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Business Insider
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Insider
Tesla updates Robotaxi app users about California launch
Tesla sent Robotaxi users a new terms-of-service agreement on Saturday detailing its planned launch in the Bay Area, according to a screenshot viewed by Business Insider. The notification says rides taken outside California are "conducted autonomously." The update lays out a different setup for California, where Tesla is launching its Robotaxi service under tighter state oversight — a move that appears to address how the program complies with local regulations. "If your ride is taking place in California, it is being conducted with a safety driver using FSD (Supervised) pursuant to authority from the California Public Utilities Commission," the agreement says. Tesla told staff in an internal memo Thursday that it planned to launch the Robotaxi service in San Francisco over the weekend, starting as a paid program with safety drivers in the driver's seat, as Business Insider previously reported. The memo said drivers would be able to control the steering and brakes. In the service agreement sent Saturday, Tesla said the service would use a variant of its supervised Full Self-Driving software. It's unclear if it's the same version available to subscribers. Tesla's FSD software can change lanes, execute turns, and recognize stop signs and traffic lights, but it requires a licensed driver to actively monitor it. On Friday, Tesla drew regulatory scrutiny after BI reported on the internal memo. "Tesla doesn't have permits to deploy AVs in California & hasn't even applied for permits," California senator Scott Wiener wrote on X in response to Business Insider's story. "If Tesla actually deploys its AVs without permits, these vehicles should be seized & impounded. We have permitting & safety rules for a reason. Elon isn't exempt." The company has a permit from the California DMV that allows it to test its self-driving software with a licensed driver overseeing the vehicle, but the California DMV told BI on Friday that the company has yet to apply for driverless testing. Tesla also has a permit from the California Public Utilities Commission that allows it to provide transportation services to employees and some members of the public. The agency told BI Tesla notified the CPUC on Thursday that it intended to "extend operations under its TCP permit to offer service to friends and family of employees and to select members of the public." Tesla's VP of AI Ashok Elluswamy said on Wednesday's earnings call that the company would begin its Robotaxi rollout in the Bay Area with safety drivers and is working with regulators to expand the program. "We are working with the government to get approval here and, in the meanwhile, launch the service without the person in the driver seat just to expedite and while we wait for regulatory approval," he said.
Newsweek
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
ICE Agent Ban On Wearing Masks Advances
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A California bill aimed at banning law enforcement agents from wearing masks while on duty has advanced after it was approved by a legislative committee on Tuesday. The "No Secret Police Act", introduced by state Senator Scott Wiener, would prohibit law enforcement at all levels from concealing their identities. Why It Matters U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has faced increasing criticism in recent months for permitting its agents to conduct immigration enforcement operations while wearing plain clothes and face coverings. Agency officials maintain that masks are necessary to protect agents' identities and shield their families from death threats. The agency is also under pressure as President Donald Trump has pledged to deport millions of migrants living in the United States without legal status. ICE agents at an immigration court in New York this month. ICE agents at an immigration court in New York this month. Andrea Renault/STAR MAX What To Know Under Senate Bill 627, federal agents who conceal their faces while performing official duties could be charged with a misdemeanor under the new proposal. The bill, which was introduced in June, would include exemptions for SWAT teams and officers wearing medical masks during natural disasters such as wildfires. Transparent riot gear would also be permitted, as it does not hide an officer's face. The legislation follows criticism that ICE agents have been hiding their faces while conducting raids under the Trump administration's crackdown. ICE agents are not required to wear body cameras, and they are permitted to use unmarked vehicles and to cover their faces. This is a developing story. More to follow.
CBS News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
California bills to unmask federal officers, mandate visible ID advance in Assembly
Two bills aimed at addressing transparency issues within law enforcement agencies, locally and federally, were voted on Tuesday by California legislators. One of those bills would make California the first state in the country to ban law enforcement officers at all levels from covering their faces during operations, including immigration raids. Senate Bill 627, which passed through the Assembly Public Safety Committee, was authored in direct response to immigration raids happening across the state. Under the legislation, also referred to as the No Secret Police Act, if law enforcement officials do not comply, they could be charged with a misdemeanor. There are exceptions for SWAT and undercover work. State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who introduced the legislation with Senator Jesse Arreguin (D-Berkeley), said that the public has a right to know if they're interacting with a real officer. "This bill is not about preventing law enforcement from engaging in their typical work," Wiener said. "It is about preventing extreme masking that is causing terror in our communities." Critics argue that the bill is cracking down on California law enforcement officers who aren't even part of immigration raids. John Myers, visiting professor of law at UC College of Law, San Francisco, said he understands the concerns surrounding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and other officers concealing identities. He calls it a legitimate public policy issue. However, he said that this bill isn't a good way to address those concerns, calling it micro-managing. "It's an effort to solve an issue that the State of California has no authority to solve, unfortunately," Myers said. "And secondly, I think it will hamstring local law enforcement with a bill that will have lots of unintended consequences." The other bill passed by the committee was Senate Bill 805, which aims to strengthen existing law for impersonating an officer, firefighter, or government employee. That requires all law enforcement, including local, state and federal, to display visible identification like names or badge numbers. SB805, referred to as the No Vigilantes Act, was introduced by Senator Sasha Perez (D-Pasadena). "We are facing an extraordinary moment here in California. Masked individuals with no identification, no uniform,s driving unmarked vehicles and carrying firearms are taking our neighbors, both immigrants and American citizens, in broad daylight. When asked by the public to provide badge numbers, they refuse," Perez said. Supporters of the bill include the Peace Officers Research Association of California. However, Myers said that this legislation wouldn't be a problem for patrol officers who are very clearly law enforcement with their uniforms and badges on display. He said it's a problem for the hundreds of detectives and investigators across the state. "They wear a suit to work, and the long-standing tradition in law enforcement for them is to have the badge typically on their belt, where it can not be seen," Myers said. "They're not acting undercover. They're just doing their normal investigative work. It could be quite disruptive to that work if they're required to have that badge out." Myers said that if that portion of the bill were eliminated, that would be a step in the right direction. That's expected to be amended as the bill moves forward.
