General Motors GM airless tire
General Motors is taking the air out of tires in an effort to save American drivers billions of dollars per year. Officials are pulling ice cream trucks off the streets. And remember those cyberpets we all used to carry around in our pockets in 1997? The Tamagotchi is making a comeback and getting a 21st-century makeover!
Here’s what you need to know today in your daily roundup:
TOP STORY: General Motors is Testing Airless Tires That Wouldn’t Be Damaged By Potholes
Imagine a world where flat tires were no longer an issue or a threat. General Motors is trying to make that a reality. The automaker has presented an airless tire that would not be impacted by potholes and would be puncture-proof, called the Michelin Uptis Prototype.
GM plans to begin testing the prototypes on the roads later this year, according to a GM news release. The airless tires will be installed onto Chevrolet Bolt electric cars and be tested in Michigan. The automaker’s goal is to have them ready for mass production by 2024.
An airless tire could potentially mean a substantial amount of savings for U.S. drivers. AAA says that damage caused by potholes currently cost drivers about $3 billion per year. GM also says drivers would save money on replacing their tires, because the airless prototype would eliminate “irregular wear and tear caused by over- or under-inflation.”
OFF-BEAT: ‘Operation Meltdown’ Pulls Dozens of Ice Cream Trucks Off the Streets
46 ice cream trucks seized in Queens for allegedly dodging over $4.5 million in fines t.co/24G9Ll5LwT
The kids may be screaming for ice cream, but the trucks in New York City may not be there to provide the treats. Investigators have seized 46 trucks as part of an ongoing probe called “Operation Meltdown.”
The operators of the trucks were accused of failing to pay more than $4.5 million in fines from traffic violations over the past decade. According to a news release from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office, the truck drivers amassed about 22,000 traffic violations for parking at fire hydrants, running red lights and blocking crosswalks. The mayor’s office explained that the ice cream truck operators created shell companies by “transferring ownership of their ice cream trucks between and among dozens of phony companies, effectively shielding their trucks from fines and seizure.”
ABC affiliate WABC-TV, citing the city’s sheriff’s department, reported that the 46 ice cream truck seized currently owe about $10,000 in tickets. “Operation Meltdown” is currently a civil case but future criminal charges are possible.
WHAT’S BUZZING THAT HAS EVERYONE TALKING: The FBI Has Unveiled The ‘BigFoot’ Files
The FBI once opened an investigation into whether BigFoot was real. They have now made the files from that search public, which you can see here.
In 1976, an Oregon man named Peter Byrne sent 15 samples of hair and tissue to the FBI. He asked them to test the pieces to see if they could be from BigFoot, also known as a Sasquatch or a Yeti. Assistant FBI Director of the agency’s laboratory division at the time, Jay Cochran Jr., responded on December 20, 1976. “The FBI laboratory conducts examinations primarily of physical evidence for law enforcement agencies in connection with criminal investigations. Occasionally, on a case-by-case basis, in the interest of research and scientific inquiry, we make exceptions to this general policy.”
However, Byrne may have been disappointed when the results came back in February of 1977. The hairs were “determined to be from a member of the deer family.” Byrne, who is now 93, recently told CNBC that he has not given up hope of one day finding BigFoot.
Daily News Roundup
GettyFirst Lady Melania Trump, President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and French President’s wife Brigitte Macron after a French-US ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, on June 6, 2019.
- President Trump honored WWII soldiers on the 75th anniversary of D-Day in a ceremony on the beaches of Normandy.
- Pope Francis changes the wording of the Lord’s Prayer.
- Amazon’s annual “Prime Day” may be happening on July 15, according to a leaked report.
- Tamagotchis, the virtual pet that everyone had in the late 1990s, are getting a remake.
- Carrie Underwood wins big at the CTM Awards.
What’s Happening in the Day Ahead
- The St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins square off in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals at 8 p.m.
- The city of Virginia Beach is holding a memorial service tonight for the victims of the May 31 mass shooting.