handle

A Tesla pictured in Oct. 2022 near the Meta campus in Menlo Park, Calif. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tesla received 16 reports of exterior door handles becoming “inoperative due to low 12VDC battery voltage in certain MY 2021 Tesla Model Y vehicles.” File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 3 (UPI) — Federal regulators have ordered Tesla to comply with an investigation into possibly defective door handles that reportedly led to trapped passengers.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told the Elon Musk-owned Tesla that the federal government received scores of complaints on its electric vehicles.

As of Oct. 27, the NHTSA said it received 16 reports of exterior, retractable door handles becoming “inoperative due to low 12VDC battery voltage in certain MY 2021 Tesla Model Y vehicles.”

Reports indicated children were trapped in the cars in some cases, and owners unable to enter or exit vehicles due to battery that impeded door handle use.

A deadly 2024 crash in Wisconsin led to a lawsuit that claimed Tesla was negligent in its door handle designs.

Meanwhile, Tesla officials have until Dec. 10 to provide records to federal regulators.

Major expansion plans have been revealed, as one of the UK’s busiest railway stations looks to double its passenger capacity over the next three years – handling thousands of passengers every hour

One of the UK’s busiest railway stations has unveiled ambitious expansion plans to handle millions of extra passengers over the next three years.

Earlier this month (Thursday, July 3) St Pancras Highspeed and Eurostar penned a letter of intent to expand capacity at St Pancras International – to support growing demand for ‘sustainable cross-border travel’. The partnership follows an independent study commissioned last year that explored how the popular station could evolve to meet rising visitor numbers in the future.

According to Rail UK, architecture practice Hawkins\Brown has been appointed to undertake and deliver a detailed design and feasibility study. This will allow the businesses to assess how the station can be reimagined to accommodate more passengers and operate more efficiently.

The expansion will be conducted in three phases, with bold aims for the station to be able to handle a staggering 5,000 passengers per hour by 2028. Phase three will take place in the 2030s, and will explore long-term opportunities to ‘drive growth’ following the capacity increase – including potentially relocating the arrivals flow to upstairs.

READ MORE: Tiny UK airport named country’s quietest only used by 2.8k passengers every year

Richard Thorp, chief operating officer at London St. Pancras Highspeed, said the station was ‘delighted’ to be joining forces with Eurostar to expand its capacity. “With growing passenger demand for international train travel, it is important that St. Pancras International station is future-proofed and optimised to accommodate this,” he added.

“With a shared ambition and collaborative approach, we can ensure our iconic station is ready to support this demand. We’re looking forward to getting started on a new era of connectivity between London and Europe.”

Simon Lejeune of Eurostar also welcomed the news, stating it was ‘proud’ to be part of plans to better the customer experience and ‘reimagine our space for the future’. Describing Eurostar as the ‘green gateway to Europe’, he added: “As we plan to expand our fleet from the early 2030s and increase services to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and now Germany and Switzerland, this project will play a vital role in enabling that growth and continuing our seamless and unique customer experience.”

The concept design and feasibility study are due to be finished towards the end of the year, when a formal design and construction plan has been developed. At the time of writing, no estimated costs for the project have been released.

Want the latest travel news and cheapest holiday deals sent straight to your inbox? Sign up to our Travel Newsletter

The announcement comes shortly after Eurostar’s monopoly of the Temple Mills depot site has fallen under close scrutiny – with several competitors showing interest in running similar routes from England to France. A report conducted by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) earlier this year found there is ‘some available capacity’ at the depot for more trains to be stabled, serviced and maintained.

The conclusion was well received by Virgin Group, which says it is now ‘ready to take up the challenge’ of launching high-speed passenger train services through the Channel Tunnel. “The Temple Mills depot is the only facility in the UK which can accommodate European-style trains and claims suggesting it was at capacity have been blocking Virgin from coming to the line,” a spokesperson said. “Virgin is therefore very pleased with the outcome and we thank the ORR for commissioning this report, which will now unlock competition on the cross-Channel route for the benefit of all passengers.”

French manufacturer Alstom is also eyeing up Temple Mills, after signing an €850 million (around £715 million) contract to provide and maintain 12 of its double-decker trains for a Proxima, a private operator in France – as well as France’s state-owned company The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (SNCF).

As previously reported, Chief Executive Henri Poupart-Lafarge says the new fleet could lower fares and increase capacity in the undersea Channel Tunnel. However, it will first need to seek approval from regulators to make sure it adheres to strict Channel Tunnel safety rules.

