*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."
Danielle DiMartino Booth, CEO and chief strategist of Quill Intelligence, joined Cheddar News to discuss the market that is still digesting comments from the Federal Reserve about its monetary policy.
A study by research company Euromonitor International found that the number of available banking machines in the U.S. has dropped by more than 18,000 since 2019.
Apple is building a new iPhone factory in India as it shifts some production there from China.
Meta slashed prices of its Quest virtual reality headsets.
The Week's Top Stories is a guided tour through the biggest market stories of the week, from winning stocks to brutal dips to the facts and forecasts generating buzz on Wall Street.
Amazon paused the next phase of construction on its second headquarters in Arlington, Va.
Sales of Tesla vehicles made in China rose in February after the company lowered prices that led to higher demand.
Fast casual pasta chain Due' Cucina recently raised $2.5 million in a new financing round. Davide Macchi, co-founder and CEO of Due Cucina, joined Cheddar News to discuss the company's operations and what lies ahead.
Millions of Americans with retirement plans switch jobs every year. Bobbi Rebell, certified financial planner & personal finance expert, joined Cheddar News to discuss what to do when doing so.
Railroad unions report that workers for Norfolk Southern who were present at the derailment and chemical spill site in East Palestine, Ohio, have been falling ill.
