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"If tired or wasted passengers fall asleep in a traditional taxi or rideshare, the driver can shout or shake them awake," reports Bloomberg. "Not so in a robotaxi..."
Ditto Kasendar remembers soft music drifting from the robotaxi's speakers as he rode home late at night from a friend's birthday party in 2025. The next moment, Los Angeles firefighters were opening the door and asking if he was OK. His six-minute trip had ended nearly an hour before. A remote Waymo assistant, dialling in through the car's speakers, repeatedly tried to rouse him and finally called 911 when he wouldn't stir...
Kasendar's robocab nap was, unfortunately, not an isolated incident. As companies like Alphabet and Tesla bring self-driving taxis to more cities, the messier aspects of serving unpredictable humans are becoming harder to ignore. Passengers are falling asleep, spilling drinks, dropping food, vomiting, experiencing medical emergencies and, in at least two instances, giving birth in the cars. They stumble out of the vehicles and forget to close the doors, forcing the operators to pay nearby gig workers to do it.
These seemingly minor nuisances are becoming a drain on municipal resources and complicating the roll-out of robotaxi service. So many robotaxi customers have nodded off in the midst of a ride that Austin police and firefighters even have a name for the incidents: "sleepers". The Texas capital recorded 99 such calls in Waymo's first nine months of service there, said Roger Patterson, a commander with Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services... Remote assistants monitoring the cars try talking through the speakers and checking on passengers with interior cameras. But if they get no response, company protocols often require them to call 911. And first responders have to assume the worst. Austin dispatchers treat an incident as a potential heart attack if the remote assistant can't tell whether the passenger is breathing, Patterson said. In the end, only about 3% of such calls require transporting the passenger to a hospital, he said. But the incidents tie up personnel who might be needed elsewhere.
Ditto Kasendar remembers soft music drifting from the robotaxi's speakers as he rode home late at night from a friend's birthday party in 2025. The next moment, Los Angeles firefighters were opening the door and asking if he was OK. His six-minute trip had ended nearly an hour before. A remote Waymo assistant, dialling in through the car's speakers, repeatedly tried to rouse him and finally called 911 when he wouldn't stir...
Kasendar's robocab nap was, unfortunately, not an isolated incident. As companies like Alphabet and Tesla bring self-driving taxis to more cities, the messier aspects of serving unpredictable humans are becoming harder to ignore. Passengers are falling asleep, spilling drinks, dropping food, vomiting, experiencing medical emergencies and, in at least two instances, giving birth in the cars. They stumble out of the vehicles and forget to close the doors, forcing the operators to pay nearby gig workers to do it.
These seemingly minor nuisances are becoming a drain on municipal resources and complicating the roll-out of robotaxi service. So many robotaxi customers have nodded off in the midst of a ride that Austin police and firefighters even have a name for the incidents: "sleepers". The Texas capital recorded 99 such calls in Waymo's first nine months of service there, said Roger Patterson, a commander with Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services... Remote assistants monitoring the cars try talking through the speakers and checking on passengers with interior cameras. But if they get no response, company protocols often require them to call 911. And first responders have to assume the worst. Austin dispatchers treat an incident as a potential heart attack if the remote assistant can't tell whether the passenger is breathing, Patterson said. In the end, only about 3% of such calls require transporting the passenger to a hospital, he said. But the incidents tie up personnel who might be needed elsewhere.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
An anonymous reader shared this report from the Los Angeles Times:
A federal judge has halted California's groundbreaking "Truth in Recycling" law, which aims to reduce consumer confusion about which packaging can be recycled. [Originally planned to take effect October 4th], California's recyclable packaging law prohibits manufacturers from using a "chasing arrows" recycling symbol on products or materials unless they are actually being recycled in a meaningful way, which the law quantifies...
A coalition of farming, forestry, restaurant and packaging organizations sued the state in March, arguing the law violates their right to free speech. They argued that Senate Bill 343 operates as "government-imposed censorship." Judge William Hayes agreed that their challenge has merit, and on Tuesday ordered California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, the defendant in the case, to pause enforcement of the law "until further order of the Court...." Advocates of reducing plastic use disagreed. "The court got it wrong, and I'm confident that the state will ultimately prevail," said Nick Lapis, director of advocacy for Californians Against Waste. "S.B. 343 does not violate the 1st Amendment; it requires companies to tell the truth when they make recyclability claims. Suggesting that the 1st Amendment protects misleading environmental marketing is inconsistent with the basic principles of consumer protection that states like California have implemented for decades."
