XCR1250

EVs are running out of customers — and some dealers don't want them anymore Alexa St. John and Nora Naughton Ford F-150 Lightning vehicles. Ford More dealers are saying they have to turn away electric vehicles as demand cools. Without early adopters, EVs are a tougher sell. As EV growth cools, dealers are the ones left in the lurch. More electric vehicles are being pumped out of car factories than ever before — but some dealers don't want them. Electric-car inventory has been piling up on dealership lots this year as companies up their EV production, leading some dealers to say enough is enough. Some are telling automakers they don't want any more until they can sell what's sitting, several dealers told Insider. "We have turned away EV inventory," said Scott Kunes, the chief operating officer of Kunes Auto and RV Group, which sells Detroit brands as well as Nissan and Mitsubishi in the Midwest. "We need to ensure that we have a good turn on it." Automakers are "asking us to make a large investment," Kunes added, "and we're just wanting to see some return on that investment." Plug-in-vehicle availability is increasing rapidly, a sign the EV-adoption growth curve is about to hit a serious slowdown. A switch from enthusiastic and wealthy early adopters to more apprehensive and budget-minded car shoppers is throwing the electric-car transition for a loop, forcing car companies to change their outlooks and pull back on ambitious EV production goals. "It's not just that these vehicles are expensive — which they are. We're talking about a much more nuanced lifestyle change," said Sam Fiorani, the vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions. He pointed to differences in the EV ownership experience, including charging and range anxiety, as stoppers for many buyers. "It's hard for the average customer to make that leap while spending an extra $10,000," Fiorani said. EVs have gone from shortages to near oversupply Car shoppers can find plenty of electric options on dealership lots — while there was about 54 days' supply of vehicle inventory overall at dealerships earlier this summer, EV inventory was nearly double that. That's an about-face from the past several years, when it has often been difficult to even find an EV to test-drive, let alone take home and buy. Automakers weren't yet producing EVs at scale, meaning supply was limited, and customers sat on long waiting lists just to get their hands on one. All of those challenges created a lot of hype and an apparent supply-and-demand crunch. While the overall share of EVs in the US market is low — about 6% — it has grown rapidly in the past few years as hype for these vehicles heightened and brands such as Tesla made electric cars a status symbol. Today, EV inventory isn't the problem. Automakers are shoring up their factories to churn more of these cars out. But demand isn't growing at the same pace. Even with record EV sales month after month, sales are plateauing as automakers try to target buyers beyond the early adopters. As a result, one East Coast Ford dealer previously told Insider they were only declining allocation of electric cars from the automaker. Another in the Midwest said Lightning orders were piling up uncompleted, leaving those customers with time to pick a different EV. One Hyundai dealer on the West Coast said they were also passing on EV-specific allocation, while another Hyundai dealer told Insider he anticipated having to turn away EVs soon. Adam Lee, the chairman of the board at Lee Auto Malls in Maine, said he was still taking all the EVs he could get, but his electric Toyotas were the slowest to sell. "The only Toyotas I have that aren't presold are the electric ones, the bZ4X, and that's a little bit of a challenge," Lee said. In the EV plateau, dealers are left in the lurch In this round of growing pains for the electric-car market, dealers are set up for the most trouble. Car companies are likely to continue churning out the EVs they promised to investors, leaving dealers to figure out how to sell them to a new set of customers. But the savviest executives will heed this first warning from dealers about where the demand pendulum is swinging, Karl Brauer, an automotive analyst for iSeeCars, previously told Insider. "Dealers know in real time with real-time feedback what the market is doing," he said. "They have always acted as the first warning lights on the dash for the automotive industry.

I used to pull a tandem axle sled trailer with 4 sleds behind a 1977 Oldmobile 88.

Yes, you win most FS member stupid award.

giving away a 2 ton Snapon floorjack..free.

Liberal fake news website.

