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Life in a western country, including the United States, is completely different from countries under Islamic Law (Shariah). If one chooses to [legally] immigrate to the United States, then one needs to make a conscious decision about adapting to the American way of life. The U.S. is a global symbol of diversity; however we have norms, just as every country does. You can’t expect to put a square peg into a round hole. Live in the countries where your beliefs fit in.

Daimler invests $22.7M to expand Freightliner Custom Chassis Fleet Owner / January 20, 2016 Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) announced it will invest $22.7 million in Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp (FCCC) to expand facilities and improve operations in South Carolina. “The investment will positively impact a number of key business operations for FCCC, including the construction of a new logistics center, as well as expansions of the current office building, employee parking lot, completed chassis parking and loading/delivery operations,” according to DTNA. Daimler added that the investment will drive implementation of a new line side delivery process, which will utilize nearly 60% more component kitting. “The investment shows our commitment to the employees in Gaffney, our customers and to the future of FCCC,” said David Carson, president, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. “We will continue to build the best chassis with the best features and customer support, and this investment will ensure we are well positioned for future growth. I’d like to thank the officials from the state of South Carolina and Cherokee County for their help in making this project possible.” According to DTNA, in addition to the logistical and process improvements, the investment will provide an expansion to the current office building, which will provide a 25% increase in personal work stations, increase the training room capacity from 25 to 100, double the amount of available team work space and increase the cafeteria capacity from 15 to 119. “The leadership team at DTNA wants to ensure we have the tools and facilities we need to continue delivering the best chassis for all of our customers across all of our product lines,” Carson added.

Fleet Owner / January 20, 2016 Dual-stage design streamlines replacement process, OEM says. Ford is introducing a new “dual-stage” replacement turbocharger for vehicles equipped with its 6.4-liter Power Stroke diesel engine, shortening the replacement process and lowering costs as well. “The new dual-stage turbocharger allows installers to provide one repair at a lower cost that also includes peripheral parts like an oil supply line and an installation kit that would otherwise need to be purchased separately,” said Dan Goering, Ford’s diesel product manager, in a statement. “Customers and installers now have options in terms of replacement, and the dual-stage choice definitely saves time and money.” He added that replacing the high- and low-pressure turbochargers on the 6.4-liter Power Stroke used to be a two-step process with two distinct costs. Thus this new dual-stage turbocharger creates a one-stop option addressing the need to replace both turbochargers at the same time, Goering noted. Ford pointed out that recent analysis shows that 33% of high pressure turbocharger repairs also include a low pressure turbocharger. Moreover, replacements of just the high or low turbocharger may soon be followed by replacement of the other – causing inefficiencies, especially for fleet vehicles when time off of the road is critical. On top of that, the OEM said its new the dual-stage unit comes fully assembled, saving labor costs while still coming in at a lower price. Customers can order the dual-stage system from their Powertrain Distributor or Ford dealer using part number 8C3Z-6K682-CRM for 6.4-liter Power Stroke engines 2008, 2009 and 2010 Ford F-250s through F-550s.

Trailer/Body Builders / January 20, 2016 Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) announced the investment of $22.7 million in Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp (FCCC) to expand facilities and improve operations in Gaffney, South Carolina. The investment will positively impact a number of key business operations for FCCC, including the construction of a new logistics center, as well as expansions of the current office building, employee parking lot, completed chassis parking and loading/delivery operations. In addition, the investment will drive implementation of a new line side delivery process which will utilize nearly 60 percent more component kitting. “The investment shows our commitment to the employees in Gaffney, our customers and to the future of FCCC,” said David Carson, president, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. “We will continue to build the best chassis with the best features and customer support, and this investment will ensure we are well positioned for future growth. I’d like to thank the officials from the state of South Carolina and Cherokee County for their help in making this project possible.” In addition to the logistical and process improvements, the investment will provide an expansion to the current office building, which will provide a 25 percent increase in personal work stations, increase the training room capacity from 25 to 100, double the amount of available team work space and increase the cafeteria capacity from 15 to 119. “The leadership team at DTNA wants to ensure we have the tools and facilities we need to continue delivering the best chassis for all of our customers across all of our product lines,” Carson added.

