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Black residents of the Hogg Hummock community on Sapelo Island sat mostly silent as McIntosh County commissioners scheduled a Tuesday vote on the proposal. “This plan will be be a giant step in the destruction of the culture of Hogg Hummock,” said Commissioner Roger Lotson, whose district includes Sapelo Island. In 2012, dozens of Hogg Hummock residents and landowners appealed tax increases caused by soaring property values. The current county ordinance limits homes in Hogg Hummock to 1,400 square feet (130 square meters) of heated and air-conditioned space. Hogg Hummock earned a place in 1996 on the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of America’s treasured historic sites.

Persons: Hogg, Hogg Hummock, ”, Roger Lotson, JR Grovner, “ I've, David Stevens, Adam Poppell, Stevens Organizations: ”, Hogg, National Register of Historic Places Locations: DARIEN, Ga, Georgia, McIntosh, Sapelo, Savannah, North Carolina, Florida, Civil, McIntosh County

Signage is seen outside of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 30, 2020. A centralized registry would also make it easier for the government to identify repeat offenders and deter potential fraudsters, Goldsmith Romero said. Goldsmith Romero had suggested the registry several years ago while serving as the watchdog of a key 2009 financial crisis bailout program. In Goldsmith Romero's previous role, the government watchdog did launch a database of such financial crimes related to the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Such a centralized database could serve as a model for a larger, national registry that federal regulators could organize and that state regulators could also participate in.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Christy Goldsmith Romero, Goldsmith Romero, Goldsmith Romero's, Chris Prentice, Leslie Adler Organizations: US, Futures Trading Commission, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, fraudsters, CFTC, Reuters, Troubled Asset, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, U.S

The number of officers searching for Danelo Cavalcante, who escaped from the Chester County Prison on Aug. 31, grew to nearly 400, with multiple helicopters circling and officials abruptly closing roads in an area near Longwood Gardens. Mr. Cavalcante, who was convicted of stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death, had been photographed by a trail camera at the gardens Wednesday night and then spotted there again around noon on Thursday. Also on Friday, local officials said the jail had fired a corrections officer who was on duty when Mr. Cavalcante clambered up to a roof to escape. An 18-year veteran of the jail, the officer, who was not named, had been stationed in a watchtower but failed to see Mr. Cavalcante escape the exercise yard. He was put on administrative leave earlier this week and fired on Thursday, said Michelle Bjork, a spokeswoman for the Chester County Commissioners’ Office.

Persons: Danelo Cavalcante, Cavalcante, Michelle Bjork Organizations: ’ Locations: Philadelphia, Chester, Longwood, Chester County

☆ Los Angeles City Council acts to spare Marilyn Monroe house from demolition
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] The new US postage stamp commerating actress Marilyn Monroe, was unveiled in New York January 5, 1995. Monroe purchased the single-story, 2,900-square-foot (270-sq-meter) house in the early 1960s for $75,000 after the end of her third marriage, to playwright Arthur Miller, according to the Los Angeles Times. It was sold to the Glory of the Snow Trust for $8.35 million earlier this year. Park, whose council district includes Brentwood, said her office had received hundreds of calls urging her to take action to spare the house. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marilyn Monroe, Mike Segar, Marilyn Monroe's, Councilwoman Traci, Jamie Paige, Paige, Monroe, Arthur Miller, Steve Gorman, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Los Angeles City, city's, Safety, Council, Los Angeles Times, Times, Snow LLC, Snow Trust, The Times, Thomson Locations: New York, Spanish, L.A, Brentwood, Los Angeles

☆ Senate confirms Anna Gomez to FCC, breaking yearslong deadlock at the agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Democrat Anna Gomez to the Federal Communications Commission, breaking the deadlock at the agency that has lasted the entirety of the Biden presidency. Gomez's confirmation comes after a protracted battle to confirm Biden's initial pick for the commissioner seat, Gigi Sohn. As senators remained split on her confirmation, the FCC was left in a 2-2 deadlock of Republican and Democratic commissioners, limiting its agenda to items that both sides could agree on. That could include a push to return to net neutrality rules, which seek to prevent internet service providers from slowing or blocking service for select websites, for which President Joe Biden has voiced his support for. Disclosure: Comcast, an internet service provider, is also the owner of CNBC parent company NBCUniversal.

