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| Automakers post US sales gains in March Tuesday, Apr 01, 2014 11:50 AM PDT  "March sales turned noticeably higher mid-month and finished strong," said John Felice, Ford vice president, US marketing, sales and service. The comeback came after Ford sales dropped 6.0 percent in February, in part because vehicle deliveries to fleet customers and parts to its factories were delayed by the severe weather. Chrysler, which was fully acquired by Italy's Fiat in January, posted a robust 13 percent year-over-year increase in US March sales to 193,915 units. The unit of Milan-based Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has clocked in 48 consecutive months of year-over-year sales gains in the United States. Full Story | Top |
| Weather, incentives help lift March U.S. auto sales Tuesday, Apr 01, 2014 11:19 AM PDT  By Bernie Woodall and Deepa Seetharaman DETROIT/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - U.S. auto sales inched up more than expected in March after two months when weather reduced demand, and at least two auto industry executives said a more robust sales rebound could come in April. Ford Motor Co reported a 3 percent rise in U.S. sales; All three narrowly beat expectations by industry research firm Edmunds.com. Ford's vice president of U.S. sales John Felice said the sales momentum in late March shows "the trend positive heading into April." Bill Fay, general manager for Toyota brand U.S. sales, said, "We're optimistic that momentum will spring us in into April." U.S. auto sales leader General Motors Co delayed until late Tuesday afternoon its March U.S. sales statement because of computer glitches. Full Story | Top |
| Science and Oil Don't Mix: Wyoming Becomes First State to Reject New U.S. Science Standards for Schools Tuesday, Apr 01, 2014 11:00 AM PDT It's official: Wyoming has become the first state to block a new set of national science standards that address climate change. Republican Gov. Matt Mead signed the bill earlier the month, rejecting the federal Next Generation Science Standards, a set of K-12 curricula supplementing the Common Core and developed over three years by national science education groups and representatives from 26 states. "It's hard to tell [if other states will follow]," says Mark McCaffrey, programs and policy director at the nonprofit, National Center for Science Education. While some extreme conservative groups oppose the Common Core because of the accompanying science standards that include lessons in climate change. Last year Michigan was set to adopt the science standards, McCafferty says, and a group of protestors halted the state board from doing so. Full Story | Top |
| Exxon: Highly unlikely world limits fossil fuels Tuesday, Apr 01, 2014 09:59 AM PDT On the same day the world's scientists issued their latest report on climate change and the risks it poses to society, the nation's biggest oil and gas company said the world's climate policies are "highly ... Full Story | Top |
| Europe, China factory sectors weaken in March; U.S. stable Tuesday, Apr 01, 2014 09:33 AM PDT  By David Gaffen, Jonathan Cable and Adam Rose NEW YORK/LONDON/BEIJING (Reuters) - Manufacturing in Asia and Europe finished the first quarter on a weaker note but activity in the United States remained relatively steady, suggesting severe winter weather in North America had only a modest effect on U.S. factories. Factories across Europe eased back on the throttle in March while China's vast manufacturing industry contracted for a third straight month, surveys showed, fueling expectations policymakers may be forced to act in coming months. The performance in the U.S. contrasts with the lackluster data elsewhere and arguably gives U.S. monetary authorities more room to reduce stimulus than their central banking counterparts abroad, who are trying to prop up growth. U.S. markets judged the news as positive. Full Story | Top |
| US manufacturing expanded more quickly in March Tuesday, Apr 01, 2014 08:08 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. manufacturing grew at a slightly faster pace in March compared with February as factory output recovered from disruptions caused by severe winter weather. Manufacturers also received more orders, suggesting that production could strengthen a bit in the months ahead. Full Story | Top |
| Ford's US auto sales rebound in March Tuesday, Apr 01, 2014 08:07 AM PDT Ford's US auto sales accelerated in March, pulling out of a February slump blamed on brutal winter weather, while General Motors delayed its results over a computer problem. "March sales turned noticeably higher mid-month and finished strong," John Felice, Ford vice president, US marketing, sales and service, said in a statement. The comeback came after Ford sales dropped 6.0 percent in February, in part because vehicle deliveries to fleet customers and parts to its factories were delayed by the severe weather. The top US automaker General Motors, meanwhile, announced that its US sales report would be delayed by several hours "due to a computer systems issue that impacted dealer sales reporting." Full Story | Top |
| US manufacturing activity picks up in March Tuesday, Apr 01, 2014 08:06 AM PDT  US manufacturing activity gained pace in March helped by a pickup in new orders and a rebound in production, the Institute for Supply Management said Monday. The ISM's purchasing managers index rose to 53.7 from 53.2 the previous month. The new orders component rose to 55.1 and production turned around from contraction in February -- that was partly the result of extreme harsh winter weather -- to a solid expansion pace of 55.9. Comments from businesses surveyed "reflect favorable demand and good business conditions," ISM said, with some respondents still noting impact from the unusually harsh winter weather across much of the country. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. construction spending barely up as homebuilding tumbles Tuesday, Apr 01, 2014 07:09 AM PDT  U.S. construction spending barely rose in February as outlays on private residential construction projects recorded their biggest decline in seven months, a sign that severe weather continues to hobble the economy. Construction spending edged up 0.1 percent to an annual rate of $945.7 billion, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. Construction spending in January was revised to show a 0.2 percent drop instead of the previously reported 0.1 percent gain. Construction spending in February was curbed by a 0.8 percent drop in private residential construction projects, which was the largest fall since last July. Full Story | Top |
| U.N. draft sounds alarm as world looks set to miss emissions target Tuesday, Apr 01, 2014 06:36 AM PDT By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent OSLO (Reuters) - The world will need far tougher curbs on greenhouse gases, by both developed nations and emerging economies, to keep global warming from exceeding a promised ceiling, a draft U.N. report shows. Rich nations led by the United States would have to halve their emissions by 2030 from 2010 levels to keep warming below an agreed 2 degree Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) ceiling above pre-industrial times, according to the draft obtained by Reuters. Asia, including China and India, would have to limit emissions to around 2010 levels by 2030 as part of a global shareout, a tough goal for countries that say they need to burn more fossil fuels to help end poverty. "Stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations will require large-scale transformations in human societies," according to chapter 6 of a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) due for release in Berlin in mid-April. Full Story | Top |
| NASA Radiation Probes Aiding Space Weather Forecasts Tuesday, Apr 01, 2014 04:12 AM PDT  Two NASA probes are helping scientists get a better understanding of how the giant belts of radiation around Earth affect the spacecraft circling the planet. Scientists are using data gathered by NASA's twin Van Allen Probes, which launched to Earth orbit in August 2012, in concert with advanced computer models, to simulate the dynamic radiation environment of near-Earth space, two new studies report. "The Van Allen Probes are gathering great measurements, but they can't tell you what is happening everywhere at the same time," Geoff Reeves, of Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, said in a statement earlier this month. "We need models to provide a context, to describe the whole system, based on the Van Allen Probe observations." Full Story | Top |
| Tranquil and warm conditions return Tuesday, Apr 01, 2014 03:00 AM PDT  High pressure will produce excellent weather conditions today on through at least tomorrow afternoon before clouds increase with isolated showers tomorrow evening. With the dry weather conditions will come temperatures returning to seasonable l Full Story | Top |
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