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☆ A second Nikola electric semi-truck caught fire during tests to determine the cause of another blaze
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Nikola electric semi-truck caught fire during a battery test outside its Phoenix headquarters. It comes after another Nikola Tre truck caught alight this week in Tempe, Arizona. The electric vehicle maker was testing why a battery pack on another of its trucks caught fire this week when the incident occurred. The semi-truck was undergoing a "battery fire investigation and testing" when it caught alight in its second fire incident this week, the company told Bloomberg in an email. In the first fire, a Tre battery-electric vehicle caught alight in Tempe, Arizona, Reuters reported.

Persons: Nikola Tre, Nikola, Steve Girsky, Michael Lohscheller, Girsky, Nikola didn't Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Reuters, Street, General Motors Locations: Phoenix, Tempe , Arizona, Wall, Silicon

☆ Nikola semi-truck catches fire in second incident in a week
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Nikola Corp FollowSept 8 (Reuters) - A Nikola (NKLA.O) electric semi-truck caught fire near the company's Phoenix headquarters in Arizona, it said on Friday, the second such incident this week involving the firm's vehicle. Earlier this week, another of its Tre battery-electric truck caught fire in Tempe, Arizona, which affected one battery pack. The company had suspected foul play when it started an investigation in June after trucks at its headquarters caught fire. However, last month Nikola cited a coolant leak inside a battery pack as the cause following the investigation. A total of 209 battery-powered electric trucks were in the marketplace between dealers and customers at the time of the recall.

Persons: Nikola, Fabian Bimmer, Akash Sriram, Sriraj Organizations: IAA Transportation, REUTERS, Nikola, Thomson Locations: Hanover, Germany, Arizona, Tempe , Arizona, Bengaluru

☆ See what it will be like to live in a new car-free planned community in Arizona
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Culdesac is building a car-free neighborhood in Tempe, Arizona. When complete, the over 700-apartment community will have amenities like a grocery store and restaurant. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Culdesac is in the process of completing what it calls the "first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US." And when complete, the over $200 million project will have over 700 apartments to house public transit and micro-mobility enthusiasts.

Persons: you've Organizations: Service Locations: Tempe , Arizona, Wall, Silicon

☆ First Solar audit reveals forced labor at Malaysia factory
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Miniatures of solar panel and electric pole are seen in front of First Solar logo in this illustration taken January 17, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies First Solar Inc FollowAug 15 (Reuters) - Top U.S. solar panel maker First Solar (FSLR.O) on Tuesday said an audit of its manufacturing operations had uncovered unethical labor practices at its Malaysia factory, sending the company's shares down about 5%. The revelation is the latest to tie the fast-growing solar energy industry to concerns about forced labor. First Solar said it had taken steps to return passports, wages and recruitment fees to the affected workers. First Solar also produces panels in the U.S. and Vietnam, and is planning to open a factory in India.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Nichola Groom, Jonathan Oatis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Thomson Locations: Malaysia, Xinjiang, Tempe , Arizona, U.S, Vietnam, India

☆ Pickleball mania breathes new life into Arizona mall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Liliana Salgado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TEMPE, Arizona, Aug 8 (Reuters) - The pickleball craze in the U.S. has reached new heights with the opening last weekend of the first "Picklemall," an indoor sports facility inside a mall in Tempe, Arizona. One of the unique features of Picklemall is its replay system, Picklemall CEO West Shaw told Reuters. The founder behind Major League Pickleball and Picklemall, Steve Kuhns, thinks this partnership with Arizona Mills mall will bring new life to dying shopping malls. There's really no other sport like that in the world that is just growing so rapidly with such adamant fans of the sport," Shaw said. "You'll see us opening more Picklemalls and our goal here is to create a great experience for serious Pickleball players, people who love the sport," he said.

