U.S. blocks use of Venezuela’s digital currency: White House

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday blocked the use of Venezuelan cryptocurrencies through an executive order prohibiting such transactions by those in the United States, the White House said in a statement. The order bars "all transactions related to, provision of financing for, and other dealings in, by a United States person or within the United States, any digital currency, digital coin, or digital token," issued by Venezuela's government since Jan. 9, the statement said.

Uber Suspends Self-Driving Tests After Vehicle Kills Pedestrian

Photo via Diablanco/Wikipedia.

Uber has shelved its self-driving vehicle program after one of its test vehicles struck and killed a female pedestrian in Tempe, Ariz. The accident marks the first known death of a pedestrian hit by an autonomous vehicle on public roads, reports the New York Times.

Following the incident, Uber suspended testing of its autonomous cars in Tempe, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Toronto.

The deceased woman, who has not yet been publicly identified, was crossing the street outside a designated crosswalk at approximately 10 p.m. on March 18 when the accident occurred, reports USA Today. She died on March 19.

As is standard practice when testing autonomous vehicles, the Uber car was in autonomous drive mode, but there was a human safety driver behind the wheel when it hit the woman, according to reports. There were no passengers in the vehicle.

Uber issued a statement that the company is "fully cooperating with local authorities."

Ironically, proponents of self-driving cars claim the technology can help to greatly reduce the number of traffic-related pedestrian deaths. The Tempe incident may fuel concerns of activists who believe that the technology that allows the cars to sense their surroundings is not yet safe enough for roll-out on real world roads and highways, reports USA Today.

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Woman struck and killed by self-driving Uber vehicle

A self-driving Uber vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian in a Phoenix suburb in the first fatality involving a fully autonomous test vehicle, prompting the ride-hailing company Monday to suspend all ...

Turnover Rate Declines but Driver Shortage Still a Concern

The driver turnover rate for truckload carriers fell in the final three months of 2017, but the rate remained higher than it was for the previous year, according to American Trucking Associations Chief Economist Bob Costello.

The driver turnover rate for truckload carriers fell in the fourt quarter of 2017, but the rate remained 14 points higher than for the previous year.

The turnover rate at large truckload fleets fell seven points to 88% in the fourth quarter of last year, dipping below 90% for the first time since the first quarter.

“Despite this dip in turnover, the driver market remains tight and the driver shortage remains a real concern for fleets and the industry,” said Costello. “If the economic climate continues to improve, I expect both turnover and driver shortage concerns to rise in the near future.”

Turnover at small truckload fleets also fell in the same period, dropping to 80%. The turnover rate at both large and small fleets was still 14 points higher than in 2016.

“Despite the continuing tight driver market, I think there are a couple reasonable explanations for the dip in turnover this past quarter,” said Costello. “First, freight demand was very strong, which may have encouraged drivers to stay at their current fleet because they were making even better money with strong volumes. And second, many fleets implemented or announced pay increases last quarter, which may have disincentivized drivers from moving to new jobs.”

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A self-driving Uber car hit and killed a woman in the first known autonomous-vehicle death

A woman in Arizona has been hit and killed by a self-driving Uber car. It's believed to be the first time an autonomous vehicle has killed a pedestrian. The victim has not yet been named by the Tempe Police Department.

CenturyLink Accelerates Its Succession Plan: Good or Bad News?

This high-yield enterprise is getting a new CEO sooner than planned.

NYC launches investigation into Kushner Cos. false filings

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City council member launched an investigation into the Kushner Cos.' routine filing of paperwork falsely claiming zero rent-regulated tenants in its buildings, saying that the deception should have been uncovered long ago because the documents are online for all to see.