LANSING, Mich. -- General Motors Co. says it's investing about $38 million and creating up to 150 new jobs at its Lansing Grand River Assembly plant.
The plant assembles the Cadillac ATS CTS and STS, and it will make the next-generation Chevrolet Camaro beginning in 2015.
GM invested $190 million in the plant last year as it was preparing to roll out the ATS.
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow called it "great news for Michigan and a testament to the skilled workers" at the plant.
The Michigan Democrat says the "investment further underscores the resurgences" of the American auto industry, which she says is fueling the U.S. and Michigan economic recovery.
Another Carnival ship experiences woes: Carnival Cruise Lines said another of its ships has experienced problems and is heading back to the Port of Tampa. Late Thursday, the company said "a technical issue" affecting the sailing speed of the Legend forced the cancellation of a stop at Grand Cayman Islands. The Tampa Bay Times (http://bit.ly/15Qdu3a ) reports the ship is expected to arrive in Tampa as scheduled Sunday following a seven-day cruise. Passengers will get a $100 credit, refunds on pre-purchased shore excursions in Grand Cayman and half off on a future cruise.
Oppose more base closings: Lawmakers say they oppose a new round of base closings in the United States and are challenging Defense Department officials to provide tangible evidence of the need to reduce the military's number of installations. During testimony Thursday before a House subcommittee, a Pentagon official would not say whether the Obama administration's yet-to-be submitted budget for 2014 would include a formal request for more base closings. But John Conger, acting deputy undersecretary for installations and environment, said the Pentagon does not want to waste money maintaining facilities that are unnecessary due to a reduction in the number of U.S. forces. Republican Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia said he's yet to see any compelling proof of the need for more base closings. He's the chairman of the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee.
Veterans groups appeal to Obama: The nation's veterans groups are asking President Barack Obama to step into a dispute over a new medal for remote warfare troops that was ranked higher than traditional combat medals like the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. The Veterans of Foreign Wars and other groups sent a letter to Obama on Thursday. They're asking him to keep the medal ranked below the Purple Heart. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has already ordered a review of the new medal, which is for drone operators and cyber warfighters. But the groups say that's not a done deal.
Lew will visit China: Jacob Lew will travel to China next week for his first overseas trip as U.S. Treasury secretary, underscoring the importance of the nations' economic relationship. Lew will meet with officials in President Xi Jinping's administration on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Treasury Department said Thursday. On Thursday, Xi capped his rise to China's leadership by adding the largely ceremonial title of president. China is the largest holder of U.S. Treasury debt, and the U.S. imports more from China than any other nation. Tensions have flared over the Obama administration's concerns that China has undervalued its currency to gain an unfair trade advantage.
$917M in unclaimed tax refunds: If you didn't bother filing a federal tax return for 2009, it might be a good time to rethink your tax strategy. The Internal Revenue Service says it has $917 million in unclaimed tax refunds from 2009, and time is running out to claim them. The refunds are owed to nearly 1 million people who failed to file returns for 2009. Taxpayers must file their 2009 returns by April 15 to claim their refunds. If taxpayers don't file returns, the law says they have a three-year window to claim refunds. After that, the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury. The IRS says there is no penalty for filing a late return that qualifies for a refund. But the agency says refunds may be delayed if taxpayers also failed to file returns for 2010 and 2011.
Death coming before justice: Decades after Cambodia's brutal Khmer Rouge movement oversaw the deaths of 1.7 million people by starvation, overwork and execution, the regime's imprisoned top leaders are escaping justice one by one. How? Old age. Thursday's death of 87-year-old Ieng Sary, one of the founders of the Khmer Rouge, has fueled urgent calls among survivors and rights groups for the country's UN-backed tribunal to expedite proceedings against the increasingly frail and aging leaders of the radical communist group, which ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.
Pact calls for tough Japan reforms: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to announce Friday that Japan will join talks on a Pacific trade pact that would oblige the country to undertake major reforms, especially in farming. The expected announcement confirming plans to seek participation in the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, is raising protests from farmers opposed to opening protected home markets to foreign competition. Although rural voters are a traditional bastion of support for Abe's Liberal Democratic Party, many in Japan see the pact as a way to overcome stubborn resistance to reforms essential for reviving the stagnant economy. Abe has made such reforms the third prong of his "Abenomics" economic strategy, along with easing monetary policy and boosting public spending.
Flights to restart in weeks: Boeing said today it sees commercial flights of its grounded 787 jets resuming "within weeks" even though it has not pinpointed the cause of battery overheating. Boeing Co. Chief Project Engineer Michael Sinnett outlined a fix centered on a new design for the lithium-ion battery system that has many layers of safeguards to prevent overheating. It also has measures to contain any problems if malfunctions do occur. "We could be back up and going in weeks and not months," Sinnett told reporters.
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