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The price of a tank of gas has fallen since hitting a record high in June, BMW saw sales fall in the first half of the year and a European nation is experimenting with free public transport. All that and more in The Morning Shift for July 8, 2022.

1: Fuel prices continue to fall

Remember when we all watched in horror as gas prices soared to over $5 a gallon in many states last month? Well, the Wall Street Journal reports that since prices peaked, we’ve had price declines at the pump for more than three weeks straight.

According to WSJ, the average cost of a gallon of gasoline here in the US has fallen from $5.02 on June 14th to $4.75 on July 7th. This decline was due to falling fuel demand at service stations and a 16% drop in crude oil costs. According to WSJ:

“Pre-Independence Day gasoline sales lagged behind previous years. Same-store gasoline demand for the week ended July 2 fell about 7% from the same period last year, according to OPIS data. Demand fell about 13% this week compared to the same period in 2019. Gasoline demand fell to its lowest level in nearly a decade in mid-to-late May, according to government data.

The falling fuel costs were tracked in an AAA report released earlier this week. The paper added that prices could follow if demand for fuel falls further.

However, AAA warned that the relief could be short-lived. The WSJ adds:

“However, July is typically the busiest month for demand as more Americans take to the streets, so this price-cutting trend may be short-lived,” AAA spokesman Andrew Gross said in a statement.”

In addition, the lower gas price could contribute to an increase in demand. This in turn could drive prices up again. It really is a vicious circle.

2nd place: Chip shortage hits BMW sales

Chip shortages and lockdowns related to Covid-19 are still wreaking havoc in the auto industry. If it’s not a cut in vehicle features or delays in production, it’s a drop in sales. And that is exactly what BMW experienced in the first half of 2022.

R reports that the German automaker sold 13% fewer cars in the first six months of 2022 than in the same period last year. The company reportedly sold 1.16 million BMWs, Minis and Rolls-Royce cars earlier this year, well below its figures for 2021 – “the best-selling period in the company’s history,” according to R.

BMW’s sales were hit particularly hard in the second quarter between April and June 2022, when deliveries of vehicles across the portfolio fell 20%. The company attributed this drop in sales to “chip shortages and temporary lockdowns in China.”

But that wasn’t all bad news for the brand, as sales of electric cars soared 110% during the period. This means that almost 76,000 BMW and Mini electric cars were sold in the first half of 2022.

3: Argo AI fires dozens

Self-driving cars could be the future, but their development has been plagued by myriad problems over the years. If it’s not cops trying to hail a self-driving cab, it’s a Tesla that doesn’t recognize signs and cyclists. But the big problem for autonomous car startup Argo AI seems to be staffing.

In a statement from Automotive News, the company said it was laying off nearly 150 employees from different parts of the company as it aims to continue growing in the future. According to Automotive News:

An Argo spokesman said the layoffs were part of “prudent adjustments to our business plan” as the company planned for future growth.

“Former Argo employees who have worked in the company’s human resources, recruiting, technical procurement and communications departments shared news of their layoffs on their respective LinkedIn profiles.”

The Pittsburgh-based self-driving car maker seemed to be on the mend a bit in recent months. The company received investment from Ford and helped enhance the Blue Oval’s autonomous capabilities. It also tested its own self-driving systems with test drives in Miami.

Despite the downsizing, Argo AI says it still has more than 2,000 employees around the world and will continue to conduct test drives in Florida, where driving with a safety driver at the wheel is no longer required.

4th: This is beyond a yoke

If you believe some people, the steering wheel is on the way out. Instead, we’ll all soon be riding around with a fighter jet-like yoke in front, controlling the direction our wheels are pointing. But while Tesla has rolled out such an input in recent months with varying degrees of success, it sounds like Lexus is actually reinventing the wheel.

Automotive News reports that the company is developing a new “ultra-precision steer-by-wire system” that will premiere in its upcoming all-electric crossover RZ. The system replaces the mechanical connection between the yoke and the front wheels, instead electronically sending the signals from the yoke to the wheels. The report says:

“The setup allows the Lexus yoke to deliver a 150 degree steering angle between the right and left lock positions. The driver does not have to turn the fork bridge all the way or change his grip when manoeuvring, such as turning or parking in the garage.”

This reduction in turning angle also means controls like turn signals and windshield wipers can stay on the wheel and move as you turn. Automotive News adds that the controls for this have been shortened so you don’t accidentally hit them with your legs.

