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Volkswagen patriarch Piëch sells stake amid intrigue The Financial Times / April 16, 2017 Grandson of Beetle designer exits after alleged dispute over diesel scandal It is the end of an era at Volkswagen. With former VW patriarch Ferdinand Piëch having recently agreed to sell the bulk of his shares in the German carmaker, two years after he resigned as chairman, most industry observers believe he will never regain influence at the company. Piëch, who turns 80 on Monday, is the grandson of VW Beetle designer Ferdinand Porsche and is the person most responsible for transforming the company into the world’s largest carmaker. Piëch’s genius has been renowned since the 1960s, just as his ruthlessness has been feared. To many industry watchers, from car enthusiasts to analysts, it looks like Piëch was pressured to sell his 14.7 per cent stake in Porsche SE, the family-run holding company that controls VW. Piëch’s agreement this month to dispose of these shares to other members of the Porsche and Piëch families that dominate Porsche SE comes after Piëch told prosecutors early this year that five VW supervisory board members had some knowledge of the company’s diesel emissions scandal six months before it became public. VW’s 20-member board put out a statement in February to “emphatically” repudiate the allegations that directors had any such prior knowledge, and to threaten legal action against Piëch. This is a highly sensitive matter, partly because prosecutors in Braunschweig have launched at least two criminal investigations into the scandal, including into whether former VW chief executive Martin Winterkorn knew of the fraud. The prosecutors are also probing the conduct of several other senior VW managers in relation to the question of should investors have been told sooner about the affair. It has never been adequately explained why Piëch battled with the VW supervisory board in April 2015, leading to his resignation as chairman. But days after the emissions scandal was revealed by US regulators in September of that year, Winterkorn stepped down as chief executive, saying he was not aware of wrongdoing on his part [now proven a lie]. The allegations that Piëch told prosecutors that certain VW board members had early knowledge of the cheating has prompted some people who have worked with him to speculate whether he deliberately masterminded his own demise before the scandal went public — in effect playing the role of a captain who renounces control of the ship, and letting his first mate go down with the sinking vessel. Bob Lutz, former vice-chairman of General Motors and one of the most influential car executives of the last 50 years, says it would “not surprise me if Piëch orchestrated his own departure to leave Winterkorn holding the bag". Piëch’s reputation as an incredibly ambitious, Machiavellian character with a singular drive and a flair for drama began in the 1960s when he led the race competition unit at sports car maker Porsche, which was founded by his grandfather Ferdinand Porsche. Piëch set out to dominate Le Mans, the prestigious 24-hour car race, and he invested massively in a project to create the Porsche 917, culminating in two big wins that transformed the company — but in the process nearly bankrupted it. He moved, in 1972, to Audi, where as head of technical development he launched the Quattro and oversaw a series of innovations that turned a lacklustre brand into a viable competitor for BMW and Mercedes. After rising to serve as Audi’s top manager, in 1993 Piëch became VW chief executive, where he is credited with saving the company from collapse and then launching an empire-building phase that involved acquiring luxury brands including Bentley. He became chairman in 2002, extending his influence further and playing a central role in the acquisition of Porsche. Richard A Johnston, in his 2005 book “Six Men Who Built the Modern Auto Industry”, says Piëch “more than any single individual, promoted and maintained Europe’s technical advantage over the rest of the automotive world in the second half of the 20th century”. But Johnston also describes Piëch as a “world class eccentric” and “an abuser of power”. Piëch gained a reputation for dislodging VW managers he fell out with by publicly using a few choice words against them. The widespread conclusion now, among analysts and industry executives, is that Piëch overplayed his hand in April 2015, when he attempted his tried-and-trusted method of turning a private quarrel public by telling Der Spiegel he was “at a distance” to Winterkorn. With senior VW directors siding with Winterkorn, Piëch resigned. The paranoid chatter among VW employees at the company’s Wolfsburg headquarters immediately after the emissions scandal broke was that Piëch had somehow leaked details of the affair to bring down Winterkorn. No evidence supports this, however. The German media stories stating that Piëch told prosecutors investigating the emissions scandal that five VW supervisory board members had early knowledge of the affair creates two possible scenarios, says a former company employee. First, Piëch went too far by accusing the supervisory board, the claims are without merit and the sale of his shares in Porsche SE signifies his final downfall. Or, second, he is sitting back, allowing the board members to protest their innocence before he releases evidence. It would be completely against Piëch’s nature to give in, adds the former VW employee. “As long as he’s alive, Piëch will try to come back,” says this person. .