Associated Press / January 20, 2016 After refusing to allow its Muslim workers special prayer breaks, Wisconsin lawnmower manufacturer Ariens was forced to act in order to prevent a $1 million loss for the company each year. Fifty three Muslim employees have walked off the job, claiming Ariens changed work practices which insulted their devout faith. Dan Ariens, chairman and CEO of Ariens, a company which makes lawn mowers and snow blowers, says he will refuse to allow the disgruntled employees back to work unless they accept his decision to ban extra prayer breaks. Ariens, whose family set up the business more than 80 years ago, denies he was being insensitive to their religious needs and warns they may lose their jobs if they do not accept his terms. He says the company’s non-Muslim workers complained to him about the exceptional time given to the 53 Islamic staff to be able to meet their religious obligations during working hours. “It just throws 800 people in disarray. Think of the unfairness. Everybody gets two ten minute breaks, but some additional 50 people are getting more breaks of maybe five or twenty minutes, ‘ said Ariens. The banned Muslim workers now claim they were technically forced out of their jobs and insulted by the company's management. An Imam who leads prays at his Mosque with many of the workers said Ariens, if allowed, was setting a dangerous precedent which might lead businesses around the US to review the procedure of allowing Muslims time during work to pray. Ariens employs 2,000 people including 800 at its Brillion, Wisconsin plant. The company expects its Muslim employees to limit their prayer time to the two ten minute breaks allowed to all employees working eight hour shifts. But the 53 Muslims, mostly from Somalia and arrived at the plant last summer, say they cannot ignore the religious requirements which specifies the times that they must turn towards Mecca and prostrate to Allah. They have to have clean bodies and carry out the prayers at daybreak, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and evening and each prayer lasts five minutes. But Ariens says some prayer breaks took key workers away from production assembly lines for up to twenty minutes. Ariens, speaking in the boardroom of the company's Wisconsin headquarters, said: “We know those breaks aren't always (taking) five minutes for prayer because you can't physically walk to one end of the plant. It is 365,000 square feet so it may take you ten, fifteen and we know in some cases twenty minutes. If they were to stay with those five minute breaks, it would cost us about a million dollars per year. Let's say an assembly line has ten people on it, if two walk off the job, the other eight are standing there because they work in a sequence. It is impossible and it is not a free for all. We work as a team.” He insists the resentful employees, who have walked out and have until January 25 to return to work or face losing their jobs, knew from the day they joined of the company's allotted break times. “I am not a Muslim. I am not aware of the Muslim prayer times. I know that there is a faith. But I am not aware of the practice. But I do know that they were made aware of break times when they joined the company,” said Ariens. Ariens, who is a Catholic, was asked why he wasn't aware that Muslims were required to pray five times a day. He said: 'Do you know how many rosaries I do a day?' One Muslim worker, Ibrahim Mehammed, 32, claims he and his fellow Muslims are being forced to choose between work and faith. “They are not respecting our values and religion. The Koran says we have to pray five times a day and at what times this has to be done. These prayers are very important to us as we have to fully respect Allah and when they refuse us to pray at these times, we have no choice but to lose our jobs. Since most of us arrived in Brillion last summer, we have been treated very well and we get on with our non Muslim colleagues. They would step in for us when we went to pray and it was all OK. Nobody had any trouble at all until the company called us together last week and told us we couldn't pray anymore when we had to. It is crazy to ask us to pray out of the times that we have to. It wouldn't mean anything to us or to God. Now they have given us letters which tell us where to get help with unemployment. As far as I am concerned, I have been fired from my job over my religion,” Mehammed said. His colleague Dhar Mahed, 37, says, “We are hard workers and we get on very well with everybody. Nobody complained to us about our prayers. People take breaks to go to the bathroom and nobody says anything about that. They can go as many times as they like. It is a shame that we are being put away from our jobs only because we are sincere and respectful Muslims and simply want to pray.” The problem began soon after the influx of Somalian Muslims last summer who found work at Ariens through an employment fair and applied online. Until that time, there were only a handful of Muslim employees leaving the production lines to pray. But with over 50 additional Muslim workers demanding time to pray during work time, Ariens management said the situation became extremely difficult and they were not expecting new staff to make such demands. One of the longest serving Islamic workers says some of his fellow Muslims were using the prayers as an excuse to avoid work. Bashir Mahamed, 67, who has worked at Ariens for nearly ten years, says: 'There was no problem when there was just three or four of us. “But when these large numbers came, I could see that the work was being affected. I know that some of the people were taking the time not to pray as they were not really practicing Muslims. But I am very happy with my job and I will carry on working there, says Mahamed. His Imam Mohamed Abdelazim of the Appleton Mosque, however, disagrees with him and says the workers took time only to pray. “They have to pray at the designated times. The prayers are called Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha. If a Muslim does these prayers he is rewarded by God, but if he does them at times different from the Muslim calendar, then his rewards are less and less. They have to be on time. It is not good to try and tell these Muslim brothers and sisters to pray during their lunch breaks as these prayers will not be correct and acceptable,” says the Imam. Another Imam Hassan Abdi of the Green Bays Mosque, claims: “This company has changed its policy towards Muslims after employing them. We do not understand why. 'Most of these brothers and sisters worship at my mosque and I believe they are in this situation because their employer wants to get rid of its Muslim workers. The times to pray are in the Koran. They have to do it. If this company does this, other bosses around America could see this as an excuse to get rid of its employees. This is a dangerous situation for us in this country.” But Ariens denies he is using the controversy over prayers as an excuse and says he is angered over claims on social media that his company's actions amounted to racism. He says: 'They don't know us and they are baseless and wrong. They do not know us as a family business that has been here eighty years. 'We have all kind of diversity here in North East Wisconsin and we hire anybody who wants to come and work and be part of this family. We are not going to discriminate not hiring someone based on their faith. We don't do research to say that we shouldn't hire them because they are Somali or because they are Irish Catholics. That is discrimination. We are absolutely not discriminating because we are saying that we have seen they have relocated and looking for a job and we have a job open... let's see if we can put those two things together,” says Ariens. He insists the latest batch of Muslim workers have been treated fairly and professionally. 'We put them through orientation and training. So these 53... we have invested in them and trained them. We have brought them some skills and they have become good manufacturers and we would like this not to cause them to voluntarily leave us and quit.' He said if the 53 workers left their jobs, the replacements could be Muslims as long as they understood there were only two ten minute break times. “I will feel bad if they leave. We are a business... we are not a non-profit business. We are as family and a team. No one is fired.” The CEO estimates $1 million would be lost per year if the prayers were allowed to continue when the workers wanted. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission states that employers do not have to accommodate a religious practice if it causes 'undue hardship' to the company by decreasing 'workplace efficiency. The dispute has to be resolved by Sunday as that is the deadline Ariens has laid down for a return to work, otherwise the 53 will be deemed to have left their jobs on their own accord.

This news relates to the evolving nature of heavy trucks. The telematics systems now being used by the truckmakers, which allow ECU updates via WiFi networks, are vulnerable. Most people fail to keep their router firmware updated, making it easily vulnerable to hackers. And even when updated, WiFi by nature is still vulnerable. After that, the truckmakers are talking about over-the-air updates through a cellular network, another easily hackable situation.

Automotive News / January 19, 2016 The nation’s top auto safety regulator said his agency will take action this year to address automotive cybersecurity issues, as the spread of connectivity technologies threatens to expose vehicles to new paths of attack. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) currently lacks regulations for the security protocols governing the roughly 100 million lines of software code used to control many functions in modern cars [and commercial trucks]. As Wi-fi hotspots, satellite radio and other network connections to vehicles become more common, NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind said, the agency must define its role in how the security of those systems should be managed, and what tools it needs to ensure the safety of connected vehicle systems. Rosekind says the effort has the backing of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, though it’s still unclear what type of action the agency will take. “I don’t know if there’s going to be regulation or standards, or what that’s going to look like,” Rosekind said on the sidelines of a NHTSA cybersecurity event today, “but I don’t think there’s any question that we have to get action on cybersecurity this year.” Auto cybersecurity was thrust into the spotlight last summer when researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek, working with a magazine reporter, exploited a network vulnerability in the infotainment system of a Jeep Cherokee to demonstrate that they could remotely take control of functions such as its steering and brakes. Automakers fear that NHTSA regulations for cybersecurity could take years to formulate, and may stifle innovation in the meantime. At the same time, they don’t dispute that security is a critical issue as vehicles become increasingly connected to the Internet, and as autonomous driving technologies enter the marketplace. Potential threats At today's meeting, panelists identified a variety of potential threats, including so-called ransomware, or malicious software designed to extort money from vehicle owners by crippling the vehicle’s software controls until a ransom is paid. Another topic of discussion was how to patch vulnerabilities in vehicle infotainment systems -- the gateway used in Miller and Valasek’s Jeep hack -- and whether features should be disabled until security updates can be installed. Rosekind said NHTSA organized the daylong event to bring together automakers, suppliers, government officials and researchers, in part to help define the agency’s role in overseeing auto cybersecurity. “Clearly we are the agency that could create mandates if they were needed,” he said. Safety-critical issues He acknowledged the concerns about barriers to innovation but said safety was a paramount concern. For safety-critical issues where industry-wide adoption is required, “that’s where you need regulation,” he said. “In some areas of safety, you need 100 percent adoption.”

