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Associated Press / October 27, 2016 The latest hacked email released by WikiLeaks details how one of Bill Clinton’s closest aides helped rake in millions for the former president. The 12-page memo was sent by Clinton's former aide Doug Band in 2011 to him, his daughter Chelsea, several board members of the Clinton Foundation and its lawyers as well as its then special advisor John Podesta. Published on Wednesday after a hack of thousands of emails from Podesta’s account, it details how Band helped run what he called ‘Bill Clinton Inc.’ Band and another aide helped secure more than $50 million from ventures, including speaking fees, according to the email. Band wrote that, using his role as the president of his own consulting firm Teneo, he worked to raise funds for the Foundation and Clinton personally. Band also wrote that he helped obtain ‘in-kind services for the President and his family – for personal, travel, hospital, vacation and the like.’ ‘Throughout the past almost 11 years since President Clinton left office, I have sought to leverage my activities, including my partner role at Teneo to support and raise funds for the Foundation.’ ‘This memorandum strives to set forth how I have endeavored to support the Clinton Foundation and President Clinton personally.’ Under a section called ‘For-Profit Activity of President Clinton (i.e. Bill Clinton, Inc)’ Brand said he and aide Justin Cooper brought Clinton all four of his advisory arrangements at the time. These yielded more than $30 million in personal income, with a further $66 million to be paid out over the next nine years should he continue with them. One of these roles was serving as honorary Chairman of Laureate International Universities, which paid Clinton $3.5 million a year. Band pointed out in the email that neither he nor Cooper were compensated for the work. They were not paid a fee or percentage of the income, but only received their Foundation salaries. Band wrote that Teneo was responsible for negotiating a number of speaking fees for Clinton, including $1.15 million from Ericson and $900,000 from UBS. He also used his partner role at the company, established in June 2011, to solicit clients to donate to the Clinton Foundation. This included $4.33 million over six years from The Coca-Cola Company and more than $1 million from Barclays Capital over four years. Band’s memo was also sent to lawyers who were conducting a review of the charity. It came as Chelsea Clinton was taking a bigger role in leading the foundation and after she expressed her concerns about Band’s roles at the charity as well as at Teneo, according to the Washington Post. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inside ‘Bill Clinton Inc.’: Hacked memo reveals intersection of charity and personal income The Washington Post / October 26, 2016 When top Bill Clinton aide Douglas Band wrote the memo, he was a central player at the Clinton Foundation and president of his own corporate consulting firm. Over the course of 13 pages, he made a case that his multiple roles had served the interests of the Clinton family and its charity. In doing so, Band also detailed a circle of enrichment in which he raised money for the Clinton Foundation from top-tier corporations such as Dow Chemical and Coca-Cola that were clients of his firm, Teneo, while pressing many of those same donors to provide personal income to the former president. The system has drawn scrutiny from Republicans, who say it allowed corporations and other wealthy supporters to pay for entree to a popular former president and a onetime secretary of state who is now the Democratic presidential nominee. Band wrote the memo in 2011 to foundation lawyers conducting a review of the organization amid a brewing feud with the Clintons’ daughter, Chelsea Clinton, who was taking a stronger role in leading the foundation and had expressed concerns about Teneo’s operations. The memo, made public Wednesday by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, lays out the aggressive strategy behind lining up the consulting contracts and paid speaking engagements for Bill Clinton that added tens of millions of dollars to the family’s fortune, including during the years that Hillary Clinton led the State Department. It describes how Band helped run what he called “Bill Clinton Inc.,” obtaining “in-kind services for the President and his family — for personal travel, hospitality, vacation and the like.” Band and his Teneo co-founder, former Hillary Clinton fundraiser Declan Kelly, declined to comment. But Teneo issued a statement saying that “as the memo demonstrates, Teneo worked to encourage clients, where appropriate, to support the Clinton Foundation because of the good work that it does around the world. It also clearly shows that Teneo never received any financial benefit or benefit of any kind from doing so.” Spokesmen for Bill Clinton and Chelsea Clinton and the foundation declined to comment. Hillary Clinton campaign spokesman Glen Caplin declined to comment on the memo, calling the material “hacked by the Russian government and weaponized by WikiLeaks.” Caplin declined to authenticate the memo, but he also did not dispute it. Band, who grew close to Bill Clinton two decades ago as his personal aide in the White House and became the architect of his post-presidential activities, argued in the memo that he and his firm had benefited the former president and his foundation. “We have dedicated ourselves to helping the President secure and engage in for-profit activities,” Band wrote. He also said he had “sought to leverage my activities, including my partner role at Teneo, to support and to raise funds for the foundation.” Band’s memo provided data showing how much money each of Teneo’s 20 clients at the time had given to the Clinton Foundation, how much they had paid Bill Clinton and, in some cases, how he or Kelly had personally forged the relationships that resulted in the payments. Band wrote that Teneo partners had raised in excess of $8 million for the foundation and $3 million in paid speaking fees for Bill Clinton. He said he had secured contracts for the former president that would pay out $66 million over the subsequent nine years if the deals remained in place. For instance, Band wrote that Kelly arranged for the former president to meet the chief executive of Coca-Cola in January 2009 at the Clintons’ home in Washington. In all, according to Band’s memo, Coke had contributed $4.33 million to the foundation between 2004 and 2010. A Coca-Cola spokesman said the company had supported the Clinton Foundation because it believed “in the great work that can be done when businesses, civil society and governments come together to solve problems.” He said Teneo had been hired to provide “business and communications” consulting. Band also described how Kelly helped expand a fruitful relationship with UBS Global Wealth Management, introducing Bill Clinton to a top executive at a 2009 charity dinner. In the ensuing years, UBS upped its giving to the foundation, signed on as a Teneo client and agreed to pay Bill Clinton for speeches, Band wrote. Records show UBS paid Clinton about $2 million in speaking fees between 2011 and 2015 for a series of appearances, generally alongside former president George W. Bush. The company also paid Hillary Clinton $225,000 for a 2013 speech. UBS declined to comment. Another achievement cited by Band: Laureate International Universities, a chain of for-profit international colleges, which donated to the foundation and agreed to pay Bill Clinton $3.5 million a year to serve as honorary chancellor. [ Inside Bill Clinton’s nearly $18 million job as ‘honorary chancellor’ of a for-profit college ] Clinton has credited Band with conceiving of the Clinton Global Initiative, the glitzy annual meeting where corporate, government and nonprofit leaders gathered annually to talk about the world’s problems. Started in 2005, CGI became the best-known arm of the Clinton Foundation, which also operated education, environmental and health programs around the world. The final CGI meeting took place last month. By 2011, the longtime Clinton aide was ready to strike out on his own. That’s when Band and Kelly joined forces to form Teneo. At first, the firm remained closely linked to the Clinton network. Band described in the memo how he combined his work for CGI and Teneo. He wrote that he had used a hotel room upstairs from the 2011 CGI gathering to meet with Teneo clients. He also acknowledged giving free CGI memberships to “target Teneo clients” being cultivated as potential foundation donors. Memberships generally cost $20,000 a year. Teneo, meanwhile, named Bill Clinton its “honorary chairman.” Clinton had been initially tapped for a three-year arrangement in which he would provide advice to Teneo “regarding geopolitical, economic and social trends,” according to a separate June 2011 memo that Band wrote to the State Department seeking ethics approval for the former president’s employment. Bill Clinton was initially paid $2 million by Teneo, according to “Man of the World,” a book written with the former president’s participation by author Joe Conason. But Chelsea Clinton grew concerned when news leaked in late 2011 that MF Global, the hedge fund owned by former New Jersey governor Jon Corzine, had been paying the Clinton-tied firm $125,000 a month just before MF Global went bankrupt. According to emails released by WikiLeaks, Chelsea Clinton complained in December 2011 to longtime Clinton aide John Podesta, who at the time was serving as an adviser to the Clinton Foundation, that she had been informed that a member of her father’s office staff who answered to Band had been making calls to British lawmakers “on behalf of President Clinton” for Teneo clients, particularly for the chief executive of Dow Chemical. Chelsea Clinton wrote that the calls were occurring without her father’s knowledge and that the reactions she was hearing to them would “horrify” Bill Clinton. In another email, she wrote she feared Teneo was “hustling business at CGI.” Chelsea Clinton’s concerns helped spark efforts at the foundation to adopt new policies governing outside consulting agreements designed to erect a more solid wall between Bill Clinton’s private and charitable activities. Emails show that Cheryl Mills, who at the time was serving as Hillary Clinton’s chief of staff at the State Department, was deeply involved in the foundation’s proceedings. Bill Clinton also separated from Teneo, returning to the company all but $100,000 of the money he had been paid, tax returns show. Emails show how the dispute between Chelsea Clinton and her father’s longtime aide led to personal hostility. “I don’t deserve this from her and deserve a tad more respect or at least a direct dialogue for me to explain these things,” Band wrote to Podesta at the time. “She is acting like a spoiled brat kid who has nothing else to do but create issues to justify what she’s doing because she, as she has said, hasn’t found her way and has a lack of focus in her life.” Band complained that no similar scrutiny was being applied to Bill Clinton himself. Band noted that he had previously signed a conflict of interest document for CGI. “Oddly, WJC does not have to sign such a document even though he is personally paid by 3 cgi sponsors, gets many expensive gifts from them, some that are at home etc.,” he wrote. The Band memo disclosed by WikiLeaks on Wednesday made no direct reference to Hillary Clinton. But Band outlined that Kelly, his Teneo co-founder, had served simultaneously between 2009 and 2011 as an unpaid economic envoy to Northern Ireland appointed by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and as head of a separate consulting company whose clients included Coke, UBS and Dow. Band wrote that the arrangement was consistent with Kelly’s State Department ethics agreement. Kelly’s multiple roles came together during one State Department event in 2010, when then-Secretary Clinton recognized Dow, among other companies, for creating jobs in Northern Ireland and thanked Kelly for his work on the issue. Dow became one of Teneo’s first major clients. According to Band’s memo, Dow chief executive Andrew Liveris had been introduced to Bill Clinton over a round of golf with Kelly in August 2009. The company then increased its Clinton Foundation support, contributing $705,000 in 2010 and 2011. A Dow spokeswoman said that the company’s participation in the foundation dated to 2007 and that the charity was “aligned to core business and citizenship strategies that have positively leveraged the resources and capabilities of our company.” Dow paid Teneo $2.8 million in 2011, payments that then jumped to $19.4 million in 2012, according to internal Dow documents made public as part of a whistleblower complaint. The company later said in public filings that the increase reflected a cost-saving decision to consolidate several consulting contracts with one firm. But the spike raised red flags for an internal company fraud investigator, who expressed alarm that it may be linked to Bill Clinton’s work with a charity founded by Liveris — a charge the company denied. “It appears Dow is paying Teneo for connections with Clinton,” the investigator wrote. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clinton Foundation’s Fundraisers Pressed Donors to Steer Business to Former President The Wall Street Journal / October 26, 2016 Hacked email memo published by WikiLeaks details lucrative arrangements made for Bill Clinton Two chief fundraisers for the Clinton Foundation pressed corporate donors to steer business opportunities to former President Bill Clinton as well, according to a hacked memo published Wednesday by WikiLeaks. The November 2011 memo from Douglas Band, at the time a top aide to Mr. Clinton, outlines extensive fundraising efforts that Mr. Band and a partner deployed on behalf of the Clinton Foundation and how that work sometimes translated into large speaking fees and other paid work for Mr. Clinton. The memo, part of a cache of emails stolen from Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager, resurfaces an issue that she has had a hard time shaking: questions over the relationship between the Clintons’ charity work and their personal business. Mr. Band and an associate introduced top corporate executives to the former president, on the golf course and elsewhere, and then asked them to contribute money to the Clinton Foundation or attend the Clinton Global Initiative, an annual foundation event. Mr. Band wrote the memo to lawyers at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP who were reviewing the Clinton Foundation’s activities and links to Mr. Band. The Clintons’ daughter, Chelsea, had sought the review because she worried that Mr. Band was “hustling business” for his consulting firm, Teneo Holdings, at the Clinton Global Initiative, according to a 2011 email by Ms. Clinton. In the memo, Mr. Band explained how he helped the foundation and former president, and found donors among his own firm’s clients. Mr. Band responded to the review by writing: “We appreciate the unorthodox nature of our roles, and the goal of seeking ways to ensure we are implementing best practices to protect the 501(c)3 status of the Foundation.” The Clinton campaign has refused to confirm or deny the authenticity of any of the hacked emails and, along with top U.S. intelligence officials, blamed Russia for stealing them from the account of Mrs. Clinton campaign manager John Podesta. In 2009, according to the memo, Declan Kelly, an Irish-American businessman and ally of the Clintons, introduced a senior UBS Group AG executive, Bob McCann, to Mr. Clinton at a charitable event. “Mr. Kelly subsequently asked Mr. Mccann to support the foundation … [and] also encouraged Mr. Mccann to invite President Clinton to give several paid speeches, which he has done,” according to the 12-page memo. Mr. Clinton earned $1.5 million from those speeches. UBS said last year that the speeches by Mr. Clinton and the donations were part of a program to respond to the 2008 financial crisis. Former President George W. Bush also spoke to the Swiss bank as part of the program. In another example, Mr. Band wrote that he and another Clinton aide persuaded a Dubai-based company, Gems Education, to establish a relationship with the foundation. “That relationship has grown into a business relationship for President Clinton and a donor relationship for CGI,” the memo said. Representatives of Gems couldn’t be reached for comment. Messrs. Band and Kelly launched their consulting firm in 2011. By that November, partners of Teneo had raised more than $8 million for the Clinton Foundation and also arranged for Mr. Clinton to deliver more than $3 million worth of paid speeches, according to the memo. A spokesman for Mr. Clinton didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. After a falling out with Chelsea Clinton, starting in 2012, Mr. Band no longer works for the former president and isn’t as involved in Clinton Foundation activities as he once had been. Teneo spokesman Stephen Meahl said in a statement: “As the memo demonstrates, Teneo worked to encourage clients, where appropriate, to support the Clinton Foundation because of the good work that it does around the world.” He added, “It also clearly shows that Teneo never received any financial benefit or benefit of any kind from doing so.” When he founded Teneo, Mr. Kelly was serving as the U.S. economic envoy to Northern Ireland, appointed by Mrs. Clinton, who was secretary of state. A public-relations specialist, he also had been a top fundraiser in her bids for the Senate and, in 2008, the White House. Mr. Kelly had three major clients in 2009, Coca-Cola Co. , Dow Chemical Co. and UBS Wealth Management. He asked all three to give money to the Clinton Foundation. The memo said that Mr. Kelly introduced Mr. Clinton to Muhtar Kent, the chief executive of Coca-Cola, during a meeting at Mr. Clinton’s home in Washington in 2009. Mr. Kelly asked Mr. Kent to give $5 million to the foundation, which he pledged in early 2010, the memo said. The memo said that Mr. Kelly arranged for Mr. Band to serve on Coke’s International Public Policy Advisory Board. Mr. Band said in the memo that he then used that post to push Coke to sponsor foundation initiatives and to support political candidates whom Mr. Clinton was supporting. A Coke spokesman said the board didn’t engage in political activities. Teneo, which markets itself as a one-stop shop for CEOs to get advice on a wide range of issues, including mergers and acquisitions, handling crises and managing public relations, has grown to more than 575 employees. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Teneo was exploring an initial public offering or sale of the firm as early as 2017. Mr. Clinton initially served as Teneo’s honorary chairman when the firm opened in 2011, but he stepped down the following year. Of the $3 million he stood to collect, he was ultimately paid $100,000. In the memo, Mr. Band explains that he frequently negotiated personal income for Mr. Clinton at the same time that he served as a primary fundraiser for the Clinton Foundation. Mr. Band wrote that he and another aide to Mr. Clinton “have in effect served as agents, lawyers, managers and implementers to secure speaking, business and advisory service deals.” Mr. Band said they had secured “more than $50 million in for-profit activity” for Mr. Clinton but received no fee or cut of it. The two aides also arranged another $66 million of potential future payments from speaking and other engagements for the former president. Teneo regularly used its access to Mr. Clinton to introduce its clients to the former president. In 2009, Mr. Kelly invited one of his longtime clients, Dow Chemical Chief Executive Andrew Liveris, to play golf with Mr. Clinton and Mr. Band. Afterward, Dow paid $500,000 as a sponsor of the Clinton Global Initiative. Dow also paid another $150,000 to the Foundation to have Mr. Clinton attend a dinner the chemicals company was hosting in Davos. The memo says Mr. Liveris provided Dow Chemical’s corporate plane to fly Mr. Clinton and his staff from California to North Korea, and back, saving the foundation more than $100,000. A Dow spokeswoman said that the company’s senior executives have participated in Clinton Global Initiative events because their efforts are aligned with aspects of Dow’s business. Teneo’s proximity to the Clintons appears to have been mutually beneficial. Mr. Band notes that Gems Education became a Teneo client after the company sought Mr. Clinton’s services as an adviser. The charitable arm of Gems has given the Clinton Foundation between $1 million and $5 million. The for-profit education company has paid Bill Clinton about $6.2 million since 2010 for consulting work, according to tax returns released by the campaign of Mrs. Clinton.

