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For those who value the gained insight that historical knowledge inherently yields, this is a good read. https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/08/05/stalin_japan_hiroshima_occupation_hokkaido/ https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/05/30/the-bomb-didnt-beat-japan-stalin-did/

Car & Driver / August 2013 Looks good on paper, feels better in person. Little has changed since we got our first shot at the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel: The Donald’s coiffure remains a triumph of applied engineering, artisanal toast inexplicably is still a thing, and Ram remains the only full-size, half-ton pickup to offer a diesel. Soon, however, there will be new competition, albeit indirect. Nissan’s 2016 Titan XD tweener is scheduled to hit showrooms later this year packing a Cummins diesel V-8, and GM’s slightly smaller Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon twins are adding a diesel four-cylinder for 2016. For now, though, the Ram has the full-size, light-duty segment to itself. By the Numbers Ram announced late last year that 20 percent of all 1500 pickup production capacity—fully twice the projected figure—was dedicated to the EcoDiesel, and it remains higher than 15 percent. That statement should come as little surprise, as diesels typically offer two things truck buyers covet: torque and efficiency. As for the former, the Ram’s 3.0-liter turbocharged EcoDiesel V-6 cranks out 420 lb-ft at a relatively low 2000 rpm, ideal for doing truck stuff like towing, hauling, and crawling around in four-wheel-drive low-range while off-road. By comparison, Ram’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 is rated at 269 lb-ft, the big-dog 5.7-liter Hemi at 410 lb-ft. Although the diesel’s 240 horsepower can’t match the 305- and 395-hp figures of the gasoline V-6 and Hemi V-8, you’d never know it based on around-town driving. The diesel’s low-end grunt makes quick work of motivating all 5688 pounds of a 19-foot-long Crew Cab 1500 like our test model. Rated to tow an SAE J2807-certified 8560 pounds, the EcoDiesel bests an equivalent 1500 3.6-liter, which is rated for 7180 pounds. Option a Ram 1500 Crew Cab with the Hemi, however, and you can tow up to 10,150 pounds. (At that point, however, many shoppers with that much to lug might be tempted to just move up to a three-quarter- or one-ton diesel-powered machine like a Ram 3500, Ford Super Duty, or Chevy Silverado 3500 HD.) While these numbers accurately reflect capability, it’s easy to lend too much credence to paper victories when comparing trucks. Based on our real-world experience, the EcoDiesel’s torque and its linear response make it a perfect partner for truck duty regardless of payload. As for efficiency, the situation is a bit more complicated. Choosing the diesel option in the Ram 1500 will cost you $4960 over the base Hemi V-8 with a six-speed automatic, $4270 more than the V-6 with the eight-speed auto, and $3120 more than a Hemi with the eight-speed. For that sum, you not only get the 3.0-liter V-6 oil-burner, but also a 230-amp alternator, 800-amp battery, max-duty engine cooling, a 26-gallon fuel tank, and a 3.55:1 rear axle. The diesel also requires an upgrade to the 8HP70 eight-speed automatic, for $500. So you’re in for nearly $5K before you burn through your first tank of diesel fuel. Our test truck came equipped with the provocatively named Big Horn package ($1205), which brings a Class IV trailer hitch, an electric-shift transfer case, fog lamps, bright exhaust tips, a power driver’s seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, a folding rear seat, and a 115-volt AC outlet. Swapping in a 3.92:1 rear axle ($50) for the aforementioned 3.55:1 unit and adding front and rear rubber floor mats ($80) barely nicks the beer fund. Chrysler’s familiar Uconnect system ($1005) with the 8.4-inch screen and the usual complement of services (AM/FM/SiriusXM with Bluetooth, plus USB, SD, and auxiliary inputs) handles the infotainment chores. Our truck came with the 17-inch chrome wheel option instead of 20-inchers, triggering a $500 credit. In all, the extras added $6610, bringing the total price to $47,555. MPG and MPH With EPA ratings of 19 mpg city and 27 highway, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel tops the 16/23 estimates for the V-6 1500 Crew Cab and the 15/21 numbers for the same truck with the 5.7-liter Hemi and eight-speed auto. In our hands, the EcoDiesel returned 21 mpg in combined driving. We did witness an indicated 29 mpg on long, flat stretches of expressway at 65 mph in neighboring states with notoriously stringent speed-enforcement policies. (Hello, Cleveland!) Conversely, we were a little more aggressive with the accelerator pedal around town than the average owner is likely to be. Even so, when considered against the 15 mpg we saw in our test of a 2013 Ram 1500 V-6 and the 17 mpg of our 40,000-mile, long-term Ram 1500 Crew Cab V-6, the EcoDiesel’s 22 mpg is an impressive number. Somewhat less impressive is the zero-to-60-mph number, with the EcoDiesel taking 9.0 seconds, a full 1.2 longer than our departed long-term V-6 Ram. The quarter-mile measure fared similarly, the EcoDiesel’s 16.9-second time lagging slightly behind the long-termer’s 16.0-second run. Neither is going to win many races, but where the gasoline V-6 sometimes feels strained, the EcoDiesel just powers through, as if saying to the driver, “Yeah, what else ya got?” The wild card here, of course, is the Ford F-150 3.5-liter EcoBoost. Not content to simply match the EcoDiesel’s 420 lb-ft of torque, the twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 keeps 365 horsepower on tap, sufficient to knock out a 14.4-second quarter-mile time, as measured in our testing. At the same time, however, the Ford returned just 16 mpg in combined driving. Interestingly, despite an aluminum-intensive construction, the 2015 F-150 Crew Cab EcoBoost 4x4 we tested weighed in at 5577 pounds, just 111 pounds fewer than the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. It’ll take plenty of research to determine if dropping the extra coin on the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel will pencil in your favor­. Your type of driving, payloads, trailering, annual mileage, and the cost of diesel in your area all will factor into the equation. However, no spreadsheet can illuminate how right the EcoDiesel feels from the driver’s seat. Photo Gallery - http://www.caranddriver.com/photo-gallery/2015-ram-1500-4x4-ecodiesel-4x4-test-review#1

