Drilling permits

Drilling permits

COLUMBUS

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued 22 new horizontal-drilling permits during the week that ended Nov. 15. Six of them were issued to Hilcorp Energy Co. to drill in Columbiana County. The Utica shale has 53 rigs operating and a total of 1,630 horizontal permits issued with 1,176 drilled and 618 producing.

NHTSA to push for wider air-bag recall

DETROIT

The federal government is demanding that the auto industry recall millions of additional cars equipped with faulty air bags that can injure — and even kill — a driver.

The action Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers driver’s-side air bags equipped with inflators made by Takata Corp. of Japan. The inflators can erupt and send metal fragments into the passenger compartment.

Previously, cars with the inflators had been recalled only in regions with high humidity such as Gulf Coast states, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Takata has said that prolonged exposure to moisture can cause the air-bag propellant to burn faster than designed, causing the problem.

Up until now, about 8 million cars in the U.S. with Takata inflators have been recalled for problems with either the driver- or passenger-side air bag, or both. Safety regulators say Tuesday’s action is based on incidents involving a death in California and an injury in North Carolina where the air bags were implicated. Both states are outside of the area covered by the earlier recalls.

The government’s demand for the national recall covers vehicles made by Ford, Honda, Chrysler, Mazda and BMW, generally from the 2008 model-year and earlier.

Paul Ryan to head Ways and Means

WASHINGTON

House Republican leaders chose Paul Ryan on Tuesday to head the powerful House Ways and Means Committee for the next two years, giving him a high-profile platform if he decides to run for president in 2016 or beyond.

Ryan, the party’s vice- presidential nominee two years ago, has sidestepped questions about his plans for 2016.

Republican leaders also chose Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah to head the House Oversight Committee and Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas to head the Armed Services Committee.

Ryan’s new job will give him a voice on the biggest economic issues facing the country — taxes, trade, Social Security, health care and social programs.

On Ways and Means, the next chairman is expected to lead House Republican efforts to overhaul the nation’s tax code, which politicians of many stripes agree is too complicated. If House Republicans offer an alternative to President Barack Obama’s health law, the Ways and Means Committee could play a key role.

Also, Congress soon will have to deal with Social Security’s disability program, which is facing a potential financial crisis in 2016.

Vindicator staff/wire reports