More Air Force drones are crashing than ever as new problems emerge The Washington Post / January 19, 2015 A record number of Air Force drones crashed in major accidents last year, documents show, straining the U.S. military’s fleet of robotic aircraft when it is in more demand than ever for counterterrorism missions in an expanding array of war zones. Driving the increase was a mysterious surge in mishaps involving the Air Force’s newest and most advanced “hunter-killer” drone, the Reaper, which has become the Pentagon’s favored weapon for conducting surveillance and airstrikes against the Islamic State, al-Qaeda and other militant groups. The Reaper has been bedeviled by a rash of sudden electrical failures that have caused the 21/2-ton drone to lose power and drop from the sky, according to accident-investigation documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Investigators have traced the problem to a faulty starter-generator, but have been unable to pinpoint why it goes haywire or devise a permanent fix. All told, 20 large Air Force drones were destroyed or sustained at least $2 million in damage in accidents last year, the worst annual toll ever, according to a Washington Post investigation. The Pentagon has shrouded the extent of the problem and kept details of most of the crashes a secret. The aircraft losses pose another challenge for the Air Force as it struggles to provide sufficient drone coverage for counterterrorism operations in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Mali and Cameroon, among other countries. Despite a surge in requests from field commanders, the Air Force last year had to curtail its drone combat missions by 8 percent because of an acute shortage of pilots for the remote-controlled aircraft. Things have gotten so bad that the Air Force is offering retention bonuses of up to $125,000 to its drone pilots, who have long complained of overwork. The Air Force also has contracted out more drone missions to private companies to meet what one general called “a virtually insatiable appetite” from military commanders for airborne surveillance. While Air Force leaders have publicly bemoaned a lack of personnel and resources, they have said little about the high number of drone crashes, a long-standing vulnerability that worsened substantially last year. Ten Reapers were badly damaged or destroyed in 2015, at least twice as many as in any previous year, according to Air Force safety data. The Reaper’s mishap rate — the number of major crashes per 100,000 hours flown — more than doubled compared with 2014. The aircraft, when fully equipped, cost about $14 million each to replace. The Air Force’s other primary drone model, the Predator, also suffered heavy casualties. An older and less capable version of the Reaper, the Predator was involved in 10 major accidents last year. That’s the most since 2011, when the U.S. military was simultaneously surging troops into Afghanistan and withdrawing ground forces from Iraq. Although the Defense Department has a policy to disclose all major aircraft mishaps, it did not publicly report half of the 20 Reaper and Predator accidents last year. In five other cases, U.S. military officials provided confirmation only after local authorities reported the crashes or enemy fighters posted photos of the wreckage on social media. According to the military, only one drone was downed by hostile forces: a Predator that was hit by Syrian air defenses near Latakia on March 17. All but one of the 20 Air Force drone accidents last year occurred overseas. Six drones crashed in Afghanistan. Four crashed in the Horn of Africa, near a U.S. military base in Djibouti. Three crashed in Iraq. There were also crashes in Kuwait, Turkey, Syria and Libya. In two cases, Air Force officials would not identify the country where the mishaps occurred. In addition to the Air Force, the Army operates its own drone fleet. It is preparing to expand the number of combat missions it flies to help compensate for the Air Force’s cutbacks. Last year, the Army reported four major drone crashes, each involving the Gray Eagle — a model identical to the Predator. Three of the Army’s accidents occurred in Afghanistan. One happened in Iraq. Although the military’s drone programs are largely unclassified, the Obama administration rarely discusses details of the key role they fill in its counterterrorism strategy. The CIA runs its own drone operations on a covert basis, and the secrecy surrounding those missions often seeps into the Pentagon. Lt. Gen. Robert P. Otto, the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for intelligence and surveillance programs, acknowledged in an interview that there has been a spike in Reaper accidents. Many cases remain under investigation, but Otto and other Air Force officials blamed the Reaper’s flawed starter-generator for causing at least six major crashes since December 2014. “We’re looking closely at that to determine what is the core issue there,” Otto said. Although the drone pilot shortage has compelled the Air Force to reduce the number of combat missions, Otto said the aircraft mishaps have not forced additional cuts. The Air Force has enough replacement drones on hand, he said, and already had orders in place to buy dozens more Reapers over the next few years. “Any impact to operations has been negligible to barely noticeable,” he said. Field commanders, however, have long complained of a drone deficit. In March, the four-star commanders of U.S. forces in the Middle East and Africa both told Congress that the Pentagon has provided less than one-quarter of the drones, other aircraft and satellites that they need for reconnaissance and surveillance missions. “The Predator has been our most effective weapon in our campaign against the global jihadists,” said Michael G. Vickers, the Pentagon’s former top civilian intelligence official, at a House Armed Services Committee hearing Jan. 12. But he cautioned that the size of the drone fleet “will remain a critical limiting factor in the conduct of our campaign.” Drones going ‘stupid’ Military drones have been dogged by persistent safety and reliability problems since the first Predator was deployed to the Balkans on a combat mission two decades ago. Of the 269 Predators purchased by the Air Force since then, about half have been destroyed or badly damaged in accidents, records show. Air Force officials describe the Predator as an experimental aircraft that was rushed into war zones, particularly after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. They say it has lasted much longer than expected and that, at a cost of$4 million apiece, is relatively expendable in the event of a crash. The Air Force has about 140 Predators left and plans to retire them all by 2018. They are gradually being replaced by the Reaper. Introduced in 2007, the Reaper can fly twice as far as the Predator and carry more bombs and missiles. Until recently, it also had a much better safety record. Over the past three years, however, some production models of the Reaper have been hobbled by an outbreak of electrical failures. Investigators and engineers have traced the problem to the starter-generator. It powers the drone but is prone to conking out, for reasons that remain unclear. The Reaper carries an emergency battery backup system. But the batteries last only for about one hour. If a malfunctioning drone needs more time than that to reach an airfield, it is in trouble. In such emergencies, the drone pilot usually has no choice but to intentionally crash the aircraft in a remote area, such as a mountainside or a waterway, to avoid striking people on the ground. No one has died in a military drone accident, though many catastrophes have been narrowly averted, documents show. “Once the battery’s gone, the airplane goes stupid and you lose it,” said Col. Brandon Baker, chief of the Air Force’s remotely piloted aircraft capabilities division. “Quite frankly, we don’t have the root cause ironed out just yet.” The Reaper and the Predator are both manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, a San Diego-based defense contractor. In addition to the Air Force, other customers who have purchased the Reaper include the Department of Homeland Security, NASA, and the British, French and Italian armed forces. The CIA also flies Reapers. General Atomics officials declined requests for an interview or to provide data on the Reaper’s history of starter-generator failures. In an emailed statement, General Atomics spokeswoman Kimberly Kasitz said the firm “stands behind the proven reliability” of the Reaper. She added that Reapers have recorded more than 2.2 million flight hours and have “been very effective for multiple customers.” The Reaper’s starter-generator is built by Skurka Aerospace of Camarillo, Calif. Skurka executives referred requests for comment to their parent corporation, Transdigm Group of Cleveland. A Transdigm spokeswoman did not respond to phone calls or emails. Averting disaster Government agencies other than the Pentagon have also run into problems with their Reapers. Shortly before midnight Jan. 27, 2014, an unarmed Reaper was flying a surveillance mission near San Diego for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Suddenly, an alarm sounded, signaling that the starter-generator had stopped working. The crew flying the drone from a remote-control ground station in Corpus Christi, Tex., inputted commands to restart the generator, but their attempt failed. The pilot made quick calculations and concluded that the Reaper lacked enough battery power to make it back to its launch point, at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., according to an aircraft accident report by Customs and Border Protection. Worried that the Reaper might otherwise crash into a heavily populated part of Southern California, the pilot commanded the drone to head out to sea, where it was ditched about 23 miles west of Point Loma, Calif. The drone sank about 4,200 feet to the ocean floor. Ten days later, most of the wreckage, including the intact starter-generator, was recovered from the depths by a Navy salvage team. According to the accident investigation report, it was the 18th time in nine months that a starter-generator had failed on a Reaper. Disaster was averted in most cases, but in three of the incidents, the drone crashed. Working with engineers from General Atomics, investigators identified three parts of the starter-generator that were susceptible to breakdowns. But they couldn’t figure out why they were failing. No pattern was apparent. Older units had failed, but so had brand-new ones. There was no correlation with operating locations or conditions. The Customs and Border Protection investigation blamed an “unknown factor” that was “likely external.” The report noted that, unlike most aircraft, the Reaper lacked a backup, or redundant, power supply system. Calling it a “design weakness,” the report recommended that Reapers be equipped with a permanent backup electrical supply. Two days after the crash near San Diego, General Atomics issued an alert bulletin to its customers, advising them to limit “non-essential” Reaper operations to keep the drones within one hour’s flight of an air base in case of an emergency. The bulletin, however, did not apply to combat missions. Crashes pile up General Atomics engineers made little headway in identifying the mechanical gremlin that was plaguing the starter-generators. Meanwhile, Reapers kept crashing. On Dec. 12, 2014, a Reaper armed with missiles and bombs experienced a starter-generator failure about 90 minutes after it took off from Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan. As the batteries drained, the crew intentionally flew the drone into a mountain. The wreckage was not recovered. “I thought it was a very prudent place to ditch it, onto a high mountain top,” the unidentified mission crew commander told Air Force investigators, according to the accident-investigation report. “Our deal is we try to do it into high mountain tops.” Less than two months later, on Feb. 4, 2015, an Air Force Reaper had to cut short a surveillance mission over Somalia when its starter-generator died. The flight crew tried to rush the drone back to its base in Djibouti. But with about 30 miles to go, the battery ran out and the Reaper was ditched in the sea, according to the Air Force’s accident investigation report. In an appendix to the report, General Atomics noted that it had completed the development of a “more robust” starter-generator in response to the string of mishaps. The appendix, which was heavily redacted, did not give further details. In March, the Air Force’s program manager for its Reaper fleet filed a report with the Pentagon noting that there had been “a dramatic increase” in starter-generator failures since 2013. Col. William S. Leister informed Pentagon officials that investigators from the Air Force, General Atomics and Skurka had investigated the problem for more than a year. The team, he said, had identified “numerous manufacturing quality issues” yet had been unable to determine the exact cause of the failures. “But, I am pleased to report that we may have light at the end of this dark tunnel,” he added, promising unspecified “corrective actions in the very near term.” He declined to comment further for this article. Other Air Force officials said the service began installing a secondary generator on its Reapers in July that can provide up to 10 extra hours of electricity in case the first one fails. The Air Force determined that 60 Reapers in its fleet were carrying the buggy starter-generators. So far, the new backup part has been installed on 47 of those aircraft, according to Baker, the colonel in charge of the drone capabilities division. Since then, Baker said, there have been 17 “saves” — or incidents in which the primary generator failed mid-flight. In each case, he added, the backup generator kicked in and the drone was able to land safely. .