The police are withholding crime scene photographs as evidence. Why not have used a stun gun? But I did read this: Was Zachary Hammond shot from behind? During an undercover marijuana bust, a South Carolina police officer says the 19-year-old teen was driving a car and appeared to be veering toward the officer as if Hammond intended to run him over. The police officer says he shot and killed the teen in self-defense, but the family claims the autopsy proves the cop shot Zachary Hammond from behind. The unidentified South Carolina police officer said he feared for his life when Hammond allegedly started driving his vehicle at the cop. The officer was approaching the car with his gun drawn, so he opened fire, killing the teen. The reason the family feels that the police officer shot Zachary Hammond from behind is due to the autopsy report. According to the Associated Press, Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis says the teen died from a gunshot wound to the upper torso, but he did not indicate whether the shooting took place from behind or in front. Attorney Eric Bland claims the first shot hit Hammond in the left rear shoulder and the second bullet hit at a downward angle into his side from the rear, piercing the teen’s heart and lungs. “The shots were so close in proximity to each other that it would be physically impossible unless the car was stopped and the officer came up very close to an open window,” Bland said. “Picture a car going 20 miles an hour and I’m fortunate enough to get a shot off, and I hit you — there’s no way I can get the second shot if the car’s going 20 miles an hour.”

This is all a scam in the making, designed to shift billions of dollars of liability away from the vehicle manufacturers onto security software suppliers who have no liability as they make no promises of 100 percent guaranteed effectiveness. The vehicle manufacturers will most likely succeed with their scheme, because people have long accepted paying money from their own pocket to provide their computers with security software. In the end, the vehicle manufacturers will have rid themselves of the cost of providing security software with the car as a factory package, and most importantly in the cost perspective, rid themselves of the security responsibility and liability (it will be in the fine print when you buy the vehicle).

How could deciding not to go through with the deal damage our credibility abroad? As anyone here that travels abroad knows, our reputation abroad is in the gutter. We are a laughing stock. Our state department from back in the Bush era has all but destroyed the very high levels of credibility that our country once enjoyed. Obama recently said the U.S. is “the key factor in ensuring stability and security in the world". We certainly were, but not at this point in time.

The states doesn't get real Cadbury. Hershey's has a license agreement to produce/sell product under the Cadbury name in the states. It's a completely different tasting chocolate from the real Cadbury chocolate produced in the UK. I can't stomach the Hershey's Cadbury product.