Persons: West Shaw, Shaw, Major League Pickleball, Steve Kuhns, Kuhns, There's, Liliana Salgado, Rory Carroll, Stephen Coates Organizations: Arizona Mills, Reuters, Major League, Arizona, Thomson Locations: TEMPE , Arizona, U.S, Tempe , Arizona, Arizona, Phoenix, Picklemall, Arizona Mills, pickleball, Tempe

☆ 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

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

☆ I run a 'Barbie-ish' Airbnb in Arizona that caters to bachelorette parties — and my girly decor keeps it booked despite a challenging market.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Jamie Killin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Bre Fleschner hosts bachelorette party groups in her "Barbie-ish" Airbnb in Tempe, Arizona. The desert dream house includes a heated pool in the backyard. It's since turned into my desert dream house. A lot of people are now doing what I'm doing, so I want to find ways to stay on top. bachelorette desert dream house couch Courtesy of Bre FleschnerHowever, the Airbnb landscape is changingThis time last year I had approximately twice as many bookings as I do this year.

Persons: Bre, —, Bre Fleschner, It's, I've, Fleschner, they'd, Louis, It's Barbie, haven't, I'm, What's, hasn't Organizations: Service, HGTV Locations: Tempe , Arizona, Nashville, Orlando, Miami, Arizona, St, Scottsdale, Tempe, Phoenix, Palm Springs, Florida

☆ Abandoned stores are coming back to life as pickleball courts, thanks to startups ready to cash in on the trend
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Pickleball courts are taking over old big-box stores and mall anchor tenants. This Richmond Macy's, which is located inside Regency Square Mall, is just one of dozens of malls, former department stores, and former big-box stores across the country being turned into pickleball facilities. Laaser said former anchor tenants like Macy's are perfect for pickleball, since they're "basically just big boxes" sitting empty inside declining malls. There's a 'gold rush' on indoor pickleball courtsAn indoor pickleball facility operated by The Picklr inside an old Staples store. It's led to an explosion in companies that make pickleball equipment and, more recently, dedicated pickleball facilities.

Persons: —, Jon Laaser, Richmond, Laaser, pickleball, It's, Steve Kuhn, Major League Pickleball, Pickleball, Kuhn, Jorge Barragan, Barragan, There's, liquidators, it's, we've Organizations: Service, Staples, Sports & Fitness Industry Association, Major League, Party City Locations: Richmond , Virginia, Regency, Richmond, pickleball, Arizona Mills, Tempe , Arizona, Utah, Colorado

☆ Carvana provides upbeat second-quarter outlook, shares jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Carvana Co FollowJune 8 (Reuters) - Used-cars retailer Carvana Co on Thursday forecast a second-quarter core profit above $50 million as its cost-cutting initiatives helped drive down expenses, sending the company's shares 20% higher in premarket trade. The debt-laden company has been trimming its bloated inventory and slashing advertising expenses to help move closer to profitability and attain positive free cash flow. Carvana, known for its car-vending machines, said it sold or securitized loans worth about $2 billion, compared with $1.3 billion in loans that were sold or securitized as of May 4. The Tempe, Arizona-based company said in May it expected to post a profit in the second quarter, but had not provided any further details. Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath and Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stephens, Daniel Imbro, Carvana, William Blair, Nathan Gomes, Devika Syamnath, Shounak Organizations: Carvana, Thomson Locations: Tempe , Arizona, Bengaluru

☆ Arizona voters sent a billion dollar message to their NHL team last night: We're not that into you
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tempe voters rejected a referendum that may decide the future of Arizona's NHL team. The Arizona Coyotes, which are currently playing in a college arena, are grasping for answers. "We are very disappointed Tempe voters did not approve Propositions 301, 302, and 303. For the time being, the Coyotes have played in Arizona State's hockey arena, sharing space with the college team. As for the team's future, if history is any indication this setback could finally send the team out of Arizona.

