Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 2017)
Page 10A BUSINESS East Oregonian Saturday, March 11, 2017 California to give the green light to truly driverless cars By JUSTIN PRITCHARD Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Cars with no steering wheel, no pedals and nobody at all inside could be driving them- selves on California roads by the end of the year, under proposed new state rules that would give a powerful boost to the fast-developing technology. For the past several years, tech companies and automakers have been testing self-driving cars on the open road in California. But regulators insisted that those vehicles have steering wheels, foot controls and human backup drivers who could take over in an emer- gency. On Friday, the state Department of Motor Vehi- cles proposed regulations that would open the way for truly driverless cars. Under the rules, road- testing of such vehicles could begin by the end of 2017, and a limited number could become available to customers as early as 2018 — provided the federal government gives the necessary permission. Currently, federal automo- bile standards require steering wheels, though Washington has shown a desire to encourage self-driving tech- nology. While a few other states have permitted such testing, this is a major step forward for the industry, given California’s size as the most populous state, its clout as the nation’s biggest car market and its longtime role as a cultural trendsetter. The proposed regulations also amount to the most detailed regulatory frame- work of any state. “California has taken a big step. This is exciting,” said Bryant Walker Smith, a law professor at the University of South Carolina who tracks government policy on self- driving cars. AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File In this May 2015 file photo, Google’s self-driving prototype car is presented during a demonstration at the Google campus in Mountain View, Calif. “We don’t want to race to meet a deadline. We want to get this right.” — Bernard Soriano, a leader of the motor vehicle agency’s self-driving program The rules are subject to a public hearing and a comment period and could change. Regulators hope to put them in effect by December. The proposal is more than two years overdue, reflecting complex questions of safety and highly advanced tech- nology. “We don’t want to race to meet a deadline,” said Bernard Soriano, a leader of the motor vehicle agency’s self-driving program. “We want to get this right.” In one important change from prior drafts, once a manufacturer declares its technology is road-ready, it can put its cars on the market. That self-certifica- tion approach mirrors how federal officials regulate standard cars, and represents a big victory for such major players as Waymo, Google’s self-driving car project. Also under the proposed regulations, any driverless car still must be remotely monitored and able to pull itself over safely in an emer- gency. A Waymo spokesman had no immediate comment. The chief skeptic of the technology, California-based Consumer Watchdog, said the proposal does not protect the public. “The new rules are too industry-friendly,” Consumer Watchdog’s John Simpson said in a statement. The technology is devel- oping quickly. More than a year ago, a Waymo prototype with no steering wheel or pedals drove a blind man on city streets in Texas. Supporters say the cars may one day be far safer than those with humans at the wheel, since the machinery won’t drive distracted, drunk or drowsy. During road-testing in California, self-driving cars with human backup drivers are believed to have caused just a few collisions. A year ago, Waymo reported that during the 424,331 miles its cars had driven themselves, a human driver intervened 11 times to avoid a collision. In an update earlier this year, Waymo said its fleet had driven 636,868 miles in autonomous mode; it did not say how many crashes were avoided. In all, 27 companies have Department of Motor Vehicles permits to test on California roads. Waymo was able to legally put its prototype on the road in Texas because state law there does not prohibit a fully driverless car. Other states have explicitly invited the technology onto its roads, including Michigan, whose governor signed a bill in December that allows the public testing of cars with no driver. In the meantime, the industry has been lobbying the U.S. Transportation Department and Congress for rule changes that could speed the introduction of truly driverless cars. Cooperation, payments help VW avoid bigger penalty DETROIT (AP) — By cooperating with federal investigators and quickly agreeing to compensate car owners, Volkswagen likely will avoid a massive criminal fine for cheating on diesel emissions tests and trying to cover it up. The company on Friday pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and conspiracy over a brazen scheme to program nearly 600,000 vehicles to deceive the Environmental Protection Agency. VW also agreed to pay $4.3 billion in criminal and civil penalties. While that is the largest-ever fine imposed by the U.S. government on an automaker, the company could have been on the hook for much more. Federal sentencing guide- lines called for fines from $17 billion to $34 billion due to the size of the plot and because VW employees destroyed documents and data after learning of the government investigation. The crimes were well- planned and “went to a very high level in the corporate structure,” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Neal told the court. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File This 2013 file photo shows the logo on the grill of a Volkswagen on display in Pittsburgh. On Friday Volk- swagen is expected to plead guilty to three criminal counts at a morning hearing in Detroit federal court for cheating on diesel emissions tests. VW won’t know its punishment for sure until sentenced April 21 by U.S. District Judge Sean Cox in Detroit. But prosecutors said that VW got a big discount on the penalty because it cooperated after fessing up to the crime. The automaker’s general counsel, Manfred Doess, who was in court to agree to the plea, acknowledged the scheme lasted for nine years, from 2006 to 2015, and went to the level of just below the company’s management board. VW attorney Jason Wein- stein said VW’s cooperation enabled U.S. authorities to quickly file charges against six German supervisors in the case. Only one is in U.S. custody, though, and it’s unlikely the others will be extradited from Germany. One U.S. employee also was charged. “I’ve never seen a company act more swiftly or aggressively to hold itself Blue Mountain Diabetes Champions