The Washington Post / August 6, 2015 Zachary Hammond was on a first date when he was fatally shot by a police officer in his car during a drug bust in South Carolina, his family says. At the time the 19-year-old was shot and killed, his date, Tori Morton, was eating an ice cream cone, according to the family’s attorney, Eric Bland. Morton, 23, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana — all 10 grams of it — which, according to police, was the reason undercover agents set up the drug buy. The official police report never mentioned the two gunshots that killed Hammond on July 26 in a Hardees parking lot. Amid heightened scrutiny of fatal police shootings across the country, Hammond’s death has prompted numerous questions, few answers — and almost no national outrage. More than a week after Hammond’s death, his family’s attorney says race is almost certainly playing a role in the disconcerting silence. Unlike the victims in the highest-profile police shootings over the past year — in cities from Ferguson and Cleveland to North Charleston and Cincinnati — 19-year-old Zachary Hammond was white. “It’s sad, but I think the reason is, unfortunately, the media and our government officials have treated the death of an unarmed white teenager differently than they would have if this were a death of an unarmed black teen,” Bland told The Washington Post this week. “The hypocrisy that has been shown toward this is really disconcerting.” He added: “The issue should never be what is the color of the victim. The issue should be: Why was an unarmed teen gunned down in a situation where deadly force was not even justified?” So far this year, 25 percent of the people shot dead by police have been black, according to data collected by the Washington Post. But black people make up only 13 percent of the U.S. population. Police say the officer was a victim of “attempted murder” by Hammond, who was driving the vehicle. According to Seneca Police Chief John Covington, Hammond was driving the car “toward the officer” who was trying to make the stop. The officer fired twice, striking Hammond in the shoulder and torso. His death was classified as a homicide; an autopsy conducted by the Oconee County Coroner’s Office did not specify from which direction the bullets hit Hammond’s body. On Wednesday, Hammond’s family released the results of a private autopsy, which concluded that both bullets entered Hammond’s body from the back. According to the autopsy, the second bullet proved to be fatal, entering from the back of Hammond’s left side and passing through his chest, piercing his lungs and heart. In a statement Wednesday, Coroner Karl E. Addis said he does not know how Hammond’s body was positioned at the time he was shot. The facts of the fatal shooting are not unlike other cases that have prompted national outcry — most recently the shooting death of Sam DuBose, an unarmed black man who was shot dead during a traffic stop by a University of Cincinnati police officer. Officials released police dashboard camera footage of the incident which appeared to contradict the officer’s report that he was being dragged by DuBose’s vehicle. The video showed that the car was not moving when the weapon was fired and the officer was named and charged with murder. But Seneca police have refused to name the officer involved in the Hammond case, though, they say, he has been placed on administrative leave. The officer used a similar rationale as the one in Cincinnati — that the vehicle was being used as a weapon. “The driver accelerated and came toward the officer,” Covington, the police chief, said a day after the shooting, according to Fox Carolina. The officer “fired two shots in self-defense, which unfortunately were fatal for the suspect.” In a statement, Covington said: “We will not be releasing the [officer’s] name that was involved in the shooting and consider him a victim of attempted murder as we have previously stated several times. We feel that releasing his name may possibly subject the officer and family to harassment, intimidation or abuse.” The response to Hammond’s death has been disappointingly muted in Seneca, in South Carolina and nationally, said Bland, the family lawyer. He insists there would be more focus on the case if Hammond had been black. “They’re called the civil rights organizations, they’re not called the black rights organizations,” Bland said. “The color of his skin should not matter. White-on-white crime does not get the same impact as white-on-black crime.” Black activists are similarly asking why more people who countered the Black Lives Matter movement by saying “All Lives Matter” have been so silent on Hammond’s death. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/unarmed-white-teen-killed-by-police-family-asks-where-is-the-outrage/ar-BBlsiwE .

You are most welcome. To speak of the Ford Transcontinental, to bring forth an important piece of global truck history so that new generations of people may know, lest it otherwise fade away and be forgotten, the pleasure is all mine. But, I hope bringing back the Transcontinental from the past didn't force BC Mack to go sit down again and take more of his pills.

