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Two Soylentils wrote in with news of a fatal accident involving a Tesla vehicle. Please note that the feature in use, called "Autopilot" is not the same as an autonomous vehicle. It provides lane-keeping, cruise control, and safe-distance monitoring, but the driver is expected to be alert and in control at all times. -Ed.

Man Killed in Crash of 'Self-Driving' Car

butthurt writes:

Tech Insider reports that an Ohio man was killed on 7 May when his Tesla Model S, with its autopilot feature turned on, went under a tractor-trailer.

Further information:

• Tesla Motors blog
• NHTSA report
• video uploaded by the victim, demonstrating use of the autopilot feature

Tesla Autopilot - Fatal Accident

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/30/us-regulators-investigating-tesla-over-use-of-automated-system-linked-to-fatal-crash.html

Accident is reported to have happened in May, and reported to NHTSA/DOT immediately by Tesla. But not public until the end of June -- something a bit fishy about this reporting lag.

On the other hand, the accident is described as one that might have also been difficult for an alert human to have avoided:

This was the first reporting found--by the time it makes the SN front page there may be more details. Because this is a "first" it seems likely that a detailed investigation and accident reconstruction will be performed.

Original Submission #1  Original Submission #2 

mendax writes:

The New York Times is reporting:

Two explosions at Turkey’s largest airport left at least 10 people dead and wounded some 20 others on Tuesday night, according to Turkish authorities and television reports.

The Turkish justice minister, Bekir Bozdag, said 10 people had been killed in an attack on Ataturk airport. He said that one attacker fired an automatic weapon before detonating explosives.

Another Turkish government official said that the police fired shots at two suspected attackers at the entryway to the airport’s international terminal, in an effort to stop them before they reached the building’s security checkpoint. The two suspects then blew themselves up, the official said.

CNN Turk reported that one suicide bomber detonated explosives inside the terminal building and another outside in a parking lot.

[...] Ataturk airport has expanded in recent years and is now the third busiest in Europe, ranked by the annual number of passengers, after Heathrow in London and Charles de Gaulle in Paris.

While normally this kind of news would not necessarily be appropriate, at least in my view, for Soylent News, I submitted it because of this story posted here on Sunday, in which NASA cancels all travel for its personnel to the COSPAR meeting in Istanbul. It seems that NASA may have been very prescient and wise.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Full results and EU referendum portal at BBC.

Results are pouring in, and it looks like the United Kingdom will leave the European Union:

Unlike at a general election the results in individual areas do not count - it is the overall number of votes cast for one side or the other across the country that will determine whether the UK leaves the European Union. Polling expert Prof John Curtice said there was still a while to go but at this stage Leave were "undoubtedly the favourites" to win the referendum. He estimates that the finishing post for one side to win is 16,813,000 votes.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who at the start of the night predicted that Remain might "edge" a win, told supporters: "Dare to dream that the dawn is breaking on an independent United Kingdom." At a Brexit party, he told supporters: "If the predictions are right, this will be a victory for real people, a victory for ordinary people, and a victory for decent people." "Let June 23 go down in our history as our independence day." He also suggested the prime minister should resign "immediately" if the UK votes to leave the EU.

BBC now calling it for "Leave":

The UK has voted by 52% to 48% to leave the European Union after 43 years in an historic referendum, a BBC forecast suggests. London and Scotland voted strongly to stay in the EU but the remain vote has been undermined by poor results in the north of England. Voters in Wales and the English shires have backed Brexit in large numbers.

[...] Labour's Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the Bank of England may have to intervene to shore up the pound, which lost 3% within moments of the first result showing a strong result for Leave in Sunderland and fell as much as 6.5% against the euro.

Alternate coverage at The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent.

Update: Prime Minister David Cameron will address the nation at 8:15 AM local time (3:15 AM EDT).

Update: David Cameron will step down as PM before the Conservative Party Conference in October. (08:00 UTC)

Original Submission

-- OriginalOwner_ writes:

VentureBeat reports

[Early on June 22], Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives voiced their protest over not being able to vote on gun control legislation. Presiding Congressman Ted Poe (R-Texas) quickly called for a recess and ordered video cameras in the chamber to be turned off in the hopes of quelling the protest. It didn't.

Wired continues

House Democrats are in the midst of a historic sit-in on the floor of Congress to protest the Republican majority's inaction on gun control in the wake of the Orlando massacre. But since the House isn't technically in session, C-Span's cameras are not filming [though they could be operating if it wasn't for, once again, the intransigence of the Republican majority].

