Automotive Car

plus 3, Union Pacific Chief Sees Signs of Recovery - Transport Topics Online

2010-03-16T01:20:00.001-07:00

plus 3, Union Pacific Chief Sees Signs of Recovery - Transport Topics Online

Union Pacific Chief Sees Signs of Recovery - Transport Topics Online
S&P upgrades corporate credit rating on TRW Automotive ... - Minneapolis Star Tribune
Reportlinker Adds Global Automotive Rain Sensors ... - PR Newswire
School Of Automotive Machinists CNC Class - GM High-Tech Performance

Union Pacific Chief Sees Signs of Recovery - Transport Topics Online

Posted: 15 Mar 2010 08:34 AM PDT

Updated: 3/15/2010 11:30:00 AM

Union Pacific's chief executive officer, Jim Young, said shipments carried by the nation's biggest freight railroad are stronger than expected this year but still a long way from full recovery, the Associated Press reported.

Jim Young said in an interview Friday that key segments — including agricultural, automotive and intermodal — have shown signs of strength. Railroads are indicators of the nation's broader economic health because many things consumers and businesses use every day are shipped by rail.

"I'm not willing to say the challenges are over, but some areas are pretty strong," Young told AP. UP's total shipping volume is up about 11% from last year.

He said automotive shipments were up 60% from a year ago but far from their peak level of three years ago, while intermodal shipments, rose 20% from last year, AP reported.

Young said the real sign of the rail line's confidence in the economy will appear when it starts hiring again. Some furloughed employees have been called back to work, but about 3,500 remain on leave, AP said, adding that the railroad has about 42,000 employees.

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S&P upgrades corporate credit rating on TRW Automotive ... - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 01:28 PM PST

NEW YORK - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said Friday it has upgrade its corporate credit rating on TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. by one notch within junk territory.

S&P said TRW had stronger 2009 performance that it expected and it has improved its liquidity.

The rating agency raised its corporate credit rating to "B+" from "B," leaving it four notches below investment grade.

The agency also said it viewed the company's business risk profile as weak, reflecting "the company's narrow market focus" as a major supplier to automakers.

S&P also said TRW had been removed from "Positive" credit watch, given the upgrade, and was now considered "Stable."

TRW is based in Livonia, Mich. Its shares rose 7 cents to $27.82.

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Reportlinker Adds Global Automotive Rain Sensors ... - PR Newswire

Posted: 09 Mar 2010 10:11 AM PST

NEW YORK, March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Global Automotive Rain Sensors Industry

http://www.reportlinker.com/p0181062/Global-Automotive-Rain-Sensors-Industry.html

This report analyzes the European Market for Automotive Rain Sensors in Euro Million and Thousand Units. Annual Production forecasts are provided for the period 2006 through 2015. The report profiles 21 companies including many key and niche players such as Denso Corp., Denso International America, Inc., Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co. KG, Robert Bosch GmbH, TRW Automotive Holdings Corp., and Valeo SA. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research. Company profiles are mostly extracted from URL research and reported select online sources.

AUTOMOTIVE RAIN SENSORS MCP-1636

A EUROPEAN MARKET REPORT

CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & PRODUCT DEFINITIONS

Study Reliability and Reporting Limitations I-1

Disclaimers I-2

Data Interpretation & Reporting Level I-2

Quantitative Techniques & Analytics I-3

Product Definitions and Scope of Study I-3

II. A EUROPEAN MARKET REPORT

1. MARKET REVIEW II-1

Introduction to Sensors II-1

Sensing - A Multi-Billion Dollar Market II-1

Automobile Industry - A Promising End-user II-1

Automotive Applications Exhibit High Growth Potential II-1

Automotive Sensors Market Overview II-2

Market Estimates and Forecasts II-2

It Pays to be a Sensor Supplier for Automobile Industry II-2

Global Rain Sensors Market II-3

European Rain Sensors Market II-3

Market Estimates and Forecasts II-3

Analytics by Value II-4

Table 1: European Recent Past, Current & Future Analysis

for Automotive (*) Rain Sensors - Annual Sales Figures in

Euro Million for Years 2006 through 2015 (includes

corresponding Graph/Chart) II-4

Analytics by Volume II-4

Table 2: European Recent Past, Current & Future Analysis

for Automotive (*) Rain Sensors - Annual Sales Figures in

Thousand Units for Years 2006 through 2015 (includes

corresponding Graph/Chart) II-4

2. PRODUCT OVERVIEW II-5

A Prelude II-5

Types of Rain Sensors II-5

Automotive Rain Sensors II-5

Irrigation Rain Sensors II-6

Freeze Sensors II-6

End Uses of Rain Sensors II-6

Automatic Windscreen Wipers II-6

Automatic Irrigation Systems II-7

3. RECENT INDUSTRY ACTIVITY II-8

Weathermatic Acquires Ecologic II-8

Asahi Kasei Launches Rain Sensor II-8

TT Electronics Signs Joint Venture with Padmini VNA Mechatronics II-8

TT Electronics to Expand German Sensor Production Facility II-9

IpAuctions to Sell Carco's Rain/Ice/Frost Sensor IP Portfolio II-9

All Weather Receives FAA Approval for Freezing Rain Sensor II-9

Hella Designs Industry's First Capacitive Rain Sensor II-10

Preh Showcases 4-in-1 Sensing Systems for Windshield Defogging II-10

4. SELECT PLAYERS IN AUTOMOTIVE RAIN SENSORS MARKET II-11

Denso Corp. (Japan) II-11

Denso International America, Inc. (US) II-11

Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co. KG (Germany) II-11

Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany) II-12

TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. (US) II-12

Valeo SA (France) II-13

III. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Total Companies Profiled: 21 (including Divisions/Subsidiaries - 23)

------------------------------------------

Region/Country Players

------------------------------------------

The United States 4

Japan 2

Europe 10

France 1

Germany 5

The United Kingdom 2

Spain 1

Rest of Europe 1

Asia-Pacific (Excluding Japan) 7

------------------------------------------

To order this report:

Advanced Material Industry: Global Automotive Rain Sensors Industry

More Market Research Report

Check our Company Profile, SWOT and Revenue Analysis!

SOURCE Reportlinker

RELATED LINKS
http://www.reportlinker.com

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School Of Automotive Machinists CNC Class - GM High-Tech Performance

Posted: 15 Mar 2010 11:36 PM PDT

The School of Automotive Machinists is proud to announce the start of our new Automotive Engine CNC Machining Program beginning Summer of 2009. This course will allow students to learn and gain experience in the setup, programming and operation of five-axis CNC machining. Students will thoroughly explore all aspects of the machining center including digitizing and G-code programming. With the industry quickly turning to these highly sophisticated and accurate machines, this course will qualify graduates as a CNC automotive machinist. The course will also prepare them for employment in the more technologically advanced shops in motorsports. The CNC class will be taught on an industry leading Haas ES-5-4T Horizontal Machining Center allowing hands-on training from the most basic techniques to complex fifth-axis cylinder head porting. Students will thoroughly explore all aspects of CNC machining including coordinate geometry, control systems programming, tool function, and hands-on machining. The dedicated classroom is equipped with Dell Computers for each student. They will be using Master Cam's just-released X-4 CNC programming software. The instructor will be able to access each student's work from his own computer. SAM students will now have the option to graduate with CNC machining skills.

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plus 2, Two alarm fire at Guardian Automotive - 14 WFIE

2010-03-15T01:16:00.001-07:00

plus 2, Two alarm fire at Guardian Automotive - 14 WFIE

Two alarm fire at Guardian Automotive - 14 WFIE
Employees, firefighters praised for fast response to ... - Evansville Courier-Press
New Market Study Published: Automotive Aftermarket in ... - PR Inside

Two alarm fire at Guardian Automotive - 14 WFIE

Posted: 14 Mar 2010 06:29 PM PDT

Posted by Sarah Harlan - email

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) - The Evansville Fire Department responded to a two-alarm fire Sunday morning at Guardian Automotive in Evansville.

Fire investigators said it was a welding torch that sparked the blaze.

14 News is told workers were welding on equipment when sparks ignited some paint residue on the floor.

Emergency crews were called to the scene.

There was some concern at first about hazardous materials being released from that fire.

"We did have two employees that had some contaminants on them, they have been de-con on facility, as well as some firefighters, we had four firefighters de-con," EFD District Chief Greg Main said.

The building was evacuated during the fire.

There were no injuries.

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Employees, firefighters praised for fast response to ... - Evansville Courier-Press

Posted: 14 Mar 2010 07:05 PM PDT

Sparks ignited paint residue on a floor at Guardian Automotive, touching off a brief flash fire this morning that triggered a two alarm response from the Evansville Fire Department.

But Fire Investigator Richard Howard said a quick and correct response from both company employees and firefighters minimized damage.

"The initial call said multiple EMS (emergency medical) were needed and of course that really gets firefighters' attention when you hear something like that," Howard said. "But it turned out they didn't need EMS."

Nobody was injured in the incident.

He said two maintenance workers were welding on equipment in a robot-operated paint booth when their sparks ignited the paint residue. The fire was reported at 10:04 a.m. Guardian Automotive is located at 601 N. Congress Ave. behind Eastland Mall.

"It was a flash fire. It was just one of those things," Howard said. "The two guys used a fire extinguisher to try to put it out. A sprinkler head did operate and the fire was suppressed probably before firefighters could get to it."

While there was some concern that chemicals and other materials involved with the painting operation might have posed a hazard, that turned out not to be a problem.

"There was no unintended release of any material," Howard said.

All of the employees were temporarily evacuated and the fire caused a brief shutdown of Virgina Street and Congress Avenue.

"The plant's people said they were very happy with the way their employees responded and the response from the fire department," Howard said.

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New Market Study Published: Automotive Aftermarket in ... - PR Inside

Posted: 14 Mar 2010 06:44 PM PDT

2010-03-15 02:44:40 - New Country Reports market report from Datamonitor: "Automotive Aftermarket in France"

Datamonitor's Automotive Aftermarket in France industry profile is an essential resource for top-level data and analysis covering the Automotive Aftermarket industry. It includes detailed data on market size and segmentation, plus textual and graphical analysis of the key trends and competitive landscape, leading companies and demographic information.

Scope

* Contains an executive summary and data on value, volume and/or segmentation
*

Provides textual analysis of the industry's recent performance and future prospects
* Incorporates in-depth five forces competitive environment analysis and scorecards
* Includes a five-year forecast of the industry
* The leading companies are profiled with supporting key financial metrics
* Supported by the key macroeconomic and demographic data affecting the market

Highlights

* Detailed information is included on market size, measured by value and/or volume
* Five forces scorecards provide an accessible yet in depth view of the market's competitive landscape

Why you should buy this report

* Spot future trends and developments
* Inform your business decisions
* Add weight to presentations and marketing materials
* Save time carrying out entry-level research

Market Definition

The automotive aftermarket is valued according to the retail selling price (RSP), including taxes, of service parts, wear & tear parts, mechanical parts, tires, crash repair and consumables & accessories. Service parts include filters, wiper blades, ignition plugs and engine oil components.Wear & tear parts include batteries, emission systems, brake pads & discs and ride control.

Mechanical parts are defined as those parts which are neither changed as part of a service nor are considered to be wear & tear parts. These include transmission and power train parts. Consumables include cleaners, waxes, polishes, windscreen washes and antifreeze. Accessories include in-car entertainment, alarms & security, alloy wheels, storage, interiors (mats etc.) and exteriors (spoilers etc.). Labor charges and wholesale-related revenues are not included.

The data only relates to the market for the repair of light vehicles (cars & light commercial vehicles of up to 3.5 tonnes in weight). Any currency conversions used in the creation of this report have been calculated using constant 2008 annual average exchange rates.

For the purpose of this report Europe is deemed to comprise of Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

For more information or to purchase this report, go to:
- www.fastmr.com/prod/50191_automotive_aftermarket_in_france.aspx

Report Table of Contents:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3
CHAPTER 1 Market Overview 7
1.1 Market Definition 7
1.2 Research Highlights 7
1.3 Market Analysis 8
CHAPTER 2 Market Value 9
CHAPTER 3 Market Volume 10
CHAPTER 4 Market Segmentation I 11
CHAPTER 5 Market Segmentation II 12
CHAPTER 6 Five Forces Analysis 13
6.1 Summary 13
6.2 Buyer Power 15
6.3 Supplier Power 17
6.4 New Entrants 18
6.5 Substitutes 19
6.6 Rivalry 20
CHAPTER 7 Leading Companies 21
7.1 Euromaster Group 21
7.2 Kwik-Fit Group Limited 22
7.3 Norauto Groupe 24
CHAPTER 8 Distribution 26
CHAPTER 9 Market Forecasts 27
9.1 Market Value Forecast 27
9.2 Market Volume Forecast 28
CHAPTER 10 Macroeconomic Indicators 29
CHAPTER 11 Appendix 31
11.1 Methodology 31
11.2 Industry Associations 32
11.3 Related Datamonitor Research 32

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: France Automotive Aftermarket Sector Value: $ billion, 2005-2009 (e) 9
Table 2: France Automotive Aftermarket Sector Volume: Outlets thousand, 2005-2009 (e) 10
Table 3: France Automotive Aftermarket Sector Segmentation I: % Share, by Value, 2009 (e) 11
Table 4: France Automotive Aftermarket Sector Segmentation II: % Share, by Value, 2009 (e) 12
Table 5: Key Facts: Euromaster Group 21
Table 6: Key Facts: Kwik-Fit Group Limited 22
Table 7: Key Facts: Norauto Groupe 24
Table 8: France Automotive Aftermarket Distribution: % Share, by Value, 2009 (e) 26
Table 9: France Automotive Aftermarket Sector Value Forecast: $ billion, 2009-2014 27
Table 10: France Automotive Aftermarket Sector Volume Forecast: Outlets thousand, 2009-2014 28
Table 11: France Size of Population (million) , 2005-2009 (e) 29
Table 12: France GDP (Current Prices, $ billion), 2005-2009 (e) 29
Table 13: France Inflation, 2005-2009 (e) 29
Table 14: France Exchange Rate, 2005-2009 (e) 30

About Datamonitor

The Datamonitor Group is a world-leading provider of premium global business information, delivering independent data, analysis and opinion across the Automotive, Consumer Markets, Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Logistics & Express, Pharmaceutical & Healthcare, Retail, Technology and Telecoms industries. Datamonitor's market intelligence products and services ensure that you will achieve your desired commercial goals by giving you the insight you need to best respond to your competitive environment. View more research from Datamonitor at www.fastmr.com/catalog/publishers.aspx?pubid=1002

About Fast Market Research

Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. We represent the world's top research publishers and analysts and provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available.

For more information about these or related research reports, please visit our website at www.fastmr.com or call us at 1.800.844.8156.

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plus 3, NAFA Members Dominate List of Nominees for Automotive ... - PR.com

2010-03-14T01:01:00.001-08:00

plus 3, NAFA Members Dominate List of Nominees for Automotive ... - PR.com

NAFA Members Dominate List of Nominees for Automotive ... - PR.com
Automotive : Classic & Antique Cars - Arlington Heights Daily Herald
Auto(r) 2010: Second Automotive Design Conference - Dexigner
Videos From the Web: Car Videos - San Francisco Chronicle

NAFA Members Dominate List of Nominees for Automotive ... - PR.com

Posted: 13 Mar 2010 10:53 PM PST

Princeton, NJ, March 14, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Eleven of the best and brightest corporate fleet managers were named as the nominees for Automotive Fleet magazine's Professional Fleet Manager of the Year Award. Eight of the eleven are Members of NAFA Fleet Management Association – the world's premier non-profit association for fleet professionals. The list of nominees will be pared down to just three fleet managers with the winner announced at NAFA's 2010 Institute & Expo on Sunday, April 25 at the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan.

The initial list of nominees includes NAFA Members Bob Adamsky, Fleet Manager, Del-Air Heat and Air Conditioning; Theresa Belding, Senior Manager – Fleet Services, Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Louise Davis-Lopez, CFM/CAFM, Fleet Manager, Johnson & Johnson; Suzen Moye, CAFM, Head, Fleet and Travel U.S., sanofi-aventis; Lee Miller, Manager, Fleet Services, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Mike Butsch, Director of Fleet Operations, Joy Global; Jason Pucely, Senior Manager, Transportation & Logistics, Best Buy; and Phil Schreiber, Fleet Manager North America, Otis Elevator.

"We are very proud that eight of the eleven corporate fleet nominees this year are members of the NAFA family," said NAFA's Executive Director, Phillip E. Russo, CAE. "Most of them have served NAFA on the national and chapter levels, so we know and are grateful for their contributions to the entire fleet community. We think they are all winners in our book!"

NAFA routinely attracts the best minds in the corporate fleet world and is working on innovative ways to tap into the creative energy and experience of these leaders. A new Corporate Advisory Board is being created to allow them a greater opportunity to be influential within the Association without facing undue time constraints.

Automotive Fleet's Professional Fleet Manager of the Year Award is recognized as one of the most prestigious honors in the industry. This year's award ceremony will take place immediately prior to the Keynote Speech by Robert A. Lutz, Vice Chairman of General Motors. Lutz, who will be retiring on May 1, will be making one of the final public appearances in his illustrious career in front of hundreds of fleet managers from throughout the United States and Canada.

About NAFA's Institute & Expo
The 2010 Institute & Expo coincides with the rebirth of the American car industry and marks the first time in more than 20 years that NAFA has held its annual conference in Detroit. Official media sponsors of the 2010 I&E include: Fleet Owner, International Fleet World, Automotive Fleet, Automotive Digest, Government Fleet, Fleet Financials, Canadian Automotive Fleet, CamAuto, Fleet Digest, Fleets & Fuels, Fleet Maintenance, Naylor, Fleet Focus, and FLEETSolutions. For more information, visit http://www.nafaIandE.org

About NAFA Fleet Management Association
NAFA is the world's premier non-profit association for professionals who manage fleets of sedans, public safety vehicles, trucks, and buses of all types and sizes, and a wide range of military and off-road equipment for organizations across the globe. NAFA is the association for the diverse vehicle fleet management profession regardless of organizational type, geographic location or fleet composition. NAFA's Full and Associate Members are responsible for the specification, acquisition, maintenance and repair, fueling, risk management, and remarketing of more than 3.5 million vehicles including in excess of 1.1 million trucks of which 350 thousand are medium- and heavy-duty trucks. For more information visit http://www.nafa.org

###

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Automotive : Classic & Antique Cars - Arlington Heights Daily Herald

Posted: 13 Mar 2010 08:58 PM PST

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Auto(r) 2010: Second Automotive Design Conference - Dexigner

Posted: 13 Mar 2010 10:00 AM PST

upcoming event
March 20 - March 21, 2010 | Croatia
view on map | more upcoming events

more info
www.automotivedesignconference.co... (7)

design directory
Car Design Events

March 13, 2010 | viewed 5,118 time(s)

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Videos From the Web: Car Videos - San Francisco Chronicle

Posted: 13 Mar 2010 10:53 PM PST

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plus 3, S&P upgrades corporate credit rating on TRW Automotive ... - Minneapolis Star Tribune

2010-03-13T01:06:00.001-08:00

plus 3, S&P upgrades corporate credit rating on TRW Automotive ... - Minneapolis Star Tribune

S&P upgrades corporate credit rating on TRW Automotive ... - Minneapolis Star Tribune
Government loan saves 3,200 Vauxhall UK jobs - Times Online
Pace of Canadian exports slows, StatsCan says - Toronto Star
Toyota Disputes Automotive Technology Professor Who ... - 1010Wins

S&P upgrades corporate credit rating on TRW Automotive ... - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 01:28 PM PST

NEW YORK - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said Friday it has upgrade its corporate credit rating on TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. by one notch within junk territory.

S&P said TRW had stronger 2009 performance that it expected and it has improved its liquidity.

The rating agency raised its corporate credit rating to "B+" from "B," leaving it four notches below investment grade.

The agency also said it viewed the company's business risk profile as weak, reflecting "the company's narrow market focus" as a major supplier to automakers.

S&P also said TRW had been removed from "Positive" credit watch, given the upgrade, and was now considered "Stable."

TRW is based in Livonia, Mich. Its shares rose 7 cents to $27.82.

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Government loan saves 3,200 Vauxhall UK jobs - Times Online

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 09:03 AM PST

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Pace of Canadian exports slows, StatsCan says - Toronto Star

Posted: 11 Mar 2010 06:13 AM PST

OTTAWA-Canada's merchandise exports grew 0.5 per cent in January, while imports declined 1.7 per cent.

As a result, Statistics Canada reports the country posted a trade surplus with the world of $799 million in January compared with a surplus of $75 million in December.

Exports increased to $33 billion from $32.9 billion in December, as prices rose 0.8 per cent and volumes fell 0.3.

