Business

Rafaela Vasquez pauses during a court hearing in Phoenix on Friday prior to accepting a plea agreement of three years of supervised probation for the Uber autonomous vehicle crash that killed 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg.

National

Backup driver of an autonomous Uber pleads guilty to endangerment in pedestrian death

5:50pm July 28, 2023

by The Associated Press

The backup driver for a self-driving vehicle that killed a pedestrian in suburban Phoenix in 2018 was sentenced to three years of supervised probation.

National

The man who once tweeted as @X wasn't informed when the company took over his handle

5:40pm July 28, 2023

NPR's Juana Summers speaks with Gene X. Hwang about X (formerly Twitter) taking over his handle @x without informing nor compensating him.

National

Major automakers are teaming up to launch a new EV charging network in North America

4:36pm July 28, 2023

by Camila Domonoske

Automakers are teaming up to build more fast charging stations in North America. Their stated goal is to build a network larger than Tesla's to help address a major concern for EV customers.

American companies report surprisingly high spending from shoppers despite inflation

4:36pm July 28, 2023

Recession? What recession? The Fed is still cautious, but big brands — Kimberly-Clark, Hilton, Visa, Chipotle, Coca-Cola — are singing praises to shoppers who seem un-swayed by their higher prices.

Queue Listen Now

Paola Mendoza, the daughter of farmworkers, says her parents didn't want her to join them in the fields. She's now in college, studying to be a teacher.

Politics & Government

As these farmworkers' children seek a different future, who will pick the crops?

5:00am July 28, 2023

U.S. farms have faced worker shortages for years. Now compounding the problem: The children of farmworkers are leaving the fields, forcing farm owners to look to other countries for labor.

An aerial view shows damage to a Pfizer pharmaceutical factory in Rocky Mount, N.C., from a tornado that struck on July 19. The plant produces many drugs used in hospitals.

Health & Safety

Tornado damage to Pfizer factory highlights vulnerabilities of drug supply

5:55pm July 27, 2023

by Sydney Lupkin

A tornado that ripped through a Pfizer plant in Rocky Mount, N.C., raised worries about shortages of medicines used in hospitals. The drugs include commonly used painkillers and anesthetics.

Queue Listen Now

A growing number of doctors and safe sleep advocates are warning about the potential dangers of weighted sleepwear for infants.

Weighted infant sleepwear is meant to help babies rest better. Critics say it's risky

4:02pm July 27, 2023

by Joe Hernandez

Parents are increasingly turning to weighted sleepwear to help lull their babies to sleep, but a growing number of doctors and safe sleep advocates warn it comes with risks that shouldn't be ignored.

Hidden fees or "junk fees" are on the rise, as companies work to bring in more money while keeping prices looking low. U.S. consumers pay more than $65 billion in fees each year.

Economy

What my $30 hamburger reveals about fees and how companies use them to jack up prices

1:55pm July 27, 2023

by Stacey Vanek Smith

New fees are being tacked onto hotel bills, airfare, restaurant checks and pretty much everywhere else. It's another form of inflation and it's costing consumers $65 billion a year.

Queue Listen Now

More than 100 million people have signed up to Threads, Meta's rival to Twitter. Voting rights group say this popularity could make it a breeding ground for election disinformation.

Politics & Government

Meta's Threads needs a policy for election disinformation, voting groups say

1:47pm July 27, 2023

by Dara Kerr

Twelve voting rights organizations tell Meta its new social media site Threads needs a robust plan to ensure election disinformation doesn't go viral during the 2024 elections.

Queue Listen Now

Mattel reported financial earnings on Wednesday. In the company's earnings call, Barbie stole the show.

Economy

Mattel tried to report financials. All anyone wanted to talk about was 'Barbie'

10:21am July 27, 2023

by Erin Kenney

Mattel reported financial earnings Wednesday. Impacts from the Barbie movie remain to be seen, but she still stole the show.