Podcasts about transportation department

Tom Homan continues to have amazing responses to Democrats and President Trump rips Pete Buttigieg for his poor performance as the head of the Transportation Department.  Visit the Howie Carr Radio Network website to access columns, podcasts, and other exclusive content.

Dana In The Morning Highlights 4/22HISD testing new transportation dept - new positions to be createdGalveston Island State Park featured on new HEB Earth Day bags today67% of guys say wearing a suit makes them more confident

Clean Wisconsin has been keeping track of the many attacks on bedrock environmental safeguards being carried out by the Trump Administration. Dozens of rules and regulations that protect our air, water, land, endangered species and more are being targeted. With so much happening in such a short time, how do you know what's important, what's just a lot of bluster, and what's even legal?  Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Brett Korte, Clean Wisconsin attorney Resources for You: Running list of attacks on environmental safeguards 1/20 Freeze All In-Progress Standards  EO - Freezes in-progress climate, clean air, clean water (including proposed limits on PFAS in industrial wastewater) and consumer protections. 1/20 Energy Emergency Declaration EO - Authorizes federal government to expedite permitting and approval of fossil fuel, infrastructure, and mining projects and circumvent Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act requirements. 1/20 Withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement EO - Reverses the US' international commitment to tackling climate change and reducing pollution. 1/20 Revokes Biden Climate Crisis and Environmental Justice Executive Actions EO -  Reverses U.S. commitment to fight climate change and its impacts, and protect overburdened communities. 1/20 Attacks on Clean Car Standards EO -  to stop clean car standards that required automakers to reduce tailpipe pollution from vehicles beginning in 2027. 1/20 Resumes LNG Permitting EO - Expedites Liquid Natural Gas export terminal approval over analysis finding exports raise energy costs for consumers. Attacks Climate and Clean Energy Investments from IRA and BIL EO - Freezes unspent funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and directs agencies to reassess. 1/20 Attacks NEPA Protections EO - Rescinds order requiring White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to assess environmental and community impacts and allow community input into federal infrastructure projects. 1/21 Expands Offshore Oil Drilling EO - Reopens U.S. coastlines to offshore drilling. 1/21 Terminate American Climate Corps EO - Ends all programs of the American Climate Corps, which created thousands of jobs combatting climate change and protecting and restoring public lands. 1/21 Freezes New Wind Energy Leases EO - Withdraws wind energy leasing from U.S. waters and federal lands. 1/21 Open Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other Alaska Lands for Drilling EO - Reopens sensitive federal lands and waters in Alaska to drilling. 1/28 EPA's Science Advisory Panel Members Fired Memorandum - Acting EPA administrator James Payne dismisses members of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee and Science Advisory Board, which provides independent expertise to the agency on air quality standards and sources of air pollution. 1/28 EPA Suspends Solar For All Grants Memorandum - The EPA halted $7 billion in contractually obligated grants for Solar For All, an Inflation Reduction Act program that delivers clean energy and lower prices to vulnerable communities 1/31 Trump administration scrubs "climate change" from federal websites Memorandum - Mentions of climate change have been removed from federal websites such the Department of Agriculture, which includes the Forest Service and climate-smart agriculture programs, and the EPA. 2/3 Trump requires removal 10 existing rules for every new rule EO - The order requires that when an agency finalizes a new regulation or guidance they identify 10 existing rules to be cut. 2/3 Interior secretary weakens public lands protections in favor of fossil fuel development Sec Order - After Trump's "Unleashing American Energy" executive order, Interior Secretary Burgum ordered the reinstatement of fossil fuel leases, opened more land for drilling, and issued orders weakening protections of public lands, national monuments and endangered species, and overturned advanced clean energy and climate mitigation strategies. 2/5 Energy secretary announces review of appliance efficiency standards Sec Order - Energy Secretary Wright ordered a review of appliance standards following Trump's Day One order attacking rules improving the efficiency of household appliances such as toilets, showerheads, and lightbulbs as part of a secretarial order intended to increase the extraction and use of fossil fuels. 2/5 Army Corps of Engineers halts approval of renewables Guidance via DOD - The Army Corps of Engineers singled out 168 projects – those that focused on renewable energy projects – out of about 11,000 pending permits for projects on private land. Though the hold was lifted, it was not immediately clear if permitting had resumed. 2/6 Transportation Department orders freeze of EV charging infrastructure program Memorandum - A Transportation Department memo ordered the suspension of $5 billion in federal funding, authorized by Congress under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, for states to build electric vehicle chargers. 2/11 SEC starts process to kill climate disclosure rule Memorandum - The acting chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission paused the government's legal defense of a rule requiring companies to identify the impact of their business on climate in regulatory findings. The rule was challenged in court by 19 Republican state attorneys general and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright's Liberty Energy, among others. 2/14 EPA fires hundreds of staff Memorandum - The Trump administration's relentless assault on science and career expertise at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continued today with the firing of almost 400 staff who had ‘probationary' status. 2/14 DOE issues the first LNG export authorization under new Trump administration DOE Secretary Wright issued an export authorization for the Commonwealth LNG project in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, despite a 2024 DOE report finding that unfettered LNG exports increase energy bills and climate pollution. 2/18 Trump issues order stripping independent agencies of independence EO - Trump signed an executive order stripping independent regulatory agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of their independence, moving them to submit proposed rules and final regulations for review by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) and granting the attorney general exclusive authority over legal interpretations of rules. The order is likely to be challenged as Congress created these agencies specifically to be insulated from White House interference. 2/19 Zeldin recommends striking endangerment finding Memorandum - After Trump's "Unleashing American Energy" executive order, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has told the White House he would recommend rescinding the bedrock justification defining six climate pollutants – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride – as air pollution to be regulated by the Clean Air Act. 2/19 Trump administration moves to rescind all CEQ regulatory authority Rulemaking - The Trump administration has moved to rescind the Council on Environmental Quality's role in crafting and implementing environmental regulations, revoking all CEQ orders since 1977 that shape how federal agencies comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which requires the government to consider and disclose environmental impacts of its actions. 2/19 Trump directs agencies to make deregulation recommendations to DOGE EO - Trump issues executive order directing agencies to work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to make recommendations that will accelerate Trump's efforts to dismantle regulations across the federal government as part of his 10 out, 1 in policy. Among the protections likely to be in DOGE's crosshairs are those that keep polluters from ignoring environmental laws and protect clean air and water. 2/19 FEMA staff advised to scrub "changing climate" and other climate terms from documents Memorandum - A Federal Emergency Management Agency memo listed 10 climate-related words and phrases, including "changing climate," “climate resilience,” and “net zero," to be removed from FEMA documents. The memo comes after USDA workers were ordered to scrub mentions of climate change from websites. 2/21 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Director Placed on Administrative Leave Guidance - According to media reports, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin has put the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) director on administrative leave. The GGRF is a $27 billion federal financing program that addresses the climate crisis and is injecting billions of dollars in local economic development projects to lower energy prices and reduce pollution especially in the rural, urban, and Indigenous communities most impacted by climate change and frequently left behind by mainstream finance. 2/27 Hundreds fired as layoffs begin at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Guidance - On Thursday, February 27, about 800 employees at NOAA, the agency responsible for the nation's bedrock weather, climate, fisheries, and marine research, were fired in the latest round of Trump administration-led layoffs. The layoffs could jeopardize NOAA's ability to provide life-saving severe weather forecasts, long-term climate monitoring, deep-sea research and fisheries management, and other essential research and policy. 3/10 Energy secretary says climate change a worthwhile tradeoff for growth Announcement - Speaking at the CERAWeek conference, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the Trump administration sees climate change as “a side effect of building the modern world,” and pledged to “end the Biden administration's irrational, quasi-religious policies on climate change." 3/10 Zeldin, Musk Cut $1.7B in Environmental Justice Grants Guidance - EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the cancellation of 400 environmental justice-related grants, in violation of a court order barring the Trump administration from freezing "equity-based" grants and contracts. 3/11 EPA eliminates environmental justice offices, staff Memorandum - EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin ordered the closure of environmental justice offices at the agency's headquarters and at all 10 regional offices and eliminate all related staff positions "immediately." The reversal comes just days after the EPA reinstated environmental justice and civil rights employees put on leave in early February. 3/12 EPA Announcement to Revise "Waters of the United States" Rule Announcement - The EPA will redefine waters of the US, or WOTUS, to comply with the US Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Sackett v. EPA, which lifted Clean Water Act jurisdiction on many wetlands, Administrator Lee Zeldin said 3/14 Zeldin releases 31-rollback ‘hit list' Memorandum (announced, not in effect as of 4/10) - EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to dismantle federal air quality and carbon pollution regulations, identifying 31 actions ranging from from soot standards and power plant pollution rules to the endangerment finding – the scientific and legal underpinning of the Clean Air Act. 3/14 EPA halts enforcement of pollution rules at energy facilities Memorandum - According to a leaked memo, the EPA's compliance office has halted enforcement of pollution regulations on energy facilities and barred consideration of environmental justice concerns. The memo states: "Enforcement and compliance assurance actions shall not shut down any stage of energy production (from exploration to distribution) or power generation absent an imminent and substantial threat to human health or an express statutory or regulatory requirement to the contrary.” 3/14 Trump revokes order encouraging renewables EO - Trump signed an executive order rescinding a Biden-era proclamation encouraging the development of renewable energy. Biden's order under the Defense Production Act permitted the Department of Energy to direct funds to scale up domestic production of solar and other renewable technologies. 3/17 EPA plans to eliminate science staff Memorandum - Leaked documents describe plans to lay off as many as 1,155 scientists from labs across the country. These chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists are among the experts who monitor air and water quality, cleanup of toxic waste, and more. 3/16 EPA invites waivers on mercury pollution and other hazardous pollutants Memorandum - The EPA invited coal- and oil-fired power plants to apply for exemptions to limits on mercury and other toxic pollutants under the Clean Air Act. Mercury is an extremely dangerous pollutant that causes brain damage to babies and fetuses; in addition to mercury, pollution from power plants includes hazardous chemicals that can lead to cancer, or damage to the lungs, kidneys, nervous system and cardiovascular system. 4/3 Trump administration adds "deregulation suggestion" website A new page on regulations.gov allows members of the public to submit "deregulation" ideas. The move is the latest in the Trump administration's efforts to slash public health, safety, and climate safeguards, and comes soon after the administration offered companies the opportunity to send the EPA an email if they wished to be exempted from Clean Air Act protections. 4/8 Series of four EOs to boost coal  EO - Under the four orders, Trump uses his emergency authority to allow some older coal-fired power plants set for retirement to keep producing electricity to meet rising U.S. power demand amid growth in data centers, artificial intelligence and electric cars. Trump also directed federal agencies to identify coal resources on federal lands, lift barriers to coal mining and prioritize coal leasing on U.S. lands. In a related action, Trump also signed a proclamation offering coal-fired power plants a two-year exemption from federal requirements to reduce emissions of toxic chemicals such as mercury, arsenic and benzene. 4/9 Executive Order Attacking State Climate Laws EO - Directs the U.S. Attorney General to sue or block state climate policies deemed "burdensome" to fossil fuel interests — including laws addressing climate change, ESG investing, carbon taxes, and environmental justice. 4/9 New expiration dates on existing energy rules EO - The order directs ten agencies and subagencies to assign one-year expiration dates to existing energy regulations. If they are not extended, they will expire no later than September 30, 2026, according to a White House fact sheet on the order. The order also said any new regulations should include a five-year expiration, unless they are deregulatory. That means any future regulations would only last for five years unless they are extended. 4/17 Narrow Endangered Species Act to allow for habitat destruction The Trump administration is proposing to significantly limit the Endangered Species Act's power to preserve crucial habitats by changing the definition of one word: harm. The Endangered Species Act prohibits actions that “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect” endangered plants and animals. The word “harm” has long been interpreted to mean not just the direct killing of a species, but also severe harm to their environment  

