Get the local report from WJHG.

 (CNN) -- Clay Duke sat quietly through the first portion of the Bay District Schools, Florida, school board meeting Tuesday afternoon as local children were honored for their achievements.

 When it came time for citizens to bring up issues, the 56-year-old resident calmly approached the front.

 He spray painted a red "V" with a circle around it on the wall, brandished a small-caliber handgun and ordered the room cleared at a Panama City schools building.

 "Six men stay. Everyone else leave," the burly gunman said.

 Moments later, Ginger Littleton, a board member, returned to the room and swung a purse at him. She ended up on the ground after the two struggled. The gunman cursed her, but did not open fire and he let her leave the room.

 Someone was going to die, he said.

 At that point, Duke, as seen on the dramatic live internet feed provided by CNN affiliates WJHG and WMBB, began a rambling discourse that included the apparent firing of his wife and sales taxes.

 The confrontation ended in the gunman identified as Duke calmly firing at the school officials, being wounded and, according to police, taking his own life.

 At first, school board members and Superintendent Bill Husfelt tried to reason with Duke, who had a criminal record. They talked about possibly finding a job for Duke's wife or looking into the case.

 Husfelt told the gunman that he likely signed the termination papers, but didn't recall the circumstances.

 "I'm the one who signed the papers," Husfelt. "Let them go," he said referring to the school board members.

 At one point, Husfelt said, "I don't want anybody to get hurt. I've got a feeling that what you want, is you want the cops to come in and kill you because you are mad. Because you said you are going to die."

 "But why? This isn't worth it," the superintendent told him. "This is a problem."

 The gunman then pointed the pistol at the official.

 "Please don't. Please don't. Please," Husfelt said.

 The gunman opened fire at Husfelt and school board members. He missed them all, even though he was at close range, said Lee Stafford, director of student services of Bay District Schools. Duke said, "I'm going to kill [unintelligible]," while he fired.

 Mike Jones, chief of security for the school system and a retired police officer, exchanged fire with Duke, who was wounded and rolled to the ground. Duke turned his gun on himself, dying of a fatal gunshot to the head, authorities said. Husfelt called Jones a "hero."

 The gunman was declared dead at a local hospital. An autopsy is expected Wednesday.

 Police and school officials were left to piece together what happened.

 "I'm sure they never expected this kind of event to occur," Sgt. Jeffrey Becker of the Panama City Police Department.

 The superintendent later related the event as being "surreal," Becker said.

 Husfelt told reporters that Duke had almost a smile on his face. "He made up his mind. You could tell he was going to die."

 The superintendent said he believes the gunman used a combination of live bullets and blanks. But police said live bullets were used.

 Husfelt told "AC360" Tuesday night that the gunman was "just mixed up" and that he tried to calm him down. "I knew the police were on their way."

 "You knew he had something in mind he was going to do and it would not end well," Husfelt said.

 The superintendent said he wanted to protect the school board members, but Duke did not want to talk.

 "The good Lord was standing in front of me," said the school chief, adding authorities found two bullet holes behind his desk.

 Police have a solid lead on Duke's motive, Becker said, but were not prepared Tuesday night to release it.

 The investigation includes Duke's assertions that his wife had been terminated by the school district. Police were talking with Duke's wife, Becker said.

 School officials said they were unaware of the significance of the spray painting.

 But a Facebook page belonging to a Clay Duke has a profile photo of a "V" in a red circle, a logo that is used in the movie "V for Vendetta."

 According to the Internet Movie Database, the 2006 film is about "a shadowy freedom fighter known only as "V" uses terrorist tactics to fight against his totalitarian society. Upon rescuing a girl from the secret police, he also finds his best chance at having an ally."

 CNN could not verify if the Facebook page belonged to the gunman, but it does list Duke, 56, as living in Panama City, Florida.

 A biography on Duke's Facebook page reads: "My Testament: Some people (the government sponsored media) will say I was evil, a monster (V)... no... I was just born poor in a country where the Wealthy manipulate, use, abuse, and economically enslave 95% of the population. Rich Republicans, Rich Democrats... same-same... rich... they take turns fleecing us... our few dollars... pyramiding the wealth for themselves. The 95%... the us, in US of A, are the neo slaves of the Global South. Our Masters, the Wealthy, do, as they like to us..."

 Under "political views," Duke labels himself a "Freedom Fighter." Under religious views, he wrote, "Humanism."

 Duke, who lived in Lynn Haven, a suburb of Panama City, has a previous record, Becker told CNN.

 According to the website of the Florida Department of Corrections, Duke was sentenced in 2000 for aggravated stalking, obstructing justice and throwing or shooting into a vehicle.

 According to the Panama City News Herald, after six months of stalking a former girlfriend, Duke confronted the woman outside her home on Oct. 20, 1999. He was wearing the mask and vest and holding two .22-caliber guns. He threatened to kill her, then kill several others and then himself, the newspaper said. When the woman tried to drive away, Duke shot out a rear tire.

 The photo of Duke on the corrections page matches the Facebook page.

 The News Herald reported that the gunman was taken out of the building on a stretcher. According to Panama City Police Chief John Van Etten, no one other than the suspect was injured, affiliate WJHG said.

 School board spokeswoman Karen Tucker said the man "was a large guy" she had seen sitting in the back of the boardroom earlier, according to the News Herald.

 Superintendent Husfelt will hold a press conference at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the administration building in Panama City, police said.

 CNN affiliate WMBB reported children and parents were at the meeting to be recognized for achievements, but were gone before the incident began.

 "We are absolutely in state of shock," said Stafford. "I was in the third floor and we were watching the live feed, and first we thought it was a drill. But the more that you watched it, we realized this was an actual incident and emergency situation."

 Duke's Facebook page listed him as a 1972 graduate of King High School in Tampa.

 His favorite quotation: "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth," from the movie "A Few Good Men."

 From CNN's Vivian Kuo. ||||| A gunman who fired point-blank at school board members before fatally shooting himself had for much of the meeting sat with the rest of the audience, listening to routine business.

 This photo provided by the Florida Dept. of Corrections shows Clay Duke. (AP Photo/Florida Dept of Corrections) (Associated Press)

 As the board was in the midst of a discussion Tuesday, Clay A. Duke walked to the front of the room, spray painted a red "V" with a circle around it on the white wall, then turned and waved a handgun. He calmly ordered everyone to "hit the road" except the men on the board sitting behind a long beige desk.

 Despite his shock, Bay City Schools Superintendent Bill Hasfelt mustered a calm voice and tried to persuade Duke to drop the gun, but the 56-year-old ex-convict just shook his head, blaming officials for his wife being fired. Video showed him slowly raising the gun and leveling it at Husfelt, who pleaded "Please don't, please don't."

 "We could tell by the look in his eyes that this wasn't going to end well," Husfelt later told The Associated Press.

 Duke shot twice at Husfelt from about 8 feet away and squeezed off several more rounds before security guard Mike Jones bolted in and, after exchanging gunfire with Duke, wounded him in the leg or side. Duke then fatally shot himself, police Sgt. Jeff Becker said. Somehow, no one else who remained in the small board room was injured in the clash that lasted several minutes, and Husfelt said at least two rounds lodged in the wall behind him.

 "It was so surreal. You couldn't believe it was going on," he said.

 Before the shooting started, the only woman on the five-member board _ who had left the room as ordered _ came back, sneaked up behind Duke and whacked his gun arm with her large, brown purse.

 "In my mind, that was the last attempt or opportunity to divert him," Ginger Littleton told AP.

 Duke, a large, heavyset man dressed in a dark pullover coat, got angry, turned around, and she fell to the floor, as board members pleaded with her to stop. Duke pointed the gun at her head and said, "You stupid b----" but he didn't shoot her, she said. She's not sure why.

 "He had every opportunity to take me out," she said.

 In his brief exchange with the board, Duke said his wife had been fired from the northern Florida district, but never told Husfelt or the board who she was or her job. Members promised to help her find a new job, but Duke just shook his head. Husfelt told Duke he would be responsible for her dismissal, so the board members should be allowed to leave.

 "He said his wife was fired, but we really don't know what he was talking about," Husfelt told the AP at his Panama City home. "I don't think he knew what he was talking about."

 Husfelt in the exchange on video tells Duke: "I've got a feeling you want the cops to come in and kill you because you said you are going to die today." Later, the head of more than 30 district schools said he was sure someone was going to be killed.

 Tommye Lou Richardson, the school district's personnel director, who was at the meeting, called district security chief and former police officer Jones a hero. In the video, as Duke lay on the floor, colleagues comforted a shaken Jones, who said he had never shot anyone before.

 SWAT officers then storm the room and order everyone onto the ground. School officials tell them that Duke is shot and appears dead. His feet can be seen near the board's seats. The district said Jones would not be available for an interview.

 Minutes before Duke rose from his seat, the room had been filled with students receiving awards, Husfelt said.

 "It could have been a monumental tragedy."

 Husfelt spoke to the AP wearing a sweat shirt and pajama bottoms, surrounded by his family. With a Christmas tree as backdrop, he said his faith anchored him during the ordeal and that he thought, "I don't want to die today but I'm prepared if I do.

 "God was standing in front of me and I will go to my grave believing that," he said.

 As for the V inside a circle that Duke painted, it's the same symbol used in the graphic novel series and movie "V for Vendetta," though police didn't talk about his motive.

 After everything stopped, some board members speculated that the bullets Duke was firing were fake or caps. But police say the gun was real _ and the video shows papers flying up on Husfelt's desk.

 Duke was charged in October 1999 with aggravated stalking, shooting or throwing a missile into a building or vehicle and obstructing justice, according to state records. He was convicted and sentenced in January 2000 to five years in prison and was released in January 2004. Records show Duke was a licensed massage therapist before his arrest but it wasn't clear if he was employed.

 Attorney Ben Bollinger, who represented Duke during his trial, told The News Herald of Panama City that Duke was waiting in the woods for his wife with a rifle, wearing a mask and a bulletproof vest. She confronted him and then tried to leave in a vehicle, and Duke shot the tires. He said that as part of his sentence, Duke was required to complete psychological counseling. Bollinger did not immediately return a phone message from the AP.

