2019 May

Self-Driving Startup Aurora Buys Speed-Sensing Lidar Company

In the race to develop a technology that, at its root, is about teaching robots how to understand their surroundings, Aurora just bought itself a fresh set of eyeballs. The developer of self-driving car technology announced Thursday it’s acquiring lidar maker Blackmore, whose laser scanning tech offers the unusual and very helpful ability not just […]

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More Data on Content Moderation Won't Silence Facebook’s Critics

Faced with escalating accusations of bias from the right and an onslaught of calls to break up Facebook on the left, the social media juggernaut released a data dump Thursday that its leaders hope will help the public better understand how it moderates content—and remind them that the bigger Facebook is, the more it can […]

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The Latest Charges Against Julian Assange Are an Assault on Press Freedom

On Thursday, the Department of Justice unsealed new charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Unlike the previous indictment—which focused narrowly on an apparent offer to help crack a password—the 17 superseding counts focus instead on alleged violations of the Espionage Act. In doing so, the DOJ has aimed a battering ram at the freedom of […]

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The Danger in Assange’s Charges, a Memory Experiment, and More News

New charges against Julian Assange threaten all of the press, scientists have figured out how to alter emotional memories, and Memorial Day is coming. Here's the news you need to know, in two minutes or less. Today's Headlines Julian Assange's charges put all of the press at risk New charges unveiled by the Justice Department […]

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Weather forecasters predict up to 15 major storms this hurricane season

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) is predicting up to 15 major storms this hurricane season, which is roughly a normal number. The agency’s Climate Prediction Center released its forecast Thursday predicting between nine and 15 “named storms,” or storms with winds more than 39 miles per hour. ADVERTISEMENT Among those, four to eight could […]

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Collins offering bill to boost battery research as GOP pushes energy 'innovation'

Sen. Susan CollinsSusan Margaret CollinsDem senator: Many Republicans ‘privately expressed concerns’ about Mueller findings Congress: Support legislation to defend Medicare home health  The Hill’s Morning Report — Presented by Pass USMCA Coalition — Trump: GOP has `clear contrast’ with Dems on immigration MORE (R-Maine) is introducing a bill Wednesday to boost the reliability of wind […]

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On The Money: Senate passes disaster aid bill after deal with Trump | Trump to offer $16B aid package for farmers | House votes to boost retirement savings | Study says new tariffs to double costs for consumers

Happy Thursday and welcome back to On The Money, where we love a little bit of storm-related irony so long as no one gets hurt. I’m Sylvan Lane, and here’s your nightly guide to everything affecting your bills, bank account and bottom line. See something I missed? Let me know at [email protected] or tweet me […]

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Justice lawyers say House can't sue Trump over emergency declaration for wall

Department of Justice lawyers argued in a D.C. court Thursday that the House doesn’t have the ability to sue the administration as they sought to block Democrats’ lawsuit challenging President TrumpDonald John TrumpFeinstein, Iranian foreign minister had dinner amid tensions: report The Hill’s Morning Report – Trump says no legislation until Dems end probes Harris […]

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Oil companies join blitz for carbon tax

A number of oil-and-gas giants are taking part in an effort to encourage lawmakers to pass a national carbon tax, splitting with industry trade groups. The campaign brought representatives of Exxon, BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Mobil Corp. to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, part of a broader coalition involving 75 Fortune 500 companies. The effort […]

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Senate passes anti-robocall bill

The Senate on Thursday voted in favor of legislation that would levy hefty new fines for illegal robocalls, advancing one of the most prominent congressional efforts to crack down on the scourge of billions of unwanted calls that aggravate U.S. consumers every year. The Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act, which passed […]

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