Fact Check: Are Donald Trump and Melania Getting Divorced? BY TOM NORTON ON 8/16/23 AT 7:12 AM EDT Donald Trump's indictment in Georgia this week over alleged attempts to overturn results from the 2020 election has yet again exposed the former president to legal challenges that could harm his chances of a White House return. The 98-page indictment spurred by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' investigation includes charges against Trump and others under the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. In total, there are 41 charges connected to the criminal indictment. The former president denies any wrongdoing. In the lead-up to the grand jury indictment this week, rumors of other legal woes began breaking through online including suggestions the former president could be handed divorce papers from Melania Trump. Former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home on November 15, 2022, in Palm Beach, Florida. Rumors have sprung up online alleging that Melania Trump was planning to divorce the former presidentJOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES The Claim A post on X, formerly Twitter, by @PopularLiberal, on August 11, 2023, viewed more than 770,000 times, said: "It appears that leaked emails have revealed Melania Trump's apparent threats of divorce towards Donald Trump, along with her inquiries about his pension and the terms she would be entitled to in a $2 billion divorce settlement." The tweet also includes a video that repeats these lines and adds: "Apparently, as I said, she's left him. It's over." The Facts This allegation appears to be based on a misquote of a gossip article, which itself is based on unverified and anonymous quotes The social posts are a near-verbatim copy of an article published by gossip site Radar on August 8, 2023. However, that article does not say that emails have leaked and bases its claims entirely on unnamed sources. It states how a number of "insiders" claim Melania Trump was anxious about the possibility that her personal emails could be leaked in a subpoena. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg recently attempted to subpoena her messages as part of the indictment against Trump over alleged hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The request was quashed by Judge Juan Merchan for being too broad, reported CBS News. One anonymous source told Radar that Melania Trump had "likely written multiple emails to counsel asking for guidance on her rights if her husband is convicted on all these charges and if she should use whatever she knows to squeeze him in divorce court." Another source was quoted as saying "blistering email exchanges between the first lady and the president focused on his seeming betrayal, her lack of trust and her desire to pursue a divorce." And another reportedly added: "If these emails were to go public, it would rip the Band-Aid off Donald and Melania's marriage, and almost certainly drive her into divorce court!" None of these anonymous quotes were verified with further evidence. Radar, unlike the posts on X, does not say that the emails have been leaked or have revealed details of a divorce settlement. Although the headline of the article may suggest the emails have already been revealed, the copy shows no such messages have been published yet. Crucially, outside of the story and social media speculation, there is no verifiable evidence, such as court filings, that shows the couple is getting or planning to get divorced. While we cannot rule out behind-the-scenes discussions, there is simply no concrete proof that the pair are splitting, as is speculated online.

Yup, tied for stupid.

I have several Brinks Padlocks, seem to be good quality.

MC's so stupid he didn't realise Trump was teasing about fleeing to Russia.

Master Lock was in one of the worst crime areas in Milwaukee, Neighbor across the road from my folks worked there when I was a kid, I toured it once way back when.

