Friday, April 1, 2011
Michele Bachmann put
Toyota Wins Lawsuit
Toyota Wins Lawsuit Over Unintended Acceleration
The jury ruled in favor of Toyota in a case filed by Amir Sitafalwalla, who sued Toyota, claiming that a defect in his 2005 Toyota Scion caused the car to suddenly accelerate and smash into a tree.
The jury agreed with a lawyer for Toyota, John Randolph Bibb Jr., who argued in his closing statement that the accident was caused by the driver rather than the floor mat.
The jury deliberated for less than an hour.
Toyota recalled millions of vehicles, starting in 2009, for defects related to sudden unintended acceleration.
The case of Dr. Sitafalwalla, a doctor on Long Island who filed his lawsuit in 2008, was the first related to the issue to go to trial since the recalls.
Dr. Sitafalwalla, 59, had argued the accident was caused by defects in either the electronic throttle system or the floor mats. On March 29, Judge E. Thomas Boyle, a United States magistrate presiding over the trial in Central Islip, ruled out evidence on the electronics.
“We weighed all the evidence and came to the conclusion that there was not a defect with the automobile,” said Regina Desio of Plainview, N.Y., the jury forewoman.
Albert Zafonte Jr., a lawyer for Dr. Sitafalwalla, said he was “disappointed in the verdict. I thought there was sufficient evidence for the jury to find otherwise.”
A Toyota spokeswoman, Celeste Migliore, said the company was pleased with the verdict.
She said the case “clearly demonstrates a plaintiff’s inability to identify, let alone prove the existence of, an alleged electronic defect in Toyota vehicles that could cause unintended acceleration.”
Gov. Rick Scott: Flo
Gov. Rick Scott: Florida governor orders emergency cuts for programs serving disabled - OrlandoSentinel.com
Florida Gov. Rick Scott ordered deep cuts Thursday to programs that serve tens of thousands of residents with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and other developmental disabilities.Though a range of state services face cuts from this year's Legislature, the governor invoked his emergency powers to order the state Agency for Persons with Disabilities to immediately roll back payments to group homes and social workers by 15 percent — an amount providers say could put them out of business and threaten their clients' safety.
"lt's not like, 'Gee, does this mean I have to skip a vacation this year?'" said Amy Van Bergen, executive director of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida. "Potentially, these cuts have life and death implications for these people."
An estimated 30,000 Floridians with severe developmental disabilities receive services that help them live outside of nursing homes — typically with family or in small group homes. Aides help them eat, bathe, take medication and otherwise care for themselves.
Ivory Coast Fighting Spreads to Abidjan | Africa | English
Fighters backing Ivory Coast's internationally-recognized president are battling for control of the commercial capital as the incumbent leader refuses to give up power.
UN staff killed by Afghan mob enraged over Florida Quran burning - CSMonitor.com
An Afghan mob apparently angry over a Quran burning in Florida set upon a United Nations compound Friday, killing as many as 20 employees and setting fire to several compound buildings.
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In this Sept. 8, 2010 file photo, Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center speaks to reporters prior to a service at his church in Gainesville, Fla. Jones gained notoriety when the threatened to burn the Quran in September 2011.
John Raoux/AP/File
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The attack, which may be the deadliest assault on the UN in Afghanistan, grew out of a protest in response to news that US pastor Terry Jones oversaw a Quran burning on March 20. Mr. Jones drew worldwide criticism last year for threatening to burn Qurans on the anniversary of 9/11.
The UN is still assessing the scope of damage and determining the exact death toll at its offices in Mazir-e-Sharif, a typically quiet city in northern Afghanistan.
Stephen Moore: We've Become a Nation of Takers, Not Makers - WSJ.com
If you want to understand better why so many states—from New York to Wisconsin to California—are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, consider this depressing statistic: Today in America there are nearly twice as many people working for the government (22.5 million) than in all of manufacturing (11.5 million). This is an almost exact reversal of the situation in 1960, when there were 15 million workers in manufacturing and 8.7 million collecting a paycheck from the government.
It gets worse. More Americans work for the government than work in construction, farming, fishing, forestry, manufacturing, mining and utilities combined. We have moved decisively from a nation of makers to a nation of takers. Nearly half of the $2.2 trillion cost of state and local governments is the $1 trillion-a-year tab for pay and benefits of state and local employees. Is it any wonder that so many states and cities cannot pay their bills?
Icahn, Dish bid for Blockbuster assets: report | Reuters
(Reuters) - Satellite television company Dish Network Corp (DISH.O) and billionaire investor Carl Icahn have submitted bids for bankrupt movie rental chain Blockbuster Inc (BLOAQ.PK), the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Chrysler, Nissan, Fo
Chrysler, Nissan, Ford Post Strong March U.S. Sales Gains - WSJ.com
Powered by an improving economy, U.S. auto sales rose substantially in March with Chrysler Group LLC, Nissan Motor Co. and Ford Motor Co. leading the gains.
Chrysler reported sales of 121,730 cars and light trucks in March, an increase of 31% from a year ago and its highest monthly total in nearly three years. Nissan nearly matched Chrysler's total, selling 121,141 new vehicles, thanks to heavy incentives.
Ford sales jumped 19% to 212,295, enough to put its monthly total ahead of bigger rival General Motors Co. for only the second time since 1998.
Japan continues efforts to overcome worst crisis since World War II
TOKYO, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister Naoto Kan said on Friday that he would do everything in his power to ensure that Japan overcomes its worst crisis since World War II.
Speaking at a nationally televised news conference, Kan said that the fight to bring the nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture under control would be a long one but he remained convinced that Japan would pull through.
"I am prepared for a long-term battle over the Fukushima nuclear plant and to win this battle," the prime minister said.
Nasdaq, ICE make rival bid for NYSE Euronext | Reuters
(Reuters) - Nasdaq OMX and IntercontinentalExchange unveiled a rival bid to buy NYSE Euronext for about $11.3 billion in cash and stock, a 19 percent premium to an offer made by German competitor Deutsche Boerse.
The move, announced on Friday, represents an intense bidding war for NYSE Euronext, whose derivatives trading operations are highly valuable.
The new bid could also sit better politically, because the idea of a German company taking over the emblematic NYSE headquarters had stirred some political opposition in the United States.
The offer is valued at $42.50 per share, a premium of 19 percent to the agreement proposed by Deutsche Boerse in February, the companies said in the statement.
Shares of NYSE Euronext were up 11.6 percent at $39.26 in trading before the market opened.
You Can Now Convert Your Facebook Profile to a Facebook Page
Facebook has released a new tool that lets users convert their personal profile into a Facebook Page. Though the terminology is often muddled, a key difference between the two features is that users can simply “like” a Page while they must “friend” (establish a mutual relationship with) a profile, which makes Pages a much better solution for businesses and public figures.
Japan's PM vows to win battle against nuke plant - Yahoo! News
TOKYO – Japan's prime minister sounded a resolute note Friday, promising to win the battle against an overheating nuclear plant even as atomic safety officials raised questions about the accuracy of radiation measurements at the complex.
Naoto Kan was grave a week ago when he addressed this nation rattled by fears of radiation that has contaminated food, milk and tap water. But three weeks after a massive tsunami disabled a nuclear power plant's cooling systems, Kan vowed that Japan would create the safest system anywhere.