 "The guy obviously had a death wish," district spokeswoman Karen Tucker said of Duke.

Summary: – If there was a prize for America's bravest school board member, Ginger Littleton would be a shoo-in. Video of yesterday's hostage-taking incident at a Florida school board meeting shows that after gunman Clay Duke ordered everybody apart from six men to leave the room, Littleton returned to the room and swung a purse at him. Duke, who later shot himself after being injured in an exchange of fire with a security guard, swore at her but didn't shoot, CNN reports. Nobody except Duke, a 56-year-old ex-con, was harmed in the incident. As board members and superintendent Bill Husfelt tried to reason with him, Duke rambled about grievances including sales taxes. "He said his wife was fired, but we really don't know what he was talking about," Husfelt tells the AP. "I don't think he knew what he was talking about." Duke then opened fire on the superintendent and board members at close range but missed them all before the security guard bolted in. "God was standing in front of me and I will go to my grave believing that," Husfeldt says.


The front of the McLaren F1 supercar was wrecked in the collision with the rear of a Rover Metro in Lancashire at 1400 BST on Monday.

 The star's brother says it is his first accident

 The star, also famous for his role as Edmund Blackadder in the eponymous TV series, reportedly asked police not to name him following the accident in the 230mph supercar.

 Mr Atkinson's brother Rodney said the star - whose Mr Bean character drives a Mini rather than a high-powered sports car - was "an absolute fanatic" about cars.

 He said: "The faster they are the more he likes them. He's a very good driver, there's no doubt about it, and this is the first accident I have heard of involving him.

 "Obviously, we are relieved he is uninjured."

 Mr Atkinson's sports car, which can travel from 0-60mph in just 3.2 seconds, is not the only prestige vehicle he has owned.

 He has also driven Aston Martins, Rolls Royces, Lancias and Mercedes.

 The McLaren car was delivered to his Oxfordshire home in 1997. ||||| For the Formula One team, see McLaren

 The McLaren F1 is a sports car designed and manufactured by McLaren Cars. Originally a concept conceived by Gordon Murray, he convinced Ron Dennis to back the project and engaged Peter Stevens to design the exterior and interior of the car. On 31 March 1998, the XP5 prototype with modified rev limiter set the Guinness World Record for the world's fastest production car, reaching 240.1 mph (386.4 km/h), surpassing the modified Jaguar XJ220's 217.1 mph (349 km/h) record from 1992. The McLaren's record lasted until the Koenigsegg CCR surpassed it in 2005, followed by the Bugatti Veyron. Only low production volume cars like the 1993 Dauer 962 Le Mans which attained 251.4 mph (404.6 km/h) in 1998 were faster.[2][3]

 The car features numerous proprietary designs and technologies; it is lighter and has a more streamlined structure than many modern sports cars, despite having one seat more than most similar sports cars, with the driver's seat located in the centre (and slightly forward) of two passengers' seating positions, providing driver visibility superior to that of a conventional seating layout. It features a powerful engine and is somewhat track oriented, but not to the degree that it compromises everyday usability and comfort. It was conceived as an exercise in creating what its designers hoped would be considered the ultimate road car. Despite not having been designed as a track machine, a modified race car edition of the vehicle won several races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995, where it faced purpose-built prototype race cars. Production began in 1992 and ended in 1998. In all, 106 cars were manufactured, with some variations in the design.[4]

 In 1994, the British car magazine Autocar stated in a road test regarding the F1, "The McLaren F1 is the finest driving machine yet built for the public road." They further stated, "The F1 will be remembered as one of the great events in the history of the car, and it may possibly be the fastest production road car the world will ever see."[5] In 2005, Channel4 placed the car at number one on their list of the 100 greatest cars, calling it "the greatest automotive achievement of all time". In popular culture, the McLaren F1 has earned its spot as 'The greatest automobile ever created' and 'The Most Excellent Sports Car Of All Time' amongst a wide variety of car enthusiasts and lovers.[6] Notable past and present McLaren F1 owners include Elon Musk,[7] Jay Leno,[8] George Harrison,[9] and the Sultan of Brunei.[10] In the April 2017 issue of Top Gear Magazine, the McLaren F1 was listed as one of the fastest naturally aspirated cars currently available in the world, and in the same league as the more modern vehicles such as the Ferrari Enzo and Aston Martin One-77 despite being produced and engineered 10 years prior the Ferrari Enzo and 17 years prior the Aston Martin One-77.[11]

 Design and implementation [ edit ]

 The logo of McLaren F1

 McLaren F1

 Chief engineer Gordon Murray's design concept was a common one among designers of high-performance cars: low weight and high power. This was achieved through use of high-tech and expensive materials such as carbon fibre, titanium, gold, magnesium and kevlar. The F1 was the first production car to use a carbon-fibre monocoque chassis.[12]

 The three seat setup inside an F1

 Gordon Murray had been thinking of a three-seat sports car since his youth. When Murray was waiting for a flight home from the Italian Grand Prix in 1988, he drew a sketch of a three-seater sports car and proposed it to Ron Dennis. He pitched the idea of creating the ultimate road car, a concept that would be heavily influenced by the company's Formula One experience and technology and thus reflect that skill and knowledge through the McLaren F1.

 Murray declared that "During this time, we were able to visit Honda's Tochigi Research Center with Ayrton Senna. The visit related to the fact that at the time, McLaren's F1 Grand Prix cars were using Honda engines. Although it's true I had thought it would have been better to put a larger engine, the moment I drove the Honda NSX, all the benchmark cars—Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini—I had been using as references in the development of my car vanished from my mind. Of course the car we would create, the McLaren F1, needed to be faster than the NSX, but the NSX's ride quality and handling would become our new design target. Being a fan of Honda engines, I later went to Honda's Tochigi Research Center on two occasions and requested that they consider building for the McLaren F1 a 4.5 litre V10 or V12. I asked, I tried to persuade them, but in the end could not convince them to do it, and the McLaren F1 ended up equipped with a BMW engine."[13]

 Later, a pair of Ultima MK3 kit cars, chassis numbers 12 and 13, "Albert" and "Edward", the last two MK3s, were used as "mules" to test various components and concepts before the first cars were built. Number 12 was used to test the gearbox with a 7.4 litre Chevrolet V8, plus various other components such as the seats and the brakes. Number 13 was the test of the V12, plus exhaust and cooling system. When McLaren was done with the cars they destroyed both of them to keep away the specialist magazines and because they did not want the car to be associated with "kit cars".[14]

 The car was first unveiled at a launch show, 28 May 1992, at The Sporting Club in Monaco. The production version remained the same as the original prototype (XP1) except for the wing mirror which, on the XP1, was mounted at the top of the A-pillar. This car was deemed not road legal as it had no indicators at the front; McLaren was forced to make changes on the car as a result (some cars, including Ralph Lauren's, were sent back to McLaren and fitted with the prototype mirrors). The original wing mirrors also incorporated a pair of indicators which other car manufacturers would adopt several years later.

 The car's safety levels were first proved when during a testing in Namibia in April 1993, a test driver wearing just shorts and a T-shirt hit a rock and rolled the first prototype car several times. The driver managed to escape unscathed. Later in the year, the second prototype (XP2) was specially built for crashtesting and passed with the front wheel arch untouched.

 Engine [ edit ]

 History [ edit ]

 The McLaren F1's engine compartment contains the mid-mounted BMW S70/2 engine and uses gold foil as a heat shield in the exhaust compartment

 Gordon Murray insisted that the engine for this car be naturally aspirated to increase reliability and driver control. Turbochargers and superchargers increase power but they increase complexity and can decrease reliability as well as introducing an additional aspect of latency and loss of feedback. The ability of the driver to maintain maximum control of the engine is thus compromised. Murray initially approached Honda for a powerplant with, 558 PS (550 bhp; 410 kW) 600 mm (23.6 in) block length and a total weight of 250 kg (551 lb), it should be derived from the Formula One powerplant in the then-dominating McLaren/Honda cars. When Honda refused, Isuzu, then planning an entry into Formula One, had a 3.5-litre V12 engine being tested in a Lotus chassis. The company was very interested in having the engine fitted into the F1. However, the designers wanted an engine with a proven design and a racing pedigree.[15]

 Specifications [ edit ]

 Gordon Murray then approached BMW, which took an interest, and the motorsport division BMW M headed by engine expert Paul Rosche[16] designed and built Murray a 6,064 cc (6.1 L; 370.0 cu in) 60º V12 engine called the BMW S70/2.[17] At 627 PS (618 bhp; 461 kW)[18][19] and 266 kg (586 lb) the BMW engine ended up 14% more powerful and 16 kg (35 lb) heavier than Gordon Murray's original specifications, with the same block length.

 It has an aluminium alloy block and heads, with bore x stroke of 86 mm × 87 mm (3.39 in × 3.43 in) DOHC with variable valve timing (a relatively new and unproven technology for the time) for maximum flexibility of control over the 4 valves per cylinder, and a chain drive for the camshafts for maximum reliability.

 The engine uses a dry sump oil lubrication system. The carbon fibre body panels and monocoque required significant heat insulation in the engine compartment, so Murray's solution was to line the engine bay with a highly efficient heat-reflector: gold foil. Approximately 16 g (0.8 ounce) of gold was used in each car.[20]

 The road version used a compression ratio of 11:1 to produce a maximum power output of 627 PS (618 bhp; 461 kW) at 7,400 rpm and 479 lb⋅ft (650 N⋅m) at 5,600 rpm of torque.[21][22] The engine has a redline rev limiter set at 7,500 rpm. In contrast to raw engine power, a car's power-to-weight ratio is a better method of quantifying acceleration performance than the peak output of the vehicle's powerplant. The standard F1 achieves 550 hp/ton (403 kW/tonne), or just 4.0 lb/hp.

 The cam carriers, covers, oil sump, dry sump, and housings for the camshaft control are made of magnesium castings. The intake control features twelve individual butterfly valves and the exhaust system has four Inconel catalysts with individual Lambda-Sondion controls. The camshafts are continuously variable for increased performance, using a system very closely based on BMW's VANOS variable timing system for the BMW M3;[23] it is a hydraulically actuated phasing mechanism which retards the inlet cam relative to the exhaust cam at low revs, which reduces the valve overlap and provides for increased idle stability and increased low-speed torque. At higher rpm the valve overlap is increased by computer control to 42 degrees (compare 25 degrees on the M3)[23] for increased airflow into the cylinders and thus increased performance.