Persons: Anna Gomez, Biden, Gigi Sohn, Gomez, who's, Joe Biden, Sohn, she'd Organizations: Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Republican, Democratic, Comcast, CNBC, White

☆ US SEC approves new fee rules on market data surveillance system
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Douglas Gillison | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - Wall Street's top regulator on Wednesday approved new rules on the funding of a comprehensive market data surveillance system to split its operating costs among buyers, sellers and the stock exchanges where they trade. This shifts away from a structure based on message traffic and market share, while allowing stock exchanges several years to recoup hundreds of millions already spent. The new rules aim to split the cost burden into equal thirds between exchanges, buyers and sellers, according to SEC officials. While the CAT system is partially operational, buyers and sellers have yet to begin paying in, officials said prior to the vote. A year ago, the SEC cited CAT data in the prosecution of an alleged $47 million front-running scheme.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Kara Stein, Douglas Gillison, Chizu Nomiyama, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Audit, CAT, SEC, The Securities Industry, Financial Markets Association, Thomson Locations: Washington ,

☆ Amazon lawsuit from FTC expected as soon as this month — here's what's at stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan testifies before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on "Oversight of the Federal Trade Commission," on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 13, 2023. In Lina Khan's two years helming the Federal Trade Commission, her name has been most associated with one company: Amazon . So far, that's largely been because of her viral Yale Law Journal article from 2017, titled "Amazon's Antitrust Paradox." The article made Khan's name ubiquitous in antitrust circles and helped launch her on a path to becoming the youngest-ever FTC chair. That lawsuit is now expected to come as soon as this month, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg reported this week.

Persons: Lina Khan, Lina Khan's, Meta, Khan Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Yale, FTC, Amazon's, Street Journal, Bloomberg, Amazon, CNBC, Journal, YouTube Locations: Washington, Arlington , Virginia

MADISON, Wis. (AP) —A state judiciary disciplinary panel has rejected several complaints lodged against Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz that alleged she violated the judicial code of ethics for comments she made during the campaign. Protasiewicz on Tuesday released a letter from the Wisconsin Judicial Commission informing her that “several complaints” regarding comments she had made during the campaign had been dismissed without action. Protasiewicz’s win in April flipped majority control of Wisconsin’s Supreme Court from conservative to liberal for the first time in 15 years. That case is expected to eventually reach the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Its members include two lawyers and two judges appointed by the Supreme Court and five non-lawyers appointed by the governor to three-year terms.

Persons: Janet Protasiewicz, It's, Protasiewicz, ” Protasiewicz, Randall Cook, Jeremiah Van Hecke, Dan Kelly, Van Hecke, Robin Vos, impeaches, Tony Evers, Todd Richmond Organizations: Wisconsin Supreme, Commission, Associated Press, Protasiewicz’s, Republican, Democratic, The Wisconsin Republican Party, Protasiewicz, Judicial, Supreme, Wisconsin Democratic Party, Senate, Democratic Gov Locations: MADISON, Wis, Wisconsin, U.S

☆ Brands pouring money into film and TV content are the latest to demand more data sharing from streamers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

They're pouring more money into Hollywood-style entertainment but want streamers to share more data. An industry effort is underway to standardize measurement of brand films. Brands are joining the chorus of content producers and creators demanding more audience data from Hollywood entertainment giants. Without transparency from the streamers, brands and their agencies rely on other measurements, some quantitative, some qualitative — typically a mix of things like critical reviews, social chatter, earned media, and sentiment. Most streamers don't show viewership data, so "you never really know how many people saw it," said Marc Gilbar, who leads Imagine's brands division.

Persons: Saint Laurent, who've, Gamble —, Brian Newman, REI, Hulu doesn't, Kyra Sedgwick, Paolo Mottola, Mottola, Megan Wells, who's, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer's, Marc Gilbar, Kimberly Doebereiner, Doebereiner Organizations: Hollywood, Brands, Pepsi, Companies, Procter, HBO, Unilever, Netflix, Hulu, Sundance Film, Brand Storytelling, G Studios Locations: Hollywood

☆ Indonesia offers 'golden visa' to entice foreign investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

“The golden visa is granting a residence permit for an extended period of five to 10 years," director general of immigration, Silmy Karim said in the statement. The five-year visa requires individual investors to set up a company worth $2.5 million, while for the 10 years visa, a $5 million investment is required. Other countries around the world including the U.S., Ireland, New Zealand and Spain have introduced similar golden visas for investors, seeking to attract capital and entrepreneurial residents. Different provisions apply to individual foreign investors who do not want to establish a company in the Southeast Asian country. “Once they arrive in Indonesia, golden visa holders no longer need to apply for permit,” Silmy Karim said.

