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DETROIT (AP) —
For the third time in seven years, General Motors is recalling cars that can leak oil and catch fire, in some instances damaging garages and homes.
The recall, which covers 1.4 million vehicles dating to the 1997 model year, is needed because repairs from the first two recalls didn't work. More than 1,300 cars caught fire after they were fixed by dealers, the company said.
In the previous recalls, in 2008 and 2009, GM told owners to park the cars outside until repairs can be made since most of the fires happened shortly after drivers turned off the engines. A spokesman was checking to see if the same recommendation applies this time.
In addition, GM will notify owners of 500,000 more cars that were not repaired in the previous recalls, spokesman Alan Adler said.
The latest recall, mainly in North America, includes: the 1997-2004 Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick Regal; the 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala; the 1998 and 1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue; and the 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. All have 3.8-liter V6 engines.
Over time, a valve cover gasket can degrade, allowing oil to seep out. Under hard braking, oil drops can fall onto the exhaust manifold and catch fire. Flames can spread to a plastic spark plug wire channel and the rest of the engine.
GM says it has reports of 19 minor injuries in fires caused by the cars. In 2008, a GM spokeswoman said the cars were responsible for 267 fires, including at least 17 that burned structures.
The problem first surfaced in 2007, when 21 consumer complaints about engine fires in some of the cars prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to investigate. That probe found three injuries. Most of the blazes happened five to 15 minutes after the engines were turned off, according to agency documents.
The investigation led to the recall in March 2008 of more than 200,000 U.S. cars with supercharged engines. A year later GM recalled almost 1.5 million more cars that weren't supercharged. Dealers replaced the spark plug wire channels but documents filed with the government don't mention any repair of the oil leaks.
GM is finalizing a fix in the most recent recall. The company will use state registration databases in an effort to track down the owners and notify them by mail, he said.
The 1,300 fires were discovered when GM began investigating whether to recall some 2004 models that weren't part of the earlier recalls, Adler said. He said he didn't know why the recall wasn't done sooner given the large number of fires.
Company investigators ultimately found 1,345 fires in previously recalled cars and decided "that the recall would be to come up with a better fix for the vehicles that were out there," Adler said.
The recall is so large that it could have an impact on GM's fourth-quarter earnings, although Adler said that hasn't been determined.
"Since we have not decided on the remedy, we do not know whether the cost will result in a material charge to earnings," he said.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) —
A sheriff's deputy in South Carolina is on leave after a video showed him tossing a female high school student from her desk and dragging her across a classroom.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott was returning to Columbia on Tuesday from a conference in Chicago to get more information about the confrontation at Spring Valley High School.
Senior Deputy Ben Fields has been placed on leave, Lt. Curtis Wilson said.
No one was hurt in Monday's confrontation, which officials said occurred after the student refused Fields' order to leave the classroom for being disruptive. The incident was captured on cellphones by several students.
The video shows Fields asking the girl to stand up. The girl remains seated and the officer wraps a forearm around her neck. The officer then tips the desk backward until she falls onto the floor. The officer tosses the girl several feet across the floor to the front of the classroom, where Fields orders her hands behind her back and puts her in handcuffs.
Lott told local news outlets that the video showed the student resisting and being arrested.
"It's very disturbing what happened today. It's something I have to deal with and that's what we're going to be doing," Lott said by telephone Monday. According to deputies, Lott has written to U.S. Attorney William Nettles and the FBI requesting a formal investigation.
A group called the Richland Two Black Parents Association also has called for a federal investigation of the confrontation. Fields is white, and the student involved is black, according to Wilson. The group said the video has "revealed what many African American parents have experienced in this district for a very long time." Authorities have said they do not believe race was a factor
The Rev. Jackson said Tuesday that he also agrees federal authorities should investigate. Jackson — who said he'll visit Columbia on Tuesday to get more information — called the video a "national disgrace" and said the incident represents a pattern of unfair behavior against blacks.