 To allow the fuel to atomise fully, the engine uses two Lucas injectors per cylinder, with the first injector located close to the inlet valve – operating at low engine rpm – while the second is located higher up the inlet tract – operating at higher rpm. The dynamic transition between the two devices is controlled by the engine computer.[23] Each cylinder has its own miniature ignition coil. The closed-loop fuel injection is sequential. The engine has no knock sensor as the predicted combustion conditions would not cause this to be a problem. The pistons are forged in aluminium.

 Every cylinder bore has a Nikasil coating giving it a high degree of wear resistance.[23] From 1998 to 2000, the Le Mans–winning BMW V12 LMR sports car used a similar S70/2 engine. The engine was given a short development time, causing the BMW design team to use only trusted technology from prior design and implementation experience. The engine does not use titanium valves or connecting rods. Variable intake geometry was considered but rejected on grounds of unnecessary complication.[23] As for fuel consumption, the engine achieves on average 15.2 mpg (15 L/100 km), at worst 9.3 mpg (25 L/100 km) and at best 23.4 mpg (10 L/100 km).[5]

 McLaren F1 with all user accessible compartments opened

 Chassis and body [ edit ]

 The McLaren F1 was the first production road car to use a complete carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) monocoque chassis structure.[24] Aluminium and magnesium were used for attachment points for the suspension system, inserted directly into the CFRP.[25]

 The car features a central driving position – the driver's seat is located in the middle, ahead of the fuel tank and ahead of the engine, with a passenger seat slightly behind and on each side.[26] The doors on the vehicle move up and out when opened, and are thus of the butterfly type, also called Dihedral doors. Gordon Murray's design for the doors was inspired by a Toyota Sera.[27]

 The engine produces high temperatures under full application and thus causes a high temperature variation in the engine bay from no operation to normal and full operation. CFRP becomes mechanically stressed over time from high heat transfer effects and thus the engine bay was not constructed from CFRP.[28]

 Aerodynamics [ edit ]

 The overall drag coefficient on the standard McLaren F1 is 0.32,[29] compared with 0.36 for the faster Bugatti Veyron, and 0.357 for the SSC Ultimate Aero TT, which was the fastest production car from 2007 to 2010. The vehicle's frontal area is 1.79 square metres, and the S·Cd figure is 0.57. Because the machine features active aerodynamics[30][20][31] these are the figures presented in the most streamlined configuration.

 The normal McLaren F1 features no wings to produce downforce (compare the LM and GTR editions); however, the overall design of the underbody of the McLaren F1 in addition to a rear diffuser exploits ground effect to improve downforce which is increased through the use of two electric Kevlar fans to further decrease the pressure under the car.[32] A "high downforce mode" can be turned on and off by the driver.[32] At the top of the vehicle, there is an air intake to direct high pressure air to the engine with a low pressure exit point at the top of the very rear.[32] Under each door is a small air intake to provide cooling for the oil tank and some of the electronics.[32] The airflow created by the electric fans not only increases downforce, but the airflow that is created is further exploited through design, by being directed through the engine bay to provide additional cooling for the engine and the ECU.[32] At the front, there are ducts assisted by a Kevlar electric suction fan for cooling of the front brakes.[32]

 There is a small dynamic rear spoiler on the tail of the vehicle, which will adjust dynamically and automatically attempt to balance the centre of gravity of the car under braking[20] – which will be shifted forward when the brakes are applied. Upon activation of the spoiler, a high pressure zone is created in front of the flap, and this high pressure zone is exploited—two air intakes are revealed upon application that will allow the high pressure airflow to enter ducts that route air to aid in cooling the rear brakes.[32] The spoiler increases the overall drag coefficient from 0.32 to 0.39 and is activated at speeds equal to or above 40 mph (64 km/h) by brake line pressure.[23]

 Suspension [ edit ]

 Steve Randle, who was the car's dynamicist, was appointed responsible for the design of the suspension system of the McLaren F1.[23] It was decided that the ride should be comfortable yet performance-oriented, but not as stiff and low as that of a true track machine, as that would imply reduction in practical use and comfort as well as increasing noise and vibration, which would be a contradictory design choice in relation to the former set premise – the goal of creating the ultimate road car.

 From inception, the design of the F1 had a strong focus on adjusting the mass of the car as near the middle as possible by extensive manipulation of placement of, among other things, the engine, fuel and driver, allowing for a low polar moment of inertia in yaw. The F1 has 42% of its weight at the front and 58% at the rear,[23] this figure changes less than 1% with the fuel load.

 The distance between the mass centroid of the car and the suspension roll centre were designed to be the same front and rear to avoid unwanted weight transfer effects. Computer controlled dynamic suspension were considered but not applied due to the inherent increase in weight, increased complexity and loss of predictability of the vehicle.

 Damper and spring specifications: 90 mm (3.5 in) bump, 80 mm (3.1 in) rebound with bounce frequency at 1.43 Hz at front and 1.80 Hz at the rear.[23] Despite being sports oriented, these figures imply a soft ride and inherently decrease track performance. As can be seen from the McLaren F1 LM and the McLaren F1 GTR track variants, the track performance potential is much higher than that in the standard F1 road car due to fact that car should be comfortable and usable in everyday conditions.

 The suspension is a double wishbone system with an unusual design. Longitudinal wheel compliance is included without loss of wheel control, which allows the wheel to travel backwards when it hits a bump – increasing the comfort of the ride.

 Castor wind-off at the front during braking is handled by McLaren's proprietary Ground Plane Shear Centre – the wishbones on either side in the subframe are fixed in rigid plane bearings and connected to the body by four independent bushes which are 25 times more stiff radially than axially.[23] This solution provides for a castor wind-off measured to 1.02 degrees per g of braking deceleration. Compare the Honda NSX at 2.91 degrees per g, the Porsche 928 S at 3.60 degrees per g and the Jaguar XJ6 at 4.30 degrees per g respectively. The difference in toe and camber values are also of very small under lateral force application. Inclined Shear Axis is used at the rear of the machine provides measurements of 0.04 degrees per g of change in toe-in under braking and 0.08 degrees per g of toe-out under traction.[23]

 When developing the suspension system the facility of electro-hydraulic kinematics and compliance at Anthony Best Dynamics was employed to measure the performance of the suspension on a Jaguar XJR16, a Porsche 928S and a Honda NSX to use as references.

 Steering knuckles and the top wishbone/bell crank are also specially manufactured in an aluminium alloy. The wishbones are machined from a solid aluminium alloy with CNC machines.[23]

 Tyres [ edit ]

 The McLaren F1 uses 235/45ZR17 front tyres and 315/45ZR17 rear tyres.[30] These are specially designed and developed solely for the McLaren F1 by Goodyear and Michelin. The tyres are mounted on 17-by-9-inch (430 mm × 230 mm) front, and 17-by-11.5-inch (430 mm × 290 mm) rear five-spoke cast magnesium wheels, coated with a protective paint and secured by magnesium retention pins.[26]

 The turning circle from kerb to kerb is 13 m (43 ft), allowing the driver 2 turns from lock to lock.

 Brakes [ edit ]

 The F1 features unassisted, vented and cross-drilled brake discs made by Brembo. Front size is 332 mm (13.1 in) and at the rear 305 mm (12.0 in).[30][23] The callipers are all four-pot, opposed piston types, and are made of aluminium.[23] The rear brake callipers do not feature any handbrake functionality, however there is a mechanically actuated, fist-type callipers which is computer controlled and thus serves as a handbrake.

 To increase calliper stiffness, the callipers are machined from one single solid piece (in contrast to the more common being bolted together from two halves). Pedal travel is slightly over one inch. Activation of the rear spoiler will allow the air pressure generated at the back of the vehicle to force air into the cooling ducts located at either end of the spoiler which become uncovered upon application of it.

 Servo-assisted ABS brakes were ruled out as they would imply increased mass, complexity and reduced brake feel; however at the cost of increasing the required skill of the driver.[23]

 Gordon Murray attempted to utilise carbon brakes for the F1, but found the technology not mature enough at the time;[28] with one of the major culprits being that of a proportional relationship between brake disc temperature and friction—i.e. stopping power—thus resulting in relatively poor brake performance without an initial warm-up of the brakes before use.[33] Since carbon brakes have a more simplified application envelope in pure racing environments, this allows for the racing edition of the car, the F1 GTR, to feature ceramic carbon brakes.[16]

 Gearbox and powertrain [ edit ]

 The standard McLaren F1 has a transverse 6-speed manual gearbox with an AP carbon triple-plate clutch[30] contained in an aluminium housing. The second generation GTR edition has a magnesium housing.[16] Both the standard edition and the 'McLaren F1 LM' have the following gear ratios: 3.23:1, 2.19:1, 1.71:1, 1.39:1, 1.16:1, 0.93:1, with a final drive of 2.37:1, the final gear is offset from the side of the clutch.[30] The gearbox is proprietary and was developed by Weismann.[34] The Torsen LSD (Limited Slip Differential) has a 40% lock.[30]

 The McLaren F1 has an aluminium flywheel that has only the dimensions and mass absolutely needed to allow the torque from the engine to be transmitted. This is done in order to decrease rotational inertia and increase responsiveness of the system, resulting in faster gear changes and better throttle feedback. This is possible due to the F1 engine lacking secondary vibrational couples and featuring a torsional vibration damper by BMW.[23]

 Interior and equipment [ edit ]

 1996 McLaren F1 side luggage compartment

 Standard equipment on the stock McLaren F1 includes full cabin air conditioning, a rarity on most sports cars and a system design which Murray again credited to the Honda NSX, a car he had owned and driven himself for 7 years without ever needing to change the AC automatic setting.[citation needed] Further comfort features included SeKurit electric defrost/demist windscreen and side glass, electric window lifts, remote central locking, Kenwood 10-disc CD stereo system, cabin access release for opening panels, cabin storage compartment, four-lamp high performance headlight system, rear fog and reversing lights, courtesy lights in all compartments, map reading lights and a gold-plated Facom titanium tool kit and first aid kit (both stored in the car).[35] In addition, tailored, proprietary luggage bags specially designed to fit the vehicle's carpeted storage compartments, including a tailored golf bag, were standard equipment.[26] Airbags are not present in the car.[5][16] Each customer was given a special edition TAG Heuer 6000 Chronometer wristwatch with its serial number scripted below the centre stem.[36]

 All features of the F1 were, according to Gordon Murray, obsessed over including the interior.[28] The metal plates fitted to improve aesthetics of the cockpit are claimed to be 20 thousandths of an inch (0.5 mm) thick to save weight.[28] The driver's seat of the McLaren F1 is custom fitted to the specifications desired by the customer for optimal fit and comfort; the seats are handmade from CFRP and covered in light Connolly leather.[26] By design, the F1 steering column cannot be adjusted; however, prior to production each customer specifies the exact preferred position of the steering wheel and thus the steering column is tailored by default to those owner settings. The same holds true for the pedals, which are not adjustable after the car has left the factory, but are tailored to each specific customer.[5]

 During its pre-production stage, McLaren commissioned Kenwood, the team's supplier of radio equipment, to create a lightweight car audio system for the car; Kenwood, between 1992 and 1998 used the F1 to promote its products in print advertisements, calendars and brochure covers. Each car's audio system was especially designed to tailor to an individual's listening taste, however radio was omitted because Murray never listened to the radio.

