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Federal judge orders Barra and Manley to try to resolve GM racketeering lawsuit

DETROIT — A federal judge in Detroit on Tuesday ordered the chief executives of automakers General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to meet by July 1 to try to resolve GM's racketeering lawsuit. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Borman called on GM CEO Mary Barra and FCA CEO Mike Manley to meet in person to try to resolve a case that could drag on for years. "What a waste of time and resources now and for the years to come in this mega-litigation if these automotive leaders and their large teams of lawyers are required to focus significant time-consuming efforts to pursue this nuclear-option lawsuit if it goes forward," Borman said at the end of a hearing during which FCA asked the judge to dismiss GM's lawsuit. Borman said instead, the companies need to focus on building cars and keeping people employed at a time when the coronavirus has hurt the U.S. economy and the country is also dealing with issues of racial injustice after the death of George Floyd, a Black man whose death in police custody in Minneapolis triggered worldwide protests. GM filed the racketeering lawsuit against FCA last November, alleging its rival bribed United Auto Workers (UAW) union officials over many years to corrupt the bargaining process and gain advantages, costing GM billions of dollars. GM is seeking "substantial damages" that one analyst said could total at least $6 billion. Barra and Manley should meet, taking into account social distancing to keep them safe, to "explore and indeed reach a sensible resolution," Borman said in the hearing, which was broadcast online. It is common for judges to order parties to try to resolve disputes out of court. But it is unusual that the chief executives of two big companies be instructed to meet face-to-face, not just to settle their differences but also to serve a greater good. A GM spokesman said the No. 1 U.S. automaker has a strong case and "we look forward to constructive dialogue with FCA consistent with the courtÂ’s order.” FCA had no immediate comment. Borman said he wanted to hear from Barra and Manley personally at noon on July 1 to provide him with results from their discussion. FCA shares were up 6.1% at $10.24 in New York and GM shares were down 0.5% at $26.25 on Tuesday afternoon. Government/Legal Chrysler Fiat GM

Chrysler's mysterious limo spotted in trailer for new Wolverine movie

Way back in the warm, sunny days of June, we reported on a rather strange looking Chrysler-badged limousine spotted during filming for the latest installment in the Wolverine saga. Now, with the first trailer for Logan (or Wolverine 3, if you prefer its informal name) hitting the internet, we're getting another look at the odd limo, along with a few other offerings from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. There's a flock of "Federal Police" Rams and a spinning, bluish-green Rebel – we're guessing Wolverine and Professor Xavier stole it from some kind of work crew – judging by the gold-ish decals on the door and the work box in the bed. Our look at the Chrysler limo isn't great, although it does appear in two scenes of the trailer. We're thinking these shots are connected, and here's why. Our first sighting comes in a cemetery, where the hulking limo sits in the background while Wolverine takes a pull from a pint of liquor. This scene ties in neatly with the images from June – we've embedded the tweet that posted the original shots at the bottom – which shows Wolverine wearing the same clothing. Comparing the shape of the limo's mirrors in June with a later scene in the trailer, we can safely say that Wolverine eventually ends up driving the limo, with a worried Professor Xavier in the backseat. While FCA hasn't been shy about wanting to hook up with Hollywood blockbusters, Logan is quite a lot different than Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens, or even Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The tone of this entire trailer, from Johnny Cash's baleful cover of Nine Inch Nails' Hurt to the dire medical condition of Patrick Stewart's Professor Xavier, is depressing and emotional. That's a far cry from the super-successful superhero blockbusters that roll out of Marvel Studios every year. You can spot the exterior of the limo at 0:17, the interior at 1:03 (the scene is cut to make it look like Logan and Professor X are driving the Ram Rebel that appears at 1:02), and the police Rams at 0:48. Aside from the new FCAs, there's also a lovely first-gen Ford Bronco. Logan hits theaters on March 3, 2017. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video:

Huge Canadian sinkhole destroys four-lane road, swallows car

A major thoroughfare in the Canadian capital city of Ottawa was closed after a huge sinkhole opened beneath it. According to the CBC, the sinkhole appeared around mid-morning on Wednesday on Rideau Street near its intersection with Sussex Drive. The sinkhole, which initially formed over an unstable vein of sand, silt, and fractured rock, quickly spread across all four lanes of Rideau Street. A high-pressure natural gas line and a water main were shattered by the road collapse, filling the deep hole with water, gas, and fumes and forcing the evacuation of numerous surrounding buildings. All traffic save for buses and taxis had already been banned from the area due to excavation for a light rail station, but a Chrysler minivan parked along Rideau street fell into the hole as it expanded. Construction workers working in the light rail site evacuated safely once the road began collapsing, and no injuries were reported. Ottawa mayor Jim Watson told The Guardian that there was no sure way to tell how long repairs to Rideau Street would take. "It's a significant sinkhole in the downtown core. It has a major impact on our largest retail shopping center, one of our major hotels as well as one of the busiest intersections and bus routes." This is the second sinkhole to appear in downtown Ottawa in recent years. In 2014, a nearly thirty-foot wide sinkhole caused by excavation for the light rail system opened just a few blocks away from Rideau and Sussex. Watson stated that it is too soon to say whether or not Wednesday's sink hole was related to light rail construction. "We can't confirm whether the tunnel had any impact on the sinkhole or whether it was a water main break or whether it was a leak of some type that destabilized the soil." Watson went on to say that he hoped that city officials would be able to pinpoint the exact cause of the collapse soon. Related Video: News Source: The Guardian, CBC News Auto News Weird Car News Chrysler Minivan/Van sinkhole road