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Ford's plans to cut product capacity in Europe by closing the car plant in Genk, Belgium, and indications for shutting down a plant in the UK. After the plant closures Ford will operate at 85% of capacity by 2015 instead of 71%, according to a Barclays analyst. The action taken by Ford takes place as pretax losses for 2012 mount to $1.3 billion, acccording to Morgan Stanley.

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The poor and moral arguments for cutting off food stamp assistance and unemployment benefits. Egan looks at the U.S. Congress and opinions on this subject.

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What the future can look like for a Ford Motor workers family, in which a husband and wife work long hours, 12 hours shifts with overtime, 7 days a week just to make ends meet. Dave and Bailey Hodge are shown here and tell their story to the NYT.

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A more fundamental difference comes from health, mental health, worklife, wellbeing that are essential to healthy living. Taking care of one's health comes before everything because there is no quality of life without good health and well being. One can see this in the contrast of the styles of Carlos Tavares who is current CEO of Stellantis which includes Fiat Chrysler and the CEO of Fiat Chrysler Sergio Marchionne. Carlos Tavares comes across as an example of healthy living and healthy living practices at Stellantis, Marchionne and Elon Musk are a big contrast and appear not to care about practices essential for healthy living and healthy worklife. Proven over and over again and over time humility and respect for the dignity of others matters,Tavares and others like him leaders who have humility, respect the dignity of workers, listen to their managers, and support healthy worklife practices that enhance productivity, are the real role models for young people in business, in America and in the World. Media loves hype, yet for ordinary managers and workers in factories health and healthy living is what matters uppermost. It is also true for their children in how they choose their role models and for America as a Nation, the values the World respects America for and is willing for America take the lead. After the pandemic this is more true than ever.  ...

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Ford Motor company plans to expand its auto dealer network in China to 680 dealers by 2015 from 340 in 2010. Ford will bring 15 new vehicles and 20 advanced powertrains to China by 2015. This is part of Ford's effort to catchup with GM, Toyota and Honda in China.

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Under Ford's common platform strategy basic parts for the Ford Escape would go into 1.9 million vehicles by 2016. This would enable Ford to create savings in every facet of development and production.

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Ford and Hyundai are the bright spots as industry sales drop to aseasonally adjusted rate of 9.2 million vehicles accoring to Autodata. Ford sales declined only by 5% and Hyundai increased by27%. GM down 45% and Chrysler down 42.1%.Dealerships had a 29 day supply of cars and trucks at the end of August lowest since at least 1975 according to WardsAuto.com.

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Marc Thiessen in The Washington Post says to halt the problems at the border when last week migrant encounters hit 12,000 a day Democrats need to work with Republicans to get the votes in the Senate and House for needed legislation. This means losing some votes from factions within the Republican and Democratic parties and still getting it passed. It would be good for the country and good for Biden, says Thiessen. He says to get some idea on what the 12,000 figure means even 1000 migrants was a high number that would overwhelm the system in 2019. He cites John Fetterman, Senator from Pennsylvania, who says that honestly this happening at the border is astonishing, essentially seeing Pittsburgh at the border.

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Hiking and camping in the wilderness around Mount Hood, Oregon, and walking the meandering trail that connects Oregon to California along the coast. Only 15% of land is public in New York. In California, Oregon, Nevada and Idaho majority of the land is public. National Parks was an idea of Theodore Roosevelt and is the best way in America for all to find themselves equal under the canopy of nature. Under majestic fir and sequoia trees and wide skies there is a feeling of humbleness in the face of nature.

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Ford's plans for expansion at its manufacturing location in Chongqing, China, in 2012, will make this its largest manufacturing base outside of Michigan. An investment of $600 million for plant expansion will increase production capacity in Chongqing to 770,000 in 2014, from 350,000 today. The project has received government approval. Ford plans to introduce 15 new models in China by 2015, including a redesigned Ford Focus, which the Chongqing plant began producing in 2012. Ford plans to double the number of dealers by 2015 from 400 today. Ford sold 519,000 vehicles in China for 2011, a 7% growth from 2010. The market saw astounding growth of 46% and 32% in 2009 and 2010, but is rapidly decelerating with only 2% growth in 2012. Total sales in China were 18 million vehicles in 2011, making it the largest automobile market in the world.

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Why the government assistance to GM and the emergence of GM as a stronger compettitor without the legacy costs and bloated dealerships, and without the old union agreements, must be worrying Ford.