Reuters / January 19, 2015 China National Heavy Truck Company, also known as CNHTC and Sinotruk, saw its export truck sales rise 16.6 percent in 2015, despite a sluggish global economy, the company said Tuesday. The Shandong, China-based truck manufacturer received export orders for over 40,000 heavy trucks in 2015, making it China’s largest exporter of commercial vehicles for the 11th consecutive year. Company officials said burgeoning Southeast Asian and African markets contributed to the growth. The Hong Kong-listed truckmaker has six overseas assembly plants and representation in 40 countries. .

Date: March 1-4 Location: Indianapolis Presently known major participants: Cummins Ford Commercial Vehicles International Kenworth Mack Mitubishi Fuso Ram (Dodge) Commercial Website: http://www.ntea.com/worktruckshow/

MAN Truck & Bus Press Release / January 19, 2016 MAN showcases integrated solutions for the construction sector at BAUMA* 2016 MAN will use five exhibits in hall B4, stand 225, to showcase its expertise in the construction sector. The display on the stand will include a crane tipper from the TGL series, a two-axle MAN TGS with HydroDrive as a semitrailer tractor, a payload optimized truck mixer on a four-axle MAN TGS, a MAN TGS designed for 33 tonnes for the mining industry and a three-axle MAN TGX tipper with the new 560 hp D38 engine. Four other vehicles will also be located in an open space in front of hall B4 at the exit next to the stand. Here, MAN plans to exhibit a MAN TGX 41.640 heavy-duty semitrailer tractor with the D38 engine, a five-axle MAN TGS designed for a gross permitted weight of 50 tonnes, a MAN TGS with triple-axle arrangement provided as standard, and a MAN TGM in all-wheel drive version. The needs of the user provide the focus for the MAN product range - true to the trade fair motto, “You can count on MAN”. MAN's sector-specific focus is evident in many areas, for example in the choice of three possible all-wheel drive technology variants. The optional all-wheel drive is the premier choice for occasional driving on more challenging terrain. The permanent all-wheel drive is ideal for use where a high-level of traction is often required as well as under widely varying road holding conditions. The MAN HydroDrive, an optional hydrostatic drive in the front axle, is an ideal addition if the vehicle travels predominately on sealed road surfaces and only occasionally needs additional traction. A success story continues: MAN HydroDrive The launch of the MAN Hydrodrive in 2005 represented the introduction by MAN of a new drive technology variant on to the market. The technical solution of a hydrostatically driven front axle to increase traction when required and to deliver a strong braking effect on steep offroad slopes was welcomed in many sectors with great interest. HydroDrive is thus available on the market in a wide range of drive configurations for two-, three- and four-axle vehicles. MAN has continued to develop this system and improve its operation in practice for users. The routing of the hydraulic lines has been optimised and the clearance around the wheels increased making larger rim and tyre widths possible - even with tyre chains attached. MAN is to announce an extension to its range of drive configurations at bauma 2016. MAN HydroDrive in combination with an automated gearbox is likely to be available to order from IAA 2016 onwards. A plus for payload: new light hypoid tandem axle At bauma 2016, MAN is to launch a new light hypoid tandem axle unit for payload-sensitive transport tasks. In comparison to fitting a planetary axle, this weighs in at approximately 280 kilogrammes lighter. Compared to normal hypoid axles currently available with a 13-tonne load capacity, a weight advantage of 180 kilogrammes is achieved. In terms of truck mixers, this means for example that it is possible to transport 180 kilogrammes more concrete or water. The requirement for the use of thermo-insulated bodies when transporting asphalt adds additional weight. The operator is now able to compensate for this payload loss with a lighter axle unit. This tandem axle unit also has other advantages besides the payload argument: Slightly less diesel is used compared to vehicles fitted with planetary axles. In a direct comparison of hypoid axles, the new axle construction - designed for a payload of 11.5 tonnes - also offers additional ground clearance of approximately four centimetres. This means that, also with hypoid axles, MAN now meets the authorisation criteria for an offroad vehicle (N3G) of medium-high design height and with 315/80 R22.5 tyres. The new axle unit is available for vehicles up to 480 hp in normal height design for leaf-leaf and air-leaf suspension versions of the TGX 6x4, TGS 6x4 and 8x4. This also includes the TGM in 6x4 drive configuration. The TGX 6x4 and TGS 6x4 and 8x4 also benefit from this equipment alternative in the medium height version with leaf-leaf suspension. Construction flagship: the MAN TGX with D38 engine MAN is showcasing the powerful D38 engine in the TGX series for the first time at bauma. This combination represents the perfect vehicle for heavy-duty traction operation. With high engine power over 500 hp, you can transport heavy loads and also achieve high average speeds. Typical applications include tilting articulated trains or 6x4 tippers frequently used with trailers, as well as heavy-duty roll-off skip loaders. In construction traffic, for example, if low loader trailers with heavy-duty construction machines need to be pulled, then the TGX D38 with 520 and 560 hp can move up to a gross train weight of 120 tonnes with ease - depending on the driveline design. In line with sector requirement, MAN is adding the TGX D38 in normal as well as in medium design heights and with tough steel bumpers to the product range. The two-stage turbochargers characteristic of MAN engines means the 6-cylinder in-line engine with 15.256 ccm displacement reaches its nominal torque of 2700 Nm at 930 rpm. The full torque can also be used in a wide torque range of 930 to 1350 rpm. This means that in traction applications, this top-of-the-range model draws upon its great tractive power at low speeds, changes gear at an early stage and keeps the engine torque high in high gears. In summer 2015, MAN switched the TGX D38 series over to the new TipMatic TX gearbox generation. Its direct-drive version is designed for the high torque of 2500 to 2700 Nm produced by the D38 engines. This TX gearbox provides the customer with a number of convenience functions. The following functions from the catalogue are particularly suited for use in the construction industry. Gradient sensor: Thanks to the integrated gradient sensor, the TGX D38 takes the current topography into account when selecting a gear. The driveline always finds the right gear for moving off – whether driving uphill, with an empty vehicle or with full loads. Rocking free: On a snow-covered carriageway for example, or on lightly compressed ground on construction sites, this function on the TGX D38 makes it easier for trucks which are stuck to pull away. If the rocking free function is activated, the clutch opens very quickly, so long as the driver has lifted off the accelerator. If the accelerator is pressed again the clutch closes, allowing the driver to carefully rock the vehicle free. A suitable gear is selected automatically here in order to reduce the torque