February 3 and 4, 2018


News and Views


SATELLITE KILLER? IT SEEMS TO ME THIS IS ONE OF THE OLD ORIGINAL STAR TREK SHOWS. THIS IS, HOWEVER, NO FICTION DRAMA. WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THIS? BUT FIRST, WHY DIDN’T I FIND THIS ON THE CBS SITE? FAKE NEWS? I DON’T THINK IT IS.

http://www.businessinsider.com/china-russia-soon-able-destroy-us-satellites-pentagon-2018-1
The Pentagon says China and Russia will soon be able to destroy US satellites
The Washington Free Beacon
Bill Gertz, The Washington Free Beacon
Jan. 30, 2018, 10:38 AM

Russia and China are developing anti-satellite missiles and other countermeasures that will destroy, damage, or jam low-earth orbit satellites.
The Chinese and the Russians are expected to get this capability within several years.
The Joint Staff intelligence directorate report warned "this reality should be considered a crisis to be dealt with immediately."

China and Russia are developing anti-satellite missiles and other weapons and will soon be capable of damaging or destroying all U.S. satellites in low-earth orbit, according to the Pentagon's Joint Staff.

The Joint Staff intelligence directorate, known as J-2, issued the warning in a recent report on the growing threat of anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons from those states, according to officials familiar with the assessment.

The report concludes that "China and Russia will be capable of severely disrupting or destroying U.S. satellites in low-earth orbit" in the next several years, said the officials.

The capability to attack low-earth orbit satellites could be in place by 2020, the officials said.

A Joint Staff spokesman declined to comment, citing a policy of not discussing internal reports.

The J-2 report echoes a similar but less specific warning from Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats in May.

US Navy Satellite
The U.S. Navy's fourth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) communications satellite, encapsulated in a 5-meter payload fairing lifts off from Space Launch Complex-41, September 2, 2015.US Department of Defense

"We assess that Russia and China perceive a need to offset any U.S. military advantage derived from military, civil, or commercial space systems and are increasingly considering attacks against satellite systems as part of their future warfare doctrine," Coats said. "Both will continue to pursue a full range of anti-satellite weapons as a means to reduce U.S. military effectiveness."

Coats added that both nations are pursuing information operations seeking international agreements that would limit U.S. defenses in space against such weapons.

Russia's space weapons include a "diverse suite of capabilities to affect satellites in all orbital regimes," Coats testified to Congress, including an airborne laser for use against U.S. satellites.

"Ten years after China intercepted one of its own satellites in low-earth orbit, its ground-launched ASAT missiles might be nearing operational service within the PLA," Coats said.

Both China and Russia also are developing debris-removing satellites that Coats said could be used to damage satellites.

Space expert Michael J. Listner said the threat posed by anti-satellite weapons is not new. Both the United States and Soviet Union developed systems to degrade space systems during the Cold War.

"The United States ASAT program, Program 437, took the form of the ASM-135 missile, or the ‘flying tomato can' and was intended by the Reagan administration to be a deterrent to the Soviet co-orbital system," said Listner, founder of Space Law & Policy Solutions, a consulting firm.

China military missile Dong Feng DF-21D
Chinese military vehicles carrying DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missiles, potentially capable of sinking a US Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in a single strike, travel past Tiananmen Gate during a military parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, September 3, 2015.REUTERS/Andy Wong/Pool

"When Congress defunded development of the ASM-135 there was no follow-on program to provide the desired deterrent effect," Listner said.

"That Russia did not completely scrap its program and China is pursuing its own, leaves the United States with the conundrum of how to deter the threat aside from the hope of resilience."

Resilience is a term used by the Pentagon for protecting, hardening, or replacing satellites in a future conflict.

Low-earth orbit satellites operate between 100 miles and 1,242 miles above the earth and are used for reconnaissance and earth and ocean observation. Those low-orbiting satellites provide key military data used in preparing battlefields around the world for deploying forces in a conflict or crisis.

Also, weather monitoring and communications satellites, including Iridium, Globalstar, and Orbcomm, circle in low-earth orbit.

A number of critical intelligence and military communications satellites also operate in highly elliptical orbits that during orbit travel in an extremely low perigee close to earth where they will soon be vulnerable to Chinese or Russian attack.

S 400
Russian S-400 Triumph/SA-21 Growler medium-range and long-range surface-to-air missile systems drive during the Victory Day parade at Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2015.Reuters

All these low-earth orbit satellites are now highly vulnerable to Chinese or Russian anti-satellite weapons and capabilities.

Those capabilities range from several types of ground-launched space missiles, to lasers and electronic jammers, to small maneuvering satellites that can maneuver, grab, and crush orbiting satellites.

