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☆ It Is Impossible to Break Your Phone Addiction Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Paris Marx | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

In many ways, we've so thoroughly integrated the devices into our lives, it's become impossible to break free. It's not just people's personal lives that are affected, but their work lives, too. To enter the store, customers need to download a separate app, connect it to their Amazon account, load a credit card, and swipe into the location. Instead, it lets customers register to scan their own items while they shop and pay from their phone. When internet connections aren't reliable, phone batteries run low, or you don't have a smartphone, these changes actually make everything much harder.

Persons: Steve Jobs, —, it's, Lola Shub, would've, we're, Shub, we've, rehire, they've, Paris Marx Organizations: Luddite, Club, The New York Times, Amazon, Tesco, Washington Examiner, National Zoo, team, Washington Nationals, Apple, Google, Australia, Transportation Locations: Brooklyn, New York City, London, United Kingdom, United States, Washington , DC, Canada, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Paris

☆ An upcoming video game is so realistic it simulates a homelessness crisis, getting laid off, and Gen Z going broke
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Gameplay footage shows a simulation of Gen Z being broke, road accidents, and prison labor. The developers of the upcoming video game Cities Skylines 2 say they're trying to make "the most realistic city simulation ever" — one which involves homelessness, Gen Z going broke, and tragic car accidents. A screenshot from the upcoming video game Cities Skylines 2. Cities Skylines 2/Colossal OrderThe developers previously released footage on the game's realistic elements, such as Gen Z being broke and prison labor. Colossal Order's previous game, Cities Skylines, was released in 2015 and sold over 12 million copies till mid-2022.

Persons: Z, Gen Z, it's Organizations: Morning, Cities, YouTube

☆ How to become a UPS driver — which now pays $170,000 a year when including benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Teamsters, which represent about 360,000 UPS drivers and package handlers, secured a wage boost. UPS drivers will now make $170,000 when including benefits — here's a look at how to become one. UPS signed a tentative agreement with the Teamsters union that's set to bump full-time driver salaries — when including benefits — to $170,000, a $25,000 increase from there they are right now. As of now, UPS drivers make about $95,000 a year, according to UPS, with a further $50,000 in benefits, for an average total compensation package of $145,000 per year. Being physically capable is crucial to delivery drivers, considering they work through extreme conditions at times, like blistering heat.

Persons: —, that's, Carol Tomé Organizations: Teamsters, UPS, Service, Teamsters —, US Department of Transportation Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Maui wildfires: Crews still working to identify 93 victims found so far in deadliest US fire in over a century
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Nouran Salahieh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Matthew Thayer/The Maui News/AP Volunteers unload supplies from trucks before loading them onto boats for people in need at Kihei Ramp in Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday, August 12. Rick Bowmer/AP Grace Hurt, right, embraces someone while loading supplies for those in need at Kihei Ramp in Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources/AP Burnt boats sit in waters off of Lahaina, Hawaii, on Friday. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images In an aerial view, search and rescue crews walk through a neighborhood, continuing to search for missing people in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Friday. Phonoxaylinkham, his wife, and their five children were caught in the Lahaina wildfires and survived by exiting their car and spending four hours in the ocean as the west Maui wildfires raged around them.

Persons: Josh Green, “ It’s, Dora, We’ve, ” Green, ”, John Pelletier, Deanne Criswell, Green, Brad Ventura, Kihei –, •, Anne Lopez, ” Lopez, Matthew Thayer, Evelio Contreras, Rick Bowmer, Grace Hurt, Hurt, Justin Sullivan, Mike Blake, Zoltan Balogh, Zeran Harris, Robert Gauthier, Mengshin Lin, CNN Vixay Phonxaylinkham, Lana, Phonoxaylinkham, Marco Garcia, Claire Rush, Myrna Ah Hee, Sui, Ty O'Neil, Ku'u Kauanoe, ZUMA, Patrick T, Fallon, Dustin Johnson, “, who’ve, Ilihia Gionson, Gionson, –, Steven, Giulietta Daiker, ” Steven, ” Giulietta, “ We’re, Richard Bissen Jr Organizations: CNN, National Fire Protection Association, ”, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Maui Police, FEMA, Maui County Fire, • Cell, Maui News, AP Volunteers, Hawaii Department of Land, Natural Resources, Reuters, . Hawaii Department of Land, Los Angeles Times, AP, Washington Post, Fire Department, Kahului, Technologies, AP Hawaii Army National Guard, Hawaii National Guard, Reuters Residents, ZUMA Passengers, Getty, National Guard, Department of Health, Human Services, Pacific Whale Foundation, Ritz, Carlton, Hawaii Department, Transportation, Saturday, Volunteers, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Lahaina Residents Locations: Maui, ” Hawaii, Maui County, Lahaina, Kihei, Upcountry, Hawaii, Church, Lahaina Hongwanji, Lahaina , Hawaii, Wailuku, Kula, Waiola, Kula , Hawaii, Maalaea, Kahului, California, Las Vegas, AFP, Kapalua, Lahaina –, Hawaiian

