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☆ US safety regulations will require better automatic braking
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New rules from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will require improved automating braking systems on new cars sold in the United States by September, 2029. Even though automatic emergency braking, or AEB, is already common on new vehicles sold in the US, these new requirements will save hundreds of lives per year, NHTSA officials said in a statement. AEB is standard equipment on a large majority of new vehicles sold thanks to a voluntary agreement most automakers signed in 2016. If the driver fails to respond in time or with enough braking force, AEB systems apply the brakes automatically. Research by the privately funded Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed today’s AEB systems reduced rear-end collisions by about 50%.

Persons: Sophie Shulman Organizations: CNN, National, Traffic, Institute for Highway Safety, Vehicles, NHTSA Locations: United States

☆ In America, Headlights are blinding but not in other countries, this tech is why
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

In Europe and Asia, many cars offer adaptive driving beam headlights that can do this. But that still means driving much – or most – of the time using only low beam headlights that don’t reach very far. That means it will probably be years before ADB headlights are widely available in the US. But, while driving, the lights work just like standard high beam, low beam headlights. It will be years before they can offer new, redesigned ADB headlights that meet the standards, auto industry sources say.

Persons: ”, “, Michael Larsen, Larsen, Matt Brumbelow Organizations: CNN, ADB, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Ford, Volkswagen, Insurance Institute for Highway, Society of Automotive Engineers, ” Audi, “, General Motors, Society of Automotive, EU, Audi, Mercedes, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Locations: Europe, Asia, China, Canada, United States, America, American

New Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s transition plan called for “restricting right turns on red,” but his administration hasn’t provided specifics. The college town of Ann Arbor, Michigan, now prohibits right turns at red lights in the downtown area. The United States is one of few major countries that generally allow right turns on red. Critics argue that banning right on red will not only inconvenience motorists but also slow down commuter buses and deliveries. Melinda Kasraie testified on behalf of Lovick's bill at a legislative hearing, sharing her experience being struck by a car turning right on red in Seattle.

Persons: Langerman, New Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s, hasn’t, ”, Jay Beeber, “ What's, ” Beeber, “, Bill Schultheiss, Jonathan Kincade, They're, we've, Priya Sarathy Jones, Mike McGinn, it's, Beeber, Sen, John Lovick, Melinda Kasraie, ” Kasraie Organizations: CHICAGO, Washington , D.C, New Chicago Mayor, San Francisco, “, National Motorists Association, Safety, Toole Design, Washington Area, United Parcel Service, Justice Center, Governors Highway Safety Association, The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, America, Traffic Safety Administration Locations: Chicago’s Lakeview, Washington ,, ’, Ann Arbor , Michigan, San, Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, California, United States, U.S, New York City, Idaho, Chicago, Indiana , Maryland, Missouri, Illinois, Washington

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — An acquaintance has been charged in the death of a Philadelphia journalist who went from sleeping on the street to working for the mayor to writing urgent columns on the city’s most pressing social issues. Robert Edmond Davis, 19, faces murder, weapons counts and related charges in the death of Josh Kruger, 39, who was shot and killed at his Philadelphia home Oct. 2. Kruger was shot seven times at about 1:30 a.m. and collapsed in the street after seeking help, police said. Kruger handled social media for the mayor and communications for the Office of Homeless Services from about 2016 to 2021. He wrote at various times for Philadelphia Weekly, Philadelphia City Paper, The Philadelphia Inquirer and other publications, earning awards for his poignant and often humorous style.

Persons: Robert Edmond Davis, Josh Kruger, Davis, Damica Davis, Kruger, there’s, “, ”, University’s, JoAnne Epps, bicyclist Organizations: PHILADELPHIA, Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, Authorities, Philadelphia Inquirer, City Hall, The Philadelphia Citizen, Council, of Homeless Services, Philadelphia Weekly, Philadelphia City, Elon Twitter Locations: Philadelphia, America, Rittenhouse

