Category Archives: Progress

An estimated 10,000 people, including Illinois Gov. William G. Stratton and Texas Attorney General John Ben Shepperd, attended the formal dedication of the Mrs. Tuckers Foods plant in Jacksonville in 1953.

The plant later became ACH Food Cos.

The 1953 celebration not only officially opened the new vegetable oil processing plant, but observed Mrs. Tuckers Foods Inc.s 40th anniversary. The Texas-based company was a pioneer in the manufacture of vegetable oil food products. In early 1952, Mrs. Tuckers Foods merged with Anderson, Clayton & Co., a worldwide cotton merchandiser.

Jacksonville civic leaders, politicians and plant officials went all out in dedicating the multimillion-dollar plant, which was one of the largest of its kind in the world in 1953.

The grand opening did not coincide with the actual startup of the plant, though, which occurred in February 1953 when the production of shortening began. And by the time of the plants dedication, 140 people were already working there, according to 1953 newspaper reports.

The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce helped arrange the dedication festivities and provide the hospitality for its out-of-town guests. Signs saying Welcome Texans and showing a waving cowboy were attached to utility poles around the public square.

Local car dealerships brought in convertibles in which to carry dignitaries around Jacksonville. The honored guests were shown city landmarks during a motorcade around town on the morning of the grand opening.

That afternoon, several local, state and company officials gave speeches from a stage in front of the new plant.

Lamar Fleming Jr., president of Anderson, Clayton & Co., spoke of the founding of Mrs. Tuckers Foods in north Texas in 1913 and praised the people of Jacksonville. Mrs. Tuckers will give honest and efficient service to the public, Fleming said. There is no greater inspiration than the help and kindness your community has given us.

Stratton followed the Texas industrialist in welcoming the new industry and visitors.

It is heartening to see what can be accomplished by cooperation, Stratton said. Illinois has the finest skilled labor, the finest cooperation between management and labor. This plant stands as a tribute to industrial enterprise and civic cooperation.

Other speakers included Shepperd; Francis R. Rantz, president of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce; Jacksonville Mayor Ernest L. Hoagland; and a recorded greeting from Texas Gov. Allan Shivers, who was unable to attend.

Following the 40-minute formal dedication ceremony, the plant was opened for tours. Thousands of people walked through the plant to see the machines used to produce Mrs. Tuckers Meadolake Margarine, Shortening and Salad Oil.

Four thousand orchids, which were flown in from Hawaii, were distributed to women touring the plant. Adults also received packets containing a commemorative brass coin and certificates for shortening, while children got a packet of two balloons and two suckers.

The celebration culminated with a street dance on the east side of the Jacksonville public square. Jan Garbers Orchestra, a popular swing band of that era, furnished the music. Large crowds gathered on the square to dance and listen to the famous orchestra.

Mrs. Tuckers and Anderson, Clayton & Co. officials said they had never witnessed such a demonstration of cordiality at the opening of an industrial center as Jacksonville staged, wrote Jacksonville Courier editor Birch B. Ridgway.

This Way We Were story was first published Aug. 18, 2003.

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The way we were: Process and progress at city plant - Jacksonville Journal Courier

NEW YORK LHP Blake Snell still wasn't happy, having now made 13 starts without a W and the Rays losing 10 of them. But he had reason to be pleased Saturday, with a second straight improved outing, working into the sixth and allowing three runs.

"I felt like I was (doing well) but I do believe I could have done better," he said. "Everything was good, it just wasn't good enough."

Snell moved from the third base side to the center of the rubber last start and said that helped. Manager Kevin Cash attributed the improvement more to Snell being aggressive, noting he threw 60 of 95 pitches for strikes.

"I'd say it's more about establishing his fastball," Cash said. "He was driving some really good fastballs through the zone, and that got his strike percentage higher than it was."

Cash pulled Snell with one on and one out in the sixth, the Rays leading 3-2, saying he was "about at his max." Sergio Romo gave up a two-run homer to Chase Headley, who was pinch-hitting for Garrett Cooper.

"I felt good, ready to go," Snell said. "The whole point of pitching is to get past the sixth. I felt I could've kept going and give the team the best chance to win."

