RE: 'He also placed a veteran of the chemical industry in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency’s chemical safety office, where she made industry-friendly changes to how the agency studied health risks.'
This appointment had no impact whatsoever on increasing the risk of chemical transport by rail. It should also be noted that his appointee was also a toxicologist, as opposed to the lawyers usually appointed. This particular appointee actually knew how the sausage was made, and had dedicated much of her career to coercing regulatory Agencies to adopt best practices recommended by the Academy of Sciences aimed at increasing transparency in risk assessment. This includes; systemic evaluation of the quality of the data used in assessment, documentation of all data in comprehensive weight-of-evidence evaluation, and fully documenting the sources of uncertainty in assessment and placing bounds on estimates used in assessment with best-case / worst-case assessment outcomes and probability included where possible. These 'industry-friendly' measures draw the ire of government regulators and NGO advocates for stricter regulation because the uncertainty is currently characterized as 'risk' which is great for messaging and bright lines make it easier to set standards without the policy debate. There is also legit concern that documenting all of the uncertainties in assessment will be used as a rationale for inaction by industry being regulated. It is messier but it is better science and a more honest basis for policy debate. It is way easier to target the source of changes as industry paying their shill to do their bidding than attacking the substance of changes made. The environmental advocacy business propagates the notion that nobody in industry has anything to add to debate. It is self-serving, and disappointing that The Bulwark just picked this up off of Politico and ran with it.
Regarding the blame game. Not much commentary on what is being shipped by rail and why. Cancelling pipelines hasn't led to less oil being used, or limited Canadian production, it has put more pressure on rail-lines that carry 54000 crude oil tank cars a month in the USA. Maybe newer and better pipelines would be a safter means of transport of some of the materials being shipped across the country.
My prediction: Luft's evidence against President Biden will be as compelling and Mike LIndell's 'evidence' of voter fraud. More likely, he'll find some excuse not to produce any.
Here again we have Republican doctrine shown to be nonsense. And yes, it is good to review regs continually for relevance and effectiveness, but (despite the nonsense from economists like Milton Friedman) in fact the marketplace does not replace regulations.
Nor does lowering taxes on the wealthy generate widespread prosperity.
Gal Luft will be starring in the MAGA conspiracy theory fever dreams and will probably have a prime speaking slot at CPAC.
Also, accusing Hunter Biden (a private citizen with no official role or security clearance) of using his surname for financial gain while ignoring the open corruption of the Trump offspring and their spouses is another indication that the right believes consistency is for cucks.
Look, I realize that the contribution/legislative connection as a “reveal” is baked into the genes of reporters. But every time I see one of these stories, I think “Really? A $1000 contribution to a campaign that costs thousands of times that figure is really going to pull someone off doing what is right for the public?”
The people responsible for these trains are given precisely 90 seconds to inspect each car. Trains are no longer rearranged for proper balance and safety, can't afford the time. How many tons was this train and one person running it? People in the industry knew this train was an accident waiting to happen. They tried to tell management, but management was to busy counting profits to notice.
“ Norfolk Southern has spread its influence far and wide.”
My eyes kept reading that sentence this way, “Norfolk Southern has spread its flatulence far and wide.” Seriously, it was hard to get it straight.
This guy Luft sounds a lot like a George Santos alias.
Thanks, Joe, for explaining these details, even though my mind is stuck in fifth grade humor. It must be the time of day: by the time your very informative newsletter comes out, I’m fresh out of Fs to give. Feeling punchy.
I can’t discern if the political situations are getting worse and worse, or if it’s just my capacity to deal with it that’s worse. Or maybe I’m just better informed now, and it was always this bad, but I was in blissful ignorance? As I get smarter, the world gets stupider. Does someone publish a Reality-O-Meter?
Trump schlepping his water makes my stomach ache. Being it was in Trump country, I'm sure they were thrilled and duped simultaneously. Hope I'm wrong. But I might be right.
