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Southwest Airlines files to fly to all Open Skies countries, the TSA explains last year's New Jersey drone scare, a Lufthansa A321 flew for 10 minutes without a pilot at the controls, sleep and fatigue in military aviation, a new direction for the Boeing criminal charge, and lithium-ion fires onboard airplanes. Also, a resurrected aviation podcast and a brand new one. Aviation News Southwest Airlines seeks permission to expand international network Southwest Airlines filed a request with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to fly international routes to all countries with Open Skies agreements. That would include European countries, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. The airline has not confirmed specific new routes yet. International air travel is governed by bilateral and multilateral agreements between countries, and so airlines need economic authority from the DOT. These Open Skies treaties set the terms for airlines to operate between nations, including route rights, frequency, and capacity. See: U.S. Air Carriers and International Economic Authority from the DOT. Economic Authority is authorized by the Office of the Secretary of Transportation in the form of a certificate for interstate or foreign passenger and/or cargo authority. Newly Released Documents Show What the Feds Knew About the New Jersey Drone Scare In December 2024, the President said the “drone” sightings were "nothing nefarious." Congress received a classified briefing indicating no threat to the public, but the FAA imposed flight restrictions. At the time, TSA presented an internal slideshow (“official use only”) showing four incidents as normal air traffic. That slideshow is now publicly available. Lufthansa Jet Flew 10 Minutes With No Pilot at Controls After Cockpit Emergency Spanish investigators say the Captain on Lufthansa flight LH1140, an A321, took a toilet break, and then the First Officer in the cockpit suffered a “sudden and severe” incapacitation. The Captain had difficulty getting through the security door and the plane flew for 10 minutes without anyone at the controls. Report to Congress on Sleep and Fatigue in Military Aviation The report titled Management of Sleep and Fatigue in Military Aviation [PDF] was published by the Congressional Research Service on May 13, 2025, and examines the effects of sleep deprivation and its impact on operational readiness and aviation safety. The report highlights that military aviators face significant psychological and physiological demands, which can lead to sleep deprivation and fatigue. These conditions are exacerbated by factors such as unpredictable schedules, long-duty days, challenging flight conditions, and disruptions to circadian rhythms due to crossing multiple time zones. Research has shown that sleep deprivation negatively affects cognitive, physical, and emotional functioning, increasing the risk of accidents in training and combat environments. To mitigate these risks, the Department of Defense employs both non-pharmacological and pharmacological strategies. Non-pharmacological measures include administrative policies that limit duty hours, regulate flight schedules, and educate aviators on the importance of sleep. Pharmacological measures, such as FDA-approved medications, are used selectively when behavioral strategies are insufficient. The report also discusses congressional considerations regarding fatigue management policies and their effectiveness in ensuring aviator safety and mission success. US proposes dropping Boeing criminal charge In an online meeting, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) officials told families of the 737 Max crash victims that the Government may allow Boeing to sign a non-prosecution agreement to settle the case. This would avoid the criminal fraud trial scheduled to begin on June 23, 2025. An earlier settlement agreement was rejected by a judge. A DOJ official said after the meeting that a decis...

In freight technology news, ⁠load board provider DAT announced its acquisition of payments platform Outgo⁠ last week. This strategic move aims to integrate the entire freight transaction process into the DAT One ecosystem, with a key benefit being that carriers can now potentially get paid much faster, sometimes within just 15 minutes. Outgo, founded in 2022 by former Uber and Convoy technologists, focused on bundling banking, factoring, and payment services, including a "fractional factoring" model giving carriers more control. This acquisition is seen as positioning DAT to become the freight industry's central exchange platform, competing with others like Triumph Financial who are also building their ecosystems. Turning to maritime trade, the ⁠Port of Long Beach recorded its strongest April on record⁠ last month. The port handled 867,493 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), representing a 15.6% year-over-year increase attributed to importers frontloading tariff-affected cargo. Imports saw a significant 15.1% year-over-year rise, while exports slightly declined. Even with this record, the port anticipates a more than 10% drop-off in imports in May, with effects expected beyond the docks. In Washington D.C., lawmakers are processing a large volume of input from the trucking sector. The Department of Transportation (DOT) received ⁠over 900 recommendations for regulatory removal⁠ as part of implementing executive orders to cut bureaucracy. Approximately 30% of these recommendations came directly from the trucking industry and addressed regulations affecting drivers and carriers. Finally, mark your calendars for upcoming Freight Waves TV programming, including ⁠The Stockout⁠ and ⁠What the Truck?!?⁠. You can also find details on the Fraud Fighters Award winners and information on the upcoming ⁠Domestic Supply Chain Summit⁠ this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In freight technology news, load board provider DAT announced its acquisition of payments platform Outgo last week. This strategic move aims to integrate the entire freight transaction process into the DAT One ecosystem, with a key benefit being that carriers can now potentially get paid much faster, sometimes within just 15 minutes. Outgo, founded in 2022 by former Uber and Convoy technologists, focused on bundling banking, factoring, and payment services, including a "fractional factoring" model giving carriers more control. This acquisition is seen as positioning DAT to become the freight industry's central exchange platform, competing with others like Triumph Financial who are also building their ecosystems. Turning to maritime trade, the Port of Long Beach recorded its strongest April on record last month. The port handled 867,493 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), representing a 15.6% year-over-year increase attributed to importers frontloading tariff-affected cargo. Imports saw a significant 15.1% year-over-year rise, while exports slightly declined. Even with this record, the port anticipates a more than 10% drop-off in imports in May, with effects expected beyond the docks. In Washington D.C., lawmakers are processing a large volume of input from the trucking sector. The Department of Transportation (DOT) received over 900 recommendations for regulatory removal as part of implementing executive orders to cut bureaucracy. Approximately 30% of these recommendations came directly from the trucking industry and addressed regulations affecting drivers and carriers. Finally, mark your calendars for upcoming Freight Waves TV programming, including The Stockout and What the Truck?!?. You can also find details on the Fraud Fighters Award winners and information on the upcoming Domestic Supply Chain Summit this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This conversation, with transit guru Stephanie Pollack, is one of my favorite conversations we've recorded on here. For one, I had a blast recording — Stephanie's funny, and she's got a killer Boston accent. For another, she explains some of the ideas I care about incredibly well — how well-intentioned regulations turn bad, how political pressures make simple things hard to pull off, why building in the real world is so hard. She taught me a huge amount about building transit. And she's a great storyteller.For context, Pollack was the deputy administrator of the Federal Highway Administration for the first half of the Biden admin. Before that, she served as the secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (DOT). And a while before that, before she was in the business of building stuff, she was an environmental activist who sued the the Massachusetts DOT for building stuff. We get into that evolution in her career here.This conversation is one of a series of conversations over the coming months about transit: why it's gotten so hard to build, who fights over it, and what it takes to build something people love.We discuss:(00:00) Introduction (00:54) Federal vs. State Transit Funding Structure (02:58) Transit vs. Highway Agency Operational Differences (04:58) Stephanie's Career and Perspective Changes(10:39) The Massachusetts Big Dig Project (11:34) Cost Overruns and Project Estimates (17:04) Inflation in Infrastructure Projects(18:28) The Four Ps of Project Delays (23:50) NEPA and Environmental Review(34:19) The Green Line Extension Project (43:39) Project Redesign and Procurement Innovation(58:20) Advice for Secretary DuffyThanks to Sofia Scarlat and Emma Hilbert for their audio and transcript edits. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.statecraft.pub

In this episode of 'Clearing the Haze,' host Chuck Marting welcomes guest Joe Reilly from National Drug Screening for an in-depth discussion on the current status and future of oral fluid drug testing. They cover essential updates from the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Health and Human Services (HHS), including the hurdles in certifying labs and adding fentanyl to testing panels. They also discuss the specific advantages of oral fluid testing over urine testing, such as direct observation and shorter detection windows, and address the industry's reluctance to change. Additionally, Joe shares detailed information on comprehensive training programs for collectors and trainers, emphasizing the importance of being prepared ahead of regulatory changes. For those interested, upcoming training events and resources are provided to help professionals stay ahead in the evolving landscape of drug testing.00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:53 Current Challenges in Oral Fluid Testing02:49 Advantages of Oral Fluid Testing04:06 Employer Hesitation and Cost Considerations07:52 Collection Sites and Logistics14:10 Training and Certification for Collectors23:39 Upcoming Training Sessions and Events31:04 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Joan provides essential information about the new Department of Transportation (DOT) refund rules for air travelers. The new regulations require airlines to provide automatic cash refunds for situations such as delayed flights, lost luggage, or unfulfilled paid amenities. Joan outlines specific scenarios where customers are entitled to refunds, such as cancellations, significant flight changes, and mishandled baggage. She also explains the DOT's standards for processing these refunds and highlights the importance of knowing your rights. Listeners are guided on how to file complaints if airlines fail to comply with these rules. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Mike Sakell speaks with Vice President of the Wurtsboro NY Board of Trade Kelly De Guzman as Representatives from the State Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will be hosting a public forum in Wurtsboro on Wednesday November 20, 2024 at the Emma Chase School in Wurtsboro as the NYS DOT is getting closer to finalizing its plans for bringing Route 17 in line with federal standards to make it an interstate highway. De Guzman says she is interested in alternatives to the suggested closure of the exit, which would greatly impact local business in the Wurtsboro community.

We talk with travel expert Gary Leff from View from the Wing.com. In the news, the DOT probe of airline frequent flyer programs, U.S. airlines reduced hiring, automated landing fee collection, more on PFAS in aircraft firefighting foam, and FAA action to ease network flight delays. Also, interviews from the Pacific Airshow. Guest Travel expert and blogger Gary Leff was named one of the world's top travel specialists by Conde Nast. He often appears in the media on television, radio, and in print. He's been a keynote speaker at many conferences and both a moderator and panelist at Flightglobal industry conferences, in addition to CardCon and Fincon. His credit card advice has been featured in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Gary blogs at View From the Wing.com and is co-founder of InsideFlyer.com. We talked with Gary about the U.S. Department of Transportation's inquiry into airline rewards programs, including their authority to do so and the likely time before DOT action takes place. Gary comments on the devaluation of miles and gives us his thoughts on airline staffing levels. We consider issues surrounding carry-on baggage and overhead bin space and the topic of code sharing. Visit View From the Wing.com for the writings of a true travel expert. Aviation News Breaking: New Government Investigation Demands Airlines Expose Frequent Flyer Devaluations The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) launched an inquiry into airline rewards programs to protect customers from potential unfair, deceptive, or anticompetitive practices. DOT sent letters to American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines ordering them to provide records and submit reports with detailed information about their rewards programs, practices, and policies. The probe is focused on the ways consumers participating in airline rewards programs are impacted by the devaluation of earned rewards, hidden or dynamic pricing, extra fees, and reduced competition and choice. See: US probes top airlines' frequent flyer programs for unfair practices and USDOT Seeks to Protect Consumers' Airline Rewards in Probe of Four Largest U.S. Airlines' Rewards Practices U.S. airlines cool hiring after adding 194,000 employees in post-Covid spree During the pandemic, airline employment decreased significantly as customer demand dropped. With the travel recovery, US passenger airlines added almost 194,000 jobs as they tried to catch up. Now hiring is cooling off: demand is moderating, fares are down which puts pressure on profits, labor costs are up with the new contracts, aircraft deliveries are running late, and engine availability is not where it needs to be AOPA Objects to Possible Florida Airport Landing Fees The state of Florida contracted with Virtower to collect aircraft movement data using ADS-B. Virtower partner Vector Airport Systems can use the Virtower data with its PlanePass system to provide automated invoicing. Vector proposes to collect a fee of $3 per 1,000 pounds of aircraft weight. AOPA says ADS-B was never intended to be used as a tool to collect landing fees. They question the need to collect fees at the public-use airports that already receive federal funds. Virtower “monitors key airport operational parameters including takeoffs, landings, touch and go's, pavement utilization, and based aircraft operations. While providing a quick and easy noise complaint investigations tool for all customers.” Brunswick passes unprecedented PFAS resolution calling for action after spill In Episode 812, we talked about aviation firefighting foam, specifically Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) that contains dangerous PFAS (“forever chemicals”). There are efforts to transition to fluorine-free foam (F3) for aircraft firefighting. The Brunswick Town Council passed a resolution calling for a statewide inventory of AFFF that was spilled on Aug. 19, 2024.

Jeffrey Mosher welcomes Brian Shoaf, Director, Government Relations Director, Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit, MI Discussing the federal proposal to terminate agreement between Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico: There were several questions raised regarding Delta Air Lines & Aeromexico agreement at risk: Brian Shoaf, Government Relations Director with the Detroit Regional Chamber is here to talk today about a federal proposal involving Delta Airlines and Aeromexico that would impact the Michigan business community and consumers. The federal department action would disrupt seamless leisure and business travel between the U.S. and Mexico and would harm Michigan's economy. Welcome Brian. Tell us about the federal proposal to terminate a partnership between the two airlines and why the Detroit Chamber thinks the decision should be reconsidered? Brian: A federal proposal to terminate a vital partnership between Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico would put local flights and jobs in jeopardy. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed the termination of the Joint Cooperation Agreement (JCA) between Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico in January 2024 without any prior notice due to unrelated change's to Mexico's aviation policy. The administration's decision is drastic, punitive, counterproductive and unprecedented. A final decision is expected this fall. This proposed action is troubling for Metro Detroit businesses and will also concern consumers once they become aware of it. 45 million-plus travelers have benefitted from this strategic partnership. Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico have operated 264,000-plus flights and flown 386 million miles, equalizing 15,500 trips around the world. Brian, Tell us more about this agreement? Brian: Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico's successful strategic partnership was approved by the DOT in 2016. This partnership has created and supported thousands of jobs in both countries, US and Mexico, and has led to a substantial increase in service and consumer choice between the U.S. and Mexico. What is the impact of this proposal on the Delta and Aeromexico partnership Brian? Brian: The termination of this partnership would put up to 23 flight routes between the US and Mexico at risk of cancelation, including 5 that go in and out of Detroit Metro Airport. In 2023, these 5 routes served more than 440,000 passengers. The cancelation of these important flight routes would decrease market competition. Many Michigan businesses benefit from this strategic partnership, including the Detroit Three automakers? Brian: Yes. These flights are now essential components of their businesses and allow product purchasers and plant managers to travel between the two essential hubs in less than five hours. Eliminating these direct flights will lead to less efficient travel, resulting in lost production time and quality of our products. This partnership provides direct flights to the Detroit three automakers' manufacturing plants in Mexico. These direct routes have become essential components of the assembly line, allowing product purchasers and plant managers to freely travel between the two hubs in less than 5 hours. How does this partnership between the two airlines impact tourism? Brian: Estimates show that around half a million Mexican tourists visited Michigan in 2023, beach towns and small businesses depend on strong summer tourism months. The loss of direct flights between DTW and Mexico will serve as a significant barrier for prospective Michigan tourists costing Michigan $1,500 per visitor. What is the bottom line here Brian? Brian: When this decision comes to fruition, no other airline will be able to fill the void that Delta's hub capacity at Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) currently occupies. The DOT should consider the economic impacts that will result from fewer flights out of DTW and let the partnership stand.

Covered a lot with La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds, including the smells from City Brewing, fighting the DOT on closing a road for Amtrak addition, down payment assistance for first-time home buyers and an update on the River Point District, north of downtown. Began the show, however, with the La Crosse being one of 100 cities in the world to be part of the Youth Climate Action Fund, which came from Reynold's trip to Dubai for COP 28. We talk about the youth fund in more detail later in the show (19:00). After that (14:30), a bit on the building sale of the old south side library, where the city initially got five proposals and has narrowed that down to three. The building is said to be worth about $350,000.  In the second half of the show, we discuss how the addition of another Amtrak route from Chicago to Milwaukee could affect La Crosse. In putting in a third track on the north side the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) apparently wants to permanently shut down streets.  Then we got a bit of an update (28:00) on the River Point District development, with a celebration happening Tuesday, plus what else we might see in that area. Ended the show (33:50) with the city's first-time home buyer's assistance program, using federal ARPA funding. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Troy Miller, President & CEO of National Religious Broadcasters discusses the “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2023” that's making its way through Congress. This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a rule that requires all new motor vehicles to have devices that can access AM broadcast stations installed as standard equipment. (AM broadcast stations are often used to deliver emergency alerts and news and entertainment programming; some newer vehicles do not include AM equipment.) NAB spokesman, Alex Siciliano stated, “AM radio is continuing to reach a vast audience of 82 million listeners each month, and they've been very engaged in telling Congress how important this medium is to them in light of the threat by vehicle makers to remove AM from vehicles,”

Source Documentation: Access the original article detailing import regulations and considerations for heavy equipment: https://www.mylittlesalesman.com/news/pros-and-cons-of-importing-heavy-equipment Introduction: Cruising in your truck to a work site after lunch, a member of your crew breaks the silence in the cab. "I saw this one international marketplace with fairly sharp-looking mini-excavators priced to sell." Is importing heavy equipment a viable cost-cutting measure for your operation? Main Discussion Points: What Are the Main Import Regulations for Heavy Equipment in North America? Understanding import regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT), Environment and Climate Change Canada, Transport Canada, and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). How Does the Import Process for Heavy Equipment Work? Steps involved in importing heavy equipment, including documentation, inspection, and customs clearance. Pros and Cons of Importing Heavy Equipment: Pros: Access to specialized equipment, potential cost savings, and technological advancements. Cons: Importation costs and logistics, currency fluctuations, warranty and support issues, regulatory compliance, and cultural and language barriers. Where Can I Find Reliable Sellers of Imported Heavy Equipment? Tips for finding reputable sellers, including online marketplaces, industry forums, and trade shows. Ensuring a Smooth Importing Experience: Importance of communication, preparation, and compliance with regulations for a successful importing process. Alternatives to Importing Heavy Equipment: Partnering with import customs brokerage services, exploring equipment from established US dealerships, and considering neighboring markets like Canada, Mexico, or the U.S. Key Considerations Before Importing Heavy Equipment: Factors to consider such as warranty coverage, spare parts availability, after-sales support, total cost of ownership, and conducting risk assessments. Conclusion: Considering importing heavy equipment? It's essential to weigh the pros and cons, understand regulations, and consider alternative options before making a decision. Sponsor Message: Learn more about heavy equipment options and connect with reliable sellers at My Little Salesman since 1958. Find your heavy equipment for sale today! Thank you for listening to this episode. Be sure to subscribe for more insights and discussions on optimizing your construction business. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/buying-bigger-better/message

