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Car dealership in East Texas destroyed by tornado

Few things are as fundamentally and unconditionally destructive as a tornado. These cataclysmic phenomena pass through towns, leaving nothing in their wake but ruin and despair. According to an NBC affiliate in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, a car dealership in nearby Canton was hit by a tornado Saturday night. No employees were hurt. Four other people in the area weren't so lucky. Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Canton's new showroom and service center were pounded by the storm, leaving dozens of cars in various states of ruin. Some merely lost windows, while others were flipped and left on their sides or roofs. Photos show piles of cars stacked up like Hot Wheels dumped on the ground. According to a statement from the National Weather Service, winds reached speeds of up to 140 mph. Two other tornadoes were reported in the region. The area has been declared a disaster zone and first responders from up to 100 miles away have swarmed in to help out those in need. According to Reuters, the storms Saturday killed 11 people nationwide. Related Video: News Source: NBC DFW, National Weather Service, Reuters via Automotive NewsImage Credit: Reuters Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM tornado

Appeals court delays 'sensible resolution' meeting between GM, Fiat Chrysler CEOs

DETROIT — Three federal appeals judges have delayed a court-ordered meeting between the CEOs of General Motors and Fiat Chrysler to try to settle a lawsuit over corruption by union leaders. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Borman last week ordered GM CEO Mary Barra and FCA CEO Mike Manley to meet before July 1. But GM on Friday asked the federal appeals court in Cincinnati to overturn the order and remove Borman from the case. In an order issued Monday, three appellate judges delayed Borman's order to provide time to consider legal points raised by GM. GM is suing crosstown rival FCA alleging that it got an advantage by paying off United Auto Workers union leaders to reduce labor costs during contract talks. FCAÂ’s former labor chief, Al Iacobelli, is in prison, although the company denies that it directed any prohibited payments. In his order last week, Borman described the lawsuit as a “nuclear option” that would be a “waste of time and resources” for years if he allows the case to move forward. The judge ordered Barra and Manley to sit down without lawyers by July 1 and reach a “sensible resolution of this huge legal distraction.” Borman wants an update from them on a public video conference that same day. Over the weekend he modified the order to allow lawyers to attend the meeting. In a court filing, GM called BormanÂ’s order a “profound abuse” of power. “The court possesses no authority to order the CEOs of GM and FCA to engage in settlement discussions, reach a resolution and then appear alone at a pretrial conference eight days later, without counsel,” GMÂ’s attorneys said. “Second, the court has no business labeling a properly filed federal lawsuit assigned to the court for impartial adjudication ‘a distractionÂ’ or a ‘nuclear option,’” GM said. Borman canÂ’t be viewed as impartial, company lawyers said. The judge declined to comment. In a court filing Monday, Fiat Chrysler lawyers wrote that GM didn't make a good case to remove Borman because judges routinely direct lawsuit parties to talk about settling. The lawyers wrote that GM originally wanted the case assigned to Borman but now apparently is worried that his tough questions mean he will dismiss GM's claims. “GM should not be permitted now to complain that that judge has turned out to be less hospitable to GMÂ’s claims than GM anticipated. Parties are not permitted to engage in such judge shopping," the filing said.

Interested, then not: Marchionne not 'chasing' a VW merger

Update (March 15, 2017) : Automotive News reports that FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne, regarding the suggested VW and FCA merger, said in a press conference "I have no interest." He also said that he "will not call Matthias," the CEO of VW. He did add that he would be willing to entertain anything VW brings up, but he has "no intention of chasing him." Despite this, Marchionne still took a moment to reinforce his favorable stance concerning mergers and consolidation. Last week, Volkswagen's CEO Matthias Mueller effectively shut down Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne's idea of the two automakers merging. However, it seems Mueller has softened, if only just, to the idea. According to Reuters, the CEO said in a press conference he is "not ruling out a conversation." However, he did say that he would like Marchionne to discuss with him directly the possibility rather than to the media. Though this statement certainly doesn't mean such a merger is happening, it's far more open than when he said outright the company isn't in any talks with anyone at the moment. His new stance also indicates that there may be people (lawyers, accountants, etc.) behind the scenes working out possible ways a merger could work. And even though this new development makes the prospect of a merger between the two companies a bit less bleak, it's still a long way from the "will they, won't they" relationship between GM and FCA. FCA's pursuit of GM involved emailing CEO Mary Barra and the threats of a hostile takeover, the latter of which resulted in some awkward statements about hugs. Only time will tell if VW becomes open enough for Marchionne to talk about hugs again. Related Video: