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☆ The CIO of a hedge fund says he's betting home prices are going to drop at least 15-20% as consumers start to weaken and 'smart money' gets out of the market
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Daniel Bustamante, the hedge-fund CIO who won big in his short bet against shares of Carvana last year, is now betting millions of dollars that the housing market will slow significantly. Bustamante's call for home prices is an outlier in terms of where most Wall Street economists see the housing market headed. ATTOMAnother sign that things may go sour in the housing market is that institutional investors, or "smart money", has increasingly stopped buying residential properties, he said. RedfinAgain, Bustamante sees significant downside to home prices ahead. Recession warnings on Wall Street have become quieter in recent months as jobs and consumer spending data have held up.

Persons: Daniel Bustamante, DR, they'll, Bustamante, Bustamante anecdotally, ATTOM Organizations: Bustamante & Co, KB, Federal, National Locations: Carvana, Maricopa County , Arizona

I really do,” Lake told an adoring crowd of Michigan Republicans gathering last month on Mackinac Island. Lake will launch a U.S. Senate campaign for an Arizona seat in a splashy Scottsdale rally on Tuesday, having never conceded that she lost last year's race for Arizona governor. She is trying out new messages and courting the support of national Republicans she’s insulted in the past. That worries some Republicans who fear she will cost them a race that could decide control of the Senate. But Lake became a national figure on the far right with her television appearances and her defense of Trump's election falsehoods.

Persons: — Kari Lake, Who's, ” Lake, Republicans she’s, Donald Trump, Kari Lake, ”, Chris Baker, Kentucky Sen, Mitch McConnell, Lake, she's, Sen, Kyrsten Sinema, Sinema, Ruben Gallego, Steve Daines, Daines, Trump, Steve Bannon, John McCain, Katie Hobbs, Stephen Richer, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, Lake demurred, “, McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, It’s, Ted Cruz, ’, Steve Peoples, Linley Sanders Organizations: PHOENIX, Michigan Republicans, U.S, Senate, Arizona, Republicans, Kentucky, National Republican, GOP, U.S . Rep, Democratic, National Republican Senatorial Committee, “, Associated Press, AP VoteCast, Trump, Arizona Supreme, Republican, Arizona Republicans, Pinal County Sheriff, September's Republican, Democrats, AP, McConnell Locations: Michigan, Mackinac, Arizona, Scottsdale, an Arizona, Montana, Washington, California, America, ”, Phoenix, Iowa, Maricopa County, Pinal County, Ted Cruz of Texas, New York

PHOENIX (AP) — After a summer of extreme heat, Arizona’s most populous city is in the record books again. The National Weather Service said Sunday that the monsoon season this year in the arid Southwest dropped only 0.15 inches (.38 centimeters) of rainfall from June 15 to September 30. Phoenix’s average rainfall during a monsoon season is 2.43 inches (6.1 centimeters). Confirmed heat-associated deaths in Arizona’s most populous county continue to rise in the aftermath of the record summer heat. Scientists predict the numbers will only continue to climb as climate change makes heat waves more frequent, intense and enduring.

Persons: Phoenix Organizations: PHOENIX, National Weather Service Locations: Pacific, Gulf of California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, U.S, Arizona’s, Maricopa County, Maricopa, Phoenix, United States

PHOENIX (AP) — The trial in a lawsuit brought by Kari Lake, the defeated Arizona Republican nominee for governor, to get access to 1.3 million voters' signed ballot envelopes is now in the hands of a judge after wrapping up midday Monday. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge John Hannah said he would issue a ruling as soon as possible after closing arguments in the two-day bench trial. Maricopa County election officials argue state law mandates the signatures on the envelopes remain confidential. Political Cartoons View All 1179 ImagesThis is Lake's third trial related to her election loss. The former TV anchor’s latest case doesn’t challenge her defeat and instead is a public records lawsuit that asks to review all early ballot envelopes with voter signatures in Maricopa County, where officials had denied her request for those documents.

Persons: Kari Lake, John Hannah, Lake, Katie Hobbs, haven’t Organizations: PHOENIX, Arizona Republican, Democratic Gov Locations: Maricopa County, Phoenix, Arizona

CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) — A Chandler woman who ran an animal rescue out of her now-condemned home has been arrested after dozens of abused dogs were discovered and five dead puppies found in a freezer, according to police. April McLaughlin, 48, was taken into custody Friday after a search warrant was executed at the house. They said most of the 55 dogs removed from the home were elderly and special-needs animals. According to court documents, McLaughlin told police she didn’t believe there was anything wrong with storing food next to the dead animals in the freezer. She also said she had been running the rescue for a year and had taken on too many dogs.