Police have said they tied the teens, who were 17 and 16 at the time, to at least three hit-and-run incidents the morning of Aug. 14. The Associated Press is not naming the teens because of their age at the time of the alleged crimes. Messages seeking comment that were left late Friday with the teens' attorneys, P. David Westbrook and Daniel Hill, were not immediately returned. The video, shot from the front passenger seat of an allegedly stolen vehicle, shows it approaching Probst from behind on an otherwise traffic-free road. Political Cartoons View All 1202 ImagesAlong with murder and residential burglary, the teens were indicted on charges of battery, attempted murder and residential burglary, and multiple counts of automobile grand larceny and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Persons: David Westbrook, Daniel Hill, Andreas “ Andy ” Probst, Probst, ___ Stern, Stern Organizations: Police, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: RENO, Nev, Las, Bell, Los Angeles, Nevada

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A journalist and advocate who rose from homelessness and addiction to serve as a spokesperson for Philadelphia's most vulnerable was shot and killed at his home early Monday, police said. Josh Kruger, 39, was shot seven times at about 1:30 a.m. and collapsed in the street after seeking help, police said. Police believe the door to his Point Breeze home was unlocked or the shooter knew how to get in, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Kruger handled social media for the mayor and communications for the Office of Homeless Services from about 2016 to 2021. Political Cartoons View All 1190 ImagesHe wrote at various times for Philadelphia Weekly, Philadelphia City Paper, The Philadelphia Inquirer and other publications, earning awards for his poignant and often humorous style.

Persons: —, Josh Kruger, Josh, Jim Kenney, Kruger, bicyclist, Larry Krasner, ” Krasner, “ Josh, ” Organizations: PHILADELPHIA, Police, Philadelphia Inquirer, of Homeless Services, Philadelphia Weekly, Philadelphia City, Elon Twitter Locations: Philadelphia

☆ What are legacy admissions — and do colleges need them?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Since the Supreme Court’s decision on race-based admissions, Wesleyan University and the University of Minnesota dropped legacy admissions. A 2022 report from nonprofit think tank Education Reform Now found that colleges were turning away from legacy admissions. Eighty-nine percent of college admissions directors did not support the use of legacy admits, and three-quarters of public colleges and universities didn’t even provide a legacy preference. “In that admission process, that legacy extra boost really can make a difference.”Donations, donations, donationsSome colleges say that legacy admissions play a financial role in keeping donors engaged. Casey added that getting rid of legacy admissions won’t change the compositions of the nation’s most elite colleges overnight.

Persons: Michael Roth, “, —, Brian Snyder, EFN, Joan Casey, we’ve, ” Casey, Gabrielle Starr, ” Starr, ” Chris Peterson, hasn’t, Starr, isn’t, “ Dartmouth, ”, Lee Coffin, Charles Krupa, ” Dartmouth, Casey, ” What’s, they’re Organizations: New, New York CNN, US, Court, American Civil Liberties Union, Wesleyan University, University of Minnesota, Johns Hopkins University, Pomona College, ” Wesleyan, CNN, Pew Research Center, Harvard University, Let’s, Harvard, Educational, Inc, Pomona, ”, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, Culture Colleges, Baker Library, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, US Department of Education, Harvard University discriminates Locations: New York, Cambridge , Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Pomona, Claremont , California, California, ” Pomona, Hanover, N.H

The teens, ages 18 and 16, appeared separately before a judge who scheduled each to appear again next Tuesday in Las Vegas Justice Court. The 16-year-old was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of murder and other charges after the video of the bicycle crash circulated widely on the internet. Probst’s widow, Crystal Probst, and daughter, Taylor Probst, were in court for Thursday's hearing but left immediately afterward without speaking with reporters. Male voices in the car can be heard laughing as the vehicle steers toward Probst and rams the bicycle. Wolfson declined to say Thursday whether police have the cellphone on which the video was allegedly recorded.

Persons: Andreas “ Andy ” Probst, ”, Steve Wolfson, Wolfson, David Westbrook, Rebecca Saxe, Probst’s, Crystal Probst, Taylor Probst, Probst Organizations: LAS VEGAS, Las Vegas Justice, Police, Associated Press, Hyundai, Toyota Corolla Locations: Las Vegas, Las, Los Angeles, Bell, ” Clark County, Nevada

☆ AI for cars: An excerpt from Walter Isaacson's new biography of Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Walter Isaacson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The "neural network planner" that Shroff and others were working on took a different approach. Faced with a situation, the neural network chooses a path based on what humans have done in thousands of similar situations. By early 2023, the neural network planner project had analyzed 10 million clips of video collected from the cars of Tesla customers. By mid-April 2023, it was time for Musk to try the new neural network planner. "Oh, wow," he said, "even my human neural network failed here, but the car did the right thing."