Chris Murray's guest is Steve Bradbury.  He served in the Trump Administration as the Senate-confirmed General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) from November 2017 until January 2021. As the Department's chief legal officer, he oversaw all of DOT's rulemaking and enforcement actions. During his time at DOT, he also served as the Acting Deputy Secretary of Transportation and briefly as the Acting Secretary of Transportation.  During the Bush 43 Administration, Mr. Bradbury served as the Principal Deputy and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice. As the head of OLC from 2005 to 2009, he advised the President and the Executive Branch on a wide range of constitutional and statutory questions and received the Edmund J. Randolph Award and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, among other awards.  Aside from government service, Mr. Bradbury has been a litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and at Dechert LLP in Washington, D.C., where his practice focused on regulatory enforcement and investigations, rulemaking and judicial review of agency actions, appellate cases, and antitrust matters.  Mr. Bradbury clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court and for Judge James L. Buckley on the D.C. Circuit. He graduated magna cum laude from Michigan Law School and received his B.A. from Stanford University. He grew up in Portland, Oregon, and lives with his wife in Tysons, Virginia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Day in Legal History: Michigan Joins the UnionOn this day, January 26, in 1837, a pivotal moment in United States history unfolded as Michigan was admitted to the Union as the 26th state. This event marked not only a geographic expansion but also a significant legal and political milestone in the nation's history.The journey to statehood was fraught with legal challenges and territorial disputes, notably the Toledo War, a boundary dispute with Ohio. This conflict was rooted in conflicting state and federal legislation and conflicting surveys of the Ohio-Michigan border. The resolution of this dispute was critical to Michigan's path to statehood.The Toledo War sounds like a weird bit of history, so let's take a detour and talk about that for a minute. It was a boundary dispute between the U.S. states of Ohio and the then Michigan Territory, and erupted in 1835 and lasted into 1836. At the heart of the conflict was the city of Toledo, strategically positioned at the western end of Lake Erie, and both jurisdictions claimed it due to conflicting state and federal legislation and surveys. The dispute was characterized more by political maneuvering and posturing than actual combat, with only a few minor skirmishes and no casualties. The resolution came with the passage of the Michigan Enabling Act of 1836, where Michigan agreed to cede its claim to the Toledo Strip in exchange for statehood and the western Upper Peninsula. This resolution highlighted the complex interplay of federal and state politics in early America, and the Toledo War stands as a unique and somewhat peculiar incident in U.S. legal and territorial history.The legal implications of Michigan's admission were profound. The state's constitution, drafted in 1835, was a progressive document for its time. It established a public education system and prohibited imprisonment for debt, reflecting a forward-thinking approach to governance and civil liberties.Michigan's statehood also had a significant impact on federal politics. The balance between free and slave states in the U.S. Senate was a contentious issue, and Michigan's admission as a free state was part of a larger political and legal narrative leading up to the American Civil War.In addition, Michigan's rich natural resources, particularly its vast timber reserves, played a crucial role in its economic development. This led to legal developments in environmental and resource management laws, setting precedents for other states.The state's diverse population, including a significant number of Native Americans, also led to legal developments concerning indigenous rights and land treaties. Michigan's history of negotiation and treaties with Native American tribes was an important part of its early legal landscape.In conclusion, the admission of Michigan into the Union on January 26, 1837, was more than just a change in the political map of the United States. It was a complex legal event that had far-reaching implications in areas such as territorial law, civil rights, natural resource management, and the delicate balance of power regarding the issue of slavery. Today, we remember this day as a key moment in the legal and political history of the United States.The Biden administration has paused new licenses for U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to assess their impacts on climate change, the economy, and national security. This decision, crucial in the ongoing debate about LNG's role in energy's future, has significant implications for several major projects and billions of dollars in investments. The Energy Department's study, building on prior analyses, will scrutinize each new export proposal on a case-by-case basis, considering public interest—a standard set by federal law. The review is conducted by the department's national labs and is expected to take several months, after which a report will be open for public comment.President Biden emphasized this pause as a recognition of the climate crisis's severity. The decision is seen as a litmus test of his commitment to climate change, especially by environmentalists who view LNG infrastructure as a long-term environmental threat. Politically, this move places Biden in a delicate position, balancing environmental commitments with economic and geopolitical concerns, particularly in light of the upcoming presidential election and global energy dynamics.The pause could impact over a dozen proposals awaiting review, including ventures in Louisiana by Commonwealth LNG and Energy Transfer LP. Environmental groups like Oil Change International view this as a critical step in combating climate change, while critics, including Republicans and LNG advocates, argue it undermines U.S. energy commitments and geopolitical stability, especially regarding European reliance on Russian gas. The decision reflects the complex interplay between environmental, economic, and political factors in shaping the U.S. energy policy.Biden Freezes Approvals to Export Gas, Imperiling Major ProjectsThe U.S. Treasury Department's proposed rules for a new clean hydrogen production tax credit, introduced in December, have sparked debate within the industry. These rules require hydrogen producers to source electricity from new power sources and, by 2028, to align their production with clean power generation hourly. This approach, focusing on three pillars of power sourcing, has been criticized for being overly restrictive and excluding nuclear and hydropower, while favoring intermittent wind and solar energy.Industry experts argue that the guidance may stifle innovation and limit the expansion of the hydrogen market, as seen in the case of companies like Cummins Inc., which is hesitant to invest further without more flexible tax credit regulations. The 45V hydrogen production tax credit, established by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, offers up to $3 per kilogram for hydrogen meeting certain emissions standards, aiming to replace fossil fuels in various industries.However, the Treasury Department decided that using electricity from a grid powered by fossil fuels would contradict the climate law's emissions reduction standards. Some industry consultants suggest that allowing a certain capacity of hydrogen projects to operate beyond 2028 without adhering to these strict rules would be more economically viable. The debate also touches on the potential shift of investments towards hydrogen projects that use natural gas with carbon capture, influenced by the enhanced 45Q carbon capture tax credit.The Treasury is considering some flexibility, like counting a portion of existing clean power towards compliance or reclassifying struggling nuclear or hydroelectric facilities as new power sources. Still, these proposals have met with mixed reactions, with some arguing it could undermine the purpose of the three-pillar approach. The industry continues to lobby for more alignment with other Biden administration policies, like the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Defense Production Act, which support hydrogen initiatives. Public comments on the proposed rule are due by February 26.If any of this is interesting to you, I wrote a column in August of last year predicting this problem. In it, I emphasize the interdependence of clean hydrogen and clean electricity and suggest focusing tax policy on streamlining and funding the clean electricity sector, which is crucial for clean hydrogen production. Ultimately, the need for regulatory alignment and clarity, as seen in the EU's approach to the hydrogen market, is highlighted to foster both the renewable hydrogen industry and the broader clean energy sector.Zero-Carbon Hydrogen Tax Rules Spark Divide Over Grid EmissionsFunding Clean Electricity Will Help Grow the Hydrogen EconomyJustices on Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court are serving shorter terms than in the past, averaging just six years since 2010, the lowest in decades. This trend, emerging since the state implemented a mandatory judicial retirement age of 70 in 1972, is causing unpredictability in court rulings and making it difficult for attorneys to gauge the court's leanings. Factors contributing to this decline include less linear legal career paths, heavy workloads, longer life expectancies, and salaries not keeping pace with the private sector.The frequent turnover affects how law is interpreted and challenges lawyers to constantly adapt to the court's changing dynamics. Attorneys need to familiarize themselves with each new justice's preferences and philosophies, impacting how cases are argued and potentially leading to more decisions that overturn past rulings. However, former Chief Justice Margaret Marshall notes that similar periods of turnover in the past did not significantly disrupt the court's jurisprudence.Recent departures of two justices for outside opportunities before reaching the mandatory retirement age suggest a shift in how legal careers are viewed. Decades ago, a position on the Supreme Judicial Court was seen as a career pinnacle, but longer life spans now allow for significant second careers post-judiciary service. This flexibility, combined with the allure of more lucrative private sector opportunities, is influencing justices' decisions to leave the bench earlier.The SJC's justices earn significantly less than first-year associates at large law firms, contributing to the appeal of private sector opportunities. While each state handles judicial tenure differently, the shorter tenures in Massachusetts raise concerns about the impact on legal stability and the need to investigate factors like pay, workload, and mandatory retirement in retaining justices. Despite these challenges, it remains uncertain if the younger cohort of justices will reverse this trend.Tenure on Massachusetts' Highest Court Plummets to All-Time LowE. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit against former U.S. President Donald Trump is nearing its conclusion, with the jury set to decide on damages after Trump's denial of raping Carroll in the 1990s. Carroll is seeking at least $10 million for damages to her reputation caused by Trump's 2019 denial during his presidency. A previous trial in May 2022 already found Trump liable for defamation and sexual abuse, awarding Carroll $5 million. This current trial focuses solely on the extent of damages to Carroll's reputation and the possibility of punitive damages. Trump's defense was limited to standing by his previous deposition, where he labeled Carroll's claims a hoax, as the judge restricted revisiting issues settled in the first trial.Trump, Carroll to wrap up defamation trial | ReutersElon Musk's brain-implant company, Neuralink, was fined by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for violating hazardous material transport rules. During inspections in February 2023 at Neuralink's facilities in Texas and California, it was discovered that Neuralink had not registered as a transporter of hazardous materials and improperly packaged hazardous waste, including the flammable liquid Xylene, which poses serious health risks. The company was fined $2,480, a reduced amount due to their agreement to rectify the issues. The violations were confirmed by a DOT spokesperson, and the inquiry has now been closed. These details came to light through records obtained by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which opposes animal testing in medical research. The records, however, did not clarify why Neuralink needed to transport these materials or if any harm resulted from the violations.Exclusive: Musk brain implant company violated US hazardous material transport rules -documents | Reuters Get full access to Minimum Competence - Daily Legal News Podcast at www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Officials in the American city of Detroit, Michigan, have equipped a piece of road with technology designed to charge electric vehicles (EVs) on the path. 美国密歇根州底特律市的官员为一条道路配备了专门为路上的电动汽车（EV）充电的技术。The roadway is meant to serve as a demonstration project for the technology, which could be expanded to larger road systems. Leaders of the project say it is believed to be the country's first public wireless charging roadway built for EVs. 该道路旨在作为该技术的示范项目，可以扩展到更大的道路系统。该项目的负责人表示，这被认为是该国第一条为电动汽车建造的公共无线充电道路。The system uses a series of copper wires placed underneath the road. These wires have the ability to send electricity through a magnetic field to charge an EV's battery. Charging can happen while the car is driving or sitting above the equipment. 该系统使用一系列放置在道路下方的铜线。这些电线能够通过磁场发送电力来为电动汽车的电池充电。当汽车行驶或坐在设备上方时可以进行充电。The technology was created by an Israeli company called Electreon, a developer of wireless charging solutions for EVs. The company currently has contracts to build similar roadways in Israel, Sweden, Italy and Germany. 该技术由一家名为 Electreon 的以色列公司创建，该公司是一家电动汽车无线充电解决方案开发商。该公司目前拥有在以色列、瑞典、意大利和德国建造类似道路的合同。Stefan Tongur is Electreon's vice president of business development. He told The Associated Press EVs require special equipment to receive the wireless signal. “The technology is smart," Tongur said, and “knows who you are…”Stefan Tongur 是 Electreon 业务开发副总裁。他告诉美联社，电动汽车需要特殊设备来接收无线信号。 “这项技术很聪明，”通古尔说，“知道你是谁……”The system was recently demonstrated to the public at a technology development center in Detroit. The center seeks solutions to transportation issues facing cities. The effort, which includes several development projects, is where Ford Motor Company is building a factory to develop self-driving vehicles.该系统最近在底特律的一个技术开发中心向公众展示。该中心寻求城市面临的交通问题的解决方案。这项工作包括多个开发项目，福特汽车公司正在建设一家工厂来开发自动驾驶汽车。The electrified road stretches about one half-kilometer. It will be used to test and improve the technology in preparation for wider releases, said Michigan's Department of Transportation (DOT). Tongur said the project aims to “demonstrate how wireless charging unlocks widespread EV adoption, addressing limited range, grid limitations, and battery size and costs.” He looks forward to a future in which, in his words, “EVs are the norm, not the exception.”电气化道路全长约半公里。密歇根州交通部 (DOT) 表示，它将用于测试和改进该技术，为更广泛的发布做好准备。 Tongur 表示，该项目旨在“展示无线充电如何促进电动汽车的广泛采用，解决续航里程有限、电网限制以及电池尺寸和成本问题。”他期待未来，用他的话说，“电动汽车是常态，而不是例外。”Electreon says the electric road system is safe for people and animals walking over it and does not harm drivers.Michigan's DOT signed a five-year agreement with Electreon to develop the roadway charging system. Officials have said they plan to build another electrified stretch of road in another part of the city.Electreon 表示，电动道路系统对于人和动物在其上行走是安全的，并且不会伤害驾驶员。密歇根州交通部与 Electreon 签署了一份为期五年的协议，以开发道路充电系统。官员们表示，他们计划在该市的另一部分修建另一条电气化道路。American President Joe Biden is seeking to build a nationwide network of EV charging stations in the United States. His administration plans to establish at least a half-million sites along highways in the United States by 2030. Michigan transportation officials say the wireless-charging roadway project has helped position the state and city of Detroit as national leaders in EV technology. “In Michigan, we want to stay ahead of the curve,” Michigan DOT Director Bradley C. Wieferich told the AP. He added, “We want to lead the curve.”美国总统乔·拜登正在寻求在美国建立全国性的电动汽车充电站网络。他的政府计划到 2030 年在美国高速公路沿线建立至少 50 万个充电站。密歇根州交通官员表示，无线充电公路项目帮助底特律州和底特律市成为电动汽车技术的全国领导者。 “在密歇根州，我们希望保持领先地位，”密歇根州交通局局长布拉德利·C·维弗里奇 (Bradley C. Wieferich) 告诉美联社。他补充道：“我们希望引领潮流。”

Hour 1 * Guest: Eldon Stahl – Field Coordinator – The John Birch Society – JBS.org – TheNewAmerican.com * Guest: Bryan Rust, Over the past 50 years, Rust Coins has been working to educate customers about precious metals – RustCoinAndGift.com * Honest Money Report: Gold – $1990.00 Silver – $24.05. * Citigroup begins massive layoffs, will begin cutting employees ASAP! * Millionaires Feel Like They're Just Middle Class These Days Only 8% of those with at least $1M consider themselves wealthy. * If You Try to Flip Your Tesla Cybertruck, Watch Out Fine print indicates Tesla might sue resellers for $50K. * Judge Approves JPMorgan's $290 Million Settlement With Nearly 200 Epstein Victims. Hour 2 * Guest: Jay Valentine, Fractal Delivers Confidence Through Transparency! – FractalWeb.app. * Identifying Problems in Voter Rolls with Fractal Technology – America Needs Confidence In Its Voter Rolls – Omega4America.com * Fraud Expert Jay Valentine Speaks Out Against Voter Fraud! * Why We Need Real Time Voter Roll Monitoring! * A report published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Tuesday found government agencies incorrectly reported spending and, at times, did not report their expenditures to USAspending.gov, the official source of federal spending information. * The Departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services (HHS), Homeland Security (DHS) and Transportation (DOT) were flagged by GAO for having multi-billion dollar discrepancies across different public COVID-19 spending disclosures during the 2022 fiscal year. * US debt interest bill tops $1 trillion a year – Bloomberg. * Customers at major US banks hit with deposit delays. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loving-liberty/support

* Guest: Jay Valentine, Fractal Delivers Confidence Through Transparency! - FractalWeb.app. * Identifying Problems in Voter Rolls with Fractal Technology - America Needs Confidence In Its Voter Rolls - Omega4America.com * Fraud Expert Jay Valentine Speaks Out Against Voter Fraud! * Why We Need Real Time Voter Roll Monitoring! * A report published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Tuesday found government agencies incorrectly reported spending and, at times, did not report their expenditures to USAspending.gov, the official source of federal spending information. * The Departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services (HHS), Homeland Security (DHS) and Transportation (DOT) were flagged by GAO for having multi-billion dollar discrepancies across different public COVID-19 spending disclosures during the 2022 fiscal year. * US debt interest bill tops $1 trillion a year - Bloomberg. * Customers at major US banks hit with deposit delays.  

Francisco J. Sánchez served as the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Trade until 2013, a role former President Barack Obama nominated him to in 2009. As Under Secretary, Mr. Sánchez led the International Trade Administration in its efforts to improve the global business environment by helping U.S. businesses compete abroad and was one of the architects of President Obama's National Export Initiative, with the goal of doubling U.S. exports by the end of 2014.During the Clinton Administration, Mr. Sánchez served in the White House as a special assistant to former President Bill Clinton, and chief of staff to the Special Envoy to the Americas. He then served as assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), before returning to the private sector.Currently the co-head of the International Trade practice at Holland & Knight, he is also an entrepreneur and investor. He co-founded NorthStar Bank in Tampa, Florida, which was later sold to Seacoast Bank, as well as CNS Global Consulting Group. Until recently, he was on the board of directors of Archer Daniels Midland. He is also a good friend and business partner of host Tal Zlotnitsky, and is the co-founder and Chairman of Tal's new startup – still in stealth mode -- Breez AI.Join a remarkable interview about life, inspiration, overcoming imposter syndrome and leading with love.

Drew Salyer is a driving force in the world of regulations. With over two decades of experience in the industry, he has successfully navigated the complex landscape of Department of Transportation (DOT) and Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) regulations. His deep understanding of these regulations, combined with his strategic leadership, has helped countless companies streamline their operations while ensuring full compliance. Listen as Tim Linville and Kent Crytzer talk with Drew about a new safety partnership between CEA and Drive Team. LinkedInWebsitePhone: 330-922-3100

Bill Benzur, executive director of Georgia Ready Mix Concrete Association (GRMCA), joins the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast to touch on the relationship between concrete and residential housing. On the All About Real Estate segment, Benzur sits down with host Carol Morgan to discuss the areas of Georgia that are growing the fastest. Founded in 1968, the GRMCA is a non-profit organization with a membership comprised of ready-mix producers and companies that supply materials such as cement, stone, trucks and mixers. The organization and its members work together to tackle safety concerns, environmental issues and operational challenges to improve the industry. The association also plays a significant role in advocacy for the industry through involvement in the legislative process. Benzur said, “Trade associations can accomplish so much more than the individual can do alone.” With many wondering what the difference is between cement and concrete, Benzur explains the individual roles of the two materials. Cement is the glue that binds materials like sand and stone to form a remarkable building material called concrete. As the second most used substance in the world after water, concrete has been a vital material for thousands of years, with the use going back to approximately 1400 B.C. in Greece. Benzur said, “Cement is to concrete as flour is to cake!” Before the Great Recession, the residential market and the concrete industry relied heavily on one another. Over the past decade, commercial and Department of Transportation (DOT) development continues to grow tremendously in the ready-mix concrete realm. Even with the incredible increase in concrete consumption in commercial and DOT, residential remains an important market for the concrete industry. Benzur said, “For the overall health of ready-mix producers, residential is still attached at the hip with the concrete industry…just not quite as intensely as before the Great Recession.” A rare Atlanta native, Benzur went to the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he earned a degree in engineering and worked in the paper industry for many years before becoming a general manager for a ready-mix concrete company in metro Atlanta. In early 2017, Benzur left the concrete industry and retired in the Lake Oconee area. Just five years into retirement, Benzur was selected in 2022 as the Executive Director of GRMCA. Benzur said, “After a five-year hiatus, I am back in the concrete industry and boy, has it been exciting!” Tune into the full interview above to learn more about Georgia Ready Mix Concrete Association, or visit www.GAConcrete.org. A special thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006, podcasting since 2011 and is currently working on strategies for the Google Helpful Content update and ways to incorporate AI into sales and marketing. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will adhere to your specific needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com.   The Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio “All About Real Estate" segment, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes,

MDJ Script/ Top Stories for July25th Tuesday Publish Date: July 24 Monday   Commercial: Henssler :15   From the Henssler Financial Studio, Welcome to the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast Today is Tuesday July 25th and happy 27th birthday to NFL Running Back Alvin Kamara ***Kamara*** I'm Dan Radcliffe and here are the stories Cobb is talking about, presented by Credit Union of Georgia 1. Cobb development authority to talk affordable housing with Cupid's task force 2. Elections board chair 'not going to be bullied' by Cobb school district 3. And Cobb school board protesters defend teacher fired under 'divisive concepts' law   All of this and more is coming up on the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast. Commercial : CU of GA –   STORY 1: housing   The Development Authority of Cobb County will meet with Cobb Chairwoman Lisa Cupid's affordable housing task force, now called "Advance Cobb." The task force aims to study housing affordability and may propose that the development authority gets involved in developing affordable housing, using incentives like other Georgia development authorities. The meeting will present the task force's preliminary findings and discuss how the development authority can support housing. Cobb is developing a new unified development code, which could incorporate task force recommendations. The county's housing prices have increased significantly, making it challenging to achieve affordable housing. Knight mentioned the need for more creative means to build affordable housing due to limitations in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit programs....................……... Read more about this at mdjonline.com   Story 2: bullied   The Cobb County School District and the Cobb Board of Elections are involved in a lawsuit regarding the school board map. A federal judge ruled that the school district cannot be held liable, but the claim against the Board of Elections remains. The elections board has avoided taking a position on the claims, asserting its role as a nonpartisan administrator of elections. The school district is considering options, including asking the Georgia Attorney General to intervene as a party. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a lead plaintiff, stated that the case against the Board of Elections is proceeding, while the district claimed victory prematurely. The initial lawsuit accused the school district's map of intentional discrimination against communities of color.   Story 3: law   Protesters at a Cobb school board meeting defended a former elementary school teacher, Katie Rinderle, who was fired for violating the state's new "divisive concepts" law. She had read a book about gender identity to her fifth-grade class, leading to complaints from parents. While public commenters were not allowed to address specific personnel matters, they tackled underlying topics, advocating for inclusivity and the representation of all students in classroom literature. The board gave the Superintendent the go-ahead to select members for tribunals leading dismissal hearings for fired teachers, and Rinderle's hearing is scheduled for August 10. She was accused of violating various district policies, including those related to controversial issues and instructional resources selection and acquisition.   we'll be right back   Break: ESOG - Dayco – Ingles 4   STORY 4: shelter   The Cobb County Animal Services shelter is offering a discounted adoption rate of $20 per animal for the rest of July, which includes spaying or neutering and microchipping. The shelter is currently operating at 123% of its capacity, facing an 18% increase in animal intakes compared to last year. To avoid euthanizing animals, they aim to have as many adoptions as possible. The shelter has an 88% "live release" rate, higher than the national average of around 50%. They currently house 169 dogs, 161 cats, and one Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. Most of the dogs are pit bull mixes, but the shelter hopes to challenge the stigma around them   STORY 5: vote   More than 20 Cobb County residents spoke against the county's proposed millage rate increase during a meeting. They cited various reasons for lowering property taxes, including rising property values causing a burden on fixed-income seniors and renters. Many shared personal stories of struggling to afford the increased taxes. A pediatric neuropsychologist expressed concern that higher taxes might force him to sell his home and lose proximity to his children. Some residents questioned Chairwoman Lisa Cupid's claims about her own property tax assessment. The commission will vote on the millage rate at a meeting tonight at 7pm.   Story 6: fee   The Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) is launching a pilot project to test a mileage-based user fee for electric vehicles (EVs). The aim is to capture revenue from EV drivers as traditional fuel tax revenues decline due to the shift towards electric and hybrid vehicles. The pilot will involve 150 volunteers who will be monitored for the number of miles driven, and the data will be used to gauge the feasibility and user experience of the mileage-based approach. The DOT will also explore options to protect privacy during the experiment. The project will help determine the potential for adopting this form of transportation tax in the future.   We'll be back in a moment   Break: Drake- Elon- GON   Story 7: brothers   Brothers Azeez and BJ Ojulari, who played football together at Marietta, are now both in the NFL. Azeez is entering his third season with the New York Giants, and BJ is preparing for his rookie season with the Arizona Cardinals. The siblings reflected on their time at Marietta and their achievements in college football. They will face off against each other in Week 2 at State Farm Stadium, and both plan to take advantage of the opportunity while engaging in friendly trash-talking. Azeez offered advice to his younger brother on transitioning to the pro level. Both hope to have successful careers as pass-rushers in the NFL.   Story 8: Helton   Georgia Southern coach Clay Helton spoke at the Cobb County Kickoff Luncheon, emphasizing the importance of high-quality individuals in building a successful football team. He stressed the significance of trustworthy coaches and role models for student-athletes. Helton emphasized creating a culture of hard work, accountability, and togetherness within the team. He also highlighted the need for consistency and level-headedness in navigating challenges and adversity. Helton invited Cobb County coaches to visit Georgia Southern, where many players come from Georgia, including Cobb County. He looks forward to recruiting more talented players for the upcoming 2023 season.   Story 9: KSU   Kennesaw State University has announced kickoff times for its 2023 football season. The opening game against Tusculum will be on August 31 at 7 p.m., followed by a "Gold Rush" game against Furman on September 16 at 5 p.m. Homecoming is scheduled for October 7 at 3 p.m. against Tennessee State. A Halloween "black-out" game against Lincoln University will take place on October 28 at 3 p.m. The season will conclude with a senior day and military appreciation game against Virginia-Lynchburg on November 11 at 3 p.m. Some road game kickoff times have also been announced. Season tickets are available for purchase.     We're back with final thoughts after this     Break: UMC - Glover Park. - Henssler 60 Signoff- Thanks again for hanging out with us on today's Marietta Daily Journal podcast. Read more about all our stories, and get other great content at MDJonline.com. Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. www.inlgles-markets.com  www.henssler.com  www.cuofga.org  www.drakerealty.com  www.gon.com  www.daycosystems.com  www.unitedmilitarycare.org  www.esogrepair.com  www.elonsalon.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Leadership in Aviation Podcast, René Banglesdorf is joined by Trish Gilbert. Trish Gilbert serves as the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Association (IFATCA) Executive Vice President Americas. Trish discusses several topics including her years of experience as an air traffic controller, leadership in aviaton, and airspace safety and her current role on the safety review board. She also discusses balancing innovation and safety as well as her advice for young leaders in aviation. In addition, she also talks about recently obtaining her private pilot's license and how it feels to be on the other side of the radio. More about Trish: Previously she served 12 years (4-terms) as the National Air Traffic Controllers Association's (NATCA) Executive Vice President. During her time in that position she helped lead and oversee NATCA's comprehensive efforts to build successful working relationships with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), the aviation industry, the AFL-CIO, and members of the U.S. Congress that resulted in excellent progress on aviation safety. Her efforts included serving on many boards and committees: the FAA's Drone Advisory Committee (DAC), the FAA/NATCA Collaborative Steering Committee, the Aero Club of Washington Board of Governors, the National Aeronautic Association Board of Directors, Director of the NATCA Charitable Foundation, the Vice Chair of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) Air Traffic Services Committee and IFATCA's representative to the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems panel (RPASP) at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). For IFATCA she also served on IFATCA's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, the Constitution and Administration Committee (CAC) and the Finance Committee (FIC). Trish served on the AFL-CIO Political Committee, Legislative/Policy Committee, and the Committee on Women Workers. She is also the former Labor Chair of the FAA National Employee Involvement Committee, which was tasked with modeling collaborative behavior, providing leadership, sharing best practices, and developing templates regarding pre-decisional involvement and cooperation. In May 2018, at its annual Women in Aviation Scholarship luncheon, the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) honored Gilbert by announcing the creation of a new permanently-endowed scholarship in her name. In May 2020, U.S. Secretary of Transportation appointed Trish to the newly-formed Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB). Pursuant to Section 612 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, the WIAAB was established to develop strategies and recommendations that would encourage women and girls to enter the field of aviation. In March 2022, the WIAAB transmitted the Report “Breaking Barriers for Women in Aviation: Flight Plan for The Future” to the FAA Administrator and the U.S. Congress. By trade and passion Trish is an air traffic controller and worked 21 years at Houston Center (ZHU) prior to serving U.S. air traffic controllers as their EVP. At ZHU she served in many activist roles within the union including Facility Representative, Southwest Region Chair of NATCA's National Legislative Committee and Chair of the National Legislative Committee. She also chaired NATCA's National Organizing Committee, served as NATCA Charitable Foundation Vice President and then, the Foundation's President. Trish Gilbert resides in Austin, Texas with her husband John, who is a retired air traffic controller. Both adult children, Jenna and Colby, and grandsons Oliver and Jack also reside in Austin.

OnBase by Hyland Software is a comprehensive solution that can be leveraged across departments and industries. Government agencies trust OnBase to help streamline processes, improve communication, and establish workflows. Each agency has different needs based on the type of tasks they handle regularly. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is a critical department which can be found in every state across the US. DOTs are responsible for transportation planning and safety, and they are always busy with many projects at once. OnBase has proven to be a valuable tool for DOTs by aiding in permitting, content capture and management, integraion with CAD systems, and so much more. In this episode, Steve Nimon chats with Paul Gorman, Sr. Account Executive and Government Expert at ImageSoft, and Rob Johnson, Government Consultant Expert with decades of experience in the field. Listen in as the three gentlemen discuss the highlights of OnBase within DOTs including: ·        Bringing systems together through integrations Mobile friendliness for uploading data Centralized data storage   Cross-department communication Automated workflows Auto Registration Capture Secure file sharing And more! To learn more about OnBase, visit www.imagesoftinc.com/onbase.