According to the NYPD, first responders pulled at least two people from the Hudson River Thursday after a helicopter crash. Plus, the MTA and U.S. Transportation Department have agreed to a schedule in a lawsuit over the Manhattan tolls that shows a judge won't make any decision for another six months. Also, a Hell's Kitchen landlord is getting tax breaks despite racking up hundreds of violations. And finally, Airbnb is spending millions to back candidates for local office who support easing short-term rental restrictions.

Tom DeWeese is the president of the American Policy Center. Tom is one of the nation's leading advocates of individual liberty, free enterprise, private property rights, personal privacy, back-to-basics education and American sovereignty and independence and protecting our Constitutionally-guaranteed rights.In January of 2024, the World Economic Forum held their meeting to push global governance. One of the panel discussions concerned how they could "Trump-proof" their countries and advance their agenda should he be elected. They met again this past January in Davos and we aired the message delivered to them by President Trump and one of the attendees said, "We lost and he won!"In the past, we've warned listeners that the global forces may delay or put aside their agenda for a time, but ultimately they will carry out their plan. This same scenario is playing out within the U.S. as well as the deep state continues to carry out their agenda, in spite of President Trump's attempts to stop them at the federal level. Their plan is called, "America 2050—New Strategies for Regional Economic Development."The driving force behind America 2050 is a non-governmental organization (NGO) out of New York called the Regional Plan Association (RPA). Their partner is the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Their plan involves 11 mega-regions. These involve regional councils filled with non-elected, appointed individuals. These councils may represent 15 different counties. They set up what Tom described as a one-size-fits-all policy in all those counties while applying for grants from Housing and Urban Development, the EPA, the Transportation Department, etc.

Tom DeWeese is the president of the American Policy Center. Tom is one of the nation's leading advocates of individual liberty, free enterprise, private property rights, personal privacy, back-to-basics education and American sovereignty and independence and protecting our Constitutionally-guaranteed rights.In January of 2024, the World Economic Forum held their meeting to push global governance. One of the panel discussions concerned how they could "Trump-proof" their countries and advance their agenda should he be elected. They met again this past January in Davos and we aired the message delivered to them by President Trump and one of the attendees said, "We lost and he won!"In the past, we've warned listeners that the global forces may delay or put aside their agenda for a time, but ultimately they will carry out their plan. This same scenario is playing out within the U.S. as well as the deep state continues to carry out their agenda, in spite of President Trump's attempts to stop them at the federal level. Their plan is called, "America 2050—New Strategies for Regional Economic Development."The driving force behind America 2050 is a non-governmental organization (NGO) out of New York called the Regional Plan Association (RPA). Their partner is the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Their plan involves 11 mega-regions. These involve regional councils filled with non-elected, appointed individuals. These councils may represent 15 different counties. They set up what Tom described as a one-size-fits-all policy in all those counties while applying for grants from Housing and Urban Development, the EPA, the Transportation Department, etc.