CBS News
16-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Sacramento's Ten Acres Pharmacy to close its doors after 5 years
Sacramento's Ten Acres Pharmacy announced that it is closing its doors after five years. This comes after big-box stores shut down hundreds of locations across the nation. "I am a pharmacist. That is what I do," said Sonya Frausto, who owns Ten Acres Pharmacy in the Curtis Park/Land Park area. "Knowing that I can't take care of them anymore because of something that is not in my control is the worst of this whole decision." Frausto said poor reimbursements from Pharmacy Benefit Managers, or PBMs, are to blame, and it's driving neighborhood pharmacies like hers out of business. "This is a critical service in the community, and it's so sad to see it go away," said Mary Odbert, who came by the pharmacy to tell Frausto she was sorry. Frausto said she started paying anywhere from 3 to 25 percent more for drugs, but insurance companies continued to pay her the same amount. "We're looking at a future where there are going to be fewer and fewer brick and mortar pharmacies in people's neighborhoods," said democratic state senator Scott Wiener from San Francisco. Weiner introduced a bill that would create a consistent rate across PBM reimbursements and prevent PBMs from pushing patients to use mail order. "Health care should never be about money," said Frausto. "It should always be about care." Frausto said this change could have saved her pharmacy had a similar bill passed last year. Wiener told CBS13 that the bill is already gaining bipartisan support and believes the governor is backing it now, too. "This year we've actually been working with the governor and put a piece of the bill into the budget," said Wiener. Frausto said what she is going to miss most about the pharmacy is the people they serve. She said the final day of Ten Acres will be August 20. "We see women who are pregnant and now their babies are five years old," said Frausto. "The reality is that I am going to miss taking care of people."
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California has an idea to counter Trump's megabill: Roll back environmental laws
California lawmakers reeling from President Donald Trump's assault on clean energy are considering a controversial strategy to keep projects on track — slashing environmental permitting further. That plan could intensify a fight between clean energy advocates and environmentalists over the trade-offs between building fast and environmental protection that's already playing out at home. California officials are scrambling to respond to congressional Republicans' budget 'megabill,' signed into law Friday, which demolishes Biden-era tax credits that incentivize construction of large-scale solar and wind projects, home energy efficiency improvements and electric vehicle purchasing — centerpieces of blue states' strategies to wean themselves off fossil fuels. Clean energy groups say it will be impossible for California — which already faces a tight budget — to replace those incentives, and are instead pushing lawmakers to cut red tape and allow projects to get shovels in the ground faster. They already have a champion in Sen. Scott Wiener, the influential Senate Budget Committee chair, who said in an interview Wednesday that lawmakers should consider exempting clean energy projects from the California Environmental Quality Act, the 1970 law often blamed for slowing construction in the state. 'Wouldn't it be a tragedy for California if we lost a bunch of these clean energy projects because of a screwed-up permitting system?' Wiener said. The megabill requires energy projects to start construction by July 4, 2026 or begin service by the end of 2027 to qualify for federal subsidies, crushing deadlines even in states that aren't as notoriously slow to build as California. And things could get worse after hard-line House conservatives said they'd received assurances from Trump that he would further constrict the incentives. A POLITICO analysis conducted last month as the bill was taking shape found 794 projects nationwide — including 60 in California — that had not started construction and risk losing crucial tax breaks. 'There is no sugar-coating this,' said Alex Jackson, executive director of the trade group American Clean Power-California. 'This is a major setback to the affordable clean energy transition.' Jackson said the biggest step California can take is getting out of its own way, arguing that lawmakers need to build on a bill passed last week that exempts a wide swath of projects from CEQA, from wildfire fuel breaks to high-speed rail to semiconductor and EV factories. Environmental groups are still smarting from that effort, spearheaded by Wiener and Gov. Gavin Newsom, which they say undermined key environmental protections. Those hard feelings played out in the state Capitol last week, as Sen. Caroline Menjivar declined to support a handful of smaller CEQA streamlining bills during a committee hearing, saying lawmakers 'need to tip the balance the other way now.' Environmental groups say that they aren't opposed to building clean energy projects faster, but are wary after the recent exemption for advanced manufacturing plants, which they argue can leach toxic waste. "We would want any streamlining to be restricted to truly clean tech, unlike the advanced manufacturing provision just put in law," said Bill Magavern, policy director at Coalition for Clean Air. The discussion about where California goes next after the megabill isn't all conflict. There's a general agreement that the state should invest more in EV incentives after Republicans eliminated a $7,500 federal tax credit for car buyers. Newsom floated that idea in November, saying that he wanted revenues from the state's cap-and-trade auctions to be spent on new EV incentives if the federal tax credit went away. But that will be easier said than done, as groups fight for their piece of a finite pool of funding. Newsom and lawmakers, who are negotiating an extension of the emissions trading system, have already committed $1 billion in auction revenues this year to backfill the state's firefighting agency, a huge chunk from a program that's generated around $4 billion annually in recent years. Melissa Romero, policy advocacy director for California Environmental Voters, said that using cap-and-trade dollars to support an agency typically funded by the general budget makes supporting the EV market more challenging. 'If we do support and prioritize clean air and clean cars, then that decision was counter to that,' Romero said. Like this content? Consider signing up for POLITICO's California Climate newsletter.
