ZWF: Speed controls coming to new cars?
Zander's Weekend Facts #97: Sunday, December 17, 2023
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top headlines you need to know about from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 126 features a look at the challenges of owning an electric vehicle in the U.S. in 2023. Plus, Zander takes a look at the solutions currently underway to fix the problems facing EVs. Download the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, December 17, 2023:
What Zander’s been reading
After over 12,000 Americans died last year in speeding-related accidents, the National Transportation Safety Board is looking into the possibility of adding built-in controls in new cars that can limit their speed.
Check out this week’s featured article at NBC News - Should cars have built-in speed limits? Some think it’s time - (Apple News link)
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top headlines from the sports world in the Sporting Club:
NFL Week 15: This weekend’s NFL action got started with a historic blowout and the first Saturday games of the season. On Thursday night, the Raiders thumped the Chargers 63-21, the most points scored in a game in franchise history. On Saturday’s tripleheader, the Bengals needed overtime to beat the Vikings 27-24, the Colts took down the Steelers 30-13, and the Lions stomped the Broncos 42-17. Turning to Sunday, the Bears face the Browns at 1:00 pm et, along with the Giants taking on the Saints, and the Dolphins hosting the Jets. At 4:00 pm et, the Rams host the Commanders, the 49ers take on the Cardinals, and the Cowboys visit the Bills. On Sunday night, the Ravens play the Jaguars, and the Eagles go on the road to take on the Seahawks on Monday night.
College Football Bowls: Bowl season in college football began on Saturday as 43 bowl games highlight the next few weeks. On Saturday, some notable matchups among the seven games included hometown UCLA beating Mountain West champion Boise State in the LA Bowl, and Texas Tech knocking off California 34-14 in the Indpendence Bowl. This coming week features 11 bowl matchups, including Friday’s Georgia Tech-UCF Gasparilla Bowl, and Saturday’s Las Vegas Bowl featuring Utah and Northwestern.
UEFA Champions League: The Group Stage of the UEFA Champions League concluded on Wednesday, with 16 clubs moving on to the Knockout stages. The eight clubs who won their groups were Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Real Sociedad. The eight remaining clubs who also advanced to the Knockouts are Copenhagen, Inter Milan, Lazio, Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, PSV Eindhoven, and RB Leipzig. The draw to determine the bracket for the Knockout rounds will take place on Monday at 6:00 am et.
Draymond Green: Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was suspended indefinitely by the NBA on Wednesday. The punishment came after Green made contact with the face of Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in a game on Tuesday and was subsequently ejected. The league said that Green will need to meet “certain league and team conditions before he returns to play.” Green has been suspended five times previously by the league and now twice this season.
Brandon Staley: The Los Angeles Chargers fired head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco on Friday after a blowout loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Chargers fell 63-21 on Thursday night, the most points given up in a game in the franchise’s history. The loss also dropped LA to a 5-9 record on the season. The Chargers appointed Giff Smith, the team’s outside linebackers coach, as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The team’s starting quarterback, Justin Herbert, is out for the rest of the season with a finger injury.
Rapid-fire Facts
These are top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Biden Impeachment Inquiry: The House of Representatives voted to authorize an impeachment inquiry into President Biden on Wednesday. The vote was 221-212, with all Republicans in favor and all Democrats against. Republicans have been investigating whether Biden improperly benefited from the foreign business dealings of his son Hunter. The probe into the Bidens has so far produced no evidence, however, Republicans allege that officially approving an impeachment inquiry will give them better legal standing and does not formally mean the body will move to impeach Biden.
Giuliani Defamation Case: Former campaign attorney for former President Donald Trump and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was found liable for defamation on Friday. A jury in Georgia ordered Giuliani to pay a total of $148 million to two Georgia election workers, Wandrea "Shaye" Moss and Ruby Freeman. The jury found that conspiracies regarding the 2020 presidential election spread by Giuliani and others harmed the livelihoods of Moss and Freeman, who had threats levied against them by followers of Trump. Giuliani and others had claimed that there had been fraud in the 2020 presidential election in the state, a claim which has produced no evidence.
COP28 Fossil Fuel Deal: The United Nations COP28 climate summit ended last week with a deal reached to reduce the use of fossil fuels. The deal includes, “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner ... so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.” The deal also calls for the expansion of renewable energy capacity, tripling it worldwide by 2030. While a deal was struck, it will be up to individual countries to implement policies moving towards its targets.
Epic Games/Google Lawsuit: A jury in Northern California found on Monday that Google violated antitrust laws on its Google Play app store. Google was found of using monopolistic practices against Epic Games, the maker of the popular video game Fortnite, and engaged in anticompetitive behavior. A judge will decide next year whether Google must change some of the aspects of its Play Store, including the fees it charges app makers. Google announced that it would appeal the decision. A judge ruled against Epic in a similar case against Apple two years ago, one that is currently attempting to be heard before the Supreme Court.
Illinois Gun Ban: The Supreme Court left an Illinois assault weapons ban in place last week while a challenge to the law goes through the appeals process. The law in Illinois, passed in January, prohibits the sale and purchase of semi-automatic assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition-feeding devices. The National Association for Gun Rights and an Illinois gun shop owner filed a lawsuit against the law shortly after its passage, arguing it violates the Second Amendment. Both a federal District Court and Court of Appeals have so far sided with the state.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment! That includes the next episode of the Zander’s Facts Podcast, which comes out this Wednesday!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The facts in print return next Sunday, December 24, 2023.