Although exports have been increasing for five straight months, the pace of growth slowed in January as declines in automotive products and machinery and equipment nearly offset gains in industrial goods and materials, and other consumer goods.

After two months of increases, imports declined to $32.2 billion from $32.8 billion in December as a result of a 1.2 per cent decline in volumes and a 0.6 per cent drop in prices.

Machinery and equipment, other consumer goods and energy products led the downward movement in overall imports.

Exports to the United States decreased 0.6 per cent and imports declined 0.5, largely as a result of lower trade of automotive products. As a result, Canada's trade surplus with the United States was $4.1 billion in January, almost unchanged from $4.2 billion in December.

Exports to countries other than the United States grew 3.8 per cent.

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Toyota Disputes Automotive Technology Professor Who ... - 1010Wins

Posted: 08 Mar 2010 05:51 PM PST

WASHINGTON (AP/1010 WINS) -- Toyota, dogged by millions of recalls and claims that it still has not fixed its safety problems, took its strongest step yet Monday to silence critics who blame faulty electronics for runaway cars and trucks.

Toyota assembled a group of experts to refute studies by an Illinois professor who revved Toyota engines simply by short-circuiting the wiring. Toyota's experts say the experiments were done under conditions that would never happen on the road.

The automaker maintained its assertion that simpler mechanical flaws, not electronics, were to blame.

"There isn't a ghost issue out there," Kristen Tabar, an electronics general manager with Toyota's technical center, told a news conference at the company's North American headquarters in Torrance, Calif.

Meeting with reporters, Toyota addressed the work of David W. Gilbert, an automotive technology professor at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, whose work has been the basis of doubts about Toyota's mechanical fixes.

At least one outside expert said that even if Toyota's criticisms are accurate, the professor's work shows the systems that allow brakes to override stuck gas pedals can be compromised.

Toyota is mounting a public campaign to reassure its drivers about their safety and defending itself against critics who question the fix for 8 million recalled cars and trucks. Regulators have linked 52 deaths to crashes allegedly caused by the accelerator problems.

The company's fix addresses gas pedal parts and floor mats that can cause the accelerator to become stuck in the depressed position. More than 60 Toyota owners who have had their cars repaired have complained the problem has persisted.

Toyota dealers have fixed more than 1 million vehicles. But the government has warned that if the remedy provided by Toyota does not properly address the problem, federal regulators could order the company to come up with another solution.

Gilbert told a congressional hearing Feb. 23 that he recreated sudden acceleration in a Toyota Tundra by short-circuiting the electronics behind the gas pedal -- without triggering any trouble codes in the truck's computer.

The trouble codes send the car's computer into a fail-safe mode that allows the brake to override the gas. Gilbert called his findings a "startling discovery."

House lawmakers seized on the testimony as evidence Toyota engineers missed a potential problem with the electronics that could have caused the unwanted acceleration.

But Monday, Chris Gerdes, director of Stanford University's Center for Automotive Research, and a consulting firm, Exponent Inc., rejected the professor's findings.

Toyota's assembled experts said the professor's experiments could not be recreated on the actual road. For example, they said, Gilbert had shaved away insulation on wiring and connected wires that would not normally touch each other.

"There is no evidence that I've seen to indicate that this situation is happening at all in the real world," Gerdes said. He added that the professor's work "could result in misguided policy and unwarranted fear."

To prove their point, Toyota officials revved the engines of cars made by competitors, including a Subaru Forester and a Ford Fusion, by connecting a circuit rigged up to the wiring of the gas pedals.

Toyota supports other research programs at Stanford's engineering school and is an affiliate of the Center for Automotive Research, but Gerdes said he came to his conclusions "with complete independence."

Gilbert did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Exponent has conducted work for companies that are being sued and once determined that secondhand tobacco smoke was not cancerous. It was also hired by the U.S. government to investigate the Columbia space shuttle disaster.

Exponent officials said they were conducting an extensive study of Toyota electronics but they had not yet found any problems with the electronic throttle controls.

Toyota has been steadfast in saying the problem is strictly mechanical. Company president Akio Toyoda assured Congress two weeks ago that Toyota research had not found a link between the reports of runaway acceleration and electronics.

Instead, the company is shortening gas pedals to prevent them from becoming lodged under floor mats and inserting metal pieces the size of a stamp to keep gas pedals from sticking in the depressed position.

An outside expert, Raj Rajkumar, an electrical and computer-engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who studies auto electronics, said Gilbert's work raises doubts about the fail-safe systems.

"Pretty much anybody who works on electronic-based vehicle systems understands that things can go wrong," he said.

He said a number of factors could cause vehicle electronics to malfunction, including software coding errors, electrical interference and static electricity. He said technology wasn't available to prove that a system as complex as Toyota's electronic throttle control will always behave correctly.

The professor wasn't trying to prove that his test was a real-world scenario, said Keith Armstrong, a British electronic engineer and consultant who advises companies on electromagnetic interference. Instead Gilbert demonstrated that fail-safe systems may not kick in if faulty signals are sent to the throttle, Armstrong said after reviewing Exponent's report on Gilbert's tests.

Congress has more questions. The House Oversight Committee wants to look at a 2006 memo from company employees to Toyota senior management that raised concerns the automaker was taking shortcuts on safety.

In the memo, first reported Monday by the Los Angeles Times, the employees said they were concerned the processes used to build safe cars might be "ultimately ignored."

The employees warned that if Toyota failed to act, it could "become a great problem that involves the company's survival."

Toyota executives also plan to address recall issues at the company's annual suppliers meeting in Kentucky on Tuesday.

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plus 3, Road fatalities curve sharply down - USA Today

2010-03-12T01:18:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Road fatalities curve sharply down - USA Today

Road fatalities curve sharply down - USA Today
Automobiles : BOATS & WATERCRAFTS - Frederick News-Post
Automobiles : CLASSIC AUTOS - Frederick News-Post
Insurance policies that anyone can understand - Denver Post

Road fatalities curve sharply down - USA Today

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 12:21 AM PST

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Highway deaths in 2009 dropped to 33,963, an 8.9% decline from 2008. Road fatalities have fallen every year since 2005, when 43,510 people died in crashes.

"This is exciting news, but there are still far too many people dying in traffic accidents," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. "Drivers need to keep their hands on the steering wheel and their focus on the road in order to stay safe."

Some road-safety advocates are not yet ready to celebrate. They say the high-unemployment economy is still the greatest factor behind the decline in traffic fatalities.

"I think everyone wants to see what happens when the economy recovers," said Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association.

"It takes a minimum of three years, and preferably five years, of (non-recession) declines before you can say that (the roads are safer)," she said.

Harsha and federal officials cited state efforts, such as the annual Click It or Ticket campaign, which has helped push seat belt usage in the United States from 67% of drivers in 1999 to 83% in 2008; drunken-driving crackdowns, which helped cut impaired-driving deaths from 15,935 — 38% of the total — in 1998, to 11,773, 32% of the total in 2008; and safer roads and vehicles.

Robert Poole, director of transportation policy at the libertarian Reason Foundation, said the decline is not recession-driven but "a genuine improvement" in road safety.

"This is not because of the economy," he said. "If the rate per vehicle mile traveled is at such a low rate, that's independent of how many people are out there. Then you have to look at what could contribute to that."

He points to highway-engineering improvements by states, such as installing median barriers to prevent head-on collisions and adding rumble strips and stripes along the sides of roads to alert drivers against running off the road.

"You also have to look at fleet turnover (in automobiles in the USA)," Poole said. "Every year, certain vehicles get retired. As new vehicles get purchased, they have more safety features, such as anti-lock brakes, stability-control systems. Many now have side air bags or additional rollover protection."

"This continuing decline in highway deaths is encouraging, but our work is far from over," said David Strickland, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "We want to see those numbers drop further."

LaHood also announced Thursday that Wyoming has become the 20th state to ban texting while driving.

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Automobiles : BOATS & WATERCRAFTS - Frederick News-Post

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 12:07 AM PST

plus 3, Sonic Automotive Announces Pricing of $210 Million of Senior Subordinated Notes - Redorbit.com

2010-03-11T01:28:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Sonic Automotive Announces Pricing of $210 Million of Senior Subordinated Notes - Redorbit.com

Sonic Automotive Announces Pricing of $210 Million of Senior Subordinated Notes - Redorbit.com
Asbury Automotive Group to Present at Upcoming Bank of America Merrill ... - Businesswire.com
Study: 'Cash for clunkers' a success - Detroit News
China shares flat as fears of rate hike ease - Yahoo Finance

Sonic Automotive Announces Pricing of $210 Million of Senior Subordinated Notes - Redorbit.com

Posted: 10 Mar 2010 06:00 AM PST

Posted on: Wednesday, 10 March 2010, 08:04 CST

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: SAH) today announced the pricing of its private offering of $210 million in aggregate principal amount of 9.0% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2018 to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 and in offshore transactions pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. The notes will be guaranteed by all of the Company's operative domestic subsidiaries. The notes were priced at 99.299% of par, resulting in a yield to maturity of 9.125%. This offering is expected to close on March 12, 2010, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions. The net proceeds of this offering will be used to redeem a portion of the Company's 8 5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2013.

The notes and the related guarantees have not been registered under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.

This press release is being issued pursuant to Rule 135c under the Securities Act, and is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy the notes or any other securities and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a sale of, the notes or any other securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. In addition, this press release shall not be deemed a notice of redemption for the Company's 8 5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2013.

About Sonic Automotive

Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company based in Charlotte, N.C., is the nation's third-largest automotive retailer, operating 145 franchises. Sonic can be reached on the web at www.sonicautomotive.com.

Included herein are forward-looking statements, including statements pertaining to the closing of the private offering of 9.0% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2018. There are many factors that affect management's views about future events and trends of the Company's business. These factors involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results or trends to differ materially from management's view, including without limitation, economic conditions, risks associated with acquisitions and the risk factors described in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2009. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking information.

SOURCE Sonic Automotive, Inc.

Source: PR Newswire

More News in this Category

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Asbury Automotive Group to Present at Upcoming Bank of America Merrill ... - Businesswire.com

Posted: 08 Mar 2010 10:59 PM PST

DULUTH, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE: ABG), one of the largest automotive retail and service companies in the U.S., today announced that its Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Craig T. Monaghan, will present at the upcoming Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2010 Consumer Conference in New York at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on March 11, 2010.

A live audio webcast will be available at: https://www.veracast.com/webcasts/bas/consumer2010/id26561980.cfm

Presentation slides will be available on the Company's Investor Relations website at: http://www.asburyauto.com

About Asbury Automotive Group

Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. ("Asbury"), headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, is one of the largest automotive retailers in the U.S. Built through a combination of organic growth and a series of strategic acquisitions, Asbury currently operates 81 retail auto stores, encompassing 108 franchises for the sale and servicing of 38 different brands of American, European and Asian automobiles. Asbury offers customers an extensive range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicle sales and related financing and insurance, vehicle maintenance and repair services, replacement parts and service contracts.

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Study: 'Cash for clunkers' a success - Detroit News

Posted: 10 Mar 2010 08:09 AM PST

More vehicles sold as result of program than formerly thought

The Detroit News

Last year's "cash for clunkers" incentives program stoked demand for cars and trucks without pulling sales forward, according to a study by the Maritz Automotive Research Group.

"Our findings not only provide strong evidence that many more vehicles were sold as a direct result of the incentive program than were previously estimated, but they also largely debunk the myth that 'cash for clunkers' mortgaged future car and truck sales," said Dave Fish, vice president, Maritz Automotive Research Group.

"In fact, the program resulted in sales of vehicles to people who don't normally buy them."

Toledo-based Maritz surveyed nearly 36,000 consumers who bought a new car or truck between July and August 2009, when the Car Allowance Rebate System was in effect.

It concluded that the "cash for clunkers" program generated 542,000 incremental new car or truck sales, meaning that those buyers and lessees would not have been in the market without the lure of the incentive program.

Experts previously estimated that incremental sales generated by the program ranged between 125,000 and 346,000 vehicles.

According to Maritz' survey, half of all trade-ins were more than 10 years old and had more than 100,000 miles.

It said older vehicles such as these only averaged 15.8 miles per gallon and were replaced with vehicles averaging 24.9 miles per gallon, citing data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Maritz study concluded that the program didn't pull sales forward. Although sales dipped in September when the program ended, partly due to depleted dealer inventory, the annual selling rate from October to December was higher than in the months preceding the "cash for clunkers" program.

Previous studies have shown the "cash for clunkers" program created tens of thousands of jobs.

According to a NHTSA report, the program created or saved nearly 60,000 jobs.

The Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research has said 40,200 new jobs were created, including about 11,000 in Michigan and Ohio alone.

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China shares flat as fears of rate hike ease - Yahoo Finance

Posted: 11 Mar 2010 12:01 AM PST

SHANGHAI (AP) -- Chinese shares ended nearly flat Thursday as fears of a possible interest rate hike eased, led by heavyweight bank and oil shares.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index edged up 2.36 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 3,051.282, while the Shenzhen Composite Index for China's smaller second exchange slipped 0.1 percent to 1,163.46.

Investors concluded February inflation reported Thursday was not high enough to trigger a rate hike, analysts said. That helped to quell unease that Beijing might tighten credit after China's legislature closes its annual session this week.

"The fading fear of interest rates hike slightly outweighed market concerns over more credit-tightening policies, and that gave blue chips a push," said Lin Feng, an investment manager for Sinolink Securities in the western city of Chengdu.

Bank shares rose after mobile phone carrier China Mobile Ltd. announced it bought 20 percent of midsize lender Pudong Development Bank Ltd.

Pudong Development gained 2.8 percent to 21.31 yuan. Bank of China Ltd. added 0.5 percent to 4.17 yuan, while Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., China's biggest commercial lender added 0.4 percent to 4.9 yuan.

Oil shares rose on hopes the government will soon raise fuel prices. China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. ,known as Sinopec, gained 2.1 percent to 11.5 yuan, while PetroChina Ltd., Asia's biggest oil and gas producer, ended up 0.8 percent at 12.95 yuan.

Auto producers were still in the doldrums following this week's report that February auto sales showed the slowest growth in eight months.

SAIC Motor Co., the local partner of General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG, dropped 2.9 percent to 20.51 yuan. Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., a partner of Ford Motor Co. , ended down 2.6 percent at 12.56 yuan.

In currency markets, the yuan weakened to 6.8263 to the U.S. dollar, from Wednesday's close of 6.8262.

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plus 3, Asbury Automotive Group to Present at Upcoming Bank of America Merrill ... - Forbes

2010-03-10T01:12:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Asbury Automotive Group to Present at Upcoming Bank of America Merrill ... - Forbes

Asbury Automotive Group to Present at Upcoming Bank of America Merrill ... - Forbes
Toyota to refute claims about recall - Times-Leader
State jobless rate shows stability, declines to 14.3% - Detroit Free Press
Graphic: Market share - - Los Angeles Times

Asbury Automotive Group to Present at Upcoming Bank of America Merrill ... - Forbes

Posted: 09 Mar 2010 02:22 PM PST

BusinessWire - Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE: ABG), one of the largest automotive retail and service companies in the U.S., today announced that its Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Craig T. Monaghan, will present at the upcoming Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2010 Consumer Conference in New York at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on March 11, 2010.

A live audio webcast will be available at: https://www.veracast.com/webcasts/bas/consumer2010/id26561980.cfm

Article Controls

Presentation slides will be available on the Company's Investor Relations website at: http://www.asburyauto.com

About Asbury Automotive Group

SOURCE: Asbury Automotive Group, Inc.

Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. Investors Contact: Ryan Marsh, 770-418-8211 Corporate Treasurer ir@asburyauto.com or Porter Novelli Reporters Contact: Anna Okula, 404-995-4554 aokula@porternovelli.com

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Toyota to refute claims about recall - Times-Leader

Posted: 06 Mar 2010 10:47 PM PST

Nick Wozniak said...

I have read the pros and cons and a lot of bs about the recall,but can anybody out there,besides Toyota,tell me if my 2010 Camry is safe to drive even after the repairs?

March 7, 2010 at 2:14 PM

Al said...

Toyota almost positively knows the defect in their cars, they built and designed them. They choose to ignore the obvious and continue to endanger innocent lives. Studies have suggested that it is easier and cheaper to pay out innevitable lawsuits than to make these cars safe. Toyota is not fronteiring this practice, it has been perfected in the past by the insulation, pesticide, and lead industries. Step One: Denial Step Two: Fix something close to the problem. Step Three: Wait for the problem to go class action: people affected get next to nothing and law firms get rich.

March 7, 2010 at 6:16 PM

Usta B NEPAGUY said...

YOu say "Toyota is not fronteiring this practice" but you left out mentioning GM, Ford, Chrysler, the trainers in this area... Remember, the Japanese never were very good at coming up with original ideas, but the certainly could perfect American ideas and make them better. Would we be hearing about this at all if the government didn't own GM? We would, but not with this much press. Bad mouth away - but I will continue buying a Toyota's and Honda's and Subaru's before I will over pay for an under quality government made vehicle.

March 8, 2010 at 10:16 AM

Don't Panic said...

Some People don't need a Faulty gas pedal to speed out of control. I know some people must not know to put the Car in Neutral if the Gas Pedal sticks. It may not turn off but it will stop. In the old days with linkage systems it used to be Par for the Course.

March 9, 2010 at 5:03 AM

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State jobless rate shows stability, declines to 14.3% - Detroit Free Press

Posted: 10 Mar 2010 12:02 AM PST

Michigan began 2010 with a lower unemployment rate, posting a 14.3% mark in January, down two-tenths of a percentage point from December's revised rate of 14.5%.

The slight decline means that Michigan -- while still posting the highest jobless rate in the nation -- has continued to stabilize for the past several months after a sharp rise in early 2009.

Combined with a slight increase in the number of payroll jobs reported by employers, the minor improvements show that Michigan's labor market, if far from good, at least seemed to have bottomed out.

"Typical January auto industry job cuts did not occur in January 2010," said Rick Waclawek, director of the state Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth's Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. "Also, jobs in a number of Michigan industry sectors, including manufacturing, have stabilized since the summer of 2009."

Even so, Michigan's January rate of 14.3% is still more than a percentage point above the next-worst state jobless rate -- Nevada with 13% in December. The federal government is to release its comparison of state rates for January later this month.

In one hopeful sign, Michigan employers added a net increase of 6,000 jobs in January.

That included 10,000 jobs in manufacturing, 4,000 in government, and around 2,000 new jobs each in construction, retail trade and other services.

Those gains were partly offset by losses in education and health services (down 7,000) and professional and business services (down 5,000).

The national unemployment rate was 9.7% in both January and February. Michigan's February rate is due later this month.

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Graphic: Market share - - Los Angeles Times

Posted: 09 Mar 2010 11:55 PM PST

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plus 3, Prius With Stuck Accelerator Glides To Stop - ClickOnDetroit.com

2010-03-09T01:17:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Prius With Stuck Accelerator Glides To Stop - ClickOnDetroit.com

Prius With Stuck Accelerator Glides To Stop - ClickOnDetroit.com
NEWS OF THE WEEK - Orange County Business Journal
Price shouldn’t drive car buying - Everett Herald
State applies for NUMMI grant - Record

Prius With Stuck Accelerator Glides To Stop - ClickOnDetroit.com

Posted: 08 Mar 2010 11:56 PM PST

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NEWS OF THE WEEK - Orange County Business Journal

Posted: 09 Mar 2010 12:03 AM PST

Compiled by Julie Leupold

ECONOMIC INDICATORS
Flat: Businesses sold in OC as 94 deals were closed in February, compared to 92 a year earlier, according to BizBen.com.

TOP STORY
Nationwide Health Properties Inc. bought controlling interests in five medical office buildings from Pacific Medical Buildings LLC in a deal valued at $211 million. The two local acquisitions: a 140,000-square-foot building in Mission Viejo, on the Mission Hospital campus, and a 130,000-square-foot building in Orange, on the campus of St. Joseph Hospital-Orange. Nationwide said the Mission Viejo deal was valued at $67.3 million and the Orange deal at $62.3 million. The other three buildings are in Pasadena and San Bernardino.

TECHNOLOGY
Newport Beach-based chipmaker Conexant Systems Inc. sold nearly $250 million worth of bonds and stocks to pay off debt due in 2026. The company said it sold $175 million worth of bonds paying interest of 11.25% and due in 2015. It also sold 14 million shares for net proceeds of $52 million. The company plans to use the money to pay off $232 million in debt due in 2026. The bonds have an option for holders to demand repayment early next year and an interest rate of 4%.

Newport Beach-based chipmaker Mindspeed Technologies Inc. is looking to raise around $18 million in a public stock offering. Mindspeed is selling around 2.5 million of its common stock for $7.25 per share. The company said it intends to use the money it raises for operational capital as well as to refinance its debt.

