Innovation at the DC Auto Show emphasizes the re-emergence of manufacturing industry

January 27, 2012

Innovation is the cornerstone of the automotive industry.  From safety improvements like seatbelts and airbags to technological advances like catalytic converters and alternative fuel vehicles, invention and creativity have propelled the world's automakers for more than a century.

So when I visited the Washington Auto Showyesterday, I was very excited to see what is coming next.  And the exhibits definitely did not disappoint.

As I said last week, Detroit is back.  After a few years of struggle, the Big Three--General Motors, Chrysler and Ford--have been able to re-emerge stronger and more profitable because of restructuring, innovation, and President Obama's decision to invest in American workers and American ingenuity.

These companies are making a profit for the first time since 2004; they’re gaining market share; and Chrysler and GM repaid the U.S. Treasury nearly 100 percent of the money President Obama lent them in 2009.

And it's not just the American companies that have been revitalized. Whether we're talking about the Big Three, BMW, or Toyota--this resurgence means jobs for American workers who have been waiting on the sidelines to get back in the game.   In the Detroit area and across the nation, the world's automakers arehiring American workers to help them meet the renewed demand.

They're also hiring in dealerships, at parts suppliers, and in research & development.  In fact, more than 8 million Americans have jobs related to the automotive industry.

These talented students from Boise State engineered one fast truck that runs on...vegetable oil

The innovation on display at the Washington Auto Show also extended to the exciting new talent emerging into the field. For example, I met with one group of automotive engineering students from Boise State University who are absolutely ready to continue the legacy of their distinguished predecessors in the industry.  The truck these students brought to the auto show runs on pure vegetable oil.  And it runs fast.

The blueprint for an America built to last that President Obama talked about this week in his State of the Union can only be built on a strong foundation.  For the global automotive industry, that foundation must include innovative engineering and skilled workers.  It's good to know America has an abundance of both, with the next generation waiting in the wings to do its part.

If you're in the metropolitan Washington area, you can catch the Washington Auto Show through February 5 at the Convention Center in downtown DC. Details can be found here.

Photo Credits: Roy Lahood

KYMCO Recalls Utility Vehicles Due to Fire Hazard

Recall Alert

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Communications

Washington, D.C.

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January 26, 2012 Alert #12-713

KYMCO Recalls Utility Vehicles Due to Fire Hazard

The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Utility Vehicle

Units: About 1,876

Importer: KYMCO USA, of Spartanburg, S.C.

Hazard: An exposed portion of the exhaust system can allow debris such as leaves, brush or other flammable materials to enter the opening and ignite, posing a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: KYMCO USA has received three reports of vehicles catching on fire and being damaged. No reports of injuries have been received.

Description: The recall involves 2009 through 2012 KYMCO utility task vehicles (UTVs). The vehicles are gasoline-powered, off-road vehicles with two side-by-side seats, a cargo bed and a steering wheel. The vehicles come in red, blue, black, gray, orange, silver and green and have the model and brand name “KYMCO” on both sides of the rear fender area and the front of the hood. The following UTVs are being recalled:

Models	Model Year	Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Range
UXV 500 UXV 500 LE UXV 500 SE	2009 2010 2011 2012	RFBUS37A 09B100101 through 9CB490364
UXV 500i UXV 500i LE UXV 500i SE	2012	RFBUS33A 4CB100101 through 8CB230205

The VIN is located on the frame behind the right front wheel. The tenth alphanumeric character of the VIN is the model year of the vehicle (i.e. 9 = 2009, A = 2010, B = 2011, C = 2012).

Sold by: KYMCO dealers nationwide from June 2008 to October 2011 for between $7,600 and $10,100.

Manufactured in: Taiwan

Remedy: Consumers should stop using these vehicles and return them to a KYMCO dealer for the free installation of a repair kit.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact KYMCO USA at (888) 235-3417 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, by email at info@kymcousa.com, or visit the firm’s website at www.kymcousa.com

UXV 500



UXV 500 LE



UXV 500 SE

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on www.saferproducts.gov
CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
Under federal law, it is illegal to attempt to sell or resell this or any other recalled product.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go online to: www.saferproducts.gov, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain this news release and product safety information at www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.

TSA Week in Review: Leave Your Throwing Stars at Home, Grasshopper

Not a TSA Photo (Just saying)

Concealed Razorblades:Two razorblades were found concealed in the frame of a carry-on bag at Sacramento (SMF)

Leave Them at Home: A throwing star was found in a carry-on bag at Baltimore (BWI) and another found in a passenger’s bag traveling out of Lexington (LEX). Either leave these at home or pack them in your checked baggage, but be sure to check state laws before packing them, Grasshopper.

$22,373: A passenger at Jackson (JAX) turned in an abandoned bag to a TSA supervisor. The bag made its way back to its owner along with the $22,373.00 that was inside it!

