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☆ Austin Killips: Cycling governing body defends transgender policy after first openly trans woman wins Tour of the Gila
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Cycling’s governing body – the UCI – has defended its transgender policy after Austin Killips won overall victory in the recent Tour of the Gila in New Mexico. Killips is the first openly transgender woman to win an official UCI women’s stage race, according to the Tour of the Gila website. Killips also won the Queen of the Mountains polka dot jersey, which is awarded to the best climber. “The UCI acknowledges that transgender athletes may wish to compete in accordance with their gender identity,” the governing body said in a statement sent to CNN on Wednesday. Among the critics of Killips’ victory on Sunday was former Olympic cyclist Inga Thompson, who said on Twitter that the UCI is “effectively killing off women’s cycling” with its policy on transgender athletes competing in women’s categories.

☆ Uber CEO reveals 4 ways to boost your rider ratings — and tipping isn't one of them
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi revealed the best way for passengers to increase their ratings. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi shared four pieces of advice for passengers looking to boost their ratings in an interview with CNBC Tuesday morning. He said a only a minority of Uber riders tip. Khosrowshahi's insight is based on his experience going undercover as an Uber driver last fall in order to better understand the issues facing gig workers. He told CNBC he's a 5-star driver and the tips are "pretty good."

☆ Eva Longoria shares 5 essential Mexico experiences
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Marnie Hunter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: CNN Original Series “Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico” airs on CNN Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Here are just five of the essential experiences Longoria recommends to Mexico visitors. “There are so many indigenous cultures still vibrant in Mexico,” Longoria said. El Tajín “is one of the best-preserved pre-Hispanic cities in Mexico,” Longoria says in the Veracruz episode. With a conchaActress reveals daily ritual when she's in Mexico City 00:40 - Source: Eva Longoria: Searching for MexicoExploring requires stamina – and maybe a little sugar and caffeine.

☆ A drug dealer gave a one-star review to an Uber Eats rider who took a suspicious package to police. It turned out to be meth in a toothpaste tube.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A drug dealer gave an Uber rider a one-star review after she took a suspicious package to police. Jess told the Sydney Morning Herald it was "dodgy" when she was told the order was toothpaste. The package turned out to be two grams of crystal methamphetamine hidden in a toothpaste tube. While on her way, the drug dealer called and verbally abused her, the Herald reported. A week later the drug dealer was still on the app, along with the one-star review, while Jess had not been paid for the delivery.

☆ Uber and Lyft drivers share 3 reasons why the ride-hailing giants, not customers, are partially responsible for the bad tips they get
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Drivers told Insider riders should tip and that Uber was partly to blame for low tips. Insider spoke with several ride-hailing and delivery drivers, each of whom pushed back on many of the arguments made by the commenters on the Times story. Chris, a 28-year-old Uber Eats driver in upstate New York, said: "Uber has successfully convinced customers that drivers get paid way more than we do." In-app tipping wasn't even an option for Uber riders until 2017, roughly five years after Lyft rolled out the feature. He said he always tipped at least 20% whenever he took an Uber, Lyft, or cab.

☆ Trek–Segafredo drop Tiberi in wake of cat killing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 29 (Reuters) - The Trek–Segafredo cycling team have "parted ways" with Italian Antonio Tiberi a couple of months after suspending the former junior world champion for killing his neighbour's cat by shooting it with an air rifle. In February the team suspended Tiberi, a junior time trial world champion in 2019, for 20 days over the incident and on Friday they cut ties with the 21-year-old altogether. "Trek-Segafredo and Antonio Tiberi have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately, after the rider's actions during his suspension did not meet our criteria for a return to competition," the team said in a statement. The cat had belonged Federico Pedini Amati, a minister in the San Marino government and a former Captain Regent, or head of state, of the microstate enclaved in northern Italy. loading($1 = 0.9074 euros)Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Nick Mulvenney and Lincoln Feast.