IMF warnings of US protectionism ‘rubbish’, says Ross The Financial Times / April 16, 2017 Warnings of US protectionism by Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, and others are “rubbish”, Donald Trump’s top trade official has said in a new attack on the big trade surpluses of China, Europe and Japan. Speaking ahead of the arrival in Washington of global finance officials for this week’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank spring meetings, commerce secretary Wilbur Ross said those accusing the Trump administration of protectionism were firing at the wrong target. The billionaire investor, who Trump has put in charge of trade policy and tasked with finding ways to reduce the US’s $500 billion trade deficit, said veiled criticism by Lagarde and other defenders of multilateralism about rising protectionism were clearly aimed at the new administration. “It is! It is! And the response is very simple: we are the least protectionist of the major areas. We are far less protectionist than Europe. We are far less protectionist than Japan. We are far less protectionist than China,” Ross told the Financial Times. “We also have trade deficits with all three of those places. So they talk free trade. But in fact what they practise is protectionism. And every time we do anything to defend ourselves, even against the puny obligations that they have, they call that protectionism. It’s rubbish.” His remarks came amid signs that Trump is beginning to adopt a more moderate tone on trade, choosing last week not to label China a currency manipulator despite campaign threats to do so. That has been taken as evidence by some that the internationalists within his White House, such as former Goldman Sachs executive Gary Cohn, are winning hard-fought policy battles against the economic nationalists. But Ross, who straddles the two camps, insisted that, despite any apparent softening, the Trump administration remained intent on pursuing its “America first” agenda while shaking up Washington’s global trading relationships. Ross also made clear it saw the Bretton Woods system as partly responsible for what it considers to be the unfair state of things. He accused Lagarde and other defenders of the current multilateral system of “sloganeering” of trying to preserve a system that had contributed to the ballooning of the US trade deficit since the 1970s. “’We like it that way. So we don’t want you to disrupt it.’ That’s what they are really saying when you strip it away,” he said. “That’s the bottom line. But that’s not going to happen. Our tolerance for continuing to be the deficit that eats the surpluses of the whole rest of the world — the president is not tolerant of that any more.” Lagarde, World Bank president Jim Yong Kim and others have stepped up their public defence of multilateralism since Trump’s election. In a speech last week Lagarde called for a defence of the “global economic and financial architecture” while warning that the “sword of protectionism” hung over the world economy. Their calls reflect what is likely to be one of the main themes at this week’s IMF and World Bank meetings in Washington. Trump and his aides have sought to placate allies at meetings such as last month’s gathering of G20 finance ministers in Germany by insisting that the US remains committed to international institutions. But the new US president has nominated conservatives who are skeptical of multilateral institutions for key posts and proposed big cuts to US funding for the United Nations, as well as a $750 million annual cut in contributions to the World Bank and regional development banks. Trump’s administration also has signalled that it plans to take a more skeptical approach to the World Trade Organization (WTO), and particularly its dispute system. The intervention came ahead of a visit to Japan this week by Ross and vice-president Mike Pence for talks aimed partly at convincing Tokyo to open negotiations over a bilateral trade deal following the US withdrawal from the 12-country Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP). Their trip follows the announcement earlier this month of negotiations with Beijing to draft a plan to address the US’s trade deficit with China. It also comes as Ross is preparing to launch a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico. Ross said the “exploratory trip” to Japan was intended to see if Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who visited the US in February, would agree on a “path forward” for a bilateral agreement. “The question will be whether they are ready to consider the concept,” he said. Ross acknowledged that Abe had expended significant political capital on the TPP but he derided efforts to revive the agreement. “It doesn’t make that much sense to do a TPP without the US. We’re the biggest market after all,” he said. “And I think you folks are aware there is no political will in the US for a new TPP.” Any bilateral agreement with Japan would have to see Tokyo add to the concessions it made in the TPP, which he characterized as “minor gains” for the US in agriculture and intellectual property, and he said the US would not accept anything less. “A card laid is a card played. And even though that hand [the TPP] is cancelled, somebody has put something on the table in writing that is an agreed thing,” he said. “It will be our intention to make it very hard for them to go back.” .

