The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Devin Askew had 28 points in Long Beach State’s 76-68 victory over Hawaii on Saturday night. Askew also had six rebounds, seven assists, and seven steals for the Beach (3-8, 2-0 Big West Conference). Austin Johnson scored 14 points and added 10 rebounds. TJ Wainwright went 5 of 9 from the field (2 for 3 from 3-point range) to finish with 14 points. The Rainbow Warriors (5-3, 0-1) were led in scoring by Marcus Greene, who finished with 17 points. Gytis Nemeiksa added 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals for Hawaii. Akira Jacobs also had 11 points. Long Beach State takes on San Diego on the road on Tuesday, and Hawaii hosts Texas A&M-CC on Sunday. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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United Airlines travelers with lost luggage have a new tool to track their bags. If the lost bag has an Apple AirTag in it, that information can now be passed directly to United, the airline announced Thursday. The new feature, called Share Item Location, allows travelers with an AirTag or other Find My network accessory to share the location with the airline’s customer service team to help locate their luggage in the event it’s misplaced. The feature is now available with iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2 or macOS 15.2. “Apple’s new Share Item Location feature will help customers travel with even more confidence, knowing they have another way to access their bag’s precise location with AirTag or their Find My accessory of choice,” said David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer. Travelers on United whose bags do not arrive at their destination can file a delayed baggage report with United and share the link to the item’s location either through the United app or via text message. After the report has been submitted, customer service agents will be able to locate the item on an interactive map alongside a timestamp of a recent update. The shared location will be disabled after a customer has the bag, and customers can also stop sharing the location of the item at any time on their own. The location link will also automatically expire after seven days. Using AirTags or other tracking devices on luggage is increasingly popular among frequent travelers, with a significant boom following the 2022 Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown, which displaced thousands of travelers over Christmas and into 2023, alongside much of their belongings. United says lost bags are rare, with more than 99% of its customers arriving with their bags. It says the new technology will help those with lost bags to recover them more quickly because the airline will have more information about them. Apple previously announced the new service will also be integrated at other air carriers, including Delta Air Lines. Others include Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Vueling.Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick will head coach North Carolina's Tar HeelsUnited Airlines travelers with lost luggage have a new tool to track their bags. If the lost bag has an Apple AirTag in it, that information can now be passed directly to United, the airline announced Thursday. The new feature, called Share Item Location, allows travelers with an AirTag or other Find My network accessory to share the location with the airline’s customer service team to help locate their luggage in the event it’s misplaced. The feature is now available with iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2 or macOS 15.2. “Apple’s new Share Item Location feature will help customers travel with even more confidence, knowing they have another way to access their bag’s precise location with AirTag or their Find My accessory of choice,” said David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer. Travelers on United whose bags do not arrive at their destination can file a delayed baggage report with United and share the link to the item’s location either through the United app or via text message. After the report has been submitted, customer service agents will be able to locate the item on an interactive map alongside a timestamp of a recent update. The shared location will be disabled after a customer has the bag, and customers can also stop sharing the location of the item at any time on their own. The location link will also automatically expire after seven days. Using AirTags or other tracking devices on luggage is increasingly popular among frequent travelers, with a significant boom following the 2022 Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown, which displaced thousands of travelers over Christmas and into 2023, alongside much of their belongings. United says lost bags are rare, with more than 99% of its customers arriving with their bags. It says the new technology will help those with lost bags to recover them more quickly because the airline will have more information about them. Apple previously announced the new service will also be integrated at other air carriers, including Delta Air Lines. Others include Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Vueling.