 Purchase and maintenance [ edit ]

 Only 106 cars were manufactured: 5 prototypes (XP1, XP2, XP3, XP4, XP5), 64 road versions (F1), 1 tuned prototype (XP1 LM), 5 tuned versions (LM), 1 longtail prototype (XPGT), 2 longtail versions (GT), and 28 racecars (GTR). Production began in 1992 and ended in 1998.[4] At the time of production, each car took around three and a half months to make.[5]

 Although production stopped in 1998, McLaren still maintains an extensive support and service network for the F1. Every standard F1 has a modem which allows customer care to remotely fetch information from the ECU of the car in order to assist the customer in the event of a mechanical vehicle failure.[37] There are eight[38] authorised service centres throughout the world, and McLaren will on occasion fly a specialised technician to the owner of the car or the service centre. All of the technicians have undergone dedicated training in service of the McLaren F1. In cases where major structural damage has occurred, the car can be returned to McLaren directly for repair.[38]

 Performance [ edit ]

 The F1 remains one of the fastest production cars ever made; as of July 2013 it is succeeded by very few cars, including the Koenigsegg CCR,[39] the Bugatti Veyron,[40] the SSC Ultimate Aero TT,[41] and the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. However, all of the higher top speed machines use forced induction to reach their respective top speeds, whereas the McLaren F1 is naturally aspirated.

 McLaren F1 has a power to weight ratio of 1.79 kg (3.95 lb) per horsepower.

 Acceleration (Test By Autocar Magazine) [ edit ]

 0–30 mph (48 km/h): 1.8 s [42]

 0–40 mph (64 km/h): 2.3 s [42]

 0–50 mph (80 km/h): 2.7 s [42]

 0–60 mph (97 km/h): 3.2 s [42]

 0–70 mph (113 km/h): 3.9 s [42]

 0–80 mph (129 km/h): 4.5 s [42]

 0–90 mph (145 km/h): 5.6 s [42]

 0–100 mph (161 km/h): 6.3 s [42]

 0–110 mph (177 km/h): 7.2 s [42]

 0–120 mph (193 km/h): 9.2 s [42]

 0–124.3 mph (200 km/h): 9.4 s [43]

 0–130 mph (209 km/h): 10.4 s [42]

 0–140 mph (225 km/h): 11.2 s [42]

 0–150 mph (241 km/h): 12.8 s [42]

 0–160 mph (257 km/h): 14.6 s [42]

 0–170 mph (274 km/h): 17.2 s [42]

 0–180 mph (290 km/h): 20.3 s [42]

 0–190 mph (306 km/h): 23.8 s [42]

 0–200 mph (322 km/h): 28 s [42]

 30–50 mph (48–80 km/h): 1.8 s, using 3rd/4th gear [42]

 30–70 mph (48–113 km/h): 2.1 s, using 3rd/4th gear [42]

 40–60 mph (64–97 km/h): 2.3 s, using 4th/5th gear [42]

 50–70 mph (80–113 km/h): 2.8 s, using 5th gear [42]

 180–200 mph (290–322 km/h): 7.6 s, using 6th gear [42]

 0–400 m (0.25 mi): 11.045 s at 138 mph (222 km/h) [44]

 0–1,000 m (0.62 mi): 19.548 s at 276.41 km/h (171.75 mph)[44]

 Acceleration (On a customer car) [ edit ]

 Braking and handling [ edit ]

 30–0 mph (48–0 km/h): 9.7 m / 31.83 ft [46]

 50–0 mph (80–0 km/h): 25.2 m / 82.68 ft [46]

 70–0 mph (112–0 km/h): 49 m / 162 ft [42]

 Skidpad Lateral Acceleration: 1.2[47]–1.3g[15]

 Track tests [ edit ]

 Tsukuba Circuit, time trial : 1:04.62 (Driven by Naoki Hattori in Best Motoring) on a hot lap with humid (92%) weather and some miss shifting. [48] Which means that lap time can be improved to 59s with ideal conditions and if miss shifts were corrected as said by Best Motoring (who tested it) on Facebook. [49]

 : 1:04.62 (Driven by Naoki Hattori in Best Motoring) on a hot lap with humid (92%) weather and some miss shifting. Which means that lap time can be improved to 59s with ideal conditions and if miss shifts were corrected as said by Best Motoring (who tested it) on Facebook. Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, 2-mile (3.2 km) banked circuit, top speed test : An average speed of 195.3 mph (314.3 km/h), with a maximum speed of 200.8 mph (323.2 km/h) (driven by Tiff Needell using the XP5 prototype). [50]

 : An average speed of 195.3 mph (314.3 km/h), with a maximum speed of 200.8 mph (323.2 km/h) (driven by Tiff Needell using the XP5 prototype). MIRA, 2.82-mile (4.54 km) banked circuit, top speed test : An average speed of 168 mph (270 km/h), with a maximum speed of 196.2 mph (315.8 km/h) (driven by Peter Taylor). [50]

 : An average speed of 168 mph (270 km/h), with a maximum speed of 196.2 mph (315.8 km/h) (driven by Peter Taylor). Bedford Autodrome West Circuit Post 2006 Hot Lap: 1:21.20 done by Evo magazine with a custom modified McLaren F1(with same tyres as Enzo) on 10 January 2007 which was faster than a Ferrari Enzo lap of 1:21.30 [51]

 Estoril circuit lap is 1:55.9 in 1994 (4.36 km) configuration of the track with 3 people on board in July 1994. [52] [53]

 Mclaren F1 XP4 prototype was tested by Tiff Needell on TopGear at Goodwood track. [54] He said that its handling was superb and precise. The car reaches same part of the GoodWood that is woodcote corner from 6:53 to 8:18 of the video so expect the laptime to be around 1:25 (it may vary as it is estimation from video). [54]

 He said that its handling was superb and precise. The car reaches same part of the GoodWood that is woodcote corner from 6:53 to 8:18 of the video so expect the laptime to be around 1:25 (it may vary as it is estimation from video). The 1st lap of Nurburgring was completed by Jonathan Palmer in the XP4 prototype, where he reached a maximum of 200 mph (322 km/h) on the track.[55]

 Record claims [ edit ]

 The title of "world's fastest production road car" was constantly in contention, especially because the term "production car" is not well-defined.

 In August 1993 McLaren tested the XP3 prototype – which had only about 580 hp – at Nardo. They calculated a top speed of 231 mph from the data recording inside the car.[56]

 The British magazine Autocar was given access and tested the XP5 prototype in May 1994. They wrote:"Had we enough tarmac, we have no doubt that it would finally stop accelerating at its rev-limiter in top which, taking tyre growth into account, would be somewhere the far side of 230mph."[46]

 Car and Driver wrote in their August 1994 issue ("Courtesy of Autocar & Motor" written in the box with performance numbers): "Top speed? The F1 runs into the 7500 rpm redline in sixth at 221 mph—but it's still accelerating. Gordon Murray, the F1's designer, is convinced that with taller gearing, the car is capable of at least 230 mph."[42]

 On 31 March 1998 Andy Wallace drove the five-year-old XP5 prototype at Volkswagen's test track in Ehra-Lessien, setting a new production car world record of independently measured 240.1 mph (386.4 km/h) two-way average (peak speed 243 mph(391 km/h) measured by McLaren)[57] with the rev-limiter raised to 8300 rpm.[30][58]

 It's said that the certified 240.1 mph were converted from 386.7 km/h which is almost 240.3 mph if converted more precisely, so top speeds in the 240.1–240.3 mph (386.4–386.7 km/h) range can be read from various sources.

 Depending on the definition of "production car" it was dethroned in November 1998 by the Dauer 962 Le Mans (404.6 km/h (251.4 mph) in Ehra-Lessien)[2][59] or in April 2007 by the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 (408.47 km/h (253.81 mph) in Ehra-Lessien).[40]

 Motorsports [ edit ]

 Following its initial launch as a road car, motorsports teams convinced McLaren to build racing versions of the F1 to compete in international series. Three different versions of the race car were developed from 1995 to 1997.[60]

 Many F1 GTRs, after the cars were no longer eligible in international racing series, were converted to street use. By adding mufflers, passenger seats, adjusting the suspension for more ground clearance for public streets, and removing the air restrictors, the cars were able to be registered for road use.