To reduce your jet lag, try chewing these tablets. http://www.nojetlag.com/ They're actually produced in Wellington, New Zealand (so you can get a good deal there). In the US, Amazon has a good price.

GAZ Press Release / July 28, 2015 GAZ Group invited the truck industry media to put its next generation Ural truck range to the test this month near Yekaterinburg on the unforgiving roads of the Ural forest. With stony slopes, off-road conditions and fast running water, the landscape closely matches the actual operational conditions that Ural trucks experience in the hands of oil industry exploration teams. The demonstration showed off the unique off-road capabilities of Ural NEXT, as well as its high levels of comfort and reliability. Journalists comments: Autoreview: "This truck, as well as GAZelle NEXT, instills pride in our auto industry. I have never driven such a cozy, harmonious and "light" by sensations heavy all-terrain vehicle..." Auro@Mail.Ru: "In addition, NEXT amazed by its running-away: there are five tons of soil in the body, and the dump truck does not notice it completely, accelerating extremely briskly. You have only to manage changing speeds on the 9-speed gearbox! Driveability, brakes, and dynamics - everything is like in a passenger car. Ambience around the workplace is perfect: exemplary ergonomics and a lot of nice "gadgets" - glass holders, bottle holders, cruise control, radio control on the steering wheel, electric window lifters..." Kolesa.ru: "How I like a noble grumbling of the diesel "six"! An empty vehicle starts off easily with the third gear, and we roll out to the site. A bank-to-bank maneuverer both forward and backward, backing into a perpendicular park - all this is done easily, the vehicle managed not to knock any of the cones, so visibility is really all right". Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FH-6jDJuRI

Working around the globe really opens your eyes and expands your thought process, as you're no doubt experiencing. BUT, flying is no longer pleasant with the never-ending delays, late arrivals and subsequent missed connections and cancellations, and the constant jet lag back and forth gives you grey hair.

Somalia, a lawless abyss. Why would we allow them in (legally I presume) when we already have a steady flow of criminals pouring in over our southern border from another lawless abyss? We have a massive ongoing problem, dare I say crisis, unfolding in our country............and yet the government refuses to publicly acknowledge it.

I have a meeting in KL (Kuala Lumpur) next month.

Finally, a picture of a proper Commonwealth truck. Now, how about some of Fodens, ERFs and Seddon Atkinsons? They should be broken in just about now. A Scammell or Bedford TM would be acceptable as well. I recall an ERF-built Western Star COE running down there too.

Okay, okay, now you've done it.............because I won't be able try out a bag until............probably when I run through Hong Kong next month. I know I can get the jars of Sanitarium Marmite there.

Transport Engineer / August 6, 2015 LC Vehicle Hire, of Leeds, has ordered another 100 new Thompsons tippers this year, establishing a new record for the tipper bodies manufacturer from a single customer – of 1,150 tippers since 2002. Most have been all-steel Loadmasters fitted to 8x4 and 6x4 chassis, predominantly DAF, MAN and Mercedes-Benz. "First and foremost, our business is built upon the reliability of the trucks we offer," comments LC Vehicle Hire sales director Paul Bumford. "Tippers have the hardest life of any type of truck, so the ideal vehicle for us is the one that returns zero unscheduled downtime, while also needing the minimum amount of maintenance," he continues. "Strength, durability and reliability are what we are looking for, so a tipper body's quality of design and manufacture are paramount." Bumford says that having purchased Thompsons' tipper bodies for over 13 consecutive years, he has ample proof of those qualities. In fact, it was the building of Thompsons first northern factory in Blackburn that led to LC Vehicle Hire buying its first tippers form the company. Now, with three factories in the town, Blackburn produces more tipper bodies than its Croydon counterpart. As well as the higher gvw tipper types, Thompsons has also delivered dropside tippers on 7.5 and 18-tonne rigids, Hyva skiploaders and hookloaders, as well as special body types, such as bespoke lighting platforms (built by sister company Charlton) to LC Vehicle Hire. "When we come to sell our tippers, we always find that a vehicle with a Thompsons body is worth more than one without," comments Bumford. "Judged over its whole life costs, the Thompsons product is exceptionally cost-effective." .

