Ford and rugged clothing brand Carhartt (Carhartt has produced apparel for Ford factory workers dating all the way back to the 1920s) announced a new partnership, one aspect of that is the Detroit ToolBank which will loan out equipment nonprofits, community groups, and schools to support neighborhood projects, disaster response, and workforce training.

Ford and Carhartt are supporting the project by creating a $25,000 "Re-Tooling Detroit" start-up fund, which covers lending fees for the Toolbank's initial community projects. Nearly 200 volunteers from Ford and Carhartt gathered at Belle Isle for National Volunteer Week, too. Using brand-new tools and custom wood kits provided by Detroit ToolBank, the team spent the day assembling picnic tables and Adirondack chairs that will remain in the park to serve the community for years to come.

https://fordauthority.com/2026/04/ford-partners-with-carhartt-to-open-detroit-toolbank/

Seriously, the site chosen to fix up was the wealthiest park in the broken down bankrupt city? The orphanages, juvie halls, prisons, homes for unwed mothers, Becky's House, homeless shelters, etc weren't in need?  

Belle Isle Park (982 acres) is the most notable, expansive, city-owned island park featuring historical infrastructure

It's got to be similar to doing charity work in a park on Coronado Island in the middle of San Diego Bay, or off the coast on Catalina Island.. or some other millionaire's neighborhood. 

the New York Times reports that the FAA is making a recruiting push aimed at avid video game players to fill a national shortage of air traffic controllers. (or, they could simply off to pay them a lot more money to get more applicants!)

The FAA’s new campaign aims to reach young adults who possess useful skills that are transferable to a career in air traffic control, including:

Demonstrated high cognitive functions
Multitasking
Spatial awareness
Strategy and problem-solving

With only about 25 percent of controllers holding a traditional college degree, this effort is focused on reaching talented young people pursuing alternative career paths, many of whom are active in gaming. Feedback from controller exit interviews reinforces this, with several controllers pointing to gaming as an influence on their ability to think quickly, stay focused, and manage complexity. Approximately 65 percent, more than 200 million, of Americans regularly play video games.

https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-and-federal-aviation-administration-unveil

https://www.facebook.com/nytimes/posts/the-faa-is-making-a-recruiting-push-aimed-at-avid-video-game-players-as-the-trum/1350828856899574/

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/10/us/politics/air-traffic-controller-gamer.html

https://fortune.com/2026/04/13/why-is-faa-recruiting-gamers-air-traffic-controller-shortage/

Plaintiffs who paid John Deere’s authorized dealers for large equipment repairs from January 2018 to now, will recover somewhere between 26% and 53% of overcharge damages, now that JD settled, and agreed to pay $99 millio

The ag manufacturing giant will also make digital diagnostic, maintenance, and repair tools available to third parties for 10 years.

the price of used equipment skyrocketed in response to the infamous service difficulties. Even when the cost of older tractors doubled, farmers reasoned that they were still worth it because repairs were simpler and downtime was minimized. $60,000 for a 40-year-old machine became the norm.

A judge’s approval of the settlement is still required, though it seems likely. Still, John Deere isn’t out of the woods yet. It still faces another lawsuit from the United States Federal Trade Commission, in which the government organization accuses Deere of harmfully locking down the repair process.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/john-deere-to-pay-99-million-in-monumental-right-to-repair-settlement

the rip rap is being removed from the Logan river

About 60 cars so far have been pulled from the banks of the Logan River, near Trapper Park, as part of an ongoing restoration project.

https://ksltv.com/local-news/cars-debris-pulled-from-logan-river/901582/

British singer Dua Lipa has helped fund a pickup truck for Ukraine’s First Medical Battalion as part of a humanitarian effort supporting frontline medical units

Driving Ukraine has been supplying vehicles to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, refurbishing and delivering ambulances and transport vehicles for frontline units.

One innovative and interesting methods for fundraising was a club night. 

The “Club For…” event which reached the British media and was also promoted by the Dua Lipa book club.

https://www.instagram.com/1med.army/

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/74411

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/04/21/dua-lipa-sends-pickup-truck-to-ukrainian-battalion/

Whoa... armored truck heists still happen? Effectively?

A pair of armed men stole $1.8 million from an armored truck in Philadelphia on Tuesday morning

https://abc7news.com/post/philadelphia-pennsylvania-armed-robbery-18m-stolen-brinks-armored-truck-police-sources-say/18935023

most clever news reporting writing I've read in a while

Travelers on an East Tennessee interstate were forced to brake for workers — and drones, perhaps even a queen — when a truck carrying about 1 million bees crashed Friday.

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/trending/1-million-bees-make-bumper-to-buzzer-traffic-highway-ramp/UFBVZHGTINF25NAQGWLC7EUOBE

For the last seven years, a car show known as "Supercar Saturday" has been entertaining automotive enthusiasts in Omaha, Nebraska. However, the 2026 show is banning Nissan and Infiniti VQ-platform vehicles from attending.

the host and organizer of Supercar Saturday. He told us that it was a difficult decision, but said that Supercar Saturday is meant to be a free, family-friendly event, and that safety is most important. So, after repeated incidents by those behind the wheel of vehicles like the Nissan 350Z and 370Z and the Infiniti G25, G35, G37, Q40, Q50, and Q60, the organizers decided it was in everyone’s best interest to ban those vehicles from attending the show.

According to Rahmanzai, many younger folks who own these cars refuse to adhere to the rules and are constantly during burnouts, revving their engines and generally being reckless. A video of a Nissan 350Z crash taken at their event went viral a couple of years ago; the driver, a 16-year-old who had gotten his car roughly a week and a half prior, wrecked the Z, took out a fire hydrant, and nearly hit some spectators.

Rahmanzai said he was under pressure to cancel the show all together; he didn’t want to do that, but he said had to do something—so the VQ ban was put in place.

https://www.facebook.com/supercarsaturdayomaha/posts/1990126648550481

the fastest lap for an American OEM on the Nordschleife has now been set by the Ford GT Mk IV, and it set a lap at 6:15.977 (thank you Dale! ) So, the only competition, is what, a Corvette? Cadillac doesn't have a factory race car anymore, do they?

So, yes, unlimited funding and engineering expertise can make a winner. Ford proved that in 65 with the GT 40s beating all competition at Le Mans. 

But, does it really mean anything useful? So, Ford can build a race car... what, that's supposed to be news? or some accomplishment? 

A track-only vehicle classified in the prototype category — is the fastest car currently available for purchase, to lap Nürburgring . 

It's cheaper to buy a race car that can get around it faster, that's something I'm pretty sure of...

Ford has a production schedule for 67 of these, I'm guessing 2/3rds of them are going to be investment only purchases, never taken to a track, and flipped in less than 5 years. 

https://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/us/en/articles/2026/ford-gt-mk-iv-nurburgring-record

round 1 Winter Nats, Top fuel, James Stevens had a nasty crash @ 270 mph. The dragster went sideways, then slid over the K rail, then flew backwards down the trackside. He's in the hospital

 video at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=959720213108864

the crash resulted in a broken forearm, broken left wrist, broken C-7 [vertebra], bruised lung, rib fractures, and possible broken back (again).

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/violent-crash-stopped-nhra-action-231200152.html

A class action lawsuit was served to Valvoline after its Instant Oil Change facility filled a 2025 Kia Sorento with the wrong grade oil, 5-30 instead of 0-30 that the manufacturer specifies (on the fill cap, you actually see the numbers when you look for the cap to open it)

The Indiana plaintiff, Robert Campbell, claims that because Valvoline used a different grade of oil during his service, this resulted in additional expenses, decreased performance, an increased risk of engine damage, loss of warranty coverage, and a reduction in the value of his vehicle.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/valvoline-sued-after-using-the-wrong-oil-in-customer-s-engine/ar-AA209FvZ

JUNE 20-21 2026 Charlton Massachusetts

https://hotirondustup.com/

1,800 stolen catalytic converters, and four cars, were recovered during a massive bust in Baldwin Park

Investigators eventually identified a location in South Los Angeles where stolen converters were allegedly being purchased, and a storage unit location in Norwalk that was being used as a storage site. 