This gentleman could have been me coming in off int'l thru Chicago transiting to Louisville for MATS. The man paid for a ticket, received an assigned seat and was buckled in waiting for his aircraft to be pushed back from the gate. When he was asked and then pressured to get off the aircraft, he calmly called United customer service who, to no surprise, couldn't do anything "on the spot". At that point, he said that he would not give up his purchased seat, because he (and his wife) couldn't wait until Monday for the next flight. He had no reason to give up his purchased seat.........and United had no right to make him. As was stated above, United's contract of carriage does NOT allow for removing a law-abiding boarded passenger under Sunday's circumstances. It wasn't a denied boarding situation.

Paul Muschick, The Morning Call (Allentown, PA) / April 15, 2017 From what I can tell, regulators have never seriously considered prohibiting overbooking or involuntary bumping [because they’re in bed with airline lobbyist…..literally]. They've always said airlines deserve flexibility in taking reservations. But some legislators now are calling for changes based on what happened last Sunday on United Flight 3411. The situation didn't occur because United overbooked the flight. It was booked at capacity, then the employees were added. The incident has brought needed attention to overbooking, though, because the result was the same, with a paying passenger bounced in favor of someone else. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie asked the U.S. transportation secretary last week to "consider the immediate suspension" of overbooking until the issue can be reviewed. In his letter, he said New Jersey was "looking into appropriate action to be taken to curtail this abusive practice at NewarkAirport." U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat from Illinois, said she plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit involuntary bumping of passengers from overbooked flights. Airlines would have to negotiate until they got volunteers. "If an airline chooses to oversell a flight, or has to accommodate their crew on a fully booked flight, it is their responsibility to keep raising their offer until a customer chooses to give up their seat," she said. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, said he will introduce legislation prohibiting airlines from making room by forcibly removing passengers already aboard. According to Arthur Wolk, an aviation attorney in Philadelphia, the practice already is prohibited. He said it violates the contract of carriage, which spells out the terms passengers agree to when they fly. United's contract, like those of other airlines, warns passengers they may be denied boarding due to overbooking. It also says United can refuse to transport a passenger or remove a boarded passenger for reasons including being disorderly or drunk, interfering with the flight crew or having a contagious illness. But, it doesn't allow for removing a law-abiding boarded passenger under the circumstances presented Sunday, Wolk said. "There is nothing in that contract that allows them to do this," he told me. "It's not a denied boarding situation." Wolk said it's virtually impossible for an airline to breach its contract because the terms are written so favorably, but United found a way to do it. Last year, 40,629 passengers were involuntarily bumped by U.S. airlines, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. The DOT says its overbooking regulations balance the right of passengers to obtain the services they paid for and the ability of airlines to operate efficiently [their position paid for thru lobbyist like “Airlines for America” by the airlines]. FYI - http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/bill-shuster-admits-personal-relationship-with-lobbyist-117054 With more tickets today being non-refundable, or having $200 or $300 fees to change a reservation, airlines still make money on empty seats. "I think it needs to be revisited," said Paul Hudson, president of FlyersRights.org, a nonprofit consumer organization representing airline passengers. "The original justification for it is gone. There aren't many no-shows and when there is a no-show, the airline makes money. So what's the justification for this? It's gone." I wrote last year about Alaska, Southwest, American and United airlines being fined between $35,000 and $45,000 after the DOT alleged agents at boarding gates and ticket counters failed to provide proper copies of notices that spell out the rights of bumped passengers. In 2015, American Airlines was fined $20,000 after the DOT said it failed to compensate 11 passengers who were involuntarily bumped. The DOT also said American directed employees to report involuntarily bumps as voluntary. Those airlines settled the investigations without admitting or denying wrongdoing. Bumping data - Compensation for involuntarily bumping Substitute transportation reaches destination within 1 hour of your original scheduled time: $0 Substitute transportation reaches destination 1-2 hours (1-4 on international flights) late: 200% of your fare, up to $675 Substitute transportation reaches destination more than 2 hours (4 on international flights) late: 400% of your fare, up to $1,350 Original ticket remains valid for a future flight Source: U.S. Department of Transportation

