The state of Colorado collected more than $100 million in taxes on retail recreational marijuana sales last last year. So what’s it going to do with all that extra cash? The governor’s new budget allocates that money for supportive housing, health screening in public schools, addiction treatment, and on regulating the cannabis industry. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Google Expands Waze Carpooling Service To All Of California
By 5.31.17
When ride-hailing apps like Lyft and Uber first appeared, they were called “ride-sharing” services, since people didn’t really know what else to call peer-to-peer unlicensed taxi services. By contrast, the carpooling feature that’s part of Google-owned map and traffic app Waze is more like organized hitchhiking, and now it’s going statewide in California. [More]
British Airways Finally Flying Again After Major Holiday Weekend Systems Outage
By 5.30.17
Tens of thousands of travelers whose holiday weekend plans included a trans-Atlantic hop or a jaunt around Europe probably met with some unpleasantness this weekend, as an IT problem led to British Airways cancelling hundreds of flights and leaving more than 75,000 passengers in the lurch. [More]
Here’s Some Good News If You Want To Buy A New-ish Used Car
By 5.26.17
Are you going to be in the market for a car in the near future? If you can accept “new for you” instead of “new” and you don’t have your heart set on a truck or SUV, you may be in luck: Used car dealers are about to find themselves awash in 3- and 4-year-old vehicles. [More]
How To Check Your Tires Before Heading Out On A Summer Road Trip
By 5.26.17
A tire check should be part of your pretrip routine because a basic inspection can improve your safety and even help boost your fuel economy. To remind motorists about performing this important review, the tire industry has designated May 28 to June 3 as National Tire Safety Week. [More]
BMW Recalls 45,500 Cars Over Doors That Could Open Unexpectedly
By 5.26.17
It’s one thing to feel the breeze through an open window or sunroof while driving down the road; it’s a very different experience when that fresh air comes from a door that opened on its own. [More]
BBB Asks States To Go After Payless Car Rental After Receiving 830 Complaints In 3 Years
By 5.26.17
If you’ve ever shaken your fist at the sky in outrage over getting charged extra fees or higher rates for a rental car, you’re not alone. And while the Better Business Bureau can’t punish companies itself, it’s asking four states to go after the rental car industry after a flood of complaints about one company. [More]
Lyft Goes After Uber’s Business Users With New “Lux” Service
By 5.25.17
While Uber has long courted business commuters with its premium UberBlack and UberXL, competitor Lyft’s comparable offerings didn’t match up. Now Lyft hopes to drink some of Uber’s corporate client milkshake with the rollout of new Lux and SUV tiers of service. [More]
DHS Hasn’t Decided Whether To Expand Laptop Ban To U.S-Bound Flights From Europe
By 5.25.17
After rumors started circulating that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security would maybe, possibly expand its limited in-flight electronics ban to include U.S.-bound planes from Europe, or even put domestic flights under that umbrella, some in the airline industry started to get worried. They’ll have to fret a bit longer, however, as the agency hasn’t made up its mind on that front yet. [More]
United Mistakenly Removes Carry-On Bag, Stranding Man At Airport For 20 Hours
By 5.25.17
A United Airlines passenger from New Zealand found himself stranded at a San Francisco airport for 20 hours this week; not because of weather, or mechanical issues, or any sort of attempt to reenact the 2004 Tom Hanks comedy The Terminal. No, his prolonged stay in airport purgatory was thanks to a United employee who mistakenly removed the man’s carry-on bag from his flight. [More]
You Could Soon Be Unloading A Lot More From Your Bag At Airport Security
By 5.24.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
The Transportation Security Administration and airlines, alike, have implemented processes at airports designed to take some of the burden out of the security line — from fully automated checkpoints to hiring more screeners. Now, the TSA is working on more changes intended to make the security process more efficient — like removing food from carry-ons and using digital ID scanners. But before we can speed through the checkpoints, some unsuspecting passengers will have serve as guinea pigs. [More]
Graco Recalling 25,400 Carseats That May Not Properly Restrain Children In A Crash
By 5.24.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
If you tote your child from point A to point B in a Graco carseat, listen up: The company has recalled eight different carseat models after finding they may not adequately restrain a child. [More]
Uber Owes Some NYC Drivers Up To $45M After Miscalculating Commissions
By 5.23.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
Uber has to open up its wallet and pay an estimated $45 million to its drivers in New York City, after it miscalculated drivers’ share of fares for more than two and a half years. [More]
Passengers Say Commuter Rail App Illegally Collects Personal User Data
By 5.23.17
Many cities’ commuter rail systems now have apps for users to do things like buy tickets, check schedules, and receive alerts. However, users of one system’s mobile app claim it is illegally collecting sensitive information about users’ devices and location. [More]
Feds Open Investigation Into Recall Of 1.6M Hyundai, Kia Vehicles
By 5.22.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
Federal regulators want to know why it took Hyundai and Kia 18 months to recall nearly 1.2 million vehicles that may have the same engine defect that resulted in an earlier recall of 470,000 sedans. [More]
Is The Honeymoon Over For Pittsburgh & Uber’s Driverless Car Program?
By 5.22.17
Compared to Uber’s ugly, contentious one-week test of self-driving cars in San Francisco , the ridesharing company’s nine-month-old self-driving program in Pittsburgh has been rather peaceful. But after a number of broken promises, some city leaders are reportedly regretting this arrangement. [More]
Uber Fares Will Soon Be Based On How Much Uber Thinks You’re Willing To Pay
By 5.19.17
If you’ve ever hailed an Uber ride and thought afterward that you paid a lot less than you should have, those days may soon be over. The company’s latest change to its pricing model will offer you a rate that isn’t based purely on time and distance, but on what Uber’s computers think you’ll be willing to pay. [More]