Persons: Silmy Karim, ” Silmy Karim, Dewi Kurniawati, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Rights JAKARTA, Indonesia, U.S, Ireland, New Zealand, Spain

☆ LA media company settles first SEC enforcement case over NFTs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage is seen at the headquarters of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2021. The SEC said Impact Theory marketed its Founder's Keys--sold in "Legendary," "Heroic" and "Relentless" tiers--as a means to profit from its business by investing at an early stage. Impact Theory allegedly raised $29.9 million by selling 13,921 Founder's Keys in late 2021, and received $978,000 of royalties from secondary sales. The SEC said Impact Theory also compared its NFTs with "handing ($20) to Mark Zuckerberg in his dorm room," referring to the billionaire Facebook co-founder. SEC commissioners Hester Peirce and Mark Uyeda partially dissented from Monday's settlement, saying the regulator owed investors better guidance on NFTs.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Disney, Mickey Mouse, Willie, Mark Zuckerberg, Antonia Apps, Hester Peirce, Mark Uyeda, Peirce, Uyeda, Nathaniel Chastain, Jonathan Stempel, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Los, U.S, Securities, Walt Disney, Disney, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, Los Angeles, York, Manhattan, New York

☆ Recalled products linked to more than 100 infant deaths still for sale on Facebook, lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Recalled baby products linked to more than 100 infant deaths are still widely sold on Facebook Marketplace despite thousands of requests from federal regulators to take down the items, four members of Congress said. Lawmakers wrote that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has sent Facebook parent Meta about 1,000 requests a month since 2022 to remove the recalled Boppy Newborn Lounger, but the product keeps cropping up for sale on the platform. In June, the CPSC's commissioners sent a letter to Zuckerberg calling on him to do more to prevent the sale of the recalled products. In the letter, the members of Congress asked for more information about Meta's product safety policies, how it monitors recalls and how many staff members are dedicated to consumer-product safety issues. But they did not accuse the companies of selling recalled products.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Fisher, Price, Boppy Newborn, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Frank Pallone Jr, Gus Bilirakis, Jan Schakowsky, Meta didn't, Zuckerberg, Meta Organizations: Facebook, Lawmakers, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington Republican, House Energy, Commerce, New, New Jersey Democrat, CNBC, Target, Walmart, eBay Locations: Washington, New Jersey

Ex-Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker are board members. The complaints come as many experts expect an uptick in challenges to corporate diversity programs following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that prohibited race-conscious college admissions policies. “There certainly is a deep psychological effect that is putting the brakes on the forward movement of diversity in the workplace,” Rossein said. America First has also filed lawsuits accusing Target Corp and Progressive Insurance of breaching their duties to shareholders by adopting diversity programs and progressive marketing campaigns, for instance celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month. Commissioner Andrea Lucas, a Trump appointee, filed a dozen charges last year, more than any of her colleagues.

Persons: Trump, Stephen Miller, Donald Trump's Mar, Jonathan Ernst, Activision's, Kellogg, Morgan Stanley, Donald Trump, Mark Meadows, Matthew Whitaker, Rick Rossein, ” Rossein, Hershey, Andrea Lucas, Lucas, Gene Hamilton, Daniel Wiessner, Alexia Garamfalvi, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Activision Blizzard Inc, Kellogg, U.S, Opportunity Commission, America, Starbucks Corp, McDonald's Corp, Anheuser, Busch Companies, Hershey Co, Republican, Trump, Supreme, City University of New York School of Law, Target Corp, Progressive Insurance, Activision, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Lago, Palm Beach , Florida, U.S, America, Albany , New York

☆ Texas approves plan to mandate Tesla tech for EV chargers despite opposition
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Abhirup Roy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla's efforts are facing early tests as some states start rolling out the funds. But individual states can add their own requirements on top of CCS before distributing the federal funds at a local level. In June, Reuters reported that Texas - which will receive and deploy $407.8 million over five years - planned to mandate companies to include Tesla's plugs. That forced Texas to defer a vote on the plan twice as it sought to understand NACS and its implications, before the commission voted unanimously to approve the plan on Wednesday. Reporting by Abhirup Roy in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elon Musk's, Biden, Humberto Gonzalez, Abhirup Roy, Jarrett Renshaw, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: FRANCISCO, Federal, CCS, Ford, General Motors, Reuters, SAE, Texas Transportation Commission, Thomson Locations: Texas, Pennsylvania's, Ohio, U.S, Washington, Kentucky, Florida, San Francisco

