In a reply to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the company, ARC Automotive of Knoxville, Tennessee, said that even adhering to industry quality standards cannot fully eliminate the risk of occasional failures in which the air-bag inflators might explode and spew shrapnel.

NHTSA has demanded that ARC recall 67 million inflators in driver and passenger front air bags from at least a dozen automakers. Neither ARC nor the auto industry has released a full list of vehicle models with the kind of air bag inflators that have exploded. But at least 33 million vehicles on the road are believed to contain them.

ARC has refused to issue a full-scale recall, setting the stage for a possible court fight. The company maintains that no safety defect exists, that NHTSAs demand is based on a hypothesis rather than technical conclusions and that the agency has no authority to order a parts manufacturer to announce recalls.

Even with appropriate industry standards and efforts by manufacturers to minimize the risks of failures, the manufacturing processes may not completely eliminate the risk of occasional or isolated failures, ARC wrote in its reply.

The company further argued that the federal motor vehicle safety act does not require vehicles and equipment to never experience a failure in the field. Rather the Safety Act seeks to protect the public against unreasonable risks.

In response to another question, ARC acknowledged that it hasnt notified any customers that its inflators are expected to occasionally explode. But it said that during NHTSAs eight-year investigation into the inflators, air bag makers, automakers and the government have been informed of any unexplained ruptures on the roads.

The risk of manufacturing anomalies cannot be completely ruled out in any mass production process, ARC wrote.

In response to a question from NHTSA, the company also said it didnt have enough data to estimate how many additional ruptures will occur on the road.

It is unclear what might happen next. Having tentatively determined that the inflators are defective, NHTSA could press ARC to conduct a recall, then schedule a public hearing on the matter. If the company refused, the agency could take ARC to court to force a recall.

NHTSA said in a statement that it would give ARC the opportunity to present information, views, and arguments showing that there is no defect or that the defect does not affect motor vehicle safety.

A message was left Tuesday seeking comment from ARC. The company has noted in the past that no automaker has found a defect common to all 67 million inflators and that no root cause of the inflator ruptures has been identified.

One person who died after an ARC inflator explosion was Marlene Beaudoin, a 40-year-old mother of 10 from Michigans Upper Peninsula. She was struck by metal fragments when her 2015 Chevrolet Traverse SUV was involved in a minor crash in 2021. Beaudoin and four of her sons had been on their way to get ice cream. The sons were not hurt.

NHTSA contends that byproducts from welding during manufacturing can clog a vent inside the inflator canister that is designed to let gas escape to quickly fill air bags in a crash. Pressure can build to the point where the canister is blown apart.

In 2018, ARC finished installing scopes to monitor welding byproducts and the vents. NHTSA said in April that it was unaware of any explosions involving inflators that were manufactured after the scopes were installed.

Though ARC is now resisting a full-scale recall, automakers have conducted eight smaller recalls of the companys inflators since 2017 that were attributed to isolated manufacturing problems. Those recalls included one that General Motors announced last month involving nearly 1 million vehicles.

Though ARC is now resisting a full-scale recall, it has conducted three smaller recalls of inflators since 2017 that it attributed to isolated manufacturing problems. Those recalls included one that General Motors announced last month involving nearly 1 million vehicles.

Owners of vehicles made by at least a dozen automakers Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Ford, Toyota, Stellantis, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Hyundai and Kia are left to wonder anxiously whether their vehicles contain driver or front passenger inflators made by ARC.

Because ARC supplies inflators that are included in other manufacturers airbags, theres no easy way for vehicle owners to determine whether their inflators are made by ARC.

After NHTSA sought the ARC recall, the Transportation Department Inspector General released an audit of the agencys Office of Defects Investigation that found management problems. Auditors determined that audits took too long and that investigators werent adequately supervised.

A statement from the U.S. Coast Guard did not elaborate on what rescuers believed the noises could be, though it offered a glimmer of hope for those lost abroad the Titan as estimates suggest as little as a days worth of oxygen could be left if the vessel is still functioning.