On Tuesday, law enforcement carried out an operation at the Norwalk location. Four people were arrested for selling and purchasing suspected stolen catalytic converters, police said.

https://abc7.com/amp/post/1800-stolen-catalytic-converters-recovered-during-theft-bust-southern-california/18834161

A suspected drunk driver plowed into the crowd at the Lao New Year Festival parade near New Iberia, Louisiana yesterday

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1545670540464815&set=pcb.1545670583798144
https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/vehicle-hits-revelers-during-lao-new-year-22189353.php
https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/4/4/car-slams-into-louisiana-lao-new-year-parade-injuring-about-15-people

CSX has shut down all train traffic including Amtrak between Chicago and Grand Rapids after flooding rains washed out the railroad tracks in Coloma, Michigan.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1570950748368608&set=pcb.1570958648367818

The No. 46 Ford Trophy Truck was disqualified from the 2026 San Felipe 250 following a cheating scandal, due to video evidence that Toby Price and Brent Bauman stacked rocks on a portion of the San Felipe course during the pair's pre-run

rocks on the San Felipe course could potentially slow competitors and give the No. 46 Ford Trophy Truck an advantage. 

Video evidence was submitted to SCORE officials, and, ultimately, they decided that the team should be disqualified.

https://fordauthority.com/2026/04/ford-team-implodes-after-toby-price-accused-of-sabotage-at-2026-san-felipe-250

a court has concluded the 15-year legal battle over a Caltrans project that aims to modify a stretch of Highway 101 through Richardson Grove State Park.

a three-judge panel in California’s First District Court of Appeal affirmed a lower court’s decision to reject the latest lawsuit from conservation groups that challenged the project’s compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The Richardson Grove Improvement Project, as Caltrans has dubbed it, will modify an approximately one-mile stretch of Highway 101 as it wends through the state park’s massive coast redwoods, some of which are more than 200 feet tall and hundreds of years old.

Caltrans describes the work as “minor adjustments” that are necessary to improve traffic safety and accommodate industry-standard-sized semi trucks that are currently prohibited from passing through this narrow stretch of 101.

Project opponents, on the other hand, argued that both the construction activity and the resulting road realignment could harm the ancient trees — not by removing any of them down but by cutting into their root systems.

A simpler solution? Make the one mile stretch a one lane, one way, and the road is already big enough, in the video they had a cop doing escort duty with lights on to make both lanes clear for the trucker... so, they are used to the idea of it being single vehicle use already, just like narrow country bridges. Put a stop light on either end of the one mile, one way, one lane section, for shifting the direction of traffic flow

Skip the first 40 seconds and it's over at 3:10. The rest of the video is open highway like any other, no cool redwood trunks inches away from the road

https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2026/mar/30/appellate-court-sides-caltrans-richardson-grove-hi/

environmental and Indigenous groups filed a lawsuit in Las Vegas federal court, arguing that the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project in Nevada, one of North America’s largest sources of lithium, poses a major threat to the endangered Tiehm’s Buckwheat, a desert flower endemic to the area, which could even cause it to go extinct.

Of course, it's in the middle of nowhere between Vegas and Reno, and no one outside of the people in the lawsuit have ever heard of, or think that one flower in the middle of nowhere that no one will ever visit the area to see

In fact, other than this news about the lawsuit, no one will ever hear of the flower.  

https://www.fws.gov/media/tiehms-buckwheat-6

https://fordauthority.com/2026/03/ford-ev-suppliers-lithium-mine-permit-upheld-by-u-s-district-court

the Santa Rosa parents of a 16-year-old just discovered the cost of getting their i8 BMW out of impound, and bail for their kid, as that dumbass was arrested for reckless driving, at 130 mph on the 101

This is NOT that actual car, it's the i8 I found last week parked in Mira Mesa. 

https://autos.yahoo.com/people-and-culture/articles/teen-driver-hits-130-mph-133007286.html

Colorado troopers pulled over 2,540 drivers for ‘hanging out’ in the left lane and failing to move right while traveling at slower speeds than the flow of traffic, in 2025

The top roadways for traffic stops for “hanging out” in the left lane in 2025 are as follows:

I-70 (962 contacts)
I-25 (564 contacts)
Hwy 50 (297 contacts)
Hwy 160 (190 contacts)
E-470 (149 contacts)

Troopers are reminding drivers that in Colorado, multi-lane roads with a posted speed limit of 65 m.p.h. or greater designate the furthest left lane as the “passing lane.”

https://cdllife.com/2026/colorado-troopers-pulled-over-2540-drivers-for-hanging-out-in-the-left-lane-in-2025/