Obamacare Is Dying. House Republicans Have the Fix. Juliana Darrow, The National Interest / October 26, 2016 President Obama and his administration use every opportunity to boast about his flagship domestic legislation, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as “Obamacare.” These near-weekly public relations efforts aim to convince the American public that the program has been a success. The administration frequently references the increased number of people with insurance in these efforts, despite the fact that enrollment numbers are not even half of the original projections, and still emanate primarily from the law’s Medicaid expansion. The number of people enrolled into a government program is not the right basis for judging success. Health care systems are intended to treat and heal people, so what fundamentally matters, and what the administration has said little about, is how the people who need health care are being treated. Access to care, medical outcomes, and cost are the metrics that matter, and on these fronts, although Obamacare is just a few years old, the administration has little to brag about. The administration’s focus on insurance coverage is understandable, because this is essentially the only Obamacare metric that is improving. Yet, as coverage numbers rise, all major insurance companies have been forced to scale down participation in the individual market. As the relatively healthier young adult population fails to sign up for coverage at the rate the administration needs to help balance out costs, United Health Care, Humana, Aetna, and BlueCross BlueShield have had to pull out of many insurance markets due to heavy financial losses. Numbers released for the start of Open Enrollment next week, show an average of three insurers per county in 2017, down from five in 2016. HHS officials confirmed that one in five people living in states using HealthCare.gov will only have a single carrier to choose from next year. This is not what the president promised America. The much touted ACA Co-Ops are also collapsing. Co-Ops were established as an alternative to traditional insurance companies—a consolation prize for those who wanted a public option. Now, 17 of the 23 established Co-Ops have gone out of business, wreaking havoc on state insurance markets in the process. The startup of these programs was funded with taxpayer sponsored loans that have not yet been paid back. Premiums on the health exchanges are increasing by double digits across the country. Just this week, the administration admitted that premiums for benchmark plans that determine subsidy levels will increase by an average of 25 percent in 2017. However, many states will see much higher premiums, the second cheapest silver-level plan for a 27-year-old, will increase 116 percent in Arizona and 69 percent in Oklahoma. Seven other states will have premium increases of over forty percent. Many on the left make light of the premium increase, because 82 percent of Americans with exchange coverage are on subsidized plans, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. However, the amount of money paid out of pocket does not equal actual cost, because when costs go up, subsidies – and the taxes needed to pay them – go up as well. The government is simply redistributing money and further distorting the insurance market. Employer sponsored insurance premiums are also increasing. Premiums for family coverage have increased 20 percent since 2011 and 58 percent since 2006 in the employer market. These plans are not subsidized by the government and the costs will be felt immediately by working families. As open enrollment begins on November 1, the administration will continue to push coverage numbers to help distract from the increased costs and lack of insurance choice for many customers. There should be no celebration until we see improved access to care, better health outcomes and decreasing costs. This won’t happen with the increasing prices and the declining competition resulting from the bigger role government is playing in our health care market under the ACA. We have seen what Obamacare has done for America: as the government’s role in health care has expanded, the market has become distorted, costs have risen, competition has declined, and consumer options have become severely limited. It is time now to let the free market work. Enrolling people into an inefficient system that increases the costs of health care, and raising either taxes or the national debt to cover those costs is immoral and unsustainable. A free market-focused system that encourages competition is the only way to generate more choice and lower prices. Americans are unhappy with Obamacare, and are increasingly likely to be open to market based reforms. More Americans view the law unfavorably than favorably and health care costs are a top concern for American families. Congress has the opportunity to lead on this issue and demonstrate a better way forward. So far they have focused on repealing the ACA, but no one wants to go back to the pre-ACA status quo. Congress should use this opportunity to communicate that better health outcomes and lower cost—not merely coverage—is what matters. House Republicans have put forward a plan titled A Better Way. The plan’s objective is simply stated: everyone has access to quality, affordable health care. This plan sets up concrete ways to improve our health care system. Its goal is not to just enroll people into a government program but to also improve care. The plan advocates for choice, portability, innovation, and transparency instead of Obamacare’s overbearing regulations. Unnecessary coverage mandates are replaced with the opportunity for flexible plan design. This will increase competition and decrease price. Insurers will compete by creating plans that offer individuals specific benefits, allowing people to choose the type of coverage they want. Customers will not be forced to buy coverage they don’t need, like many must do currently with the standardized government mandated plan. With more options at competitive prices fewer people will likely elect to go without care. Democrats and Republicans should be able to agree that increased affordability is a worthwhile goal. The Better Way proposal will also improve access to care. One of the main provisions of the ACA is to expand Medicaid coverage to people below 138% of the Federal Poverty Line. This actually decreases access for many Americans, because Medicaid plans pay doctors and hospitals less than private insurers, who then decline Medicaid patients, limiting access for those enrolled. In addition to an increase in their taxes, this also raises prices for people on private insurance plans, because doctors who do take Medicaid have to charge more to cover their costs. The Better Way Proposal advocates fixing the broken Medicaid system through state driven innovations. Allowing individual states to design plans that best fit their unique populations would mean eligibility and benefits standards that improve care and lower costs. Increased affordability would also mean Medicaid funds could be devoted only to those who truly need them. Most importantly, the plan improves quality by returning the health care model to decisions between patients and providers, not a federal administrator. Individuals should be trusted to make their own decisions about their health care. Health outcomes will improve when patients have a choice in what doctors they see and what type of insurance they buy. The Better Way plan will also improve outcomes through health care innovation. It advocates for decreased bureaucracy that will spur innovation of new medications and treatments. The proposal builds off of popular reforms already in place: Health Savings Accounts, Medicare Advantage, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit and value based payments are popular across the political spectrum. Using this evidence-based practice to improve care, rather than continually tweaking the market with government rules, regulations and executive actions will provide better healthcare to millions of Americans. The Better Way Proposal is a broad framework for improving health care, and the many pieces of legislation at its foundation provide a step-by-step guide to making them reality. Straightforward legislation that can be implemented individually is a much better alternative to a large, overly complex mandate like the ACA. The Better Way Proposal includes individual bills that will increase access, lower costs and improve outcomes. If Congress can rally around this new patient centered plan, we may be able to get past only focusing on insurance rates, and instead get to a market based system that provides the greatest quality health care at the lowest possible cost. Juliana Darrow serves as a health policy fellow at the American Action Forum, a think tank based in Washington, DC.

CNN / October 26, 2016 The top US commander in Iraq, Gen. Stephen Townsend, told reporters via satellite that it is "imperative to get isolation in place around Raqqa" because intelligence reports show there is "significant external operations attacks planning" taking place inside the city. "We actually aren't sure how pressing it is, and that's what's worrying," Townsend said, noting he was limited by what he could say in a public forum. "We know they are up to something, and it's an external plot. We don't know exactly where; we don't know exactly when."

What Uber needs more than driverless beer trucks Timothy E. Carone, CNN / October 26, 2016 One problem with technology is that sometimes what appears to be a great solution fails to live up to the hype. Take the buzz around "driverless" cars and aircraft, for instance. For years, driverless cars were in the research and development areas of companies like Google and Tesla. They are just now transitioning out of R&D and into operational or engineering developments. There are still significant limitations with broad deployment of self-driving cars -- Uber's new "driverless" cars in Pittsburgh have humans behind the wheel -- but they are approaching a level of operational maturity that enables them to address a huge problem: the 100 fatalities and 10,000 injuries a day caused by car accidents in the U.S. The problem is that while there is a good case for driverless cars and planes, it is harder to justify a need for driverless trucks, especially in urban environments, where their operations are impaired by complex traffic patterns, single-lane streets with many obstacles on either side and pedestrians who are unpredictable. And nowhere is this mismatch between the technology "solution" and the "problem" at hand more obvious than with the recent announcement by Uber of driverless beer trucks. To be sure, automated beer delivery makes for a catchy headline, but safety demands that we take a closer look. Unlike cars, driverless trucks have undergone only limited testing -- under ideal conditions, and for relatively few miles. This is important, because the artificial intelligence behind driverless trucks is proving more difficult to develop than similar software for driverless cars. Uber's beer truck may be a good start, but no company should expect that much of their long-haul trucking fleet will be driverless in 5-10 years. Truck aerodynamics are more complex than cars because of their size and the variety of loads they can carry. Cars carry humans and a few small items. Trucks carry everything from a load of beer to a load of live cattle. In short, the work to develop driverless trucks that can be reliably used by companies is far less along than driverless cars. There is no guarantee that the outcome of this development work, and its costs, will lead to commercially useful trucks that are deployed in large numbers. But there's a superior alternative to driverless trucks. The research has been done, and the operations are already mature. Instead of trucks, Uber and Anheuser-Busch InBev should be investing for the future in aerial drones. These drones can fly industrial loads from a terminus to a delivery location in a path that is more direct than existing highways. Though examples of this utility for drones are still few and far between, they do exist across the globe. Small drones in Australia and Rwanda are carrying loads of several hundred kilograms. Amazon has announced it will test drone deliveries in partnership with the UK government. And an Israeli company has a drone prototype that can carry 1,100 pounds for 31 miles. Companies looking to use industrial drones can learn from military and intelligence organizations, which have conducted mature operations for large drones that maneuver in adverse situations. Industrial drones can reuse much of the software and operational best practices these organizations have developed over the past two decades. Scaling up to widely used industrial drones means companies could start replacing trucks on the roads within five years, with enormous benefits to profits, workers and consumers alike. In addition to being at a more advanced and practical stage of development, industrial drones have key advantages over driverless trucks. First, they do not have to be pilotless. This simplifies their operations because a ready-made population of those pilots already exists: The skill required to fly an industrial drone would be similar to drones already in use by the military and intelligence communities. Industrial drones can carry loads along a more direct route, as their mission is simply to move a load from point A to point B. An industrial drone can pick up a load at a terminus and deliver it to its location in a straight line instead of following the U.S highway and interstate systems. Even better, an industrial drone is not subject to the limitations that many trucks have today on length, width, height and weight. Best of all, the operational maturity of an industrial drone brings existing truck drivers into the pool of potential pilots as well. Instead of having their jobs eliminated, truck drivers could be trained to sit in a remote location and operate industrial drones in any part of the country. Unlike driverless trucks, industrial drones could offer jobs to Teamsters in a fourth industrial revolution. Since these pilots should be able to handle more than one drone at a time, industrial drones would provide efficiencies to customers, improving consumer experience. We need to reprioritize our investments to improve the trucking industry. Most of these funds should be repurposed to embrace the future with industrial drones while continuing with driverless truck development at a lower priority. Right now, about 10 million trucks are on the road at any given time in the U.S., posing both safety risks and huge costs. The most-used freight corridors, consisting of 26,000 miles of highways, account for over 95% of that total. The infrastructure associated with these freight corridors require billions of dollars annually to fix and maintain. Replacing these with driverless trucks does not address this situation in a positive way. Removing trucks from the road and replacing them with industrial drones will lead us into the future with a better safety record and less stress on our infrastructure. Timothy Carone is an associate teaching professor in the Department of IT, Analytics, and Operations at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. A former astrophysicist, Carone is the author of "Future Automation: Changes to Lives and to Businesses." The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