West Side Story?: Four switchblades were found in carry-on baggage. One at Baltimore (BWI), two at Los Angeles (LAX) and one at LaGuardia (LGA). I wonder if they were snapping their fingers?

“Thwak – Thwak”: <-- Throwing knife sound effects: Two throwing kniveswere found in a carry-on bag at Denver (DEN). Throwing knives are usually in sets of three, so that leaves me wondering what the third knife is stuck in?Throwing knives were also found this week at Newark (EWR) and Lexington (LEX).

Pretzels?: A knife was found  at Burlington (BTV) concealed in a bag of… pretzels? Some cereals occasionally have a  free toy inside. Do pretzels now come with knives?

Miscellaneous Prohibited Items: In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly, our officers also found stun guns, brass knuckles, knives, knives, and more knives, firearm components, ammunition, and expandable batons.

Firearms: Our officers found 18 loaded firearms and 2 unloaded firearms in carry-on baggage since I posted last Friday. Here’s a rundown of the 20firearms our officers kept off of airplanes this week: 

1/20: AMA – Loaded .44 – ATL – Loaded .22 – FLL – Loaded .380

1/21: HRL – Loaded .38 – DAL – Loaded .45

1/22: SFB – Loaded .380 w/ round chambered – LEX – Loaded .38

1/23: TUL – Loaded .22 – ABQ – Unloaded .22 – BIL – Loaded .380 w/ round chambered – ATL – Unloaded .45 Black Powder Derringer – SLC – Loaded .380

1/24: MEM – Loaded .380 w/ round chambered – FLL – Loaded .380 – COS – Loaded .357

1/25: PDX – Loaded .25 – DFW – Loaded .45

1/26: BHM – Loaded .380 w/ round chambered – PIT – Loaded 9mm – GNV – Loaded 9mm – PIE – Loaded 9mm

You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms. We also look for explosives and bomb components as well, but thankfully those are extremely rare and we're happy to keep it that way.

Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items in their bag. That’s why it’s important to double check your luggage before you get to the airport. 

Including checkpoint and checked baggage screening, TSA has 20 layers of security both visible and invisible to the public. Each one of these layers alone is capable of stopping a terrorist attack. In combination their security value is multiplied, creating a much stronger, formidable system. A terrorist who has to overcome multiple security layers in order to carry out an attack is more likely to be pre-empted, deterred, or to fail during the attempt.  

Special ThanksPhoto Credits DHS / TSA
Blogger Bob Burns  
TSA Blog Team

Laredo Resident Lands in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud

U.S. Attorney’s OfficeJanuary 27, 2012

Southern District of Texas

LAREDO, TX—Jesus Alaniz Jr., 54, of Laredo, has been sentenced to federal prison in relation to a scheme in which he transferred monies from his employer to a fictitious company he created, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. At the sentencing hearing today, U.S. District Judge Nancy F. Atlas sentenced Alaniz to 37 months in prison and further ordered him to pay and ordered to pay $250,000 in restitution.

At the time of his guilty plea on Nov. 10, 2012, Alaniz admitted to utilizing a scheme by which he created a fictitious alter-ego company called Freight Logistics Services Inc. (FLS). As an employee of UTI Worldwide Inc. (UTI)—a publicly traded supply chain management company—Alaniz wrote checks from UTI’s bank account to FLS, which he then converted to his personal use between May 6 and 7, 2010.

The investigation began in December 2010, when UTI informed the FBI that approximately $950,000 had been stolen from UTI’s Laredo division over the course of the previous 10 years. UTI suspected that Alaniz, its former Laredo branch manager, was involved in this theft by creating FLS, a fraudulent company. UTI provided documentation of all UTI checks issued to FLS, including a copy of the fronts and backs of various checks indicating that they were deposited into an account belonging to FLS at a bank in Laredo. Subsequent investigation revealed personal bank accounts belonging to Alaniz, to which he transferred funds from the FLS account.

Alaniz pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, admitting that FLS was his alter ego and that he established FLS as a way to personally profit from UTI.

Alaniz has been permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

This case was investigated by special agents from the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank T. Pimentel.