In January, CalRecycle, the state's waste agency, reported that less than 10% of most single-use plastic materials in the state were being recycled. Even yogurt containers and margarine tubs — made of ubiquitous polypropylene, or No. 5 plastic — are being recycled at a rate of only 2% in the state, the report said. Only 5% of colored shampoo and detergent bottles, made from polyethylene, or No. 1 plastic, are getting recycled...
Plastic materials that can't be recycled are typically sent to landfills or sometimes illegally shipped overseas, where they are burned or end up in landfills, rivers and waterways.
The bill's author told the Los Angeles Times "All you have to do is look at the numbers. These products are not getting recycled, despite what the industry is claiming. They are just confusing consumers, clogging the waste stream, polluting the environment, leading to higher and higher prices for local governments and ratepayers." He argues the symbols shouldn't be used to "confuse people who see the symbols [on products] and assume they can be recycled."
The article also quotes Judith Enck, former Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator and president of the nonprofit Beyond Plastics. "Given the long history of the plastics industry deceiving the public about plastics recycling, this is an especially bad outcome. It is a reminder that the plastics industry has enough money to fight even the most modest policy designed to protect people and the planet."
A federal judge has halted California's groundbreaking "Truth in Recycling" law, which aims to reduce consumer confusion about which packaging can be recycled. [Originally planned to take effect October 4th], California's recyclable packaging law prohibits manufacturers from using a "chasing arrows" recycling symbol on products or materials unless they are actually being recycled in a meaningful way, which the law quantifies...
A coalition of farming, forestry, restaurant and packaging organizations sued the state in March, arguing the law violates their right to free speech. They argued that Senate Bill 343 operates as "government-imposed censorship." Judge William Hayes agreed that their challenge has merit, and on Tuesday ordered California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, the defendant in the case, to pause enforcement of the law "until further order of the Court...." Advocates of reducing plastic use disagreed. "The court got it wrong, and I'm confident that the state will ultimately prevail," said Nick Lapis, director of advocacy for Californians Against Waste. "S.B. 343 does not violate the 1st Amendment; it requires companies to tell the truth when they make recyclability claims. Suggesting that the 1st Amendment protects misleading environmental marketing is inconsistent with the basic principles of consumer protection that states like California have implemented for decades."
In January, CalRecycle, the state's waste agency, reported that less than 10% of most single-use plastic materials in the state were being recycled. Even yogurt containers and margarine tubs — made of ubiquitous polypropylene, or No. 5 plastic — are being recycled at a rate of only 2% in the state, the report said. Only 5% of colored shampoo and detergent bottles, made from polyethylene, or No. 1 plastic, are getting recycled...
Plastic materials that can't be recycled are typically sent to landfills or sometimes illegally shipped overseas, where they are burned or end up in landfills, rivers and waterways.
The bill's author told the Los Angeles Times "All you have to do is look at the numbers. These products are not getting recycled, despite what the industry is claiming. They are just confusing consumers, clogging the waste stream, polluting the environment, leading to higher and higher prices for local governments and ratepayers." He argues the symbols shouldn't be used to "confuse people who see the symbols [on products] and assume they can be recycled."
The article also quotes Judith Enck, former Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator and president of the nonprofit Beyond Plastics. "Given the long history of the plastics industry deceiving the public about plastics recycling, this is an especially bad outcome. It is a reminder that the plastics industry has enough money to fight even the most modest policy designed to protect people and the planet."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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Ik sta in de stationslift met mijn sportieve volwassenenstep, zo één met een groot voorwiel en een klein achterwiel. Naast me staat een tiener met een vouwfatbike.
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Wie of wat staat er midden in het nieuws? Een actuele puzzel, die makkelijker is als je het nieuws een beetje volgt.
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Als je wel zin hebt om te sudokuen, maar het liever bij een gridje van 5x5 houdt.
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Je krijgt een paar cijfers cadeau, maar het grid van 9x9 moet foutloos ingevuld worden.
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In de Catalaanse kuststad Mataró, waar sterspeler Yamal vandaankomt, moesten toeschouwers tot diep in de verlenging wachten op het eerste en beslissende goal. De tweede wereldtitel van Spanje werd uitzinnig gevierd, al bestaat er ook veel sympathie voor de Argentijnse speler Lionel Messi.
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De Spaanse aanvoerder Rodri heeft de wereldbeker ontvangen, uit de handen van de Amerikaanse president Donald Trump.