The Washington Post / April 15, 2017 United Airlines has changed its policy to no longer allow crew members to displace passengers who are already seated on a plane. Under the new policy, airline crews are required to check in at least an hour before a flight leaves [as paying domestic flight customers are asked to do]. United spokeswoman Maggie Schmerin said the new policy is meant to ensure that incidents will "never happen again." Previously, crews could be booked up until the time of departure, Schmerin said. According to an internal email, crews who are not checked in within the 60-minute window will have to book the next available flight. No crew member "can displace a customer who has boarded an aircraft," according to the email, which was sent out Friday. United Airlines chief executive Oscar Munoz has also promised to review policies on how United handles overbooked flights, and to have a public report by April 30. In a statement issued Thursday, United said the company will no longer ask law enforcement officers to remove passengers from flights "unless it is a matter of safety and security."

C'mon Bob. "the Jap" ??? That kind of talk is not indicative of the high caliber person you are. (He's Vietnamese anyway) If United Airlines had thugs drag you out of your seat and smash your head against armrests as they pulled you down the aisle resulting in you getting a concussion, broken nose and two of your front teeth knocked out, all because you criminally wanted to remain in your ticketed seat and get back home and to work the next day, the entire BMT membership would be supporting you.

The United States can once more be the home of industry, the envy of the world, if we are the global leader of industry. But only the governmental leadership can set the tone and direction.

United had more pet deaths in 2016 than any other major US airline Business Insider / April 15, 2017 https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/2017FebruaryATCR.pdf .

You have a real talent.

