NEWARK, N.J. (Video above from News 12 New Jersey LLC via CNN) —

Two firefighters were killed and five others injured battling a blaze that began deep inside a docked cargo ship carrying more than a thousand vehicles, officials said Thursday.

Responding firefighters found five to seven vehicles already on fire when they reached the 10th floor of the cargo ship at Port Newark around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday night. The blaze quickly extended to the 11th and 12th floors, and as firefighters were pushed back by the intense heat, two of them were lost, Newark Fire Chief Rufus Jackson said at a news conference at the port, where the fire was still burning early Thursday,

Firefighters weren't initially able to find their colleagues. Outside rescue companies from around the state were called in. Augusto "Augie" Acabou, 45, and Wayne "Bear" Brooks Jr., 49, were found and removed from the structure but unfortunately they lost their lives, Jackson said.

In the video player above: City lost "two of our best ... two of our bravest," mayor says of firefighters who died.

Three Newark firefighters and two Elizabeth firefighters were treated for injuries including smoke inhalation. All were expected to recover, but their names and details on their conditions were not disclosed.

Marine traffic trackers show the Italian-flagged Grande Costa d'Avorio, which was built in 2011, arrived from the Port of Baltimore several days earlier. Grimaldi Deep Sea said the fire broke out on the ship's 10th deck as its 28 crew members and local stevedores were completing the loading of more than 1,200 new and used cars, vans and trucks bound for West Africa.

The company's statement said the crew immediately activated on-board fire suppression procedures and the local firefighting service was alerted, triggering a prompt response that was crucial to containing and controlling the blaze. It also said that no electric cars nor hazardous cargo is on board, no fuel spills have been detected, and the stability of the ship was not been compromised.

The Grimaldi Group statement said the cause of the fire isn't known, but it will investigate in cooperation with authorities.

Video below: See drone and thermal images of the blaze aboard the ship captured by the Elizabeth Police Department in New Jersey

"Our hearts are heavy today as we mourn the loss of two Newark firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty," Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka called it "tragic for all firefighters who know what it means to go in a burning structure in a danger that you are going to have to experience when you do so."

Shipboard firefighting is a unique skill and Newark firefighters don't commonly face this kind of fire, Jackson said. He said they trained on ships before, but it was a vessel that had compartments and living quarters, not a ship like this.

"Although this is a difficult fire, a different type of fire, they're still willing to put themselves on the line for others," the chief said. "This is a unique service that we're in. We love what we do. We love each other and we protect each other. It's unfortunate when we have loss. This is a tragedy. This is something that I as a chief never want to face, but we have to be there, we have to be strong for the family at this point."

The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that it will investigate the ship fire, but the Coast Guard is taking the lead, said Jennifer Gabris, an NTSB spokeswoman. The NTSB has authority to investigate maritime accidents.

New electric-vehicle automaker Rivian recalled nearly all of its vehicles, causing a Monday slip of its stock during trading on Wall Street, intensifying concerns from investors.

The company fears that it could have problems meeting production and sales targets for 2023, Reuters reported. And the specific details regarding the latest large recall are a source of concern for investors, with a fastener on the vehicles that might not have been tightened correctly in the factory, CNBC reported.

The company announced late on Friday that it needed to recall over 12,000 vehicles, which amounts to just about every electric vehicle the company has produced so far.

Included in the recall are Rivian's R1T pickup and R1S SUV manufactured through September. Some EDV delivery fans produced by Rivian are also included in the recall, which was produced for Amazon.

The company estimates that only about 1% of the 12,212 total vehicles included in the recall have the defect, but that didn't stop the company's stock from dropping over 10% during Monday trading.

The fastener defect is related to the front suspension, which the company says may not have been fully tightened in some vehicles. If the fastener isn't tight, it could affect front-end alignment causing vibrations and noise and influencing the steering feeling.

DETROIT (AP) — The fastest Corvette ever made comes out later this year, and it’s not powered soley by a howling V8.

The E-Ray is a gas electric hybrid, the first all-wheel-drive version of Chevrolet's storied sports car with the front wheels running on an electric motor the traditional 6.2-liter V8 powering the back.

