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STEMCO Acquires Goodyear Air Springs Business Trailer/Body Builders / July 1, 2015 Stemco, an EnPro Industries company, has acquired the manufacturer of Goodyear air springs, as well as Super Cushion and Spring Ride air springs, from ContiTech, a division of Continental Corporation. This business unit was part of the business called Veyance that was recently acquired by Continental. With the acquisition, STEMCO acquires the Super Cushion and Spring Ride lines of truck, trailer and truck cab suspension products, as well as cab seat springs. Also included in the acquisition are the Veyance manufacturing facility in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, the Veyance research and development operations in Fairlawn, Ohio, and all NAFTA related patents and applications. "The Goodyear air springs business carries with it a strong brand presence and premium product performance," said Todd Anderson, STEMCO president. "Customers will be able to count on the same consistent product performance and brand attributes, as the products will continue to be manufactured in the same facility and engineered by the same design team with the same support functions, in addition to gaining the support of the entire STEMCO team." He added, "We are looking forward to the air springs team joining the STEMCO family. Their record of success and growth potential make this an exciting addition to our business. STEMCO's commercial vehicle market focus, superior product technology and outstanding reputation for training and customer support make this acquisition a complement to the STEMCO business strategy." Air spring products are available now through the existing distributor network. For more information on the new STEMCO product lines, visit www.stemcoairsprings.com.

Child dies after running for hours carrying firewood, Grandmother and mother-in-law charged WYFF / March 10, 2015 An Alabama woman charged with capital murder in the death of her granddaughter forced the girl to run for more than three hours carrying sticks and firewood as a punishment for lying, prosecutors said Monday. Joyce Garrard is accused of forcing 9-year-old Savannah Hardin to run until she died as punishment for a lie about eating candy on the school bus. She could be sentenced either to death or life without parole if convicted. According to prosecutors, neighbors said Garrard yelled at the girl as she ran, forcing her to continue "like some kind of drill sergeant." A neighbor, Chad Jacobs, said he saw the girl running and carrying firewood and sticks over a two-hour period as he came and went from his home. "Joyce and Savannah were in the yard, and Joyce was telling Savannah to keep running," said Chad Jacobs. "She was just saying, 'Keep running, I didn't tell you to stop.'" Jacobs said he wasn't concerned at first but eventually saw the girl "on all fours" on the ground and vomiting with Garrard pouring water over her. Paramedics arrived within minutes, he said. When paramedics arrived, they found Savannah on the ground, "freezing cold to the touch," her clothes and shoes soaking wet, Reid said. Garrard never told the medics that the girl had been running; she said only that the girl collapsed in the yard, Reid said. Savannah wasn't supposed to eat candy because she was on medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and had a bladder problem, but she had eaten candy on the school bus the day before she died. Garrard was angry that Savannah ate the candy "but she was more upset about the lie," Reid said. Surveillance video from a school bus shown to a jury showed Garrard talking with the bus driver, Raenna Holmes, about Savannah taking candy without paying from another student who was selling it. Garrard told Holmes: "She's going to run until I tell her to stop." The women then talk about a bladder condition the girl had and a procedure she had related to that condition. The driver then asks, "Is she OK?" Garrard replies: "She might be when I get about four more bottles of water in her." The girl's stepmother, Jessica Mae Hardin, is awaiting trial on a murder charge in the girl's death. Authorities said she failed to intervene while the older woman forced the girl to run.

Texas mom murdered daughter, 4, stuffed her in car trunk New York Daily News / June 22, 2014 A Texas mom facing an impending divorce murdered her innocent 4-year-old daughter and stuffed the body in the trunk of a car because she was jealous of the happy little girl, shocked family members say. Stacie Marie Parsons, 25, walked into the Athens, Texas police department just before 9 a.m. Monday and told officers she had murdered her daughter. Police found the badly beaten girl, with severe head and chest trauma, wrapped in a garbage bag in the trunk of the car along the 400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Investigators believe the woman drove to a bridge some five miles away and committed the horrendous act before driving the car back home and walking to the police station. Gary Wyatt, her common-law husband of six years, said he’d told the woman he wanted a divorce Sunday night, setting off a ferocious argument. Parsons and little Victoria were gone when he awoke Monday morning but that he assumed they had gone to sign up for prekindergarten. When she returned home, she wouldn’t talk to her 45-year-old husband or his friend, Randy Dyess. Instead, she turned with a dark stare and said, “I wouldn’t be in that car if I were you.” "Oh, God it was awful,” a weeping Wyatt told the TV station. “Foaming out of her mouth, her head was bashed in. My baby's dead, she killed my baby." Cops haven’t released a motive, but a bawling Wyatt said his wife resented Victoria, her own baby. “To be honest with you, I think she's been jealous of that little girl since the day she was born," he told KLTV. And family friend Dyess said the woman was always on edge, even before the recent dustup over the possible divorce. "She said I'd rather kill Victoria and spend the rest of my life in prison, than to put up with you," Dyess told the station. Parsons is held in jail in lieu of $2 million bond. She has no prior criminal history.

2 arrested in twisted, gruesome child abuse case; Corpse, starved teen and sick infant found Associated Press / April 8, 2015 Two people have been arrested in what authorities describe as a twisted, gruesome case of abuse involving a child's corpse hidden in a broken-down car, a starved baby living on water and a sheltered teenager impregnated by her stepfather. Jondrew Lachaux, 39, and Kellie Phillips, 38, turned themselves in after the three children were discovered, North Las Vegas police said. The two face child abuse charges. Lachaux is also charged with concealing evidence after the toddler's badly decomposed body was found in the garage. According to court documents, the man and woman took five of their children on a trip to Oakland, California, eight months ago. The couple left behind two daughters — a teen and a sickly 3-year-old toddler — in their suburban Las Vegas home because the rental vehicle was full. The teen is Phillips' biological child and Lachaux's stepdaughter. Authorities say Lachaux reportedly impregnated the teen, who gave birth at home without any medical care to a now 4-month-old girl. She struggled to care for herself while pregnant and her 3-year-old sister who had medical problems while they were home alone. But the teen said she was too scared to call for help even after the food and medication left by their mother ran out. "The totality of evidence is leading investigators to believe she was almost a prisoner in her home," police Sgt. Chrissie Coon said. "Fugitives can psychologically confine their victims without physically being present." The case first unraveled on April 1. The teen was seen at McCarran International Airport with a very sick baby. The infant was hospitalized in extremely critical condition for severe malnutrition and hypothermia from surviving on watered-down baby formula. In an interview with police, the teenager described abuse at home in detail, saying Lachaux raped her without her mother knowing. For the last five years, the family had lived in North Las Vegas, but the group of children rarely went outside and was homeschooled. The teen told police she has had braces on from five years ago but hasn't seen a dentist since. In late March, she said her stepfather came home to hide her sister's corpse and then kicked her out of the house in fear that her mother would find out about the pregnancy. She survived for a few days homeless in public places, including at the airport and on the Las Vegas Strip. The teen said the 3-year-old sister apparently had trouble breathing and died about a month ago. She called her parents for two weeks before Lachaux called back to learn of the death. Lachaux and the teen hid the badly decomposed body in the back seat of a broken-down Mercedes in the garage. The corpse was leaking fluids but was concealed in a box surrounded by blankets, plastic bags and pizza boxes, according to court records. The coroner's office said it has not yet positively identified the body or the cause of death. The teen is now being held in juvenile detention on a child abuse charge. The other five children -- ages 1, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 -- were found with Phillips in good health and have been put in protective custody.