☆ LK-99 May Not Be a Room-Temperature Superconductor, but What if It Were? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Andrew Cote | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The past three weeks have witnessed the dramatic rise and fall of a new candidate for the holy grail of materials science: a superconductor that works at room temperature. The public interest around LK-99 was a social phenomenon as much as a scientific one. The miraculous potential of superconductors is that they carry electricity over large distances with perfect efficiency. If we ever figure out how to manufacture them cheaply and make them work at room temperature rather than only at hundreds of degrees below zero, it would revolutionize our economy and help save the environment. Superconductors can also achieve feats like powerful magnetic fields and levitation in midair, enabling new categories of electronic devices, computers and modes of transportation.

Organizations: Twitter Locations: South Korea

☆ Hawaii wildfires raze resort city on Maui island, killing dozens
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Marco Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke said late on Wednesday that officials were still assessing the damage. The cause of the Maui wildfires had yet to be determined, but the National Weather Service said a mix of dry vegetation, strong winds, and low humidity fueled the fast-moving conflagration. THREE SEPARATE BLAZESFirefighters were battling three separate blazes on the island, officials said late on Wednesday night, without providing further details. An aerial view shows damage along the coast of Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, U.S. August 9, 2023 this screen grab obtained from social media video. More than 11,000 travelers were evacuated from Maui, Ed Sniffen of the Hawaii Department of Transportation said late on Wednesday.

Persons: Dustin Kaleiopu, Kaleiopu, Sylvia Luke, Thomas Smith, Richard Bissen, Richard Olsten, Kamehameha III's, flyovers, Julius Limbaga, Limbaga, Ed Sniffen, Rich McKay, Brendan O'Brien, Frank McGurty, Angus MacSwan, Alex Richardson, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Hawaiian Kingdom, NBC, National Weather Service, London School of Economics, Political, Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics Maui, Air Maui Helicopters, REUTERS, Honolulu Star, U.S . Civil Air Patrol, Maui Fire Department, Coast Guard, U.S . Coast Guard, Hawaii Department of Transportation, Kahului, Thomson Locations: Maui, Europe, Canada, Hawaii, Lahaina, Hawaiian, U.S, Lahaina ., Kula, South Maui, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Hurricane Dora, Oahu, West Maui, Atlanta, Chicago

On Tuesday they first saw flames under half a mile from their home, and when winds picked up, the fire suddenly was in their yard, Mark Stefl told CNN on Wednesday. While there’s enough shelter for an emergency response for a few days, “there’s not enough shelter for long term living,” the governor told CNN. • Hospitals overwhelmed: Hospitals on Maui were overwhelmed with burn patients and people suffering from smoke inhalation, Luke told CNN Wednesday. Fire burned buildings near Dickenson Street in Lahaina, Maui, on Tuesday. “I am told my house is gone, but we are not yet allowed access to West Maui,” he said.

Persons: Maureen Stefl, Mark Stefl, “, ” Mark Stefl, ”, Hurricane Dora, Gov, Sylvia Luke, weren’t, •, Luke, Josh Green, “ there’s, Joe Biden, Green, CNN’s Sara Sidner, Daniel Sullivan, inched, CNN’s Kaitlin Collins, Braintin Stevens, Ed Sniffen, Sniffen, Alan Dicker, ” Richie Olsten, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Alan Dickar, ” Dickar, Jeff Melichar, ” Luke, “ We’re, “ It’s, ” Stefl, Stefl, We’ll Organizations: CNN, they’ve, US Coast Guard, US Navy, • Cell, Hawaii Gov, •, Coast Guard, Hawaii Department of Transportation, Airlines, Southwest, Maui, Gov, Maxar Technologies, Hawaii’s Tourism Authority, Lahaina Heritage Museum, Baldwin Home Museum, Hing Locations: Maui, Lahaina, Hawaii, Wednesday, Alaska, Delta, United, Dickenson, West Maui, ”, India, Hawaii’s, It’s