Aimed at affluent buyers who want new technology in the top-line Chevrolet sports car, the $104,000 E-Ray jerks your head back as it goes from zero to 60 mph (97 kilometers per hour) in 2.5 seconds. General Motors says it can cover a quarter mile in 10.5 seconds.

Although those figures are slightly faster than its race track-ready brothers, the Z06 and Z07, it’s civil enough for the daily commute even though its rear tires are almost wide enough to compete in the Indianapolis 500.

Tadge Juechter, the Corvette's executive chief engineer, said people would ask for the best version of the car, only to wind up a “track monster” that they're trying to drive every day. “For the same money you can get all-wheel-drive, and comfort, security, and the livability that comes with a car like this,” he said. “We've really divided the family into pure track and to everyday utility.”

The E-Ray, which makes its debut exactly 70 years after the first Corvette was introduced in New York back in 1953, is a step toward an all-electric version of the car that will come out at at unspecified date.

Although GM may be over-selling the practicality, the E-Ray does come with all-season tires so it can be driven year-round, and the all-wheel-drive system is configured so it's confident in the snow, up to just 4 inches due to its low ground clearance.

Unlike most hybrids, it’s not really made for efficiency, although will get a little better city mileage than a standard Stingray at 16 mpg. But because of higher mass and air drag, it will do worse than the standard Corvette’s 24 mpg on the highway. The electric motor adds 160 horsepower to the 495 generated by the V8, for a total of 655. Both systems come on at once for maximum acceleration.

Engineers say its technology sets the stage for the all-electric Corvette. When the latest generation of 'Vette came out four years ago with the engine in the middle, engineers designed it so future there could be hybrid and electric versions in the future.

The car's computers are configured to keep it stable by applying power to individual wheels when it's slippery. GM engineers say most electronic stability controls rely on braking individual wheels. It's a lot of engineering work for a niche product, but GM says knowledge from developing the car will show up in other vehicles. GM sold only 34,510 Corvettes last year.

The 1.9 kilowatt-hour battery is small compared with a full electric vehicle. It's positioned under the console. You can't plug it in to recharge it, but it gets energy restored from regenerative braking and from the V8 motor. It can be driven in “stealth mode” up to 45 mph for a short distance to quietly leave a neighborhood, GM says.

“As fast as you can discharge it, we recharge it, and we always keep it at a pretty optimum state of charge,” said Mike Kutcher, lead development engineer for the E-Ray. “We have a pretty high target state of charge so you always get maximum performance.”

The E-Ray will hit showrooms sometime during the second half of this year as a 2024 model, GM said.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elon Musk took the witness stand Friday to defend a 2018 tweet claiming he had lined up the financing to take Tesla private in a deal that never came close to happening.

The tweet resulted in a $40 million settlement with securities regulators. It also led to a class-action lawsuit alleging he misled investors, pulling him into court Friday.

The mercurial billionaire took the witness stand wearing a dark suit on the third day of a civil trial in San Francisco that his lawyer unsuccessfully tried to move to Texas, where Tesla is now headquartered, on the premise that media coverage of his tumultuous takeover of Twitter had tainted the jury pool.

The nine-person jury assembled earlier this week will be responsible for deciding whether a pair of tweets that Musk posted on Aug. 7, 2018 damaged Tesla shareholders during a 10-day period leading up to a Musk admission that the buyout he had envisioned wasn't going to happen.

A month later, Musk stepped down as Tesla's chairman while remaining CEO as part of the Securities and Exchange Commission settlement without acknowledging any wrongdoing.

In the first of those those two 2018 tweets, Musk stated “funding secured” for a what would have been a $72 billion buyout of Tesla at a time when the electric automaker was still grapping with production problems and was worth far less than it is now. Musk followed up a few hours later with another tweet suggesting a deal was imminent.

On the stand Friday, Musk — who last year bought Twitter for $44 billion — said tweeting is “most democratic way” to communicate with investors.

"I care a great deal about retail investors,” he said during questioning by shareholder attorney Nicholas Porritt.

But he acknowledged that investors can get more detail in a traditional corporate filing with securities regulators, given the character limits set on Twitter.