An Orange County Superior Court jury late last week rejected a wrongful termination claim by a former assistant of billionaire Broadcom Corp. cofounder Henry T. Nicholas III. Katherine Nichols sued Nicholas in early 2009, alleging she was fired after she testified before a federal grand jury investigating Nicholas. Nicholas faced federal securities fraud and drug distribution charges until U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney recently threw out both cases.

HEALTHCARE
Irvine-based Allergan Inc. is licensing a potential pain drug for the body's nervous system to Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. in a deal that could be worth more than $400 million. The company is getting an initial payment of $40 million and potential payments of up to $373 million if the compound known as AGN-209323 is successful. Allergan also would receive royalties if the compound is commercialized. In other Allergan news, a jury in Santa Ana last week decided the company wasn't liable in the death of a 7-year-old Texas girl being treated for cerebral palsy with Botox.

The jury decided Allergan provided enough warning about the drug and wasn't liable in the death. Also, Sean Lavin of Lazard Capital Markets LLC upgraded Allergan to "buy" from a previous "hold" in a research note, citing a survey of
doctors and a "bullish meeting with management."

Aliso Viejo drug maker Valeant Pharmaceuticals International is spending $12 million for the rights to a wrinkle-reducing skin cream. Valeant said it is paying Fort Myers, Fla.-based Spear Pharmaceuticals Inc. for the rights to Refissa, and the companies are going to share profits. Valeant said that sales of the Refissa line totaled about $5 million in 2009.

APPAREL
Lake Forest-based Oakley posted double digit growth in 2009 despite the rocky economy, according to yearly results from parent Luxottica Group SPA of
Italy. Oakley's 2009 results were on top of double-digit growth in 2008, the company said, and were a result of growth in Europe and emerging markets. Luxottica did not break out specific numbers for Oakley.

February sales at Foothill Ranch-based mall clothing retailer Wet Seal Inc. rose an unexpected 4.7%, surprising analysts who were projecting a decline. Analysts were looking for a 2.9% fall in sales at stores open at least a year. Wet Seal, which runs 501 stores selling clothes for teen girls and young woman, said it saw higher same-store sales at both of its chains.

OTHER NEWS
Emeryville-based Peet's Coffee & Tea Inc. has extended for a second time its offer to buy Irvine-based coffee seller Diedrich Coffee Inc. in the hopes a rival buyout bid is derailed by regulators. Peet's said last week its offer to acquire Diedrich for $265 million in cash and stock is being extended for another month. The company made a similar move at the start of February. Diedrich is in the process of being acquired for $290 million in cash by Vermont-based Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc., which in December prevailed over Peet's in a bidding war. Peet's is keeping its offer alive in case Green Mountain's buyout runs into regulatory issues.

Fountain Valley-based Hyundai Motor America led an uptick in automotive sales for some of the county's automakers that may be benefiting from recalls and bad press of Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. Hyundai, part of South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co., saw an 11% gain in vehicle sales to 34,004 vehicles in February from a year earlier. Kia Motors America Inc. of Irvine saw sales up 9% to 24,052 vehicles in February.

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Price shouldn’t drive car buying - Everett Herald

Posted: 08 Mar 2010 11:56 PM PST

Car buyers often focus on haggling down a dealer's offer toward invoice price. That's OK, but often that's not where the real money is, says a former car dealer in his new book.

Instead of the purchase price, consumers should focus on other components of the deal, especially loans, trade-ins and their desire to buy more car than they can afford, said Mark Ragsdale, author of "Car Wreck: How You Got Rear-Ended, Run Over & Crushed by the U.S. Auto Industry."

"You'd be better off paying MSRP and paying attention to the big stuff," Ragsdale said. "But dealer profitability gets the lion's share of consumer focus and attention."

Here, Ragsdale said, are a few things to consider other than price:

That upside-down feeling. Negative equity is when you owe more on your car than it's worth. This is true of most who drive a financed new car off the lot. The vehicle can lose a quarter of its value as soon as the rear wheels hit the street. But even many people who have owned their cars for years are upside-down. It's typical to own a car three or four years before your car is worth what you owe on it. This depreciation snowballs as consumers get car fever before they have equity in their vehicle. Dealers and auto lenders can accommodate these people by essentially rolling that negative equity into their next car loan often keeping the payments reasonable by extending the loan.

Customers trade in their cars every 39 months on average, but finance them for an average of 64 months, Ragsdale said. That leaves many upside-down by an average of $4,700, Edmunds.com said. The lesson? Don't buy a new vehicle until you pay off your current one.

Trade-in value. Many factors affect trade-in value, including a massive recall such as the one Toyota is experiencing. Among the best resources for finding the value of your car are online car-buying sites, Ragsdale said. Edmunds.com, KBB.com and your insurance agent can provide used-car prices, too, but they might not be as "real-time" as prices on cars for sale at this moment, he said.

Rule of 78s. This method of calculating loans is essentially a prepayment penalty because it front-loads the interest. You will be on the hook for most of the interest, even if you pay the loan off early or trade in the car. The figure 78 comes from the sum of the digits one through 12 the number of months in a year and from a time when most loans were for 12 months. You want a simple-interest auto loan.

Simple math. When you see an advertised payment of less than $400, ask yourself how reasonable that is. Simple math tells you that a $25,000 car paid over 48 months costs $521 per month before interest, taxes, fees and negative equity.

The ideal way for many people to buy a car is to pay cash for a slightly used car and drive it for a decade. If you have caviar taste on a fish sticks budget, buy used or lease a vehicle. Leasing is more expensive than buying and holding, but it doesn't put you thousands of dollars upside-down.

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State applies for NUMMI grant - Record

Posted: 08 Mar 2010 11:56 PM PST

California employment officials hope to land a $33 million federal grant to help more than 4,700 auto workers who will lose their jobs, as well as thousands of others whose livelihoods will be jeopardized, when New United Motors Manufacturing Inc. closes its Fremont vehicle assembly plant April 1.

Besides NUMMI's own employees, it is estimated the closure is triggering business shutdowns and downsizings among the 32 direct suppliers employing 2,784 workers and at 293 indirect suppliers who employ 24,400 workers.

About 3,000 San Joaquin County residents are expected to be among those displaced.

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plus 3, Edwards and Keselowski 'have at it' again - ESPN.com

2010-03-08T01:10:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Edwards and Keselowski 'have at it' again - ESPN.com

Edwards and Keselowski 'have at it' again - ESPN.com
Lovin' the sun - Detroit Free Press
Kurt Busch wins crash-prolonged race - Detroit Free Press
Can Muncie compete in the new, global economy? - Star-Press

Edwards and Keselowski 'have at it' again - ESPN.com

Posted: 08 Mar 2010 12:11 AM PST

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Associated Press

HAMPTON, Ga. -- Carl Edwards was 156 laps off the lead when he apparently decided it was time to settle a score with Brad Keselowski.

The result was a frightening crash that sent Keselowski's car flying toward the stands at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and put NASCAR's "have at it" philosophy to the test a mere four races into a season that was supposed to let the drivers show more aggression and emotion.

Will Edwards be suspended for what appeared to be an intentional bump of Keselowski at more than 190 mph? Or will NASCAR give the No. 99 a pass for merely taking its new mandate to the extreme?

"To come back and intentionally wreck someone, that's not cool," said Keselowski, who escaped Sunday's crash unscathed. "You could have killed someone in the grandstands."

The feud between Edwards and Keselowski boiled over with three laps to go in the Kobalt Tools 500, a race won by Kurt Busch but overshadowed by the shenanigans going on behind him.

A decision from NASCAR is expected Monday or Tuesday. Edwards faces the possibility of a fine, loss of points or even a suspension for the next race at Bristol in two weeks.

"I would say there seems to be a history between those two drivers," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition. "I'm not going to go any further into it right now."

There's definitely some history between these guys.

Last April, Keselowski and Edwards were racing for the win in a tightly bunched pack at Talladega when their cars got together. Edwards spun into Ryan Newman's path, and the second hit sent Edwards' car soaring toward the main stands.

While the battered car was slung back onto the track by the safety fencing and Edwards was OK, seven fans were injured by flying debris.

"At least I didn't do it intentionally when it happened," Keselowski said.

The two scrapped again in Atlanta. Early on, Keselowski got underneath Edwards coming through turns one and two, which sent the No. 99 careening into Joey Logano along the outside wall.

While his car was in the garage for lengthy repairs, Edwards complained that Keselowski "never gives any room at all" but sounded as though he wasn't too upset about the incident.

Clearly, he was.

With Keselowski contending for a top-five finish, Edwards banged into him as they came to the start-finish line. Keselowski's No. 12 car went into a spin, lifted off the track, turned upside down and slammed into the barrier in front of the stands with the roof. The battered machine flipped back onto the track, landing right side up.

"It will be interesting to see how NASCAR reacts to it. They have the ball," Keselowski said. "If they're going to allow people to intentionally wreck each other at tracks this fast, we will hurt someone either in the cars or in the grandstands. It's not cool to wreck someone intentionally at 195 mph."

After the crash, NASCAR ordered Edwards off the track. He drove defiantly around the quarter-mile track in front of the stands and went backward down the pit lane before meeting privately with series officials in their trailer.

Climbing from the car, he didn't even bother with a denial.

"Brad knows the deal between him and I," Edwards said. "The scary part is the car went airborne, which was not what I expected. At the end of the day, we're out here to race and people have to have respect for one another and I have a lot of respect for people's safety.

"I wish it wouldn't have gone like that, but I'm glad he's OK and we'll just go on and race some more and maybe him and I won't get in any more incidents together. That would be the best thing."

NASCAR finds itself in a tough spot. Before the season, the governing body encouraged drivers to do more banging and show more emotion, in large part to answer a growing fan sentiment that the sport had gone stale. Pemberton himself said, "We will put it back in the hands of drivers, and we will say 'Boys, have at it and have a good time."

While suspensions are rare in a sport that rewards consistency and being on the track for every race, they're not unprecedented.

In 2007, Robby Gordon spun out Marcus Ambrose during a Nationwide series race in Montreal, ignored a black flag and was suspended for the following day's Cup event at Pocono. That same year, truck driver Ted Musgrave was ordered to sit out a race for hitting a competitor during a caution period.

The facts in this case seem pretty clear.

"It looked like it could have been a payback from the No. 99 on the No. 12," Pemberton said. "We talked with Carl after the race and we have an understanding about it. ... Carl said he got into him. He said he didn't expect the result."

Keselowski defended his actions in the first incident Sunday.

"He cut down on me on a restart and I lifted (off the accelerator). I couldn't lift fast enough," he said. "I was underneath him and tried to cut him a break. It was too late, though. He turned down. I apologized to him, but there was nothing that I could do in that situation."

The race need a couple of overtime restarts before Busch pulled away for the win.

After the Keselowski smashup, Busch pulled off a brilliant move to slip between Paul Menard and Clint Bowyer, snatching away the lead going into turn one. But he couldn't get all the way around to take the white flag before a seven-car crash broke out behind him.

On the second green-white-checkered attempt, Busch powered away on the restart, zipped around the track two more times and beat Matt Kenseth to the line by nearly half a second to win the Atlanta spring race for the second year in a row. It took 16 extra laps to finish a race that was scheduled for 325.

Juan Pablo Montoya was third, followed by Kasey Kahne and Menard.

"You have to adjust to whatever circumstances there are to win these races," said Busch, who snapped Jimmie Johnson's two-race winning streak. "No doubt we did our job on pit road, no doubt we did our job on long runs, and I think we hit the right combination for restarts. That's what I'm most proud of."

This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index

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Lovin' the sun - Detroit Free Press

Posted: 07 Mar 2010 11:57 PM PST

Metro Detroiters got their first whiff of spring over the weekend -- spending a warm and sunny Sunday walking their dogs, riding bicycles, jogging or washing their cars.

We hadn't seen temps this high -- 49 degrees -- since the thermometer hit 51 on Nov. 29.

"People are sick with cabin fever and can't wait to get out here," said David Garman, 33, the general manager of Royal Oak Golf Center on 13 Mile, east of Woodward, where duffers turned out in the droves to begin grooving their swings on the range's 50 tees.

"It's always like this the first warm weekend of the year," added Garman, noting that the range nearly ran out of golf balls on Saturday because of the deluge of golfers.

A smiling Bill Gardner, 52, of Royal Oak was there on Sunday to try out a new set of hybrid clubs his wife gave him for his birthday on Saturday.

"I'm out here to see if I'll be able to join my golf league in April," said Gardner, who owns an automotive manufacturing company.

The warm streak is expected to continue with temperatures today hovering above normal in the low 50s, according to the National Weather Service.

On Belle Isle, Noah Williams, 48, a salt truck driver for the Wayne County Road Commission, indulged in his hobby -- flying kites.

"Today's weather is fantastic," said Williams, who said he worked several 12- to 24-hour shifts last month clearing snow off county roads. "We're finally getting a break from winter."

Belle Isle was the staging point Sunday for a 20-mile bicycle ride through Detroit for 30 cycling enthusiasts led by Jim Bruzzese, 45, the retail store manager for Macomb Bike Fitness in Warren.

"It was a nice ride for so early in the season," Bruzzese said. "We're all trying to get our outside legs back on."

In Oak Park, Jeff Schecter, 58, and his wife, Sandra Dupuy, 56, gave their 1963 burgundy Ford Thunderbird its first wash and wax of the season at a coin-operated car wash on 11 Mile Road. The Farmington Hills couple planned to spend part of the afternoon cruising Woodward Avenue.

"We just couldn't stay home today -- we had to get out and take a ride," Schecter said.

Even those who had to work on Sunday said the weather warmed up their spirits.

"When the sun is out, it just makes you feel better," said Ron Bolden, 62, of Detroit while gathering up shopping carts during his job at the Home Depot on Southfield Road near 12 Mile Road. "When you have to push these things through the snow, it's a lot of extra weight."

Contact DAVID ASHENFELTER: dashenfelter@freepress.com

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Kurt Busch wins crash-prolonged race - Detroit Free Press

Posted: 07 Mar 2010 11:57 PM PST

HAMPTON, Ga. -- Kurt Busch survived a couple of restarts and 16 extra laps to win again Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a race marred by accusations of an intentional crash that sent a car hurtling toward the main stands upside down.

Busch won the spring race at the 1.54-mile trioval for the second year in a row, beating Matt Kenseth to the line by nearly half a second. Juan Pablo Montoya was third.

The race went 341 laps instead of its scheduled 325 because of two big crashes. The first one drew the most attention.

Carl Edwards, running 156 laps behind, clipped Brad Keselowski (Rochester Hills) and caused his car to spin, then lift into the air at around 190 m.p.h. It smashed into the barrier in front of the stands roof-first, then flipped back onto the track right side up.

"Brad knows the deal between him and I," Edwards said. "The scary part was his car went airborne, which was not what I expected at all."

Keselowski was OK, but NASCAR ordered Edwards to park his car and summoned him to its trailer for a tongue-lashing.

"To come back and just intentionally wreck someone, that's not cool," Keselowski said. "He could have killed someone in the grandstands."

On the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish, another crash took out seven cars coming through Turns 3 and 4. .

Keselowski and Edwards were involved in a spectacular crash racing for the win at Talladega last year. Edwards' car flew up toward the stands, and Keselowski sped on by for the victory.

Early in the Atlanta race, Keselowski nicked Edwards coming through the turn, which sent him crashing into Joey Logano. Edwards spent much of the day in the garage, but returned to take out his frustration in what appeared to be an intentional tap on Keselowski coming across the start-finish line.

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Can Muncie compete in the new, global economy? - Star-Press

Posted: 08 Mar 2010 12:11 AM PST

The community is taking steps in response to the loss of factories, population.

MUNCIE -- Based on the reality-television show Armed and Famous, Newsweek magazine concluded in 2007 that Muncie was "a dying industrial town with a nasty crack habit."

Fortunately, steps are being taken to not only keep Muncie alive but to make it prosperous in the new, global economy.

Michigan State University Extension researcher Dave Ivan points to human investment, youth engagement, quality of place, innovation and entrepreneurship and leveraging regional assets as the five pillars of community success.

If he's right, than Muncie is well-placed to move forward.

"I don't want to bombard you with a laundry list, but this is one of the main thrusts of what we do," said Layne Cameron, a spokesman for Ball State University, after looking over the list of pillars. "We have so many programs that make those connections ... you describe."

After providing numerous examples of youth engagement locally -- for instance community gardening and rallying to keep the Buley community center open -- Delaware County Commissioner Todd Donati added, "I could go on forever."

Gail Chesterfield, East Central chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College, and Terry Murphy, vice president of the local economic development alliance, both cited the Ball family foundations and The Community Foundation of Muncie-Delaware County as local pillars.

"(Former Star Press Publisher) Julie Metzger, when she was on the chamber of commerce board, along with Elizabeth Rowray, were leading the charge for one or more of the local schools to embrace the 'New Tech High' concept," Chesterfield said. "Julie and Elizabeth were also key in leading a group of citizens toward an 'image' campaign, but it needed considerable funding and therefore it has not moved forward."

In addition to the Muncie Youth Council, the community for several years has supported a Muncie Young Professionals Group. "We have around 300 members on our mailing list," said Traci Lutton, president of the group. "Getting them to be active is a real challenge, but I estimate we have 90 active members."

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plus 3, Loving, but leaving, Detroit - Detroit Free Press

2010-03-07T01:02:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Loving, but leaving, Detroit - Detroit Free Press

Loving, but leaving, Detroit - Detroit Free Press
US billions for Iran sanction-busting firms - YAHOO!
Europe a key center for sales, small-car development - Detroit Free Press
NEWS OF THE WEEK - Orange County Business Journal

Loving, but leaving, Detroit - Detroit Free Press

Posted: 06 Mar 2010 11:58 PM PST

The first in a series

Plywood and stained sweatpants cover the broken glass, but you can still see the bullet hole that came from a neighborhood shootout in the summer of 2003.

An assault rifle bullet pierced the back of the white bungalow on 32nd Street.

"It was like Afghanistan or Iraq," said Anthony Jackson, 24, who lived in the southwest Detroit home from 1994 to 2004. He was in the front yard on a quiet night when shots broke out over a neighborhood beef.

"I dropped to the ground and dug my face into the dirt," he told me. "They were shooting for five, seven minutes; it seemed like hours."

Afterward, spent cartridges littered the block.

The following year, Anthony and his younger brother, Austin Jackson, now 19, and mother, Cheryl Jackson, 46, moved to the suburbs. Others followed. Six years ago, practically every house on the block was occupied. Now, half appear vacant. Across the street, trash flows from an open front door.

Still, for Anthony, these blighted blocks represent sweet solidarity. He recalls the backyard barbeques, the boys nailing a milk crate to a tree and shooting hoops, bowling on Friday nights, old heads giving kids a dollar for the ice cream truck.

"Everybody had love for each other," said Anthony, walking down 32nd Street two weeks ago. "It's was like one big family. If I did something wrong, my neighbors would punish me the same way as my parents. I miss the community. In Detroit, everyone had open arms.

"The hood is love."

Safety, schools, livability

For families like the Jacksons, the decision to leave Detroit is wrenching, but not uncommon in a city that has lost more than half its population since 1950.

Some, like the Jacksons, are driven away by the crime. Others want better schools or more convenient services.

Three decades ago, white flight led the exodus. But by 2008, nearly three of four leaving the city were black.

A third of the city's 140 square miles are now vacant. In some east-side neighborhoods, up to 80% of the land is empty, abandoned, burned-out.

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US billions for Iran sanction-busting firms - YAHOO!

Posted: 06 Mar 2010 11:22 PM PST

Manic Mike buzzed up: 'Transformers,' Bullock make Razzies worst list (AP)

3 minutes ago 2010-03-07T00:56:45-08:00

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Europe a key center for sales, small-car development - Detroit Free Press

Posted: 07 Mar 2010 12:05 AM PST

China, Russia, India and Brazil seem poised for explosive growth, but Europe remains a driving force in the global auto industry -- especially for Detroit's automakers.

Europe is the home base for vehicles and technologies shaping the American auto industry, especially smaller, fuel-efficient models.

It's also a critical sales center, despite the challenges it is expected to face this year.

Trade agreements have knitted Europe into a 27-country market stretching from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to the Russian border.

That expanded Europe racked up 16.2 million vehicle sales in 2009. While that's a 5.8% decline from 2008, it's still 55% more sales than the U.S. registered in 2009. American consumers purchased just 10.4 million cars and trucks during the recession last year.

That's why General Motors and Ford are putting more emphasis on their European operations. Chrysler, bereft of a European arm, had to turn to Fiat's European-bred expertise to save it.

A crowded market

But Europe is, arguably, the world's most competitive market.

Dozens of automakers offer a variety of vehicle types and body styles there, from the most advanced luxury and performance vehicles to India's $2,500 Tata Nano minicar and Russia's antiquated Lada.