How does all this tech behind the design feel as Lexus intends to bring its yoke to the US? Is it refreshing to see someone trying to reinvent the wheel, or were things fine the way they are?

5th: Free ticket

People don’t take the train because they say it’s unreliable, expensive and sometimes a bit gross. But what if I told you there was a magical place where this wasn’t the case? A place where trains ran on schedule, didn’t cost the earth, and were meticulously maintained? This place is called Europe.

And while most of mainland Europe has developed a fairly impressive and affordable rail network, one state on the block has gone one step further by conducting a trial of free public transport for all. According to Bloomberg, the country of Luxembourg has been offering free travel on trains and buses for residents since 2020.

Not a particularly car-hostile place, the state has the highest vehicle density on the continent at 696 cars per 1,000 people. But the population is growing, and lawmakers fear its infrastructure may not be able to support an increase in traffic to match that growth. So they tried free public transport to get people off the streets and onto buses and trains. According to Bloomberg:

“On February 29, 2020, it became the first nation in the world to make all on-site public transportation completely free. With the exception of (not particularly popular) first-class tickets, no one has since paid a penny for bus, tram or train travel within Luxembourg’s borders.”

The policy has so far proved popular with travelers in the country, but Bloomberg noted that free transit alone wasn’t enough to entice people to take the train. The site says:

“To get people out of an unsustainable car addiction, you have to make driving more expensive and difficult – something the center-left government in Luxembourg has so far been wary of.”

As a result, traffic levels in the country remain similar to 2019. And experts suggest the free transportation offering will be more likely to be embraced by people who would walk or cycle than those who would normally drive.

Back: strike

Neutral: What should I hear?

I feel like my music listening habits have stagnated lately. Aside from the traditional onslaught of Arcade Fire and Arctic Monkeys, I had a lovely week listening to Jack White and Christine and the Queens. So if you have any suggestions for great bands for me to check out, I’m all ears.

National Hockey League (NHL) Commissioner Gary Bettman said his league will conduct a full investigation to learn more about the alleged sexual assault committed by members of Canada’s junior team in 2018.

• Also read: Victor Mete distances himself from Hockey Canada scandal

• Also read: Hockey Canada: Other sponsors resign

• Also read: Gang Rape: Defeated Hockey Canada in Ottawa

Questioned on the sidelines of the NHL amateur draft, the chairman says we must try to find out more because the conclusions presented by the national federation through its independent investigator are deemed by a majority of observers, including the political class, to be clearly inadequate.

“We will try to research as rigorously as possible to see if we can learn more than we knew from previous Hockey Canada presentations. They didn’t have the information or some restrictions persisted at that level, Bettman said, as reported by the Sportsnet network. Our goal is to get to the point and really understand what happened.”

In addition, he added that his league is working with the players’ union to set the parameters of the intended process. He expects “full cooperation” from ice hockey players and their organizations.

“We want them to make sure their players are available to talk to us and tell the truth,” Bettman said. It’s terrible, frightening and unacceptable. However, since everyone involved remains anonymous, understanding what happened is a major challenge. But we will do our best.”

In troubled waters

Hockey Canada is in the hot seat after reaching an out-of-court settlement with a suspected gang rape victim in London in June 2018. Many companies have temporarily suspended their sponsorship partnership with the association while funding is granted by the federal government. The government froze time to gather more information on the alleged facts.

The NHL’s investigation will be led by new Vice President of Safety Jared M. Maples.

“He has an interesting and diverse background in this field. His most recent position was as Director of Border Security for the state of New Jersey. And you don’t put the rest of your CV on paper,” explained the Commissioner.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during the NFL football game between the Miami Dolphins and the Indianapolis Colts at Hard Rock Stadium on October 3, 2021 in Miami, FL.

Andrew Bershaw | Sportswire icon | Getty Images

The National Football League plans to select a streaming service as its new Sunday ticket partner and will choose a winner by the fall, Commissioner Roger Goodell said Friday.

“I have a strong belief that we’re going to move to a streaming service,” Goodell told CNBC’s Julia Boorstin in an exclusive interview at the Allen & Co. Sun Valley conference. “I think that’s what’s best for consumers at this point.”

Apple, Amazon and Disney, which owns ESPN+, have all submitted bids to become the league’s exclusive Sunday ticket retailer, CNBC reported last month. Goodell confirmed talks have been going on for over a year to find a new partner to replace DirecTV, whose deal with the league ends after this season.