Persons: CHANDLER, Ariz, Chandler, April McLaughlin, McLaughlin Locations: Maricopa

PHOENIX (AP) — America's hottest metro area is on track to set an annual record for heat-associated deaths after a sweltering summer, particularly in Phoenix. By this time last year, there were 80 fewer deaths confirmed to be heat-associated and 46 fewer deaths that were still under investigation. About three-quarters of Maricopa County's confirmed heat deaths so far this year were outside, including at bus stops, as well as in yards, driveways, parking lots and parks. This summer, Phoenix experienced the hottest three months since record-keeping began in 1895, including the hottest July and the second-hottest August. Phoenix in July set a record with a 31-day streak of highs at or above 110 F (43.3 C).

Organizations: PHOENIX, Public, Maricopa County's, Phoenix, Weather Service Locations: Phoenix, Maricopa County, Maricopa, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona

The former TV anchor has already lost two trials that challenged her loss to Democratic Gov. Initially, Lake’s challenge focused on problems with ballot printers at some polling places in Maricopa County. They also alleged the county ultimately accepted thousands of ballots that had been rejected earlier by workers for having mismatched signatures. They also said disclosing early ballot envelopes wouldn’t promote the best interest of the state, and would invite voter fraud and put the public at risk of identity theft. Lake’s lawyer has argued that the ballot envelopes aren’t entitled to privacy protections simply because they contain signatures and that the denial of records prevents Lake from monitoring election activity.

Persons: — Kari Lake, Katie Hobbs, Lake, Donald Trump’s, haven’t Organizations: PHOENIX, Republican, Democratic Gov, U.S . Senate, Appeals, Arizona Supreme Locations: Arizona, Maricopa County, Phoenix

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge ruled Wednesday that Phoenix must permanently clear the city’s largest homeless encampment by Nov. 4. City officials began shutting down the homeless encampment known as “The Zone” in May under an order by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney, but they had asked to be given until April 2024 to complete the job. Justin Pierce, a lawyer representing the city, said in July that parts of the encampment on the edge of downtown Phoenix have been cleared since a judge declared the area to be a public nuisance, but other blocks still need to be addressed. Pierce added that the process takes time, including making sure those who live there have somewhere else to go. Political Cartoons View All 1171 ImagesBusiness owners and residents near the encampment have called it a public nuisance that subjects their properties to damage, litter and crime.

Persons: —, Judge Scott Blaney, Justin Pierce, Pierce Organizations: PHOENIX, Phoenix, City Locations: Maricopa County, Phoenix

But unlike most cities, Singapore is spending enormous resources to try to cool itself down — and learning lessons that could help other cities. But unlike most cities, Singapore is spending enormous resources to try to cool itself down — and learning lessons that could help other cities. Building without cool paint Building coated with cool paint Building without cool paint Building coated with cool paint Satellite image by Planet LabsSimple design decisions can also have a big impact on a building’s temperature. Singapore has built out a more systematic solution, a network of green corridors that connect green spaces together and allow cool air to flow throughout the city. “A corridor can at least generate this kind of cool air circulation in a city.

Persons: ”, Brian Stone Jr, Khoo, Stone, it’s, “, Nicholas Lin, Richard Hassell, Winston Chow, “ You’ve, Singapore Rebecca Toh, Chow, Tamara Iungman, Adele Tan Organizations: Georgia Institute of Technology, ”, The New York Times, Planet Labs, WOHA Architects, Cooling, Research, Phoenix, Climate Central, SINGAPORE Marina Bay Network, National Parks Board, Barcelona Institute, Global Health, Singapore’s, Redevelopment Authority, Urban Locations: Singapore, Phoenix, Mumbai, Singapore’s, Puat, ”, L.A, ” Singapore, Pickering, The New York Times Singapore, New York City, Jurong Lake, Cooling Singapore, Marina Bay, downtowns, Ariz, Maricopa County, shadeless, Marina, Paris, Bishan, MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE, Medellín, Colombia, “

☆ Trump told ex-Arizona GOP Senate nominee Blake Masters that he wouldn't be able to beat conservative favorite Kari Lake in a Senate primary next year, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump told Blake Masters he couldn't defeat Kari Lake in an Arizona Senate primary, per the Times. At the same time, former television journalist Kari Lake — another Trump favorite — won the GOP gubernatorial primary. Both candidates were more reflective of the new and Trumpier Arizona Republican Party, which had been moving away from the center-right ideology of figures like former Gov. The former president reportedly told Masters he didn't think the ex-candidate could defeat Lake in a Senate primary next year, according to The New York Times. According to the Times, Lake is eyeing an October entry into the Republican Senate primary.

