>>Airbnb Using AI Technology To Get A Handle On Halloween Parties
(Nashville, TN) -- Short-term rental platform Airbnb is using artificial intelligence technology to help put a stop to Halloween parties. Company officials say bookings that are made for this weekend are being analyzed to check for risk factors such as the length of the stay and the distance of the rental from the user's address. If the AI system finds that a booking might be problematic, it will not allow the reservation to go through. Airbnb banned parties on its platform in 2020. Some users have still managed to book short-term rentals for parties, though, like the one in East Nashville last Halloween where a 14-year-old was injured by gunfire.
>>Actors Strike Talks Resume Today
(Los Angeles, CA) -- Negotiations between striking Hollywood actors and the big studios will resume later today. SAG-AFTRA told its union members in an email Tuesday that the studio CEOs came back to the table after more than 100 days of the actors strike, and that talks are scheduled to continue. The heads of Disney, NBCUniversal, Warner Brothers Discovery and Netflix were at Tuesday's talks, along with SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher and her top negotiators. The union is seeking additional pay for actors based on a show's streaming success, which has been a sticking point in the negotiations.
>>UAW Strike Growing Larger
(Arlington, TX) -- Workers at a General Motors plant in Texas have joined a nationwide strike, shutting down production. The factory in Arlington, near Dallas, pumps out some of the brand's most popular vehicles. They include the Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade. In a statement, the head of the United Auto Workers pointed to record profits, saying "It's time GM workers, and the whole working class, get their fair share."
>>Dozens Of States Sue Instagram Parent Company Meta
(Menlo Park, CA) -- Many states are teaming up to sue Instagram and Facebook parent company Meta. They claim the tech giant is harming youth mental health with "addictive" features like feeds that scroll endlessly and too many notifications. The federal lawsuit filed in California was signed by more than 30 attorneys general. The states say Meta is contributing to a national mental health crisis.
>>IEA Says Global Demand For Oil, Coal And Gas To Peak By 2030
(Paris) -- The International Energy Agency says global demand for oil, coal and natural gas will peak before the end of this decade. A new report from the Paris-based organization predicts the use of fossil fuels will drop to 73 percent of the world's energy supply by the year 2030. The IEA credits the "phenomenal rise" of clean energy technologies like wind, solar and electric cars playing a key role. It also expects to see almost ten times the electric cars on the road by 2030.
>>DMV Suspends Cruise Permit For Driverless SF Taxis
(San Francisco, CA) -- The California DMV is suspending a driverless taxi service in San Francisco. In a statement released yesterday morning, state officials said "When there is an unreasonable risk to public safety, the DMV can immediately suspend or revoke permits." However, the company Cruise can still test autonomous vehicles on SF streets as long as there is a human behind the wheel. The announcement comes after a Cruise driverless car recently ran over a pedestrian who fell into its path, after being struck in a human-involved hit-and-run crash.