 F1 GTR 1995 [ edit ]

 Built at the request of race teams, such as those owned by Ray Bellm and Thomas Bscher, in order to compete in the BPR Global GT Series, the McLaren F1 GTR was a custom-built race car which introduced a modified engine management system that increased power output — however, air-restrictors mandated by racing regulations reduced the power back to 600 hp (608 PS; 447 kW) at 7,500 rpm.[61] The car's extensive modifications included changes to body panels, suspension, aerodynamics and the interior. The F1 GTR would go on to take its greatest achievement with first, third, fourth, fifth, and 13th places in the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, beating out custom built prototype sports cars.[60]

 In total, nine F1 GTRs were built for the 1995 season.[61]

 The 1995 version of F1 GTR created so much downforce that it was claimed to run along the ceiling at 100 mph (160 km/h).[62]

 F1 GTR 1996 [ edit ]

 To follow up on the success of the F1 GTR into 1996, McLaren further developed the 1995 model, leading to a size increase but weight decrease.[60] Nine more F1 GTRs were built to 1996 spec, while some 1995 cars were still campaigned by privateers. F1 GTR 1996 chassis #14R is notable as being the first non-Japanese car to win a race in the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC).[63] The car was driven by David Brabham and John Nielsen. The weight was reduced with around 37 kg (82 lb) from the 1995 GTR but the engine was kept detuned at 600 hp (608 PS; 447 kW) to comply with racing regulations.[18]

 F1 GTR 1997 [ edit ]

 With the 2 F1 GT homologation street version s produced, McLaren could now develop the F1 GTR for the 1997 season. Weight was further reduced and a sequential gearbox was added.[60] The engine was slightly destroked to 6.0 L instead of the previous 6.1 L. Due to the heavily modified bodywork, the F1 GTR 1997 is often referred to as the "Longtail" thanks to the rear bodywork being extended to increase downforce. A total of ten F1 GTR 1997 were built for the 1997 season. The weight was reduced to a total of 910 kg (2,010 lb).[60]

 Variants [ edit ]

 Total production Variant Road Prototype Race Total F1 64 5 69 F1 LM 5 1 6 F1 GT 2 1 3 F1 GTR 28 28 Total 71 7 28 106

 The McLaren F1 road car, of which 64 were originally sold, saw several different modifications over its production span which were badged as different models. Of the road versions, 21 are reportedly in the United States. The company maintains a database to match up prospective sellers and buyers of the cars.

 Prototypes [ edit ]

 McLaren XP3 prototype, photographed during testing in 1993. The car is now owned by Gordon Murray

 A McLaren F1 with the wing mirrors mounted on the A-pillar as on the prototypes

 Prior to the sale of the first McLaren F1s, five prototypes were built, carrying the numbers XP1 through XP5.[64] These cars carried minor subtle differences between each other as well as between the production road cars. Contrary to common misunderstanding, XP1, the first ever running prototype, was never publicly unveiled. The XP1 was never painted (with bare carbon fibre exterior) and later destroyed in an accident in Namibia. The car unveiled at the Monaco 1992 event was actually a "Clinic Model", aesthetically convincing but without a powertrain. XP2 was used for crash testing (sporting a blue colour during the test) and also destroyed. As it was a crash test car, it didn't have full interior equipment or a powertrain. XP3 did durability testing, XP4 stress tested the gearbox system and XP5 was a publicity car. The XP3 has been in Murray's ownership since the completion of the programme, XP4 was seen by many viewers of Top Gear when reviewed by Tiff Needell in the mid-1990s and later on sold to a private owner, while XP5 went on to be used in McLaren's famous top speed run and is still owned by McLaren.

 Ameritech [ edit ]

 This version of the McLaren F1 is modified in order to obtain road legality in the United States. These modifications include the deletion of side seats, the replacement of headlights, a heightened bumper and dampened performance figures including handling and braking compared to the European F1, due to road legality issues. It weighs in at 1,288.2 kg (2,840 lb).

 Performance [ edit ]

 Performance figures as tested by Road And Track Magazine in 1997:[65]

 Performance figures are lower than a regular F1 in all aspects (apart from 0–30 mph (0–48 km/h)) relating to performance. As Mario Andretti noted in a top speed comparison test after hitting the rev limiter at 217.7 mph (350.4 km/h) on Ameritech F1, the Ameritech F1 is fully capable of pulling a seventh gear, thus with a higher gear ratio or a seventh gear the car would probably be able to reach an even greater top speed.[66]

 Acceleration figures [ edit ]

 Braking [ edit ]

 60–0 mph: 127 ft [65]

 80–0 mph: 215 ft[65]

 Handling [ edit ]

 Skidpad 200 ft: 0.86g [65]

 Slalom 700 ft Speed: 64.5 mph[65]

 F1 LM [ edit ]

 The McLaren F1 XP1 LM prototype on display

 The McLaren F1 LM (LM for Le Mans) is a series of five special cars which were built in honour of the five McLaren F1 GTRs which finished the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, including the winning car.[68]

 The weight was reduced by approximately 76 kg (167.6 lb) to a total of 1,062 kg (2,341 lb) – achieved by having no interior noise suppression, no audio system, a stripped-down base interior, no fan-assisted ground effect and no dynamic rear wing. The car also had a different transaxle, various aerodynamic modifications, specially designed 18-inch (457 mm) magnesium alloy wheels and upgraded gearbox. The F1 LM used the same engine as the 1995 F1 GTR, but without race-mandated restrictors, to produce 680 hp (507 kW; 689 PS). It had a top speed of 225 mph (362 km/h), which is less than the standard version because of added aerodynamic drag, despite identical gear ratios. In the place of the small dynamic rear wing there is a considerably larger, fixed CFRP rear wing mounted on the back of the vehicle.

 The LM has the following specifications:

 Peak torque of 705 N⋅m (520 lbf⋅ft) at 4,500 rpm

 Peak power of 680 PS (500 kW; 670 hp) at 7,800 rpm

 A redline at 8,500 rpm

 Total weight of 1,062 kg (2,341 lb) which gives the car a 110.16 bhp (82 kW; 112 PS) per litre ratio.[69]

 While McLaren has never claimed specific acceleration figures for the LM, Motortrend recorded traction-limited times of 0–60 mph in 3.9s and 0–100 mph in 6.7s.[62] The LM was once the holder of the 0–100–0 mph record, which it completed in 11.5 seconds when driven by Andy Wallace at the disused airbase RAF Alconbury in Cambridgeshire.[70]

 The F1 LMs can be identified by their Papaya Orange paint. They were painted in this colour in memory of, and tribute to, Bruce McLaren, whose race colour was Papaya Orange. Two of the chassis were painted in Black with Grey trim similar to the Ueno Clinic sponsored Le Mans 24 Hours winning car. These cars were bought by the Sultan of Brunei as such, also feature horizontal stripes down the sides in yellow, red and blue.

 Although only five F1 LMs were sold, a sixth chassis exists in the form of XP1 LM, the prototype for modifications to the existing F1 to form the new F1 LM. This car is also painted Papaya Orange and is retained by McLaren.

 F1 GT [ edit ]

 The final incarnation of the road car, the F1 GT was meant as a homologation special. With increased competition from homologated sports cars from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz in the former BPR Global GT Series and new FIA GT Championship, McLaren required extensive modification to the F1 GTR in order to remain competitive. These modifications were so vast that McLaren would be required to build a production road-legal car on which the new race cars would be based.

 The F1 GT featured the same extended rear bodywork as the GTRs for increased downforce and reduced drag, yet lacked the rear wing that had been seen on the F1 LM.[72] The downforce generated by the longer tail was found to be sufficient to not require the wing. The front end was also similar to the racing car, with extra louvers and the wheel arches widened to fit larger wheels. The interior was modified and a racing steering wheel was included in place of the standard unit.

 The F1 GTs were built from standard F1 road car chassis, retaining their production numbers. The prototype GT, known as XPGT, was F1 chassis #056, and is still kept by McLaren. The company technically only needed to build one car and did not even have to sell it. However, demand from customers drove McLaren to build two production versions that were sold. The customer F1 GTs were chassis #054 and #058. It weighs 1120 kg which is 20 kg lighter than Standard F1 and has the top speed above 240 mph (386 km/h) although this was never tested.

 References [ edit ] ||||| Rowan Atkinson was rushed to hospital last night after crashing his ultra rare £2million sports car.

 The Mr Bean star lost control of the 230mph McLaren F1 after wet weather hit much of the country last night.

 The supercar spun several times before hitting a tree and a lamppost, coming to a rest at the roadside before bursting into flames.

 One onlooker said: “Rowan is lucky to be alive considering the state of the car.”

 When emergency services arrived at the scene, Atkinson, whose character Mr Bean drives an old Mini, was sitting in a passing motorist’s car.

 The actor, 56, suffered shoulder injuries in the crash, which happened at about 7.30pm on the A605 in Cambridgeshire.

 Paramedics took him to Peterborough City Hospital for treatment and firefighters made the car safe to be towed away by McLaren recovery experts. Atkinson, who is well-known as a fast car enthusiast, bought the McLaren, one of only 65 in existence, to celebrate the success of the Mr Bean movie and its value has since soared to around £2million.

 He also owns vintage and classic cars including Aston Martins and Rolls Royces, has written articles for car magazines and recently appeared as the Star In A Reasonably Priced Car on the BBC’s Top Gear.

 It is the second time he has crashed his F1. The front of the car was damaged in a collision in Forton, Lancs, in 1999. ||||| British media say actor Rowan Atkinson, famed for his "Mr. Bean" television shows and films, is recovering in hospital after crashing his supercar.

 The 56-year-old comedian, also known for the "Blackadder" historical comedy shows, was expected to be discharged on Friday after treatment for a shoulder injury, the Daily Mirror reported.

 Atkinson's spokesman could not immediately be reached.

 Police and firefighters both said that a vehicle crashed late Thursday close to Haddon, a village about 85 miles (137km) north of London.

 The car struck a tree, a lamppost and caught fire, authorities said. Firefighters said the driver was not trapped and he was taken to hospital.

 Atkinson was driving his McLaren F1 supercar _ one of the world's fastest road cars, the newspaper said.

Summary: – The comic know around the world as nerdy Mr. Bean is recovering in a British hospital after crashing his McLaren F1 supercar and striking a tree and lamppost before the vehicle burst into flames. Rowan Atkinson is "lucky to be alive considering the state of the car," said a witness. The actor suffered only a minor shoulder injury in the wreck some 85 miles north of London, reports AP. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, but some media reported that Atkinson spun out on a portion of rain-slicked highway. Atkinson also crashed the car in 1999, rear-ending a Land Rover. He bought the sports car, which can reach speeds of 230 mph, to celebrate the success of Mr. Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie. It's only one of 65 street versions ever made and is valued at more than $2 million, reports the Mirror. While his character Mr. Bean putts along in a Mini-Cooper, Atkinson is a fan of luxury sports cars, and has also owned Aston Martins, Mercedes, and Rolls Royces.


