kscarbel2

Andrew McCarthy, The National Review / September 2, 2016 The FBI-302 report of the interview of Hillary Clinton, along with the other notes of investigation released today, make for mind boggling reading. Most bracing is the fact that Mrs. Clinton had her server wiped clean sometime between March 25 and 31, 2015, only three weeks after the New York Times on March 3 broke the story of the server system’s existence. David notes that, at the same time the Democrats’ Janus-faced presidential nominee was outwardly taking the position that she “want[ed] the public to see my email,” she was having her minions frantically purge her emails behind the scenes. I’d add that this was five months before she feigned ignorance when Fox News’s Ed Henry pressed her on whether she’d “tried to wipe the entire server … so there could be no email – no personal, no official.” Henry finally asked, “Did you wipe the server?” Famously, Clinton scoffed, “Like with a cloth or something?” But we now know, as the FBI notes recount, she had the server purged with a sophisticated software program, BleachBit, which eventually made it extraordinarily difficult for the FBI to recover her emails, several thousand of which were successfully destroyed. And remember: We’ve just learned that 30 emails related to Benghazi were on the server Clinton purged – emails that she never turned over to the State Department despite claiming repeatedly that she’d surrendered all of her government-related emails. I would thus note that the March 2015 purge right after public revelation of the server’s existence occurred long after Mrs. Clinton was well aware of several official government investigations of the Benghazi massacre – one by the State Department, several by Congress, and a judicial proceeding involving the one defendant who has been indicted for the terrorist attack. There were also, quite obviously, several relevant Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigations. From what I’ve been able to glean so far, it is not clear from the FBI’s notes (and it was certainly not clear from Director James Comey’s press conference and House testimony) whether any consideration was given to indicting Mrs. Clinton for obstruction of justice and of government investigations – and if not, why not. Among the most eye-popping claims Clinton made to the FBI was that she was unfamiliar with the markings on classified documents. Yes, you read that correctly: one of the highest ranking national security officials in the United States government – an official whose day-to-day responsibilities extensively involved classified information; who had secure facilities installed in her two homes (in addition to her office) so she could review classified information in them; and who acknowledged to the FBI that, as secretary of state, she was designated by the president as “an Original Classification Authority,” meaning she had the power to determine what information should be classified and at what level – had the audacity to tell the interviewing agents that she did not know what the different classification symbols in classified documents signified. For example, when asked about an email chain containing the symbol “(C)” – meaning “confidential,” a designation ubiquitous in classified documents – Clinton claimed not to know what it meant and, according to the notes, “could only speculate it was referencing paragraphs marked in alphabetical order.” This is a response so absurd as to be insulting (the interview notes do not tell us if the FBI asked her to find (A), (B) and (D) notations that would be necessary to have the “alphabetical order” story make sense – assuming, for argument’s sake that one would indulge the possibility that this could be a truthful answer from a classified information consumer as high-level as Clinton). Mind you, Mrs. Clinton was not just secretary of state for four years. She was a United States senator for eight years, during nearly all of which she was assigned to the Senate Armed Services Committee (and such Armed Services components as the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities). Reviewing classified information, including highly sensitive national defense secrets, is a routine part of that committee’s work. Clinton also claimed that she “did not pay attention to the ‘level’ of classified information.” The interview notes do not explain how the FBI squared this with, for example, (a) Clinton’s acknowledgement that top-secret “special access program” (SAP) information was delivered to her by paper in her office and she knew it was supposed to be handled with extraordinary care; and (b) Clinton’s admission that she made use of her Original Classification Authority at times (though she couldn’t say how often). That means she had to have assigned to some information the very classification levels with which she portrays herself as scarcely familiar. We also learn in the FBI documents not only that Mrs. Clinton frequently lost her Blackberry devices, but that the FBI failed to account for some thirteen of them, most if not all of which she used while transmitting the over 2,000 classified emails the FBI identified. Clinton aides told the FBI that her devices – loaded with stored emails – would at times disappear and their whereabouts would become unknown. Interestingly, in the notes of Mrs. Clinton’s interview, the FBI says she told them that her BlackBerry devices would occasionally “malfunction”; when this happened, “[h]er aides would assist in obtaining a new BlackBerry.” I have not yet found indications that the FBI asked her about lost rather than malfunctioning devices. We do learn, though, that on February 9, 2016, the Justice Department asked Clinton’s lawyers to turn over all 13 mobile devices that the FBI identified as having potentially transmitted emails. Almost two weeks later, on February 22, the lawyers told the FBI “they were unable to locate any of these devices.” As a result, the notes recount, “the FBI was unable to acquire or forensically examine any of these 13 mobile devices.” Finally, something else about those lawyers. I nearly fell out of my chair upon reading the very first paragraph of the notes of Clinton’s interview, which identifies the lawyers for Clinton who were permitted to be present for the interview. Among them is Cheryl Mills, Clinton’s longtime confidant and chief-of-staff at the State Department. Readers may recall that I suggested back in May that “the fix” was in in the investigation of the Clinton emails. The reason was that the Justice Department was allowing Cheryl Mills – a witness, if not a subject, of the investigation – to invoke attorney-client privilege on behalf of Mrs. Clinton in order to thwart the FBI’s attempt to inquire into the procedure used to produce Clinton’s emails to the State Department. Mills was a participant in that procedure – and it is the procedure in which, we now know, well over 30,000 emails were attempted to be destroyed, including several thousand that contained government-related business. When she worked for Clinton at State, Mills was not acting in the capacity of a lawyer – not for then-Secretary Clinton and not for the State Department. Moreover, as Clinton’s chief-of-staff, Mills was intimately involved in issues related to Clinton’s private email set up, the discussions about getting her a secure BlackBerry similar to President Obama’s, and questions that were raised (including in FOIA requests) about Clinton’s communications. That is to say, Mills was an actor in the facts that were under criminal investigation by the FBI. Put aside that she was not Mrs. Clinton’s lawyer while working for the State Department; as I explained in the May column, Mills, after leaving the State Department, was barred by ethical rules from acting as Mrs. Clinton’s lawyer “in connection with a matter in which the lawyer participated personally and substantially as a public officer or employee.” There is no way Mills should have been permitted to participate as a lawyer in the process of producing Clinton’s emails to the State Department nearly two years after they’d both left. I thought it was astonishing that the Justice Department indulged her attorney-client privilege claim, which frustrated the FBI’s ability to question her on a key aspect of the investigation. But it is simply unbelievable to find her turning up at Mrs. Clinton’s interview – participating in the capacity of a lawyer under circumstances where Clinton was being investigated over matters in which Mills participated as a non-lawyer government official. According to the FBI’s report, Mrs. Clinton had four other attorneys (one whose name is deleted from the report for some reason) representing her at the interview. She clearly did not need another lawyer. And it is Criminal Investigations 101 that law enforcement never interviews witnesses together – the point is to learn the truth, not provide witnesses/suspects with an opportunity to keep their story straight, which undermines the search for truth. Why on earth was Cheryl Mills permitted to sit in on Hillary Clinton’s FBI interview?