☆ Get America's cheapest electric car while you still can
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Launched in 2016, the Bolt EV is the cheapest electric car in America. General Motors is axing the electric hatchback (and its SUV relative, the Bolt EUV) from its lineup this year, it announced Tuesday. The Chevrolet Bolt EV electric hatchback. The Bolt EV, which launched in 2016, is America's cheapest EV at $26,500 (or $19,000 after a $7,500 federal tax credit). The 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV.

☆ Horse racing-Australian jockey Holland dies after fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 24 (Reuters) - Australian jockey Dean Holland has died as a result of injuries sustained after falling during a race at the Donald Racecourse in Victoria on Monday, Racing Victoria said. He was immediately attended to by on-course paramedics, however, was unable to be saved due to the nature of his injuries," Racing Victoria said in a statement. "Jockey Alana Kelly, who was the other rider to fall in the incident, was cleared of any serious injuries. The 34-year-old, who was the son of former jockey Darren Holland, won the Newmarket Handicap last month as well as the Adelaide Cup in 2015 and 2019. More than 870 jockeys have died in race falls in Australia over the last 180 years, according to the Australian Jockeys Association.

☆ Inside the Wild World of Celebrity Keynote Speakers: Drugs, Alcohol
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( David Kushner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +31 min

"I never saw myself as a speaker, let alone a motivational speaker," Leonard tells me while his assistant irons his jeans. 'When I ramble," Hunter told me, "hit me in the leg!" Every plane had been grounded, including the one stuck on the tarmac with an increasingly inebriated Hunter Thompson trapped inside. But by far the most all-consuming task was booking gigs for Hunter Thompson. Just before a debate with G. Gordon Liddy at Brown University, Hunter demanded that Betsy Berg, whom I now worked alongside at GTN, score him some crystal meth.

☆ Evenepoel wins Liege-Bastogne-Liege again while Pogacar crashes out
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 23 (Reuters) - Belgian Remco Evenepoel claimed back-to-back wins in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege one-day race on Sunday with a stunning solo ride to victory while Slovenia's pre-race favourite Tadej Pogacar had to abandon the race after fracturing his wrist in a crash. Soudal Quick-Step's Evenepoel first attacked with about 34 km left with Ineos Grenadiers' Tom Pidcock joining him at the front. But Evenepoel attacked again on the next climb to leave the Briton behind with 30 km to go. My back wheel went a bit like it did last year (on a turn)," Evenepoel said. I said I wanted the picture with the jersey to put in my bedroom," Evenepoel added.

☆ The US still waits for its high-speed rail revolution
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

So why doesn’t the United States have a high-speed rail network like those? Many Americans have no concept of high-speed rail and fail to see its value. William C. Vantuono, editor-in-chief of Railway Age“Many Americans have no concept of high-speed rail and fail to see its value. Corridors for the greatest potentialBrightline West and CHSR offer templates for the future expansion of high-speed rail in North America. “Where those conditions apply in Europe and Asia, high-speed rail reduces air’s share of the market from 100% to near zero.

☆ Bagnaia baffled after throwing away another 25 points
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AUSTIN, Texas, April 16 (Reuters) - MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia was baffled and angry after throwing away 25 points by crashing out of Sunday's Grand Prix of the Americas while leading from pole position. "For the second weekend in a row I don't know (how it happened)," Bagnaia, who won the Saturday sprint but is now 11 points behind Bezzecchi after three rounds, told BT Sport. I did many, many laps this weekend without having any issues, and then in the race just controlling, I crashed." Bagnaia said something different had happened on the bike compared to two weeks ago in Argentina, when he had pushed perhaps too hard and crashed out of second place. "It's true that our bike is so fast, so competitive, but then if you crash and you don't know why it doesn't help anything," he added.