“I think you can absolutely be truthful" on Twitter, Musk said. “But can you be comprehensive? Of course not.”

Even before Musk took the stand, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen had declared that the jurors can consider those two tweets to be falsehoods, leaving them to decide whether Musk deliberately deceived investors and whether his statements saddled them with losses.

Musk has previously contended he entered into the SEC settlement under duress and maintained he believed he had locked up financial backing for a Tesla buyout during meetings with representatives from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

The trial over his Tesla tweets come at a time when he has been focusing on Twitter, which he acquired in October after trying to back out of that purchase.

Musk’s leadership of Twitter — where he has gutted the staff and alienated users and advertisers — has proven unpopular among Tesla’s current stockholders, who are worried he has been devoting less time steering the automaker at a time of intensifying competition. Those concerns contributed to a 65% decline in Tesla’s stock last year that wiped out more than $700 billion in shareholder wealth — far more than the $14 billion swing in fortune that occurred between the company’s high and low stock prices during the Aug. 7-17, 2018 period covered in the class-action lawsuit.

Tesla’s stock has split twice since then, making the $420 buyout price cited in his 2018 tweet worth $28 on adjusted basis now. The company's shares were trading around $133 Friday, down from the company’s November 2021 split-adjusted peak of $414.50.

After Musk dropped the idea of a Tesla buyout, the company overcame its production problems, resulting in a rapid upturn in car sales that caused its stock to soar and minted Musk as the world’s richest person until he bought Twitter. Musk dropped from the top spot on the wealth list after the stock market’s backlash to his handling of Twitter.

Ford is recalling nearly 400,000 vehicles because their 360-degree camera may not work properly.

The recall involves 2020-2023 Explorers, Lincoln Aviators and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsairs.

Ford says the video output on the camera may fail, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying.

"Loss of the rearview camera image can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash," Ford notes.

The automaker says it's aware of 17 reported minor accidents that may be related to the faulty video output, which causes a blue screen. No injuries have been reported.

Owners should receive letters in February to take their vehicles in to be serviced. Dealers will update the necessary software for free, Ford states.

A Tesla Model S "spontaneously caught fire" on a California highway.

According to the Sacramento Fire Department, the Tesla Model S was engulfed in flames when crews arrived at the scene on Highway 50 on Saturday.

The fire department said battery cells continued to combust as they attempted to put the fire out.

It was eventually extinguished after crews used about 6,000 gallons of water, officials said.

Tesla warns about the dangers of a burning battery, saying it releases toxic vapors.

However, no injuries were reported.

The federal government has looked into concerns about Tesla batteries catching fire. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declined to investigate Tesla battery fires in 2019.

"The available data indicate that noncrash battery fires in Tesla vehicles are rare events," the agency noted.

Tesla is recalling more than 300,000 vehicles that are equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta software.

The recall includes certain 2016-2023 Model S and Model X vehicles as well as 2017-2023 Model 3 and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles.

According to documents filed with the National Transporation Safety Board, the beta system "may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections."

Examples specifically cited include traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane and going through an intersection during a steady yellow light "without due caution." The vehicles may also not recognize changes to posted speed limits.

Tesla says it has received 18 warranty claims that may be related to the software. The company notes that it's not aware of any injuries or deaths related to the software issues.

The automaker plans to release an over-the-air software update to address the problem.

An increase in new car inventory is expected to lead to a rise in sales in 2023. Edmunds is forecasting that 14.8 million new cars will be sold in 2023. That's about 1 million more than were sold in 2022.

What type of cars will Americans be purchasing this year? Consumer Reports compiled a list of its top cars for 2023. Many of them are hybrids or fully electric, which are seeing a rise in popularity.

The best car under $25,000 is the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, according to Consumer Reports. The all-wheel drive vehicle received high marks for fuel efficiency and added features like adaptive cruise control and automatic high beams.

The best midsized sedan, according to Consumer Reports, is the Toyota Camry Hybrid. At 47 miles per gallon, the car also received high marks for fuel efficiency. The Camry Hybrid comes with advanced driver assistance features including lane-keeping assistance. The entry-level vehicle is priced at just over $26,000.

