News in :90 – Oct. 18, 2024

Hamas confirmed Friday that its leader Yahya Sinwar, was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza and reiterated its stance that hostages the militant group took from Israel a year ago will not be released until there is a cease-fire in Gaza and a withdrawal of Israeli troops.

The U.S. Government’s road safety agency is investigating Tesla’s “full self-driving” system after getting reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian. The investigation covers roughly 2.4 million Tesla’s from the 2016 through 2024 model years. There are no federal regulations specifically focused on autonomous vehicles, although they must meet broader safety rules. A message was left early Friday seeking comment from tesla, which has repeatedly said the system cannot drive itself and human drivers must be ready to intervene at all times.

The University of St. Thomas announced a $20 million gift toward the Lee and Penny Anderson arena Thursday. Joe, Pat, and Ann Ryan will have the area outside the arena named after them: The Ryan family plaza. The Ryan family is the same name behind Ryan companies, the management company behind the construction of Anderson arena and other university buildings like Frey residence hall and the center for well-being.

Elizabeth Dickey can be reached at ehdickey@stthomas.edu