Just wondering, how recently have you had an opportunity to drive the latest European tractors?

Bob, I don't see any European influence in the exterior and interior styling cues of this next generation Cascadia. It has no personality inside or out. Though the Actros is designed for superior aerodynamics, it also has attractive styling.

Get ready for it. At the G20 meeting in Hangzhou on Sunday, EU President Donald Tusk said the international community to do more to step up resettlement of refugees. "The practical capabilities of Europe to host new waves of refugees, not to mention irregular economic migrants, are close to the limits," he said. "In light of an unprecedented number of 65 million displaced people all over the world, the G20 community needs to scale up its share of responsibility," Tusk said. "Only global efforts supporting refugees and their host communities will be able to bear fruit." "That is why we want to encourage our partners to increase humanitarian and development aid, as well as refugee resettlement. We need to address the root causes that force millions of people to leave their homes and seek shelter elsewhere."

Hillary Clinton email investigation: FBI notes reveal laptop and thumb drive missing The Guardian / September 3, 2016 A Clinton Foundation laptop and a thumb drive used to archive Hillary Clinton’s emails from her time as secretary of state are missing, according to FBI notes released on Friday. The phrase “Clinton could not recall” litters the summary of the FBI’s investigation, which concluded in July that she should not face charges. Amid fierce Republican criticism of the Democratic presidential candidate, the party’s nominee, Donald Trump released a statement which said “Hillary Clinton’s answers to the FBI about her private email server defy belief” and added that he did not “understand how she was able to get away from prosecution”. The FBI documents describe how Monica Hanley, a former Clinton aide, received assistance in spring 2013 from Justin Cooper, a former aide to Bill Clinton, in creating an archive of Hillary Clinton’s emails. Cooper provided Hanley with an Apple MacBook laptop from the Clinton Foundation – the family organisation currently embroiled in controversy – and talked her through the process of transferring emails from Clinton’s private server to the laptop and a thumb drive. “Hanley completed this task from her personal residence,” the notes record. The devices were intended to be stored at Clinton’s homes in New York and Washington. However, Hanley “forgot” to provide the archive laptop and thumb drive to Clinton’s staff. In early 2014, Hanley located the laptop at her home and tried to transfer the email archive to an IT company, apparently without success. It appears the emails were then transferred to an unnamed person’s personal Gmail account and there were problems around Apple software not being compatible with that of Microsoft. The unnamed person “told the FBI that, after the transfer was complete, he deleted the emails from the archive laptop but did not wipe the laptop. The laptop was then put in the mail, only to go missing. [Redacted] told the FBI that she never received the laptop from [redacted]; however, she advised that Clinton’s staff was moving offices at the time, and it would have been easy for the package to get lost during the transition period. “Neither Hanley nor [redacted] could identify the current whereabouts of the archive laptop or thumb drive containing the archive, and the FBI does not have either item in its possession.” Clinton’s use of a private email server while in office has dogged her presidential campaign. The FBI has been criticised by Democrats for taking the rare step of publishing its account of confidential interviews with Clinton and others from the recently closed investigation, which found her to have been “extremely careless” in her handling of classified information. Hopes that this would draw a line under the issue, however, appear to have been dashed. The FBI identified a total of 13 mobile devices associated with Clinton’s two known phone numbers that potentially were used to send emails using clintonemail.com addresses. The 58 pages of notes released on Friday, several of which were redacted, also related that Hanley often purchased replacement BlackBerry devices for Clinton during Clinton’s time at the state department. Hanley recalled buying most of them at AT&T stores in the Washington area. Cooper was usually responsible for setting them up and synching them to the server. Clinton’s closest aide, Huma Abedin, and Hanley “indicated the whereabouts of Clinton’s devices would frequently become unknown once she transitioned to a new device”, the documents state. “Cooper did recall two instances where he destroyed Clinton’s old mobile devices by breaking them in half or hitting them with a hammer.” The notes also contain a string of admissions by Clinton about points she did not know or could not recall: “When asked about the email chain containing ‘(C)’ portion markings that state determined to currently contain CONFIDENTIAL information, Clinton stated that she did not know what the ‘(C)’ meant at the beginning of the paragraphs and speculated it was referencing paragraphs marked in alphabetical order.” Clinton said she did not pay attention to the difference between top secret, secret and confidential but “took all classified information seriously”. She did not recall receiving any emails she thought should not have been on an unclassified system. She also stated she received no particular guidance as to how she should use the president’s email address. In addition, the notes say: “Clinton could not recall when she first received her security clearance and if she carried it with her to state via reciprocity from her time in the Senate. Clinton could not recall any briefing or training by state related to the retention of federal records or handling of classified information.” Clinton was aware she was an original classification authority at the state department, but again “could not recall how often she used this authority or any training or guidance provided by state. Clinton could not give an example of how classification of a document was determined.” Nor could she recall any specific briefing on how to handle information associated with special access programme information. “Clinton could not recall a specific process for nominating a target for a drone strike,” the notes say. According to the notes, on 23 January 2009 Clinton emailed her predecessor, Colin Powell, to ask about his use of a BlackBerry. In his response, Powell told Clinton that if it became “public” that she was using a BlackBerry to “do business”, the emails could become “official records and subject to the law". Powell wrote: “Be very careful. I got around it all by not saying much and not using systems that captured the data.” Clinton told the FBI she understood Powell’s comments to mean that any of her work-related communications would be records of the government and “did not factor” the comments “into her decision to use a personal email account”, the documents say. The release also includes technical details about how the server in the basement of Clinton’s home in Chappaqua, New York, was set up. Clinton’s critics seized on the latest revelations. Trump’s full statement read: “Hillary Clinton’s answers to the FBI about her private email server defy belief. I was absolutely shocked to see that her answers to the FBI stood in direct contradiction to what she told the American people. After reading these documents, I really don’t understand how she was able to get away from prosecution.” Jason Miller, senior communications adviser to Trump, said: “Hillary Clinton is applying for a job that begins each day with a top secret intelligence briefing, and the notes from her FBI interview reinforce her tremendously bad judgment and dishonesty. “Clinton’s secret email server was an end run around government transparency laws that wound up jeopardizing our national security and sensitive diplomatic efforts.” He added: “Clinton’s reckless conduct and dishonest attempts to avoid accountability show she cannot be trusted with the presidency and its chief obligation as commander-in-chief of the US armed forces.” The House speaker, Paul Ryan, said: “These documents demonstrate Hillary Clinton’s reckless and downright dangerous handling of classified information during her tenure as secretary of state. They also cast further doubt on the justice department’s decision to avoid prosecuting what is a clear violation of the law. This is exactly why I have called for her to be denied access to classified information.” Reince Priebus, chair of the Republican National Committee, said: “The FBI’s summary of their interview with Hillary Clinton is a devastating indictment of her judgment, honesty and basic competency. Clinton’s answers either show she is completely incompetent or blatantly lied to the FBI or the public. “Either way it’s clear that, through her own actions, she has disqualified herself from the presidency.” The Clinton campaign insisted that it was pleased the notes had been made public. Spokesman Brian Fallon said: “While her use of a single email account was clearly a mistake and she has taken responsibility for it, these materials make clear why the justice department believed there was no basis to move forward with this case.”

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It's shocking how cheap (decontented) the U.S. truck cabs have become. It's so bad that the next generation cabs from the leading Chinese truckmakers, benchmarking the latest European trucks, will edge past the US trucks. The Pinnacle/Vision (CH) interior, like the cab itself, is ancient.

They're lying to you. It doesn't snow in Boston and New Jersey at all like it used to 50 years ago.

Actually, every other news article lately has the word "transgender"...........not global warming. As for "transgender", I'm rather tired of hearing about it.