'Lab-grown' meat made with animal cells, not human cells | Fact check Chris Mueller, USA TODAY Tue, August 22, 2023 at 8:25 AM CDT·3 min read 1 The claim: 'Lab-grown' meat approved for sale in US is made with human cells A July 26 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) makes a claim about the “cell-cultivated” meat now approved for sale in the U.S. "The lab grown 'chicken' that was recently approved to be sold at restaurants is actually grown from human cells. Research it," reads the post. It was shared more than 400 times in three weeks. Our rating: False The two companies allowed to sell "lab-grown" meat in the U.S. both said they use animal cells, not human cells. The Food and Drug Administration is involved in regulating the process, and it also describes it as involving animal cells. Manufacturing process uses animal cells, not human cells In late June, federal regulators for the first time approved the sale of chicken made from cultivated cells, allowing two California-based companies to sell “lab-grown” meat to consumers, according to the Associated Press. The two companies, UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat, announced the approval in separate statements that both describe the process as involving "animal cells" – not human cells, as the post claims. Brooke Whitney, a spokesperson for UPSIDE Foods, said the claim is false. "Our cultivated chicken is grown directly from animal cells," she said. "There are no human cells involved at any stage in our process." Carrie Kabat, a spokesperson for GOOD Meat, also said the claim is false, explaining that their process always begins with chicken cells. "These cells are then fed a nutrient-rich broth that includes amino acids, carbohydrates, minerals, fats and vitamins, which are the same types of nutrients animals need to grow," she said. "The entire process takes place in a safe and controlled environment that looks like a beer brewery." The FDA's website has a step-by-step explanation of the process, and it says, "Manufacturers typically start with a sample of cells from the tissue of an animal." In March 2019, the USDA and FDA reached a formal agreement to jointly regulate what the agencies called "human food made from cultured cells of livestock and poultry," which includes overseeing the initial cell collection. USA TODAY has debunked other false claims about "lab-grown" meat, including that it can be sold without labels, that it is cultivated from animal cancer cells and that KFC is using it in its products.

HOME POLITICS Biden told Maui wildfire survivors that he can relate, citing a small fire he had in his kitchen in 2004 Joshua Zitser President Joe Biden speaks as he meets with community members impacted by the Maui wildfires at Lahaina Civic Center on August 21, 2023. Evan Vucci/AP Photo President Joe Biden met with survivors of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina on Monday. He told the audience that he could relate to them because his house caught on fire in 2004. But according to news reports at the time, the blaze was small and contained to his kitchen. When President Joe Biden met with survivors of the Maui wildfires on Monday, he told them that he could relate to them because he and First Lady Jill Biden knew what it was like to lose a home to a fire. But the fire in question was described by the Associated Press at the time as "a small fire that was contained to the kitchen," with the Delaware fire chief indicating that it was under control in 20 minutes. During Biden's visit to Maui, where the devastating wildfires have killed at least 114 people, he made a 13-minute speech to a group of survivors in Lahaina —the city destroyed by flames, with nearly every building to ash and rubble. "I don't want to compare difficulties, but we have a little sense, Jill and I, what it's like to lose a home," he said, according to remarks published by The White House. He referred to an incident in 2004, when he was a senator for Delaware, and in Washington, DC, to appear on "Meet The Press." Biden described how lightning struck a pond by his Delaware home, hitting a wire, and coming up underneath his home into the heating and air conditioning ducts. "To make a long story short, I almost lost my wife, my '67 Corvette, and my cat," Biden said. "But all kidding aside, I watched the firefighters, the way they responded." Biden has in the past been accused of embellishing the house-fire story. He once said that he knew what it was like to have "had a house burn down with my wife in it." Last year, he also told survivors of Hurricane Ian in Florida that he "lost an awful lot of" his Delaware home in the fire, per The New York Times. But the Cranston Heights Fire Company, which responded to the 2004 blaze, described it to the New York Post as an "insignificant fire" that did not lead to multiple alarms or need a widespread incident response throughout the county. The fire at Biden's home did not result in any injuries. Meanwhile, dozens have been injured by the fires in Maui, with some 850 people still missing and the death toll still slowly continuing to rise. The White House did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

I've heard they're engaged to be married soon.

But tic tok, imminent queen, what a loser you are.

MC's such a Dork. He'd believe the Sun is Black if Duh underground told him it is.

