Bank of Canada Officials Divided on Rate Cut Outlook, Minutes Say
Another group of policymakers, though, believed further rate relief would be necessary given the persistent level of spare capacity in the economy and labor-market softness, the minutes said. Ultimately, the seven members of the Bank of Canada's governing council opted to keep its policy rate unchanged at 2.75% on July 30, agreeing they needed to wait for more economic data before drawing conclusions.
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Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
I'm a Mechanic: 6 Electric Vehicles I Would Buy and Why They Are Worth It
Thinking about buying an electric vehicle (EV)? They're a good option if you want to save money on gas and maintenance and reduce your carbon footprint, but not all EVs are built the same. Be Aware: Find Out: According to car experts, some models stand out for their reliability, performance and long-term value. To help narrow down your search, here are EVs they recommend and why they're worth a closer look. And while you're on the hunt for an electric, make sure you avoid these rides. Tesla Model 3 MSRP: $44,130 to $56,630 'Tesla tops the list for me. Model 3 is the best of them all. They are futuristic styled. They have all the features one would want in a vehicle, especially in the electronics aspect. They have good battery life and battery distance,' Chris Pyle, auto expert with JustAnswer, the expert on-demand platform, wrote in an email. It also retains its value as long as you trade them in before the battery starts to wear out, he noted. But that could take years. According to Insurify, the average lifespan of a Tesla battery is between $300,000 to $500,000 miles, or 15 to 20 years of use. 'Tesla's battery system is unique, and in many ways, it's superior to what other brands offer,' added Melanie Musson, an auto expert with Its placement and weight is another pro, Musson pointed out, which can help the Model 3 maintain balance on the road and handle corners well. Trending Now: Lucid Air MSRP: $71,400 to $250,500 According to Pyle, the Lucid Air, a luxury sedan that first launched in the 2022 model year, is often seen at the top of lists. Its recent launch and price also mean it's a rarity on the road. Pyle has never seen or talked to anyone who's driven one, but he said it looks great. 'The distance to empty is at the higher range. Downfall though, is that the car is very expensive and when it breaks, finding a shop near you will be next to impossible, but EVs rarely go to the shop,' he wrote. Ford F-150 Lightning MSRP: $56,975 to $87,190 Want something tough but environmentally friendly? Musson recommends the Ford F-150 Lightning. 'Drivers who are looking for something that can handle off-road situations praise the Lightning for its toughness,' Musson wrote. It's powerful yet quiet, and comes with top-of-the-line features. 'It's a good mix of rugged traditional truck capabilities and luxurious modern electric mechanics,' Musson added. 'The Lightning holds its value well, which is not something many EVs have been able to do.' Hyundai Ioniq 6, Kia EV4 and Kia Niro EV Ioniq 6 MSRP: $39,095 and $52,345 Kia EV4 MSRP: $37,000 to $50,000 Kia Niro EV MSRP: $40,0995 and $45,523 When it comes to budget-friendly EVs with solid range and reliability, Hyundai and Kia are hard to ignore. 'Although I think the Ioniq is ugly, Kia and Hyundai are putting in the work to make affordable vehicles that have what you need, most of what you want and the longevity and low repair costs you expect,' Pyle claimed. He also pointed out that both brands choose to focus on longevity, low repair costs and repeat customers rather than a wow moment with sleek designs. More From GOBankingRates 3 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Summer 2025 6 Big Shakeups Coming to Social Security in 2025 6 Hybrid Vehicles To Stay Away From in Retirement This article originally appeared on I'm a Mechanic: 6 Electric Vehicles I Would Buy and Why They Are Worth It
Fast Company
29 minutes ago
- Fast Company
From ‘AI washing' to ‘sloppers,' 5 AI slang terms you need to know
While Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and other AI industry leaders can't stop singing the praises of the technology, a growing number of average Americans are forming a different opinion. According to YouGov data from July, Americans are increasingly likely to believe that AI will be bad for humans. Specifically, 43% of Americans say they fear AI will end the human race (up 6% since March), and 47% believe that AI will have a net adverse effect on society (up 7% since March). With this rise in AI pessimism, there has been a surge in new slurs and slang terms that capture the negative connotations people increasingly associate with AI—and the individuals who use it. Here's a guide to the five terms you need to know: 'AI washing,' 'clanker,' 'Groksucker,' 'slop,' and 'slopper.' AI washing No, AI hasn't suddenly found a way to do your laundry while you do art. If you hear someone talking about 'AI washing,' they are referring to a deceptive marketing practice where companies exaggerate the role AI plays in their product or service. This deceptive marketing practice gets its name from ' green washing,' where a company falsely or misleadingly touts its environmentally friendly policies. Any company can be guilty of AI washing if it misstates the role AI plays in its products. Companies in industries that are more prone to doing this are those in the technology and finance sectors, which is why the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has publicly warned against the practice. 