Clinton had no concerns on emails’ sensitivity, says FBI The Financial Times / September 2, 2016 Hillary Clinton said she did not have any concerns about the sensitivity of emails sent to her private email system and did not recall anyone raising legal questions about its existence, according to the FBI. On Friday the FBI disclosed Mrs Clinton’s comments by releasing two documents from its investigation into her use of a personal email server — a summary of the probe and notes on its interview with the Democratic presidential candidate. Republicans said the documents underscored Mrs Clinton’s “reckless” handling of classified information when she was secretary of state, an issue that has dogged her campaign and fuelled concern among Democrats that she is seen as untrustworthy. “Clinton did not recall receiving any emails she thought should not be on an unclassified system,” said the FBI report on its interview with the candidate on July 2, 2016. “She relied on State [department] officials to use their judgment when emailing her and could not recall anyone raising concerns with her regarding the sensitivity of the information she received at her email address.” The FBI’s investigation is now closed. On July 5 James Comey, the bureau’s director, issued a harsh verdict on the way Mrs Clinton handled secret information over email, but said he would not push for a prosecution because there was no evidence that she “intended to violate laws”. The Department of Justice then opted not to prosecute her. Mrs Clinton has previously defended her actions by saying that while she received emails she never herself emailed any information that had been marked “classified”. The FBI’s summary of its investigation said that intelligence agencies had identified 81 email chains on Mrs Clinton’s unclassified server that contained information ranging from confidential to top secret at the time they were sent between 2009 and 2013. It said it found no evidence of Mrs Clinton’s email being compromised by cyber hackers, but it did find that “hostile foreign actors” had obtained emails she sent or received by gaining access to the personal email accounts of people with whom she was in regular contact. From Donald Trump’s campaign, Jason Miller, senior communications adviser, said: “Hillary Clinton is applying for a job that begins each day with a Top Secret intelligence briefing, and the notes from her FBI interview reinforce her tremendously bad judgment and dishonesty.” “Clinton’s reckless conduct and dishonest attempts to avoid accountability show she cannot be trusted with the presidency and its chief obligation as commander-in-chief of the US armed forces.” One partially redacted section of the interview with Mrs Clinton refers to the way targets are nominated for drone strikes, an indication that some of the emails addressed that issue. “Clinton stated deliberation over a future drone strike did not give her cause for concern regarding classification,” the document said. “Clinton understood this type of conversation as part of the routine deliberation process. Moreover, she recalled many conversations about future strikes that never occurred.” Mrs Clinton repeatedly told the FBI that she did not know much about the email server in the basement of the Clinton family home in Chappaqua, New York. “Clinton was not aware of the specific details regarding the hardware, software, or security of the server hosting clintonemail.com,” the FBI said. Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said: “Clinton’s answers either show she is completely incompetent or blatantly lied to the FBI or the public. Either way it’s clear that, through her own actions, she has disqualified herself from the presidency.” The interview report runs to 11 pages and the summary of the investigation is 47 pages long, although 14 of them are fully redacted in the version released on Friday. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FBI releases Hillary Clinton email report CNN / September 2, 2016 Hillary Clinton repeatedly told the FBI she couldn't recall key details and events related to classified information procedures, according to notes the bureau released Friday of its July interview with the Democratic presidential nominee, along with a report on its investigation into her private email server. Clinton told the FBI she "could not recall any briefing or training by State related to the retention of federal records or handling classified information," according to the bureau's notes of their interview with Clinton. The documents indicate Clinton told investigators she either does not "recall" or "remember" at least 39 times — often in response to questions about process, potential training or the content of specific emails. Much of the report reiterated what FBI Director James Comey testified in open hearings before Congress, including that more than six dozen email chains contained classified information at the time they were sent and that there appeared to have been hacking attempts on her server, though there is no evidence they were successful. Still, the report added fuel to the criticisms of Clinton and the narrative that her team acted "extremely careless," as Comey said. GOP nominee Donald Trump and other Republicans have stepped up their attacks connecting the emails to questions over whether Clinton gave preferential treatment to donors to her family's foundation. The release of the documents Friday comes as Clinton's lead over Trump has been cut in half since her post-convention bounce last month, according to CNN's Poll of Polls released Thursday. The bureau is making the information public in response to numerous Freedom of Information Act requests, including from CNN. "Today the FBI is releasing a summary of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's July 2, 2016 interview with the FBI concerning allegations that classified information was improperly stored or transmitted on a personal e-mail server she used during her tenure," the agency said in a statement. "We also are releasing a factual summary of the FBI's investigation into this matter." Presidential campaign ramifications The publication of the FBI report is likely to give a new burst of political life to the controversy over Clinton's private server. The episode plays directly into Republican claims that Clinton is dishonest, abhors transparency and lacks the ethical standards required of someone who sits in the Oval Office. It also allows Trump's campaign to suggest to voters that they will be setting up a repeat of the cycle of scandals, controversy, and investigations that dragged on through the entire presidency of Bill Clinton and which tainted Hillary Clinton at the same time. "Hillary Clinton's answers to the FBI about her private email server defy belief," Trump said in a statement. "I was absolutely shocked to see that her answers to the FBI stood in direct contradiction to what she told the American people. After reading these documents, I really don't understand how she was able to get away from prosecution." Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, meanwhile, called the release a "devastating indictment" of Clinton's honesty and judgment. Clinton's campaign, however, said it was "pleased" by the release. "While her use of a single email account was clearly a mistake and she has taken responsibility for it, these materials make clear why the Justice Department believed there was no basis to move forward with this case," Clinton's national press secretary Brian Fallon said in a statement. 