US regulators investigate GM’s Cruise division over incidents involving pedestrians in roadways

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:56:47 GMT

US regulators investigate GM’s Cruise division over incidents involving pedestrians in roadways U.S. regulators are investigating General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle division after receiving reports of incidents where vehicles may not have used proper caution around pedestrians in roadways.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the reports involve automated driving system equipped vehicles encroaching on pedestrians present in or entering roadways, including crosswalks. This could raise the risk of a vehicle striking a pedestrian, which could result in severe injury or death, according to the NHTSA. The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation said that it’s received two reports involving pedestrian injuries from Cruise vehicles. It’s also identified two additional incidents from videos posted to public websites. The office said the total number of relevant pedestrian incidents is unknown. It opened an investigation on Monday. “Cruise’s safety record over 5 million miles continues to outperform comparable human drivers at a ti...

Bank of America profits jump 10% but warns of slowing spending by Americans

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:56:47 GMT

Bank of America profits jump 10% but warns of slowing spending by Americans NEW YORK (AP) — Bank of America posted a 10% rise in third quarter profits Tuesday, helped by higher interest rates that allowed the bank to charge more for loans at the same time that it kept expenses under control. However, CEO Brian Moynihan warned Tuesday that Americans continue to slow their spending after burning through pandemic savings, and now face higher costs due to inflation.The Charlotte, N.C., bank earned a profit of $7.8 billion, or 90 cents per share, which is 13 cents better than Wall Street had expected, according to a survey of analysts by FactSet. It also tops last year’s $7.1 billion profit, or 81 cents per share, in the same period. Most of the higher profits came from higher interest rates on loans, with net interest income coming in at $14.4 billion, compared with $13.76 billion a year earlier. With much of the savings gone from the pandemic, consumers are turning more heavily to credit cards to manage their expenses. BofA saw credit card balances rise ...

Lockheed: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:56:47 GMT

Lockheed: Q3 Earnings Snapshot BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) on Tuesday reported third-quarter net income of $1.68 billion.On a per-share basis, the Bethesda, Maryland-based company said it had profit of $6.73. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to $6.77 per share.The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of nine analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $6.66 per share.The aerospace and defense company posted revenue of $16.88 billion in the period, also beating Street forecasts. Seven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $16.66 billion.Lockheed expects full-year earnings to be $27 to $27.20 per share, with revenue in the range of $66.25 billion to $66.75 billion._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on LMT at https://www.zacks.com/ap/LMTSource

Unique alternatives to traditional burial available in Colorado

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:56:47 GMT

Unique alternatives to traditional burial available in Colorado DENVER (KDVR) -- Death isn't something that most people like to talk about, but statistically, there is a 100% chance that it will happen to everyone at some point. While most people in the state choose traditional burial or cremation, Colorado does have some alternatives that many other states do not have.Body compostingColorado was the second state to legalize human composting, also known as natural reduction, in 2021. As of 2023, seven states -- Washington, Colorado, Oregon, California, Vermont, New York and Nevada -- have legalized the practice.As the name suggests, the practice involves turning human remains into soil. Most popular unique names in Colorado According to the Natural Funeral, which was the first funeral home in the state to offer the service, it takes around four to six months, and afterward, there is around one cubic yard of fertile soil remaining.It is illegal to sell the soil, and the Natural Funeral recommended that the soil not be used to grow food for huma...

Meet Meiko: The canine candidate for Mayor of Anchorage

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:56:47 GMT

Meet Meiko: The canine candidate for Mayor of Anchorage ANCHORAGE, Alaska (WSVN) — A furry politician with a “pawsitive” campaign hopes to turn the dog house into the mayor’s house. Anchorage residents are witnessing an unusual candidate in the mayoral race and as his owner-turned-campaign manager puts it, it’s all “paws” on deck.Meet Meiko, the Malamute mix canine who’s running for Mayor of Anchorage. With his pawsitive campaign, this furry politician has captured the town’s attention and affection.Robert “Ziggy” Zeigler, Meiko’s campaign manager, describes the canine candidate. “He is very hairy and has a great disposition. Like I said, he loves to hug and he loves to give kisses,” he stated.Meiko’s unconventional campaign has been met with enthusiasm by the community. “Oh man, he’s a little cutie, super fluffy. Makes you want to run up and pick him up,” one resident stated. With his dreamy blue eyes and fluffy appearance, Meiko ...