☆ Recycling 'end-of-life' solar panels, wind turbines, is about to be climate tech's big waste business
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Bob Woods | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

watch nowIndeed, the market for recycled solar panel materials is expected to grow exponentially over the next several years. One recipient of this federal funding is First Solar, the largest solar panel manufacturer in the U.S. Massive wind turbines, blades are almost all recyclableRetired wind turbines present another recycling challenge, as well as business opportunities. How the circular renewable energy economy worksPlayers in the circular economy are determined not to let all that waste go to waste. Vestas Wind Systems has committed to producing zero-waste wind turbines by 2040, though it has not yet introduced such a version.

☆ Carvana expects to record core profit in second quarter; shares jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 4 (Reuters) - Carvana Co (CVNA.N) said on Thursday that it expects to post a profit in the current quarter and plans to further bring down excess used-car inventory as the retailer sharpens its focus on cutting costs, sending its shares surging 26% in aftermarket trading. The company also reported a smaller-than-expected loss, benefiting from cost cuts. The debt-laden company cut its inventory and slashed advertising expenses to inch closer to profitability and attain positive free cash flow. Carvana said its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, (EBITDA) are expected to be positive in the second quarter. "It is clear our strategy and execution are working as evidenced by our 61% increase in gross profit per unit, the best first quarter GPU in company history," said Garcia.

☆ NHL roundup: Knights wrap up West's No. 1 seed
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Reilly Smith, Alec Martinez and Chandler Stephenson scored for the Golden Knights (51-22-9, 111 points), who closed the regular season with an eight-game points streak (5-0-3). Liam O'Brien led the Coyotes with a pair of goals and Nick Schmaltz and added a goal and an assist. The Stars, who are looking to win a division title for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign, are atop the division. The Bruins set NHL records for most wins and most points in a single season. Tage Thompson scored his 47th goal of the season for Buffalo, which improved to 8-2-1 over its last 11 games.

☆ NHL roundup: Claude Giroux reaches 1,000 points in Senators' win
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Giroux entered the game with 998 points but reached the milestone before the first intermission. Giroux followed up with a backhand shot at the 9:37 mark for his 34th goal of the season, his 1,001st career point and his 52nd career game-winning goal. Jets 6, Sharks 2Defenseman Erik Karlsson reached 100 points this season but couldn't spark his team to victory as host Winnipeg beat San Jose. Stars 6, Red Wings 1Roope Hintz had a goal and three assists to help Dallas earn a road win over Detroit. Wild 4, Blackhawks 2Marcus Johansson scored two of Minnesota's three goals over the final six minutes in its win over host Chicago.

☆ Amazon's return-to-office mandate, supposed to happen in May, was so rushed, many offices won't be ready until September, including New York and Austin, leaked memo shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some Amazon offices won't be ready to fully accommodate employees until September, an internal note said. The delayed office readiness dates for some locations show Amazon may have rushed its return-to-office announcement. Most offices around the Seattle headquarters area and those near the second headquarters in Arlington, VA, have readiness dates in May. The delayed office readiness of some locations shows how unprepared Amazon may have been for the RTO mandate announced in February. In an email to Insider, Amazon's spokesperson said the different readiness dates are needed to "make the necessary accommodations for everyone."

☆ NHL roundup: Connor McDavid hits 150 points in Oilers' win
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Tomas Hertl scored, and James Reimer made 29 saves for the Sharks, who have lost seven straight against the Oilers. McDavid notched his 150th point when he scored with 1:44 left in the opening period for a 2-1 lead. Jesper Bratt scored the lone goal and MacKenzie Blackwood made 38 stops for the Devils, who had won back-to-back games. Avalanche 4, Kings 3Denis Malgin scored two goals for visiting Colorado in a win against Los Angeles. Alex Nylander, Danton Heinen and Evgeni Malkin each scored a goal and Tristan Jarry made 19 saves for the Penguins.

☆ 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.