Here is the main page where you can type in a name and see...I don't even know how to describe what one sees when you look at all of the entanglements of these people.
It's absolutely mind-blowing--even if Ivanka and Jared only halfway participated in a quarter of the organizations and companies they have ties to, when would they have time to eat, sleep, parent? It boggles the mind.
What was most interesting to me was scrolling through the twitter responses to Luft’s arrest. He says that the arms trafficking charge is untrue, but he is hardly the first person arrested who claims that he’s innocent. Nor is he the first person to claim that his arrest was politically motivated. Yet despite the historical record, many of the twitter responders were completely on his side. I assume that most of those responders have no more idea of the real facts of the case than I do (which are basically none).
And, of course, he’s hardly the first defendant to claim that he can “name names” either. So call his bluff.
So TFG goes strolling into East Palestine like he's still in charge. And the MAGA hat/water thing - shades of paper towel tossing, anyone? That fat old slob is a joke. Did he really pay for first responders to dine at Mickey D's? Hope they got the cash up front first! As for the Hunter Biden (non) story, good God. Hunter is a private citizen and they just all want to hate on him. Maybe they should take a closer look at the despicable tRump spawn and their business dealings. I looking at you, Kushner...
Congress will need to figure out how to give the regulatory agencies the authority they need to implement safety policies and then actually support them. The Supreme Court is taking away some of these because of the magnitude of effect. Norfolk Southern is the recent example. Boeing was one of the big ones with the FAA allowing Boeing to determine risks and taking their word for their finding. I know that there is an acceptable middle ground.
Put out billboards, mass media, etc. regarding Trump Administration regarding their decisions on rail safety. He wants to stand there denouncing the Biden Administration, he can answer for his role.
RE: 'He also placed a veteran of the chemical industry in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency’s chemical safety office, where she made industry-friendly changes to how the agency studied health risks.'
This appointment had no impact whatsoever on increasing the risk of chemical transport by rail. It should also be noted that his appointee was also a toxicologist, as opposed to the lawyers usually appointed. This particular appointee actually knew how the sausage was made, and had dedicated much of her career to coercing regulatory Agencies to adopt best practices recommended by the Academy of Sciences aimed at increasing transparency in risk assessment. This includes; systemic evaluation of the quality of the data used in assessment, documentation of all data in comprehensive weight-of-evidence evaluation, and fully documenting the sources of uncertainty in assessment and placing bounds on estimates used in assessment with best-case / worst-case assessment outcomes and probability included where possible. These 'industry-friendly' measures draw the ire of government regulators and NGO advocates for stricter regulation because the uncertainty is currently characterized as 'risk' which is great for messaging and bright lines make it easier to set standards without the policy debate. There is also legit concern that documenting all of the uncertainties in assessment will be used as a rationale for inaction by industry being regulated. It is messier but it is better science and a more honest basis for policy debate. It is way easier to target the source of changes as industry paying their shill to do their bidding than attacking the substance of changes made. The environmental advocacy business propagates the notion that nobody in industry has anything to add to debate. It is self-serving, and disappointing that The Bulwark just picked this up off of Politico and ran with it.
Regarding the blame game. Not much commentary on what is being shipped by rail and why. Cancelling pipelines hasn't led to less oil being used, or limited Canadian production, it has put more pressure on rail-lines that carry 54000 crude oil tank cars a month in the USA. Maybe newer and better pipelines would be a safter means of transport of some of the materials being shipped across the country.
My prediction: Luft's evidence against President Biden will be as compelling and Mike LIndell's 'evidence' of voter fraud. More likely, he'll find some excuse not to produce any.
Uhhh ... "Jim" Biden?
Here again we have Republican doctrine shown to be nonsense. And yes, it is good to review regs continually for relevance and effectiveness, but (despite the nonsense from economists like Milton Friedman) in fact the marketplace does not replace regulations.
Nor does lowering taxes on the wealthy generate widespread prosperity.
But nothing is learned and nothing changes.
