Volvo Cars Plans Its First U.S. Auto Plant in South Carolina

Volvo Cars Plans Its First U.S. Auto Plant in South Carolina

A Volvo XC90 automobile, produced by Volvo Car Group, sits on display at the Paris Motor Show in Paris on Oct. 2, 2014.

May 11--Volvo Cars said today it will invest $500 million to build a new plant in Berkeley County, S.C., as industry sales in North America continue to increase.

The automaker, which is owed by Zhejiang Geely Holdings of China, said the investment will create 2,000 jobs and the plant will initially be able to produce up to 100,000 cars per year.

Construction will begin in early autumn 2015, with the first vehicles expected to roll off the assembly line in 2018.

The automaker said the new plant is part of its plan to double global sales, boost market share and lift profitability.

Volvo was purchased by Geely from Ford in 2010.

"This new global industrial footprint and a complete product renewal forms the foundation for our growth and profitability targets," said HÃ¥kan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Car Corporation. While Volvo has been selling cars in the U.S. since 1955, the plant, near Charleston, will be the first U.S. plant for the Swedish brand.

Automakers are on pace to sell nearly 17 million new cars and trucks this year, the most since before the Great Recession. As industry sales have rebounded automakers have invested heavily in both the U.S. and Mexico to boost production.

Attempts to lure Volvo came down to two states -- Georgia and South Carolina -- last month, with both states filing for environmental permits with the Army Corps of Engineers, according to the Charleston Post and Courier.

Volvo said it picked South Carolina because of its easy access to international ports and infrastructure, a well-trained labor force, attractive investment environment and experience in the high tech manufacturing sector.

It also is a major win for South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has taken a hard line against unions, and is the second major automotive investment the state has snagged this year.

In March, Mercedes-Benz said it plans to spend $500 million to build a new plant in Charleston, S.C., so it can assemble its next-generation Sprinter commercial van there.

"This is a landmark moment and truly a great day in South Carolina as we welcome Volvo Cars' first American manufacturing plant to our state," Haley said in a statement. "Volvo's presence and commitment to the community will be felt for decades to come."

Pamela Geller Exhibit in Garland Texas and Deadly Shooting

Cartoon contest organizer defends decision to hold even

It's possible you'd never heard of Pamela Geller before Sunday night's tragic attack in Garland, Texas. You might think she's taking a brave stand for free speech, for American values, and that by supporting her, you're supporting America.

U.S.

LM OTERO / AP PHOTO

Two killed outside anti-Islam group's Muhammad cartoon event in Texas

Sunday night, two gunmen opened fireoutside an anti-Muslim event in Texas, and were quickly shot dead. Security prevented what could have been a far greater tragedy, and I am thankful for that, and for those authorities who put their lives on the line to protect our freedom of speech. But this isn't only about free speech — which, it should go without saying -- is a right for all Americans. It's also about how some people use freedom of speech to subvert other American values.

I am Muslim, and after attacks like these, folks always ask, "Do you condemn terrorism?" Or they throw up their hands and say, "Where are the Muslims!" Well, to be blunt: Not at the event. In fact, every major mosque in the Garland, Texas, area not only shrugged off the anti-Islam event happening in their backyard, but also declined to exercise their equal right to peacefully protest it.

It appears from early reports that the suspects were not currently involved with a mosque. This is because American Muslims -- our mosques and our leadership -- reject radicalism out of hand.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/04/opinions/moghul-texas-shooting-gellar/index.html

Police ignored an unresponsive Freddie Gray on wagon's floor: prosecutor

Police officers failed to obtain medical care for Freddie Gray even when they found him unresponsive on the floor of their van after he had repeatedly appealed for help, Baltimore’s most senior prosecutor said on Friday.

In announcing criminal charges for the six officers involved in Gray’s arrest, state’s attorney Marilyn Mosby gave the most detailed account so far of the deadly 45 minutes after Gray was captured by officers on the streets of west Baltimore in an illegal arrest.