Transport Engineer / August 5, 2015 Construction specialist Day Aggregates is running its first Mercedes-Benz truck for more than a decade, having taken delivery of an 8x4 Arocs from Surrey and Sussex dealer Rossetts Commercials. Its new Arocs 3240K was specified with the straight-six 394bhp engine mated to a Mercedes PowerShift automated gearbox. And, with an Aggrelite steel tipping body by Boweld plus a full complement of safety features and on-board weighing, it's delivering a 19.5-tonne payload. "Every kilo counts in our operation and that's a pretty good figure," states group transport manager Chris Cooling, who is responsible for Day Aggregates' mixed-marque fleet of 150 trucks, most eight-wheelers. "We used to run Mercedes-Benz 18-tonners, but over time they became a bit heavy, and we've previously steered clear of its 32-tonners for the same reason," he continues. "But the 8x4 Arocs is right on the money in terms of weight and payload capacity. It also looks to be every bit as strong and well-built as you'd expect and, if it lives up to its early promise, is going to be more fuel-efficient than any of the other eight-wheelers we have in the yard." Cooling says it was these factors, coupled with the persistent door knocking of Rossetts' sales people, that convinced the firm to give the truck a trial. "Day Aggregates is the biggest tipper operator in our area," observes Rossetts Commercials dealer principal Perry Reeves. "This is probably the most important vehicle we have supplied over the last couple of years," he continues. "I've every confidence that, backed-up by Rossetts' 24-hour after sales support, the Arocs will prove itself worthy of a more substantial role in the Day Group fleet." Day Aggregates' new Arocs is based at its Newhaven, East Sussex, depot and is currently working on the £94-million project to build a relief road between Bexhill-on-Sea and Hastings. .

Transport Engineer / August 5, 2015 Northern Irish operator McBurney Transport has ordered 25 Euro 6 Volvo trucks, as part of its fleet replacement cycle for 2015, including 15 FH 500 6x2 Globetrotters and 10 FM 460 Globetrotter models. Supplied by Dennison Commercials, the latest additions are all fitted with emergency braking and lane keeping support, in preparation for November's introduction of the General Safety Regulations. The trucks are also specified with the Dynafleet telematics system. McBurney is one of the largest Volvo operators anywhere in Ireland, having taken more than 1,000 vehicles from Dennison in the past 45 years. In October 2009, it was the first operator in the UK and Ireland to take delivery of the flagship Volvo FH16-700. Then, in 2011, McBurney took delivery of one of the first FH16-750 models, and was one of the first to order the new Volvo FH, in its 2013/14 truck delivery. "We are constantly updating our vehicles to ensure we have a reliable provision of services for our customers," says Norman McBurney, managing director. "We continue to purchase from Dennisons because Volvo is a consistently reliable and innovative product and we have been well supported by Dennisons locally over the years." .

KLXY / August 3, 2015 The City of Spokane unveiled its newest compressed natural gas garbage trucks Monday morning. Overall, the city will replace 90 trucks over the next seven years, cutting its green house gas emission by 20 percent. While CNG trucks cost around $30,000 more than standard diesel, the city says that cost is recouped in three years, through fuel and maintenance savings. The city estimates the new CNG vehicles, which cost $360,000 per unit, will save the city around $8,000 a year per truck compared to the older diesel models. The new CNG trucks are expected to last about 10 years, while the natural gas tanks on the new vehicles have to be recertified every five years. "One of the things you're going to notice is the emissions package on these trucks, much smaller, much tighter, much less maintenance than compared to a diesel powered truck so it's huge for us," said Scott Windsor, Director of Solid Waste Collections for the City of Spokane. Compressed natural gas trucks aren't more fuel efficient but gas is less expensive than diesel by about a dollar. For now, the CNG trucks will fill up at Avista Utilities until the city finishes a refueling station at its new utility central service center in about two weeks. Related reading - http://www.peterbilt.com/products/alternative-fuels/320/ .

Note that Volvo is replacing a knowledgeable Mack veteran with a Latin and English instructor. Apparently, no younger ex-Mack people (the Lehigh Valley has many) want to work for Volvo. Don performed the job so well, in the footsteps of my dear late friend Colin Chisholm, because he had an intimate knowledge of Mack Trucks from years of service. With all due respect to Mr. Kitsock, the simple fact that he never worked for (within) the company for any period of time makes him completely unqualified for the position.