Persons: Elon Musk, Mozart, Mark Zuckerberg, Dhaval Shroff, OpenAI, Musk, Shroff, Alan Turing, Uber, James Bond, Ashok Elluswamy Organizations: Tesla, Computing Machinery, Intelligence, Palo Locations: Palo Alto, Buffalo , New York

☆ Urban Planning Presents Complex Challenges for Seniors - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Andy Hong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

But for older adults, our towns and cities are filled with obstacles — stairs, unsafe sidewalks and crossings, inadequate lighting — that grow increasingly difficult for them as they age. Alberto Lau, 78, San DiegoDr. Hong responds: Busy streets and intersections can be challenging for older adults to navigate. Additionally, installing more crosswalks and making them more visible can make it easier for older adults to cross the street safely. Yet more and more older adults need the kind of high-quality transportation that can reliably get them from one place to another. This can be especially important for older adults, who may have slower reaction times or difficulty seeing oncoming traffic.

Persons: it’s, They’re, Alberto Lau, San Diego Dr, Hong, ” Deborah Muccino, Uber, Janice Mundy, Rosner, I’m, I’ve, Jan Ligon, Saralyn Fosnight, Andy Hong, Hirotoshi Iwasaki, Vishakha Darbha, Kaari Pitkin, Carole Sabouraud, Efim Shapiro, Jillian Weinberger, Tenzin D, Meher Ahmad, Ana Becker, Jessia Ma Organizations: New York Times, Department of Transportation, New, University of Utah Locations: “, San Diego, Concord, Calif, Pennsylvania, California, Gig, Pierce County, Rural, Michigan, Detroit, Atlanta, New York City, Chicago, Boston, Kaari

☆ The first self-driving car fatality case put to rest who was responsible for killing a pedestrian. In this case, it was not the robot.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A woman behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber that hit a pedestrian has been in legal limbo ever since. The operator faced negligent homicide charges after a 2018 crash killed 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg. A guilty plea entered Friday offered an answer to the once-hypothetical ethics question of who is responsible when a self-driving car kills a pedestrian. Rafaela Vasquez, who was behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber SUV that struck and killed a pedestrian in March of 2018, pleaded guilty to endangerment related to the case, avoiding prison time. The victim, 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg, was the first known pedestrian fatality related to a fully autonomous vehicle crash.

Persons: Uber, Elaine Herzberg, Rafaela Vasquez, AP Vasquez, Joshua Brown of, carmakers Organizations: Morning, National Transportation, AP, New York Times, Tempe Police, of Transportation Locations: Maricopa County, Tempe , Arizona, Joshua Brown of Canton , Ohio

☆ It's a cruel summer for Airbnb and Vrbo hosts, and meh listings are getting squeezed hard
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Matt Turner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In the age of remote work, employers are quiet quitting on employees. Decision-makers at family offices revealed what it's really like managing billions for the ultra wealthy. But first: It's shaping up to be a cruel summer for Airbnb and Vrbo hosts. The Airbnb hosts getting squeezedReal-estate reshapeBlake Callahan / Getty ImagesThe real-estate industry is facing an existential threat. In the age of remote work, employers are doing it, too.

Persons: Matt Turner, Read, Brian Chesky, Charley Gallay, Vrbo, That's, Blake Callahan, Jonathan Ernst, Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin, Bryan Griffin, Insider's Ben Bergman, Arantza Pena Popo, It's, Satya Nadella, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: luxe, Reuters Workers aren't, Stanford University, The Vanderbilt, Waltons, Microsoft Locations: Silicon, Airbnb, New York

☆ The bike helmet debate rages on as study finds drivers view cyclists wearing safety gear as 'less human'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A recent study found that drivers viewed cyclists wearing a helmet or safety vest as "less human." This research could add fuel to the debate over bike helmet mandates in the US. Researchers found that cyclists wearing helmets or vests are viewed as "less human" than those without any safety gear on. GHI/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesBike helmet mandates might do more harm than goodThe research could add fuel to the debate over helmet mandates, which are in place in about 200 localities and more than 20 states across the US. Notably, bike helmet usage and mandates are rare in cities with strong bike infrastructure and large numbers of cyclists, including in Europe.