Weekly Address: President’s Blueprint Includes Renewal of American Values

Your Daily Snapshot for Saturday, January 28, 2012

In his weekly address, President Obama discusses the blueprint he put forward this week in the State of the Union Address for creating an economy built to last. After focusing on American manufacturing, American energy, and skills for American workers during each of the last three days, he used his weekly address to highlight his commitment to a renewal of American values. The President is challenging leaders in Washington, DC to follow the model set by our men and women in the military, end the gridlock and start tackling the issues that matter -- without regard for personal ambition. Watch the video: President Barack Obama tapes the weekly address and a  Voice of America 70th Anniversary message in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 20, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) In Case You Missed It State of the Union: In his third State of the Union Address on Tuesday, the President outlined his vision for “an America that lasts”—one that will bring about a new era of American manufacturing, and promote homegrown and alternative energy sources—and presented ablueprint to achieve that vision. Check out this video that goes behind the scenes as President Obama prepared the speech. Blueprint for Manufacturing: During his visit to New Hampshire following Tuesday’s State of the Union address, Vice President Biden highlighted the Administration’s plan to help businesses bring jobs back to America through manufacturing. He echoed the President’s message that we need to commit to train workers with the skills they will need to compete in the growing sectors of our economy. Talking Energy in Las Vegas: From a UPS facility in Las Vegas, the Presidentspoke about the future of American-made energy. “[Even] with all this oil production, we only have about 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves,” the President said, “So we've got to have an all-out, all-in, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every source of American energy—a strategy that is cleaner and cheaper and full of new jobs.” #WHchat: Throughout the week, more than thirty administration officials have answered questions about President Obama’s State of the Union Address and issues Americans care about through a series of Office Hours on Twitter—addressing queries about everything from the economy to disability policy. Vice President Biden—known in the twitterverse as @VP—answered questions submitted by people across the country in his first-ever Twitter interview from an advanced manufacturing facility in Rochester, New Hampshire. NHL Champs: On Monday, the President welcomed the Boston Bruins to the White House and congratulated them on their Stanley Cup victory in June—marking the team’s sixth Cup championship, and their first one in nearly forty years. Their triumph, the President said, “proved that teamwork is everything.” After their visit to the White House, the players led a hockey clinic--affirming that being a champion doesn’t end when you hang up your skates. West Wing Week: This week, the President prepared for and delivered his State of the Union Address, welcomed the Boston Bruins to the White House, and took his message West to Iowa, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado. Check out the video.

Capture of FBI Fugitive Esteban Ramos-Cruz

FBI BuffaloJanuary 27, 2012

Supervisory Special Agent Gregory D. Nelsen

Christopher M. Piehota, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Office, announces this morning’s capture of Esteban Ramos-Cruz, 25 years old, a federally indicted member of the 7th Street Gang, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Ramos-Cruz has been an FBI fugitive since May 2011. He was recently profiled on an episode of America’s Most Wanted that aired on Friday, January 6, 2012, on the Lifetime Network.

On May 5, 2011, FBI Buffalo’s Safe Streets Task Force (SSTF) arrested multiple members of the 10th Street and 7th Street Gangs. Soon after, 7th Street Gang member Ramos-Cruz fled and remained an armed and dangerous fugitive until his capture this morning. Ramos-Cruz was indicted on the following federal charges: murder in aid of racketeering in connection with the murder of a 10th Street member/associate Eric Morrow; use, carry, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and narcotics conspiracy.

Following the profile of Ramos-Cruz on America’s Most Wanted on January 6, FBI Buffalo received a tip from an AMW viewer who relayed information that placed Ramos-Cruz in the Springfield, Massachusetts area. Further investigation by FBI Buffalo revealed a specific location for Ramos-Cruz, and this morning members of the FBI’s Western Massachusetts Gang Task Force, which is composed of the Massachusetts State Police, DEA, Hampden County Sheriff, and police from Springfield, Lee, Chicopee, and Pittsfield, along with the U.S. Marshals, arrested Ramos-Cruz.

Capture of FBI Fugitive Esteban Ramos-Cruz

FBI BuffaloJanuary 27, 2012

Christopher M. Piehota, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Office, announces this morning’s capture of Esteban Ramos-Cruz, 25 years old, a federally indicted member of the 7th Street Gang, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Ramos-Cruz has been an FBI fugitive since May 2011. He was recently profiled on an episode of America’s Most Wanted that aired on Friday, January 6, 2012, on the Lifetime Network.

On May 5, 2011, FBI Buffalo’s Safe Streets Task Force (SSTF) arrested multiple members of the 10th Street and 7th Street Gangs. Soon after, 7th Street Gang member Ramos-Cruz fled and remained an armed and dangerous fugitive until his capture this morning. Ramos-Cruz was indicted on the following federal charges: murder in aid of racketeering in connection with the murder of a 10th Street member/associate Eric Morrow; use, carry, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and narcotics conspiracy.

Following the profile of Ramos-Cruz on America’s Most Wanted on January 6, FBI Buffalo received a tip from an AMW viewer who relayed information that placed Ramos-Cruz in the Springfield, Massachusetts area. Further investigation by FBI Buffalo revealed a specific location for Ramos-Cruz, and this morning members of the FBI’s Western Massachusetts Gang Task Force, which is composed of the Massachusetts State Police, DEA, Hampden County Sheriff, and police from Springfield, Lee, Chicopee, and Pittsfield, along with the U.S. Marshals, arrested Ramos-Cruz.