☆ Court Ruling Revives Reparations Claim Filed by Tulsa Massacre Survivors
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Lauren Mccarthy | More About Lauren Mccarthy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The legal fight over reparations for the 1921 massacre of Black residents in Tulsa, Okla., will continue, after the Oklahoma Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal of a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit filed by the attack’s last three living survivors. The lawsuit, filed in 2020, includes the city, the Tulsa County sheriff, county commissioners and the Oklahoma Military Department, which administers the Oklahoma Army and Air National Guard, as defendants. A Tulsa County district judge dismissed it in July, and the state’s high court agreed last week to hear an appeal. “It is a huge victory for us,” Damario Solomon-Simmons, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in an interview on Tuesday. Ms. Benningfield Randle said she still has flashbacks of corpses being stacked on the street as her neighborhood burned, according to the lawsuit.

Persons: ” Damario Solomon, Simmons, Viola Fletcher, Hughes Van Ellis, Lessie Benningfield Randle, Benningfield Randle Organizations: Oklahoma Supreme, Tulsa County, Oklahoma Military Department, Oklahoma Army, Air National Guard Locations: Black, Tulsa, Okla, Oklahoma, Tulsa County

Many wildfires in the United States occur when poles owned by utilities or other structures carrying power lines are blown down, or when branches or other objects land on power lines and cause them to produce high-energy flashes of electricity that can start fires. Image Nearly a week after the wildfire tore through Lahaina, state and local officials have not determined a cause for the blaze. Like most other utilities, Hawaiian Electric operates under the scrutiny of public commissioners who have to approve its spending plans. Power lines have caused catastrophic wildfires in California in recent years, prompting lawsuits that have led to multibillion-dollar payouts by the state’s utilities. Hawaiian Electric in a regulatory filing last year detailed measures aimed at reducing the risk of its equipment causing fires.

Persons: Hurricane Dora, “, ”, James Frantz, Frantz, There’s, Max Whittaker, Shahriar Pourreza, Shelee Kimura, ” Ms, Kimura, Pourreza, Michael Wara, Philip Cheung, Bob Marshall, Jim Kelly, Ken Pimlott, Anne Lopez, Mr, Wara, Kellen Browning, John Keefe, Susan C, Beachy, Alain Delaquérière Organizations: Wildfire, National Weather Service, Frantz Law, Hawaiian Electric, The New York Times, Guggenheim Securities, Maui Electric, Pacific Gas, Pacific Gas and Electric, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Pacific Disaster Center, Stanford University, The New York Times Lightning, Western, NASA, Whisker Labs, Labs, California Department of Forestry, Stanford, U.S . Energy Information Administration Locations: Lahaina, West Maui, Maui, California, United States, Northern California, Paradise, Hawaii, Western United States, Maui County, Germantown, Md, San Francisco

☆ Cruise robocabs got stuck in San Francisco, causing a bizarre traffic jam, which the company blamed on a festival taking up too much wireless bandwidth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some self-driving Cruise cars created a traffic jam when they stalled in San Francisco on Friday night. Self-driving Cruise cars stalled in San Francisco on Friday night, leading to a bizarre traffic jam captured on video. Reports suggest that around 10 Cruise cars were involved in the buildup, which is said to have lasted for about 15 or 20 minutes. The San Francisco Standard reported that Cruise cars also stalled on other streets near Golden Gate Park that night, leading to a road closure. He told The Los Angeles Times that he was inundated with texts, emails, and videos from constituents about the stalled cars.

Persons: Cruise, Kendrick Lamar, Janelle Monáe, Aaron Peskin, Jeffrey Bilbrey, KPIX, CPUC, AVs, John Reynolds Organizations: Morning, California Public Utilities Commission, Cruise, General Motors, Google, San Francisco Standard, San Francisco, Supervisors, Los Angeles Times Locations: San Francisco, California, Beach, Golden, North Beach

☆ Insight: Insurers poised for US break on investment losses from high rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Koh Gui Qing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

