Tesla targeted in another US safety investigation
Federal auto safety regulators have opened yet another investigation into Tesla’s so-called full-self driving technology after dozens of incidents in which the electric vehicle maker’s cars ran red lights or drove on the wrong side of the road, sometimes crashing into other vehicles and endangering drivers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a filing dated Tuesday that it has 58 incident reports of Tesla vehicles violating traffic safety laws while operating in full self-driving mode. In reports to regulators, many of the Tesla drivers said the cars gave them no warning about the unexpected behavior. The probe covers 2,882,566 vehicles, essentially all Teslas equipped with full self-driving technology
Jury reaches verdict in trial of pipeline company's lawsuit against Greenpeace
A North Dakota jury has found Greenpeace liable for defamation and other claims in connection with protests against an oil pipeline's construction. The jury said Wednesday that the environmental advocacy group must pay more than $650 million in damages to Dallas-based Energy Transfer and its subsidiary Dakota Access. The companies had alleged defamation, trespass, nuisance, civil conspiracy and other claims against Greenpeace International, Greenpeace USA and Greenpeace Fund Inc. Attorneys for Greenpeace had denied the claims. The case reaches back to protests in 2016 and 2017 against the Dakota Access Pipeline and its Missouri River crossing upstream of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s reservation.
President Trump highlights investing $500 billion in 'Stargate' AI project
President Donald Trump is talking up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout of data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI.
President Trump highlights investing $500 billion in 'Stargate' AI project
President Donald Trump is talking up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout of data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI.
Tesla's 2024 sales fall 1.1%, marking first yearly drop since 2011
Tesla’s global annual sales have fallen for the first time in more than a dozen years. It's a blow to a stock that has soared since Donald Trump's election and its CEO billionaire became a top policy adviser to the president elect. Sales rose 2.3% in 2024's final quarter but that was not enough to overcome a sluggish start to the year. The annual decline for the Austin, Texas, company came despite offers of discounts such as 0% financing, free charging and low-priced leases. Tesla's 1.79 million sales for 2024 was 1.1% below 2023 as demand for electric vehicles in the U.S. and elsewhere slowed.
Federal judge blocks Louisiana law that requires classrooms to display Ten Commandments
Louisiana Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill says the state will ask a federal appeals court to quickly stay a lower court's order declaring unconstitutional a law requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public classroom by Jan. 1. U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles on Tuesday said the law had an unconstitutional “overtly religious” purpose. He ordered state education officials to notify all 72 local school boards of his finding. Murrill contends that his ruling only applies to five local school boards named as defendants in the case. However, she acknowledged that deGravelles’ order could have a “chilling effect” on any local board’s decision to enforce the law.
US port strike: Over 45,000 dockworkers from Maine to Texas hit picket lines
Dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas have started walking picket lines in a strike over wages and automation that could reignite inflation and cause shortages of goods if it goes on more than a few weeks. The contract between the ports and about 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association expired at midnight, and even though progress was reported in talks on Monday, the workers went on strike early Tuesday. The strike is affecting 36 ports. The U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, said Monday evening that both sides had moved off of their previous wage offers, but when picket lines went up just after midnight, it was apparent there was no deal.
Dozens of deaths reveal risks of sedating people restrained by police
An investigation led by The Associated Press has found that the practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the nation over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts. The injections are given by medical personnel during police encounters. The investigation shows how a strategy intended to reduce violence and save lives has resulted in some avoidable deaths. While sedatives were mentioned as a cause or contributing factor in a dozen official death rulings, authorities often didn’t even investigate whether injections were appropriate in the 94 deaths identified by the AP over a decade. About half of the 94 who died were Black.
Construction to begin on high-speed rail between Las Vegas and Los Angeles
A $12 billion high-speed passenger train line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area has started construction. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Brightline West company officials on Monday to hammer commemorative yellow rail spikes at the site of terminal due to open in 2028 just south of the Las Vegas Strip. The company plans to build track in the median of Interstate 15 to a Rancho Cucamonga, California, commuter rail hub connection to Los Angeles. Trains would whisk past at speeds comparable to Japan's bullet trains. A Brightline sister company operates a train about two-thirds that fast between Miami and Orlando.
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