🐤 Pump the brakes

Markets: Wall Street opened Thursday with new information from Tesla’s latest economic report, which was positive enough to help lift both the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 a fraction of point. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished lower for the day, but recovered some of its earlier losses by the time the closing bell rang.

New week, new rosters: Week 7 delivered more than a few blows to fantasy football league stats as several of the week’s most notable “sleeper” picks failed to meet lofty expectations. It’s a new week, though, and no teams have a bye, so if you were blindsided in Week 7 there’s another opportunity to save the season. In addition to relying on a core of established players in key positions, fantasy league insiders recommend a few new sleepers to consider this week, including QB Bo Nix, running back Braelon Allen, and wide receiver Jalen McMillan.

Locked out to blocked out: A protest in New York City led to traffic backups across Manhattan as drivers for Uber and Lyft showed up in protest of what they refer to as “lockouts” by the two ridesharing apps. Hundreds of upset drivers say they’re unable to make ends meet because the lockouts prevent them from picking up passengers for up to days at a time. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance says it’s part of a scheme to maximize its own revenue, but drivers say it’s hitting them where it hurts. The “horns of justice” blockade on Monday charted a course for City Hall.

Lyle and Eric and George: A recent streaming series and documentary focused on the trial of Lyle and Eric Menendez has fueled public outcry for a more lenient sentence. The brothers were convicted of murdering their parents and sentenced to life in prison without parole. But disturbing allegations of abuse, particularly at the hands of their father, could warrant a new sentence. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon has been considering this evidence as well as the brothers’ rehabilitation efforts to determine if they should be resentenced.

Identifying the source: Dozens of people have reported becoming ill and at least one individual is dead in connection with an E. coli outbreak affecting 10 states. The common denominator was identified as the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder, but federal authorities have been working for days to determine exactly where the contamination occurred. As of the latest updates available, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is zeroing in on onions supplied by Taylor Farms, which has already recalled four different products over concerns about contamination.

Whether it’s a creature comfort or the latest safety device, new automotive features tend to start out in luxury models before trickling down into ordinary cars, trucks, and SUVs. That was the case with automatic emergency braking, a system designed to avoid impending collisions by engaging the brakes without the driver’s input.

It’s getting better

Not only is AEB now offered as standard or optional equipment in a wide range of new vehicles, but it’s also far more accurate and effective than it was just a few short years ago. According to evidence compiled in an American Automobile Association study, 2024 vehicles equipped with this technology are about twice as likely to apply the brake prior to a crash than those that are six or seven years old.

The test vehicles were driven at three speeds — 12, 25, and 35 mph — on a closed course with a decoy vehicle in the road to simulate a potential crash.

To account for variables between vehicles, researchers directly compared a 2024 model and either a 2017 or 2018 model of the Jeep Cherokee, Nissan Rogue, and Subaru Outback. In their testing, they found that the older vehicles applied the brakes in 51% of all trials — the newer ones did it in 100% of the cases.

The countdown is on

A separate study in 2022 found that AEB was significantly more effective in low-speed situations than speeds typically seen on most roads. The latest evidence, however, indicates that the technology is now far more reliable at a range of speeds.

There’s still some work to do when it comes to preventing other types of crashes, such as T-bone collisions.

But this recent improvement is important, since automakers face a new federal mandate to include an advanced AEB system in all vehicles as of 2029.

The newest crop of electric vehicles are pretty exciting. From the astounding horsepower of the Lucid Air Sapphire to the rugged capabilities of the GMC Hummer EV to the polarizing styling of the Tesla Cybertruck, there’s plenty to attract the attention of motorheads far and wide.

But if the look is a little too futuristic for you, there’s a way to have the latest automotive technology operating under the skin of a classic automobile.

Introducing the Roadster and GT

Despite the fact that the EV market has become saturated in recent years, British company RBW thinks it has found an underserved segment it can appeal to with its two new models. The Roadster and GT made their debut at Monterey Car Week, where attendees marveled at its unusual juxtaposition of 20th century lines and 21st century tech.

CEO Peter Swain explained: “We had four ‘wows,’” where people would go, ‘Wow, that’s beautiful. Wow, look at the interior. Wow, is it really brand new?’ And then they go, ‘Wow, is that all that costs?’”

The price (starting at $139,000) ain’t cheap, but they’re bargains compared to many other hand-built vehicles with similarly stunning retro curves.

Have it your way with Spirit EV

The next step for RBW involves the rollout of its new company, Spirit EV, which is being billed as a way for clients to commission the creation of a customized electric vehicle.

Whether someone wants a car built from the wheels up or just needs some help or components along the way, Spirit EV wants to be a one-stop shop.

Swain expressed optimism with a healthy dash of realism: “We’re in a new market, which we’ve created. It’s pretty unique — brand new, classic EV cars. But where’s it going to go? Let’s be honest, we don’t know exactly.”

McDonald’s received the sort of publicity it didn’t want a few days ago when an E. coli outbreak across at least 10 states was linked to the fast food chain’s Quarter Pounder. But in the grand scheme of things, this is just one in what seems to be an endless string of news stories about food recalls and investigations.

But are there really more than normal or are media outlets simply devoting more time to covering them?

Perception vs. reality

Dozens of people reported becoming sick after eating at McDonald’s, including at least 10 who required hospitalization and one who died. But foodborne illnesses are nothing new, so this case warrants some context: Is it just an isolated incident or the latest sign of a troubling trend.

In addition to the E. coli outbreak believed to be connected to either the onions or beef used by McDonald’s, there are two other serious advisories currently active.

Products including waffles and Boar’s Head deli meat have been linked to a deadly listeria outbreak and common items like eggs and green onions were contaminated with salmonella.

But while there is evidence that the number of recalls official alerts ticked up last year, the annual total was still lower than any year between 2018 and 2020.

Cause and effect

When it comes to explaining the recent rise in cases of foodborne illness, experts say there are a few likely causes:

• A more complex food system
• A higher number of imported foods
• An increase in processed foods

Each of these factors can potentially increase the likelihood of contamination at some point in the process.

Northeastern University food policy expert Darin Detwiler advised the public to “assume that food is always contaminated” and remain “vigilant” in the process of buying, preparing, and consuming everything.