#U.S. Department of Transportation

[thenewdemocratus]

C-SPAN: President Trump On DCA Helicopter-Plane Crash

“President Trump on DCA helicopter-plane crash: “Sadly, there are no survivors. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capitol and in our nation’s history and a tragedy of terrible proportions.” He discusses the NTSB investigation and safety: “I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first…my administration will set the highest possible bar for aviation…

[gwydionmisha]

Trump officials asked over a dozen senior career diplomats to step down, sources say

Here comes the partisan purge as part of the Republican war on good government and expertise..

Remember how W insisting all intelligence briefings should be tailored to what he wanted to hear led to 9/11 being successful? They are planning competent non-partisan people with integrity from our intelligence services so they can do that on a large scale for 47.

On a related note Ratcliffe has basically vowed to do just that at the CIA, which is why 47 picked him. It's also why he wants Kash Patel for the FBI.

He is replacing vetted, competent people with people he didn't bother to vet and is giving them security clearances willy nilly.

[racefortheironthrone]

Inspired by a joke in The Onion, do you think there's ever been a Secretary of Transportation who couldn't drive a car? My understanding is that you can live and work in Washington without really needing to drive.

If you live in the city proper rather than commuting in from the suburbs like everyone stuck on the Beltway, yeah, there's decent mass transit in D.C if the Metro isn't on fire at the moment.

However, one of the perks of being a Cabinet Secretary is that you are assigned a "portal-to-portal" car and driver, so the Secretary of Transportation doesn't need to drive.

I don't know if there has been a Secretary of Transportation who doesn't know how to drive. It's a pretty new Federal Department, only going back to 1966, which means that the people who have held that title all grew up after the car had achieved dominance in American culture, so they probably learned to drive growing up.

[hi-im-dazey]

It looks like I will be taking my Medical Alert Dog on her first plane trip very soon, and I had to look up what needs to happen to get her on the plane.

Apparently I have to fill out a form and present it at the customer service desk, where they will ask me the three questions, and verify that she has "Out in Public" manners and her rabies/license tags.

This is all fine and very good, as she is highly trained and very good at "out in public" manners, so not much of a concern, except the fact that I also have mobility issues and will need to be at the airport at the ass crack of the dawn of time to get through the whole rigmarole.

But it occurred to me that this form may be of use to others, so I thought I would drop a link for my tumblr besties and whatnot to bookmark if needed. It is important to remember that you should not date it until after you purchase your ticket, but you can download it and fill it out and save it for printing when needed, and then sign and date it when you are ready to travel.

Here is the link

[minnesotafollower]

Congressional Hearing on Visits to U.S. Airports by Cuban Officials 

On July 9, the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security of the House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing on visits to the U.S. by Cuban officials to U.S. airports where flights from Cuba are received. This was after a May 20, 2024 (Cuban Independence Day) visit by Cuban officials hosted by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at the Miami International…

[thejewishlink]

American Airlines Hit With Largest-Ever Tarmac Delay Fine

American Airlines Group was ordered to pay a $4.1 million fine, the largest such penalty to date, for allowing aircraft to sit on the ground for three hours or more without giving passengers a chance to exit. The U.S. Transportation Department on Monday said the action was part of an increase in enforcement starting last year after Secretary Pete Buttigieg began denouncing carriers for causing…

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #16

April 26-May 3 2024

President Biden announced $3 billion to help replace lead pipes in the drinking water system. Millions of Americans get their drinking water through lead pipes, which are toxic, no level of lead exposure is safe. This problem disproportionately affects people of color and low income communities. This first investment of a planned $15 billion will replace 1.7 million lead pipe lines. The Biden Administration plans to replace all lead pipes in the country by the end of the decade.

