Podcasts about fast act

Where we were with trade talks six weeks ago and where we are now are very different and that trajectory will continue over the next six weeks to six months, Align Public Strategies’ Founding Partner Joe Kefauver tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of the Choppin’ It Up podcast, Kefauver sits down with BI’s senior restaurant and foodservice analyst Michael Halen to discuss why he thinks the worst of the tariff showdown is behind us. He also comments on tax cuts, the MAHA movement’s progress and a recent study on the impact of the FAST Act.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Use SOAP To Supersize Your Business Relationship FAST! Act After Applying 3Es! Check in here every day for a dose of different business building perspective: https://facebook.com/supersizebusiness #supersizeyourbusiness #relationships #soapframework #3Etool #action

Use SOAP To Supersize Your Business Relationship FAST! Act After Applying 3Es! Check in here every day for a dose of different business building perspective: https://facebook.com/supersizebusiness #supersizeyourbusiness #relationships #soapframework #3Etool #action

Obsessing over food, weight, and body image — constantly starting over but never finding lasting peace? Do you find yourself swinging between strict diets and feeling out of control, wondering why nothing seems to stick? What if the real issue isn't just what you're eating, but something deeper? It's frustrating when you've tried countless programs, spent money on coaches, and still feel like you're missing the key to lasting freedom. The anxiety, self-doubt, and constant mental chatter about food can drain your energy, leaving you overwhelmed and exhausted. Worse yet, this struggle can spill into your relationships, your career, and your ability to feel confident and calm in everyday life. There's hope — and it starts with Leslie's HEAL Method — a proven framework that helps you break free from food struggles by addressing the emotional and mental patterns driving your behavior. This powerful program combines hypnosis, emotional mastery, and practical coaching strategies to help you heal from the inside out. By shifting your mindset, releasing shame, and embracing a new way of thinking, you can finally trust yourself around food, feel good in your body, and show up in life with confidence and clarity — no more starting over, just lasting change. "I need you to understand that healing your relationship with food, like, for good and permanently, it's not something you can do alone. Not if you really want the full transformation. You can get band aid fixes, you can listen to little things. You could get little tidbits that help you feel better temporarily. Not the full shebang, not the full transformation, not the full healing process.You need support. You need tools that go beyond willpower. You need a new way of thinking that actually sticks.You need my HEAL method." - Leslie Thornton What you will learn from this episode: 01:15 - Explaining that weight loss is a temporary fix, and the real challenge is in addressing deeper mindset issues and self-anger 03:19 -  Emphasizing that true transformation comes from improving your relationship with yourself and your emotions, not just dieting 06:03 - How setbacks with food and weight are often linked to emotional patterns rather than willpower 10:25 - Rewriting your self-narrative, shifting from a mindset of failure to one of resilience, learning, and self-trust 16:19 - Why the Fast Act to Freedom program is a comprehensive solution for lasting change 20:35 - Real life proofs of  how mastering your relationship with food leads to greater confidence, emotional stability, and success in both personal and professional life 26:05 - Menopause and how it requires new tools and mindset adjustments for lasting well-being 28:12 - Encouraging you to break free from food struggles, trust yourself, and create lasting change by embracing your authentic self and seeking support Valuable Resources: Join my next LIVE masterclass Join the 8-week Fastrack to Food Freedom Program -Guaranteed mental and emotional freedom from food  Connect With Leslie Thornton: Book A Clarity Call Website Facebook LinkedIn Email: Leslie@hpwl.co If you enjoy the podcast, Would you please consider leaving a quick review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes in under 60 seconds? It brightens our day and helps us bring you incredible guests for top-notch content. Plus, I cherish reading every review! Click here to make a difference!  

We're joined by Justin Winslow, the President & CEO of the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association, who will discuss his organization's successful legal battle before the state supreme court to remove a pending ballot measure to increase the minimum wage and eliminate the tip credit. But the issue is far from over and we talk about what's coming next. And California is at it again - this time creating a Fast Act for Janitorial Workers. We'll talk about the SEIU's continued focus on sectoral bargaining and what that could mean down the road for other industry players. We'll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

The book of Nehemiah provides us with a biblical foundation that encourages us to engage our time, talents, and resources in "Building a Legacy Together" that fulfills God's mission for our church of reaching and equipping people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

California's controversial $20 minimum wage for quick-service restaurant workers employed by companies with 60 or more locations is set to finally go into effect on Mon. April 1, after undergoing multiple revisions and pushback from the restaurant industry. Last fall, Gavin Newsom introduced and passed AB 1228, a modified compromise version of the original FAST Act, which increases the minimum wage for fast-food workers from $16 to $20, instead of the originally proposed $22 an hour.Most recently, the legislation was clarified via assembly bill 610, which carved out some exemptions to the bill, including workers in nontraditional restaurant locations like airports, hotels, event centers, theme parks, and corporate campus cafeterias. Originally, this bill included a carve-out for restaurants that bake their own bread, like Panera, though after pushback, Gov. Newsom was pushed to clarify that Panera would be following the new minimum wage law requirements.

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe [DS]/[CB] agenda is a falling apart. The more they push the worse it gets for them. E-bikes have been blowing up in NY.Trump says he will put a stop to the EV mandate. Bidenomics is destroying the peoples lives, they cannot make ends meet. Alternative currencies are now moving up as the economy and the fiat currency devalues. The [DS] is continually losing against the Patriots. The SC just ruled that Trump cannot be removed from the ballot. The [DS] is now panicking, they have tried and failed to stop Trump. The [DS] will continue to stop Trump and this will intensify. Trump is now telling the people the plan to beat the [DS] at the elections. This will shutdown their cheating system and force them to try to postpone the election. As the election approaches war will be ramping up and the [DS] will try to shutdown the elections, this will work in the favor of the Patriots.   (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); Economy More NYC fires caused by lithium-ion batteries from e-bikes in 2 months than in all of 2019: FDNY chief Lithium-ion batteries used in E-bikes and other electronic mobility devices are now a leading cause of fires in New York City following their popularity surged during the pandemic's delivery boom, FDNY officials say. FDNY Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn told The Post that fires related to lithium-ion batteries have gone up nearly nine-fold since the pandemic, with more blazes related to the batteries happening in the last two months than in all of 2019. “It's the prevalence of these e-devices on our streets, there's way more of them now than ever before,” Flynn said The FDNY is warning that poorly manufactured and maintained lithium-ion batteries found in e-bikes and scooters have become one of leading causes of fire in New York City.FDNY 5 The fires caused by these batteries are intense, with each energy cell capable of reigniting even days after the initial blaze.FDNY Source: nypost.com https://twitter.com/RSBNetwork/status/1764090025606570168?s=20 TAKE A LISTEN Panera Bread Hit with Boycott Calls After Gavin Newsom's Minimum Wage Exemption Is Exposed  California's new $20 minimum wage bill contains a curious exemption that is creating calls for a boycott of the fast casual chain Panera Bread. As reported by Newsweek, California's FAST Act, which mandates that fast food establishments in California raise their minimum wage from $16 to $20 per hour, attracted some confusion regarding the oddly specific exemption for restaurants that bake and sell their own bread. While California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his representatives insisted that the law “was the result of countless hours of negotiations with dozens of stakeholders,” others wondered if there was another, less laudable reason for the exemption.   In light of this revelation, many folks are calling for a boycott of Panera Bread on the social media platform X. One user shared the New York Post's story on the matter, with the caption “Boycott Panera Bread?” while others were more decisive, posting calls to action like “Boycott Panera Bread. Do it,” and “Guess I will be adding Panera Bread to my boycott list.” Source: westernjournal.com   Bidenomics' Disaster: Cost Of Living Still Too High For Most Americans   CNN noted in a Saturday report that behind these positive economic indicators, “a frustrating reality persists: Life is far too expensive for far too many.” The country is grappling with a long-standing cost of living dilemma,

The author of the Fast Act in California has filed additional legislation to exempt certain industries from the new law he championed. Was this an altruistic gesture to relieve the pressure on a host of small businesses or inside baseball among the unions and the legislators that carry their water? We are joined by Jot Condie, the President & CEO of the California Restaurant Association to help us sort it all out. And Wendy's was in the news this week but for all the wrong reasons - managing a kerfuffle regarding their possible adoption of dynamic pricing. The company's comments were later clarified but what does it mean for the industry's potential adoption of surge pricing models? We'll discuss. We'll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

Two big legislative items this week popped up in California and Georgia that operators should take note of, one exempting a lot of folks out from under the FAST Act and the other a franchisee bill of rights proposal that should have parent companies pretty nervous. We'll take a look. And then we are joined by Aaron Frazier, the Vice President of Public Policy at the National Restaurant Association to give us the latest and greatest on the pending tax package currently before the senate as well as where the new regulations on service and “junk” fees may be going. We'll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

Struggling with weight loss can be a frustrating and discouraging journey. Many people embark on their own personal quest to achieve permanent weight loss, only to find themselves facing numerous roadblocks along the way. Yes, when it comes to achieving and sustaining permanent weight loss, it is a difficult journey and going through it alone may not be the most effective approach. Why is it so difficult to conquer this challenge alone?  In this episode, we will delve into the reasons behind the elusive nature of permanent weight loss and explore the importance of seeking support and guidance on this transformative journey. "In order to create a new reality, you had to create a new personality. In the Hypnosis for Permanent Weight Loss - Fast Track to Freedom Program, you're literally creating a new personality of someone who has a healthy relationship with food, of someone who knows how to have balance and peace with any food, and to experience food neutrality." - Leslie Thornton What you will learn from this episode: 01:11 - What life was like for Leslie back then as batted food and bodyweight issues [this could be your reality now] 08:44 - What it means to create a new reality [what's that one piece that has been missing all this time] 11:05 - Diet mentality versus empowered relationship with food, body, and weight issues [what the Fast Act to Freedom Program provides for you] 15:07 - What a coach and a supportive community can do for your food freedom journey 16:07 - The possibilities that come with having emotional mastery with the help of Hypnosis 18:09 - What makes Leslie a qualified coach for this Hypnosis program 20:47 - How Leslie's program can help you navigate the struggles that comes with the holiday season and makes it your best ever holiday yet Valuable Resources: Register for our LIVE FREE Monthly “Themed” Healthy Hypnosis Hour! Join Emotional Mastery Coaching with Leslie Connect With Leslie: Book A Clarity Call Watch Free Training Website Facebook LinkedIn Email: Leslie@hpwl.co  

Welcome to the American Railroading Podcast! In this episode our host Don Walsh, is joined by guest Patty Long, President of the Railway Supply Institute (RSI), based in Washington, DC. Together they discuss the resources RSI provides the railroad industry as a whole, as well as services they provide for their members as a trade association, the jobs the railway supply industry creates, the impact the industry has on the U.S. Economy as well as an update on shipping LNG by rail tank cars. Tune in to this episode now to gain valuable insights and broaden your understanding of American Railroading. You can find the episode on the American Railroading Podcast's official website at www.AmericanRailroading.net . Welcome aboard! KEY POINTS:  The American Railroading Podcast has a YouTube channel (@AmericanRailroadingPodcast) and is soon joining Instagram!Patty Long has over 30 years of experience in government relations, public affairs, and communications.(Per RSI) The Railway Supply Institute is the only all-inclusive trade association for railway suppliers, representing more than 250 companies including manufacturers, railcar owners, lessors and shippers.RSI was originally created by combining two associations, the Rail Progress Institute and Rail Supply Association. While RSI is based in Washington, DC., they are not a government entity, they are a trade association who act on behalf of their members, including with the FAST Act, as an example.In addition to their interaction with government agencies, RSI also works closely with the Association of American Railroads (AAR), including the AAR Tank Car Committee's, Tank Car Safety Project via the RSICTC (RSI Committee on Tank Cars).One of Patty's goals is to raise people's awareness of the importance of the railway supply industry.The railway supply industry is a major contributor to the U.S. economy, supporting nearly 700k jobs, $76B in GDP and $15.5B in tax contributions.The PHMSA HM-264A ruling issued 09/01/23 was not a ban on shipping fossil fuels by rail.There need to be incentives to ensure the continued growth of the railway industry. LINKS MENTIONED:  https://www.americanrailroading.net/  https://therevolutionrailgroup.com/  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dwalshX  https://www.RSIweb.org  https://AAR.org 

Bitcoin just tagged $35K and made a higher high! This is extremely bullish for the crypto market and Altcoins... But which Altcoins will be first to explode? Join Sheldon the Sniper and Cryptoman Ran live to catch his next big trade. Don't miss out!! ⚠️

In this episode of The Restaurant Boiler Room, Managing Director Rick Ormsby talks about Fast Act legislation, Zombie PE funds, selling to an operator vs. a PE fund, recent deal closings, and a comment on upcoming franchise M&A deal flow.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law legislation on Thursday that will raise the minimum wage for fast food workers from the state standard $15 an hour to $20 an hour, effective April 1, 2024. The legislation, proposed by state assemblymember Chris R. Holden, is largely in place of the controversial FAST Act, which was originally passed a year ago, and then was put on hold following a lawsuit initiated by the Save Local Restaurants Coalition.The newly passed legislation is a version of the Save Local Restaurants Act that was proposed by multiple groups, including the Service Employees International Union, the National Restaurant Association and the International Franchise Association earlier this month. The Save Local Restaurants Act is a new version of the FAST Act that is a compromise between legislators' proposals, and the interests of both restaurant owners and employees.

California's Fast Act may be dead, but its replacement will still have a big impact on restaurants. Kitchen United is preparing for a new chapter under a new CEO. And KFC and Popeyes are duking it out again, this time over wings.

Let's start with a warning: this episode was recorded last week when the Detroit Lions were still undefeated. Beyond the loudness of the roar, Justin and Emily aren't just loyal to their NFL team, they also discuss loyalty programs changing across the restaurant sector along with their favorites to use and rack up points. Looking at you, Dominos. The duo also walk listeners through the details of upcoming excise tax bills that have the potential to impact hotels in many major cities before welcoming Mike Whatley, Vice President of State Affairs & Grassroots Advocacy at the National Restaurant Association. Whatley joins to talk about the FAST Act success in California, the implications of that success across the country, and real-life case study of Washington DC eliminating the tip credit. Hint: it's not going well. Whether it's sports or legislative threats, today's episode is all about defending the den.

In this LIVE broadcast replay, we dive behind the scenes of our latest Act On This member Zoom call with 'Coronation Street' and 'Emmerdale' director Debbie Howard... And I dive into something VERY exciting for actors looking to land their FIRST or next TV role in RECORD TIME! Are you currently looking for your first TV role? FREE training on how to land your first TV role FAST - Sat 29th July 2023 @ 10 AM (UK) on Zoom. Register here: https://www.actonthis.tv/training Get on the waiting list for my flagship coaching program 'First TV Role Fast-Track' here: https://www.actonthis.tv/first If you'd like to join our LIVE, private Zoom calls with the BIGGEST casting directors, agents, actors, writers, directors and producers in TV, EVERY WEEK - grab an Act On This membership TODAY - https://www.actonthis.tv/live Wanna join me for my next FB stream? Like and follow the Act On This FB page to be notified next time I GO LIVE! https://www.facebook.com/ActOnThisTV - Your comments mean the absolute world to me, please take a second, say ‘hi' and let me and my team know what you thought of this audio... P.S. - it would make my life, if you hit the subscribe button ;) - MEET ROSS ► Actor, presenter and high-performance coach. I've been training, working, and coaching in the TV industry for over 20 years. Today I work regularly as an actor in top TV drama, voice TV commercials, corporate work and animation, for some of the biggest networks on the planet, and speak regularly on stages, up and down the country, on what it takes to have success as an actor in an ever-evolving business. - ACT ON THIS ► In 2011, I launched Act On This - The TV Actors' Network - giving actors the business education that even the most prestigious drama schools still fail to deliver. Today https://www.actonthis.tv is the TV industry's LEADING knowledge platform - hosting hundreds of hours of audio and video interviews with the BIGGEST casting directors, agents, BAFTA and Oscar-winning actors, writers and producers in the business. - Act On This - The TV Actors' Network Main site: https://www.actonthis.tv FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/ActOnThisTV/ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ActOnThisTV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actonthistv/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ActOnThisTV/ - Bulletproof Actor Main Site: https://www.bulletproofactor.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BulletproofAct/ - Subscribe to my VIP newsletter for updates and giveaways: https://www.actonthis.tv/subscribe

This week on the Extra Serving podcast, a production of Nation's Restaurant News, NRN editors Holly Petre, Sam Oches and Leigh Anne Zinsmeister talked about Yum Brands' latest news.Yum's CEO David Gibbs recently announced the possibility of an acquisition or two. What does it mean for one of the biggest restaurant companies in the world to announce the possibility of more acquisitions?Next, the editors talked about California's latest restaurant bill. The controversial bill was once part of the FAST Act, another bill that's been delayed in California. This bill, which the International Franchise Association vehemently opposes, says that franchisees and restaurant companies will share responsibility if labor laws or standards are violated.Finally, the editors talked about Crisp & Green. The fast-casual salad brand seems to have catapulted into everyone's minds and is growing at record speed throughout the Midwest. It has just opened its first of several New York City locations. Is this the next Crumbl Cookies?

On February 3rd, a train carrying 20 cars with poisonous, flammable chemicals derailed in East Palestine, OH. In this episode, we're going to get some answers. Using testimony from four Congressional hearings, community meeting footage, National Transportation Safety Board preliminary reports, and lots of articles from local and mainstream press, you will learn what Congress is being told as they write the Rail Safety Act, which both parts of Congress are working on in response to the East Palestine train derailment. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd274-norfolk-southern-train-derailment-in-east-palestine Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD247: BIF: The Growth of US Railroads East Palestine Derailment Overview “It's been more than a month since a freight train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in Ohio. Here's what's happened since.” Alisha Ebrahimji and Holly Yan. Mar 23, 2023. CNN. “Residents can return home after crews burned chemicals in derailed tanker cars.” Associated Press. Feb 8, 2023. NPR. “WATCH: Smoke billows over East Palestine after controlled burn at train derailment site.” Feb 8, 2023. Cleveland 19 News. Vinyl Chloride and Dioxins “East Palestine Train Derailment: What is vinyl chloride and what happens when it burns?” Associated Press. Feb 8, 2023. CBS News Pittsburgh. “Dioxins and their effects on human health.” Oct 4, 2016. World Health Organization. “Medical Management Guidelines for Vinyl Chloride.” Last reviewed Oct 21, 2014. Centers for Disease Control Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. National Transportation Safety Board Findings “Norfolk Southern Railway Train Derailment with Subsequent Hazardous Material Release and Fires: Investigation Details.” Last updated Mar 21, 2023. National Transportation Safety Board. “What appears to be an overheated wheel bearing seen moments before East Palestine train derailment, NTSB says.” Ian Cross. Feb 14, 2023. ABC News 5 Cleveland. “Vent and Burn” Decision “Ex-EPA Administrator Doubts Agency's East Palestine Claims: 'Hard to Believe They Were Silent' Before Norfolk Southern Detonated Toxic Vinyl Chloride Cars.” Jordan Chariton. May 25, 2023. Status Coup News. “East Palestine emails reveal insight into decision to vent and burn toxic rail cars.” Tara Morgan. May 15, 2023. ABC News 5 Cleveland. “EXCLUSIVE: 'I truly feel defeated and useless.' Emails and texts reveal anguish of East Palestine fire chief over lack of adequate health advice after he was told to treat chemical disaster 'like a normal house fire.'” Daniel Bates. May 15, 2023. The Daily Mail. EPA failures “East Palestine Bombshell: EPA Official Admits It May Be Missing Toxic Chemicals in Air Testing, Admits Some of Its Decision Making Has Been to Prevent Lawsuits.” Louis DeAngelis. Mar 29, 2023. Status Coup News. East Palestine Resident Health Problems “No one has accepted real responsibility for the East Palestine disaster.” Zsuzsa Gyenes. May 16, 2023. The Guardian. “East Palestine survey reveals residents experienced headaches and anxiety after train derailment.” Nicki Brown, Artemis Moshtaghian and Travis Caldwell. Mar 4, 2023. CNN. “People in East Palestine showing breakdown product of vinyl chloride in urine tests.” Tara Morgan. Apr 28, 2023. ABC News 5 Cleveland. Norfolk Southern “Making it Right.” Norfolk Southern. “Norfolk Southern unveils compensation plans for homeowners near derailment site.” Andrea Cambron, Jason Carroll and Chris Isidore. May 11, 2023. CNN Business. “‘32 Nasty:' Rail Workers Say They Knew the Train That Derailed in East Palestine Was Dangerous.” Aaron Gordon. Feb 15, 2023. Vice. “Wall Street says Norfolk Southern profits won't suffer from derailment.” Rachel Premack. Feb 14, 2023. Freight Waves. “US rail industry defends safety record amid staffing cuts.” Josh Funk. May 16, 2021. AP News. Lobbying Against Regulations “Rail Companies Blocked Safety Rules Before Ohio Derailment.” David Sirota et al. Feb 8, 2023. The Lever. ECP Brake Deregulation “USDOT repeals ECP brake rule.” William C. Vantuono. Dec 5, 2017. Railway Age. Railway Safety Act “Railway Safety Act passes committee, moves to Senate floor for full vote.” Abigail Bottar. May 10, 2023. Ideastream Public Media. Staffing Cuts “Railroads are slashing workers, cheered on by Wall Street to stay profitable amid Trump's trade war.” Heather Long. Jan 3, 2020. The Washington Post. Long Trains “The True Dangers of Long Trains.” Dan Schwartz and Topher Sanders. Apr 3, 2023. Propublica. Bills S.576: Railway Safety Act of 2023 Audio Sources Senate Executive Session May 10, 2023 Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Clips 36:30 Sen. JD Vance (R-OH): This bill has changed a lot from what I introduced just a few short months ago. We've made a number of concessions to industry; a number of concessions to the rail industry, a number of concessions to various interest groups, which is why we have so much bipartisan support in this body but also why we have a lot of support from industry. East Palestine Community Meeting March 28, 2023 Status Coup News Government Response to East Palestine: Ensuring Safety and Transparency for the Community March 28, 2023 House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, & Critical Materials Watch on YouTube Witnesses: Debra Shore, Regional Administrator, U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5 Wesley Vins, Health Commissioner, Columbiana County General Health District Anne M. Vogel, Director, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Clips 30:40 Debra Shore: Since the derailment, EPA has been leading robust, multi-layered air quality testing, using state of the art technology in and around East Palestine, and that extensive monitoring has continued daily at 23 stations throughout the community. Since the fire was extinguished on February 8, EPA monitors have not detected any volatile organic compounds above established levels of health concerns. EPA has also been assisting with indoor air screenings in homes through a voluntary program to keep residents informed. As of March 21, more than 600 homes have been screened, and no sustained or elevated detections of chemicals have been identified. 33:00 Debra Shore: Here's how EPA is holding Norfolk Southern accountable. On February 21, EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to Norfolk Southern, including a number of directives to identify and clean up contaminated soil and water resources, to attend and participate in public meetings at EPA's request, and to post information online, and ordering the company to pay EPA's costs for work performed under the order. All Norfolk Southern work plans must be reviewed and approved by EPA. It must outline all steps necessary to address the environmental damage caused by the derailment. If the company fails to complete any of the EPAs ordered actions, the agency will immediately step in, conduct the necessary work, and then seek punitive damages at up to three times the cost. 46:30 Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH): In one case, trucks were actually turned around at the gate of a proper, certified disposal facility and sent back to East Palestine to sit practically in my constituents backyard. Why did the EPA believe that it needed to send those letters? Debra Shore: Chairman Johnson, the instance you cite occurred before EPA assumed responsibility under the Unilateral Administrative Order for the cleanup. We don't know who told those trucks to turn around, whether it was the disposal facility itself or someone else. 48:50 Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH): Why were they turned around? Debra Shore: This occurred during the transition period between Ohio EPA and US EPA assuming the lead for the emergency response. As such, under the Unilateral Administrative Order, all disposal facilities are required to be on the CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) approved off-site disposal list. So, we needed a few days to review what had occurred and ensure that those facilities that Norfolk Southern had contracts with were on that approved list. Once we determined which ones were on the approved list, it's up to Norfolk Southern to ship waste off the site. 1:03:30 Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO): Is the EPA intending to use the Unilateral Administrative Order to ensure that Norfolk Southern establishes a health and environmental screening program beyond this initial cleanup period? Debra Shore: Right now, the focus of the Unilateral Order and our work with Norfolk Southern is to make sure the site is cleaned up. I think the responsibility for that longer term health effort, I support what Dr. Vins recommended, and that may have to be negotiat[ed] with Norfolk Southern going forward. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO): Obviously, that hasn't started yet. Debra Shore: Not to my knowledge. 1:09:05 Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA): What will take place in the remediation phase, what happens then? Debra Shore: Then there'll be restoration of stream banks and the places where the soil was removed from along the railroad sites and I think a larger vision for the community that they're already beginning to work on, such as parks and streetscapes. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA): Right. Any idea of what kind of timeframe we're talking about here? I mean, are we talking like in my district, decades? Debra Shore: No. We believe the core of the removal of the contaminated site and the restoration of the tracks will be several months. 1:11:35 Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ): When did clean up responsibility shift from EPA to Norfolk Southern, and what protections were put in place to ensure the health and safety of the community during that shift? Debra Shore: Thank you, Congressman Pallone. The transition from the State agency, which has the delegated authority in every state, has an emergency response capability, and so Ohio was on the ground working with the local firemen and other agencies as EPA arrived shortly after the derailment. It is typical in these kinds of emergency responses for the state agency to take the lead in the early days and Norfolk Southern was complying with the directives from the state. They continued to comply, but we've found over time that it's important to have all the authority to hold the principal responsible party in this case Norfolk Southern accountable, which is why on February 21, several weeks after the derailment, EPA issued its Unilateral Administrative Order. 1:19:55 Debra Shore: In the subsequent soil sampling that's been conducted, we looked at the information about the direction of the plume from the vent and burn event and focused that primarily where there might have been aerial deposition of soot or particulate matter, and that those soil samples have been collected in Pennsylvania. Rep. John Joyce (R-PA): And today, what soil, air, and water tests are continuing to occur in Pennsylvania? Debra Shore: Additional soil samples will be collected in collaboration, principally, with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the local Farm Bureau, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. 1:28:36 Anne M. Vogel: The reason that we have been able to say that the municipal drinking water is safe is based on an Ohio EPA map that pre-exists the derailment. This is the source water protection map. So the municipal wellfield is right here, if folks can see that, that big well in the blue. So the derailment happened way over here, a mile and a half away from the wellfield. And we know how the water flows, down this way, down this way, down the creeks. So the derailment would not have affected the municipal water source and we knew that very quickly after the derailment. 1:49:05 Debra Shore: Norfolk Southern has encountered some difficulties in finding and establishing contracts with sites to accept both liquid and solid waste. And I think we could accelerate the cleanup if they were able to fulfill that obligation more expeditiously. 1:51:20 Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA): What are some of the long term health concerns that residents and your providers have? Wesley Vins: We've heard a whole wide range of concerns long term. Certainly, cancer is first and foremost, because of much of the information that the residents see online and here, as well as reproductive concerns, growth concerns, hormonal concerns Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA): Do you think there's a potential with the carcinogens or any of the toxins that it could lead to ailments for five years from now? Wesley Vins: Yeah, I understand your question. So the some of the constituents that we have related to this response, obviously are carcinogenic, however, we're seeing low levels, is really the initial response. So I think the long question is, we don't know. Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA): We don't know. 2:04:50 Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA): Administrator Shore, one concern my office has heard is that relocation costs are not being covered by Norfolk Southern for everyone in East Palestine. How is it determined whether a resident is eligible to have their relocation costs paid for? Debra Shore: I'm sorry to hear that. My understanding was that Norfolk Southern was covering temporary relocation costs for any resident who sought that, and I would direct you to Norfolk Southern to ask why they are being turned down. Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA): Can the EPA require that Norfolk Southern cover relocation costs for anyone in East Palestine? Debra Shore: I'll find out. 2:11:45 Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA): I guess my concern is, if the EPA is website says that the sampling data hasn't been quality assured, how did the EPA make the determination that the air is safe to breathe when it appears that the sampling data has not been quality assured? Debra Shore: Congresswoman, I'm going to ask our staff to get back to you with an answer for that. Executive Session and Improving Rail Safety in Response to the East Palestine Derailment March 22, 2023 Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation View on Senate website Introduction Panel: U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown U.S. Senator J.D. Vance Mike DeWine, Governor of Ohio Misti Allison, Resident of East Palestine Witnesses: Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board David Comstock, Chief, Ohio Western Reserve Joint Fire District Clyde Whitaker, Legislative Director, Ohio State SMART-TD Alan Shaw, CEO, Norfolk Southern Ian Jefferies, CEO, Association of American Railroads Clips 1:35:00 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Is there any relief being offered now to say, if you make the decision to move your home and move your family somewhere else, there is an avenue for you to sell your home and get a fair market price for it? Misti Allison: The short answer is, as of today, no. There is not a clear cut explanation or parameters of how you would do that. We've heard time and time again from Norfolk Southern that they're going to make it right and that they're looking into some long term health care monitoring and assistance and home value protection, but details of that plan have not been disclosed to residents as of today. 1:42:05 Jennifer Homendy: This derailment, as all accidents we investigate, was 100% preventable. 1:43:20 Jennifer Homendy: First, the definition of high hazard flammable train should be expanded to a broader array of hazmats and the definition's threshold of 20 loaded tank cars in a continuous block or 35 tank cars dispersed throughout a train should be eliminated. Second, DOT 111 should be phased out of all hazmat service. They're not as protected as DOT 117 tank cars. Third, people deserve to know what chemicals are moving through their communities and how to stay safe in an emergency. That includes responders who risk their lives for each of us every single day. They deserve to be prepared. That means access to real time information, obtaining the right training and gear, and having the right communications and planning tools. Fourth, light cockpit voice recorders in the aviation, audio and video recorders in the locomotive cab are essential for helping investigators determine the cause of an accident and make more precise safety recommendations. Recorders also help operators proactively improve their safety policies and practices. In the East Palestine derailment, the locomotive was equipped with an inward facing camera. However, since the locomotive was put immediately back into service following the accident, the data was overwritten. That means the recorder only provided about 15 minutes of data before the derailment, and five minutes after. The FAST Act, following terrible tragedies in Chatsworth and in Philadelphia, required Amtrak and commuter railroads to maintain crash and fire hardened inward and outward facing image recorders in all controlling locomotives that have a minimum of a 12 hour continuous recording capability. This was extremely helpful in our DuPont Washington investigation. Now is the time to expand that requirement to audio, and include the Class One freight railroads in that mandate. In fact, now is the time to address all of the NTSB's open rail safety recommendations, many of which are on our most wanted list. Fifth and finally, as the committee works on enhancing rail safety, I trust that you'll consider the resources that we desperately need to carry out our critical safety mission. Investments in the NTSB are investments in safety across all modes of transportation. 1:52:05 Clyde Whitaker: This derailment did not have to happen. And it makes it so much more frustrating for us to know that it was very predictable. And yet our warnings and cries for help over the last seven years have fallen on deaf ears and the outcome was exactly as we feared. Now the result is a town that doesn't feel safe in their own homes, businesses failing to survive and a railroad that prioritized its own movement of trains, before the people in the community, as well as its workers. It truly is a shame that operational changes in place prior to that incident are still in place today and the possibility for a similar disaster is just as possible. My entire railroad career I've listened to the railroads portray a message and image of safety first, but I have never witnessed or experienced that truth, one single day on the property. For years I've handled complaint after complaint regarding unsafe practices and unsafe environments, and for almost every single one I've been fought every step of the way. The truth is, ask any railroad worker and they will tell you, that their carriers are masters of checking the boxes and saying the right things, without ever doing anything meaningful toward improving safety. They're only focus is on the operating ratios and bottom lines, which is evidenced by the fact that their bonus structures are set up to reward timely movements of freight rather than reaching destinations safely, as they once were. Actions do speak louder than words. And I assure you that what you have heard, and will hear, from the railroads today are nothing more than words. Their actions are what's experienced by men and women I represent as well as what the people of East Palestine have been through. This is the reality of what happens when railroads are primarily left to govern and regulate themselves. 1:54:05 Clyde Whitaker: On July 11, 2022, I filed a complaint with the FRA (Freight Railroad Administration) regarding an unsafe practice that was occurring on Norfolk Southern (NS), despite existing operating rules to the contrary. NS was giving instructions to crews to disregard wayside detector failures and to keep the trains moving. This meant the trains were not being inspected as intended, and that the crews were not able to ascertain the integrity of such trains. This practice remained in place even after East Palestine. 1:54:40 Clyde Whitaker: It is a virus that has plagued the industry for some time, with the exception of precision scheduled railroading. Across America, inspections and maintenance is being deferred to expedite the movement of trains. No longer is identifying defects and unsafe conditions the goal of inspections, but rather minimiz[ing] the time it takes to perform them, or the elimination of them all together. 2:17:40 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Why did Norfolk Southern not stop the train then and examine the bearing to make sure that it didn't melt the axle and that you didn't have a derailment? If you'd stop then it would have prevented the derailment. So my question is, why did the second hotbox reading not trigger action? Alan Shaw: Senator, my understanding is that that second reading was still below our alarm threshold, which is amongst the lowest in the industry. In response to this, the industry has agreed to work together to share best practices with respect to hotbox detectors, trending technology, and thresholds. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): So when you and I visited my office yesterday, you said your threshold is now 170 degrees above ambient temperature. As I understand it, at the time of the derailment, your threshold was 200 degrees above ambient temperature. 2:20:15 Clyde Whitaker: Make note that trending defect detector technology from being in the cab of a locomotive, when we pass a defect detector, it trends to an office like Norfolk Southern in Atlanta, Georgia. It doesn't convey to the railroad crews, which is a problem in this incident as well as many others that still continue to this day. What we need as a train crew -- which they say they listen, they haven't been listening for quite a while -- we need to be notified whenever these trending detectors are seeing this car trend hotter. That way we can keep a better eye on it. 2:22:35 Clyde Whitaker: It is feasible. The technology is there. Several days after East Palestine, we almost had a similar incident in the Cleveland area on Norfolk Southern. The defect detector said no defects to the crew. The train dispatcher came on and said, "Hey, we have a report of a trending defect detector on the train. We need you to stop and inspect it." Immediately after that the chief dispatcher, which is the person that controls the whole railroad, told them to keep going. If it were not for an eastbound train passing them and instructing them, "Hey, your train is on fire, stop your train." And we set that car out. They had to walking speed this car five miles. So the technology is there. They're just raising and lowering their thresholds to move freight. 2:25:15 Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): His testimony is loud and clear: it would have been worse if there was only one person as a crew on that train. Do you disagree with him? Alan Shaw: Senator, I believe that we have operations infrastructure on the ground to respond to derailments. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): I think you're not answering the question, okay? It's almost like the last hearing all over again. Because I think the evidence is very clear that these trains can be absolutely safer, but that technology is no replacement for human beings. For example, it can't provide the cognitive functions of a conductor and can't collect visual cues during an emergency. Two-person crews make our trains safer and I wish that you would commit to that today, because I think it's pretty obvious that is the correct answer. I just get sick of industry executives talking about supporting the principles of regulation, while they lobby against common sense regulations like this one behind the scenes. 2:38:50 Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT): I understand that the business plan of Norfolk Southern includes a $7.5 billion stock buyback that is ongoing. Do you believe it would be appropriate to suspend that buyback program until all of the assurances that you are making to this committee and also to the people of East Palestine, about "making this right," that that stock back buyback program should be suspended until you have accomplished what you've assured us and what you've assured that people of East Palestine that you would do? Alan Shaw: Senator, we think about safety every day. We spend a billion dollars a year in capital on safety. And we have ongoing expenses of about a billion dollars a year in safety and as a result over time, derailments are down, hazardous material releases are down and injuries are down. We can always get better. Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT): Right, so you won't answer my question about suspending the buyback program. Alan Shaw: Senator, stock buybacks never come at the expense of safety Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT): I take that is that you will continue with your plan on the buyback. 2:51:30 Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV): I know that high hazardous flammable trains have more safety regulations. Why would this not have been characterized as a high hazard flammable train if it had th ese hazardous materials on it as part of the 149 car train? Alan Shaw: Senator, thank you for your question. I'm not familiar with the entire makeup of the train. I know that a highly hazardous train is defined by a certain number of highly hazardous cars in it or a certain number of cars in a block. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV): Miss Homendy, maybe you can help me with that question. Jennifer Homendy: Yes, the definition of a high hazard flammable train involves class three flammable liquids only, 20 car loads in a continuous block, which would be a unit train, or 35 car loads of class three flammable liquids in a mixed freight train. That was not what was on this train. There were some that were class three defined flammable liquids, but this train was not a high hazard flammable train. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV): Right. It wasn't a high hazard train, but it had high hazardous materials that are very flammable that just lit up the sky. So is that something that you would consider that should be looked at as a safety improvement? Jennifer Homendy: Yes, Senator. We think that the thresholds of the 20 and 35 should be eliminated and we think a broader array of hazmat should be in the definition of high hazard flammable train. Protecting Public Health and the Environment in the Wake of the Norfolk Southern Train Derailment and Chemical Release in East Palestine, Ohio March 9, 2023 Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works View on Senate website Witnesses: Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) Alan Shaw, President and CEO, Norfolk Southern Corporation Debra Shore, Regional Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region V Anne Vogel, Director, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Richard Harrison, Executive Director and Chief Engineer, Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission Eric Brewer, Director and Chief of Hazardous Materials Response, Beaver County Department of Emergency Services Clips 26:50 Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH): The company followed the Wall Street business model: boost profits by cutting costs at all costs, the consequences for places like East Palestine be damned. In 10 years, Norfolk Southern eliminated 38% of its workforce. Think of that. In a decade they cut more than a third of their jobs. We see what the company did with their massive profits. Norfolk Southern spent $3.4 billion on stock buybacks last year and were planning to do even more this year. That's money that could have gone to hiring inspectors, to putting more hotbox detectors along its rail lines, to having more workers available to repair cars and repair tracks. Norfolk Southern's profits have gone up and up and up and look what happened. 33:35 Sen. JD Vance (R-OH): It is ridiculous that firefighters and local officials don't know that hazardous chemicals are in their community, coming through their community. In East Palestine you had a community of largely volunteer firefighters responding to a terrible crisis, toxic burning chemicals, without knowing what was on them. 34:50 Sen. JD Vance (R-OH): I've talked to a number of my Republican colleagues and nearly everybody has dealt in complete good faith, whether they like the bill or have some concerns about it, and these comments are not directed at them. Who they are directed at is a particular slice of people who seem to think that any public safety enhancements for the rail industry is somehow a violation of the free market. Well, if you look at this industry and what's happened in the last 30 years, that argument is a farce. This is an industry that enjoys special subsidies that almost no industry enjoys. This is an industry that is enjoys special legal carve outs that almost no industry enjoys. This is an industry that just three months ago had the federal government come in and save them from a labor dispute. It was effectively a bailout. And now they're claiming before the Senate and the House that our reasonable legislation is somehow a violation of the free market. Well, pot, meet the kettle, because that doesn't make an ounce of sense. You cannot claim special government privileges, you cannot ask the government to bail you out, and then resist basic public safety. 40:10 Alan Shaw: Air and water monitoring have been in place continuously since the accident and to date it consistently indicated that the air is safe to breathe and the water is safe to drink. 47:20 Debra Shore: Since the fire was extinguished on February 8, EPA monitors have not detected any volatile organic compounds above levels of health concerns. 47:45 Debra Shore: EPA has been assisting with indoor air screenings for homes through a voluntary program offered to residents to provide them with information and help restore their peace of mind. As of March 4, approximately 600 homes had been screened through this program and no detections of vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride have been identified. 48:40 Debra Shore: On February 21, we issued a unilateral administrative order to Norfolk Southern which includes a number of directives to identify and clean up contaminated soil and water resources, to attend and participate in public meetings at EPA's request, and to post information online, to pay for EPA's costs for work performed under this order. EPA is overseeing Norfolk Southern's cleanup work to ensure it's done to EPA specifications. The work plans will outline all steps necessary to clean up the environmental damage caused by the derailment. And most importantly, if the company fails to complete any of the EPA ordered actions, the agency will immediately step in, conduct the necessary work, and then force Norfolk Southern to pay triple the cost. 1:04:30 Eric Brewer: Norfolk Southern hazmat personnel and contractors arrived on scene shortly after 11pm. At around midnight, after research of the contents, it was decided to shut down fire operations and move firefighters out of the immediate area and to let the tank cars burn. This is not an unusual decision. This decision was made primarily by Norfolk Southern's hazmat coordinator, as well as their contractor. 1:05:15 Eric Brewer: There was a possibility of explosion and we should consider a one mile evacuation. Ohio officials notified us that the one mile radius would now be from the leaked oil address. This would add additional residents from Beaver County in the one mile evacuation zone. Donington township officials went door to door, as well as using a mass notification system to advise the residents of the one mile recommended evacuation. It was stressed that this was a recommendation as we cannot force residents from their homes. Social media posts began to circulate stating that arrest would be made if people refused to leave during the evacuation. Let me be clear that was not the case in Pennsylvania, as this was not a mandatory evacuation. Monday morning, we assembled at the Emergency Operations Center in East Palestine. We learned Norfolk Southern wanted to do a controlled detonation of the tank car in question. We were assured this was the safest way to mitigate the problem. During one of those planning meetings, we learned from Norfolk Southern that they now wanted to do the controlled detonation on five of the tank cars rather than just the one. This changed the entire plan, as it would now impact a much larger area. 1:21:25 Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV): Why did you wait a month before you started to order the dioxin testing when the community was asking for this? Was that a decision that you made early on that it wasn't critical? Or how was this decision made? Debra Shore: Senator Capito, our air monitoring was searching for primary indicators, such as phosgene and hydrogen chloride, immediately during and after the burn. We detected very low levels which very quickly went even down to non detectable. Without those primary indicators, it was a very low probability that dioxins would have been created. They are secondary byproducts of the burning of vinyl chloride. 1:25:40 Alan Shaw: As you saw just this week, a six point safety plan that included a number of issues which we're implementing immediately to improve safety, including installing more wayside detectors. The first one was installed yesterday outside of East Palestine. 1:30:20 Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK): Mr. Shaw, when the vent and burn process was being made, who who made those decisions? And what was other considerations other than just burning it and letting the material burn off? Alan Shaw: Thank you for that question. The only consideration, Senator, was the safety and health of the community. And that decision was made by Unified Command under the direction of the Incident Commander? Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK): Who's that? Alan Shaw: The Incident Commander was Fire Chief Drabick. Norfolk Southern was a part of Unified Command. 2:07:25 Alan Shaw: Senator, the NTSB report indicated that all of the hotbox detectors were working as designed. And earlier this week, we announced that we are adding approximately 200 hotbox detectors to our network. We already have amongst the lowest spacing between hotbox detectors in the industry. And we already have amongst the lowest thresholds. 2:15:35 Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): Will you commit to compensating affected homeowners for their diminished property values? Alan Shaw: Senator, I'm committing to do what's right. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): Well, what's right is a family that had a home worth $100,000 that is now worth $50,000 will probably never be able to sell that home for 100,000 again. Will you compensate that family for that loss? Alan Shaw: Senator, I'm committed to do what's right. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): That is the right thing to do. These are the people who are innocent victims, Mr. Shaw. These people were just there at home and all of a sudden their small businesses, their homes are forever going to have been diminished in value. Norfolk Southern owes these people. It's an accident that is basically under the responsibility of Norfolk Southern, not these families. When you say do the right thing, will you again, compensate these families for their diminished lost property value for homes and small businesses? Alan Shaw: Senator, we've already committed $21 million and that's a downpayment Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): That is a down payment. Will you commit to ensuring that these families, these innocent families, do not lose their life savings in their homes and small businesses? The right thing to do is to say, "Yes, we will." Alan Shaw: Senator, I'm committed to doing what's right for the community and we're going to be there as long -- Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): What's right for the community will then be balanced -- which is what we can see from your stock buybacks -- by what's right for Norfolk Southern. C-SPAN: Washington Post Live March 6, 2023 Speakers: Heather Long, Columnist and Editorial Writer, Washington Post Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board Clips 5:14 Jennifer Homendy: Hazardous materials are transported on all modes of transportation. Our aviation system is the safest, but they're limited in what they can transport for dangerous materials. Pipelines can also be safe as well. They have a generally good safety record until one big rupture occurs. But then our railroads also have a good safety record. Train accidents in general, per million trains miles, are going up. So it's trending upwards, accidents. With that said, going on our nation's roads with these materials is not something we want to see. You know, we have 43,000 people that are dying on our nation's roads annually. We have a public health crisis on our roads. Millions of crashes are occurring, so transporting hazmat on our roads would be more dangerous than on our railways. 6:50 Jennifer Homendy: The numbers are trending upward on accidents overall and also for Norfolk Southern 8:20 Jennifer Homendy: That is a role that's very important for the NTSB and why we are independent of the Department of Transportation. We are not part of the Department of Transportation because we do conduct federal oversight to see if DoT's oversight of the freight railroads is adequate or inadequate and we may make recommendations on that. 10:20 Jennifer Homendy: Once it hit well over 250 degrees, it was time for the train crew to stop to inspect the axle, to inspect the wheel bearing and to possibly, in this case, set out the car. But it was too late because as they were slowing and stopping, the train derailed, the wheel bearing failed. And so there might need to be more conservative temperature thresholdss o that started earlier. Also, something the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has looked at is real time monitoring of temperatures and data trending from the control center so that they can see the temperatures increase over a period of time. In this derailment, or what we saw of this train and its operations, is the temperature of that wheel bearing was going up pretty significantly over the course of the three different wayside detectors, but you know, the crew doesn't see that. So that real time monitoring and data trending so that there's some communication with the crew to stop the train and take immediate action is definitely needed. We'll look at that as part of our investigation as well. 12:30 Jennifer Homendy: One thing I will mention is that these decisions about the placement of these hot bearing detectors and the thresholds really vary railroad by railroad and so there needs to be good decision making, some policies and practices put in place. 18:00 Jennifer Homendy: Electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes don't prevent a derailment. It could lessen damage. So let me explain that. So in this one, car 23 still would have derailed because a wheel bearing failed. So car 23 still would have derailed. Still would have been a derailment, still would have been a fire, and the responders, and Norfolk Southern, and the state and locals would have had to still make a decision on whether to vent and burn the five vinyl chloride tank cars. There could have been a possibility of less damage, meaning a few cars could have remained on the track later in the train. But as for most of the damage, that still would have occurred whether we had ECP brakes on this train or not. 19:50 Heather Long: There's a lot fewer people working on rail, especially freight rail. Does the number of people make any difference here? Jennifer Homendy: Well for this one, as you said, we had two crew members and a trainee. They all stay, as with every train, in the cab of the head locomotive. So I do not see where that would have made a difference in this particular train and this derailment. One thing we are going to look at is whether any changes in staffing lead to any differences in how these cars are maintained or how they're inspected. That is something we will look at. 21:05 Jennifer Homendy: Yeah, so the fire chief, upon arrival at the command center following the derailment, had electronic access to the train consist, which is the list of cars and the materials or liquids that the train is carrying, but none of the responders had the Ask Rail app. You could look up a UN number for a particular car and get the whole consist of the train. It's in an app that the railroads developed for helping emergency responders to get information following an accident. 25:05 Jennifer Homendy: And we have over 250 recommendations that we've issued on rail safety generally that have not been acted upon yet. Music Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Editing Pro Podcast Solutions Production Assistance Clare Kuntz Balcer

In response to stories about worker abuse in the fast food industry, last year the state legislature passed, and Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law, the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act. The FAST Act created a first of its kind 10 person independent council to improve labor conditions in the fast food industry. But it's already facing pushback from the industry, which has spent millions on a referendum for the 2024 ballot. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report It's been a week since devastating earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria. As the reported death toll mounts well past 30,000, Californians are looking for ways to help survivors. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, KQED

As we predicted, states are channeling their inner California envy and rolling out legislation similar to the Fast Act. We'll take a look at the overall battle being waged on multiple fronts with new bills, new lawsuits and new disclosures regarding the brands that are leading the opposition. And speaking of California, there is new climate legislation forcing financial disclosures from companies regarding their environmental impacts. Sound a little similar to what's happening at the SEC? We'll dig into why. We'll discuss those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

Riley Lagesen, Shareholder and Chair of the Global Restaurant Industry Group at GreenbergTraurig, and Jonathan Sack, Shareholder at GreenbergTraurig, join Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss California's passage of the Fast Act. The legislation will increase costs for fast food chains, including a potential 47% jump in hourly wages to $22. Menu price hikes, automation and potential challenges to the legislation are some of the topics covered.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Kefauver, Founding Partner of Align Public Strategies, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss the US political climate following the mid-term elections. Kefauver explains what a split Congress means for the restaurant industry, gives an update on the FAST Act in California, discusses the progress made by labor unions and outlines what the industry should be lobbying for in 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We examine the wins and losses of 2022 and the lessons learned as we head into the 2023 legislative sessions. We'll discuss what issues the industry should be prepared to deal with this year and our strategies for managing them. And Sean Kennedy, the Executive Vice-President of Public Policy for the National Restaurant Association stops by the pod to talk about the current legal situation in California regarding the FAST Act, what operators should be prepared for in the near term, and how the industry is managing similar threats in other parts of the country. We'll discuss those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

It's said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. The State of California has repurposed this adage lately, finding ways to remake the country in its own progressive image through the food industry. The last time Professor Richard Epstein joined the show, we took up the “pig case” aka NPPC v. Ross. The Supreme Court is now deciding whether California can foist its values on the rest of the country through regulations that would impact pork producers nationwide. Based on oral arguments in October, it looks like it will be a close call. Meanwhile, a new battle has been brewing over fast food restaurants and other franchises in the Golden State. Governor Newsom signed the FAST Recovery Act (AB 257) into law on Labor Day, celebrating the bill's dramatic minimum increase from $15 to $22 for fast food and other franchise workers. Organized labor cheered, but the bill has now been put on hold until voters can weigh in by referendum in 2024. We can hope that voters will see through the bill's lofty promises for workers to the harms of minimum wage increases for workers, employers, and consumers alike. Even the Washington Post called the bill “ham-handed.” Professor Epstein joins me to review the economic case against the minimum wage. However, this is not like normal minimum wage legislation. The FAST Recovery Act also gives sweeping new powers to the state – and “Emperor Newsom” in particular – to regulate every aspect of thousands of businesses in California that qualify as large franchises. Such powers were unthinkable for the Founders, but Epstein points out that the courts have increasingly deferred to state authority since the New Deal Era. The FAST Act takes the administrative overreach that has become common and goes a step fruther – consolidating that power into the governor's hand. Beyond the possibility of overturning the law by citizen vote, Epstein sees a larger opportunity to challenge its constitutionality on equal protection grounds – setting a precedent for similar cases of power grabs by state executives. The battlelines have been drawn. To quote an old Union hymn, Which Side Are You On? Team Liberty or Team Newsom?

California's new bill, the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (FAST Act), is putting a new focus on regulations and worker protection for restaurants in the fast food industry. Listen in to this episode of Paychex THRIVE, a Business Podcast to get insight to what this bill is from Jot Condie, President and CEO of the California Restaurant Association. Find out more about who the FAST Act is targeting, how it will affect minimum wage, the possible impact on consumers, and what it means for other industries throughout the United States. Topics Include: 00:19 – Introduction to Jot Condie 00:44 – The California Restaurant Association 02:37 – What is the FAST Act? 04:54 – Who the bill is targeting 05:10 – The council makeup and authority 09:04 – What does this mean for workers? 11:17 – Why focus on the fast-food sector? 12:01 – How effect on minimum wage 13:47 – The expected impact on consumers 14:57 – Is the FAST Act needed? 16:37 – What does this mean for other industries? 17:29 – Advice to other states 19:18 – Wrap up Learn more about other laws and regulations impacting the restaurant industry at www.paychex.com/articles/payroll-taxes/notable-laws-and-regulations-for-restaurants. Read about other regulatory issues businesses may face in 2023 at www.paychex.com/articles/compliance/top-regulatory-issues. DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.  