While small cars were traditionally an afterthought for American buyers, compact and smaller car models account for nearly half of European sales, because of the continent's tight spaces and high fuel taxes.

Almost in spite of Detroit's lack of interest, GM and Ford's European engineering teams have produced excellent small cars that outsell the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla by a wide margin.

The engineering for those cars, and their fuel-saving powertrains, is going into production in GM and Ford plants across Michigan and the Midwest.

In addition to their preference for smaller vehicles, Europeans gravitate toward some body styles Americans dismiss.

Hatchbacks and station wagons account for more than half of new car sales in many European countries.

They're a tiny fraction of U.S. sales. Diesel engines powered about half the cars sold in Europe last year, but they're a footnote in American sales charts.

At the same time, some U.S. vehicles have great appeal in Europe. Crossover SUVs are growing rapidly as American expertise is shaping vehicles like GM's Opel Antara crossover. Fiat will tap Chrysler for minivans, crossovers and performance sedans.

The next generation of Ford's Escape crossover SUV combines a European chassis with U.S. electronics and features.

With all the sales and technological developments that European operations offer, Detroit automakers, such as GM, can't afford to abandon them.

Contact MARK PHELAN: 313-222-6731 or at phelan@freepress.com.

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NEWS OF THE WEEK - Orange County Business Journal

Posted: 07 Mar 2010 12:34 AM PST

Compiled by Julie Leupold

ECONOMIC INDICATORS
Flat: Businesses sold in OC as 94 deals were closed in February, compared to 92 a year earlier, according to BizBen.com.

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plus 3, New vehicle registrations in Wisconsin down 46 percent since 2000 - Green Bay Press-Gazette

2010-03-05T01:01:00.001-08:00

plus 3, New vehicle registrations in Wisconsin down 46 percent since 2000 - Green Bay Press-Gazette

New vehicle registrations in Wisconsin down 46 percent since 2000 - Green Bay Press-Gazette
Levin is acting chair of Ways and Means panel - Modesto Bee
Andretti Autosport signs 15-year-old driver - ESPN.com
YouTube Launches Auto-Caption For All English-Language Videos - NPR News

New vehicle registrations in Wisconsin down 46 percent since 2000 - Green Bay Press-Gazette

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 09:23 PM PST

MADISON — New vehicle registrations in Wisconsin are nearly half of what they were in 2000.

Registrations dropped 46 percent — a hit that's felt well beyond the state's auto dealerships.

Thousands of jobs have disappeared as auto plants and their suppliers deal with the fractured auto industry.

The auto statistics service Cross-Sell shows the number of new vehicles registered in Wisconsin in 2009 was nearly 172,000 — down from nearly 320,000 in 2000.

Nearly 700 new vehicles were registered in Brown County in January, compared with 568 in January 2009, according to the Department of Transportation. Door, Kewaunee and Shawano counties saw similar increases, while year-over-year declines were recorded in Manitowoc, Marinette and Oconto counties.

Since 2000, 107 auto dealerships have closed in Wisconsin, including 56 in 2008 and 2009.

State employment in auto parts manufacturing fell 44 percent from 2000 to 2009.

Parts factories such as Tower Automotive and Delphi in Milwaukee and Lear and SSI in Rock County closed.

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Levin is acting chair of Ways and Means panel - Modesto Bee

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 03:32 PM PST

The Ways and Means Committee is arguably the most powerful and influential in Congress. It originates all tax laws and has jurisdiction over trade, Social Security and benefit programs that pay about half the cost of Americans' health care.

In choosing Levin, Democrats went with a soft-spoken leader whom Democrats hope will help move them past Rangel's ethics problems and provide a steady hand as Congress tries to pass a health care bill this month.

Once health care is addressed, Levin will have to turn his attention to billions of dollars in tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year - a thorny issue that will only get more complicated and politically charged as congressional elections approach in November.

Levin, 78, represents an auto industry district outside Detroit and is the Democrats' foremost expert on trade, an issue that has been on the back burner since President Barack Obama took office. He gives up his chairmanship of the Ways and Means subcommittee on trade to head the full committee. His younger brother by three years, Sen. Carl Levin, also a Michigan Democrat, is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"Every human being is different," Levin said of his management style. "I think what I will try to combine is organization, collegiality and making tough decisions."

Levin said he hopes to work on health care, economic development and job creation. On the latter, Obama has wanted more focus on giving businesses tax incentives to increase their payrolls, an approach rejected by many Democrats in the House. In his new role, Levin could help bridge that gap.

But the biggest issue that he and perhaps the entire Congress face once health care is out of the way will be the billions in tax cuts initiated by former President George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003 that expire at the end of this year.

If Congress doesn't act, taxes at every income level would increase, with the top income tax rate rising from 35 percent to 39.6 percent. The top capital gains tax rate would rise from 15 percent to 20 percent and the top tax rate on dividends would increase from 15 percent to 39.6 percent. The $1,000 child tax credit would be reduced to $500.

"Clearly they have to be addressed, as does the estate tax," Levin said. "I think we will continue the middle-class income tax cuts."

Obama has said he wants to extend most of the tax cuts, allowing taxes to increase only on individuals making more than $200,000 a year and couples making more than $250,000. Republicans argue that increasing taxes on high earners would hurt small businesses.

Democrats on the committee were still trying to get used to Levin as chairman on Thursday, saying the future was uncertain for big issues like trade and tax reform.

"What we need to do is to take the temperature of what's happened in the committee and at least proceed with some discussions and give the interim chairman some room to make some suggestions," said Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, a senior Democrat on the committee.

Levin, first elected in 1982, is in his 14th term. He will serve as the committee's acting chairman until Rangel's ethics case is resolved or a new Congress convenes next year.

The ethics committee admonished Rangel last week for breaking House rules by accepting corporate-financed travel. He has called his exile temporary, but he still faces inquiries over late payment of income taxes on a rental villa he owns in the Dominican Republic, his use of House stationery to solicit corporate donations to an educational institution that bears his name and belated disclosure of hundreds of thousands of dollars in previously unlisted wealth.

Rangel, who has said he didn't want his ethics case to damage fellow Democrats, said of Levin, "It's the best thing for the country, the Congress and the committee under the circumstances. I love him. He's good. He's thorough. He's got a reputation, and he'll do us well."

Levin told reporters: "I think you know my close relationship with Charlie. At this point, I'm acting chairman."

Stark stepped aside Thursday, saying he wanted to keep his chairmanship of the Ways and Means subcommittee on health, a position he would have had to give up if he had taken over the full committee.

The chairmanship then fell to Levin who is the next most senior Democrat.

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Andretti Autosport signs 15-year-old driver - ESPN.com

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 03:18 PM PST

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Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS -- Sage Karam isn't old enough to drive on the streets of his home state. But the Pennsylvania native will be racing on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., later this month.

The 15-year-old from Nazareth, Pa., was hired Thursday by Michael Andretti to drive in the USF2000 national championship, which begins March 27-28 in the Florida city. It's the first time Andretti's team will compete in the "Road to Indy" driver development program.

Karam has competed in the Skip Barber national championship and the World Karting Association the past several years. He was the only American driver to compete full-time in a national karting championship and an open-wheel series in 2009.

This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index

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YouTube Launches Auto-Caption For All English-Language Videos - NPR News

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 02:35 PM PST

This is what auto-captions will look like on YouTube. (Screenshot / NPR)

From now on, when you put a video up on YouTube it will get captions.

"This is huge. It's what I dreamt of for years," said Ken Harrenstein, a software engineer at Google who is deaf. Harrenstein announced the new auto-caption software at YouTube's headquarters in San Bruno.

Harrenstein, a graduate of MIT, explained how he often missed lectures when he was in college because he couldn't understand them. Now, many lectures are video taped and put on YouTube. Harrenstein showed how he could view a lecture with captions. But, even more exciting he can search a phrase like "elephant and mouse," and find the exact moment in the lecture where the professor said those words.

Auto-captioning technology isn't new but YouTube engineers say its never been deployed on such a wide scale. Every minute, 20 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube. Mike Cohen, a research scientist at Google, says the technology has been around for 50 years. But the progress on it has been incremental. Now it's hit a point where it's gotten really useful.

It's useful, but Cohen and Harrenstein admit it's still flawed. They showed a video where the word "salmon" had been substituted for "sim card." They also said that it will be used only on videos with clear enough audio -- that means those folks talking with a stereo in the background and rambling on with loud traffic noise behind them won't get transcribed.

Still, this is a big step. There were a group of students at the announcement from a local deaf school who were absolutely elated about the technology. They were a hip looking group of young women dressed in stylish jeans and shoes and no doubt they were going to feel hipper now that they could watch more YouTube videos without having to keep asking a person who can hear to explain it.

Harrenstein says they will be constantly improving the technology and will hopefully have it available soon to do transcriptions in languages other than English

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plus 3, City gets train plant, 125 jobs - Green Bay Press-Gazette

2010-03-04T01:01:00.001-08:00

plus 3, City gets train plant, 125 jobs - Green Bay Press-Gazette

City gets train plant, 125 jobs - Green Bay Press-Gazette
Toyota Not Alone In Unintended Speed Complaints - NPR News
Lutz Plans to Retire From G.M. in May - New York Times
Having Reinvigorated Design at GM, Bob Lutz Is Retiring - Daily Finance

City gets train plant, 125 jobs - Green Bay Press-Gazette

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 09:50 AM PST

MILWAUKEE — Gov. Jim Doyle says a Spanish train company will create 125 new jobs at its new assembly plant in Milwaukee.

The Talgo plant is expected to begin production in November at the former Tower Automotive site.

Doyle said Tuesday at a news conference in Milwaukee that Talgo's decision to locate in Wisconsin means the state will lead the way in high-speed rail production.

Talgo executive Antonio Perez says the company chose Milwaukee because of its harbor and its proximity to a local rail station. Appleton was one of six finalists for the site.

Wisconsin has a $47 million deal with Talgo to build two 14-car trains for Amtrak's Milwaukee-to-Chicago line. It also has an option for two additional trains to serve a Milwaukee-to-Madison route.

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Toyota Not Alone In Unintended Speed Complaints - NPR News

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 03:26 PM PST

By Frank James

Sudden unintended acceleration in cars is a problem that goes extends to other auto manufacturers beyond Toyota, according to NPR's Robert Benincasa who's on our investigation team.

He dug into federal data, examining about 15,000 complaints going back to the 1990 model year, and found that owners of cars by other makers also reported they had the experienced unintentional acceleration.

Robert discussed what he found with All Things Considered host Michele Norris. A sample:

ROBERT: In the 2008 model year, Volkswagens had a high rate of complaint. Hondas in the early part of the decade had a relatively high rate of complaints. And then in 2004 they seemed to have fixed something and the complaints dropped...

... One interesting case is Volvo. In the early part of the decade, they had a significant rate of complaints. They had a recall and they fixed some of their electronics and some of the other issues. And then in the past several years, they've had a very low rate of complaints."

You can listen to the whole conversation below:

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Lutz Plans to Retire From G.M. in May - New York Times

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 02:15 PM PST

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Having Reinvigorated Design at GM, Bob Lutz Is Retiring - Daily Finance

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 02:22 PM PST

The man largely responsible for reviving General Motors' image as a maker of innovative automotive designs is calling it quits, the company said Wednesday. After 47 years in the automotive industry, Bob Lutz, 78, will step down May 1 from his posts as vice chairman and senior adviser.

"The influence Bob Lutz has had on GM's commitment to design, build and sell the world's best vehicles will last for years to come," GM CEO and Chairman Ed Whitacre said in a written statement. "I, along with many other men and women in GM and throughout the industry, have greatly benefited from his passion, wisdom and guidance."

Lutz said he chose now to retire in part because many of the products he help shepherd through development have made their way onto showroom floors and into consumers' garages. That, combined with the growing strength of GM's remaining four "core" brands, "prove that a product-focused mindset inside the company is in place for the long term," said Lutz, a former Marine pilot.

"I can confidently say that the job I came here to do more than nine years ago is now complete -- the team I have been fortunate to lead has far exceeded my expectations," Lutz said in statement. "Our product lineup is as strong as it has been in GM's history."

Lutz rejoined GM on Sept. 1, 2001 -- just days before the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. At the time, the Detroit-based automotive giant was struggling to compete with better designs from foreign manufacturers, which American car buyers were embracing in increasing numbers. Asian auto makers, such as South Korea's Hyundai, also enjoyed a considerable cost advantage at the time, to the tune of some $4,000, Lutz noted at the time.

News of Lutz retirement comes a day after the company announced it was reshuffling its leadership team in North America. Lutz's role wasn't mentioned in news of the shakeup, although Lutz himself said in January that he'd hoped to stay on at GM as long as it was feasible.

The Swiss-born Lutz made the rounds at Detroit's Big Three, serving time at Ford Motor (F) and Chrysler -- as well as BMW -- in his nearly half century in the business. Among the designs he is credited with are the Dodge Viper sports car, the redesigned Chevrolet Malibu sedan and the recently discontinued Pontiac Solstice convertible.

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plus 3, At Geneva auto show, the hybrids keep rolling in - San Jose Mercury News

2010-03-03T01:20:00.001-08:00

plus 3, At Geneva auto show, the hybrids keep rolling in - San Jose Mercury News

At Geneva auto show, the hybrids keep rolling in - San Jose Mercury News
TransUnion: Auto loan delinquencies decline in 4Q - BusinessWeek
Is the New Era of Medical Devices Here? - Stockhouse
GM's China Sales up 51 Percent in February - ABC News

At Geneva auto show, the hybrids keep rolling in - San Jose Mercury News

Posted: 02 Mar 2010 08:14 PM PST

GENEVA — Hybrid or hype?

More automakers rolled out their newest hybrids, or announced plans to do so, at the Geneva Auto Show on Tuesday, presenting the question: Is the future now, or is this just attention-grabbing while the real powerhouse of the automotive world remains king combustion?

For the time being, most automakers are hedging their bets.

Porsche kicked off the show with a hybrid version of its Cayenne S sports utility vehicle, and also showed off a hybrid Spyder concept. French group PSA Peugeot Citroen SA is launching hybrids in 2012. And Toyota aims to have a hybrid across every model range by 2020.

Executives cite consumer demand for gasoline-electric powered cars and the drive to stay competitive as fuel efficiency standards get stricter.

"Our experience with Prius and other hybrids tells us that market acceptance of hybrids is growing," said Toyota Europea Vice President Andrea Formica.

Last year, 530,000 customers purchased hybrids around the world, up 24 percent from 2008, and in Europe, Prius sales in a difficult market increased 3 percent in 2009 to 44,000 units.

"Drivers of hybrids are no longer pioneers or early adapters. They are more and more mainstream buyers," Formica said.

But while the world's largest car company can point to the third generation of its successful Prius range for its green credentials, most manufacturers have bet the firm on improving their gas-powered

vehicles for the foreseeable future. Some appeared content to offer hybrids as little more than a moral fig leaf for consumers who feel guilty about their carbon footprint.

"Hybrid sales are not booming in any part of the world," said Saab CEO Jan Ake Jonsson. "One reason being, of course, is it is a very expensive proposition, and today's gasoline and diesel applications are getting more and more efficient."

"Many people are asking themselves, for another two miles per gallon or whatever it might be, is it really worthwhile paying $5,000 or $6,000 for a hybrid solution?" he asked. "I think the hybrids need to be a little more cost efficient until we see a volume."

Saab, of course, has its own set of problems, relaunching an automaker that sputtered to a standstill in the absence of buyers until the Dutch automaker Spyker made a deal in December. Right now Saab is focusing on restarting production and filling its distribution chain — but Acker says hybrid solutions will be part of all vehicles in the future.

That can range from full hybrids, which alternate between gasoline and electric engines to achieve improved fuel economy, to so-called partial hybrids, or cars with such features as start-stop technology, which automatically shuts down and restarts an engine when stopped to reduce idling and reduce carbon emissions.

Porsche CEO Michael Macht touted the Cayenne as "a milestone on the way to electric mobility" for the Volkswagen brand, even as Porsche's head of development acknowledged the powerful SUV can manage only 2.8 miles in pure electric mode.

"Our aim is to get a double digit range in the medium term," said Wolfgang Duerheimer.

Selling from $61,000 in the United States, it is the German carmaker's first production hybrid.

Daimler has already achieved that with its F800 Style research vehicle. The striking executive limousine has an electric-only range of 18.6 miles (30 kilometers).

Chief executive Dieter Zetsche told reporters the hybrid models were a conscious effort to boost Daimler's reputation among environmentally conscious consumers, but also make long-term sense as the company sees real potential for electric cars in the future.

Daimler sells a fifth of its S-class saloons as a hybrid version — a fraction of total annual sales across its product range. In Geneva, Daimler added the E-300 BlueTEC diesel-electric to its hybrid lineup, and announced plans for a joint venture with BYD to produce an electric car for China.

BMW went for a tried and tested gas-only formula with the redesign of its best-selling 5-series model and the new Mini Countryman, both of which were unveiled in Geneva. Still, the Bavarians said they are working on a hybrid 5-series that automatically switches to electric mode once the car leaves the highway.

Audi, Nissan, Chevrolet and Mitsubishi all have various hybrid and electric vehicles in the pipeline, mostly with modest sales figures in mind.

Opel is pushing its lithium-battery powered fully electric Ampera hatchback, introduced two years ago at Geneva. This year, Opel Chef Nick Reilly drove one part way from Germany to the auto show this year in a publicity stunt. Yet the twin sister to the Chevy Volt manages only 40 miles (60 kilometers) on batteries before having to switch to combustion. The Volt goes on sale at the end of this year, the Ampera at the end of 2011.

In the United States, the market share for hybrid vehicles rose from 2.4 percent to 2.7 percent last year. Toyota's Prius accounts for half of those, with the only other mass market models — Ford's Fusion hybrid and Honda's Insight — trailing far behind.

For many automakers, hybrids are still about improving their image, said IHS Global Insight analyst Rebecca Lindland. She said drastic regulation and gas price increases may be the only way to push consumers — and manufacturers — to embrace hybrids in bulk numbers.

PSA Peugeot-Citroen plans to launch the Peugeot 3008, a plug-in hybrid with diesel, in 2012, as well as the Citroen DS5 Hybrid as part of its goal to have 1 million cars in its fleet below 120 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer by 2012. By 2020, CEO Phillipe Varin thinks hybrids will grab as much as 15 percent of the market.

"We think that probably hybrids are going to be the area to give the most development in the years to come," Varin said. "We think hybrid may be more important than electronic vehicles."

———

Associated Press Writer Eliane Engeler contributed to this report.

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TransUnion: Auto loan delinquencies decline in 4Q - BusinessWeek

Posted: 01 Mar 2010 11:32 AM PST

NEW YORK

TransUnion said Monday that customers at least 60 days past due on repaying auto loans fell 6 percent during the fourth quarter compared with the same period a year earlier.

The 60-day delinquency rate on auto loans dropped to 0.81 percent. The delinquency rate was unchanged from the third quarter.

Auto loan delinquencies could be improving because of more favorable terms and deals in recent months for new cars, including the government's Cash for Clunkers program, Peter Turek, TransUnion's automotive vice president in its financial services business unit, said in a release.

The improving trends in auto loan delinquencies came as more customers fall behind on repaying mortgages and credit card debt.

The credit data provider said 6.89 percent of mortgage borrowers were at least two months behind on payments during the fourth quarter. It was the 12th straight quarter the delinquency rate rose.

The delinquency rate, which is seen as a precursor to foreclosures, was 6.25 percent during the third quarter and 4.58 percent during the final quarter in 2008.

Mortgage delinquencies and defaults remain a major problem facing the economy. A collapse in home sales and prices, as well as rising defaults, helped push the country into recession. Signs of a recovery in the market have been slow and uneven in recent months.

Credit card delinquencies also rose. Customers at least three months late on making a credit card payment rose to 1.21 percent during the final three months of 2009. However, average credit card debt fell to $5,434 from $5,729 during the same quarter a year earlier.

TransUnion tracks the data by randomly sampling 27 million anonymous consumer records every quarter from its national consumer credit database.

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Is the New Era of Medical Devices Here? - Stockhouse

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 12:03 AM PST

http://waynesgridiron.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-era-of-medical-devices-is-it-here.html

Advances in technology have given us a lot more than iPods and netbooks. Ever since the day man first set foot on the moon, the pace of technological advancement has been phenomenal, and nowhere is that more evident than in medical technology.

These medical advances have their basis in early technologies. For example, when the Internet was first conceived, nobody ever thought that the arcane academic experiment would eventually be used to create "virtual companies" with no walls, electronic classrooms that connect students in the most remote villages in the third world, and to conduct commerce on a widespread basis. In the medical community, the new era of remote connectivity has led us to innovations such as remote diagnosis, electronic medical records, and remote monitoring of patients with heart conditions.

