Today’s topics

• Will US ban DJI drones?

• Self-driving trucks on Interstate 45

• Amazon Prime’s record delivery speed

• NASA’s groundbreaking laser transmission

• G7’s major move in climate policy

  and more…

Stocks ended on a high note Monday, thanks largely to Tesla's strong performance. Traders are bracing for a big week, with a full slate of corporate earnings and a Federal Reserve meeting on the docket. The S&P 500 was up 0.32%, the Nasdaq ticked up 0.35%, the Dow Jones also saw gains, adding 146.43 points, or 0.38%.

Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology gets green light in China. Shares of Tesla surged on Monday following the announcement that the electric car giant has received approval to expand its advanced driver-assistance technology in China. After a series of high-level meetings in Beijing, Chinese authorities have given Tesla the go-ahead to implement its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology more broadly in its second-largest market. This expansion comes at a critical time as CEO Elon Musk pushes for global adoption of the feature amid concerns over slowing sales growth.

DJI drones could be next on US ban list. Following efforts to ban TikTok, the US government might now set its sights on DJI, the China-based drone manufacturer. According to a report from The New York Times, a recent bill passed by the House of Energy and Commerce Committee could potentially halt the operation of DJI's drones throughout the United States.

The future of freight: self-driving trucks on highways. Owned by Pittsburgh-based Aurora Innovation, this self-driving semi is equipped with 25 advanced sensors including lasers, radars, and cameras. Starting later this year, Aurora plans to deploy 20 driverless trucks to transport freight along Interstate 45 between Dallas and Houston. Within the next three to four years, Aurora and its industry rivals aim to introduce thousands of these autonomous trucks onto America’s public freeways.

Amazon shatters speed records with Prime deliveries. Amazon has ramped up its delivery speed, announcing that in the first quarter of 2024, it delivered over 2 billion items to Prime members either the same or next day, surpassing its 2023 record. The company also revealed that nearly 60 percent of Prime orders in the top 60 U.S. metropolitan areas were delivered within this rapid timeframe.

Financial Times to Train ChatGPT

OpenAI has partnered with the Financial Times to use its content for training AI systems like ChatGPT. This agreement allows ChatGPT to offer users summaries, quotes, and links to FT articles. OpenAI has similar partnerships with major publishers, including the Associated Press, France's Le Monde, Spain's Prisa Media, and Germany's Axel Springer, the publisher behind the Bild tabloid.

James Webb's Deep Dive: Hunting Alien Life on Ocean-World K2-18b

In a thrilling update from NASA, the James Webb Space Telescope has been focusing intently on the distant, ocean-drenched exoplanet K2-18b after detecting signs of "dimethyl sulfide" (DMS) in September—a gas “produced by life”, namely marine bacteria and phytoplankton. Its recent eight-hour observation session is part of a deeper dive into one of the most exciting prospects for finding extraterrestrial life.

NASA's spacecraft sets cosmic communication record. Earth has just received a groundbreaking laser transmission from NASA's Psyche spacecraft, a staggering 140 million miles away. This marks a potential game-changer for future space travel. Although it might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, this transmission isn't from extraterrestrials but from a spacecraft orbiting about 1.5 times the distance from Earth to the Sun.

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G7 Commits to Coal Exit by 2035, Setting a Global Climate Precedent

The G7 has just made a major move in climate policy, with ministers agreeing to close down all their coal plants by 2035 at the latest, according to a UK minister. Announced on Monday, this decision marks a significant step, especially given the contentious nature of setting an end date for coal — the most climate-polluting fossil fuel — at global climate discussions. This breakthrough could potentially inspire other countries to follow suit.

Global talks heat up over landmark treaty to curb plastic pollution. Negotiations are heating up in Canada as representatives from nations worldwide convene to discuss a potential global treaty aimed at ending plastic pollution. The talks are currently focused on a draft that includes controversial proposals to cap global plastic production, despite pushback from major plastic-producing countries, companies, and oil and gas exporters. Given that most plastics derive from fossil fuels and chemicals, the stakes are high and the debate intense.

NYC’s bold move: largest office-to-residential conversion

Lower Manhattan is set to gain 1,300 new apartments through America's largest office-to-residential conversion. Earlier last year, Mayor Eric Adams initiated a campaign to transform a significant amount of underutilized office space, vacant since 2020, into housing. As of February this year, construction on this ambitious project has reached its highest point, marking a major milestone in the development.

NYC shaken (again) by earthquake and over 30 aftershocks. This weekend, the New York City area experienced yet another earthquake, followed by over 30 aftershocks. A magnitude 2.9 quake struck about 4 miles southwest of Gladstone, New Jersey, just before 9 a.m. on Saturday, as reported by the United States Geological Survey. The epicenter was located approximately 45 miles from the heart of New York City.

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