In Episode 92, I get to sit down and speak with LCSW Felicia Cameron out of Mississippi; she shares about the peace of work-life balance. Felicia gives us some ways to do better with balance in our lives. I walked away from this conversation with much insight and tools to balance my life better. I hope this conversation does the same for you. A little about our guest. Felicia Cameron, LCSWLicensed Clinical Social Worker in Mississippi Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) Author of The Big "D" Depression Journal and Racing Thoughts JournalSpeaker, International Speaker Weekly Facebook Live of Tuesday Talks with a Therapist Founder of Lending a Hand, established in 2019, is a mental health practice that serves individuals in The State of Mississippi. Felicia Cameron has been in full-time private practice since July 2021. Felicia Cameron is a licensed clinical social with over 18 years of experience. Felicia works with individuals (18 and older) who suffer from anxiety and depression and coping with adjustments to life transitions. Felicia has been known as "The Real 180," in which she specialized in helping and empowering African Americans (women and men) with the strategies, tools, and techniques for them to have healthy relationships with all their encounters (family, parents, co-workers, spouse/partner) that are connected to them. Felicia Cameron is also the founder of SAP Evaluation of Mississippi. As a substance abuse professional, she provides assessments and education to individuals who fail the Department of Transportation (DOT) drug test. Felicia has been an SAP professional since May 2021. She can be contacted at https://linktr.ee/lendingmyhand

Budget hearings will take up much of Congress's time this week. The Department of Transportation (DOT) will be big, plus there is a vote on a nomination to a crucial DOT agency. To get the rundown on all of this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Loren Duggan, Bloomberg Government's Deputy News Director Loren Duggan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Budget hearings will take up much of Congress's time this week. The Department of Transportation (DOT) will be big, plus there is a vote on a nomination to a crucial DOT agency. To get the rundown on all of this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Loren Duggan, Bloomberg Government's Deputy News Director Loren Duggan. 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.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that 51.7% of the workforce is female. However, according to Zippia.com, 27.2% of occupational health and safety specialists are women, and 72.8% are men. This suggests that many policies, procedures, and practices relative to safety are created for and by men. This discrepancy can contribute to physical and psychosocial hazards that harm women and may not be the same for men. In this episode, Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Rose McMurray, who has been focused on safety and the involvement of women in the safety profession for many years. Ms. McMurray was one of the "founding mothers" of the Nation Safety Council's Women's Division, which is focused on the the inclusion and development of women in the safety profession. Ms. McMurray is a transportation safety professional specializing in consulting services for trucking, motor coach, transit, and other transportation sectors. She also provides expert witness services in truck and motor coach legal cases and teaches safety management at the graduate student level. Before she retired from the federal government in January 2011, Ms. McMurray served as the Chief Safety Officer (CSO) and Assistant Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Ms. McMurray's efforts have earned her several awards, including the National Safety Council's Marion Martin and Distinguished Service to Safety awards. Other honors awarded to Ms. McMurray include twice receiving the Senior Executive Service Presidential Rank Award, the Secretary of Transportation's Meritorious Achievement Award, and the Secretary's Gold Medal. She has served on the Board of Advisors for the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Board of Directors of the National Safety Council.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has a lot of goals for its latest five-year R &D and technology plan, including a transportation system that is safer, greener and more resilient than the one we have now. For highlights, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked to Dr. Robert Hampshire, DOT's Deputy Assistant Secretary and Chief Science Officer. 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.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has a lot of goals for its latest five-year R &D and technology plan, including a transportation system that is safer, greener and more resilient than the one we have now. For highlights, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked to Dr. Robert Hampshire, DOT's Deputy Assistant Secretary and Chief Science Officer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week marks the 300th edition of Sustainability Now! and, your host, Justin Mog, is thrilled to welcome back into the studio his very first guest from April 2017, Chris Glasser with Streets For People (https://twitter.com/Streets4Peeps , https://www.streetsforpeople.org). S4P's mission is to “transform Louisville's streets and neighborhoods into vibrant, active, inviting places,” and on today's program we will discuss all of the ways the organization is currently pushing for that vision. We discuss: • The need for a Louisville Metro Department of Transportation (DOT) to set priorities and coordinate complex projects so we can actually implement what gets funded (like downtown two-way projects!) • Renewed statewide attention for the need to legalize Automated Traffic Enforcement in Kentucky, with a new automated enforcement bill filed January 4th by Rep. Rachel Roarx (D-38) at the start of the KY General Assembly. • A reformed Speed Hump Policy for Louisville; • An All-Way Stop Policy for urban neighborhood streets; • Why we need to shift the existing SHIFT Scoring for KYTC Projects to new criteria for allocating highway funds; • The potential for an E-Bike Rebate from APCD; • The need for a Roadway Modernization Fund for Louisville to invest in Intelligent Transportation Systems;
• The vision for a Waterfront Parkway multiuse path on Campbell St connecting Paristown Pointe to Waterfront Park; and • The stupidity of the state Tourism Board's new proposal for a car tunnel to the Fairgrounds when what we really need is a Summer Transit Network with two high-frequency bus lines that connect the city's primary tourist attractions during a six-month period from April to September; As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW! Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at http://forwardradio.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at http://appalatin.com

Picture this: An eco-friendly, zero-occupant AV that delivers items like groceries and prescriptions to your doorstep—all while prioritizing the safety of others. Leading AV company Nuro is doing just that. . By transforming local commerce with goods-focused AV delivery solutions, Nuro is saving consumers valuable time while striving to make streets safer and cities more livable. The hardware, software, and behavior of Nuro's custom autonomous delivery vehicles are designed to prioritize the safety, even earning the company a first-of-its-kind autonomous vehicle exemption from the US Dept of Transportation (DOT) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as well as the first commercial deployment permit in the state of California. . From delivering packages for FedEx, pizza from Domino's, and groceries from Kroger, Nuro's integrated partnerships are a huge piece of its growth strategy. The company has also signed a 10-year partnership with Uber and piloted autonomous local delivery for communities in Texas, Arizona, and California. . We sat down with Petch Jirapinyo, Head of Commercialization at Nuro, to discuss the company's innovative technology, strong partnerships, and successful go-to-market strategy. It's an insightful conversation that offers a glimpse into the future of autonomous delivery. . We'd love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to podcast@sae.org. Don't forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform. . Follow SAE on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Follow host Grayson Brulte on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

Southwest Airlines is facing a Department of Transportation (DOT) probe over its massive flight delays and cancellations. What's causing the meltdown? We ask an aviation expert. In the latest spending bill, $16 billion in taxpayer money will be spent on lawmakers' pet projects. We take a close look at where the money is going. Japan has ambitious plans to mine for critical minerals in the deep sea. It plans to mine at depths no other country has ever attempted before. Elon Musk says there are now nearly 100 Starlinks active in Iran. The satellite internet could help Iranians get around government censorship online. We look at an underground farm in London that grows crops all year round. How does it compare to traditional farming? ⭕️ Watch in-depth videos based on Truth & Tradition at Epoch TV

The next department in the series is also part of the Great Society, the Department of Transportation (DoT).  Aughie explains how the many subagencies of the department work together in various ways to support public transportation, from the Federal Aviation Administration to the Federal Highway Administration. Aughie also reminds listeners that this department is a particularly good example of cooperative federalism. Discussion ends with secretaries and criticisms of the department.

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop -  NSTA Executive Director Curt Macysyn is joined by Michelle Atwell, Chief, Safety Countermeasures Division, Office of Safety Programs National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to discuss about National School Bus Safety Week. Michelle outlines National Pedestrian Safety Month. Michelle and Curt then discuss the recently launched NHTSA media campaign on illegal passing. Finally, the duo discuss NHTSA efforts to address illegal passing following the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law . Student transportation professionals go to NSTA: The Bus Stop to find out the latest industry trends and news, and so should you. Become a subscriber and listen to a new episode every week - reasonable advertising packages are available too!Support the show

Grappling with the maze of marijuana laws and your company policy? On this episode, Bill Judge of Drug Screening Compliance Institute talks about considerations for employers to create and enforce drug-testing policies that are consistent with the laws in all of the states in which they operate – as well as best practices for addressing safety-sensitive roles. Guest: William J. Judge, JD, LL.M. Drug Screening Compliance Institute bjudge@drugscreeningci.com www.askbilljudge.com Resources: At the federal level, marijuana is listed as a Schedule I drug (https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling) under the Controlled Substances Act. Many federal contractors and all federal grantees are required by law to establish and maintain a drug-free workplace policy. In addition, some federal agencies have rules in place for specific industries/occupations that require employers to have drug testing programs. For example, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)[https://www.transportation.gov/odapc] and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)[https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/drug-alcohol-testing/overview-drug-and-alcohol-rules] have adopted drug testing rules for certain drivers. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)[https://www.samhsa.gov/workplace/employer-resources/federal-laws] provides guidance to employers on how to implement drug-free workplaces that will comply with federal laws. States are continuing to legalize marijuana, either for medical use, recreational use, or both. Here are maps of where things currently stand in September 2022 – https://www.agc.org/sites/default/files/Files/ConstructorCast/THC_Group_2022Sep27.pdf. State laws may dictate how (and to what extent) employers can do pre-employment screenings, drug testing, or make employment decisions based on an employee's drug use. Many employers choose to drug test employees because of safety-sensitive positions, reductions in rates for workers' compensation insurance, or to ensure that their employees are not impaired on the job. It is particularly important that construction companies review current policies and evaluate the need for changes – based on evolving marijuana laws and to ensure employee safety and reduce company risk.

**ENCORE: This podcast was recorded February 10, 2021** DRNY's PAAT, PAIR, and PAVA Director, Christy Asbee, Esq.,  joined by DRNY staff attorney, Brandy Tomlinson, discuss the Department of Transportation (DOT)'s regulations for service animals on planes.**Show Notes**Service Animals vs Emotional Support Animals podcast: https://youtu.be/o0GjLJjyDvMService Animal Etiquette podcast: https://youtu.be/dWEGcuf9DqEService Animal Myths podcast: https://youtu.be/tRXzx4fsxsYDRNY Fact Sheet "Traveling by Air with a Service Animal": https://www.dropbox.com/s/tcspb8oh8nx0hlw/2020.12.21%20Traveling%20with%20Srvice%20Animal%20CA%20edits.pdf?dl=0DOT Customer Service Center: 202-366-4000DOT - Service Animal page: https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/service-animalsSupport the show

Bill Lambert, P.E., Administrator/Traffic Engineer with the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (DOT), joins the podcast to talk about transportation safety and operations challenges in rural environments and how they're being addressed in his state. He discusses the recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and how the funding could potentially be utilized by state DOTs with more tribal and rural areas, as well as how public agencies are grappling with the current staffing shortages and other challenges brought on by COVID-19.

Bill Lambert, P.E., Administrator/Traffic Engineer with the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (DOT), joins the podcast to talk about transportation safety and operations challenges in rural environments and how they're being addressed in his state. He discusses the recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and how the funding could potentially be utilized by state DOTs with more tribal and rural areas, as well as how public agencies are grappling with the current staffing shortages and other challenges brought on by COVID-19.

In February 2019, then General Counsel of the Department of Transportation (DOT), Steven Bradbury, issued a memo later dubbed the "Bradbury Memo" that addressed concerns about civil enforcement abuse at the agency. Parts of the memo were subsequently made into binding DOT rules. DOT asserted that these rules were designed to protect the due process rights of those who were the subject of DOT enforcement actions, including a requirement that the agency disclose all exculpatory evidence to those targeted by civil enforcement and the prohibition of "fishing expedition" investigations without sufficient evidence to support a violation.On April 2, 2021, DOT rescinded these rules without the opportunity for public comment. Thereafter Polyweave Packaging Inc., a company that had been issued a civil penalty order by DOT over alleged regulatory violations, filed suit against DOT claiming the agency violated its due process rights by revoking the Bradbury Memo rules.The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky ruled in favor of DOT, the case has been appealed to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and oral arguments were on May 5, 2022.Featuring:- Steven Bradbury, Attorney; Former General Counsel, Department of Transportation- Sheng Li, Litigation Counsel, New Civil Liberties Alliance- [Moderator] Beth Williams, Board Member, U.S. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board; former Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of JusticeVisit our website – www.RegProject.org – to learn more, view all of our content, and connect with us on social media.

In February of 2019, then General Counsel of the Department of Transportation (DOT), Steven Bradbury, issued a memo later dubbed the “Bradbury Memo” that addressed concerns about civil enforcement abuse at the agency. Parts of the memo were subsequently made into binding DOT rules. DOT asserted that these rules were designed to protect the due […]

In February of 2019, then General Counsel of the Department of Transportation (DOT), Steven Bradbury, issued a memo later dubbed the "Bradbury Memo" that addressed concerns about civil enforcement abuse at the agency. Parts of the memo were subsequently made into binding DOT rules. DOT asserted that these rules were designed to protect the due process rights of those who were the subject of DOT enforcement actions, including a requirement that the agency disclose all exculpatory evidence to those targeted by civil enforcement and the prohibition of “fishing expedition” investigations without sufficient evidence to support a violation.On April 2, 2021, DOT rescinded these rules without the opportunity for public comment. Thereafter Polyweave Packaging inc., a company that had been issued a civil penalty order by DOT over alleged regulatory violations, filed suit against DOT claiming the agency violated its due process rights by revoking the Bradbury Memo rules.The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky ruled in favor of DOT, the case has been appealed to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and oral arguments were on May 5, 2022. Please join this litigation update of Polyweave Packaging v. Buttigieg as our experts discuss the case, the legal issues involved, and the implications for administrative rulemaking and due process.Featuring:Hon. Steven Bradbury, Attorney; Former General Counsel, Department of TransportationSheng Li, Litigation Counsel, New Civil Liberties AllianceModerator: Hon. Beth Williams, Board Member, U.S. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board; former Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice---To register, click the link above

In February of 2019, then General Counsel of the Department of Transportation (DOT), Steven Bradbury, issued a memo later dubbed the "Bradbury Memo" that addressed concerns about civil enforcement abuse at the agency. Parts of the memo were subsequently made into binding DOT rules. DOT asserted that these rules were designed to protect the due process rights of those who were the subject of DOT enforcement actions, including a requirement that the agency disclose all exculpatory evidence to those targeted by civil enforcement and the prohibition of “fishing expedition” investigations without sufficient evidence to support a violation.On April 2, 2021, DOT rescinded these rules without the opportunity for public comment. Thereafter Polyweave Packaging inc., a company that had been issued a civil penalty order by DOT over alleged regulatory violations, filed suit against DOT claiming the agency violated its due process rights by revoking the Bradbury Memo rules.The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky ruled in favor of DOT, the case has been appealed to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and oral arguments were on May 5, 2022. Please join this litigation update of Polyweave Packaging v. Buttigieg as our experts discuss the case, the legal issues involved, and the implications for administrative rulemaking and due process.Featuring:-- Hon. Steven Bradbury, Attorney; Former General Counsel, Department of Transportation-- Sheng Li, Litigation Counsel, New Civil Liberties Alliance-- Moderator: Hon. Beth Williams, Board Member, U.S. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board; former Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice

The still-to-be constructed Southwest Alabama Regional Airport got an added shot in the arm last week when it was included with 25 Alabama airports to receive more than .5 million in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants. The amount for the new airport is 6,400. U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) last week announced the funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for various airport improvements to support infrastructure construction and safety advances. “I am pleased that DOT recognizes the importance of investing in these 25 airports,” said Senator Shelby. “The state of Alabama's aviation industry is rapidly growing,...Article Link

Thursday, March 17 on Urban Forum Northwest: *Randolph Carter, Progressive Education Network (PEN) comments on his organizations work that employs a different approach how PEN can deliver a quality education to the districts and students that they partner with. *Jamie Danen is a National Board Member of the Progressive Education Network (PEN) she will comment on what's working in other parts of the country. *Aneelah Afzali, Executive Director, American Muslim Empowerment Network comments on the hate crimes targeting Muslim places of worship and most recently a Muslim youth program building. *Dr. Yahya Suufi, Imam and Executive Director of the Muslim American Youth Foundation (MAYF) building was the target of a hate crime that saw a positive response from local and state elected officials on Wednesday evening. *Bob Armstead, Washington State Civil Rights Coalition provides an update on the organizations complaint to the US Department of Justice and the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for discrimination against African Americans in this state. *Senator T'wina Nobles (D)-28th LD comments on the last legislative sessions and what she and her Democratic colleagues were able to accomplish for her district and the people of the state. Urban Forum Northwest streams live at www.1150kknw.com. Visit us at www.urbanforumnw.com for archived programs and relevant information. Like us on faceebook. Twitter@Eddie_Rye. this program will also air on Saturday 7:00-8:00 am (PDT).

Thursday, March 17 on Urban Forum Northwest: *Randolph Carter, Progressive Education Network (PEN) comments on his organizations work that employs a different approach how PEN can deliver a quality education to the districts and students that they partner with. *Jamie Danen is a National Board Member of the Progressive Education Network (PEN) she will comment on what's working in other parts of the country. *Aneelah Afzali, Executive Director, American Muslim Empowerment Network comments on the hate crimes targeting Muslim places of worship and most recently a Muslim youth program building. *Dr. Yahya Suufi, Imam and Executive Director of the Muslim American Youth Foundation (MAYF) building was the target of a hate crime that saw a positive response from local and state elected officials on Wednesday evening. *Bob Armstead, Washington State Civil Rights Coalition provides an update on the organizations complaint to the US Department of Justice and the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for discrimination against African Americans in this state. *Senator T'wina Nobles (D)-28th LD comments on the last legislative sessions and what she and her Democratic colleagues were able to accomplish for her district and the people of the state. Urban Forum Northwest streams live at www.1150kknw.com. Visit us at www.urbanforumnw.com for archived programs and relevant information. Like us on faceebook. Twitter@Eddie_Rye. this program will also air on Saturday 7:00-8:00 am (PDT).

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The COVID-19 pandemic has done little to slow this form of modern-day slavery. Instead, traffickers have taken advantage of the global crisis to continue targeting adults and children. Airports are a key point of access for traffickers, who use airports - as well as other transportation hubs, including train and bus stations - to scout for and move their victims. PHL is committed to working with relevant agencies and organizations, including the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Transportation (DOT), to address this horrible crime. Recognizing the signs of human trafficking is the first step in helping to stop it.   In this episode, Chellie is joined by PHL's Jason Sankey and Jonathan Todd to discuss how PHL employees and the public can help to spot, intervene, and stop human trafficking.    To learn more about the steps Philadelphia International Airport is taking to stop Human Trafficking and how you can help, please visit https://www.phl.org/newsroom/wearblue

