US lawmaker seeks to create a commission to oversee tech companies

US Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) wants to establish a federal watchdog that would focus on overseeing digital platforms and tech giants. The lawmaker has introduced the Digital Platform Commission Act (PDF) in Congress in hopes of establishing a five-person federal body appointed by the President and approved by the Senate. They would be experts in relevant fields, including computer science, software development and technology policy.

The commission would be in charge of assuring “the fairness and safety of algorithms on digital platforms” as well as promoting competition. It would also have the authority to conduct investigations, impose penalties and to set new rules, such as those that ensure moderation transparency and the protection of consumers. The commission would create requirements for regular public risk assessments on the distribution of harmful content on digital platforms, as well.

Under the commission, a “Code Council” comprised of technologists and public interest experts will conjure up standards and policies that could be implemented. In addition, the commission will establish a research office with 20 dedicated employees to conduct internal research and coordinate with outside academics and experts. 

As mentioned in the legislation’s announcement, the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission are in charge of overseeing digital platforms today. Bennett argues, however, that they lack the expert staff and tech-oriented culture necessary for robust oversight. 

The Washington Post reports that Bennett’s motivation was his personal experience viewing disinformation as part of the Senate Intelligence Committee, as well as seeing how social media has affected his children. As the publication notes, though, it remains to be seen whether the legislation would be approved by the Senate, where Democrats have a 50-50 majority.

Rivian recalls 502 R1T trucks due to an airbag sensor issue

Rivian is recalling some of its R1T electric trucks because of an issue with airbag sensors. The vehicle may not disable an airbag when a child is sitting up front, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filing spotted by The Verge. This is Rivian’s first recall and it covers 502 R1T vehicles that were built between September 2021 and April 2022.

Although the NHTSA recommends that children aged under 13 should be in the back seat, that’s not always possible for various reasons. Airbags, which can deploy even in a minor accident, can injure or kill children who are sitting in the front seat. 

Rivian said the recalled vehicles “fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, ‘Occupant Crash Protection.'” The company said no injuries have been associated with the issue. 

The front passenger seats in the recalled EVs will be replaced for free at Rivian service centers — it currently has 20 of those in the US. The company said it will inform affected customers by phone, email, text and in-vehicle messaging as soon as possible. It will also mail notices to them by July 1st.

A Rivian spokesperson sent Engadget the following statement:

Rivian has determined that on certain R1T vehicles, the front passenger seat may not deactivate the front passenger airbag as required if a child seat or child is in that seat. In the event of a crash which deploys the front passenger airbag, a seat with this improper calibration may increase the risk of injury for any child or child seat occupant sitting in the seat. We are contacting those with affected Rivian vehicles, and they will receive a passenger seat replacement free of charge at a Rivian service center. In the meantime, infants and children should not be placed in the front passenger seat of affected Rivian vehicles until a front passenger seat replacement is complete.

Update 5/12 2:29PM ET: Added Rivian’s statement.

UK’s Royal Mail aims to open up to 50 drone routes for rural deliveries

The UK’s Royal Mail wants to set up as many as 50 drone routes over the next three years to make deliveries to remote communities. The plan, which requires approval from the Civil Aviation Authority, would see the service secure up to 200 of the autonomous devices from logistics drone company Windracers.

The Royal Mail said the first communities to benefit would be the Isles of Scilly (off the coast of Cornwall in south-west England) and the Scottish islands of Shetland, Orkney and the Hebrides.

Test flights started last year. In the most recent one, held in April, the service was able to use a UAV to deliver mail to Unst, Britain’s most northerly inhabited island, from Tingwall Airport on Shetland’s largest island. That’s a 50-mile flight each way.

The twin-engine drone used in the tests can carry a payload of up to 100 kg of mail and take two return flights each day. The Royal Mail said the device has a wingspan of 10 meters and can withstand difficult weather conditions with the help of its autopilot system. After the drone arrives at its destination, a postal worker will retrieve the mail and parcels and deliver them.

The Royal Mail claimed the drones would help it reduce carbon emissions and provide a more reliable delivery service to islands. It eventually hopes to have a fleet of more than 500 drones that will operate across the UK.

「いのちの電話」相談員養成講座は謎費用がかかる上に無償奉仕なのはどうなの問題…無償のやりがい搾取に辟易

みつるぎ🍵 @mitsurugi01 【nut会員】【うぐちゃん,ｼﾗﾉ刀】役者/博物館/野鳥/神社/民間信仰/異界/宗教一般/ﾌﾗﾝｽ革命/ﾒﾝﾀﾙﾍﾙｽ/報道問題/AS/散歩… 好きなものいっぱい。人生の半分以上腐ってる・成人済。フォロー報告不要。お別れはブロ解で。F外からの絡みは気づきません。 みつるぎ🍵 @mitsurugi01 いのちの電話の相談員…

[PDF] 5 月 11 日に逝去された著名人の報道に関して 『自殺報道ガイドライン』に反する報道・放送が散見されることを踏まえ、 再度、自殺報道に関する注意喚起をさせていただきます。