According to a report by the National Institute for Public Policy, as of 2016 there were 780 satellites in low earth orbit operated by 43 nations. At total of 37 highly elliptical orbit satellites will soon be vulnerable to Chinese or Russian ASATs.

"U.S. space systems are among the most fragile and vulnerable assets operated by the U.S. military," the report by former Pentagon missile expert Steve Lambakis states.

"This vulnerable communications and data collection, processing, and distribution infrastructure is worth billions of dollars and is vital to nearly every activity of the United States and, increasingly, the armed forces of U.S. allies," he stated.

China has deployed two road-mobile ASAT missile systems and is developing two more advanced ground-launched anti-satellite missile systems.

Chinese_HQ 9_launcher
A Chinese HQ-9 missile launcher, a system that the HQ-19 anti-satellite system is based on.Wikimedia commons

"With this range of direct-ascent ASAT capabilities, China may be capable of using hit-to-kill technologies to target and destroy surveillance satellites in low earth orbit, GPS satellites in medium earth orbit, and early warning satellites in geosynchronous orbit," Lambakis said.

"Use of a single nuclear warhead in an ASAT role has the potential to decimate low altitude satellites."

Beijing also has tested satellites that can maneuver close to satellites in space, a capability that can be used to attack them.

Cyber attacks against satellite control stations also are being developed, along with radio-frequency weapons and directed energy beam weapons.

Russia's anti-satellite forces have been rapidly built up in recent years, with estimated investments of $5 billion annually, after a lapse in the program after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

Moscow's space weaponry includes development of a new ground-launch ASAT missile called the Nudol that was tested for the third time in December 2016.

Other weapons include lasers and jammers that can blind or disrupt satellite electronics. Russia also has cyber weapons capable of disrupting satellite control systems on the ground.

Russia's newer surface-to-air missiles, including the S-300, S-400, and S-500 also are capable of hitting targets in low earth orbit, with the S-500 slated for deployment this year.

For maneuvering killer satellites, Russia in 2014 launched four satellites, including one that was observed maneuvering. The Pentagon suspects that satellite will be used for anti-satellite warfare. Two other of the remaining satellites were detected maneuvering after months of remaining in stationary orbit.

The Russian anti-satellite program also is expected to include an interceptor missile launched from a MiG-31 jet, similar to the now-defunct U.S. ASM-135.

Moscow also has developed high-altitude electro-magnetic pulse weapons that could be used disrupt the electronics of all satellites not hardened against EMP attack.

The Pentagon's Defense Science Board also warned of the strategic vulnerability of U.S. satellites in a report last March.

The board report said military satellite communications used for global operations, in particular, "will be contested by a myriad of effects ranging from reversible to destructive."

"The estimated and projected electronic threats against satellite communication (satcom) have rapidly escalated in the last few years and will continue to increase in the foreseeable future," the report, made public in March, said.

"Advances and proliferation in advanced electronic warfare (EW), kinetic, space, and cyber capabilities threaten our ability to maintain information superiority," the report said, noting "under severe stress situations, jamming can render all commercial satcom and most defense Satcom inoperable."

"This reality should be considered a crisis to be dealt with immediately," the board warned.

Read the original article on The Washington Free Beacon. Copyright 2018. Follow The Washington Free Beacon on Twitter.



IF YOU DON’T QUESTION THIS AS A NEWS SOURCE, THEN YOU ARE GULLIBLE. I’M LOOKING INTO THIS BECAUSE I AM CURIOUS. IF THERE IS TRUTH TO IT, THEN WE ARE IN DEEP YOU KNOW WHAT. I DON’T HAVE TIME TONIGHT TO REALLY DIG IN AND TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT IS REAL HERE, BUT I’M REPORTING IT ANYWAY BECAUSE IT IS POTENTIALLY SERIOUS.

ACCORDING TO ONE ARTICLE THE PENTAGON IS LOOKING AT IT. THAT’S ALL WE CAN DO, GUYS, EXCEPT THROW IN THE TOWEL AND GO FOR WORLD GOVERNMENT LIKE THE FAR RIGHTISTS THINK WE ARE ALREADY DOING. I PERSONALLY THINK IT COULDN’T BE WORSE THAN THE FREE FOR ALL THAT OUR PRESENT-DAY POLITICIANS ARE INVOLVED IN, EXCEPT THAT IT WOULDN’T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE EITHER AND WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE LESS CONTROL AND SECURITY RATHER THAN MORE. HUMAN NATURE WILL REMAIN THE SAME – NICE AS LONG AS THEY’RE BEING WATCHED.

BRETT TINGLEY IS A FASCINATING LOOKING GUY – YOUNG AND A LITTLE GOOFY AND UNDOUBTEDLY FULL OF FUN, I THINK. HE’S A PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH AT UNC-ASHEVILLE. GO TO HIS LINKEDIN AND FACEBOOK SITES FOR MORE ABOUT HIM. HIS SITE IS FOR THOSE OF US WHO LOVE THE OBSCURE AND FASCINATING.

