Ask AP: Less piracy, recovering auto bailout money

Dramatic pirate attacks were a regular occurrence off the coast of East Africa earlier in the year. So why has piracy fallen from the headlines in recent weeks? Have the attacks suddenly become less frequent?

Curiosity about the drop-off in pirate attacks inspired one of the questions in this edition of “Ask AP,” a weekly Q&A column where AP journalists respond to readers’ questions about the news.

If you have your own news-related question that you’d like to see answered by an AP reporter or editor, send it to newsquestions@ap.org, with “Ask AP” in the subject line. And please include your full name and hometown so they can be published with your question.

By going into bankruptcy, will GM and Chrysler have their government loans “forgiven,” so that the American people won’t get that bailout money back?

Penni Jones

Tucson, Ariz.

It’s unclear if the American people will get their money back. The Obama administration has said there is a “reasonable probability” that the government will recoup the billions of dollars in loans to General Motors and Chrysler.

GM is expected to receive about $50 billion in government loans, and Chrysler has taken in about $15.5 billion in federal aid. Under the new ownership structures, the U.S. government will own 61 percent of the new, post-bankruptcy General Motors and an 8 percent stake of Chrysler.

Ron Bloom, a top adviser on the Obama auto task force — an agency formed to manage the automakers’ restructuring — told a Senate committee on June 10 there was “a reasonable probability that we can get most if not all of our money back.” Bloom said the government will look to sell its holdings in the companies as soon as possible but much will depend on the strength of the financial markets.

Obama administration advisers have said they hope to get back as much taxpayer money as possible but they never envisioned recovering a significant portion of the funding provided by the Bush administration last December to keep the companies afloat — about $17 billion in total.

Ken Thomas

Associated Press Writer

Washington

Maybe it is just me, but I have not heard of one successful or even attempted pirate attack in months. Why has this slowed down so much? Does it have to do with increased violence in their homeland?

Chuck M.

Baton Rouge, La.

Pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia’s east coast have dropped off sharply in recent weeks, but nobody says piracy is over in the region.

International navy patrols in the gulf have helped to thwart pirate activity, and seasonal monsoons that whip up winds and waves have forced pirates to curb operations. The skiffs they use to pursue and board ships are vulnerable in the rough weather.

However, the monsoons are expected to subside by September, and most experts predict attacks will escalate around that time.

Military vessels are hard-pressed to cover the vast expanse of ocean along Somalia’s coastline, and pirates using “mother ships” have shown more reach and versatility in finding new areas to prowl.

Also, the fundamental problems behind the piracy — Somalia’s internal chaos and lack of effective law enforcement — suggest the phenomenon will endure for a while.

Christopher Torchia

AP Chief of Bureau

Istanbul

With the recent high-profile sex scandals of Gov. Mark Sanford and Sen. John Ensign, the name of former Rep. Mark Foley has come up, since he was in a scandal of his own a few years back. What is Foley doing these days?

Daniel Lippman

Washington

Former Rep. Mark Foley remains in the Palm Beach, Fla., area, dabbling in real estate investments, just as he did before becoming a congressman in 1994.

Foley rides his bicycle along the water and works out at a local gym. Last year, he bought a condo unit in a downtown West Palm Beach high-rise.

His public appearances at lavish galas are rarer than they used to be. He has also largely stayed out of the media spotlight since resigning from Congress in 2006. He does, however, have a presence in the social networking world, maintaining a Facebook page: tinyurl.com/kwebg4

Foley left Congress after being confronted with salacious e-mails and instant messages he sent to underage, male congressional pages.

Brian Skoloff

AP Correspondent

West Palm Beach, Fla.

Have questions of your own? Send them to newsquestions@ap.org.