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This startup wants to bring driverless freight trucks to California's roads, but drivers are pushing back
A Bay Area startup is trying to reinvent the semitruck by making the gas-guzzling giants electric, autonomous and designed for efficiency.
Humble Robotics, founded last year in San Francisco, has raised $24 million to develop a cabless freight truck that lacks a steering wheel, gas pedal and driver's seat.
The company says its reimagined truck...Read more
The 'mass affluent' are losing their allure for wealth managers navigating AI
Wealth managers keen to stay relevant in the age of artificial intelligence may soon find that clients with a mere $1 million in liquid assets are no longer worth spending human hours on.
“The mass-affluent client now gets something close to private-banking quality from AI,” said Debasish Patnaik, senior partner McKinsey & Co. That not only...Read more
Evan Ramstad: Minnesota is No. 1 yet again. It should not rest on its laurels
In 1971, a cheeky Minnesota writer landed a satirical essay in the New Yorker magazine about the United States being named the No. 1 country for the 28th year in a row by the Association of World Leaders.
“With America withdrawing from a costly and divisive war abroad while beset by economic ills at home, some international observers had ...Read more
Should you pay off your mortgage early, or invest instead?
For many people, few financial goals are more satisfying than making that final mortgage payment and owning a home free and clear.
But in an era when technological breakthroughs like AI and private space exploration are creating new investment opportunities — and new fortunes — the decision to pay off a mortgage early isn’t as ...Read more
This startup wants to bring driverless freight trucks to California's roads, but drivers are pushing back
A Bay Area startup is trying to reinvent the semitruck by making the gas-guzzling giants electric, autonomous and designed for efficiency.
Humble Robotics, founded last year in San Francisco, has raised $24 million to develop a cabless freight truck that lacks a steering wheel, gas pedal and driver's seat.
The company says its reimagined truck...Read more
Business group backs Becerra, sparking GOP anger as progressives preach caution
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Chamber of Commerce bucked precedent when it endorsed a Democrat — Xavier Becerra — for governor last week.
Becerra said he was “honored” by their backing and touted it in two news releases. But Republican rival Steve Hilton slammed the group for political opportunism. At the same time, progressive ...Read more
How has US Steel changed since Nippon took over a year ago?
On July 20, Bernie Hall will be sitting across the table from Nippon Steel — whose takeover of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel one year ago he did not support — and bargaining for the workers’ share of the blockbuster deal sealed a year ago.
Hall is the director of District 10 of the United Steelworkers of America, the Downtown-based union ...Read more
South Bay job growth drives state employment gains in May
The South Bay was California’s most powerful employment engine in May, continuing a monthslong trend of job gains, the state Employment Development Department reported Friday.
While the Bay Area as a whole experienced a flat month with no changes in employment, the South Bay has now added jobs for 11 consecutive months.
The tech industry ...Read more
UnitedHealth's $3 billion AI push has bots calling doctors
At UnitedHealth Group Inc., artificial intelligence reads aloud summaries of medical charts as nurses drive to patients’ homes. It listens to millions of customer calls to find the causes of complaints. One trial even has AI agents calling doctors’ offices to schedule appointments for patients.
The largest U.S. health insurer plans to ...Read more
Automakers and workers face existential fight over robots, future
Automakers and workers are teed up for what each side views as a fight for existence — with cobots in the middle and already operating inside General Motors Co's Factory ZERO in Detroit.
Artificial intelligence, robots and automation took center stage in Detroit during this week's UAW Constitutional Convention and Reindustrialize, an industry...Read more
Auto review: Honda updates the Pilot for 2026, and suburban America quietly rejoices
The 2026 Honda Pilot looks like an SUV. It stands tall, wears rugged-looking tires, and projects the sort of square-jawed confidence usually associated with people who own chainsaws and know how to use them. But spend five minutes with one and you discover it's less the rugged outdoorsman and more of an assistant vice principal. The Pilot isn't ...Read more
Auto review: 2026 Lexus IS F-Sport: the art of the luxury sport sedan
Lexus has provided many wins over the years for consumers, chief among them being sedan success with the IS.
Regardless of what others say, this is not an upscale Toyota Camry. The Lexus IS adds the luxurious flare consumers demand and provides power and style while maintaining comfort, exactly what Lexus consumers demand.
With a history of ...Read more
Econometer: Is it worth it economically for US cities to host the World Cup?
FIFA drove a hard bargain for U.S. cities that get to host the World Cup and now some leaders and residents are wondering if it was worth the cost.
Under the agreement, FIFA gets to keep the vast majority of revenue from tickets, sponsorships, parking, concessions and media rights. Meanwhile, cities must pay for security, transportation and ...Read more
Auto review: Struttin' the streets in the knockout Kia Telluride
DETROIT — The mainstream three-row SUV class is having a moment. Sexy family haulers? You bet. Check out the rugged Chevy Traverse ZR2, Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro and rock-scaling Honda Pilot TrailSport. Or the hot-rod Dodge Durango Hellcat, Mazda CX-90 inline-6 cylinder and Ford Explorer ST.
Now comes the knockout Kia Telluride X-Pro SX-...Read more
Ford sues LA lemon law firm alleging 'utter fabrications' inflated fees by 7,000%
Ford Motor Co. is suing a prominent Los Angeles lemon law firm for allegedly inflating their fees by as much as 7,000%, the company’s latest attempt to crack down on California attorneys who it says are exploiting the state’s unique law to protect consumers from defective cars.
Quill & Arrow, a personal injury firm that represents drivers ...Read more
Truck wars: Next-gen Chevy Silverado leans into tech, V-8s
Big V-8 weapons are returning to the Detroit Truck Wars. Unshackled from government regulations, the Ram 1500 has brought back its V-8 while Ford’s F-150 is offering a 700-horsepower, supercharged V-8 on all trims.
Now it’s Chevrolet’s turn with the new, fifth-generation Silverado.
The North America-assembled truck leans into its V-8 ...Read more
US acts to speed up power grid hook-ups for AI data centers
U.S. regulators have taken their biggest step yet to speed the connection of data centers to the country’s grids while simultaneously attempting to slow surging utility bills that have angered Americans.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved a series of orders Thursday tailored to the country’s power grids in a bid to remove ...Read more
Amazon employees say they were interrogated over data center comments
An Amazon employee advocacy group is accusing the tech giant of intimidating employees who spoke in favor of data center regulations during a recent Seattle City Council public comment session.
As the council took up a vote to set a one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers in the city, three Amazon employees gave their testimony on June ...Read more
January 2025 wildfire victims seek tougher penalties against State Farm over claims handling
A fire survivors' group announced Thursday it was seeking tougher penalties against State Farm over its handling of January 2025 wildfire claims.
The Every Fire Survivor's Network said it was petitioning to join a state enforcement action announced this year against the company to make sure the case results in meaningful changes at California'...Read more
Uber, California lawyers say deal reached to avert dueling ballot initiative showdown
The state's trial attorneys and Uber say they have reached a last-minute deal to scrap their dueling ballot measures and avert what was gearing up to be one of most expensive battles of the November election.
The deal, which comes a day after both measures qualified for the November ballot, has Uber agreeing to bulk up safety measures, while ...Read more
Popular Stories
- California fires back at AT&T's bid to get feds to let it stop providing landline service
- Auto review: Honda updates the Pilot for 2026, and suburban America quietly rejoices
- Amazon employees say they were interrogated over data center comments
- This startup wants to bring driverless freight trucks to California's roads, but drivers are pushing back
- January 2025 wildfire victims seek tougher penalties against State Farm over claims handling