President Donald Trump's administration backed off its demand for an extra layer of federal scrutiny whenever states seek even minor changes to their transportation plans after the rescinded requirement sparked concern that some payments for roads, bridges and transit would be delayed or even halted due to policy differences. Most of the federal money used for transportation projects flows to states almost automatically through formulas established by Congress that consider population and other factors. For decades, states have enjoyed widespread autonomy to set their own priorities and spend the funds on projects they deem most worthy. But under the policy the administration put in place and then reversed, no additional money was to be allocated until lawyers in the U.S. Department of Transportation's Washington headquarters signed off on any changes. Such amendments to state transportation plans were already subject to a federal review, but it was usually a swift process from a regional office to confirm they didn't violate any U.S. laws. State transportation departments learned of the reversal through an email from Joung Lee, deputy director and chief policy officer for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Lee said the Trump administration had confirmed that the review process was being returned to the regional level without the need for lawyers in Washington to sign off. "As this remains a continuing development, we will keep you posted on any further updates," Lee wrote. The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration didn't respond to emails seeking details about why the headquarters-level review was implemented and later reversed. The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO), which represents organizations that oversee local and regional transportation projects that get federal funding, told its members that at least six states had reported learning about an anticipated pause in getting their plans approved due to the extra review. "In areas with large-scale projects or narrow construction windows, even short delays can cascade into prolonged setbacks, increased project costs, and missed opportunities to address critical transportation needs," AMPO said in the memo. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Ralph welcomes New York Times journalist, David Enrich, author of “Murder the Truth” an in-depth exposé of the attack on freedom of the press as protected by the landmark Supreme Court decision “Sullivan v. The New York Times.” Also, Professor Michael Graetz a leading authority on tax politics and policy joins to discuss his book “The Power to Destroy: How the Antitax Movement Hijacked America.” Plus, our resident constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, updates us on his latest efforts to push for the impeachment of Donald Trump.David Enrich is the business investigations editor for The New York Times. He writes about the intersection of law and business, including the power wielded by giant corporate law firms and the changing contours of the First Amendment and libel law. His latest book is titled Murder the Truth: Fear, the First Amendment, and a Secret Campaign to Protect the Powerful, an in-depth exposé of the broad campaign—orchestrated by elite Americans—to overturn sixty years of Supreme Court precedent, weaponize our speech laws, and silence dissent.When all the institutions are crushed by a dictator in the White House, it's only the people that can save the people.Ralph NaderThe interesting thing was that Fox, and these other right-wing outlets for years had been kind of banging the drum against New York Times v. Sullivan and against the protections that many journalists have come to count on. And then they get sued and their immediate fallback is to very happily cite New York Times v. Sullivan.David EnrichThese threats and these lawsuits have become an extremely popular weapon among everyone from the President down to mayors, city council members, local real estate development companies, on and on and on…And the direct result of that will be that powerful people, companies, organizations, institutions are going to be able to do bad things without anyone knowing about it.David EnrichPeople keep asking me what they can do, what they should do. And I think the answer is really to try and understand these issues. They're complicated, but they're also getting deliberately misframed and misrepresented often, especially on the right, but sometimes not on the right. And I think it's really important for people to understand the importance of New York Times v. Sullivan, and to understand the grave threats facing journalists, especially at the local level right now, and the consequences that could have for our democracy.David EnrichMichael Graetz is professor emeritus at Columbia Law School and Yale Law School and a leading authority on tax politics and policy. He served in the U.S. Treasury's Office of Tax Policy and is the author and coauthor of many books, including Death by a Thousand Cuts: The Fight over Taxing Inherited Wealth and The Burger Court and the Rise of the Judicial Right. His latest book is The Power to Destroy: How the Antitax Movement Hijacked America.I spent a lot of time asking people to name the most important political and social movements of the last half century. And no surprise, they named the civil rights movement, the women's movement, the LGBTQ movement, the Christian Evangelical movement, the MAGA movement lately, but no one ever mentioned the anti-tax movement. And unlike the other movements I've named, the anti-tax movement is really the only one that has not suffered a serious setback in the past half century.Michael GraetzThe anti-tax movement has always relied on a false dichotomy between “us” (those who pay taxes) and “them” (those who receive government benefits).Michael GraetzThe Democrats now don't want to tax 98% of the people and the Republicans don't want to tax 100% of the people and the question is: how do you get anywhere with those kinds of firm “no new taxes” pledges? And that's a problem. And I think it's a problem that the Democrats have fallen into basically based on the success of the Republicans antitax coalition.Michael GraetzYou're going to see individuals' budgets pinched because the federal government refuses to treat its budget with any degree of seriousness.Michael GraetzThe label they use to justify tax cuts for the rich and the corporate they call them the “job creators.” Well, that has not been proven at all.Ralph NaderBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.Certainly, the current Congress is not going to act without citizen involvement, pressure, clamoring that they do something to save the processes which are the heart and soul of our civilization as opposed to the law of the jungle.Bruce FeinNews 3/19/251. The AP reports that on Tuesday Israel broke the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, launching airstrikes that have killed over 400 Palestinians. These strikes, which have killed mostly women and children, are described as “open-ended and expected to expand.” This new offensive began the same day Prime Minister Netanyahu was scheduled to appear in court to provide testimony in his corruption trial; according to Israeli broadcaster KAN News, Netanyahu used the surprise attack to annul this court date.2. This new offensive endangers the lives of some two dozen Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. These hostages would have been released as part of the prisoner exchanges brokered through the ceasefire agreement. In order to dissuade further escalation, journalist Dimi Reider reports “Israeli hostage families are trying to make a human chain around Gaza to physically block a ground incursion.” This human chain includes prominent Israeli activist Einav Zangauker, whose son is still held in Gaza and who has made herself an implacable opponent of Netanyahu.3. On the home front, a new round of state-backed repression is underway, targeted at pro-Palestine activists on college and university campuses. The Mahmoud Khalil case has received perhaps the most attention and with good reason. Khalil is a legal permanent resident of the United States and is married to a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant. He has long been active in pro-Palestine organizing at the college, which White House officials have claimed make him a “threat to the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States.” The Trump administration has refused to honor Khalil's Constitutional rights – including refusing to let him meet with his lawyer – and has admitted that they are persecuting him on the basis of political speech, a clear-cut violation of the First Amendment. A White House official explicitly told the Free Press, “The allegation…is not that he was breaking the law.” In addition to Khalil however, Columbia has taken the opportunity to expel, suspend and revoke the degrees of 22 students involved in the Hind's Hall occupation last year, per the Middle East Eye. This raft of penalizations includes the expulsion of Grant Miner, President of UAW Local 2710, which represents thousands of Columbia student workers. Per the UAW, “the firing comes one day before contract negotiations were set to open with the University.” The timing of this expulsion is suspicious to say the least.4. Yet, even in the face of such repression, pro-Palestine campus activism perseveres. Democracy Now! reports that on March 14th, Harvard Law School students “overwhelmingly passed a referendum calling on Harvard to divest its more than $50 billion endowment from ‘weapons, surveillance technology, and other companies aiding violations of international humanitarian law, including Israel's genocide in Gaza and its ongoing illegal occupation of Palestine.'” The Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee adds that the referendum passed with approximately 73% of the vote, an unquestionably decisive margin. Even still, the university is unlikely to even consider adopting the resolution.5. The resilience of student activists in the face of state-backed repression highlights the fecklessness of elected Democrats. The political leadership of New York for example has not mobilized to defend Mahmoud Khalil from authoritarian overreach by the federal government. Even locally, none of the current mayoral hopefuls – a rather underwhelming lot including the comically corrupt incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, infamous for killing thousands of seniors via his Covid policies and for the pervasive culture of sexual harassment in his office – have forcefully spoken up for Khalil. That is except for Zohran Mamdani, the DSA-endorsed mayoral candidate steadily climbing in the polls thanks to his popular message and well-crafted political ads. His advocacy on behalf of Khalil seems to have won him the support of perhaps the most principled progressive in Congress, Rashida Tlaib, who likewise is leading the meager Congressional effort to pressure the administration to rescind the disappearance of Khalil.6. In light of their anemic response to Trump and Trumpism, Democratic discontent is reaching a boiling point. A flashpoint emerged last week when Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer opted not to fight the Republican budget proposal and vote for cloture instead of shutting down the government. Democratic voters were so incensed by this decision that Schumer was forced to postpone his book tour and the Democratic Party registered its lowest ever approval ratings, with just seven percent of voters saying they have a “very positive” view of the party. As this debacle unfolded, House Democrats were at a retreat in Leesburg, Virginia where AOC “slammed…[Schumer's]…decision to ‘completely roll over and give up on protecting the Constitution.'” One member told CNN Democrats in Leesburg were “so mad” that even centrists were “ready to write checks for AOC for Senate.” And Pass the Torch, the grassroots progressive group that called for President Biden withdraw from the 2024 campaign is now calling for Schumer to resign as minority leader, the Hill reports. In their statement, the group writes “[Schumer's] sole job is to fight MAGA's fascist takeover of our democracy — instead, he's directly enabling it. Americans desperately need a real opposition party to stand up to Trump.”7. In the early evening on Tuesday March 18th, Trump unlawfully dismissed the two remaining Democrats on the Federal Trade Commission, POLITICO reports. One Commissioner, Alvaro Bedoya, tweeted “The President just illegally fired me.” Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter was also ousted from her post. In her statement, she wrote that her dismissal violated “the plain language of a statute and clear Supreme Court precedent. Why? Because…[Trump] is afraid of what I'll tell the American people.” Trump similarly violated the law when he dismissed National Labor Relations Board member Gwynne Wilcox who filed a lawsuit which prevailed in federal district court. POLITICO reports she returned to work last week. Biden's superstar FTC Chair Lina Khan, already ousted by Trump, commented “The @FTC must enforce the law without fear or favor. The administration's illegal attempt to fire Commissioners Slaughter & Bedoya is a disturbing sign that this FTC won't. It's a gift to corporate lawbreakers that squeeze American consumers, workers, and honest businesses.” On March 19th, Bedoya added “Don't worry…We are still commissioners. We're suing to make that clear for everyone.”8. Trump's radical deregulatory agenda could not come at a worse time. Amid a streak of horrific aviation accidents and incidents, it now appears that Elon Musk is seeking to permanently worm his way into the Federal Aviation Administration. Forbes reports that the Campaign Legal Center has filed a legal complaint with the Office of the Inspector General of the Transportation Department alleging that Musk may have violated conflict of interest laws through his “involvement with a deal between the Federal Aviation Administration and his own company Starlink.” Per the Washington Post, the FAA is “close to canceling” its existing $2.4 billion contract with Verizon in favor of working with Starlink, and according to the legal complaint, Musk “appears to have personally and substantially participated” in these negotiations. This matter will have to play out in court, but the risks are very real. As Representative Greg Casar put it, “Musk is trying to make our air traffic control system ‘dependent' on him by integrating his equipment, which has not gone through security and risk-management review. It's corruption. And it's dangerous.”9. In more Musk news, President Trump has announced that he will institute a new rule classifying any attack on Tesla dealers as domestic terrorism, Reuters reports. This comes in response to the peaceful, so-called “Tesla Takedown” protests, which urge participants to “Sell your Teslas, dump your stock, join the picket lines.” Any connection between the protests and isolated cases of vandalism against Teslas or Tesla dealerships is tenuous at most. Instead, this theatrical display of support for the auto manufacturer seems to be a response Tesla's declining stock value. Reuters reports “Tesla's market capitalization has more than halved since hitting an all-time high of $1.5 trillion on December 17, erasing most of the gains the stock made after Musk-backed Trump won the U.S. election in November.” It seems unlikely that invoking the iron fist of the state against peaceful protestors will do much to buoy Tesla's market position.10. Finally, in a humiliating bit of tragic irony, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long maintained a personal brand as a crusader against junk food, is being deployed by the Trump administration to boost the fast food chain Steak ‘n Shake. Ostensibly, the endorsement is predicated on the chain using beef tallow rather than seed oils to prepare their French fries – the company called it “RFK'ing the fries” – yet even that claim appears shaky. According to NBC, “the chain's move inspired some in the [Make America Healthy Again] world to look deeper… finding that [Steak ‘n Shake's] fries were precooked in seed oils.” Nevertheless, RFK's endorsement has been echoed by many others in Trump-world, including Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kari Lake, Charlie Kirk, and others. NBC adds that in February, Tesla announced it had signed a deal to build charging stations at Steak 'n Shake locations. Funny how Musk's fingers seem to appear in every pie, or in this case grasping at every tallow French fry.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