to the drive wheels and thus avoid wheel spin. Manoeuvring feature: The interaction between the accelerator position and clutch controls has been designed to function even more smoothly so that the driver can manoeuvre more accurately at the loading ramp or in confined construction sites.The aim of other functions available on the TipMatic TX gearbox is rather fuel saving. They therefore contribute positively in terms of the TCO of the MAN TGX D38. The new EfficientCruise GPS cruise control with EfficientRoll “sailing” function were brought into this series along with the TipMatic TX. The combination of both factors provides potential savings. The system utilizes the 3D map material of the terrain to anticipate the course taken by the road and adapts the speed accordingly. At the same time, EfficientCruise anticipates gear selection and shifts down into the appropriate gear before uphill sections. The aim is to manage the uphill section without tractive force interruption. For short inclines, the vehicle completely prevents downshifts if possible. With the knowledge of the topography of the course of the road ahead, the vehicle shifts up a gear at an early stage if this is likely to have a positive effect in fuel saving. This is where the speed shifting functions play their part. Thanks to the specific coordination of engine, clutch and gearbox control, it shifts even more quickly between the three highest gears – 10th, 11th and 12th. This means, for example, that the gearbox can shift down more quickly when going uphill and the torque for tractive force interruption is shortened. This in turn means that greater momentum is maintained, saving on the vehicle's fuel. The Idle Speed Driving function uses the high torque of the 15.2 litre engine at low speeds which provides greater comfort when driving slowly and saves fuel. This is particularly practical in stop-go traffic or when coasting up to a roundabout. In such situations, the vehicle will continue to move forward with the engine at idling speed and the clutch closed, as long as the driver does not brake. For the heavy load: MAN TGX heavy-duty transporter The MAN TGX with D38 engine provides top performance for heavy-duty transport. The four-axle MAN TGX 41.640 8x4/4 combines the most powerful version of the D38 engine and the MAN TipMatic TX with the standard converter-clutch unit. Thanks to the strong torque of 3000 Nm, even heavy-duty transport of 250 tonnes can be moved smoothly and powerfully. The converter-clutch unit allows for particularly precise shunting in tight spaces, on inclines and with heavy loads. The launch of the MAN TGX D38 was the reason to extend the range of models in the heavy-duty transport segment. As regards cabs, there is a choice between all widths XL, XLX and XXL, and now also right-hand drive ex-works. Important for heavy-duty transport operators: the wheelbases on the new Euro 6 version with the D38 engine are the same as the current Euro 5 design with the V8 engine. This means that the cornering characteristics of the towing vehicle and the connected trailer or semitrailer remain the same. The existing reports continue to be valid without alteration. In addition to the premium 640 hp class, MAN is adding further models to the product range for heavy-duty transport. Gross train weights of up to 180 tonnes are possible with the 560 HP and 2700 Nm D38 engine. Tailored to the sector in every respect: partially raised exhaust system MAN offers four-axle chassis from the TGS series with a two-part exhaust system. The diesel particulate filter is fitted between both front axles, and the SCR-cat is positioned on a frame behind the cab. The extension to the variant range is new for bauma 2016: This version is now also available with the 8x4 drive in combination with the longer L and LX cabs. It has so far only been offered with the M cab in drive configurations 8x4, 8x6, 8x8 and 8x6H. The advantages of this arrangement are the avoidance of dust turbulence by means of an exhaust tailpipe which discharges downwards, and the increased space provided in the frame between the second and third axles. This free space can be used for a larger fuel tank or for additions needed by the body. Alternatively, a vehicle with a shorter wheelbase may be chosen to increase manoeuvrability. This emission control system configuration is also available for the standard five-axle, created by attaching an 8x4 to a steered trailing axle. A tough operator in mining: MAN TGS WorldWide For mining and gravel extraction operations, MAN offers the tough and resilient MAN TGS chassis from its WorldWide product family in markets outside Europe. The vehicles are optimised to meet sector requirements: The tandem axle unit on the MAN TGS 33.480 6x6 BB - an exhibit at bauma - now has a longer wheelbase of 1500 millimetres. This means that large format 16 R 20 tyres can be fitted. If the ground conditions require them, 24 R 20.5 format tyres also fit on the tippers. The MAN TGS dumper truck, designed for a gross permitted weight of 33 tonnes, is therefore ideal as an alternative to the articulated dumper which is significantly more expensive to purchase. The MAN TGS WorldWide, designed by the Munich based commercial vehicle manufacturer, represents a truck to cope with challenging road situations as well as extreme climatic conditions such as icy temperatures, snow and extreme heat. The heat retention function, which remains active in neutral, has proven itself in Arctic climatic regions and in frosty winters. It ensures operational capability of the vehicle in temperatures of up to minus 40°C. The MAN TGS 40.540 6x6 BBS from the TGS WorldWide series is available for the toughest of transportation tasks. The combination of the three-axle towing vehicle with 540 hp engine, MAN TipMatic automated gearbox with converter-clutch unit (WSK), leaf-sprung planetary axle and additional radiators for engine, gearbox, WSK and transfer case is ideal for gross train weights of up to 250 tonnes at maximum traction. This vehicle is designed for worldwide operations. It is available as both a left and right-hand drive vehicle and also in emission categories Euro 4 and Euro 5. Air intake as well as exhaust tailpipe are raised for rough operating conditions; it has a steel bumper and tyre formats 325/95 R24 and 14.00 R20 may be selected. Heavy duty equipment ex-works is a tradition at MAN. Components such as two-stage trailer hydraulics, register coupling, heavy-duty trailer coupling at normal and low mounting positions, sliding device for fifth-wheel coupling and support plate for swan neck can of course also be supplied by MAN with this towing machine. The Euro 5 exhaust classification is increasingly gaining in importance in markets outside Europe. MAN is therefore introducing common rail engines to the TGS Worldwide series from the D20 and D26 series for the first time in this exhaust classification. These come from the D20 engine series with 320, 360, 400, and 440 hp. The D26 covers the 480 hp and 540 hp versions. All the engines are 6 cylinder in line engines. MAN image database - http://bildarchiv.man.de/index.php/main?level=0&catId=11651&mainCatId=530&catName=bauma+2016〈=en * Held every three years in Munich, Germany, BAUMA (International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines, Construction Vehicles and Construction Equipment) is the world's largest trade fair in the construction industry.