Meanwhile, questions remain about how teams could reach the lost submersible, which could be as deep as about 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) below the surface near the watery tomb of the historic ocean liner. Newly uncovered allegations also suggest there had been significant warnings made about vessel safety during its development.

Lost aboard the vessel are pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of the company leading the expedition. His passengers are a British adventurer, two members of a Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert.

The Coast Guard wrote on Twitter that a Canadian P-3 Orion had detected underwater noises in the search area. Searchers then moved an underwater robot to that area to search. However, those searches have yielded negative results but continue.

The data from the P-3 aircraft has been shared with our U.S. Navy experts for further analysis which will be considered in future search plans, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard statement came after Rolling Stone, citing what it described as internal U.S. Department of Homeland Security emails on the search, said that teams heard banging sounds in the area every 30 minutes.

In underwater disasters, a crew unable to communicate with the surface relies on banging on their submersibles hull to be detected by sonar. However, no official has publicly suggested thats the case and noises underwater can come from a variety of sources.

Yet the reports have sparked hope in some, including Richard Garriott de Cayeux, the president of The Explorers Club. He wrote an open letter to his clubs adventurers, who include the missing British man and the Titanic expert aboard the Titan, that they had much greater confidence now after they spoke to officials in Congress, the U.S. military and the White House about the search.

Three C-17 transport planes from the U.S. military have been used to move commercial submersible and support equipment from Buffalo, New York, to St. Johns, Newfoundland, to aid in the search, a spokesperson for U.S. Air Mobility Command said.

The Canadian military said it provided a patrol aircraft and two surface ships, including one that specializes in dive medicine. It also dropped sonar buoys to listen for any sounds from the Titan.

Rescuers have been racing against the clock because even under the best of circumstances the vessel could run out of oxygen by Thursday morning.

In addition to an international array of ships and planes, an underwater robot had started searching in the vicinity of the Titanic and there was a push to get salvage equipment to the scene in case the sub is found.

Authorities reported the carbon-fiber vessel overdue Sunday night, setting off the search in waters about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. Johns.

The submersible had a four-day oxygen supply when it put to sea around 6 a.m. Sunday, according to David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate Expeditions, which oversaw the mission.

CBS News journalist David Pogue, who traveled to the Titanic aboard the Titan last year, said the vehicle uses two communication systems: text messages that go back and forth to a surface ship and safety pings that are emitted every 15 minutes to indicate that the sub is still working.

Both of those systems stopped about an hour and 45 minutes after the Titan submerged.

There are only two things that could mean. Either they lost all power or the ship developed a hull breach and it imploded instantly. Both of those are devastatingly hopeless, Pogue told the Canadian CBC network on Tuesday.

The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. One system is designed to work even if everyone aboard is unconscious, Pogue said.

Meanwhile, documents show that OceanGate had been warned there might be catastrophic safety problems posed by the way the experimental vessel was developed.

David Lochridge, OceanGates director of marine operations, said in a 2018 lawsuit that the companys testing and certification was insufficient and would subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible.

The company insisted that Lochridge was not an engineer and was not hired or asked to perform engineering services on the Titan. The firm also says the vessel under development was a prototype, not the now-missing Titan.

The Marine Technology Society, which describes itself as a professional group of ocean engineers, technologists, policy-makers, and educators, also expressed concern that year in a letter to Rush, OceanGates chief executive. The society said it was critical that the company submit its prototype to tests overseen by an expert third party before launching in order to safeguard passengers. The New York Times first reported about those documents.

The search for the missing vessel has drawn international attention. In Dubai, where the missing British adventurer Hamish Harding lives, Crown Prince Hamadan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum wrote: Dubai and its people pray for their safety and hopeful return home.

Others aboard include Pakistani nationals Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, whose eponymous firm invests across the country. In Pakistans port city of Karachi, employees at his firms said they prayed for the twos safe return, as did government officials. French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet also was on the vessel.