President Biden canceled the student debt of 317,000 former students of a fraudulent for-profit college system. The Art Institutes was a for-profit system of dozens of schools offering degrees in video-game design and other arts. After years of legal troubles around misleading students and falsifying data the last AI schools closed abruptly without warning in September last year. This adds to the $29 billion in debt for 1.7 borrowers who wee mislead and defrauded by their schools which the Biden Administration has done, and a total debt relief for 4.6 million borrowers so far under Biden.

President Biden expanded two California national monuments protecting thousands of acres of land. The two national monuments are the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, which are being expanded by 120,000 acres. The new protections cover lands of cultural and religious importance to a number of California based native communities. This expansion was first proposed by then Senator Kamala Harris in 2018 as part of a wide ranging plan to expand and protect public land in California. This expansion is part of the Administration's goals to protect, conserve, and restore at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.

The Department of Transportation announced new rules that will require car manufacturers to install automatic braking systems in new cars. Starting in 2029 all new cars will be required to have systems to detect pedestrians and automatically apply the breaks in an emergency. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration projects this new rule will save 360 lives every year and prevent at least 24,000 injuries annually.

The IRS announced plans to ramp up audits on the wealthiest Americans. The IRS plans on increasing its audit rate on taxpayers who make over $10 million a year. After decades of Republicans in Congress cutting IRS funding to protect wealthy tax cheats the Biden Administration passed $80 billion for tougher enforcement on the wealthy. The IRS has been able to collect just in one year $500 Million in undisputed but unpaid back taxes from wealthy households, and shows a rise of $31 billion from audits in the 2023 tax year. The IRS also announced its free direct file pilot program was a smashing success. The program allowed tax payers across 12 states to file directly for free with the IRS over the internet. The IRS announced that 140,000 tax payers were able to use it over their target of 100,000, they estimated it saved $5.6 million in tax prep fees, over 90% of users were happy with the webpage and reported it quicker and easier than companies like H&R Block. the IRS plans to bring direct file nationwide next year.

The Department of Interior announced plans for new off shore wind power. The two new sites, off the coast of Oregon and in the Gulf of Maine, would together generate 18 gigawatts of totally clean energy, enough to power 6 million homes.

The Biden Administration announced new rules to finally allow DACA recipients to be covered by Obamacare. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an Obama era policy that allows people brought to the United States as children without legal status to remain and to legally work. However for years DACA recipients have not been able to get health coverage through the Obamacare Health Care Marketplace. This rule change will bring health coverage to at least 100,000 uninsured people.

The Department of Health and Human Services finalized rules that require LGBTQ+ and Intersex minors in the foster care system be placed in supportive and affirming homes.

The Senate confirmed Georgia Alexakis to a life time federal judgeship in Illinois. This brings the total number of federal judges appointed by President Biden to 194. For the first time in history the majority of a President's nominees to the federal bench have not been white men.

[papasmoke]

https://www.devex.com/news/exclusive-usaid-officials-say-israel-breached-us-directive-on-gaza-aid-107545?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=devex_social_icons

In a submission to Blinken, USAID “assesses the government of Israel (GOI) does not currently demonstrate necessary compliance” with the memo’s requirement that it facilitate and not impede “the transport of delivery of United States humanitarian assistance” as well as U.S.-backed international efforts to provide relief.

...

The initiative coincides with a serious deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The Biden administration anticipates international experts will declare “ongoing famine” in Gaza by early next month, according to a separate internal memo to Blinken from U.S. experts on food security in the Department of State and USAID. The memo subject line, which was seen by Devex, reads: “Famine Inevitable, Changes Could Reduce but Not Stop Widespread Civilian Deaths.”

[emphasis mine]“Israel-imposed administrative challenges are preventing the delivery” of lifesaving humanitarian assistance, it adds.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Month - July 2024

🏅- Talk about an Olympic comeback!

1. U.S. proposes ban on airline fees for seating parents next to kids

Parents should't have to pay a fee to sit next to their children when flying, according to the White House, which is moving to ban airlines from charging families extra to be seated together.