In this episode, you'll learn all about National Association for Transportation Officials (NACTO) and their new Urban Bikeway Design Guide from Executive Director, Ryan Russo. Ryan starts by sharing his origin story working for NYC DOT doing bicycle and pedestrian planning and executing the PlaNYC vision for the better part of 14 years before leaving for Oakland, California to launch a new Department of Transportation Department, where he was for five years prior to returning to NYC to take the helm at NACTO.NACTO is an association of North American cities and transit agencies formed to exchange transportation ideas, insights, and practices and cooperatively approach national transportation issues.The NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, Third Edition will help city leaders and street designers meet the needs of our time and sets a new standard for street design in North America. Developed for cities, by cities, the new guide is more than a permission slip for better street design–it's a prescription for safe, connected, equitable bike networks. It captures lessons learned and emerging practices to set a new bar for the design of city streets. New topics address critical gaps, including planning and project development.The guide includes information on advisory lanes or edge lane roads, protected bikeways and roundabouts, and various shared street designs.We also discuss the Designing Cities Conference taking place in May of this year.#streetsareforpeople #allagesandabilities #bicycleinfrastructure #bikewaydesigns Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more video content.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

A federal judge in Washington on Thursday denied a request by federal worker unions to halt the firing of probationary workers in the U.S. government, saying the court likely lacks the authority to hear the claims. Instead, the claims brought by the National Treasury Employees Union and others must be brought before the Federal Labor Relations Authority, Judge Christopher Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said in his opinion. The ruling is a blow to efforts by unions to protect their members from the mass probationary employee firings taking place across the government, as well as from further efforts by the Trump administration to reduce the size of the federal workforce. The Department of Transportation has tapped the chief technology officer of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to be its new chief information officer, according to an update to the agency's site. Pavan Pidugu started as DOT's new CIO this week, replacing Cordell Schachter, who left the role last month. Pidugu spent nearly five years as CTO at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which focuses on preventing injuries and deaths in the trucking industry. Prior to his work in the federal government, Pidugu held several digital project management roles at Walmart and Target. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

NY Governor Kathy Hochul is challenging The Transportation Department's Federal Highway Administration cancelling of the Congestion Pricing approval. DOGE is on track to have 450 billion dollars in savings by cutting AID within the next few weeks. A Judge in NYC has delayed the decision to dismiss Mayor Adam's corruption case. Mark Interviews Writer Alan Zweibel. Mark and Alan talk about all the moments from the SNL 50th show this past weekend. SNL's demographic is the same as it's always been. Uber allegedly wants Congestion Pricing in NYC because they profit more from it. Governor Phil Murphy agrees with Trump's decision to kill congestion pricing even though he isn't a huge supporter of him. Kash Patel is getting closer to being confirmed. Mark Interviews Nassau county executive Bruce Blakeman. Bruce Blakeman gives his take on Congestion Pricing. Governor Kathy Hochul could keep the Tolls in NYC depending on how the lawsuits play out. Mr. Blakeman is up for reelection this year.

NY Governor Kathy Hochul is challenging The Transportation Department's Federal Highway Administration cancelling of the Congestion Pricing approval. DOGE is on track to have 450 billion dollars in savings by cutting AID within the next few weeks. A Judge in NYC has delayed the decision to dismiss Mayor Adam's corruption case.

NY Governor Kathy Hochul is challenging The Transportation Department's Federal Highway Administration cancelling of the Congestion Pricing approval. DOGE is on track to have 450 billion dollars in savings by cutting AID within the next few weeks. A Judge in NYC has delayed the decision to dismiss Mayor Adam's corruption case. Mark Takes Your Calls! Mark Interviews Writer Alan Zweibel. Mark and Alan talk about all the moments from the SNL 50th show this past weekend. SNL's demographic is the same as it's always been.

President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia visited Kyiv to meet with top Ukrainian officials. This visit came amid strong accusations exchanged between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the war.The Transportation Department revoked its approval for New York City's congestion toll, which charges drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul stated she would fight the termination, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority filed a lawsuit challenging the move.A federal judge held a hearing with New York City Mayor Eric Adams and federal prosecutors regarding the mayor's criminal charges. The judge stated he would rule on a government request to drop the charges against the mayor.The polar vortex reached its peak across much of the United States, with millions facing record-breaking cold and heavy snow. The average low temperature in the continental United States was just 13.7 degrees.Two people were killed when two small, single-engine aircraft collided mid-air near Tucson, Arizona. Two people were aboard each aircraft. An investigation is underway.

In the 6 AM Hour: Larry O’Connor and Patrice Onwuka discussed: CBS host slammed for claiming free speech was ‘weaponized’ in Germany to carry out Holocaust during argument with Marco Rubio CNN White House correspondent deletes post promoting Luigi Mangione's defense fund after backlash The woman in this @60Minutes interview is Kristina Drye (she/her)… She was serving on the speechwriting and communications group for Administrator of USAID Samantha Power Tom Hanks blasted for 'racist and disgusting' portrayal of MAGA supporter on star-studded SNL 50 Trump cuts reach FDA workers focused on food safety and medical devices Transportation Department workers with 'exceptional' reviews told they're fired for 'performance' issues Where to find more about WMAL's morning show: Follow the Show Podcasts on Apple podcasts, Audible and Spotify. Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @Jgunlock, @patricepinkfile, and @heatherhunterdc. Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Show Website: https://www.wmal.com/oconnor-company/ How to listen live weekdays from 5 to 9 AM: https://www.wmal.com/listenlive/ Episode: Monday, February 17, 2025 / 6 AM Hour See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen

Transportation Department Roles in a Crisis Event, featuring Jason Ayers, Transportation Director , Barrow County School District.

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found Click On Picture To See Larger PictureTrump is now reversing everything Biden put into place. The green new scam is dead and Trump removed the US from the Paris climate accord again. Tariffs are coming on Feb 1. Trump might be backing the dollar with Bitcoin. The [DS] is struggling now, Trump is cleaning house, he is removing security clearances and firing the swamp creatures, is draining the swamp. In the process of doing all of this Trump has disarmed the [DS] and now the narrative is being pushed that Gitmo is going to be used for the treasons people. Military tribunals are coming.   (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 https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1881491063996821542?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1881491063996821542%7Ctwgr%5E9a16e5a82e6dff146c951616caf100ddc9613f1c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2025%2F01%2Fenergy-powerhouse-president-trump-withdraw-us-again-crippling%2F Trump revokes Biden 50% EV target, freezes unspent charging funds Trump said in an executive order he was halting distribution of unspent government funds for vehicle charging stations from a $5 billion fund, called for ending a waiver for states to adopt zero emission vehicle U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday (January 20, 2025) took aim at electric vehicles, revoking a 2021 executive order signed by his predecessor Joe Biden that sought to ensure half of all new vehicles sold in the United States by 2030 were electric. Biden's 50% target, which was not legally binding, had won the support of U.S. and foreign automakers. Trump said in an executive order he was halting distribution of unspent government funds for vehicle charging stations from a $5 billion fund, called for ending a waiver for states to adopt zero emission vehicle rules by 2035 and said his administration would consider ending EV tax credits Trump to Environmental Protection Agency Trump plans to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider rules mandating more stringent emissions rules that would require automakers to sell between 30% to 56% EVs by 2032 in order to comply with federal emissions rules, as well as parallel rules issued by the U.S. Transportation Department. Trump said in his order on Monday he seeks the repeal of a waiver granted to California in December by the EPA allowing the state to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles by 2035. That rule has been adopted by 11 other states. Source: thehindu.com https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1881699259969593841 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1881714960524529890   https://www.usdebtclock.org Donald Trump to Declare National Energy Emergency to Lower Energy Prices President-elect Donald Trump will reportedly declare a national energy emergency to boost American energy production and lower energy prices.   “The rationale for this national energy emergency is that high costs of energy are unnecessary. They are by design. It is a cause of policy. We can address that  The Trump administration official continued, “Critical minerals are so crucial to our national security. They are the building blocks of so much of our technology, and that's incorporated within the definition of energy here and energy abundance and the natural resources that these executive orders will unlock again.” , Source: breitbart.com The US Dollar Vs Crypto: Is Trump Undermining The Greenback? President-elect Trump to prop up the US dollar with Bitcoin?

The City of Knoxville's quest to secure federal funding for the planned pedestrian bridge ended successfully last week with an award of $24.7 million from the Transportation Department. On this week's episode of Compass Points, Scott goes into the details of the project and the next steps. He also takes a deep dive into a $27.6 million contract for cameras, software, a records management system and the Real Time Information Center for the Knoxville Police Department — and the tumultuous City Council meeting where the agreement gained approval. Other topics include the school board's vote not to support vouchers as one of its legislative priorities.