"This man should be arrested, charged, fired and sued," Jackson said. "The department should be sued."
The girl has been charged with disturbing schools, and she was released to her parents. Another female student in the class was also charged with disturbing schools. The names of those charges have not been released.
Richland 2 Superintendent Debbie Hamm released a statement about the incident.
"Our district is deeply concerned about an incident that occurred at Spring Valley High School today," Hamm said Monday.
"Student safety is and always will be the district's top priority," Hamm said. "The district will not tolerate any actions that jeopardize the safety of our students."
Richland District 2 School Board Chairman Jim Manning also issued a statement about the confrontation.
"I have watched the video several times and there is no doubt that the video is extremely disturbing. The amount of force used on a female student by a male officer appears to me to be excessive and unnecessary," Manning said.
The images captured an "egregious use of force" against the student, ACLU of South Carolina Executive Director Victoria Middleton said.
Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin called for an independent investigation of the confrontation.
"We need an independent investigation to get to the bottom of this incident and see that justice is done," Benjamin said in a statement.
ATKINSON, N.H. (AP) —
How about some humility, Donald Trump?
At a rare town hall event Monday for a man who goes for big rallies, some potential voters wanted to see a common touch from the tower-building billionaire in his quest for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
He said in reply that he ate at McDonald's on Sunday, often drives himself and got started in business with a "small loan" of $1 million from his dad.
The event, a televised town hall broadcast live on the "Today" show, brought together about 125 registered voters in a country club ballroom. The intimate environment was a rarity for the GOP front-runner, who has generally eschewed small events in favor of rallies drawing thousands of rowdy and loyal backers.
While a handful of questions addressed Trump's policy positions, many focused on his persona as a brash TV entertainer and whether he possessed the ability to come back down to earth.
"I know a lot of people would really want to vote for you if only you would eat a piece of humble pie once in a while," said one woman, an undecided registered Republican, who asked Trump whether he had any weaknesses he might share.
"Well I'd like to do that," Trump responded, "but then I'd expose the weaknesses to Putin and everybody else and we don't want to do that, right?" He was referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Another questioner, identified as an undecided Republican, asked Trump whether, with the exception of his family, he'd ever been told "no."
"I mean, my whole life really has been a 'no,'" Trump said. "And I fought through it." Trump is the son of a successful real estate developer who gave him seed money to begin investing in Manhattan real estate.
"It has not been easy for me," Trump added. "And I started off in Brooklyn, my father gave me a small loan of $1 million. I came into Manhattan and I had to pay him back, and I had to pay him back with interest."
Host Matt Lauer quickly noted that most voters would not consider $1 million a small amount.
Unlike 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, Trump has fully embraced his wealth in the campaign trail, often bragging about his riches, to little ill effect.
Still, Trump did show some signs of relatability in talking about his recent fast-food stop and his tendency to get behind the wheel.
During a commercial break, Trump half-jokingly protested the fact that so many of the questioners were undecided. He said he wanted to hear from some backers.
Trump was also pushed for more specifics. One attendee, a student at Saint Anselm College in nearby Manchester, said he felt that Trump's campaign has been "based more on talking points than substance."
"Do you have a specific plan for how to bring our economy back, or should middle class voters just elect you because your name's Trump?" the student asked.
Trump was unapologetic.
"Well I think they should," he said, "because I built a great company."
Mark Casey, a registered independent, pressed the candidate on how he would deal with world leaders.
"What would you say to people like me who have concern that you'll be dealing with a lot of world leaders you might not see eye-to-eye with, and you can't fire them?" he asked. "But you could start a war by calling them a loser or an idiot."
Trump told Casey that he'd shown restraint throughout the campaign, an assertion bound to raise eyebrows from the political rivals who've been subjected to his zingers. He said he knows how to be politically correct when needed.
Casey said afterward that Trump's answer was just what he was looking to hear.
"I think that's what the country needs," he said.