The Nissan Leaf is among Consumer Reports' top electric vehicles. The Leaf, which starts at under $30,000 before incentives, got the nod for its 149-mile range on the standard version. Consumer Reports says the Leaf has a soft ride and quiet cabin.

The Lexus NX350h was named the best vehicle over $45,000 by Consumer Reports. The hybrid model got high marks for getting 38 miles per gallon. Consumer Reports says the vehicle launches smoothly and glides quietly. It also got high marks for its premium interior commonly found in luxury vehicles.

Click here to see the other vehicles on Consumer Reports' list of best cars of 2023.

Related video above: How to check if your rental is safe

Volkswagen is recalling 143,000 of its big Atlas SUVs in the U.S. because a faulty sensor on the front passenger side can switch the airbag system off under certain conditions. Until the issue can be corrected, VW is advising owners to avoid letting people ride in that seat.

The problem is "sporadic," according to documents VW filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which oversees vehicle recalls.

Most modern passenger vehicles have weight sensors in the front seat to detect if someone small -- like a child -- is riding in that seat. Airbags, which inflate forcefully in the event of a crash, can injure small children. If these sensors detect a small person is seated there, the airbag is switched off.

But faulty sensors in some Atlas SUVs can cause the so-called "passenger occupant detection system" to indicate a system issue and deactivate the airbag. This could leave front-seat passengers without the protection of the airbag in the event of a crash.

While it's still unclear what's causing the problem, VW investigators were able to determine that it was happening in Atlases built during two specific time periods. The vehicles being recalled are all model year 2018 through 2021 Atlas and model year 2020 Atlas Cross Sport SUVs.

Volkswagen is unaware of any injuries that might have resulted from the problem, VW spokesman Mark GIllies said.

If this problem occurs, a warning light will illuminate inside the vehicle. VW hasn't determined how to fix the problem yet but, once that's figured out, repairs will be done free of charge, according to documents VW filed with NHTSA. Owners of recalled Atlas SUVs will be notified by mail.

Concerned owners can also call NHTSA's auto safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The Atlas, a seven-seat SUV that was designed specifically for the US market, is built at VW's Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory.

DETROIT —

All of Ford Motor Co.'s current and future electric vehicles will have access to about 12,000 Tesla Supercharger stations in the U.S. and Canada starting next spring.

Video above: In February, the Biden-Harris Administration announced thousands of Tesla's charging stations would eventually open to other vehicles

Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the agreement Thursday during a "Twitter Spaces" audio chat.

"We think this is a huge move for our industry and for all electric customers," Farley said.

Musk said he didn't want Tesla's network to be a "walled garden" and that he wants to use it to support sustainable transportation.

"It is our intent to do everything possible to support Ford and have Ford be on an equal footing at Tesla Superchargers," Musk said.

Farley said there will be a cost to Ford owners, perhaps a monthly subscription, but he didn't give specifics. Details of any financial arrangement between Ford and Tesla were not announced.

At first, Ford's current electric vehicles will need an adapter to hook into the Tesla stations, which have their own connector. But Ford will switch to Tesla's North American Charging Standard connector with its second-generation EVs starting in 2025, Farley said.

Ford said Tesla's connector is smaller and lighter than those in use by other automakers.

Farley said Tesla's Superchargers have great locations.

"We love the locations. We love the reliability," he said. They will join Ford's own Blue Oval charging network which has about 10,000 fast-charging stations, he said.

Ford EV owners will be able to access the Tesla chargers seamlessly with Ford's app, Musk said.

Tesla has about 17,000 Supercharger stations in the U.S. There are about 54,000 public charging stations in the U.S., according to the Department of Energy, but many charge much more slowly than the Tesla stations.

The Ford-Tesla deal is separate from a plan to open part of Tesla's charging network to all EVs.

The White House announced in February that at least 7,500 chargers from Tesla's Supercharger and Destination Charger network would be available to non-Tesla electric vehicles by the end of 2024.

Video below: Tesla charging ports will soon be usable by other electric vehicles

The chat between Musk, who last fall bought Twitter for $44 billion, and Farley came off without the embarrassing technical glitches that plagued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' announcement Wednesday that he was running for president.