'Oh s***' The FBI report also provided detail on mass deletions of Clinton's email server by the company maintaining her server, Platte River Networks, after the existence of it came to light. According to the investigation report, top Clinton adviser Cheryl Mills told a PRN worker whose name was redacted in December 2014 that Clinton wanted her email to only be retained for 60 days, and instructed him to reset the retention policy on her email account. But the individual told the FBI he realized that he had failed to do so until after The New York Times published its bombshell story revealing Clinton's private server and email use, prompting an "'oh s***' moment." "In a follow-up FBI interview on May 3, 2016, (name redacted) indicated he believed he had an 'oh s***' moment and sometime between March 25-31, 2015, deleted the Clinton archive mailbox from the PRN server and used BleachBit to delete the exported .PST files he had created on the server system containing Clinton's emails," the report stated. The mass deletion occurred after the March 2, 2015, Times story and after a March 3, 2015, preservation order from the House Benghazi Committee to retain and produce documents related to her email accounts. Mills had sent this request to PRN and this individual on March 9, 2015, and under repeat questioning by the FBI, the individual admitted he was aware that the request existed and meant he shouldn't disturb the files on PRN's server. Both Mills and Clinton told the FBI they were not aware of the mass deletion that March. Colin Powell One of the findings revealed in the report is that former Secretary of State Colin Powell "warned" Clinton that her emails could become government record in 2009. According to the report summarizing the FBI's investigation, Clinton emailed Powell just after inauguration in 2009 about his use of a BlackBerry as secretary of state. "Powell warned Clinton that if it became 'public' that Clinton had a BlackBerry, and she used it to 'do business,' her emails could become 'official record(s) and subject to the law,'" the report stated. "Powell further advised Clinton, 'Be very careful. I got around it all by not saying much and not using systems that captured the data.'" But the FBI said Clinton described her understanding of Powell's comments as saying that work-related emails would be official record, adding "Powell's comments did not factor into her decision to use a personal email account." Before it became public, interest in the contents of the report had intensified after it was reported that Clinton told the FBI a conversation with Powell recommending she use private email helped convince her to do so. Powell repudiated the idea that he shares any responsibility for her choice in the following days, however, and Clinton told CNN's Anderson Cooper last month that she takes full responsibility. "I've been asked many, many questions in the past year about emails. And what I've learned is that when I try to explain what happened it can sound like I'm trying to excuse what I did," she told CNN. "And there are no excuses. I want people to know that the decision to have a single e- mail account was mine. I take responsibility for it. I've apologized for it. I would certainly do differently if I could." Powell rejects Clinton email defense Use of mobile devices The report also described the way Clinton used her BlackBerry mobile devices. Clinton has cited her desire to use a single BlackBerry as part of her motivation to use a personal email address. Clinton's aide Huma Abedin told the FBI that Clinton often would use a new BlackBerry for a few days before returning to an older model because of her familiarity, according to the report. The FBI found that 13 different mobile devices were used with her two known phone numbers, and thus may have sent emails with her private account. After Clinton switched to a new device, the previous incarnation would often disappear, and a former Bill Clinton aide, Justin Cooper, said he could recall two times he destroyed the old device either by breaking it in half or hitting it with a hammer. The findings also noted that Clinton stored her BlackBerry in a desk drawer in her office, which was not authorized. Her office was in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), and thus the use of mobile devices in the office was prohibited. The former Assistant Secretary of State for State Diplomatic Security Service Eric Boswell told the FBI that he "never received any complaints about Clinton using her personal BlackBerry inside the SCIF." According to Abedin, Cooper and another person whose name was redacted from the report, there were personally owned desktop computers in the SCIFs in Clinton's homes in Washington and Chappaqua, New York. Clinton had stated to the FBI she did not have a computer of any kind in the SCIFs in her residences. Abedin and Clinton said the former secretary of state did not use a computer and primarily used her BlackBerry or iPad for checking emails. Handing of classified information The notes revealed that Clinton relied heavily on her staff and aides to determine what was classified information and how it should be handled. "Clinton did not recall receiving any emails she thought should not be on an unclassified system," the FBI notes said. "She relied on State official to use their judgment when emailing her and could not recall anyone raising concerns with her regarding the sensitivity of the information she received at her email address." Clinton was also asked about the (C) markings within several documents that James Comey testified before Congress represented classified information. The emails that were sent and received from her server containing these markings became the subject of intense debate on the Hill, as her critics seized on them as evidence that she mishandled information. But Clinton told the FBI she was unaware of what the marking meant. "Clinton stated she did not know and could only speculate it was referencing paragraphs marked in alphabetical order," the interview notes stated. The former secretary of state said she did understand when an email was marked "confidential" at the top, and "asked the interviewing agents if that was what 'c' referenced," according to the notes. The confidential label had been placed there by the FBI after the fact. She also said she didn't "pay attention to the 'level' of classified information and took all classified information seriously." The interview also addressed a 2011 email in which Clinton said she hadn't received talking points from her aide, Jake Sullivan. He responded that there were issues sending the document through secure fax. "If they can't," Clinton replies, "turn into nonpaper w no identifying heading and send nonsecure." That email had been the fuel behind speculation that Cilnton had demanded her aide send classified information through a nonsecure channel by removing markings. But Clinton told the FBI that she understood the request as routine. "Clinton thought a 'nonpaper' was a way to convey the unofficial stance of the US government to a foreign government and believed this practice went back '200 years,'" she said, according to interview notes. "When viewing the displayed email, Clinton believed she was asking Sullivan to remove the State letterhead and provide unclassified talking points. Clinton stated she had no intention to remove classification markings." Fallout from Comey's remarks Comey in July took the unprecedented step of announcing in a press conference the FBI's conclusion that there was not enough evidence to merit a criminal prosecution, before handing over his findings to the Justice Department. Anticipation for FBI's release on Clinton investigation The DOJ followed that recommendation and decided no prosecution was merited. After Comey testified about the decision before Congress, members requested access to his agency's report. Last month, the bureau gave members of Congress access to the notes, as well as notes from interviews with other Clinton staff and aides, but kept that version of the report classified. Comey testified that no transcript of the interview exists, only the notes taken on it. Clinton was not under oath. The FBI's release Friday did not include the notes of interviews with Clinton's aides.