Birthday boy

If you have to work on your birthday, starting in Yankee Stadium for the first time with your team battling for a playoff spot isn't so bad, as now 24-year-old rookie RHP Jake Faria will find out today. "That's a pretty good birthday present, I guess," he said. Faria will be the first visiting rookie to pitch at the new Yankee Stadium on his big day and the first in the Bronx since Tampa Bay's Jason Hammel in 2007, who beat Andy Pettitte at the old stadium. The only other time a visiting rookie started and won on his birthday against the Yankees was in 1994, a young lefty for the Angels named Brian Anderson, now the Rays TV analyst.

The do-run-run

Pitching in the majors has already made this year special for rookie RHP Austin Pruitt. Then Saturday, he got to run the bases, stepping in for Logan Morrison after his seventh-inning pinch-hit single, though not getting anywhere as Evan Longoria ended the inning. "That was pretty wild," Pruitt said. "Completely different." When Pruitt, who started Friday, was first told to get his spikes on he thought they were "just messing with me" but realized they were serious, as they gave him a batter to get stretched out. "Kind of an ambush," Cash said. That was the eighth time the Rays used a pitcher to pinch-run, first since RHP Chris Archer in 2012 at Philadelphia and first in an AL game since Andy Sonnanstine in 2009.

Medical matters

1B Logan Morrison's bruised left heel checked out okay with an MRI exam, and he pinch-hit in the seventh, though running and playing the field may still be an issue for a couple of days. INF Daniel Robertson (neck) went 2-for-3 for the advanced Class A Stone Crabs then came out after an HBP on his hand caused some swelling. CF Kevin Kiermaier (hip) was scratched with back tightness. RHP Jaime Schultz, out much of the season with a groin strain, is back with Triple-A Durham.

Miscellany

. New addition DH/1B Lucas Duda homered for the second straight game, a massive blast into the upper deck in rightfield. "I don't think I've seen a ball go that far here," Cash said.

. RF Steven Souza Jr. hit his career high-extending 22nd homer.

. RHP Diego Moreno, who was DFA'd last week, was claimed off waivers by the Indians.

. Top draft pick 1B/LHP Brendan McKay, hitting .242 (8-for-33) with one homer and four RBIs for Class A Hudson Valley, today will make his first pro pitching appearance, working two innings at Abeerden.

Rays journal: Blake Snell makes progress, still not satisfied (w/ video) 07/29/17 [Last modified: Saturday, July 29, 2017 11:15pm] Photo reprints | Article reprints

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Rays journal: Blake Snell makes progress, still not satisfied (w/ video ... - Tampabay.com

The Texas Longhorns offensive line rotation was nothing short of a revolving door under Matt Mattox in 2016. Essentially equal parts upside and inconsistency across the group, left tackle Connor Williams thrived once again and enters 2017 as arguably the top NFL tackle prospect in the nation, while true freshman center Zach Shackelford looked the part of a multi-year starter.

Collectively, though, the Horns ranked outside of the top 100 nationally after giving way to 32 sacks last season, the by-product of Texas trotting out 10 different starting units along the offensive line in just 12 games.

Considering such inconsistencies along with the offseason departures of Brandon Hodges and Kent Perkins, who started nine and 10 games in 2016, respectively, its no surprise that big-bodied battles are brewing in the trenches. Although he declined to discuss specific battles, Longhorns offensive coordinator Tim Beck credited offensive line coach Derek Warehime for the substantial progress his unit has made this offseason.

Im not going to call in on specific battles, certainly, but that group in my opinion probably has come the farthest since I've been here, Beck said at the THSCA convention in Houston. I think that Coach Warehime has really done an outstanding job with those guys. I mean, their bond, the togetherness, the toughness, the things that we've talked about and preached about. Derek has been phenomenal with them and got those guy playing now, they believe. So it will be, it will be interesting to see who those five guys are going to be out there.

If theres one position thats solidified, its Shane Buecheles blindside with Williams at left tackle. By the end of his junior season, Williams may very well be the nations top offensive linemen, but everything to his right is a bit more uncertain.

Patrick Vahe is the presumed starter at left guard, but he struggled with inconsistency in 2016. Hes since earned praise from the new staff throughout the offseason, but if Vahes first season under Warehime doesnt serve as a bounce-back campaign, Elijah Rodriguez and Alex Anderson are viable options for reps, but Vahe should remain the starter entering the season.