☆ Hawaii wildfires: Biden vows immediate aid, deploys military to assist victims
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden on Thursday vowed immediate assistance for Maui residents who have lost loved ones and their homes in devastating wildfires that have taken at least 36 lives. "Anyone who's lost a loved one, whose home has been damaged or destroyed, is going to get help immediately," Biden said. The president has ordered the military to the island to help fight the blaze and evacuate people out of harms way. The Marines are providing Black Hawk helicopters to help fight the fires. The U.S. Department of Transportation is also working with commercial airlines to help evacuate tourists from Maui.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, who's, Josh Green, Deanne Organizations: Hawaii Gov, Army, U.S, Marines, NBC News, U.S . Department of Transportation, Maui ., Maui . United Airlines, Kahului Locations: Kihei, Maui County, Hawaii, U.S, Maui, Lahaina, Utah, Maui . United

☆ A trainee driving instructor accidentally plowed his car into the driving school where he worked during his second day on the job
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A trainee driving instructor crashed his car into the driving school where he worked while trying to park. The owner of the school told local publications the driver wasn't yet instructing students. A trainee driving instructor plowed his Hyundai into the front of the driving school where he worked while trying to park during his second day on the job. The image showed an SUV sitting in what was identified by local media as Community Driving School in Lakewood, Colorado. The driving school and Lakewood Police Department didn't immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment, made outside normal working hours.

Persons: Steve Rohman, Rohman, Lakewood Police Department didn't Organizations: Lakewood Police, Morning, Hyundai, Twitter, Driving School, CBS, Denver Gazette, Gazette, Lakewood Police Department, Colorado Department of Transportation, Denver Post Locations: Lakewood, Colorado, Lakewood , Colorado

☆ Fact Check-Not all vehicles to places of worship are exempt from London emissions-zone charge
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

However, minibuses used for community transport by non-profit organisations, including to places of worship, are temporarily exempt from ULEZ charges. Social media accounts are circulating an image of an unattributed newspaper clipping reporting “Journeys to Houses Of Worship Exempt From ULEZ” (here, here, here and here). However, there is no exemption in place specifically for journeys undertaken to a place of worship, they added. ULEZ exemption details can be found on the TfL website (here). But there is no exemption in place specifically for journeys undertaken to a place of worship under ULEZ.

Persons: London Sadiq Khan, ” Khan, Khan “, ”, Sadiq Khan, Khan, Read Organizations: Transport, London, TfL, Muslim Observer, Reuters Locations: London

☆ Passenger stuck on a sweltering United Airlines flight for 7 hours with no food said it was 'like being tortured'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

United Airlines passengers en route to Rome last month were stuck on the plane for more than 7 hours. Scott Rosnov, a passenger in business class, told Insider that it felt like being taken "hostage." The flight was initially only delayed for 20 minutes after flight personnel identified a problem with the air conditioning, Rosnov told Insider. "The flight attendants and the pilots did a horrible job from top to bottom," Rosnov told Insider. A spokesperson for the company told Insider in an email that the flight returned to the gate at Newark to "address a temperature issue."

Persons: Scott Rosnov, Leonardo da Vinci, Rosnov, didn't, Scott Rosnov Rosnov, John F Organizations: United, Morning, United Airlines, Newark International, Newark Liberty International Airport, Newsweek, Kennedy, US Department of Transportation Locations: Rome, Newark

☆ San Francisco drives tech; will it drive away robot taxis?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/3] A Cruise self-driving car, which is owned by General Motors Corp, is seen outside the company?s headquarters in San Francisco where it does most of its testing, in California, U.S., September 26, 2018. Futuristic test vehicles from Cruise and Waymo are a common sight in some parts of San Francisco. The vote comes at a critical time for San Francisco, which is grappling with thousands of tech job losses, firms leaving the city, and COVID-era work-from-home policies that have contributed to a hollowed out downtown. loadingRamón Iglesias, another San Francisco resident, said that though he’d seen the videos and some erratic behavior from the cars, he supports the expansion and worries any further obstacles could drive tech companies away. “We have a very strong Luddite segment here in San Francisco and you see places like Las Vegas and Miami go out of their way to embrace tech,” said Iglesias, a data scientist.

