Boeing fraud cited in U.S. crackdown
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, April 14, 2005
A federal prosecutor promised Thursday to crack down on fraud by defense contractors, saying a recent scandal involving the Boeing Co. shows the dangers inherent in government contracts involving billions of dollars. U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty of Virginia said investigators have made the issue a top priority in the wake of guilty pleas by two former Boeing executives. That case involved a $20 billion Air Force contract for refueling tankers based on the 767 airframe assembled in Everett. The Air Force official, Darleen Druyun, admitted she gave the company an inflated price on the tanker as a “parting gift” before retiring and taking a job with Boeing.
IBM earnings lag, changes promised
International Business Machines Corp., the world’s top provider of computer hardware, is weighing a “sizable restructuring” after it surprised investors Thursday with a first-quarter profit that missed Wall Street estimates by 5 cents a share.
Nevada fingertip not linked to chili
Authorities investigating the origin of a finger found in a bowl of fast-food chili said Thursday they have uncovered no link to a Nevada leopard attack that cost a woman part of her index finger. Sandy Allman, 59, lost a fingertip Feb. 23 in the attack by a spotted leopard being kept at her home in Pahrump, Nev. Las Vegas resident Anna Ayala claimed she found a 1 1/2-inch fingertip in her chili on March 22 while eating at a Wendy’s in San Jose.
Steering failure sparks ATV recall
American Honda Motor Co. is recalling about 200,000 all-terrain vehicles after receiving more than two dozen reports of steering rods separating, which could cause drivers to crash. The recalled model numbers:
2005 TRX250TE/TM
2004-05TRX350FE/FM/ TE/ TM
2004-05 TRX400FA/FGA
2005 TRX500FE/FM/TM
2005 TRX500FA/FGA
2005 TRX650FA/FGA
The company will contact registered owners and provide free repairs. For more information, call 866-784-1870.
Comcast Internet has disruptions
Comcast’s high-speed Internet customers nationwide have suffered Web and e-mail problems since last week. The company, Snohomish County’s main cable television provider, said the intermittent nature of the problem made it difficult to pinpoint how many customers have been affected, Comcast spokeswoman Jeanne Russo said. The exact cause of the problem had not been determined as of Thursday, but the troubles related to Comcast’s server system.
From Herald staff and news services