The Next Frontier in Airline Travel - Tag Your Own Bags The Wall Street Journal / July 1, 2015 For decades, fliers have checked their bags the same way: hand them to an airline employee and trust that they will reappear at the destination. Now big changes to that model are coming as airlines look to streamline the airport experience—and pass more work to customers and machines. The airlines latest ideas includes having fliers tag their own bags, print luggage tags at home and track their bags on smartphones. Later this year, some fliers in Europe likely will begin using what could be the future of flying luggage: permanent bag tags that digitally update if flight plans change. Improved technology and loosened security rules are accelerating changes to baggage handling. The changes face hurdles, including opposition from unions, security rules and fliers who prefer a human touch. On a recent weekday at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, several fliers struggled to tag their bag and summoned airline employees for help. Still, carriers are plowing ahead. More than a third of global airlines now ask fliers to tag their own bags, compared with 13% in 2009. By 2018, more than three-quarters of carriers intend to offer the service. “I don’t work for the airline. Why should I do their job?” said Mark Sam Rosenthal, a television writer from New York who prefers to check bags with ticket agents. “If something goes wrong or I have a question, the self-tagging machine isn’t going to have an answer,” he said. Charlie Leocha, head of the flier-advocacy group Travelers United, predicted the new technology will shorten airport lines, but also warned it would eventually replace airline workers, frustrating fliers when storms or other disruptions hit. Airline unions generally oppose the new technology for the same reasons. Airlines say such technology isn’t intended to reduce staff, but instead free workers to handle customer problems. From 2004 to 2014, a period in which airlines added many self-service technologies like kiosks, the number of U.S. ticket agents fell about 13.5% to roughly 138,000, according to federal estimates. U.S. airline passengers increased 8.6% to 761 million over that period. The biggest of the coming changes is permanent bag tags, electronic devices that strap on to frequent fliers’ luggage and digitally display their flight information. The tags display bar codes like a traditional tag, allowing them to work with existing infrastructure. Fliers update the tags via Bluetooth from their smartphones, and the airline can also remotely update the tag if its owner gets rerouted. Officials expect similar technology to soon arrive in the U.S. “Home-printed and electronic bag tags are the low-hanging fruit for U.S. airlines,” said Stephanie Taylor, manager of passenger services at Airlines for America, the largest U.S. airline trade group. “We’re expecting multiple carriers to adopt these solutions by the end of the year.” Simpler bag-handling changes are becoming pervasive. It is now common for travelers to tag their own bags in Europe, and it is catching on in places like China, Africa and the Middle East *. * Here’s the airline industry paying off Rupert Murdoch’s WSJ to provide misinformation to Americans. I routinely travel across Europe, the Middle East and Asia on Lufthansa and other airlines, and have yet to observe self-tagging The Transportation Security Administration late last year changed its policy to make it simpler for U.S. airlines to offer self-tagging *. American Airlines Group Inc., United Continental Holdings Inc. and Alaska Air Group Inc. are adding self-tagging kiosks across the country. * The FAA, long accused of being too cozy with the airlines, is often cited as an example of "regulatory capture" - in which the airlines openly dictate to its regulators its governing rules, and arranging for beneficial regulation. During the Bush administration, the FAA actually called the airlines their “customers” and adopted a business model for evaluating its performance. Now, the FAA ironically calls the airlines "stakeholders." In the U.S., airlines still must staff bag-drop stations because security rules require employees to check identifications of passengers checking bags. Airlines for America* said it is lobbying the TSA to allow a biometric identification check, such as facial-recognition software or fingerprint readers, to remove humans from the process. The TSA said it “does not currently envision changes to bag security requirements.” * The top lobbyist for the leading U.S. airline trade association Airlines for America, Shelley Rubino, is since 2014 the girlfriend of Transportation Department chairmen. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA)...........conflict of interest? Airlines also are moving to improve bag tracking ahead of a June 2018 deadline set by industry groups to install such technology.

US hands foreign companies tax advantage The Financial Times / September 25, 2014 The Obama administration has handed foreign companies an advantage over American rivals because they will not be caught by new rules governing access to offshore cash. The US this week unveiled proposals to discourage controversial mergers known as “inversions”, which American companies have used in part to gain tax-free access to earnings parked outside the US. A US Treasury official, referring to measures that make it harder to access offshore cash, told the Financial Times: “Our actions are specifically targeted to inverted companies.” They will not apply to foreign companies that acquire a US business and its cash pile. Some tax experts questioned why the two groups should be treated differently. “It seems unfair and inappropriate,” said Steve Rosenthal, senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center, a non-partisan think-tank. US companies have used inversions to establish addresses in countries with low tax rates, enabling them to access offshore cash without triggering US taxes that become payable when overseas earnings are repatriated. According to Moody’s, the rating agency, US non-financial companies hold about $950bn in overseas cash and liquid investments. As a result of the measures, a US company’s offshore cash would become cheaper to access if it were acquired by a European rival than if the US company did an inversion. Stephen Shay, a Harvard Law School professor and former Treasury lawyer, said: “It shouldn’t matter whether the new [corporate] structure comes in the form of a new foreign acquirer or an inverted transaction. The fact is there is attempted avoidance of US tax on the offshore earnings either way.” Inverting companies have been slammed by President Barack Obama for abandoning the US and eroding its tax base. On Monday, when Jack Lew, Treasury secretary, unveiled the measures, he praised “genuine” cross-border mergers done for business reasons for “encouraging foreign investment to flow into the United States”. European companies have spent $173bn so far this year on acquisitions of US businesses, according to Dealogic. The deals have been driven more by a desire for exposure to the faster-growing US market than by the attractions of offshore cash. The Treasury’s targeted steps were praised by a trade group for foreign businesses in the US, the Organization for International Investment. “They have tried to thread the needle, which was welcome,” said Nancy McLernon, its chief executive. But Mr Rosenthal, the tax expert, said: “US companies say: “If we invert, why should we be at a competitive disadvantage to a foreign multinational that acquires a US company and is not subject to these inversion rules?’” Even before Monday’s proposals, inversions did not allow US companies instant tax-free access to their accumulated overseas earnings. They first had to be moved out from under the US tax net using one of several complex techniques. The Treasury plans to eliminate three of the techniques, but the two most popular – known as “hopscotch loans” and “decontrolling” – will still be available to new foreign-based owners of US subsidiaries. In previous proposals for broader tax reform, which remain stymied by Congress, the Obama administration signalled a desire to curb tax avoidance on offshore cash by all companies, inverted or not.