Easy Tex...........our country's response and strategy needs to be a bit more in-depth.

Trucking News / August 4, 2015 Don Schumaker, curator of Mack Trucks Historical Museum, has received the Historian of the Industry Award from the American Truck Historical Society (ATHS). The award recognizes individuals who have been diligent in their pursuit of the history of the trucking industry. As curator of the Mack Trucks Historical Museum, Schumaker is responsible for dozens of trucks and exhibits that proudly display the history of Mack Trucks to thousands of visitors each year. “Don has made significant contributions to protecting and promoting the history of Mack Trucks, and we’re proud to see his efforts recognized with the Historian of the Industry Award,” said Stephen Roy, president of Mack Trucks North America. “Through his decades of service, first as an employee and then as curator of the museum, Don has been a true ambassador for Mack.” Schumaker joined Mack as a test lab mechanic in December 1957. He earned his engineering degree from Lafayette College while taking night classes and continuing to work at Mack. After advancing through a number of positions within the test lab, he was named manager of vehicle performance, a position he held until his retirement in 1995 after 38 years of service. After enjoying retirement for six short months, Schumaker was back with the Bulldog, joining the Mack Trucks Historical Museum staff in June 1996. He was named co-curator of the museum in 1997 and curator in 2008. Schumaker has announced his retirement from the Mack Trucks Historical Museum at the end of this year. Michael Kitsock has been named Schumaker’s successor and has already started work at the museum. Kitsock, a Pennsylvania native, is a former Latin and English instructor with a passion for antique and historic trucks. He is affiliated with several antique and historical truck organizations, including the ATHS, Antique Truck Club of America and the Schuylkill Historical Fire Society Museum. Located at the Mack Customer Center in Allentown, Pa., the Mack Trucks Historical Museum is a separate, not-for-profit corporation that explores the history of Mack and demonstrates the industry-leading manufacturing techniques that have kept Mack at the forefront of heavy-duty trucking. In addition to the museum, the Mack Customer Center is home to the Mack Heritage Center, a Mack showroom and a performance track where customers can test drive Mack vehicles .

