kscarbel2

General Motors has directed several thousand suppliers to scrub their supply chains of parts from China. They know what's coming. But good luck getting Volvo to follow in their footsteps. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/gm-wants-parts-makers-pull-supply-chains-china-2025-11-12/

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/11/08/obamacare-insurers-bet-400-billion-on-shutdown-democrats/

Allegedly the Senate has reached an agreement to reopen the government thru January 30th. But they're saying it includes $203.5 million in new funding to enhance security measures and protection for members of Congress, and $852 million for US Capitol Police. Boy, if I ran my business spending such ridiculous amounts of money..................... Allegedly, the deal includes a reversal of Trump’s firings of federal employees and provisions to prevent such actions in the future. That throws progress under the bus.

Yesterday I was looking at a White 2-155 (White acquired Oliver in 1960). The owner mentioned the rebuild costs of $1,000 per hole. The 155 horsepower 7.8 liter 6-cylinder Hercules D5000 was of course badged as White Motor Corporation alike the tractor. White acquired Hercules via its purchase of Hupp in 1967 and owned it until 1986. This is the same basic 7.8 liter (478 cu. in.) engine as used in the M35A2 (deuce and a half), but of course not being a multi-fuel (hypercycle combustion) version. (It is said Continental acquired the hypercycle technology from MAN, and Hercules/White Motor used it under license when they were low bid on M35A2 contracts.) A 2-155 example.

Warren Buffett has sold off another $6 billion in shares, the third year in a row he has quietly unloaded chunks of his portfolio. He has now sold $184 billion in shares since 2022. In going to cash, it appears that he is bracing for a market downturn. Buffett has long warned that the stock market should have a value that is near equivalent to the US's economic production. Currently, Wall Street is worth more than twice the amount of money the US makes.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/criminals/

Reminds me of the Ford/Navistar divorce. .

Your Department of the Interior wants to kill 453,000 owls across the country. I kid you not. .

GM ends Brightdrop production. . https://www.autoblog.com/news/general-motors-ends-brightdrop-van-production-as-factory-sits-idle

At 3:45 .

At 14:22 Nice truck .

This week the Trump administration floated the idea of a “price floor” for U.S. rare earths, where the government would step in to buy rare earths if the market price fell too far. The hope is that this would assuage fears of Chinese dumping, allowing U.S. production to attract investment. And the rare earths purchased by the U.S. government could provide the foundation for a strategic reserve of the minerals that could be used in a shortage.

These trucks are a hoot to drive. I always wanted to own one if the opportunity came along. https://www.militarytrader.com/the-m561-gama-goat-a-post-apocalyptic-flop?utm_medium=email&utm_source=MLT+-+NL+-+Newsletter&oly_enc_id=6399H5340267A6A

The 2-1/2 ton 140-horsepower multi-fuel (LDS427, LD465) was designed by Continental but also built by Hercules and White. The original 5-ton M-series were 224-horsepower Continental R-6602 gasoline engines. Only the Mack-produced A1 5-tonners were different, fitted with 205 horsepower ENDT673s (eg. M52A1 tractor, M54A1 cargo). The 3116-powered 2-1/2 ton M35A3s I believe are all rebuilt M35A2s.

Nice truck. I've thought of buying a 6-wheeler, possibly an M35A2 with the whistler engine because it's so classic. The newer M35A3 with the CAT 3116 and Allison wouldn't mean anything to me. But a 5-ton Cummins, NH or C, would be nice albeit overkill.