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The problems that arise when grocery stores merge and consolidate by closing stores can be seen in Portland, Oregon. As the Albertson's and Safeway's are replaced by Kroger's cities can see the effects in supply, price and quality. During a time of cost of living issues for most families and workers, cost of living action by the government is needed to maintain access to grocery store food and supplies.

13% of the US people live in a food desert, low income areas where there is limited access to grocery stores. Many of these people are Latinos in low income occupations. When companies in grocery stores business merge stores close hurting the local population. This is one piece of the cost of living stress faced by ordinary workers and families in 2024 where the government needs to take preventive action to ensure access to food supplies for communities.

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Ford's CFO Lewis Booth says Ford will take a charge to its first quarter 2011 earnings and use cash or shares to cut its debt by $3 billion. This would lower Ford's debt to $16.1 billion. It would reduce Ford's interest rate expense by $190 million. Ford spent $1.8 billion on interest expense in 2010. S&P rates Ford at BB- or three levels below investment grade. S&P will not change its rating because it considers this part of Ford's ongoing effort to reduce debt.

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For Ford Motor Company 2007, 2008 and part of 2009 should see negative cash flow of $17 billion. Already in the first 9 months of 2006 Ford had $6 billion in losses. About 23 billion in financing arranged to meet these financial cash flow needs to restructure N. American business and finance an entirely new product line and production systems. This includes the largest ever leveraged loan for Wall Street, $17.5 to $18.5 billion, according to Reuters Loan Pricing Corp. Leveraged loans carry an interest rate 1.50 percentage points above the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and are loans to non-investment grade borrowers or unrated borrowers. Ford now carries a high yield or "junk" credit rating. To secure the loans Ford pledged all its N. American assets including its logo as collateral. This is the largest such arrangement for an American company in modern business history showing the depths to which the company has plunged. Fitch lowered Ford's ratings to B- from B. Ford is rapidly losing market share to rivals such as Toyota Motor. About 38,000 workers or close to half its factory workers have accepted buyouts or early retirement packages. Ford will shut down 7 assembly plants in 2010....

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Unilever is facing higher prices for the vegetable oil, such as palm oil it uses for making soap and margarine. It is passing on the costs to consumers. Nestle and Danone SA are passing on the higher prices to consumers. Nestle increased the average wholesale price for all its products by 5.3%. Higher feed costs make it more expensive for Danone to keep cows, raising milk prices and with it prices of yogurt, cheese and other milk products. As a result food inflation is running at 5% in the USA and prices are higher in Europe and in other parts of the world. Because of the increasing demand for better nutrition levels and better food in diets in China and India and other parts of the world, and low grain production levels, and the increasing amount of land diverted to other uses, including ethanol production in the USA, there are food shortages and higher prices for corn and other grains.

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Ford Motor's reliance on the redesigned F-150 and other large pickup trucks for its higher profits in 2015. The price tag on these vehicles keeps rising, with some pickups sold at about $50,000 and having interior leather seating, amenities resembling luxury cars in 2015. Higher fuel efficiency engines, body redesigned with lighter materials including aluminium, other innovations, combined with the lower price of gas, lower interest rates for financing, have led to a resurgence in these larger vehicles.

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Marketing innovation at Ford. Marketing campaign called "Bold Moves," to help Ford reconnect with younger buyers, bring the younger demographics into Ford's customer base again. Could cost upto $100 million. It would have a documentary style internet program starring Mark Fields, head of North and South American operations, and features a new Kelly Clarkson song. Ford plans to produce this show itself, to tell its own story in its own words.

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Ford Motor Company's $5.9 billion loss in fourth quarter 2008, and its decision to draw down its $10.6 billion credit line. Ford has $24 billion in cash and carries a debt of $25.8 billion. Job cuts have already reduced employees from 122,000 in 2006 to 75000 at the end of 2008, about a 39% decrease. Analysts say a lot depends on how 2009 turns out. If as expected there is a continued sharp downturn from here and things don't get much better even with the stimulus spending during the second half of 2009, then losses in the magnitude of the $5.9 billion loss for 4th quarter 2008 may happen. In that case Ford may have to look for government assistance.

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The UAW added 7000 workers to the 18000 already on strike at Ford, GM, Stellantis.The UAW is making progress in its talks on Stellantis on cost of living adjustments and outsourcing, and says it will spare Stellantis from more walkouts. Stellantis also has the least hourly workers of the three US auto companies. Stellantis has operations in Europe and gets half of its profit outside the US. The UAW is also not stopping work at the largest SUV and pickup truck plants that make the most money for the auto companies. The idea is to do only what is needed to achieve its goals of fair pay and benefits for the auto workers.