Preserved From The Beast (25) David Eells - 1-2-22 (Audio) Babylon Weaponizes Cells and Computers   We just received by faith at random a text we have received many, many times. It is the story of God's apostate people trusting in the strength of man to save them from the DS Babylonish Beast, which is costing their lives. Jer. 43:4-7  So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of Jehovah, to dwell in the land of Judah.  5  But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all the nations whither they had been driven, to sojourn in the land of Judah;  6  the men, and the women, and the children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.  7  And they came into the land of Egypt; for they obeyed not the voice of Jehovah: and they came unto Tahpanhes.  God's people went to trust in Egypt to save them from Babylon who then went to Egypt and killed them.  Jer 43:9-11  Take great stones in thy hand, and hide them in mortar in the brickwork, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;  10  and say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.  11  And he shall come, and shall smite the land of Egypt; such as are for death shall be given to death, and such as are for captivity to captivity, and such as are for the sword to the sword. I thought to myself this must be very important to the Lord since we have received this text many times concerning his people going down to Egypt and being killed by the DS Babylon, which represents those trusting in the DS depopulationists to give them a vaccine rather than trust the Lord. Jer 17:5-8  Thus saith Jehovah: Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from Jehovah.  6  For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited.  7  Blessed is the man that trusteth in Jehovah, and whose trust Jehovah is.  8  For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat cometh, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. DS Babylon just burned a thousand homes in Colorado just like in Paradise with D/E/W weapons. Conservatives and Christians were resisting the DS there. It reminds me of this verse about Babylon taking down the apostate leadership of God's people. Jer 52:13  And he burned the house of Jehovah (Churches), and the king's house (Their leaderships houses); and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house (The great men), burned he with fire. Based on these verses I said almost 5 years ago that Babylon would burn churches and leadership homes. Many apostate Church leaders have sent their people to get the vac/cin/es and now they are dying. Backlash is coming.   In the US, the Supreme Court has ruled that vaccinated people worldwide are products, patented goods, according to US law, no longer human. Telegram @ Dark Universe Through a modified DNA or RNA vaccination, the mRNA vaccination, the person ceases to be human and becomes the OWNER of the holder of the modified GEN vaccination patent, because they have their own genome and are no longer “human” (without natural people), but “trans-human”, so a category that does not exist in Human Rights. The quality of a natural person and all related rights are lost. This applies worldwide and patents are subject to US law. Since 2013, all people vaccinated with GM-modified mRNAs are legally trans-human and legally identified as trans-human and do not enjoy any human or other rights of a state, and this applies worldwide, because GEN-POINT technology patents are under US jurisdiction and law, where they were registered. Download PDF here: Vaccined No Longer legally human .pdfDownload SOURCE of the decision of the US SUPREME COURT    Then this came to me that Michael had found a video that the DS is able to assassinate people by their cellphone. And also the Grap/hine ox/ide computer/cellphone connection is in those who were vac/cin/ated.  The thought came to me that they are able to execute these people by cell phone or computer which we know is capable to contact the graphine oxide in the vaccinated to affect their person. This could be done on multitudes of people scattered over a large area and people would just consider that they died of Covid and the educated would believe by the vac/cin/e.   Here is the video of a woman who is getting her nails done at a salon. The salon video cameras picked up footage of her cell phone sending out electrical flashes towards her left arm and then she immediately went into convulsions and fell out onto the floor.    One Day In 2022 Your Cell Phone May Kill You Or Turn You Into Zombies Before it's News - 12/26/21   Did they figure out how to depopulate humanity using frequency sound weapons, using cell phone tech? I'm not sure they would even need 5G to do that but I do believe that's the plan!! Remember that 2022 is the final year in their three year plan... Frequency weapon…. some of us have seen the videos where people are being frequency attacked by their phones… that's why this video is important. It's likely the woman had the vaxx… did she live or die on the spot?  Your Cell Phone May Kill You    1980′s Music Video “Experiment IV” About Frequency Sound Weapon   Kate Bush nails it on 1980′s Music Video “Experiment IV” About Frequency Sound Weapons… [Editor's note: This video appears to show an inventor whose heart was to do good to humanity with his invention. I believe this could represent Nicolai Tesla whose revelation and inventions proved that frequencies could heal which was his purpose, however, wicked military people turned this into a weapon on the other end of the scale of frequencies. In the video it appears he was very frustrated and angry this was happening. It appeared to at first be a good thing but ended up being deadly. When it got out in the video it killed many.] The final chilling words of her song, “And the public are warned to stay off.” Here are the lyrics:  [Verse 1] We were working secretly for the military. Our experiment in sound was nearly ready to begin. We only know in theory what we are doing. Music made for pleasure, music made to thrill. It was music we were making here, until…[Chorus] They told us all they wanted was a sound that could kill someone from a distance. So we go ahead, and the meters are over in the red. It's a mistake in the making.  [Verse 2] From the painful cry of mothers. To the terrifying scream. We recorded it and put it into our machine. [Chorus] But they told us all they wanted was a sound that could kill someone from a distance. So we go ahead, and the meters are over in the red. It's a mistake that we're making.  [Bridge] It could feel like falling in love. It could feel so bad. But it could feel so good. It could sing you to sleep. But that dream is your enemy. [Verse 3] We won't be there to be blamed. We won't be there to snitch. (The killers will be far away)  I just pray that someone there can hit the switch. [Editor's note: It appears that Tesla tried to turn the switch off but failed.] [Chorus] But they told us all they wanted was a sound that could kill someone from a distance. So we go ahead, and the meters were over in the red. It's a mistake we've made. [Outro] And the public are warned to stay off.    Weaponized Cell Phone Theory Demonstrated in the Movie “Cell”  [Editor's note: John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson star in this tale of a mysterious phone signal that turns much of the population into murderous predators. Signature Entertainment releases Cell. [Here is the trailer: https://youtu.be/BCns4w3GA9A ]   Zombie Alert Early 2022 Watch the Movie “Cell” Now… It Is Probably A Documentary!!  [Editor's note: The DS always tells us what they are going to do before they do it.]  (Writer's) Theory: Zombies Created With 5G + Graphene Oxide (Vaxx Ingredient) + Cell Phone!! CONOP 8888 US Dept. Of Defense Strategic Command Zombie Defense Plan Exists!! Airlines Panicking Over 5G Rollout!! Folks… this is important… there IS a zombie event coming… the military AND Pentagon already know!!   U.S. military actually made a zombie apocalypse training manual. Yes, really. Internet Culture Published May 14, 2014 - Updated May 31, 2021  If the U.S. is ever attacked by evil magic zombies, or even the relatively tame creature that is a chicken zombie, rest assured that the Department of Defense has it covered. Seriously, a document has apparently been unearthed by Foreign Policy magazine that appears to show either the incredible level of preparedness of the U.S. national security community, or it demonstrates how the people tasked with keeping the nation safe are insane. The zombie attack training manual, “CONOP 8888,” or “Counter Zombie Dominance,” is dated April 2011, and was supposedly found buried on a secret military computer. It tells military planners how to defeat an invasion of flesh eaters, (Editor's note: Remember he outbreak of zombies that were devouring peoples faces.) and how to preserve the sanctity of “non-zombie life.” From magic zombies to chicken zombies, even vegetarian zombies, they're all in the file, with a plan for how to take them out.  “Zombies pose a threat to all non-zombie human life,” says CONOP8888. “[Strategic Command] will be prepared to preserve the sanctity of human life and conduct operations in support of any human population—including traditional adversaries.” While the manual says in its disclaimer that “this plan was not acutally designed as a joke,” it still kind of is. What the intelligence community has done here is use “zombie” as a kind of code word for “enemy,” so as not to look like the Pentagon is planning for an invasion of a particular country, religion, or plague. To prepare for all possible situations, it says, “We elected to use a completely-impossible scenario that could never be mistaken for a real plan.” All of which begs the question, of course, if zombies are being used as metaphors for real threats, what... are “Vegetarian zombies” doing in there? Chicken zombies could, of course, mean avian bird flu, and evil magic zombies could easily be a thinly veiled reference to Al' Qaeda or some other real enemy. But there can be no such thing as a vegetarian zombie. And second, what threat do vegetarians pose, either in this universe or the one inhabited by the person who wrote this manual? In fact, according to the military zombie survival guide, vegetarian zombies “pose no direct threat to humans because they only eat plant life,” which makes total sense… CONOP 8888 also known as Counter-Zombie Dominance is a U.S. Department of Defense Strategic Command CONOP document that describes a plan for defending against zombies. The April 30, 2011 document depicts fictional scenarios of zombie attacks for training students in military planning. Read the full zombie apocalypse training manual below: CONPLAN 8888 Now if that was all bad enough… the airlines are panicking over 5G (The opening scene of the movie “Cell” takes place in airport!!)  What do they know????    Planned 5G Wireless Deployment Could Compromise Airline Safety, Aviation Executives Warn  Newsweek - Justin Klawans - Dec 21, 2021    Aviation executives expressed their fears Monday that the potential coming deployment of 5G wireless technology could harm the airline industry. In a joint letter acquired by Reuters addressed to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun and Airbus Americas CEO Jeffrey Knittel urged DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg to postpone the upcoming rollout of the technology, citing multiple concerns. "5G interference could adversely affect the ability of aircraft to safely operate," the letter stated, adding that the rollout of the technology could have "an enormous negative impact on the aviation industry.” Both AT&T and Verizon are planning to deploy C-band spectrum 5G wireless networks across the United States on Jan. 5. The technology was originally slated to go online in November, but the companies agreed to push the date into 2022 after concerns were cited, and now the airline executives are hoping to slide that date even further down the calendar. The airplane manufacturers, who are typically considered direct competitors, came together in a rare show of unity to voice concerns that the 5G initiative could lead to numerous delays at airports throughout the country. The pair of companies represent the vast majority of the airplanes built for commercial aviation use, and they also have a large market share of military aircraft. The letter from Boeing and Airbus cited a statistic from trade group Airlines for America, which stated that if 5G had been in effect in 2019, it would've resulted in the delay or cancellation of 345,000 passenger flights and 5,400 cargo flights. The sentiment from the airline executives echoed a report released Dec. 7 from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that said 5G technology could lead to scheduling problems and safety issues in the skies. After issuing its report, the FAA went on to present a pair of airworthiness directives that would prohibit aircraft from operating certain radio functions while in the area of 5G signals. "Because radio altimeter anomalies that are undetected by the aircraft automation or pilot, particularly close to the ground ... could lead to loss of continued safe flight and landing," one of the directives stated. However, the FAA later issued a statement in which it said that the "expansion of 5G and aviation will safely co-exist." Verizon also released a statement pushing back against the FAA guidelines, stating that "there is no evidence that 5G operations using C-band spectrum pose any risk to aviation safety, as the real-world experience in dozens of countries already using this spectrum for 5G confirms." The communications giant added that it was taking "additional steps to minimize energy coming from 5G base stations." However, in spite of the statements released by multiple parties, the Air Line Pilots Association stated Monday that the discussions regarding 5G were at a stalemate, adding that it was "a big problem for passengers, shippers and the American economy.”  Equally important to look at is what is in the vaccines: Look At The Freaky Live Blood Sample Of Vaxxed Under Microscope!! “The Thing” Is Definitely Alive, As Are Other Strange Unidentified Creatures Swimming Around In Blood Sample Of Vaxxed!! It's Like An Ecosystem Humanity Has Never Seen Before!!     Dr. Ariyana Love said, "I agree with what one scientist suggested… that the reason the vaxxes are kept under extremely cold storage, is to keep the creatures under a suspended animation… until they are thawed out, and activated by human temperatures.  Now looking at this blood sample.. it's clear we can see several creatures moving about, a blue colourful ‘thing', and a large ‘hydra'-like creature, that some are suggesting might be able to self-regenerate itself, and therefore is basically, immortal.  The tinier critters look rather ‘active' and like they are more developed than simple bacteria… I wonder what everybody is doing… probably eating stuff, eliminating waste and reproducing. Most likely… what this means, is that the blood of the vaxxed has likely become a literal alien-hybrid cesspool of waste byproducts, and who knows what else… we're still finding out! Folks… we could be looking at an alien invasion under microscope… and at the very least, the new blood of the new hybrid (human)!”    Is This Why They Want to Change our DNA?  Source: Uncensored Sam, Published September 9, 2021  God's true name is recorded within our DNA. So, just let me go ahead and explain. Our chains of DNA contain four nucleotide-based pairs called Adenine, Guanine, Thiamine, and Cytosine. And then there's a unit within the DNA strand called a sulfuric bridge.  This sulfuric bridge holds our entire DNA strand together. It only appears after every ten nucleic acids have been laid down, and then after every five nucleic acids, then after every six, and then again, after every five nucleic acids. So, we get this repeating numerical value of 10, 5, 6, 5 within our DNA strand. Well, it turns out the Biblical name for God, YHWH, contains the same numerical value as our DNA strand. Yod He Vav He equals ten, five, six, five. What's even more interesting is that if you take the Hebrew name of YHWH and place it on its side, you get the image of a human being. Part three of this video series suggests that DNA is a language. Many people were wondering what god made the language of DNA. Researchers at Harvard University announced today that they have found what appears to be a message from God written inside the human genome. In a little-explored section of non-coding DNA, a team of top geneticists discovered a 22-word snippet of ancient Aramaic in which God confirms this existence and His role in creating life on Earth. “We knew the patterns weren't naturally occurring,” explains Charles Watson, the lead scientist on the project, “but we couldn't come up with any convincing explanation for them.  On a whim, we started cross-referencing the patterns with language databases,” he explains, “and we were shocked to find that the patterns corresponded to ancient Aramaic.” Stunned by its discovery, the team contacted language experts familiar with Aramaic – the language Jesus Christ spoke in daily life. Entirely decoded, the message reads: Hello my children, This is Yahweh, the One True Lord. You have found creation's secret. Now…go tell the world Who is the true God and Creator of all! Rumble Video: IS THIS Why They Want to Change our DNA?  Covid Shots Turn Humanity Into Patentable Species!! Supreme Court Ruling, And It's In The Patents!! Covid Shots Turn Humanity Into Patentable Species!! Supreme Court Ruling, And It's In The Patents!! Zombie Invasion Begins Mid-January 2022… Along With Mass Sickness And Death Especially For The Jabbed.     Zombie Invasion Begins Mid-January 2022… Along With Mass Sickness And Death Especially For The Jabbed!! Make The Omicron/Zombie/Disease X Connection Now And Then Head For The Hills!! One News - December 23, 2021   People… what we have here, is proof, that there is collusion and conspiracy for mass murder, and zombification of humanity on a scale that defies most people's awareness. For starters you must understand that new technologies especially of the electromagnetic radiation kind, tend to coincide with new illnesses. This has been going on for DECADES. Now… the latest is the 5G rollout… a major step scheduled for early January. I'd like you to simply observe the mass media…. two things are ‘scheduled: 1.  5G rollout… a new wave of 5G tech is set to become active.  https://duckduckgo.com/?q=++5g+rollout+january&atb=v255-1&iar=news&ia=news 2.  Media keeps suggesting people will get sick early January! https://duckduckgo.com/?q=+january+new+variant&atb=v255-1&iar=news&ia=news 3.  They seem to know something about ‘Disease X' aka 5G radiation sickness. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=disease+x&atb=v255-1&iar=news&ia=news Gee how do they know? They know because they know 5G is going to make people sick… and even worse. They know the graphene oxide in the vaxxed, is activated by electromagnetic radiation. This Is What Will Create Zombies!! Watch Graphene Oxide Dance To A Frequency In A Lab!! What This Means Is That Vaxx Ingredient Can Be Frequency Adjusted To Do… They know graphene oxide at the molecular level is equivalent of tiny razor blades; a leading scientist was murdered for telling the world this FACT! If you have the jab or several… you probably have lots to be concerned about with 5G. [Editor's note: Fear not… Lo, I will be with you always. From here on down he is speaking to non-believers.] If I were you… I'd pretty much be heading to the countryside. [Editor's note: Since cities are where most of the sin happens and most of the judgment comes, I always recommend people move out of the cities and away from the fault lines and sea shores.] How are you going to live, when tiny razor blades are slicing through your body… 24/7? [Editor's note: Those who believe the Word of God will live by Psalm 91, where it says, “There shall no evil befall thee." and the Passover, which is where God exercised control over the destroyer for those who lived under the blood. Jesus said in Luk 10:19  Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you.] How are you going to be healthy? How are you going to survive? [Learn from God's Vaccine Book] How will your body repair itself, as all the organs and capillaries are receiving 1000's of tiny slices… non-stop! [Remember, "nothing shall in any wise hurt you."] 5G is bad enough if you are not jabbed, but if you are, it might be a death sentence, or at the very least, the end of your body as you know it. [Gal 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:] Face it… what if graphene oxide is in the brain, and then you expose yourself to that radiation that is 100x stronger than 4G? [Pro 10:2  Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; But righteousness delivereth from death.] Now… this is also a trend in the news… the airlines are already bracing people for weirdness. Imagine a vaxxed pilot exposed constantly to 5G… to me, it's like a scenario of the rise of the zombies. Their brains will be sliced over and over by tiny razor blades one molecule thick. This will surely be the rise of the zombies. This sounds like a big joke right?  MILITARY DOES NOT THINK SO and they are also EXPERTS IN ELECTROMAGNETIC WARFARE! Hundreds of military, law enforcement and medical personnel will observe the Hollywood-style production of a zombie attack as part of their emergency response training.  We've put some links below: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=military+zombie+training&atb=v255-1&ia=web Marines, police prep for mock zombie invasion | Fox News https://www.foxnews.com › us › marines-police-prep-for-mock-zombie-invasion You need to know that they don't have a real accurate test for omicron… or the other variants, or covid. That's why they are ‘phasing out' the PCR test… they use this term ‘phase out' instead of ‘it never worked' to avoid admission of guilt for crimes against humanity… or let's be blunt, this is the greatest crime against humanity that has ever been perpetrated, and they won't stop unless humanity figures things out and stops them…  GRAPHENE OXIDE AND THE END-OF-DAYS APOCALYPSE Posted on August 12, 2021 by State of the Nation  Dr. José Luis Sevillano expresses his theory that GRAPHENE OXIDE (GO) is the Bio-Tech ingredient chosen for controlling mankind in THE NEW WORLD ORDER as defined by the DAVOS, the Bildebergs and WWII NAZI collaborator, Klaus Schwab, who founded the Word Economic Forum.  Graphene Oxide (GO) is found in the current Covid-19 vaccines.  GO is a super- conductor with unique electromagnetic properties that can facilitate the altering of human genetics.  The Covid-19 mRNA vaccines are the trial run for the “genetic Apocalypse”.  The plan is to alter the human species to install population control and coercive slavery through injection of Graphene Oxide into the blood stream where intra-cellular conductivity will allow neura-link (Elon Musk) nano technology and remote control of the human body and brain using directed electromagnetic radiation of various frequencies… https://www.orwell.city/2021/08/graphene-and-reset.html They are desperate to get this Graphene Oxide into people any way they can including, Spraying it in the Air, putting it in food and the nasal swabs for the PCR tests.   Sep 23, 2021 - RED ALERT: Aerosolized skin-penetrating nanoparticle spike protein attack vector CONFIRMED https://www.brighteon.com/358dc7fe-2580-40c6-8a90-13a13175caf5 Operation Disclosure: "Former FEMA Whistleblower Celeste Solum explains that the Corona PCR “test” is implanting a microchip  So the Nasopharyngeal Covid19 PCR “tests” were never tests at all. They are implanting chips, inserting Nanobots called Nanites with a bioweapons payload for the brain, while at the same time harvesting DNA. The PCR swab is inserted straight to the Nasopharynx behind the nose and forehead where your eyes are. It's at the blood brain barrier and next to your pineal gland. I believe they are knocking out people's senses with these Bioweapons and killing human intuition and your ability to cognitively see what they are doing to us. They're knocking out our senses and targeting the brain with Nanites that carry a payload. Decline the “tests.” Refuse the masks. Don't let them implant the microchip.”  Here are some very informative links explaining Graphene Oxide; It's history and what they plan on using it for: https://www.holistichealthonline.info/graphene-oxide-basics/ https://www.ftwproject.com/ref/6/      GRAPHENE OXIDE, 5G AND COVID PRESENTATION AND NOTES ON SGT REPORT  Here is a quote from Klaus Schwab's book, “Covid - 19: The Great Reset: “Euthanasia for the terminally ill and the aged shall be compulsory. No cities shall be larger than a predetermined number as described in the work of Kalgeri. Essential workers will be moved to other cities if the one they are in becomes overpopulated. Other non-essential workers will be chosen at random and sent to underpopulated cities to fill "quotas”. At least 4 billion “useless eaters” shall be eliminated by the year 2050 by means of limited wars, organized epidemics of fatal rapid-acting diseases and starvation. Energy, food and water shall be kept at subsistence levels for the non-elite, starting with the White populations of Western Europe and North America and then spreading to other races. The populations of Canada, Western Europe and the United States will be decimated more rapidly than on other continents, until the world's population reaches a manageable level of 1 billion, of which 500 million will consist of Chinese and Japanese races, selected because they are people who have been regimented for centuries and who are accustomed to obeying authority without question. From time to time there shall be artificially contrived food and water shortages and medical care to remind the masses that their very existence depends on the good will of the Committee of 300.”    The Culling of the Human Race Part 2  BY GERI UNGUREAN - 11/21/20 Altering DNA – Luciferase Biogel – Implantable Biochip to be Tracked by 5G Technology- It Isn't a Conspiracy Theory When They Are Openly Telling You What They Want To Do First and foremost, I encourage the reader to watch this short video  in which Dr. Carrie Madej explains the mRNA Vaccine in terms that we can understand. She is a brave woman to openly expose the dangerous, DNA-changing vaccine.   DARPA funded implantable biochip can potentially deploy Moderna's mRNA vaccine   From nanotechnology.news In a bid to try to battle the ongoing Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-10) pandemic, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is funding the development of an implantable biochip that could be deployed as soon as next year. The chip is said to be able to deploy an experimental new vaccine, developed jointly by Moderna and U.S government, that could change human DNA. The chip and the vaccine built on a breakthrough made by then-Harvard University professor and eventual Moderna co-founder Derek Rossi in 2010. In his discovery, which the now-retired scientist says came about purely by accident, Rossi claimed that he found a way to “reprogram” messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) – the molecules that carry genetic instructions for cell development in the human body. The promise provided by Rossi's breakthrough was such that it allowed him to co-found Moderna with private equity firm Flagship Pioneering. The company then attracted almost half a billion dollars from the federal government to begin developing vaccines using the new technology. In a preliminary report last July funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Moderna's mRNA-1273 vaccine was found to have “induced anti–SARS-CoV-2 immune responses in all participants and no trial-limiting safety concerns were identified.” Despite this, however, one obstacle to the deployment of Moderna's vaccine is the method of delivery. While Moderna is developing its own system, it's unlikely to get Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval any time soon. Enter Profusa, which is developing a nanoscale biochip that can detect symptoms of an infection. Profusa's biochip is made using a technology called “hydrogels” that were a product of the “In Vivo Nanoplatforms” (IVN) program that DARPA's Biological Technologies Office (BTO) launched in 2014 to develop implantable nanotechnologies. These hydrogels are soft, flexible nanomachines that are injected beneath the skin to perform monitoring. This hydrogel includes a specially engineered molecule that sends a fluorescent signal outside the body when it begins to fight infection. This signal can then be detected by a sensor attached to the skin that can then be sent to an app or even to a doctor's website. When it was first tested in 2018, this hydrogel was being used to measure glucose, oxygen and lactate levels. However, this past March, the company quietly announced that it was conducting a study to see if the technology could be used to detect respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. More importantly, Profusa's biochip is expected to receive fast-track authorization from the FDA by early 2021. With this in mind, some are speculating that the biochip will more than likely be the candidate for the mRNA vaccine's delivery. Read rest of article HERE    From mintpress.com The most significant scientific discovery since gravity has been hiding in plain sight for nearly a decade and its destructive potential to humanity is so enormous that the biggest war machine on the planet immediately deployed its vast resources to possess and control it, financing its research and development through agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and HHS' BARDA. The revolutionary breakthrough came to a Canadian scientist named Derek Rossi in 2010 purely by accident. The now-retired Harvard professor claimed in an interview with the National Post that he found a way to “reprogram” the molecules that carry the genetic instructions for cell development in the human body, not to mention all biological lifeforms. These molecules are called ‘messenger ribonucleic acid' or mRNA and the newfound ability to rewrite those instructions to produce any kind of cell within a biological organism has radically changed the course of Western medicine and science, even if no one has really noticed yet. As Rossi, himself, puts it: “The real important discovery here was you could now use mRNA, and if you got it into the cells, then you could get the mRNA to express any protein in the cells, and this was the big thing.” It was so big that by 2014, Rossi was able to retire after the company he co-founded with Flagship Pioneering private equity firm to exploit his innovation, – Moderna Inc., attracted almost a half billion dollars in federal award monies to begin developing vaccines using the technology. No longer affiliated with Moderna beyond his stock holdings, Rossi is just “watching for what happens next” and if he's anything like the doting “hockey dad” he is portrayed to be, he must be horrified. Remote control biology As early as 2006, DARPA was already researching how to identify viral, upper respiratory pathogens through its Predicting Health and Disease (PHD) program, which led to the creation of the agency's Biological Technologies Office (BTO), as reported by Whitney Webb in a May article for The Last American Vagabond. In 2014, DARPA's BTO launched its “In Vivo Nanoplatforms” (IVN) program, which researches implantable nanotechnologies, leading to the development of ‘hydrogel'. Hydrogel is a nanotechnology whose inventor early on boasted that “If [it] pans out, with approval from FDA, then consumers could get the sensors implanted in their core to measure their levels of glucose, oxygen, and lactate.” This contact lens-like material requires a special injector to be introduced under the skin where it can transmit light-based digital signals through a wireless network like 5G. Once firmly implanted inside the body, human cells are at the mercy of any mRNA program delivered via this substrate, unleashing a nightmare of possibilities. It is, perhaps, the first true step towards full-on transhumanism; a “philosophy” that is in vogue with many powerful and influential people, such as Google's Ray Kurzweil and Eric Schmidt and whose proponents see the fusion of technology and biology as an inevitable consequence of human progress. The private company created to market this technology, that allows for biological processes to be controlled remotely and opens the door to the potential manipulation of our biological responses and, ultimately, our entire existence, is called Profusa Inc and its operations are funded with millions from NIH and DARPA. In March, the company was quietly inserted into the crowded COVID-19 bazaar in March 2020, when it announced an injectable biochip for the detection of viral respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. Read rest of article HERE This next article REALLY caught my attention. These bad actors on the world stage are not even trying to hide anything from the public. I believe that this has happened because of the FEAR TACTIC. Many people who have given up their liberties and have cloistered themselves in their homes are TERRIFIED. Klaus Schwab is the head of the WEF (World Economic Forum). This man is salivating over the coming New World Order.   Klaus Schwab: Great Reset Will “Lead to a Fusion of Our Physical, Digital and Biological Identity” From summitnews.com Globalist Klaus Schwab made it clear that transhumanism is an integral part of “The Great Reset” when he said that the fourth industrial revolution would “lead to a fusion of our physical, digital and biological identity,” which in his book he clarifies is implantable microchips that can read your thoughts. As we highlighted earlier, “The Great Reset” is attracting a deluge of fresh attention in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, which Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said was an “opportunity for a reset.” The agenda is primarily based around dismantling the current capitalist system in favor of greater centralized technocrat rule which will lead to lower living standards, less fuel consumption, fewer civil liberties and the accelerated automation of jobs. However, another key aspect to “The Great Reset,” or the “fourth industrial revolution” as Schwab calls it, is merging man with machine. #TheGreatReset #4IR https://t.co/1ZjrP7F8RQ Schwab went on to explain how his book, ‘Shaping the Future of The Fourth Industrial Revolution', was particularly popular in China, South Korea and Japan, with the South Korean military alone purchasing 16,000 copies. In the book, Schwab explains with excitement how upcoming technology will allow authorities to “intrude into the hitherto private space of our minds, reading our thoughts and influencing our behavior.” He goes on to predict that this will provide an incentive for law enforcement to implement Minority Report-style pre-crime programs. “As capabilities in this area improve, the temptation for law enforcement agencies and courts to use techniques to determine the likelihood of criminal activity, assess guilt or even possibly retrieve memories directly from people's brains will increase,” writes Schwab. “Even crossing a national border might one day involve a detailed brain scan to assess an individual's security risk.” Schwab also waxes lyrical about the transhumanist utopian dream shared by all elitists which will ultimately lead to the creation of human cyborgs. “Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies will not stop at becoming part of the physical world around us—they will become part of us,” writes Schwab.  “Indeed, some of us already feel that our smartphones have become an extension of ourselves. Today's external devices—from wearable computers to virtual reality headsets—will almost certainly become implantable in our bodies and brains.” Schwab also openly endorses something the media still claims is solely a domain of discussion for conspiracy theorists, namely “active implantable microchips that break the skin barrier of our bodies.” The globalist hails the arrival of “implanted devices (that) will likely also help to communicate thoughts normally expressed verbally through a ‘built-in' smartphone, and potentially unexpressed thoughts or moods by reading brain waves and other signals.” So in other words, the “fusion of our physical, digital and biological identity” relates to the transhumanist singularity and a future where people have their every movement tracked and every thought read by an implantable microchip. It isn't a “conspiracy theory” when they're openly telling you what they want to do. source I want to say something very important to the brethren. The Cov-19 vaccine is NOT the Mark of the beast! … [Editor's note: This technology now is not the Mark of the Beast because this starts in the middle of the tribulation. So here is the mid-trib Mark of the Beast.] Rev. 13:11-18  “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.  And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.  He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.  And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.  He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.  He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666... Those on the earth during this time who come to the realization that Christ is Lord – they will refuse to take the mark. They will also be hunted down by the armies of Antichrist and will be beheaded. But their souls will be in heaven with our Precious Lord Jesus. Remember this passage of Scripture?  Rev. 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”   These were those who were slaughtered for their faith by Antichrist. They are asking the Lord “How long before He will judge and avenge their blood?” Brethren, I hope that this has helped some who worry about the vaccine being the actual mark of the beast. But I still say DO NOT GET THE VACCINE!! It changes our DNA which is God-given! Pray and share the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost. Time is short!   Conquering Your Beast Holiness or sanctification is a refuge from the Beast as a highway of holiness that leads to Zion. The unclean cannot travel this highway. “Righteousness delivereth from death.” The Beast is always given authority to crucify the flesh. If a person is dead to self, which is a gift from God, they never have to worry about the Beast. Isa 35:1-10  The wilderness (Tribulation in Revelation 12 & 17) and the dry land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.  2  It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon: they shall see the glory of Jehovah, the excellency of our God.  3  Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.  4  Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; he will come and save you.  5  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.  6  Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.  7  And the glowing sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water: in the habitation of jackals, where they lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.  8  And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but is shall be for the redeemed: the wayfaring men, yea fools, shall not err therein.  9  No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up thereon; they shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:  10  and the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Luk 21:34-36  But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare:  35  for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth.  36  But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. {Rev.12:9} And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. {10} And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night... {13} And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man [child]. {14} And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.  

