Amazon unveiled its first all-electric delivery van on Thursday. The vehicle, built by EV startup Rivian, will come with state-of-the-art technology, like sensing equipment and an advanced driver-assist system. The e-commerce giant says it expects to have 10,000 vans on the road making deliveries “as early as 2022,” with a total fleet of 100,000 vehicles expected by 2030.
“When we set out to create our first customized electric delivery vehicle with Rivian, we knew that it needed to far surpass any other delivery vehicle. We wanted drivers to love using it and customers to feel excited when they saw it driving through their neighborhood and pulling up to their home,” said Ross Rachey, director of Amazon’s global fleet and products, in a statement. “We combined Rivian’s technology with our delivery logistics knowledge, and the result is what you see here — the future of last mile delivery.”
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin’s reelection campaign is releasing a new television advertisement highlighting Durbin’s efforts to provide rural fire and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies the critical funding they need to serve their communities.
Durbin’s legislation, the SIREN Act, authorized new funding for a federal grant program that supports rural EMS agencies in training and recruiting staff and purchasing equipment—for everything from opioid overdose treatment drug Naloxone and first aid kits, to power stretchers and new ambulances. The bipartisan bill was enacted into law as part of the 2018 Farm Bill.
“Now more than ever, we’ve got to stand up and support our first responders–and make sure our emergency services in rural Illinois have the resources they need,” said Durbin. “The SIREN Act helps firefighters and EMTs–who are struggling to keep up with COVID but also other issues like the opioid epidemic and the aging population in rural America. I’m proud to continue the fight to strengthen rural healthcare and emergency response.”
Local communities in Illinois are already taking advantage of the new grant program. The Ambulance & Fire Protection District of Amboy, Illinois was recently awarded $120,000 in funding, which they will use to train new EMTs and paramedics, and train their existing staff on telehealth for opioid care. The agency provides EMS services for a 200 square mile area in Lee County.
Proponents of the Tax Hike Amendment are out with another false and misleading ad attempting to convince voters that Springfield Politicians didn’t mean what they said when they put taxing retirement income on the table if their amendment passes. However, we know their claims ring hollow because other insiders have made clear their support for taxing retirement income. Additionally, every state across the country with a graduated tax structure also taxes retirement income.
State Treasurer Michael Frerichs let the cat out of the bag in June when he admitted that a graduated tax system would “make clear you can have graduated rates when you are taxing retirement income,” adding that it was worth a discussion.
Now, a report has surfaced showing that in 2018 Illinois’ now Deputy Governor and Director of Revenue also supported taxing retirement income if a graduated tax was instituted.
“Every state with a graduated income tax also taxes retirement income, which is further proof we simply cannot trust Springfield Politicians with the new power this Tax Hike Amendment gives them,” said Lissa Druss, Spokeswoman for The Coalition to Stop the Tax Hike Amendment. “They are desperately trying to backtrack what they’ve already said they support – which is taxing retirement income if their Tax Hike Amendment is approved,” added Druss.
The billionaires are spending a fortune to try and scare us. They want to keep getting away without paying their fair share. I did my research and here are the facts. The Fair Tax will not tax retirement income. You heard that right. The fair tax will not tax retirement income. As a matter of fact, 97% of Illinois will get a tax cut, including seniors like me. It’s time for change. Vote yes for fairness.
