Prosecutors in Germany and France have broadened their investigations into the emissions scandal at Volkswagen.
Authorities in Paris have opened a formal probe into “aggravated fraud” over the use of diesel engine devices that gave misleading emissions results.
And German prosecutors said the number of VW employees now under investigation has increased from six to 17.
VW, which said it is cooperating with all inquiries, had about 11 million cars fitted with the emissions devices.
“We need your help,” Tesla wrote in a Feb. 19 e-mail to its customers in Indiana. The state legislature was about to move forward with a bill that would have forced the electric-car maker to find a franchisee to operate its one showroom in the state, setting a precedent that would make it harder for Tesla to open others elsewhere. The company claimed the legislation reflected the interests and influence of one rival: General Motors. “Don’t let GM tell you that your only option is to buy a car from a traditional franchised dealer by shutting out Tesla,” the e-mail continued. Tesla asked recipients to contact their lawmakers.
v.20 n.10 – Released March 7, 2016
NEW YORK — Sports Authority is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to try to fix its business as it pays off $1.1 billion in debt.
The retailer said Wednesday that it plans to close or sell about 140 stores and two distribution centers, in Denver and Chicago.
Sports Authority stores will remain open and run on normal schedules during the Chapter 11 process.
The company is also laying off 3,400 employees, or about one-third of its staff, all of whom were notified on February 10, according to the Denver Post.
“We wanted to give them plenty of time to find their next opportunity, whether it’s in the company, or wherever else it is,” Foss said. “It is hard to close a store or a distribution center, or right-size a corporate headquarters. We try to mitigate the impact on people as much as possible.”
A few years ago, the city of Richmond, California, embarked on a radical new approach to gun violence. Instead of simply arresting, prosecuting, and jailing its shooters, it started helping them. It formed a fellowship program, introduced intensive mentoring, and asked these “high risk individuals” to agree to wide-ranging life-goals.
The strategy appears to be working. Since 2007—the year it launched its Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS)—there’s been a 76% reduction in firearm-related homicides and a 66% reduction in firearm-related assaults. Helping young men break a cycle of hopelessness and nihilism gets results, officials say.
Lamborghini unveiled its new Centenario supercar today at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.
The uber-aggressive, carbon-fiber-clad beast is a celebration of company-founder Ferruccio Lamborghini’s 100th birthday.
The Centenario is also the most powerful road car in company history.
Under the hood you’ll find a naturally aspirated 770 horsepower V-12 engine. It’s the most extreme version of Lambo’s iconic V-12 that has ever been deployed in a road car.
IT’S BEEN A year since the Federal Communications Commission adopted the Open Internet Order, theoretically ushering in the age of net neutrality. Under the order, Internet service providers are banned from discriminating against certain types of traffic or charging deep-pocketed Internet companies to have their content funneled through so-called “fast lanes.” Net neutrality advocates hailed the FCC’s decision as a victory for equal access and free speech, an Internet where money can’t buy privileged placement on the network.
But the battle is far from over. In fact, the FCC’s decision has catalyzed the forces that oppose government-enforced net neutrality. Regulators may be pushing for a more open Internet, but its prospects are in greater danger than ever.
v.20 n.6 – Released February 29, 2016
While most people watching Sunday night’s Oscars knew host Chris Rock would come up with a hilarious, cutting response to the #OscarsSoWhite controversy—and weren’t disappointed—no one expected that he would engineer the night’s biggest, and sweetest, brand spotlight for one of the most high-profile Girl Scout cookie sales in history.
An hour and a half into the ceremony, Rock explained that because of his Oscar hosting duties, “I’ve been away from my two daughters at a very important time in their life. I have missed most of Girl Scout cookie season.” After explaining that his younger daughter, Zahra, lamented coming in second during her troop’s cookie sales, he told the audience, “I want you to reach into your millionaire pockets, and I want you to buy some of my daughter’s Girl Scout cookies.”
U.S. banks are now being questioned in the FIFA corruption scandal that has rocked the sports world.
Citigroup (C) said in a recent securities filing that it has been slapped with a subpoena from U.S. officials investigating alleged “bribery, corruption and money laundering” at FIFA.
Anti-money laundering laws require banks to alert authorities about shady transactions like the ones at the heart of the FIFA scandal. Senior FIFA officials used various U.S. banks — including Citi, JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Bank of America (BAC) — to transfer and receive $150 million in bribes and kickbacks, authorities alleged last year.