Spine specialist, Dr. Scott Nowak shares his personal back injury story and how it changed the trajectory of his life.  Dr. Nowak is the 4th generation chiropractor at Fairbury Chiropractic Clinic. He is a 1992 graduate of National College of Chiropractic and joined Fairbury Chiropractic Clinic at that time.  Dr. Nowak is married and has two sons.  Dr. Nowak is a strong supporter of the community. He served as the commissioner for Youth Football and coached his son's travel baseball team.  He has served as President of the Fairbury Chamber of Commerce.  Dr. Nowak is a certified acupuncturist, a certified medical examiner for the Department of Transportation (DOT), and is certified in the cervical and lumbar Cox technique.  Dr. Nowak strives to provide a high quality level of customer service, chiropractic experience, and is committed to providing honest and ethical treatment for all of his patients.   Resources: fairburychiropractic.com Find a Back Doctor The Cox 8 Table made by Haven Medical

This week on First Coat we have J. Manuel Mansylla (Manman). Manman is Principal of FANTÁSTICA, leading placemaking, design, and branding projects.  FANTÁSTICA specializes in transformative projects to revitalize underutilized assets and unlock economic potential. He's worked on the creation of the first New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) public plaza in Dumbo's Pearl Street Triangle, development of the citywide standard for DOT Street Seats with locations in Downtown Brooklyn, Park Slope, Hudson Yards, and East New York; the design of Downtown Brooklyn's popular holiday lights display; and design of the outdoor spaces for the Dumbo Heights development in the Brooklyn Tech Triangle. He's also a co-founder of Oonee, a smart, modular, customizable pod that provides secure parking for scooters and bicycles as well as public space amenities. Oonee is currently raising money on Republic - if you're interested you can find the link in the show notes. In this episode we talk about how we can co-create more vibrant public spaces, the impact of COVID-19 on public spaces, and how to transform short-term public space experiments into long term policies so we can all have better public spaces. Show Notes: https://distillcreative.com/blog/10/27/21/public-space-design-with-j-manuel-mansylla-ep-21Join our mailing list for podcast updates, art inspiration, and tips on how to create more equitable and inclusive art in public space: http://eepurl.com/dm3B1HFollow First Coat on Instagram: @firstcoatpodcastFollow First Coat on Twitter: @firstcoatpodFollow First Coat on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FirstCoatPodcastSubscribe to our YouTubeChannelLearn more about Distill Creative's art consulting services. Are you an artist? Sign up for our Distill Directory and you'll be considered for art commissions and future projects. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/firstcoat)

This episode covers how the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) collaborate to improve buses citywide through the Better Buses Action Plan, how COVID-19 has affected transportation needs, and the importance of data for strategic transportation initiativesAbout Janet JenkinsJanet is the Assistant Commissioner for Transit Development at New York City's Department of Transportation and an American Institute Certified Planner. She has spent 25 years working at the intersection of transportation, urban design, and city planning for public agencies as well as in private consulting practice. Throughout her career she has endeavored to improve quality of life by helping people travel through their environment with greater comfort, increased safety, and multiple alternatives to private cars.In her current role, Janet leads all New York City transit-related street design through the implementation of bus priority projects like bus lanes and busways. These include the 14th Street Busway, Select Bus Service, and the Better Buses Action Plan, which seeks to improve bus speeds by 25% and reverse the decline of bus ridership in NYC. In addition, she oversees many transit policy and planning initiatives, including transit signal priority, real time bus information, and bus stop accessibility.Janet previously served in roles at MTA New York City Transit, MTA Metro-North Railroad, and, as a consultant, helped create the Select Bus Service BRT system in NYC that she now leads at NYC DOT. Janet is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and has a Master's degree in Urban Planning from NYU's Wagner School of Public Service and a Bachelor's degree in Public Policy from Occidental College.

This episode covers how the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) collaborate to improve buses citywide through the Better Buses Action Plan, how COVID-19 has affected transportation needs, and the importance of data for strategic transportation initiativesAbout Janet JenkinsJanet is the Assistant Commissioner for Transit Development at New York City's Department of Transportation and an American Institute Certified Planner. She has spent 25 years working at the intersection of transportation, urban design, and city planning for public agencies as well as in private consulting practice. Throughout her career she has endeavored to improve quality of life by helping people travel through their environment with greater comfort, increased safety, and multiple alternatives to private cars.In her current role, Janet leads all New York City transit-related street design through the implementation of bus priority projects like bus lanes and busways. These include the 14th Street Busway, Select Bus Service, and the Better Buses Action Plan, which seeks to improve bus speeds by 25% and reverse the decline of bus ridership in NYC. In addition, she oversees many transit policy and planning initiatives, including transit signal priority, real time bus information, and bus stop accessibility.Janet previously served in roles at MTA New York City Transit, MTA Metro-North Railroad, and, as a consultant, helped create the Select Bus Service BRT system in NYC that she now leads at NYC DOT. Janet is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and has a Master's degree in Urban Planning from NYU's Wagner School of Public Service and a Bachelor's degree in Public Policy from Occidental College.

This episode covers how the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) collaborate to improve buses citywide through the Better Buses Action Plan, how COVID-19 has affected transportation needs, and the importance of data for strategic transportation initiativesAbout Janet JenkinsJanet is the Assistant Commissioner for Transit Development at New York City's Department of Transportation and an American Institute Certified Planner. She has spent 25 years working at the intersection of transportation, urban design, and city planning for public agencies as well as in private consulting practice. Throughout her career she has endeavored to improve quality of life by helping people travel through their environment with greater comfort, increased safety, and multiple alternatives to private cars.In her current role, Janet leads all New York City transit-related street design through the implementation of bus priority projects like bus lanes and busways. These include the 14th Street Busway, Select Bus Service, and the Better Buses Action Plan, which seeks to improve bus speeds by 25% and reverse the decline of bus ridership in NYC. In addition, she oversees many transit policy and planning initiatives, including transit signal priority, real time bus information, and bus stop accessibility.Janet previously served in roles at MTA New York City Transit, MTA Metro-North Railroad, and, as a consultant, helped create the Select Bus Service BRT system in NYC that she now leads at NYC DOT. Janet is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and has a Master's degree in Urban Planning from NYU's Wagner School of Public Service and a Bachelor's degree in Public Policy from Occidental College.

This episode covers how the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) collaborate to improve buses citywide through the Better Buses Action Plan, how COVID-19 has affected transportation needs, and the importance of data for strategic transportation initiativesAbout Janet JenkinsJanet is the Assistant Commissioner for Transit Development at New York City's Department of Transportation and an American Institute Certified Planner. She has spent 25 years working at the intersection of transportation, urban design, and city planning for public agencies as well as in private consulting practice. Throughout her career she has endeavored to improve quality of life by helping people travel through their environment with greater comfort, increased safety, and multiple alternatives to private cars.In her current role, Janet leads all New York City transit-related street design through the implementation of bus priority projects like bus lanes and busways. These include the 14th Street Busway, Select Bus Service, and the Better Buses Action Plan, which seeks to improve bus speeds by 25% and reverse the decline of bus ridership in NYC. In addition, she oversees many transit policy and planning initiatives, including transit signal priority, real time bus information, and bus stop accessibility.Janet previously served in roles at MTA New York City Transit, MTA Metro-North Railroad, and, as a consultant, helped create the Select Bus Service BRT system in NYC that she now leads at NYC DOT. Janet is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and has a Master's degree in Urban Planning from NYU's Wagner School of Public Service and a Bachelor's degree in Public Policy from Occidental College.

NCLA Announces King George III Prize Winner  In this episode, Mark and Clegg Ivey announce the King George III Prize winner for worst civil liberties offender at the state level.  NCLA previously announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had won the “Georgie” for worst federal abuser on account of its blatantly unconstitutional eviction moratorium. No surprise, the contenders for the state-level King George III Prize are the same governors we profiled during this year's and last year's Governors Gone Wild event.  Read more about the King George III Prize here: https://nclalegal.org/king-george-iii-prize/ Watch this year's Governor's Gone Wild here: https://youtu.be/Mwr08HkR7Dk?t=1 Watch last year's Governors Gone Wild here: https://youtu.be/AlVRLoW_jt8?t=1 Biden Administration Eliminates Fair Adjudication Rights Later in the episode, Mark and Sheng Li discuss NCLA's case against the Department of Transportation (DOT) over the Biden Administration eliminating fair adjudication rights.  NCLA's lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas on behalf of the Institute for Hazardous Materials Packaging and Certification Testing, Inc. (IHMPACT). It argues that once substantive rights are extended, no federal agency may lawfully take them away by fiat. DOT would have to conduct notice-and-comment rulemaking to repeal the rules. On April 2, 2021, Buttigieg arbitrarily rescinded DOT's binding rules, which recognized a comprehensive set of rights, including a new mandate that DOT personnel voluntarily disclose all exculpatory evidence to those targeted by a civil enforcement action.  Buttigieg seemingly revoked DOT's due process rules to comply with President Biden's “Day One” Executive Order demanding that agencies “rescind any orders, rules regulations, guidelines or policies” that supposedly inhibit the federal government's ability to address “the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, economic recovery, racial justice, and climate change.” But Buttigieg did not explain why or how affording due process might “threaten” DOT's response to these issues. Buttigieg revoked the rules without allowing IHMPACT or the public to comment beforehand, and he did so without considering IHMPACT members' reliance interests, even though Congress and Supreme Court precedent require it. Read more about the case here: https://nclalegal.org/institute-for-hazardous-materials-packaging-and-certification-testing-inc-ihmpact-v-peter-paul-montgomery-buttigieg-et-al/   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

**This podcast was recorded using Zoom** | February 10, 2021DRNY’s PAAT, PATBI, and PAVA Director, Christy Asbee, joined by DRNY staff attorney, Brandy Tomlinson, discuss the Department of Transportation (DOT)’s regulation updates for service animals on planes. **Resources**Service Animals vs Emotional Support Animals podcast: https://youtu.be/o0GjLJjyDvMService Animal Etiquette podcast: https://youtu.be/dWEGcuf9DqEService Animal Myths podcast: https://youtu.be/tRXzx4fsxsYDRNY Fact Sheet "Traveling by Air with a Service Animal": https://www.dropbox.com/s/tcspb8oh8nx0hlw/2020.12.21%20Traveling%20with%20Srvice%20Animal%20CA%20edits.pdf?dl=0DOT Customer Service Center: 202-366-4000DOT - Service Animal page: https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/service-animalsSupport the show (https://donate.democracyengine.com/DRNY/contribute)

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Nine million airline passengers. That's how many people had a problem with a ticket refund last year, according to new numbers reported by the Department of Transportation (DOT). A staggering 89,518 people wanted their money back from an airline in 2020 -- a 5,687 percent increase from the previous year. But that figure, which is thought to represent only 1 percent of overall airline refund complaints, suggests nearly 9 million Americans had an airline refund complaint last year. (Thanks to Podington Bear for the music and Iden Eliopoulos for the editing.) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/christopherelliott/message

In this series of shows we will be tackling something that is typically an Operations concern. Behavior modeling and exploring how it questions the age-old answer, “It Depends?!?” Thank you to our sponsor: First Line Technology Register and enroll at THMG e-University here. Courses being added weekly! Our hazardous materials training manual is finally available on Amazon! Click here to get your copy. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe. Thanks! Thanks for listening and watching! Don't just get on the job, get into the job! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMb6GNYPqXA&feature=youtu.be 5.     According to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) records, from 2006-2014, nearly 41 percent of all reported hazmat incidents were attributed to container failure 6.     Responders may encounter one or all three of the stressors at any hazmat incident a.     For instance, heat (thermal stress) can initiate or speed a chemical reaction while weakening a container and increasing its internal pressure b.     Similarly, a mechanical blow can initiate a violent chemical reaction in an unstable chemical while simultaneously damaging the container 7.   When evaluating container stress, consider the following a.     Type of container b.     Product in the container c.      Type and amount of stress d.     Potential duration of the stress 8.     Container stress may involve a.     A single factor b.     Several stressors acting on the container simultaneously 9.     Preventing container failure may require reducing or eliminating the factors placing stress on a container a.      Those factors may be readily visible, such as a collision or a fire impinging on a container surface b.     May not be directly observable and must be predicted based on conditions or other indirect indicators c.      If the container has already failed i.       Think about other containers that may be exposed ii.      Evaluate the impact of product contact with hazardous materials 10.  The material's state of matter will affect the stress experienced by containers a. For example, containers holding gases are inherently subject to stress i.       Heating or cooling may increase or reduce this stress ii.      These containers may fail catastrophically and/or BLEVE if they are damaged or subjected to additional stress (such as heat from a fire or even hot daytime temperatures) b.     Liquid containers, especially those holding liquids with high vapor pressures, may also fail when subjected to fires 11.  Liquid containers may also transport materials that polymerize a.     The stress created by an uncontrolled polymerization (chemical stress) may cause container failure b.     This failure may be explosive 12.  Most solids containers will be damaged via mechanical stressors rather than the physical properties of the materials contained in them a.     Exceptions would include reactive materials from hazard classes, such as explosives, oxidizers, peroxides, and water reactive materials

COVID has changed the way we live, work, even move. This hour, we talk about the future of public transportation in Connecticut, with commuter advocate Jim Cameron. We also hear from the State Department of Transportation (DOT) public transit bureau chief. Ridership has plummeted on rains and buses as many residents continue to work from home. This, even as Connecticut’s often-overlooked bus systems have been critical for many of the state’s essential workers to get to their jobs. Will Connecticut’s mass transit system be able to recover from the economic toll of COVID? While public transit has taken a hit, another green commuting option has seen a pandemic boom: the bicycle. We talk with New Haven bicycle advocate Karen Jenkins. Will Connecticut take this moment to invest in making streets safe for cyclists? GUESTS: Jim Cameron - Commuter advocate and author of 'Getting There', a weekly commentary on transportation which runs in the Hearst papers and on CTMirror.org Rich Andreski - Bureau Chief for public transportation at Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) Karen Jenkins - Member of the Board of Directors of the New Haven Coalition for Active Transportation (NHCAT) Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

COVID has changed the way we live, work, even move. This hour, we talk about the future of public transportation in Connecticut, with commuter advocate Jim Cameron. We also hear from the State Department of Transportation (DOT) public transit bureau chief. Ridership has plummeted on rains and buses as many residents continue to work from home. This, even as Connecticut’s often-overlooked bus systems have been critical for many of the state’s essential workers to get to their jobs. Will Connecticut’s mass transit system be able to recover from the economic toll of COVID? While public transit has taken a hit, another green commuting option has seen a pandemic boom: the bicycle. We talk with New Haven bicycle advocate Karen Jenkins. Will Connecticut take this moment to invest in making streets safe for cyclists? GUESTS: Jim Cameron - Commuter advocate and author of 'Getting There', a weekly commentary on transportation which runs in the Hearst papers and on CTMirror.org Rich Andreski - Bureau Chief for public transportation at Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) Karen Jenkins - Member of the Board of Directors of the New Haven Coalition for Active Transportation (NHCAT) Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the InterDrone Podcast we sat down with Jennifer Andrews of Bell Flight. Jennifer serves as the NASA SIO (system integration and operationalization) project lead on Bell’s Technology and Innovation team. Meet Jennifer at InterDrone Online: https://interdrone.com/ Subscribe for free weekly drone content: https://interdrone.com/newsletters/ Subscribe to the InterDrone YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/Interdroneexpo/ We spoke about the end of the IPP (Integration Pilot Program) and what the FAA has planned next, North Dakota's new BVLOS network, dubbed 'Vantis', a new bird-inspired drone with moving wings which has proved to provide unprecedented agility, and finally about Jennifer's work at Bell and her project with NASA. Articles: 1. U.S. DOT Announces BEYOND Program Will Continue Where UAS IPP Ends - https://dronelife.com/2020/10/30/beyond-program-will-continue-where-uas-ipp-ends/ U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao has announced that the three-year Integration Pilot Program (IPP) has ended as of Oct. 25. Now, the program will move to a next phase, named Beyond. A DOT announcement said that “The nine state, local and tribal governments that participated in the program have signed new agreements with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to continue to tackle remaining UAS integration challenges,” say a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announcement. 2. North Dakota Announces Vantis as Statewide UAS BVLOS Network - https://www.suasnews.com/2020/10/north-dakota-announces-vantis-as-statewide-uas-bvlos-network/ Vantis will be overseen by the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS), which has served as the state’s one-stop UAS research and testing facilitator since 2013, bringing together government resources, industry leaders and public stakeholders, to pioneer BVLOS activity. Four key components give the network its advantage: https://www.vantisuas.com/network 3. Raptor-Inspired Drone With Morphing Wing and Tail for Unprecedented Flight Agility - https://scitechdaily.com/raptor-inspired-drone-with-morphing-wing-and-tail-for-unprecedented-flight-agility/ EPFL engineers have developed a drone with a feathered wing and tail that give it new flight agility. The engineers already designed a bird-inspired drone with morphing wing back in 2016. Their new model can adjust the shape of its wing and tail thanks to its artificial feathers.

In Ready For Takeoff Podcast Episode 175 we discussed airline drug testing, and now we're going to learn about WHY airline employees are tested for drugs. An airline accident in 1988 was a major factor in requiring drug testing for pilots. Trans Colorado Airlines flight 2286 crashed during an approach to Durango, Colorado, and investigators learned that the captain had ingested cocaine prior to the flight. In the accident report the Safety Board stated "The NTSB believes that reasonable cause testing (triggered by any of a wide range of potentially safety-related errors), combined with effective management supervision of employees, post-accident/incident testing, pre-employment testing, periodic (medical) testing, and competent drug/alcohol education and treatment, are essential components of an effective anti-drug/alcohol abuse program." From Test Country: When President Ronald Reagan signed an Executive Order requiring federal agencies to create an employee drug testing program, the Department of Transportation (DOT) responded by developing a comprehensive program and cascading it down to all DOT administrations, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to cover pilots and air traffic controllers. Today, drug screening is done for most occupations related to the transport and aviation industry from mechanics to baggage handlers. Extensive studies indicate that drug use is actually uncommon among pilots, but because of the high level of performance needed for flight, drug use in aviation is closely monitored. On top of the FAA regulations, most airlines implement their own drug abuse policies. Under these policies, employees with substance abuse violations are removed from safety-sensitive operations and given the choice to go on a treatment program after which they are allowed back to full duty. A second violation will result in disciplinary action or termination. Background Screening & Drug Testing in Aviation and Airline Companies Under Section 120 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, employers shall conduct drug testing in accordance with the DOT’s “Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug Testing Programs” as follows: Pre-employment Drug Testing No employer may hire any person for a safety-sensitive function or transfer any person from a non-safety sensitive function to a safety-sensitive function without having first conducted a pre-employment drug test and have received a negative result for the same. This rule applies to transfers if more than 180 days have elapsed from the time of the original hiring/pre-employment drug test. The substances to be tested for are: Marijuana Cocaine Opiates Phencyclidine (PCP) Amphetamines A metabolite of the above-mentioned substances A DOT 10 Panel Drug Test can be conducted in a laboratory setting ensuring all qualifications are met under The Department of Transportation. Corporate laboratory drug testing is best used while screening candidates for employment. After employment, however, instant drug test kits can be useful tools. Random drug testing This test shall be done on 50% of covered employees selected at random and without warning. Post-accident/post-incident drug testing This test is to be done on an employee whose performance contributed to an accident, no later than 32 hours after the accident Reasonable-cause drug testing If it is reasonably suspected that an employee in a security and safety-sensitive function used a prohibited substance as demonstrated by physical, behavioral and performance indicators. Return to duty drug testing This test is given to an employee after previously testing positive or refusing to submit to testing (and was therefore removed from work) before being allowed back to work. Follow-up drug testing This test is for employees who have previously passed a return-to-duty test. Most DOT programs require 6 follow-up tests the first year from returning to duty, to continue for up to 5 years. The Federal Aviation Administration’s Drug and Alcohol Testing Rules The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a drug and alcohol testing program to make sure that the company provides a safe and healthy environment for both employees and those they serve. The administration follows The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) drug and alcohol testing policy. Both agencies work together to define and implement the coverage of the substance abuse program. Here are some of the most common questions and answers about DOT’s drug and alcohol testing rules for FAA: Who are covered by the DOT – FAA drug and alcohol testing rules? According to DOT, all employees who perform safety-sensitive functions are subject to employee drug testing. These are: Air traffic control Aircraft dispatchers Aircraft maintenance and preventive maintenance Aviation screening Flight attendants Flight crewmembers Flight instruction Ground security When are covered employees tested? As per DOT, covered employees are tested during pre-employment and during random testing. Employees are also subject to testing during circumstances like post-accident, reasonable suspicion, return-to-duty, and follow-up testing. What are drug and alcohol prohibitions as per DOT testing rules? DOT drug testing rules require FAA employers to test their employees for the following drugs: Marijuana, Opiates, PCP, Cocaine, and Amphetamines. For DOT Alcohol Testing, the prohibited alcohol concentration for FAA employees is 0.04% or greater. Instant tests can monitor the Breath Alcohol Concentration of drivers, immediately. Employees who are caught violating these prohibitions must be immediately removed from performing safety-sensitive functions until management decides on their applicable consequences. Who performs the drug and alcohol testing procedures? For drug testing, a DOT urinalysis procedure must be followed. Only certified collectors are allowed to perform the collection of urine samples from employees. They are trained to perform the testing procedure that meets DOT’s drug testing requirements, making sure that all samples reach the laboratory without signs of tampering. For DOT alcohol screening, only a screening test technician (STT) and breath alcohol technician (BAT) are allowed to perform the alcohol test. DOT Alcohol Testing requires 2 tests: a screening and confirmation test. STTs are only allowed to perform screening tests, while BATs are allowed to perform both tests. They are trained to guarantee accurate test results. FAA Random Drug Testing Requirements for Pilots Like most drivers who drive vehicles that require special education and certification, pilots too are subject to the regulations of the DOT Alcohol Testing and Drug Testing Policy. These regulations are designed to maintain the safety of all passengers and aircraft crew who depend on their pilot to be able to transport them from one location to another without incident. This means that the pilot must be able to be on guard at all times for the varying situations that could occur during the course of taking off, flying and landing the airplane under their control. A pilot more than any other major transportation operator needs to have a clear mind and an ability to focus to maintain the safety and well-being of those he transports. These abilities are delayed, limited or severely impaired by the abuse of illegal substances. Pilots are subject to random, unannounced drug testing which is generally conducted during working hours. Those who are chosen are given a notice shortly before testing which tells them where they must go to submit their sample. They must submit a sample for testing once they’re done doing the safety-sensitive job they are doing and arrive at the testing site. If the pilot doesn’t arrive at the appointed time or is thought to be tampering with the drug testing process they are considered to have refused to test. If the pilot has done anything that constitutes a refusal or outright refuses to submit a sample they will not be able to fly or do any other job which is considered safety sensitive until they’ve completed a drug test with a negative result. Getting a positive result on a random drug test also requires the pilot to achieve a negative test result on retest before they can return to safety-sensitive work. Pilots who failed a drug test will also be asked to submit to at least 6 random follow up drug screenings (which are observed) over the course of the next 12 months to verify their sobriety is being maintained. Pilots who received a negative result are referred to a Substance Abuse Professional who will determine the rate and frequency of follow-up drug testing (which may continue for up to 5 years after the failed test) as well as what substances the pilot will be tested for. The FAA random drug testing program (like other DOT-regulated substance abuse programs) also offers those with substance abuse problems opportunities to report their addiction to a counselor so that they may pursue treatment without facing censure from their employer. Education about substance abuse and prevention is also an integral part of the drug testing process as they help employees to better understand the role that drugs take on in their lives. If these pilots feel that they work in an environment that is willing to help them succeed and remove the negative effects of substance abuse from their work and public lives they’ll be much more invested in maintaining the requirements.

