Tag Archives: National

U.S. DOT announces Fiat Chrysler enforcement action.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced today that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has acknowledged violations of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act’s requirements to repair vehicles with safety defects and will submit to rigorous federal oversight, buy back some defective vehicles from owners, and agreed to a $105 million civil penalty, the largest ever imposed by the Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Chrysler FAQ (PDF)

The enforcement action comes after a July 2 public hearing at which NHTSA officials outlined problems with Fiat Chrysler’s execution of 23 vehicle safety recalls covering more than 11 million defective vehicles. Fiat Chrysler has since admitted to violating the Safety Act in three areas: effective and timely recall remedies, notification to vehicle owners and dealers and notifications to NHTSA.

This recall effects 1,771 2014-2015 model years Ram 4500 and 5500 manufactured August 20, 2013, to January 27, 2015, and equipped with 6.4L Hemi engines. Chrysler has also recalled 644,354 2011-2014 model years Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured from January 5, 2010, through September 8, 2013 and 2011-2014 model years Dodge Durango vehicles manufactured from January 5, 2010, through September 8, 2013

“Today’s action holds Fiat Chrysler accountable for its past failures, pushes them to get unsafe vehicles repaired or off the roads and takes concrete steps to keep Americans safer going forward,” said Secretary Foxx. “This civil penalty puts manufacturers on notice that the Department will act when they do not take their obligations to repair safety defects seriously.”

In a consent order issued by NHTSA, Fiat Chrysler commits to take action to get defective vehicles off the roads or repaired. Owners of more than half a million vehicles with defective suspension parts that could cause the vehicle to lose control will have the opportunity to sell their vehicle back to Fiat Chrysler. Owners of more than a million Jeeps that are prone to deadly fires either will have the chance to trade their vehicle in for above its market value, or will receive a financial incentive to get their vehicle remedied.

The consent order requires FCA to notify vehicle owners eligible for buybacks and other financial incentives that these new options are available.

The automaker also agrees to unprecedented oversight for the next three years, which includes hiring an independent monitor approved by NHTSA to assess, track and report the company’s recall performance.

“Fiat Chrysler’s pattern of poor performance put millions of its customers, and the driving public, at risk,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said. “This action will provide relief to owners of defective vehicles, will help improve recall performance throughout the auto industry, and gives Fiat Chrysler the opportunity to embrace a proactive safety culture.”

The company must pay a $70 million cash penalty – equal to the record $70 million civil penalty the agency imposed on Honda in January. In addition, Fiat Chrysler must spend at least $20 million on meeting performance requirements included in the Consent Order. Another $15 million could come due if the independent monitor discovers additional violations of the Safety Act or the Consent Order.

Happy Birthday Milton Friedman

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milton_friedmanNobel award winning economist Milton Friedman was born July 31, 1912 in Brooklyn, New York City, NY. Friedman was the undisputed champion of the proper capitalist system as described by Adam Smith in An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations published in 1776. He embarrassed the unconstitutional Federal Reserve by proving how they caused the Great Depression. Ben Bernake later admitted they “accidentally” caused the collapse of economies around the world.

Friedman correctly pointed out that in the era of less government regulation, the mass of the people were more well-off than in highly regulated society of today. In fact the “gap” between the poor and the wealthy continues to rise and the mainstream media questions what government regulation it will take to stop it. They championed the $15 an hour minimum wage in Washington which had the result of the loss of jobs as fast food restaurants installed ordering kiosks.

Of his many books, his most noted work is probably Capitalism and Freedom published in 1962. In it he points out the fallacy of “progressives” usurping the term “liberal” to describe their Marxist political philosophy.

His emphasis was on education in skills, instead of degrees in poetry and feminine studies, as a means to escape poverty. He founded the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice.

Milton Friedman passed away in November of 2006.


Can you stop the Windows 10 upgrade?

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As we have been reporting, the Windows 10 update is causing some problems and people might want to wait a few months before upgrading. If, however, you accepted the “invitation” of Microsoft to update, you may be forced to. Unless you can stop it.

We previously reported on a procedure offered by Wired, but that did not work. The following procedure from SuperSite for Windows did seem to work. Having tried it, it removed the Windows 10 upgrade icon from the task bar.

The update is KB3035583 and has to be removed.

We will present the steps from the article, but you may wish to check the article for the graphics.

