TECH/SCIENCE

Elon Musk’s Tesla with ‘no driver’ in deadly Texas crash

April 19, 2021 by Staff Reporter

Two men died after a Tesla vehicle, which was believed to be operating without anyone in the driver’s seat, crashed into a tree on Saturday night north of Houston, authorities said.

The vehicle was driving at high-speed late Saturday north of Houston when it slammed into a tree and burst into flames, the Wall Street Journal reported, quoting Harris County constable Mark Herman.

“Our preliminary investigation is determining, but it’s not complete yet that there was no one at the wheel of that vehicle,” he said. “We’re almost 99.9 percent sure.”

When police arrived, one of the two victims was sitting in the front passenger seat and the other in the rear seat.

Herman said police had not yet determined whether the driver-side airbag had deployed and whether the car’s driver assistance system was engaged at the time of the crash.

On its website, Tesla warns that the driver assistance systems it offers do not make their vehicles fully autonomous and that active driver supervision is still necessary.

But videos regularly show moving Teslas with drivers asleep or without their hands on the wheel for extended periods of time.

The accident comes amid growing scrutiny over Tesla’s semi-automated driving system following recent accidents and as it is preparing to launch its updated “full self-driving” software to more customers.

The US auto safety agency said in March it has opened 27 investigations into crashes of Tesla vehicles; at least three of the crashes occurred recently.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in January that he expects huge profits from its full self-driving software, saying he is “highly confident the car will be able to drive itself with reliability in excess of human this year.”

Self-driving technology must overcome safety and regulatory hurdles to achieve commercial success.

Originally Appeared On: https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musks-tesla-with-no-driver-in-deadly-texas-crash-378510

Walmart commits to restoring pollinator habitats

April 17, 2021 by Staff Reporter

As vital pollinator populations continue to decline due to loss of habitat, pests, pollution, pesticides and a changing climate, Walmart announced Tuesday new pollinator commitments that will further the retailer’s efforts to help reverse nature loss and bring the company closer to meeting the nature commitments made by Walmart and the Walmart Foundation.

Working with its suppliers, stakeholders and customers, Walmart’s new commitments serve as the largest pollinator health effort from a U.S. grocery retailer to date, aiming to reduce several pollinator threats through promoting integrated pest management (IPM) practices and improving and expanding pollinator habitats.

“It’s estimated that one out of every three bites of food we eat is possible because of animal pollinators,” said Martin Mundo, SVP, General Merchandise Manager, Produce and Global Produce Sourcing, Walmart U.S.

“Bees are the most popular pollinators, but there’s an entire segment of the animal kingdom that helps pollinate the food we eat, including some that grow in our own home gardens. Pollinators include butterflies and moths, birds, bats, beetles and many more, and without them some of our favorite foods wouldn’t exist.”

As part of its commitment to protect and restore natural resources involved in production of the products it sells, Walmart U.S. is taking these initial steps to promote pollinator health:

1. Walmart U.S. will source 100% of the fresh produce and floral it sells in its in-store produce department from suppliers that adopt integrated pest management practices, as verified by a third party, by 2025. Walmart also encourages fresh produce suppliers to report their pesticide application and biodiversity management annually, through Walmart’s annual sustainability surveys.

As part of this initiative, Walmart will also encourage fresh produce suppliers to phase out use of chlorpyrifos and nitroguanidine neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, dinotefuran) where applicable unless mandated otherwise by law, and to avoid replacing them with other products with a level I bee precaution rating.

2. To help improve and expand pollinator habitats, Walmart U.S. will:

• Encourage fresh produce suppliers to protect, restore, or establish pollinator habitats by 2025 on at least 3% of land they own, operate, and/or invest in. Suppliers are encouraged to report annual progress through Walmart’s annual sustainability surveys.

• Encourage live-plant suppliers to label pollinator-friendly plants for sale in Walmart’s retail stores.

• Continue to avoid selling invasive plant species based on recognized regional lists.

