Free Republic

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) – The two political parties expected to form the next German government have agreed to loosen the country’s constitution restrictions on borrowing, enabling 1 trillion euros ($1.08 trillion) or more in spending on defense and infrastructure. It´s a major change in Germany´s debt-averse political culture, rejecting conventional economic wisdom that long dominated Europe´s biggest economy and one of the world´s wealthiest countries. Here are key facts about the debt brake and what the changes will mean for Germany and Europe. The debt brake was passed in 2009, when a global financial crisis led to sharp increase in...

BERLIN (AP) – German authorities are expected to extend lockdown measures again on Monday and possibly tighten some restrictions as they face a steady rise in new coronavirus infections. Chancellor Angela Merkel and the country’s 16 state governors, who in highly decentralized Germany are responsible for imposing and lifting restrictions, are holding a videoconference nearly three weeks after they agreed a several-step plan paving the way to relax some rules.

Would you trust wrench monkeys who mangle the English language? Is the IQ of the idiots in marketing an indicator of the quality of the guys they hire to fix your car or truck?

DETROIT — General Motors Co. said on Friday that it is recalling more than 4,000 of its 2012 Chevrolet Sonic subcompact cars to check for missing brake pads. The possibility that some Sonics could be missing an inner or outer brake pad was discovered during warranty service for a rental vehicle customer. GM said the problem “is expected to exist in very few cars,” and there are no known crashes or injuries related to the issue. A missing pad could require longer stopping distance, and contribute to a crash. Dealers will inspect the front brakes for missing inner or outer...

January 29, 2010 US Congress to investigate Toyota after 19 deaths The US House of Representatives has announced an investigation into Toyota’s faulty accelerator pedals and other problems that may have caused 19 deaths over the past decade and triggered a global recall of nearly eight million vehicles. A month from now Toyota will face a cross-examination from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce over whether it responded soon enough to reports that accelerator pedals could become stuck. The committee has sent letters to Toyota’s American subsidiary requesting documents and e-mails related to the matter. Information has also been...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Chrysler Group is recalling about 24,000 late-model Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles to fix a defective part that could cause sudden, unexpected brake failure. The recall applies to some 2010 model year Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger sedans, Dodge Nitro and Jeep Liberty, Jeep Commander and Grand Cherokee SUVs and 2009 and 2010 model year Ram trucks.