Volvo Trucks Press Release / January 19, 2016

Fleet Owner / January 19, 2016 Legislation would restore numerous House riders to 2016 budget Another try at permitting 33-ft. twin trailers on the federal highway system is included in new legislation that’s otherwise designed to respond to “executive branch overreach” and “recalibrate the Constitutional structure of the federal government.” “The Article I Consolidated Appropriations Amendments of 2016” (H.R. 4371) was introduced last week by Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) to restore a number of policy riders and “defunds” passed by the House but not included by House-Senate negotiators in the final omnibus spending package that funds the federal government for the current fiscal year. “By doing our work, House Republicans have laid out a counterbalance to President Obama’s wholesale assault on free markets and individual liberties,” Buck writes to congressional colleagues, asking for support of the legislation. "[H.R. 4371] consolidates some of this work in the hopes of providing each House Republican a solid platform from which to begin the process of reclaiming Congress’ rightful place in our Constitutional government.” Along with provisions to place a moratorium on any new rules or regulations proposed by the executive branch, defund President Obama’s “illegal executive action” on immigration, and prevent IRS use of funds to implement Obamacare, the bill amends U.S. code by striking language that sets the maximum combination trailer length at 28 feet and replaces that with 33 feet. Both the House and the Senate initially passed budget amendments allowing the longer “pup” trailers, but the Senate ordered its members on the omnibus conference committee not to approve any such language in the final package. A group of the nation’s largest LTL carriers and the American Trucking Assns. have lobbied for the twin 33s. Related reading: http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/42734-senate-votes-to-delay-twin-33s-approval-in-transportation-funding-bill/?hl=twin http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/42296-3-senators-set-news-conference-to-state-opposition-to-33-foot-trailers/?hl=twin http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/41731-house-bill-would-increase-interstate-weight-limit-to-91000-pounds/?hl=twin#entry303708

When I think of trucking and New Jersey, I think of the F-models of National Freight, and its smiling accountants in Vineland. .

ISIS massacres 300 Syrian civilians The Guardian / January 17, 2016 An attack by ISIS on the eastern Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor has left at least 85 civilians and 50 government troops dead, a monitoring group has said, with state media denouncing a “massacre”. Syria’s state news agency Sana, quoting residents, said up to 300 civilians were killed in the onslaught. It would be one of the highest tolls for a single day in Syria’s nearly five-year war. The bloodshed in Deir ez-Zor came as Syrian forces battled ISIS in the northern province of Aleppo, killing at least 16 jihadis, and as airstrikes hit the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said Isis had advanced into the northern tip of Deir ez-Zor and captured the northern suburb of Al-Baghaliyeh. Initially, it reported that 35 Syrian soldiers and allied militiamen had been killed in the multi-front attack, which included a suicide bombing. But as the day unfolded, the death toll rose. SOHR said “The [isis] terrorists carried out a massacre in Al-Baghaliyeh, claiming the lives of around 300 civilians, most of them women, children and elderly people.” It said most of the victims were killed “execution-style” in Al-Baghaliyeh. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Russia kills 60 militants in Deir ez-Zor, where ISIS massacred hundreds of civilians RT / January 19, 2016 The Russian Air Force in Syria has eliminated 60 Islamic State militants in eastern Deir ez-Zor province, the Defense Ministry reported. Several days ago, mass execution of civilians were reported there. “The Russian Su-34 bombers have struck terrorist strongholds near the village of Bagilya in the Deir ez-Zor province where ISIS has recently executed 300 civilian from the local population for the sake of intimidation,” Defense Ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said. Over the weekend, Islamic State jihadists have reportedly slaughtered up to 300 people in the Deir ez-Zor province, killing “whole families” for alleged cooperation with the Syrian Army. READ MORE: ISIS massacres 280 civilians for ‘cooperation with the Syrian army’ – reports The airstrikes also destroyed three trucks with ammunition, two SUVs with mounted Zu-23 anti-aircraft cannons. Konashenkov said the Russian Air Force is continuing its operation “to deliver food and essential items to areas blocked by terrorists” in Syria. On Monday, over 40 tons of humanitarian aid from Russian Defense Ministry and Syrian government was parachuted to the encircled city of Deir ez-Zor and other areas. READ MORE: Russian army launches humanitarian op in Syria - General Staff "According to the reports received by the Syrian leadership from the settlements where the humanitarian aid was delivered, all the cargo has been received and is now being passed to the residents,” he said. Over the last four days, Russian warplanes have carried out 157 sorties and struck 579 terrorist targets in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Homs, Hama, Latakia and Raqqa, Konashenkov said. Around 20 jihadists and three SUVs with heavy machine guns were destroyed in an airstrike by Su-24 bombers on ISIS strongholds in Latakia. Russian Su-25s eliminated an ISIS field camp in Homs province, based on information received from the Syrian opposition. "A few days ago, one of the units of the [anti-terroist] opposition received information about the location of the ISIS field camp near the village of Kissin in the Homs province,” he said. The air strike against the target was carried out after the information was verified via surveillance drones and the anti-terrorist information center in Baghdad. "The command of the Russian Air Force continues its cooperation with the units of the [anti-terrorist] opposition in Syria, which are fighting Islamic State, Jabhat Al-Nusra and other terror groups,” Konashenkov said. Russia is also continuing to target the illegal oil trade, which is the main source of income for the terrorists, the Ministry of Defense said. Russian war planes have destroyed a large warehouse of combustive-lubricating materials and an oil pumping station in the province of Raqqa,” he said. READ MORE: ISIS fighters’ salaries halved, 'exceptional circumstances' to blame - reports In Aleppo province, air surveillance discovered a column of trucks carrying smuggled oil towards the Turkish border. Twenty-three oil tankers were destroyed in an airstrike by Russian Su-24 bombers, Konashenkov added. Russia has been bombing IS and other terror groups in Syria since September 30, 2015, at the official request of President Bashar Assad. Related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4iCRnPBo18#t=49 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-82prBykh0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSIv4SeOgCA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnPyLvu1REE

