Author: KnowledgeHippo
Gliding on robotic trucks, a series of Ferrari chassis maneuver through a shiny new factory in Northern Italy. At each station, engineers in red uniforms add a component—an engine block, a dashboard, a steering wheel—as they transform the bodies into hybrid vehicles. Next: fully electric.A lot is riding on Ferrari’s €200 million e-building, which opened last month and is almost twice the size of Rome’s Colosseum. The plant is intended to bring the 77-year-old sports car maker, known for the sonorous potential of its gas engines, into the age of electrification.But the effort comes at a precarious time for the…
Acting on a tip from an acquaintance, Cameron Luther uncovered a yellow 1966 Porsche in a garage in Monterey, California. It was dusty and on jack stands with the wheels off. Apparently he hadn’t run in a long time.The owner was a retired pilot, now 94, who had started a brake business a decade ago. Unrestored, but beautifully maintained, it was just the kind of car Mr. Luther always wanted. The owner, however, did not want to sell, but said that if Mr. Luther could get the car running and give it one last ride, he would sell it to…
About a month ago, Judith Hansen woke up in the early morning hours thinking about her father’s brain.Her father, Morrie Markoff, was an unusual man. At 110, he was thought to be the oldest person in the United States. His brain was also unusual, even after recovering from a stroke at 99.Although he dropped out of school after the eighth grade to work, Mr. Markoff became a successful businessman. Later in life, his curiosity and creativity led him to the arts, including photography and scrap metal sculpture.He was a healthy centenarian when he exhibited his work in a gallery in…
The travel industry is in the midst of another hot summer as Americans hit the road and make the airport take advantage of slightly cheaper flights and gas. But the outlook for the 2024 holidays isn’t sunny: Like the rest of the American consumer experience this year, it’s sharply divided.Many wealthier consumers—always the lifeblood of the travel industry—are feeling good this year as a strong stock market and rising home values boost their wealth. Although they’ve felt the bite of soaring inflation in recent years, they likely have more wiggle room in their budgets and more options to ease the…
On the night President Emmanuel Macron announced snap elections for France’s National Assembly last month, two words began buzzing across the internet and media: Popular Front.It was a reference to the left-wing alliance formed in the 1930s to resist rising fascism in Europe and at home. Now, a group of France’s main left-wing parties have rallied to fight what they see as a new danger: Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party, which is closer than ever to taking power.This left-wing alliance called itself the New People’s Front.”For the first time since the Vichy regime, the far right could prevail…
President Biden said in an interview Friday that he has not undergone cognitive tests, but argued that his record as president should be enough proof that he is mentally fit to lead the nation.He was repeatedly pressed about his cognitive abilities in his first major interview since his disastrous debate performance saw him drop out of the race. ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos pointedly asked him if he would be willing to undergo neurological and cognitive testing.”I take a cognitive test every day. Every day I take this test. Oh, what am I doing? You know, I’m not just campaigning, I’m…
Like a globe-spanning tornado that touches down with little predictability, deep economic concerns leave a trail of political unrest and violence in poor and rich countries.In Kenya, a nation reeling under debt, protests over a proposed tax hike last week resulted in dozens of deaths, the kidnapping of protesters and a partially burned Parliament.Meanwhile in Bolivia, where residents have lined up for natural gas because of shortages, a military general led a failed coup attempt, saying the president, a former economist, must “stop impoverishing our country”, shortly before an armored truck hit. the presidential palace.And in France, after months of…
As the Fourth of July celebrations began across the country, Mark Zuckerberg dropped a video on his Instagram account that immediately garnered hundreds of thousands of views. Indeed, the clip seemed designed for warp-speed virality.Behind a fast-moving boat, Mr. Zuckerberg wakes up wearing a tuxedo and sunglasses as he sips from a tall boy. The clip is set to Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 anthem “Born in the USA.” For half a minute of its duration, Meta’s multi-billionaire CEO shows off his surfing technique.”Awesome!” commented Lauren Sánchez, Jeff Bezos’ fiancee.One gaming influencer, @StoneMountain64, wrote: “Now that’s content.”Mr Zuckerberg replied: “I’m just doing…
Brazil’s federal police have recommended criminal charges against former President Jair Bolsonaro in a scheme to embezzle jewelry he received as gifts from foreign leaders while president, according to two people familiar with the investigation, adding another major legal challenge to Mr. Bolsonaro.Federal police have accused Mr. Bolsonaro and 10 of his allies of trying to keep and sell expensive gifts he received from foreign governments, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sealed case files. Police are seeking money laundering and criminal association charges against Mr Bolsonaro and some of his allies, including former aides.In…
For most of my life, I’ve spent part of every summer in Avalon, a beach town on the Jersey shore. As a kid, I enjoyed days body surfing, only getting out of the water for a bologna and cheese sandwich and a nap on an old sheet, repurposed for the sand.Avalon, a barrier island on the southern part of the coast, has always had a reputation as the playground of Philadelphia’s more affluent set. It is even richer now than when I spent my first summers “down the coast,” as we say. But its core identity remains the same: Avalon…