Topic: Healthy Eating on the Run Diabetes History Newly Diagnosed Know someone who has diabetes? Wednesday, March 15 Conference Rooms 3 & 4 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. th Christine 541-278-3235 accountable for what it did wrong,” Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor, told the court. VW agreed to compen- sate owners for more than they would have received under criminal statutes, Neal said. Car owners combined will get up to $11 billion for vehicle buybacks and compensation as part of a civil settlement agreed to last year. The company also agreed to environmental remediation and electric vehicle investment, and its behavior will be watched by a monitor for three years. Although both sides asked Cox to sentence VW on Friday, Cox said he wanted more time to study the terms of the punishment — including a $2.8 billion criminal fine. If Cox rejects the recommendation, VW can withdraw its plea. If the company wants to stick with a guilty plea, Cox still could order harsher penalties. PENDLETON Loan officer receives top honor home purchase, refinance, construction and renovation Elaine Anderson of loan clients,” said Gary Umpqua Bank in Pendleton Duffy, senior vice president was recently recognized as production director Umpqua Bank a 2016 Leaders Home Lending Club loan officer. offers a wide The award variety of home goes to the loan options top producing for purchase loan officers and refinance, in the home including first lending division. time homebuyer, Anderson was investment, promoted as custom the new sales Anderson construction/ manager of home remodel, high lending in 2014, and prior to that she was an balance and government Umpqua Bank loan officer. financing programs. Headquartered in An Eastern Oregon native, she has more than 30 years Roseburg, Umpqua Bank of banking experience, is a subsidiary of Umpqua nearly two dozen years in Holdings Corporation, and has locations in Pendleton, mortgage lending. “Elaine exemplifies her Hermiston and numerous leadership role through cities across the West delivering a high level of Coast, Idaho and northern customer service to her Nevada. East Oregonian A robust February jobs report points to resilient U.S. economy WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added a robust 235,000 jobs in February and raised pay at a brisk pace — signs that a resilient economy has given many companies the confi- dence to hire in anticipation of solid growth ahead. With the unemployment rate dipping to a low 4.7 percent from 4.8 percent, the job market appears to be fundamentally healthy or nearly so. Friday’s employment report from the government showed that more people began looking for jobs last month, an encouraging sign that they’ve grown confi- dent about their prospects. Hiring was strong enough to absorb those new job seekers as well as some of the previously unemployed. The picture of an economy on solid footing nearly eight years after the Great Recession ended has made it all but certain that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next week and signal the likelihood of additional rate hikes ahead. Economists were mainly encouraged by the employ- ment data. “It’s hard to find much to dislike in the February jobs report,” said Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan Chase, said. About a quarter of the job gains occurred in construction, which added 58,000 jobs, the most in a decade. Unseasonably warm weather likely inflated that figure, econ- omists said. Last month was the second-warmest February since 1895, according to the Commerce Department. The February jobs data likely provided the final piece of evidence the Fed needed to raise rates after its next policy meeting Wednesday. Montana considers keeping coal-fired plant afloat with loans HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana lawmakers are considering propping up a troubled coal-fired power plant by offering low-interest loans of up to $10 million a year from the state’s $1 billion coal tax trust fund to one of the plant’s owners. Talen Energy, which owns 50 percent of the two Colstrip power plant units slated for closure by July 2022, has warned that the shutdown could come sooner if it does not receive tax relief or state assistance. That led Rep. Jim Keane, D-Butte, to request the bill that would allow Talen to borrow up to $10 million a year from the coal tax trust fund. The bill, which Keane said will be sponsored by House Speaker Austin Knudsen, R-Culbertson, says the state Board of Investments can lend the money to Talen “to finance the everyday operations and required maintenance” of the Colstrip units. “It might not be the best way, but it is a way to help them,” Keane said. “They can borrow from the state to hopefully keep them going.” Talen spokesman Todd Martin did not return a call for comment. State Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, said the company was not involved in drafting the measure or two accompa- nying measures requiring decommissioning and cleanup plans for the shut- down. Anne Hedges, the deputy director of the Montana Environmental Information Center, called the bill “wrongheaded.” The state should first ensure that Talen will pay for its existing obligations, such as cleaning up the polluted site and paying its workers’ pensions, before it gives the company money, she said. MCKAY CREEK ESTATES Caregiver SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR SERIES RSVP Today - FREE Caregivers Support ppor p pp p Series d e t e l p m o C d e t e l p m o C THURSDAY, TH HURSDAY, AY, JANUA JANUARY NUARY Y 19, 19 2017, 2 1 2 2:00 0 P PM M THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2017, 2:00 PM Senior S enior n o r Car Ca Caregiving re g i v i ng Can C a Take T ake k e a T Toll o l o oll on n Y Yo Your o ur H Health l lth h Identity Theft, Protect Your Loved One THURSDAY, DAY, FEBRUARY FEBRUA ARY RY 16, 16 2017, 2 01 2:00 2 0 PM M THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017, 2:00 PM Respite R e spite s pi e C Choices ho ic e s t to M hoice hoic Make k Senior S enior n o r C Ca Car Caregiving a re g i v i ing ng a Little L ittle l Easier E Navigating Difficult Conversations with Your Loved One Call us at (521) 276-1987 for more information or to reserve your seat(s). Hurry space is limited. Refreshments provided. Melissa 541-278-3249 2801 St. Anthony Way Pendleton, OR www.sahpendleton.com Location: Classes are held at St. Anthony Hospital, conference room #1. 2801 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton, OR Sponsored in partnership with CHI St. Anthony Hospital and McKay Creek Estates. McKay Creek Estates 1601 Southgate Place Pendleton, OR 97801