(Wentworth, NC) - Audio of the September 1, 2020 Wentworth Town Council meeting. The meeting was held remotely due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines.AGENDAArticle I. CALL TO ORDERArticle II. INVOCATIONArticle III. APPROVAL OF TOWN COUNCIL AGENDAA. Requests and Petitions of CitizensB. Approve/ Amend AgendaArticle IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTESA. Town Council Meeting – August 1, 2020Article V. PUBLIC HEARINGA. Case #WW2020-002, A request for rezoning from Residential Agriculture,Community Shopping ConditionalApplicant: Michael GallowayIdentification: The property is identified as Parcel No. 135518Location: Percy RdArticle VI. OLD BUSINESSA. Wentworth Park Security1. Discussion of Lock SystemArticle VII. NEW BUSINESSA. Consideration of Camera System for Wentworth Park and Town HallB. Discussion of setbacks as they are currently applied along the North CarolinaDepartment of Transportation (DOT) controlled Right-of-WayArticle VIII. PUBLIC COMMENTSArticle IX. ANNOUNCEMENTS The next regular meeting of the Wentworth Planning Board is scheduled forTuesday, September 15, 2020, at 7:00 pm and will be held electronically viaZOOM. Instructions on how to view the meeting will posted on the Town's websiteand Facebook page. The next regular meeting of the Wentworth Town Council is scheduled forTuesday, October 6, 2020, at 7:00 pm and will be held electronically via ZOOM.Instructions on how to view the meeting will be posted on the Town's website andFacebook page. The Wentworth Town Hall will be closed Monday, September 7, 2020 inobservance of Labor Day.Article X. ADJOURN# # #

Nurse Practitioner Amanda Decker drops by the show today to talk about the challenges of teaching low-carb on Episode 1673 of The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show. Support this show by becoming a Patron at Patreon! “Schools teach nutrition, but a lot of times the guidelines they teach don’t fit most of us.” – Amanda Decker Amanda Decker, a 1999 graduate of Dickson County High School, completed her undergraduate degree in philosophy at Middle Tennessee State University, graduating cum laude Class of 2003. She entered the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing to begin the nursing “bridge” program that would allow her to take accelerated nursing courses to advance into the Master of Science in Nursing after completing the first year of study. Mrs. Decker completed her academic studies at Vanderbilt School of Nursing achieving a Master of Science in Nursing and acquired her Board Certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners in 2005. She is also listed on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners and qualified to perform Department of Transportation (DOT) physicals. Listen in today to hear Jimmy talk with Amanda Decker about the unique challenges of sharing the good news about health and nutrition, especially the low-carb way of eating, in a rural setting, and the unique challenges of conveying the truth about the nutrition messaging in rural America.

Just as there are no two recipes that contain the exact same ingredients or measurements, there are no two success stories exactly the same. Recipe For Success features entrepreneurs, visionary leaders and innovators of all ages who will share their ingredients that make them successful – personally and professionally. Let's get cooking! Robert Ceravolo is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tropic Ocean Airways, a regional airlift solution based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Operating amphibious seaplane aircraft in five countries, Tropic Ocean Airways has become the largest amphibious airline in the world with additional planned fleet and service growth around the globe. Former Navy fighter pilot and winner of the prestigious Ernst & Young Regional Entrepreneur of the Year for 2019, Ceravolo founded the airline in 2009. He is responsible for growing the company from one aircraft and one employee to its current size of 15 aircraft and an expanding team of more than 100 employees. Offering passenger and cargo flights with both scheduled and charter routes, Tropic Ocean Airways services domestic and international regions including Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Cuba, Puerto Rico, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. The airline received scheduled Commuter authority from the Department of Transportation (DOT) and has a stellar safety record and reputation with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Utilizing his extensive military aviation expertise, Ceravolo places a strong emphasis on training and development of pilots and personnel. The Tropic Ocean Airways training program is modeled after the procedures and training philosophy of US Navy flight training. Ceravolo believes that proper training and development is the key to growth during the global pilot shortage. In addition to solving regional travel problems utilizing amphibious aircraft, Ceravolo has made it his mission to be a positive influence in the communities that Tropic Ocean Airways services - leading Disaster Response Operations since 2015. Most recently the company led a multi-organization effort, which resulted in 900 evacuations and 200,000 pounds of relief supplies delivered in the first 10 days following Hurricane Dorian's landfall in the Bahamas, in addition to ongoing rebuilding assistance. Ceravolo also sits on the board of Saving The Blue, a non-profit dedicated to marine conservation. Prior to his position at Tropic Ocean Airways, Ceravolo served as an Officer and Aviator in the United States Navy (Active Duty: 2001 - 2011, Reserve: 2011 - Present), where he flew the F-14D, F-18E, and F-5N, deployed in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM, attended TOPGUN (2009), and served as his squadron’s Assistant Operations Officer, Training Officer, Public Affairs Officer, Legal Officer, Administration Officer and Maintenance Officer. Additionally, he served as a Coalition Coordination Officer for United States Central Command, where he served as a Liaison to the Coalition and was responsible for coordinating logistical support for foreign allied countries supporting the International Security Assistance Force. Learn more about Tropic Ocean Airways: https://flytropic.com/ For more information about Junior Achievement of South Florida, visit https://www.jasouthflorida.org. Follow us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasouthflorida LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/junior-achievement-of-south-florida/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasouthflorida Twitter: https://twitter.com/JASouthFlorida For more information about Junior Achievement of South Florida, visit https://www.jasouthflorida.org.

H.R. 7301 – Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020 (Rep. Waters – Financial Services)   The bill takes on financial challenges of those out of work due to Covid 19 and the economic downtown by helping short and medium term inability to pay rent and utility costs. The primary provision is $100,000,000,000 for an additional amount for grants under the Emergency Solutions Grants program under subtitle B of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance to remain available until expended , to be used for providing short- or medium-term assistance with rent and rent-related costs (including tenant-paid utility costs, utility- and rent-arrears, fees charged for those arrears, and security and utility deposits) in accordance with the law. Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 232 – 180 (Roll no. 128).   H.R. 5332 – Protecting Your Credit Score Act of 2019 (Rep. Gottheimer – Financial Services) This bill revises provisions related to consumer credit reports and credit reporting agencies. Credit reporting agencies are directed to create a central online portal that allows consumers to (1) access free credit reports and credit scores, (2) dispute errors, and (3) place or lift security freezes. Consumers will receive a free credit score when requesting a free annual credit report. The bill establishes a public registry for credit reporting agencies. The bill also provides the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) with statutory authority for supervising credit reporting agencies. A credit reporting ombudsperson is established at the CFPB, whose responsibilities include resolving persistent errors by credit reporting agencies. A court may award injunctive relief to compel a credit reporting agency to comply with credit report protections. Credit reporting agencies must provide available information to consumers regarding the purpose behind the procurement of a credit report. The bill gives the CFPB the authority to establish data security requirements for credit reporting agencies. The Government Accountability Office must report on the feasibility of credit reporting agencies replacing Social Security numbers as identifiers with another type of federal identification. Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 234 – 179 (Roll no. 126). H.J.Res. 90 – Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency relating to “Community Reinvestment Act Regulations” (Rep. Waters – Financial Services) This joint resolution nullifies a rule published on June 5, 2020, by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency within the Department of the Treasury. The rule generally revises the office’s implementation of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), which requires banks to serve the credit needs of low- and moderate-income communities. Under the CRA, a bank receives credit, which influences the bank’s performance rating, for conducting specified activities related to this requirement in designated assessment areas. Among other things, the rule revises qualifying CRA activities, sets forth new procedures for determining if an activity qualifies under the CRA, and expands designated assessment areas. Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 230 – 179 (Roll no. 129).   H.R. 2 – Moving Forward Act (Rep. DeFazio – Transportation and Infrastructure/Education and Labor/Financial Services/Energy and Commerce/Ways and Means/Oversight and Reform/Natural Resources) (Subject to a Rule) This bill addresses provisions related to federal-aid highway, transit, highway safety, motor carrier, research, hazardous materials, and rail programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Among other provisions, the bill extends FY2020 enacted levels through FY2021 for federal-aid highway, transit, and safety programs; reauthorizes for FY2022-FY2025 several surface transportation programs, including the federal-aid highway program, transit programs, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and rail programs; addresses climate change, including strategies to reduce the climate change impacts of the surface transportation system and conduct a vulnerability assessment to identify opportunities to enhance the resilience of the surface transportation system and ensure the efficient use of federal resources; revises Buy America procurement requirements for highways, mass transit, and rail; establishes a rebuild rural grant program to improve the safety, state of good repair, and connectivity of transportation infrastructure in rural communities; implements new safety requirements across all transportation modes; and directs DOT to establish a pilot program to demonstrate a national motor vehicle per-mile user fee to restore and maintain the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund and achieve and maintain a state of good repair in the surface transportation system. Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 233 – 188 (Roll no. 138).   Support the show: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=Q2PZ6NSMG7X7N&source=url

Air India has been operating charter flights between USA and India to repatriate its citizens who have been held up getting back home by travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has also been selling tickets to the public. USA Department of Transportation (DOT) says the Indian government and regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have not allowed US airlines to operate same kind of flights to India, creating what DOT termed “a competitive disadvantage for US carriers”. Right now when it comes to ULDs the modern day boxcars, we stay in touch with Bob Rogers a person that has thought about these things for most of his life examining all possibilities as the spirit and guiding force of ULD Cares. As he speaks you can imagine if Bob had his way, he might even live in a can and listen to the patter of rain on the tin roof as he thinks his next big thoughts. The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) recognized Jill Maschmeier who serves as the National Carriers, Inc. Director of Safety/Compliance, with the “TCA Safety Professional of the Year 2020 Clare C. Casey Award “. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geoffrey-arend/support

Mark Buzby is a retired United States Navy rear admiral who is currently serving as administrator of the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD). In June 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Buzby to be the administrator, and he was confirmed to the position by the United States Senate on August 3, 2017. Prior to his appointment, Admiral Buzby served as president of the National Defense Transportation Association, a position he held since 2013 when he retired from the U.S. Navy with over 34 years of service.As the head of MARAD, an agency within the Department of Transportation (DOT), Admiral Buzby is responsible for promoting the development of a merchant marine sufficient to meet the needs of national defense and the domestic and foreign commerce of the United States. MARAD functions include maintenance of ships in MARAD custody; administration of subsidy programs and other financial aids to shipping; maritime research and development; and training of merchant marine officers. MARAD also assists the maritime community in the areas of ship design and construction, development of advanced transportation systems and promotion of the use of U.S. flag vessels.A 1979 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), Admiral Buzby earned his Bachelor of Science in Nautical Science and U.S. Coast Guard Third Mate License. He is a graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College and holds master’s degrees from the U.S. Naval War College and Salve Regina University in Strategic Studies and International Relations respectively.While serving in the US Navy, Admiral Buzby commanded destroyer USS CARNEY (DDG 64), Destroyer Squadron THIRTY-ONE, Surface Warfare Officers School Command, and Joint Task Force GUANTANAMO BAY. Ashore, he served on staffs of SIXTH Fleet, US Fleet Forces Command, the Navy staff, and the Joint Staff. Additionally, Admiral Buzby served as the Commander of the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command from October 2009 to March 2013.Today on the Women Offshore Podcast, listen to Admiral Buzby answer questions from the Women Offshore Community. He talks about the state of US maritime industry, specifically the US merchant marine and shipbuilding; how the industry has responded to COVID-19; and even a sea story with a lesson learned from serving in the US Navy.Support the show (https://womenoffshore.shop/products/donation)

It’s about time! Help for the consumer to not get bamboozled at the repair shop You pull into a parking spot. You can feel the level of apprehension rise as you get out of your vehicle. As you walk towards the front door of the building, a feeling of dread starts to overwhelm your senses. Grabbing the door handle, you open the door to the local auto repair facility. The fun begins… According to the US Department of Transportation (DOT), consumers lost approximately $20 Billion in bogus car repairs. This was 40 years ago. Fast forward to the 21st century: High retirement rate of seasoned technicians, newbies who lack the proper training and the ever-changing advancements toward the autonomous vehicle. The uneducated consumer is in big trouble. So, how do you defend yourself, your wallet at the repair shop? Find Me Auto Help is your auto repair fix! You do not need to know which end of the screwdriver to use to understand this consumer guide that reveals “what goes on” in the bay. It explains how consumers can protect their auto budget by dodging over-zealous service advisors, steering clear of big store service quotas and how to keep track of your vehicle services – all in layman’s terms. Its interactive pages – with supporting website (FindMeAutoHelp.com) -- ask vehicle owners specific, important questions; gives answers to support their auto repair decision and budget. A little larger font benefits those who have been “driving for decades.” It is all about keeping their vehicle running longer, stronger. A must-have guide before your next auto center visit. About the Find Me Auto Help author: National award-winning SME automotive professional Pam Oakes is into her fourth decade within the industry – and, she has seen just about everything when it comes to consumers dealing with car care. Some good. Some bad. So, she thought it was time to update her 2011, national award-winning “Car Care for the Clueless” book series and glovebox guide to help vehicle owners, help the most important investment they will ever make: their car and truck. Other books Oakes as written: “Watch Your Pennies and the Dollars Will Follow: A Practical KPI for Mom and Pop Repair Shops,” “Empowered Woman’s Car Care Guide” (another, national award-winning publication) and tech manual (w/DVD) ASEG1 Prep for Auto Techs. Ms. Oakes is a 30-year ASE automotive technician, 20-year (original start-up) national award-winning shop owner, sole proprietor with more than 25 consumer satisfac

Because of numerous cases involving untrained animals in recent years, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) has proposed to limit the number of emotional support animals (ESAs) allowed on flights. The current law permits disabled passengers to travel with service animals, but under DOT's new proposal, airlines will no longer be required to allow ESAs on flights. ESAs, which include dogs and other animals, are meant to relieve a person's stress or anxiety. The reform intends to limit the classification of a service animal to a trained dog. This change will negate the current policy that allows other kinds of animals. Legally, ESAs are prescribed by licensed mental health professionals to people with emotional disabilities. However, Airlines for America (A4A) pointed out that there are people who abuse the ESA policy by using fraudulent certificates. These people declare pets as ESAs to get away with not paying pet carriage fees. This practice costs the airline industry millions in losses. Fraudulent certificates have also led to increased incidents of untrained animals causing trouble to airline passengers and crew members. The petition cited that travelers have tried to bring in various animals, including ducks, turkeys, pigs, iguanas, and even a peacock as ESAs. The new proposal includes new check-in policies for passengers who will travel with service animals. The policies will require the passengers to be at the airport at least an hour earlier. The CEO of A4A approved the proposal, saying that it will help guarantee the safety of everyone in the cabin. Before the implementation of the new rule, A4A will give the public 60 days to share thoughts about it.