At Big 12 Media Days, Williams praised Vahes growth as a leader after the junior admitted during the spring that he had been on the wrong path when he was benched during the 2016 season.

The center position might be the most intriguing battle along the line, which may directly impact who starts at right guard in the wake of Kent Perkins graduation.

Sophomore Zach Shackelford enters the season on the Rimington Trophy Watch List, which honors the nations top center. As a true freshman, Shackelford started all nine games he was available for, but spent time sidelined due to injury. The same ankle that caused him to miss time in 2016 has remained a persistent problem and prompted surgery this offseason, which has opened the door for Jake McMillon to emerge as a legitimate starting option.

As one of the two is ultimately cemented as the starting center, the other likely assumes the starting role at right guard, although Anderson and Patrick Hudson are in the mix for that role, as well.

However, the general consensus is that Hudson could still be a year away after a redshirt season the nations No. 2 offensive guard is massively powerful, but still refining his footwork and technique.

Completing the offensive line is whats shaping up to be a two-man battle for the rights to the right tackle role between senior Tristan Nickelson and sophomore Denzel Okafor. The latter has been making a push throughout the offseason, but the 610 Nickelson does hold the edge in experience and that may be the difference, at least early on in the season.

While Nickelson is something of a known quantity as a serviceable player without much upside, Okafor is often compared to former Texas standout Trey Hopkins because of his cerebral nature and ability to play right tackle despite lacking ideal height for the position.

Collectively, the offensive line wont feature as much as experience as it did in 2016 with at least two starting roles being replaced, but its virtually impossible for the Horns to take a step back in the consistency department. So along with that good news, the better news is that Beck noted the offensive line unit as the group thats come the farthest since the staffs arrival in Austin.

Thats certainly the hope for Buechele, Beck, Warehime and Herman after the Horns were tied for 101st nationally in sacks allowed in 2016 given the importance of keeping Buechele healthy, the lines top task will be reducing the number of hits he takes.

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Following inconsistency in 2016, Texas OC Tim Beck praises the OL's progress - Burnt Orange Nation

Arguably the biggest splash the New York Giants made in the 2017 offseason happened before the draft and even free agency really commenced. That was the signing of wide receiver Brandon Marshall after he was released by the New York Jets.

After the Giants offense sputtered and dropped a touchdown per game in scoring average from the previous two seasons, Marshall was brought in to provide diversity to the receiving corps, help with perimeter blocking, and be the big, physical red-zone threat the offense had lacked in years past.

Saturday was Giants fans first opportunity to really see their newest receiver go to work against the defense, and they werent disappointed. Odell Beckham Jr. may have stolen the show but the 33-year-old Marshall started practice strong with a great reception over Janoris Jenkins.

It felt good. You hear a lot of talk about being over 30 and then theres an extreme drop off. So for me that play was awesome because it was really the first play of training camp because its the first time going against the defense. Being the new guy, you want to prove yourself. Secondly, I want to prove to myself that I can still do it. So, making a play that could possibly be, maybe not the top 10 plays, but possibly the top 20 felt good. I was like, okay I can still do this.

Of course, coming to a new team with a new quarterback, and a new offense, is a process. That was evident on one play. Manning fired a pass across the middle to where he thought Marshall would be. Only Marshall wasnt, he had pulled up short of where Manning was trying to take him.

Its timing, it was there, he said. You know, thats where Eli was supposed to go with the ball and as a receiver, you got to build that chemistry with your quarterback. What I did wasnt wrong if it was a different offense. I throttled in the zone and Eli wants you to run through it. So, it wasnt like I slowed down but I bursted through that first hole and I wouldve caught the ball. So literally, I was like a foot away from making a big play for the team, but I missed it because of that timing. So now, I got it and I wont make that mistake again.

Marshall was asked to clarify why what he did would have been correct in another offense, but didnt work with Eli.

Yeah because Eli, I think hes third in the league with getting the ball out, so as a receiver when you get in and out breaks you got to get your head around. Playing with other guys that had strong arms, you know, theres some guys that have strong arms and they wait to see if youre open. Eli, he has a very good arm, and he also has amazing timing. So, thats the difference. Eli is one of the best at getting the ball out fast, and as a receiver youve got to get your head around and you got to run.

