Chrysler to add 1,250 jobs at 2 Detroit factories

DETROIT (AP) - Chrysler will add 1,250 jobs at two Detroit factories next year - another sign that the once struggling automaker appears to be making a comeback.

The Jefferson North Assembly Plant will get 1,100 new workers and a third shift to help build a Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel model for North America. Another 150 workers will be added when Chrysler reopens the Conner Avenue factory to make a Street Racing Team version of the Dodge Viper muscle car.

"Our future, like the history of our brands, is interwoven with the City of Detroit," Chrysler Group Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne said Thursday in a statement. "We believe that investing in Detroit is not only the right thing to do, but it is a smart thing to do as we work to write the next chapter in our shared history."

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U.S. to Block New Uranium Mines Near Grand Canyon

The Obama administration announced that it will block new uranium mining on one million acres in northern Arizona near the Grand Canyon, lobbyists and Interior Department employees who had been informed about the decision said on Friday.

The department, which in 2009 imposed an interim ban that is soon due to expire, now plans a 20-year moratorium on new mines. Western environmental groups have long sought such a measure. In proposing an extended moratorium last year, the interior secretary, Ken Salazar, cited the potential for pollution in waterways and harm to wildlife, desert vegetation and air quality. 

 

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Google Global Science Fair Winners 2012

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Obama: a Super Duper Space Toolbox That Saves $$$

From the start of the Administration, President Obama has been committed to delivering the American people an efficient, effective government that cuts waste and uses taxpayer dollars wisely. Recognizing that frontline federal workers know best where the waste is, he has made federal employees an essential partner in that effort.

In 2009, the President launched the SAVE Award – an annual contest to enlist frontline Federal workers in the effort to cut waste and make government work better for the American people. This year, we received nearly 20,000 entries, and 48,000 votes were cast rating the ideas. Last November, the American people then voted on a final four of the best ideas, and the winner was Matthew Ritsko of Crofton, Maryland. Today, Matthew came to the Oval Office to discuss his idea with the President.
Matthew is a Financial Manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. During his six years at Goddard, Matthew noticed that when NASA employees purchase specialized tools for building and developing flight projects, many of the tools are not tracked once projects are completed, leading to wasted funds and duplicative purchases. To cut down on repeat purchases, Matthew suggested that Goddard create a centralized tool repository – or “lending library” – where these tools can be stored, catalogued, and checked in and out by employees.

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