This week on the Extra Serving podcast, a production of Nation’s Restaurant News, NRN editors Holly Petre, Sam Oches and Leigh Anne Zinsmeister discussed the FAST Act in California. Signed on Labor Day, the FAST Act was set to be a new California law requiring restaurants with over 100 units and at least one unit in California to follow a set of guidelines including a possible $22 per hour minimum wage. The National Restaurant Association, along with other business leaders, organized a petition with over one million signatures, forcing a vote on the law in 2024. The editors discuss what this will mean during a presidential election year and what it could mean for the future of restaurants both big and small. Next, the team discussed the purchase of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop by Dine Brands earlier in the week. The three editors talked about what the year in acquisitions has looked like and how this fit into the bunch. Finally, the team talked about the first of the pandemic-era lawsuits to come to financial fruition. Uber Eats was ordered to pay the city of Chicago and restaurants $10 million in damages for listing restaurants without their permission. The team discussed what this means for the delivery segment and what it could mean if there are more lawsuits that have similar results. This week’s interview is the president of Applebee’s, John Cywinski. He spoke with Ron Ruggless about the brand’s recent earnings and the future of the casual-dining giant.

The California FAST Act — the controversial legislation passed by the state in Sept. that would create a council to regulate the fast-food industry — has been put on hold for now. The Small Restaurant Coalition, led by the National Restaurant Association, received more than a million signatures –enough to send the legislation to a referendum vote, which will take place in Nov. 2024.The FAST Recovery Act or Assembly Bill 257, was signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Labor Day and was designed to give fast-food employees a seat at the table. The Governor would be in charge of creating a 10-person council that would set standard wages, working hours and conditions for employees of quick-service chains with 100 or more locations nationally.That council would have the ability to raise the minimum wage for workers to $22 an hour. And although the council's jurisdiction would technically only extend to the quick-service restaurant industry, according to a previous interview we did with Riley Lagesen, an attorney at Greenberg Traurig, the competitive market would ensure that nearly every industry statewide adjusts their wages accordingly. It would also be highly likely that the legislation would be copied in other industries and across other cities and states.Hear more from senior editor Joanna Fantozzi.

Continued Talk on Gov. Newsoms Gas Price Guage Penalty   A petition to block the creation of a statewide fast food labor council in California has gathered more than 1,000,000 signatures. Assembly Bill 257, also known as the FAST Act, would create a 10-seat council to oversee working conditions for employees at counter-service chains with 100 or more locations. The Save Local Restaurants campaign, financed by industry giants such as Mcdonald's and Starbucks and their franchisees, has been gathering signatures since September to get a measure on the 2024 November ballot to stop the law from coming into effect.    Alex Stone join the show to discuss Semiconductor Microchips. Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that Apple will buy U.S.-made microchips at an event in Arizona on Today. The chip factories will be owned and operated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the biggest foundry company with over half of the global market share. TSMC produces the most advanced processors, including the chips in the latest iPhones, iPads and Macs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's food industry news in 3 minutes, we provide the latest on California's proposed Fast Act and more.

Continued Talk on Gov. Newsoms Gas Price Guage Penalty   A petition to block the creation of a statewide fast food labor council in California has gathered more than 1,000,000 signatures. Assembly Bill 257, also known as the FAST Act, would create a 10-seat council to oversee working conditions for employees at counter-service chains with 100 or more locations. The Save Local Restaurants campaign, financed by industry giants such as Mcdonald's and Starbucks and their franchisees, has been gathering signatures since September to get a measure on the 2024 November ballot to stop the law from coming into effect.    Alex Stone join the show to discuss Semiconductor Microchips. Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that Apple will buy U.S.-made microchips at an event in Arizona on Today. The chip factories will be owned and operated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the biggest foundry company with over half of the global market share. TSMC produces the most advanced processors, including the chips in the latest iPhones, iPads and Macs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dine Brands is buying a taco chain. California's Fast Act is on hold, for now. And Chicago restaurants get a $5 million windfall from Uber Eats.

How can restaurants avoid becoming a political football? This week's episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Joe Kefauver, the managing partner with public affairs firm Align Public Strategies and cohost of the RB-hosted Working Lunch podcast. Kefauver discusses a variety of topics, including a backlash against corporate ESG strategies. ESG stands for environmental, social and governance. Many corporations believe that having a strong ESG framework can create shareholder value over time because it can improve their reputation. But there's been something of a backlash by conservative groups over these policies. He talks about this trend and how companies can avoid it, if they even can. He also talks about the Fast Act in California and efforts by restaurant chains to get that act in front of voters in the state, and why this topic is so important. And he discusses unions and why there hasn't been many efforts to unionize companies outside of the coffee giant Starbucks.

I will be doing a walk down memory lane with M&A patterns from the past 20 years as well as give some reactions from discussions with franchisees at several recent restaurant conventions, I'll talk about recent M&A transactions completed, and I'll discuss the impact of the new FAST Act legislation in California.

Concerns about the U.S. economy hit restaurant stocks. Some Olive Garden customers are certainly feeling the pinch. But fast-food chains have done better than others.

We discuss the aftermath of California's FAST Act and the environment for the labor community as they try to export similar legislation to other states. Can the industry stem the tide? We'll discuss. And proponents of the PROAct have taken their show on the road, hitting the campaign trail to keep Democratic Senate candidates' feet to the fire. Could that strategy backfire? We'll discuss. And another industry CEO has weighed into the law and order public safety debate. But could they be accidentally weighing into a much broader political fight they never saw coming. We'll take a look. We'll discuss those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

Welcome to #WorkforceWednesday, a quick-browse rundown featuring Employment Law This Week® and other resources. This week: NLRB Continues Union-Friendly Direction, California Passes FAST Act, Pay Transparency in California.  Visit our site for this week's Other Highlights and links: https://www.ebglaw.com/eltw270 Subscribe to #WorkforceWednesday: https://www.ebglaw.com/subscribe/. Visit http://www.EmploymentLawThisWeek.com. The EMPLOYMENT LAW THIS WEEK® and DIAGNOSING HEALTH CARE podcasts are presented by Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. All rights are reserved. This audio recording includes information about legal issues and legal developments.  Such materials are for informational purposes only and may not reflect the most current legal developments.  These informational materials are not intended, and should not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances, and these materials are not a substitute for the advice of competent counsel. The content reflects the personal views and opinions of the participants. No attorney-client relationship has been created by this audio recording. This audio recording may be considered attorney advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. The determination of the need for legal services and the choice of a lawyer are extremely important decisions and should not be based solely upon advertisements or self-proclaimed expertise. No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

This week, we discuss the passing of California's FAST Act and the broader implications for the restaurant industry?

Unemployment / Job Openings The jobs report today showed the labor market strength is slowing, but overall, it still remains in a very healthy spot. The headline number saw payrolls increase 315,000, which was essentially in line with the estimate of 318,000. While this was the slowest growth since April 2021, it is still a good growth rate and people need to realize the blockbuster job gains we saw from job recoupment are now in the past. One negative note for job growth was the previous two months were revised lower by a net 107,000 jobs. The headline unemployment rate rose 0.2% to 3.7%, but I view this as positive as it was driven by an increase in the labor participation rate of 0.3% to 62.4%. The labor force participation rate still remains 1.0% below the February 2020 level. The gains in employment were broad based with every category seeing growth, but business and professional services continued to lead the way with an addition of 68,000 jobs and healthcare and retail trade were close behind with additions of 48,200 jobs and 44,000 jobs respectively. Leisure and hospitality has seen some of the strongest growth but saw an increase of just 31,000 jobs in the month of August, which was substantially lower than the 91,000 job increase in the month of July. This sector continues to remain beaten down compared to pre-pandemic levels as the total number of payrolls is still 1.2 million jobs below where we were in February 2020. One area of the report I found interesting was the number of people that were counted as long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more). It currently stands at 1.1 million and accounts for 18.8% of all unemployed persons. I hate to say it, but with job openings nearly 2x higher than the total number of unemployed persons how have they not been able to find a job? JOLTS The JOLTs report continues to show strength as job openings in the month of July saw results of 11.24 million openings, easily top the estimate of 10.3 million. This was a slight increase from the month of June which saw openings total 11.04 million. The job openings level is still close to 2x the number of available workers as they totaled just 5.67 million in the month of July. While this report is a major positive for the labor market, it remains concerning on the inflation front. The discrepancy between openings and available workers adds pressure to wage inflation as companies compete over employees and it makes me wonder if we have enough people in the labor force to help resolve the supply chain issues we have been seeing in the economy. Wall Street   We have seen speculation in cryptocurrencies falter along with the meme stocks. I've always said Wall Street is great with coming out with products that they can make money on investors who speculate on trying to get rich quick. You now will begin seeing what is known as single stock ETFs which use various high-risk techniques along with options and futures and in some cases leverage. Three very risky tools. This will allow investors to speculate more on short term moves up and down of popular stocks like Tesla, Apple, Nike and in the works, you may even find companies like Boeing and Salesforce. They promote the benefit that you can't lose more than what you invested, and you don't need to sign margin agreements or any other pesty paperwork. And of course, Wall Street will make their money off of fees that seem to range from 0.95% to 1.15%. Once again people with little knowledge of how these work and with the excitement and enthusiasm that they will get rich will jump into these new ETFs which they hope will fill their dreams of getting rich quick. I can see down the road I would guess 3 to 5 years people who lost their money complaining it was unfair and someone needs to reimburse them. It was not their fault they did not read the paperwork or understand what they invested in. Would someone please tell these people to stop speculating and invest in good quality companies for 3 to 5 years and be happy with a potential annual average return of 8 to 10%. Once again investors are being warned of another great moneymaker for Wall Street and a big loser for them. September Buckle your seatbelt as September is historically the worst month of the year for stocks. Going back to 1928 both the S&P 500 index and the Dow Jones industrials have an average loss of around 1% in the month of September. Keep in mind an average does mean there have been up months in the past. For September I see 3 things that can weigh on the market. First off would be another interest-rate increase of 3/4 of a percent, second would be oil rising back to $100 a barrel and lastly more bad news coming out of the war in Ukraine. This does not mean you sell your stocks and go to cash. It means be prepared for some pullbacks and be aware that September is the worst month of the year. Reserves On August 31 we will get an update on where the strategic petroleum reserves now stand after taking 1 million barrels a day from the reserves. The most recent data shows there were 453.1 million barrels in the reserves, down from 621.3 million barrels one year ago. What worries me here are two things. First this was meant as a temporary fix with the hopes of increasing production, which does not appear to have happened. In addition to that there is talk that the Middle East may reduce their production. My second concern is in 30 days or so when this program is over it appears the levels in the SPR will be somewhere around 390 million barrels, not a good comfort feeling. In addition to not replacing the production of oil, what will the government be doing to replace the oil they took from the strategic reserves. I'm also assuming the oil they used to meet the shortfall was lower priced oil than what they will be buying it back at especially since they're buying will increase the demand for oil. I believe in a long-term program to a good clean energy policy, but in the short term they really need to focus on a fix for how to produce more oil and gas. I hope they had a plan for this when they began the 1 million barrel a day reduction in the SPR. Labor/Job Security I have said I do believe the recession will not be as dramatic because people not only have a job but feel comfortable that their job is secure, or they could obtain another job if they wanted to at equal or greater pay. It has been estimated that the US labor market is still down about 7 million workers from the pre-pandemic days. It also has been estimated that those who took early retirements reduced the labor supply by 2% and those gig jobs that people picked up has been estimated to have reduced the labor force by another 4%. It is also estimated that roughly 3% on a floating monthly basis of US workers are infected with Covid -19 which still requires mandatory days to stay at home. To help with the supply of labor it is possible some of those who retired will become concerned about inflation and the recession and return to the workforce. Investments The S&P 500 has had a nice rebound since June 16 rising around 11%, but still remains down 15% for the year. Traders now seem to be getting nervous. Net short positions against the S&P 500 futures are reaching levels that have not been seen in two years. This could cause a lot more volatility in September, which is the worst month of the year in regard to performance. Check your investments and your equities to make sure they can handle the storm. Growing Jobs We just saw a great JOLTS Report, which stands for Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. I now see Honda and LG are going to build a $4.4 billion EV battery plant starting early next year in Ohio. Tesla announced recently they are building a $4 billion EV battery plant in Oklahoma and not to long ago, Intel announced spending $20 billion in two different cities to build chip manufacturing plants. What I'm thinking is jobs, jobs and more jobs. First off construction of these multi-billion-dollar production plants will take 2 to 3 years to complete. Then the workers to work on these plants will also be making good wages as well. This will also generate the ripple effect of more jobs as the money flows into these communities. I feel pretty good about the long-term job market here in United States. FAST ACT Bill The California legislature passed a bill known as the FAST act for fast food chains that establishes a fast-food council charged with setting pay and workplace standards for the entire industry. The bill would allow the council to set pay for workers up to $22 per hour next year. This is backed strongly by the unions of course who never seem to understand the fundamentals of running a business or making a profit. Governor Newsom has about 30 days to decide to approve or veto the bill, restaurant owners are pushing hard to obtain a veto. I believe if this passes you will see closures of some fast-food restaurants or food prices at the franchises climb by 20 to 25% so the business can make a profit. My other fear is this will creep into other businesses causing more closures of other businesses and much higher prices in California. Russia Oil Revenue You may have figured out that because of the increase in the price of oil Russia is now drowning in cash. Their oil revenues are up substantially compared to before the war in Ukraine. Russia is now averaging oil export earnings of $20 billion/month, an increase of 37% from the earnings of $14.6 billion/month in 2021. Indirectly the United States is helping Russia generate more revenues in oil by producing less. The United States needs to open all oil wells, pipelines, and do whatever it takes to produce oil anywhere they can to shut Russia down. Let's put the green energy objective on hold for a year or so to shut down Russia. If we did that the war in Ukraine would be over rather quickly. Harrison Johnson, CFP®: "Understanding all risks in retirement"

Top 5 News Headlines and Commentary for Tuesday, September 6, 2022. 1. Judge Authorizes Use of Special Master to Review Documents Taken from Mar-a-Lago in FBI Raid. 2. Former FBI Agent Buried Vital Information Regarding Hunter Biden's Laptop. 3 Governor Newsom Signs Fast Act Allowing a Government Board to Set Wages for Fast Food Workers in California. 4. MSNBC Guest Claims Democrat Are “at war” With Republicans. 5. Energy Secretary Granholm Supports California Banning Sales of New Gas-Powered Cars.

New York restaurants are adjusting to new handgun regulations, a glance at Kevin Hart's new plant-based burger concept and How many restaurants would be affected by the California fast-food wage bill?

This week, we discuss a major piece of restaurant legislation headed for a vote in California, and its implications for the industry.

McDonald's is taking a stand against California's fast food wage bill and the tug of war over the bill continues and Subway launches 10,000 “footlong passes”

Top 5 News Headlines and Commentary for Wednesday, August 31st, 2022. 1. Republicans Demand Facebook Disclose Communications with FBI on Hunter Biden's Laptop. 2. Senior FBI Agent Resigns Amid Scrutiny of Helping Bury Hunter Biden Investigation. 3. California Passes “Fast Act” Allowing Government to Set Wages for Fast Food Workers. 4. Russia's Wields Gas as Weapon of War Against the West. 5. President Biden Calls for $37 Billion to Hire Police Officers, Ban Assault Weapons.

P.M. Edition for Aug. 30. California could soon allow its state government to set wages for fast-food workers , under a bill known as the Fast Act. WSJ restaurants reporter Heather Haddon joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss how it would work and whether it could catch on in other states. Plus, Mikhail Gorbachev, the eighth and final leader of the Soviet Union, has died at age 91. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your quick morning dose of the restaurant news you need, every weekday, from the editors of Restaurant Business.

The industry has been enjoying a nice run of political success lately with the National Restaurant Association staring down the Small Business Administration over restaurant relief funds and the International Franchise Association basically determining who is and is not acceptable to run the Labor Department's Wage & Hour Division. To what do we owe this burgeoning political power? We'll discuss. And it's do or die time in California as the FAST Act takes center stage. We'll take a look at what industry leaders need to do this week to have a chance of winning. And the primary election train keeps on rolling and we'll discuss the results that could have oversized impacts on the industry - namely Michigan and Kansas. We'll discuss those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

A California bill giving fast-food workers a say in their wages crept closer to becoming law. The legal feud over Maple & Ash takes a new twist. And nearly 4 in 10 restaurants failed to pay rent last month.

The California FAST Recovery Act is a continued attempt to end the franchise model as we know it and harm thousands of local restaurant business owners in California and the jobs they support. The legislation will establish an unaccountable, unelected council of political appointees to oversee workplace policy, independent of the legislature and outside of existing labor law. In addition, by statue, it will eliminate the franchise model in California, turning hardworking local franchise business owners into middle managers, decimating equity they have spent their livelihoods building. Recent amendments purport to allow for legislative oversight but are instead window dressing and do not eliminate the serious legal and policy issues that doomed AB 257 last session. Special Guests: Greg Flynn, Jeff Hanscom, and Roy Gilad.