The current system of continuous monitoring of a patient's cardiac condition has not kept up with the technology however, and it tends to involve several steps. The cumbersome process is labor-intensive and requires the patient to take a substantial active role, or may even require multiple in-home visits. The goal of physicians and clinicians however, is to automate as much of this monitoring as possible to eliminate the possibility of human error or omission.

Monitoring of Cardiac Patients
Current cardiac monitoring devices are limited—although the technology is highly accurate, it's all about access. Current technology has allowed physicians to equip heart patients with small devices that they can use at home, so that if they feel an event coming on, they can switch on the device, record electrocardiogram (ECG) data, and transmit it over the phone. This simple innovation has no doubt saved hundreds of lives—but it could save more by integrating it with existing wireless and GPS technology.

That is precisely what a company called Cardiac Network has done. Innovation sometimes involves coming up with new technology, and sometimes it involves using existing technology in new and different ways. The Cardiac Network device offers a little bit of both. The lightweight device is completely new; and its usefulness is made even greater by combining a heart monitor with wireless technology and a GPS locator.

The problem with existing self-monitoring systems is that the patient, upon feeling the onset of a cardiac event, must press a button on the device to start recording heart function, and then they must manually transmit the information over the phone. The Cardiac Network "auto trigger" overcomes those manual processes with a system that automatically records the cardiac event, and then uses an auto-send feature to automatically connect to a wireless or WiFi network to send the information to medical personnel.

The obvious question is, what happens if the patient is alone and incapacitated? Or what if they are away from home when the cardiac event occurs? One of the biggest problems faced by heart patients and their families is worrying about an episode when nobody is around. The Cardiac Network's innovative and proprietary network overcomes these limitations by incorporating an auto-send process, GPS locator, and wireless access. The system is designed to automatically detect when a patient is in distress, and transparently send a notification to the patient's physician or to emergency personnel. Did you hear that?!!

"If in my sleep, i suffer from a cardio abnormality, the system sends help without my knowledge! WOW!"

Under an agreement with med mobile, the Cardiac Network system includes a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) with an integrated GPS, which can provide highly accurate tracking information if the system detects a cardiac emergency. Much like the General Motors' OnStar system, Cardiac Network allows patients to speak directly with the monitoring center, where medical technicians can communicate directly with the patient's physician and with emergency response personnel.

The first device of its kind, the monitoring device is connected to a secure, central database that holds all ECG data of each patient. A user-friendly online interface allows both patient and physician to access information 24/7.

The device is expected to be demonstrated later in 2010.

I feel that Cardiac Network is one of the most exciting things I have come across in the 11 years I have been working with young up and coming companies. Take a look for yourself. WaynesGridiron loves Cardiac Network.

Companies in this space that should take a hard look at CNI could consist of Hewlett Packard, General Electric, Siemens, Nokia, LG, ADT Home Security just to name a few.

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GM's China Sales up 51 Percent in February - ABC News

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 12:32 AM PST

General Motors said its February vehicle sales in China rose 51 percent from a year earlier on strong demand for Chevrolet and Cadillac models as well as its popular minivans.

The 174,306 vehicles sold by General Motors Co. and its joint ventures in China in February was a company record for the month, it said Wednesday, though well below the 219,192 vehicles sold in January.

That could reflect slower sales due to the Lunar New Year holiday, but also a softening in demand for small cars that have powered the company's growth in China, the world's biggest auto market, over the past year.

"Our February sales numbers exceeded our expectations despite the Spring Festival holiday," Kevin Wale, president and managing director for GM China Group, said in a statement.

"The continued strong market demand portends another record year for both the industry and GM in China in 2010," he said.

The bulk of GM's were still by SAIC-GM-Wuling, GM's minivehicle joint venture, which sold 110,315 units, up 37.7 percent from the year before, the company reported.

Sales by GM's flagship in China, Shanghai GM, climbed 65.7 percent to 58,182 units, with demand for Chevrolet models accounting for more than 40,000 of that total. Sales of Cadillacs more than tripled to over 900 units.

GM's sales in China climbed nearly 74 percent from a year earlier in the first two months of the year, to 393,498 units.

Automakers are looking to China to offset weak demand in traditional markets and to drive future growth. Last year, China overtook the United States as the biggest auto market with a 48 percent jump in sales, helped by government tax breaks and subsidies meant to encourage purchases of energy efficient, small vehicles.

Analysts expect sales growth to slow this year, though so far the market has kept relatively strong momentum.

China's official auto sales figures are due for release next week.

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plus 3, Group 1 Automotive (GPI) Announces Acquisition of Two BMW/Mini ... - StreetInsider.com

2010-03-02T01:06:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Group 1 Automotive (GPI) Announces Acquisition of Two BMW/Mini ... - StreetInsider.com

Group 1 Automotive (GPI) Announces Acquisition of Two BMW/Mini ... - StreetInsider.com
TRW Automotive offering 11M shares - The Sun News
The Big Question: Will Congress pass reform on campaign funds? - Thehill.com
McMurray and Montoya at odds after Las Vegas wreck - ESPN.com

Group 1 Automotive (GPI) Announces Acquisition of Two BMW/Mini ... - StreetInsider.com

Posted: 01 Mar 2010 05:27 AM PST

March 1, 2010 8:32 AM EST

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: GPI) today announced that it acquired two BMW/Mini dealerships in the Southeast region of England. The four franchises are expected to generate approximately $161.5 million in estimated annual revenues and will complement Group 1's three existing BMW/Mini dealerships in Hailsham, Brighton and Worthing.

The dealerships, Barons Farnborough and Barons Hindhead, are located approximately 25 miles southwest of London in the wealthy commuter belt of Surrey and Hampshire and are contiguous to Group 1's existing dealerships.

"The acquisition of these two, large BMW/Mini dealerships will more than double the size of our U.K. operations, significantly increasing Group 1's scale in the United Kingdom," said Earl Hesterberg, Group 1's president and chief executive officer. "We have been patiently looking for attractive growth opportunities in the United Kingdom and are very pleased with this acquisition. The Barons BMW/Mini dealerships are located in the same region as our existing dealerships and, with a strong regional management team already in place, the addition of these stores is an important step in expanding our U.K. footprint, which will now represent approximately five percent of Group 1's total sales."

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TRW Automotive offering 11M shares - The Sun News

Posted: 01 Mar 2010 03:07 PM PST

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The Big Question: Will Congress pass reform on campaign funds? - Thehill.com

Posted: 01 Mar 2010 03:14 PM PST

Some of the nation's top political commentators, legislators and intellectuals offer insight into the biggest question burning up the blogosphere today.

Today's question:

Democrats say they are committed to pass legislation in the wake of the Supreme Court's recent decision on campaign finance reform.

Will they be able to pass a bill before the midterm elections?

Hal Lewis, professor of Physics at UC Santa Barbara, said:

They can pass anything they please---they have a majority and are not shy about using it. If they think it will help them in the Fall, that will be all that matters. Whether they can pass a constitutional bill is another matter, but that will be decided by the Supreme Court after the elections, and anyway the SC is closely divided on this one.

Damon N. Spiegel, entrepreneur and writer, said:

I think they will be able to pass a bill as the parties involved believe this would lead to a big hand in special interest groups in the back pockets of politicians. Both democrats and republicans believe voting against this could easily be used against them in the election; and thus, would push hard to either vote for it and get it done, or both agree to not pursue it at all.

Meredith McGehee, policy director at the Campaign Legal Center, said:

It's never easy to open up the can of worms that is campaign finance reform on Capitol Hill. On this subject, there are 535 experts in Congress. But for a change their constituents are actually paying attention to campaign finance in the wake of the Citizens United decision and many are angry about it.

The Supreme Court's decision was so radical and such a departure from 100 years of law in this area that passing legislation to mitigate the potential damage from this decision is imperative. And the momentum of an outraged public is behind these fixes. Even a number of the groups that make up the Tea Party movement have expressed their anger with the decision. The Roberts Court stirred up a hornets nest with its outrageous decision and real reforms could pass as a result.

Those who claim that this decision will not have that great an impact on campaigns simply have it wrong. The kinds of money now allowed to enter into the campaign dialogue are of a wholly different magnitude. And no doubt creative lawyers are already looking at ways to use to their advantage the openings created by the Citizens United decision, whether it involves domestic subsidiaries of foreign-owned corporations or corporations who can avoid disclosure of their funding of independent expenditures due to current weak disclosure laws.

There are at least seven areas that Congress should address. The bills should: strengthen the statutory language on what constitutes coordination; enact ways to provide candidates sufficient access to the publicly owned airwaves; strengthen shareholder protections to ensure accountability; strengthen requirements for disclosure of corporate spending for political purposes; revise statutes dealing with disclosure of "electioneering communications"; strengthen pay-to-play restrictions for government contractors; and ensure that corporate independent expenditures do not become a means to evade current statutory restrictions on foreign nationals' roles in U.S. elections.

It is also important to keep the activist ruling in Citizens United from being harnessed as an excuse to raise contribution limits or reopen the soft money loophole where six- and seven-figure checks were regularly utilized to curry favor or buy one of the very few figurative seats at the table when laws are made.

There is a window of opportunity to repair some of the damage wrought by the Supreme Court in Citizens United and make our disclosure laws more comprehensive. The will of the people is there to make these changes and I hope it is sufficient to stiffen the backbone of Congress to follow through.

Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, said:

The folks on Capitol Hill should make it harder to buy results. If people value country first, we should have a good bill before elections.

Bernie Quigley, Pundits blog contributor, said:

I don't see that they are in any new position to bring out any dramatic new initiatives right now. The Democrats might ask whether they are now, like the French, at Waterloo or only at Trafalgar. With three years to go their captain is spent and the very character of liberalism has changed overnight here in Massachusetts, the heart of contemporary liberalism. Their coming forth with this at this time indicates that some are still in denial about what has happened to them. Their misunderstanding is primary, deep-seated and chronic. Their greatest error was in thinking that they could "whistle past Dixie" and the rest of the heartland without consequences. Now they stand to lose not only the Congress but the entire country.

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, said:

Democrats have fought a fifty year war against the Second Amendment. They seem to have decided they were taking more casualties than this fight was worth. Not because the Constitution defended itself, but because the National Rifle Association and its four million members and the five million plus concealed carry permit holders and twenty million hunters defeated bunches of congressmen and senators that selectively read the Bill of Rights.

The First Amendment has fewer organized friends. The ACLU gets excited about four letter words and nude dancing but less so political speech. The networks and major establishment newspapers like their own freedoms but also like the goverent to limit the speech of others in campaigns.

Until the First Amendment has an NRA it is always in danger.

Rob Richie, executive director of FairVote, said:

"This decision has stirred deep passion and concern, and Democrats will likely pass legislation in response to it even if it may be relatively toothless. At the same time, I think the decision, combined with other evidence of failings in our electoral process and legislative processes, will trigger a deeper, longer-lasting conversation about how to make our representative democracy more consistent with modern ideals and the realities of the 21st century.

"The tide of our history has been to more democracy. The 2010 promise to be a "democracy decade", just as the 1960s brought us the Voting Rights Act and several constitutional amendments strengthening and expanding democracy and just as the 1910's brought us direct election of Senators and women's suffrage. Such major changes aren't likely to become law before the midterm election, but the movement is launched."

Justin Raimondo, editorial director of Antiwar.com, said:

This is off-topic, but have you noticed how every effort to expand the power and reach of government these days is characterized as "reform"? Campaign finance "reform" means regulation of speech. Healthcare "reform" means more regulation of the medical sector of the economy. And how come "tax reform" always seems to mean more taxes, rather than less? fI've heard the bank bailout, or features of it, referred to as "banking reform" -- but what's really going on is the government is handing the country over to the Big Banks.

Funny how that works....

At any rate: can the Democrats pass campaign "reform" legislation? Will they? Luckily for us, they seem paralyzed these days, and afraid of their own shadows -- and it isn't even Groundhog Day. So I wouldn't count on it.

John Feehery, Pundits Blog contributor, said:

Can you imagine that instead of spending time trying to do a healthcare bill or a jobs bill or an energy bill that congressional Democrats use all of their chits and all of their political muscle trying to pass legislation aimed at preserving their political careers? Sounds like a flawed strategy to me.

Frank Askin, professor of law at Rutgers University, said:

That may depend on whether John McCain is still pro-reform. He has been backsliding on many issues now that he is under a primary challenge from the right, and he seems to be silent on the Citizens United decision. If he is still on board, he should be able to pull at least a few Republicans to go along with some modest reforms that might pass muster with this court. Such legislation could take the form of disclosure and disclaimer requirements that would make multi-national corporations think twice before expending large amounts of their shareholders' money on candidate endorsements.

John F. McManus, president of The John Birch Society, said:

Democrats who benefit so greatly from various forms of support from labor unions have a lot of chutzpah complaining when corporate leaders want to finance their favorite candidates. Doing business in America has become more difficult each year because government regulations — regularly backed by Democrats in Congress — stifle producers while foreign producers don't face the regulatory impediments facing U.S. manufacturers.

Corporate leaders who want to back a candidate who will make it easier for them to produce should certainly be allowed to do so. Expecting leading Democrats to include labor among those they want to restrict in the campaign finance arena is expecting the impossible. Labor unions are enormously powerful but even many of their members are beginning to see the damage they have done, a good example being the excessive demands put on the nation's auto industry that has resulted in its severe downturn.

Financing candidacies is a form of free speech. Congratulations to the Supreme Court for reinforcing this God-given right for all Americans.

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McMurray and Montoya at odds after Las Vegas wreck - ESPN.com

Posted: 01 Mar 2010 02:17 PM PST

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Associated Press

LAS VEGAS -- The honeymoon is apparently over for Jamie McMurray, who celebrated his reunion with team owner Chip Ganassi with a career-changing Daytona 500 victory.

A mere three weeks later, he's at the center of a team controversy following a wreck with Juan Pablo Montoya at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The two were running ninth and 10th midway through Sunday's race when McMurray lost control of his car and ran into his teammate.

Montoya minced no words in expressing his displeasure, erupting on his team radio in words not fit for print. The emotional Colombian had calmed very little by the time he limped his car to the garage and met with media.

"I'm sure on the radio it was 'Ah, I didn't mean that," Montoya mocked in a high-pitched tone. "He is just trying to prove to people he can drive a race car and I guess he isn't doing too many favors on this team."

Ouch.

The criticism continued hours after Montoya's 37th-place finish when his wife, Connie, went to Twitter and weighed in with a Spanish post that, roughly translated, said the McDonald's clown must have been driving McMurray's car on Sunday. The dig was a reference to the McDonald's sponsorship McMurray debuted at Las Vegas because the deal closed after his Daytona 500 victory.

These are the type of feuds that can tear a race team apart. Although teammates have hated each other in the past and still found a way to be successful, it's difficult in today's NASCAR and even harder for a smaller team such as Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.

But as angry as Montoya may be with McMurray, this will likely blow over fairly quickly.

Why? Because the drivers don't have to be best friends, or even like each other, for EGR to succeed. The only thing that's important is that they focus on the organization, which everyone seems determined to do going forward.

EGR made monstrous strides last season when crew chief Brian Pattie guided Montoya to the team's first berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, overcoming early organizational issues to claim one of the coveted 12 spots. A merger between Ganassi and Dale Earnhardt Inc. had the two teams essentially operating individually for several months last season, but Montoya was able to succeed despite the handicap.

Those roadblocks were eventually overcome, and EGR had a true two-car team by the time last season ended. The unity has been evident with strong cars in all three races this year, plus McMurray's season-opening win.

The trick for Ganassi now, though, is to soothe egos and hurt feelings before Sunday's incident takes the team back two steps.

The team owner didn't seem concerned Monday.

"Obviously two teammates would not try to or want to tack each other out," said Ganassi, adding he thought Montoya "will be calmer today."

McMurray, who accepted blame and apologized publicly after the race, also downplayed any friction on Monday and said too much was being made of the situation.

"I spoke with him last night, and everything is fine," he said.

Still, "fine" is a relative term, and, until coming to NASCAR, Montoya has never really been "fine" with his teammates. That's not really how it works in Formula One, where the team dynamics are so cutthroat that teammates are often the most bitter of rivals.

Montoya had seemed to soften since his 2006 move to NASCAR, where he became close with then-teammates David Stremme and Dario Franchitti.

Franchitti had known Montoya for years through various open-wheel series in the U.S. and abroad, knew of his hot-tempered ways, and was friends with many drivers who had done stints as Montoya's teammate.

So when Franchitti came to NASCAR, he spoke to Jimmy Vasser, who teamed with Montoya in CART, and had no qualms about working with him after that conversation.

"I knew it was not true that Juan can't be a good teammate because Jimmy told me so," Franchitti once said.

If the friction hasn't blown over by this weekend's race at Atlanta, it won't necessarily mean that EGR will have a drama-packed weekend. If McMurray and Montoya never go to dinner together or watch movies at the track, it won't matter so long as the tension stays separate from the actual teams -- something Pattie seemed convinced Monday will not be a difficult task.

"I'd say this is something between the drivers and has no effect at all on any of us on the shop floor," Pattie said. "The teams work really good together, and we won't let that change."

But what about Montoya's harsh remarks, which Pattie tried in vain to curb as the driver ranted on the team radio?

"People gotta understand that when you wreck good race cars, that's bad," said Pattie, "when it happens with a teammate, well, that's worse."

Pattie speaks from experience, too. After all, he was Scott Pruett's crew chief back in 2007 when Montoya wrecked his teammate to win the Nationwide Series race at Mexico City. It was Pattie and Pruett who had the harsh words that day, and although tension lingered for a bit, everyone eventually moved on.

"This is something that can go away with one conversation between Chip and the drivers," Pattie said.

This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index

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plus 3, Freedom Hall won't sit idle when new arena opens - Courier-Journal

2010-03-01T01:27:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Freedom Hall won't sit idle when new arena opens - Courier-Journal

Freedom Hall won't sit idle when new arena opens - Courier-Journal
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Freedom Hall won't sit idle when new arena opens - Courier-Journal

Posted: 28 Feb 2010 02:54 PM PST

Even as its highest profile client prepares to depart for swankier quarters in downtown Louisville, Freedom Hall won't be turning off the lights and padlocking the doors.

The main event space at the Kentucky Exposition Center has been hosting much more than the home games of the University of Louisville basketball teams since it opened in 1956 — and it will continue to do so after the $238 million arena being built at Second and Main streets opens in the fall.

Freedom Hall "will absolutely still be standing" 20 years from now, said Harold Workman, president of the Kentucky State Fair Board, which will manage both arenas.

The U of L men's team plays its last regular-season home game in Freedom Hall next Saturday, and the women played their last contest there yesterday.

Workman said that while the expo center will miss U of L basketball as a client, its departure "will open up a lot of good winter dates" for other events at Freedom Hall.

He said his staff already is negotiating with as many as three new conventions and five new trade shows between October 2010 and March 2011 — dates that would have been impossible when Freedom Hall was committed to 35 U of L games.

Workman said he also has been talking with athletics officials at the University of Kentucky, which plays at least one basketball home game a year at Freedom Hall, about playing more contests there. Coach John Calipari has said he would like to play at least three games in Louisville each year.

In 2009, Freedom Hall played host to events on 210 days — with more than one event on some days.

But Workman said the fair board estimates that Freedom Hall had been losing 10 to 15 touring concerts and other shows every year, because either U of L had a game, or the basketball schedules weren't set when a show producer with a specific date came looking.

Replacing revenue may take time

Despite the promise of new events, Workman said, "We can't replace 100 percent of the (U of L) dates right out of the gate," so there is expected to be an initial financial loss.

He estimates that U of L contributed nearly $1.7 million of the $11.7 million in revenue that Freedom Hall events generated for the fair board in 2009. It may take three years or more to replace that revenue, he said.

But Jim Host, chairman of the Louisville Arena Authority, which is building the downtown facility, noted that the authority has agreed to compensate the fair board every year for any amount less than the $11.7 million Freedom Hall produced in 2009.

In addition, the fair board signed a contract more than a year ago with AEG, an entertainment booking company, to book both Freedom Hall and the new arena, including a minimum of 10 events a year at Freedom Hall.

Dennis Petrulo, AEG's director of event bookings for the Louisville area, was reluctant to discuss prospective business for either venue, affirming only that AEG is contractually obligated "to keep Freedom Hall busy. I think we will be able to do that."

Host said some concert promoters will likely opt for Freedom Hall over the arena, because it will be cheaper to rent.

Freedom Hall seats about 16,000 for most events, and about 19,500 for U of L basketball. The new arena will seat about 18,000 for a concert and about 22,000 for basketball.

Although rental by many groups is negotiated, the typical cost to rent Freedom Hall for a one-time event is about $11,500. The rents for the arena haven't been set, but the cost for a one-time event probably will be around $35,000, Workman said.