“Mr Gray suffered a severe and critical neck injury as a result of being handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained inside of the Baltimore police department wagon,” Mosby said at a press conference on Friday morning.

Gray was arrested on the morning of 12 April after catching the eye of Lieutenant Brian Rice and running away. Mosby on Friday declared the arrest by Rice, Officer Garrett Miller and Officer Edward Nero an illegal one, explaining that a knife found in Gray’s pocket, which he was charged with carrying, was in fact legal under Maryland law.

Mosby said that despite complaining he could not breathe and needed an asthma inhaler at 8.42am, three minutes into his arrest, Gray was ignored and loaded into the van. He had already been pinned down by Nero and placed in a so-called “leg lace” by Miller.

Gray was not seatbelted in the vehicle as is required by Baltimore police rules. Several prisoners in the past have been seriously injured by so-called “rough rides”.

The first stop made by Officer Caesar Goodson, the van’s driver, was four minutes later at Mount and Baker streets. Gray had his legs shackled while the arresting officers completed paperwork. He was then reloaded into the van by Rice, Miller and Nero “on his stomach, headfirst on to the floor”, again without being seatbelted, said Mosby.

About 10 minutes after this, Goodson’s van made a second stop outside a grocery shop at Fremont Avenue and Mosher Street, whose CCTV cameras captured footage of the vehicle. The existence of this stop was not disclosed by police until Thursday 30 April.

After getting out and checking on Gray, Goodson returned to the driver’s seat and resumed his journey, according to the prosecutor. Gray’s health and responsiveness at this point is not clear, apparently because Goodson has declined to cooperate with investigators.

Goodson radioed for support from other officers to “check on the status of his prisoner”, said Mosby. He then made a third stop at Druid Hill Avenue and Dolphin Street at 8.59am. He and Officer William Porter inspected Gray. Mosby said Porter asked the 25-year-old if he needed medical care, and Gray “indicated at least twice he was in need of a medic”.

Yet Goodson and Porter still did not request medical care, the state’s attorney said. Despite moving Gray from the floor of the van to the bench, Porter once again failed to restrain Gray with a seatbelt. And despite Gray’s obvious distress, Goodson chose – “ina grossly negligent manner,” said Mosby – to respond to a separate arrest nearby.

The van made a fourth stop to collect the second prisoner, Donta Allen, near the intersection of North Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. A CVS pharmacy at this spot was badly burned during rioting on Monday night. Protesters subsequently made the intersection their base in the following days.

At the second arrest site, Goodson and Porter again inspected Gray, this time with Sergeant Alicia White. They “observed Mr Gray unresponsive on the floor of the wagon”, yet did not act. White “spoke to the back of Mr Gray’s head” and when he did not respond “she did nothing further despite the fact that she was advised that he needed a medic,” said Mosby.

“She made no effort to look or assess or determine his condition,” said Mosby. Gray, laid out on the floor of the wagon and not answering, was ignored.

“Despite Mr Gray’s seriously deteriorating medical condition, no medical assistance was rendered or summoned for Mr Gray at that time by any officer,” said Mosby. He was once again not restrained with a seatbelt in the back of the van as Goodson made the last leg of his journey to the police department’s western district headquarters.

When the van finally arrived at the police station at 9.24am, White and officer Zachary Novak attempted to remove Gray only to find he was “no longer breathing at all”, Mosby said on Friday. Medics were finally called – more than 40 minutes after Gray first complained of problems. He was found to be in cardiac arrest and severely injured.

Gray was taken to the University of Maryland’s Shock Trauma hospital and was operated on. However, he lapsed into a coma and never recovered. He was pronounced dead on the morning of 19 April, exactly a week after he caught the eye of Rice and fled. His family said his 

spine was “80% severed” at the neck and his voice box almost crushed.

The state medical examiner declared Gray’s death to be a homicide. “We have probable cause to file criminal charges,” said Mosby.

