Boeing 737 Max meetings, Release of 'American Taliban': 5 things you need to know Thursday
Issues for Boeing 737 Max aren't over when planes return to service
Two high-profile meetings on Boeing's 737 Max will take place Thursday. In Dallas, the FAA is hosting dozens of regulators to discuss its work on ensuring the safe return of the Max, which was involved in two fatal crashes in five months before it was grounded March 13. Boeing said last week the Max software is fixed, but FAA Acting Administrator Dan Elwell said Wednesday the plane maker hasn't submitted its final request to change the software. In Montreal, representatives from airlines affected by the grounding will be meet in a gathering organized by the International Air Transport Association. Three U.S. carriers – Southwest, American and United – operate the Max. American CEO Doug Parker, like his counterparts at Southwest and United, knows the issues surrounding the grounded Max aren't over when the planes are returned to service. Parker, in an interview with "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt'' on Wednesday, said "we shall see" when asked for specifics on how the airline will address skittish passengers' worries.
American who joined the Taliban to be freed from Indiana prison
John Walker Lindh, dubbed the "American Taliban" after his 2001 capture in Afghanistan, is scheduled to be freed Thursday from a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, federal prison records show. Lindh, a Californian who moved to the Middle East three years before the Sept. 11 terror attacks, has served over 17 years of a 20-year sentence for supporting the Taliban regime. But additional restrictions imposed recently on Lindh’s release make it clear that authorities remain concerned about the threat he could pose once free, the Associated Press notes. Authorities never specified their rationale for seeking such restrictions. But there have been reports that Lindh's behavior in prison has created cause for concern. Foreign Policy magazine reported in 2017 that an investigation by the National Counterterrorism Center found that Lindh "continued to advocate for global jihad and to write and translate violent extremist texts."
After Trump and Brexit, EU Parliament vote could further a populist wave
European voters will elect 751 lawmakers to represent them in the ninth sitting of the European Parliament, starting Thursday and continuing through Sunday. The elections, in 28 European Union countries, affect more than 500 million people and only come once every five years. The MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) scrutinize laws that originate in the EU Commission - the bloc's executive branch - establish and oversee budgets and provide oversight for other EU institutions. The European Council on Foreign Relations, a public policy think tank, has forecasted that anti-EU, anti-immigration, nationalist parties could win more than one-third of the seats. The vote will be the "next big move" or test for populism after Britain's vote to leave the EU, also known as Brexit, and President Donald Trump's election in 2016, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon told USA TODAY in 2018.
Thursday will be a bad day to leave for your Memorial Day weekend
If you are thinking of getting out of town for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, the worst time to leave will be Thursday, between 4:45 and 6 p.m. That's the message from AAA, which is expecting an additional 1.5 million people will travel for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday compared to last year. That will lead to a record number taking road trips since AAA started holiday tracking, according to the organization. This Memorial Day, nearly 43 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more for the holiday, 3.6% more than last year. The overwhelming majority, 37.6 million, will drive to their destination, a record for the holiday.
New Coke is back after 34 years. Thank 'Stranger Things'
Thirty-four years after it debuted – and then quickly disappeared – New Coke is back. The soda will be available online Thursday as part of a tie-in with the wildly popular Netflix sci-fi drama "Stranger Things," Coca-Cola announced this week. The show's third season launches on July 4 and will take place in 1985. That year, Coca-Cola angered soda drinkers with the launch of a new version of its flagship drink. New Coke quickly became an example of misgauging consumer demand and remains a punchline almost 35 years later. The 12-ounce cans of New Coke, made from the same recipe that sparked the 1985 revolt, will go on sale at 5 p.m. ET at cokestore.com. They'll be part of a bundle when shoppers buy at least two limited-edition "Stranger Things" Coca-Cola or Coke Zero Sugar eight-ounce glass bottles.
Contributing: Associated Press
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