• Help educate customers about pollinator plants for home gardens. In the spring of 2021, more than 1.3 million annual and perennial neonic-free plants for sale in Walmart stores will carry tags to help customers identify plants that attract pollinators. Walmart will explore other initiatives, online and in store, to engage and educate customers.

• Explore opportunities to incorporate pollinator habitat on Walmart U.S. real estate or in local communities, including its upcoming Home Office campus in Bentonville, Ark., where over 75% of the plant species will be pollinator-friendly. Walmart will also establish pollinator habitats at store and facility locations where feasible.

“The Big Nature landscape of Walmart’s future Home Office campus will support local populations of plant pollinators,” wrote Mundo in a blog post. “In particular, meadows planted near lakes will provide ample undisturbed pollinator foraging habitat as well as important water access and the potential for more intentional nesting habitat spaces for insects, small animals and birds.”

In addition, Walmart has partnered with solar developers to establish pollinator habitats around solar panel arrays like the one at its distribution center in Laurens, S.C., and through Walmart’s lead participation on community solar farms across Minnesota.

Originally Appeared On: https://www.supermarketnews.com/sustainability/walmart-commits-restoring-pollinator-habitats-and-reversing-nature-loss

What a car’s ‘black box’ records and how to check if your vehicle has one

April 15, 2021 by Staff Reporter

It’s widely known that investigators rely on so-called “black boxes” to reconstruct the moments leading up to a catastrophic incident involving an airplane, train or ship, but many drivers don’t know that their own car may be equipped with a similar device.

After golf legend Tiger Woods was badly hurt in a February rollover crash in Southern California, investigators executed a warrant to retrieve data from the recorder in the mangled Genesis SUV he was driving.

The crash and the circumstances around it received international news coverage, but the existence of an “event data recorder” (EDR) wasn’t unique to Hyundai’s luxury line of Genesis vehicles.

‘Black box’ in Tiger Woods’ SUV could help in crash investigation

In fact, as of 2014, car research site Edmunds found that 96 percent of new cars had an EDR built in. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that an estimated 64% of 2005 passenger vehicles had “some EDR capability.”

While the NHTSA proposed making them mandatory in 2014, the devices never became federally required and manufacturers started voluntarily including them.

If your car was made before 2014 and you want to check to see if it has an EDR, you can start with the owner’s manual or contact a crash data specialist. Some companies have a list of makes and models equipped with recorders that is accessible online.

What does the event data recorder track?

While they have been nicknamed “black boxes,” a car’s EDR is different from an airplane’s black box because it doesn’t record data the entire time the car is being operated.

A car’s EDR has much less memory and is constantly overwriting data. It also doesn’t record audio or video, according to USA Today. Unless you crash, data will not be recorded.

Black box data released from Boeing 737 Max crashes

An EDR can, however, provide investigators with valuable data from the seconds before, during and after a crash.

In 2010, the NHTSA required manufacturers adding EDRs to their vehicles to make them capable of collecting 15 data elements at minimum, including changes in speed, what pedals were pressed, whether or not the brake was applied, if the seatbelt was used properly, if the airbag deployed correctly and more.

Can I remove the EDR from my vehicle?

If you’re concerned about having a recorder in your vehicle, it may be easier to buy a used car that doesn’t have one than to remove it.

Aside from running afoul of local laws governing tampering with EDRs, the devices are also extremely difficult to safely remove. The EDR is nearly always built into the airbag system so that if it is removed or turned off the airbag itself won’t deploy in a wreck.

Since becoming standard issue for new cars, the recorders have sparked privacy concerns and wound up at the center of court cases. While the NHTSA says the crash information gleaned from EDRs in vehicles across the country helps officials enhance safety for future drivers, privacy experts have expressed concern about what authorities can do with the data, according to Consumer Reports.

Laws governing the privacy of that data varies by state, but a court order could be used to compel a driver to give access to a vehicle’s EDR in the case of an accident.

Originally Appeared On: https://wreg.com/news/what-a-cars-black-box-records-and-how-to-check-if-your-vehicle-has-one/

The Latest: Libya gets 57,000 AstraZeneca doses from COVAX

April 10, 2021 by Staff Reporter

CAIRO — Libya has received more than 57,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine from the COVAX initiative.

