Author: Tom Krisher
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Auto industry icon Lee Iacocca dies
DETROIT • Lee Iacocca, the auto executive and master pitchman who put the Mustang in Ford’s lineup in the 1960s and became a corporate folk hero when he resurrected Chrysler 20 years later, has died in Bel Air, Calif. He was 94. Two former Chrysler executives who worked with him, Bud Liebler, the company’s former…
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Trump lifts tariffs on Mexico, Canada, delays auto tariffs
WASHINGTON • Bogged down in a trade dispute with U.S. rival China, President Donald Trump took steps Friday to ease tensions with America’s allies — lifting import taxes on Canadian and Mexican steel and aluminum and delaying auto tariffs that would have hurt Japan and Europe. By removing the metals tariffs on Canada and Mexico,…
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Justice Dept. probing development of Boeing jets
WASHINGTON • U.S. prosecutors are looking into the development of Boeing’s 737 Max jets, a person briefed on the matter revealed Monday, the same day French aviation investigators concluded there were “clear similarities” in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines MAX 8 last week and a Lion Air jet in October. The Justice Department probe…
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Criticism of FAA mounts as other nations ground Boeing jets
WASHINGTON • The Federal Aviation Administration is facing mounting criticism for backing the airworthiness of Boeing’s 737 Max jets as the number of countries that have grounded the aircraft grows in the wake of the Ethiopian Airlines crash over the weekend. The rest of the world typically takes it cues from the FAA, long considered…
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Airlines inch back to normal flow after Atlanta airport fire
ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines and other carriers that operate out of Atlanta’s busy airport said they expected to be running normally Tuesday after a fire and blackout there forced the cancellation of over 1,500 flights days before the start of the Christmas rush. A spokesman for Delta, by far the biggest airline at the…
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Uber CEO Travis Kalanick resigns under investor pressure
DETROIT — Travis Kalanick, the combative and embattled CEO of ride-hailing giant Uber, has resigned under pressure from investors at a pivotal time for the company. Uber’s board confirmed the move early Wednesday, saying in a statement that Kalanick is taking time to heal from the death of his mother in a boating accident “while…
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Ford shuffles management team as new CEO takes helm
DETROIT — Ford’s new CEO is shaking up the company’s senior management. The Dearborn, Michigan, automaker named a new head of global product development Thursday, as well as new heads of its operations in North America, Europe and Asia. Among the biggest changes is the rehiring of Sherif Marakby, a longtime Ford executive who was…
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U.S. says Fiat Chrysler used software to cheat emissions tests
DETROIT — The U.S. government is suing Fiat Chrysler, alleging that some of its diesel pickup trucks and Jeep SUVs cheat on emissions tests. The lawsuit filed Tuesday by the Justice Department marks the second time the government has gone after an automaker alleging use of software on diesel engines that allows them to emit…
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GM halts operations in Venezuela after factory is seized
DETROIT — General Motors has stopped doing business in Venezuela after authorities took control of its only factory there in what GM called an illegal judicial seizure of its assets. The plant was confiscated on Wednesday as anti-government protesters clashed with authorities in a country that is roiling in economic troubles such as food shortages…
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Trump fuel economy move sets up fight with California
DETROIT — The Trump administration’s decision to re-examine Obama-era rules that govern automobile gas mileage could be the first round of a potentially bruising political fight: revoking the ability of California and other blue states to set their own, tougher car-emission standards. Environmental groups are preparing for the clash, which won’t come for at least…