With Musk, DeSantis released the news that he would seek the Republican nomination, but the chat was delayed by glitches for nearly a half hour. Musk blamed it on straining of servers because so many were trying to listen in.

The Farley-Musk chat had a much smaller audience, than DeSantis, about 18,000 listeners at the start.

The number on the DeSantis chat topped out at 420,000, far from the millions who have watched televised presidential announcements. After the problems were fixed, the audience remained under 500,000.

An abandoned cargo ship packed with cars is adrift in the Atlantic Ocean after a rapidly-spreading fire on board forced the crew to escape.

The 656 foot-long Felicity Ace roll-on/roll-off car-carrying ship caught fire in the North Atlantic on Wednesday as it carried cargo, including Porsches and Volkswagens, from Emden, Germany to Davisville, Rhode Island. At the time of the fire's outbreak, the ship was sailing 90 nautical miles southwest of Portugal's Azores, according to a statement on Wednesday by the Portuguese Navy.

Related video above: Cargo ship engulfed in flames off US coast back in May 2021

After the fire broke out in the cargo hold, it spread and forced all 22 crew members to abandon ship. According to another statement by the Portuguese Navy, the crew was safely picked up and taken to a local hotel, with the rescue coordinated by the Ponta Delgada Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center. There has been no noticeable source of pollution from the fire, according to the statement.

The ship's owners have arranged for a tow as it continues to burn. Registered to Panama, the Felicity Alice is operated by Japanese shipping line Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL). MOL has not responded to a request for comment.

Porsche confirmed to CNN Business that a number of its cars were among the cargo and that customers with cars on board the burning ship are being contacted by their dealers.

"While it remains too early to confirm what occurred and next steps, we are -- along with our colleagues at Porsche AG -- supporting our customers and our dealers as best we can to find solutions," said Angus Fitton, Vice President of PR at Porsche Cars North America. "We are in contact with the shipping company and the details of the cars on board are now known."

Expectant Porsche owners with cars on board like journalist and host Matt Farah, who said he had a 2022 Porsche Boxster Spyder awaiting delivery, have already started receiving word from dealerships about the status of their vehicles.

"The dealer confirmed that my car, along with at least a dozen other vehicles they were expecting, is on that boat," Farah said. "They had no further information for me beyond confirming my car was on the boat, and said that as soon as Porsche Cars North America has a plan of any kind with how to proceed, that they would share the plans with me."

Volkswagen also has customers awaiting vehicles on the burning cargo ship. "We are aware of an incident involving a third-party cargo ship transporting Volkswagen Group vehicles across the Atlantic. The vessel was on its way to North America," said Dirk Ameer, a Volkswagen spokesperson. "At this time, we are not aware of any injuries. We are in contact with the shipping company to get more information about the incident."

The Felicity Ace can carry over 17,000 metric tons of cargo, according to the Associated Press, with possibly thousands of cars on board. The Portuguese Navy said that as of Thursday, the fire is ongoing, and an ocean patrol vessel remains on site to monitor the abandoned ship.

CLEVELAND — Many Ohioans are getting new license plates and some of them are including creative names and catchphrases. However, not all the ideas for personal plates get accepted.

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles sorts through hundreds of applications for vanity plates every year. The agency just released its list of the requests that didn’t make the cut.

“We have over a half million vanity plates in the state of Ohio. So, we're really talking about, you know, a fraction of a percent that get rejected,” said Charlie Norman, deputy registrar for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. “The criteria for approval or denial are, really, they're set forth in a consent decree.

In 2021, the BMV rejected more than 800 submissions for vanity plates. That number is up 79% compared to 2020, which had roughly 400 rejections.

“We're generally looking for things that are profane, sexually explicit or advocate lawlessness,” Norman said.

Drivers can get a vanity plate by applying online or in person. The cost is $50.

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The BMV has four employees who are dedicated to sorting through all of the applications looking for certain violations. Last year, nearly 50 denied requests included swear words involving President Joe Biden.

“I often look at this report that I get, and I wonder, ‘would I want my grandma to see me driving with that on my license plate?’ But that's not my role, you know, and that's not one of the criteria we use,” Norman said.

The BMV also started keeping an eye out for the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon,” which is another insult phrase that has become popular in recent months.

Biden isn’t the only target. Other denied plate submissions have taken aim at Vice President Kamala Harris, Dr. Anthony Fauci and even Carole Baskin from the Netflix series “Tiger King.”

“I’m just I'm continually impressed with how clever people are levels when using, you know, fours, fives, and spelling things backwards. And it's a lot of a lot of thought goes into some of these requests,” Norman said.

Most of the requests that get denied fall into the vulgar or poor taste category. If you feel you’ve been unfairly denied you can fight it.

Warning: Some of the rejected license plates contain vulgar language. Click here to see the full list.

RELATED | Ohio BMV announces self-service kiosks for vehicle registration renewals

While many plan to buy a new car in 2022, the market won't necessarily be easier to navigate.

Experts at Edmunds say that there will be a slight increase in new car sales in 2022. Automakers expect to get more inventory, which will help align supply and demand.

"That means if automakers can produce more vehicles next year, then hopefully prices will start to go down, and maybe consumers will start seeing more incentives," said Jessica Caldwell, the executive director of insights at Edmunds.

Caldwell says new car prices will likely still be high for at least the first half of 2022. She adds that consumers shouldn't expect to see rebates on cars and that prices on used vehicles will also continue to rise.

"I think it's a direct offshoot of what's happening in the newer car market, because a lot of people are seeing high prices on the new car side, so they're thinking, 'Well, I'll just shop for a used vehicle.' But when so many people are doing it, it's really caused those used car prices to skyrocket as well," Caldwell said.

Experts say it's also possible that the U.S. sees more build-to-order cars. While the concept is popular in Europe, consumers in the U.S. typically want their car immediately. But as it becomes more difficult to find new cars, the build-to-order option may become more popular.

WASHINGTON — In a major step to fight climate change, the Biden administration is raising vehicle mileage standards to significantly reduce emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases.

A final rule being issued Monday would raise mileage standards starting in the 2023 model year, reaching a projected industry-wide target of 40 miles per gallon by 2026.

The mileage rules are the most ambitious tailpipe pollution standards ever set for passenger cars and light trucks.

Mileage goals set by the Trump administration would achieve only 32 miles per gallon in 2026.

The move comes a day after Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin delivered a potentially fatal blow to Biden’s $2 trillion social and environmental policy bill, jeopardizing Democrats’ agenda and infuriating the White House.

Some of the first executive orders signed by President Joe Biden are directives requiring masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus in this country. The orders, one about federal property and one about travel, are limited to locations and people the Biden administration has control over.

In addition, Biden is urging all Americans to wear face coverings for 100 days, with the idea being a concentrated effort for this long could help contain the spread of the coronavirus as vaccination efforts are ramping up.

Here is a look at how Americans may be impacted by the new executive orders:

Domestic travel

There is now a federal mask requirement that applies to airports, planes, ships, and many intercity buses, trains and public transportation.

Although airlines, Amtrak, and other modes of transportation already had individual or regional mask requirements, the executive order makes it a federal level requirement and helps backstop any wiggle room on the local level.

There are still unanswered questions about how this order will be enforced, and which modes of transportation, exactly, are covered.

International travel

Travelers coming to the U.S. from another country must show a negative COVID-19 test before heading to this country, and then quarantine upon arrival.

Federal property

Masks and social distancing efforts are now required on all federal property and federal lands. This includes places like federal courthouses, FBI or other federal agency buildings both in D.C. and around the country, and national parks and forests.

While regional or statewide mask mandates have informed local decisions at these locations, the federal level mask requirement helps ensure consistency of requirements on federal property.

Federal employees

All federal employees and contractors are required to wear masks while on federal property or otherwise on-the-job.

The Senate recently passed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill that will allocate $11 billion for transportation safety. One part of that relates to new technology added to vehicles to help prevent drunk driving deaths.

“The DADSS technology is novel technology, completely different than the conventional breathalyzer everyone is familiar with,” said Robert Strassburger, president and CEO of the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety.

The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety, or DADSS for short, is a different type of detection system than what you might be used to seeing.