A negative IMR forces insurers to tap pots of money they would have otherwise spent on their business or returned to shareholders. Among those insurers are Prudential Financial (PRU.N), OneAmerica Financial Partners, Principal Financial (PFG.O) and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, according to Fitch. That compares to $1.8 billion in net fixed income-related losses Prudential recorded in 2022. They do not give banks the option of deferring interest rate-related losses, fearing excesses that led to the 2008 financial crisis. DEFERRING LOSSESFollowing the rule change, insurers will be allowed to amortize interest rate-related losses over time equivalent to 10% of their statutory surplus.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Fitch, Edward Stone, Stone, Ken Tanji, MassMutual, OneAmerica, Steven Zabel, Zabel, Koh Gui Qing, David French, Greg Roumeliotis, Anna Driver Organizations: Prudential Financial, REUTERS, SEATTLE, Sunday, National Association of Insurance, Reuters, Federal Reserve, OneAmerica Financial Partners, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance, Prudential, Silicon Valley Bank, First Republic Bank, Insurance, American Council of, Equitable Holdings, MetLife, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, MassMutual, OneAmerica, Financial, Unum, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, Seattle, Fitch, Silicon, New York

Many opponents of renewable energy, she added, “are worried about the impacts to their very way of life.”Roadside opposition to renewable energy projects near Baldwin City, Kan. “We see offshore wind as a critical technology,” said Dan Burgess, the director of the Maine Governor’s Energy Office. Across the country, clean energy projects of all types are tied up in lengthy permitting processes. By then, India had not completed any offshore wind projects. Since 2000, the United States has barely built any major transmission lines that connect different regions of the country.

Persons: Scott Dickerson, ”, Biden, Alison Bates, “, Columbia University’s, Dan Burgess, Habib Dagher, Janet Mills, Gregory Wetstone, Mack, James Gillway, SunZia, ” Hunter Armistead, Broussard, There’s, Vaughan Woodruff, Tucker Carlson, Teslas, ” Ali Zaidi, Dagher, Rolf Olsen, who’s Organizations: University of Maine, Sears, Officials, Federal, International Energy Agency, Colby College, White, Columbia, Climate, The University of, Maine Governor’s Energy, Environmental, University of Maine’s, Composites Center, Gov, American Clean Power Association, American Council, Renewable Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, . Clean, Union United, China India European Union United States, China European Union United, China India United States European, China United States European Union, China United States European Union India, Energy, The New York Times, United, Pattern Energy, New York State Energy Research, Development Authority, Toyota Prius Locations: Penobscot Bay, Maine, , Maine, United States, Europe, China, Australia, India, Los Angeles, Ohio, Jersey Shore, Waterville , Maine, Baldwin City, Kan, Massachusetts, Ukraine, Gulf, Searsport , Maine, Searsport, Bangor, Mack, West, Union United States, U.S, China United States European Union India, Great, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Riesel , Texas, Energy, San Bernardino County, In Kansas, Atlantic City, N.J, New York, Manhattan, Sears

☆ San Francisco moves to center of robotaxi universe after California agency vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | 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: +6 min

Cruise and Waymo have been running experimental services limited by times and geographic areas within San Francisco. The approval “marks the true beginning of our commercial operations in San Francisco,” said Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo co-CEO, in a prepared statement. San Francisco is important as both a symbolic hub of tech and, with hundreds of AVs already in operation, the largest test lab for the experimental cars. The vehicles, with empty driver seats and self-turning steering wheels, have become a common sight around San Francisco. Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma advocated for a delayed vote noting the volume of public comment and her lingering concerns following evidence that the vehicles have obstructed emergency vehicles in San Francisco.

Persons: Heather Somerville, Waymo, Motors ’, John Reynolds, AVs, Cruise, ”, Tekedra Mawakana, Prashanthi Raman, Uber, Genevieve Shiroma, Greg Bensinger, Jamie Freed, Diane Craft Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Motors, California Public Utilities Commission, Transportation, Cruise, Locals, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, Technologists, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S, San Francisco's, Francisco

☆ Robotaxis get the green light to roam the streets of San Francisco at any hour of the day
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Cruise and Waymo got the go-ahead from state officials Thursday to offer driverless rides 24/7. Robotaxi companies Cruise and Waymo have been given the go-ahead from state officials to offer driverless rides in San Francisco at any hour of the day. Before it got the green light from officials, Cruise and Waymo had been authorized to offer its services from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m in limited areas of San Francisco. "Today's permit marks the true beginning of our commercial operations in San Francisco," Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said in a blog post . San Francisco firefighters were forced to smash the front window of a Cruise driverless taxi in January to stop it from running over their hoses as they were engaged in active firefighting.