1. Open Windows Update through the search.

2. Click on the Installed Updates link in the lower left corner of the window.

3. In the Search box in the upper right corner of the new window, type in KB3035583.

4. The update should be the only one to appear. Click on it and agree to remove the update.

You will have to allow the system to re-boot. I do still get a box that states that the Windows 10 download failed when I bring up the Windows Update. Hopefully this information will help.

See you on the other side

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Today is the big Windows 10 upgrade. I have decided to wait a few days and research any problems. GIZMODO Review says that the it may be a risky upgrade and it is not easy to revert to Windows 8.1.

If your computer is working fine, you might want to turn off automatic updates for a few days and install only hardware and security updates. Wired has a procedure to make sure you do not upgrade right away.

Anyone having a good, or bad, experience are welcome to comment on this article.

Uh-oh. Windows 10 roll-out may cause problems

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We suggest that you back-up your computer system, or at least important files, immediately. If you have not created a restore disk, we suggest you do so immediately. Consult your manual or check the website for your computer system to see how to do this. If your computer stops booting properly, you may need the restore disk(s) to return your computer to factory condition.

windows-10 Although the official Windows 10 upgrade is supposed to start July 29, Forbes is reporting that it may already be causing problems; including stopping computers from booting. Gordon Kelly also reports that the Microsoft Windows 10 upgrade cannot be stopped. He quotes Microsoft:

The software periodically checks for system and app updates, and downloads and installs them for you. You may obtain updates only from Microsoft or authorized sources, and Microsoft may need to update your system to provide you with those updates. By accepting this agreement, you agree to receive these types of automatic updates without any additional notice.

The flaw apparently is due to an update for a Nvidia graphics card driver which interferes with the operation of the graphics card and may cause PCs to stop booting entirely. This flaw may mostly effect multi-screen users.

The obvious security suggestion right now is that you should immediately back up your system and conduct a daily back-up until Microsoft forces Windows 10 onto your system. Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

Reviews from those using beta copies have been positive, but have continually noted bugs. It is reported that most of those bugs are fixed, but this may be a prelude to other drivers not ready ready for the roll-out.

Computerworld reported last week that you might want to wait to upgrade for several reasons. Author Preston Gralla writes that you have a year to upgrade from the release date of July 29. According to the Forbes report, this might not be true.

Gralla does suggest that if you are happy with your Windows 7, you might want to avoid upgrading all together. He points out that the whole object of Windows 10 was to replace Windows 8 which removed the familiar START menu. You already have that in Windows 7.

In addition—as with any Microsoft upgrade—new drivers might not be available for the peripherals you might have installed, such as printers or scanners.

{It is our understanding that the Windows 7 upgrade to Windows 10 is not automatic, but this might not be true. Back-up your system, at least important data, just in case.}

According to an article on c|net, the Windows 10 PC build 10240 is the final build for Windows 10 before its release date. Beta testers are still testing and reporting on the build. Lance Whitney writes:

Microsoft needs to hit a home run with Windows 10, not just to make up for the debacle of Windows 8 but also to prove that it can still create an OS that generates appeal, excitement and demand among users. …
But even if Windows 10 isn’t 100 percent bug-free and rock-solid come next Wednesday, that doesn’t spell doom and gloom for the latest version. …

The problem is that Microsoft has gained its “appeal” by making deals with computer manufacturers over the years by giving special deals for their software to be used on those computers. Microsoft only provides the operating system itself and, understandably, is not concerned with any proprietary drivers which might be included by hardware manufacturers. Much less games and other software.

Bowe Bergdahl gets leave cut short when found during a pot raid.

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2014-8aug-07-bowe-in-uniform-ft-sam-nbcMendocino County, CALIFORNIA — Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. Army deserter who was traded for four terrorists, was “detained” in Mendocino County, California at a marijuana raid while on leave.

According to FOX news, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s office took Bergdahl into custody during a raid in Redwood City by the county’s Marijuana Eradication team. The team found 180 mature marijuana plants growing at the house.

It was determined that Bergdahl was not part of the operation and was released to the U.S. Army North command where he is stationed. Sheriff officials said it is not unusual to release persons who might find themselves in a situation where they did not know the plants were growing.

Army spokesperson Cynthia O. Smith confirmed to FOX news that Bergdahl was returned to his duty station at Fort Sam Houston in Texas and has not been charged with any crime involving his time on leave.