Meanwhile, Eurostar has already pledged to ramp up its offering as part of a major €2 billion (approximately £1.7bn) investment. Last month, the company announced it would launch a fleet of up to 50 trains that will be in service from the early 2030s, operating three new direct routes. You can learn more about the upcoming routes here.

Do you have a story to share? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be featured.

Financial markets are volatile with consumer confidence at its lowest level in five years – as economists point to a higher risk of recession.

It all adds up to financial uncertainty for a lot of people. Roughly half of US adults say that President Trump’s trade policies will increase prices “a lot,” according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

About half of Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about the possibility of the US economy going into a recession in the next few months.

Matt Watson, CEO of Origin, a financial planning app, says it’s a period of uncertainty for everyone, including experts.

“No one has a crystal ball. No one, even the people that do this professionally and have done it very successfully for many years, know what’s going to happen,” he said.

If you’re worried about how economic uncertainty might affect you, here are some expert recommendations:

Take stock of your finances

The first step to preparing for uncertain financial times is knowing your starting point, Watson said. Look at your budget or your debit card expenses so you can understand how much you spend every month.

“Take stock of where you are across a number of different categories,” Watson said.

Looking at the state of your savings and investments can also provide you with an idea of your overall financial health.

Find where you can cut back

The more nonessential expenses you can pause, the more you can save for an emergency.

“Your choice is really to cut now or cut later, so it’s easier to cut now and have a cushion,” Watson said.

If you’re having difficulty finding where to cut back, Jim Weil, managing partner at Private Vista, a financial planning firm, recommends that you divide your expenses into three buckets: needs, wants and wishes. Wishes are larger expenses that can be postponed, such as a big vacation.

For the time being, cut back expenses from the wishes section until you feel like your finances are in a good place.

Take care of your mental health

Between news about tariffs and job losses, you might feel your anxiety rising. So, it’s important that you protect your mental health while also caring about your finances said Courtney Alev, consumer advocate at Credit Karma. Sometimes, reading too much news that can affect your finances can become overbearing and create more stress than you need.

“It’s good practice to stay informed but you don’t want to let the news cycle consume you,” Alev said.

If you find yourself feeling high levels of stress or anxiety when it comes to your finances, it’s best to contact a professional who can assist you, such as a financial therapist.

If looking for regular mental health services, most health insurance covers some type of mental health assistance. If you don’t have health insurance, you can look for sliding-scale therapists around the country.

Focus on what you can control

Rather than worrying too much about the economics of the entire country, Alev recommends that you focus on the aspects of your personal life that you can control in order to feel more confident in case there is a recession.

“Identify any changes that you might need to make to have more of a safety net in place that could give you confidence,” Alev said.

Things you can control include budgeting, creating an emergency fund and cutting unnecessary expenses.

Create an emergency fund

Whether you are worried about your job security or the high prices of goods, it’s best that you sit down and reassess your budget to create an emergency fund. An emergency fund can feel unattainable if finances are already difficult, but having even a small amount of cash saved can make the difference, Alev said.

Ideally, your emergency fund should amount to three to six months of expenses.

Weil recommends you start thinking about any special commitments that you might have in the next year or two, such as college tuition or moving. If you are planning for a large financial commitment in the near future, Weil recommends that you plan to build a larger emergency fund.

Do monthly finance check-ins

Alev recommends regularly adjusting your budget to keep your financial goals on track. Monthly budget check-ins can help identify when you are overspending or if your needs change.

“A budget is only as good as it is to help you actually make decisions, so don’t be afraid to update and adapt your budget as the months go by,” Alev said.

Choose which type of debt to tackle first

Many people struggle with debt, whether it’s credit card debt or student loan debt, which limits their ability to save. But, if you want to create an emergency fund while also tackling your debt, it will take some prioritisation.

“I would think about different kinds of debt differently,” Weil said, adding that you can place debt in three buckets: short-, medium- and long-term debt.

Weil recommends that you prioritise paying off high-interest debt such as your credit card. By making extra payments or paying over the minimum payment, you will be able to pay it off quicker. Student loan debt and long-term debt such as a mortgage can be tackled with more modest payments while you focus on creating an emergency fund.

If you have credit card debt and you can’t make too much progress in paying it down, Alev recommends you try to eliminate or reduce the amount of credit you use.

Don’t panic about your investments

While the stock market has had some bad days, it’s best that you are not reactive to the market. If you have investments, especially in retirement vehicles, it’s best not to make rushed decisions, Alev said.

“You really want to try not to panic. It can be unnerving but most likely, you should have time to make that up,” she added. If you’re closer to retirement, Alev recommends that you look into more conservative investments.