USA Newspapers New York Times Press

Hints of Normalcy in Katmandu, but Rebuilding Lies Ahead




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Hillary Clinton Courts the Democratic Left, but Is Pressured to Take Progressive Stands
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http://www.nytimes.com/

USA America Newspaper the Baltimore Sun

May-02-2015

http://www.baltimoresun.com/
Legal experts divided on charges against Freddie Gray officers

The decision of Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby to file charges of murder and
false imprisonment against police officers in the death of Freddie Gray
 was both bold and novel,
 according to legal analysts — but some said they will be challenging to prove in court.

"She has overcharged," said criminal defense attorney Steven H. Levin, a former
federal prosecutor. As a result, he said, Mosby could lose credibility with the jury,
making it more difficult to obtain a conviction on any of the charges.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/

Six Police officers charged in death of Freddie Gray Baltimore Maryland

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BALTIMORE — Six police officers were charged Friday in the death of Freddie Gray as Baltimore’s top prosecutor acted with surprising swiftness in a case that ignited protests and rioting here. She described how Gray allegedly was arrested illegally, treated callously by the officers, and suffered a severe spine injury in the back of a police van while his pleas for medical help were ignored.

Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby publicly delivered her stunning, detailed narrative of extensive police misconduct in the latest of several cases nationwide that have fueled anger over heavy-handed law enforcement tactics in low-income communities.

Her decision to file charges brought joy and relief to low-income West Baltimore and beyond, at least temporarily. By nightfall, thousands of residents had taken to the streets in peaceful demonstrations.

One officer is accused of ­second-degree murder, and three others were charged with manslaughter.

[A look at the six officers and their charges | What is depraved-heart murder?]

Events leading to Gray’s arrest and hospitalization VIEW GRAPHIC 

“To the people of Baltimore and the demonstrators across America, I have heard your call of ‘No justice, no peace,’ ” Mosby declared. Her announcement of the charges came after days of angry yet nonviolent marches in the city and overnight rioting and looting on Monday, mostly in West Baltimore.

“Your peace is sincerely needed as I work to deliver justice on behalf of this young man,” Mosby said of Gray, 25, who died in a hospital April 19 — a week after three of the officers took him into custody on a West Baltimore street in what Mosby said was an illegal arrest. She said Gray was carrying a folding knife, which is legal in Maryland.

Gray’s family said it was “satisfied” by the filing of the charges. Richard Shipley, Gray’s stepfather, also issued a plea for demonstrators to assemble peacefully this weekend.

“Where there is no justice, there is no peace,” Shipley said. “But let us have peace in pursuit of justice.”

An attorney for Baltimore’s police union reacted angrily to the charges, calling them “an egregious rush to judgment” and saying that “these officers did nothing wrong.”

Except for the allegedly illegal arrest — which resulted in false- imprisonment charges­ against the three officers who first encountered Gray — allegations in the case stem not so much from what the six officers did to Gray as from what they failed to do after he was taken into custody the morning of April 12.

Mosby said Gray, in handcuffs, was placed in the back of a police van but was not secured by a seat belt, as required by police rules. At one point during a trip that involved four stops, he was removed from the van and then put back in “on his stomach, headfirst, onto the floor,” Mosby said. After the first stop, Gray “suffered a severe and critical neck injury as a result of being handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained” by a seat belt, she said.

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The accused Baltimore officers are Lt. Brian W. Rice, 41, a 17-year member of the force; Sgt. Alicia D. White, 30, who joined the department in 2010; Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr., 45, a member of the department for 16 years; and Officers Garrett E. Miller, 26, Edward M. Nero, 29, and William G. Porter, 25, all of whom joined the force in 2012.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com

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الرئيس التركي رجب أردوغان‬ يهدي الرئيس الأمريكي باراك ‫‏ أوباما‬ لوحة بخط الثلث العربي باسم " اراك حسين أوباما

الأزهر اليوم

‫#‏الأزهر_اليوم‬ | الرئيس التركي رجب ‫#‏أردوغان‬ يهدي الرئيس الأمريكي باراك ‫#‏أوباما‬ لوحة بخط الثلث العربي باسم "باراك حسين أوباما" لتذكيره بأصوله الإسلامية