Meet Bryan Billy: Executive Director, Teach for America Alabama
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“If the people of Birmingham will have me, I’m more than willing to continue to serve.”
-Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin on running for a third term, birminghamtimes.com, Aug. 7.
“As long as there’s crime, we’ll need prevention.”
-Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson, on youth violence prevention programs she participated in, birminghamtimes.com, Aug. 7.
The Fantasies Kids Have About Future Race Cars
Racing cars of the future will be able to fly, “swim” underwater and change color on the go -according to children.
A group of UK-based 1,000 kids, aged six to 10, were asked what they think motorsports will look like in 2043, with some believing the high-tech vehicles will be able to leap over other cars to avoid crashes.
Others think drivers will be able to create a ‘shield’ to protect cars from bumps, have tires that can change themselves and be controlled by the driver’s mind.
Youngsters also think robots will take over the world and eventually replace humans behind the wheel, however, 69 percent would still love to meet a real-life racing driver.
Nearly one in five (19 percent) want to ask how old they were when they first raced a car, and 12 percent would ask for tips on how to become one themselves.
The research was commissioned to launch Nissan’s EV School series, where Nissan Formula E Team drivers Norman Nato and Sacha Fenestraz teach kids about the wonderful world of electric vehicles.
Norman Nato said: “It’s important to teach kids about the future and all of them will be driving electric vehicles when they grow up.
“Everything we develop in our Formula E cars is designed to make a better tomorrow.
“We work hard on creating technology that becomes available in electric road cars and it’s exciting for me to be at the forefront of innovation.’’
The study, carried out via OnePoll, also found three in 10 youngsters think there will be video-game style sections of the track which give cars a speed boost.
And 21 percent wouldn’t be surprised to see high-tech shifting racetracks, where every lap has a different layout.
It also emerged 27 percent of the kids surveyed watch motorsports on TV, and 44 percent have enjoyed watching an e-Sport.
Sacha Fenestraz said: “The future of Formula E is going to be extremely exciting and it’s great to hear what the next generation of drivers think it will look like.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next 20 to 30 years, maybe we’ll be able to race in flying cars, but I hope robot drivers don’t replace us.”
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
IDF To Turn Organic Waste Into Renewable Energy
The Israeli Defense Ministry and the IDF launched an initiative on Monday to convert organic waste on military bases into renewable energy.
The initiative, in collaboration with HomeBiogas, a startup based in Moshav Beit Yanai, near Netanya, aims to convert kitchen waste into biogas.
Biogas is a renewable energy source produced through the breakdown of organic matter such as agricultural waste, animal manure, food scraps and sewage, in an oxygen-free environment. This process involves the activity of microorganisms that break down the organic materials and produce a mixture of gases, primarily methane and carbon dioxide, along with trace amounts of other gases such as hydrogen sulfide.
The methane content gives biogas its energy potential, making it a valuable resource for generating energy that can be used for cooking, heating or transportation. Biogas can also be applied to fertilizer and waste management.
A ceremony held on Monday at the IDF’s Glilot Base near Herzliya marked the installation of the army’s first system.
The technology can recycle up to 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of organic waste daily. The biogas produced will be used to heat water for the base.
The HomeBiogas system will be used in a one-year trial. If the assessments are positive, more systems will be purchased for additional bases.
According to the Defense Ministry, the IDF spends approximately $22 million yearly on the disposal of waste, with the majority ending up in landfills.
Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority, said, “HomeBiogas’ system represents a promising solution that can significantly contribute to combating the climate crisis, addressing a pressing need in the extensive mass catering industry.”
HomeBiogas CEO and co-founder Oshik Efrati said, “We see this important collaboration as a significant milestone in our company’s journey towards expanding its business activity. This project represents another crucial step in fulfilling HomeBiogas’s vision of offering innovative and cost-effective solutions for generating renewable energy while simultaneously reducing environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions associated with the transportation and disposal of organic waste.”
Produced in association with Jewish News Syndicate
(Additional reporting provided by JNS Reporter)
Why Did Tesla CFO Quit? Musk Cites ‘Long Tour Of Duty,’ But 2 Analysts Have Their Own Theories
Tesla, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) longtime CFO Zachary Kirkhorn, who went by the official designation of “Master of Coin” announced Monday his decision to leave after a 13-year stint at the company.
Boss Responds: Tesla CEO Elon Musk weighed in on the departure of one of his longstanding, trusted lieutenants. “I would like to thank Zach Kirkhorn for his many contributions to Tesla over the course of often difficult years,” he said in a post on the X social media platform he owns.