☆ NHL roundup: Carter Verhaeghe nets career-best 4 goals in Panthers' win
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Sabers 6, Flyers 3Alex Tuch scored his second career hat trick to help Buffalo to a win against host Philadelphia. Morgan Frost scored twice and Felix Sandstrom made 23 saves for the Flyers, who had their seven-game point streak snapped. Avalanche 5, Stars 2Nathan MacKinnon had two goals, Mikko Rantanen had a goal and three assists, and host Colorado beat Dallas. Ben Hutton, Zach Whitecloud and Brett Howden also notched goals for Vegas, which is 5-1-1 in its past seven games. J.J. Moser and Milos Kelemen scored for the Coyotes (27-37-13, 67 points), who have dropped seven straight games (0-5-2).

☆ China’s banking troubles are not the same as Silicon Valley Bank, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Silicon Valley Bank office is seen in Tempe, Arizona, on March 14, 2023. - With hindsight, there were warning signs ahead of last week's spectacular collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, missed not only by investors, but by bank regulators. Issues at a handful of smaller Chinese banks have emerged in the last few years. On the other hand, SVB reflects a macro risk, Zhu said, noting the U.S. mid-sized lender had adequate capital and liquidity before it collapsed. The banking crisis in the U.S. involved a structural risk from savers moving funds to take advantage of higher interest rates, Zhu pointed out.

☆ Spring training roundup: A's yield inside-the-park HR, rally past Angels
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Taylor Ward scored an inside-the-park home run for the Angels in the first inning. Ward's liner to center got past a diving Esteury Ruiz, and the A's were slow to chase it down. Jake Cave hit his third homer of spring training for Philadelphia, while Pirates veteran Andrew McCutchen hit his first of the spring, a two-run shot. Washington got a two-run homer from Victor Robles and outhit St. Louis 15-6. The Giants had 16 hits, hanging six hits and six runs on Dodgers starter Noah Syndergaard (1-2) over 4 1/3 innings.

☆ SVB collapse is double-whammy for tech startups already navigating brutal market
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

He'd started the process six months earlier during a brutal period for tech stocks and a plunge in venture funding. Investors were just pulling in their horns, the SPAC market had fallen apart, valuations for tech companies were collapsing." In the absence of venture funding, money-losing startups have had to cut their burn rates in order to extend their cash runway. Since the beginning of 2022, roughly 1,500 tech companies have laid off a total of close to 300,000 people, according to the website Layoffs.fyi. Kruze Consulting provides accounting and other back-end services to hundreds of tech startups.

☆ Spring training roundup: Nats score 8 in ninth to beat Astros
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Blake Rutherford hit an RBI single, Cody Wilson -- who pinch-ran for Arcia -- hit a two-run double and Vargas singled home Wilson. The Yankees had 15 hits, led by Wilmer Difo (2-for-4, home run), Benjamin Cowles (homer) and Estevan Florial (2-for-4, three RBIs). Cardinals 16, Marlins 2Masyn Winn went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and Willson Contreras doubled and went 2-for-3 with three RBIs as St. Louis throttled Miami in Sarasota, Fla. The Cardinals collected 17 hits, with Dylan Carlson contributing two hits, two RBIs and two runs. The Marlins' Jerar Encarnacion went 2-for-3 with one RBI.

☆ Why our brains are hard-wired for bank runs like those that toppled SVB, Signature
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Rebecca Noble | AFP | Getty ImagesCustomer fear became a self-fulfilling prophecyOur brains are hard-wired for a bank run. Last week, bank customers saw their peers run for the exits; sensing danger, that herd mentality meant they also rushed to withdraw their cash. More from Personal Finance:What small businesses should look for when choosing a bankWhat Signature Bank, Silicon Valley Bank failures mean for consumers and investorsWhat to know about FDIC insuranceWhy the bank run on SVB seemed 'rational' for someThere are firewalls against this kind of behavior. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, backstops bank customers' savings up to $250,000. "If you don't rationally understand the way the market interprets signals, you can make a mistake like Silicon Valley Bank," Shefrin said.

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