweet.

Warren, a Democratic presidential candidate, said the FAA should
“immediately ground this plane in the United States until its
safety can be assured.”

She also called on Congress to review the decision. “The Boeing
737 MAX 8 is a major driver of Boeing profits. In the coming weeks
and months, Congress should hold hearings on whether an
administration that famously refused to stand up to Saudi Arabia to
protect Boeing arms sales has once again put lives at risk for the
same reason,” Warren said in a statement released by her campaign,
not her Senate office.

Romney, a Republican who was his party’s presidential candidate
in 2012, joined similar calls from senators Richard Blumenthal and
Diane Feinstein, who are Democrats.

The FAA declined to comment on the senators’ statements.

Regulators around the world including the United Kingdom,
Australia, France, Ireland and Singapore, and a growing number of
airlines, are grounding the 737 MAX 8 in the wake of two fatal
crashes in five months.

Boeing in a statement on Tuesday did not directly address the
senators’ comments but said it has “full confidence in the safety
of the MAX” and noted the FAA has not mandated “any further action
at this time.”

Boeing added it understands “regulatory agencies and customers
have made decisions that they believe are most appropriate for
their home markets.”

The FAA told international carriers on Monday there was no need
to ground the plane but it would mandate a software upgrade and
training changes by April that Boeing confirmed late on Monday it
will roll out in the coming weeks.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao told reporters on
Monday that regulators would not hesitate to act if they find a
safety issue.

“If the FAA identifies an issue that affects safety, the
department will take immediate and appropriate action,” Chao said.
“I want people to be assured that we take these incidents, these
accidents very seriously.”

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been briefed on the
Ethiopian Airlines crash according to administration officials, on
Tuesday tweeted that “Airplanes are becoming far too complex to
fly. Pilots are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists
from MIT.”

He added “complexity creates danger. All of this for great cost
yet very little gain. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want
Albert Einstein to be my pilot. I want great flying professionals
that are allowed to easily and quickly take control of a
plane!”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for
comment about whether Trump was referring to a specific
airplane.

Kano PDP Candidate Urges Voter to Prepare for Re-Run
Election

Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf of People’s Democratic Party has assured
his teaming supporters of emerging victorious in the forthcoming
Gubernatorial bye election in Kano declared by the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The election was declared inconclusive due massive rigging
ochestrated by the ruling All Progressive Congress that resulted in
over voting and eventual cancellation of many polling units.

Kano people has seen glaringly, how the enemies of democracy who
are high ranking officials of the state Government including
serving deputy Governor, Nasiru Gawuna, Commissioner Murtala Garo
and Nassaraw Local Government Chairman Lamin Sani Kawaji vandalized
an election collation centre with a sole aim of truncating the
declaration process to deny PDP’s victory.

We have been reliably gathered that over five hundred ballot
papers were printed by Kano State Printing Press and syndicated to
various polling units across the state, part of which over ten
cartons of them were confiscated by the police.

It is our prayer that all election offenders would be charged to
courts at the earliest best time to serve as a deterrence for all
anti democracy.

We call on all supporters to remain calm, we are known to be
peace lovers and so we shall remain, as we are very sure of victory
during the rerun.

Our supporters should not forget that PDP is already leading in
the last count of the election and interestingly, the bye election
would take place in the strongest areas of our party.

We urge everyone to keep hope alive on our guest to rescue Kano
from the hands of corrupt leaders and agents of distraction.

People in the affected areas should come out en mass to cast
their votes in favour of PDP, We will Insha Allah emerge victorious
after the rerun to restore the lost glory of Kano.

Signed
Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa the Spokesperson to PDP Gubernatorial
Candidate for Kano State 2019 Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf