*By Justin Chermol*
Uber is laying off more than 100 test drivers in its autonomous car division in Pittsburgh and San Francisco, replacing them with 55 highly-trained drivers known as "mission specialists".
It's an attempt by the ride-hailing company to prove it's serious about safety in its self-driving division after a fatal crash in Tempe, Ariz., last March.
But whether real progress has been made is another story.
"There's the public messaging and there is what is actually happening," said Mark Rechtin, Executive Editor at Motor Trend. "Uber is saying all the right things publicly, but the accident in Arizona has really set them back."
Uber initially suspended all testing of its autonomous driving program after a pedestrian was struck and killed on March 18, but restarted some tests earlier this month.
Former self-driving car operators are eligible to apply for the new roles, which must operate cars on both public roads and private tracks and are expected to give technical feedback to developers.
Rechtin is optimistic about the effort, but still raised concerns.
"We need to make sure whatever Uber does is something that is functional."
The Federal Reserve kept its key short-term interest rate unchanged Wednesday for a second straight time but left the door open to further rate hikes if inflation pressures should accelerate in the months ahead.
As the holiday season nears and with families making plans for Thanksgiving at the end of the month, concerns about high food prices linger. Dr. Michael Swanson, chief agricultural economist with Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on what to expect when shopping for those large family meals.
Can money really buy happiness? Grant Gallagher, associate vice president and head of financial well-being with Affinity Federal Credit Union, joined Cheddar News to explain which steps to take for financial security and safety.
SAG-AFTRA will meet again with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to discuss putting an end to the ongoing strike.
Italian car maker Fiat is opening an apartment building in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar has teamed up with Fidelity to set kids up for success.
LinkedIn is rolling out generative AI tools for premium members.
Closing arguments began in the trial of FTX co-founder Sam Bankman Fried.
AMD posted higher third-quarter earnings, CVS reported better-than-expected results and Kraft raised its full-year forecast.
Collins Dictionary has named its word of the year: A.I.
