Author: KnowledgeHippo

Anduril, a technology start-up that designs autonomous systems and weapons for government agencies and the military, plans to build a $1 billion factory in Columbus, Ohio, the company announced Thursday.It said the plant, called Arsenal-1 and described as a “hyperscale” plant, would bring more than 4,000 jobs to Ohio and eventually produce tens of thousands of autonomous systems and weapons each year.”We’re going to create with our partners in Ohio something that doesn’t exist right now” on that scale, Anduril chief strategy officer Chris Brose said in a briefing with reporters. The company has worked closely with state officials on…

Sales of electric vehicles have grown steadily in recent years, in part because of a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 that makes buying such cars and trucks more affordable.But understanding which cars it applies to and under what conditions can be confusing. And all of these rules could change drastically under the incoming Trump administration. President-elect Donald J. Trump and Republicans have promised to eliminate or limit the incentives.The tax credit was designed to bring the cost of buying or leasing electric vehicles closer to the cost of comparable petrol models, helping to tackle climate change. The rules…

Howard Bouten, a college dropout from Detroit, has lived three extraordinary lives.In one, he was a cuddly, clumsy and speechless red-nosed clown named Buffo. It sold out theaters around the world. Critics compared him to Charlie Chaplin and Harpo Marx.In another, he volunteered as an aide with autistic children, went back to school to earn a doctorate in psychology, helped pioneer a treatment for autism, and opened a treatment center.He turned to a third life as a novelist. “Burt,” written in the voice of a disturbed 8-year-old boy, flopped in the United States, but failed miserably to “Catcher in the…

The federal government sued Southwest Airlines on Wednesday, accusing the airline of harming passengers flying two routes plagued by persistent delays in 2022.In a lawsuit, the Transportation Department said it was seeking more than $2.1 million in civil penalties for flights between airports in Chicago and Oakland, Calif., as well as Baltimore and Cleveland, that were delayed more than five months that year .”Airlines have a legal obligation to ensure that flight schedules provide travelers with realistic departure and arrival times,” Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “Today’s action sends a message to all airlines that the department…

When President-elect Donald J. Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday to press him for a Gaza cease-fire agreement, there was someone on the speakerphone: Brett H. McGurk , President Biden’s longtime Middle East negotiator.Mr. McGurk was in Doha, Qatar, leading the latest round of ceasefire negotiations.It was a vivid example of cooperation between two men who represented bitter political rivals. Rarely, if ever, have teams of current and incoming presidents of different parties worked together in such a big moment, with the fate of American lives and the future of a…

The Federal Trade Commission sued Deere & Company, a leading farm equipment maker, on Wednesday, accusing it of unfairly preventing farmers from repairing its equipment themselves or through independent shops, raising costs for farmers.The lawsuit represents a notable sign of support from the federal government for a grassroots “right to repair” movement that has long sought legislation to require companies, especially those that make tech gadgets using computer chips, to drop proprietary restrictions in repairs. “Illegal repair restrictions can be devastating to farmers, who rely on affordable and timely repairs to harvest their crops and earn their income,” said Lina…

TikTok sought to reassure its US employees on Tuesday that they would still have jobs next week, even if the Supreme Court upheld a law banning the video app in the United States on Sunday.The message is a shift in tone from TikTok, which has otherwise said it is confident it will emerge victorious from a legal challenge to the law. It also shows that the company has no plans to leave the United States in the near future, even if it is banned.TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is fighting a law last year that would have banned the…

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a leading Democrat from a crucial battleground state, on Wednesday quietly warned against President-elect Donald J. Trump targeting Canada, even as she emphasized her broader willingness to work with him on the eve of his second inauguration.Her speech, at the Detroit Auto Show, offered one of the clearest examples of how Democrats from states carried by Mr. Trump are seeking to balance new proposals for the incoming president with their strong opposition to some of his policy proposals.Speaking at a convention center just across the Detroit River from Windsor, Ont., Ms. Whitmer described strong cultural and…

By checking in early and arriving at the gate with plenty of time, you’ve done everything right. But then the airline throws a curveball, announcing an overbooked flight. Instead of boarding passengers, gate agents ask for volunteers to give up their seats. Then they stop asking and start kicking passengers off the flight. And they may be calling your name.This situation, which can be deeply uncomfortable, is perfectly legal. Airlines are allowed to oversell flights, a practice based to account for no-shows and maximize revenue. Another reason they hit passengers? To change aircraft to a smaller one with fewer seats…

In Israel, some hardline members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government have also expressed opposition to the deal. But on Wednesday, Gideon Shaar, Israel’s foreign minister, said he believed a majority would sign off on a deal if it came to a cabinet vote. Months of bus diplomacy have failed to end the war in Gaza, which began after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 hostages. Some 105 captives were later released in a week-long ceasefire in November 2023 in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. Israel and Hamas…