We've been interviewing a series of award winners of the Senior Executives Association. My next guest is this year's lifetime achievement award recipient. He works in one of those obscure but crucial areas. The associate administrator of the Transportation Department's Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration William Schoonover joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We've been interviewing a series of award winners of the Senior Executives Association. My next guest is this year's lifetime achievement award recipient. He works in one of those obscure but crucial areas. The associate administrator of the Transportation Department's Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration William Schoonover joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shoot us a Text.2 days to turkey! Today we're talking about how Porsche is realigning its EV goals and planning on more ICE and hybrids. Plus, California preps its own EV tax credit that won't apply to Teslas, and air travel has its most complaints since the pandemic.Show Notes with links:Porsche is pivoting its strategy to address declining BEV sales, planning new combustion-engine models to align with regional demand, while managing challenges in China and profit pressures.Porsche's BEV sales dropped to 7.3% of all sales through September, down from 12% in 2022.China led the decline, with overall sales falling 29% amid tepid BEV adoption in the luxury market.Porsche is aiming for a leaner China dealer network, anticipating long-term sales dips below peak levels.Porsche's Q3 operating profit margin dropped to 10.7%, down from 17% in Q2. The company has a goal of 20%.CFO Lutz Meschke emphasized extending combustion-engine offerings, with new Cayenne and Panamera ICE versions planned, saying ““We are currently looking at the possibility of the originally planned all-electric vehicles having a hybrid drive or a combustion engine… What is clear is that we are sticking with the combustion engine for much longer,””California is bracing for a potential repeal of federal EV tax credits under the Trump administration, with Governor Newsom proposing a state-backed alternative to keep the electric vehicle momentum going.Newsom is looking to revive California's Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, which previously supported over 594,000 EVs with $1.49 billion in subsidies.The plan could be funded by the state's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, even as California faces a $2 billion budget deficit.Tesla, which builds EVs in California, likely wouldn't qualify for a proposed state tax credit as it stands.California is aiming to ban gasoline-only vehicle sales by 2035, targeting 80% EV sales by then.Newsom's office said in a statement, "The governor's proposal for ZEV rebates… would be intended to foster market competition, innovation and to support new market entrants,"As air travel hits record highs this Thanksgiving, passenger complaints about cramped seating, added fees, and poor service are raising questions about whether flying has become worse — and how to fix it.Airlines are squeezing coach seating while expanding premium options; Delta sold 74% of first-class seats in cash this year.Budget-style “unbundling” adds fees for basics like carry-ons, seat selection, or sitting next to family.The U.S. Transportation Department received nearly 97,000 airline complaints in 2023, the highest since 2020.Passenger rights awareness may have contributed to increased complaints, despite fewer cancellations (1.2% in 2023 vs. 2.3% in 2022).Experts suggest political action to regulate rates and improve quality, with CBS's Peter Greenberg quipping about how he thinks abouHosts: Paul J Daly and Kyle MountsierGet the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/ Read our most recent email at: https://www.asotu.com/media/push-back-email

The first woman to direct the Transportation Department's Volpe Center recently retired. A 20-year federal employees, she worked an earlier 20 years for the Massachusetts Port Authority. Now she's among the new inductees to the National Academy of Public Administration. Joining me with a recap, Anne Aylward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The first woman to direct the Transportation Department's Volpe Center recently retired. A 20-year federal employees, she worked an earlier 20 years for the Massachusetts Port Authority. Now she's among the new inductees to the National Academy of Public Administration. Joining me with a recap, Anne Aylward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SpaceXNeeds to be celebrated an honored. President Trump in attendance. Starship 6 launch! 120 meters tall. Each Raptor rocket engine produces twice as much thrust as all 4 engines on a 747. 33 Raptors = 66 747'sPointy RocketsElon on call with Sundar Ron Baron on Cost Plus contracts. PoliticsHow is Kamala in debt? Beyonce 10m? Oprah $1m for an interview?https://x.com/BillAckman/status/1855432554666664043Trump spent $345.42 Million$10.4 Million was spent on StaffKamala Spent $1.37 BillionKamala Spent $582.53 Million on StaffMarc and Ben on Policy Recap at 2:00 min It was the worst four years in our career in terms of White House policy as it related to technology and and business more broadly.DOGEVivek and Elon to to lead DOGE (Dept of Govt efficiency)Milton Friedman on getting rid of federal agencies. Elon explains why important. “There are around 428 federal agencies. There's so many that people have never even heard of.From Vivek: Here's a key point about our mission at DOGE.From Elon: All actions of the Department of Government Efficiency will be posted online for maximum transparency.We will also have a leaderboard for most insanely dumb Javier Milei: Afuera

In this episode, Alex gives some updates regarding the “Fox News Cabinet” that Trump is assembling like a sad excuse for the Avengers. He focuses on Dr. Oz who was picked to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Serivices. He also talks about Sean Duffy (a reality star and lumberjack) who was tapped to lead the Transportation Department, and much more. Alex also is fascinated by Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough heading to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump after calling him Hitler for years. For the remainder of the episode, Alex discusses what he calls the “Climate Emergency to Xenophobia Doom Loop.” He talks about how climate policy failures will lead to a larger migrant exodus from impacted countries, while at the same time, domestic policies will be radical and less welcoming. Alex worries that Trump will demogague this issue while ignoring the root issues. 

with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen

Welcome to CNBC-TV18's Marketbuzz Podcast. Here are top developments from around the world ahead of the trading session of November 19 -The Nifty index recorded its seventh consecutive day of losses on November 18, marking its longest losing streak since February 2023. The index closed 0.34% lower to settle at 23,453, slipping below its 200-day moving average. -The Nifty IT index fell sharply by 2.3%, as comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, signaling a slower pace of rate cuts, weighed on domestic IT sentiment. Meanwhile, the Nifty Metal index outperformed, climbing 1.9% after China announced the withdrawal of export tax rebates on select aluminum and copper products. The move is expected to tighten global supply, benefiting Indian producers. -Besides, Honasa Consumer shares were locked at the 20% lower circuit limit at ₹297.25 following a disappointing earnings report. The stock has declined 30.36% year-to-date, making 2024 a challenging year for the company. -With Q2 earning season coming to a close and FII selling continuing, analysts expect Nifty to consolidate within a broad range due to the absence of any positive trigger. -Today's trading session will also see the opening of the ₹10,000 crore IPO of NTPC Green Energy. The price band is fixed between ₹102 and ₹108 per share. The offering comprises entirely fresh equity shares with no Offer for Sale (OFS) component. This IPO is the third-largest of 2024, trailing Hyundai Motor India and Swiggy. -This morning the #GIFTNifty was higher, trading at a premium of nearly 20 pts from Nifty Futures Monday close, indicating a flat-to-positive start for the Indian market -Asian equities advanced following gains in US stocks, after Treasuries halted a selloff that had pushed 10-year yields as high as 4.5%. Traders are closely watching any news around President-elect Donald Trump's planned administration. -MSCI's gauge of regional share climbed as much as 0.7% as benchmarks climbed in Japan, South Korea, China and Australia. The Nasdaq 100 outperformed Monday, with Tesla Inc. rising 5.6% on a news report Trump's transition team have told advisers they plan to make a federal framework for fully self-driving vehicles one of the Transportation Department's priorities. -Overnight, the S&P 500 rose 0.4% on Monday, while the Nasdaq 100 climbed 0.7%. The S&P 500 Index will advance through the end of next year amid continued US economic expansion and earnings growth, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s chief equity strategist David Kostin -Bitcoin slipped in Asian trade after rising above $91,000 Monday. The crypto currency is back in the vicinity of an all-time peak, supported by a salvo of developments highlighting the deepening embrace of the digital-asset industry in the US under crypto cheerleader Donald Trump. -Oil was little changed after surging on Monday amid simmering geopolitical tensions. West Texas Intermediate rose to settle above $69 a barrel after the US gave Ukraine the green light to use long-range missiles inside of Russia, amping up tensions between the warring nations. -Gold extended its gains as Goldman Sachs reiterated a forecast for prices to reach $3,000 an ounce next year. Tune in to the podcast now for more cues

This is our daily Tech and Business Report. Today, we're joined by Bloomberg's David Welch. The Trump Administration plans to make it easier for companies to test out self-driving technology. Bloomberg was the first to report that the Transportation Department plans to make it one of its priorities. You can hear our Tech and Business Report weekdays at 12:30 p.m. on KCBS. For more, tune into Bloomberg technology weekdays at 8 a.m.