Under a rule proposed Thursday by the Department of Transportation, airlines would be required to seat parents and kids 13 and younger together free of charge when adjacent seating is available at booking.

2. A spinal injury killed Adriana Ruano's dream as a gymnast. She just won Guatemala's first Olympic gold medal as a shooter.

Ruano was training for the 2011 world championships in gymnastics, a qualifier for the London Olympics the following year, when she felt pain in her back. An MRI showed the then-16-year-old had six damaged vertebrae — a career-ending injury.

But on Wednesday, she came back as a shooter and won Guatemala's first Olympic gold medal.

3. Woman swept out to sea rescued after surviving 37 hours in 6.5' waves, drifted over 50 miles.

A Chinese woman who was swept out to sea while swimming at a Japanese beach was rescued 37 hours later after drifting in an inflatable swim ring more than 80 kilometers (50 miles) in the Pacific Ocean, officials said Thursday.

4. Afghan Sisters Escape The Taliban To Achieve Olympic Dreams

Sisters Yulduz and Fariba Hashimi are set to become the first female cyclists from Afghanistan to compete in the Olympics. The siblings fled their country after the Taliban seized power in 2021 and cracked down on women's rights, including banning women from participating in sports.

5. Stem cell therapy cures man with type 2 diabetes

A 59-year-old man had been suffering from diabetes for 25 years, needing more and more insulin every day to avoid slipping into a diabetic coma and was at risk of death. But then Chinese researchers cured his disease for the first time in the world. The patient received a cell transplant in 2021 and has not taken any medication since 2022.

6. Seventh person likely 'cured' of HIV, doctors announce

A 60-year-old German man is likely the seventh person to be effectively cured from HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant, doctors announced on Thursday. The man received a bone marrow transplant for his leukaemia in 2015. The procedure, which has a 10 percent risk of death, essentially replaces a person's immune system.

7. Every country has now banned the use of leaded gasoline in cars

Three and a half decades later, in 2021, Algeria became the last country to ban it. Leaded gasoline is now banned from being used in road vehicles in every country. It is a big win for the health of people around the world.

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That's it for this month :)

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[deewellsosd]

Remembering the Fung Wah Bus: NYC to Boston’s Wildest Ride

If you ever needed to get from New York City to Boston (or vice versa) on a tight budget, chances are you’ve heard of the legendary Fung Wah Bus. For years, Fung Wah wasn’t just a cheap way to travel—it was an experience. From its unbeatable prices to its wild reputation, Fung Wah was the stuff of urban travel folklore. Whether you loved it, hated it, or were just slightly terrified by it, one thing’s for sure: it was unforgettable.

The Birth of a Legend

Back in 1996, Fung Wah Bus started out as a little-known service shuttling people between Chinatown in NYC and Chinatown in Boston. Tickets were dirt cheap—sometimes as low as $10! Founder Pei Lin Liang had no idea he was about to start a revolution in intercity travel.

While companies like Greyhound and Amtrak charged way more for the same trip, Fung Wah attracted students, immigrants, and broke adventurers. The buses were simple: no Wi-Fi, no comfy seats, no frills—just a bus, a driver, and a promise to get you where you needed to go (more or less).

The Fung Wah Experience

Let’s be honest—riding the Fung Wah wasn’t for the faint of heart. The buses weren’t exactly luxurious, and the drivers? Let’s just say they had skills—skills that often felt like they were auditioning for NASCAR.

The stories from Fung Wah rides are legendary. Overheated engines? Check. Buses randomly pulling over on the highway? Oh yeah. Packed seats and questionable smells? You bet. But somehow, that was part of the charm. It was like a rite of passage for college students and budget travelers.

Despite the occasional chaos, people loved it. Where else could you spend a few bucks and make it to another city with enough left over for lunch?

