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Steve Carlisle replaces Johan de Nysschen as head of Cadillac

Johan de Nysschen, a longtime automotive industry executive, is out the door at Cadillac after four years at the helm of GM's flagship luxury brand. Steve Carlisle will replace de Nysschen as General Motors senior vice president and president, Cadillac. Carlisle previously served as president and managing director of GM Canada. Travis Hester will replace Carlisle in that role, starting immediately. "We appreciate Johan's efforts over the last four years in setting a stronger foundation for Cadillac," said General Motors President Dan Ammann. That strong foundation is mostly seen overseas. Cadillac has seen record sales in China under de Nysschen's watch, but has continued to flounder in its home market of the United States with market share significantly lower than rival brands like Audi, BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz. Growth in the U.S. market is mostly happening with crossovers and SUVs, and Cadillac has been trailing its German and Japanese rivals on that front. The brand-new XT4 is seen as a big potential sales booster for the automaker, but its late arrival has already hurt the brand's sales figures here in America. "Looking forward, the world is changing rapidly, and, beginning with the launch of the new XT4, it is paramount that we capitalize immediately on the opportunities that arise from this rate of change," said Ammann. "This move will further accelerate our efforts in that regard." Carlisle will report directly to Ammann in his role as the head of the Cadillac brand. Related Video:

More than 100 pink Cadillacs assemble for Aretha Franklin’s funeral today

Aretha Franklin's funeral service is under way today in Detroit, and plans call for a service of at least five hours featuring performances by stars including Stevie Wonder, Ariana Grande and Chaka Khan, speakers including former President Bill Clinton and the Rev. Al Sharpton, and at least 130 pink Cadillacs lining the road in front of the church. The gesture is a nod to Franklin's Grammy award-winning 1985 hit "Freeway of Love" and its lyrics about driving in a pink Cadillac. Crisette Ellis, the wife of Bishop Charles Ellis III of Detroit's Greater Grace Temple, said they were inspired by how police line up their cars during funerals for fallen officers. "My husband said, 'Wouldn't it be awesome if we could have a sea of pink Cadillacs parked on Seven Mile Road to greet Ms. Aretha Franklin as she arrives?'" she told NPR. Only in #Detroit. 130 pink Cadillacs drive in front of Greater Grace Temple ahead of #ArethaFranklin funeral. pic.twitter.com/qTTJtDXNvS— ROOP RAJ (@rooprajfox2) August 31, 2018 Ellis is an independent national sales director for Mary Kay Cosmetics, which famously rewards top sellers with pink Cadillacs, so she had a built-in base of people to call on for the favor. "They're coming from everywhere," she said. "They are coming from as far as Texas; Omaha, Nebraska; Florida; North Carolina; Maryland." The funeral, which officially kicked off at 10 a.m. EST at Greater Grace, caps a weeklong celebration of Franklin's life and songs, including a two-day visitation at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and concerts. Performers also include Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson and the Clark Sisters, while Tyler Perry and the Rev. Jesse Jackson are also scheduled to speak. HLN and the Word Network, plus several local Detroit television affiliates, plan to broadcast the funeral, and outlets including The Associated Press and USA Today plan to livestream it. Having sung at the inaugurations of three presidents — Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama — Franklin was an American institution. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then President George W. Bush in 2005. Clinton entered the church with his wife, Hillary, to loud applause and stood quietly by Franklin's open casket before the service started. Franklin's body was dressed in a golden sequined outfit. The funeral was closed to the public, but crowds of fans gathered outside, many dressed in their church best.

Jeep Twitter account hacked, bad language, poor grammar and some hilarity ensue

Just a day after Burger King's Twitter account was compromised by "unauthorized users," Jeep's social media feed has been similarly hacked. Both instances of digital incursion share some similarities - the BK hackers changed the company's logo for McDonald's familiar golden arches, saying a sale had occurred, while the Jeep miscreants have replaced Jeep's branding with that of General Motors property Cadillac.
The resulting tweets from the damaged Jeep account have been a pretty brutal, to put it bluntly. Most of the content coming from the hacked account is unpublishable here, using language that is peppered with racial epithets, and poorly worded "shout outs."
In addition to the defamatory tweets themselves, the hackers have significantly altered the layout of the page. Jeep's header image now features a picture of the Cadillac ATS to go along with the Wreath and Crest, some language calling out that car as winning the 2013 North American Car of the Year award, and this gem: "The official Twitter handle for the Jeep(R) - Just Empty Every Pocket, Sold To Cadillac =[" Also, perhaps in an ode to yesterday's Burger King heist, the background image for the page now features a McDonald's-themed donk. The devil's in the details, we guess.