Persons: they'd, —, Colin Browne, Browne Organizations: Morning, Queensland University, Flinders University, Getty, National Transportation Safety Board, Washington Area Bicyclist Association Locations: Australia, Manhattan, New York City, Europe, Utrecht, Netherlands, Munster, Germany, Antwerp, Belgium

☆ Why Paris is one of the few cities in the world banning rental e-scooters
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Transportation experts say the Paris ban doesn't necessarily mean much for the growth of micromobility. The diverging approaches to rental e-scooters by major cities around the world reflects the technology's chaotic rollout over the last few years and an inability for cities to keep up with sufficient regulations, experts say. Either way, experts say the regulatory environment in Paris and many other places just hasn't been able to keep up. Transportation experts say Paris' ban isn't necessarily reflective of how the public in that city — or any — feels about e-scooters. Despite the setback in Paris, transportation experts say electric vehicles of all sorts, from e-scooters, to e-bikes, to electric buses, are the future of transport in cities around the world.

☆ The most and least deadly big US cities for bicyclists
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Eliza Relman | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tucson, Arizona; Detroit, Michigan; and Jacksonville, Florida, were the deadliest big cities for cyclists in 2020. Florida, Louisiana, and Arizona were the deadliest states when it came to cyclist crashes with motor-vehicles. Tucson, Arizona, was the deadliest big city for cyclists with 1.26 deaths per 100,000 people, according to NHTSA data on US cities with more than 500,000 people. Beata Zawrzel/Getty ImagesThe vast majority of cyclist deaths — 79% — happen in urban areas, according to a fact sheet from NHTSA. The League ranks Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington as the best states for cyclists, and Wyoming, Nebraska, and Mississippi as the worst.

☆ Biden could help save cars, bicyclists, and pedestrians from being pulled under trucks in an accident with a simple fix, advocates say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Side guards can also stop people and cars from being crushed by a truck's rear wheels. A man stands on a truck's rear underride guard in Mexico City in 2021. Isaac Guzman/Getty Images'A catch-22'The US government and road safety experts have known for at least 50 years that underride guards save lives. Rear underride guards have been mandatory for most trucks in the US since the 1950s. Cahalan blames the trucking industry for "delaying and fighting against common sense safety reforms," not just with regard to underride guards.

☆ Bicyclists are getting killed on American streets, and they want Congress to fix it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

They're asking for e-bike tax credits and road safety funding, among other things. He's brought that message to Minnesota and federal lawmakers as part of his pro-bicycle advocacy for the last 20 years. This week, bike advocates from all 50 states descended on DC as part of the League of American Bicyclists' National Bike Summit. My kids tease me — please teach me how to ride a bike,'" Grilley said. Lindsey Nicholson/Getty ImagesElectrifying bike transportAdvocates for e-bike tax credits say they reduce the number of car trips people take, cutting emissions and congestion, and boosting public health.

☆ It's not easy being a bicyclist in the US. Better infrastructure could help.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Eliza Relman | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Advocates are asking for more funding for bike safety measures, in addition to e-bike tax credits. The best way to address biking safety concerns, advocates say, is to build better bike infrastructure, including a robust system of bike lanes. If passed, the law wouldn't directly address the most pressing safety and infrastructure concerns facing bicyclists, but advocates say it could help. At the same time, this growing community of new bicyclists would likely demand better bike lanes and other infrastructure. Ultimately, advocates say it's about return on investment: More bikes, and better bike infrastructure, could lead to big savings for commuters and a rethinking of how everyone navigates their landscape.