Sunday Ticket is the only way for fans to watch live NFL Sunday afternoon games outside of what’s being broadcast on CBS and FOX in their local markets. DirecTV paid $1.5 billion for the annual rights. The NFL now wants more than $2 billion a year, CNBC reported.

Contract language with CBS and Fox would prevent any streaming service from charging fans significantly less than the current $300 Sunday ticket cost, CNBC reported.

DirecTV is not offering to renew the package but is willing to work with the winner, CNBC reported. Under its current agreement with the NFL, DirecTV requires customers who sign up for Sunday Ticket to also sign up for its pay-TV service, with rare exceptions. That requirement will be removed with a new streaming service partner, potentially bringing Sunday Ticket to a much wider audience.

Goodell noted that many people who watch games through a streaming service don’t subscribe to traditional pay-TV, which allows the league to reach a wider audience by moving Sunday Ticket to a digital provider.

“We really believe these new platforms give us an opportunity to innovate where we are today,” said Goodell. “It obviously makes it more accessible to our consumers, especially the younger demographic, which is what we’re really trying to achieve. I think that will make it more accessible to fans. I think it will be a better experience for fans.”

NFL+ confirmed

Goodell also confirmed that the league will launch its own streaming service called NFL+ in September, in time for the upcoming season. He didn’t give details on pricing or what will be available for the service, but he did stress that NFL+’s content will likely improve over time.

“It’s really in the early stages,” Goodell said. “I think it will continue to grow over the years. It will be an important strategy for us in the future.”

The Sports Business Journal reported in May that NFL+ is expected to start later this month.

WATCH: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks with CNBC’s Julia Boorstin in Sun Valley

This story is part of Amazon Prime Day, CNET’s guide to everything you need to know and how to find the best deals.

Ahead of next week’s annual Prime Day sales event, Amazon is offering a new benefit to its customers through an exclusive deal with Grubhub. Prime members in the US can now sign up for a free one-year membership of Grubhub Plus, the grocery delivery company said in a press release Wednesday.

With a Grubhub Plus membership, you can order from participating restaurants without paying delivery fees and get other benefits like free food and special discounts. The catch? Orders must be at least $12 before taxes and other fees. Existing Grubhub Plus members with Prime are eligible for the offer, except for those with Grubhub Campus or Corporate. The current monthly cost for a Grubhub Plus subscription is $10.

On Wednesday, Amazon acquired a 2% stake in Grubhub’s parent company, Just Eat Takeway.com. As part of the deal, the e-commerce giant is offering free access to its meal delivery service, which is available in over 4,000 cities — and more than 300,000 restaurants — across the country.

The promotion comes just before Prime Day 2022, which takes place on July 12-13.

How to get free Grubhub Plus

Here’s how to get your free Grubhub Plus membership if you’re an active Prime member. (If you’re a Prime Student member, you’re also eligible for this offer even if you previously redeemed the Grubhub Plus Student promotion.)

1. Visit amazon.com/grubhub.

2. blow Activate free dig lift+. Sign in to your Grubhub or Seamless account, or create a Grubhub account.

3. blow Activate free.

4. Sign in to your Amazon account when prompted, then click To allow to allow Grubhub access to your name, email address and Prime status.

5. blow Order nowand you will be redirected to the Grubhub delivery interface.

When you sign up, you’ll have access to Grubhub Plus for a year, and then you’ll automatically get $10 a month. You can cancel your membership at any time, but note that you will be charged a fee if you do not cancel the free trial after one year.

Continue reading: Amazon Prime: 21 perks every member gets

Normand Brathwaite, who is starring in the play Sainte-Marie-la-Mauderne all summer, is considering using hypnosis to better manage the stress that is making him ill before each performance.

Past Sophie Durocher and Richard Martineau for the recording of the podcast «Apéro piquant», the actor discovered by Denise Filiatraut (in «Chez Denise») at the age of 19 can look back on a career rich in stage experience, he must always have a seal with him before entering the crime scene.
In the past he sometimes wanted to cut short his animations in front of an audience at the last second, but he was still happy to get involved in the theatre, especially for this adaptation of the Ken Scott film The Great Seduction. , starring Michel Rivard and Fayolle Jean Jr.

If he had been “blacker”, would he have succeeded? We have to laugh at everyone Normand was almost “shocked” several times before shows…

The “n-word”

Published in 2012, Normand Brathwaite’s biography, autographed by journalist Isabelle Massé, is much more than a book about his life or career that the actor entrusted to the animation couple. He actually wanted to tell his origins and the life of his parents, who were a strangely mixed couple in the 1940s at the time.