The Natural Dog Company, Inc. Recalls 12″ Tremenda Sticks

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250tremenda455548 Windsor, CO – The Natural Dog Company, Inc. of Windsor, CO, is recalling its 12oz bags of 12″ Tremenda Sticks pet chews because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the product and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The recalled 12″ Tremenda Sticks were distributed to retail stores in CA, CO, FL, IL, MO MT, NC, OH UT and WA.

The recalled product comes in a 12oz bag without a lot number or expiration date with UPC number: 851265004957. Products with new packaging, which includes both a lot number and expiration date but the same UPC are not affected by this recall.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

The potential for contamination was noted after a Colorado Department of Agriculture inspection of the product revealed the presence of Salmonella in a sample taken from a 12oz package of 12″ Tremenda Sticks.

Production of the product has been suspended while FDA and the company continue their investigation as to the source of the problem.

Consumers who have purchased 12oz packages of 12″ Tremenda Sticks should discontinue use of the product and may return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-888-424-4602 – Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm MST.

This New Bill Could Ban GMO Labeling for Good

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Natural Society Photo

Natural Society Photo

According to the Natural Society website, this piece was rejected by Facebook. It is interesting that their “security systems” would block this. We’ll do our part to help. If this is rejected on our Facebook page, you can find the link to the full article below. Our thanks to Anthony for covering this important topic.
“Thousands of our fans, including those with March Against Monsanto, have found this post to be blocked on Facebook. Why is this being blocked? When I tried to post this article to both the Natural Society page and my Anthony Gucciardi Facebook page I was met with a warning that this post was blocked due to ‘security measures.’ Needless to say, this raised many questions. What do you think?”

640usda-monsanto-gmo-labels by Anthony Gucciardi

Want some more proof that Monsanto and other biotech giants are deathly afraid of GMO labeling initiatives passing within the United States? A new bill introduced by Monsanto’s star representative, Mike Pompeo, could soon ban all mandatory GMO labeling in the US.

The worst part? It was just approved by the House Agriculture Committee, which means it’s one step closer to becoming a full-fledged law. The bill is formally known as H.R. 1599, or the ‘Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015.’

More precisely, it has been dubbed to be the ‘Monsanto Protection Act’ on steroids.

Read more at Natural Society

Are you up for the PTSD Challenge?

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22+Template
Glen Davis

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a complication many veterans suffer with upon returning home. It used to be called “battle fatigue.” They find it difficult to sleep because of dreams or memories. They find it difficult to relax because they are used to constantly being on guard. Sharp loud noises which most civilians take for granted are grating on the nerves of these veterans.

22 veterans die each day by taking their own lives. The 22 Until None Facebook page documents the continuing victims of war each day.

While Ted Turner and VA representatives may find it fun to mock the 22 suicides daily, veterans of all eras take it very seriously. Our prayer for this Independence day is that we become independent of this suicide trend. That from here on out, our brothers and sisters seek the help they need. There are plenty of veterans out there that know what you are going through. Some of us do not. We are, however, willing to spend the time to listen to your story.

To raise awareness, Iron Apparel (Facebook) has issued a video challenge in hopes of raising $22,000 for the PTSD Foundation of America. The challenge is in the video below.

The T-shirts they speak of can be found at their website. I ordered mine today and with shipping it costs about $35. You may simply donate $22 directly to the PTSD foundation.

To help raise awareness more, however, I will do a video completing the challenge since my T probably will not arrive for two- to three-weeks. Watch for the video and I will throw down the gauntlet then.

Another healing resource used by a friend of mine is Honor House in Phoenix.

Whether you have served or not, you can help by contributing to these resources.

For The Love of Spock

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Photo from Kickstarter web site

Photo from Kickstarter web site

Leonard Nimoy, best known for his role as Mr. Spock on Star Trek, was approached by his son on the possibility of doing a film on Spock for the 50th anniversary of Star Trek next year. They worked on the project until his unfortunate passing in February. Adam Nimoy now seeks to complete the film not only as a tribute to Spock, but as a tribute to his father.

Adam is a director in his own right having directed episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Babylon 5, Sliders and other non-science fiction shows.

In order to complete the film in time, Adam turned to the Kickstarter funding web site. The father and son team had already chosen 455 Films to produce the film and had contacted several of the Star Trek actors to be interviewed for the film. Zachary Quinto, the current Spock in the recent feature films, has agreed to narrate the film.

Kickstarter offers several donation levels from $5 on up, but some of the higher level offers are already sold out.