Persons: Heather Somerville, Waymo, ”, Kyle Vogt, X, ” Cruise, San Francisco, Cruise, Julia Ilina, Mike Smith, Ramón Iglesias, he’d, Iglesias, “, London Breed, Greg Bensinger, Peter Henderson, Diane Craft Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Motors, San, San Francisco County Transportation Authority, Cruise, California Public Utilities Commission, Las, Ford, Tesla, Francisco, FIRST, ”, London, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S, Francisco, San, San Francisco County, State, dazzled, Dallas, Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles

☆ Drought threatens major European river trade route with ripples across the continent
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Barges of coal at the inland harbor in Duisburg, on the river Rhine in Germany, on Thursday, July 20 2023. The river Rhine, an important trade route that runs through Germany via European cities to the port of Rotterdam, has become shallower at critical points. As water levels go down, a vessel's capacity reduces and shipping costs rise, with prices increasing as rivers become shallower. Water levels at Kaub are closely followed, and if they fall too low, vessels have to sail with reduced loads. Ben Kilb | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesFalling water levels can "significantly impair" manufacturing output, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IFW).

Persons: Ben Kilb, Lloyd, Tim Beckhoff, we've, Marc Schattenberg, Schattenberg, Beckhoff, Goarshausen Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Maersk, Hapag, McKinsey, CNBC, Deutsche Bank ., Deutsche Bank, Kiel Institute Locations: Duisburg, Germany, Europe, Rotterdam, Kaub, Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, St

When it comes to passenger rail in the the U.S., Americans have one option — Amtrak, which is often plagued with high ticket prices and delays. Brightline, which is owned by Fortress Investment Group, thinks that privatized passenger rail in the U.S. could be a better way. It was the first privately funded passenger rail built in the U.S. in over 100 years. Brightline is also making strides to create the first dedicated high-speed passenger rail line in the U.S. connecting Los Angeles to Las Vegas. "We are planning to make our project, as I call it, the blueprint for America's high-speed rail industry.

Persons: Brightline, Wes Edens, Mike Reininger, Sarah Watterson, Bent Flyvbjerg Organizations: Amtrak, Fortress Investment Group, West Palm Beach, Brightline, Nevada Department of Transportation Locations: U.S, Florida, Miami, West Palm, Orlando, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, America

☆ LATAM Airlines sees stronger 2023 after Q2 results boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Latam Airlines airplane is seen at Guarulhos International Airport amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Guarulhos, near Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 19, 2020. REUTERS/Amanda PerobelliSANTIAGO, Aug 2 (Reuters) - LATAM Airlines expects "record" net earnings in 2023 after posting stronger second-quarter results and improved forecasts, company executives said on Wednesday, hoping to bolster investor confidence after the company's exit from bankruptcy in November. "Without a doubt we are foreseeing a much better financial situation and very good profitability in 2023," he told reporters. Alfonsin added that the company was expecting to hit pre-pandemic level results for the year and record EBITDAR. LATAM Airlines, South America's largest airline, operates units across the continent, with routes across the world.

Persons: Amanda Perobelli SANTIAGO, Ramiro Alfonsin, Alfonsin, Fabian Cambero, Gabriel Araujo, Isabel Woodford, Valentine Hilaire, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Latam Airlines, Guarulhos, REUTERS, LATAM Airlines, South America's, Chilean, LAN, Brazilian, TAM, U.S . Department of Transportation, U.S, Thomson Locations: Guarulhos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Santiago, South

☆ Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia wants to make the rest of the country more like Long Beach, California
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Robert Garcia, a freshman Democrat from California, is a self-described urbanist. The former mayor of Long Beach has crowdsourced ideas for urbanist legislation. "I think a good city, good urbanism, is a dense core, it's walkable, it's bikeable, and there's also a focus on public transit," Garcia said in an interview. He wants to bring policies that have worked in Long Beach and California to the entire country. Garcia said he's made connections with fellow Democratic members who see eye to eye on housing, transportation, and other related issues.

