TresSugar

Front Page: Obama Gives Auto Industry Tough Love

CitizenSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:30:16 -0700

President Obama is considering bankruptcy as an option for US automakers. - Wall Street Journal
Iran's representative at an international conference on Afghanistan said that Iran will help with reconstruction and antidrug-trafficking efforts. - Washington Post
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has threatened to walk out of the G20 conference if his calls to create new rules of capitalism aren't met. - The Guardian
Japan's unemployment rate has jumped to 4.4 percent, a three-year high. - AFP
North Korea plans to indict two American journalists, who could face 10 years in labor camps for illegally entering the country. - New York Times
French and German Police are gearing up for a NATO summit that will take place in the French city of Strasbourg and the German cities of Kehl and Baden Baden. The summit, which will involve President Obama, will happen Friday and Saturday. - AP

World, Meet Your Cheapest Car!

CitizenSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:00:29 -0700

A company in India has unveiled the world's cheapest car. The Tata Nano will go on sale next month for the low-low price of $1,979. Right now millions of Indians ride inexpensive motorcycles. But with five seats, the Nano could be an affordable way to transport families.

For less than $2,000, drivers won't get air bags, air conditioning, a radio, or power steering. Still, environmental activists worry that the no-frills car will be popular, thus adding to car traffic and pollution.

A European version of the Nano will hit that market in 2011, for about $5,700. Are you happy to see cars go cheap, or do you worry about the environmental impact?

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Front Page: Bush Approves $17.4 Billion For Auto Makers

CitizenSugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:48:00 -0800

President Bush announced a $17.4 billion rescue package for the automakers that would let them to avoid bankruptcy. The plan also leaves many big decisions for the Obama administration. - Wall Street Journal
W. Mark Felt, Watergate's "Deep Throat," has died at the age of 95. - San Francisco Chronicle

Investors who actually made money as a result of Bernard Maddof's alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme will probably be forced to give up some of their profits. - New York Times
Hammas, the Islamist militant group, says it has ended its six-month Gaza Strip ceasefire with Israel. - BBC News

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Briefing Book! Time to Say Good-bye to American Cars?

LibertySugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:03:39 -0800

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Local Ford Dealer Blasts Americans Who Buy Toyotas

LibertySugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:30:01 -0800

A South Carolina Ford dealer wants Americans to put the brakes on buying foreign cars, and he's using the radio to accelerate the spread of this message. In a controversial ad the local dealer chastises Toyota customers saying:

All you people that buy all your Toyotas and send that money to Japan, you know, when you don't have a job to make your Toyota car payment, don't come crying to me. All those cars are rice ready. They're not road ready.

Since he began running the ad, the Ford dealer said he's experienced a boom in business and positive feedback. But not everyone's excited about the controversial ad, claiming that it reeks of racist undertones. Besides, 60 percent of Toyotas sold in the US were in fact made in America, according to the Japanese company.

Even if the radio ad wasn't the most tasteful marketing pitch, do you think Americans have an obligation to buy American brands, or do the car companies have an obligation to produce something Americans want to buy?

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Front Page: Lawmakers Near Deal on Car Bailout

CitizenSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:10:12 -0800

A deal has been reached between the White House and Congress on a $15 billion bailout of the US auto industry, which includes emergency loans and the creation of a "car czar." House and Senate leaders hope to pass the bill as early as today. - AP
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich planned to return to work today, after being released on $4,500 bail. The governor made no comment about his arrest on charges that he tried to sell Obama's Senate seat. - CNN

The British pound has hit an all-time low against the Euro, falling to under 1.14 euros. The currency took a hit after new data suggested the UK economy shrunk by 1 percent over the last three months. - BBC News

Some in China marked the 60th anniversary of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights today by protesting outside government buildings in Beijing. - AP

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Briefing Book! Car Execs Will Take $1 Salaries For Bailout

LibertySugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:30:28 -0800

Bailout: Problem solved? Big Three CEOs agree to cut salaries to $1 a year if Congress grants auto industry bailout. - Huffington Post
Biden: Lucky us? Contrasting Joe Biden's prepared remarks and what he actually said shows that he likes to elaborate. - Politico
Chris Matthews: Does he have a chance? Although he denies it, rumors fly that MSNBC host might run for Senate. - GOOD
Condi: Can Hillary top that? Secretary Rice plays a piano recital for the Queen of England. - Gawker
AIDS: How many lives could have been saved if leader didn't deny it? South Africa finally admits HIV/AIDS link. - Donkelphant

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Should Congress Bail Out the Automakers?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:30:32 -0800

If Michigan-bred Mitt Romney doesn't think Congress should bailout the auto industry, then the plan to save Detroit might need a set of jumper cables. Mitt wrote today:

Without that bailout, Detroit will need to drastically restructure itself. With it, the automakers will stay the course - the suicidal course of declining market shares, insurmountable labor, and retiree burdens, technology atrophy, product inferiority, and never-ending job losses. Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check.

But not everyone agrees with Mitt's persuasive case. In an attempt to persuade Congress that it must act, the big-three automakers may have given themselves a flat tire. Yesterday, the CEOs of GM, Ford, and Chrysler flew into Washington on private jets (which cost about $36 million each) so they could make in-person appeals for $25 billion of taxpayer money. Looks like first-class wouldn't suit the first-class beggars.

For more on how much the companies spend on private jets, and for some arguments in support of a bailout, read more.

ABC News reports that a private jet trip from Detroit to Washington, DC costs about $20,000. Ford's CEO takes the company's private jet back from Detroit to Seattle each weekend, while making $28 million as his annual salary. Meanwhile, thousands of employees get laid off, and the companies are asking the public for billions.

Still, if the car companies fail average Americans, not just jet-setting CEOs, have much to lose. The automakers and their affiliates make up 2 percent of the American workforce, and nearly one million Americans participate in GM's pension program, which would cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars if it collapsed.

What do you think the US government should do?

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Troopers Riding in Big Rigs to Nab Drivers: Smart or Sneaky?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:30:13 -0700

Over a two days this week, Oregon State Police and sheriffs (perhaps better known by their CB radio code, "Boy Scouts") hitched a ride with big-rig truckers on the hunt for aggressive drivers who wouldn't suspect a "Smokey" ride along and wouldn't have time to "brush their teeth and comb their hair" (shout out for a radar trap ahead.)

Leaving the "bubble gum machine" (cop car) at home, the troopers were able to nab 38 drivers in just two days. From their shotgun perches, most of the drivers were ticketed for driving over a "double nickel" (55 mph) and never saw it coming.

The ODOT safety manager says "Research shows that most truck vs. car crashes could be avoided if drivers knew how to steer clear of unsafe situations. With this campaign, we hope to increase awareness, encourage safer driving practices and make a positive change in the risky driving behaviors of motorists - all of which will lead to fewer crashes, fatalities, and injuries on Oregon's roadways."

Is planting troopers in a big rig a creative solution - or a little bit like a speed trap taken too far?

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A Car That Gets 65 Miles Per Gallon?! Not in the US

LibertySugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:00:10 -0700

Picture this: a brand-new, five-seat compact car, complete with a navigation system, gas mileage up to 65 miles per gallon, and a $1,300 tax deduction with purchase. Are you ready to buy? Well you'll have to move to Europe first!

High oil prices mean that Americans are hungry for more gas-efficient cars. But, the new Ford ECOnetic Fiesta,, which runs on diesel, will not be offered to the American driver. To find out why diesel is a deal breaker, read more.

Diesel pollution risks have motivated state lawmakers to tax diesel pumps more than gasoline. In addition, there are not enough refineries to produce large supplies. Mix in the fact that the Fiesta's diesel engine is made in pricey Britain, Ford doesn't think it can sell enough to make the car a smart business decision in the US.

There are indications that other (ironically foreign) companies will start selling ultra-clean-diesel cars in America. Volkswagen and Mercedes have cars coming out soon, which include a pollution trap that must be maintained. Purchasers of these new diesel cars will also receive a tax credit.

Do you think diesel will solve the US's gas woes, or will it just risk more pollution when the cars aren't maintained?

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