Which brings us back to the topic I've mentioned before. Sadly, this is just a partial listing. I am indescribably disturbed that over half of the heavy trucks on America's highways are produced by foreign truckmakers. At one time, for decades, American truckmakers defined and led the global truck industry. Once upon a time, America led the world in innovation and industrial might. But as a result of government casting a blind eye to the fast declining state of American industry, a significant portion of U.S. industry is now under foreign ownership. In order for a major country like the United States to regain its position as a world leader, we must have a solid economy, which inherently requires a solid industrial foundation. Today, we no longer have that. Much has been allowed to go abroad, while the meager remnants remaining is being sold to foreign companies. - Germany’s Mann + Hummel bought Affinia Group, producer of Wix, Napa and other brand filters - Germany's ZF has acquired TRW - Italy's Fiat owns Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep - China's Wanxiang has acquired over 20 U.S. businesses including U.S. government-funded battery maker A123, Dana’s coupled-products business, Neapco and D&R Technology. - Germany's Daimler acquired Freightliner, Western Star, Detroit Diesel and Thomas Built Buses - Sweden's Volvo acquired White, Autocar, GMC heavy truck and Mack Trucks - Germany’s Knorr-Bremse owns Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems - Sweden’s Haldex acquired Anchorlok and the Neway suspension control valve business - Germany’s SAF acquired Neway air suspensions, and 5th wheel makers Holland and Simplex - Prestolite Electric, which includes the Leece-Neville brand, was acquired by Zhongshan, China-based Broad Ocean Motor Company and Beijing-based Ophoenix Capital. - Nexteer Automotive aka GM Global Steering Holdings LLC (formerly Delphi Steering and GM’s Saginaw Steering Division) was acquired by Chinese government-owned Pacific Century Motors - Germany’s Mahle acquired Delphi’s automotive air conditioning division, Delphi Thermal - Korea's Doosan owns Bobcat - Aircraft and industrial engine maker Teledyne Continental Motors was acquired by Chinese government aircraft maker AVIC - Canada's Bombardier acquired Learjet Corporation - Mexico's KUO Group acquired Borg-Warner and Spicer transmissions - Italy's Fiat thru subsidiary CNH Global owns Case-IH and New Holland - Sweden's Volvo acquired the road construction equipment division of Ingersoll Rand - Japan's Bridgestone owns Firestone and Bandag - France's Michelin owns Uniroyal and BF Goodrich - China’s Beijing West Industries acquired Delphi’s brake and suspension divisions - Netherlands-based Mittal Steel acquired International Steel Group (asset holder of Bethlehem Steel, LTV, Weirton Steel, Georgetown Steel and US Steel) - Mexico's Metalsa S.A. acquired 10 Dana plants that produce structural components for chassis and body structures in light and commercial vehicles - Germany's Siemens acquired Houston-based Dresser-Rand - China's Shuanghui owns Smithfield Foods - Belgium's InBev owns Anheuser-Busch - South African Breweries (SAB) acquired Miller Brewing - Germany's Merck KGaA acquired St. Louis-based Sigma-Aldrich - Switzerland's Nestle owns Gerber baby foods and Purina - Sweden's Electrolux owns the Frigidaire, Kenmore and Tappan appliance brands - South Korea's LG owns Zenith - Netherlands-based Philips acquired Magnavox, Philco and Sylvania - China's Lenovo acquired IBM's personal computing division - Japan's Seven & I Holdings owns 7-Eleven - The UK's InterContinental Hotels Groups owns the Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza hotel chains, and Candlewood Suites - China's Wanda Group owns the AMC cinema chain - The Venezuelan government owns Citgo - Mexico's Bimbo Group acquired Sara Lee's bakery business and the following brands: Arnold, Ball Park, Boboli, Brownberry, Cinnabon Bread, EarthGrains, Entenmann’s, Francisco, Freihofer’s, Marinela, Milton’s Bread, Mrs Bairds, Oroweat, Roman Meal, Sara Lee, Stroehmann, Sun-Maid Bread, Thomas’ and Tia Rosa. - The British-Dutch conglomerate Unilever owns Ben & Jerrys, Vaseline, Hellmann’s, Best Foods, Ponds, Good Humor and Breyers - Germany's Henkel owns Dial soap, Loctite, Orbseal and Bergquist - Germany's Bayer acquired Miles Laboratories and Cutter Laboratories (including Cutter insect repellent, Alka-Seltzer, One-A-Day, Flintstones vitamins and Bactine), and the consumer care business of Merck & Co. which included the brands Claritin (allergy), Coppertone (sun care), MiraLAX (gastrointestinals), Afrin (cold) and Dr. Scholl’s. - Bayer CropScience acquired biological company AgraQuest - Thailand’s Thai Union Frozen Products owns Chicken of the Sea and Orion Seafood International - South Korea’s Dongwon owns StarKist - The UK’s Lion Capital owns Bumble Bee Foods - Jim Beam was acquired by Japan’s Suntory in 2014 - Krispy Kreme has been acquired by Luxembourg-based JAB Holdings - Giant Carlisle (Martin's Food Markets, Ukrops), Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover supermarkets are owned by Dutch retailer Koninklijke Ahold N.V. - Food Lion and Hannaford supermarkets are owned by Belgium-based Delhaize Group - Colombia's Cementos Argos has acquired the cement and ready mix producing assets of Vulcan Materials and LaFarge - UK-based Tarmac PLC acquired the cement and ready mix producing assets of Stamford, Conn.-based Lone Star Industries (for many years the largest U.S. cement maker) - Two-wheeled electric people mover Segway has been acquired by China’s Ninebot - China’s HNA Group acquired Carlson Hotels Inc. (Radisson, Park Plaza, Country Inns) The list becomes longer with each passing year.

Certainly not true of me Paul. Here, I was speaking of the DPRK situation, and not WW2 and Vietnam. And anyway, aren't we simply having a healthy discussion? I enjoy hearing differing thoughts. I always walk away with at least one new nugget of thought that influences my judgement from that day forward. We'll never agree on everything, but that's okay........the world (and BMT) would be an awfully dull place if we all thought exactly the same.

Dien Bien Phu

I'm lost here. How were the Chicago airport security officers doing their job? Is removing a passenger who's done nothing wrong their job? The gentleman purchased a ticket and took his seat. He committed no crime. One of United's regional jet contractors, Republic, didn't do their homework well and needed to get a 4-person flight crew on that plane at the last minute. Why should paying customers with assigned seats "already on the aircraft and seated" have to get off? They've certainly committed no crime. United can "offer" compensation to seek volunteers, but their customers have the right to refuse. It's not the customer's duty to suffer in any way due to United's incompetence. I'm not a doctor, but I wouldn't have gotten off. Every flight on United is a unique nightmare, because of the airline.......not me. I bought a ticket to fly from A to B on a certain date because I've places to be and things to do. Weather-related flight issues are an act of God. Those are unavoidable. However 99 percent of the issues I experience when flying United are purely caused by it being a horribly run airline. It's a truck rolling down the road with the wheels ready to fall off.