Finally, Marshall was asked how he felt taking a step back from being a Number 1 receiver and carrying offenses to being a secondary option behind Beckham. The veteran didnt mince words, saying;

Yes. Absolutely, thats why I came here, because of him. Im tired of getting double coverage and vised in the red zone, Marshall said. Ill let him freakin carry all the weight.

Of course, being a receiver he does care about his personal production, and he added, No, its all important. Im not going to sit here and lie to you guys about that. As a receiver, thats what makes us great, but thats also what holds us back. You have to be able to check your ego. Its definitely about winning, but at the same time, guys want to perform as well. Ive been there, done that. Ive had 100 catches several times, done some amazing things, went to some Pro Bowls. The only thing that I havent checked off is being able to earn one of those Lombardi trophies.

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Brandon Marshall-Eli Manning Pairing A Work In Progress - Big Blue View

TOMAH, Wis. (WSAW) -- After Saturday's tour of the Tomah VA, both the Simcakowskis and Senator Tammy Baldwin say the facility has come a long way since the law made in Jason Simcakowski's memory was passed last year.

Marv and Linda Simcakowski walked down the hallways with Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin. For the Simcakowskis, it was an emotional experience.

"Brings back memories when you go down the halls," Linda Simcakowski explained.

On one wall is a picture of the Simcakowski's son, Jason. He was a marine who died at the Tomah VA in 2014 from a deadly combination of 14 prescription drugs -- including opiates -- under doctors' care. But through his tragedy comes hope.

Last year, the Jason Simcakowski Memorial and Promise Act, otherwise known as Jason's Law, took effect. It ensures veterans at VAs nationwide get the treatment they need. After its first year in effect, the Simcakowskis say they're seeing progress.

"A big change from when we first started going there," Linda Simcakowski said.

"The VA had a serious problem with veterans who were seeking help and getting hooked instead. We're seeing how that's turning around," Sen. Baldwin added.

Baldwin is one of many among Democrats and Republicans who helped make sure Jason's Law gets funding for a second year. She said the tour of the VA shows evidence that care for veterans has improved.

"The number of veterans on high doses of opioids is coming down," Sen. Baldwin explained. "We're getting out reports on how many of the providers and doctors and nurses who can prescribed have been fully trained."

The Simcakowskis and Sen. Baldwin say they're not done, as they'll continue to make sure money put into the funding for Jason's Law is used wisely, and that what's happening in Tomah happens at other VA facilities nationwide.

"Jason's pushing us to keep this going and you know, we'll never forget," Jason's father Marv Simcakowski said.

Continued funding for Jason's Law was implemented recently, which benefits programs such as the VAoffice of patient advocacy, implementation of opioid therapy and clinical practice guidelines.

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Simcakowskis, Sen. Baldwin tour Tomah VA, say progress being made - WSAW

The Belgium international defender remains tied to Spurs until 2019, but no breakthrough has been made in discussions regarding an extension

Toby Alderweireld admits that zero progress has been made in discussions regarding a new deal at Tottenham.

The Belgium international has established a reputation as one of world footballs finest centre-halves during his time at England, on loan at Southampton and then with Spurs.

Spurs to finish above Arsenal in PL - 4/5

His current club are eager to reward that standing with fresh terms, while removing a 25 million release clause which is due to kick in if they take up a 12-month option through to 2019.

Alderweireld, though, says that no breakthrough has been made as he waits on updates from the club and his representatives.

Poch: Dier rumours are positive

The 28-year-old told Sky Sports when quizzed on the extension talks: No news that I know of so nothing zero.

Alderweireld has formed part of a settled defensive unit at Tottenham, with Mauricio Pochettino having pieced together a Premier League title-challenging squad.

There has been one departure from the ranks this summer, though, with Kyle Walker moved on to Manchester City for 50 million.

Spurs have a ready-made replacement in Kieran Trippier, but Alderweireld is disappointed to have seen another England international leave the club.

Levy: Prem spending unsustainable

He added on Walker, who he could face in an International Champions Cup clash in Nashville: Everybody is sad that he left.

He is one of the best full-backs in the world and unfortunately he goes to another [Premier League] team, but we have to focus ourselves to win the game.

Alderweireld joined Tottenham from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2015 and has made 80 appearances for the club over the course of two seasons, netting five goals.