OMB Director Shalanda Young says in the coming days the White House will send Congress a comprehensive disaster package to replenish funding for agencies ranging from FEMA to SBA to EPA to the Transportation Department. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

OMB Director Shalanda Young says in the coming days the White House will send Congress a comprehensive disaster package to replenish funding for agencies ranging from FEMA to SBA to EPA to the Transportation Department. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Minister of Transport, Barbra Creecy, discusses her main priorities in her first 100 days as minister, plans to decimate railway lines in the country, and concerns about Air Traffic Navigation Services.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Minority owned small businesses were dealt another blow when a Kentucky federal judge on September 23rd, partially blocked a U.S. Transportation Department program that issues contracts to them. There are some that worry this trend of decision against programs to diversify federal contract spending will hamper progress. One of them is Kendra Perkins Norwood, a partner with the law firm Reed Smith, who I had the chance to speak with earlier about this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Minority owned small businesses were dealt another blow when a Kentucky federal judge on September 23rd, partially blocked a U.S. Transportation Department program that issues contracts to them. There are some that worry this trend of decision against programs to diversify federal contract spending will hamper progress. One of them is Kendra Perkins Norwood, a partner with the law firm Reed Smith, who I had the chance to speak with earlier about this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy Podcast for our especially special Daily Special, Smothered Benedict Wednesdays, is now available on the Spreaker Player!Starting off in the Bistro Cafe, Trump describes a dystopian America while on the campaign trail that does not actually exist.Then, on the rest of the menu, hundreds of residents pushed back on the removal of the thirty-four year old novel, ‘How the García Girls Lost Their Accents,' from the Tillamook, Oregon High School honors curriculum; a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County alleged that a California rehab center hired and promoted white supremacists; and, a Federalist Society judge in Kentucky partially blocked a Transportation Department program for minorities and women, over discrimination against white contractors.After the break, we move to the Chef's Table where German police will increase the number of bodyguards for leading politicians; and, China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean.All that and more, on West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy with Chef de Cuisine Justice Putnam.Bon Appétit!The Netroots Radio Live Player​Keep Your Resistance Radio Beaming 24/7/365!“It may be safely averred that good cookery is the best and truest economy, turning to full account every wholesome article of food, and converting into palatable meals what the ignorant either render uneatable or throw away in disdain.” - Eliza Acton ‘Modern Cookery for Private Families' (1845)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/west-coast-cookbook-speakeasy--2802999/support.

Vice President Kamala Harris in NC presents proposals to 'lower the cost of living', Sen. JD Vance in WI talks about crime prevention, Donald Trump says the Presidential Medal of Freedom is 'much better' than the Medal of Honor, President Joe Biden creates the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Illinois, Transportation Department announces a safety plan known as V2X, or vehicles to everything, Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) appoints his former chief of staff George Helmy to replace Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), President Biden says a Gaza War ceasefire is 'closer than we've ever been'. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Digital twins captured by aircraft, the new Boeing CEO is named, the airline fee disclosure rule hits a roadblock, the NGAD fighter is paused, the FAA approves BVLOS flights, Wheels Up continues to lose money, and the cause of the fatal CV-22 Osprey accident. Guest Ron Chapple is the VP of Global Strategic Solutions Digital Twins at NV5 Geospatial. He leads a team that works with clients worldwide to acquire, process, and analyze high-resolution lidar and imaging data to create digital twins for various industries and applications. The team uses leading-edge technologies and sensors to capture and visualize data. The digital twins created by NV5 are virtual representations of physical objects, processes, or systems that can be used for real-time monitoring, analysis, and simulation. Digital twins can have applications for many industries, including aviation, energy, education, manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and transportation. Organizations can also use them for training and emergency planning and response. Ron describes how geospatially correct digital twins are created using LiDAR, optical, and other sensors, typically with helicopters or drones, and sometimes with fixed-wing aircraft. We learn how multiple sensor data is combined for the digital twins and the requirement for precise piloting. Ron also illustrates aviation applications for digital twins by explaining some of the airport projects undertaken by NV5. These applications include obstruction analysis, real-time monitoring of ground traffic, and operations simulation. Ron has more than 10 years of experience in lidar and imaging. He founded GEO1, a company that specialized in electric utility, oil and gas, archaeology, and coastal and highway corridor acquisition projects. GEO1 was acquired by NV5 Geospatial in June 2022 and has expanded in scope to include virtual reality, virtual production, and digital twin creation. Ron got his start in aerial cinematography. He worked with USA Today and National Geographic on projects that won a Pulitzer Prize and several EMMY awards and traveled to remote and challenging locations, such as Patagonia, the Arctic Circle, Mt. Everest, Colombia, and Hawaii, to collect and document data that can help preserve and protect natural and cultural heritage. To learn more about digital twins, see Your Guide to Geospatial Digital Twins to request a free ebook. Aviation News Boeing Board Names Kelly Ortberg President and CEO The Boeing board of directors selected Robert K. "Kelly" Ortberg as the company's next president and CEO, succeeding Dave Calhoun, effective August 8, 2024. Ortberg began his career as an engineer at Texas Instruments, then joined Rockwell Collins as a program manager, eventually becoming its president and CEO. He steered the company's integration with United Technologies which then became RTX after merging with Raytheon. Ortberg served on the RTX Board of Directors and is the former Chair of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Board of Governors. U.S. appeals court blocks airline fee disclosure rule The U.S. Transportation Department's new rule requiring airlines and ticket agents to disclose service fees along with airfare has been temporarily blocked by a U.S. appeals court. The industry asked the court for a temporary block and the three-judge panel said the rule "likely exceeds DOT's authority and will irreparably harm airlines." The suit was brought by United, American, Delta, JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, Airlines for America, and the International Air Transport Association. See also A4A, U.S. Airlines Sue DOT Over Fee Disclosure Rule. Air Force ‘taking a pause' on NGAD next-gen fighter The US Air Force pauses the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) stealth fighter program while taking a “hard look” at the jet's design. Boeing and Lockheed Martin are believed to be the primes competing for the NGAD contract. At the same time,

  The Transportation Department made a rule in April requiring airlines to disclose some of the extras fees that may come with your flight up front. A federal appeals court blocked this rule today. Debbie and Taylor discuss what this could mean for airlines moving forward and what flyers should expect to see when they book their next flight. 

The New Jersey Attorney General's Office is investigating a fatal police shooting in Fort Lee after officers shot and killed a woman early Sunday morning. Her brother called 9-1-1, reporting she was having a mental health crisis and holding a knife. Officials say the woman approached officers with the knife. Meanwhile, the city Transportation Department is rolling out a proposal aiming to make the streets surrounding Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn safer and increase pedestrian space. Finally, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has declared a state of emergency in city jails over the weekend, halting parts of a new law that limits solitary confinement to four hours. WNYC's Michael Hill speaks with Public Advocate Jumaane Williams for his reaction.

Interstate 95 is a lifeline along the eastern end of the United States. When a bad truck accident knocked out a bridge near Philadelphia in 2023, a team from the Transportation Department orchestrated an effort that got it replaced in a week and a half. For their work, Tony Mento, Hari Kalla and Camille Otto of the Federal Highway Administration are finalists in this year's Service to America Medals program. Ms. Otto is deputy administrator of the Pennsylvania division and she joined the Federal Drive to talk about their achievement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Matt and Nick talk about improving America's electrical grid (White House to announce new actions to modernize America's aging electrical grid),The Transportation Department strengthening vehicle fuel mileage standards (Biden Administration Tightens Mileage Rules to Buoy Electric Vehicles),Increasing natural gas usage in the Philippines (The Philippines goes all in for natural gas, a climate pollutant),Turkey's national emissions trading system (Turkey to implement national emissions-trading system soon, vice president says),A heat dome in the western U.S. (Heat wave brings dangerous weather to western US),Drought causing mass fish dead in Chihuahua, Mexico (Mass fish death in Mexico's Chihuahua State blamed on severe drought),And climate change threatens the recovery of the bird from the Rio movies (Recovery of Brazil's Spix's macaw, popularized in animated 'Rio' films, threatened by climate change)!Make sure to check out our sponsor for today's episode at Vala Alta using this link” for 15% off.

