Strip District-based Aurora has launched a commercial driverless trucking service in Texas — the first company to do so on public roads, per the company.

Why it matters: As one of the city's largest robotics employers, Aurora runs on Pittsburgh's research and tech talent — putting the Steel City at the center of a nationwide shift with wide-ranging economic and transportation implications.

Driving the news: On April 27, Aurora completed its first freight run with no driver in the cab, delivering frozen pastries between Dallas and Houston along a 200-mile stretch of Texas interstate after four years of testing with humans behind the wheel.

Zoom in: The milestone is a major win for Aurora CEO Chris Urmson, a Carnegie Mellon grad and autonomous vehicle pioneer who helped kickstart Google's self-driving car project, now Waymo, Axios' Joann Muller reports.

• Urmson rode in the back of a cab hauling a trailer for the first round-trip journey.

By the numbers: Before the driverless run, Aurora's trucks had logged over 3 million autonomous miles and delivered more than 10,000 loads as part of its testing and safety validation, per the company.

What they're saying: "Riding in the back seat for our inaugural trip was an honor of a lifetime — the Aurora Driver performed perfectly and it's a moment I'll never forget," said Urmson.

Between the lines: Driverless trucks with remote monitoring are now legal in Pennsylvania, but widespread testing and deployment on public roads is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

• Rough terrain, harsh weather and public skepticism complicate driverless testing on public roads — unlike in Texas and Arizona, where flat landscapes, dry climates and looser regulations offer ideal conditions.

Yes, but: To support the testing and rollout of driverless vehicles in Pennsylvania, the Regional Industrial Development Corporation of Southwestern Pennsylvania is building PennSTART, a $20 million test track in Westmoreland County designed to simulate complex driving scenarios.

The big picture: Fully driverless autonomous trucking aims to tackle driver shortages, rising costs and supply chain challenges. While proponents highlight the potential benefits, critics raise concerns about safety, cybersecurity and job losses.

Go deeper

The federal Department of Education is again referring student loan borrowers in default to debt collectors.

Why it matters: After a five-year penalty pause, the 5.3 million borrowers in default could see their wages and tax refunds garnished if they don't resume payments.

By the numbers: Roughly 38% of nationwide borrowers are actively repaying their student loans and remain current on their payments, per the education department. The rest are in forbearance, deferment or delinquency.

Zoom in: Pennsylvania borrowers have an average of $36,267 in student debt, slightly below the national average of $37,853, per the Education Data Initiative.

• Over 1.8 million Pennsylvanians — 55% under 35 years old — owe $66.3 billion in student loans.

When will collections start?

The department started involuntary collections yesterday through the Treasury Offset Program, which collects delinquent debts through wage, tax refund or social security garnishments.

• Wage garnishment is a legal procedure in which employers are ordered to withhold a person's earnings for the payment of a debt.
• There will be a 30-day notice, after which the department will begin garnishing wages for borrowers in default.
• Student loans are considered in default after 270 days without payments.

What are the next steps?

• Check your default status by logging into StudentAid.gov or running a free credit report.
• Borrowers can sign up for an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan or loan rehabilitation.
• Income-driven repayment plans like SAVE base payments on income and family size, not loan balance.

Yes, but: Some experts are worried that SAVE is on the chopping block.

Keep reading

🚫 Mayor Ed Gainey, joined by County Executive Sara Innamorato and state lawmakers, is pushing to amend Pennsylvania's Price Gouging Act to cover local disasters on the heels of last week's deadly storm.

• The law applies only to state-declared disasters, prohibiting businesses from charging over 20% more than the average price of goods or services in the week before a disaster.
• "Companies and contractors can legally hike prices during locally declared emergencies…" Gainey said. "That's wrong, and it hurts working families the most." (News release)

⚗️ Carnegie Mellon University is suing to block a new National Science Foundation policy that caps indirect cost reimbursement for lab space, equipment and administrative support at 15%, a change that would reduce CMU's annual reimbursement from $12.8 million to $5.3 million. (Lawsuit)

• CMU joined a similar lawsuit earlier this year to block proposed NIH funding caps, now on hold in court.

🎵 The Smiling Moose, a longtime South Side music hub, will close at the end of May after more than 20 years on East Carson Street. Owners cited post-COVID business shifts and plan to focus on their Cranberry restaurant and Grove City brewery. (Facebook)

Pittsburgh pup parents, this one's for you.

The big picture: National Dog Mom's Day is Saturday — the day before Mother's Day — and we're celebrating with top-tier canine content.

How it works: Hit reply on this email with that one photo of your dog you show everyone.

• If you've got a great backstory, we're all ears. Feel free to share how you met and what makes your bond special — or even a story that still makes you laugh.
• We'll feature our top pick in the newsletter later this week!

The bottom line: Let's be honest — this is mostly an excuse to see your dogs.