In the U.S., legal hurdles have long hampered research into marijuana. But as more states approve medical and even recreational marijuana, scientific inquiries have spiked, especially studies aimed at finding out what exactly is in today's weed—and what it does to our bodies.

 In Colorado, which made marijuana legal in November 2012, the latest results show that the pot lining store shelves is much more potent than the weed of 30 years ago. But the boost in power comes at a cost—modern marijuana mostly lacks the components touted as beneficial by medical marijuana advocates, and it is often contaminated with fungi, pesticides and heavy metals.

 “There's a stereotype, a hippy kind of mentality, that leads people to assume that growers are using natural cultivation methods and growing organically," says Andy LaFrate, founder of Charas Scientific, one of eight Colorado labs certified to test cannabis. "That's not necessarily the case at all." LaFrate presented his results this week at a meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Denver.

 LaFrate says he's been surprised at just how strong most of today's marijuana has become. His group has tested more than 600 strains of marijuana from dozens of producers. Potency tests, the only ones Colorado currently requires, looked at tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound that produces the plant's famous high. They found that modern weed contains THC levels of 18 to 30 percent—double to triple the levels that were common in buds from the 1980s. That's because growers have cross-bred plants over the years to create more powerful strains, which today tout colorful names like Bruce Banner, Skunkberry and Blue Cookies.

 Those thinking that stronger pot is always better pot might think again. Breeding for more powerful marijuana has led to the virtual absence of cannabidol (CBD), a compound being investigated for treatments to a range of ills, from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia, Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's. Much of the commercially available marijuana LaFrate's lab tested packs very little of this particular cannabinoid. “A lot of the time it's below the detection level of our equipment, or it's there at a very low concentration that we just categorize as a trace amount,” he says. Consumers specifically seeking medical benefits from cannabis-derived oils or other products may have a tough time determining how much, if any, CBD they contain, because Colorado doesn't currently require testing.

 “I've heard a lot of complaints from medical patients because somebody claims that a product has a high level of CBD, and it turns out that it actually doesn't,” LaFrate says. Colorado also does not yet require testing of marijuana for contaminants. Washington, the second state to legalize recreational marijuana, does require such testing for microbial agents like E. coli, salmonella and yeast mold, and officials there rejected about 13 percent of the marijuana products offered for sale in 2014.

 "It's pretty startling just how dirty a lot of this stuff is," LaFrate says. His team commonly found fungi and bacteria in the marijuana products they tested. But for now it's unclear just how much marijuana growers need to clean up their product. "Like ourselves, this plant is living with bacteria that are essential to its survival. In terms of microbial contamination, it's kind of hard to say what's harmful and what's not," he adds. "So the questions become: What's a safe threshold, and which contaminants do we need to be concerned about?"

 At the top of that list would be chemical contaminants in products such as concentrates, like the hard, amber-colored Shatter, which contains more than 90 percent THC, LaFrate suggests. Concentrates and edibles (think brownies) make up perhaps half of the current Colorado market. Their makers sometimes suggest that their chosen products are healthier than standard weed because they don't involve frequent smoking. But some manufacturers employ potentially harmful compounds like butane to strip the plant of most everything but THC. Tests also show that marijuana plants can draw in heavy metals from the soil in which they are grown, and concentrating THC can increase the amounts of heavy metals, pesticides or other substances that end up in a product. That means regulations for their production still need to be hammered out, LaFrate says.

 “People use all kinds of different methods to produce concentrates,” LaFrate says. “They allow people to use rubbing alcohol and heptane. But what grade of solvents are they using? Are they buying heptane on eBay, and if so, what exactly is in there? There are a whole bunch of issues to figure out, and right now there are not enough resources and really no watchdog.” ||||| Phillipa Morton Verified CBD Oil ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This is a great product. Easy to just take when needed. Raw and very well produced. Great information and company so you know you’re getting a quality product.

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 MONDAY, March 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- New lab tests on Colorado's legal marijuana suggest that the state's weed supply is more potent than ever, and also a little dirty.

 For over a year, Coloradans age 21 and up have been able to buy recreational marijuana from state-regulated dispensaries. As part of the experiment, several labs have been certified to monitor samples from the state's burgeoning pot industry.

 One of those labs is scheduled to report its initial findings on Monday at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, in Denver.

 Those tests revealed one pattern that was somewhat surprising -- namely, the pot's high concentrations of THC, according to Andy LaFrate, president of Denver-based testing firm Charas Scientific.

 THC is the compound that gives marijuana users a "high," and on average, the pot in Colorado's retail supply is 30 percent THC. According to LaFrate, that's more than triple the THC level typically found in street marijuana a few decades ago.

 Is that concerning? "I don't think so," LaFrate said. "Especially when you're talking about smoking."

 However, he added, high potency can be an issue with marijuana-infused "edibles." People can easily overdo it with ingested pot because its effects aren't as immediate as when it is smoked. LaFrate noted that Colorado has passed new regulations targeting edible marijuana -- including potency restrictions and stronger child-resistant packaging.

 LaFrate's lab also found some contaminants in retail pot samples, including fungus and the chemical butane, which is used in making marijuana extracts. Whether that's any cause for worry, however, is unclear.

 "Some contamination is inevitable," LaFrate said. "Is there a threat from the contaminants we found? It's hard to say. But if you're smoking, these [substances] will be inhaled into the lungs."

 Finally, the lab found that pot samples contained little to no cannabidiol, or CBD -- one of the marijuana compounds believed to have medicinal properties.

 That's not surprising, LaFrate said, given that the point of recreational pot is to get high. But, he added, "there is a decent number of people buying retail marijuana who want some medicinal value."

 So those folks should be aware that what they buy could be devoid of CBD, LaFrate said.

 Paul Armentano, deputy director of the nonprofit NORML, saw no surprises in the findings.

 "It is well known that Colorado possesses two separate markets for [marijuana] -- one for medical consumers and one for retail consumers," said Armentano, whose Washington, D.C.-based group advocates for legal marijuana use.

 So it's "hardly surprising," he said, that the state's retail pot would be high in THC, but low in CBD.

 And, Armentano said, concerns about high THC levels seem "largely misplaced." People seeking a high will probably smoke less, because it will take less higher-potency marijuana to achieve a high.

 As for contaminants, Armentano said, "obviously one wants consumers to be able to obtain a product of consistent quality and safety." And that's why ongoing quality testing is crucial, he added.

 "Further regulatory oversight may be needed in order to assure that consumers are presented with a product of consistent and acceptable quality," Armentano said.

 That may eventually happen, LaFrate speculated. Still, he said, "even though we did find these contaminants, I think overall the supply is very safe."

 Along with Colorado, three other states -- Alaska, Oregon and Washington -- and Washington, D.C. currently have a legal marijuana market.

 More information

 NORML keeps track of state marijuana laws. ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.

 / Updated

 This is not your father's weed.

 Colorado marijuana is nearly twice as potent as illegal pot of past decades, and some modern cannabis packs triple the punch of vintage ganja, lab tests reveal for the first time.

 In old-school dope, levels of THC — the psychoactive chemical that makes people high — were typically well below 10 percent. But in Colorado's legal bud, the average THC level is 18.7 percent, and some retail pot contains 30 percent THC or more, according to research released Monday.

 “That was higher than expected,” said Andy LaFrate, president of Charas Scientific. His Denver lab is licensed by the state and paid by marijuana businesses to measure the THC strength in their products before they go to market. “It’s common to see samples in the high 20s.”

 What’s really in — and not in — Colorado’s retail weed surprised LaFrate. After analyzing more than 600 samples of bud provided by certified growers and sellers, LaFrate said he detected little medical value and lots of contamination. He presents those findings Monday to a national meeting of the American Chemical Society, a nonprofit scientific group chartered by Congress.

 “We don’t want to be alarmists and freak people out, but at the same time we have been finding some really dirty marijuana,” LaFrate told NBC News.

 Some green buds he viewed were covered in funghi — and he estimated that several marijuana flowers were "crawling" with up to 1 million fungal spores.

 "It's a natural product. There's going to be microbial growth on it no matter what you do," LaFrate said. "So the questions become: What's a safe threshold? And which contaminants do we need to be concerned about?"

 For example, he also examined more than 200 pot extracts or "concentrates" and found some contained solvents like butane. All the tests were done with high-performance liquid chromatography, a method to separate, classify and measure individual compounds.

 What LaFrate didn't see, however, also astonished him. The 600-plus weed samples generally carried little or no cannabidiol, or CBD — the compound that makes medical marijuana “medical.” The average CBD amount: 0.1 percent, his study reports.

 CBD is anecdotally known to control depression, anxiety, and pain. About 200 families with ill children also moved to Colorado to access a strain called Charlotte’s Web, which appears to control seizures in some kids.

 “It’s disturbing to me because there are people out there who think they’re giving their kids Charlotte’s Web. And you could be giving them no CBD — or even worse, you could be giving them a THC-rich product which might actually increase seizures,” LaFrate said. “So, it's pretty scary on the medical side."

 The majority of samples tested came from recreational-pot merchants. Under Colorado law, recreational weed must be tested for potency. Some medical-pot sellers voluntarily provided samples to LaFrate. Colorado does not require pre-sale testing of medical marijuana. LaFrate did not analyze any edibles.

 "Really, there is very little difference between recreational and medical in terms of the THC-to-CBD ratio, at least at the aggregate level," LaFrate said.

 What does that mean for buyers? There may be little difference in how various strains make users feel, even though some people claim one type induces relaxation and another hikes alertness, LaFrate said.

 Three decades of cross-breeding pot strains — done to meet a demand for stronger weed — generally elevated THC and decreased CBD in many marijuana varieties, LaFrate said.

 "These samples are representational, I think, of what’s happening here in the state and, probably, across the country," LaFrate said. "Because most of the new states coming online with medical or retail marijuana have people from Colorado coming in to set up those markets.

 "We found there’s a tremendous amount of homogeneity within the genetics, at least as far as potency."