Truck News / October 25, 2016 You have to have faith in your equipment, and the engineers who designed it, to keep your foot planted firmly on the accelerator as you bear down on a stopped SUV in a Class 8 highway truck. But that’s exactly what Volvo and Bendix [Knorr-Bremse] officials did Monday in showcasing their new Volvo Active Driver Assist (VADA) collision mitigation system, and no metal was crumpled in the demonstration. VADA, announced in early October at the American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition, is Volvo’s fully integrated version of Bendix Wingman Fusion. Volvo’s the first truck maker to integrate the information generated by Wingman Fusion into its existing driver display, eliminating the need for a second in-cab display and the potential for distraction. It builds on Volvo Enhanced Cruise, but offers new capabilities and the ability to mitigate front-end collisions in all traffic situations – regardless of whether or not cruise control is active. One of the most notable improvements is the ability to recognize stationary objects and automatically apply the brakes if the driver doesn’t react quickly enough. “It’s able to detect an object and once it’s identified by the camera that it’s a vehicle, it gives the driver alarms to react accordingly. If they don’t, it will activate the brakes and brake automatically,” explained Ash Makki, product marketing manager with Volvo. Volvo says 31% of truck crashes today involve front-end collisions. VADA’s automatic braking is available at speeds of 15 mph or higher. At slower speeds, such as in stop-and-go traffic, it will still sound alarms but automatic braking isn’t applied. In addition to issuing audible alerts, a bright red LED ring appears around the speedometer, giving the driver a visual cue if he or she is looking at their gauges instead of the road. VADA combines a new radar, with a greater range of 500 feet forward and 22-degrees width, with a windshield-mounted camera that has a 42-degree viewing angle. This allows the system to work in all weather conditions; when it’s too foggy for the camera to pick up lane markings, the radar will take over the lane departure warning requirements. Lane departure warning comes standard with VADA and sounds audible alerts when a driver leaves his or her lane without signaling. It sounds a different set of alarms if the system notices, through erratic driving, that the driver may be tired. Drivers have the ability to turn off lane departure warnings for 15 minutes when traveling through a construction zone or other areas where lane markings aren’t present. Wingman Fusion also offers overspeed alerts but Volvo is not yet offering that feature. The camera reads roadside speed limit signs and alerts the driver and fleet manager when speed limits are exceeded by 10 mph or more. Volvo is still working on integrating that feature into its driver display and plans to add it in the future. Another new benefit is the ability to prioritize alerts. If, for example, the truck is leaving its lane without signaling but also about to run into the vehicle in front, VADA will determine which of the two items is the most urgent to address and react accordingly. The camera can be used as a driver coaching tool. When an event occurs – ie. hard-braking, fast cornering, a sudden maneuver – it captures 20 seconds of footage, the 10 immediately preceding the event and the 10 that followed. That footage is stored in Bendix’s SafetyDirect online portal. Fleet managers can monitor the performance of drivers and use the video footage for coaching. “A lot of fleets like to use this feature to educate drivers,” said Makki. “You don’t have to wait until an accident happens.” Drivers can also manually save footage with the press of a button if they see something on the road of note, for example if they’ve witnessed an accident. The camera can store up to 40 video files at a time. When there has not been an incident to record, the camera runs on a continuous loop, erasing footage it previously recorded. Fleet managers don’t have the ability to peek in on their drivers. Jim Kennedy, vice-president of maintenance for McKenzie Tank Lines, a 275-truck tanker fleet based in Tallahassee, Fla. and serving the US, Canada and Mexico, is a big believer in the technology. “VADA is there to support drivers,” he said. He monitors excessive braking, cornering speed, lane departures, forward collision warnings, etc. and sets high and low performance thresholds. He then keys in on the drivers who generate the most alerts and offers additional training. Volvo’s active safety systems, including Volvo Enhanced Stability Technology (VEST), have helped the company nearly eliminate rollover and rear-end collisions, Kennedy said. From 2003 to 2007, McKenzie Tank Lines had 47 rear-end collisions and 11 rollovers. Since 2010 it has only had a single rollover and it has only had two rear-end collisions in the past three years. “Every single vehicle that has had either one of these events – because you have a transitionary period when you’re bringing in new equipment – every one did not have on it the technology that affected that specific type of event,” Kennedy said. “That speaks volumes. That’s where we feel the proof is.” Volvo made VEST standard in 2005, looking to eliminate the 28% of commercial vehicle accidents that involve a rollover. After demonstrating VADA and VEST to trade press editors, Volvo brought in more than 100 dealers and customers for similar demonstrations during its Safety Symposium. It was hosted at Michelin’s sprawling 3,300-acre proving grounds near Laurens, South Carolina. .

FTC Charges Two With Fraud in Selling Registration Services Transport Topics / October 24, 2016 The Federal Trade Commission has charged two individuals with using a fake government affiliation to sell commercial trucking registration services. The FTC said James Lamb and Uliana Bogash violated federal law by representing themselves as agents of the Department of Transportation and failing to adequately disclose fees charged to help fleet owners comply with annual filing requirements under the Unified Carrier Registration system. “The defendants have taken in more than $19 million from thousands of small businesses by sending misleading robocalls, emails and text messages that create and reinforce the false impression that they are, or are affiliated with, the U.S. DOT, the UCR system or another government agency,” the FTC alleged in its complaint. A federal judge granted a request by the FTC for a preliminary injunction against the two individuals and their companies, including DOTAuthority.com and DOTFilings.com, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / October 25, 2016 The Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint against James Lamb and several of his motor carrier business services companies claiming they scammed thousands of owner-operators and other transportation providers out of nearly $20 million. The FTC says Lamb and cohorts tricked small business truckers into paying unnecessary federal and state registration fees by pretending to be associated with the Department of Transportation or other agencies. They sent “robocalls, emails and text messages that create and reinforce the false impression that they are, or are affiliated with, the U.S. DOT, the [Unified Carrier Registration] system or another government agency,” the FTC alleges. Lamb and his agents would threaten owner-operators with fines and more if they did not pay, the FTC claims. Lamb, a broker advocate as head of the Association of Independent Property Brokers and Agents, contests the FTC charges, arguing the agency has acted deceptively in court against him and his companies. Lamb has filed a motion asking the FTC to foot his attorney’s fees spent defending himself, and he says an initial request for an asset freeze was reversed after a judge heard his companies’ side of the story. The companies in question in the FTC allegations include DOTfilings.com and DOTauthority.com. The FTC announced Oct. 17 a federal judge has granted the agency its request for injunction against Lamb, his companies and defendant Uliana Bogash, a business partner of Lamb’s. The FTC says tens of thousands of owner-operators have been caught up in the scheme.