The Guardian / September 3, 2016 The Food and Drug Administration has washed its hands of the products, saying there is no scientific evidence that they are better than plain soap and water Antibacterial soaps were banned from the US market on Friday in a final ruling by the Food and Drug Administration, which said that manufacturers had failed to prove the cleansers were safe or more effective than normal products. Dr Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s center for evaluation and research, said that certain antimicrobial soaps may not actually serve any health benefits at all. “Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” she said in a statement. “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long term.” Manufacturers had failed to show either the safety of “long-term daily use” or that the products were “more effective than plain soap and water in preventing illness and the spread of certain infections”. The new federal rule applies to any soap or antiseptic product that has one or more of 19 chemical compounds, including triclocarbon, which is often found in bar soaps, and triclosan, often in liquid soaps. It does not affect alcohol-based hand sanitizers and wipes, which the FDA is still investigating, or certain healthcare products meant specifically for clinical settings. The FDA has given manufacturers a year to change their products or pull them off shelves. The FDA first proposed a rule about the chemicals in 2013, following research that they might affect human hormones or change natural resistance to bacteria. The agency requested research from the producers to back up their health claims, but in the three years since has found that data lacking or their requests ignored. Triclosan has been proven effective at killing bacteria if used at sustained length – far longer than the few seconds most people spend washing their hands – and was once only found in healthcare settings. Recent studies have linked triclosan to a series of disruptions in human and animal health. A University of Chicago study released in July found that triclosan changed the microbiome inside human guts, and its researchers suggested that exposure could damage developing fetuses. A study from earlier this year found that overuse could also be contributing to antibiotic resistance, and a 2015 study found that antibacterial formulas were not more effective than soap and water. Triclosan can be found in 93% of liquid soaps labeled “antibacterial” or “antimicrobial”, according to the FDA, though some companies, including Proctor & Gamble, have already begun phasing the chemical out of products. There are partial triclosan bans in the European Union and Minnesota, but the chemical remains common in toothpaste, as it is believed effective against the bacteria that cause gum disease. People should still keep their hands clean, the FDA noted. “Washing with plain soap and running water remains one of the most important steps consumers can take to avoid getting sick and to prevent spreading germs to others,” the agency said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that if people need to use a hand sanitizer, it should have at least 60% alcohol. Professor Patrick McNamara, who has published research on antimicrobial soaps, called the ruling “logical” because research shows “there is no added benefit to having these antimicrobial chemicals in soaps”. He added that triclosan could play a part in driving antibiotic resistance, saying, “after these chemicals are used in our homes they go down the drain to wastewater treatment plants and eventually to the environment where they can select for antibiotic resistance genes”. “In short, triclosan and triclocarbon present a risk towards propagation of antibiotic resistance,” he said. “Since they do not offer added benefits when washing hands, their use is not worth their environmental risk.

