Arizona has rapidly become an epicenter for electric vehicle and self-driving tech, and it’s now the site of three big new semiconductor factories as the U.S. struggles to increase production during the global chip shortage. In 2020, Phoenix attracted more residents than any other U.S. city for the fourth year in a row, as highly skilled workers flocked to the lower cost of living and wide open spaces of the Grand Canyon State. From Lucid Motors to ElectraMeccanica, Intel to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, 634 companies relocated or expanded in Arizona between 2015 and 2020. CNBC asked the governor, big companies, and Arizonans about why the tech boom is happening and how it’s changing the state.
Category Archives: Analysis
Culture & Design: The ‘Chinatown’ Style In Cities
From London, to Manila, to Melbourne, Chinatowns in cities around the world share similar design elements. And that’s on purpose. Their distinct “Chinatown” style can be traced back to a single event: the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which came on the heels of decades of violence and racist laws targeting Chinese communities in the US. The earthquake devastated Chinatown. But in the destruction, San Francisco’s Chinese businessmen had an idea for a fresh start: a way to keep their culture alive, by inventing a completely new one. Chinatown carved out a place for itself under the threat of hate and violence. Today, that legacy is staring us in the face.
Analysis: Why The World Is Running Out Of Sand
Even though sand can be found in nearly every single country on Earth, the world could soon face a shortage of this crucial, under-appreciated commodity. Sand use around the world has tripled in the last twenty years, according to the UNEP. That’s far greater than the rate at which sand is being replenished. Here’s what’s behind the looming sand crisis.
Mass Transit: Worlds’ Best Subway System In Tokyo
Japan’s capital has built the world’s best subway system (in our opinion). Discover the benefits of connected construction for metro and rail construction projects – https://bit.ly/3eBeNPh
The Tokyo subway (東京の地下鉄, Tōkyō no chikatetsu) is a part of the extensive rapid transit system that consists of Tokyo Metro and the Toei Subway in the Greater Tokyo area of Japan. While the subway system itself is largely within the city center, the lines extend far out via extensive through services onto suburban railway lines.
Political Analysis: Is ‘Myanmar’ A Failed State?
Myanmar is on the brink of collapse. Its armed forces are continuing a brutal crackdown—arresting, torturing and killing protesters—as Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s de-facto leader, is detained. Our experts answer your questions.
Chapters 00:00 – What will happen to Aung San Suu Kyi? 02:15 – What are India and China doing? 03:37 – Should the West intervene? 05:25 – What’s happening to the Rohingya refugees? 07:16 – How will Myanmar’s neighbours be affected? 08:44 – Will civil war break out? 10:36 – Can the protesters win? 12:05 – Will Myanmar become a failed state?
Analysis: The Microchip Shortage Limiting Autos
While the automotive industry was ravaged early on in the pandemic thanks to lockdown measures and a dramatic decrease in travel, it more recently has begun facing a new problem: a shortage of microchips.
Microchips are vital to much of a vehicle’s key functions, such as engine control, transmission, infotainment systems, and more. In the last half of 2020 and now in 2021, vehicle sales recovered fairly quickly, faster than automakers anticipated.
Suddenly, they were struggling to meet demand. At the same time, chipmakers were experiencing supply shortages and increased demand from other sectors, such as personal electronics. With the resulting lack of microchip supply, automakers have been forced to slow production, even on their most popular models. For several automakers, the shortage is expected to cost them $1 billion or more — and even still, the alternatives are worryingly few.
Health: Vaccine Passports Explained (WSJ Video)
Startups, governments and nonprofits are racing to create so-called “vaccine passports,” or digital health passes aimed at helping people travel and safely move around in public. WSJ explains what it would take to get a global digital health pass system off the ground. Illustration: Zoë Soriano
Political Analysis: Tamara Keith & Amy Walter On Trump, Republican Party
NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including internal Republican politics over Rep. Liz Cheney’s House position, former President Trump’s influence on the party, and bipartisanship on President Biden’s plans.
World News: Rise Of E-Money, Spain’s Indignados Protests & Dostoevsky
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week: the rise of e-money, ten years after Spain’s indignados protests (10:03) and “the brothers Karamazov” on stage (17:36).
Analysis: India-Pakistan Conflict Explained (Video)
In February 2021, India and Pakistan agreed to strictly observe all previous agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and other sectors, and to address core issues and concerns. It was their first joint statement in over eight years. But will the agreement be upheld this time? Both countries have come close to an all-out military conflict several times in the past two decades. DW takes a look at factors that are driving the hostility between the two South Asian neighbors.
Boomers Daily 