Sean Kilcarr, Fleet Owner / October 26, 2016 There’s no doubt a tremendous number of “big ticket” regulations coming together to hammer the trucking industry in some truly enormous ways: the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate; speed limiting devices; the now-official Phase 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) rules that will further increase equipment costs. In sum, the regulatory to-do list is long and simply poised to get longer. So how will all of the rules – existing and soon-to-be-implemented alike – ultimately re-order trucking and the freight world as a whole? John Larkin, head of the transportation & logistics equity research group at Stifel Capital Markets, recently offered some thoughts on that impending “re-ordering” and in his view at least there’s at least one thin silver lining amid what could be some significant motor carrier carnage – the ability to get better freight rates. “Sometime between the second quarter of 2017 and the second quarter of 2018 we think there will be a return to the environment that we saw in 2014 where there was more freight than there are trucks,” he explained at the Surface Transportation Summit earlier this month. “The spot market will go from being awful to being quite attractive, [while] contract rates will start to move up as high as mid-single digit rates.” Larkin added that one reason many shippers adopted what he called a “Neanderthal pricing mentality” earlier this year is they think this is sort of their “last shot to get a bite at the apple” to push rates down. “Maybe they take another little bite in the first quarter of next year but that may be their last chance,” he stressed. “From that point forward capacity will be taken out by ELDs, fleet downsizing, fleet failures, people coming out of the industry and then the next litany of regulations including speed limiters, the safety fitness determination [rule], drug testing methodology, and sleep apnea testing,” Larkin emphasized. “As all of those regulations are going to have the same net effect: reducing truck supply.” Make no mistake, however: those three words, “reducing truck supply,” will encompass a huge amount of pain for this industry to endure. Lots of truck drivers are going to leave the industry; many potential recruits will say “no thanks” to careers as truck drivers due to the ever-increasing hassles; and trucking firms will close their doors in the face of regulatory compliance costs. It won’t be pretty. “The big constraint on truckload capacity is drivers; even though we have a soft economy [they] are still very difficult to find,” Larkin noted. “It’s tough to find those people who are willing to sacrifice their lifestyle to be out on the road,” he added. “And I’m not sure what changes that, especially in a world where in order to micromanage the cost structure of [trucking] operations we’re telling the driver to stay in the right hand lane on a specified route, to drive 63 miles per hour and to take his 30 minute rest at this particular rest area and to take on 50 gallons of fuel at this particular truck stop and to deliver the freight within this 15-minute window at that shipper.” In Larkin’s view, there’s “virtually no autonomy left” and “very few red-blooded men and women” want told what to do every minute of the day while living in a little metal box hurtling down the highway at 63 mph. “That’s the constraint,” he explained. So instead, as truck pricing fell apart this year, fleets are downsizing in an effort to keep truck utilization up while cutting costs. Larkin also feels that as the ELD mandate hits on Dec. 1 next year, other motor carriers may simply call it day and close up shop – though that’s not necessarily a bad thing, in some ways, especially for those cutting lots of corners where safety is concerned. “As we get into next year when the ELD mandate gets closer you should see more and more companies adopting them, which will eliminate the cheating that goes on currently with the manual [paper] logs,” he explained. “That should tighten things up as well.” Larkin believes about roughly 50% of the trucking industry has ELDs to make the math easy, while the other 50% does not. Many of those still using paper logs are doing do now primarily to cheat, he thinks, running in a 600 to 750 mile length of haul range that’s completed in one day, “which of course you cannot do legally with a solo driver,” he emphasized. Thus when those fleets convert over to the ELDs, Larkin predicts their productivity will drop by 6% to 10%. “And if 50% of the industry is down 6% to 10% that implies 3% to 5% of capacity coming out of the [trucking] industry.” That also assumes that all of the small carriers who take this “productivity hit” are going to be able to survive, he pointed out; which Larkin doesn’t think will be the case. “We think quite a few of them are going to hang up their cleats and call it a day and just exit the industry,” he said. “So it could be worse than a 3% to 5% loss of capacity when all is said and done and the dust settles.” That’s big, painful change, no doubt. But if fleets can make the transition to ELDs and comply without too much trouble with the other regulations being placed on the books, they may very well end up with some serious rate negotiating leverage. We’ll see if that happens as predicted.

Jacobs releases engine brake system for the 2017 X15 Fleet Owner / October 26, 2016 Jacobs Vehicle Systems announced the introduction of the optimized engine brake for the 2017 Cummins X15 engine. “The 2017 X15 capitalizes on the optimization of the VGT and the braking cam to deliver approximately ten percent additional braking power at engine speeds under 1700 RPM, compared to that of the 2010 ISX15,” the company said. “At a typical engine speed of 1500 RPM, drivers can now rely on 450 HP of braking power to provide confidence and driver control while in traffic or descending a hill. Wıth a simple downshift to increase the engine speed, the engine brake in the X15 Performance Series will deliver a retarding force of up to 600HP of braking at 2100RPM. The X15 braking performance continues to be best-in-class for heavy duty engines in North America.” “Cummins was Jacobs’ first engine brake customer in 1961. Over 55 years later, we continue to innovate through collaboration among our engineering teams using all engine systems available to maximize engine braking,” said Steve Ernest, vice president, Engineering and Business Development. “When the pioneers and global leaders of engine brakes combine efforts with world-class diesel engine designers, we drive constant innovation and evolution of technologies that deliver performance and value to the customer. With the Cummins X15, equipped with an integrated Jacobs Engine Brake, truckers will experience safer travel and the improved comfort they demand, while reducing the wear of foundation brakes, downtime and service costs.”

Up close: Navistar CatalIST SuperTruck Fleet Owner / October 26, 2016 What could be cooler than the SuperTruck concept vehicles that have been built by North American OEMs with research funding from U.S. Dept. of Energy? Taking one out for a spin, that’s what. And Navistar let Fleet Owner do just that earlier this month when the newly unveiled CatalIST was on hand during a product demonstration day at the company’s 700-acre test facility here. Powered by the Navistar N13 engine, the CatalIST’s refined aerodynamics, use of lighter-weight materials, and technologies such as predictive cruise deliver fuel efficiency of better than 13 miles per gallon. Slide Show - http://fleetowner.com/equipment/close-navistar-catalist-supertruck#slide-0-field_images-204171 “We’ve literally designed this vehicle from the back forward, because there is a fundamental principle in aerodynamic design that says until you clean up the back of the truck and the trailer, you’re going to be limited by what you do in the front,” explained Navistar’s Dean Opperman, chief engineer, advanced vehicle technologies. “Fundamentally, the design of the trailer and tractor impact each other. We worked directly with Wabash National, and were able to optimize our design around their specific technologies—and we will continue to do that with all different types of trailer aerodynamics technologies,” Opperman said. “In a perfect world, we would like to be in control of both systems, but that’s never going to happen. But once we knew where we were going, it solidified a lot of things we wanted to do up front.” Among the special touches on the CalalIST trailer by Wabash National, for instance, are the skirt design, the “ball and socket” passive gap treatment, a bogie treatment on the tandem axles, and an extended boat tail design, Opperman pointed out. Most significantly, the overall shape of the trailer is the key to developing a more optimum, wing-like airflow by lowering the front and rear of the vehicle. As the CatalIST reaches highway speed and “changes shape,” the load bias also shifts forward more toward the tag axle and the low-rolling resistance single tires. Because of the improved aerodynamics and reduced rolling resistance, the CatalIST needs only about 80 h.p. to cruise at 65 m.p.h., Opperman noted. The laptop displays telematics data from the various systems, including engine speed and downspeeding performance, horsepower in use, hybrid charging and discharge, solar power input from the trailer roof, and the vehicle height controls down to the axle and the corresponding load bias. For the SuperTruck program, Wabash National likewise leveraged some existing advanced designs and materials to improve fuel efficiency. In order to give the tractor-trailer the airfoil shape without exceeding height limits, the project trailer utilized smaller wheels and tires as well as the hydraulic control mechanism. The CatalIST trailer’s skirt is based on the new Wabash Ventix DRS (Drag Reduction System), in which segmented side panels manage air flow across the entire underbody. Navistar continues to refine, searching for the ideal aerodynamic shape for a working heavy-duty commercial vehicle. Among the aero touches, a camera system replaces and improves upon traditional mirrors. A new LED headlamp system reduces lamp size for a more aerodynamic shape and cuts electrical power requirements by greater than 80 percent. Along with the tight gap, the tractor and trailer fairings are mutually optimized, using computational fluid dynamics, to minimize drag. A polycarbonate windshield allows for "a more aggressive curvature" that, in turn, better manages the airflow around the cab, Opperman noted. Combined with the camera system that replaces mirrors, the result is a significant reduction in noise and buffeting at highway speeds. Low rolling resistance tires and aero wheel covers are also part of the package. If the sun is just right, you might notice that the CalalIST is based on the International ProStar. But the CatalIST project is aimed squarely at Navistar International's future products. .