A few events will use both Freedom Hall and the new arena, including the FFA when it returns to Louisville in 2013-15.

But some events, such as the Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic, wrestling matches, the Harlem Globetrotters games and the circus, and even some conventions looking for a downtown site may consider a move to the new arena, according to fair board officials.

Large shows likely to stay

Workman said he doubted, however, if any trade shows, especially ones with hundreds of exhibitors, would leave the exposition center and its 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space.

John Davidson, vice president of Show Cars Inc., which produces the Carl Casper Custom & Louisville New Car Auto Show that has been held for three days every February at the exposition center for 47 straight years, said the new downtown arena isn't big enough for the show.

It requires 750,000 square feet of space and takes up virtually all of the center's space, including Freedom Hall, where the Low Rider Nationals are held.

"No matter where you sit in Freedom Hall, you have a good seat," Davidson said.

Another long-time Freedom Hall client is going to stick with the venue, too, despite some drawbacks.

The National Quartet Convention, a weeklong Southern gospel music event that requires a large amount of space and has been held annually at the exposition center in September since 1994, plans to continue there and to hold nightly concerts in Freedom Hall.

The convention recently decided against a bid from Indianapolis in part because many of the 40,000 annual visitors are senior citizens from the Southeast who didn't want to drive an additional 100 miles to the Hoosier capital, said Clarke Beasley, a convention spokesman.

Freedom Hall has shortcomings — including narrow seats, no space in the balcony for handrails and too many steps, Beasley said. But in the end, good points, such as Louisville's central location and the fairgrounds' ability to meet the space needs of a huge trade show, outweighed any inconveniences.

"Freedom Hall is an old building now, but all things considered, we felt the need to remain in Louisville" and in Freedom Hall, Beasley said.

Reporter Sheldon S. Shafer can be reached at (502) 582-7089. Reporter Brett Dawson contributed to this story.

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Desperate for work, Miss. town awaits Toyota plant - KLFY.com

Posted: 28 Feb 2010 01:43 PM PST

By HOLBROOK MOHR
Associated Press Writer

BLUE SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) - Terry McShan isn't thinking about car sales analyses or excess capacity when he drives by the idle Toyota plant in northeast Mississippi. He's thinking about his little girl.

Like most Mississippians, the 46-year-old father of one grown daughter and a 4-year-old girl was thrilled when Toyota announced plans in 2007 to build a plant in Blue Springs, a one-store town in the north Mississippi hills. McShan soon enrolled in a junior college's automotive program in hopes of landing a job at the plant.

Those were better times, when the car market was strong, Mississippi officials gladly signed off on a $324 million incentive package and Toyota said it would be building cars in Blue Springs in 2010. Three years later, the economy has tanked, one of the most trusted brands in the business has recalled millionsof cars and McShan will graduate with no immediate prospects for a Toyota job in Mississippi.

Toyota says it's holding off production in Blue Springs, not because of the recall, but until the car market improves and the company sells off "excess capacity." It's anybody's guess when that'll be. Even when Toyota gives the green light, it could be 18 months to two years before the first car rolls off the assembly line.

"When I heard Toyota was coming, I thought, 'This is the (college) program that I need.' I've been here ever since, waiting for Toyota to open," McShan said recently while taking a break from classes at Itawamba Community College in Tupelo.

"I'm just trying to give my daughter the best education that I can," McShan said. "That job right there (at the Toyota plant) would help give her the best."

Toyota has been hounded lately by production problems on several models, including the Prius, the gas-electric hybrid that was to be built in Mississippi. Problems with gas pedals, floor mats and brakes on various models have led to the biggest worldwide recall in the company's history, lawsuits, apologies from Toyota officials and congressional hearings.

The recall, however, came well after the announcement that production at Blue Springs was being put on hold. Toyota officials insist the recalls won't have any effect on the Blue Springs plant.

"It's just a question of when the market will support the capacity that we will have at this plant," David Copenhaver, the Toyota vice president in charge of the Blue Springs facility, said recently.

"Everybody, I think, can easily understand what the market has been like the last year or so," Copenhaver said. "When you have a lot of excess capacity you have to use what you've got."

It would take a "fundamental shaking of confidence" in the Toyota brand for the recalls to further delay the opening of the Mississippi plant, said Haig Stoddard, auto analyst with the consulting firm IHS-Global Insight.

"As it stands right now I'm not sure what they are going to build there, if they'll go with the Prius or something else, but they're going to need that capacity in North America," Stoddard said. "I think that plant has a future, irrespective of what they build there."

Gov. Haley Barbour, a second-term Republican who helped lure the plant to Mississippi, said Toyota "made a common sense business decision that they need to wait for the automobile market to improve."

"While we wish they were open today, nobody can argue with that business decision," Barbour said in a telephone interview. "One thing about Toyota is they think long term, and we do, too."

Barbour said he doesn't believe the recall will hurt Toyota or the Mississippi plant long term, and he said Toyota will be an anchor of the economy in northeast Mississippi.

Barbour and members of the Mississippi Legislature expressed high hopes for Toyota in March 2007 when officials approved the issuance of $293.9 million in bonds for the automaker and another $30 million for Toyota suppliers.

Toyota has volunteered to start making interest payments in April on state loans since the company missed the mark in starting production and employing 2,000 people. The initial deal with the state didn't require the company to pay interest.

There's no specific trigger point in market conditions that will get things rolling again in Mississippi, Copenhaver said. The building is mostly completed, but Toyota still has to install hundreds of millions of dollars in manufacturing equipment and hire and train workers. That won't begin until the economy is better.

That's not to say the plant hasn't already pumped millions into the area.

Mike Gentry, who owns Gentry's Grocery&Grill in Blue Springs, a town of 144 people, said business boomed while hundreds of workers were building the plant, roads and rail lines. Gentry even bought a catering truck to take food to the site.

Gentry's brother and other area landowners cashed in by setting up places for out-of-town workers to live in trailers. Those trailer hook ups are mostly empty now, and it's easier to find a seat during lunch at Gentry's. Many customers at the small store, who sit at folding tables and wash down barbecue with sweet tea, wonder if the plant will ever open.

One of them is 76-year-old Lamar Pannell.

"I hope it opens. A lot of people around here could use the work. Mike (Gentry) says it's going to open, but I don't know."

Gentry responds, "I tell it this way, they've put a lot of money into it for it not to open."

Toyota says $300 million has been invested at the site, and the company has pledged $50 million to Mississippi schools for educational programs. About 70 people, including management, security and others, work at the plant now in "production preparation activities," Copenhaver said.

Other international companies have expressed interest in opening plants in Mississippi since Toyota announced it would, said Randy Kelley, director of Three Rivers Planning and Development District, the fiscal and administrative agency for the PUL alliance, a joint venture of three counties around Blue Springs that worked to bring the plant here.

Kelley wouldn't name those companies, citing a need for secrecy in economic development projects. In any case, new jobs are sorely needed in Mississippi, where the statewide unemployment rate has topped 10 percent, above the national average of 9.7 percent.

At Itawamba Community College, many students are pondering their next move.

Barry Emison, a tool and dye technology teacher at ICC, said "about 100 percent" hoped to get a job at Toyota or one of the suppliers that plan to set up shop in Mississippi.

"Yeah, there's disappointment, but (the students) all are still looking forward to that day Toyota does come," Emison said. "We still believe they're gonna be here (and) they're going to be a driving force in the local economy."

Toyota thinks so, too.

"We're still here," Copenhaver said.

So is McShan, who says he'll do whatever it takes to provide for his little girl while waiting and hoping for a job at Toyota.

"I drive by (the plant) all the time," he said. "It gives me a glimpse of hope."

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Radical Racer - MSN Money

Posted: 28 Feb 2010 10:58 AM PST

Click to enlarge picture

DeltaWing IndyCar Concept

Once upon a time, the Indianapolis 500 was the most popular race in the United States. By extension, IndyCar racing was America's most popular form of motorsport. That's not the case anymore. In the mid-1990s, while NASCAR was growing in popularity, open-wheel racing self-destructed by splitting up into the CART and the Indy Racing League (IRL) series. Open-wheel racing has since regrouped under the IRL banner, but the series could still use a boost.

In an effort to give it just that, the IRL challenged developers to come up with an all-new chassis design for the 2012 model year. The IRL gave some parameters involving safety and performance, but it also wanted to lower costs for team owners and employ smaller engines with better fuel economy to be more environmentally friendly.

See more pictures of the DeltaWing concept

Four companies responded to the challenge. Here at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, DeltaWing LLC of Indianapolis unveiled its DeltaWing Indy Concept, a radical race car that combines elements of dragster and previous IndyCar designs with the look of a superhero-style crime cruiser. "We started with a clean-sheet approach for what our vision could be, for not only the next-generation IndyCar but what was the next-generation business model that really propels open-wheel into the future," Bill Lafontaine, DeltaWing's chief marketing officer, says of the new IRL prototype.

The DeltaWing Concept's stunning design lacks a front spoiler and replaces the rear spoiler with an airplane-type tail fin. The front track (the distance between the front wheels) is only 24 inches, while the rear track is stretched to 70 inches. All four wheels are skinnier than the current model's, and the fronts are far thinner. The design puts 72.5 percent of the weight on the rear wheels, which the company says makes for excellent rear traction coming out of corners for the specially developed Firestone Firehawk tires.

Designed for optimal aerodynamic efficiency, the DeltaWing Concept has a slippery 0.24 coefficient of drag. According to Lafontaine, the design would create much less disruptive air flowing over cars behind, allowing for more exciting passes.

DeltaWing also developed the car to meet the IRL's "green" requirements. To be built from carbon fiber, the car would weigh only 1,000 pounds with the driver, about half as much as the current cars. It would also use a smaller engine to achieve the same performance, likely a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, instead of the current 650-horsepower 3.5-liter V8. The company says the DeltaWing would get better than double the fuel mileage of the current cars. "As the whole automotive industry looks at efficiencies and green, motorsports needs to move in that direction," Lafontaine says.

Performance would not be affected. The company claims a top speed of 230-235 mph with the 2.0-liter engine. The chassis is designed to accept an engine from any manufacturer, though the prototype, due by August, will use an engine from AER Manufacturing.

Cost to racing teams is another important factor. Lafontaine says the DeltaWing would cost about $600,000, which is about half of the cost of the current cars. Making racing more affordable could lead to more teams getting involved, which would only enhance the competition.

In addition to DeltaWing, Dallara Automobili (maker of the current IndyCar chassis), Swift Engineering and Lola are submitting chassis proposals. Dallara and Swift have already shown renderings, but the DeltaWing is the first full-size mockup. Should the DeltaWing be picked, those companies and others could be tabbed to build the cars, because DeltaWing LLC sees itself as a technology developer, not a constructor.

The IRL plans to choose its next chassis sometime this summer. No matter what chassis is chosen, IRL racing should be greener, cheaper for race teams and more exciting for fans. That sounds just like the formula the IRL needs.

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Indoctrinating the Veterans of a Virtual War - Kotaku.com

Posted: 28 Feb 2010 10:58 AM PST

[fivefilters.org: unable to retrieve full-text content]

In the past year, 70,000 men and women enlisted in the U.S. Army. Sixty-seven times that amount - 4.7 million - played Modern Warfare 2 on a console or PC, released one day before Veteran's Day. In the latest edition of Foreign Policy, P.W. Singer ...

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plus 3, First North American Kia Plant Opens in West Point - News/Talk 750 WSB

2010-02-28T01:16:00.001-08:00

plus 3, First North American Kia Plant Opens in West Point - News/Talk 750 WSB

First North American Kia Plant Opens in West Point - News/Talk 750 WSB
Army picks ALCOA for fuel-efficient ground vehicle demonstrator ... - Daily Times
Toyota Head to Brief in China on Quality Issues - ABC News
Toyota's president to visit China on Monday - Arizona Daily Star

First North American Kia Plant Opens in West Point - News/Talk 750 WSB

Posted: 27 Feb 2010 02:45 AM PST

WEST POINT, Ga. (AP) Gov. Sonny Perdue joined Korean and American dignitaries in celebrating the opening of Kia's first North American manufacturing facility in west Georgia Friday.

``This is a momentous day for Georgia as Kia Motors has brought thousands of new jobs to this area and is truly delivering as tremendous corporate citizen,'' Perdue said at an opening event attended by Sen. Saxby Chambliss and other dignitaries who heard a keynote speech from Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group chairman and CEO Chung Mong Koo.

Perdue and Chung announced that Kia would come to Georgia four years ago.

Speaking in halted English at the West Point opening, Chung told the crowd of about 500 executives from Kia offices in the U.S. and Korea that he links the plant to an industry rebirth.

``I believe the plant will play a leading role in the revitalization of the entire American auto industry,'' he said.

Randy Jackson, the plant's vice president of human resources and administration, said the company is still accepting applicants for the second shift, which will probably start running in July.

Jackson said the company so far has received 30,000 applications for second shift jobs and is still accepting them.

``Our goal is to put 1,000 or 1,200 more (employees) in the building'' for the second shift, he said.

The Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia Plant was touted as a $1 billion investment in the state that would create 2,500 jobs. The 2,200-acre site is the home of the new Kia Sorento CUV and at full capacity, the facility will have the ability to produce 300,000 vehicles annually.

The plant's economic impact to Georgia is estimated at about $4 billion a year and could bring 20,000 new jobs to a nine-county region by 2012.

Perdue called bringing the plant to Georgia one of his greatest accomplishments as governor.

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Army picks ALCOA for fuel-efficient ground vehicle demonstrator ... - Daily Times

Posted: 25 Feb 2010 11:55 PM PST

Army picks ALCOA for fuel-efficient ground vehicle demonstrator project

From Staff Reports
Originally published: February 26. 2010 3:01AM
Last modified: February 25. 2010 11:55PM

ALCOA will collaborate on the Army's Fuel-Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator (FED) project, the company said Thursday.

The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) appointed ALCOA Defense to partner with Ricardo Inc. to produce a tactical wheeled vehicle structure that significantly improves fuel efficiency while also maintaining survivability, performance and payload capability.

TARDEC is embarking on the project to help achieve the Army's long-term goal of reducing fuel consumption on the battlefield, which will also reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. ALCOA Defense will design and build the vehicle's chassis and cab structures.

In another development, ALCOA Defense announced a new aluminum alloy armor plate product, C79A, designed to better protect soldiers in combat.

Compared to conventional armor solutions, C79A delivers improved ballistic performance. It also increases strength by 30 percent, which improves vehicles' durability while reducing weight.

If you have a business item for The Daily Times, e-mail Bob Norris at robert.norris@thedailytimes.com or mail to: Briefcase, The Daily Times, P.O. Box 9740, Maryville, Tenn. 37802-9740. For more information, call Bob Norris at 981-1143.

This story was edited for presentation on the Web. Additional information and details are available for subscribers only. If you want every word of Blount County's best news and information source you can get home delivery and e-edition subscriptions here. Nobody knows Blount better than The Daily Times, your hometown newspaper for 125 years and counting.

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Toyota Head to Brief in China on Quality Issues - ABC News

Posted: 27 Feb 2010 11:59 PM PST

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp said its president would hold a news conference in Beijing on Monday as the automaker looks to limit the damage from a massive global recall on the fast-growing Chinese market.

Akio Toyoda will brief the media at 6:00 p.m. in Beijing (5 a.m. EST) on Monday, with the aim of explaining to the public about its recent quality issues, Hitoshi Yokoyama, a spokesman for a China unit of Toyota said.

The briefing will follow Toyoda's appearance last week in Washington, where he was grilled by U.S. lawmakers for a series of recalls that have tarnished the carmaker's brand and reputation for quality.

Toyota has recalled more than 8 million cars globally for unintended acceleration and braking problems, in a widening safety crisis that broke about a month ago. The bulk of the recalls are in the United States.

Toyota said last month that it had submitted an application to recall more than 75,000 of the RAV4 sport utility vehicle in China, the world's largest auto market in 2009.

The cars were made at Toyota's joint venture plant with China's FAW in Tianjin.

(Editing by Alex Richardson)

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Toyota's president to visit China on Monday - Arizona Daily Star

Posted: 27 Feb 2010 11:59 PM PST

Fresh from a grilling by U.S. lawmakers, Toyota President Akio Toyoda will speak Monday in China about his company's quality problems, seeking to boost confidence and ease consumer worries in the world's biggest auto market.

Toyoda, who testified at a U.S. Congressional hearing last week about the spate of global recalls plaguing Toyota Motor Corp., will speak to reporters at a Beijing hotel, company spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said.

The number of vehicles being recalled in China is small compared with the 8.5 million vehicles recalled worldwide since October for sticky gas pedals, faulty floor mats and glitches in braking software.

But Toyota has ambitious plans for growth in China, where it and its global rivals are finding growth that was stagnating even before the recall crisis in traditional American and European markets.

The flood of recalls in the United States has shaken confidence in Toyota's reputation for top-grade quality. In China, the company announced a recall of 75,552 RAV4 sport-utility vehicles in late January due to the gas pedal problem.

Toyota has said its plans to expand in the Chinese market are unchanged, with its sales in the country expected to rise to 800,000 vehicles this year, up from 709,000 in 2009.

China's overall vehicle sales soared 45 percent last year to 13.6 million, overtaking the U.S. as the world's biggest auto market.

After answering questions by lawmakers last week, Toyoda visited with dealers and went to Toyota's largest North American assembly plant in Kentucky. He is not scheduled to appear at a Toyota hearing Tuesday by a U.S. Senate committee.

Toyoda, grandson of the company's founder, has made no public appearances in Japan since speaking in Washington, although media reports say he has returned. Toyota's policy is to never comment on the whereabouts of its top executives, saying such details are confidential.

Toyoda's haste in moving on to China, despite the limited number of recalls there, appears to reflect the company's eagerness to restore the reputation for high quality that is its key advantage there.

So far, China's state-controled media have made only muted comment on the recalls issue. The problem is mainly viewed as a precautionary example of potential pitfalls for China's nascent domestic car industry.

"It is a wake-up call (for the Chinese). This is not easy, this is a major challenge to get the product right and keep customers satisfied," said John Bonnell, a J.D. Power analyst in Bangkok.

Toyota got a relatively late start in China, after fitful efforts to break into the market early on in tie-ups between its subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Co. and a state-run automaker, Tianjin Automobile Industry Holding Co.

Only in May 2006 did Toyota roll out its first made-in-China Camry, in a partnership with Guangzhou Automobile Group, based in the affluent southern Chinese market near Hong Kong. Toyota also has a partnership with FAW Group, another state-owned automaker based in northern China.

"There is no question but that the Chinese market will overtake the Japanese market," Yoshimi Inaba, now Toyota's top North American executive, declared as the Guangzhou factory opened.

Since then, thanks partly to hard times brought on by the global financial crisis, China has overtaken both Japan and the U.S. to become the No. 1 market.

While the Camry proved a big success in China as elsewhere, both global rivals and Chinese upstarts have also been gaining ground _ maneuvering to capture the small car market that Toyota has eschewed in favor of bigger, more expensive sedans.

For all the automakers, China and other fast-growing emerging markets are providing growth and profits to offset losses in their traditional market.

"If it wasn't for China last year, a lot of the makers, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, would be staying in the red. China is probably their most profitable operation," said Christopher Richter, an auto analyst with CLSA Asia Pacific Markets in Tokyo.

In any market, though, Toyota is facing an uphill struggle to mollify both consumers and regulators.

In Japan, Toyota has recalled 223,000 vehicles for hybrid models, including the Prius, for braking problems. But the company has a major stake in its home market and as the world's biggest automaker, is viewed as a role model not just for automakers but for Japan as a whole.

Japanese Transport Minister Seiji Maehara, appearing at a nationwide broadcast news show Sunday, complained that Toyota's "corporate culture" reflected a reluctance to be forthright on recalls.

"The company is not taking the problem as seriously as it should," he said, saying the company's quality chief, Shinichi Sasaki, came to explain the problems to the ministry only after being asked to do so.

___

Associated Press writer Elaine Kurtenbach in Shanghai contributed to this report.

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plus 3, Booming China Finds Workers in Short Supply - New York Times

2010-02-27T01:18:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Booming China Finds Workers in Short Supply - New York Times

Booming China Finds Workers in Short Supply - New York Times
Congress panel cites evidence of Toyota concealment - Reuters
Automakers and the EPA: Frenemies in the Fight For Federal Regulation - BNET
Oversight chief says Toyota withheld documents - CNN Money

Booming China Finds Workers in Short Supply - New York Times

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 04:37 PM PST

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GUANGZHOU, China Just a year after laying off millions of factory workers, China is facing an increasingly acute labor shortage.

As American workers struggle with near double-digit unemployment, unskilled factory workers here in China's industrial heartland are being offered signing bonuses.

Factory wages have risen as much as 20 percent in recent months.

Telemarketers are turning away potential customers because recruiters have fully booked them to cold-call people and offer them jobs.