Sanders is the only non-politician on the Presidential Elections’ circuit (unlike a politician, he’s honest) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sanders upends foreign-policy critique by Clinton experts: 'I was right' on Iraq The Guardian / January 19, 2016 After former US officials express ‘concern’ over Bernie Sanders’ ‘out-of-step’ policies on Isis and Iran, surging senator says his war vote sill matters Bernie Sanders pushed back against global-affairs experts backing Hillary Clinton who questioned the Vermont senator’s grasp of foreign policy, touting his judgement over her experience as he surges in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. “On the crucial foreign policy issue of our time, it turns out that Secretary Clinton – with all of her experience – was wrong and I was right,” says Sanders, freshly condemning his then-senate colleague’s 2002 vote to approve the US invasion of Iraq. While conceding that he has fewer foreign-policy credentials than the former secretary of state, Sanders said he maintains better judgement. “It is fair to say, in terms of experience, Hillary Clinton was secretary of state for four years and has a lot of experience, no debate about that,” Sanders said. “But there is a difference between experience and judgement. Not only did I vote against the war in Iraq, I helped lead the opposition to that war.” Earlier on Tuesday, a group of 10* former senior US diplomats and national security officials who are supporting former secretary of state Hillary Clinton released a letter calling Sanders’s foreign policy agenda “troubling” and “puzzling”. The letter-writers characterized Sanders’s strategy to defeat Isis as improbable and his plan to normalize relations with Iran as “out of step” with the current administration. “The stakes are high,” the diplomats warn in the letter. “And we are concerned that Senator Sanders has not thought through these crucial national security issues that can have profound consequences for our security.” Sanders told the Guardian that he believed it was “absolutely imperative that we crush ISIS”. “I believe we have got to learn the lesson from the war in Iraq,” Sanders said. “And that lesson is: we cannot do it alone. We need to do it in coalition. I agree with King Abdullah of Jordan that it must be Muslim troops on the ground, supported by the major powers. US, UK, Germany, France, Russia. The letter criticized Sanders’ for remarks he made during Sunday’s Democratic debate, when he suggested the US move “aggressively” to normalize relations with Iran following recent developments in the nuclear deal. The letter-writers also criticized an earlier remark by the senator that Iran should forge a military coalition with Saudi Arabia – “two intense adversaries” – and send more troops to Syria. During the debate on Sunday, Sanders was asked whether he would support the reopening of an embassy in Tehran and the restoring of normal diplomatic relations between the countries, which severed ties in 1979. “I think what we have got to do is move as aggressively as we can to normalize relations with Iran, understanding that Iran’s behavior in so many ways in something that we disagree with,” Sanders replied. Sanders said he didn’t foresee opening an embassy in Tehran anytime soon, but compared the situation with Cuba, which has in the past year normalized relations with the US. “I think the goal has got to be, as we have done with Cuba, to move in warm relations with a very powerful and important country in this world,” Sanders said at the debate. In an earlier statement on Tuesday, Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs called Sander’s foreign policy judgement “far superior” and sharpened its criticism of Clinton’s Iraq war vote. “Secretary Clinton voted for that [iraq] war – one of the worst foreign policy blunders in the modern history of our country and a war which resulted in the kind of chaos and instability which allowed for the rise of ISIS,” said Briggs. “Senator Sanders not only voted against the war but helped lead the opposition to the war. Many of the concerns he raised in 2002 turned out, unfortunately, to be true.” Multiple reports this week have cited increasing frustration inside the Clinton campaign, as Sanders maintains strong polling support in New Hampshire and Iowa, which will be the first state to vote in the Democratic presidential contest in less than two weeks. The remarks were in response to a letter published on Tuesday by 10 former senior US diplomats and national security officials who are supporting the former secretary of state that questioned Sanders’s grasp on foreign policy, citing his recent comments on normalizing relations with Iran. * The statement [letter] was signed by: Jeremy B. Bash, former chief of staff to the director of the CIA and former chief of staff to the secretary of defense; Rand Beers, former senior US government official in the Obama administration; Daniel Benjamin, former coordinator for counterterrorism at the State Department; Ambassador Nicholas Burns, former under secretary of state for political affairs during the George W. Bush administration; Derek Chollet, former assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs; Kathleen H. Hicks, former principal deputy under secretary of defense for policy; Lt. General Donald Kerrick (Ret.), former deputy national security advisor; James N. Miller, former under secretary of defense for policy; Julianne Smith, former deputy national security adviser to the Vice President Joe Biden; and Ambassador Wendy R. Sherman, former under secretary of state for political affairs and one of the key negotiators in the nuclear deal with Iran. Most of the signees have worked in the administrations of President Bill Clinton, or under Hillary Clinton during her tenure as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. The statement came with just two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, the first contest of the primary election season, and as Sanders has been narrowing Clinton’s lead in the polls. According to a recent Monmouth University poll, Clinton has 52 percent support with Democratic primary voters nationwide and Sanders with 37 percent. Since the same poll was taken in mid-December, Sanders has climbed by 11 percentage points.

The 6 German Tornado jets deployed to Syria for reconnaissance missions can't fly at night, Germany’s Bild newspaper reported Tuesday. (A whole 6 aircraft. And, Merkel refused to perform in a combat role out of fear of reprisal by the ocean of Muslims refugees now taking over Germany) Germany’s G36 assault rifle, which is being phased out, is the butt of jokes because it can't fire straight at high temperatures. Der Spiegel magazine reported last year that only four of the military's 39 NH90 helicopters were currently useable. Most recently, the German air force admitted the external fuel tank of one of its Eurofighters fell off as it was preparing for takeoff.

I can believe that. All politicians are spin doctors when their necks are on the line. One of my favorite quotes: "Listen, I'm a politician which means I'm a cheat and a liar, and when I'm not kissing babies I'm stealing their lollipops. But it also means I keep my options open"

Don’t enforce the law and people (rightfully) complain. Enforce the law.......and people complain. How can the deportation of an illegal immigrants be cruel? Their woes are self-inflicted.....they became criminals the moment they illegally entered the United States. Immigration rights advocates and Latino leaders feel betrayed? About what? $750 million in taxpayer money for bribes [i.e. developmental aid] to Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras if they supposedly prevent their people from heading to the US. Good luck with that investment. I don’t recall voting for that expenditure. It all comes back to the same discussion........Why would any U.S. politician promise illegal immigrants amnesty after them having committed the crime of entering the U.S. illegally? When did rewarding criminals become an American standard? “Illegal” immigrants are inherently criminals. That they would intentionally enter the United States illegally speaks volumes about their character. The 11.3 million illegal immigrants (aliens) in the United States should be deported, and black-listed from applying to legally immigrate to the U.S. in the future. The U.S. citizenship of all children born to illegal immigrants in the United States should be revoked. They should be deported with their illegal immigrant parents. The U.S. citizenship of all birth tourism babies over the last 10 years should be revoked. The founding fathers did not intend for foreigners to fly into the U.S. (and territories, e.g. Saipan) to give birth, so that the child's family could use this unscrupulous means (loophole) to immigrate later. At any point in time, there are millions of people around the world who are waiting in line to “legally” immigrate to the United States. This is the process, the immigration law, of our country. Should any respectable individuals wish to immigrate to the U.S., they can apply through the normal process at the U.S. embassy in their home country.......and get in line.