問合せ先：厚生労働大臣指定法人「いのち支える自殺対策推進センター」広報室 press@jscp.or.jp ／ Tel. 03-6272-9446 ／ Fax. 03-6272-9447 厚生労働大臣指定法人・一般社団法人 いのち支える自殺対策推進センター 厚生労働省 令和 4 年 5 月 11 日 再度の注意喚起 メディア関係者各位 タレントの上島竜兵さんが 5 月 1…

財政難の京都市、市民が１５億円寄付　球技場整備へ

京都市は１１日、市民１人から１５億４千万円の寄付があり、老朽化した宝が池公園球技場（京都市左京区）など２カ所の整備費に充てると発表した。市は深刻な財政危機に直面しており、改修費を予算計上できない状態だった。担当者は「財政難の折、本当にありがたい」と話した。 市によると、昨秋に寄付の申し出があった。…

英 北アイルランド議会 アイルランドとの統一掲げる党 第1党に | NHK

イギリスの北アイルランドで行われた議会選挙で、アイルランドとの統一を掲げるシン・フェイン党が初めて第1党となりました。 シン・フェイン党は、過去に武装闘争を繰り返してきた過激派組織の政治部門が前身で、自治政府の連立協議は難航も予想されます。 イギリスの北アイルランドで5日行われた議会選挙は開票が終わ…

Flavored e-cigarettes are exempt from the FDA’s proposed menthol ban

American regulators may not have made a decision on flavored e-cigarettes, but that isn’t stopping them from cracking down on the conventional variety. The New York Timesreports the US Food and Drug Administration has proposed a ban on menthol-flavored cigarettes as well as any non-tobacco cigar flavors. Menthol both makes cigarettes more appealing to young smokers and magnifies the addictive qualities of nicotine, officials said, and banning it could both prevent the “next generation of smokers” while helping adults quit.

The potential rules won’t punish individual possession of banned cigarettes and cigars. You’ll have a chance to comment on the proposal between May 4th and July 5th, with the FDA holding “public listening sessions” on June 13th and June 15th to obtain more feedback.

Notably, the possible ban doesn’t include menthol e-cigarettes. The FDA is in the midst of reviewing all e-cigarette products and still allows sales of some menthol-flavored offerings. E-cigs reached the market before the FDA had the power to regulate them.

It’s easy to see the menthol ban shaping e-cig policy, however. An alliance of 31 states and territories is pressuring the FDA to limit flavored offerings, including menthol. They’re concerned about teens taking up e-cigs in large numbers (nearly a fifth of high schoolers had used them recently as of 2020), and see flavor bans steering youth away.

Producers might not be quite as thrilled. While Juul stopped selling mint-flavored e-cigs in 2019, it continues to offer menthol despite studies showing its popularity among young smokers. If a successful ban on conventional menthol cigarettes extends to e-cigs, brands like Juul may lose a significant portion of its customers regardless of age. Still, the FDA isn’t likely to be swayed — companies might not want to count on selling menthol smoking products of any kind in the long run.

States, activists sue USPS over purchase of gas-powered mail trucks

The US Postal Service is facing more than just stern warnings over its decision to buy mostly gas-powered mail delivery trucks. Environmental activist groups (including the Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club) and 16 states have filed lawsuits in California and New York State to challenge the Postal Service’s Next Generation Delivery Vehicle purchasing decision. They argue the USPS’s environmental review was flawed and illegal, ignoring the “decades of pollution” the combustion-engine trucks would produce.

The USPS allegedly violated the National Environmental Policy Act by committing to buy 165,000 delivery vehicles (just 10 percent of them electric) without first conducting a “lawful” environmental review. The service only started its review six months after it had signed a contract, according to the California lawsuit. Both suits accuse the USPS of using botched estimates, including “unrealistically high” battery costs as well as wildly low fuel prices and emissions levels. They also noted that contract recipient Oshkosh Defense has no experience producing EVs.

The lawsuit also pointed out that the gas versions of the next-gen vehicle weren’t much kinder to the climate than their roughly 30-year-old predecessors. While the 14.7MPG without air conditioning beats the earlier models’ 8.2MPG, that fuel economy drops to just 8.6MPG with air conditioning turned on. Many of the powerplant-independent upgrades revolve around ergonomics, such as easier access to packages.

In a statement to the Associated Press, USPS spokesperson Kim Frum maintained that the organization implemented a “robust and thorough review” that met NEPA requirements. Previously, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy maintained that the institution couldn’t afford to buy more EVs and needed to concentrate on basic infrastructure upgrades. Unlike many government agencies, the Postal Service is legally required to be self-sufficient and can’t request government help to tackle deficits and debts.

Not that those arguments will necessarily help. If successful, the lawsuits will halt the truck order until it honors the plaintiffs’ expectations for NEPA and other regulations. This doesn’t guarantee an increased volume of EVs, but it won’t be surprising if the USPS ends up falling more in line with the current White House’s push for zero-emissions vehicles.

庵野秀明が『紫綬褒章』を受章致しました

本日、「令和4年春の紫綬褒章」の受章者が発表され、芸術文化に関わる功績にて、庵野秀明が『紫綬褒章』を受章致しました。 【庵野秀明より】 文化庁の方から御連絡を頂くまで勲章と褒章の区別も曖昧で、勲章と言えば1966年の「ロボタンの歌」と「ロボタンマーチ」が真っ先に浮かんでしまう、如何しようもないオタクな自…