On Our Radar: A Hard Look at Exxon Mobil In a review in The Times, Dwight Garner praises "Private Empire," Steve Coll's new book on Exxon Mobil, as "meticulous, multi-angled and valuable" as well as impartial, although he finds that it has "few peaks and valleys" emotionally. He says it is especially interesting on the subject of Exxon's s relationship with the George W. Bush administration. As automakers begin to ponder the challenge of traffic congestion in megacities of the future, General Motors announces that China will be the first testing ground for its electric networked vehicle. The car, a two-seater, will be able to communicate with other vehicles, be driven autonomously or manually and have an embedded solar panel on its roof. Pakistan is pressing ahead with plans to build a gas pipeline from Iran despite opposition from the United States, inviting contractors to qualify for the project. Environmental groups assert that the Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park in Southern California is polluting the Santa Clara River with frequent discharges of water carrying bacteria, metals, toxins and other pollutants.