The Rise of Chinatown Buses

Fung Wah’s success kicked off an entire industry of “Chinatown buses.” Suddenly, other companies were offering the same cheap rides between cities like Philadelphia, D.C., and Boston. These low-cost buses gave traditional carriers like Greyhound a run for their money, forcing them to drop prices and rethink their business models.

For a while, Fung Wah ruled this space, becoming the go-to option for anyone looking to save cash. Sure, it wasn’t the safest option, but hey—it got the job done.

The Downfall

But all good things must come to an end. Fung Wah’s fast-and-loose approach eventually caught up with it. Over the years, the company faced growing scrutiny for safety violations. There were crashes, breakdowns, and federal investigations.

By 2013, regulators had had enough. The U.S. Department of Transportation shut Fung Wah down, citing major safety concerns—like cracked bus frames. They tried to make a comeback in 2015, but it didn’t stick. And just like that, Fung Wah was gone.

A Legacy That Lives On

Even though it’s no longer around, Fung Wah lives on in the hearts (and memes) of those who rode it. It wasn’t just a bus—it was an experience. For many, it symbolized freedom, adventure, and a chance to explore without breaking the bank.

Today, plenty of budget bus options exist, and they’ve learned from Fung Wah’s mistakes. They’re safer, more reliable, and (sadly) less chaotic. But ask anyone who remembers Fung Wah, and they’ll tell you—it was something special.

Fung Wah in Pop Culture

Over the years, Fung Wah has become a bit of an urban legend. It’s been mentioned in stand-up routines, memes, and indie films. For those who rode it, these nods bring back memories of cramped seats, fast drivers, and the thrill of cheap travel.

Why We’ll Never Forget

Fung Wah wasn’t perfect, but it was iconic. It made travel accessible for people who couldn’t afford Amtrak or didn’t want to deal with Greyhound. It connected communities and opened up a new way to explore on a budget.

If you ever rode a Fung Wah Bus, you’ve got a story to tell. And if you never did? Well, you missed out on one of the most chaotic, thrilling, and oddly charming travel experiences ever.

Fung Wah may be gone, but its legacy is still rolling. Here’s to the little bus line that changed the game—and made the NYC-to-Boston trip one heck of an adventure.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Oliver Willis at Daily Kos:

Donald Trump has a long history of racism, from excusing the actions of Nazis to promoting the racist birther conspiracy theory. Trump also surrounds himself with racist advisers like Stephen Miller, who is currently formulating the administration’s harsh immigration policy. Trump continued this approach in the first few days of his second presidency by issuing a series of executive orders meant to undo past actions by the U.S. government to address the harmful effects of racism. Trump and his fellow Republicans have for years attacked programs meant to counter racism and encourage diversity, attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. They have falsely claimed that these programs prioritize mediocrity over qualified individuals and decision making. But in reality, the anti-DEI crusade has been a smokescreen for rolling back civil rights.

In his executive order��“Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” the Trump administration made this posture clear. The order explicitly rescinds Executive Order 11246, which President Lyndon Johnson signed in 1965—an order Johnson used to desegregate federal contracting. As the Department of Labor website explains (for now, at least), the Johnson order “reinforced the requirement that federal contractors not discriminate in employment and take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity based on race, color, religion, and national origin.” The department also notes that the Johnson order—now gone, thanks to Trump’s actions—were a “key landmark in a series of federal actions aimed at ending racial, religious and ethnic discrimination.” Reversing an order meant to attack racism and pro-segregation policies was described by the Trump administration in a release as “protecting civil rights and expanding individual opportunity.”

[...] The administration issued an order instructing the Department of Transportation and the FAA to “immediately stop Biden DEI hiring programs and return to non-discriminatory, merit-based hiring.” The order claimed without evidence that increasing diversity in transportation programs somehow makes travel more dangerous for Americans. As evidence, the administration pointed to a January 2023 FAA outage as “an illustration of the importance of FAA competence.” But in reality, as the FAA determined at the time of the outage, the cause was a corrupted database issue that occurred when files were deleted by mistake by a contractor. That’s not exactly a diversity issue.