Gal Luft will be starring in the MAGA conspiracy theory fever dreams and will probably have a prime speaking slot at CPAC.
Also, accusing Hunter Biden (a private citizen with no official role or security clearance) of using his surname for financial gain while ignoring the open corruption of the Trump offspring and their spouses is another indication that the right believes consistency is for cucks.
Look, I realize that the contribution/legislative connection as a “reveal” is baked into the genes of reporters. But every time I see one of these stories, I think “Really? A $1000 contribution to a campaign that costs thousands of times that figure is really going to pull someone off doing what is right for the public?”
Gal Luft sounds like the Mike Lindell of the Middle East.
The people responsible for these trains are given precisely 90 seconds to inspect each car. Trains are no longer rearranged for proper balance and safety, can't afford the time. How many tons was this train and one person running it? People in the industry knew this train was an accident waiting to happen. They tried to tell management, but management was to busy counting profits to notice.
“ Norfolk Southern has spread its influence far and wide.”
My eyes kept reading that sentence this way, “Norfolk Southern has spread its flatulence far and wide.” Seriously, it was hard to get it straight.
This guy Luft sounds a lot like a George Santos alias.
Thanks, Joe, for explaining these details, even though my mind is stuck in fifth grade humor. It must be the time of day: by the time your very informative newsletter comes out, I’m fresh out of Fs to give. Feeling punchy.
I can’t discern if the political situations are getting worse and worse, or if it’s just my capacity to deal with it that’s worse. Or maybe I’m just better informed now, and it was always this bad, but I was in blissful ignorance? As I get smarter, the world gets stupider. Does someone publish a Reality-O-Meter?
Trump schlepping his water makes my stomach ache. Being it was in Trump country, I'm sure they were thrilled and duped simultaneously. Hope I'm wrong. But I might be right.
I wish there had been a similar fascination on the left with Ivanka. Thank you Propublica for publishing this:
https://projects.propublica.org/trump-town/staffers/ivanka-trump
Here is the main page where you can type in a name and see...I don't even know how to describe what one sees when you look at all of the entanglements of these people.
https://projects.propublica.org/trump-town/
It's absolutely mind-blowing--even if Ivanka and Jared only halfway participated in a quarter of the organizations and companies they have ties to, when would they have time to eat, sleep, parent? It boggles the mind.
What was most interesting to me was scrolling through the twitter responses to Luft’s arrest. He says that the arms trafficking charge is untrue, but he is hardly the first person arrested who claims that he’s innocent. Nor is he the first person to claim that his arrest was politically motivated. Yet despite the historical record, many of the twitter responders were completely on his side. I assume that most of those responders have no more idea of the real facts of the case than I do (which are basically none).
And, of course, he’s hardly the first defendant to claim that he can “name names” either. So call his bluff.
So TFG goes strolling into East Palestine like he's still in charge. And the MAGA hat/water thing - shades of paper towel tossing, anyone? That fat old slob is a joke. Did he really pay for first responders to dine at Mickey D's? Hope they got the cash up front first! As for the Hunter Biden (non) story, good God. Hunter is a private citizen and they just all want to hate on him. Maybe they should take a closer look at the despicable tRump spawn and their business dealings. I looking at you, Kushner...
LOL......"shall I name names?" What a joker. Sure go ahead, name them, we are waiting...(yawn)
I always enjoy Republicans, the party of we hate regulation, vilifying Democrats for not having properly regulated something.
Congress will need to figure out how to give the regulatory agencies the authority they need to implement safety policies and then actually support them. The Supreme Court is taking away some of these because of the magnitude of effect. Norfolk Southern is the recent example. Boeing was one of the big ones with the FAA allowing Boeing to determine risks and taking their word for their finding. I know that there is an acceptable middle ground.
Put out billboards, mass media, etc. regarding Trump Administration regarding their decisions on rail safety. He wants to stand there denouncing the Biden Administration, he can answer for his role.