Persons: Trump, Blake Masters, Kari Lake, Mark Kelly, Donald Trump, Kari Lake —, —, Doug Ducey, Sen, John McCain, Masters, Democratic Sen, Kelly, Katie Hobbs, Steven Cheung, Insider's Bryan Metzger, GOP Sen, Josh Hawley, Hawley, JD Vance, Ohio, Sinema, she'll, Ruben Gallego, energize Trump, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb Organizations: Arizona Senate, . Masters, Service, Senate, Trump, GOP, Arizona Republican Party, Democratic, Masters, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Times, Republican Senate, Arizona Republican, Rep, Pinal County Sheriff, Republican Locations: Arizona, Wall, Silicon, Maricopa County, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Pinal County, Mexico

It was the 54th day this year that the official reading at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport made the mark, eclipsing the previous record of 53 days set in 2020. An extreme heat warning remained in effect, with temperatures forecast at 111 F (43.9 C) on Sunday and 106 F (41.1 C) on Monday. The daily average temperature of 97 F (36.1 C) in June, July and August passed the previous record of 96.7 F (35.9 C) set three years ago. In July, Phoenix also set a record with a 31-day streak of highs at or above 110 F (43.3 C). As of Saturday, Phoenix has tallied 104 days this year with temperatures over 100 F (37.7 C), Salerno said.

Persons: Matt Salerno, ”, Salerno, Phoenix Organizations: PHOENIX, Phoenix Sky Harbor, National Weather Service, Phoenix, World Meteorological Organization, El Nino Locations: Phoenix, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, El, Maricopa County

“I think there's great concern about the state of our democracy at this time,” said Mark Updegrove, CEO of the LBJ Foundation, which supports the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas. Those organizations all support presidential libraries created under the Presidential Library Act of 1955, along with the Eisenhower Foundation. The push for the joint statement was spearheaded by Daniel Kramer, executive director of the George W. Bush Institute. “America is experiencing a decline in trust, social cohesion, and personal interaction.”Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama who is now CEO of the Obama Foundation, said the former president supported the statement. “This is a moment where we could all come together and show that democracy is not about partisan politics,” she said.

Persons: Herbert Hoover, ”, Mark Updegrove, Updegrove, Lyndon Johnson, John F, Richard Nixon, Gerald R, Ronald Reagan, George, Barbara Bush, George W, Daniel Kramer, Kramer, “, Bill Gates, Gates, ” Kramer, ” Melissa Giller, ” Giller, ” Valerie Jarrett, Barack Obama, ” Jarrett, Obama Organizations: WASHINGTON, LBJ Foundation, LBJ Presidential, Hoover Presidential Foundation, Roosevelt Institute, Truman Library Institute, Kennedy Library Foundation, Richard, Richard Nixon Foundation, Ford Presidential Foundation, Carter Center, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, Barbara, Barbara Bush Foundation, Clinton Foundation, Bush Presidential Center, Obama, Center, Eisenhower Foundation, The Eisenhower Foundation, Associated Press, Bush, Bush Institute, Ronald, Ronald Reagan Foundation and Institute, Obama Foundation Locations: Austin , Texas, loggerheads, Maricopa County, Phoenix, The, Washington ,, Chicago

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:Aug. 31The Washington Post on sexism in the U.S. militaryNearly eight years ago, the United States opened up all military combat roles to women, clearing a pathway for female service members to join the most elite military forces. Women at multiple military bases reported that other soldiers would bang on their doors in the middle of the night. Even a program that once represented the highest ideals of the United States — its compassion, its expertise and its resources — is becoming a casualty of the country’s most destructive and divisive forces. Lack of adequate cooling during hot summers has plagued Southern states for decades, but climate change has now made it a problem in Northern states as well — Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, Indiana. Ukraine received the first batch of uranium munitions from the United Kingdom in March to use in its UK-made Challenger 2 tanks.