Every time winter comes around, the number of traffic accidents increases. MEMIC Loss Control Director Randy Klatt shares how you can drive to save lives, time and money, despite the conditions around you and the actions of others. Since his experiences in emergency medicine and as an active duty Navy pilot and aircraft crash investigator, Klatt has been on a mission to prevent the tragic consequences of unsafe attitudes and behavior. “As a 20-year-old paramedic responding to calls for help, I quickly realized that human failure is behind the majority of injuries,” says Klatt. “As a safety professional I know there are no accidents, only predictable outcomes. No one wants to be hurt, but many do not understand how preventable injuries really are. Peter Koch:  Hello listeners, and welcome to the Safety Experts podcast. Winter driving can be a big challenge and we see an increase in the number of traffic accidents every winter. So today we're going to dig deep into what it takes to be a safe driver this winter. For today's episode, Winter Driving Safety. I'm speaking with Randy Klatt, director of Region II Loss Control at MEMIC to be a better driver this winter. Randy has over 40 years of experience working in industries where safety is critical to success. His career spans emergency medicine, active duty Navy pilot, commercial airline pilot and an aviation safety instructor at the university level. Randy has worked with MEMIC since 2003 and is the current director of Region II at Loss Control, leading a team of consultants serving the Central and Southern Maine area. Randy, welcome to the podcast today. Randy Klatt: Thank you, Peter. It's a pleasure to be here. Peter Koch: Fantastic. So, we're gonna jump right into it. So, I appreciate you being here, but we're gonna throw a question at you right off the bat. Randy Klatt: Okay. Peter Koch: Does the environment actually cause traffic accidents, driving accidents? Randy Klatt: No. Peter Koch: Thank you very much. Randy, I appreciate you coming today. Randy Klatt: That's all I have to say for today. Peter Koch: Why not? Cause you see it all there all the time like people talk about, well, it was the snow, or it was the fog, or it was the rain. I hydroplaned. I skidded. I did this and the car flipped over. I hit the car in front of me. Whatever happened there, there's always a this before that. Randy Klatt: Yeah, there always is. And I see claims injuries like that all the time. Often there's verbiage in the claims description that says something like the car left the roadway, the car flipped over, the car skidded on the ice. And of course, my immediate thought is I don't think the car does those things without the driver putting it in that position. So, some people would say that, oh, this is an unreasonable expectation that I'm being way too hard on people. Well, from my perspective, no, weather does not cause accidents. In fact, we don't call them accidents. Some people do. I prefer to call them predictable outcomes if you are not driving for the conditions, it's almost inevitable that we're going to have some problems. So, I grant you that we are human beings. Humans make mistakes. I could make a mistake. I could end up in a fender bender this winter because I made a mistake. And so, I'm not looking for blame.  I'm not saying that people who are in traffic accidents in the wintertime are, are less than capable of driving, or that I blame them for all the problems. That's not really the point. The point is that it is preventable if we do the right things and that driving, especially in the winter, is very hazardous. There's, there's no doubt about that. The weather does make road conditions more challenging. It does present a hazard that isn't there in the summertime. But if we address it and if we do something about it, we're much, much more likely to get to where we're going and get home safely without any incidents. So, my answer is, and this is the way I would like people to look at it overall, really for any injury, any accident, any incident that occurs, it's preventable.  And if I look at it that way, it's a preventable situation. That means that I have to take responsibility to do the prevention piece. And if I do that, I'm much more likely to be safe throughout all my activities.  If I look at it as "Awe gee, it is raining or it's snowing today, the roads icy, I'm probably going to get in an accident today. It's inevitable."  Then I'm much more likely to do just that. So, let's look at it as all preventable and that will go a long way towards actually driving safely. So that's my very long answer to a very short question, but it's a very fundamental question to our topic today. Weather doesn't cause it. People do. Peter Koch: Yeah, I think that's a really good point and a great start. So, would you say, and if we think about driving overall, and we're talking about environment now as a contributor, not as the cause, but a potential contributor to an accident.  And in that light, could you say that driving is a series of conscious and unconscious decisions that we make to get from point A to point B? Randy Klatt: I would say that's an accurate description. I would hope that most things are conscious. But yes, we get into a mindset of we've done this a million times. We know how to drive. If you're an experienced driver that's certainly true. So, some of our behaviors are, I think you could say they are subconscious or almost autonomous. We don't really think so much about what we're doing. So, if you've ever missed your exit, you've driven there 100 times, but suddenly you drive by and you go, oh gee whiz, I suppose to get off there. That's should tell you that you're driving autonomously there. You were you weren't really driving, actually, Sir Isaac Newton was in the driver's seat at that moment, and you were just along for the ride. So, we do a good portion of that. And if you happen to be doing that when the road conditions aren't very good. Now we've given up our responsibility as the driver. We've succumbed to the conditions and basically said, "Well, if it happens, it happens." And that's certainly not a philosophy that I would like any driver to adopt because I don't want him hitting me either. So, we really have to engage more carefully in driving overall. Just look at the numbers. 40,000 people a year dying in traffic accidents in this country, 13 million crashes each year, about half of those resulting in police reporting and about almost 2 million people who are injured in traffic accidents every year. So, this is something that costs society over $250 billion dollars every year. It's ridiculous that in today's day and age, we haven't gotten a handle on this. And when you add weather into it, the tendency is just to say, well, it was weather. That's what caused it. And you usurp your own responsibility. And that's not right. Peter Koch: No, not at all. Not at all. So, if weather isn't the problem but the person's the problem is the answer just autonomous vehicles should we just take the driver right out of it?  Or what are the responsibilities that a driver would have in order to keep that vehicle going forward? Randy Klatt: Now, very good point. I think remember Randy said this in 2000, whatever this is now, that yes, autonomous vehicles are probably going to be the predominant vehicle on the road and in the future, I don't know when that's going to be, I don't know how many years it'll be, but that's the way we are going, clearly. And if an autonomous vehicle takes the person out of the out of the formula, out of the equation, we are going to have safer roadways. There's no doubt about that. If everybody is in an autonomous vehicle. So, the way I usually do that analogy is I come from aviation. That was my background. I flew in the military for a long time. I flew commercial airlines. And knowing aviation safety like I do, I know that, oh take World War II for example, we lost almost as many pilots in crashes as we did in combat. Aviation had not developed into a very sophisticated science even at that point. We're only talking 60, 70 years ago. Look at aviation today. We have almost no crashes. I would challenge anyone listening here to tell me when the last airline crash was in the United States from a U.S. carrier. And you're going to find, hmmmm I don't really remember. We've lost three people in 10 years in major airline crashes in the United States, and one was a freight carrier. Both pilots perished and the other was Asiana Airlines in San Francisco. So, we've made and that was a fatality, unfortunately, on the ground. A person was hit by the fire truck as they evacuated the aircraft. So, when we look at those numbers you know, the millions and millions of people that fly every year, and we've made that industry extremely safe.  We've, we've done that through for the most part through automation, through technology. And I can see the same thing happening in driving that we have now developed adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring systems and an automatic emergency braking system and all these things that are in theory making our driving safer. And I think they are to a point. But what I don't want to see happen is that the driver starts to give up their responsibility as a driver because they know the technology will take care of them. And so, when we do see airplane crashes today, it's because that's exactly what's happened. I flew 737s. I didn't fly the Max 8, but I flew the 500 model. And I can tell you that a pilot who knows what he's doing, is well trained, would not fly that thing into the ground no matter what the system was doing. So today, when we have drivers who are relying on technology in the same way, we're gonna have problems. Fatality numbers are actually going up. The last three or four years, they've gone up every year. Yet technology is getting better. So, there's something else going on there and it has to do with the driver. And we still have to focus on the driver. So, until we can get to a completely autonomous vehicles almost to the point like what we have in autonomous airplanes. There's still a pilot in the seat. But you can, if you can pull back on the yoke and get the airplane off the ground and push a button, you can be an airline pilot. I shouldn't say that, that'll probably offend some of our audience and maybe alarm others who are on airplanes right now.  But we've become computer monitors more than we have than we are pilots. And it makes it very safe because they're very dependable airplanes. But until we get to that point with cars, we have to depend on that driver. And of course, this day and age, we are very dependent. And so that driver has to take that all very seriously. And if you put on your adaptive cruise control and just sit back and relax. But the weather isn't very good. The car doesn't know what the road conditions are. It'll turn itself off if visibility is and isn't high enough.  But if the road is, you know, it's thirty-four degrees outside and there are places where it's just at freezing and there's a little fog or mist and the roads a little icy. The car does not know that. That's a perfect condition for setting you up to crash. And because you took yourself out of the equation and you're going to say that it was the ice that caused it. And that's just not right. Peter Koch: So, a lot of it comes down to the awareness of the driver of the surroundings and that adaptive cruise control example that you brought up, I think is fascinating.  I have it in one of the vehicles that I drive, and you could be on the highway travelling at highway speeds right within the speed limit, set the cruise control. And before you know it, you're behind someone who is going 10 miles an hour below the speed limit. And you never even knew that the car slowed down. You're just maintaining the distance. But people in the passing lane are zipping past you, and then all of a sudden you go, he's going too slow. So, what do you do? You pull out. You go around them, and you override that regardless sometimes of the conditions. Because if you're focused on a conversation that made you not pay attention to what the vehicle is doing and how it's engaging with the road, you probably haven't paid enough attention to your environmental surroundings to know that how fast you're pulling out is actually good for the environmental conditions that you're there. So that technology is super helpful, but it can lull us into that sense of safety that we still have responsibility for, ultimate responsibility for still lies within the driver, which is a great point that you made before. Absolutely right.  So, it always comes down to, as we've said many times in history, it's the nut behind the wheel. It's the driver of the vehicle. You are responsible. And it's an awesome responsibility. Now, in this country in particular, we take it for granted. Everybody does everything in their cars and most families have multiple cars. And we see generally one person in every car on the highway. And we it's just the society that we have. We're big on cars. And that's what is convenient. And that's I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with that, except that we do take it for granted the responsibility of actually operating the vehicle. So, I think about your average adult is 30 years old. How much driver training has he actually gotten? Probably went through driver's ed training at 16 to get his permit. And once he got that license, the training stopped with the exception of the OJT that we get every day. And you just hope that the mistakes you make don't result in something horrible. And that's probably not a very good way to run a system. I was actually talking to another consultant just yesterday who lived in Germany for 16 years. You got the Autobahn, right? We have no speed limits.  Their fatality rate is actually fairly high on the Autobahn. But overall, better than United States. And we figured, well, gee, what's the deal there? And he explained very carefully, said it's the driver training. It's the training they have to go through to get a license. You have to be 18 before you can even apply for a license. And it's very rigorous and it costs a lot of money. So, people are very appreciative of the license once they get it. And they're very well-trained as opposed to the United States, where we see it more as an innate right. And of course, you're gonna drive. And if you're 18 in the United States and all we have to do is pass that written test and convince that, inspector, for that 10-minute drive that you're not going to kill anybody. You got a license. You don't really need any training. You know, what's a yellow light do? That's about all you need to know.  And that's just not right. And now we put him out there in a snowstorm and expect them to drive well. I think the realistic expectation is that we're going to have some problems with that unless we really focus on it. Peter Koch: So let's talk a little bit about how that how the road conditions, the winter road conditions specifically will affect the driver and the choices that they'll have to make in order to keep the vehicle going at a steady rate and making it happen safely. Randy Klatt: Well, we can always look to the hierarchy of safety controls, which might be another podcast topic of in and of themselves. But the first thing in the hierarchy is always to eliminate the hazard. So why would I go out in a snowstorm if I don't have to? That's the number one. I can best control my car if it's in the garage. I don't I don't have to worry about those conditions. Now, I understand that's not always a possibility. And that people do have to be places at times. And so, I don't mean to make a joke out of that by saying we can all stay home. But at least in the northeast where we live, where snow is expected and it's common and it often comes heavy, we have darn good snow clearance systems out there.  And that if you wait an hour or an hour and a half, you'll have a much better environment to drive in than you would have if you just went out your normal time.  So maybe you need to need to delay your trip for a little while. Maybe it's work from home for a few for an hour and then head in later, you know, something like that. So, look to eliminate that hazard in the first place. Inevitably, we'll find ourselves out in the bad weather. So, then what are you going to do? Well, speed is the number one cause of all accidents, and it's certainly going to be magnified when you have poor road conditions. When you think about tires and road surface contact, the tire on the road is the only thing that's touching the road, we hope, of your vehicle. So, if the road is contaminated, so we have ice, we have snow, standing water, whatever it is, we're gonna have less control of that vehicle.  That's just inevitable. And if that's the case, then I darn well better slow down because if I'm driving 60 in a normal day, dry pavement, I better be backing that down somewhat in winter conditions because I know that I'm not going to be able to control my vehicle either in maneuvering, cornering, turning or accelerating or stopping. All those are affected adversely by adverse road conditions. So, number one avoid the hazard.  Number two slow down. Why are we all in such a hurry? Number three would be increase that following distance, increase that safety cushion that you have around you. Because inevitably you will take longer to stop. Other drivers are not going to be so attentive. They are going to take longer to stop. Let's just give ourselves a little bit more room so that we have more time and the car's gonna be able to react a little bit better, have more time to, more space around to react. So those are my three top things. Avoid it. Slow down. Increase your following. Peter Koch: That's fantastic. How does, let's talk a little bit about the sort of the dynamics of that only part, the only part of the road, at least we hope. The only part of the vehicle, at least we hope that is touching the ground are the tires. And how do the winter road conditions affect the tires and maybe a little bit about the different types of tires that are out there? Randy Klatt: Sure. So, I think it's pretty clear to everyone that that road surface contact with the rubber of your tire is what is going to control the vehicle. That's the coefficient of friction that we need to accelerate and to stop and to control it in a turn. And all those things. So as that changes, if you add even something as little as a twenty fifth of an inch of water to the surface of a roadway. Now we don't have nearly the tire contact with the road that we do on a dry surface. So, if you make that little bit of water ice, well, now of course, we have even a lower coefficient of friction. We have less control over what's gonna happen between those two surfaces. So, contamination on the road is a critical element in being able to control my vehicle. And so, then we can, since we can't necessarily control the conditions of the roadway. Now, I did say earlier that if we just wait a little while, the road will probably be better. I always think that if you find yourself out on the road following a snowplow or right behind it or right in front of it, you're probably out there at the wrong time. Let them do their job first and then go out there. That's probably a better way to go. All right, so given that limitation, we can't really control the roadway. So, the only thing I can control then from a contact standpoint, from tire road topic, which is what we're on right now, is the tire itself. So vast majority of vehicles these days we're using all season radial tires.  An all-season tire, just as it implies, is designed for all seasons. It has some performance in hot weather. It has some performance in wet and has some performance in cold or freezing snow conditions. It's not ideal for any one of those. By definition, it's an all-season tire. So, for those climates where we see minimal snow a couple times a year, you might get a little bit of this or that. All season tires is probably appropriate. But for those areas of the country where we see a lot of snow or we see a winter, that can be severe. You might see ice. Now we're probably talking a winter tire, a snow tire, something that's designed for those conditions. And they are vastly different. And we can talk about those differences, if you'd like. Peter Koch: Yeah, I think that would be good. Touch it a little bit about the difference in construction and design of that all-season tire versus the winter tire. And what makes the winter tire a better choice when you know that you're going to encounter these environments more frequently? Randy Klatt: Sure. So, there are innate differences in tread design, but also in material choice and in the rubber compounds that are used. So again, that all season tire is designed to last a long time. It's fairly harder compound. It is designed also though, for comfort because we want our car, you know, we're selling a new car and I want it to be quiet. If I'm riding in a car, if I buy a new car, I want it to be ride comfortably and quiet. And a lot of that depends on your tires. So, they are designed to last quite a while, to be OK in performance in all conditions and to provide comfort and quiet. Whereas a winter tire is really designed for just that. It's designed for worse conditions. So, it's going to have different tread block design. It will have more, more tread blocks that are separated by more space so that we can help avoid hydroplaning so that there's more clearance for snow and water to be dissipated. So, we have tread contact with the surface. There's going to be more siping on the tires all the way around to almost not to the sidewalls, but to the outer portion of the tires and siping. Are those small cuts in the tread blocks that you see? They look like cuts. There are little slits, so that they, they as the tire rolls around and contacts the surface, those Sipes allow the tread block to actually separate slightly and almost grip the road a little bit more. It's ah, imagine an animal that separates its toes and grips in a more efficient way. That's really what that siping does for a tire and a snow tire. And that's going to help increase that contact with the roadway. And then, so we got wider blocks, more tread depth, probably as typical winter tire will come with 10 to 13 thirty-seconds of tread depth to start with. So that's a significant amount of tread. And then lastly, it's a different metal or a different, excuse me, rubber compound. Like I said earlier, it's a softer compound. It's designed to be more supple in cold weather. Your all-season tire is going to harden up when it becomes really cold outside, becomes less flexible. So, less ability to actually stay supple when it contacts the roadway. So, a winter tire will do that for you, which is a great advantage. The reason we don't use those all year, of course, is for those things converse of what I said earlier about they all season tire. A winter tire is not going to last as long, it's a softer compound. So, it's going to wear out faster. You put a rubber tire, or a winter tire on your car in the summertime, it'll wear out very quickly. It's also louder, less comfortable. It's more like driving an all-terrain vehicle or something where you, you don't have nearly the comfort or the ride. So, the compromises that are made with the all-season tire are fine until you get to bad weather. Then I would definitely recommend going to a winter tire that is designed for just that. Peter Koch: And keeping on that line of technology and we have the tires that are the contact between the vehicle on the road and keeps us there. How does vehicle technology and all-wheel drive, smart technology for vehicles like that? How does that help keep that car on the road? Peter Koch: Well, certainly all, I think we all know all wheel drive, or four wheel drive is certainly an advantage in poor weather, but really only an acceleration in gripping the roadway as you're trying to accelerate or to move out to gain traction because you're separating the amount of friction that you need to develop. You're gaining from all four tires now so you can do the math by the square inches of tire contact and divide that by four instead of by two. So, we can really accelerate better you so you can get your car moving better, gets out of parking spots or up little hills or things like that in a more efficient fashion. So, all wheel drive's certainly an advantage in the wintertime. What it doesn't do is help you stop any quicker. So, what vehicle do you typically see in the median or, you know, down the hillside driving down the highway in the wintertime? It's generally a four-wheel drive of some kind.  Because some driver just thought I've got a four-wheel drive, I'm going. And yeah, they go, they just don't stop. So that's an overconfidence feature that sometimes comes with all-wheel drive. It will get going better, but we're not going to stop any better. The other feature we could talk about is antilock brakes. So, ABS systems are standard now and do a fantastic job of stopping a vehicle.  They're very efficient, especially on dry pavement. They'll stop you darn quick. But what they really do. Of course, the real design feature, the purpose of them is to keep those front wheels or steering wheels rolling. So, if I stand on that brake pedal for a panic stop, I'm going to feel the vibration of the pedal. I'm probably going to hear some awful sounding noise. And that's the computer system modulating the flow of brake fluid and preventing those front tires from locking up. They will come to a point where they almost stop and then they'll continue to roll. And then they'll almost stop, and they'll continue. So, they, the modulation of that is really important. That allows those front wheels to continue to turn so that I continue to have steering control. What it doesn't do is help you break any quicker. So, if I'm on a little downhill slope with snow and I step on the brake pedal, I'm going to feel like I'm not stopping because I'm gonna feel that vibration. The car is going to continue to roll and I feel like, oh, my gosh, the speed brakes don't work. I'm not stopping it. Well, you're not stopping any quicker. But what you do have is control of your steering. So, you're remaining in control of your vehicle rather than having it skid into a spin of some kind. So, control is the real advantage to the anti-lock brakes systems, but it will not necessarily help you stop quicker. So that's really important to know. The days when, when I was trained how to drive back a few years ago in driver's training, they would tell us to pump the brake pedal. That's what we used to do. You don't do that anymore. Do not do that when it comes down to anti-lock brakes.  You can stand on the brake pedal and that, those front tires will continue to turn. So, you continue to have steering control. Peter Koch: So, I think it's really interesting as we talk about tire technology, tread and construction, all-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, anti-lock brakes, the different systems and the newer vehicles that are designed to help us be safer in any environment. They are really there to help us maintain control of the vehicle. But in order to really do that, you have to understand the vehicle's limitations in the environment that you're trying to apply them. So, a winter tire versus an all-terrain tire, anti-lock brakes versus computer-assisted or all-wheel drive versus front wheel drive versus rear wheel drive versus four-wheel drive. And how do those things all interact? So, knowledge of the tool that you're using, as well as knowledge of the environment that you're using it in. And then the piece that we typically miss is the understanding our own limitations and how to apply those.  And how fast we react and all those different things. So, it comes right back to the person, the driver, the understanding, and the knowledge, the responsibility of the driver to be able to maintain control of that car. And essentially, those are you know, that is what is going to make us better drivers ultimately in the wintertime. So, let's talk again or a little bit more about those personal things that the driver needs to take into consideration when they are making choices out there on the road. So, what are some things, that are a disadvantage to the driver and maybe an advantage to the driver? Randy Klatt: Well, I would start with this... I was thinking of this as you were speaking just a minute ago here, Peter, about I would ask the question, when was the last time you as a driver actually read your owner's manual? And I can I can see your listeners right now rolling their eyes and saying, what owner's manual? And I ask that question because these cars are not, they're not my '57 Chevy where you just get in and go, because it really isn't a whole lot to it. We do have all this technology, which is fabulous. But you do have to know how to use it and what it will do and what it won't do. Ummm, I actually had a person tell me recently they turned off all of this because it was bugging them. And I said, well, what was going on? And the person said, it just continued to beep at me. And I couldn't, I didn't know what it was, so I turned it off. I thought, OK well, perhaps the answer might have been, why don't you look it up in your manual and actually figure out why it's doing what it's doing. And if you want to turn it off, that's certainly a choice you make as a driver. But understand what it's going to do for you and why you might want to leave it on. Peter Koch: It's funny you mentioned that. If I could just interject for a moment. Randy Klatt: Please. Peter Koch: So, my parents are getting on in age. They're in their 80s. My mom's not quite 80 yet, so she won't be happy when I say that, but yet she's still doing great. She still drives. And a couple of years ago, she got a brand-new car. Well, a leased car. First time ever and it had all the bells and whistles. So, you know, it had the adaptive cruise control and it had the lane avoidance. And so, we got in the car for the first time with her. And she, she kept saying, why is that beeping? Why is it beeping? Why? How do you shut it off? Same thing. She had no idea. And I was like, well, Mom, that's the indicator that you're crossing over the line. So, she was constantly with a tire on or over the white line, or then she would drift over to the center line and she wouldn't notice that because she'd be moving back and forth within the lane. So, once she figured that out, that that was an indicator, now it's she actually does a much better job staying within the lane and concentrating on that. But it took her a little while to get there. And I think we find that we have many older drivers these days. You have many of our parents, in order to stay to stay independent, want to maintain their license and they get a new car. And the last new car that they had and even that could be a used car. The last new car they had was made in the 80s or the 90s, and it had none of that. So, they don't know. And they'll just push the button to turn it off or they'll call, they'll call the dealership and ask him to turn off all those annoying buzzers. And of course, the dealership won't train them. They might just turn it off because that's the request from the customer. Randy Klatt: Absolutely right. Peter Koch: Before I move on from the story with my mom, let's take a quick break and then we'll come back and talk more about how those, those items of technology in the car can assist us maintaining control in the wintertime.   **********************   Peter Koch: Welcome back to the Safety Experts podcast. Today, we're talking with Randy Klatt, Director of Region 2 Loss Control at MEMIC. So, let's jump right back in with more questions. Before the break, we're talking about winter driving and vehicle technology. And we're just going through a story about how vehicle technology could be misunderstood, sometimes shut off because it's misunderstood, or it can actually be a benefit to those who can pay attention to it and understand what it's saying. So, let's talk a little bit more about the vehicle technology and how some of that adaptive technology can help us. Randy Klatt: You made a really good point there, Peter, referring to your mom. I'm afraid that's what sometimes the typical driver will do if you don't understand it. Turn it off and then it won't bother you, me anymore. And of course, then we're just defeating the advanced technology that we have. So, if cars are getting safer, we have to use what makes them safer. So, this is actually a user interface kind of discussion. Cars are safer with crumple zones and anti-lock brakes and, you know, and all those other technologies that are keeping us safer in a crash. But what can I really affect every day? What can I actually do to make my driving safer? And that might be include technology that's available to me as a user, as a driver. And for example, my car that I drive frequently has two levels of lane control assist. The first one will do just as you describe with your mother. It will beep at me and it will show an indicator on the dash that tells me I'm getting too close to the either side stripe of the road or to the centerline. And so that's the first step. That should tell me enough that should tell me all I need to know. That things should never go off. But if it does. Oh, my goodness. I got to get back to the center of the lane. The second thing that it would do if I continued to drift is it would actually control, control my car. It would actually turn my steering wheel back to the center of the lane. So, if you do really become distracted for an extended period of time, the car should be smarter than you are and should turn you back into the lane. And it will actually do that twice. It will control it once. And then if you don't touch the wheel and you start to drift away again, it'll control it a second time. And then if it becomes a third time, it will actually turn itself off and say, I'm sorry, I give up. You're beyond help. So, I like parts of that. I really enjoy, I appreciate the alert when it occurs. Ninety nine percent of time it's because I know that's where I am. I've moved over for some reason or I'm starting to change lanes on the highway, and I neglected to turn on my turn signal. Turn on your turn signal that it's not going to correct you, of course.  What I have actually turned off is the auto control back into the lane, though. I've done it for a purposeful reason. What I found was if I am approaching, for instance, a pedestrian or a cyclist on the shoulder, I want to move over for that person and I'm not going to jerk the wheel over and zip into a lane. I'm going to let the car drift slightly wider and I'm going to let them have more room as I think is appropriate. And assuming there's no car coming the other direction, I might actually approach that center line or even cross it slightly to give room for this pedestrian. Well, when I was doing that and I had the control system on, it steered me back into the lane because it didn't know there was a pedestrian there or trash cans on the side of the road, or whatever it is. So, I found it hard. It was taking me places I didn't really want it to go.  So, I turned that teacher off. But I did it knowingly and consciously and for a reason and not because it just annoyed me. So, use your technology.  Again, read that owner's manual, understand what it is trying to do for you and use it to your advantage. And if you don't like it for a specific reason, a logical reason, not just because I don't like that thing. I don't like being beeped at. Well, then certainly consider adjusting it. Something like adaptive cruise control can be a change. There are settings for how far behind the vehicle in front of you are. So set your following distance.  Course, what we always recommend is the standard three-second rule.  You see the car in front of you pass a sign or a pothole or stripe on the road or something. Count to yourself. One. One thousand. Two one thousand. Three one thousand. You shouldn't be to that same point, that hole in the road or whatever before three seconds. That means you've got that three seconds of following distance behind that car in front of you, and that's really that cushion that you need. When we talk about the reaction times of the human being, it typically to perceive a hazard, understand what it is and then react to it. In other words, move your foot from the accelerator, the brake. Those two actions about a second to a second and a half for most people. If you're at highway speed that's 100, 150 feet you've just traveled, and you haven't done anything to stop your car yet. And if you're in winter conditions where the roadway surface might not be perfect, you've traveled that same distance, but now you're breaking, efficiency is gonna be reduced. So, you're stopping distance is far longer. So, we have to give extra room. So, in the wintertime, I might set that cruise control. Actually, let me take that back. If the road conditions are not very good. Shouldn't use cruise control because again, the car doesn't know that the road conditions aren't very good so it can get you into trouble. But what I will do is back off from that car in front of me and allow that extra following distance because I know I'm not going to be able to stop as quickly. So use the technology to help you if you choose to turn off some of it, you can do so, but don't ever give up your responsibility as a driver to understand what's in front of you, what's behind you and control your car despite the conditions around you. If we look at the definition of defensive driving from the National Safety Council, it's to drive to save lives, time and money despite the conditions and the actions of others. I can't control the drivers. I can't control the weather, but I can control my car. Peter Koch: Those are great points and really thinking about it. If you do drive defensively and not aggressively and there's been tons of studies out there, Mythbusters have done studies out there. The NTSB has done studies out there. Individual car companies have done studies out there about distracted driving, about aggressive driving. How it doesn't actually save time. It doesn't save money. It doesn't save productivity. And it certainly doesn't put you in a safe position to react to a mistake that another driver might make. And if we all reacted defensively or drove defensively, then there would be less mistakes to react to, which would be pretty amazing how efficient the system might actually work. And considering that for a second. Have you ever had the experience driving down the highway where all of a sudden you're driving at the speed limit 65, 70 miles an hour, wherever you are, whatever it is, and you go from there to 30 or 25 and you crawl around for 10 minutes, 15 minutes and you're still moving and you're expecting at some point time to see the reason why there has been a slowdown and all of a sudden traffic opens up and you're back to speed limits. And there's been no accident. There's been no road change. There's been no nothing else. And what's happened are people aren't driving defensively. They're reacting to the problems around you. And if you see brake lights in front of you and you're going really fast, you don't have a good cushion in front of you. You're applying your brake lights, which means the person behind you are applying their brake lights. And it just keeps backing up. And all of a sudden, there's a mile worth of slow down. Randy Klatt: Yes, a mile worth of hurry up and wait. It doesn't make a lot of sense. I see it all the time. When I'm in the right-hand lane, I'm looking down the roadway as everyone should. I'm trying to not just focus on that car in front of me, which is important for following distance, but I'm also looking well down the roadway, so I know what to expect. So, I see brake lights in the distance. I'm, of course, going to back off a little bit. I'm just going to start to slow down. And then there's the driver in the left-hand lane that zips by me going faster than the speed limit was in the first place. And there, you know, here we are a couple hundred yards later and he's jamming on his brakes because now he realizes that he's almost going to hit the car in front of him. I worked with a truck driving company that the owner of the company had 2 million accident free miles in his logbook, very experienced.  And he would like he told me that with his new drivers, what he'd like to do is he would drive from Maine down through New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut, down to New York, where they went for a lot of their stops. And he told that student driver and the new driver that he thought he bet that he could drive right through that whole area and never touch his brakes. And of course, none of the guys believed him that that could be possible. And he said he did it all the time because he understood flow. He understands traffic in front of them. He understands speed. He's not going to get there any quicker any way. So why accelerate brake, accelerate brake, if you can just very carefully maneuver through the through the roadway. Keep your following distances. You get there the same time you're beating up your car or your vehicle a lot less. You're using less gas. It just makes good sense. It's also less stressful because when everybody's in a hurry and they're all angry about delays and what might go on ahead of them, then they're angry at each other. And then we have road rage and just, just relax. It's OK. I'll get there about the same time you are anyway. And if you beat me by 30 seconds. Peter Koch: So be it. Randy Klatt: OK. You won the race. That's OK.  I'm going to get there, and I will have saved some money and I'll be a lot better mood when I get where I'm going. So, and when it comes to winter driving. Oh, my gosh. Now, now, let's add that road, those road conditions. So, all of that that I just described, you know, let's multiply that several times for winter driving because we're going to take longer to stop because we might have less visibility. It just makes sense that I'm going to back off a little bit more. Peter Koch: And that that behavior of accelerate brake, accelerate brake, accelerate brake, which happens often whether it's highway driving, primary road driving, secondary road driving really increases your chances of coming unstuck from the roadway.  When I step on the gas, there's a higher demand in order to keep the tires in place or to keep the tire's grip. There's a higher demand for a coefficient of friction when I brake and I have to brake hard, it's the same thing. So, road conditions have, could have road conditions could significantly affect the behavior of the car when the driver behaves in that accelerate brake accelerate brake pattern. Randy Klatt: Exactly right. If you think back to February of 2015, we had a collision on I-95 in the Bangor area in Maine. We ended up with almost 100 cars in that pileup. Peter Koch: I remember that. Randy Klatt: Inconceivable. Not really. There it was. So why did that occur? Well, you read all the reports and take a look at what the state police had to say. And clearly, they would say, all right well, weather was probably a contributing factor. And we know it was because it was poor weather. It was February. It was snowing. But had the people driving through that area been driving for the conditions, the flashing lights on the interstate. We know when those say 45 miles an hour. Now, that's advisory only. Well, had people slowed down some and increased their following distance, we never would have had that occur and we might have had a collision. So whatever caused that in the very beginning or the first vehicle was to lose control, hit somebody else, that might have been it because everyone else behind, had they been driving appropriately for the conditions, they should have been able to avoid that pileup. But then you get two and three and then you get four and you get five. And then before you know it, you're stuck in the middle because you actually driving well, you had plenty of following distance. You could stop, but the driver behind you couldn't. So now you end up in the middle of this, too. So again, we can't influence the driver behind other than increase my following distance in front of me so that if I have to stop, I can do it more gradually. I don't have to jam on my brakes in a panic. Therefore, the driver behind me will have more time to be able to stop. So even if they're tailgating me, I'm hopeful that my actions can help prevent him from hitting me. So, it just fundamental driving safely, driving defensively, especially in winter conditions. Peter Koch: But you might say, Randy. But, Randy, if I increase my following distance, what's going to happen? Someone will pull right in front of me. So, I might just as well keep my speed so that I don't give enough room for someone else to make it more challenging for me. So, what do you say to that? Randy Klatt: Sure. Yeah, I've had people tell me ahhh, if I did that, I'd be driving backwards because everybody would be pulling in front of me. The truth of the matter is that doesn't happen. It does happen that people will pull in front of you and fill that space throughout your driving time. At sometimes they will. So, at sometimes, if you are providing 3 minute, 3 seconds of following distance and someone pulls in front of you, you've lost your three seconds. But I'd be willing to bet that if you're following the speed limits or even less if the conditions are worse, that that space will open right back up in front of you again pretty quickly, because the person that passed you is probably one of those people that's in a hurry. They're going to get by no matter what. They'll pull in front of you. They'll accelerate. And you'll have your three seconds back in a matter of seconds. There are times when it might be two. There might be one. And as long as you're aware, you go Oh my gosh. Okay. I got to slow down a little bit more now. I gotta increase it. OK. Now I've got it back to two. There's two and a, there's three. Now I can continue on my way. It'll be it'll be fine. And I've done this for years and I drive all through the Northeast. So that includes Connecticut and New York and Massachusetts and down to Washington, D.C. and all the traffic areas that you can imagine where everyone is in a hurry. And I've never found it to be a hindrance to me. I've never found that I'm causing any real problems. If I was driving 55 on the interstate when everyone else wants, should be driving 70 or is driving 70 now, I'm a hazard that I would not recommend. But simply maintain speed limit. I'll give you a couple miles over if you really feel important. That's OK. But I'm going to maintain that following distance no matter what. And everybody else will be driving faster anyway. So, my time will get back. Peter Koch: I've had that same experience and having a conversation with you about that a number of years ago. Testing that out actually coming out of Washington, D.C. to go see one of one of my accounts down there. So, coming out of the airport, driving through heavy traffic and staying at the speed limit for the conditions. And it was summertime. So, the road conditions were great. Heavy traffic. And if I stayed at the speed limit and drove defensively, kept that cushion, people would pull in front of me. And within a few seconds, I'd have that cushion back and people would just keep falling and in front of me. And you would essentially catch up with someone later on down the road, because there was going to be a traffic congestion that caused a slowdown. And you could see him up 10, 15, 20, 30 cars up ahead. But they weren't miles and miles and miles and miles ahead of you. Randy Klatt: No, they weren't. And especially in the northeast where, you know, there's tollbooth every couple of miles. So, you know what the heck you know that you're gonna be right behind that person that just passed you in such a hurry and disappears down the hill in a mile, you know, because you're if you're from the area particularly, you think, OK, well, there's a tollbooth in about three miles. I know who's gonna be right in front of me. It just it doesn't make any sense to try to fight it. Another consultant that taught driving overseas, talking about doing that with his students. And, you know, when you drive to work tomorrow and drive the way you always do and write down your time and then the next day, drive following every rule, follow the speed limit, give your distance, blah, blah, blah and then write down the time and then tell me what the difference is.  For him and that experience over the years, it was only a couple of minutes, even by the math the difference between fifty-five miles an hour and seventy-five miles an hour on a ten-mile trip is only four minutes difference. And that assumes constant speed, which you'll never be able to do anyway. So, in the winter, this becomes even more important. We should not have ninety-five or one hundred cars piled up in a collision like that. If people are driving the way, they should be driving. Peter Koch: And a lot of that is preparation. You talk about that the individual who wants to gain a little bit of time is going to get a little bit of a little bit faster. Chances are they made that decision when they left the house that morning. And grant that it might not have been their decision, but they made the decision to try to make up for that time, whether it because they got up late, because they had a problem at home, because there was something else going on, they chose to make up that time in the most dangerous thing that we're gonna do any day, which is getting a car drive. And if we think about all of the decisions that have to keep us on the road. Right. So that the tools that the car gives us are tires and technology, we still have to have a pilot. And that pilot in there is that essential piece that has to make thousands upon thousands of decisions every minute in order to keep that vehicle on the road safely. The more distractions that we have, the more challenges that we have to our ability to pay attention and those decisions that we make will inevitably cause us to have issues.  Cause the tools that we have within the car to exceed their limitations. And then we're gonna have an accident. Randy Klatt: Absolutely right. We would be remiss if we didn't mention distracted driving in any topic around driving.  Certainly, most important, when the weather conditions are poor. Just remember, the human brain can only make so many decisions in so many times, in so much time. And really, we're only doing one thing at a time. So that distraction that takes your eyes or your brain off the roadway, off the conditions, off the traffic simply allows again, Sir Isaac Newton to be in the driver's seat, taking you where he will and not where you necessarily want to go. So, you're just gonna set yourself up for those problems that you find yourself in a position where you can't do anything about it. You can no longer stop in time based on this amount of space that you have. And if road conditions are bad, you're going to need more space. So, the collision is almost inevitable based on where you found yourself. So, let's back that chain of events up, back to where we now have control and we'll leave that extra space in front of us so that we can avoid those situations completely. Peter Koch: Sure. Just consider back to that initial example that you gave, having the experience of missing your exit on the highway. So, I'm distracted to some point and I didn't pay attention to where I was on the road. I see the exit in the corner of my eye as I blow past it. My initial reaction is, oh, no. And I have a choice in that particular moment to take my foot off the accelerator and hit the brake or just keep going to the next exit and maintaining that speed and that driving distance. But that initial reaction is to be able to slow down. And if the weather conditions are challenging, if the road is wet, if it's raining, if it's snowing, if it's that there's ice or even if there's a buildup of winter sand on the side of the road, again, you don't have the traction. Randy Klatt: No, you don't. And keep in mind, the legal tread depth for a tire for almost every state, for most states is two thirty-seconds of an inch. Why the government can't reduce fractions?  I don't, I don't know.  It's a sixteenth of an inch. But, you know, two thirty-seconds of an inch of tread depth is legal. That's for D.O.T. as well. Steering tires four thirty-seconds of an inch. So, if we've got winter tires on our vehicle that are designed for snow that have the snowflake symbol with the Twin Peaks on it tells us that that tires supposed to perform 10 percent better than your other tires. That's a great safety feature.  But if the tread depth is worn down to six thirty-seconds, we have lost a huge percentage of our performance, more than 50 percent of our performance. So, it's a tire that is legal. It's six thirty-seconds tread depth as compared to the legal limit of two. But it's not nearly as well-performing as it was when it was newer. So, I see so many people that they go to their state inspection. The tires are close. Well, OK it passed, but you really should get new ones and they say, OK. And then they say, well, now I've got another year. WooHoo! Well, no, you don't. Those tires are not going to perform nearly as well. And true too of snow tires. So do the rotation like you should put the winter tires on at the time of season when you need them, but take them off when you don't, especially studded tires. Those really aren't doing you much good except on really hard packed snow and ice.  But for a lot of states, well, I think every state there are time limits where you have to have those off your vehicle. So be careful of those times and understand what the wear on those tires really are. And you may have to replace winter tires quicker than you might otherwise. Otherwise, you're losing the performance that you paid for. Peter Koch: Excellent. Randy. Those are that's a really good thought about having the proper really the proper shoes on your vehicle for the season. That's the type of thing you're not going to hike up a mountain someplace in sandals or you're not going to go to the opera in steel-toed boots. So, it's having the right tool for the job, for the right the right conditions. So, let's recap here and just kind of put together sort of those list of tips and things that folks can do to be better or safer drivers in the winter. And I'm going to start with the first one was going to be make sure your vehicle is properly maintained and understand its limitations. We've talked about a bunch of those things. So, understanding what has or how your vehicle will operate in the adverse conditions, what technology is in place for it to alert you to different challenges and how it's limited and make sure it's properly maintained. What else would you suggest for tips for our listeners to keep safe while winter driving? Randy Klatt: Well, again, fall back to the fundamental. If I don't have to go somewhere, I'm not going to go. So, let's wait an hour. Let's wait till later this afternoon, maybe even tomorrow if it's something I'm doing for pleasure or just a grocery store trip that I can I can get by. Let's do that. Let's let the snowplows get out there, do their job, clear the roads is certainly in states that see snow frequently within hours after the snow has stopped falling, you're gonna have pretty clear roads to use. So, let's do that first. Secondly, give yourself a little extra time. Slow down on the roadway. Let everybody else be in a hurry and risk themselves if that's gonna be the case, because you can't control that, but you are in control of your vehicle. Give yourself that extra space in front of you so that you have extra time to react and extra time for that vehicle to stop if that has to occur.  And overall, always understand your vehicle, the technology, what's going to help you, what's not. Make sure those tires are in good condition as they are the only thing that touches the road. Know how to use all the whiz bang features that you might have and understand ultimately that you are responsible. It's so easy to say the weather caused it. When I did crash investigation in the Navy for aircraft crashes, we could not use weather as a causal factor. It was prohibited by this, by the rules. Imagine that.  Pilot flies into a thunderstorm and a thunderstorm brings him down. Certainly, that's the weather's probably fault. And no, the answer is it was the pilot's fault for flying into it. So, use that overall guiding philosophy. You're in charge of that vehicle. You're responsible for your life. Anyone in your vehicle and all those people around you. Drive to save lives, time and money, despite the conditions around you and the actions of others.  Peter Koch: I think that's fantastic. Randy, those are all excellent points and I think our listeners will be able to take that with them as we come into this winter season.  So that about wraps up this week safety podcast. I appreciate everything that you've provided for us today, Randy, and all of our listeners out there who have followed us through this podcast. So today we've been speaking with Randy Klatt, director of Region II Loss Control with MEMIC about winter driving safety. And if you have any questions for our guest or like to hear more about a particular topic or from a certain person on our podcast. Email us at podcast@MEMIC.com Resources/Articles/People Mentioned in Podcast MEMIC - https://www.memic.com/ Peter Koch - https://www.memic.com/workplace-safety/safety-consultants/peter-koch Randy Klatt - https://www.memic.com/workplace-safety/safety-consultants/randy-klatt Sir Isaac Newton - https://www.biography.com/scientist/isaac-newton Hierarchy of Safety Controls - https://www.creativesafetysupply.com/glossary/hierarchy-of-controls/ ABS Systems - https://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/brakes/brake-types/anti-lock-brake1.htm National Safety Council - https://www.nsc.org/ Mythbusters - https://go.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) - https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/default.aspx 2015 Bangor, ME: I-95 Pile-Up - https://bangordailynews.com/2015/03/11/news/bangor/police-i-95-pileup-involved-more-than-100-vehicles-no-charges-expected/ Department of Transportation (DOT) - https://www.transportation.gov/