Heavy Duty Trucking / October 26, 2016 Used Class 8 same-dealer truck sales fell sharply in September, reversing a growth trend that started in February. Truck sales dropped 11% compared with the previous month. The average price of used Class 8 trucks increased 1% over the same period. Industry analysts believe that prices will remain steadily lower in the long term. The used truck market saw a late summer surge through August with strong sales across all market segments. However, September’s numbers suggest the boom in used truck sales may be over for now. “All three market segments posted weaker volumes, with declines across all three time comparisons,” said one analyst. “The retail market segment fared the best, marking only a 1% decline month-over-month, while the auction and wholesale markets took the biggest hits, falling 45% and 25% month-over-month, respectively."

EPA scrutiny bogs down new diesels Automotive News / October 24, 2016 The EPA's crack-down on emissions malfeasance has thrown the U.S. diesel vehicle market into disarray. With the 2017 model year well underway, Jaguar is the only brand selling 2017 diesel light vehicles in the U.S. That compares with nine brands offering 20 models in the previous model year, including many from Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche, which are now sidelined from the diesel market altogether. Later this year, BMW will join Jaguar, having received a green light from the EPA over the summer. But for now, those are the only two automakers cleared to sell 2017 diesels, an EPA spokesman said. Other automakers' plans remain in limbo as the EPA continues the rigorous diesel testing regime it implemented in response to VW's emissions violations, highlighting a lingering effect of the cheating scandal on the rest of the industry. Since last October, the EPA has subjected diesels to a new battery of tests designed to root out the type of cheating uncovered at VW. To deter automakers from trying to game the tests, EPA officials have said little publicly about the enhanced testing, saying only that vehicles would be kept longer and tested in unpredictable ways. "It is true that diesel vehicles are getting extra scrutiny and that has extended the certification process longer than normal," EPA spokes-man Nick Conger said. "In general, manufacturers have been supportive of this additional testing and have adjusted their timing to account for the additional test duration." The new testing has uncovered no evidence of emissions manipulation thus far, but the effects have been felt throughout the industry, beginning with delayed launches last year of the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon diesel pickups and the diesel 2016 BMW X5. GM is now awaiting approval for the 2017 Colorado and Canyon. GM, which also has a Cruze diesel due next year, says it's still building 2016 diesel pickups. Jeep and Ram stores have gasoline-powered 2017 Grand Cherokees and Ram 1500s in stock, but no diesels, even though both models were offered with Fiat Chrysler's 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engine for 2016 and press materials indicate the engines would be offered for 2017. An FCA spokesman refused to comment. FCA's online inventory trackers show several thousand unsold 2016 EcoDiesel Ram 1500s available nationwide, as well as hundreds of the less popular Grand Cherokee diesels. BMW delayed the start of production for its 2017 diesel 3-series sedan and X3 and X5 crossovers pending testing by the EPA and the California Air Resources Board. The 3-series and X3 diesels are on track to arrive by year end and the X5 diesel arrives in January. Mercedes-Benz is now delaying plans to offer four diesel models in the U.S.: a C-class sedan as well as GLC, GLE and GLS utility vehicles. "Numerous authorities are currently testing diesel engine vehicles for compliance with emission standards," says Mercedes spokesman Robert Moran. "Of course, this process has a considerable impact on new diesel certification projects both in terms of effort and duration." For now, Mercedes' priority is securing EPA certification for the V-6 diesel in the GLS350d, Moran wrote, refusing to provide a launch date. He also refused to say whether Mercedes still intends to offer diesel versions of the GLE or GLC in the U.S., as Mercedes executives had said would happen. It still sells the 2016 GLE300d in the U.S., but dealerhip supplies are dwindling. But Moran confirmed that Mercedes has abandoned plans to offer a diesel C class next year in the U.S., citing "product strategy reasons." Even that timing represented a delay: the C300d was supposed to arrive the first quarter of this year.

Light-Duty Diesel Engines Slow to Return to Showrooms in Wake of Emissions Scandal Edmunds / October 26, 2016 A federal judge may have approved a $14.7 billion court settlement relating to the Volkswagen diesel-emissions cheating scandal, but that doesn't signify that sales of light-duty diesel cars and SUVs are poised to return to pre-crisis levels. On the eve of the settlement, Automotive News pointed out that Jaguar is the only brand with 2017 diesel engines certified and ready to sell. A quick check of inventory on Edmunds.com confirmed that diesel-powered 2017 Jaguar XE and XF sedans are indeed ready and waiting for buyers. But that's it. Audi and Porsche have deep corporate ties to Volkswagen, so it's no surprise that their diesel offerings are in deep limbo. But that doesn't explain the absence of the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel or BMW's 3 Series, X3 and X5 diesels. Detailed 2017 pricing has been published, but they are not for sale and diesel fuel economy data is conspicuously absent from fueleconomy.gov. The picture is even murkier for the Range Rover diesel and the Mercedes GLE and E-Class diesels, none of which appear in 2017 order guides. The same is true of the Chevrolet Cruze and the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon diesels. The issue swirls around emissions approval. Diesel engines emit much more oxides of nitrogen (NOx) than gasoline ones, and the demanding emissions regulations in the U.S. cut light-duty diesels no slack. A secondary exhaust catalyst and a diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) injection system are necessary to take care of the extra NOx. Volkswagen decided it could literally drive around the requirement by burying cheat codes in its diesel engine control software. The test patterns used in lab testing are very strictly defined, and that made it possible for someone to craft software that would only turn on the NOx control system when someone dressed in a lab coat was looking. No one expected such a brazen tactic from a major auto manufacturer, and the EPA knows it can't let this happen again. According to Automotive News, "EPA officials have said little publicly about the enhanced testing, saying only that vehicles would be kept longer and tested in unpredictable ways." At a minimum, the EPA is running its own dyno tests and subjecting manufacturer-reported results to greater scrutiny. And it's likely officials are strapping Portable Emissions Measuring (PEM) devices to test vehicles and driving them on actual roads to ensure the lab tests match. All of this (and surely more) is slowing down the certification of 2017 light-duty diesel cars, pickups and SUVs. This seems like a temporary setback, at least technically. But the resilience of customer demand is harder to judge. Light-duty diesels still have a place in the market — particularly the light-pickup and SUV segments that value torque and towing. But those who bought a diesel-powered car for fuel economy alone will likely be tempted by hybrid offerings instead. And since the biggest player may not soon re-enter the segment, it's likely that the peak days of the diesel sedan are behind us.

Six NATO nations eager to increase Black Sea presence RT / September 26, 2016 US, Turkey and Poland are among the NATO member states which confirmed their readiness to dispatch naval units to the Black Sea in 2017, boosting the alliance’s presence in the region, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Stoltenberg noted “progress” in strengthening NATO’s presence in the Black Sea Region in his statement after the meeting of the block’s defense ministers in Brussels on Wednesday. “With a Romania-led multi-national framework brigade on land and we’re working on measures in the air and at sea,” he said. According to the secretary General, several member-states “indicated their willingness to contribute to our presence in the Black Sea region on land, at sea and in the air, including Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey and the US.” “Other allies are also looking into how they can contribute,” he added. The plans on enhancing Black Sea presence will be finalized during another meeting on NATO ministers in February. Following Crimea’s reunification with Russia, NATO has been increasingly concerned about the Black Sea is turning into a “Russian lake.” Since the spring of 2014, NATO warships, including missile cruisers from the US and other allied nations, have been patrolling the Black Sea on a rotational basis, never leaving the area unattended. NATO decided to increase their presence in the Black Sea during a summit in Warsaw in July, calling it a response to Russia’s increasing military capabilities and is a gesture of support to its Eastern European members. READ MORE: Lithuania aims to spend $115m on air-defense system amid NATO build-up in Eastern Europe The military beef-up in the region is expected lead to the creation of NATO’s Black Sea Fleet to be formed by member-states with direct access to the sea. Stoltenberg also said that 17 NATO countries will delegate their units to join the four multinational ground battalions to be deployed in Poland and the Baltic State early next year. The battalions will be led by the US, UK, Canada and Germany, while the countries sending their forces included France, Poland, Albania, Romania, Croatia and others. The Secretary General stressed that NATO was monitoring the movement of Russian vessels in the Baltic Sea. "I can confirm that two Russian warships have recently entered the Baltic Sea, and NATO is monitoring this movement in the way we always do," he said. However, Stoltenberg stressed that, despite its buildup in Eastern Europe, the alliance is ready for dialogue with Moscow. "We are concerned about Russia's behavior. Bur dialogue is even more important when tensions run high. And allies stand ready to hold an ambassadorial meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in the near future," he said.