Once upon a time, America led the world in innovation and industrial might. But as a result of government casting a blind eye to the fast declining state of American industry, a significant portion of U.S. industry is now under foreign ownership. In order for a major country like the United States to regain its position as a world leader, we must have a solid economy, which inherently requires a solid industrial foundation. Today, we no longer have that. Much has been allowed to go abroad, while the meager remnants remaining is being sold to foreign companies. - Germany's ZF has acquired TRW - Italy's Fiat owns Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep - China's Wanxiang has acquired over 20 U.S. businesses including battery maker A123, Dana’s coupled-products business, Neapco and D&R Technology. - Germany's Daimler acquired Freightliner, Western Star, Detroit Diesel and Thomas Built Buses - Sweden's Volvo acquired White, Autocar, GMC heavy truck and Mack Trucks - Germany’s Knorr-Bremse owns Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems - Sweden’s Haldex acquired Anchorlok and the Neway suspension control valve business - Germany’s SAF acquired Neway air suspensions, and 5th wheel makers Holland and Simplex - Prestolite Electric, which includes the Leece-Neville brand, was acquired by Zhongshan, China-based Broad Ocean Motor Company and Beijing-based Ophoenix Capital. - Nexteer Automotive aka GM Global Steering Holdings LLC (formerly Delphi Steering and GM’s Saginaw Steering Division) was acquired by Chinese government-owned Pacific Century Motors - Korea's Doosan owns Bobcat - Aircraft and industrial engine maker Teledyne Continental Motors was acquired by Chinese government aircraft maker AVIC - Canada's Bombardier acquired Learjet Corporation - Mexico's KUO Group acquired Borg-Warner and Spicer transmissions - Italy's Fiat thru subsidiary CNH Global owns Case-IH and New Holland - Sweden's Volvo acquired the road construction equipment division of Ingersoll Rand - Japan's Bridgestone owns Firestone - France's Michelin owns Uniroyal and BF Goodrich - China’s Beijing West Industries acquired Delphi’s brake and suspension divisions - Netherlands-based Mittal Steel acquired (asset holder of Bethlehem Steel, LTV, Weirton Steel, Georgetown Steel and US Steel) - Mexico's Metalsa S.A. acquired 10 Dana plants that produce structural components for chassis and body structures in light and commercial vehicles - Germany's Siemens acquired Houston-based Dresser-Rand - China's Shuanghui owns Smithfield Foods - Belgium's InBev owns Anheuser-Busch - South African Breweries (SAB) acquired Miller Brewing - Germany's Merck KGaA acquired St. Louis-based Sigma-Aldrich - Switzerland's Nestle owns Gerber baby foods and Purina - Sweden's Electrolux owns the Frigidaire, Kenmore and Tappan brands - South Korea's LG owns Zenith - Netherlands-based Philips acquired Magnavox, Philco and Sylvania - China's Lenovo acquired IBM's personal computing division - Japan's Seven & I Holdings owns 7-Eleven - The UK's InterContinental Hotels Groups owns the Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza hotel chains, and Candlewood Suites - China's Wanda Group owns the AMC cinema chain - The Venezuelan government owns Citgo - Mexico's Bimbo Group acquired Sara Lee's bakery business and the following brands: Arnold, Ball Park, Boboli, Brownberry, Cinnabon Bread, EarthGrains, Entenmann’s, Francisco, Freihofer’s, Marinela, Milton’s Bread, Mrs Bairds, Oroweat, Roman Meal, Sara Lee, Stroehmann, Sun-Maid Bread, Thomas’ and Tia Rosa. - The British-Dutch conglomerate Unilever owns Ben & Jerrys, Vaseline, Hellmann’s, Best Foods, Ponds, Good Humor and Breyers - Germany's Henkel owns Dial soap, Loctite, Orbseal and Bergquist - Germany's Bayer acquired Miles Laboratories and Cutter Laboratories (including Cutter insect repellent, Alka-Seltzer, One-A-Day, Flintstones vitamins and Bactine), and the consumer care business of Merck & Co. which included the brands Claritin (allergy), Coppertone (sun care), MiraLAX (gastrointestinals), Afrin (cold) and Dr. Scholl’s. - Bayer CropScience acquired biological company AgraQuest - Thailand’s Thai Union Frozen Products owns Chicken of the Sea and Orion Seafood International - South Korea’s Dongwon owns StarKist - The UK’s Lion Capital owns Bumble Bee Foods - Giant Carlisle (Martin's Food Markets, Ukrops), Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover supermarkets are owned by Dutch retailer Koninklijke Ahold N.V. - Food Lion and Hannaford supermarkets are owned by Belgium-based Delhaize Group - Colombia's Cementos Argos has acquired the cement and ready mix producing assets of Vulcan Materials and LaFarge - UK-based Tarmac PLC acquired the cement and ready mix producing assets of Stamford, Conn.-based Lone Star Industries (for many years the largest U.S. cement maker) - Two-wheeled electric people mover Segway has been acquired by China’s Ninebot The list, sadly, goes on and on. European companies have spent over $173 billion in 2014 on the acquisition of US businesses. Think about that.

Reuters / July 1, 2015 [in a rare sign of economic wisdom] The United States filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to stop Sweden's Electrolux AB, which owns the Frigidaire, Kenmore and Tappan brands, from buying General Electric Co's appliance business, the Justice Department said in a statement. It said the $3.3 billion deal would hurt competition, and consumers, by combining two of the three top makers of stoves, cooktops and ovens. Whirlpool Corp, which bought Maytag in 2006, is the third. Electrolux shares traded in the U.S. (ELUXY.PK) on the OTC Pink market fell 9.3 percent, with more than 40,000 shares exchanged. GE's share price was steady. GE, which also has the Hotpoint brand and sells almost exclusively in the United States, said in a statement that its goal remained to close the deal in 2015. "Electrolux and GE intend to vigorously defend the proposed acquisition," the company said in a statement. In its complaint, the Justice Department said that Whirlpool, GE and Electrolux had 90 percent of the U.S. market for stoves and ovens. Leslie Overton, a deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, said the Electrolux deal would lead to higher prices for consumers. "This lawsuit also seeks to prevent a duopoly in the sale of these major cooking appliances to builders and other commercial purchasers," she added. But Electrolux disagreed. Its antitrust attorney Joe Sims argued that LG, Samsung and others were moving into the market to challenge the Big Three. "There is absolutely no barrier of any kind to any other manufacturer participating," he said. Sims said that the company and Justice Department had been in settlement talks. "We are rational and are therefore more than happy to come to a reasonable settlement if the DOJ (Justice Department) is. If not we're just going to have to win in court," said Sims, who said the deal could close by the end of the year. GE’s move to sell off its appliances business is part of a shift the U.S. conglomerate is making to sharpen its focus on manufacturing big-ticket industrial products such as jet engines and power turbines. To that end, GE in April announced it would exit $200 billion worth of finance assets, while it is seeking to acquire the power equipment unit of France’s Alstom. European regulators have expressed concerns that GE’s purchase of Alstom’s power unit would leave just two gas turbine companies in Europe, with GE only competing with Germany’s Siemens. GE has been working on concessions to save the planned 12.4 billion euro ($13.7 billion) purchase, which would be the biggest in the U.S. conglomerate’s history. GE on Tuesday warned that the appliances sale would not close in the second quarter because of an ongoing regulatory review, and expected an after-tax gain of roughly 5 cents to 7 cents per share should the deal close. GE is expected to earn $1.29 per share this year, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. The case at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is United States v AB Electrolux and General Electric Co. It is No. 15-1039.

New York mother arrested after police say she tied her son to a bush KFSN Fresno / July 1, 2015 Police say she had no one to take care of him and did not want to bring him to the house she babysits at, so she tied him to the bush by a leash so he wouldn't run around the condo complex.

