Tag Archives: California

Cruise and Houston

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

An interesting overview of the currently-on-pause driverless taxi service in our town. The nationwide pause included Houston and Austin. However, no Texas or local entity required Cruise to take its vehicles off the road because they legally could not. Senate … Continue reading →

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Another look at Cruise

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

While we wait to see what happens. Cruise employees worry that there is no easy way to fix the company’s problems, said five former and current employees and business partners, while its rivals fear Cruise’s issues could lead to tougher … Continue reading →

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A brief primer on driverless cars

Posted on November 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From the Trib: It’s 8 p.m. in downtown Austin, and the electric cars silently exit the parking lot one by one — but no one is behind the wheel of any of them. The Cruise depot is full of people … Continue reading →

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California DMV pulls Cruise permits

Posted on October 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Some bumps in the road there. Citing public safety concerns about Cruise‘s robotaxi line operating in San Francisco, California DMV officials announced Tuesday that the agency had suspended permits for the driverless cars deployed by General Motors’ autonomous vehicle subsidiary. … Continue reading →

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NHTSA investigating Cruise

Posted on October 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. U.S. regulators are investigating General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle division after receiving reports of incidents where vehicles may not have used proper caution around pedestrians in roadways. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the reports involve … Continue reading →

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Cruise officially rolls out in Houston

Posted on October 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The service is limited for now, but I suspect it will expand soon enough. A driverless ride hailing service is launching operations Thursday in Houston, where residents in select locations can start catching autonomous rides at 9 p.m. Cruise driverless … Continue reading →

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Cruise cars are out on our streets

Posted on September 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From Axios. Cruise is testing autonomous vehicles without safety drivers in Houston ahead of a planned expansion into commercial nighttime service by the end of the year. Driving the news: A spokesperson for the autonomous vehicle company confirmed to Axios … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Just say No to blocking a wealth tax

Posted on September 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good call by the Chron. When Elon Musk relocated his business empire from California to Texas in 2021, he likely took billions in state tax revenue with him. Some California lawmakers want to claw back that lost revenue through a … Continue reading →

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LA to sue Abbott over migrant busing

Posted on September 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Go for it. Los Angeles is preparing to sue Texas over Gov. Greg Abbott’s migrant busing program, which has sent more than 400 people there. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to investigate whether there are legal … Continue reading →

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ACC goes Pacific

Posted on September 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. The Atlantic Coast Conference is expanding from its Eastern roots. The ACC presidents and chancellors met Friday morning and voted to add three schools — Stanford, Cal and SMU, the conference announced. It will bring the league to 18 … Continue reading →

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Time for another Cruise update

Posted on August 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Driverless taxi service Cruise got the full go-ahead in San Francisco. In a win for the autonomous vehicle industry, California regulators have given the green light to Cruise and Waymo to offer commercial robotaxi services across San Francisco 24 hours … Continue reading →

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The PAC-ACC Conference?

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This stuff is getting weird, y’all. The four remaining Pac-12 schools still aboard for next season — California, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington State — have options if they are looking for another conference. The Atlantic Coast Conference is exploring … Continue reading →

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How to confuse a driverless car

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Hilarious. Self-driving cars have met their match in the form of the humble traffic cone. If you’re on TikTok, you may have seen what I’m talking about: a viral video of San Francisco activists disabling autonomous Cruise and Waymo vehicles … Continue reading →

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More requests for DOJ asked to investigate shady migrant flights

Posted on August 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Massachusetts gets aboard. Cape and Islands District Attorney Rob Galibois is officially joining hands with California and Texas officials who have asked US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland to help  investigate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s scheme to transport immigrants to Martha’s … Continue reading →

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Flying cars update

Posted on July 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

They’re coming, part one. Aviation startup Alef Aeronautics recently received Federal Aviation Administration approval to test its flying car. Details: The all-electric “Model A” is designed to take off and land vertically, putting it in the emerging category of eVTOL — electric vertical … Continue reading →

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DOJ asked to investigate shady migrant flights

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Feels like this should have been done awhile ago, but better late than never. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), California State Attorney General Rob Bonta and Texas Sheriff Javier Salazar sent a letter to the Department of Justice on Thursday … Continue reading →

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The national cannabis oversupply problem

Posted on May 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A fascinating look at a big problem in the cannabis market. Along the West Coast, which dominated U.S. marijuana production long before states began to legalize it, producers face what many call the failed economics of legal pot. There is … Continue reading →