Crypto got its break during the 2008 banking crisis. The failure of Lehman Brothers and other large institutions redirected regulatory attention to the too-big-to-fail banks, and away from the smaller banks.  In January 2009, the first block of bitcoin traded. As awareness of crypto grew, trading expanded and prices soared, an infrastructure of exchanges and newly funded ventures arose. Flush with billions in cash, these crypto-focused ventures sought safe places to park funds. In 2014, Silvergate, filled this breach and became the first U.S. crypto bank. Initially, they reaped remarkable deposit and stock growth. By 2021, Silvergate had morphed from a sleepy, La Jolla, California-based community bank with just over $1 billion in deposits, to a $14 billion crypto-friendly financial institution. During this period, the San Francisco Federal Reserve, its primary regulator, appeared unconcerned about Silvergates hypergrowth and concentrated industry risk strategy. Other banks eager to bet on crypto also emerged.  In 2018, New York-based Signature, entered crypto, quickly growing its digital assets deposits to 20% of its funding base ($20 billion). By 2022, Signature was the countrys largest crypto bank. Silicon Valley Bank, to a lesser extent, also banked crypto, including Boston-based Circle, the worlds second-largest stablecoin producer. This single customer parked over $3 billion of uninsured funds with them.  Coinbase, the largest U.S.-based exchange was first banked by them too.

In addition to deposit, lending, and money transfer services, these banks also provided legitimacy. This was valuable to an industry that was not known for strong internal controls, adequate board oversight, or rigor in preventing money laundering. With this newly laid banking infrastructure, it appeared crypto was poised for sustained, rapid growth.

The collapse of scandal-ridden FTX in November 2022 set off a chain reaction and exposed the weak safety and soundness practices of these crypto banks. FTX had almost $1 billion on deposit with Silvergate, representing about 9% of the banks total funding. Once FTX failed, they withdrew all funds from Silvergate and Signature Bank. This fueled greater nervousness among remaining depositors and by the fourth quarter of 2022, these banks experienced significant depositor runs. Silvergate failed on Mar. 8, SVB on Mar. 10^, and Signature on Mar. 12. In only four days, the central U.S. crypto banking sector was demolished. Other banks, including New Jersey-based Cross River Bank, continue to provide crypto servicesbut their scope and reach pale in comparison to the three financial institutions that failed.

These sudden failures and depositor runs extended to non-crypto banks including Credit Suisse and First Republic Bank, further heightening regulators concerns about the potential spillover effect crypto could have on the larger banking sector.  

It would be naïve to say that the Silvergate-sparked bank run would have been muted if the crypto risk had been spread-out among more banks. On the contrary, more banks applying the same weak banking practices would have only amplified the systemic risk. 

Even prior to these March failures, regulators were cooling to crypto banking. In January, the Fed issued a joint regulatory warning, outlining the risk to banks targeting digital asset customers. The SEC has also taken an increasingly anti-crypto stance, ramping up legal actions against Binance and Coinbase, the industrys two largest exchanges.

Industry cooling is also reflected in the level of crypto venture funding: For the first half of 2023, VC funding has dropped by more than 90% and is not expected to come back anytime soon.

Crypto scandals, recent bank events, and tighter regulatory scrutiny have created a chokehold, that if not remedied, will impede the industrys growth, limit innovation, and force businesses to move to more crypto-friendly territories, including Switzerland, Singapore, and Puerto Rico. 

FinTech innovation, including blockchain technology, holds much promise in providing more secure ways to move and store value in a decentralized manner.

To grow, the crypto industry requires banks and funding. Yet the industry needs to better police itself internally and apply higher standards of conduct.  Banks that enter this space also need to follow stronger risk management standards.  The chokehold can be reduced when proper banking practices are applied to crypto.  Once regulatory trust is regained, the regulatory freeze will thaw.