Britain, U.S. sending planes, troops to deter Russia in the east Reuters / October 26, 2016 Britain said on Wednesday it will send fighter jets [see note] to Romania next year and the United States promised troops, tanks and artillery to Poland in NATO's biggest military build-up on Russia's borders since the Cold War. Note: Britain has around 126 Eurofighter Typhoons in operation, but only 40 are available for immediate use. 32 of those are based in the UK for domestic defence, 4 are patrolling the Falklands, and 4 are supporting NATO's air-policing mission over the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Germany, Canada and other NATO allies also pledged forces at a defense ministers meeting in Brussels on the same day two Russian warships armed with cruise missiles entered the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Denmark, underscoring East-West tensions. In Madrid, the foreign ministry said Russia had withdrawn a request to refuel three warships in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta after NATO allies said they could be used to target civilians in Syria. The ships were part of an eight-ship carrier battle group - including Russia's sole aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov - that is expected to join around 10 other Russian vessels already off the Syrian coast, diplomats said. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the troop contributions to a new 4,000-strong force in the Baltics and eastern Europe were a measured response to what the alliance believes are some 330,000 Russian troops stationed on Russia's western flank near Moscow. "This month alone, Russia has deployed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad and suspended a weapons-grade plutonium agreement with the United States," Stoltenberg said, also accusing Russia of continued support for rebels in Ukraine. Those ballistic missiles can hit targets across Poland and the Baltics, although NATO officials declined to say if Russia had moved nuclear warheads to Kaliningrad. NATO's aim is to make good on a July promise by NATO leaders to deter Russia in Europe's ex-Soviet states, after Moscow orchestrated the annexation of the Crimea peninsula in 2014. NATO's plan is to set up four battle groups with a total of some 4,000 troops from early next year, backed by a 40,000-strong rapid-reaction force, and if need be, follow-on forces. As part of that, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced a "battle-ready battalion task force" of about 900 soldiers would be sent to eastern Poland, as well as another, separate force equipped with tanks and other heavy equipment to move across eastern Europe. "It's a major sign of the U.S. commitment to strengthening deterrence here," Carter said. Britain's Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said Britain would send an 800-strong battalion to Estonia, supported by French and Danish troops, starting from May. The United States wants its troops in position by June. London is also sending Typhoon fighter aircraft to Romania to patrol around the Black Sea, partly in support of Turkey. "Although we are leaving the European Union, we will be doing more to help secure the eastern and southern flanks of NATO," Fallon said. SYRIAN SHADOW Others NATO allies joined the four battle groups led by the United States, Germany, Britain and Canada to go to Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. Canada said it was sending 450 troops to Latvia, joined by 140 military personnel from Italy. Germany said it was sending between 400 and 600 troops to Lithuania, with additional forces from the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Croatia and Luxembourg. Stoltenberg said allies' commitments would be "a clear demonstration of our transatlantic bond." Diplomats said it would also send a message to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who has complained that European allies do not pay their way in the alliance. For the Kremlin, the U.S.-led alliance's plans are already too much given Russia's grievances at NATO's expansion eastwards, although Stoltenberg denied going too far. But NATO's troop announcements in the Baltic states and Poland were partly overshadowed by the dispute about whether Spain should refuel the Russian warships, which was later resolved by Moscow's decision to withdraw its request. NATO's tensions with Russia have been building since Crimea and the West's decision to impose retaliatory sanctions. But the breakdown of a U.S-Russia brokered ceasefire in Syria on Oct. 3, followed by U.S. accusations that Russia has used cyber attacks to disrupt the presidential election, have signaled a worsening of ties. Even before the break down of the Syrian ceasefire, Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended a treaty with Washington on cleaning up weapons-grade plutonium, signaling he was willing to use nuclear disarmament as a new bargaining chip in disputes with the United States over Ukraine and Syria.

“It's amazing how people can get themselves in these situations when, if you stop and think about it, you'll see that basically, you guys are not that far apart on this thing.” Jack Moniker (Robin Williams), “Club Paradise” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Things are getting out of hand. With the accidental movement of a nervous young man’s trigger finger, the world as we know it could be radically transformed.......in a very bad way. I, personally, want to continue enjoying my morning cup of coffee. Life’s too short for all this nonsense. We only have one life. We are but “guests” on this 4.5 billion-year-old planet for 70-90 some years. ISIS was a chance for the west to forge a working relationship with Russia (Putin). We’ll never agree on all issues. We can’t come close to doing that among ourselves. The world is a much smaller place than before. We must to learn to co-exist. ISIS, and the greater radical Islamic threat (e.g. September 11, London, Paris), is a common foe of the west and Russia. It’s a shame we couldn’t put aside our long time hang-ups and work with Russia in annihilating ISIS, instead of an apparently unsuccessful approach of arming numerous factions who often allied with........ISIS. In Syria, Obama talked of a red line and demanded that Putin allow the U.S. to have a try first. After two years of nothing, having allowed Obama to go first, Putin then sent in his air force. After blowing up ISIS oil tankers headed to Turkey (our ally?) and ISIS targets, Obama then out of embarrassment ordered similar attacks. In America, Detroit is more dangerous than Syria at night......and yet we do nothing about that. Based on our cues overseas, why hasn’t our government requested that NATO send troops from member states to Detroit, or have the United Nations send peacekeepers? If we applied as much time, money and effort on our issues here at home as we do overseas, ...................................

Pentagon suspends California National Guard bonus repayments Associated Press / October 26, 2016 The Pentagon worked Wednesday to stave off a public relations nightmare, suspending efforts to force California National Guard troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to repay their enlistment bonuses that may have been improperly awarded. Defense Secretary Ash Carter ordered the suspension in the wake of angry reaction from congressional Republicans and Democrats. They demanded he relieve the burden on Guard members following news reports that soldiers were asked to repay bonuses that in some cases totaled more than $25,000. The announcement does not end the reimbursement process, but postpones collection efforts while the Pentagon and Congress look for a long-term solution. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama was pleased with the decision, but said it was important for the Pentagon "to follow through" by finding a long-term solution. Obama had warned the Defense Department earlier this week not to "nickel and dime" service members who were victims of wrongdoing by overzealous recruiters. In a statement issued during a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels, Carter said efforts to collect reimbursement from Guard members should stop "as soon as is practical." Carter said he has ordered the department to set up a streamlined process by Jan. 1 to help troops get relief from the repayment obligation, because the current program has moved too slowly. Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Peter Levine told reporters Wednesday that the process of identifying and processing the California Guard members who might have to repay the money may take up to 10 days. "If we determine that recoupment was unjustified, there will be a process that allows the recovery of that and the reversal of that money," Levine said. Levine said they are looking to set up "a one-stop place" for those affected to get a hearing and review, noting that the goal is to eliminate "a bunch of sequential processes." The details of that process have yet to be determined, he said. Among about 14,000 California Guard members whose bonuses and other incentive payments were reviewed, about 3,000 of those are men and women have since left the National Guard, Levine said. They will be eligible for repayment as well, but it hasn't been determined how those cases will be handled since they do not have current addresses or contact details for many of those individuals, he added. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain said the move by the Defense Department is "a long-overdue first step," and he vowed to work with Senate colleagues "to explore all options available to hold those responsible for this unacceptable situation accountable and to ensure this never happens again." Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, called the measure "a weak and ham-handed attempt to shift the focus away from the Obama administration's shameful treatment of service members and veterans." "Carter seems to have no plan to make those who've already been forced to pay back their bonuses whole, and by focusing only on the California Guard, he is ignoring what media reports indicate could be a national problem," Miller said. The Los Angeles Times reported over the weekend that the Pentagon demanded that thousands of soldiers repay their enlistment bonuses after audits revealed overpayments by the California National Guard. Recruiters under pressure to fill ranks and hit enlistment goals at the height of the two wars improperly offered bonuses of $15,000 or more to soldiers who re-enlisted. If soldiers refuse to pay the bonus back, they could face interest charges, wage garnishments and tax liens. "While some soldiers knew or should have known they were ineligible for benefits they were claiming, many others did not," Carter said, adding that the new process will put "as little burden as possible on any soldier who received an improper payment through no fault of his or her own. At the same time, it will respect our important obligation to the taxpayer." But the country's largest combat veteran's organization, said the measure "doesn't go deep enough." Brian Duffy, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and its Auxiliary, said the erroneous bonuses were "the fault of a system, not of any recipient." As many as 6,500 California National Guard soldiers have been asked to repay the enlistment bonuses. "We deal with these problems all the time, but we deal with it in ones and twos, not in hundreds and thousands," said Gordon Trowbridge, deputy Pentagon press secretary. The Pentagon said it is investigating cases beyond California, but said those will likely add up to "dozens." House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who had pressed the Pentagon to suspend the program, said Wednesday, "I'm glad the Pentagon came to its senses." House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., also welcomed the development, saying he spoke with Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work Tuesday night and vowed to work with other members of Congress to provide a legislative solution so the repayment issue does not recur. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., welcomed the Pentagon announcement, but said lawmakers need to find a permanent solution. "The heroes who served our country in uniform deserve every bonus and benefit they received in good faith," she said. "We all must work together to swiftly address this situation and monitor any additional issues that come up in California and other states."