The U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF, said the doses that arrived late Thursday have been earmarked to health workers, people older than 75 and people with chronic disease.

Libya’s National Center for Disease Control said 57,600 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine were in the first COVAX shipment to Libya.

On Sunday, Libya received 101,250 doses of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine.

Libya has seen swelling COVID-19 cases. The county of around 7 million people has reported more than 166,000 confirmed cases and 2,799 virus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic. However, the actual numbers, like elsewhere in the world, are thought to be far higher.

HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia has finalized a deal to buy an extra 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine as it rapidly pivots away from its earlier plan to rely mainly on the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the deal Friday after saying Australia would stop using the AstraZeneca vaccine for people aged under 50.

He said the deal means Australia will get a total of 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine by the end of the year, enough to inoculate 20 million people in the nation of 26 million.

Australia’s pivot came after the European Medicines Agency said this week it had found a “possible link” between the AstraZeneca vaccine and rare blood clots, though regulators have continued to say the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks for most people.

The pivot represents a significant shift in Australia’s overall approach and is likely to delay plans to have everybody inoculated by October.

A major part of Australia’s strategy had been making its own vaccines without importing them. It had planned to manufacture some 50 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, enough for 25 million people. Australia had made no plans to make any other vaccines at home.

BANGKOK — Thai authorities were struggling Friday to contain a growing coronavirus outbreak just days before the country’s traditional Songkran New Year’s holiday, when millions of people travel around the country.

Health officials reported another 559 new infections nationwide on Friday, following increases of 405 new cases and 334 new cases the previous two days. Authorities have responded by ordering that entertainment venues in 41 provinces close for two weeks starting Saturday, while governors in some provinces are placing restrictions on travelers arriving from elsewhere.

Such daily increases in new infections are rare for Thailand, which has weathered the coronavirus pandemic far better than many nations through measures including strict border controls that have decimated the country’s lucrative tourism industry. Thailand has also experimented at times with everything from curfews and alcohol bans to closures of schools, shopping malls and restaurants.

PHILIPPINE SEA — The U.S. 7th Fleet that operates throughout the Indo-Pacific says 96% of its personnel have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The fleet said more than 14,000 service members had received their full doses of the vaccine, which it began administering in January to those who volunteered.

“We owe it to ourselves, our family and country to make every effort to stop the pandemic,” vaccine coordinator Capt. Joseph F. Penta was quoted as saying in the statement.

The 7th Fleet operates 50-70 ships and submarines and regularly interacts with forces from 35 other countries.

Last April, more than 500 crew members aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt tested positive for the virus and one died after the ship docked in Guam. That came amid a crisis during which the Navy’s civilian leader fired the ship’s captain after accusing him of too widely distributing a letter calling for more urgent action to deal with the outbreak. The administration official resigned shortly after coming under criticism for the firing.

SAN FRANCISCO — More California counties are opening up vaccines to younger adults, a week ahead of the state’s schedule.

At the same time, California public health officials warned Thursday of decreases in supply because of a national reduction of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The state has received about 2.4 million doses this week, but it expects 2 million next week and 1.9 million doses the week after.

Santa Clara County and Fresno County are the latest to open up vaccinations to everyone 16 and up.

A mass vaccination site at California State University, Los Angeles announced it would take adults on a walk-up basis because of excess appointments. It had to start turning people away Thursday.

Originally Appeared On: https://www.wsav.com/news/international-news/the-latest-libya-gets-57000-astrazeneca-doses-from-covax/

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein Works from Overseas

April 9, 2021 by Staff Reporter

A Michigan Supreme Court justice has been working from overseas for the past three months.

Justice Richard Bernstein, who is blind, has been participating in an international program to improve the perception of people with disabilities.

The court is closed for face-to-face business because of the pandemic.

Berstein says he’s been pulling all-nighters to keep up with his work in Michigan.

He has been meeting via zoom.