America’s 'Check Engine Light' is On, Says New Film About Failing Infrastructure Heavy Duty Trucking / April 14, 2017 America’s roads and bridges aren’t far from failing. And when that happens, the country will have about five days of normalcy before the trucks stop rolling and chaos ensues. That’s the alarm being sounded by a new documentary out now on Amazon called “Be Prepared To Stop,” which takes a hard look at the failing U.S. Interstate Highway System and paints a grim picture of a society unable to function if the trend isn’t corrected soon. The result would be a crippling depletion of food, drinking water, medicine, fuel and other daily necessities, according to Jennifer Clymer, co-director and executive producer of the film. Airports would close, trash would pile up, industrial production would stop, public transit would end and the country would come to a standstill. “'Be Prepared to Stop' is a documentary about our absolute dependence on infrastructure, specifically the Interstate Highway System,” Clymer explained. “We rely on those roads and the big rigs rolling down them to supply us with just about everything we use every day. But this round-the-clock lifeline has become so entrenched in our daily routines we don’t even notice it anymore. Now that neglect is reaching a crisis point. Roads and bridges are failing, safety concerns are mounting, skilled drivers are retiring and government action is at a standstill. 'Be Prepared to Stop' raises awareness about the impact of this impending breakdown and how it will obstruct the U.S. economy and adversely affect the daily lives of all Americans." At the core of the film, Clymer said, are several trucking-specific facts that few Americans appreciate today: 32% of America’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition and 25% of bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. $146 billion in capital investment would be needed on an annual basis over the next 20 years to significantly improve conditions. 42% of America’s major urban highways are congested, costing the economy an estimated $101 billion in wasted time and fuel annually. The trucking industry hauls 10.49 billion tons of freight every year, or 70.1% of total U.S. freight tonnage. Rail is next, moving 13.8% of the nation’s freight tonnage. All goods carried by ship, airplane or train reach their destination by truck. More than 80% of U.S. communities depend solely on trucking for delivery of their goods and commodities. One out of every 14 jobs in the United States is created or directly affected by the trucking industry. 54 million tons of freight move across the nation every day. By 2040 that will increase more than 40%. Clymer said her grandfather was a truck driver and taught her to respect the professionals driving the rigs hauling everything we rely upon for our way of life. “I am alarmed about the poor state of our highway system and the lack of understanding about how dependent we are on it. I am hoping this film sheds a light on this problem and is a wake-up call that if action is not taken soon there will be significant consequences.” “Be Prepared to Stop” debuted on Amazon April 6 and will be released on iTunes later in the month. More information and a preview are available at BePreparedToStop.org. .

I have a very bad feeling about this. It won't be like Syria........the DPRK will fight tooth and nail like the Vietnamese did. And they have nukes and are seemingly willing to use them. I fear devastation in South Korea and Japan, and maybe even China if the DPRK decides that Beijing has allied itself with the US. The radioactive fallout would be disastrous. It's noteworthy that Air China has now ceased all flights to Pyongyang.....a message sent. . .

It's the Tesla way Paul. They're tight with information on new product.