 But some legal weed producers have launched new breeding projects, using different genetic combinations to boost CBD content, said Sean Azzariti, a cannabis advocate in Denver.

 Azzariti also champions contamination testing as "an integral part of our industry."

 "I personally am very excited to see technology in testing continue to advance. You would be very hard pressed to find a garden that hasn't at one point had some sort of issue, whether it's an infestation, microbial problems," said Azzariti, an Iraq War veteran. He uses cannabis to help treat post-traumatic stress disorder.

 On Jan. 1, 2014, he became Colorado's first buyer of legal weed.

 Meanwhile, pot-legalization opponents are using LaFrate's findings to compare retail weed to food raised or grown with genetically modified organisms or GMOs. And pot foes continue to link the rise of the marijuana industry to the long-ago advance of Big Tobacco.

 "This study is further evidence that Colorado legalization is not working. It proves that even under government control, there's no way to ensure marijuana is free of bacteria and chemicals," said Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM).

 "This shows that marijuana is a GMO product just like other products sold by big business. And just like other industries, now you have a big marijuana industry determined to hide these findings from the public. Where is their outcry? Where are the promises to change the way they do business?" Sabet said. "I won't hold my breath. For years, the tobacco industry did the same thing. Welcome, America, to Big Tobacco 2.0 — Big Pot."

Summary: – If a meeting of the American Chemical Society wouldn't typically catch your attention, this week's Denver gathering may prove an exception. That's after Andy LaFrate presented his pot-themed paper, which had three standout (but not particularly worrisome) findings: retail pot is way more potent, potentially less medically beneficial, and a little dirty. LaFrate runs Charas Scientific; it's one of eight labs certified to test recreational pot in the state, and what it found after examining 600 strains of marijuana from legally certified growers and sellers is that THC—the compound behind pot's "high"—is present in levels as high as 30%, though NBC News reports the average is 18.7%. In the '80s, it was usually below 10%. As Smithsonian explains, that isn't an accidental occurrence: Growers have been crossbreeding strains in a bid to up the potency. LaFrate tells HealthDay it's not really a big deal, at least in terms of smoking, as smokers can just smoke less. But in that cross-breeding, cannabidiol—that's CBD, a compound that may benefit those suffering from everything from depression to Alzheimer's—has nearly been bred-out. "A lot of the time it's below the detection level of our equipment," says LaFrate. The director of a nonprofit that tracks state marijuana laws isn't wowed by the finding, saying he expects retail pot would be heavy on the THC and light on the CBD. But LaFrate noted that his lab has seen "very little difference between recreational and medical in terms of the THC-to-CBD ratio, at least at the aggregate level." As for it being "really dirty," his lab found fungus (up to 1 million spores, in some cases) on buds, and butane in some pot concentrates. "There's going to be microbial growth on it no matter what you do," he notes. But "what's a safe threshold?" (Would you ever put your pet on pot?)


For the latest GDP data for the following countries please check the "Projected % Change" on the individual country pages, in the At A Glance section :

 The World Economic Outlook (WEO) database contains selected macroeconomic data series from the statistical appendix of the World Economic Outlook report, which presents the IMF staff's analysis and projections of economic developments at the global level, in major country groups and in many individual countries. The WEO is released in April and September/October each year. Use this database to find data on national accounts, inflation, unemployment rates, balance of payments, fiscal indicators, trade for countries and country groups (aggregates), and commodity prices whose data are reported by the IMF. Data are available from 1980 to the present, and projections are given for the next two years. Additionally, medium-term projections are available for selected indicators. For some countries, data are incomplete or unavailable for certain years. The World Economic Outlook (WEO) database is now available in SDMX format from our Entire Dataset page. For more information about SDMX, please visit SDMX.org Changes to the April 2018 Database In the April 2018 WEO, there has been a similar exercise as of October 2017 to improve the net debt data to bring the data into better alignment with the definition of net debt in the IMF GFS Manual 2014 (GFSM 2014).

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 Qatar is on track to lose its status as the richest place in the world to the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau.

 The global casino hub’s economy will reach the equivalent of about $143,116 per person by 2020, according to projections from the International Monetary Fund. That will put Macau ahead of the current No. 1 Qatar, which will reach $139,151 in the same time frame.

 A former Portuguese outpost on the southern tip of China, Macau has become a gambling mecca since returning to Chinese control almost two decades ago. It’s the only place in China where casinos are legal, turning it into a magnet for high-rollers from the mainland. Macau’s gross domestic product has more than tripled from about $34,500 per capita in 2001, the IMF data shows.

 Rich Getting Richer By 2020 these will be the richest places on earth, the IMF says Source: IMF World Economic Outlook database, as of April 2018.

 The wealth gap between the two places is also expected to widen beyond 2020, with Macau’s GDP per capita set to reach about $172,681 by 2023, according to data compiled from the April edition of the IMF’s Global Economic Outlook database. Qatar’s, meanwhile, will grow to just $158,117.

 Elsewhere, financial hub Singapore’s GDP per capita is expected to top six digits by next year and is on track to grow to about $117,535 by 2023, while Hong Kong -- across the water from Macau -- will touch almost $80,000 by that time, the IMF projections show.

 Three European countries -- Luxembourg, Ireland, and Norway -- made the top 10 places expected to be the world’s wealthiest by 2020, while the U.S. came in at No. 12. ||||| Just when you thought it was safe to store away the superlatives to describe its meteoric rise to the top of world gaming, Macau is set to outdo itself by becoming the richest place on the planet.

 Fresh data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted that by 2020, the city would overtake oil-rich Qatar with the highest per-capita gross domestic product of any country or jurisdiction on earth.

 The IMF’s World Economic Outlook Update – published at the end of last month – expected continuing economic growth in the casino hub would see it leapfrog Qatar by 2020.

 This year the IMF ranked Macau, with a US$122,489 per capita GDP, second behind Qatar, for which it said the equivalent figure was US$128,702. Singapore was ranked fourth with US$98,014, just behind Luxembourg with US$110,870 while Hong Kong took 10th place with a per capita GDP of US$64,533.

 However, by 2020, Hong Kong’s sister SAR – which outstripped Las Vegas to become the world’s richest casino destination several years ago – would become the richest place in the world with a per capita GDP of US$143,116, leaving Qatar, with a paltry US$139,151, in its wake.

 The IMF forecast assumed a period of sustained growth which would see Macau continue to open up a gap on its rivals until 2023.

 However, Macau lawyer and social commentator Sérgio Almeida Correia, wrote in his blog: “In terms of quality of life, green areas, pollution, education, health, sport, renewable energies, recycling of urban waste, hygiene and cleanliness of public spaces, accessibility for disabled people, road cycling, public transport might not rank quite as high by any means.”

 With a population of just over 650,000, packed into just 30.8 sq km, Macau also holds top spot as the most densely populated place on Earth, according to the United Nations. The tight squeeze means the casino city has 21,322 people per square kilometre packed into its bustling streets.

 Hong Kong, the fourth most densely populated place on the planet behind Monaco and Singapore, packs in 6,490 people per square kilometre.

 However, within its most dense areas, such as Mong Kok, the population density is more than 120,000 people per square kilometre, according to the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Summary: – A "gambling mecca" is set to oust Qatar as the richest place on Earth, per the International Monetary Fund's newest stats. Bloomberg reports that the IMF's World Economic Outlook database has pegged Macau as the planet's wealthiest place, with its economy on track to reach the equivalent of $143,116 by 2020. Qatar, meanwhile, will come in at $139,151 by then. Macau, an autonomous region that holds the only legal casinos in China, is also set to even further outpace Qatar by 2023, with an expected GDP per capita of $172,681 to Qatar's $158,117. The South China Morning Post describes Macau's "meteoric rise to the top of world gaming" as the reason behind its newfound status, though a Macau social commentator and attorney says the region has a lot to improve on in many areas, including quality of life, education, health, and pollution. Luxembourg, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam round out the IMF's top five, while the US takes the No. 12 spot in the rankings.


Add a location to your Tweets

 When you tweet with a location, Twitter stores that location. You can switch location on/off before each Tweet and always have the option to delete your location history. Learn more ||||| Ginnifer Goodwin Pregnant: Once Upon a Time Star Expecting Baby With Fiance Josh Dallas

 A little prince or princess is on the way for Snow White and Prince Charming! Once Upon a Time actress Ginnifer Goodwin is pregnant and expecting a baby with fiance (and costar) Josh Dallas, their reps confirm to Us Weekly.

 PHOTOS: Celeb pregnancy confessions

 Rumors that the 35-year-old Something Borrowed star had a baby on board first swirled when she was photographed on the set of her hit ABC drama in a gray swing coat that seemed to strategically conceal her stomach.

 PHOTOS: Costar couples

 This will be the first child for Goodwin and Dallas, 31. Together since March 2012, the couple confirmed their engagement to Us in October of this year, just a few days after the actor popped the question.

 "They really hit it off," a source told Us Weekly of the costars in 2012. "She and Josh have a blast together and had instant chemistry."

 PHOTOS: The cast of Once Upon a Time

 Goodwin was previously engaged to actor Joey Kern. Dallas was wed to actress Lara Pulver; they split in 2011 after four years of marriage. ||||| Leighton Meester and Adam Brody are engaged!

 The cutie pie couple of 10 months is heading to the altar after the former Gossip Girl star accepted Adam’s surprise proposal.

 “Leighton and Adam are crazy about each other and have talked about getting married eventually,�? an insider tells Star. “But she had no idea he would propose so soon! It was the surprise of her life and she’s ecstatic!�?

 Adam, 33, and Leighton, 27, have been friends for years, getting close in 2011 while co-starring in the independent film, The Oranges. In January they took their relationship to the next level and were soon spotted taking in art exhibits at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and traveling together through Bangkok in February.

 Adam previously dated director Lorene Scafaria in 2010 and his co-star on The O.C., Rachel Bilson, for three years. Leighton was most recently linked to actor Aaron Himelstein, which followed her 2-year relationship with Gossip Girl co-star Sebastian Stan ending in 2010.

 “Right now their plan is to get married next summer,�? adds the insider. “They are still deciding if they want a destination wedding or if they’ll marry in Southern California somewhere.”