Here we go again. The Government has shut down again. This is at least the second time this year.   How does this impact my government contracts?  That all depends on what Agencies you have contracts with.  The Department of Defense (DoD) is partially funded.   So, depending on the whether the DoD activity is directly related to the warfighter will determine if the contract will continue or a stop order issued.  Let’s see the affected agencies, shall we?   Agencies Affected by the Shutdown?   The following are Agencies impacted by the Government shutdown.  Each agency will have to determine which employees are essential during the shutdown.  These employees will work for no pay while their coworkers are at home. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Health and Human Services (HHS) Justice Department S. Intelligent Agencies Department of Homeland security (90%) operational, only 10% Furloughed Department of the Interior (DOI) (Campgrounds, full-service restrooms and concession impacted) Department of Transportation (DoT) will mostly be opened with impact on issuance of new pilots’ licenses, medical certificates, research and development stopped. National Institutes of Health – will impact research Environmental Protection Agency will be working but unable to determine for how long and the extent impacted. S. Small Business Administration – locally offices will be shutdown.   Why Can’t My Contract Continue During the Shut Down?   Contractors cannot continue to work during a Government shutdown because of the Antideficiency Act.  Congress created this act in 1884 with major amendments to the act in 1950 and again in 1982.  This law prohibits the federal government from entering into a contract that is not “fully funded”.  So, without the appropriations the government is forced to stop work.  For more information on this Act please see Pub.L. 97-258.   The Act also does not allow the volunteering of services either.

Influential regulators from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) recently shared updates on the issues that impact the aggregates industry with NSSGA members at the 2018 Legislative Policy & Forum. Listen to highlights from lawmakers and administration officials in this new episode of NSSGA’s podcast.  

One year ago, a woman in suburban Oregon crossed the street while under the influence of alcohol and was struck by a driver and killed. Her husband's lawyer couldn't find an engineer in his state who was willing to stand up to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and speak out about the dangerously designed street that played a part in this woman's death. So the lawyer called Chuck Marohn, President of Strong Towns, and he recently traveled to Oregon to testify as part of the case again the DOT. In this episode, Chuck reviews the case and discusses the dangerous design of the road that led to an innocent mother's death.

On September 12, 2017, the Department of Transportation (DOT) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published "Automated Driving Systems 2.0: A Vision for Safety." Robert and Zaira Solano discuss this non-regulatory guidance. They discuss car accidents that they were in and imagine how a self-driving car would respond in similar situations.

Today's show is the second in a series with the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) during "Crime Prevention Month" which takes place the whole month of October. Today, Michelle Boykins, Senior Director of Communication from NCPC co-hosts with Dr. J on The Social Network Show. The theme for the first week of Crime Prevention Month is "Get Alerts, Stay Alive: Emergency Preparedness" and the guest for today is from the Community Safety Institute, a partner of NCPC. Today's guest, John Matthews, is the Executive Director of the Community Safety Institute and Assistant Chief Deputy Constable in Dallas. John shares his thoughts on a topic that has been in the news lately regarding the deadly force on citizens by police officers and talks about the needed communication between law enforcement and the communities where they are located. In response to the question about his thoughts on mass shootings, John gives us 6 steps to survival in a mass shooting: ESCAPE Model: 1. Exit--get out of the situation 2. Seek cover 3. Concealment 4. Assess your situation 5.  Present a small target 6.  Engage the shooter John has interesting comments about the use of drones by law enforcement and the use of other technology, including social media that is so useful in fighting crime. The public can take classes on these topics and to learn more about this education, visit NCPC or CSI learning portals. John Matthews is the Executive Director of the Community Safety Institute (CSI) and an Assistant Chief Deputy Constable for the Dallas County Constable's Office precinct #1. Chief Matthews has developed over 100 law enforcement and public safety initiatives for government agencies including the Department of Justice (DOJ); Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA); the Office of Community Policing Services (COPS); Department of Homeland Security (DHS); Office of Domestic Programs (ODP); Depart of the Interior (DOI); Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services (OJS) and the Department of Transportation (DOT). Matthews has been in law enforcement for nearly thirty years and is a Master Police Officer and certified law enforcement instructor. With Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Administrative Management and an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate, Matthews is nationally recognized for his work in law enforcement and school safety issues. While working with the Dallas Police Department he was named Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer and was awarded a Certificate of Commendation from the Texas State Senate. He also received numerous departmental awards including: Certificate of Merit, Life Saving Award, Certificate for Civic Achievement and the Police Commendation. John currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the National Sheriffs' Association and Special Advisor to the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial Fund. John is an award-winning writer, photographer and author of five books including The Eyeball Killer, a true crime Book of the Month and first- hand account of his capture of Dallas' only serial killer.  His books School Safety 101 and Neighborhood Watch 101 focus on making our communities safer and more secure and have been the cornerstones of training programs for thousands of law enforcement officers, educators and their community stakeholders.  He has been honored as a keynote speaker at education and law enforcement conferences around the country. John hosted a popular safety segment on FOX-4 television, and for three years was a talk show host on KRLD/CBS radio and the Texas State Network, where he still makes appearances as a guest. Media appearances include; NBC Nightly News, FOX News Channel, Leeza, The O'Reilly Report, Good Morning New York, Good Morning Texas, Law Enforcement Television Network,  A Current Affair, Good Day Dallas, and scores of local ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC television and radio affiliates.  John's serial killer story has been adapted for numerous network television shows and John serve...

  On this episode we’ll talk about…   1.Habits, routines and complacency.   2.We will look at a near-miss event where tunnel vision and complacency may have flawed situational awareness.   3.And we will address a question from an SAMatters community member about how to make mayday training more realistic.   FEATURE TOPIC   We all know we have habits. Some of them are good habits. And some of them are…well… not so good. The less often talked about cousin of a habit is a routine. Habits and routines can definitely impact your situational awareness in both good and bad ways.   But where do habits and routines come from? Does a habit turn into a routine? Or does a routine turn into a habit? Do habits and routines prevent complacency or do they contribute to complaceny? All good questions. Let’s explore habits, routines and complacency.   Habits Webster defines a habit as: A behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition or physiologic exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance; an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary.   Routines   Webster further defines a routine as a habitual or mechanical performance of an established procedure.   So, by definition, routines are habits formed from following established procedures. Thus, by definition then, habits are only routines when they are formed from following procedures. But we have many habits that are formed while not following formally established procedures.   The chicken or the egg   The definitions offer up the age-old, or should I say the “egg old” question: What came first, the chicken or the egg? In the context of this topic, the question is: Do habits form routines or do routines form habits? An argument could be made for either to come first. Your routines can become your comfortable habits. Your habits can be developed into formal routines.   Enter complacency   Webster defines complacency as: Self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies. It is very unfortunate that complacency has turned into a habit for some workers. Some have become satisfied and comfortable in doing things in ways that are dangerous to the point they have become unaware (or arguably, uncaring) about the dangers. The dangers are no longer seen as dangerous. This can have catastrophic consequences.    Contagious complacency   A complacent worker can “infect” other workers as well. When this happens, the consequences can be significant. In fact, an entire work group can become complacent. And worst of all, an entire department or organization can become complacent. When this happens, the workers can sink into a comfortable rut and become arrogant.   When this happens, employees can begin to believe they are so good at what they do that bad outcomes will never happen to them… because they never have. The success of past outcomes can contribute to complacency, especially when risky behavior is rewarded (seemingly) with good outcomes).  When workers perform in ways that are not consistent with best practices – and get away with it (i.e., no bad outcome) – it can build their confidence that is based in luck, not ability.   False confidence   When workers experience successful outcomes, this builds confidence. This, unto itself, is not a bad thing so long as the success was based on performance that is consistent with best practices. However, all success builds confidence. Meaning success resulting from luck also builds confidence, albeit a false confidence.   Psychologists that study the behavior of gamblers see this all the time. A gambler wins because they seemingly have some “strategy” for beating the odds – the mathematical probabilities of risk and return. Their success gives them confidence which can, in turn, increase their risk taking.   Over the long run, a gambler who thinks they can beat the odds is likely going to lose… a lot. But not every gambler is a loser over the long run. There is a small number whose luck runs longer than others and certain games are based on the strategy of one player versus another… and of course… the ability to “bluff” your opponent. But there’s no bluffing dangerous machinery or hazardous environments in the work setting.     Observing workers who have found long term luck can give others workers a false confidence that they too can cheat the system and be successful.     In the end, the casino will win. If you doubt this, only look at the lavishness of a casino. Those structures and fixtures are built on the losses of gamblers whose luck ran out.   Chief Gasaway’s advice   To overcome the curse of complacency, workers must first be aware of the affliction they are facing. This awareness comes from becoming a student of best practices. This involves learning about best practices and comparing what your organization does to other best practices in your profession. Read casualty reports to learn how workers get hurt and killed. Then compare the circumstances, situational awareness and decision making of catastrophic outcomes to how your organization does things.   When you see inconsistencies between established best practices and how your organization does things, it may be time to start asking the hard questions. Why does your organization do things differently than best practices dictate? Have you found a better way to get the job done? Is your better way safe? Or have you just been lucky?   Avoid judging bad outcomes that others experience. Oftentimes when workers read a casualty report they can judge the performance of others without turning that harsh judgment on themselves or on their own organization. We can be lulled into thinking the worker that experienced the bad outcome was less competent where, in fact, maybe their luck ran out.   Discussions   1. Discuss areas where your organization may have become complacent in training or performance.   2. Discuss areas where you have become personally complacent in your application of best practices.   3. Discuss ideas about how to break the cycle of complacency in your organization.   SITUATIONAL AWARENESS NEAR MISS LESSON LEARNED     This lesson comes to us from the Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System, where lessons learned become lessons applied.     COMPLACENCY AND LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS NEARLY DELIVER SHOCKING SURPRISE. #06-0000435 Saturday, August 19, 2006     We were dispatched for a report of "smoke coming from the grass" on the side of the highway. It was a rainy, humid, and foggy afternoon, so right away we were guessing that it was a motorist who saw fog and thought it was smoke as had been the case many times before. The engine crew responded and initially was unable to locate anything, went in service, and then on their way back to quarters located the smoke. Upon investigating, they found what appeared to be an approximately 18" corrugated metal pipe coming up out of the ground in the grassy area just off the right shoulder of the highway.   The lip of the pipe was only a couple inches above the surface and was near the ditch that ran along the tree line. It appeared to be some sort of sewer pipe, and one side of the lip was bent over like it had been hit or damaged. The crew used a shovel to dig around the pipe and then a pry bar in and around the pipe to bend the lip clear of the opening. They then noticed an extremely large amount of heat coming from the pipe (too hot to touch) and then noticed that the rain water inside the pipe was literally boiling.   They also thought that they felt the ground vibrating slightly around the pipe. As they pondered what they were looking at, our Assistant Chief came on the radio and questioned if it could have anything to do with the highway light poles. Sure enough, the crew looked up, and there was a light pole about 100" away (perpendicular to the highway) and all you could see was the very top of it above the trees. The crew dropped their tools and retrieved the "AC HotStik" from the engine, which indicated that the pipe was in fact energized.   Construction was being done in the area, and a Department of Transportation (DOT) crew was working about a quarter-mile away. They were summoned to the scene. The DOT workers put on their electrical safety gear and used their insulated electrical tools to pull a large wiring harness up and out of the water-filled pipe. They were in the area trying to figure out why the highway lights were not working. This shorting electrical equipment was the reason why.   The DOT workers said that the wiring carried about 480 volts of electricity and is supposed to be buried underground unnoticeable from the surface. The scene was turned over to DOT and the engine crew cleared.     LESSONS LEARNED   When the call went out, complacency reared its ugly head in our thinking that it was just a motorist seeing fog. However, I don’t believe that this contributed to the incident being a "near-miss." The Captain on scene does admit though that there was a bit of tunnel vision on their part in that they saw the pipe and assumed it was some sort of sewer pipe.   It had never crossed their minds that it could be electrical until the Assistant Chief mentioned it on the radio. She credits his intervention with possibly preventing an electrocution had they continued. I think this incident is a good reminder to always be aware of your surroundings.   Don"t be a moth to the flames (or smoke). Look up and around you for anything that could be related to what you"re investigating. This was an unusual event. However, I do believe that voltage-detection devices (i.e. our "AC HotStik") are under-utilized and should be one of the first tools coming off the rig more often during utility emergencies/investigations.     You can visit them at www.FirefighterNearMiss.com   If you have experienced or witnessed a near miss and would like to be interviewed on this show, visit my companion site: www.CloseCallSurvivor.com   Click on the “contact us” link. Thank you, in advance, for sharing your lessons learned so others may live.   INFORMATION   If you are interested in attending a live event, you can check out the Situational Awareness Matters Tour Stop schedule at: SAMatters.com. Click on the Program and Keynotes tab just below the header, then click on the “Events Schedule” tab. If I am in your area, I hope you will consider attending a live event.   If you are not able to attend a live event, consider signing up for the SAMatters On-Line Academy. The Academy contains videos and articles that cover the same content as a three-day live tour event, delivered in 14 modules you can go through at your own pace, from your own computer. The Academy Plus version of the Academy includes four books that are referenced throughout the Academy. The Plus version is a great bargain because the tuition simply covers the cost of the books… making the Academy free!   Just click on the link below the header on the SAMatters home page titled On-Line Academy.   SAMatters COMMUNITY Question   This question comes from the Q&A session held at the end of the Training For Failure program.   QUESTION: What can we do to ensure our mayday training program is more realistic?   ANSWER: Thanks Chris for the question. It was easier for me to demonstrate my answer in the webinar because I was able to make sounds that I am not going to be able to replicate here in the newsletter. That aside, one of the ways to make training realistic is to increase the stress level of participants by making the incident look, feel, smell and sound as real as possible.   The example I shared with Chris has to do with simulating a mayday. If you are simulating a crew calling a mayday, then make it sound REAL over the radio.   During your drills, make sure the company that calls a mayday sounds like they are REALLY in distress. Have them give incomplete or partial information as to their whereabouts and why they need help. When they key the radio, have them only give a partial message and then have the radio go silent. Have their voice be so garbled that it is unreadable.   That simple change in radio communications will be enough to raise the stress level of your commander. If you want to see the difference in performance, do it once with regular (non-stressed) voices. Then do it again with stressed communications. I think you'll see two different outcomes.   CLOSING   Thank you for sharing some of your valuable time with me today. I sincerely appreciate your support of my mission.   If you like the show, please go to iTunes, and search for SAMatters Radio and subscribe to the podcast and leaving your feedback and a 5-star review. This will help others find the show.   You can also sign up for the free SAMatters monthly newsletter by visiting www.SAMatters.com and clicking the red box on the right side of the home page.   Be safe out there. May the peace of the Lord, and strong situational awareness, be with you always.     You have been listening to the Situational Awareness Matters Radio show with Dr. Richard B. Gasaway. If you are interested in learning more about situational awareness, human factors and decision making under stress, visit SAMatters.com.   If you are interested in booking Dr. Gasaway for an upcoming event, visit his personal website at RichGasaway.com   Situational Awareness Matters! website www.SAMatters.com   On-Line Academy http://www.samatters.com/situational-awareness-matters-academy/   Upcoming Events Schedule http://www.samatters.com/programs-keynote/eventschedule/   Books and Videos (Store) http://www.samatters.com/store/   Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/   Close Call Survivor Website www.CloseCallSurvivor.com   Contact Rich Gasaway www.RichGasaway.com Support@RichGasaway.com 612-548-4424