If you kill two people, you “could” face the death penalty. Could ??? And then, the killer remains on “death row”, at the taxpayer’s expense, for years until his appeals are exhausted, or a slick lawyer is able to reduce his penalty on a technicality to life in prison, pointlessly costing taxpayers even more. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oklahoma Double Murder Suspect Has Hit List, May Be Headed to Nevada ABC News / October 26, 2016 A 38-year-old Oklahoma man who has evaded police for two days after killing two people and shooting four others -- including two police officers -- has a hit list and may intend to kill up to eight more people, authorities said Tuesday. "This is a man who has indicated a total propensity to kill people, to injure people, shoot people," said Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel. "He has no care for human life whatsoever." Authorities believe he may be headed to Nevada and have notified police there to be on the lookout. Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel said the suspect, Michael Vance, “could” face the death penalty if convicted of the crimes. Whetsel is warning citizens to stay clear if they spot Vance, adding that he has "absolutely nothing to lose." Vance's rampage began Sunday evening, when he allegedly shot two police officers responding to the scene at a mobile home park over reports of shots fired in the area. The two officers sustained non-life-threatening injuries, officials say, and were temporarily disabled as Vance fled the scene in their patrol car. One officer was shot in the foot and another was hit by gunfire in both legs. Investigators believe Vance live-streamed two videos while on the run, one from inside the police cruiser and another while inside another vehicle. In one of the videos, Vance appears in a blood-covered shirt and says he's been shot before showing a rifle on the seat next to him. "Letting y'all know, look, this is real," he says in the video, according to the Associated Press. "If you want to know what's up next, stay tuned to your local news." Vance said things were "going to be intense," according to an affidavit released on Monday night. He then proceeded to a mobile home park, where police discovered the bodies of two of his relatives. Officials identified those victims as 55-year-old Ronald Everett Wilkson and 54-year-old Valerie Kay Wilkson, his wife. The affidavit describes wounds consistent with attempts to sever one victim's head and the other's arm. Vance then allegedly "shot at and injured" a woman as he was in the process of stealing her silver 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse. Vance is also suspected of shooting a man during an attempted carjacking early Monday. Vance was last known to be driving a 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse and was armed with an AK-47. He is considered to be armed and extremely dangerous, authorities say. Sheriff Whetsel instructed any potential witnesses not to approach Vance but to call 911 and let the police handle the situation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Associated Press / October 31, 2016 A fierce gun battle with Oklahoma state troopers left a homicide suspect dead and ended a weeklong manhunt for the man responsible for a string of violent crimes across the state, including the killing of two relatives and the shooting of three law enforcement officers. After a tip from a farmer led authorities on Sunday to a camp site near Hammon in far western Oklahoma, the manhunt intensified for Michael Dale Vance Jr. Several troopers were chasing Vance, who was driving a stolen flatbed pickup truck, when the vehicle went off the road near Leedey, 130 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. "He exited the vehicle and engaged our troopers in a pretty fierce gun battle," Oklahoma Highway Patrol Capt. Paul Timmons said. "It's probably safe to say he (Vance) was hit more than once." Vance was pronounced dead at the scene. Earlier Sunday, Vance shot and wounded Dewey County Sheriff Clay Sander after Sander stopped a pickup truck to warn the driver about a chain dragging behind it. "The driver of the truck stopped and exited the vehicle shooting an assault rifle," said Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jessica Brown. "The sheriff was shot in the shoulder and arm as he returned fire." Oklahoma Highway Patrol air units in the area were able to spot the vehicle, and a chase ensued. Authorities were tipped off to Vance's whereabouts by a farmer who spotted a vehicle in his field that matched the description of the car the fugitive was thought to be driving. "The vehicle was covered with brush and tumbleweeds," Timmons said. "It appears that he had been camped out there for some time." Also on Monday, authorities charged three acquaintances of Vance, 34-year-old Danny Roach of Oklahoma City, 36-year-old April Harden, and 33-year-old Reginald Moore, with aiding Vance after he had shot and wounded two Wellston police officers and killed two relatives. Roach provided Vance with bandages, an assault rifle and ammunition last week after Vance came to his home in Oklahoma City. Roach admitted he was aware that Vance had just been in a shootout with law enforcement, and he also knew that Vance had just killed two people. All three were charged Monday with two counts of accessory to felony murder after the fact, and Roach was charged with two counts of possession of a firearm after a felony conviction. Roach and Moore each also face two counts of shooting with intent to kill because they provided the weapon Vance used in the shooting of the Dewey County sheriff and of a man near Sayre during an attempted carjacking. .

Clinton and Trump announce reconciliation.......joint rule proposed. .

BBC / October 26, 2016 Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has said he wants US troops to leave the country. Speaking while on a state visit to Japan, he also called for an "independent foreign policy". Under a current defence pact, the US maintains troops at five military bases in the Philippines. "I want, maybe in the next two years, my country free of the presence of foreign military troops. I want them out," Duterte said on Wednesday. "I want them out," he said. "And if I have to revise or abrogate agreements, executive agreements, I will." He reiterated the possibility of cancelling current agreements with the US, as well as his desire to be "closer to China". "If you chastise me, reprimand me before the international crowd and you say: 'Mr. Duterte, you stop the killings there... stop it because we will withhold aid and assistance to your country' -- it's like saying, 'I am a dog on a leash, and if you do not stop biting the criminals, we will not throw the bread right under your mouth, we will throw it further so you'll have to struggle to get it.' "That's what America wants me to be, a dog barking for the crumbs of their favor." "I do not want to see any military man of any other nation (in the Philippines), except the Filipino soldier," he said.

You'all can knock Biden, but I think he came across pretty good here. A car guy, he can't be all that bad. .

The health care and pharmaceutical industries in the United States has been a blatant scam for decades. With multiple levels and angles, it may rank as the largest scam in existence. In order to purchase medicine, why are you required to waste time and money seeing a doctor at a costs of some $100 in order to obtain a "prescription" for medicine that is sold over the counter in other countries? Why are you paying $50 for medicine sold in other countries for $5 ?

Sluggish truck sales hit Daimler bottom line Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / October 25, 2016 Daimler Trucks sold 97,100 vehicles in the third quarter of this year compared to 128,500 globally for the same quarter last year. In the company’s earnings report last week Daimler said the decrease is the result of lower demand for trucks in many of its key markets. “In the NAFTA region, unit sales by Daimler Trucks decreased to 31,400 units in a declining market (compared to 52,200 during Q3 last year). At the same time, the division succeeded in further extending its market leadership in Classes 6-8, taking 39.3 percent of the market ( compared to 38.1 percent last year).” The division’s revenue decreased from $10.53 billion to $8.53 billion. Negative effects on the division’s earnings primarily resulted from lower unit sales in the NAFTA region, Turkey and the Middle East, the company said. Earnings were also reduced by intense competition in Europe. The realization of further efficiency improvements and exchange-rate effects had positive effects on earnings. EBIT also includes expenses for workforce adjustments in the context of ongoing optimization programs in Brazil. Demand for medium- and heavy-duty trucks in the regions important for Daimler should be perceptibly below the prior-year volume, the company noted. A major negative factor is the expected significant market contraction in North America. In a comparatively weak overall investment environment, from today’s perspective, demand in the market for Classes 6­8 trucks can be expected to decrease by approximately 15 percent. Thanks to strength in Daimler’s car and van business, Daimler sold 754,100 cars and commercial vehicles worldwide during Q3, more than ever before in a third quarter and surpassing the total for the prior-year period by 5 percent.

Paccar profits, sales slide in third quarter while marketshare soars Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / October 25, 2016 Paccar reported earnings of $346.2 million Tuesday for the third quarter of 2016 compared to $431.2 million in the third quarter of 2015. Third quarter net sales and financial services revenues were $4.25 billion this year compared to $4.85 billion for the same period last year. Peterbilt and Kenworth’s record third quarter U.S. and Canada Class 8 retail sales market share of 31 percent increased their year-to-date market share to 27.9 percent. Class 8 truck industry retail sales for the U.S. and Canada are expected to be in a range of 215,000-225,000 vehicles in 2016 and Class 8 truck industry retail sales for the U.S. and Canada are estimated to be in the range of 200,000-230,000 vehicles in 2017. Paccar Parts generated pre-tax profit of $138.3 million in the third quarter of 2016, compared to $145.4 million achieved in the third quarter of 2015. Third quarter 2016 revenues were $764.8 million, compared to $778.0 million earned in the third quarter last year. Paccar Parts achieved pre-tax profit of $406.3 million in the first nine months of 2016, compared to $430.0 million in the first nine months of 2015. Paccar Parts’ nine month revenues were $2.24 billion, compared to $2.31 billion for the same period last year.