A view shows the wreckage of an Air India aircraft, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, which crashed during take-off from an airport in Ahmedabad, India June 12, 2025. An Air India plane that was bound for London and carrying 242 people crashed seconds after takeoff in western India on Thursday, killing all but one person on board the Boeing 787 Dareamliner. It marked the first crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and was the deadliest plane crash in years.

What Kind of Plane Was It?

The aircraft was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. It is a popular twin-aisle jet used for longer routes. This plane’s first flight was in December 2013 and it was handed over to Air India in January 2014, according to aviation-data firm Cirium. Air India had 34 of them in service as of Thursday, including this plane, and it had plans to order at least 20 more, Cirium said. The airline has been building up its fleet with modern jets from both Boeing and rival Airbus, and installing more luxurious cabins. There are more than 1,100 Dreamliners flying worldwide.

What Happened on This Flight?

Preliminary data show the signal from the plane was lost at 1:38 p.m. local time, less than a minute after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, according to flight-tracker Flightradar24. The aircraft reached maximum altitude of 625 feet, though airport altitude is about 200 feet, Flightradar noted. It is not clear why the plane so quickly lost altitude before it crashed into a fireball in a residential area. Other fatalities on the ground have been reported to local media. Air crashes can be caused by a variety of factors, from mechanical issues to wildlife to pilot error, and often involve more than one problem.

What Will Investigators Look At?

Responders will comb the rubble for the so-called black boxes: the cockpit and flight-data recorders. Those will give crash investigators clues about what was happening on the flight. Crash investigators will look at everything from the airline’s maintenance records to the pilots’ maneuvers, the position of the aircraft as well as slats and flaps on the wings, the pilots’ training and recent rest, and weather conditions on the hot day, when temperatures were near 100 degrees Fahrenheit. They will also examine video from the incident, including footage of the aircraft taking off from Ahmedabad. Under international protocols, the country where the incident occurred will lead the investigation while the plane’s manufacturer, Boeing, and the aircraft’s engine maker, GE Aerospace, as well as U.S. federal crash investigators will participate.

Previous Manufacturing and Quality Concerns

It is not immediately clear, and a final report on the crash causes might not be available until next year, but some experts brushed off a manufacturing issue, in part because the plane has been flying for more than a decade. “I don’t think this is a manufacturing or production issue,” said Jeff Guzzetti, a retired air safety investigator with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. He said it is too early to tell what the problem — or problems — is, as air crashes often involve several failures. “It appears the airplane got off the runway with no problem but for some reason was unable to climb,” he said. Boeing has had problems with the Dreamliner before, but an immediate connection wasn’t apparent, experts said.

Impact on Boeing

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, who took the reins last August, has been working to move the manufacturer, a top U.S. exporter, out of the spotlight for a series of safety and manufacturing crises. The company had already been reeling from two crashes of its best-selling 737 Max jets when a door plug blew out of a new Max 9 in early 2024. The impact on Boeing will depend on the crash investigation. Demand for new planes has still been robust, and airlines often continue to place orders because the waiting period can stretch several years. Wolfe Research said in a note on Thursday that “we don’t see much direct impact on financial performance, but this is certain to sap momentum until some solid clarity is provided. We don’t see any impact to the production ramp as a result of this and would expect any impact on demand to be very minimal (and localized) as well,” Wolfe wrote. “A modest risk could be any feedback loop to certification of the [yet-to-be-certified] 777X, but it is very early to size any risk there.” Boeing has orders for 900 more Dreamliners, according to its website.

Conclusion

The crash of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a tragic incident that has resulted in the loss of many lives. The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, and it may take some time to determine the exact factors that contributed to the accident. The impact on Boeing will depend on the outcome of the investigation, but it is likely to have some effect on the company’s reputation and future orders.

FAQs

Q: What type of plane was involved in the crash?
A: The plane involved in the crash was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
Q: How many people were on board the plane?
A: There were 242 people on board the plane.
Q: What is the current status of the investigation?
A: The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, and it may take some time to determine the exact factors that contributed to the accident.
Q: Has Boeing had any previous issues with the Dreamliner?
A: Yes, Boeing has had some issues with the Dreamliner in the past, including manufacturing flaws and concerns about lithium battery fires.
Q: How will the crash affect Boeing’s future orders?
A: The impact on Boeing’s future orders will depend on the outcome of the investigation, but it is likely to have some effect on the company’s reputation and future orders.

Introduction to the Issue

A group of 42 state attorneys general are calling on Meta to curb the rise of investment scams on Facebook that fraudulently use the images of Warren Buffett and other famous figures, New York Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday. James said in a news release criminals are consistently evading Meta’s automated and human review systems to post fake ads that leave retail investors saddled with millions of dollars in losses.

The Nature of the Scams

The ads, touting access to Buffett, Elon Musk or Ark Invest’s Cathie Wood, lure Facebook users to join chat groups on Meta-owned messaging platform, WhatsApp, according to the New York AG. There, users are unwittingly involved in alleged pump-and-dump schemes, where criminals boost the price of thinly traded stocks and quickly sell for a profit, leaving small investors with losses.