Ohio women sentenced to six years for contaminating son's IV bag Reuters / July 1, 2015 An Ohio mother pleaded guilty on Wednesday to child endangerment and was sentenced to six years in prison for injecting feces into her son's intravenous bag at a Cincinnati hospital, prosecutors said. Candida Fluty, 35, a West Virginia resident, was seen on a hospital security video in January injecting something into the IV bag of her son, then age 9, causing him to run a fever. Authorities later found evidence of fecal matter in the solution. Fluty's son was being treated for Hirschsprung, a congenital medical condition that affects the bowels. Fluty was charged in Hamilton County with two counts of felonious assault and two counts of felony child endangerment. She pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment in an agreement with prosecutors, the Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney's Office said. Prosecutors say Fluty may suffer from Munchausen by proxy syndrome, in which a caregiver fabricates a medical problem for someone in their care. "We are satisfied with the plea and sentence," Chief Assistant Prosecutor Julie Wilson said. "Our concern was for her child and we hope that he is doing well." Fluty could have been sentenced to up to eight years in prison if convicted on all four counts.

Sister of slain woman charged with helping mom dump her body Associated Press / July 1, 2015 The younger sister of a woman who authorities say was killed by their mother in March has been accused of helping dump the body in a field. Hannah Tyburski, 19, was arrested Tuesday on charges of obstructing justice, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse. The body of her sister, 26-year-old Rachele Tyburski, was found March 15 near a recreation complex in Lorain County. Their mother, 46-year-old Janet Tyburski, was arrested May 5 and charged with aggravated murder. Authorities say she suffocated Rachele Tyburski. Janet Tyburski has pleaded not guilty and is being held on $2 million bond. Hannah and Janet Tyburski were charged in a secret indictment filed in Lorain County on June 18. Authorities said Janet Tyburski contacted Hannah Tyburski two days after the killing at a home in Lakewood, a Cleveland suburb, and asked for help disposing of the body. Police and prosecutors haven't said why Janet Tyburski would have killed her daughter. Hannah Tyburski, a college student, is free on $7,000 bond. She has a hearing scheduled for Thursday in Lorain County Common Pleas Court.

Father charged with murder after leaving 2-year-old in car for 16 hours The Washington Post / June 23, 2015 A Baltimore man who left his 2-year-old daughter in a hot car for 16 hours after he had five drinks (and passed out) has been charged with her murder, police said. Baltimore police said they were called at 5:15 p.m. on Monday for a report of an unconscious child inside a vehicle. Paramedics arrived and took the girl — Leasia Carter — to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. A preliminary investigation found that the girl had been inside the vehicle unattended for 16 hours, according to police. Police said that the temperature outside reached 89 degrees while she was in the vehicle. She suffered second-degree burns in the car. Her father, Wilbert Carter, 31, is charged with murder and child abuse. He is being held at the city jail. Police said in a charging document that Carter told them he had consumed five alcoholic drinks during the day on Sunday. Around midnight, he said, a friend drove his car to Brendan Avenue. He said he has no memory of what happened after that. His mother and aunt told him they saw him come home at about 7 a.m. When he woke up at about 4 p.m. on Monday, he asked them where his daughter was, he told police. They told him that they had assumed the girl was with Carter’s sister. A cousin then called to tell him that his car was still on Brendan Avenue. He went there, and found his daughter still buckled into her car seat. Police said that Carter has a history of consuming so much alcohol that he passes out.

Death of Maryland boy pushed in swing for three days ruled homicide Reuters / June 30, 2015 The death of a 3-year-old Maryland boy discovered last month in a park swing where his mother had been pushing him for three days has been ruled a homicide, authorities said on Tuesday. The boy died of dehydration and hypothermia, according to a statement from Charles County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Diane Richardson. Officers found the boy, Ji’Aire Lee, around 7 a.m. on May 22 after witnesses reported seeing a woman pushing a child on a swing for an unusually long time at a park in La Plata, about 35 miles (55 km) south of Washington, Richardson said. When the officers arrived they found the 24-year-old mother, who has not been identified, still pushing the child, and realized immediately that he was dead. The boy and his mother had been at the park since Wednesday morning, Richardson said. Police found them Friday. The boy was alive Wednesday when he was placed in the swing where he stayed until police found him, Richardson said. Police did not give a time of death, but Thursday's temperatures were unseasonably cold, Richardson said. There were no obvious signs of trauma. The mother was taken to a hospital for an evaluation. No charges have been filed pending a review by the Charles County State's Attorney's Office.

Boy chained up with dead chicken around neck tells his story Associated Press / July 1, 2015 Handcuffed and shackled to a block of steel, the young boy would brace himself when he heard footsteps outside his bedroom door. He knew that once the grown-ups entered, the abuse would begin. For years, he was whipped with belts, his face was burned with electrical wires and his fingers were broken with pliers — all to "teach him a lesson." The abusers, who have since pleaded guilty, were his legal guardian — a supervisor with the Department of Social Services in Union County, North Carolina — and her longtime boyfriend, an emergency room nurse. The abuse ended in November 2013 after police discovered the boy in handcuffs, chained to the front porch of the house with a dead chicken hung around his neck. When police entered the roach-infested house "covered with urine and animal feces," they found something else: four other children, ages 7 to 14, who had been adopted by the couple over the years. They were removed and placed in protective custody. All were abused, but authorities say the boy bore the brunt of the couple's rage. "I was scared to death," the boy, now 13, told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "I thought I wouldn't survive." The AP is not naming the boy because of the nature of the abuse. Three months after Wanda Sue Larson and her boyfriend Dorian Harper were sentenced, the boy is telling his story. Larson was released from prison in April, just nine days after pleading guilty to child abuse charges. Now, the boy wants everyone to know she didn't serve enough time. "I want her to be in jail longer," he says. His mother agrees. "It's ridiculous," his mother said. The AP isn't identifying the mother, to avoid indirectly identifying her son. Jeff Gerber is founder of the Justice for All Coalition, which organized protests against the plea deal that led to Larson's release. He said there is widespread outrage over Larson's lenient sentence. Harper, 58, was sentenced to up to 10 ½ years in prison after pleading guilty March 17 to maiming, intentional child abuse inflicting serious injury and assault with a deadly weapon. Two weeks later, Larson, 58, was sentenced to nearly 17 months in jail after pleading guilty to four counts of child abuse. But she was given credit for time served in jail after her arrest and was released April 9. She lives in the same county where the boy now lives. Telephone messages left for District Attorney Trey Robison were not returned Wednesday. Robison has said he agreed to the plea deals mainly to spare the child-victims from having to testify. Messages left for Larson's attorney, Robert Leas, were not returned Wednesday. At her sentencing, Larson expressed remorse for failing to protect the boy and the four others. She blamed most of the abuse on her boyfriend. The boy, however, says Larson not only knew about the abuse, but encouraged it. As he tries to recover, he worries that he might run into her at a neighborhood store, a mall. What would happen then? "That's why I want to tell my story," he said, softly. He now lives with his mother in a Charlotte apartment. Wearing a green Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T-shirt and blue gym shorts, he sat on a couch in his living room, patiently answering questions. Barely 5 feet tall and slender, with brown hair and brown eyes, he looked younger than 13. Court documents say he was put in foster care a decade ago after problems arose at the home of an aunt where he had been staying while his mother was moving from another state, and he ended up with Larson. When the boy's mother found out he was in foster care, she tried to get him back. But Larson said the boy had developed a bond with her family and he stayed with her. Eventually she became his legal guardian. The mother only got to see her son a few times a year at a neutral setting, and he said nothing about the abuse. Meanwhile, the boy says Larson told him his mother was sick and he couldn't visit her. "She'd say, 'Your mom is in the hospital. She's there because of your behavior. You're killing her,'" he says. Eventually, Larson and Harper pulled the children out of a Union County school, saying they'd school them at their secluded home where they also kept farm animals. The boy says he was handcuffed and chained to a steel anvil in his locked room where he slept on the floor. At times, they'd starve him and he'd have to beg for scraps. Sometime, the other children would sneak food to him and he'd hide the wrappers in a hole in the wall. Many nights, he wasn't allowed to use the bathroom. The boy says he was even shackled when he went outside. The only time they removed the chains was when he cleaned the house, or picked up animal feces. One time, he says Harper cut his left arm and poured salt in the wound. The scar is still visible. It reached a point that every time they entered his room, he'd pray: "I hope I don't get hurt." Then he'd think about his mother, that maybe they'd be reunited. He kept dreaming of escaping, and that kept him going. A few days before the boy was rescued, Harper blamed him for the death of a chicken and made him wear it around his neck — even at night. The police were responding to a call about a loose animal when they stumbled on him, chained up on the front porch. The boy is still recovering. His mother says it will be a long road. Her son goes to therapy twice a week. He's in summer camp and public school. Still, there are times he can't escape. He had a nightmare that Larson came to his house and took him away. He couldn't find his mother. "I woke up and I thought it was real," he said. "It was just a dream, but I couldn't go back to sleep."