Obama struggling with immigration rules and cruelties of deportation The Washington Post / January 18, 2016 The Obama White House is working frantically to quell the political outrage among immigration rights advocates and Latino leaders who say they feel betrayed by a recent series of deportation raids launched by the administration, [allegedly] mostly against women and children from Central America. While the raids continue with administration support, White House aides announced an expanded State Department partnership with the United Nations to resettle Central American refugees in the United States and elsewhere, and Vice President Biden traveled to the region last week to meet with the presidents of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. “The goal of this effort is to provide a safe and legal alternative to the dangerous journey many are currently taking in the hands of human smugglers,” said White House spokesman Peter Boogaard. “Expanding resettlement opportunities is a key part of our broader response to the situation” in the three nations, he said. The administration’s decision to launch the raids has reopened old wounds between the White House and many Latino communities, and it has compromised the president’s efforts to create an election-year contrast with Republicans on immigration. U.S. officials said the operations are aimed at sending a strong message of deterrence to Central American families and avoiding a repeat of the 2014 border crisis when an influx of tens of thousands of migrants from the region overwhelmed patrol stations on the Mexican border. But growing blowback from congressional Democrats and advocacy groups has put the White House on the defensive just 14 months after President Obama sought to repair strained relations with Latino voters by taking unilateral steps to ease the deportation threat for those with deep ties to the United States. The centerpiece of that program — which would allow up to 5 million illegal immigrants to gain work permits without fear of being deported — has been suspended by a federal judge who is reviewing a lawsuit over its constitutionality. The White House has publicly supported the raids by the Department of Homeland Security, which this month apprehended 121 Central Americans with outstanding deportation orders in several states. In private meetings last week, DHS officials told immigrant rights advocates that they are considering expanding the raids to include minors who entered the country on their own, a move to further boost deterrence efforts, according to several people involved in the talks. Also reportedly under consideration for removal are Central Americans who failed to show up for their court hearings and have been ordered out of the country in absentia, those sources said. DHS officials declined to comment on the private meetings. Disappointed immigration reform advocates compared the current tactics to those employed by the George W. Bush administration, which ramped up raids on homes and workplaces in Bush’s final years in office. They expressed bewilderment at the move in light of Obama’s staunch defense of Muslim refu­gees fleeing civil war in Syria. The president harshly criticized the idea, advanced by some GOP presidential candidates, that the United States should temporarily ban Muslim refugees from entering the United States over fears of terrorism. Though relatively small in scale — 77 people have been deported — the DHS raids have gained resonance for their focus on women and children who have fled nations with soaring rates of gang violence, drug cartels and domestic abuse. “When President Obama stood up for the [syrian] refu­gee program and stood up against the blanket racism directed at anyone who appeared to be Middle Eastern or Muslim, I think people were happy,” said Paromita Shah, associate director off the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild. “But they can’t square it with what he is doing now. We’re asking ourselves, ‘Why are we here at this point? Why did he have to do this?’ ” A group of 140 House Democrats sent a letter to Obama demanding that he halt the [deportation] operations, and the three major candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination, including Hillary Clinton, have denounced the raids. At a demonstration outside the White House last week, Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.) joined protesters, including one who held up a news photograph from 2000 of a federal agent pointing a rifle at Elian Gonzalez, a 6-year-old from Cuba who was living in Miami. Obama aides scrambled to tamp down the criticism from their traditional allies. A top White House lawyer met on the afternoon of Obama’s State of the Union address last Tuesday with half a dozen House Democrats, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Biden’s meeting with the presidents of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras focused on $750 million in newly allocated developmental aid from the United States that had been promised after the 2014 border crisis. In an interview, a senior administration official blamed the public outcry on sensationalized news coverage and a climate of fear fostered by GOP campaign rhetoric. Leading Republican presidential candidates, including real estate magnate Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), have pledged to deport all of the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants and build a wall to keep them out. “It’s the combination of hysteria before anything happened and a moment when there’s a lot of talk about deportation coming from folks in the political sphere,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because was not authorized to speak on the record. “It’s an atmosphere of high emotion, and that emotion has been reflected in ways that are understandable. . . . But there’s just a gulf between that conversation and the reality of the enforcement that has taken place.” Immigrant rights groups have been skeptical of the Obama administration since deportations reached a record high of more than 400,000 per year by the end of his first term. Under pressure from Democrats to scale back deportations, Obama moved to reshape immigration policies through executive action after Congress failed to pass a comprehensive border-control bill in 2014. Days after the midterm elections, the president announced a new program to defer the deportations of up to 5 million illegal immigrants — most of them parents of U.S. citizens who have lived in the United States at least five years. At the same time, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said his agency would focus its enforcement operations on the highest priorities: convicted felons, people with terrorist ties and recent border crossers who do not qualify for asylum protections. White House officials pointed to the 231,000 deportations in 2015, the lowest level of Obama’s tenure, as evidence that the administration is pursuing more humane policies. Each of the Central Americans apprehended this month had been ruled ineligible for asylum by an immigration judge and ordered deported, officials said. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employed female agents [white glove treatment afforded to criminals] to make arrests of female immigrants and limited the amount of tactical gear agents wore in order to minimize the anxiety in the community, the officials said. Advocates applauded the beefed-up refu­gee resettlement program announced by Secretary of State John F. Kerry last week. But they said its creation served to highlight the disconnect between the nature of the immigration flow from Central America and the raids aimed at helping staunch it. Unlike previous generations of illegal immigrants, who came across the Southwest border seeking economic opportunity, the newer migrants are fleeing violence and physical abuse. Furthermore, advocates contend that the administration’s focus on deportations as a deterrence strategy has lost potency. The number of Central American families crossing the Southwest border tripled in the final three months of 2015 compared with a year earlier, and the number of unaccompanied minors doubled, according to federal statistics. “It seems that the fear in the community and the problems the raids have triggered far outweigh any perceived gains of deterrence,” said Royce Murray, policy director at the National Immigrant Justice Center. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), while praising Kerry’s refugee plan, called on the administration to “immediately halt domestic immigration raids that fast-track the deportations of the very same families we are hoping to aid.” For the immigrant communities, the raids have added to their frustration that Obama’s deferred action program has been blocked for nearly a year by a federal court judge who is considering a lawsuit from Texas and 25 other states over its constitutionality. [The illegal immigrants are frustrated.......this is a problem?] The administration has petitioned the Supreme Court to hear its appeal, and officials fear that a failure to enforce the deportation orders against the Central American families would undermine the case. The high court is expected to announce this week whether it will hear that case this spring. “Immigration enforcement is a fact of life,” said the administration official who was not authorized to speak on the record [Why not?]. “This administration was the first to establish a set of priorities and the first to act on those priorities. Some of the very people who saluted the priorities when they were issued are now saying DHS should not execute on them.”

I always liked the styling of the U.S. market Ford N-Series. Sears and Roebuck operated hundreds of them. The Chevrolet E80 and W80, and GMC B-Series, reminded me a lot of the U.S. market Ford N-Series. You also are forced to think, if a GM engineer had been instructed to create a civilian version of the M135, they would be the result. .

Well done my friend. Well done.

What was the part number of the R-700 and F-model grille in chrome.......6MF519P2 ?