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Alderweireld admits to 'zero' progress in Tottenham contract talks - Goal.com

As of the time of this writing, one of my holdings happens to be Civeo Corp. (CVEO). As a niche accommodation business servicing the commodities industry (oil sands in Canada, coal and other products in Australia, and some oil and gas in the US), the company is well-diversified, flexible, and a nice fit, in my opinion, for my energy-centric portfolio. Given that it has been nearly three months since my last piece on the company and given that its share price has fallen a hefty 30.6% since the publication of said piece, I figured it would be interesting to look back at the business and give an update on my thoughts.

I approach investing from a long-term perspective. This means I look for a return thats in excess of the market over a period of 5 to 10 years (depending on the opportunity). As such, it doesnt matter too much to me if a holding is down for 4 of the 5-year minimum that I look at. Even so, seeing shares drop so much, such as Civeos 7.3% decline on July 28th, is never easy and makes me wonder if Im right in my evaluation of the firm. To see if this is the case, I dug into some of the data recently provided.

One thing I noticed about Civeo is that management has turned a bit more bullish as of late. Previously, the firm had expected revenue for this year to come out to between $337 million and $353 million. However, after landing four different accommodation contracts for Canadian pipelines, valued at 20 million Canadian dollars, this sales figure for 2017 was raised to be between $354 million and $363 million. Not only does this increase revenue as a whole, it also decreases the range from $16 million down to $9 million for the year. Thats quite a nice move.

Despite the increase in revenue expectations, EBITDA expectations havent moved that much. Truth be told, I really dislike EBITDA, but thats all management gives so thats what I need to deal with. If current forecasts are accurate, the business should generate EBITDA this year of between $61 million and $66 million, an increase for the floor and ceiling of just $1 million compared to prior forecasts.

Its hard to say precisely what cash flow will be based on this. During the first two quarters, the company reported total operating cash flow of just over $14 million. With sales more than halfway done for the year, you would expect operating cash flow for this year to be around $28 million, give or take a bit. However, if you annualize interest expense from the first half of this year and dont consider taxes since the company is likely to report a net loss because of its high depreciation and amortization expense for this year, youre looking at operating cash flow of around $43 million for the year at the mid-point. With capex of $12 million to $15 million thrown in, free cash flow would be $29.5 million. This means that either the rest of this year will be more cash accretive or investors should expect some downward revisions.

The last thing I noticed is a mix of good and bad relating to the company. Right now, its debt, according to management, stands at $320.2 million, which is a decrease of $3.7 million from the prior quarter. This is great to see and is great compared to the $353.3 million in debt seen at the end of last year. However, currency fluctuations have been moving against the business. During the last quarter, an uptick in the Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar hurt the firms debt repayment of $4 million. This is something that needs to be watched. On the other hand, due to a share issuance earlier this year, the company does have a nice $27.3 million in cash on hand and still has $117.5 million in borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility. That provides it some nice flexibility so long as things dont materially worsen from where they are today.

Although many in the energy space are bearish about the future, it appears as though Civeos management team believes that better days are around the corner. For instance, if you look at the table below, you will see that, over the past three years, the company has continued to add available rooms to its physical footprint (this excludes other aspects of their business). Between 2014 and 2016, room count rose by 2,160 rooms, which is an increase of 9.9%. So far this year, the room count between Canada and Australia has grown by 118 rooms to 24,106 rooms. This is despite cash flow at the firm suffering during this energy downturn as demand for its services have plummeted.

*Created by Author

One thing I noticed is that, on the plus side, at least in Canada, the surge in the oil and gas rig count for the nation has been beneficial for Civeos occupancy rates there. Today, the rig count in Canada is estimated at 220 units, up from 118 the same time last year. As a result, the occupancy rate for Civeos Canadian operations during its latest quarter came in at 81% compared to last years 62%. While this is great news, there were some caveats here, such as the percent of available rooms that were rentable. Adjusting for this actually saw a small reduction in overall rooms occupied. Whats more, the companys average rate per room decreased from 108 Canadian dollars to 89 Canadian dollars. As you can see in the image below, occupancy rates for Australia remained flat, but it managed to see a very modest increase in how much it can charge.