Meta’s Struggle to Control Scams

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is struggling to control the rise of cyber scams on its platforms and is a "cornerstone of the internet fraud economy," the Wall Street Journal reported last month. The problem is global in nature, with one notable lawsuit being brought by an Australian billionaire who alleges that Meta’s artificial intelligence-run advertising program created and amplified false ads using his likeness.

Call to Action by Attorney Generals

"Thousands of Facebook users have lost hundreds of millions of dollars to these scams and Meta must do more to stop these fraudulent ads from running on its platforms," James said. "I am leading a bipartisan coalition calling on Meta to step up its review of ads to stop these scams. I also urge all New Yorkers to be extra careful before putting their money in investments they see advertised on social media." The AGs urged Meta to boost its policing of ads, including with more human review, saying that unless they curb the scams, Meta should stop running investment ads altogether.

Response from Meta

Andy Stone, a spokesman for Meta, said that addressing scams on its platforms requires collaboration between banks, governments, law enforcement and telecom companies. "We’re committed to doing our part: Investing in technology to aggressively enforce against scams, including testing the use of facial recognition technology, empowering people to protect themselves with on-platform warnings and tools, educating consumers on common schemes and forging partnerships across tech, banking and beyond to protect people from these criminals," Stone said.

Conclusion

The issue of investment scams on social media platforms, particularly those using the images of famous figures like Warren Buffett, is a serious concern that requires immediate attention and action from companies like Meta. The call to action by the 42 state attorneys general for Meta to enhance its review of ads and curb these scams is a critical step towards protecting retail investors from significant financial losses.

FAQs

Q: What is the nature of the investment scams on Facebook?

A: The scams involve fake ads that use the images of famous figures like Warren Buffett, Elon Musk, or Cathie Wood to lure Facebook users into joining chat groups on WhatsApp, where they are involved in alleged pump-and-dump schemes.

Q: How much have Facebook users lost to these scams?

A: Thousands of Facebook users have lost hundreds of millions of dollars to these scams.

Q: What is Meta’s response to the issue?

A: Meta has stated its commitment to addressing scams on its platforms through investing in technology, empowering users, educating consumers, and forging partnerships with other industries.

Q: What are the attorney generals calling on Meta to do?

A: The attorney generals are calling on Meta to boost its policing of ads, including with more human review, and to stop running investment ads altogether if the scams cannot be curbed.

Q: Is this a global issue?

A: Yes, the problem of cyber scams on social media platforms is global in nature, with cases reported in various parts of the world.

Introduction to the Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has taken a significant step by firing all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), citing the need to "re-establish public confidence" in shots. This move has sparked widespread criticism from health policy experts, who argue that it will undermine science, disrupt a trusted regulatory process for shots, and could increase public distrust in both vaccinations and federal health agencies.

Impact on Public Health

The firings could threaten public health, eroding already falling U.S. immunization rates against once-common childhood diseases and making the nation less equipped to grapple with new or existing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Health policy experts, including Lawrence Gostin, professor of public health law at Georgetown University, have expressed concerns that Kennedy’s actions will have a significant negative impact on Americans of all ages. Gostin stated, "Rather than restoring public trust, his actions are simply politicizing science and vaccine policy."

Potential Consequences

The potential impact on vaccine manufacturers like Moderna, Merck, Pfizer, and BioNTech is less clear, but some analysts say it introduces more uncertainty to the regulatory process around shots. The move could lead to recommendations that restrict who is eligible for different vaccinations or give much more leeway for individuals to decide whether to get immunized. This could result in lower vaccination rates, increasing the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases spreading.

Kennedy’s Claims and the Future of ACIP

Kennedy has claimed that the current ACIP panel has been "plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine." However, these allegations are "completely unfounded" according to Tina Tan, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. The future of ACIP is uncertain, with some experts warning that Kennedy could try to appoint members who are sympathetic to his anti-vaccine views.

Impact on Vaccine Manufacturers

The move is a risk to vaccine manufacturers, which depend on federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC to approve and recommend their products. Some Wall Street analysts have noted that the committee could upend current recommendations for new and existing vaccines, but the impact is difficult to quantify before seeing who will replace the current panel.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the firing of the ACIP members by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has sparked widespread criticism and concern among health policy experts. The move has the potential to undermine science, disrupt the regulatory process for shots, and increase public distrust in vaccinations and federal health agencies. The future of ACIP and the impact on vaccine manufacturers remain uncertain, but one thing is clear: the consequences of this decision will be far-reaching and significant.

FAQs

Q: Who is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and what is his role in the US government?
A: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is the US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, responsible for overseeing the nation’s health care system.
Q: What is the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and what is its role?
A: ACIP is a group of independent medical and public health experts that reviews vaccine data and makes recommendations on who is eligible for shots and whether insurers should cover them.
Q: Why did HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. fire the ACIP members?
A: Kennedy cited the need to "re-establish public confidence" in shots, but health policy experts argue that the move is an attempt to politicize science and vaccine policy.
Q: What are the potential consequences of the ACIP firings?
A: The firings could lead to lower vaccination rates, increasing the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases spreading, and undermine science and the regulatory process for shots.
Q: How will the ACIP firings affect vaccine manufacturers?
A: The move introduces uncertainty to the regulatory process around shots and could lead to recommendations that restrict who is eligible for different vaccinations or give more leeway for individuals to decide whether to get immunized.