A statement from the United Master Executive Council, the union representing the airline's 12,500 pilots. As the story of United Express Flight 3411, operated by Republic Airline, continues to virally circulate in the news and on social media, your United Master Executive Council (MEC) has intentionally withheld judgment because of the rapid pace at which information, both accurate and inaccurate, has been released and manipulated. The safety and well-being of our passengers is the highest priority for United pilots, and this should not have escalated into a violent encounter. United pilots are infuriated by this event. This occurred on one of our contracted Express carriers, separately owned and operated by Republic Airline, and was ultimately caused by the grossly inappropriate response by the Chicago Department of Aviation. It is important to review these baseline facts: 1. This violent incident should never have happened and was a result of gross excessive force by Chicago Department of Aviation personnel. 2. No United employees were involved in the physical altercation. 3. Social media ire should properly be directed at the Chicago Aviation Department. 4. This occurred on an Express flight operated by Republic Airline, as such, the flight crew and cabin crew of Flight 3411 are employees of Republic Airline, not United Airlines. 5. United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz has apologized for United Airlines, the actions of the Chicago Department of Aviation, and the actions of our Express partner, Republic Airline. On April 9, 2017, United Express Flight 3411, operated by Republic, was preparing to depart Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to Louisville (SDF). Republic Airline made the decision to assign four of their crewmembers to deadhead on Flight 3411 within minutes of the scheduled departure. Although four passengers would have to be removed from this flight to accommodate the Republic crew, the goal was to get the other 70 passengers on their way to SDF and ensure a flight crew needed the next day would also be in place. By all reports, the Republic flight crew was courteous and calm throughout the event, and three passengers left the flight voluntarily for compensation. After repeatedly asking the fourth passenger to give up his seat to no avail, the gate agent requested the assistance of law enforcement. For reasons unknown to us, instead of trained Chicago Police Department officers being dispatched to the scene, Chicago Department of Aviation personnel responded. At this point, without direction and outside the control of United Airlines or the Republic crew [a lie - blame deflection], the Chicago Department of Aviation forcibly removed the passenger. Members of local airport law enforcement are normally important security partners who assist aircrews in ensuring the safety of everyone on the airplane. This event was an anomaly and is not how United or the police are expected to treat passengers when there is no security threat. United pilots have always been the true leaders of this company, and our fellow employees count on us to continue to do what we do best—deliver a world class product and safely transport our passengers around the world. We cannot let this huge distraction affect our ability to do our jobs. We have successfully flown through more turbulent times, and we will weather this storm as well. Ultimately, United must be measured by more than this one incident on a single United Express flight; this airline is comprised of more than 82,000 employees, including over 12,500 pilots, working every day to safely fly around the globe. For 91 years, United has earned the trust of millions of passengers, and we will continue earning their trust, despite the incident on this United Express flight. The United Airlines MEC is confident that the steps we are taking as a company will ensure this type of inexcusable event never happens again.'

Chicago Tribune / April 11, 2017 I was on United flight 3411. Here's what I saw. Unfortunately, I was aboard United Airlines flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky on Sunday. Even more unfortunate was the fact that I was returning from a spring break trip with seven of my students from Louisville Male High School who also witnessed the unconscionable treatment of the passenger. The disgusting mishandling of the situation included everyone from the rude ticket agent who demanded that this man give up his seat on the flight United overbooked, to one of the officers laughing in the midst of the incident, to the violent, abusive way the passenger was dragged off the plane by the officer. It was the worst possible model for my students, and frankly, was traumatizing to many of us who watched this from such close proximity. What are we modeling for our children? Are we teaching our children to scream at other people, to jump quickly to force if we can’t get the results we want, to use violence to solve problems, to have total disrespect for other people? I was appalled at how United Airlines and the officers handled the situation, but I was also encouraged by my fellow passengers’ attempts to interfere — despite how helpless we all felt. Some passengers audibly protested to the officers, some stood and removed themselves from the plane rather than continue to witness the abuse, and one father, while trying to console his 8-year-old daughter, confronted the officer saying, among other things, “you ought to be ashamed of yourself!” These are the models of which I hope our children will see more. — Jason Powell, Louisville, Kentucky

I’m thinking that dropping the 21,000lb MOAB bomb in Afghanistan on a cave complex was more of a way to send a message to North Korea than to effect results in Afghanistan. At a cost of $16 million, 36 ISIS militants were allegedly killed (a cost of $444,444 per head). Bomb or no bomb, I’m sure Afghanistan will remain a success story, a major global heroin supplier and the men will continue sexually abusing young boys. The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) is a large-yield conventional bomb that cost over $300 million to develop and is estimated to cost $16 million each.