☆ How Google’s long period of online dominance could end
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

This week, the Justice Department accused Google of running an illegal monopoly in its online advertising business and called for parts of it to be broken up. In the meantime, two other thorny issues are poised to determine Google’s future on a potentially shorter timeframe: The rise of generative artificial intelligence and what appears to be an accelerating decline in Google’s online ad marketshare. An ad sales machine under pressureAll this has taken place against the backdrop of what seems to be an extended, multi-year decline in Google’s online advertising marketshare. One-off factors like the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, as well as fears of a looming recession, have broadly affected the online advertising industry. Whatever the cause, Google’s advertising business, which is still massive, seems to face growing headwinds.

The men’s defense lawyers asked a judge to rule the geofence warrant unconstitutional and throw out any evidence that came from it. Last March, a federal judge in Virginia ruled that a geofence warrant used to find a suspect in a bank robbery was unconstitutional. In September, a state court in San Francisco ruled against the use of a geofence warrant in a burglary investigation. Law enforcement agencies may then try workarounds, like teaming up with agencies in jurisdictions that lack restrictions. “This is a tool that law enforcement is hellbent on using, and I understand why,” Owsley said.

Republican state lawmakers and members of Congress are attempting to stifle the growth of sustainable investing and to punish corporate efforts at climate-related financial risk management. This is a closely coordinated political effort driven by a network of dark money organizations fronting for climate denial groups and fossil fuel interests. This is usually anonymous dark money, and it is often traceable back to the fossil fuel industry. They are attempting to bully financial institutions and regulators into ignoring market demand and market risk. Imagine elected officials telling investment firms they cannot offer large-cap or small-cap funds, or emerging market funds, or value funds — or, for that matter, sector funds with exposure to energy companies.

Alito authored that decision, called Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, and the Hobby Lobby one. Schenck said he was motivated to come forward out of fear Supreme Court staff could unfairly take the blame for this year's leak. Chief Justice John Roberts directed the Supreme Court's marshal to investigate the leak in the Dobbs case, calling it a "betrayal." Democratic lawmakers said Schenck's account underscored the need for legislation requiring the U.S. Supreme Court, which now has a 6-3 conservative majority, to adopt a code of ethics, which unlike lower-level federal courts the high court lacks. "I believe we pushed the boundaries of Christian ethics and compromised the high court's promise to administer equal justice," Schenck said.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File PhotoCompanies U.S. House of Representatives FollowWASHINGTON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - A pastor told a U.S congressional panel on Thursday he believed he pushed the boundaries of Christian ethics when he learned in advance of a landmark 2014 Supreme Court decision that exempted some companies from insuring employees for birth control. Prominent Democrats have called for increased oversight at the Supreme Court, which now has a 6-3 conservative majority that includes three appointees of Republican former President Donald Trump. U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts directed the Supreme Court's marshal to investigate the leak, calling it a "betrayal." Justice Alito, an intellectual hero for some conservatives, would later say the leak this year put him and his colleagues at risk of assassination. Schenck on Thursday said he was motivated to come forward out of fear that Supreme Court staff could unfairly take the blame for the Dobbs leak.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - A U.S. House of Representatives committee will on Thursday hear the testimony of a former anti-abortion leader who has alleged he was told in advance about the outcome of a major 2014 Supreme Court ruling regarding contraceptives. Earlier this year, a majority opinion written by Alito and overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision that had legalized abortion nationwide, was leaked to Politico. U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts directed the Supreme Court's marshal to investigate the leak, calling it a "betrayal." Justice Alito, an intellectual hero among some conservatives, would later say the leak this year put him and his colleagues at risk of assassination. Some Democrats have said the leaks show the Court needs more oversight and that the increasingly conservative body is susceptible to influence peddling.

Police arrested a "person of interest" in the slayings of four Oklahoma bicyclists in central Florida — more than 1,200 miles away, authorities said Tuesday. Joseph Kennedy, 67, was arrested in Daytona Beach Shores, in a car "that was reported stolen to the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office" Monday, according to a statement from police in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Kennedy was arrested without incident and did not make any statement to officers, according to Fowler. "Upon confirming (with police in Oklahoma) his status as a missing person we were notified that he is a person of interest in a quadruple homicide," Fowler said. The four men were reported missing early last week after they left on their bicycles.

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