PSG 'dead' without bigger stadium, warn Qatari ownersThe Trump transition team wants the incoming administration to drop a car-crash reporting requirement opposed by Elon Musk’s Tesla, according to a document seen by Reuters, a move that could cripple the government’s ability to investigate and regulate the safety of vehicles with automated-driving systems . Musk, the world’s richest person, spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars helping Trump get elected president in November. Removing the crash-disclosure provision would particularly benefit Tesla, which has reported most of the crashes – more than 1,500 – to federal safety regulators under the program. Tesla has been targeted in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigations, including three stemming from the data. The recommendation to kill the crash-reporting rule came from a transition team tasked with producing a 100-day strategy for automotive policy. The group called the measure a mandate for “excessive” data collection, the document seen by Reuters shows. The Trump transition team, Musk and Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. Reuters could not determine what role, if any, Musk may have played in crafting the transition-team recommendations or the likelihood that the administration would enact them. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing most major automakers except Tesla, has also criticized the requirement as burdensome. A Reuters analysis of the NHTSA crash data shows Tesla accounted for 40 out of 45 fatal crashes reported to NHTSA through Oct. 15. Among the Tesla crashes NHTSA investigated under the provision were a 2023 fatal accident in Virginia where a driver using the car’s “Autopilot” feature slammed into a tractor-trailer and a California wreck the same year where an Autopiloted Tesla hit a firetruck, killing the driver and injuring four firefighters. NHTSA said in a statement that such data is crucial to evaluating the safety of emerging automated-driving technologies. Two former NHTSA employees said the crash-reporting requirements were pivotal to agency investigations into Tesla’s driver-assistance features that led to 2023 recalls. Without the data, they said, NHTSA cannot easily detect crash patterns that highlight safety problems. NHTSA said it has received and analyzed data on more than 2,700 crashes since the agency established the rule in 2021. The data has influenced 10 investigations into six companies, NHTSA said, as well as nine safety recalls involving four different companies. In one example, NHTSA fined Cruise, the self-driving startup owned by General Motors, $1.5 million in September for failing to report a 2023 incident in which a vehicle hit and dragged a pedestrian who had been struck by another car. GM said this week it would end robotaxi development at Cruise and fold it into its group working on driver-assistance technology. Crash reporting NHTSA’s so-called standing general order requires automakers to report crashes if advanced driver-assistance or autonomous-driving technologies were engaged within 30 seconds of impact, among other factors. In addition to ditching the reporting rule, the recommendations call for the administration to “liberalize” autonomous-vehicle regulation and to enact “basic regulations to enable development” of the industry. In an October Tesla earnings call, Musk called for “a federal approval process for autonomous vehicles,” rather than a patchwork of state laws he called “incredibly painful” to navigate. He said he would use his position as a government-efficiency czar, a post Trump had promised him, to push for such regulatory changes. After the election, Trump named Musk to co-lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency to advise from “outside government” on slashing federal staff, spending and regulations. More data, more crashes Tesla is among the most prominent automakers developing advanced driver-assistance features, which can assist with lane changes, driving speed and steering. Tesla’s Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving” systems, which are not fully autonomous, have come under intense scrutiny in lawsuits and a DOJ criminal probe examining whether Tesla exaggerated its vehicles’ self-driving capabilities, misleading investors and harming consumers. Tesla despises the crash-notification requirement, believing that NHTSA presents the data in ways that mislead consumers about the automaker’s safety, two sources familiar with Tesla executives’ thinking told Reuters. In recent years, Tesla executives discussed with Musk the need to push for scrapping the crash-reporting requirement, according to one of the sources. But because Biden officials expressed enthusiasm for the program, Tesla executives ultimately concluded that they would need a change in administration to get rid of the requirements, according to the source. Tesla finds the rules unfair because it believes it reports better data than other automakers, which makes it look like Tesla is responsible for an outsized number of crashes involving advanced driver-assistance systems, one of the sources said. NHTSA cautions that the data should not be used to compare one automaker’s safety to another because different companies collect information on crashes in different ways. Bryant Walker Smith, a University of South Carolina law professor who focuses on autonomous driving, said Tesla collects real-time crash data that other companies don’t and likely reports a “far greater proportion of their incidents” than other automakers. Tesla also likely has a greater frequency of crashes involving driver-assistance technologies because it has more vehicles on the road equipped with them and drivers engage the systems more often, Smith said. That means the vehicles may more often get into “situations that they aren’t capable of handling,” he said.