Rhiannon12866
Rhiannon12866's JournalThe Daily Show: GOP Pushes SCOTUS Vote Despite Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Kavanaugh
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford accuses SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, and Senate Republicans do somersaults to avoid any further delay on the confirmation vote.
Trevor Doesn’t Buy Senator Orrin Hatch’s Defense of Brett Kavanaugh
Senator Orrin Hatch defends Brett Kavanaugh against sexual assault allegations on the basis that he knows him “very, very well.” But does he?
Will automakers bear outsize burden for tackling climate change?
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump's wholesale assault on his predecessor's climate change policies is now fully visible. And that could put automakers in a bind.
The most recent move came last week, when the EPA proposed weakening inspection rules designed to prevent leaks of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, at oil and gas wells. In August, the agency published its intention to scale back President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan for reducing carbon dioxide pollution from coal-fired power plants. The Interior Department also is expected to cancel a restriction on intentional venting and burning of methane from drilling operations.
Meanwhile, the administration is working to lower emissions and fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles built next decade.
It's no surprise. Trump and his top advisers reject the scientific consensus that humans are the main cause of global warming. Their highest priority is reducing red tape and costs for business.
So much so that they're willing to live with an ideological contradiction: The Trump administration wants to assert federal supremacy to set nationwide air-quality regulations when it comes to auto emissions, but for methane emissions, it is happy to have state-level standards apply instead of federal ones. Whatever it takes to make the standards turn out more lax than they were before.
Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20180918/BLOG06/180919720/eric-kulisch-blog-climate-change
Where does the Merrimack Valley gas crisis stand now? Here's what we know.
"People have been able to go back to their homes, but there remains a long road ahead," Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday.<snip>
Here’s what what we know about the crisis as of Tuesday afternoon:
How did it happen?
While state officials have said the emergency involved over-pressurized gas lines, a definitive reason could take some time to investigate.
“The investigation, as I understand it, will not be focused on the end users of the gas but on the distribution system and the origin of the pressure,” Kurt Schwartz, director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, said Friday as the review was just getting underway.
Still, in a letter to Columbia Gas and its Indiana-based parent company, NiSource, Inc., Monday, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey wrote that the pressure in the system read 12 times higher than what it was meant to hold, based upon a report from the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Pressure in the gas lines should have been approximately 0.5 pounds per square inch, or PSI, but instead came in at at least 6 PSI, according to the letter, which sought answers to questions surrounding the company’s response to the crisis and information about pre-planned upgrades to gas lines that were announced ahead of when the fires broke out.
“We have requested a hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee on this incident and we hope that you will cooperate fully and transparently with federal investigators,” the letter said. “We write to request that you provide us with information in order to help the American people understand why this terrible disaster occurred, whether the company was sufficiently prepared to respond to an incident of this magnitude, and how we can prevent any similar tragedy in the future.”
Much more: https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2018/09/18/merrimack-valley-gas-explosions-fires-update
The house owned by Lawrence Police Officer Ivan Soto sits nearly burned to the ground on Jefferson Street, in Lawrence Friday. –Bob Salsberg / AP
Seth Meyers - A Low-Level Russian Official, Brett Kavanaugh's Attorney - Monologue - 9/17/18
The Daily Show: Jose Andres - "We Fed an Island" & Bringing Comfort and Nourishment to Puerto Rico
Chef José Andrés describes how much it means to hurricane victims to cook them the food they enjoy and laments Donald Trump’s lack of empathy.
Jimmy Carter Reflects On Camp David Accords - Morning Joe - MSNBC
Former President Jimmy Carter reflects on the Camp David Accords 40 years later, which Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed on Sept. 17, 1978.
The VW Beetle is dead. Again. Here are 5 other once-resurrected cars that suffered the same fate
Occasionally, car companies bring back old nameplates in the hope of stoking nostalgia and giving an old name a fresh new look. But it doesn't always work out.
The revived and redesigned Volkswagen Beetle was apparently one such case. Originally developed at the behest of Adolf Hitler in the late 1930s, the car later achieved astronomical sales figures in the 1960s, and became an icon of the era.
Volkswagen stopped selling the original version in the United States in the late 1970s, but continued to produce Beetles in other countries, then introduced a revived version in the 1990s. The car was a hit with many car buyers: Notably, Hillary and then-President Bill Clinton bought a redesigned Beetle for their daughter Chelsea.
But as sales slowed, Volkswagen decided to pull the plug. On Thursday, the automaker said the production of the car will end next year.
Volkswagen is not alone. Here are some other attempts by car companies to recall the past that did not last.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/15/the-vw-beetle-is-dead-again-five-cars-that-suffered-the-same-fate.html
Ford Thunderbird
The Ford Thunderbird was a coveted car in the 1950s and 60s. The Beach Boys even referred to the "T-Bird" in one of their hit songs "Fun, Fun, Fun"...
Mercury Cougar
The Mercury Cougar began life in 1967 as a slightly upscale stablemate to Ford's Mustang pony car. It went through several different designs over the years, and slowly morphed into more of a sedate sedan by the time it was discontinued in 1997...
Pontiac GTO
One of the original true muscle cars, the GTO was big, loud and fast when it was first released in the mid-1960s. It remained in production for about a decade.
The Daily Show: Umpires Threaten to Boycott Serena Williams & Tourists Tempt Fate with a Lion
Tennis umpires refute Serena Williams’s claims of sexism during her US Open match, Apple unveils its new line of iPhones, and a lion gets friendly with some tourists.
Seth Meyers - Manafort Flips on Trump; Kavanaugh Accused of Sexual Assault: A Closer Look
Seth takes a closer look at President Trump's ex-campaign chairman flipping on him and the sexual assault allegations leveled against his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh.
The Daily Show: The National Toy Hall of Fame & The Trump Magic 8 Ball; Trevor's Favorite Toy
Trevor runs through the nominees for this year’s National Toy Hall of Fame and presents his own contender, a Trump-inspired Magic 8 Ball.
Trevor’s Favorite Toy - Between the Scenes
Trevor’s favorite toy growing up? A brick.
Profile Information
Gender: FemaleHometown: NE New York
Home country: USA
Current location: Serious Snow Country :(
Member since: 2003 before July 6th
Number of posts: 205,161
