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Hard Numbers: Deadly day for Israeli troops, former UN official ordered to pay up, Tesla admits Autopilot isn’t safe, US Fed keeps interest rates the same
Israeli soldiers prepare to enter the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at Israel's border with Gaza in southern Israel, December 13, 2023.
10: Ten Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza on Tuesday, marking one of the deadliest days of the conflict for the IDF since it launched a ground invasion of the enclave in late October. Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry on Wednesday said that over 18,600 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7.
$63.6 million: An ex-UN official is being ordered to personally repay the organization $63.6 million, court filings show. The former official, Vitaly Vanshelboim, entrusted tens of millions of dollars to a British businessman he met at a Manhattan party – who apparently squandered the money, which was meant to finance renewable energy and housing projects. Vanshelboim was a top official at the UN Office for Projects Services before he was fired over the scandal in January.
2 million: Tesla is issuing a recall and sending a digital update to almost all its cars in the US – roughly 2 million – over safety concerns surrounding its Autopilot system. Elon Musk’s car company said that its Autopilot software system controls “may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse,” and will add additional alerts and geographical limits on where the system can be used. The recall follows an investigation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – and reports of deadly crashes involving Tesla vehicles in Autopilot.
5.25-5.5: The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged – in the 5.25% to 5.5% range – at its final 2023 meeting on Wednesday. This comes after recent economic data showed inflation cooling, though falling short of hitting the Fed’s 2% target. The Fed says it remains “highly attentive to inflation risks.”