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pick your adjective to describe the Kansas City Chiefs this season — charmed, serendipitous, fortunate or just plain lucky — and it probably fits, and not just because they keep winning games that come down to the wire. Every time they need help at a position, they've found someone sitting on the couch, seemingly waiting for their call. First it was wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who returned to the Chiefs just before the season after Marquise Brown was lost to shoulder surgery. Then it was running back Kareem Hunt, who likewise returned to his former team when Isiah Pacheco broke his fibula. Left tackle D.J. Humphries came next when other options at the position were struggling, and this week it was Steven Nelson, who came out of retirement to help a secondary that has struggled for weeks. "Just got an opportunity, got a call. Was very excited about it," said Nelson, who spent his first four seasons in Kansas City before stints in Pittsburgh and Houston, and ultimately calling it quits in June so he could spend more time with his family. "I've got two daughters and been spending a lot of time with him," Nelson said, "but still trying to work out. It was kind of the perfect scenario, getting the call, especially where this team has been and this point in the season. Great opportunity." It's been a perfect opportunity for all of them. Perfect fits for the Chiefs, too. Each could have signed just about anywhere else and been able to contribute, yet they were still sitting around when Chiefs general manager Brett Veach reached out. In the case of Smith-Schuster, Hunt and Humphries, there were some concerns about injuries that had kept some teams away, but the Chiefs were willing to take a risk on them. Smith-Schuster, who has dealt with knee trouble for years, missed some time with a hamstring injury this season. But he still has 202 yards and a touchdown receiving, and has provided some veteran leadership in the locker room. Hunt was coming off a sports hernia surgery, a big reason why the Browns — whom the Chiefs visit Sunday — declined to bring him back after five years spent in a one-two punch with Nick Chubb. But when Pacheco went down, Hunt stepped in and their offense barely missed a beat; he has run for a team-leading 608 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games. Humphries was still rehabbing a torn ACL at the start of the season, but the former Pro Bowl tackle was cleared just before the Chiefs called him. Kingsley Suamataia and Wanya Morris had struggled to protect Patrick Mahomes' blind side, so they brought in Humphries to help out. And while he hurt his hamstring late in his debut last week against the Chargers, the Chiefs still hope he'll be recovered and fully up to speed in time for the stretch run and the playoffs. "I'm in Kansas City, bro. I'm pretty ecstatic. It don't get much better than this," Humphries said. "Everybody is excited for me to be here and that's a really good feeling. You're getting All-Pro guys' arms outstretched, like, 'We're so glad you're here.'" The providential signings don't stop at those four players, either. When the Chiefs lost kicker Harrison Butker to knee surgery, they signed Spencer Shrader off the Jets practice squad, and he promptly kicked a game-winner against Carolina. But then Shrader hurt his hamstring and landed on injured reserve. The 49ers had just waived Matthew Wright, and the Chiefs signed him up. He's gone 8 for 9 on field-goal tries, has been perfect on PATs, and banged the game-winner off the upright and through last week against Los Angeles. Just like Smith-Schuster, Hunt and Nelson, Wright had been with Kansas City a couple of years ago. "It definitely helps, him knowing how we do things, how we practice and what we expect," Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub said. "That all helped, for sure. And he's a veteran. He's been a lot of places. It wasn't like he was a rookie off the street." Or off the couch, for that matter. NOTES: Butker planned to kick again Thursday and could come off IR to face the Browns on Sunday. "He looked good," Toub said. "We have to see how he responds." ... Humphries (hamstring) did not practice Thursday. RT Jawaan Taylor (knee) was limited. ... SS Justin Reid will likely handle kickoffs against Cleveland. He has a stronger leg than Wright and also puts another athletic and adept tackler on the field on special teams.