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe Biden admin are continually pushing the green new scam, they are trying to force people into EVs. Trump reduced the insulin price to make it easier for everyone. The job number are fake, prepare for a deep recession. European countries are now holding more gold than Euros. Trump is the bitcoin President. The [DS] are trapped, they do not have the Fani Willis and Jack Smith cases, they are pushed off until after the election, they have nothing to keep Trump busy. A mysterious post appeared on X, now there is talk of a mistrial. The terrorists are now pushing the red line, antifa cells are now being activated. Those who overthrew the US government are enemy combatants. Justice is coming. The only way is the military.   (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 Joe Biden Unveils New Scheme to Kill Off Gas-Powered Vehicles After Government Roll-Out for EV Charging Stations Crashes and Burns Joe Biden is not letting government incompetence prevent them from achieving their goal of destroying the American auto industry and forcing ordinary citizens to drive inefficient electric vehicles.   the Transportation Department issued a mandate on Friday for automakers to squeeze another 16 miles per gallon out of their cars to remain in business. At the same time, they must double the fuel efficiency of their trucks. This is the Regime's latest push to ensure all Americans have no choice but to use electric vehicles by 2032 as the outlet notes. It also comes as the Biden regime finalized a slate of economically crippling environmental regulations curbing gas-powered vehicle tailpipe emissions less than two months ago. Here is more from the Mail on the new mandate:  . This new scheme comes as the Biden regime admitted last week that only seven electric charging stations have been built since the $1 trillion Bipartisan “Infrastructure” Bill was signed into law by Biden in November 2021. The legislation had authorized the federal government to build 500,000 EV charging ports by 2030. Source: thegatewaypundit.com  California Restaurants Have Slashed 10,000 Jobs Since Democrats Introduced $20 Minimum Wage Restaurants across the state of California have cut at least 10,000 jobs since Democrat lawmakers mandated a $20 minimum wage, according to a major trade group. According to the California Business and Industrial Alliance (CABIA), thousands of restaurant workers have lost their positions as businesses are forced to cut labor costs and raise their prices in order to survive. The New York Post reports: Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1799539310959722894  shows that over the last 6 months, 1 MILLION Americans have become unemployed. The number of people working MULTIPLE jobs in the US hit a near-record of 8.4 MILLION in May 2024. Many Americans are now working multiple jobs in an effort to fight inflation. How is this a “strong” economy? https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1799566214806872461   3.9%, respectively. As a result, the median asking price declined ~$3,000 to $416,623 in the last week, first drop in 6 months according to Redfin. Meanwhile, pending US Home Sales dropped to their lowest level since 2020. Is the US housing market starting to crack? Gold Overtakes Euro in Global International Reserves  Sturdy central bank gold buying since 2009 and a rising gold price has grown the precious metal's share of global international reserves to the detriment of fiat currencies.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 1: 3:05pm- According to a report from Coral Davenport of The New York Times, on Friday afternoon the Biden Administration announced new fuel consumption rules that are designed to encourage the production of electric vehicles. Davenport writes: “The new mileage standards announced by the Transportation Department are among several regulations the administration is using to prod carmakers to produce more electric vehicles. In April, the Environmental Protection Agency issued strict new limits on tailpipe pollution that are designed to ensure that the majority of new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the United States are all-electric or hybrids by 2032, up from 7.6 percent last year.” You can listen to the full show here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/07/climate/biden-mileage-electric-vehicles.html 3:15pm- On Thursday, former President Donald Trump spoke with Dr. Phil. During the long-form interview, Trump hilariously referred to Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) as “watermelon head.” How many times will Rich play the audio clip today? 3:30pm- Listeners react to the Biden Administration's newly announced fuel consumption regulations. Will these burdensome standards hurt President Joe Biden's likelihood of winning the state of Michigan in the 2024 presidential election? 3:40pm- Chairman of the Republican National Committee Michael Whatley joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the current state of the 2024 presidential race. Notably, Donald Trump and the RNC raised a total of $141 million in the month May—far outpacing the Biden campaign. In fact, the total is more than the Biden and the DNC raised in April and May combined.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (06/07/2024): 3:05pm- According to a report from Coral Davenport of The New York Times, on Friday afternoon the Biden Administration announced new fuel consumption rules that are designed to encourage the production of electric vehicles. Davenport writes: “The new mileage standards announced by the Transportation Department are among several regulations the administration is using to prod carmakers to produce more electric vehicles. In April, the Environmental Protection Agency issued strict new limits on tailpipe pollution that are designed to ensure that the majority of new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the United States are all-electric or hybrids by 2032, up from 7.6 percent last year.” You can listen to the full show here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/07/climate/biden-mileage-electric-vehicles.html 3:15pm- On Thursday, former President Donald Trump spoke with Dr. Phil. During the long-form interview, Trump hilariously referred to Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) as “watermelon head.” How many times will Rich play the audio clip today? 3:30pm- Listeners react to the Biden Administration's newly announced fuel consumption regulations. Will these burdensome standards hurt President Joe Biden's likelihood of winning the state of Michigan in the 2024 presidential election? 3:40pm- Chairman of the Republican National Committee Michael Whatley joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the current state of the 2024 presidential race. Notably, Donald Trump and the RNC raised a total of $141 million in the month May—far outpacing the Biden campaign. In fact, the total is more than the Biden and the DNC raised in April and May combined. 4:05pm- Curtis Bashaw—Republican Candidate for U.S. Senate in New Jersey—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to recap his big primary win on Tuesday. Bashaw will now face off against Democrat Senate candidate Andy Kim in the general election—and possibly sitting Senator Robert Menendez who has vowed to run as an Independent. Can Bashaw become the first Republican to win a U.S. Senate seat since 1972? You can learn more about Bashaw's campaign here: https://curtisbashawforsenate.com 4:30pm- Attorney Matt Rooney—Founder of SaveJersey.com—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss his big promotion! Next week he becomes the President of the Camden County Bar Association. Plus, a complete New Jersey primary breakdown. Could Republican Senator nominee for NJ Curtis Bashaw beat Democrat Andy Kim and presumed Independent candidate Robert Menendez in the general election? Rooney says that in a three-way race, Bashaw could very well become the first Republican to win a U.S. Senate seat in NJ since the 1970s. Rooney hosts The Matt Rooney Show on 1210 WPHT (Sunday's 7pm to 10pm). 5:00pm- Dr. Wilfred Reilly—Professor of Political Science at Kentucky State University—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss his brand-new book, “Lies My Liberal Teacher Told Me.” PLUS is R2-D2, the droid from Star Wars, a lesbian? The book releases next Tuesday, June 11th. However, you can pre-order it now: https://a.co/d/jd6PjBb. 5:40pm- Breaking News: Newsmax reports that “the judge who oversaw former President Donald Trump's New York criminal trial on Friday notified Trump attorney Todd Blanche of a questionable Web posting by someone who claimed to have been in contact with one of the trial's jurors. In a letter to Blanche, Judge Juan Merchan, acting state Supreme Court justice, recounted the controversial communication in a note also sent to the New York County District Attorney's Office.” The note stated: “Today, the Court became aware of a comment that was posted on the Unified Court System's public Facebook page and which I now bring to your attention. In the comment, the user, Michael Anderson, states: 'My cousin is a juror and says Trump is getting convicted Thank you folks for all your hard work!!!!'" You can read more about this developing story here: https://www.newsmax.com/us/blanche-trump-merchan/2024/06/07/id/1167916/ 5:45pm- While speaking with Dr. Phil, former President Donald Trump explained that although there were chants of “lock her up” during his 2016 presidential campaign he and his Justice Department never even attempted to charge Hillary Clinton with a crime because he thought it was more important to bring the country together. 6:05pm- On Thursday, former President Donald Trump spoke with Dr. Phil. During the long-form interview, Trump hilariously referred to Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) as “watermelon head.” After the interview, Dr. Phil revealed that promotional videos for the conversation were submitted to TikTok but the platform refused to run them simply because they contained Trump. 6:10pm- During an interview with Mediaite, ABC News' George Stephanopoulos outrageously stated that it is “journalistic malpractice” to do a live interview with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Does anyone really consider Stephanopoulos an objective journalist? 6:30pm- Attorney Linda Kerns joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the importance of election integrity and her work recruiting poll watchers and workers in Pennsylvania—“making it easier to vote and harder to cheat.” Visithttps://protectthevote.com/pennsylvania/ to learn more about volunteering. An you can find Kerns at: www.lindakernslaw.com. 6:40pm- Raymond Lee—Co-President of the Philadelphia Forum 100—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss his organization which recognizes the region's fastest growing companies. You can learn more at: https://philly100.org

Joe Brown with the City of Phoenix's Street Transportation Department joins us to talk about a program designed to prevent fatal collisions. 

One year into his mayorship, Brandon Johnson touts he's built inroads with Chicago's business community. Crain's politics reporter Justin Laurence and host Amy Guth recap his time in office up to now and look ahead at headwinds awaiting him in year two.Plus: Kraft Heinz explores a sale of Oscar Mayer; airlines, including United, sue Transportation Department over fee-disclosure rules; big LaSalle Street tenant eyes move to Wacker Drive; and Chicago's largest public companies list sees a shake-up in rankings.

White House says China is flooding U.S. with artificially cheap steel, aluminum; United Airlines Q1 losses less than feared; Tesla wants shareholders to reinstate Musk's $56 billion pay package; Transportation Department to partner with states to investigate airline passenger complaints.

The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge is showing further signs of easing; the Commerce Department wants to probe connected vehicles made by Chinese companies; the Transportation Department wants to make it easier to fine airlines for damaging or misplacing wheelchairs; the FAA gives Boeing 90 days to come up with new safety plan.