Racist-in-Chief kills LBJ’s 1965 EO that desegregated federal contracting as part of his racist quest to end DEI programs.

See Also:

Vox: Trump’s sweeping new order tries to dismantle DEI in government — and the private sector

NCRM: ‘Civil Rights Canon in American Law’: Trump Rescinds Historic LBJ Nondiscrimination Order

[odinsblog]

Patrick Braxton became the first Black mayor of Newbern, Alabama, when he was elected in 2020, but since then he has fought with the previous administration to actually serve in office. (Aallyah Wright/Capital B)

NEWBERN, Ala. — There’s a power struggle in Newbern, Alabama, and the rural town’s first Black mayor is at war with the previous administration who he says locked him out of Town Hall.

After years of racist harassment and intimidation, Patrick Braxton is fed up, and in a federal civil rights lawsuit he is accusing town officials of conspiring to deny his civil rights and his position because of his race.

“When I first became mayor, [a white woman told me] the town was not ready for a Black mayor,” Braxton recalls.

The town is 85% Black, and 29% of Black people here live below the poverty line.

“What did she mean by the town wasn’t ready for a Black mayor? They, meaning white people?” Capital B asked.

“Yes. No change,” Braxton says.

Decades removed from a seemingly Jim Crow South, white people continue to thwart Black political progress by refusing to allow them to govern themselves or participate in the country’s democracy, several residents told Capital B. While litigation may take months or years to resolve, Braxton and community members are working to organize voter education, registration, and transportation ahead of the 2024 general election.

But the tension has been brewing for years.

Two years ago, Braxton says he was the only volunteer firefighter in his department to respond to a tree fire near a Black person’s home in the town of 275 people. As Braxton, 57, actively worked to put out the fire, he says, one of his white colleagues tried to take the keys to his fire truck to keep him from using it.

In another incident, Braxton, who was off duty at the time, overheard an emergency dispatch call for a Black woman experiencing a heart attack. He drove to the fire station to retrieve the automated external defibrillator, or AED machine, but the locks were changed, so he couldn’t get into the facility. He raced back to his house, grabbed his personal machine, and drove over to the house, but he didn’t make it in time to save her. Braxton wasn’t able to gain access to the building or equipment until the Hale County Emergency Management Agency director intervened, the lawsuit said.

“I have been on several house fires by myself,” Braxton says. “They hear the radio and wouldn’t come. I know they hear it because I called dispatch, and dispatch set the tone call three or four times for Newbern because we got a certain tone.”

This has become the new norm for Braxton ever since he became the first Black mayor of his hometown in 2020. For the past three years, he’s been fighting to serve and hold on to the title of mayor, first reported by Lee Hedgepeth, a freelance journalist based in Alabama.

Incorporated in 1854, Newbern, Alabama, today has a population of 275 people — 85% of whom are Black. (Aallyah Wright/Capital B)

Not only has he been locked out of the town hall and fought fires alone, but he’s been followed by a drone and unable to retrieve the town’s mail and financial accounts, he says. Rather than concede, Haywood “Woody” Stokes III, the former white mayor, along with his council members, reappointed themselves to their positions after ordering a special election that no one knew about.

Braxton is suing them, the People’s Bank of Greensboro, and the postmaster at the U.S. Post Office.

For at least 60 years, there’s never been an election in the town. Instead, the mantle has been treated as a “hand me down” by the small percentage of white residents, according to several residents Capital B interviewed. After being the only one to submit qualifying paperwork and statement of economic interests, Braxton became the mayor.

