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Walmart And Waymo To Test Self-Driving Car Program For Shoppers

PHOENIX, Ariz. (CBS Local) – Customers of Walmart and other businesses in the Phoenix area will soon have a chance to go shopping in self-driving cars. Waymo, a subsidiary of Google-parent company Alphabet, is teaming with the retail giant to test a program that’ll have people riding in self-driving cars to run errands and shop, the autonomous car company said Wednesday. People who order groceries on Walmart.com will get discounts, and as their orders are being readied, driver-less Waymo vehicles will bring customers to and from a Walmart store in Chandler, Arizona. Waymo is also teaming with Avis, AutoNation, Element Hotel and commercial real estate firm DDR to offer self-driving vehicles to people doing business with the companies. “While these are metro Phoenix-specific partnerships today, these businesses are national, and what we learn from these programs will give us a network of partners when we launch in new cities down the road,” Waymo said in a blog post . The service is initially available to about 400 participants in Waymo’s early-rider program within a 100-square-mile section of Phoenix. The company that started in 2009 as Google’s self-driving car project will also give people rides while their cars are serviced at area AutoNation repair shops, along with lifts to restaurants and shops in the Ahwatukee Foothills Town Center. Tom Ward, a Walmart vice president, put in a plug for the pilot project in his own blog post . “Our personal shoppers get to work meticulously picking customers’ orders based on their pickup times. Waymo does the rest! They transport customers to and from pickup, and all the while, those customers can text, nap, work… you name it!” Waymo will hope its self-driving trial in Arizona steers clear of the problems that hurt Uber earlier this year. The ride-hailing company halted its own autonomous driving program in the state earlier this year after a self-driving vehicle struck and killed a woman in Phoenix. A police investigation later found that the back-up driver behind the wheel of the Uber vehicle had been watching a TV program on her phone. [H/T CBS News ]

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Walmart And Waymo To Test Self-Driving Car Program For Shoppers

July 26, 2018 0 comment

news

Swimmer Ryan Lochte Suspended Until July 2019 For Use Of IV

written by wweeuauw314

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Swimmer Ryan Lochte posted a photo for the world to see, and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency noticed. It got him suspended — again. The longtime U.S. swimming star has been banned from competition until July 2019, which means the 12-time Olympic medalist cannot compete as planned in the national championships that start this week in California. Lochte will also be ineligible for other top meets, including the Pan Pacific Championships later this year and next year’s world championships. Lochte’s offense was that he got an intravenous injection in May — a method typically banned under anti-doping rules. The 14-month ban, retroactive to May 24 and announced Monday by USADA, is his second in less than two years following his 10-month suspension for his behavior during a drunken incident that created widespread scorn at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. U.S. anti-doping officials said Lochte, who was holding a news conference Monday in South Florida to discuss the matter, was not taking a banned substance. In Brazil, he there were questions about his version of what happened. This time, he revealed what happened — obviously unaware of the ramifications it would bring. Lochte’s violation essentially came to light when he posted the photo of him getting the IV on his social media accounts. That triggered the USADA investigation, one that Lochte “fully cooperated” with according to U.S. officials. “Lochte received an intravenous infusion of permitted substances at an infusion clinic,” the USADA announcement of the suspension said. Under most circumstances, athletes cannot receive IVs unless related to a hospitalization or when allowed under the terms of a USADA-approved exemption — and Lochte fell into neither of those categories. Suspensions for use of an IV are extremely rare: The USADA database shows only two other athletes being sanctioned for using such a method, one of them getting a six-month suspension and the other a 14-month ban. That same database shows that before Monday, no other U.S. swimmer in the last 10 years, for any reason including actual positive tests, had been suspended for more than one year by USADA. This week could have been a significant step forward for Lochte, who was entered in four events at the U.S. championships at Irvine, California and was preparing to compete in what would have been his biggest competition since the Rio Games. Lochte said that he and three other U.S. Olympic swimmers there were robbed at gunpoint at a gas station, a story that quickly unraveled. Lochte was not only suspended 10 months for that debacle, but also forfeited $100,000 in Olympic medal bonus money and was banned from competing in last year’s national and world championships. But the bigger hit was to his reputation, one that was less than pristine to begin with. And now, he’s back in hot water. USADA agreed to start the 14-month clock on May 24, the day that he posted the photo which no longer can be found on his Twitter or Instagram pages. He has previously said that he wants to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, though those hopes would seem to be in at least some doubt now. Lochte spent much of his career portraying a party-boy image, while his wildly successful exploits in the pool — six Olympic golds, 36 world championship gold medals, no fewer than four world records — were always overshadowed by 28-time Olympic medalist and 23-time Olympic champion Michael Phelps. After Rio, Lochte was dropped by at least four major sponsors including Speedo USA and Ralph Lauren, though he has added some endorsement deals since. He was also apparently targeted by two men wearing t-shirts bearing an anti-Lochte message rushed the stage while he was competing on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” Lochte returned to competition last year, most notably winning the 200-meter individual medley at the U.S. Open. He also has become a father and a husband since Rio — he married former Playboy model Kayla Rae Reid in January, seven months after their son was born. Lochte will turn 36 during the Tokyo Games. He won gold medals at the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 games, and if he found a way to win another in Tokyo he would become the oldest Olympic swimming champion. (© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Swimmer Ryan Lochte Suspended Until July 2019 For Use Of IV

