Air Taxis, Special Election, & Crocodile Takeover

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
March 11, 2026

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The Federal Aviation Administration announced it has accepted eight proposals for a pilot program to test air taxis — small electric aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing — across 26 states, with operations expected to begin as soon as this summer.
The projects are led by state and local transportation authorities across eight jurisdictions, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and departments of transportation in Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Utah, North Carolina, and Louisiana. Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, both of which have spent more than 15 years developing the aircraft, are involved in at least five projects.
Proposed uses include urban taxi services, regional passenger transport, and emergency medical operations. The program will run for at least three years as the FAA develops safety regulations for the technology.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey commuted the death sentence of Charles "Sonny" Burton to life without parole, days before his scheduled Thursday execution by nitrogen gas. Burton was convicted under the felony murder doctrine, which holds all participants in a felony equally responsible for any killing that occurs. Accomplice Derrick DeBruce, who pulled the trigger, received life without parole.
During the 1991 AutoZone robbery in Talladega, Burton stole cash from a back room safe and then fled outside to wait by the getaway car. While he was outside, DeBruce shot customer Doug Battle in the back, killing him. Ivey said she could not proceed "in good conscience" with executing Burton while the triggerman was allowed to live.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall publicly opposed the commutation. Battle's daughter was among those who had called for mercy. Burton had been on death row for more than 30 years.

Republican Clay Fuller and Democrat Shawn Harris advanced yesterday to an April 7 runoff in the special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia's 14th Congressional District. With 82% of votes counted, Harris led with 37% to Fuller's 35%. Neither candidate reached the majority needed to avoid a runoff.
Fuller, a district attorney backed by Trump, benefited from the president's endorsement in a district Trump carried by 37 points in 2024. Former state Sen. Colton Moore, who cast himself as the truest MAGA candidate despite lacking Trump's endorsement, finished a distant third at 11%.
Fuller enters the runoff as a heavy favorite given the district's deep Republican lean. Harris, a retired Army brigadier general who raised $4.3 million, will need to capitalize on a fractured Republican field. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has endorsed Harris.

Wyoming became the fifth state with a six-week abortion ban after Gov. Mark Gordon signed the Human Heartbeat Act, with no exceptions for rape or incest. (More)

The FBI raised its reward for accused gang murderer Omar Cardenas to $1 million Tuesday, six years after he allegedly shot a man dead in a Los Angeles barbershop and fled to Mexico. (More)

140 US troops have been wounded in the first 10 days of the Iran war, the Pentagon said, though most injuries were minor, and 108 soldiers have already returned to duty. (More)

A tiny West African island is paying residents €816 a quarter to protect its rainforest — over 60% of adults have already signed up for the conservation dividend funded by billionaire Mark Shuttleworth. (More)

Cuba is giving HIV patients expired antiretroviral drugs, with some medications four months past their expiration date, as the country's economic collapse strains its health system. (More)

Someone shot at the US Consulate in Toronto, causing damage but no injuries. Canadian police are treating it as a national security incident. (More)

US stock markets closed mixed on Tuesday (S&P -0.21%, Nasdaq +0.01%, Dow -0.07%) as traders digested mixed signals about oil supply chain disruptions. (More)

Gas prices hit $3.54 a gallon, a 21% jump in one month, as the Strait of Hormuz remains shut down amid regional conflict. (More)

Bill Ackman filed yesterday to list Pershing Square on the NYSE under "PS," seeking to raise up to $10 billion and open his hedge fund to everyday investors for the first time. (More)

Bam Adebayo scored 31 points in the first quarter against Washington, breaking the Heat's single-quarter record and topping his own career high before halftime. (More)

The UFC announced a White House fight card for June 14, Trump's 80th birthday, headlined by a lightweight title fight between champion Ilia Topuria and interim champ Justin Gaethje. (More)

The Jets are reacquiring quarterback Geno Smith from the Raiders in a minor trade, 10 years after he left New York following a locker-room punch that broke his jaw. (More)

Scientists figured out how cats land on their feet — their flexible upper spine lets the front half twist first, while the stiff lower spine anchors the back half. (More)

A blood protein called p-tau217 can predict Alzheimer's disease in women up to 25 years before symptoms appear, UC San Diego researchers found in a study of 2,500 older women. (More)

A 600-pound NASA satellite is expected to partially survive re-entry and crash to Earth, though Space Force puts the odds of anyone being hurt at just 1 in 4,200. (More)

Finnish couple wins annual wife-carrying contest.

Crocodiles take over Australian town.

See Death Valley’s most spectacular superbloom in a decade.

Mosquitoes top list of deadliest animals.

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