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe standard of living around the world is falling, and the people are now seeing it. Biden has been caught rigging EV carbon credits. Because of the [DS] agenda many cities will be ghost cities. Trump announces that the [CBDC] will not be implemented when he is President. Right on schedule. We are in the middle of a war, this is an information war that the [DS] wants to bring into a physical war, which would be WWIII. Trump is letting the people know that we must set the tone to let the [DS] know we're coming for justice. The direction is clear, the people must rise up and vote the tyrannical fake government out of DC. The storm is coming.   (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 https://twitter.com/WallStreetSilv/status/1747906684750893420?s=20 Biden Caught In Huge Rigging Of EV Carbon Credits At Taxpayer Expense  Carbon Tax Credits The Biden administration and the Department of Energy colluded to rig estimated gas mileage from EVs. For example, a Tesla that gets the equivalent of 65 MPG, receives tax credits as if the Tesla gets 430 MPG. Electric-Vehicle Cheating Scandal The Wall Street Journal comments on The Electric-Vehicle Cheating Scandal It's hard to think of a worse environmental scandal in recent years than Volkswagen's 2015 diesel-emissions cheating. The German automaker was rightly pursued by regulators, enforcement agencies and class-action lawyers. The scandal ended up costing Volkswagen an estimated $33 billion in fines and financial settlements—and revealed that diesel-emissions cheating was endemic. When it comes to electric cars, the government has a cheating scandal of its own. Under an Energy Department rule, carmakers can arbitrarily multiply the efficiency of electric cars by 6.67. This means that although a 2022 Tesla Model Y tests at the equivalent of about 65 miles per gallon in a laboratory (roughly the same as a hybrid), it is counted as having an absurdly high compliance value of 430 mpg. That number has no basis in reality or law. Until recently, this subsidy was a Washington secret. Carmakers and regulators liked it that way. Regulators could announce what sounded like stringent targets, and carmakers would nod along, knowing they could comply by making electric cars with arbitrarily boosted compliance values. Consumers would unknowingly foot the bill. The secret is out. After environmental groups pointed out the illegality of this charade, the Energy Department proposed eliminating the 6.67 multiplier for electric cars, recognizing that the number “lacks legal support” and has “no basis.” [Let's not mince words, how about … illegal subsidy] Carmakers have panicked and asked the Biden administration to delay any return to legal or engineering reality. That is understandable. Without the multiplier, the Transportation Department's proposed rules are completely unattainable. But workable rules don't require government-created cheat codes. Carmakers should confront that problem head on. Illegal Credits   this scandal is buried deep in the Federal Register—on page 36,987 of volume 65. Since the tax credits “lack legal support” and have “no basis”, all the beneficiaries should have to return their illegal gains.   Source: zerohedge.com Study Predicts Thousands of U.S. Cities Will be ‘Ghost Towns' by the Year 2100 A new study is predicting that thousands of American cities will become ‘ghost towns' by the year 2100, due to a mix of various social and economic factors. We already see massive decay in some American cities...

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, January 16th, 2024. Page50 ad read concepts: Page50 is a distinctly Christian marketing company striving to help Christian-owned businesses grow and succeed in our digital age. They don’t want to just make a paycheck, they want to change the world, and that means building it alongside you. The mission is bigger than just Sunday. Page50 wants to help Christians recapture the work week, economic and political influence, and the public square. Page50 doesn’t work with just anybody, but if you’re a believer they want to work with you. Visit pagefifty.com and see what they can do for you. That’s pagefifty.com. https://thepostmillennial.com/faa-is-actively-recruiting-people-with-severe-intellectual-and-psychiatric-disabilities-as-part-of-diversity-and-inclusion-plan?utm_campaign=64487 Biden's FAA is actively recruiting people with ‘severe intellectual’ and ‘psychiatric’ disabilities as part of 'Diversity and Inclusion' plan The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) places a priority on hiring people with "severe intellectual disability" as part of its diversity and inclusion initiative. According to its website, the FAA claims, "Individuals with targeted or 'severe' disabilities are the most under-represented segment of the Federal workforce." Under its People with Disabilities Program, the agency says it "actively recruits, hires, promotes, retains, develops and advances people with disabilities." The FAA targets the following disabilities as a matter of policy: "Hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability and dwarfism." The FAA told Fox News that it "seeks qualified candidates from as many sources as possible, all of whom must meet rigorous qualifications that of course will vary by position." Its website reveals that those with disabilities or those who have a veteran status can also be hired via the non-competitive, "on-the-spot" process as long as a manager files the proper paperwork, thus giving them preferential treatment in the hiring process. The aviation industry has received further scrutiny from the public in the wake of an Alaska Airlines door plug being blown off the side of its two-month-old Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft causing it to make an emergency landing. In a post on X, tech mogul Elon Musk asked, "Do you want to fly in an airplane where they prioritize DEI hiring over your safety?" He added, "That is actually happening." "People will die due to DEI," Musk said. Musk's comments came in response to a report that revealed in 2022 that Boeing began prioritizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as part of its hiring process in 2022. The Alaskan Airlines situation came on the heels of a shocking report in December, which showed there were 19 instances where planes nearly crashed into each other at airports in the first ten months of 2023. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/business/2795955/shark-tank-powerhouse-investor-says-he-wont-invest-in-california-bad-policy/ Shark Tank powerhouse investor says he won’t invest in California: ‘Bad policy’ Kevin O’Leary of Shark Tank revealed he would not make business investments in several Democratic states, including California. O’Leary explained his reasoning in a yet-to-be-released episode of Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN) show Unmuted. According to a transcript reviewed by Townhall, the politics of a state help O’Leary determine where to invest. “I’m not trying to get involved in the partisanship of this statement. Just a fact, I don’t invest in New York, I don’t invest in Massachusetts, I don’t invest in California. In my mind, those are examples of states that are uninvestable because of bad policy,” O’Leary said. “So, I’m looking for the path of least resistance. If you make it hard for me to make money, I just take my money and go somewhere else.” California in particular is ranked in the top ten for sales taxes and corporate taxes, according to the Tax Foundation, while New York is in the top ten only for its sales tax. O’Leary pointed to Tennessee as an example of a state with “fantastic tax policy, reduced regulatory environment, reduced permitting time.” Any other state that doesn’t implement these business-friendly policies is at risk of “killing jobs,” according to O’Leary. The Canadian investor started his own venture capital firm O’Leary Ventures last year, over 15 years after his first appearance on Shark Tank where he spends episodes deciding in what small businesses he desires to invest. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/01/15/report-white-house-swatted-prank-caller-claiming-residence-on-fire/ White House Swatted by ‘Prank Caller’ Claiming Residence on Fire Fire trucks and ambulances reportedly rushed to the White House Monday morning around seven o’clock after a “prank caller” claimed the residence was on fire and someone was trapped inside. The incident represents the latest swatting event against political officials. Dangerous swatting events appear to have first been instigated by Democrat prank callers against political opponents. The prank call at the White House forced fire trucks and ambulances to rush to a snow-covered White House, the Daily Mail reported. After arriving, the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services and the U.S. Secret Service determined the incident was a false alarm. “Fire in the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” a Washington, DC, dispatcher said at 7:04 a.m. Authorities gave an “all clear” order at 7:15 AM. President Joe Biden was located at Camp David on Monday morning, far away from the residence. Authorities traced the prank call to an apparently spoofed phone number, a source told CNN. “Someone who was reached at the callback number for the 911 report indicated they did not place it, a source told the Associated Press, indicating it was likely spoofed,” the Daily Mail reported. Recent politicians who were swatted include Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), along with celebrities Ashton Kutcher, Justin Bieber, and Kim Kardashian. https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/yemen-houthi-rebels-fire-missile-us-warship-red-106370679 Houthi rebels strike a U.S.-owned ship off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, raising tensions Houthi rebels fired a missile, striking a U.S.-owned ship Monday just off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, less than a day after they launched an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea. The attack on the Gibraltar Eagle, later claimed by the Houthis, further escalates tensions gripping the Red Sea after American-led strikes on the rebels. The Houthis' attacks have roiled global shipping, amid Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, targeting a crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which oversees Mideast waters, said Monday's attack happened some 110 miles (177 kilometers) miles southeast of Aden. It said the ship’s captain reported that the “port side of vessel hit from above by a missile.” Private security firms Ambrey and Dryad Global told The Associated Press that the vessel was the Eagle Gibraltar, a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier. The U.S. military's Central Command later acknowledged the strike. “The ship has reported no injuries or significant damage and is continuing its journey,” Central Command said. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed the attack in a recorded television address that aired Monday night. “The Yemeni armed forces consider all American and British ships and warships participating in the aggression against our country as hostile targets,” he said. The vessel is owned by Eagle Bulk Shipping, a Stamford, Connecticut-based firm traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In a statement to the AP, the company acknowledged the strike and said it caused “limited damage to a cargo hold but (the ship) is stable and is heading out of the area.” “All seafarers onboard the vessel are confirmed to be uninjured,” the firm said. “The vessel is carrying a cargo of steel products. Eagle Bulk management is in close contact with all relevant authorities concerning this matter.” Satellite-tracking data analyzed by the AP showed the Eagle Gibraltar had been bound for the Suez Canal, but rapidly turned around at the time of the attack. Central Command said it detected a separate anti-ship ballistic missile launch toward the southern Red Sea on Monday, though it ”failed in flight and impacted on land in Yemen." The U.S. Maritime Administration, under the Transportation Department, also issued a warning Monday saying there continues to be “a high degree of risk to commercial vessels” traveling near Yemen. “While the decision to transit remains at the discretion of individual vessels and companies, it is recommended that U.S. flag and U.S.-owned commercial vessels” stay away from Yemen in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden “until further notice,” the advisory said. Sunday's missile launch toward the American warship also marked the first U.S.-acknowledged fire by the Houthis since America and allied nations began strikes Friday on the rebels following weeks of assaults on shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthi fire in the direction of the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operating in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, Central Command said. The missile came from near Hodeida, a Red Sea port city long held by the Houthis, the U.S. said. “An anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iranian-backed Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon,” Central Command said. “There were no injuries or damage reported." The Houthis did not acknowledge that attack. It wasn’t presently clear whether the U.S. would retaliate for the latest attacks, though President Joe Biden has said he “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.” The first day of U.S.-led strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine. Sites hit included weapon depots, radars and command centers, including in remote mountain areas, the U.S. has said. The Houthis have yet to acknowledge how severe the damage was from the strikes, which they said killed five of their troops and wounded six others. U.S. forces followed up with a strike Saturday on a Houthi radar site.