☆ Bagnaia smashes lap record to take Americas GP pole
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Apr 14, 2023; Austin, TX, USA; Francesco Bagnaia (1) of Italy and Ducati Lenovo Team rounds turn 11 during the MotoGP second free practice at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY SportsApril 15 (Reuters) - Ducati's reigning MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia smashed the circuit lap record to take pole position for the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on Saturday. The factory team rider's best lap of two minutes 01.892 seconds, at an average speed of 162.8 kph, secured pole for Saturday's later sprint and Sunday's race at the Circuit of the Americas. LCR Honda's Alex Rins, second but 0.161 off the pole pace, and VR46 Ducati's Luca Marini completed the front row. Gresini Ducati rider Alex Marquez, VR46 Ducati's championship leader Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia's Alex Espergaro filled the second row.

☆ Honda granted stay of execution on Marquez penalty
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] MotoGP - Repsol Honda Team's Marc Marquez and CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team's Miguel Oliveira after crashing during the Portuguese Grand Prix - Algarve International Circuit, Portimao, Portugal - March 26, 2023 REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo/File PhotoApril 13 (Reuters) - The MotoGP's Court of Appeal has granted a stay of execution on a penalty imposed on Marc Marquez for the Spaniard's crash with Miguel Oliveira, MotoGP said on Thursday. Oliveira was in second place in the opening stages of the Portuguese MotoGP when six-times premier class champion Marquez locked up his Honda and barged straight into the RNF Racing rider as both crashed out of the race. The MotoGP's decision to carry forward the penalty was appealed by Honda. If the Court of Appeal is unable to reach a verdict before this month's Spanish MotoGP, Marquez will be eligible to compete in his home race if he has recovered from his hand injury. Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pirro to replace Bastianini at Ducati for Americas GP
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] FTR MotoGP rider Michele Pirro of Italy (L) talks to his mechanic during a free practice session ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang October 19, 2012. REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad/File PhotoApril 12 (Reuters) - Ducati test rider Michele Pirro will replace the injured Enea Bastianini at this weekend's Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas, the factory team said. The clinic confirmed Bastianini would still need a few more weeks to fully recover, Ducati added. Pirro, 36, last raced at the Circuit of the Americas in 2016 as a stand-in for Danilo Petrucci at Pramac Ducati, finishing eighth. The fourth race of the season is the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez on April 30.

☆ Bud Light's inclusive ad campaigns are good for business
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

For Bud Light in particular, reaching a new audience is crucial, Alissa Heinerscheid, vice president of marketing at Bud Light, said in a recent Make Yourself at Home podcast interview. Bud Light had “been in decline for a really long time,” she said. From dylanmulvaney/InstagramCurrently, we’re about two weeks into the Bud Light backlash. The performer and TikTok personality, who had partnered with Bud Light previously, has been open about transitioning on Instagram and TikTok. And Texas congressman Dan Crenshaw also weighed in, saying he’s in favor of a Bud Light boycott but doesn’t stock the beer.

☆ Morning Bid: Glass half full on disinflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Headline March consumer price inflation is expected to drop as low as 5.2% from 6% - showing the disinflation journey from more than 40-year highs of 9.2% last June to the Fed's 2% target more than half way there. The rider is that headline inflation rates are expected be below stickier annual 'core' rates, which are forecast to have ticked higher to 5.6% last month. The International Monetary Fund's updated World Economic Outlook is also due on Tuesday ahead of the Fund's Spring meeting in Washington. The disinflation picture was encouraged around the world on Tuesday as Chinese consumer price inflation hit an 18-month low last month and the annual decline in factory prices sped up. Hopes that central bank rates are cresting worldwide lifted risk appetite across the spectrum with major cryptocurrency bitcoin broke back above $30,000 level for the first time in 10 months on Tuesday.

☆ 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.