Persons: Soldiers, “, ”, George W, Bush, Anthony Fauci, Mark Dybul, PEPFAR, Henry Hyde, Dave Weldon, H.I.V, Hyde, Weldon, Biden, MAGA, Biden’s, Mr, Chris Smith of, Smith, Roe, Wade, Tommy Tuberville, Susan B, Anthony Pro, ” Nyserda, Don’t, Louisianans, it’s, commissaries, Joe Arpaio, let’s, perceptibly Organizations: Washington, Green, Ranger Regiment, Green Berets, Army Rangers, Special Operations, Army Special Operations Command, Special Forces, Army, Command, New York Times, Democrats, Republicans, Catholic Church, Republican Party, AIDS Relief, Republican, Heritage Foundation, Biden, Mr, PEPFAR, America, Family Research, United, New York State Energy Research, Development Authority, Alliance, Clean Energy, Alliance for Clean Energy, Developers, Micron Technology, Los Angeles Times, Staff, Prisons, US State Department, US Locations: United States, U.S, Afghanistan, Africa, Illinois, Florida, Chris Smith of New Jersey, Alabama, New York, Ukraine, California , Connecticut, Hawaii , Indiana , Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts, Michigan , New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Louisiana, Angola, Texas, Southern, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota , Indiana, Maricopa County, Ariz, Los Angeles, California, Corcoran, Tulare Lake, China, Russia, United Kingdom, Moscow, Belarus, Washington, Europe, Asia, Brazil, Indonesia

☆ Extreme heat is the deadliest natural disaster. FEMA can’t treat it like one
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Extreme heat is far deadlier than other natural disasters, killing on average more than twice as many people each year as hurricanes and tornadoes combined, according to data tracked by the National Weather Service. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego recently told Biden the city’s extreme heat is a “long-term emergency.” But it can’t get FEMA federal assistance unless Congress amends the Stafford Act – something some Western lawmakers are pushing for. “Just because we don’t necessarily have the authorities right now in the Stafford Act, that doesn’t mean we’re sitting idly by,” Criswell said. “Right now, FEMA doesn’t treat extreme heat in the same way as it does other disasters because it can’t,” Juanita Constible, senior climate and health advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council, told CNN. “Adding it to that official list from Congress would clarify FEMA’s role in addressing heat,” Keith said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kate Gallego, Biden, Ladd Keith, Deanne Criswell, ” Criswell, ” Juanita Constible, Gallego, Stafford, “, ” Gallego, –, Ruben Gallego, hasn’t, ” Keith, Keith, Constible, ” Constible, there’s, ” Organizations: CNN, National Weather Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Phoenix, University of Arizona, “, Washington Post, Natural Resources Defense Council, Democratic Rep, Rep, Department of Labor Locations: Stafford, Chicago, Pacific, Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Arizona, Maricopa County, Phoenix, San Antonio

☆ Meet a millennial mom who resurrected her career with a 10-day crash course on semiconductors. She landed a new job, learned new skills, and says the pay outweighs long hours.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

She enrolled in a 10-day semiconductor training course and landed a new job at Intel soon after. A few weeks later, she told Insider, she received an email about the "Quick Start" program — a 10-day crash course on how to be a semiconductor processing technician. The Quick Start program's website says that semiconductor companies will hire over 20,000 workers in Arizona in the coming years. Of 240 former Quick Start students who filled out an employment outcome form as of June 30th, 75, or 31%, said they had been "hired in field," per MCCC. "I start work at 5:45 AM, and I get off at 6:15 PM," she said.

Persons: Lisa Strothers, chipmakers, Strothers, Biden, Cesar Becerra, GlobalFoundries, —, Lisa Strothers Lisa Strothers, Intel's, she'd, Cesar Becerra Cesar Becerra, I'm, that's, there's Organizations: Intel, Schools, Service, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Mesa Community College, Science, Deloitte, Micron, MCCC, Labor Statistics Locations: Wall, Silicon, Arizona, Arizona's Maricopa County, Maricopa County, China, Taiwan, Phoenix

☆ What to know when your child starts school during a deadly heat wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Millions of children are heading to school in August during the worst heat wave in recorded human history. Despite excessive heat, school is a necessity for a child’s emotional, mental, social and educational achievement, a lesson well learned during the pandemic, experts say. Worried families can best prepare their children to attend school in a heat wave by being aware of their school’s facilities and needs. Parents and caregivers should investigate the cooling conditions at their child’s school and advocate for change if needed, Patel said. Teach your child the warning signsEven if your child’s school is cool, many youngsters attend recess or participate in after-school activities that may be outdoors.