No, no. For starters, Mack thought to share the block with them for greater economy of scale. This link will answer many of your questions - http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/34624-mack-scania-cooperation/ In its displacement class, today's Scania V-8 is arguably the best truck engine in the world.

U.S. probing whether airlines collude to keep airfares high Reuters / July 1, 2015 The U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday it is investigating whether U.S. airlines worked together illegally to keep airfares high by signaling plans to limit flights. The Justice Department wrote to major U.S. air carriers demanding that they detail decisions to limit the number of seats they offer, and what they've said about those plans to investors, securities analysts and the public. Airlines contacted have been asked to provide “available seat miles on a regional and system wide basis” back to January 2010 and a raft of other data. The top four U.S. carriers American, Delta, United and Southwest control some 80 percent of the domestic air travel market. The four confirmed receipt of the regulator's letter and said they are cooperating fully with the investigation. News of the probe sent the Dow Jones U.S. airlines index .DJUSAR down 2 percent. Shares of the U.S. carriers have gyrated in recent weeks as investors questioned whether they were planning to add capacity at a pace faster than overall economic growth, which could put downward pressure on fares. Southwest fueled investor jitters about declining profit margins in May when it unveiled plans to boost capacity by as much as 8 percent this year from 2014, although it later revised the expected increase to 7 percent. But carriers have started taking flights off their fall schedules and postponing aircraft deliveries in response to Wall Street concerns that adding more flights and seats could erode fares and margins. Mergers, new fees imposed on passengers and caution about adding capacity have boosted U.S. airline earnings after a decade of bankruptcies following the September 11, 2001 attacks. In the past year, tumbling oil prices have helped the carriers post billion-dollar profits. The probe focusing on whether the top U.S. carriers are colluding domestically comes as some of the same airlines complain that foreign rivals are competing unfairly on some overseas routes. U.S. carriers have asked the Obama administration to freeze access to U.S. airports by three Gulf airlines for allegedly receiving state subsidies. The Gulf airlines deny that they have received subsidies in violation of trade agreements. The U.S. airlines also have fought plans by low-cost Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (NWC.OL) to expand its U.S. flights under an Irish subsidiary, with claims that it will undermine wages and working standards. Consumer advocates and some lawmakers praised the Justice department action focusing on domestic fares. "This investigation must be tireless and timely to save consumers from the onslaught of price increases in summer fares," U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said in a statement. The airlines and their defenders say ticket prices have fallen in 2015 while capacity this summer has reached a post-recession high. "Our members compete vigorously every day, and the traveling public has been the beneficiary," trade group Airlines for America said in a statement Wednesday. Separately, Connecticut's attorney general sent letters to the four carriers last week asking whether they have coordinated prices, citing recent statements at an industry conference held last month in Miami.

Scania utilized an individual cylinder head design (long popular in Europe), while Mack used a two-cylinder head design (four heads total).

US probing possible airline collusion to keep fares high Associated Press / July 1, 2015 The U.S. government is investigating possible collusion between major airlines to limit available seats, which keeps airfares high, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press. The civil antitrust investigation by the Justice Department appears to focus on whether airlines illegally signaled to each other how quickly they would add new flights, routes and extra seats. A letter received Tuesday by major U.S. carriers demands copies of all communications the airlines had with each other, Wall Street analysts and major shareholders about their plans for passenger-carrying capacity. Justice Department spokeswoman Emily Pierce confirmed Wednesday that the department was investigating potential "unlawful coordination" among some airlines. She declined to comment further, including about which airlines are being investigated. Thanks to a series of mergers starting in 2008, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United now control more than 80 percent of the seats in the domestic travel market. During that period, they have eliminated unprofitable flights, filled a higher percentage of seats on planes and made a very public effort to slow growth in order to command higher airfares. It worked. The average domestic airfare rose 13 percent from 2009 to 2014, when adjusted for inflation, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. And that doesn't include the billions of dollars airlines collect from new fees: $25 each way to check a bag and $200 to change a domestic reservation. During the past 12 months, the airlines took in $3.6 billion in bag fees and another $3 billion in reservation change fees. All of that has led to record profits for the industry. In the past two years, U.S. airlines earned a combined $19.7 billion. This year could lead to even higher profits thanks to a massive drop in the price airlines pay for jet fuel, their single highest expense. In April, U.S. airlines paid $1.94 a gallon, down 34 percent from the year before.

Ocala Star Banner / June 30, 2015 Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating the removal of more than $25,000 worth of equipment from businesses over the weekend. The first incident was reported Sunday at 484 Tire Service at 2160 SW County Road 484. A man told a deputy he left his 2006 freightliner parked there around 8:30 p.m. Friday. On Sunday, he said he found that someone had stolen the electronic control module (ECM), which is the computer for the vehicle’s engine. The vehicle will not start without the part, which was valued at approximately $4,000. Another trucker at the same location told authorities someone had broken into his 2002 Peterbilt and had taken the ECM. He said replacing the missing part would cost him about $5,000. On Monday, shortly before 9 a.m., a deputy went to Hay Movers LLC at 3383 W. County Road 326, where the owner said two of his semi trucks had the ECMs removed, probably between Saturday afternoon and Monday morning. They were valued at $3,200. As the deputy was taking that report, a deputy was called to Woody’s Truck Sales and Parts at 8985 NW Gainesville Road, where ECMs had been stolen from five semi trucks and six other engines. They were together valued at $14,400. The owner said he believes the burglary occurred between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Anyone with information can call MCSO at 732-9111 or Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP, text a tip to 274637, or visit www.ocalacrimestoppers.com.

