Jan 4, 2017

MIT gives ride-sharing companies a big boost in their argument against taxis

Neal Rothschild

MIT researchers have concluded that if ride-share vehicles replaced New York City taxis, 11,000 vehicles would be taken off the roads.

How they did it: The researchers used data from 3 million taxi rides to create an algorithm to simulate in real time conditions like wait times, vehicle capacities and travel delays. The study found that with services like UberPOOL and Lyft Line, 3,000 four-passenger cars could handle 98% of the capacity of 14,000 NYC cabs with an average wait time of 2.7 minutes.

Why it matters: Ride-share companies have fought against regulations in cities on the grounds that their services bring convenience and better service to the public. Now they can bolster their arguments by citing diminished congestion and environmental benefit.

The other side: The Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade has argued that, considering the taxes and fees cabbies have to pay, taxis generate more revenue for New York City than Uber or Lyft.

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Alayna Treene, Sam Baker

What the coronavirus means for Trump's presidency

Photo Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

A poor response to the coronavirus could be politically devastating for President Trump, and so far his administration has given the strong impression that it’s still scrambling as the risk of a pandemic mounts.

Why it matters: There’s only so much any president can do to stop a virus from spreading, and for now the coronavirus is still very much under control within the U.S. But if the disease get worse in the months ahead, and if the administration seems to be caught off guard, that spells trouble for public confidence in Trump.

Go deeperArrow1 hour ago - Health
Axios

Coronavirus updates: New global case numbers surpass China's

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

The novel coronavirus is now affecting every continent but Antarctica and the WHO said Wednesday the number of new cases reported outside China has exceeded those inside the country for the first time.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed more than 2,800 people and infected over 82,000 others in some 50 countries and territories. As Denmark and Estonia reported their first cases Thursday, Scott Morrison, prime minister of Australia — which has 23 confirmed infections — told a news conference, "The risk of a global pandemic is very much upon us."

Go deeperArrowUpdated 3 hours ago - Health
Orion Rummler

Mass shooting in Milwaukee: What we know

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in 2012. Photo: John Gress/Corbis via Getty Images

Six people died in a shooting at the Molson Coors Brewing Company in Milwaukee Molson Coors on Wednesday, including the 51-year-old gunman, Mayor Tom Barrett told reporters at an evening press conference with local police.

Details: All of the victims worked at the brewery complex, as did the shooter who died of "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police confirmed in a statement late Wednesday.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 5 hours ago - Politics & Policy