“This technology is intended to be working in the background, installed in the vehicle at the time the vehicle is made,” Strassburger said.

He oversees the development of this tech.

“By breathing naturally or by touching the steering wheel or the starter button, the system would measure your blood alcohol concentration,” he said.

If your BAC, or blood alcohol concentration, was over a certain threshold, the car would respond in a number of possible ways: either give a warning, not start, or not change gears.

“This is very high-risk research,” he said.

And after 20 years of helping develop this technology, Strassburger said more work and research still needs to be done.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that about 28 people in the U.S. die each day in drunk driving crashes. In 2019, more than 10,142 people lost their lives.

“Prior to moving the vehicle, I can see that saving a lot of our young kids, or those one-time offenders,” Dr. Tricia Hudson-Matthew, associate professor at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, said on the different technologies being developed for drunk driving prevention.

Dr. Hudson-Matthew is a substance abuse expert and sees how technologies that can monitor a number of factors, from speed to lane changing to slurred speech, can help.

“They’re looking at the ways of picking up, detecting behavioral patterns in the car, which will be interesting,” she said.

This new technology could be in every car manufactured in just a few years. The Senate recently passed a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill that includes language on automobile safety. The bill will go to the House next.

“It’s multisectoral, and by that I mean it deals with a number of infrastructure sectors at once in a sort of holistic way. That is in contrast to what Congress normally does,” said Rick Geddes, founding director at the Cornell University Program in Infrastructure Policy. “What we have is a mandate from the Senate for the National Highway and Safety Administration to develop the technology. And to look at the technologies that are out there and develop a standard within three years so that new cars would have to have some standard, which is to be determined.”

Economist Alan Gin said something like this does come at a cost.

“It’s been estimated this infrastructure package is going to add about $250 billion to the federal debt over a 10 year period,” said Gin, an economics professor at the University of San Diego.

So who will pay for this new technology in every car? Strassburger said while they don’t have an exact cost just yet, it will probably be up to the manufacturers what cost is implemented on consumers, if any.

“It will be their decision what to charge, how to charge it,” he said.

DADSS continues to develop the tech to quantify the amount of alcohol in a driver’s blood.

“Our quantification will be linkable to the gold standard, which is a hospital blood draw,” Strassburger said. “Our job ultimately is to produce the best, most accurate, most reliable, best-performing sensor as possible.”

And after decades of research, Strassburger is seeing the results.

“What is really rewarding is after being involved in this program for so long, I can see the finish line. I can see we’re going to finish and that is really great,” he said.

A political spat between China and Taiwan could further threaten the global supply of computer chips amid a shortage that's leading to manufacturing delays.

Taiwan is home to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest maker of computer chips and semiconductors. However, the country is currently seeing record high numbers of COVID-19 cases, and his struggling to get its hands on vaccines.

According to Bloomberg and Reuters, Taiwan's health minister has accused China of scuttling a deal that the country had to purchase 5 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine directly from BioNTech. Instead, China wanted Taiwan to purchase vaccines from a Chinese company that had exclusive rights to produce the Pfizer vaccine in the country.

China claims Taiwan is playing political games and is putting the lives of its own citizens at risk by holding out.

According to Bloomberg, only about 1% of Taiwan has been vaccinated so far, and its current vaccine supply is dwindling fast.

The dispute is just the latest salvo in the rising tensions between Taiwan and China. Taiwan has been a part of China since 1949, but China has allowed the island to have its own government for decades with the hope of one day formally unifying the island with the mainland.

For months, a global shortage of semiconductors has forced manufacturing delays on everything from electronics to cars. In fact, because the average new automobile requires dozens of computer chips, companies like Ford have been forced to extend downtime at plants.

In some parts of the country, including near Cincinnati, large parking lots are full of newly-completed cars and trucks awaiting computer chips.

In April, GM President Mark Reuss called the computer chip shortage "probably the worst crisis I've seen in the auto industry."

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden called for increased domestic manufacturing of semiconductors so that the U.S. would be less prone to shortages in the future.

"Never again should we be faced with the situation we face today with the semiconductor shortage," Biden said.