Persons: Robert Garcia, it's bikeable, there's, Garcia, he's, Jake Auchincloss, Seth Moulton of, Greg Casar of, Sen, Brian Schatz, hasn't, I've Organizations: Service, Republican, DC, Department of Transportation, Democratic Locations: California, Long, Wall, Silicon, Long Beach, Long Beach and California, Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Greg Casar of Texas, Hawaii

☆ These are the airlines most likely to bump people from flights
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Frontier Airlines was the most likely of the 15 largest US carriers to bump people from flights in early 2023. A further 3,395 were voluntarily denied boarding and 2,442 were involuntarily denied boarding. The data covers domestic US flights and international flights that departed from the US, and doesn't include passengers who were involuntarily denied boarding for other reasons. These are how the 15 carriers rank in terms of the proportion of passengers involuntarily bumped, per ATCR data:Frontier Airlines Envoy Air Spirit Airlines PSA Airlines American Airlines Skywest Airlines Republic Airways Southwest Airlines Alaska Airlines Jetblue Airways United Airlines Hawaiian Airlines, Endeavor Air, Allegiant Air, Delta Air LinesFrontier says on its website that in the event of an overbooked flight, passengers who volunteer to give up their seats get "alternative travel accommodations" as well as a Frontier voucher. "It is our goal to find enough volunteers so that no customers are denied boarding involuntarily," the airlines says.

Organizations: Frontier Airlines, Endeavor, Frontier, Travel, Department of Transportation's, of Aviation Consumer Protection, June's, Consumer, Airlines, Envoy Air, Delta Air Lines, Endeavor Air, Hawaiian Airlines, Frontier Airlines Envoy Air Spirit Airlines PSA Airlines American Airlines Skywest Airlines Republic Airways Southwest Airlines Alaska Airlines Jetblue Airways United Airlines Hawaiian Airlines, Allegiant Locations: Delta

☆ NYC passes bill to make pandemic-era outdoor dining program permanent, with more specific guidelines
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Jessica Xing | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The New York City Council approved a bill Thursday to make the pandemic-era outdoor dining program a permanent part of the city, with some restrictions, according to the Office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The city instituted the outdoor dining program in 2020 under the administration of Adams’ predecessor, Bill de Blasio, to assist the struggling restaurant industry during the height of the pandemic. Under the new bill, however, roadway dining structures such as outdoor sheds will need to be removed during the winter. Sidewalk dining will be allowed with a permit all year-round, according to a statement from the city council. People eat dinner in an outdoor sidewalk shed at a restaurant on Bedford Street in Greenwich Village on December 17, 2021 in New York City.

Persons: Eric Adams, Adams, Bill de Blasio, Gary Hershorn, Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez, ” Adams, ” Velazquez, “ Organizations: CNN, The New, New, New York City, Corbis, Department, Transportation, NYC Council Locations: The New York, New York, Bedford, Greenwich Village, New York City, York

☆ A Tesla owner says she made a 9-day rural road trip through a town without an EV charger by trickle charging from an outlet at an abandoned gas station
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kathleen Goforth went on a 9-day road trip to the Carrizo Plain National Monument, California. Kathleen Goforth said she took her Tesla Model Y on a 9-day road trip through a rural area and had to get creative at one point when it came to charging. "There are no services within or anywhere near the Monument – no food, water, gas stations, and, certainly, no EV charging stations. Earlier this year, another Tesla owner said he faced some "hiccups" on a 6,392-mile road trip but that he ultimately found the carmaker's Autopilot driver assist feature to be a "lifesaver." A Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV owner previously told Insider that successful EV road trips needed to be properly plotted out.

Persons: Kathleen Goforth, Goforth Organizations: Morning, Tesla, EV, Department of Transportation, Kia EV Locations: Carrizo, , California, San Luis Obispo County , California, California

☆ Amazon says it’s delivering more packages in one day or less after overhauling delivery network
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

An Amazon driver loads packages into a delivery van at an Amazon delivery station on November 28, 2022 in Alpharetta, Georgia. Amazon has for years been marching toward making same-day and next-day delivery the standard for members of its Prime loyalty club. For the past four years, Amazon has poured money and resources into revamping its warehouse and delivery network to shorten shipping times from two days to one day or less. But Amazon's change cut costs and boosted delivery speeds, Madan said. Amazon plans to double the number of same-day sites in its network over the next two years, Madan said.

Persons: Amazon, Udit Madan, Madan, We've Organizations: U.S, Street, MWPVL International Locations: Alpharetta , Georgia

☆ 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

☆ How New Zealand's plan for English and te reo Māori road signs took an unexpected turn
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

But plans to introduce bilingual road signs featuring both the English and te reo Maori languages have sparked a divisive, racially charged debate ahead of the country’s looming general election. Slightly less than a quarter of New Zealand’s 892,200 Maori speak te reo Maori as one of their first languages, according to the latest government data. Part of the reason that te reo Maori is not so widely spoken is that back in New Zealand’s colonial era there were active efforts to stamp it out. The Native Schools Act 1867 required schools to teach in English where possible and children were often physically punished for speaking te reo Maori. “The primary objective of these standards is to guarantee that all road signs are unambiguous, uniform, and legible to all,” he said.