Fiat Chrysler waited 1-1/2 years before telling NHTSA about hacking vulnerability Bloomberg / August 5, 2015 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) waited 18 months to tell federal safety regulators about a security flaw in radios being installed in more than a million vehicles that hackers later exploited to seize control of a Jeep last month. The automaker says it was working on a fix and didn’t consider the problem a safety defect. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) saw otherwise. Eight days after finally being notified by FCA, the NHTSA pushed Fiat Chrysler last month to recall 1.4 million cars and trucks -- the first recall prompted by cybersecurity safety concerns. The episode came just days before Fiat Chrysler agreed to a $105 million penalty to settle complaints about its recall performance on other issues and as NHSTA faces its own criticism for failing to promptly get unsafe vehicles off the street. Cybersecurity threats present a new dimension to the problem, one that critics say demands even faster response to keep hackers from worming their way into vehicles and causing havoc. A Senate report last year concluded only two of 16 automakers had the ability to detect and respond to a hacking attack. “We want to make sure the automakers and regulators stay ahead of this,” said Mark Rechtin, autos editor for Consumer Reports and a former reporter for Automotive News. "While there have been no reports of hackers being able to access random cars, “once it happens, and it happens badly, no one will be able to trust their cars.” Hacking details The researchers who took control of a Jeep will detail their exploit at the Black Hat cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas Wednesday. Two days later at hacking conference in Los Angeles, another hacker said he will reveal vulnerabilities with General Motors’ OnStar navigation system mobile app. And there’s been a rise in auto thefts using key-cloning systems for electronic fobs. To help focus regulators’ attention on cyberthreats, the U.S. Senate promised the chronically understaffed agency more resources and personnel in a bill passed last week. But the funding is contingent on NHTSA making numerous changes in the wake of a Transportation Department Inspector General’s report critical of its slow response in recalls with more typical vehicle issues. On the cyber front, NHTSA has an open audit of the Fiat Chrysler recall to make sure it includes all potentially affected vehicles and the company’s fix actually works, agency spokesman Gordon Trowbridge said. There’s also an active investigation into Harman International Industries Inc., supplier of the Uconnect communications system used by Fiat Chrysler. Same vulnerability Another immediate focus is whether other automakers with similar systems have the same vulnerability, Trowbridge said. The agency has been having regular conversations with manufacturers and suppliers on cybersecurity, he said. Automakers have reached out to NHTSA “to let us know they are aware of the issue and the steps they are taking to assess their own security protections,” Trowbridge said. The auto industry’s two biggest trade groups, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of Global Automakers, said July 14 they would form an information-sharing and analysis center by the end of the year to collaborate against emerging cyber threats. The Fiat Chrysler hacking experiment should serve as “a wake-up call” to automakers to be more proactive to secure software and other systems, or else they’ll face new government regulations mandating security, said Ken Westin, a security analyst with the cybersecurity company Tripwire Inc. based in Portland, Ore. Lacks expertise Westin is skeptical of government regulation and isn’t convinced that an agency like NHTSA has the resources and expertise to oversee cybersecurity. Harman needs to let independent researchers test its devices and software, Westin said. Hacking vulnerabilities are often created not because products and software from vendors are insecure, but because of how they are applied and configured in a certain setting, he said. “A lot of the automakers are going to start demanding independent verification” of software and products, he said. “We see this in other areas of security when there’s a breach from a third party.” The vulnerability exposed in the Jeep hacking incident is unique to Fiat Chrysler, Harman CEO Dinesh Paliwal said in an interview Tuesday. Automakers modify radios and entertainment systems to suit their customers, he said. “This does not exist, to our assessment, in any other vehicle,” he said. A Harman spokesman declined to comment on why it took 18 months to inform regulators about the vulnerability. Third party Documents Fiat Chrysler filed with NHTSA note that it didn’t consider the software issue, identified by a third party in January 2014, to be a safety defect under U.S. law. Under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, which governs how and when recalls are conducted, automakers must notify NHTSA within five days of discovering a flaw that presents an unreasonable risk to public safety. Fiat Chrysler said in a statement it advised NHTSA of the security issue “in a reasonable and timely manner.” The company said it’s “conducting a remedial campaign as a safety recall in the interest of protecting its customers” out of “an abundance of caution.” The company said it contacted NHTSA after the hackers informed the company of their plan to publicize the security flaw at Black Hat, including information to facilitate unauthorized and unlawful access to Fiat Chrysler vehicles. Other products The NHTSA notice of its Harman investigation noted that the vulnerability may exist in products it supplies to other companies. Harmon’s website indicates it supplies entertainment systems to BMW AG and as well as the Mercedes-Benz brand of Daimler AG. Both companies said their vehicles were safe. BMW’s information and entertainment system is separated from the safety-relevant driving system by several gateways that implement firewalls, message filtering and message blocking, the company said in an e-mailed statement. Mercedes-Benz spokesman Benjamin Oberkersch said the German manufacturer is taking comprehensive measures to protect its cars from hacking attacks. He declined to comment on the Harman investigation. U.S. Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced legislation on July 21 that would direct NHTSA and the Federal Trade Commission to establish rules to secure cars and protect consumer privacy. Rating system The senators’ bill would also establish a rating system to inform owners about how secure their vehicles are beyond any minimum federal requirements. The lawmakers released a report in 2014 on gaps in car-security systems, concluding that only two of 16 automakers had the ability to detect and respond to a hacking attack. Markey said in an interview that congressional hearings into the GM ignition switch and airbags made by Takata Corp. showed that understaffed and underfunded regulators have been sometimes slow to react. “This whole issue of computers on wheels is something new,” Markey said. “Based upon what happened over the last several years with Takata and all these other issues, we need to ensure they’ve got the resources.”