Some manufacturers, already weeks behind schedule because they can't find enough workers, are closing down production lines and considering raising prices. Such increases would most likely drive up the prices American consumers pay for all sorts of Chinese-made goods.

Rising wages could also lead to greater inflation in China. In the past, inflation has sown social unrest.

The immediate cause of the shortage is that millions of migrant workers who traveled home for the long lunar New Year earlier this month are not returning to the coast. Thanks to a half-trillion-dollar government stimulus program, jobs are being created in the interior.

But many economists say the recent global downturn also obscured a longer-term trend: China has drained its once vast reserves of unemployed workers in rural areas and is running out of fresh laborers for its factories.

Since China does not release reliable, timely statistics on employment, wages are considered the best barometer of labor shortages. And temp agencies here in Guangzhou raised their rate for factory workers this week to $1.17 an hour, from 95 cents an hour before the new year holiday.

The rate was 80 cents an hour two years ago, before the global financial crisis temporarily depressed wages and demand.

The dearth of returning migrants set off a desperate scramble this week to recruit the workers who did step off long-haul buses and trains returning from the interior.

At a government-run employment center in downtown Guangzhou, employers seeking workers outnumbered job-hunters Thursday afternoon.

Outside, Liang Huoqiao, a 22-year-old plastics worker, joined a small group of men and women studying a 40-foot-wide list of companies seeking workers.

"You can walk into any factory and get a job," he said.

The official China Daily newspaper said on Thursday that surveys of employers showed that one in 12 migrant workers was not expected to return here to Guangdong Province. Cities farther north along China's coast are also running low on labor; Wenzhou alone posted a shortage of up to one million workers.

Guangdong provincial officials announced on Wednesday that they were considering increasing the minimum wage, which varies by city and ranges from $113 to $146 a month.

Higher wages could ease labor shortages by prompting factories to reduce their work forces.

But many factories already pay well above the minimum wage. They are wary of further pay increases because it is not certain they can pass the increased costs on to their customers in particular, strapped importers in the United States and the European Union.

Rising wages suggest the re-emergence of a worker shortage that was becoming evident before the financial crisis. A government survey three years ago of 2,749 villages in 17 provinces found that in 74 percent of them, there was no one left behind who was fit to go work in city factories the labor pool was dry.

Mass layoffs in late 2008 and early 2009 because of the global financial crisis temporarily masked the developing shortage of industrial workers. But two powerful trends were still working to reduce the supply of young people headed for factories.

For one, the Chinese government has rapidly expanded postsecondary education. Universities and other institutions of higher learning enrolled 6.4 million new students last year, compared to 5.7 million in 2007 and just 2.2 million in 2000.

At the same time, China's birth rate has been sliding steadily ever since the introduction of the "one child" policy in 1977.

Labor shortages have returned quickly in recent weeks as these long-term trends have collided with a recovery in overseas demand for Chinese goods.

Far more jobs are available these days in China's interior. Government projects like rail and highway construction have absorbed millions of workers, particularly after Beijing allocated nearly $600 billion to economic stimulus spending in 2009 and 2010. Consumer spending is also rising briskly; auto sales more than doubled last month from a year before, and this has created many jobs in retailing, restaurants, hotels and other inland businesses.

Even before the holiday, companies were struggling to find the employees needed to keep assembly lines running.

At many factories, white-collar managers and engineers were forced to spend time on assembly lines to meet deadlines before the lunar New Year, because laborers were in such short supply. The managers often struggled with the tedious but intricate tasks required to make everything from toys to DVD players

"People working in the office, like me, have been asked to help on the factory floor," said Sky Niu, the sales manager at the Hengjia Electronics Company in Dongguan. "Of course, we can only help on the simpler tasks, such as packing."

The labor shortage is not benefiting workers just through higher wages. Personnel managers here say they are also abandoning the informal tradition of not hiring anyone over 35 they say they are now hiring workers up to 40 years old, and sometimes older, despite concerns about whether they can keep up week after week with the rapid pace of Chinese assembly lines.

It remains to be seen if Chinese factories will learn from their hiring difficulties now and be less quick to lay off workers during the next global downturn.

The current system "is not stable, it's not healthy," said Han Dongfang, the director of the China Labor Bulletin, a Hong Kong-based group that advocates collective bargaining.

Though the wage boost increases the prospect of inflation, it may have another more salutary aspect. The Obama administration has been pushing China to let the renminbi rise against the dollar, which would erode some of China's formidable advantage in export markets. Rising wages in China have the same effect while also giving Chinese families more spending power.

Letting wages rise benefits workers, said Jing Ulrich, the chairwoman of China equities and commodities at J. P. Morgan. Letting the currency rise benefits currency speculators, she said.

Mr. Liang, the 22-year-old plastics worker, said that he expected his pay to double in the next five years and added that he already had set his priorities.

"For sure, I want to buy a car," he said. "Car first, then maybe marriage later."

Hilda Wang contributed reporting.

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Congress panel cites evidence of Toyota concealment - Reuters

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 04:30 PM PST

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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A U.S. congressional panel has found evidence Toyota routinely withheld company records it should have turned over in court and settled personal injury cases to avoid revealing key engineering data dubbed the "Books of Knowledge," the panel's chairman said on Friday.

Barack Obama

A paper trail of Toyota's alleged misconduct in defending itself against personal injury suits was revealed in documents subpoenaed from a former in-house Toyota lawyer, said Edolphus Towns, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

The documents "indicate a systematic disregard for the law and routine violation of court discovery orders in litigation," Towns wrote in a letter to Toyota Motor Corp's North American chief, Yoshimi Inaba, demanding an explanation.

Moreover, the documents "raise very serious questions as to whether Toyota has also withheld substantial, relevant information" from U.S. auto safety regulators, Towns wrote.

The disclosure represents a potential bombshell for Toyota, whose top executives testified under oath before Towns' panel that the company was fully cooperating with investigations into safety issues, including sudden, unintended acceleration, that have led to a worldwide recall of some 8.5 million vehicles.

In a statement issued on Thursday in response to Towns' letter, the company defended its legal conduct, saying, "It is not uncommon ... for companies to object to certain demands for documents made in litigation."

"Consistent with that philosophy, we take appropriate steps to maintain confidentiality of competitive business information and trade secrets," Toyota said. "We are confident that we have acted appropriately with respect to product liability litigation and our discovery practices and look forward to addressing Chairman Towns' concerns."

'BOOKS OF KNOWLEDGE'

The committee's review of the subpoenaed documents found multiple references to a secret cache of data called the "Books of Knowledge" and kept in electronic form by Toyota engineers, consisting of design and testing data for all vehicle lines and parts, Towns said.

According to his letter to Inaba, the documents "indicate that Toyota entered into multimillion-dollar settlements in tort cases where they feared the plaintiff's lawyer was getting close to discovering the existence of the Books of Knowledge."

In one of those cases, the documents show, Toyota agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle a lawsuit stemming from a rollover accident in Texas that left a young woman, Pennie Green, a quadriplegic.

The material Towns cited was obtained by his committee under subpoena last week from Dimitrios Biller, who headed Toyota's U.S. products liability legal team from April 2003 to September 2007.

Biller took the 6,000 pages of documents with him when he left the automaker and has since offered them as evidence in a lawsuit he filed against Toyota under U.S. racketeering laws, as well as for wrongful termination and emotional distress.

In the Green case, Biller said that Toyota Motor Sales -- the automaker's U.S. sales arm -- had agreed to settle for up to $2 million to avoid disclosing key engineering information.

"Plaintiff's discovery efforts ... were getting too close to requiring (Toyota) to produce the 'Books of Knowledge,'" Biller wrote, according to a copy of the correspondence obtained by Reuters.

In one internal memo dated September 1, 2005, referring to the engineering data, Biller wrote: "Clearly, this information should have been produced in litigation before today." He added that Toyota "is clearly not producing all of the relevant information/documents in its possession," Towns said.

Toyota, which has sued Biller for breach of contract, has sought to discredit him while battling unsuccessfully to get back the internal documents he took, arguing that their disclosure would violate attorney-client privilege.

Biller's lawyer, Jeffrey Allen, told Reuters his client gained a "sense of vindication" from Towns' finding that there was evidence of Toyota withholding information in defiance of court orders.

"For the congressional committee ... to come to such a conclusion in such a public manner, based on what appears to be an initial review of only some of the documents, it certainly gives a certain sense of validation of what we've been trying to do for so long," Allen said.

In his letter, Towns asks Inaba a number of pointed questions raised by the Biller documents, including whether Toyota has disclosed the existence of the Books of Knowledge to U.S. safety regulators and whether the data had ever been produced in response to discovery requests in litigation.

The Biller memos also touch on broader issues widely seen as being at the heart of the automaker's current problems.

In one November 2006 email provided to congressional investigators, Biller warned that the secrecy of Toyota's headquarters was creating new risks for the automaker.

"Toyota is no longer a small company on the island of Japan thousands of miles from the United States," he wrote. "Toyota is a global, multinational corporation. ... We all understand this situation, but so do the plaintiffs' counsel and judges in the United States. They read the newspapers about Toyota and its expansion. The world has become incredibly small."

During two days of testimony before congressional investigators this week, U.S. lawmakers had criticized Toyota for not sharing safety information fully enough with its U.S. operations.

(Additional reporting by Kevin Krolicki in Detroit; Editing by Todd Eastham, Gary Hill)

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Automakers and the EPA: Frenemies in the Fight For Federal Regulation - BNET

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 02:28 PM PST

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U.S. automakers and the EPA have become frenemies in the fight for — get this — more federal regulation. It's an odd alliance born out of Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski's campaign to prevent the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.

It's not that automakers have suddenly embraced regulation of their industry. On the contrary. They're simply afraid of several states, including California, that have much more ambitious and stricter guidelines waiting in the wings.

The Department of Transportation this week — and automakers last year — warned if the EPA can't regulate greenhouse gases it would likely kill a historic deal on new national standards for increased fuel economy and reduced tailpipe emissions. Without the joint DOT-EPA deal, California and other states would enact their own regulations of auto emissions, creating an expensive and rather chaotic welter of rules for the industry.

Of course, the DOT could still regulate the mileage/fuel economy portion of the agreement, but that wouldn't help automakers. Manufacturers would still have to contend with a variety of different state tailpipe standards.

The auto industry has historically fought any attempt by the EPA or the DOT to regulate fuel economy or emissions. But now automakers now want — and need — federal regulation to avoid economic disaster. Which is ironic, because Murkowski uses the same argument.

The EPA declared last year that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide are a threat to public health and welfare, a ruling that opened the door to direct regulation of emissions, specifically those from cars. Major industries including oil, gas and coal have criticized the EPA decision and continue to argue regulation will "chill job growth and delay business expansion." Murkowski believes Congress — not the EPA — is the only agency that can be trusted to responsibly deal with climate change.

Murkowski's previous attempts to take away the EPA's power may have failed, but she hasn't give up the fight. The EPA has even backed off its plans to regulate greenhouse gases until 2011 and Murkowski is still gunning for them. Next week the Alaskan senator is expected to seek a motion of disapproval in Congress, which would reverse the EPA's endangerment ruling.

Photo by Flickr user Simone Ramella, CC 2.0

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Oversight chief says Toyota withheld documents - CNN Money

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 01:38 PM PST

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by Peter Valdes-Dapena, senior writerFebruary 26, 2010: 4:39 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A key lawmaker on Friday leveled new accusations that Toyota Motor hid evidence regarding vehicle rollover cases.

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, headed by Edolphus "Ed" Towns, D-N.Y., held a hearing this week on complaints of uncontrolled acceleration problems in Toyota (TM) cars. Toyota President Akio Toyoda testified.

As part of its investigation of Toyota's handling of safety defects and recalls, the committee had subpoenaed documents from former Toyota attorney Dimitrios Biller.

Biller has been engaged in litigation with Toyota for years. He alleges that the documents in question prove the automaker was aware of and hid safety defects in its vehicles and that he was unjustly terminated.

"We have reviewed these documents and found evidence that Toyota deliberately withheld relevant electronic records that it was legally required to produce in response to discovery orders in litigation," Towns wrote in a letter Friday to Toyota North America President Yoshimi Inaba. "Many of these documents concern 'rollover' cases in which the plaintiff was injured."

Among the documents, the letter said, was a memo sent by Biller in September 2005. In the memo, Biller reminded his supervisor of the need to turn over information from an internal Toyota database regarding known design flaws and countermeasures to deal with them. Such sharing of information is required by law as part of the "discovery" process in a lawsuit.

"Clearly, this information should have been produced in litigation before today." Biller wrote in the memo, as quoted in Towns' letter, "[Toyota] is clearly not producing all of the relevant information/documents in it possession." Finally, Mr. Biller concludes, "We need to start preserving, collecting and producing e-mails and electronic discovery."

Some information from this database was kept in secret "Books of Knowledge" maintained by the company, Biller asserts, according to the letter.

Biller's documents indicated that Toyota entered into multimillion-dollar settlements with plaintiffs whenever the plaintiff's attorneys seemed to be close to uncovering the "Books of Knowledge."

The documents also indicated that Toyota had long known about problems with unintended acceleration, according to Towns' letter.

"Toyota takes its legal obligations seriously and works to uphold the highest professional and ethical standards," Toyota has said previously regarding Biller. "Mr. Biller continues to make inaccurate and misleading allegations about Toyota's conduct. Toyota believes it acted appropriately with respect to product liability litigation."

Toyota spokespeople were not immediately able to respond directly to Rep. Towns' letter.

In a separate action, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it had purchased a Lexus ES350 once owned by Rhonda and Eddie Smith, a couple who testified at Wednesday's hearing regarding sudden acceleration.

Rhonda Smith said she experienced a frightening episode of unintended acceleration in the car in 2006, and that Toyota had failed to adequately respond to her complaints.

"The Smiths' former car is being taken to NHTSA's Vehicle Research & Test Center (VRTC) in East Liberty, OH, where it will be thoroughly studied," the auto safety agency said in its announcement.

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plus 3, Delphi CFO Sheehan to leave - Marketwatch

2010-02-26T01:01:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Delphi CFO Sheehan to leave - Marketwatch

Delphi CFO Sheehan to leave - Marketwatch
TRW quarterly profit beats estimate - CNN Money
Business briefs - Detroit News
Lithia Motors to redevelop part of downtown Medford - Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce

Delphi CFO Sheehan to leave - Marketwatch

Posted: 25 Feb 2010 03:30 AM PST

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When it rains, it pours on Spanish banks

As Spaniards cast their eyes upwards, wondering just when the record-breaking wet winter is going to ease...

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TRW quarterly profit beats estimate - CNN Money

Posted: 25 Feb 2010 05:46 AM PST

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* EPS ex-items $1.40 vs Wall St view 75 cents

* Forecast 2010 revenue of $12.3-$12.9 bln

DETROIT(Reuters) - TRW Automotive Holdings Corp reported a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit Thursday, compared with a year-earlier loss, driven by a recovery in auto production and sweeping cost cuts.

The vehicle parts maker, whose products include safety equipment such as seat belts and airbags, also forecast 2010 revenue of $12.3 billion to $12.9 billion, or 6-11 percent growth from last year.

TRW's fourth-quarter net profit came to $141 million, or $1.18 per share, compared with a year-earlier loss of $946 million, or $9.35 per share.

Excluding one-time items, TRW reported earnings of $1.40 per share. Analysts on average had expected 75 cents on that basis, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Revenue rose 20 percent to $3.38 billion, while analysts were expecting $3.23 billion. (Reporting by Soyoung Kim, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

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Business briefs - Detroit News

Posted: 25 Feb 2010 08:34 PM PST

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Lear part of anti-competition probe in Europe

Southfield-based Lear Corp. said Thursday it has been notified by the European Commission that it is part of an investigation into anti-competitive practices among automotive electrical and electronic component suppliers. "Lear is cooperating fully with the European Commission in their investigation, and I am confident that our company is not involved in any anticompetitive practices," Bob Rossiter, Lear's chairman, CEO and president said in a statement. Earlier this week, the FBI raided the Detroit-area offices of three other suppliers as part of the international investigation.

Magna reports 4Q loss; TRW turns a profit

Magna International Inc. reported a loss Thursday of $125 million in the fourth quarter to end the year with a net loss of $493 million. That compares with a loss of $165 million for the same quarter a year ago and $71 million earnings for the full year. Canada-based Magna's sales in 2009 of $17.4 billion were down 27 percent but the fourth quarter saw a 12 percent uptick in sales to $5.4 billion. Livonia-based TRW Automotive Holdings , by contrast reported record fourth-quarter earnings of $141 million, compared with a loss of $946 million for the same period in 2008. The company said the improvement in the final quarter contributed to full-year net earnings of $55 million, an increase from 2008's $779 million loss.

Comerica building gets $18M makeover for staff

Comerica is giving its 411 Lafayette building an $18 million makeover as the bank consolidates its 1,500 Detroit headquarters staff in the landmark building. Comerica owns the property, and will rename it Comerica Bank Center. The relocation will end by 2012, when the bank's lease expires on the Comerica Tower in One Detroit Center, at 500 Woodward Ave.

Top GM battery exec resigns to join startup

The top General Motors Co. executive in charge of developing the lithium-ion battery used in the Chevrolet Volt has resigned effective March 5. Denise Gray, director of global battery systems engineering, announced her resignation Wednesday, telling staff she is joining a start-up battery company in California. Ronn Jamieson, director of global battery systems engineering, will fill her role on an interim basis.

Staff and wire reports

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Lithia Motors to redevelop part of downtown Medford - Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 12:02 AM PST

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A plan to redevelop up to four acres of downtown Medford, Ore., is expected to receive the final go-ahead Friday when the board of Lithia Motors meets to approve the project.

. . .

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plus 3, Chrome Systems Provides BMW USA with Competitive Comparison Tool for ... - Forbes

2010-02-25T01:23:00.001-08:00

plus 3, Chrome Systems Provides BMW USA with Competitive Comparison Tool for ... - Forbes

Chrome Systems Provides BMW USA with Competitive Comparison Tool for ... - Forbes
Consumer Reports Names Six New Top Pick Cars for 2010 - Search-Autoparts.com
CODA Automotive Selects goodness Mfg as Advertising Agency of Record ... - Big Hollywood
Army TACOM contracts for Bradley resets - United Press International

Chrome Systems Provides BMW USA with Competitive Comparison Tool for ... - Forbes

Posted: 24 Feb 2010 04:58 AM PST

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BusinessWire - Chrome(R) Systems Inc., a subsidiary of DealerTrack Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRAK) and an industry leader in managing automotive data, today announced that it is now providing a robust vehicle comparison web site shopping tool for the BMW USA web site.

In this implementation, Chrome successfully delivered its Chrome Construct web services solution and an intuitive new user interface design, significantly enhancing the automaker's web site and the consumer experience. Chrome Construct gives automakers access to unbiased, accurate and timely content about their vehicles and their competitors' vehicles, enabling them to create complete consumer-facing vehicle presentations. In consultation with Chrome, BMW tailored Chrome's off-the-shelf vehicle comparison service to highlight the features, specifications, and advantages of BMW vehicles in side-by-side comparisons.

Article Controls

Chrome Construct enables visitors to the BMW web site to compare, save and email up to four vehicles at one time. With the addition of images from eVox Productions, consumers can also view side-by-side image comparisons of up to four vehicles simultaneously.

"In today's challenging market, automakers must deliver the comprehensive vehicle information that consumers are looking for if they want to drive sales," said Amit Maheshwari, general manager of DealerTrack Data Services. "Chrome's ability and willingness to support the implementation process allowed BMW to fully replace its previous vehicle comparison solution with an easy-to-use and robust tool, and to do it very quickly."

About Chrome (www.chrome.com)

Chrome provides vehicle content, software, technology and services to deliver complete enterprise solutions to all segments of the automotive retail industry. Chrome pioneered the technology behind electronic vehicle configuration with the introduction of PC Carbook(R), and since 1986 has collected, analyzed and enhanced "raw" automotive data from all manufacturers. Chrome Systems Inc. is a subsidiary of DealerTrack Data Services, Inc., a DealerTrack Holdings, Inc. company (Nasdaq: TRAK).

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

Statements in this press release regarding Chrome Construct, the benefits to BMW and all other statements in this release other than the recitation of historical facts are forward-looking statements (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements of DealerTrack to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

Factors that might cause such a difference include a successful implementation of Chrome Construct, the performance of the Chrome Construct web service, and other risks listed in DealerTrack's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including DealerTrack's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008. These filings can be found on DealerTrack's website at www.dealertrack.com and the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements included herein speak only as of the date hereof and DealerTrack disclaims any obligation to revise or update such statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances.

TRAK-G

SOURCE: Chrome(R) Systems Inc.