Angry parents confront man ‘inappropriately’ touching kids at beach, Florida cops say Mark Price Mon, August 21, 2023 at 6:51 AM CDT·1 min read City of New Smyrna Beach photo A man accused of “inappropriately” touching girls at a Florida beach was confronted by angry parents in the minutes before being arrested, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office reports. It happened Saturday, Aug. 19, and deputies arrived before the confrontations escalated. “Deputies responded to a disturbance along the water in New Smyrna Beach around 2:20 p.m. and learned (a man) had made unwanted physical contact with several beachgoers, including two girls,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “Victims and witnesses revealed that (the man) approached the 9-year-old on the shoreline while her mother was in the ocean, and rubbed his hands over her body before her mother was able to get to shore and confront him. Separately, an 8-year-old girl told deputies (he) touched her in the same way.” The 56-year-old “also grabbed” other people on the beach, witnesses reported, but details were not released. Deputies confronted the suspect and noted he “appeared to be intoxicated and told deputies he was ‘just a friendly guy,’” officials said. He then became “belligerent when questioned further,” officials said. The suspect was arrested and charged with “two counts of lewd or lascivious behavior, each carrying a bond of $20,000.” The suspect lives in the DeLand area of Volusia County, officials said. New Smyrna Beach is about 55 miles northeast of Orlando.

Biden’s trans official is wrong – I’m a Mum, not an ‘egg producer’ Madeline Fry Schultz Mon, August 21, 2023 at 6:22 AM CDT·4 min read 2.7k Rachel Levine, the highest-ranking transgender official in America, has made controversial comments about women - Joe Hermitt /The Patriot News In keeping with the philosophy of the Biden administration, tonight when I put my toddler to bed, I will tell him that his daddy and his “egg producer” love him very much. Earlier this month the Biden official Rachel Levine, assistant secretary in the Health and Human Services administration, paid a congenial visit to Identity Alaska. The group is described as a “community center and health clinic that provides resources, programs, and health care for the LGBTQIA2S+ and allied community.” If you got lost among the letters there, the short version is that it’s a nonprofit that supports teaching radical gender ideology to children. During Levine’s visit, the assistant secretary praised the community center employees for their “inspiring” work “to create a more equitable future.” One of Identity Alaska’s offerings is a biology curriculum that directs teachers to confuse kindergarteners by telling them that doctors guess their gender at birth. It also recommends that science teachers use “accurate language for body parts and functions without assuming that there are only two sexes and that everyone within a particular sex is the same. It’s important to be able to communicate about our bodies in accurate ways.” Notably, it also suggests scrapping the word “mother” in favor of less offensive terms, such as “gestational parent,” “birth parent,” “egg producer,” or “carrier.” This generous gesture isn’t unique; politicians, trade unions, and newspapers across the United States are now recommending that the antiquated term “mother” go the way of the dinosaurs. In Congress, Squad members Rep. Cori Bush and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have referred to mothers as “birthing people” and “people who give birth,” respectively. Never mind that their points were intended to address concerns specific to women – the maternal mortality rate among black women and the issue of abortion. The largest teachers union in the US, the National Education Association, proposed a resolution last year to rebrand a “mother” as a “birthing parent” in its contracts. In the Washington Post editorial before the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, the word “woman” appears exactly zero times. The US National Institutes of Health advises that “chestfeeding” and “pregnant people” are acceptable alternatives to their (more humane) counterparts, and in England, a hospital directed midwives to refer not to “breast milk” but to “human” or “chest” milk. This kind of rhetorical obfuscation is so absurd that even people on the left are criticising it. Part of J.K. Rowling’s rise to TERFdom came after she mocked the phrase “people who menstruate” in a tweet. “I’m sure there used to be a word for those people,” she wrote. “Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” Even actress Bette Midler tweeted a rousing call to reason on the erasure of women last year. “WOMEN OF THE WORLD!” she wrote. “We are being stripped of our rights over our bodies, our lives and even of our name! They don’t call us ‘women’ anymore; they call us ‘birthing people’ or ‘menstruators’, and even ‘people with vaginas’! Don’t let them erase you! Every human on earth owes you!” Last year, a group of women’s health experts concluded that rather than being inclusive, language like “pregnant people” can have an alienating effect on female patients. You don’t say. It shouldn’t take 10 medical professionals to state the obvious: phrases such as birthing people, pregnant people, and egg producer are deeply offensive to women and mothers. (Not to mention that they snub the immortal writing advice of Strunk and White: “Omit needless words.”) The age-old relationship of mother and child is being disrupted and rebranded in an effort to cater to a tiny portion of the population. While politicians and medical professionals pat themselves on the back for their progressive language, they reduce a woman to the sum of her parts, turning the marvels of childbirth and motherhood into simple equations involving eggs and sperm and “people with uteruses.” It’s notable, also, that we don’t see this butchery of the English language happening in the other direction. Why aren’t fathers becoming “people with scrotums”? As with women’s sports, shelters, and bathrooms, we often find that it is the fairer sex that suffers the real consequences of radical gender ideology. To my son, I have recently graduated to something more than “milk producer,” but I resent the implication that I and other mothers should discuss ourselves differently to cater to the demands of a minority of people, many of whom may never become “gestational parents” themselves. There is more to a woman than her reproductive anatomy, and there is more to a mother than the function of her uterus. Behind all this utilitarian language is a troubling ideology that aims to blur the distinctions of men and women, but on a surface-level, it’s just no fun. P. D. Eastman’s classic children’s book just wouldn’t be the same if it were titled ‘Are You My Egg Producer?’