*Taken from Civeo

This data appears to be rather mixed and highlights continued risk in its existing markets. While management has continued adding rooms to its set of operations, business remains weak. On the other hand, the companys strengthened balance sheet and revised estimates for this year is a positive that suggests the market may be getting better for the firm. The reason why I bought into Civeo is because I like its operations and cash flow potential, but it has always been among my smallest holdings (its my second smallest stock) because I know that while the firm does have impressive flexibility, it benefits, if my theory is correct, from more intensive commodity investments.

What do I mean by this? Well, the entire purpose of Civeo is to set up accommodation facilities in areas where alternatives are either too costly or simply dont exist. This means that many of its operations are set in regions that may not have the same kind of clustering ability that others might have for the businesss customers. As such, you would imagine that the real win for the business is when commodity prices are high enough that their customers can afford to spend more on projects that might otherwise be suboptimal. Because of this, my plan for Civeo has been to have a small stake to benefit from the run-up in energy and other commodity prices, but the real payday is like when oil prices hit around $70 per barrel.

Based on the data provided, I must say that recent developments involving Civeo are mostly encouraging. The firm does still have some trouble with its occupancy rates and the amount that it charges its customers, but the overall financial picture, because of the firms flexibility, appears fine for now. Eventually, to get a nice payday, we will need commodity prices to rise further, but I believe that in the next year or two, theres a pretty good chance of that taking place. Until then, I am likely to hold my stake, unless I find some other prospect that makes more sense for me.

Disclosure: I am/we are long CVEO.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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Civeo: Some Nice Progress But It's A Long Road - Seeking Alpha

COLUMBUS Area performers are tuning up for an annual showcase of musical talent.

Twenty-five acts will take the stage Aug. 4-6 during the Power and Progress Music Festival at Camp Pawnee.

For the sixth year, the event is presenting a lineup of bands covering a variety of genres.

We try to include more diverse acts every year. We reach out to musical acts all across the state, said Tom Adelman, one of the event organizers.

Adelman, a member of The Midland Band, said the event has grown over the years, in both attendance, which reached around 800 in 2016, and the number of musicians who want to participate.

We get a lot of submissions every year. Its hard to choose. We have to pick and choose who we want. I wish we could have everyone, Adelman said.

The festival focuses on displaying the talent of area musicians. The lineup typically includes acts from Columbus, Omaha, Lincoln and Norfolk. This year, there are also regional bands from Kansas and Minnesota.

We really try to have a broad spectrum, Adelman said of the type of music played, which ranges from bluegrass, 80s and tribute tunes to punk, funk, jazz and electronic music performed by bands and DJs.

A couple of bands Adelman expects to be big draws are tribute bands Rock and Roll Suicide from Omaha and Lincoln-based Jerry Pranksters. The Omaha group will perform songs by David Bowie and the Lincoln band will play music from the Grateful Dead.

The event is open to people of all ages and camping space is available, including a separate area for families. Music will be played on two stages with live performances taking place until the early morning hours.

The event starts at 5 p.m. Friday and runs until noon the following Sunday.

The lineup includes the following performers: The Midland Band, Kind Country, Funk Trek, Linear Symmetry, Rock and Roll Suicide, Jerry Pranksters, 3 Son Green, DJ Blac, Chemicals, Pure Brown, Slow Stoics, Floppydisco, JMNM, Dr. Webb, Zed Midland (Midland Band tribute to Zed Tempo), Dudes Gone Rude, The Grand Poobah, Soul Tree, Ruegazz, Levi and Hammersaw.

Along with the music, a number of art and food vendors will be on site. There will also be a costume contest Saturday night with prizes awarded.

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Power and Progress Music Festival back for sixth year - Columbus Telegram

Which new electric vehicle wowed a crowd that didn't expect it to be as cool as it turned out?

What environmental regulation is the NHTSA seemingly getting ready to roll back under Trump?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverseright here at Green Car Reportsfor the week ending on Friday, July 28, 2017.

Friday, we covered two separate EPA approvals for diesel vehicles: the agency approved modifications to 326,000 of the oldest, dirtiest VW diesels, and it finally certified 2017 Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel vehicles for sale.

In 2019, Formula E racing will gain two new, prestigious competitors, as both Mercedes-Benz and Porsche said they will enter the electric-car racing series for its sixth season, joining Audi, BMW, and Jaguar.

