United States | News & Politics

Paywall removed: https://archive.is/9QJQX

Oct 3 (Reuters) - A self-driving Tesla carrying a passenger for Uber rammed into an SUV at an intersection in suburban Las Vegas in April, an accident that sparked new concerns that a growing stable of self-styled "robotaxis" is exploiting a regulatory gray area in U.S. cities, putting lives at risk.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk aims to show off plans for a robotaxi, or self-driving car used for ride-hailing services, on Oct. 10, and he has long contemplated a Tesla-run taxi network of autonomous vehicles owned by individuals.

Do-it-yourself versions, however, are already proliferating, according to 11 ride-hail drivers who use Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. Many say the software, which costs $99 per month, has limitations, but that they use it because it helps reduce drivers' stress and therefore allows them to work longer hours and earn more money.

Yoon, who posts YouTube videos under the banner "Project Robotaxi," was in the driver's seat of his Tesla, hands off the wheel, when it entered the intersection in a suburban part of Las Vegas, according to footage from inside the car. The Tesla on FSD navigated the vehicle at 46 mph (74 kph) and did not initially register a sport-utility vehicle crossing the road in front of Yoon. At the last moment, Yoon took control and turned the car into a deflected hit, the footage shows.

"It's not perfect, it'll make mistakes, it will probably continue to make mistakes," Yoon said in a post-crash video. Yoon and his passenger suffered minor injuries and the car was totaled, he said.

Yoon discussed using FSD with Reuters before he publicly posted videos of the accident but did not respond to requests for comment afterward.

The company that owns the GA plant that just exploded is owned by a private equity firm founded by a "climate activist" Democrat megadonor that just paid itself a dividend so big S&P warned unsecured creditors they'd likely get nothing in bankruptcy. 😂

“There will be severe consequences for this attack and we will work with Israel to make that the case,” Sullivan said during a press briefing at the White House hours after Iran launched some 180 ballistic missiles at Israel.

“Make no mistake, the United States is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel,” the US president stressed.

Biden monitored the attack with US Vice President Kamala Harris from the Situation Room, and the pair held another meeting earlier Tuesday after the US received intelligence that an attack was imminent — information that was quickly shared with Israel.

She slammed the “reckless and brazen” Iranian missile attack, which further demonstrates that Tehran is a “destabilizing, dangerous force” in the Middle East.

The letter comes as polling within the Muslim American community shows a major departure from the Democratic Party over the Biden-Harris administration's unfettered support for Israel's war on Gaza, which they along with rights groups and legal experts view is a genocide against Palestinians.

The letter calls on Muslims to instead vote for any of the third-party candidates, including the Green Party's Jill Stein whose support has swelled among the Muslim American community in recent weeks.

"We want to be absolutely clear: don’t stay home and skip voting. This year, make a statement by voting third party for the presidential ticket," the letter said.

"Equally important, vote all the way down the ballot for candidates and policies that stand for truth and justice, ensuring your voice is heard at every level."

The letter, written and released in collaboration with the Abandon Harris campaign, was signed by more than three dozen religious leaders from all around the country, including Dawud Walid, Dr Shadee Elmasry, Imam Omar Suleiman, Dr Yasir Qadhi, and Imam Tom Facchine.

The imams who have signed the letter say the calls for Muslims to uncritically support Harris is fear-mongering.

"None of this is an endorsement of Donald Trump's vile, racist agenda, which includes advancing the apartheid and genocidal interests of a foreign state while falsely claiming to put America first," the letter said.