And it was absolutely necessary that the “N-word” be in the title of his biography, entitled “Working like a Negro without getting tired”, as it is in some classics of literature, including “Comment faire l’amour à a Negro without getting tired” by the immortal Dany Laferrière, to whom he winks.

For him, the “N-word” is unproblematic if it is well contextualized. He also insisted that “the problem with the word ‘Negro’ is that we always precede it with the words host of . . . ,” he hinted at QUB Radio’s mic.

In addition, it is necessary for him to laugh at everything, especially at minorities, because it is a sign that they exist. “We joke about gays because we think it’s normal, just like we think it’s normal to be redheads. I’m not afraid of a society that makes jokes about a minority or people who are different. I’m scared of a society that doesn’t do that anymore,” he said.

However, he acknowledged that racism exists in Quebec, although it is less severe than elsewhere in the world and is decreasing. He is therefore convinced that he would not have had the career he would have built if his skin had been darker.

General view of the Rogers Building, headquarters of Rogers Communications in Toronto, Ontario, Canada October 22, 2021. R/Carlos Osorio

July 8 (R) – A major outage of Rogers Communications Inc (RCIb.TO)’s mobile and internet networks on Friday caused widespread disruption across Canada, impacting banks and police emergency numbers in the second major outage affecting one of the largest telecom operators of the country met in 15 months.

“We are currently experiencing an outage on our wired and wireless networks and our technical teams are working hard to restore services as soon as possible,” Rogers said in a statement.

The outage, which appears larger than last year, which largely affected consumers, comes as Rogers seeks to acquire rival Shaw Communications (SJRb.TO) in a C$20 billion deal.

Canada’s competition regulator blocked Rogers’ proposed purchase of Shaw, saying it would hamper competition in the country, which has some of the highest telecom tariffs in the world.

Rogers is Ontario’s leading service provider with approximately 10 million mobile subscribers and 2.25 million retail Internet subscribers and together with BCE Inc (BCE.TO) and Telus Corp (T.TO) controls 90% of the market share in Canada.

Rogers’ departure will likely raise concerns about competition in the industry.

“Today’s outage highlights the need for more independent competition that will drive more network investment, making outages far less likely,” said Anthony Lacavera, chief executive of Globealive, an investment firm that bid for a wireless carrier involved in the Rogers/Shaw Deal was involved.

Police in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, said some callers may have trouble reaching 911 emergency services. Police in Toronto, Canada’s largest city, expressed a similar concern, although they said their call center was fully operational.

Interac, which operates an email money transfer service used by several Canadian banks, said the outage was affecting its services. Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD.TO) said it was experiencing system issues with the Interac e-Transfer service.

Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO) said the outage was affecting financial institutions, toll-free numbers and transactions, while Royal Bank of Canada (RY.TO) said its ATMs and online banking services were affected.

Downdetector, which tracks outages by aggregating status reports from a number of sources, showed over 20,000 user reports of the outage. Reports fell to nearly 10,000 by 9 a.m. ET.

Canadians, who awoke Friday morning to the reality that there were no services, had to struggle. “On my morning walk, I saw about 20 people standing in front of Starbucks checking their phones, probably because of #rogersoutage. Coffee shops are also busy this morning with people holding business meetings,” wrote Twitter user Bojan Land.

Despite the frustration, some Canadians tried to keep their sense of humor. “The great thing about this #rogersoutage is that I don’t get 32 ​​spam calls before noon,” Yair Karlberger tweeted.

Reporting by Yuvraj Malik, Shubham Kalia and Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru; Catherine Jackson in Washington; Additional reporting by Divya Rajagopal in Toronto and Eva Matthews in Bengaluru; Writing by Ankur Banerjee; Editing of Shinjini Ganguli

Our standards: The Trust Principles.

A power outage forces Valcartier Vacation Village to close for the day. A delivery truck hit a power pole and caused the breakage.

“We have a 53ft van that made a bad maneuver exiting the parking lot. He hit a pylon with a medium voltage cable. There is currently no electricity at Village Vacances Valcartier. There are no more pump and filter systems. Unfortunately, they are forced to close the site for the time being. It will take several hours before we can fix all of this,” said Jérôme Sauvageau of the Saint-Gabriel de Valcartier fire department.

The incident happened around 10 a.m. Hydro-Québec’s teams are hard at work on the ground.