The Verge adds

C-SPAN has been airing live video from representatives on the House floor: first using Periscope footage from Representative Scott Peters, a Democrat from California and later using Facebook Live footage from an unnamed source.

[...] The protest began on the House floor around 11:30 this morning [Wednesday, June 22]. As the House left for recess, Democrats gathered together and refused to leave. Because the House is in recess--and because only the House has the power to turn C-SPAN's cameras on--C-SPAN isn't able to film these events as it normally would.

Democrats are in protest in an attempt to bring gun control legislation to a vote, in response to the attack in Orlando. The Senate accomplished this same feat using a filibuster, although none of the legislation it voted on passed.

It looks like the protest could continue for a while--the House was supposed to return from its recess over three hours ago at this point. As long as that's happening, it seems like Peters will keep streaming and C-SPAN will keep relying on live-streaming.

Also covered at Ars Technica .

[Update: 23 Jun at 9:00 A.M.] Current C-SPAN footage has a graphic: "House has adjourned until July 5".

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

United States Senators McCain and Burr have proposed that the FBI's use of National Security Letters should be expanded to include rummaging through email, web browsing, and other electronic communications. The proposed rider would also make permanent the surveillance of suspected potential terrorists with no ties to terrorist groups.

A vote is expected today, Wednesday, June 22. Fight for the Future has set up a site for U.S. residents to contact their senators by phone about this issue.

takyon: See also:

EFF Urges Senate Not to Expand FBI's Controversial National Security Letter Authority
We Made the Message Loud and Clear: Stop the Rule 41 Updates
DOJ Insists That Rule 41 Change Is Not Important, Nothing To See Here, Move On Annoying Privacy Activist People

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

A suspected Islamic terrorist opened fire at a gay nightclub in Florida, killing 50 people and wounding another 53 before he was killed by police. While authorities continue to investigate to determine whether this man had ties to ISIS, the terror organization has not been quiet in praising the attack. This comes three days after ISIS announced they would attack somewhere in Florida. Today's attack marks the largest act of terrorism on US soil since 9/11.

takyon: The gunman reportedly called 911 emergency services to pledge allegiance to ISIS. The President will hold a briefing momentarily. Compare this article to the original submission.

Original Submission   Late submission by physicsmajor

takyon writes:

EgyptAir Flight MS804 has disappeared with 59 56 passengers and 10 crew onboard. It went missing soon after it entered Egyptian airspace, over the eastern Mediterranean.

Bloomberg, The Guardian, BBC.

janrinok adds:

The Guardian has a page with updated details.

martyb summarizes:

Flight MS804, an Airbus A320, was on its fifth flight of the day and traveling at 37,000 feet. It left Paris Charles de Gaulle at 11:09pm local time (21:09 UTC/22:09 BST/07:09 AEST) en route to Cairo and disappeared from radar with 66 people on board at 2:30am (00:30 GMT/01:30 BST/10:30 AEST) approximately 280km (175 miles) north of Egypt's coast — about 45 minutes before it was scheduled to land.

Of the 66 people on board, there were 56 passengers and 10 crew (two cockpit, five cabin, three security).

At 4:26am local time (two hours after the last radar contact) a signal was received from the "plane's emergency devices — possibly an emergency locator transmitter or beacon."

"EgyptAir says the captain has 6,275 flying hours, including 2,101 on the A320; the copilot has 2,766. The plane was manufactured in 2003."

Original Submission

takyon writes:

After losing the Indiana primary, Ted Cruz suspended his presidential bid, saying that "the path has been foreclosed".

Donald Trump will likely succeed on the initial ballot at the Republican National Convention, avoiding a contested convention. Bernie Sanders won a 5-6 point victory in Indiana, prolonging the Democratic side of the race.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

An unconfirmed incident near Heathrow Airport in London may fuel calls for a drone ban:

A plane approaching Heathrow Airport is believed to have hit a drone before it landed safely, the Metropolitan Police has said. The British Airways flight from Geneva was hit as it approached the London airport at about 12:50 BST with 132 passengers and five crew on board. After landing, the pilot reported an object - believed to be a drone - had struck the front of the Airbus A320. Aviation police based at Heathrow have launched an investigation. Police said no arrests have been made.

If confirmed, it is believed to be the first incident of its kind in the UK. A British Airways spokesman said: "Our aircraft landed safely, was fully examined by our engineers and it was cleared to operate its next flight." The airline will give the police "every assistance with their investigation", the spokesman added.

Also at The Guardian and Reuters.

Previously: Call for Research after Drone Near-Misses in the UK

Original Submission