Dead family members don't.

Highways are not dragstrips. Do you road race.

What's the speed limit? Who cares about how quick a vehicle goes? Tickets are given out for excessive acceleration.

‘All this to avoid paying gas’: Tesla owner is ‘too cheap’ to install charger. Uses stove outlet to charge car instead 'The electric bill going to be insane.' Phil West Posted on Aug 20, 2023 A Tesla owner who resorted to using a stove outlet to charge his car is wondering if he maybe should splurge for the more expensive and effective option instead. The quandary comes from North Carolina-based creator @rickologist, whose clip got more than 276,000 views since posting it on Aug. 7. The video pans from the feet of the creator walking across a kitchen floor to a plug running from the stove outlet, out the kitchen window, to a Tesla parked outside. The caption reads, “You was too cheap to get the Tesla charger installed in your garage so now you gotta pull your car up to the backyard to connect it to the stove outlet just to get 20 miles of charge an hour.” For electric vehicle owners, home charging is a benefit, but one that can either require some significant setup charges—or, as the creator demonstrated, some innovation. According to the Tesla site, “A Tesla Wall Connector offers the fastest charging speed for your home or office, adding up to 44 miles of range per hour charged. You can order a Wall Connector online and have it installed by a Tesla Certified electrician.” The Wall Connector costs $475, and Tesla estimates that installment will set a customer back anywhere from $750 to $1,500. However, it offers alternatives, stating, “If you don’t want to install a Wall Connector, you can purchase a Mobile Connector and plug into a standard three-prong, 120 volt outlet. A 120 volt outlet will supply 2 to 3 miles of range per hour charged. If you charge overnight and drive less than 30 to 40 miles per day, this option should meet your typical charging needs. You can also purchase an adapter bundle and charge with other outlet types, including a 240-volt outlet. Commonly used in homes to power larger appliances, a 240-volt outlet will supply up to 30 miles of range per hour charged.” The latter appears to be what the creator is talking about. Commenters had thoughts on the poster’s innovation. “I just plug mine into a 120 and I haven’t been to a supercharger in a year,” one offered. Another noted, “The electric bill going to be insane.”

Is Biden's electric car dream falling flat? Majority of Americans say federal incentives are not convincing them to buy an EV. It comes after two of the world's biggest carmakers said last month said that the Government's electric car push is doomed to fail because it 'underestimates' key challenges - such as the cost to consumers and gaps in the charging infrastructure. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/yourmoney/electric-vehicles/article-12414525/Is-Bidens-electric-car-dream-falling-flat-Majority-Americans-say-federal-incentives-not-convincing-buy-EV-households-earning-150K-seriously-considering-investment.html

Won't open for me.

Propaganda to get folks to buy EV garbage. FOLLOW the MONEY, just like the Covid lies.