“Much appreciated and best wishes for the next stage of his career,” he added.
When a Tesla influencer commented that Kirkhorn may have got a job offer elsewhere, which he couldn’t refuse, the billionaire offered a glimpse into the former CFO’s potential post-Tesla life.
“13 years is a long tour of duty. Zach will spend time with friends & family, then do something else,” Musk said.
Two of the bullish Tesla analysts also offered their takes on the development.
Reading Between Lines: Future Fund’s Gary Black said Kirkhorn may have informed Musk about his plans to quit by the year-end. The fund manager noted that Tesla stock vested as part of Kirkhorn’s compensation package may have left him “very wealthy,” apparently referring to a lack of drive to stay on.
A Form 4 filed by Tesla on behalf of Kirkhorn on July 7 showed that he owned 197,540 Tesla shares, which would be valued at about $50 million based on Monday’s closing price of $251.45. His base salary for fiscal year 2022 was $300,000, according to the latest proxy statement.
Despite the Tesla CEO’s urging to stay back, the former executive may have insisted on leaving, prompting the billionaire to make to give immediate effect to the departure, according to Black.
The Future Fund Managing Partner said most amicable resignations after an executive stayed with the company for 10+ years will have a transition period of one to two quarters and the executes hands over control at the end of the transition period.
He also noted that nowhere in the 8-K filing concerning the development or Kirkhorn’s LinkedIn post was it mentioned that he had resigned.
Among the potential reasons Black explored include disagreement with Musk on some aspects of strategy related to price cuts or margins, or even succession. Probably, Kirkhorn was told he was not a contender for the CEO post, he added.
Meanwhile, Pierre Ferragu of New Street Research said Kirkhorn will be missed. “Excellent CFO for me, as an analyst best at answering questions that matter in a helpful way,” he said.
Although a CFO departure is always a risk, the well-planned transition bodes well in Tesla’s case, Ferragu said. Tesla promoted company insider Vaibhav Taneja as the next CFO.
“Part of the model: Tesla is best in the world at attracting talents, but will always struggle to retain them, given the intensity and the pace at which they get rich at Tesla!” Ferragu said.
“Tesla has an incredible bench, I am not worried about the transition,” he added.
Tesla closed Monday’s session down 0.95% at $251.45, according to Zenger News Pro data.
Produced in association with Benzinga
Ford CEO Pilots F-150 Lightning Across West As Cybertruck Launch Nears: ‘A New Way To Experience America’
By Anan Ashraf
A group from Ford Motor Co (NYSE:F), led by CEO Jim Farley, is currently embarking on a road trip across the American West in an F-150 Lightning electric pickup.
What Happened: The journey, commencing in Silicon Valley, is set to cover Los Angeles, Route 66, and Las Vegas. Utilizing charging infrastructure throughout the route, the team will engage with various stakehZenger News, including researchers, businesses, dealers, salespeople, EV conversion shops, EV drivers, and communities, Farley said in a LinkedIn post on Monday.
“There are things you can’t learn in an office or from a PowerPoint,” Farley said. The CEO also reminisced his younger days when he drove around the country in a Mustang and the year he spent on the road for Toyota before he joined Ford.
“Long hauling in an electric truck is an act of pioneerism, not because it’s hard or dangerous, but because it’s a new way to experience America,” Farley wrote while adding that the shift from fueling to charging stations opens up for new possibilities.
This week, a few of us are hitting the road in an #F150Lightning to go and see the EV transition in action. Here’s what’s on my mind… https://t.co/xhUvu8bXsY
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) August 7, 2023
Why It Matters: The road trip comes amidst significant curiosity around Cybertruck sightings in California as it undergoes testing. At Tesla‘s (NASDAQ:TSLA) annual shareholder meeting in May, CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the Cybertruck delivery event is scheduled for later this year.
Once it hits the road, the Cybertruck will be up against the F-150 lightning and Rivian vehicles in the electric pickup truck segment.
During the company’s second-quarter earnings call last month, Musk said, “Demand is so far off the hook, you can’t even see the hook.” The Cybertruck crossed 1.5 million pre-orders as early as November last year. It accumulated over 250,000 pre-orders less than a week after its unveiling in 2019.
However, Farley has previously dismissed the Cybertruck as “a cool high-end product parked in front of a hotel.” While the Cybertruck is for Silicon Valley people, Ford makes trucks for real people who do real work, the CEO said.
Produced in association with Benzinga
