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This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 6 PHOENIX (AP) — In Arizona’s most populous county, elected officials are bracing for what could happen when it comes time to replace its $2 million-a-year contract for voting equipment. Officials in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, say they have no concerns about their current vendor, Dominion Voting Systems. The problem is that the company has been ensnared in a web of conspiracy theories since the 2020 presidential election that have undermined public confidence in U.S. elections among conservative voters, led to calls to ban voting machines in some places and triggered death threats against election officials across the country. “I have concerns over my own personal security if we re-enlist Dominion,” Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a Republican elected in 2020, said in a court filing. “It went from a company that nobody had heard about to a … [Read more...] about Fox lawsuit highlights effects of conspiracies on Dominion

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says interest in hosting races is so high the series could hold 32 grands prix. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free The 2023 F1 calendar was originally supposed to include 24 races, the maximum permitted under the current agreement between the teams, F1 and FIA. However the cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix cut the number to 23. A job advert posted by F1 last year indicated the series is looking at a potential future expansion to 25 rounds. Speaking at the SportNXT conference in Melbourne this week, Domenicali indicated the series would be able to accommodate more than the current maximum. “We could have already today more than 30, even 32 grands prix, because everyone wants one,” Domenicali claimed. However he said the series is satisfied with the current limit of 24 rounds. Part of the calendar expansion has come about because F1 has added a third race in America this year. A new race on the Las Vegas Strip Circuit … [Read more...] about F1 ‘could have 32 grands prix today because everyone wants one’ – Domenicali · RaceFans

Mercedes driver George Russell believes the team have gained more performance since the start of the season than throughout the entire winter. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free The team has endured a frustrating start to 2023 championship, running behind rivals Red Bull for the second year in succession and being beaten by power unit customers Aston Martin. Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, Russell admitted Mercedes had been forced to re-evaluate what it expected to get out of the 2023 season following their slow start to the year. “I think it’s a case of managing expectations and just focusing on yourself and that development,” Russell said. “We all believed over the winter what we were doing was correct because it was an evolution of what we did throughout last year. And we all saw the improvements we made as a team throughout last year to win a race at the end of the year and be fighting at the front. It caught us by surprise to … [Read more...] about Mercedes made more progress since season began than during winter – Russell · RaceFans

Daniel Ricciardo has returned to the Formula 1 paddock at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix in his new role as Red Bull’s third driver. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free After losing his McLaren seat for 2023, Ricciardo signed to rejoin Red Bull last November. So far the team has only shown him acting in a promotional capacity, including recently driving a Red Bull RB7 around Australia. But when he is trackside he will serve the same function as Liam Lawson and Dennis Hauger, the two Red Bull juniors sharing the reserve driver role and doing simulator work at the team’s F1 base in Milton Keynes, in that he will be ready to race should Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez be unable to. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said Ricciardo will attend several races this year as reserve, and “probably do a bit of tyre testing” in the current RB19 car as well as simulator work. But his main duties, due to Ricciardo now being based in the USA, will be … [Read more...] about Sabbatical or retirement? Ricciardo returns to F1 paddock – and questions over his future · RaceFans

Red Bull left Australia 12 months ago at a low ebb after seeing rivals Ferrari claim another win while both their cars lagged off the pace and one didn’t even reach the chequered flag. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free But the team transformed its fortunes over the remainder of the season and now finds itself in a position of clear superiority. In the 21 races since the last Australian Grand Prix, Red Bull has only been beaten three times. Max Verstappen recalled how challenging last year’s race was for the team during today’s press conference in Melbourne. Following last year’s race the eventual champion languished sixth in the standings, 46 points behind Charles Leclerc, who had just scored his second win in three races. “Last year our car was very heavily overweight at this stage of the season, so that didn’t help,” said Verstappen. The team was also grappling with handling problems. “We had a big shift in balance between qualifying and the race, so … [Read more...] about “Very frustrating” Australian GP showed where Red Bull had gone wrong – Verstappen · RaceFans

A class-action lawsuit against General Motors over claims the automaker sold vehicles with alleged faulty transmissions will move forward with plaintiffs in 26 states. GM Class-Action Transmission Lawsuit Last week, a Michigan Judge certified 26 statewide classes of drivers who claim that GM sold vehicles with faulty transmissions that caused shudders and hard shifts that made the vehicles difficult to stop and sometimes made it feel as if they had been rear-ended. GM reportedly declined to comment on the litigation. 8-Speed Automatic Transmission Vehicles Involved The lawsuit involves more than 800,000 owners of 8-speed automatic transmission GM vehicles. Specifically, the certified class includes purchasers of various GM vehicles with one of two models of an eight-speed automatic transmission, either the 8L90 or 8L45, that w ere manufactured between 2015 and March 1, 2019, and who bought the vehicle from an authorized GM dealer before March 1, … [Read more...] about GM Will Face Class-Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Faulty Transmissions

BERLIN (AP) — German officials have criticized plans by French firm Framatome to produce nuclear fuel in a joint venture with Russia's Rosatom at a facility in western Germany, and said Thursday that they will consider whether an application to do so can be rejected. Officials in the state of Lower Saxony have received a request for the Framatome-owned ANF facility in Lingen, near the German-Dutch border, to be allowed to produce hexagonal fuel rod arrangements used in Soviet-designed water-water energetic reactors. Such reactors, known by the Russian acronym VVER, are common in Eastern Europe and the fuel production would take place under license from state-owned Rosatom. “Doing business with (Russian President) Putin must stop, and that also and especially applies to the nuclear sector,” Lower Saxony's Energy Minister Christian Meyer said. He added that it would be wrong to cement the nuclear industry's dependence on Russia through a direct or indirect involvement of Rosatom … [Read more...] about Germany criticizes Russian role in French nuclear fuel plant

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 32 BERLIN (AP) — King Charles III became the first monarch to address Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, on Thursday as part of a high-profile visit by the U.K. head of state aimed at bolstering ties between the two European powers. Speaking to lawmakers and other dignitaries in the packed lower house, Charles stressed the close bonds between the United Kingdom and Germany going back centuries, including his own family links to the royal House of Hannover, and the present-day economic, scientific, cultural and military cooperation between the two countries. Charles noted that London and Berlin have provided considerable aid to Ukraine in its efforts to fend off Russia's invasion, a point that will appeal to … [Read more...] about King Charles III addresses German parliament, meets Scholz

JERUSALÉN (AP) — Decenas de miles de israelíes salieron a las calles de diversas ciudades del país el domingo por la noche en un brote espontáneo de indignación, luego de que el primer ministro Benjamin Netanyahu despidió abruptamente a su ministro de Defensa por oponerse al plan de reforma judicial impulsado por el mandatario. Manifestantes en Tel Aviv bloquearon una carretera y encendieron grandes hogueras, y la policía forcejeó con inconformes que se reunieron frente a la vivienda privada de Netanyahu en Jerusalén. La agitación profundizó una crisis que se vive desde hace meses en torno al plan de Netanyahu de reformar al poder judicial, un plan que ha desatado protestas multitudinarias, ha generado nerviosismo entre los empresarios y exjefes de seguridad, y ha sido recibido con preocupación en Estados Unidos y otros países aliados. El despido del ministro de Defensa Yoav Gallant es un indicio de que el primer ministro y sus aliados impulsarán con todas sus fuerzas el plan … [Read more...] about Netanyahu despide a ministro de Defensa; surgen protestas