Whenever you all speak of V8-powered U-models, I instinctively recall the V8-powered C-model. https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/34267-macks-v8-powered-c-series-comin-on-strong/

The Surrey-Now Leader / April 13, 2017 The B.C. Vintage Truck Museum expects to double its exhibition space by early fall after being awarded a $50,000 B.C.|Canada 150 grant on April 2. The funds will be used to expand into an additional wing of their current building. The additional 6,662 sq. ft. will make it possible for the Surrey Heritage Society (SHS) to bring in more trucks and create more room in the existing gallery. “We’re pretty crowded in this part here, so we want to move things around so we can have more space,” said Anna Dean, SHS secretary. The addition will also make the museum more accessible and give people more “breathing room,” she said. The space is leased from the City of Surrey, but renovations must be made before the museum can move their trucks in. The majority of the grant money will go towards installing garage doors and creating an opening in the inner wall to allow trucks to drive through. Construction is still in the beginning stages, and the dedicated group of SHS volunteers will take on as much of the work as possible in order to save costs. Since the museum opened in 2012, members of the SHS have dedicated 25,000 hours to the operation of the building and the maintenance of the collection. The museum takes part in up to 15 community events a year and has hosted more than 10,400 visitors from 11 different countries over the past five years, all thanks to the efforts of volunteers. It’s a labour of love, according to Dean. “We have trucks dating from 1914 to 1955 and they’re beautifully restored trucks. Each truck has a unique history, and played an important part in developing the province,” said Dean. “It’s not just a bunch of old trucks. They all have a story.” Each of their trucks tells a tale that directly relates to the history of the province. The museum houses trucks that were used to transport troops and freight during the First and Second World Wars, carry dynamite during the construction of the Fraser Canyon highway and replace the horses and wagons that hauled hay from Sumas Prairie to dairy farms in Yarrow. Soon they’ll have more room to tell those stories. At least for now. 1881 Town Hall The B.C. Vintage Truck Museum building has had many uses over the years. It was originally Surrey’s museum, constructed in 1958 as a Centennial project. Surrey’s 1881 Town Hall was built into the space—or, rather, the space was built around it. From outside the museum, the only hint of town hall is a roof peak sticking out of an otherwise flat-roofed building. Inside the museum, it’s easy to mistake the 136-year-old structure as just another exhibition room. The 1881 Town Hall is so built-in to the structure that roof support beams run through it. And sometime within the next few years, the hall will be moving to another site. The current Surrey Museum is a 10-minute walk down 176A Street. It’s currently undergoing site preparation ahead of breaking ground this summer on their $10.3-million expansion. A “heritage square” has been worked into the expansion plan. The Anderson Cabin, which is currently on the museum site, will be joined by two more heritage buildings: the Anniedale School and the 1881 Town Hall. To move the 1881 Town Hall, the section of the building that the B.C. Vintage Truck Museum is renovating will have to be demolished. The degree of demolition is unclear. As of yet, there are no specific plans in place detailing how the move will be accomplished. “That’s down the road, we’re not going to worry about that today,” said Dean. For now, the expansion project will open the 1881 Town Hall to visitors again. Over the past few years it has been rented out to community groups for meetings, but it hasn’t been open to the general public for 12 years. The hall has been fitted out for meetings, and a heritage display was installed on the walls. “We’re doing our level best to be good custodians (of the hall),” said Chenn Berger, SHS president. “Five years ago when we moved in, we were told our time was limited. But we can’t say that we’re living on borrowed time. We can’t look at it that way.” “Our goal here is to become larger and larger until Surrey recognizes that if they move us, they’ll have to provide us a similar facility,” he said. Five years of caring for B.C.’s stories The museum, which is open on Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., was busy when The Reporter visited. Volunteers toured visitors, tires were delivered and rolled through the front room and the clang of tools carried from the main gallery where maintenance was underway. “We’re doing the brakes on the firetruck right now,” said Chenn. “There’s a dozen of these that we can drive at any given time, so we try to keep them running.” The collection has changed hands a few times since it was donated. The Teamsters ran it before handing it over to the SHS. “Five years ago, they gave it to us,” said Berger. “They said if we fell apart within five years, it would revert back to them. Well on April 16, our five years are up and they belong to us totally.” “We want to develop as much local history as possible,” said Berger. “Cloverdale, obviously, but Surrey and the Vancouver area as well. The more you can enhance the story on each truck, the better.” If you’re looking to help tell those stories, the B.C. Vintage Truck Museum is always looking for an extra hand. Most of the volunteers put in around eight hours a week, but as Dean said, “We’d be happy with anything. Come here for two hours, that’s a help.” For more information on the museum or volunteering, visit: http://www.bcvintagetruckmuseum.org/. .

Commercial Motor TV - sponsored by DAF Trucks / April 13, 2017 .