Auto manufacturers, especially those new to the industry, often contract with other manufacturers and suppliers to help them design their products. Tata Technologies, which is part of Tata Industries, was hired by VinFast to design the chassis and suspension components for some of its cars. Hazar Denli, a chassis design engineer working for Tata Technologies, told the BBC recently that he identified improperly designed components in the suspension systems designed by Tata Technologies that could fail, putting people at risk of serious injury. Under stress, such as hitting a pothole at speed, the front wheels could become misaligned, causing the car to veer to the left or right without prompting, and the driver could lose control, Denli said. “We saw, for example, the front strut-to-knuckle connection was loosening, which could be extremely dangerous. It could cause a loosening of the entire structure that could cause wheels to come off. In a crash scenario, it could be completely unsafe. It could cause the vehicle to lose control.” In fact, during testing, there were incidents of a front wheel actually snapping off, he said. Denli was appointed to lead the engineering team working on VinFast front suspension and chassis design in September 2022 when the design and testing program was already well underway and there was intense time pressure to get the project completed. Soon after he started work there, he became concerned that VinFast was cutting corners and keeping costs down by employing a small team of inexperienced engineers while de-emphasizing safety. His concerns got more serious when he heard three of his predecessors had quit after short spells on the project. In February and March of 2023, during vigorous testing of VinFast cars, two components snapped off and another two failed. As the testing continued, further failures occurred. Denli reported the “extremely concerning” incidents to colleagues at Tata Technologies Limited, the consultancy’s UK division. “In the drive units, some of the brackets were completely failing and falling out on to the road.” He made his concerns known to senior executives at TTL and VinFast and recommended they redesign the components, but that would have required VinFast to postpone production of the car. VinFast was about to move forward with an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange and decided to start production anyway. Denli asked to be assigned to another project but senior managers refused. Not wanting to be associated with the VinFast project any longer, he resigned With his skills in high demand, he soon found another position in chassis design, this time at Jaguar Land Rover, which is also owned by Tata Group. While working in his new position, reports of problems with VinFast VF6 and VF7 cars continued to appear online. Then, on April 24, 2024, a family of four was killed while riding in a VinFast automobile in Pleasanton, California. Police reported the vehicle lost control, veered off the road, hit a pole, and caught fire. The reports of the crash prompted Denli to post on Reddit that he had worked on the design of the car and it was a vehicle he believed put lives at risk. “I would get into every other vehicle I have designed from other brands ... and every vehicle has flaws. ... But Vinfast, I wouldn’t get into one ... never will and I won’t let my loved ones get into one either,” he wrote. Two months later, on 18 July, 2024, his contract at JLR was terminated. According to the BBC , it has reviewed confidential emails between executives at Tata Group showing they retaliated against Denli for posting his concerns on Reddit. Then they went even further and had him blacklisted. Internal documents obtained through a Data Subject Access Request reveal Tata Technologies HR director Patrick Flood discussed his company’s wish to have Denli’s new employment terminated with JLR’s HR director and board member Dave Williams. Flood told Williams that Tata Group client VinFast had conducted its own investigation and identified Denli as the author of the Reddit posts: “The concern is if he has done this now, he could do the same at JLR.” The same day he was sacked, Denli was blacklisted on industry recruitment platform Magnit , which told JLR he had been “red-flagged,” which meant any applications from him for other work using its platform would be automatically declined. Denli is now taking JLR to an employment tribunal. “I was distressed as to what was happening around the world where innocent people were paying the price — a very high price,” he told the BBC . “I thought that if some people would start to speak up about it, they would actually be forced to make some changes.” In UK employment law, workers have some protection from employer retaliation if they disclose information they reasonably believe shows the health and safety of any individual is likely to be endangered. Under the Public Interest Disclosure at Work Act 1998, any clause in a contract that seeks to bind them to silence is void. The US Department of Labor says, “An employer cannot retaliate against you for exercising your rights under the Department of Labor’s whistleblower protection laws. Retaliation includes such actions as firing or laying off, demoting, denying overtime or promotion, or reducing pay or hours. Retaliation occurs when an employer (through a manager, supervisor, or administrator) fires an employee or takes any other type of adverse action against an employee for engaging in protected activity. An adverse action is an action which would dissuade a reasonable employee from raising a concern about a possible violation or engaging in other related protected activity. Retaliation can have a negative impact on overall employee morale.” Good luck with that. While you are sitting at home trying to figure out how to pay your rent, your employer will be hiring an army of Armani-clad attorneys to string your case out until your entire financial world collapses. The BBC report did not delve into how Denli is supporting himself now, but once the whispering campaign begins, it’s hard to find work in your chosen field. The really scary part, at least for Americans, is that President Musk is hellbent on eliminating NHTSA, the Labor Department, and virtually every other federal agency as part of the mandate he says he received in the last election to slash the size of government. What this story is really about is how money — and the pursuit of it — distorts any notion of basic fairness. If a few families die because the wheels fall off their cars unexpectedly, well that is unfortunate, but no reason to slow the acquisition of ever increasing piles of money. No allegations can be allowed to interrupt an IPO or decrease corporate profits. Hazar Denli is just another person — one of millions — who has been chewed up and spit out by the insatiable maw of weaponized capitalism that makes profits the sole raison d’etre for corporations. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook Bluesky Email RedditKey Roles Of Metal Brackets In Manufacturing And Future Trends
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