☆ Uber's CEO became an undercover boss in a used Tesla and was surprised by how rude some riders can be
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dara Khosrowshahi told The Wall Street Journal he encountered problems that discouraged drivers. He was surprised to find out just how many issues there were – and how unpleasant some riders could be. Khosrowshahi told the Journal he had a five-star rating for the 100-odd rides and deliveries he'd completed around San Francisco. The Uber CEO said he would try to keep customers happy by offering phone charging cables and serving up Spotify playlists featuring artists including Taylor Swift and The National. Khosrowshahi told the Journal that some drivers had returned in response to economic uncertainty, which was yet to have an impact on rider demand.

☆ Nobody showed up to a best-selling author's book launch. She called it a 'career low point' but found out she's far from alone.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But nobody turned up to the launch event at the NYT-best-selling writer's local indie bookstore. The launch signing event for her new book, "In Nightfall," was on March 28. Instead, Young tweeted a picture of the 17 empty chairs, describing the moment as a "career low point" and saying she was "crying my entire way home." He said that in his experience, bookstore launch events had been "hit or miss — some packed, some empty, most in between." She'll consider virtual events in future, saying that this was her first book launch since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

☆ A composer of classical music blasted in the LA metro to force unhoused people out of a station demanded the system stop using his work, saying 'no form of art should be used to discourage or limit fr
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The LA Metro blasted classical music in one of its stations to deter people from hanging out there. But the composer said he wasn't informed his music was being used and demanded Metro stop using it. But that came to an end when one composer was informed his work was being used as a deterrent. But it faced pushback when news outlets reported that it was blasting music, including Barcelona-based composer Adrián Berenguer's four-minute piece "Immaterial", which it played on loop. The Westlake/MacArthur Park station played different classical music by long-dead composers, including Beethoven and Bach, at lower volumes on Thursday, L.A. Taco reported.

☆ Paris Votes to Ban E-Scooter Rental Companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Sam Schechner | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A rider on a public hire electric scooter, operated by Tier Mobility SE, in Paris on Friday. PARIS—People in the French capital have voted to ban electric-scooter rental services from its streets in a hotly debated referendum, a dark signal for an urban transportation market that the city helped pioneer. Electric-scooter rentals lost in a landslide, with 89% of the relatively few people who participated Sunday voting against the services, according to final tallies released by the city.

☆ Binder 'fights like hell' to win Argentina sprint from 15th on grid
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, Argentina, April 1 (Reuters) - Red Bull KTM rider Brad Binder put on a masterclass in bravery and skill to win Saturday's MotoGP sprint race at the Argentina Grand Prix after starting 15th on the grid. I got super tight in turn one and just tried to hug the inside," Binder said in a post-race interview. Once Bezzecchi got past his Italian compatriot Marini, he looked to hunt Binder down on the final lap but the Red Bull KTM rider held on for the win. The step they made from yesterday was unreal - my bike worked fantastic," Binder added, as he moved up to fourth in the championship. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Mark Potter and Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Alex Marquez battles fire and damp track to take pole at Argentina GP
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 1 (Reuters) - Alex Marquez overcame a crash and fire on his Gresini Ducati machine in the first qualifying session to take his maiden pole position in MotoGP at the Argentina Grand Prix on Saturday, on a damp track where his tyre gamble paid off. "I did my best with the wet tyres. Later on I go in I thought there was no time to change the tyres. But we changed the tyres... and it was working, so really happy for that and looking forward to the sprint and the race." Maverick Vinales of Aprilia, who dominated Friday practice, was fifth fastest while Johann Zarco of Pramac Racing completes the second row.

☆ Uber drivers say loud friends, leaving crumbs on seats, and loading the car with bags might be why I don't have a perfect 5-star rider rating
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Four Uber drivers revealed why some passengers have lower ratings than they expected. Loading cars with bags and making drivers wait could also bring ratings down. An Uber driver previously told Insider that people with ratings of between about 4.7 and 4.79 were decent riders, but had "questionable history." Uber drivers have to wait two minutes until they start receiving payment for a ride. Uber introduced the in-app tipping feature in July 2017, allowing passengers to tip drivers after each trip.

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