(continue reading)

[probablyasocialecologist]

The U.S. government’s two foremost authorities on humanitarian assistance concluded this spring that Israel had deliberately blocked deliveries of food and medicine into Gaza. The U.S. Agency for International Development delivered its assessment to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the State Department’s refugees bureau made its stance known to top diplomats in late April. Their conclusion was explosive because U.S. law requires the government to cut off weapons shipments to countries that prevent the delivery of U.S.-backed humanitarian aid. Israel has been largely dependent on American bombs and other weapons in Gaza since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks. But Blinken and the administration of President Joe Biden did not accept either finding. Days later, on May 10, Blinken delivered a carefully worded statement to Congress that said, “We do not currently assess that the Israeli government is prohibiting or otherwise restricting the transport or delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance.”

[...]

Separately, the head of the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration had also determined that Israel was blocking humanitarian aid and that the Foreign Assistance Act should be triggered to freeze almost $830 million in taxpayer dollars earmarked for weapons and bombs to Israel, according to emails obtained by ProPublica. The U.N. has declared a famine in parts of Gaza. The world’s leading independent panel of aid experts found that nearly half of the Palestinians in the enclave are struggling with hunger. Many go days without eating. Local authorities say dozens of children have starved to death — likely a significant undercount. Health care workers are battling a lack of immunizations compounded by a sanitation crisis. Last month, a little boy became Gaza’s first confirmed case of polio in 25 years. The USAID officials wrote that because of Israel’s behavior, the U.S. should pause additional arms sales to the country. ProPublica obtained a copy of the agency’s April memo along with the list of evidence that the officials cited to back up their findings.

24 September 2024

[qqueenofhades]

"We're thankful that the Biden administration played the long game on sick days and stuck with us for months after Congress imposed our updated national agreement. Without making a big show of it, Joe Biden and members of his administration in the Transportation and Labor departments have been working continuously to get guaranteed paid sick days for all railroad workers."

Yeah, I AM gonna point this out, and be blunt and annoying about it: remember how the Online Leftists have spent MONTHS screaming about Biden Selling Out The Working Class and heaping vitriol on him for proposing the compromise agreement to Congress that stopped the rail strike, but didn't include sick days, and this was the Biggest Betrayal Ever To Betrayal? And showed that he was terrible and a corporate sellout and anti-labor and whatever else?

Well, guess what: now the rail workers have paid sick days! Biden and the Department of Labor/Transportation worked nonstop to get it done, didn't brag about it or blather on endlessly, and then got it done! Because it turns out that it was better to take the partial agreement, keep things moving, and continue to work in good faith and make progress, thus resulting in what they wanted without just blowing everything up and calling that a good plan! Shocking!

[welcometoqueer]

U.S. programs and services in danger of being diminished or fully cut:

Social Security

Department of Education

Department of Labor

Department of Transportation

Medicaid

Medicare

Obamacare

FDA

CDC

USDA

FAFSA

FEMA

ACA

SNAP

EPA

FTC

FEC

HUD

HHS

NOAA

SCHIP

FAA

National Weather Service

Hurricane and other disaster warnings

Unemployment services

Student loans

Pell grants

Libraries

Fluoride treatment in our water

Meat and food inspections

National Parks

Other concerns:

(International relations)

Loss of U.S. membership in NATO

Potential UN ramifications

Tariffs

Support of Israel winning the war

Putin and Russian relations

(Loss of Rights)

Voting rights

Miranda rights

LGBTQ+, POC, and other minority rights

Reproductive rights

Protection against pre-existing conditions

Protection against assault and harassment

Child labor protections

(Daily living)

Prescription prices skyrocketing

No rent control

Little to no reproductive or health care access

Legalized police brutality

Diminished or cut protections and rights for minority groups

Restrictions on gender affirming care or legal services

Increased taxes and cost of living for the non-wealthy

No more $35 insulin

No labor laws - 40+ hour work weeks, no mandatory breaks, no paid sick or vacation leave

[autisticadvocacy]

“U.S. Transportation Secretary...announced enhanced protections for people with disabilities traveling on commercial airlines. The new regulations are aimed in particular at protecting passengers who use wheelchairs, after a series of violations of existing laws by airlines.”