Volvo AB Press Release / June 30, 2015 Volvo Group today celebrated the inauguration of its new one million square-foot Central Distribution Center (CDC) in Byhalia, Mississippi. The $70 million state-of-the-art facility supports the company’s Mack and Volvo truck brands, as well as Volvo Construction Equipment and Volvo Penta. Located 25 miles southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, the new CDC represents another major investment in North America by the Volvo Group and employs 250 people. The facility is based near major transportation hubs and infrastructure, thus improving delivery performance and efficiency for dealers and customers. “The Volvo Group is pleased to officially open its new Central Distribution Center in Byhalia,” said Christer Svärd, senior vice president of Volvo Group Logistics Services. “The new facility represents the hard work and dedication of our community leaders, employees of the new facility and the Volvo Group. The CDC will enable us to more efficiently handle an increased volume of parts distribution, while also significantly improving customer service.” The CDC was designed to showcase the industry’s best logistics technologies and lean processes within a sustainable and environmentally conscious shell. The orientation of the facility was set to maximize natural daylight throughout the day and reduce energy consumption. Energy usage is kept minimal through the use of innovative building materials, state-of-the-art LED lighting and a comprehensive building automation system. Built in just over six months, the facility is now fully operational. Related reading - http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/35898-volvo-to-locate-main-us-parts-distribution-center-in-mississippi/?hl=byhalia

New Zealand Trucking / March 12, 2015 On looks alone, the Kiwi Mack Trident 8x4 is a winner with the raised cab, massive square chrome plated snout and external air cleaners. A big polished alloy bumper sweeps neatly as far as the wheel arches without looking obtrusive. It is unmistakeably Mack and that familiar chrome plated bulldog reminds us of a truck-building heritage now stretching back over 100 years. The unit on test had just clocked up two months of service in a demanding HPMV operation with Fulton Hogan in Christchurch. It is double-shifted, hauling aggregate to their inner city retail depot and back loading concrete rubble and demolition spoil to the quarries out of town. The Trident pulls a four-axle Adams and Currie tipping trailer with HPMV approval to operate this combination at 53.8 tonne gross on the agreed route. Tare weight of the Mack is 11,820kg and the trailer comes in at 6280kg providing a payload of over 35 tonne. We meet up with the new Mack and day shift driver Chris Findlay at Fulton Hogan's Pound Rd quarry. Chris's night shift colleague, known only as Rabbit, has scrubbed and polished the combination the night before and that familiar company livery of blue and white has come up a treat. What is not so impressive is a flat tyre on the trailer, the bane of all tipper operators, but the company's contracted Bridgestone tyre fitter soon has this changed. Everything is being done by the book here, wheel nuts being tightened with a torque wrench and two red plastic indicators fitted to remind the driver of the need to recheck it. It does give us time to have a closer look over the new unit and arrange a 'family photo' with two of its older brothers. That second steer axle lifts the manufacturer's GVM of the Trident from the 26 tonne of the six wheeler (tested last year) to a productive 30 tonne. The six wheeler Trident is offered in both 'axle forward' and 'axle back' configuration and this 8x4 version uses the later configuration with a second steer axle behind the cab. A non-load sharing set-up is standard for the New Zealand market and will suit most operators until NZTA offers an additional weight allowance for load sharing systems. The second axle is steered by a relay arm set-up and slave hydraulic cylinder on the right hand side. The standard wheelbase of the 8x4 Trident is 6435mm but the Fulton Hogan unit has been reduced to 5835mm to meet the requirements of the HPMV permit and retain manoeuvrability in tight situations. Availability of the Trident in 8x4 form has been instrumental in Mack's success at higher weights in New Zealand. Although the Granite and Trident share the same 1435sq in radiator, the raised cab and external air cleaners of the bigger bulldog provide greater cooling capacity and use of the 535hp/1920lb/ft rating of the MP8 engine. The Trident cab sits 200mm higher and uses a four point suspension system rather than the rubber bush/airbag setup of the Granite. Some will say this is a Volvo D13 but Mack's marketing folk prefer the term 'group engine' and regularly point out that it is made at Mack's Hagerstown plant in the USA. Whatever your thoughts, the MP8 is a proven performer and takes Mack through Euro 5 and on to Euro 6 when those regulations arrive here. In simple terms, it is not far behind the top rating of Mack's legendary Mack E9 V8 and a lot kinder on fuel and the environment. The MP8 meets Euro V by means of SCR reduction and a 125 litre DEF tank sits neatly between the batteries and hydraulic tank on the left hand chassis rail. That big bonnet flips forward easily after releasing four rubber toggles and daily checks can all be done from ground level. The additional airflow provided through the larger grille and under the cab is obvious when standing here. Engine access is good with the chassis rails splayed outwards above the front axle. Mack use a 300x 90 mm chassis for all models now with a different thickness to suit the application and in this case it is 9.5mm. Mack's own triple countershaft boxes and the ubiquitous Roadranger are still available but Mack's 12-speed mDRIVE is the most common choice. The mDRIVE is based on the Volvo I shift with the main difference being the dash-mounted controls in lieu of the shift lever. The day cab model is easy to access from the driver's side but a little more awkward on the passenger side where the muffler gets in the way of the first two steps. Once you're seated, there is ample room for larger drivers and an ISRI 'Big Boy" drivers seat to smooth the way. The walnut trimmed dash is classic American with the traditional parking/emergency controls on the left but with a Euro style trailer brake handle above them and rotary headlight switch on the right side. Controls for the mDRIVE transmission are now mounted horizontally at the top LH side of the dash and a large 'MaxBrake' engine brake button has been added. Mack's Powerleash engine brake can be engaged from here and gives up to 315kW of retardation at 2100rpm, down or up shifting as required. It can also be set to operate in conjunction with the cruise control, reducing the chances of exceeding the speed limit on a downhill grade. Vision from the driver's seat is good with the air cleaner pipes being largely hidden behind the A pillars and the twin vertical exhausts not protruding much beyond the cab. The mirrors are traditional West Coaster type, without bulky housings, and include a great 120mm diameter round spotter on each side as well as a kerbside mirror over the passenger door. A two-piece windscreen is standard on the Trident, no doubt to suit the Aussie market, but Mack will fit a single piece screen as an option. There is a storage console above the windscreen and a useful compartment between the seats, all trimmed in pleated burgundy leather with a Mack logo finishing touch. Once our tyre troubles are sorted, it is time to get loaded up for a run into the city and the company's 35 tonne Volvo L250G loading shovel soon has us loaded with 20mm aggregate. The skill of the operator and use of modern scales makes this task far more accurate than it used to be and we come in at 53,200kg on the weighbridge, slightly under the 53,800kg allowed. Chris explained there is no tolerance allowed on the HPMV permit and if overweight he would not be allowed to leave the site. He likes the new Trident and has quickly become a fan of the mDRIVE transmission despite having driven constant mesh boxes for decades. "Its easy, doing a better job than I could," Chris explained modestly, as we negotiated busy roundabouts and peak hour traffic congestion on our way into the city. He certainly knows his trucks, having started out on Thames Traders and S model Bedfords quite a few years back, served his time on livestock and fridge trucks and worked his way through to the 8x4 Mack Granite and trailer which preceded this combination. Even grossing 53 tonne, there is ample power from the MP8 engine and the transmission skip-shifts unless 'power' mode is selected. Chris also demonstrates the kick-down function, where holding the accelerator right down produces the same result. A brief spell on the southern motorway gives the Trident an opportunity to stretch its legs and it cruises at 90kph with little apparent effort at around 1500rpm. It runs 3.07 to 1 ratio Meritor 46,000lb rear axles riding on airbag suspension. Fulton Hogan and other contractors have a huge task ahead restoring the roadways of Christchurch once plumbing works are completed but the Trident seems to take the inner city potholes and temporary patching in its stride. Parabolic springs over both steer axles, cab suspension and air ride seats both sides all contribute and the cab and interior remain rattle free. There are a couple of tight turns to get into Fulton Hogan's 'retail' yard in Ensors Rd, Waltham, but Chris is well used to the routine by now. He quickly has the trailer tipped off into a storage bin and then jack-knifed around to unload the truck. This yard is busy with contractors dropping off broken concrete or soil and collecting material for backfilling. It saves them a trip out of town and having a crew waiting around for the delivery. Fulton Hogan backloads the dumped material out to its quarry where it will help with rehabilitation of the site. To deal with the backloaded material, this new eight wheeler Trident and the Adams and Currie trailer are fitted with Hardox steel rather than aluminium bodies. The Hardox bins add only about 400kg to the weight of the outfit compared with aluminium ones, according to Peter Laurenson from Adams and Currie, who did all the engineering calculations required for the HPMV permit. This permit is limited to a set route agreed with NZTA, the Christchurch council and Fulton Hogan. Our next couple of runs into the city are much the same except that we load AP40 road base from another quarry just up the road. Easier traffic conditions allow better progress outside peak hour and on a good shift Chris can do five or six round trips whilst his elusive offsider Rabbit gets a better run on the night shift. A little quick maths shows the 35 tonne payload of new combination soon adds up to 840 tonne of material being moved in a 24 hour period. We finally meet up with Rabbit (Shane Ratahi) that afternoon whilst the drivers are changing over. 'Rabbit' was a successful league player in his day, still enjoys playing the game but admits to having lost the on-field speed that earned his nickname. He is pleased with the new Trident and describes it as "way good" at moving the mountains of material needed for the rebuild task. Looking around Fulton Hogan's Islington depot we saw a range of Japanese and European makes, so we spoke to Transport Manager Jeff Barnes and Contracting Divisional Manager Tony Thompson to find out some background on the latest addition. It soon becomes evident Fulton Hogan is a large, diverse operation and the focus is on long term profitability and service. The company operates a large workshop and its own spray booth as well as an 'in house' employment agency. Geoff has been with the company 36 years and he clearly recalls his first day on the job, working on a road gang alongside company founder Bob Hogan. Tony has been there 'only' 31 years but his son is now working for the company and carrying on the family tradition. Tony's father Lex Thompson also worked for Fulton Hogan for 20 years as transport manager and regional manager in Central Otago. Whilst Japanese trucks have been found ideal for road sealing gangs and lighter tasks, in the HPMV particular application it finally came down to a choice between Mack and Volvo, with a well proven automatic transmission high on the shopping list. The SCR emissions system fitted to both makes was a preferred part of the specification, due to overheating problems encountered with an older EGR Granite. Neither had the ideal wheelbase ex factory but the lighter tare weight of the Mack finally turned the decision in its favour according to Tony. Whatever the reasoning, Fulton Hogan's newest Bulldog is delivering the goods needed for the Christchurch rebuild and proving its self "way good" in the HPMV role. Mack Trident 8x4 535 MP8 Tare: 11820kg (as tested) GVM: 30,000kg GCM: 70,000kg Wheelbase: 5835mm (front axle to centre of bogie) Engine: Mack MP8 SCR Euro 5 compliant Engine Capacity: 12.8 litre Maximum power 535hp (399 kW) from 1450 to 1900 rpm. ( SAE rating) Maximum torque 1920lb/ft (2600 Nm) from 1000 to 1450 rpm ( SAE rating) Clutch: Sachs CL801 single plate with automated operation Diameter: 430mm Transmission: Mack TmD12AD mDRIVE automated 12 speed. Rear axles: Meritor RT-46-160GP 20,900 kg capacity Ratio: 3.07 to 1 Chassis dimensions: 300mm x 90mm x 9.5mm Front suspension: Parabolic leaf springs. (x 4) non load sharing Front axles: Mack FXL (x2) Front axle group capacity: 13,200kg Rear suspension: Mack AP460 air suspension Steering: Sheppard M100P power assisted with slave cylinder for second axle Brakes: Full air S-Cam drums with ABS. Park brake: Spring operated on both drive axles. Auxiliary brake: Mack two stage 'Powerleash' engine brake. Wheels: 8.25 x 22.5 polished alloy 10 stud Tyres: 11R22.5 Michelin Electrical system: 12V Cab exterior: Mack Fusion day cab, meets ECE-R29 safety standard with four point cab suspension,mirrors heated and electrically operated, integrated spotter mirrors on both sides. Forward tilting fibreglass bonnet, polished alloy bumper bar. Cab Interior: Isri 'Big Boy" high-back multi adjustable air suspended seats with arm rests and integrated.3 point seat belts, pleated burgundy leather trim and woodgrain .

