Tag: Texas

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Mobile Syrup

Tesla officially opens Austin, Texas-based Gigafactory

Tesla officially opened its Austin, Texas-based Gigafactory, where the company will likely begin production of its long-delayed Cybertruck.

CEO Elon Musk celebrated the opening with a ‘Cyber Rodeo’ event, in which Musk pranced around in a cowboy hat. Tesla invited some 15,000 people to listen to live music, eat food, and as The Verge describes it, “pay homage” to Musk and Tesla.

Musk described the opening of the factory as “entering a new phase of Tesla’s future.”

At the event, Musk showed off a new version of the Cybertruck that will go into production at the Gigafactory, as well as a new Roadster vehicle slated to start production next year. Moreover, Musk teased a “futuristic” robotaxi but didn’t share any other details.

The Gigafactory is Tesla’s fourth in the U.S., joining the vehicle factory in Fremont, California, a battery factory in Sparks, Nevada, and a solar factory in Buffalo, New York. Tesla also has a vehicle factory outside Shanghai, China, and recently opened a factory near Berlin, Germany.

Last year, Tesla Canada revealed it would locate a manufacturing facility in Markham, Ontario, to produce manufacturing equipment for use at the company’s Gigafactories.

Tesla’s Texas factory opened less than two years after Musk decided Austin would be the home of the company’s Gigafactory. Tesla plans to hire up to 5,000 workers at an average salary of $47,147 USD (roughly $59,378 CAD), with entry-level positions starting at $35,000 (about $44,080 CAD).

The Gigafactory is expected to help Tesla meet its goals of building 1.5 million vehicles in 2022, and will likely be the site where the company builds its Cybertruck starting in 2023.

It’s also worth noting the company secured millions in tax breaks from local governments, with Travis County approving a deal worth at least $14.7 million USD (about $18.51 million CAD).

Tesla’s Austin Gigafactory has also faced resistance. Last week, local conservationists tried to block Tesla’s Cyber Rodeo celebration. The company has also faced broad criticism over labour practices and workplace safety, much of it focused on the Fremont factory. California’s civil rights agency sued Tesla, saying the company’s Fremont plant was “segregated to the lowest levels.”

Header image credit: Tesla Cyber Rodeo video screenshot

Via: The Verge

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Potins

Shia LaBeouf told cops he was in the National Guard to avoid jail

Shia LaBeouf tried to get out of being arrested by telling a police officer he is in the National Guard.

The 29-year-old Hollywood star, who was originally cuffed for public intoxication on Friday (09.10.15) after jaywalking across a busy street in Austin, Texas, called the police officer a ”silly man” and said he couldn’t arrest him because cops had killed his friend and the Los Angeles Police Department usually let him go for that reason, according to the police report obtained by TMZ.

The bizarre excuse failed to stop the officer doing his job and the ‘Fury’ star was reportedly ”agitated and confrontational” with both the law enforcer and with someone who was trying to record the incident.

The officer also said he had to stop Shia from trying to attack the person filming him being questioned.

The ‘Nymphomaniac’ actor eventually gave in after several attempts to get out of being taken to a local police cell as, after a final bid to avoid arrest in which he claimed to be a soldier, he appeared resigned to his fate.

He fumed: ”Do whatever the f**k you gotta do!”

The ‘Transformers’ star was subsequently handcuffed and taken to Travis County Jail.

 

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Potins

Daryl Hannah arrested over oil protest

Daryl Hannah has been arrested in Texas.

The ‘Kill Bill’ actress was taken into custody for criminal trespassing and resisting arrest and held at the Wood County Jail after she and a landowner stepped in front of machinery to halt the construction of an oil pipeline.

Daryl and 78-year-old Eleanor Fairchild were hoping to stop the progress of TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipe through the latter’s farmland in Winnsboro – which was subject to a compulsory purchase order for the project – almost a hundred miles east of Dallas.

The pipeline is designed to bring crude oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast.

Daryl’s agent, Paul Bassis, said the protesters were likely to be kept in jail last night (04.10.12), adding: "They’ve arrested Daryl Hannah and a rural Texas great-grandmother.

"The streets of Winnsboro will be much safer tonight now that they’ve gotten that 78-year-old great grandmother off the streets."

Daryl has previously been arrested for protesting against the pipeline in Washington D.C. in 2011.

She and other activists believe it will carry heavy, acidic crude oil that could corrode a metal pipeline and lead to a spill. They also claim that by not refining the oil, it would further contaminate the air in a region that struggles with pollution.

TransCanada counter that the pipeline will be the safest ever built. The issue has even been debated by President Barak Obama.

Speaking of Daryl’s arrest, TransCanada spokesman David Dodson said: "It is unfortunate Ms. Hannah and other out-of-state activists have chosen to break the law by illegally trespassing on private property."

He added protesters were "putting their own safety and the safety of others at risk".

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Nouvelles quotidiennes

Best barbecue in the U.S.A.

Although everyone has a different opinion on what makes for good barbecue, travel website Cheapflights.com has compiled their list of the top ten cities for experiencing the best barbecue the U.S. has to offer.

In first place was Chapel Hill, North Carolina, famed for its slow-roasted pork and thin, vinegar-based sauce. Local favorite Allen & Son Barbecue is reportedly the best place to go in town, with smoke-house specialties like ribs and BBQ sandwiches.

In second place was Memphis, Tennessee, where dry rub is the order of the day. At Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous, ‘Vous style’ ribs are basted in vinegar and dusted with savory spices. Kansas City, Kansas came in third, where pulled pork sandwiches are a local specialty.

In Austin, Texas – the fourth place winner – beef still reigns supreme, where slow-cooked brisket can be found either drowned in sauce or left to speak for itself. Rounding out the top five is Chicago, Illinois, where local restaurant Smoque offers ribs, brisket, pulled pork and Texas-style sausage.

Holly Hill, South Carolina followed in sixth, with Santa Barbara, California in seventh; Honolulu, Hawaii in eighth; Doral, Florida in ninth; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in tenth.

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Nouvelles quotidiennes

Texas-sized tourism promotion

By combining forces, the Dallas-Fort Worth area or DFW, as it’s colloquially known, is offering an Attractions Pass to a variety of cultural attractions in the region, along with valuable tourist discounts.

Passholders can save up to 30 percent on general admission to places like the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Zoo, Fort Worth Historic Stockyards Experience, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Dealey Plaza JFK exhibit, the Southfork Ranch of Dallas TV series lore, and much more.

The area is also home to the International Bowling Museum and the National Scouting Museum. The pass includes coupons for shopping and dining, and an audio guide is available in several languages.

Sightseers can choose a 1, 2, or 3-day pass, or even annual passes, with prices varying from $23 to 65 US, depending on age of user and pass expiry date.

 

 

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Nouvelles quotidiennes

Hurricane Ike Sets Sights on Texas

The anticipated arrival of Hurricane Ike is not being taken lightly, especially since American authorities have issued warnings that the storm could bring casualties.

The commercial airport in Houston is a hub for Continental Airlines, and all carriers have been forced to cancel flights for September 12 and 13.

For more information, you can visit the Website of Houston Airport.