Well, scientists over in Switzerland fired up the Hadron Collider yesterday. Fortunately, the uber-trick big bang replicator didn’t create a black hole and destroy the Earth, like some feared it might. As you can imagine, all this comes as a great relief to Jen, who spent yesterday worrying about where to move her cars. Anyway, here’s the news:

• Will Formula 1 return to the States? Well, if everything works out, it looks like we’ll be hosting a race in 2010. But will it be run at Indy or in Sin City? I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather go to Vegas. Autosport
• The division of the Interior Department responsible for collecting royalties from oil companies has been caught in an ethics scandal, which has highlighted "a culture of substance abuse and promiscuity." Wow! And I thought CarDomain was a fun place to work! Boston.com
• Barack Obama bumped into drag racing pioneer Big Daddy Don Garlits while campaigning in Virginia, and while he probably won’t get Garlits’—a registered Republican— vote, I still think he deserves props for knowing who he is. New York Times
• Are Porsche and VW gearing up to release a modern 914? Given the current economical climate, a budget sports car would make sense. But this isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors about a baby Porsche revival. Motor Authority

In one of his recent campaign ads, John McCain compared Barack Obama toParis—famous for being famous—Hilton. Well, Paris apparently wasn’thappy about it, and has fired back with an ad of her own. The spot details her energy policy, and while the whole thing is pretty funny, the description of McCain—"he’s old enough to remember when dancingwas a sin, and beer was served in a bucket"—is hilarious. Anyway, here’s the news:

• Unless you’re making high-end luxury cars, it’s a tough time to be in the auto business. Even the mighty Toyota is laying people off. 800 contract workers in Japan have been let go. Wall Street Journal
• The Lotus Evora is probably going to get a supercharger, which will boost power to around 400 horsepower. While that’s all well and good, maybe they should just put the camo back on this design disaster. That car was so much cooler when it was "Project Eagle" and nobody knew what it looked like. Autocar
• Packard made some gorgeous machines back in the day, and now the rights to the luxury marque are up for sale. Do yourself a favor and don’t look at the prototype. Damn, it’s ugly. Automotive News
• Next-gen versions of Porsche’s Cayenne have been spotted in the wild, and you have to admit, the uber-powerful SUV looks a lot better when it’s riding low. World Car Fans

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

Weird, but possible: campaign managers for Barack Obama are in talks with BAM Racing about possible sponsorship of a Sprint Cup racecar. But here’s the rub: the car that’s up for grabs is a Toyota, and it’s driven by a Republican, Ken Schrader. There seems to be quite a bit of room for friction here, and I can’t imagine that NASCAR fans on either side of the fence would find the sight of a candidate’s face plastered on the hood of the No. 49 Toyota to be anything but unappealing. But hey, Ron Paul almost did it—and democratic hopeful Bob Graham sponsored a Craftsman Truck Series truck back in 2003. Possibly not the smoothest move, but it’d be kind of hilarious to see.

My Uncle flew F-8 Crusaders when he was in the Navy, so as you can imagine, he has a ton of amazing stories about being in the cockpit. And while the damage to the Suburban came from an F-16, good ol’ Uncle Pat was the first thing I thought of when I saw that photo. Talk about serious artillery. Anyway, here’s the news:

• Are the blokes from Top Gear planning a traveling live show for the US? And will it be like "Top Gear Meets Cirque-Du-Soleil Meets Stomp?" Alex Roy thinks so, and I can’t figure out whether I want him to be wrong or right. Gumball144.com
• GM, Lexus and Chrysler are now selling certified pre-owned cars on eBay. For them, it seems like a good idea. But something tells me that it might not be the best thing for consumers. Am I just too distrustful of the man?  Automotive News
• Obama has seen a bounce in the polls since Clinton dropped out of the race. But does that mean he can help sell Kias? At least one Dallas dealership thinks so. Jalopnik
• I think smart cars look sick right out of the box, but if you’re looking for a wide-body kit for your urban commuter, Konigseder has you covered. Of course, if you want to dump some serious money into your ride, then the Gixxer swap is the way to go. CarScoop

In this space yesterday, I wrote about how much I like those FreeCreditReport.com commercials. But in praising those spots, I should have stated that the site doesn’t really provide free credit reports, and that it was sued for making consumers believe it did. Regardless, the ads are catchy. Anyway, here’s the news:

• Drivers in the UK don’t like speed cameras, that’s pretty clear. Now, what’s also clear is that mooning one of the ticket bots will net you—along with internet fame—a hefty fine from the bobbies. BBC via Autoblog
• Daimler AG has announced plans to open an office in Iraq. Several reasons were cited for the new location, chief among them being that in recent years, the company has lacked a location unpleasant and dangerous enough to adequately discipline under-performing employees. Glad they got that sorted out. AutoObserver
• NASCAR is looking to tweak its drug policy, and has hired an independent panel to provide recommendations. Some details about the panel’s finding have leaked, and the biggest news is that drivers will now only be allowed three "breakfast beers." AutoWeek
• Who knew that the Motor City’s papers had a bias? The headline on this article is "Obama Blasts Detroit, Ford Again." So what does he say? Basically, that ’70s domestics were crappy, and that the Big Three are paying for letting the Japanese own the small, fuel efficient car market. Is that really unfair? Detroit News

Most of the time, I feel like I could fill the space at the top of this post with a bunch of random words and no one would notice. Today, I was really tempted to try. Anyway, here’s the news:

• While most auto journalists are just snapping photos and drooling over Dodge’s new Challenger in the Windy City, some have actually been lucky enough to get one on the track. Lucky bastards. Auto Week
• According to their Prez, the United Auto Workers haven’t endorsed one of the Democratic candidates because they aren’t sure which one to pick. Here’s a hint: pick the one that can win. Detroit News
• Many analysts are speculating that Tata’s $2500 car might trigger higher gas prices around the globe, and the reasoning seems sound. One person who doesn’t agree? The president of Tata. Winding Road
• States handle cars with rebuilt titles differently, which makes it easy for unscrupulous sellers to white-wash junkers by transferring them around the country. But now consumer groups are pushing for a solution. Automotive News