The "Flex End" front bumper option ($165 and a 26 pound weight benefit) was not a popular and long-running option. So regrettably, I doubt you will find one. It was a popular GMC Brigadier option with the fleets. When you contacted your Mack dealer providing your model and serial number, what did their parts people say? The 63" x 15" cutoff corporate bumper (without flex ends) was extremely popular, with a 33 pound weight savings in steel, and 66 pounds in aluminum.

A test pilot has some very, very bad news about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The pricey new stealth jet can’t turn or climb fast enough to hit an enemy plane during a dogfight or to dodge the enemy’s own gunfire, the pilot reported following a day of mock air battles back in January. “The F-35 was at a distinct energy disadvantage,” the unnamed pilot wrote in a scathing five-page brief that War Is Boring has obtained. The brief is unclassified but is labeled “for official use only.” The test pilot’s report is the latest evidence of fundamental problems with the design of the F-35 — which, at a total program cost of more than a trillion dollars, is history’s most expensive weapon. The U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps — not to mention the air forces and navies of more than a dozen U.S. allies — are counting on the Lockheed Martin-made JSF to replace many if not most of their current fighter jets. And that means that, within a few decades, American and allied aviators will fly into battle in an inferior fighter — one that could get them killed … and cost the United States control of the air. The fateful test took place on Jan. 14, 2015, apparently within the Sea Test Range over the Pacific Ocean near Edwards Air Force Base in California. The single-seat F-35A with the designation “AF-02” — one of the older JSFs in the Air Force — took off alongside a two-seat F-16D Block 40, one of the types of planes the F-35 is supposed to replace. The two jets would be playing the roles of opposing fighters in a pretend air battle, which the Air Force organized specifically to test out the F-35’s prowess as a close-range dogfighter in an air-to-air tangle involving high “angles of attack,” or AoA, and “aggressive stick/pedal inputs.” In other words, the F-35 pilot would fly his jet hard, turning and maneuvering in order to “shoot down” the F-16, whose pilot would be doing his own best to evade and kill the F-35. “The evaluation focused on the overall effectiveness of the aircraft in performing various specified maneuvers in a dynamic environment,” the F-35 tester wrote. “This consisted of traditional Basic Fighter Maneuvers in offensive, defensive and neutral setups at altitudes ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 feet.” The F-35 was flying “clean,” with no weapons in its bomb bay or under its wings and fuselage. The F-16, by contrast, was hauling two bulky underwing drop tanks, putting the older jet at an aerodynamic disadvantage. But the JSF’s advantage didn’t actually help in the end. The stealth fighter proved too sluggish to reliably defeat the F-16, even with the F-16 lugging extra fuel tanks. “Even with the limited F-16 target configuration, the F-35A remained at a distinct energy disadvantage for every engagement,” the pilot reported. The defeated flier’s five-page report is a damning litany of aerodynamic complaints targeting the cumbersome JSF. “Insufficient pitch rate.” “Energy deficit to the bandit would increase over time.” “The flying qualities in the blended region (20–26 degrees AoA) were not intuitive or favorable.” The F-35 jockey tried to target the F-16 with the stealth jet’s 25-millimeter cannon, but the smaller F-16 easily dodged. “Instead of catching the bandit off-guard by rapidly pull aft to achieve lead, the nose rate was slow, allowing him to easily time his jink prior to a gun solution,” the JSF pilot complained. And when the pilot of the F-16 turned the tables on the F-35, maneuvering to put the stealth plane in his own gunsight, the JSF jockey found he couldn’t maneuver out of the way, owing to a “lack of nose rate.” The F-35 pilot came right out and said it — if you’re flying a JSF, there’s no point in trying to get into a sustained, close turning battle with another fighter. “There were not compelling reasons to fight in this region.” God help you if the enemy surprises you and you have no choice but to turn. The JSF tester found just one way to win a short-range air-to-air engagement — by performing a very specific maneuver. “Once established at high AoA, a prolonged full rudder input generated a fast enough yaw rate to create excessive heading crossing angles with opportunities to point for missile shots.” But there’s a problem — this sliding maneuver bleeds energy fast. “The technique required a commitment to lose energy and was a temporary opportunity prior to needing to regain energy … and ultimately end up defensive again.” In other words, having tried the trick once, an F-35 pilot is out of options and needs to get away quick. And to add insult to injury, the JSF flier discovered he couldn’t even comfortably move his head inside the radar-evading jet’s cramped cockpit. “The helmet was too large for the space inside the canopy to adequately see behind the aircraft.” That allowed the F-16 to sneak up on him. In the end, the F-35 — the only new fighter jet that America and most of its allies are developing — is demonstrably inferior in a dogfight with the F-16, which the U.S. Air Force first acquired in the late 1970s. The test pilot explained that he has also flown 1980s-vintage F-15E fighter-bombers and found the F-35 to be “substantially inferior” to the older plane when it comes to managing energy in a close battle. Related reading: https://medium.com/war-is-boring/fd-how-the-u-s-and-its-allies-got-stuck-with-the-worlds-worst-new-warplane-5c95d45f86a5