Senator 'alarmed' by reports U.S. military families harassed Reuters / August 5, 2015 A U.S. Senator said on Wednesday he was alarmed by reports of an FBI alert that relatives of U.S. military personnel in Colorado and Wyoming were harassed outside their homes by Middle Eastern men who may have had them under surveillance. "I am alarmed by reports out of Denver that military members' families have been harassed outside their homes and may be under surveillance," U.S. Senator Cory Gardner, a Republican from Colorado, said in a statement. "This news comes less than two weeks after FBI Director James Comey, speaking in Denver, warned of the heightened threat from the Islamic State that Colorado specifically faces." According to a copy of the alert published online by Denver's CBS affiliate, the wife of a U.S. military member was approached in front of her home in Colorado in May by two men who stated she was married to a U.S. interrogator. Similar incidents in Wyoming were reported to the FBI throughout June, the alert read. An FBI media coordinator in Denver did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to the copy of the alert published by CBS4, the two men laughed when the woman in Colorado denied their claims that she was married to a U.S. interrogator. They then drove away in a dark-colored, four-door sedan with two other Middle Eastern males in the vehicle. The woman had observed the car in the neighborhood on previous occasions, the alert said. It also said family members of military personnel were confronted by Middle Eastern men outside their homes in Wyoming "on numerous occasions" during June. "The males have attempted to obtain personal information about the military members' family members through intimidation," the copy of the alert read. "The family members have reported feeling scared." Gardner said the FBI had alerted all Colorado law enforcement agencies, and that his office is in contact with the appropriate officials. "I will continue to closely monitor the situation, and I encourage Coloradans to report suspicious behavior to the FBI," his statement said.

Naval officer could face discipline for using handgun at recruiting center The Washington Post / August 5, 2015 In the days after the attack on military facilities in Chattanooga, Tenn., last month, a complicated picture of what occurred began to emerge. Among the details: At least one service member, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Timothy White, opened fire on the shooter using his personal firearm before the shooter was killed by police. The attack on the Naval Reserve support center in Chattanooga left four Marines and a Navy sailor dead, and it spawned a debate about whether the U.S. military should arm more service members who work out of small, unguarded facilities like recruiting stations and reserve centers. But it also spawned questions about whether White could face discipline for carrying and discharging a privately owned handgun on federal property, where it was not allowed. On Saturday, conservative columnist Allen B. West took the issue on, saying that he could "confirm that the United States Navy is bringing charges against Lt. Cmdr Timothy White for illegally discharging a firearm on federal property." He did not identify his source, and followed by criticizing Pentagon leaders, the Navy and President Barack Obama. "Can you imagine the message this sends to ISIS and all the enemies of America?" West wrote, using an acronym for the Islamic State militant group. "We are going to end his career and court-martial a man who drew his sidearm to protect his command, and the assigned Sailors and Marines. " Presidential candidate Jim Webb, D-Va., a Marine war hero and former Navy secretary, also raised concerns Saturday night on Twitter: "Navy charging LCDR Tim White w/ a crime for trying to defend our sailors & Marines in.Chattanooga? He deserves a medal, not an indictment." Perhaps aware of the questions his tweet raised, Webb followed up with more context Sunday. "Before tweeting last night, we confirmed with a defense official that the Navy was seriously considering charging LCDR Timothy White." Webb followed up with: "The charge being considered is illegally discharging a firearm on federal property. No on the record comment was offered." The Navy responded to questions about the case Sunday on its Facebook page, saying that "stories of Navy personnel being charged with an offense are not true. "There is still a long way to go in reviewing the facts of this tragic incident, but at this time we can confirm no service member has been charged with an offense," the Navy added. On Monday, officials at the Pentagon went even further, telling The Washington Post that criminal charges are unlikely in White's case. They spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the open investigation. Navy Cmdr. William J. Marks, a service spokesman, said that White's actions remain under review as part of a broader assessment, known as a preliminary inquiry, into what occurred in Chattanooga. "Until the facts of that preliminary inquiry have all been reviewed, it is simply too early to speculate on what may happen with any particular individual," Marks said. The situation has continued to raise questions, though. Some have noted that the Navy said no service member has been charged with an offense "at this time," leaving the possibility it could occur later. Tens of thousands of supporters also have signed an online petition to the White House for White, saying he and anyone else who opened fire on the shooter - Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez, 24 - deserves a medal for valor rather than a punishment. Among those who have weighed in are actor James Woods ("Yes, Timothy White should be 'punished.' Make him an Admiral") and television personality Montel Williams, a Navy veteran ("Jim the Navy HASN'T charged him. Investigating sure, but NO charge is pending. Let's let them actually do it first?") The attack on the reserve center killed Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, 40; Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, 35; Sgt. Carson A. Holmquist; Lance Cpl. Squire D. "Skip" Wells, 21; and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith, 26. Abdulazeez was killed by police officers responding to the attack.