Persons: ”, Lisa Patel, Patel, Mike Pickens, ” Pickens, Prabu, ” Patel, Selvam, ” Selvam, premoistened, “ Organizations: CNN, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, Medical Society, Health, Our, National Council, School, HealthCare, San Francisco Unified, ” Locations: Atlanta, San Bernardino , California, California, Phoenix, Maricopa County , Arizona, New Orleans, Baton Rouge , Louisiana, United States, Gaithersburg , Maryland, San Francisco, Texas

☆ Opinion | This Summer Is Pointing Us Toward Uncharted Territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

On the last day of July, Phoenix finally registered a temperature high below 110 degrees Fahrenheit — the first time that had happened in 31 days. The I.C.U.s are filling up, too, and the region’s iconic saguaro cactuses are crumpling and collapsing in the heat. “The era of global boiling has arrived.”It was, worldwide, the hottest month on record. June was the hottest June on record. Every single day for four straight weeks, as Canada burned and Sicily burned and Algeria burned, global temperatures surpassed the daily record set in 2016 and matched last summer, when 61,000 Europeans are estimated to have died as a result of the heat.

Persons: Biden, António Guterres, ”, “ Organizations: Phoenix, Florida Locations: Maricopa, Canada, Sicily, Algeria, Atlantic, Beijing, Chile, Argentina

☆ Phoenix just endured the hottest month for any US city as historic heat streak comes to an end
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Jennifer Gray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But the heat is far from over for Phoenix and millions of others across the Central US. Tuesday’s high temperature was 108 degrees in Phoenix, or 2 degrees above average. It wasn’t just high temperatures breaking records: The city also set a new record warm low temperature of 97 degrees during the streak. It's official, this July was the hottest month in Phoenix on record, with an average temperature of 102.7°F. The fear of a surge in heat-related deaths prompted the Maricopa County medical examiner to bring in 10 refrigerated containers last week to handle a possible overflow of bodies.

Persons: “ It’s, ”, Ryan Worley, ould, iver, orth Organizations: CNN, Phoenix, Arizona State, National Weather Service, ust Locations: Phoenix, uman

☆ Jared Kushner's dad Charles, who Trump pardoned, gave $1 million to a Trump super PAC
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Charles Kushner donated $1 million to Trump's super PAC. Kushner, who Trump pardoned, was one of the largest individual contributors to the super PAC. Trump and his allies have burned cash at an alarming rate, making the donation even more important. Christie has long thought that putting Jared Kushner's father in prison led to him being blocked within Trump's orbit. Charles Kushner's donation was one of the largest to the pro-Trump "Make America Great Again Inc" super PAC has received from an individual contributor through the end of June.

Persons: Charles Kushner, Kushner, Trump, Donald Trump's, Chris Christie, he'd, Christie, Jared Kushner's, Murray Kushner, Charles, Jared's, Lee, Charles Kushner's, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Eliyahu, Eli, Weinstein, doesn't, Edward DeBartolo Jr, of Famer Jerry Rice, DeBartolo, Ron DeSantis Organizations: Trump's, Trump, Service, The New York Post, Maricopa, Maricopa County Sheriff, Justice Department, San Francisco 49ers, of Famer, NFL, DeBartolo Jr, Florida Gov Locations: Wall, Silicon, Maricopa County, Florida

The charges were first reported by The Detroit News. Mr. DePerno denied any wrongdoing and said that his efforts “uncovered significant security flaws” in a statement from his lawyer, Paul Stablein. The criminal inquiry in Michigan has largely been overshadowed by developments in Georgia, where a grand jury is weighing charges against Mr. Trump for trying to subvert the election, but both are part of the ongoing reckoning over the conspiracy theories about election machines promoted by Mr. Trump and his allies. The efforts to legitimize the falsehoods and conspiracy theories promoted widely by Mr. Trump and his allies continued long after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and after Mr. Biden took office. In Arizona, such efforts included the discredited election audit of Maricopa County led by Republicans in the state legislature.