The court heard arguments in seven cases on Wednesday and had five more on its docket for Thursday.

Berstein says, “Everyone is working by phone anyway, so what’s the difference if I’m in my apartment or overseas.”

He’s been inspiring people with his story of being a blind lawyer and judge.

Originally Appeared On: https://www.9and10news.com/2021/04/08/michigan-supreme-court-justice-richard-bernstein-works-from-overseas/

Tim Cook Says He’s Never Met Elon Musk, ‘Great Admiration’ for Tesla

April 6, 2021 by Staff Reporter

Apple CEO Tim Cook said Monday that he’d never met Elon Musk.
He said that Musk’s electric-vehicle company Tesla had done “an unbelievable job.”
Apple reportedly plans to enter the EV market with its own autonomous vehicle.
See more stories on Insider’s business page.

Apple CEO Tim Cook praised electric-vehicle company Tesla on Monday, but said that he hasn’t yet met its CEO Elon Musk.

Cook’s comments came less than two weeks after Musk posted, then deleted, a tweet implying Tesla could be bigger than Apple “within a few months.”

Cook told The New York Times’ Kara Swisher: “You know, I’ve never spoken to Elon, although I have great admiration and respect for the company he’s built.

“I think Tesla has done an unbelievable job of not only establishing the lead, but keeping the lead for such a long period of time in the EV space,” he added.

Tesla and Apple don’t directly compete – but this could soon change. Apple reportedly plans to build an autonomous electric car by 2024, and during Monday’s interview Cook hinted that the project was real. Apple has recently patented some vehicle features.

Musk said in December that he once wanted Apple to buy Tesla for a tenth of the company’s 2020 value, but that Cook wouldn’t meet with him.

Tesla posted record sales in the first quarter of 2021 despite a worldwide shortage of semiconductor chips. Wall Street now expects Tesla to sell more than 800,000 vehicles this year.

Musk has famously clashed with other US business leaders including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Originally Appeared On: https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-never-met-tim-cook-tesla-apple-electric-car-2021-4

United Airlines aims to diversify its largely white and male roster of pilots

April 6, 2021 by Staff Reporter

A United Airlines airplane taxis while another takes off at San Francisco International Airport on Oct. 15, 2020.

Jeff Chiu/The Associated Press

United Airlines said on Tuesday it wants women and people of color to make up at least half of the 5,000 pilots it plans to train this decade at its new flight school, a push to diversify a career traditionally dominated by white men.

The announcement comes as U.S. airlines resume pilot hiring halted last year during the pandemic and as they find themselves in the crosshairs of politically charged issues involving race.

“We want to make sure that we are tapping into a big deep talent pool and not limiting ourselves to just one section of the pond,” Chief Communications Officer Josh Earnest said on a Zoom call with journalists.

Chicago-based United joined Delta Air Lines and American Airlines on Monday in speaking out against voting restrictions following recent legislation in states like Georgia that activist groups say unfairly target Black and other racial minority voters.

United is the only major U.S. airline to own a flight school, the United Aviate Academy, which it bought last year just before vanishing demand because of the pandemic forced the industry to scale back its operations.

Now, as more Americans are vaccinated, airlines are ramping up again.

United plans to hire 10,000 pilots by 2030, half coming through its academy, and the rest from other airlines or the U.S. military.

Of United’s roughly 12,000 pilots, about 7 per cent are women and 13 per cent people of color, the company said.

There are fewer than 100 black women pilots flying for major airlines, United pilot Carole Hopson said on the call, adding this situation had to change.

Becoming a pilot can be a long and costly pursuit and the company is offering $1.2 million in academy scholarships.

The airline’s credit card partner, JPMorgan Chase, will fund another $1.2 million for women and people of color accepted to the academy, which expects to enroll 100 students this year.

United said it hopes the program gives it an advantage in recruiting and training pilots as the industry braces for a wave of retirements at the mandatory age of 65 and after thousands retired early during the pandemic.

Originally Appeared On: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/international-business/us-business/article-united-airlines-aims-to-diversify-its-largely-white-and-male-roster-of/