'AI washing, whether it's by financial intermediaries such as investment advisers and broker dealers, or by companies raising money from the public, that AI washing may violate the securities laws,' former chairman of the SEC Gary Gensler warned in 2024. The current Trump administration also seems to be cracking down on AI washing as well, according to Holland & Knight's SECond Opinions Blog. If someone is said to be an 'AI washer,' it means they are being accused of offering a product that doesn't rely on AI as much as they say it does. Clanker This is the newest AI slur on this list, and its use has exploded in recent months. As Fast Company previously reported, 'clanker' is a derogatory term for robots. The term comes from the fictional Star Wars universe, where droids are often treated as second-class citizens at best. But increasingly, the term is being adopted not just to describe our real-world AI-powered robots, but AI systems that threaten our jobs or remove human connections from our lives. One system often referred to as a 'clanker' is the AI chatbot that people are now forced to talk to when they call a customer support line. 'I called my bank to ask about my balance, but had to talk to a clanker instead of a human.' Groksucker While 'clanker' is a slur aimed at bots and AI systems, several slurs have arisen to define humans who are overly engaged with certain AI systems, particularly generative AI chatbots. Perhaps the most visceral one in this category is 'Groksucker' (you can figure out for yourself what other word the term mimics). The term gets its name from Elon Musk's xAI chatbot Grok. And Grok itself says the term describes 'people who frequently interact with me, Grok, in a way some find repetitive or annoying,' adding that the term is tied 'to concerns about AI overuse or privacy on X.' While 'Groksucker' is generally limited to describing a subsection of Grok users, another term exists for those who are overreliant on the most popular chatbot, ChatGPT. But more on that below. Slop If there is one term that has become synonymous with AI-generated content, it is ' slop.' Slop refers to low-quality, high-output content generated by AI tools that are increasingly overrunning our feeds. Slop is Shrimp Jesus proliferating on Facebook and Instagram. Slop is YouTube videos with completely AI-generated scripts, images, and thumbnails that crowd out high-quality human-made creators. Slop is articles written by a machine instead of a person. And slop is what is causing the dead internet theory to transition from fringe conspiracy to prophetic foresight. Slop is everywhere now, and it's only going to get worse. Sloppers This list wouldn't be complete without including a slang term that has recently been adopted to describe people who are overreliant on the world's most popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT. That word is 'sloppers.' The slur gained popularity after a TikTok posted by user intrnetbf went viral last month. In the video, the user said his friend came up with the term 'sloppers' to describe 'people who are using ChatGPT to do everything for them.' If someone is a 'slopper,' it means that they have offloaded most of their cognitive processes to ChatGPT. This cognitive offloading involves asking ChatGPT for guidance on various tasks a person should be mentally well-equipped to handle on their own, such as planning what to do for the evening, how to respond to a text message from a family member, or whether to make a significant life change, like quitting a job. Technological slurs can change how the public viewds a product While many reading this may find some of the above AI slang humorous (and even fitting), the fact that these terms are entering the public lexicon is likely to alarm some companies operating in the AI space. When the public adopts new derogatory names for products, technologies, and the people who use them, it usually signals that popular perception isn't heading in a positive direction. This can trigger a snowball effect, where people en masse reject the technology. The 'glasshole' backlash against Google Glass is a well-known example of this. Artificial intelligence is, of course, a much larger and more transformative force than Google Glass—and it's unlikely to disappear despite the increasing slurs directed at it. However, this emerging slang does indicate—as YouGov's polling also shows—that the public is increasingly wary of the technology, and isn't afraid to voice it.
New York Times
30 minutes ago
- New York Times
Environmental Groups Face ‘Generational' Setbacks Under Trump
In the Biden administration, the American environmental movement reached what many of its supporters considered an apex. Congress passed the largest ever federal law to combat climate change. Coal-burning power plants were shutting down. Hundreds of billions of dollars of federal investment in renewable energy, batteries and electric vehicles was beginning to flow. But in just months, President Trump has attacked much of that work. The Biden-era climate law, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, is in tatters. The White House is trying to revive coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, while boosting oil and gas and hindering solar and wind power. And it is weakening or trying to scrap environmental policies and regulations, some dating to 1970. The abrupt reversal in fortunes has led to a moment of crisis for the environmental community. 'The morale is destroyed,' said Ramon Cruz, a former president of the Sierra Club. 'I won't try to sugar coat it. This is a generational loss.' After a series of stinging defeats and other challenges, some prominent environmental groups are adrift. This week, the Sierra Club's executive director was fired after a rocky tenure in which he oversaw several rounds of layoffs and clashed with employees. Greenpeace is facing a $670 million legal verdict that could put its future at risk. Rewiring America, a nonprofit group that works to electrify buildings, has slashed nearly a third of its staff. Actions by the Trump administration and the Republican-led Congress have set the environmental movement back years, activists said. Chief among them has been the passage Mr. Trump's domestic policy bill, which curtailed many of the core elements of the Inflation Reduction Act. 'With one election and one bill, most of the signature climate work that organizations, advocates and movements have been working toward is largely undone,' said Ruthy Gourevitch, a policy director at the Climate and Communities Institute, a progressive research organization. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