It seems you've already forgotten about the Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld show, with guest star Condoleezza Rice. It was significantly worse.

Going for optimized aerodynamics inherently affects the vehicles exterior aesthetics. I know all about that. But that said, the exterior of this truck is a dog. At least, they could have created a spectacular interior. But no. The all-new Scania interior is SO much better, so far ahead of this cheap interior that it isn't even funny. This is a prime example of the European trucks not only being five years ahead of US market trucks in content, but also in quality of design. https://www.scania.com/group/en/images/interior-nextgenscania/

Troubling. The E9 was produced up to 2003 and Volvo won't even provide a Remack water pump now, one of the most common "wear items" on an engine. By intentionally turning off after-sales support, including even the most basic of spare parts availability (e.g. a water pump), Volvo has turned the Mack E9 into a irreparable boat anchor.

Iveco's Powerstar is an absolutely brilliant truck. Available with the superb Cursor 11 and Cursor 13, and Cummins ISX 15 (of course the ISX12 fits), it is highly adaptable as conventional cab truck for the US market demand. .

Call it what you will, "global warming" or other, it is very "real". From Allentown to Sweden, the winters today are unlike that of 50 years ago. In our youth, Allentown was guaranteed to have a foot of snow on the ground every Christmas. Now.........nothing. Call it whatever you like, but something has changed and is continuing to change. If it is the pollution that mankind emits, I do have a problem with the US, European Union and other countries making its population jump thru hoops at a breakneck pace, while cesspool India, arguably the world's worth polluter and massive in scale, does nothing. Survival for all human beings on earth is a shared benefit. If the rest of the world has to make drastic and costly changes, India should be forced to as well. Most of the heavy diesel trucks on the road in India are belching out Euro-1 emissions (EPA1998). If India and all other countries with less than Euro-5 regs forced their truck operators to all move up to Euro-5, the rest of the world could fall back to Euro-5.

Particularly given you have a virtually new truck with a mere 1,400 miles, how are they compensating you for your loss of revenue for each day it is down?

