American carmakers have said they want to implement rear-seat reminder systems that use sound and visual notifications, and they plan to ensure that nearly every new vehicle purchased in this country in 2025 -- if not sooner -- has such a system. KidsAndCars.org reports that since 1990, close to 1,000 children have died in hot vehicles.

Air Force Gen. Timothy Ray says the US will need more Northrop Grumman B-21 bombers than the current planned force level of 100. Ray cited studies calling for a force level of 225 bombers.

The Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance will move to rapidly develop the next US fighter plane, according to acquisition executive Will Roper. "Based on what industry thinks they can do and what my team will tell me, we will need to set a cadence of how fast we think we build a new airplane from scratch. Right now, my estimate is five years," he said.

Lockheed Martin and Aerojet Rocketdyne are jointly developing a Mach 5-capable cruise missile. This missile capability is a top priority for the Pentagon and, if successful, could best current air defense systems.

Boeing predicts a market for 8,090 new aircraft in China over the next two decades with a list-price value of $1.3 trillion. "An expanding middle class, significant investment in infrastructure, and advanced technologies that make airplanes more capable and efficient, continue to drive tremendous demand for air travel," Boeing's Randy Tinseth says.

Indiana sees a bright future for aerospace as an economic driver and has invested $900 million in the sector. "There's a lot going on in the state, it doesn't get advertised a lot, but if you think about Indiana's manufacturing capabilities, and its legacy, its low cost of living, its ability to attract intellectual capital through the university systems; it has a lot of potential," says Dan Dumbacher of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

The JetBlue Foundation has provided $250,000 to 13 programs supporting mentorship and technical education, with a special focus on traditionally underrepresented communities. The 2019 grant recipients come from Atlanta; Boston; the New York area; Fort Lauderdale; Long Beach, Calif.; San Diego and Salt Lake City, as well as the initiative's first international grantee in Barbados.

American Airlines is retiring the last 28 McDonnell Douglas MD-80s in their fleet, marking the end of an era. Almost 1,200 were sold over a 20-year production run, 360 of them to American, which made the aircraft a cornerstone of their fleet for decades.

Hawaiian Airlines will change its schedule starting in January 2020 to improve onward connections for passengers flying from Brisbane, Australia to Honolulu. "We are pleased with the strong demand from the Queensland market for our flights from Brisbane to Honolulu and onward to the US Mainland, and wanted to provide our guests with improved access and connectivity so they can make the most out of their North American vacation," Hawaiian Airlines' Andrew Stanbury says.

United Airlines will offer an expanded schedule of flights into Las Vegas in January 2020 to accommodate more than 180,000 tech industry passengers expected to attend the Consumer Electronics Show. United will add flights from San Jose, Calif., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Boston, Orlando, Nashville, Tenn., and Cleveland, Ohio as well as flying larger aircraft on some routes and increasing service from its hubs at San Francisco, Chicago, Newark, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and Washington Dulles.