Mark T. Williams is on the finance faculty at Boston University Questrom School of Business, a former Federal Reserve Bank examiner, and currently serves as president of the Boston Economic Club.

The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.

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The notion of a perfect, problem-free, and everlasting happiness in marriage is unrealistic. Every relationship faces challenges, conflicts, and ups and downs, says Courtney Cope, licensed marriage and family therapist and senior manager, clinical operations at BetterHelp, an online mental health platform. The expectation of a perpetual state of bliss can lead to disappointment and frustration. Recognizing that a fulfilling marriage requires ongoing effort and adaptation can help manage expectations.

As part of that ongoing effort, Cope recommends six tried-and-true methods to nurture your emotional connect and have a successful marriage:

1. Set aside quality time together

Whether its weekly date nights or monthly getaways for a long weekend, its important for couples to invest in regularly scheduled time together thats just for the two of them.

During different seasons of life, such as parenting, going to school, etc., and during different financial situations, such as young married couples versus more established couples, the ways you spend quality time together may look different; however, its important you put something on your calendar regularly, says Cope.

2. Express love and appreciation

Whether its verbal affirmation or physical expressions of love, its important to take the time to express your affection, desire, care, and appreciation for your partner, says Cope. Let them know every day and every week how much they matter to you. 

3. Prioritize emotional and physical intimacy

While physical intimacy is important, its crucial that couples realize there are other meaningful ways of being intimate with each other as well.

Its easy to let the busyness of work, raising a family, and taking care of all the little details of life take precedence over tending to the intimacy of your relationship, explains Cope. However, its important that even if youre in a season of life where physical intimacy isnt possible, such as illness, pregnancy, postpartum, or depression, that the couple is still fostering emotional intimacy by sharing feelings, stating desires and being deeply known by your partner.

If physical intimacy becomes a struggle due to health challenges or emotional struggles, you and your partner may benefit from speaking with a sex therapist, sex educator or medical doctor.

4. Engage in shared interests

Although it may be tempting to stick to your own hobbies, finding ways to connect over shared interests can also be helpful to your relationship (just make sure it doesnt involve unhealthy habits, such as binge-watching TV).

When you have bonds that go beyond a marriage license and sexual intimacy it allows for deeper enrichment in your relationship and in the life you build together, says Cope.

5. Manage conflict constructively

Conflict is inevitable in any relationship and marriage is no exception, but its how you navigate it that makes all the difference.

Assuming positive intent when your partner does something you perceive as hurtful can help avoid unnecessary fights. For example, you may be upset that your partner left a mess in the kitchen even though youve asked them multiple times to clean their dishes before leaving for work. Then you remember they have a big presentation and may have needed to rush off to the office to finish preparing for it. 

In this instance, it appears at face value that your partner was being disrespectful, inconsiderate, or forgetful, but perhaps they were just dealing with their own stressors, anxieties, or limitations in that moment, shares Cope.

If you feel yourself getting frustrated, Cope recommends taking a 20- to 45-minute timeout in separate rooms and then coming back once youre both calmer and have had time to reflect on what you really want to say. Once there, she suggests using I statements to get across your point without blaming your partner.

In the above example about your partner and the disorderly kitchen, you may be tempted to shout, You always leave the kitchen a mess and you dont care at all about my feelings! Instead, Cope says you could say:  I want to talk to you about something important if you have a minute. I am noticing myself feeling really stressed and overwhelmed when the kitchen is a mess because I only have a short period of time to make my breakfast in the morning before getting to work as well. When the kitchen is left a mess it sometimes causes me to be late for work.

6. Support each others growth and personal development

If youve been married for any significant amount of time, its safe to say you and your partner arent the same people you were on your wedding day (for better or worse, pun intended). 

Its important to support your partner in their evolution of becoming the next version of themselves and offer them both space and emphatic encouragement of their personal journey, says Cope. The more supportive you are of your partner in their discovery of themselves, the more excited they will be to continue their life journey with you as a key character in their life story.