Hino to standardise reversing cameras in 300 models Trade Trucks AU / September 1, 2016 Hino Australia is broadening the vision of its customers with the addition of a reversing camera as standard Hino is claiming a local first with its 300 Series, announcing the light-duty truck range is the first of its kind to offer a reverse camera as standard equipment. Fitting the ADR-compliant, waterproof, and high-definition cameras into its range, Hino Australia manager of product strategy Daniel Petrovski says the truck maker is "meeting the demands of our customers and the needs of Australian light duty truck buyers." "Our light-duty trucks are already equipped with cruise control, dual SRS airbags, ultra-narrow A-pillars, ABS brakes and Vehicle Stability Control," he says. "Reverse cameras are a logical addition to the standard safety specification." Offering a live video feed to the truck’s 6.1-inch touch-screen multimedia unit, the camera aids the driver in reversing safely both on the road and in the depot. The drivers will also have access to audio via a built-in microphone and, when it comes to night operation, will be able to utilise the camera’s infrared night-vision capabilities. Petrovski says with the addition of the camera feed to the already-fitted large electronically adjustable and heated mirrors with integrated convex spotter mirrors, drivers will have a 360-degree view of their surroundings. "Our decision to fit rear-view cameras to the 300 Series is a positive step in ensuring that Hino is at the forefront of safety developments in the Australian commercial vehicle market," he says. The announcement is the second piece of news out of Hino Australia concerning the 300 Series in a month, with the Hybrid variant celebrating its approaching 10-year milestone. .

Prime Mover Magazine / September 1, 2016 Truck manufacturer, Hino and its dealers, will be investing in excess of $40 million over the next few years in new premises and facilities, including all-new dedicated dealerships in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The announcement comes as Hino recently conducted extensive time and motion studies of truck servicing. The investment will also see new and some existing workshop facilities incorporated with design and procedures designed to dramatically reduce service times and improve technicians’ efficiencies. Existing facilities will also be progressively converted to incorporate the redesigned service bays. “Dealer investment in new premises and facilities is commensurately high in anticipation of increased market growth,” said Bill Gillespie, Hino Australia General Manager of Brand and Franchise Development, who spoke this week of the company’s faith in the growth of the light and medium duty truck markets in Australia. “Market demand for the Hino 500 Series range continues to grow and 2016 has been no exception, reinforcing our goal to keep faith with our customers’ growing business needs in the face of strong global demand for the 500 Series range.” Demand for Hino Australia’s medium-duty 500 Series range increased by almost six per cent in the period to July 2016, which exceeded the 2015 sales results for Hino in this segment. Demand has also exceeded supply for the Hino 300 Series truck range in the first seven months of the year. Supply constraints from Japan due to overwhelming demand from global markets meant Hino was restricted on sales and only able to deliver 2,455 of the 300 Series trucks during this period. This result was 2.97 per cent beneath the all-time six-month record set by Hino the previous year, with Gillespie stating that the company was “working with its Japanese parent to address supply issues”. In addition to the multi-million dollar investment, Hino also said the new Hino 300 Series 4x4 crew cab model is currently undergoing trials in rugged Australian conditions and is expected to join Hino’s 4x4 line-up in early 2017. .

Isuzu Australia reveals 2016 N Series range Trade Trucks AU / September 2, 2016 Updates across the range include new models and new transmission options Isuzu Australia has announced it will be bringing a suite of updates to the local light-duty N Series range. In a move that sees Australia as one of the first to receive the latest from the Japanese company, Isuzu Australia says the 2016 updates will include new model variants, new technology, and the arrival of the third-generation Automated Manual Transmission with torque converter (TC-AMT). Six new models will appear in the MY16 Isuzu N Series range; most notably the updates will see the launch of the NNR 65-150 MWB and the NNR 65-150 AMT MWB. The NNR 65-150 models are rated at 6,500kg GVM and are powered by the 4-cylinder 4JJ1 engine. Also new to the scene is the 2016 NNR 55/45-150, which comes with a GVM rating choice of either 5,500kg or 4,500kg and features larger disc brakes than its lesser-rated models. It will also be available with the TC-AMT. The TC-AMT is available to all models with the 3-litre (150hp) 4JJ1 engine, Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) chief engineer of product strategy Simon Humphries says, and will include a P-position shift lever. "With the new TC-AMT, customers will benefit from the shift quality and launch feeling of a full auto with the added fuel economy benefits of a well-driven manual," Humphries says. "The new transmission has been developed after benchmark testing in Australia, with shift timing and logic designed to suit Australian driving conditions and styles, including roundabouts." The truck maker says exiting roundabouts will be swifter thanks to "a kick-down feature that comes into play when the accelerator is pressed beyond a detent". When time comes to be stationary, Isuzu says that is when the P-position shift lever comes into play. The lever "engages a new, substantial park pawl and gear at the rear of the transmission," Isuzu says, and once selected, the gear has the "capacity able to hold a fully laden truck when parked on a reasonable slope." In terms of safety advances, Isuzu Electronic Stability Control (IESC) will be introduced to the 4x2 NQR models and becoming standard across the N Series is anti-lock braking, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Anti-Slip Regulator and Hill Assist. Hoping to build upon the 2016 F Series and 2015 N Series announcements, Humphries says the range will help the company hold its 27-year market share lead. "We’ve been number one for a long time and Isuzu Motors Japan want to do what they can to assist us in our efforts to stay in the top spot," Humphries says. "They continue to collaborate with us to ensure we have the best possible products to offer the local market, and that our trucks perform at the highest possible level in Australian conditions. "This ongoing product development and close relationship with Japan provides our customers with enormous benefits in terms of having more choice, greater access to the latest technology and more driveability across the entire range." Humphries says the 2016 updates reflect a growing trend towards low displacement engines, typified by the 3-litre Isuzu 4JJ1 engine being featured in N Series models up to 6.5 tonnes GVM. "Passenger cars feature almost exclusively two-pedal transmissions today and they have been progressively moving toward high performing, low displacement engines in recent years, a trend we see occurring in the truck market as well," he says. "For commercial vehicles, the benefits are improved fuel economy and performance that is more than up to the task." Isuzu Australia says the cabin has also seen a revamp in the update, with added amenities such as a new overhead console security net now included in the range. .

