SPEEDOS CAN BE DISTRACTING:

OPEN THREAD: Ring in the weekend.

THE WAY THINGS ARE TODAY:

OOPS: Popular Anti-Aging Treatment May Actually Cause Brain Damage. “A drug pairing often promoted in anti-aging research may come with an unexpected cost in the brain. University of Connecticut scientists report in PNAS that dasatinib+quercetin (D+Q) caused significant brain damage in mice, including the loss of myelin, the fatty covering that helps nerve cells send signals quickly and efficiently.”

21ST CENTURY HEADLINES: Uber taps Rivian to build robotaxis in deal worth up to $1.25B.

Uber is kicking off the partnership with an initial $300 million investment in Rivian and is “expected to purchase 10,000 fully autonomous R2 robotaxis” ahead of a planned rollout in San Francisco and Miami in 2028.

Uber will have the option to buy up to 40,000 more autonomous R2 SUVs from Rivian starting in 2030. The two companies said they plan to launch the robotaxis in “25 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Europe by the end of 2031.” The fleet will be exclusively available on Uber’s network, according to the companies.

While the agreement is potentially lucrative for Rivian, it’s brimming with risk and challenges.

Rivian hasn’t started producing the R2 SUV yet; it has said manufacturing is expected to begin by June. Nor has it tested and deployed a self-driving system designed for robotaxis. To raise the hurdle even higher, the robotaxi is supposed to be built in Rivian’s Georgia factory, which is still under construction.

I guess there are still a few kinks to iron out.

NOW OUT FROM RANDY BARNETT: Felony Review. I read it, I loved it, and I blurbed it. You can see my blurb at the link.

HMM: The bond market is flashing a signal not seen since before the 2008 crisis. “Thursday’s bond-market selloff caused the Treasury yield curve to exhibit what traders describe as a “bear-flattening” pattern. This actually began back in early February. Typically, the pattern emerges when bond traders are bracing for a difficult economic environment ahead.”