New Zealand Trucking / April 26, 2015 The Harrison family of Kaitaia over the past 20 years have used all manner of vehicles in their tourism operations, that extend to Cape Reinga and along the Ninety Mile Beach. It's an area blessed with stunning and varied scenery enjoyed by thousands of visitors from around the world looking for a genuine New Zealand experience beyond the ubiquitous souvenir shops and cafes. However, the Far North presents a challenging environment for vehicles with rough roads, changing beach conditions, abrasive sand and corrosion that results in sky-high maintenance costs and limited lifespan. The Harrisons have owned a succession of Toyota, Hino and Isuzu buses as well as Unimog 4x4s but despite having their own workshop and panel-beating facilities found none could be kept on the road for more than five or six years. An alternative approach began with the purchase of three 2004 model 8x4 Fodens that were ex-Fonterra milk tankers, all of which were mechanically sound despite all having more than a million kilometres on their clocks. Driveline components such as the Cat C12 engine, 18-speed Roadranger transmission and Meritor double drive axles all checked out, although these components are common to many heavy trucks and replacement units can readily be obtained. Basic but functional 36-seat bodies for two of the Fodens were constructed in Harrison's own workshop based on a wealth of experience gained from other manufacturers' designs. Simplicity, strength, safety and corrosion resistance were key objectives, met by a sturdy framework of zincalume coated box section steel covered by impact resistant aluminium composite sheeting. The build process was done in close cooperation with a local design engineer who oversaw construction and stability testing. The body sits on its own sub-frame with heavy rubber mounts allowing for chassis flex. It has a separate air-conditioning unit, powered by a three-cylinder Toyota diesel engine, and can be readily lifted from the truck chassis if needed. Building a bus on a heavy duty bogie drive truck chassis might seem overkill but seems to work well in this application. Murray Harrison pointed out the Foden single skin chassis will make it easier to keep rust at bay and the on-board lubrication system, originally specified by Fonterra, keeps sand out of critical components. The biggest changes needed involved the removal of the second steer axle and fitting of 'super single' 385/65R22.5 tyres on alloy wheels all round. These have raised the gearing slightly but this didn't seem to bother the 430hp Cat engine as we travelled on one of Harrison's Cape Runner day tours heading for the Cape. Trips to the Cape are based on tidal conditions on the beach and today we head up SH1 and will return along 'our best highway', as driver Jason Stanbury puts it. The Foden happily settles into a 90kmh cruise at around 1500rpm, managing most hills with just a slight deepening of the exhaust note in top gear. With an all-up weight of around 15 tonnes, Jason needs only about six of the 18 available forward ratios, with the Cat engine brake easily holding speed back on downhill sections. The landscape contrasts are surprising. Between Awanui and Waitiki Landing, it is largely flat with huge sand dunes on the western side leading down to massive peat bogs which contain the remains of ancient kauri forests, probably flattened by a massive tsunami or other tidal event over 40,000 years ago. The area is now home to huge pine plantations and despite some rough sections of tarmac road, the Foden bus delivers a comfortable ride for passengers. After a short detour to take in the stunning beauty of Houhora Harbour we call at the Te Kao store for ice creams and this gives an opportunity to find out more about the vehicle from Jason. He is actually a panel beater by trade, helped construct the two bus bodies, skippers the company's Jet Runner boat and turns his hand to any other jobs that are needed around the yard. It pays to be multi-skilled up here, yet a closer inspection of bodywork and underside of the frame reveals a standard of finish that any volume bus manufacturer would be proud of. What makes this application different is that it all has to be hosed out at the end of the day. Fancy carpets, seat finishes or electronic gizmos are not part of the equation. A side trip to Tapotupotu Beach for lunch demonstates that the Foden handles narrow corrugated metal roads readily. These would, no doubt, have been a regular feature of its previous life at much higher weights than we are running today. From Tapotupotu, it is a short run to Cape Reinga and completion of a personal ambition, set on my first visit here, to see New Zealand from end to end. Doing that journey in a Foden bus is an unexpected highlight. Our return journey takes us via the famous Te Paki dunes and stream for access to the Ninety Mile Beach. It is only 64 miles (102 kilometres) long, Jason explains, but must have seemed further to early travellers on horseback. On better sections of beach, the Foden sits readily on a governed 90kmh as we head southward a couple of hours after high tide. Jason points out that the six-wheeled configuration and big tyres fitted do not compact the sand as much as conventional four-wheeled buses we follow along the beach. Ample reserves of power from the Cat C12 reduces the need for gear changes on soft sections and the only time he requires low range and to lock up the drive axles is for our exit from the beach at Waipapakauri. From here it is a short run back to the Kauri Kingdom at Awanui where the bus is washed down with fresh water while passengers learn more about the famous forest giants. After passenger drop offs around Kaitaia township we catch up with Murray and Cheryl Harrison and their sons Tristran and Craig for a look over the company's workshops and a hospital transit bus currently under construction. Murray is pleased with the way the Foden buses are performing and has a third one set aside for conversion or spare parts. He believes being able to tilt the cab and remove the body for maintenance purposes will make inspections and major repairs a lot easier. Foden no longer builds trucks or buses but is one of the oldest names in road transport with a heritage dating back over 130 years. To find two proud survivors still enjoying the sunshine a long way from home is perhaps a fitting part of their final chapter. .