Chrome(R) Systems Inc. Sylvie Peterson, 503-693-6369 sylvie.peterson@chrome.com or RF|Binder Partners Anuj Baveja, 212-994-7552 anuj.baveja@rfbinder.com

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Consumer Reports Names Six New Top Pick Cars for 2010 - Search-Autoparts.com

Posted: 22 Feb 2010 03:58 PM PST

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PR Newswire

YONKERS, N.Y., Feb. 23

Mazda5, Cheverolet Traverse and Volkswagen GTI among the new additions

YONKERS, N.Y., Feb. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Consumer Reports names six new models to its annual Top Picks car list for 2010. Comprised of nine different car brands, this year's list is the most diverse group of Top Picks in over a decade.

Findings from Consumer Reports' Annual Auto Issue, including the new Top Picks, were announced today at a Washington Automotive Press Association (WAPA) press conference in Washington, D.C.

The Mazda5, Nissan Altima, Subaru Forester, Volkswagen GTI, and Chevrolet Traverse and Silverado join the Hyundai Elantra SE, Infiniti G37, Toyota Prius and Lexus LS460L as Consumer Reports' selections for best models of the year based on performance, reliability, and safety.

"The diversity of this year's Top Picks reflect how competitive the industry has become," said Rik Paul, Consumer Reports' automotive editor. "Today's car buyers have more choices than ever when looking for good all-around cars."

Consumer Reports' Top Picks are the best all-around models in their categories and must meet stringent road test, reliability, and safety requirements. Each Top Pick scores at or near the top of its category among the more than 280 vehicles Consumer Reports recently evaluated at its Auto Test Center; has average or better predicted reliability (based on the problems subscribers reported on more than 1.4 million vehicles in Consumer Reports' Annual Auto Survey), and performed adequately in overall safety if tested by the government or insurance industry. In addition, each model must offer electronic stability control (ESC), a proven lifesaving safety feature as standard equipment or as a readily available option. All of this year's Top Picks provide standard ESC and curtain air bags.

In recent years, Toyota and Honda models have had their share of spots among Consumer Reports Top Picks list. But the automotive landscape continues to grow more competitive. This year, the Nissan Altima managed to dethrone the Honda Accord as the Top Pick for Family Sedan—making it the first time since 1998 that a Honda model was not selected.

The Toyota Prius retains its position as the Top Pick for Green for the seventh consecutive year, while the Lexus LS460L returns as Consumer Reports pick for Best Overall vehicle. At the time of publication, sales of the Toyota Highlander and RAV4 had been halted and currently Consumer Reports has suspended its recommendation for both vehicles removing them from contention in the Small and Family SUV category.

"The competition is quite fierce, and often the difference between a Top Pick and a runner-up can be slim. We believe all of our Top Picks this year to be exceptional vehicles that excel in a number of areas," Paul added.

Consumer Reports' testing procedures are the most comprehensive of any U.S. publication or Web site. More than 50 individual tests are performed on every vehicle, including evaluations of braking, handling, comfort, convenience, safety, and fuel economy. Roughly 6,000 miles of general driving and evaluations are racked up on each test car during the testing process. CR buys all its test cars anonymously from dealers. Other reviewers base their evaluations on press cars that are hand-picked by the automakers.

Here, by category, are the 2010 Top Picks.

SMALL SEDAN: Hyundai Elantra SE. The Elantra SE ($18,695) made the Top Picks list for the third time this year. It is a solid, all-around car that's relatively comfortable, quiet, and roomy, and provides good fuel economy and plenty of features for the money. The SE comes with standard ESC, a critical safety feature that's absent on other small cars (including the lower-end Elantras).
FAMILY SEDAN: Nissan Altima. The Altima ($23,970 to $30,335) has been a Consumer Reports top-rated family sedan for a couple of years, but lacked easily available ESC. A 2010 freshening made it better and improved gas mileage and for the first time provides standard ESC in all trim lines. It offers an appealing balance of comfort and performance, while getting some of the best fuel economy in its class: 26 mpg overall in four-cylinder models and 24 mpg with a V6. The cabin is roomy, well finished, and quiet. And the secure handling, comfortable ride, and spirited acceleration make the car enjoyable to drive.
SPORTY CAR: Volkswagen GTI. Freshened for 2010, the GTI ($27,504) is the sport version of the Volkswagen Golf (formerly called the Rabbit). The GTI is exhilarating to drive and easy to live with. It delivers the agile handling, spirited acceleration, and responsive steering of a true sports car, along with a decent ride, a well-finished interior, and the cargo-carrying practicality of a hatchback. Good fuel economy of 27 mpg overall is another plus, although premium fuel is required.
SMALL SUV:Subaru Forester. The Forester ($20,972 to $28,860) provides one of the most car-like driving experiences of any SUV. It combines agile handling with the most comfortable ride in its class. Passengers are treated to a spacious cabin, with a roomy rear seat and excellent visibility. The 2.5X provides an impressive 22 mpg overall with an automatic, 24 mpg with a manual. And the turbocharged 2.5XT delivers effortless acceleration and 20 mpg, but it takes premium fuel. The 2.5X has had excellent reliability, while the 2.5XT's is average.
BEST CAR OVERALL: Lexus LS 460L. The LS ($76,572) scored an outstanding 99 out of 100 in Consumer Reports road tests, making it the highest-rated vehicle. It provides a comfortable ride and luxurious driving environment, including a roomy, well-crafted and exceptionally quiet interior. It offers a plethora of electronic amenities, including an optional self-parking system. Yet, its controls are easy to use. Its efficient 380-hp V8 and eight-speed automatic transmission deliver smooth, brisk acceleration and a relatively good 21 mpg overall. All-wheel drive and a hybrid version are available.
FAMILY SUV:Chevrolet Traverse The Traverse ($39,920) stands out as an impressive overall package with a quiet, spacious cabin that can comfortably seat up to eight adults and leave room for cargo. It provides a pleasant ride, communicative steering, and responsive handling. The tested model returned 16 mpg overall, which is respectable for its size. Rear visibility isn't great, but small convex side mirrors and an optional rear-view camera help.
SPORT SEDAN: Infiniti G37. The G sedan ($37,225) tops this category for the fourth straight year. It is one of the highest-rated sedans tested, with a score of 95 out of 100. It provides agile handling, blistering acceleration, a refined powertrain, a fairly comfortable ride, and a high-quality, luxurious interior. The G37 is as inviting to drive on a twisty road as it is on the highway. But compromises include a snug cabin and small trunk. Rear-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive is optional. Coupe and convertible versions are also available.
FAMILY HAULER:Mazda5. The Mazda5 microvan ($23,805) offers lots of practicality in a compact, affordable package. With three rows of seats and sliding rear side doors, it combines the convenience of a minivan with the maneuverability and stingy fuel economy—24 mpg overall—of a wagon. The interior is airy, with good fit and finish. It's fun to drive, with a nimble feel and a comfortable ride. The addition of standard ESC for 2010 improved its emergency handling. If you need more room, consider the Honda Odyssey minivan.
GREEN CAR:Toyota Prius. The Prius ($26,950) received a redesign for 2010 and leads this category for the seventh straight year. It's still the most fuel-efficient car in Consumer Reports' ratings, with 44 mpg overall. The Prius is a pleasant car to drive, with a roomy interior, a steady ride, hatchback versatility, and excellent reliability and crash-test results. The 2010 redesign also gave it a more solid feel and a dedicated EV mode that allows it to run longer on electric power at low speeds, an advantage in slow, congested traffic.
PICKUP TRUCK:Chevrolet Silverado. The Silverado 1500 ($37,235) returns to the top of the list after a year off. The crew-cab 4WD model is a well-rounded pickup with a roomy cabin, generous payload capacity, decent ride quality, available full-time 4WD, and, on higher-end models, very good interior fit and finish. The GMC Sierra is a twin of the Silverado. Reliability has been average.

Consumer Reports' Annual Auto Issue goes on sale March 2 wherever magazines are sold. Free highlights from the issue will be available at www.ConsumerReports.org. Subscribers will be able to access all the stories and ratings from the issue.

With more than 7 million print and online subscribers, Consumer Reports is one of the most trusted sources for information and advice on consumer products and services. It conducts the most comprehensive auto-test program of any U.S. publication or Web site; the magazine's auto experts have decades of experience in driving, testing, and reporting on cars. To become a subscriber, consumers can call 1-800-234-1645. Information and articles from the magazine can be accessed online at www.ConsumerReports.org.

APRIL 2010

© Consumers Union 2010. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for commercial or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect. To maintain our independence and impartiality, Consumers Union accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. Consumers Union supports itself through the sale of our information products and services, individual contributions, and a few noncommercial grants.

SOURCE Consumer Reports

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CODA Automotive Selects goodness Mfg as Advertising Agency of Record ... - Big Hollywood

Posted: 24 Feb 2010 10:55 AM PST

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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- CODA Automotive, a California-based electric car and battery company, announced today the selection of goodness Mfg as its Agency of Record. Goodness Mfg's role will be to support the launch of the CODA all-electric car in late 2010 and CODA's on-going strategic and creative brand development. Responsibilities will include strategic planning, creative content development and production, media planning and buying, digital, social media and experiential marketing.

"Goodness Mfg is just as passionate about ending the dependence on oil as we are and preserving the environment for future generations," said Kevin Czinger, President and CEO, CODA Automotive. "We look forward to working together with goodness Mfg to show Americans that there is a fun, safe, and affordable way to accomplish these goals."

Goodness Mfg is known for creating powerful, emotional connections between brands and consumers, which made them a perfect match to help CODA jumpstart the electric car movement.

"There are many exciting challenges in accelerating the adoption of all-electric cars, and we are thrilled to have goodness Mfg along with us for the ride," said Kerri Martin, Chief Marketing Officer, CODA Automotive. "We chose goodness Mfg because of their strategic smarts, creative excellence and an understanding for the need to quickly adapt to the ever changing world, without being weighed down by traditional agency silos. Goodness Mfg's new agency model reflects the same innovative thinking as CODA's model of doing business differently in the auto industry."

As an American automotive company independent of the oil industry, CODA Automotive is leading the charge to accelerate the adoption of the electric car era by taking an unconventional and customer-centric marketing approach. Recognizing the inefficiencies of the traditional automotive business model and the opportunity for reinvention, CODA will sell directly to consumers and deliver a unique customer ownership experience in order to build a community of passionate electric car advocates.

Recently, goodness Mfg was acquired by Trailer Park, one of the largest integrated, digital production companies in North America, forming a new agency model that combines agency creative and services with production, all under one roof. This allows ideas and communication to get to market faster, which is critical as branding becomes more about the hundreds of micro-interactions with consumers versus just one campaign.

"We couldn't be happier or prouder to be teaming up with CODA to end dependence on oil and usher in a new era of electric cars," said Tom Adams, goodness Mfg Executive Creative Director. "To do good is a core tenet of goodness Mfg, and we couldn't think of a more perfect partner and perfect cause to do that with."

Work for CODA Automotive is expected to break this spring.

About CODA Automotive: Headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., CODA is working to reduce dependence on oil and leading the way to a cleaner future by building 100% electric cars and transportation battery systems. CODA is working in a smart, inter-dependent way with a number of leading global technology and manufacturing companies to quickly and efficiently bring electric drive technology to market and jump start the electric car movement. Through its exclusive transportation and electric utility storage battery joint venture with Lishen Power Battery, CODA is also a leading designer and large-scale manufacturer of power battery systems. The American engineered, globally built CODA all-electric car will be available to consumers in 2010.

About goodness Mfg: goodness Mfg, a Trailer Park Company, is a hybrid agency that combines award winning creative talent with one of the largest digital production studios in the country. Located in Los Angeles, Calif., the agency is housed within a 65,000 sq ft production studio with over 300 full-time employees. Most recently, gMfg received extensive praise for its launch campaign and website for Google's Nexus One phone. Additional clients include Lucas Arts, Pearl Izumi, New Line Cinema, Netflix, and American Cancer Society.

SOURCE CODA Automotive

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Army TACOM contracts for Bradley resets - United Press International

Posted: 24 Feb 2010 09:30 AM PST

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YORK, Pa., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army has contracted BAE Systems to support the restoration of Bradley tactical vehicles to pre-combat operational readiness.

British company BAE received the award from the Army Tank-Automotive Command, Life Cycle Management Command. Under the $74 million contract, BAE will procure long-lead material kits to support a rebuild of Bradley vehicles damaged in combat zones.

BAE says the new contract will fund the purchase of 101 kits to reset and upgrade Bradley Operation Desert Storm Situational Awareness vehicles to a pre-combat readiness.

"The restoration of the Bradley sustains its life and provides a reliable and efficient vehicle for our war fighters as they complete their missions," Joe McCarthy, BAE Systems Heavy Brigade Combat Team System vice president and general manager, said in a statement.

"The procurement of these essential parts will help to ensure that we provide the best possible modernized vehicle to our customer."

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plus 3, NASCAR Nationwide Points Leaders - ESPN.com

2010-02-23T01:30:00.001-08:00

plus 3, NASCAR Nationwide Points Leaders - ESPN.com

NASCAR Nationwide Points Leaders - ESPN.com
NASCAR Sprint Cup Points Leaders - ESPN.com
Harman in talks with acquisition targets: CEO - Reuters
Toyota hit with grand jury subpoena - CNN Money

NASCAR Nationwide Points Leaders - ESPN.com

Posted: 22 Feb 2010 11:34 AM PST

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Through Feb. 20

1. Carl Edwards, 335.

2. Joey Logano, 311.

3. Kyle Busch, 304.

4. Justin Allgaier, 303.

5. Brad Keselowski, 299.

6. Brian Vickers, 297.

7. Steve Wallace, 289.

8. James Buescher, 271.

9. Greg Biffle, 265.

10. Paul Menard, 256.

11. Brian Scott, 240.

12. Michael Annett, 239.

13. Scott Riggs, 233.

14. Kevin Harvick, 219.

15. Mike Wallace, 216.

16. Tony Raines, 214.

17. Tony Stewart, 195.

18. Brian Keselowski, 191.

18. Kenny Wallace, 191.

18. Michael McDowell, 191.

21. Jason Leffler, 185.

21. Scott Lagasse Jr., 185.

23. Eric McClure, 175.

24. Trevor Bayne, 170.

24. Colin Braun, 170.

26. Joe Nemechek, 169.

27. John Wes Townley, 167.

28. Brendan Gaughan, 164.

29. Robert Richardson Jr., 152.

30. Kelly Bires, 146.

31. Danny Efland, 140.

32. Kasey Kahne, 138.

33. Danica Patrick, 128.

34. Mike Bliss, 125.

35. Jason Keller, 103.

35. Bobby Gerhart, 103.

37. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 101.

38. Josh Wise, 98.

39. Parker Kligerman, 97.

39. Morgan Shepherd, 97.

41. David Reutimann, 85.

42. Jeff Green, 82.

43. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 81.

44. Willie Allen, 79.

45. Mark Green, 67.

46. Derrike Cope, 55.

47. Stanton Barrett, 52.

48. Johnny Sauter, 49.

49. Kevin Lepage, 43.

50. Dennis Setzer, 37.

50. Brad Teague, 37.

This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Points Leaders - ESPN.com

Posted: 22 Feb 2010 11:34 AM PST

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Through Feb. 21

1. Kevin Harvick, 331.

2. Clint Bowyer, 312.

3. Greg Biffle, 304.

4. Jamie McMurray, 302.

5. Jeff Burton, 300.

6. Mark Martin, 297.

7. Matt Kenseth, 288.

8. David Reutimann, 273.

9. Joey Logano, 263.

10. Carl Edwards, 262.

11. Kurt Busch, 254.

12. Jimmie Johnson, 253.

13. Kyle Busch, 252.

14. Brian Vickers, 250.

15. Scott Speed, 246.

16. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 242.

17. Tony Stewart, 235.

18. Paul Menard, 233.

19. David Ragan, 214.

20. Martin Truex Jr., 201.

21. Denny Hamlin, 198.

21. Jeff Gordon, 198.

23. Juan Pablo Montoya, 196.

24. Elliott Sadler, 187.

25. Bobby Labonte, 182.

26. Sam Hornish Jr., 167.

27. AJ Allmendinger, 160.

28. Brad Keselowski, 155.

29. Travis Kvapil, 154.

30. Regan Smith, 152.

31. Robby Gordon, 148.

32. Boris Said, 142.

33. Kasey Kahne, 139.

34. Mike Bliss, 134.

35. Max Papis, 122.

36. Ryan Newman, 116.

37. Michael Waltrip, 109.

38. Michael McDowell, 101.

39. Marcos Ambrose, 98.

40. David Gilliland, 85.

41. Bill Elliott, 82.

42. Joe Nemechek, 77.

43. Robert Richardson Jr., 70.

43. Kevin Conway, 70.

45. John Andretti, 49.

46. Dave Blaney, 45.

47. Aric Almirola, 34.

This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index

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Harman in talks with acquisition targets: CEO - Reuters

Posted: 22 Feb 2010 09:39 AM PST

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BANGALORE (Reuters) - Harman International Industries Inc (HAR.N) is talking to potential acquisition targets in China, India and Brazil as the audio products company plans to spend up to $200 million in deals over the next 12 to 18 months, its chief executive said.

Deals | China | Brazil

The acquisitions will be part of a larger strategy for the company, whose brands include Harman Kardon, JBL, Mark Levinson and Infinity, to rapidly expand its business in these countries.

Harman is targeting revenue of about $1.4 billion from China, India and Brazil by 2015, compared with an estimated $175 million in fiscal 2010. The company's overall revenue for the fiscal year ended June 2009 was $2.89 billion.

"We are looking at all three countries right now. And there are excellent targets," CEO Dinesh Paliwal said in an interview with Reuters.

"We are in the midst of making those moves," he added.

The company plans to double its revenue in China this year to about $200 million, he said.

Harman was pursuing potential customers in Europe, North America and Asia, said Paliwal, 52. The company plans to take its success with BMW (BMWG.DE), Daimler-owned (DAIGn.DE) Mercedes and Toyota Motor Corp's (7203.T) to other potential customers.

"As we speak, we're in advanced discussions with a number of other clients."

Harman's lineup of blue-chip customers includes Audi (NSUG.DE)/Volkswagen (VOWG.DE) and PSA Peugeot Citroen (PEUP.PA).

The company -- whose products have been used in the 52nd Grammy awards and the U.S. 2009 presidential inauguration -- plans to continue to expand its margins. Adjusted gross margin rose 4.2 percentage points in the second quarter.

Harman, which competes with Bose, Yamaha and Sony Corp (6758.T) in various markets, is gaining market share across its three divisions: consumer, automotive and professional.

"We're taking market share at the expense of large German companies and also the Japanese," Paliwal said.

Sony was selling Harman products at its stores as part of a shop-in-shop concept pilot in Canada that could be rolled out in the rest of the world, he said.

Founded by Sidney Harman in 1953 as Harman Kardon, Stamford, Connecticut-based Harman International went on to create the world's first stereo receiver and the first high-frequency loudspeakers for professional recording studios.

Shares of Harman, which have tripled in the last 52 weeks, were trading up 22 cents at $44.18 in morning trade Monday on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by S. John Tilak; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)

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Toyota hit with grand jury subpoena - CNN Money

Posted: 22 Feb 2010 08:20 AM PST

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by Peter Valdes-Dapena, senior writerFebruary 22, 2010: 9:46 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Toyota said Monday it has received a federal grand jury subpoena for documents relating to the unintended acceleration of its vehicles and braking systems in the Toyota Prius.

The carmaker also received a request and a subpoena for similar documents from the Los Angeles office of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The subpoenas and request were revealed in an SEC fililng.

Toyota (TM) has recalled more than 8 million vehicles related to possible unintended acceleration. The 2010 Toyota Prius was the subject of a separate recall involving problems with its brakes.

The federal grand jury subpoena was from the Southern District of New York. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District declined to comment on the matter, saying "It is our office's policy to neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation."

Toyota intends to cooperate with the investigations, the automaker said in its filing.

Toyota president Akio Toyoda and other company executives are expected to testify in Washington on Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee. The committee is looking into how the automaker and federal auto safety regulators dealt with concerns over unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles.

Internal documents leading up to the hearing show Toyota executives boasting of the cash saved by negotiating down the severity of the recall related to acceleration.

Separately, the company said late Monday it will offer a brake override feature on more models to "provide an additional measure of confidence" for customers.

The feature automatically reduces engine power when the brake and accelerator panels are applied simultaneously. It will be added to the 2005-10 Tacoma, 2009-10 Venza and 2008-10 Sequoua when modifications are made to fix the sticking accelerators.

Toyota said the brake override feature will be incorporated into most models sold in the United States by the end of this year.

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Army picks ALCOA for fuel-efficient ground vehicle demonstrator project

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plus 3, NASCAR Nationwide Points Leaders - ESPN.com