Chinese technology companies have faced numerous difficulties overseas this year owing to a lack of trust, particularly in the US where Huawei’s proposed carrier deals with AT&T and Verizon fell through due to political pressure and ZTE was forced to pay huge fines and sack board members to resume trading. US government agencies were then […]
Read MoreTag: Government
The Government’s Coming for Your Classic Car, but They Can’t Take It All: Aston Martin CEO
Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer isn’t very trusting of his government’s plan to ban all internal combustion vehicles by 2040. The 55-year-old Brit had a few things to say about the UK’s intentions last year, none of them very kind to policy makers. Since then, it seems he’s grown even […]
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White House Wants to End EV Subsidies ASAP
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow announced Monday that the Trump administration is seeking an end to federal subsidies on electric cars. Interestingly, the move appears to be related to General Motors’ plant closings and layoffs. The company’s restructuring plan hasn’t gone over well with policy makers or the American public, […]
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French Motorists Spark ‘Yellow Vest’ Protests and Riots Over Fuel Taxes and Regulations (UPDATE: New Green Taxes to Be Suspended)
Despite everything you’ve heard about road rage, motorists tend to be pretty meek — at least when it comes to government regulations, and particularly in Europe. They passively accept, and pay for, mandated safety and emissions regulations as well as for taxes on the fuel for their vehicles. Perhaps, though, […]
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Trade War Watch: Were the Auto Tariffs Ever Supposed to Be More Than a Threat?
The U.S. Commerce Department has submitted draft recommendations to the White House on its investigation into whether it’s prudent to impose tariffs of up to 25 percent on imported automobiles and parts, based on the premise that they’re a threat to national security. The possibility has the industry in a […]
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Can Government Learn to Fail Fast?
Code for America’s Jennifer Pahlka(Paul Sakuma) Jennifer Pahlka fully acknowledges all the difficulties that come with bringing tech to government, yet she is still determined to deploy technology for civic good. In fact, we have little choice, the founder of Code for America said at Techonomy 2018. “We have to […]
Read MoreHACKED: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); 75K individuals affected
The United States Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said Friday it was responding to a data breach that exposed the files of about 75,000 people. Reuters: The agency said it detected anomalous activity in the Federally Facilitated Exchange’s (FFE) Direct Enrollment pathway for agents and brokers. The number of files accessed in the […]
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Lady Gaga’s essay about mental health is a powerful wakeup call to our political leaders
Lady Gaga Wrote “Guardian” Essay For World Mental Health Day – HelloGiggles Lady Gaga’s essay about mental health is a powerful wakeup call to our political leaders
Read MoreGovernment seizes fraudulent military recruitment sites
Individuals willing to lay down their lives—or at least risk them for the promise of steady employment—shouldn’t have to put up with phony websites designed to snag and sell their personal information. It’s an opinion that’s apparently shared by the FTC. From Gizmodo: The FTC filed a complaint in federal court today charging that two […]
Read MoreThree’s Company, Too? Canada Returning to NAFTA Dance As U.S. and Mexico Approach Auto Deal
Canada says it could rejoin the NAFTA discussion, just as the United States and Mexico approach an agreement on automobiles. The two nations engaged in bilateral negotiations a little less than a month ago, seemingly making positive headway on a trade deal. With President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador assuming office in December, it’s in the United States’ […]
Read MoreJapan’s Minor Scandal: Mazda, Suzuki, Yamaha Apologize for Improper Vehicle Testing
Japan’s automotive industry finds itself in the midst of a minor scandal. Last year, the Japanese government ordered manufacturers to investigate their operations after it was revealed that Subaru and Nissan conducting improper testing for decades. Initially, the issue seemed to revolve around a widespread laziness that allowed uncertified employees to conduct final inspection procedures. […]
Read MoreUS Thule Air Base wasn’t hit by a meteor, but it was close
Exaggerated reports appeared earlier this week claiming a US Air Base in Greenland had been struck by a meteor. That’s not true, the Air Force has said, but it did confirm that a meteor hit miles away with considerable force. The event happened in late July, but went mostly unnoticed until Australian media picked up […]
Read MoreDNC advisory warns Democrats to avoid Huawei and ZTE phones
The Democratic National Committee has advised Democrats and their staff to avoid purchasing and/or using smartphones made by ZTE and Huawei, both Chinese companies, citing potential security concerns. Both companies have been in the US government’s crosshairs for years, with officials and politicians worrying that these devices may be used by the Chinese government to […]
Read MoreJUUL Labs responds to FDA concerns about flavored e-liquids
In a statement released today, Juul Labs has responded to FDA moves to increase regulation on flavored tobacco products in order to curb underage use. This comes at a time when Juul Labs is under increasing scrutiny. Here’s the statement from Juul Labs CEO Kevin Burns: We fully support FDA’s efforts to curb underage use […]
Read MoreSpanish ‘anti-Uber’ taxi strike ends after government agrees new regulation
A national six-day taxi driver strike in Spain has ended after the government agreed to pass regulation that will allow the country’s autonomous communities to cap the number of private hire vehicle permits within their cities. The VTC licenses are used by Uber and local ride-hailing rival Cabify to offer professional driver services in the country. […]
Read MoreNASA’s Open Source Rover lets you build your own planetary exploration platform
Got some spare time this weekend? Why not build yourself a working rover from plans provided by NASA? The spaceniks at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have all the plans, code, and materials for you to peruse and use — just make sure you’ve got $2,500 and a bit of engineering know-how. This thing isn’t made […]
Read MoreRide-share companies offered New York $100M to drop proposed regulations
Lyft, Uber and Via yesterday made an offer to succor New York City’s beleaguered taxi medallion owners: a $100M relief fund paid over five years to cover the plight of these poor souls. But the city, in its arrogance, refused this generosity! How could they? Perhaps because it was because the money was contingent on […]
Read More3D printed gun ruling: What you need to know
There has been a lot of commotion lately surrounding 3D printed guns and whether or not easy access to CAD files for weapons is something that should be allowed. For a while, it seemed that the years-long debate was over, but yesterday, the situation took another turn. Now, parties on both sides of the debate […]
Read MoreSessions Vows To Protect All Deeply Held Religious Bigotry
WASHINGTON—Standing firm in his commitment to one of the nation’s guiding principles, Attorney General Jeff Sessions went on record Wednesday vowing to protect the deeply held religious bigotry of all Americans. “Dating back to colonial times, America has been a place where individuals are free to live in accordance with their own personal prejudices, and […]
Read MoreDHS launches a new cyber hub to coordinate against threats to US infrastructure
Among the many things the current administration has been criticized for is its lack of a unified strategy to combat cyber threats, especially in light of ongoing election interference and psy ops perpetrated by Russia. The Department of Homeland Security is advancing the ball with the creation of the National Risk Management Center, intended on […]
Read MoreMidterm attackers cited Black Lives Matter in false flag Facebook rally
Unknown midterm election attackers that Facebook has removed were hosting a political rally next month that they pinned on Black Lives Matter, Antifa, and other organizations, according to third-party event websites that scraped the now-removed Facebook events. Facebook provided an image of the deleted “No Unite The Right 2 – DC” event as part of […]
Read MoreFacebook says it found more accounts stoking US political issues
Facebook has disclosed the discovery of new accounts engaging in “inauthentic behavior,” according to newly released statements from the company. These accounts were present on both the Facebook and Instagram platforms, the oldest dating to early 2017 and the newest to May 2018. Facebook, which says it is still in the early stages of its […]
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