Persons: DePerno, “, Paul Stablein, Mr, Stablein, Trump, Biden, Hilson, ” Organizations: The Detroit News, Mr, Capitol, Republicans Locations: Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, Maricopa County

☆ 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

☆ The climate changed. Get used to it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In this year of epic heat, it’s time to start thinking about how the climate changed rather than the fact of its changing. “These giant swings in temperature over short distances in cities, known as the urban heat island effect, make heat waves even worse,” writes CNN’s Rachel Ramirez of a new report by the nonprofit research group Climate Central. There’s a climate change angle for everywhere and everythingThe reason gas prices have spiked in recent days? “I don’t think anybody can deny the impact of climate change anymore,” Biden said, announcing the measures. The partisan divide over climate change is also the largest it has ever been.

Persons: CNN —, CNN’s Zain Asher, Marina Romanello, Asher, Romanello, ”, CNN’s Rachel Ramirez, ” Ramirez, CNN’s Eric Zerkel, Joe Biden, West Virginia Sen, Joe Manchin, ” Biden, –, Bill McGuire, ” McGuire, “ Organizations: CNN, Phoenix, Climate, Florida, Democrat, White House, Gallup, University College London Locations: Europe, Greece, Vermont, Iran, California, Arizona, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Los Angeles, New York, West, West Virginia, Rhodes

Rafaela Vasquez was watching television on her smartphone in March 2018 when the Uber self-driving vehicle fatally struck Elaine Herzberg, 49, who was crossing a road in Tempe, Arizona, according to a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. The Uber-employed safety driver behind the wheel of the car was meant to monitor the car’s performance and intervene if the autonomous driving software failed, as previously reported by CNN. But the National Transportation Safety Board’s 2019 investigation found that Vasquez was looking away from the road for over a third of the trip. The board concluded that the crash was “avoidable” if the safety driver had been alert and also found that an inadequate safety culture at Uber contributed to the crash. The company’s self-driving software wasn’t designed to expect that pedestrians outside crosswalks may be crossing the street, according to the investigation.

Persons: Rafaela Vasquez, Elaine Herzberg, Vasquez, Uber, Rachel Mitchell, “, ” Mitchell, Motional, Albert Jaynes Morrison Organizations: CNN, National Transportation Safety Board, Transportation Safety Locations: Tempe , Arizona, Superior, Maricopa, Maricopa County

☆ Backup driver in 2018 Uber self-driving crash pleads guilty
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Uber Technologies Inc FollowJuly 28 (Reuters) - The backup safety driver behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber Technologies (UBER.N) test vehicle that struck and killed a woman in Tempe, Arizona, in 2018 pleaded guilty on Friday and was sentenced to probation, prosecutors said. The first recorded death involving a self-driving vehicle prompted significant safety concerns about the nascent autonomous vehicle industry. Police said previously the crash was "entirely avoidable" and that Vasquez was streaming "The Voice" TV program at the time of the crash. In 2019, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) faulted Vasquez's inactions and Uber for inadequate attention to safety and decisions in the company's autonomous vehicle development. In 2020, Uber announced the sale of its autonomous driving unit to self-driving car startup Aurora for $4 billion.

Persons: Rafaela Vasquez, Uber, Vasquez, Elaine Herzberg, Rachel Mitchell, Vasquez's inactions, Herzberg, David Shepardson, Jonathan Oatis, Richard Chang Organizations: Uber Technologies, Technologies, Prosecutors, Police, National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB, Volvo, Aurora, Thomson Locations: Tempe , Arizona, Maricopa County, Tempe

☆ A 72-year-old woman in Phoenix got her power cut over a $51 bill when it was 107 degrees — and she died. Her memory is behind efforts to stop future deaths.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Stephanie Pullman, 72, died after her power was shut off over a $51 late bill. Pullman's death in 2018 led to changes in how power companies deal with overdue bills in the summer. A recent heatwave in Arizona has the governor asking power companies to put policies in writing. The medical examiner's office said Pullman died from "environmental heat exposure " combined with cardiovascular disease after the shutoff. Electric utilities can choose to pause disconnections from June 1 through October 15 or pause them on days forecasted to be above 95 degrees Fahrenheit or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Persons: Stephanie Pullman, Stacey Champion, Pullman, Patrick T, Fallon, Katie Hobbs Organizations: Service, Arizona Public Service, Getty, Arizona Corporation Commission, APS, Tucson Electric Power, ACC, National Weather Service, Gov Locations: Arizona, Wall, Silicon, sweltering Arizona, Phoenix, Mohave, Santa Cruz, Maricopa County, shutoffs

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