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Cruise comes to Houston

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m genuinely curious to see how this goes. Cruise, a General Motors autonomous vehicle subsidiary, is bringing its self-driving cars to Houston with the goal of offering driverless rides. The cars will begin testing next week, said Megan Prichard, Cruise’s … Continue reading →

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DPS victimized by credential stuffing attack

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the technical term for this. The Texas Department of Public Safety was duped into shipping at least 3,000 Texas driver’s licenses to a Chinese organized crime group that targeted Asian Texans, DPS Director Steve McCraw told a Texas House … Continue reading →

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Harris County settles Juul lawsuit

Posted on February 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee announced a settlement of the county’s lawsuit against e-cigarette company JUUL Labs, Inc. over claims that JUUL deceptively marketed its products to children. The county received the second largest settlement for … Continue reading →

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The ongoing referee shortage

Posted on January 31, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This news is not new, though the cause being cited is different than the last time I read this kind of story. The official shortage seen in the Houston area is part of a nationwide issue, according to the National Federation … Continue reading →

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Egg smuggling

Posted on January 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We live in strange times. As the price of eggs continues to rise, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials are reporting a spike in people attempting to bring eggs into the country illegally from Mexico, where prices are lower. The jump in … Continue reading →

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Driverless taxi service arrives in Austin

Posted on January 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Brace yourselves, Austinites. A rite of passage as an Austinite is feeling bewildered at other drivers’ choices behind the wheel, but that’s starting to change. Cruise, a driverless ridehailing app, has completed its first driverless rides in Austin, marking its official … Continue reading →

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Here come some hydrogen-powered trucks

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There’s more than one way to do no-emissions transportation. The first time Rodrigo Peña climbed into the Hyzon truck’s cabin and eased his foot off the break, it wasn’t the awe of being inside the first hydrogen-powered freight truck to … Continue reading →

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Thirty million Texans

Posted on January 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We reach another milestone. Fueled by migration to the state from other parts of the country, Texas crossed a new population threshold this year: It is now home to 30 million people. New estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census … Continue reading →

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Driverless taxi update

Posted on December 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Things to watch out for in the nearer-than-you-think future, with Austin first in line. When transit systems experience delays, the reason usually isn’t very interesting: congested streets, medical emergencies, mechanical problems. But the cause of a recent holdup on San … Continue reading →

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Nuro keeps on expanding in Houston

Posted on September 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Someone must be using these services. I’m not, but someone must be. Houstonians will soon be able to get completely autonomous delivery of their dinners, groceries, and more thanks to a new 10-year partnership. Uber Technologies, Inc. and Nuro have … Continue reading →

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Texas will get a lot from the Inflation Reduction Act

Posted on August 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Thanks, Biden! Texas’s clean energy sector is expected to be one of the largest beneficiaries of the climate and health care legislation President Joe Biden has signed into law, according to estimates released by the White House Wednesday. Over the next … Continue reading →

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The West Texas earthquake problem

Posted on July 25, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We’re number one! Earthquakes were never anything people in West Texas thought much about. Years would pass in between tremors that anybody felt. Even after the shale revolution arrived in force a decade ago and oil crews started drilling frantically in the region’s … Continue reading →

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UIL still nixes NIL

Posted on July 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Texas high school athletes. You’re still not getting paid. Even if state lawmakers change legislation to allow high school athletes in Texas to profit off their name, image and likeness, the University Interscholastic League may not be ready to … Continue reading →

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USC and UCLA to join Big Ten

Posted on July 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. USC and UCLA have been accepted as the newest members of the Big Ten conference with league officials approving their membership Thursday night. The programs have announced their respective departures from the Pac-12 beginning in 2024 with the pair … Continue reading →

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Who wants to have their dinner delivered by a robot?

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your chance. Heads up, Houston: the robots are coming. Coco, the Los Angeles-based business that offers a remotely piloted delivery service, has hit the streets of Houston with its food-delivery bots as part of its expansion to targeted markets. … Continue reading →

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OAN sues AT&T over being dropped from their service

Posted on March 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Worth keeping an eye on. Right-wing cable network One America News is suing Dallas-based AT&T and DirecTV, alleging the companies breached their contract with OAN and conspired with a company currently suing OAN’s owners. AT&T and DirecTV became the target … Continue reading →

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Why the business response to the state’s right wing assault has been so muted

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A really good in depth article on the subject from the tech press, which is a source I hadn’t thought about for this before. When Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in February directed state agencies to investigate anyone who provides gender-affirming treatment to transgender … Continue reading →

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