Persons: Cruise, Waymo, CPUC, Kyle Vogt, Tekedra Mawakana, Darcie Houck, Francisco firefighters, AVs, John Reynolds, Waymo didn't Organizations: California Public Utilities, Morning, California Public Utilities Commission Locations: California, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mountain, Francisco

☆ Regulators give green light to driverless taxis in San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Nadia Bidarian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

San Francisco first responders, city transportation leaders and local activists are among those who shared concerns about the technology. “Today’s permit marks the true beginning of our commercial operations in San Francisco,” said Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, in a press release. Until Thursday’s vote, Cruise and Waymo could offer only limited service to San Francisco residents. The San Francisco Police Officers Association, San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association and the San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798 all wrote letters to the CPUC in the week leading up to the originally scheduled vote on June 29. 2022 was the worst year on record for traffic fatalities in San Francisco since 2014, according to city data.

Persons: Cruise, “, ”, Tekedra Mawakana, Drew Pusateri, General Motors, Matthew Sutter, Justin Sullivan, Critics, Tracy McCray, Jeanine Nicholson, ” Nicholson, Waymo, Genevieve Shiroma, ” Shiroma Organizations: CNN, Cruise, San Francisco, California Public Utilities Commission, Waymo, General, Francisco, San, San Francisco Police, Association, Sheriffs ’ Association, San Francisco Fire Fighters, San Francisco Fire Department, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Locations: California, San Francisco, San, Waymo, San Francisco , California, “

CNN —Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed all officials in charge of regional military recruitment centers amid a widespread corruption scandal. A scandal linked to the procurement of war-time supplies had already led to Zelensky firing a slew of senior Ukrainian officials at the start of the year, and prompted Ukraine’s deputy defense minister Viacheslav Shapovalov to resign after allegations of corruption surfaced in the media. “I have just held a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council,” he said in a video clip. “One key issue is the results of the inspection of military registration and enlistment offices. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau said it was investigating “high-profile media reports” into allegations that Ukraine’s defense ministry was buying military provisions, including food for the troops, at inflated prices.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Viacheslav Shapovalov, Zelensky, “, ”, ” Zelensky, Oleksii Symonenko, Ivan Lukerya, Nehoda, Vitalii Organizations: CNN, National Security and Defense Council, “, Corruption

☆ Piedmont Lithium's plans to supply Tesla face skeptical North Carolina officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Ernest Scheyder | Thomson Reuters | Ernest Scheyder Is An Award-Winning Senior Correspondent Covering The Green Energy Transition | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Aug 8 (Reuters) - Piedmont Lithium (PLL.O) on Tuesday drew skepticism and anger at a key meeting with local North Carolina officials about its plans for a lithium mine that would supply the electric vehicle battery metal to Tesla (TSLA.O). Piedmont said it would be open to helping its neighbors in those situations dig deeper wells or connect to municipal water supplies. Piedmont first signed a deal to supply lithium to Tesla in 2021 from North Carolina. "We've not heard from Piedmont Lithium in over two years," said Warren Snowdon, whose land shares an 8,000-foot-border with the proposed site. "So I don't know if they don't care and I don't know if they're concerned about us."

Persons: Keith Phillips, Allen Fraley, Phillips, We've, Warren Snowdon, Ernest Scheyder, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: North, Thomson Locations: North Carolina, United States, Gaston County, Charlotte, U.S, China, Piedmont, Quebec, Gaston, Australia

☆ Chief of Texas' largest county takes medical leave for depression
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo addresses the news media, the day after a deadly crush of fans during a performance by rapper Travis Scott at the Astroworld Festival, in Houston, Texas, U.S. November 6, 2021. REUTERS/Daniel Kramer/File PhotoHOUSTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Lina Hidalgo, chief executive of the third-largest U.S. county and the largest one in Texas, has checked in to a medical facility outside the state to be treated for clinical depression, she said on Monday. Hidalgo, a Democrat elected in 2018 to lead the county of 4.9 million residents, has battled Republican state officials over election administration and police funding. Last November, she won re-election as Harris County judge against a well-funded political novice with a slim margin of about 17,000 votes. Reporting by Gary McWilliams in Houston Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lina Hidalgo, Travis Scott, Daniel Kramer, Harris, Hidalgo, Kim Ogg, Gary McWilliams, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Democrat, Republican, Thomson Locations: Harris, Houston , Texas, U.S, Texas, Hidalgo, county's, Houston

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