Visitors who had to turn back were naturally disappointed by the turn of events. However, they were able to get the assurance that their ticket would be redeemed tomorrow.

“We come from Rimouski. We rented a cabin. We’ll be back tomorrow. We find solutions. We don’t have much of a choice,” said William Gagnon of Rimouski, who was accompanied by all of his young children.

More details to come…

Gasoline prices in the US have fallen for 24 straight days after hitting a record last month. But analysts said prices could rise again if driver demand increases and supply is curtailed.

The average cost of a gallon of unleaded gas on Friday was $4.72. That’s down about 6% since prices peaked at $5.02 on June 14, according to data from OPIS, a provider of energy data and analytics.

The decline is mainly due to lower demand at the pump, according to an AAA report released this week. Increased gas supply and lower oil prices have also contributed to the recent price drop, the AAA said. Crude oil futures were about $102 a barrel as of Thursday night, down about 16% over the past month.

Pre-Independence Day gasoline sales lagged behind previous years. Same-store gasoline demand for the week ended July 2 fell about 7% from the same period last year, according to OPIS data. Demand fell about 13% this week compared to the same period in 2019. Gasoline demand fell to its lowest level in nearly a decade in mid-to-late May, according to government data.

Gas prices could fall further if trends continue, the AAA report said. “However, July is typically the busiest month for demand as more Americans take to the streets, so this price-cutting trend may be short-lived,” AAA spokesman Andrew Gross said in a statement.

Tayannah Schonenberg, a 26-year-old chef, said she doesn’t alter her gas usage and instead works more hours.

Photo: Lauryn Azu/The Wall Street Journal

Some Americans are changing their driving habits as the cost of gasoline and many goods and services has increased.

Marc Pellegrino said he would not be doing the cross-country tour that he and his family have been on for the last two years today because of the pressure at the pump.

“It was actually a happy time putting together a little road trip,” said the New Yorker. “We couldn’t do that now.”

Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at OPIS, said he expects demand to pick up later this month, helped by lower petrol prices and recent disruptions to domestic air travel. OPIS is part of Dow Jones & Co., which publishes The Wall Street Journal.

Tayannah Schonenberg, a 26-year-old chef from Easton, Pennsylvania, went on vacation to New York City this week. Above-average prices would not have deterred her from the trip, she said. She works more hours to cover expenses, including trips with higher gas prices.

“It doesn’t really help because gas is still high,” Ms. Schonenberg said.

Mr Kloza said consumers should not expect the respite to be long-lasting. Increased demand could help push prices higher again, he said.

The Big Hill Strategic Petroleum Reserve deposit in Texas.

Photo: US Department of Energy/Handout/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

“There are more upside risks than downside risks,” Mr Kloza said. “Next month it will be about the supply and whether the supply is compromised.”

Summer hurricanes and power outages taking refineries around the Gulf of Mexico offline could reduce already tight supplies, Mr Kloza said. Disruptions as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict could also jeopardize supplies. And if the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries refuses to increase production, it could send oil and gas prices higher later this year, Mr Kloza said.

Gas prices are most likely to fall further if a recession hits, which would undermine expectations of demand growth, said Bart Melek, head of commodity strategy at TD Securities.

According to studies by an economist at the US Federal Reserve, the US economy faces increased risks of a recession in the next one to two years. The Fed has been aggressively raising interest rates, increasing the risk of a recession, to avoid higher inflation taking hold of the economy, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said.

The Biden administration has been tapping oil supplies from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve and is trying to pressure the US oil industry to increase production. But with existing refineries nearing capacity, little can be done in the near term to plug the supply gap, analysts said.

Several state and federal authorities have taken action to curb the rise in prices. Some states have suspended their gas taxes. The US Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency waiver in April that will allow gas stations to sell high-ethanol gasoline this summer despite concerns about rising air pollutant emissions.

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President Biden, in a tweet over Independence Day weekend, pressured companies that set gas prices to “lower the price you charge at the pump to reflect the cost you pay for the product.”

Mr Kloza said it can be an effective executive approach to inducing companies to price lower, particularly when margins are high.

The weekly retail margin for gas, the retail price subtracted from net costs, was about 55 cents a gallon for the week ended July 2, according to OPIS data, compared to 28 cents for the same period last year.

“This has been an immensely profitable year for oil and gas producers and refiners,” said Mr. Kloza.

Write to Omar Abdel-Baqui at [email protected] and Lauryn Azu at [email protected]

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