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Weer voor Rotterdam ☁️ - 20-07-2026 01:15 CEST
In één oogopslag:
• 17.0°C · Gedeeltelijk bewolkt ☁️ | Min 15.9°C / Max 21.0°C | Kans op neerslag 4%
Verwachting voor vandaag:
• Min 15.9°C, Max 21.0°C (Lichte motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 0.1 mm, Kans op neerslag 4%, 🧭 1024.1 hPa ↗️ +0.9 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 18.4 km/u (5.1 m/s), richting: ↘ 327°
Uurlijkse voorspelling voor de komende 12 uur:
• 02:00: 16.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1023.2 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 10.1 km/u (2.8 m/s), richting: ↓ 338°
• 03:00: 17.0°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1023.0 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 11.2 km/u (3.1 m/s), richting: ↓ 346°
• 04:00: 17.0°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 2%, 🧭 1023.0 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 12.6 km/u (3.5 m/s), richting: ↓ 346°
• 05:00: 16.9°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 2%, 🧭 1023.0 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 12.6 km/u (3.5 m/s), richting: ↓ 347°
• 06:00: 16.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1023.2 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 10.8 km/u (3.0 m/s), richting: ↓ 342°
• 07:00: 16.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1023.4 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 11.9 km/u (3.3 m/s), richting: ↘ 328°
• 08:00: 16.9°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1023.6 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 10.4 km/u (2.9 m/s), richting: ↓ 6°
• 09:00: 17.2°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1023.9 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 11.5 km/u (3.2 m/s), richting: ↓ 354°
• 10:00: 17.8°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1024.0 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 13.7 km/u (3.8 m/s), richting: ↓ 356°
• 11:00: 18.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 2%, 🧭 1024.2 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 13.3 km/u (3.7 m/s), richting: ↓ 351°
• 12:00: 18.8°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 3%, 🧭 1024.4 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 15.1 km/u (4.2 m/s), richting: ↓ 351°
• 13:00: 19.1°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 4%, 🧭 1024.5 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 12.2 km/u (3.4 m/s), richting: ↓ 359°
Voorspelling voor de komende dagen:
• dinsdag 21 juli: Min 16.4°C, Max 21.0°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1026.0 hPa ↗️ +1.9 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 19.4 km/u (5.4 m/s), richting: ↓ 350°
• woensdag 22 juli: Min 15.4°C, Max 22.5°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1023.1 hPa ↘️ -2.9 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 16.9 km/u (4.7 m/s), richting: ↓ 346°
• donderdag 23 juli: Min 15.9°C, Max 20.1°C (Lichte motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 1.7 mm, Kans op neerslag 23%, 🧭 1020.9 hPa ↘️ -2.2 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 16.8 km/u (4.7 m/s), richting: ↘ 320°
• vrijdag 24 juli: Min 15.0°C, Max 19.9°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1018.0 hPa ↘️ -2.9 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 13.6 km/u (3.8 m/s), richting: ↘ 331°
• zaterdag 25 juli: Min 14.6°C, Max 23.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 5%, 🧭 1011.2 hPa ↘️ -6.8 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 8.9 km/u (2.5 m/s), richting: ↗ 233°
• zondag 26 juli: Min 16.5°C, Max 23.8°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 9%, 🧭 1009.1 hPa ↘️ -2.1 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 13.7 km/u (3.8 m/s), richting: → 248°
Details:
• 🌡️ Huidige temperatuur (om 01:15): 17.0°C (Gedeeltelijk bewolkt)
• 🤚 Gevoelstemperatuur: 14.7°C (-2.3°C)
• 💨 Windsnelheid: 11.9 km/u (3.3 m/s), richting: ↓ 339°
• 🌬️ Windstoten: 23.0 km/h (6.4 m/s)
• 💧 Luchtvochtigheid: 58%
• 🧭 Luchtdruk: 1023.2 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/3h
• 👁️ Zichtbaarheid: 26.2 km
• ☀️ UV-index: 0.0
• 🌅 Zonsopgang: 05:45 · 🌇 Zonsondergang: 21:51
Luchtkwaliteit:
• AQI: 30 🟢 (Goed)
• PM2.5: 3.7 μg/m³
• PM10: 16.0 μg/m³
Gegevens geleverd door Open-Meteo
#Rotterdam #Meteo #MeteoBot #MeteoNetherlands #OpenMeteo #FediMeteo
In één oogopslag:
• 17.0°C · Gedeeltelijk bewolkt ☁️ | Min 15.9°C / Max 21.0°C | Kans op neerslag 4%
Verwachting voor vandaag:
• Min 15.9°C, Max 21.0°C (Lichte motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 0.1 mm, Kans op neerslag 4%, 🧭 1024.1 hPa ↗️ +0.9 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 18.4 km/u (5.1 m/s), richting: ↘ 327°