KrAZ Trucks Press Release / September 1, 2016 A new specialty vehicle has been created for the unique needs Ukraine’s Corps of Engineers by KrAZ Trucks in partnership with Kremenchug-based Kryukov Railway Car Building Works. The earthmoving truck is used for digging trenches in various soils, filling excavations and clearing sites at an ambient temperature from – 40 oC to + 40 oC and relative humidity of 98 percent. The trench digging truck’s platform is based on the KrAZ-5233НЕ four-wheel drive tactical truck cab & chassis. The truck’s cab, engine compartment and fuel tank all feature armor protection. To ensure proper engine cooling when digging trenches at low operating speeds, a high capacity radiator is provided. A 4,000mm wheelbase has been specified, in lieu of the standard 5,000mm length, to provide enhanced off-road maneuverability. The truck’s severe-service frame has been further reinforced at all attachment mounting points., and the transfer case has a power takeoff opening to drive the the equipment. After the Kryukov Railway Car Building Works mounted the attachments, the new truck underwent 6 months of rigorous tests at both the KrAZ and Armed Forces proving grounds. .

KrAZ Trucks Press Release / September 1, 2016 KrAZ Trucks, in partnership with Kremenchug-based industrial company “Viva”, has introduced a new multi-purpose road maintenance vehicle. The new model was driven by a bid from MC “Usluga” in Priluki (Chernigov Oblast) and won by Kremenchug Automobile Plant in May of this year. The new truck is based on the conventional cab KrAZ-65053 6х4 chassis with its forward tilting bonnet. Special equipment includes a 3.0-meter wide snow plow, salt spreader with 7.2 cubic meter hopper, 12 cubic meter water tank and 2.5-meter wide broom. All implements are remotely controlled from within the cab. The vehicle is designed to for year-round maintenance of hard-surfaced roads. During the winter months, the vehicle is used with sand spreading equipment to grit roads and sidewalks and remove snow with snow plough and broom. In the summer, it is equipped with street washing and sweeping equipment for pressure washing and cleaning roads, as well as watering green space. Last Saturday, the multi-purpose truck was delivered to the customer and entered service in Priluki. .

Scania Group Press Release / September 5, 2016

Scania Group Press Release / September 1, 2016 The only business that matters is the customers’ business. And their business is more than just ‘freight’. It’s the business of carrying volume goods, temperature-sensitive food, wood chip, fuel, chemical products or vehicles. Each specialised operation requires a truck specifically tailored for the assignment. With the customer operation at the fore, Scania’s new truck generation has been designed, planned and will be offered to meet the multitude of opportunities needed to ensure the best possible total operating economy. “We’ve thoroughly analysed all major heavy transport operations and feel confident that we can make well-substantiated tailored specification recommendations,” says Christopher Podgorski, Head of Scania Trucks. “In an industry with squeezed margins, this will enable transporters to optimise their earnings.” These analyses have been undertaken in collaboration with the industries in question, closely monitoring typical routes and transport patterns. Scania Fleet Management has proven to be an excellent tool to monitor vehicle and driver performance in highly varying situations, providing the necessary insights to tailor products optimally. Ecolution by Scania Added services such as Ecolution by Scania, driver training, driver coaching and individually planned maintenance will help the transporter to reach reliable uptime objectives while substantially saving on fuel consumption. “The business is undergoing a shift whereby the truck increasingly is viewed as a part of a production flow with stringent demands on delivery,” explains Podgorski. “This requires a holistic perspective of the entire logistics process.” Each truck is a production unit; the better adapted it is for its unique assignment and the more supported it is by applicable customised services, the greater the haulier’s chances of receiving a healthy return on investment. The truck operator’s finances are determined by a range of different factors. Some of them are relatively simple to control. Others are influenced by factors that lie outside their control or are so complex in their nature that the consequences can be difficult for an individual to foresee. Instead of exclusively focusing on costs, including vehicle procurement costs as well as variable costs such as fuel, the earning potential is easily overlooked. These are to a large extent determined by the vehicle being optimised for its transport purpose, which greatly impacts on bottom line results. The right specification and the right maintenance contribute to the vehicle being available and being used effectively. A Scania-unique toolbox Scania has concentrated its entire combined expertise about trucks, optimised transportation solutions, industry conditions and actual customer needs in its new sales support system. This toolbox is the result of several years’ work compiling, analysing and consolidating knowledge, insights and customer needs with regard to the global, multifaceted transportation and truck industry. “The basis is of course Scania’s enormous trucking expertise, our modular system and vehicle data that has been collected from tens of thousands of vehicles in actual operation for more than ten years,” says Podgorski. “To this, we have added knowledge from industry studies, customer interviews and marketing workshops, in close dialogue with our existing customers. The result is a Scania-unique toolbox that gives our sales staff, regardless of market or customer type, access to expertise that enables them to not only offer a truck, but also a customised solution that, based on each customer’s unique needs, has full potential to become profitable.” .