Pastor’s 2-year-old son shot in head outside North Carolina church

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:56:47 GMT

Pastor’s 2-year-old son shot in head outside North Carolina church BURKE COUNTY, N.C. (WSVN) — A 2-year-old son of a pastor was shot in the head outside a church shortly after Sunday services concluded.The incident unfolded when a single gunshot rang out from a car parked outside the church, as another child was inside the vehicle. “My heart goes out to them. We will help in any way we can, and God is the help that you need,” expressed neighbor Kevin Barlow.The toddler was urgently airlifted to the hospital and underwent surgery. Investigators are now diligently working to determine how the young child had access to a firearm. As of now, no charges have been filed, and the community remains in shock as they await further details surrounding this tragic event.

Alcohol a ‘frequent factor’ in rule-breaching behavior in Westminster, complaints body finds

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:56:47 GMT

Alcohol a ‘frequent factor’ in rule-breaching behavior in Westminster, complaints body finds LONDON — The drinking culture in Westminster has come under attack in a report from a parliamentary watchdog.In its fifth annual report summarizing the last year, the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme — the U.K. parliament’s official complaints system — said that the “culture of drinking in Westminster” was a “frequent factor” in conduct-breaching incidents in the parliamentary bars, at external events, and in post-work socializing.The report also said that alcohol added to issues of “intimidating behavior like shouting and swearing.”The report, published Tuesday, added that alcohol has meant some investigations have been made difficult, with poor witness recall one example of the problems faced.Alcohol has long been a feature of the culture in Westminster, but has recently come into the spotlight as a string of drunken incidents have made headlines.Labour MP Neil Coyle had the Labour whip temporarily suspended, and he later faced a a five-day suspension from the...

Orbán meets Putin: Russian president shakes hand of first EU leader since start of Ukraine invasion

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:56:47 GMT

Orbán meets Putin: Russian president shakes hand of first EU leader since start of Ukraine invasion Russian President Vladimir Putin shook hands with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in China on Tuesday — the first handshake between the Russian president and an EU leader since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.According to Russian state-run news outlet TASS, Orbán told Putin that, “Hungary has never sought to confront Russia. Rather, the opposite is true: Hungary has always pursued the goal of building and expanding the best communication.”Putin said, “it is very important to have a chance to exchange views not only on bilateral relations, but also on the situation in the world and in Europe with one of the EU countries — with Hungary in this case,” adding, “we know that our positions do not always coincide, but an opportunity to exchange views, in my opinion, is always extremely important.”The meeting took place at a two-day forum on Tuesday marking the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s brainchild, the...

Orioles retail workers leaflet customers during union contract talks with Fanatics

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:56:47 GMT

Orioles retail workers leaflet customers during union contract talks with Fanatics Hats and shirts celebrating the Orioles’ American League East title are still for sale in the B&O Warehouse.Meanwhile, the union workers who stock and sell the team merchandise at Camden Yards have been passing out leaflets to customers during the first round of collective bargaining negotiations with Fanatics since the company took over the Orioles Team Store ahead of the 2023 season.The Orioles contracted with Delaware North for both concession and merchandise sales from 2010 until 2022. Effective this season, the team contracted with Levy, a Chicago-based hospitality company, to manage concessions, and Fanatics, a licensed sports merchandise company co-headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and San Mateo, California. Fanatics has made Major League Baseball’s uniforms and official merchandise since 2017, when it bought Majestic for around $225 million.This season, merchandise workers did not have a union contract as Fanatics, unlike Levy, did not assume the unio...

Flag football is now an Olympic sport — and the Chicago Bears hope local outreach continues to grow the game

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:56:47 GMT

Flag football is now an Olympic sport — and the Chicago Bears hope local outreach continues to grow the game On the eve of the second girls flag football state championship in Illinois, it was announced that the sport will be played by women and men at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Added with four other sports — baseball/softball, cricket, lacrosse and squash — by the International Olympic Committee on Monday, the news was received enthusiastically by Gustavo Silva, the Chicago Bears manager of youth football and community programs.“This is a big moment for all of us,” Silva said. “Anybody that loves the game of football, this is a good day. The bar has been raised. It’s exciting to think that governments and corporate sponsors are going to now support it more because everything has to be multiplied to the next level. That’s the challenge ahead of us. But it is a challenge that we welcome.”Silva has been a big proponent of girls flag football in Illinois. Last fall, he was at the Walter Payton Center, along with Bears Care, ho...