Uurlijkse voorspelling voor de komende 12 uur:
• 02:00: 16.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1023.2 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 10.1 km/u (2.8 m/s), richting: ↓ 338°
• 03:00: 17.0°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1023.0 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 11.2 km/u (3.1 m/s), richting: ↓ 346°
• 04:00: 17.0°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 2%, 🧭 1023.0 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 12.6 km/u (3.5 m/s), richting: ↓ 346°
• 05:00: 16.9°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 2%, 🧭 1023.0 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 12.6 km/u (3.5 m/s), richting: ↓ 347°
• 06:00: 16.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1023.2 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 10.8 km/u (3.0 m/s), richting: ↓ 342°
• 07:00: 16.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1023.4 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 11.9 km/u (3.3 m/s), richting: ↘ 328°
• 08:00: 16.9°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1023.6 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 10.4 km/u (2.9 m/s), richting: ↓ 6°
• 09:00: 17.2°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1023.9 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 11.5 km/u (3.2 m/s), richting: ↓ 354°
• 10:00: 17.8°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1024.0 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 13.7 km/u (3.8 m/s), richting: ↓ 356°
• 11:00: 18.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 2%, 🧭 1024.2 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 13.3 km/u (3.7 m/s), richting: ↓ 351°
• 12:00: 18.8°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 3%, 🧭 1024.4 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 15.1 km/u (4.2 m/s), richting: ↓ 351°
• 13:00: 19.1°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 4%, 🧭 1024.5 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 12.2 km/u (3.4 m/s), richting: ↓ 359°
Voorspelling voor de komende dagen:
• dinsdag 21 juli: Min 16.4°C, Max 21.0°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1026.0 hPa ↗️ +1.9 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 19.4 km/u (5.4 m/s), richting: ↓ 350°
• woensdag 22 juli: Min 15.4°C, Max 22.5°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1023.1 hPa ↘️ -2.9 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 16.9 km/u (4.7 m/s), richting: ↓ 346°
• donderdag 23 juli: Min 15.9°C, Max 20.1°C (Lichte motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 1.7 mm, Kans op neerslag 23%, 🧭 1020.9 hPa ↘️ -2.2 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 16.8 km/u (4.7 m/s), richting: ↘ 320°
• vrijdag 24 juli: Min 15.0°C, Max 19.9°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1018.0 hPa ↘️ -2.9 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 13.6 km/u (3.8 m/s), richting: ↘ 331°
• zaterdag 25 juli: Min 14.6°C, Max 23.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 5%, 🧭 1011.2 hPa ↘️ -6.8 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 8.9 km/u (2.5 m/s), richting: ↗ 233°
• zondag 26 juli: Min 16.5°C, Max 23.8°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 9%, 🧭 1009.1 hPa ↘️ -2.1 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 13.7 km/u (3.8 m/s), richting: → 248°
Details:
• 🌡️ Huidige temperatuur (om 01:15): 17.0°C (Gedeeltelijk bewolkt)
• 🤚 Gevoelstemperatuur: 14.7°C (-2.3°C)
• 💨 Windsnelheid: 11.9 km/u (3.3 m/s), richting: ↓ 339°
• 🌬️ Windstoten: 23.0 km/h (6.4 m/s)
• 💧 Luchtvochtigheid: 58%
• 🧭 Luchtdruk: 1023.2 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/3h
• 👁️ Zichtbaarheid: 26.2 km
• ☀️ UV-index: 0.0
• 🌅 Zonsopgang: 05:45 · 🌇 Zonsondergang: 21:51
Luchtkwaliteit:
• AQI: 30 🟢 (Goed)
• PM2.5: 3.7 μg/m³
• PM10: 16.0 μg/m³
Gegevens geleverd door Open-Meteo
#Rotterdam #Meteo #MeteoBot #MeteoNetherlands #OpenMeteo #FediMeteo
Game’s greatest player will not see his legacy sullied by defeat to Spain but his team’s display destroyed the game
Playing on the grandest stage in sport for the last time, Lionel Messi seemed almost certain to provide one last memorable moment in this World Cup final.
Yet as the sun ducked behind the west stand of New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, it became clearer and clearer that Argentina had lost the magic they had carried through this tournament. And as Spain gradually wrested control, one was left to confront reality: Messi, and Argentina, had finally run out of time, having long since given in to their worst instincts in a 1-0 defeat.
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