Persons: Simeon Brown, Chris Hipkins, “ I’m, ”, Marty Melville, Awanui Te, Tania Ka’ai, “, ” Ka’ai, –, Kasem Choocharukul, Kasem, Huw Fairclough, James Griffiths ,, Puakea Nogelmeier, Nogelmeier Organizations: CNN, reo, Zealand, Waka, NZ Transport Agency, New, National, Labour Party government, National Party, Labour, Getty, Native, Victoria University of Wellington, Zealanders, The International, Language, Auckland University of Technology, Chulalongkorn University, Research, University of Leeds, Wales –, New Zealand, Welsh, Welsh Language Society, Gaelic, Constitutional Convention, Hawaiian, University of Hawaii, Hawaii’s Department of Transportation, Wales Locations: Aotearoa, Wellington , New Zealand, AFP, New, New Zealand, Zealanders, Wales, United Kingdom, Thailand, Tredegar , Wales, Republic of Ireland, Hawaii, Olelo Hawai’i, Llanfair, Anglesey, Europe, Hawke’s

☆ DOT proposes new car standards that would modestly raise fuel economy and push the sale of EVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Gregory Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Biden administration on Friday proposed modest increases to fuel efficiency standards for the vehicles most Americans drive. The proposal fits alongside the administration’s push for increasing the share of electric vehicles on the roads. A nearly 700-page document outlined the potential options, including the administration’s proposal for increasing car fuel efficiency standards annually by 2% for cars and 4% for light trucks. The Environmental Protection Agency, which calculates the fuel economy estimates shown on vehicle window stickers, uses different tests that result in more realistic estimates. Soon after taking office, the Trump administration re-wrote the more stringent Obama administration’s proposal.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, that’s, Chris Harto, John Bozzella, ”, Dan Becker, Harto, Pete Huffman, Trump Organizations: CNN, US Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, Consumer, EPA, Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Center for Biological, Natural Resources Defense Council, Democratic, Republican, Obama

☆ Opinion: Alabama Republicans’ defiance keeps an ugly history alive
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Opinion Nicole Hemmer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Nicole Hemmer Courtesy Nicole HemmerTheir new map is out, and it makes clear that the Republican-controlled legislature in Alabama has flouted the court order. That started to change in 1938, when the court began to lay the groundwork for the civil rights jurisprudence of the mid- 20th century. APAs the court came to embrace civil rights, racial conservatives began to defy it. Join us on Twitter and FacebookThe courts historically have faced White resistance whenever they have sided with Black civil rights. That tells us less about the court and more about the political power — and impunity — still wielded by pro-discrimination forces, decades after the Civil Rights Movement.

Persons: Nicole Hemmer, Carolyn T, Robert M, “, Who, Kay Ivey, ”, Dred Scott, Sandford, Plessy, Ferguson, Harlan Stone, Brown, White, — Organizations: Rogers Center, Vanderbilt University, “ Partisans, Conservative, CNN, Black, Republican, Republican Gov, Alabama Republicans, Civil, Graymont Elementary School, AP, National Guard, Twitter, Civil Rights Movement, Trump Republicans Locations: Alabama, “, United States, Birmingham , Alabama, In Massachusetts

☆ US senators seek to reverse 'Buy America' waiver for EV charging stations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 26 (Reuters) - Four Republican U.S. senators on Wednesday sought to reverse a Biden administration decision to waive "Buy America" requirements for government-funded electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Senators Marco Rubio, Roger Marshall, Rick Scott and Kevin Cramer said the Federal Highway Administration waiver of U.S. content requirements for steel, iron and construction materials would result in U.S. taxpayers subsidizing Chinese-made products. It said in February that the short-term waiver would enable "EV charger acquisition and installation to immediately proceed." EV chargers require iron and steel for some of their most crucial parts, including the internal structural frame, heating and cooling fans and the power transformer. U.S. states and companies had warned that global demand for EV chargers is straining the supply chain, making it difficult, if not impossible, to meet made-in-America standards and expedite construction of new chargers.

Persons: Marco Rubio, Roger Marshall, Rick Scott, Kevin Cramer, Rubio, Biden, David Shepardson, Leslie Adler, Richard Chang Organizations: Republican U.S, Federal, Administration, EV, Kansas Department of Transportation, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, United States, America

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