 While there are no plans for children in the immediate future the couple do have two dogs together, Penny Lane and Trudy.

Summary: – Well, at least one celebrity is explaining her odd name choice: Fergie says she and hubby Josh Duhamel chose their baby's name, Axl Jack, after a dream she had while pregnant. In the dream, "I was in the audience at this festival. It was outdoors and it was all grimy and nobody knew who I was," she reveals in an appearance airing today on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. "On stage singing was Jim Morrison and then came Bob Marley and then Axl Rose. I was in heaven in this dream and I’m dancing and just getting into the music." Then her still-in-utero baby woke her up by kicking her for the first time. "It was like he was feeling the music with me," she says. "It was really beautiful and I woke Josh up and I said, 'Honey, honey, honey, he kicked me. He finally kicked me.'" They figured it was a sign, and after considering the names "Morrison" and "Marley," finally settled on "Axl." They had already chosen "Jack" as a tribute to Fergie's late uncle. More in the world of celebrity romance and babies: Kelly Clarkson is expecting her first baby with husband Brandon Blackstock, tweeting yesterday, "I'm pregnant!!! Brandon and I are so excited! Best early Christmas present ever :)" Ginnifer Goodwin is also expecting her first baby, with fiance and Once Upon a Time co-star Josh Dallas, their reps confirm to Us. And no baby yet, but Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester is engaged to The OC star Adam Brody, if Star's sources are to be believed.


WASHINGTON—Strong hiring and low unemployment are delivering U.S. workers their best pay raises in nearly a decade.

 Employers shook off a September slowdown to add 250,000 jobs to their payrolls in October, above monthly averages in recent years, the Labor Department said Friday. With unemployment holding at 3.7%, a 49-year low, and employers competing for scarce workers, wages increased 3.1% from a year earlier, the biggest year-over-year gain for average hourly earnings since 2009.

 ... ||||| FILE- In this Jan. 30, 2018, file photo, Loredana Gonzalez, of Doral, Fla., fills out a job application at a JobNewsUSA job fair in Miami Lakes, Fla. On Friday, Nov. 2, the U.S. government issues the... (Associated Press)

 FILE- In this Jan. 30, 2018, file photo, Loredana Gonzalez, of Doral, Fla., fills out a job application at a JobNewsUSA job fair in Miami Lakes, Fla. On Friday, Nov. 2, the U.S. government issues the October jobs report. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) (Associated Press)

 FILE- In this Jan. 30, 2018, file photo, Loredana Gonzalez, of Doral, Fla., fills out a job application at a JobNewsUSA job fair in Miami Lakes, Fla. On Friday, Nov. 2, the U.S. government issues the October jobs report. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) (Associated Press) FILE- In this Jan. 30, 2018, file photo, Loredana Gonzalez, of Doral, Fla., fills out a job application at a JobNewsUSA job fair in Miami Lakes, Fla. On Friday, Nov. 2, the U.S. government issues the... (Associated Press)

 WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added a stellar 250,000 jobs last month and raised average pay by the most in nearly a decade.

 The Labor Department's monthly jobs report, the last major economic data before Tuesday's congressional elections, also showed that the unemployment rate remained at a five-decade low of 3.7 percent.

 The influx of new job-seekers in October increased the proportion of Americans with jobs to its highest level since January 2009.

 Consumers are the most confident they have been in 18 years and are spending freely and propelling brisk economic growth. The U.S. economy is in its 10th year of expansion, the second-longest such period on record, and October marked the 100th straight month of hiring, a record streak.

 The resulting strength in customer demand has led companies to steadily add workers. Though economists predict that hiring will eventually slow as the pool of unemployed Americans dwindles, there's no sign of that happening yet.

 Still, the latest month of healthy job growth might not tip many votes in the midterm elections. Polls have suggested that while Americans generally approve of the economy's performance, that sentiment hasn't necessarily broadened support for President Donald Trump or Republican congressional candidates.

 In October, consumer confidence reached its highest point in 18 years, propelled by optimism about the job market. Last month's plunge in stock prices didn't dampen Americans' enthusiasm, though the survey was conducted in the first half of October, before the full market decline had occurred.

 In the July-September quarter, consumer spending grew by the most in four years and helped the economy expand at a 3.5 percent annual rate. That growth followed a 4.2 percent annual pace in the April-June quarter. Combined, the two quarters produced the strongest six-month stretch of growth in four years.

 Manufacturing output and hiring remain healthy, according to a survey by a private trade association, although increased tariffs have raised factory costs.

 By contrast, housing remains a weak spot in the economy, with sales of existing homes having fallen for six straight months as mortgage rates have risen to nearly 5 percent. But slower sales have started to limit home price increases, which had been running at more than twice the pace of wage gains.

 There are signs that pay growth is picking up. A measure of wage and salaries rose 3.1 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, the best such showing in a decade.

 Although pay increases can help boost spending and propel the economy's growth, they can also lead companies to raise prices to cover their higher labor costs. That trend, in turn, can accelerate inflation.

 So far, though, inflation remains in check. The Federal Reserve's preferred price measure rose 2 percent in September compared with a year earlier, slightly lower than the year-over-year increase in August.

Summary: – The last unemployment report before the midterms is a strong one. Employers added 250,000 jobs in October, above the forecast of 188,000, reports the Wall Street Journal. The unemployment rate itself remained at a five-decade low of 3.7%, per the AP. The influx of new job-seekers in October increased the proportion of Americans with jobs to its highest level since January 2009. What's more, wages rose 3.1% when compared to last October, the best such gain since 2009. It's the first time since the recession ended that wages rose more than 3% over a year. Average hourly earnings in the private sector increased 5 cents to $27.30.


Former Vice President Joe Biden said his family would be the deciding factor in his decision about whether to pursue a 2020 bid for the White House. | Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP 2020 Biden: 'I'm the most qualified person in the country to be president'

 Former Vice President Joe Biden is fueling more 2020 speculation, claiming that he is "the most qualified person in the country to be president" and teasing that an announcement about his candidacy could come within six weeks.

 Biden has been flirting with another presidential run after deciding not to seek the highest office in 2016, a decision he has said he regrets every day. But his remarks Monday evening at the University of Montana in Missoula, where he was promoting his book "Promise Me, Dad," suggested the wheels of a White House bid may already be in motion.

 Story Continued Below

 "I'll be as straight with you as I can. I think I'm the most qualified person in the country to be president," Biden said, according to CNN. "I've been doing this my whole adult life, and the issues that are the most consequential relating to the plight of the middle class and our foreign policy are things that I have — even my critics would acknowledge, I may not be right, but I know a great deal about it."

 Biden has openly sparred with President Donald Trump over the past two years, trading barbs with the commander in chief and casting himself as a foil to what he sees as a democracy-eroding force in the West Wing. But Biden also admitted he had some vulnerabilities, including his age and his co-sponsorship of the 1994 crime bill.

 COUNTDOWN TO 2020 The race for 2020 starts now. Stay in the know. Follow our presidential election coverage. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time.

 "I am a gaffe machine, but my God, what a wonderful thing compared to a guy who can't tell the truth," he said. "I'm ready to litigate all those things. The question is, what kind of nation are we becoming? What are we going to do? Who are we?"

 Democratic strategists say he would also be forced to confront his mishandling of the 1991 Anita Hill hearings involving sexual harassment allegations against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, when Biden chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee.

 “It’s not going to be something he can charm out of. I think in 2018, you can’t just smile it away," Toi Hutchinson, an Illinois state senator who launched a #MeToo awareness effort in the state, said earlier this year.

 Biden's simpatico bonds with the Democratic Party and his appeal to white working-class voters in the Midwest appear to be his clearest advantages in navigating what is shaping up to be one of the most crowded primary fields on the left. But Biden said his family would be the deciding factor.

 "I have two young grandchildren my son left who love me and adore me and want me around. I want to be there to take care of them, so we've got to figure out whether or not this is something we can all do as a family," he said. "We're going to make that decision in the next six weeks to two months." ||||| (CNN) During a stop for his book tour in Missoula, Montana, Monday night, former Vice President Joe Biden discussed his 2020 prospects, saying he believes that he is the "most qualified person" to be president, noting a decision is coming in the next two months, and acknowledging he's a "gaffe machine."

 "I'll be as straight with you as I can. I think I'm the most qualified person in the country to be president," Biden said to applause at the University of Montana. "The issues that we face as a country today are the issues that have been in my wheelhouse, that I've worked on my whole life."

 "No one should run for the job unless they believe that they would be qualified doing the job. I've been doing this my whole adult life, and the issues that are the most consequential relating to the plight of the middle class and our foreign policy are things that I have -- even my critics would acknowledge, I may not be right but I know a great deal about it," he added.

 Biden said his family must now decide as a "unit" whether or not they're prepared for a run -- setting a decision time frame of the next six weeks to two months.

 "I have two young grandchildren my son left who love me and adore me and want me around. I want to be there to take care of them, so we've got to figure out whether or not this is something we can all do as a family," he said. "We're going to make that decision in the next six weeks to two months, and that's the basis of the decision."

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Summary: – Joe Biden says he knows who should be the next president: himself. But the former VP says he's not ready to commit to a 2020 run. The comments came Monday during a stop in Montana to plug his book Promise Me, Dad, reports CNN. "I'll be as straight with you as I can," Biden told the crowd at the University of Montana in Missoula. "I think I'm the most qualified person in the country to be president." He said two big issues of the day—"the plight of the middle class and our foreign policy"—were his strong suits. "Even my critics would acknowledge, I may not be right but I know a great deal about it." Biden said he would decide in the next two months whether to run, with one factor being the time he's currently able to spend with his two young grandchildren from his late son, Beau. Event moderator Bruce Feiler pointed out some potential weaknesses, including Biden's age of 76, his chairmanship of the judiciary panel that grilled Anita Hill, and his propensity to be a "gaffe machine." Politico reports that party strategists say Biden would have to confront the Anita Hill controversy in particular. Biden insisted Monday that he's "ready to litigate all those things," before taking a shot at President Trump. "I am a gaffe machine," he said, "but my God, what a wonderful thing compared to a guy who can't tell the truth. (Hill's family has a running joke about Biden.)