July 23, 2018 0 comment

news sports

Sex Abuse Victims Accept Arthur Ashe Award For Courage

written by wweeuauw314

LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than 140 survivors of sexual abuse by a former team doctor for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University joined hands on stage to be honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the ESPYs. The women who spoke out against the abuse by Larry Nassar stood together Wednesday night in a powerful and solemn closing to the show highlighting the past year’s top athletes and moments in sports. LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 18: (L-R) Host Danica Patrick, Sarah Klein, Tiffany Thomas Lopez, Aly Raisman and recipients of the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage speak onstage at The 2018 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater on July 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) Gymnast Aly Raisman, softball player Tiffany Thomas Lopez and gymnast Sarah Klein, who said she was Nassar’s first victim 30 years ago, took turns speaking. Klein chided the U.S. Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics and Michigan State for placing “money and medals above the safety of child athletes.” Olympic snowboarding champion Chloe Kim won a leading three ESPYs, including best female athlete, while Alex Ovechkin claimed best male athlete. Kim had tears in her eyes as she listened to the Arthur Ashe recipients. “We must start caring about children’s safety more than we care about adults’ reputations,” Klein said. “If we can just give one person the courage to use their voice, this is worth it.” Raisman added, “For too long we were ignored. It could have been avoided. All we needed was one adult to have the integrity to stand between us and Larry Nassar.” The audience gave the group a prolonged standing ovation and remained on its feet while the women spoke. “What a powerful stage up here,” host Danica Patrick said before signing off. Ovechkin joined Roger Federer and Olympic snowboarder Shaun White as double winners. Ovechkin was in Russia with his wife, Nastya, who is 8½ months pregnant. Newly retired racecar driver Patrick became the first woman to host the show at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Her opening monologue mostly fell flat, with athletes sitting stone-faced or wincing at many of the jokes. LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 18: Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim accepts the award for Best Female Athlete onstage at The 2018 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater on July 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) Kim took female athlete honors over Olympic skier Mikaela Shiffrin, WNBA player Sylvia Fowles and soccer player Julie Ertz. “This year has been filled with so many incredible memories I will hold onto the rest of my life,” Kim said as she held the silver trophy. “I really want to thank my family. They’ve sacrificed so much for me.” Kim also claimed trophies for best female Olympian and female action sports athlete. At the Pyeongchang Games in February, she became the youngest to win a snowboarding medal when the then-17-year-old claimed gold in halfpipe. Ovechkin, who led the Washington Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship, also won for best NHL player. He beat out Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and fellow first-time nominees Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros and James Harden of the Houston Rockets for male athlete. Federer’s five-set victory at the Australian Open in January for his 20th Grand Slam singles title earned honors for record-breaking performance and he also received best male tennis player. White won best Olympic moment with his final-run performance in South Korea featuring back-to-back 1440s to take gold, and best male Olympian. The Astros were honored as best team for winning the franchise’s first World Series. LeBron James, soon to be starring across the street at Staples Center with the Los Angeles Lakers, won best NBA player for the third straight year on his 14th consecutive nomination in the category. Brady claimed best NFL player, while Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels won MLB player. On a big night for Olympians, the U.S. women’s hockey team earned best game honors for their shootout victory over Canada in the gold-medal game in South Korea. Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz earned breakthrough athlete honors. Quarterback Nick Foles received the championship performance trophy for leading the Philadelphia Eagles to their first Super Bowl title. The Minnesota Vikings earned best moment honors for beating the New Orleans Saints on the last play of the NFL championship game. Notre Dame’s Arike Ogunbowale won in the best play category for hitting a buzzer-beater in the NCAA women’s title game. The best coach award was given posthumously to Aaron Feis, Scott Beigel and Chris Hixon, all of whom died in the mass shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Former quarterback Jim Kelly received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance for his struggle with jaw cancer. Fellow NFL Hall of Famers Dan Marino and John Elway presented Kelly with the honor. (© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

July 19, 2018 0 comment

Rap

Big Gipp Future's Right To Want Due Credit Young Rappers, Give It Up

written by wweeuauw314

We got Big Gipp — who's part of Goodie Mob, Dungeon Family and other OG rap groups out of ATL — and he says Future's recent Twitter rant calling …

July 11, 2018 0 comment

R&B

Spotify Begins Policy of Policing Hateful Conduct, Removes R. Kelly and Xxxtentacion From Playlists

written by wweeuauw314

The leading music streaming provider valued at $26.5 billion, according to New York Times, has enacted this new policy by removing R&B singer R.

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Spotify Begins Policy of Policing Hateful Conduct, Removes R. Kelly and Xxxtentacion From Playlists

May 11, 2018 0 comment