2016/2017 Team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport Formula E race car

On Thursday evening, we attended the global debut of the Bollinger B1 all-electric utility truckwhich wowed more than a few people not expecting much from an electric truck designed by a tiny company in upstate New York.

(Our colleagues at the sports and luxury car site Motor Authority were far more effusive: they called the Bollinger B1 "the coolest electric car you've never heard of.")

If you're expecting regular, radical, revolutionary advances in batteries for electric cars, take a deep breath. Battery evolution will largely come via incremental improvements, rather than transformative leaps.

We also warned against the anti-electric-car propaganda in a new video, which was roundly debunked by pointing out numerous errors in actual facts. Facts are hard.

Wednesday, an EV driver explained why he added solar panels to the family house after one used electric car became five separate plug-in vehicles.

Photovoltaic solar panel installation on house, Fremont, California [image: Shiva Singh]

The NHTSA under Trump will review future fuel-economy standards, and could roll back increases to freeze the 2021 standards through 2025.

On Tuesday, a report indicated that Toyota will launch an electric car with a solid-state battery, though not until 2022. We updated that story later in the week as a handful of new details emerged.

And in a relatively rare editorial piece, we suggest that a few electric-car owners should get off their high horses and adopt a gentler tone toward new electric-car drivers.

We kicked off the week on Monday by updating our glossary of green-car terms from four years ago to include the latest terms to keep track of.

Staff at the powerful California Air Resources Board, meanwhile, recommended approval of VW's "Electrify America" plan for increasing zero-emission vehicle infrastructure in the state. (The approval came on Thursday.)

We also came across an oddball story that's one of our favorites: the oldest Toyota Prius hybrid in the world was made in 1946. Confused? We explained (with video).

Those were our main stories this week; we'll see you again next week. Until then, this has been the Green Car Reports Week in Reverse update.

________________________________________________

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Battery progress, diesel approvals, Toyota solid-state cells, CAFE rules, Bollinger B1: The Week in Reverse - Green Car Reports

Barclays results, however, showed the costs of its restructuring efforts.

The bank reported a loss of 1.4 billion pounds, or about $1.8 billion. That compared with a profit of 677 million in the second quarter of 2016.

But Mr. Staley, who joined Barclays in December 2015 as its third chief executive since 2012, said the bank had reduced the size of its so-called noncore operations to the point that the division could be closed. The bank could then shift capital within some businesses, he said, in order to focus on increasing its profitability.

Shares of Barclays were down less than 1 percent in midmorning trading in London on Friday.

During the quarter, the bank took a loss of 1.4 billion on reducing its stake in Barclays Africa Group and an impairment of 1.1 billion related to the business.

The British bank has cut its stake in the business to 15 percent in order to free itself from regulatory and capital requirements that have dragged on its balance sheet. Barclays had owned as much as 62.3 percent of the African business.

Barclays, which has operated in Africa for more than a century, first announced plans to sell down its controlling stake in March. The African business had been a key pillar for the bank under former chief executive Antony Jenkins.

During the quarter, Barclays also took a 700 million charge related to payment protection insurance. The insurance product was widely sold for more than two decades in Britain, targeting consumers taking out mortgages, credit cards or other loans.

But British regulators determined that complex pricing and detailed conditions on eligibility to make claims made the product inappropriate for some consumers. Compensation for those who were sold it improperly has cost the industry tens of billions of pounds.

Lloyds Banking Group, one of the biggest providers of the loan insurance in Britain, took a similar charge of 700 million as part of its second quarter results on Thursday.

British banks expect to be able to draw a line on claims as regulators have set an August 2019 deadline for consumers to seek compensation.

But Barclays is still facing a series of other regulatory issues.

It was sued by the United States Justice Department in December over its sale of securities linked toxic mortgages.

British authorities filed criminal charges in June against the bank and several former executives, accusing them of conspiring to misrepresent arrangements made with the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar in 2008, as the bank raised capital to help it weather the financial crisis.

And, Mr. Staley himself is facing an inquiry by regulators over his handling of a whistle-blower complaint.

Revenue declined about 2 percent in the second quarter in its corporate and investment bank. The banks credit and equity trading businesses reported double-digit revenue gains, while its rates and currency trading business saw a 25 percent decline in revenue.

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Barclays Reports 'Pretty Good Progress,' and a $1.8 Billion Loss - New York Times