THIS STORY HAS MENTIONS IN OTHER PLACES. IT IS ALSO MENTIONED AT THE DAILY BEAST. BEAST DOES HAVE SATIRICAL ARTICLES, BUT CHECK THIS ONE OUT FOR YOURSELVES: HTTPS://WWW.THEDAILYBEAST.COM/RUSSIAS-KILLER-SATELLITES-RE-AWAKEN. IT LOOKS LIKE THE DAILY BEAST VERSION BY DAVID AXE CAME OUR FIRST.

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2017/05/russias-mysterious-killer-satellites-are-waking-up/
Russia’s Mysterious ‘Killer’ Satellites Are Waking Up
Brett Tingley
May 20, 2017

Between 2014 and 2015, the Russian space agency launched a mysterious satellite into orbit which prompted fears of unknown space weaponry. A leading theory was that the satellite could be some type of secretive space weapon capable of destroying or hijacking other satellites. The satellite, known as Object 2014-28E, took position in orbit shortly after its launch and went ‘cold,’ not moving or displaying any unusual activity other than repositioning itself once in 2015. Now, amateur astronomers and satellite-trackers have observed the satellite displaying mysterious behavior which has re-ignited fears of a new type of space war.

World superpowers have been testing anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons for decades.

The activity was reported by RussianSpaceWeb.com, a site which tracks Russian space activity. According to a recent update, the satellite – here designated by its Russian title, Kosmos-2504 – has recently been positioning itself near other satellite and repositioning itself closer to Earth:

[…] on April 20, Kosmos-2504 passed as close as 1,183 meters from Object 1999-025DPP, which is a remnant of a Chinese weather satellite, Fengyun-1C, destroyed on Jan 11, 2007, in an apparent test of China’s anti-satellite missile. The Russian spacecraft then conducted another maneuver between April 18 and April 19, 2017. By April 20, 2017, the satellite’s perigee was reduced to 627 kilometers from 1,145 kilometers on March 30.

Two other Russian satellites launched during the same time period as Object 2014-28E have been seen displaying similar strange behavior in recent months. Some experts speculate these mysterious Russian satellites could simply be prototypes for new ultra-maneuverable satellite technology. Of course, they could just as likely be revolutionary orbital weapons. TheDailyBeast reportedly reached out to Russian space agencies for a comment on the unusual behavior, but received none. A U.S. Air Force spokesman replied only with a comment that U.S. Strategic Command is tracking the satellites along with thousands of other orbital objects.

It’s likely space will be the main battlefield for the next World War. Invest in a good telescope.

Safeguarding satellites has become a national security concern for the world’s superpowers, as both China and Russia have tested satellite-killing weapons in the last few decades. It’s foolish to think that Western nations haven’t done the same. After all, the ‘re-awakening’ of these Russian satellites comes hot on the heels the recent return to Earth by the USAF’s mysterious X-37B space plane, which some have speculated could be used to pluck adversaries’ satellites out of their orbits and return them to Earth.

The USAF has had air-to-space missile technology for decades.

Disabling an adversary’s GPS and communication satellites could provide a huge benefit on the battlefield. Could this unusual satellite activity presage an oncoming global conflict, or could this be a benign test of new space tech? As usual, the truth is likely somewhere in between.

Tags
Chinese Satellite Russian satellite satellites space space weapons X-37B

Brett Tingley is a writer and musician living in the ancient Appalachian mountains.


FOR YOUR COMPARISON, HERE IS THE DAILY BEAST VERSION.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/russias-killer-satellites-re-awaken
DON'T SLEEP
Russia’s ‘Killer Satellites’ Re-Awaken
The trio of mysterious spacecraft were idle for at least a year. Now they’re zooming toward foreign satellites again—and no one really knows why.
DAVID AXE
05.19.17 1:00 AM ET

A trio of mysterious Russian government satellites startled space experts when, shortly after blasting into low orbit between 2013 and 2015, they began dramatically changing their orbits, demonstrating a rare degree of maneuverability for small spacecraft.

Now after being idle for a year or more, two of the mystery-sats are on the move again. On April 20, 2017, one of them reportedly shaved hundreds of meters off its orbit in order to zoom within 1,200 meters of a big chunk of a defunct Chinese weather satellite that China smashed in a controversial 2007 test of an anti-satellite rocket.

By orbital standards, that's pretty close.

The Russian spacecrafts' impressive maneuvers have got observers scratching their heads. No one outside of the Russian government -- and probably the U.S. military -- seems to know for sure what the satellites are for.

Experts say the Russian satellites could be technology-demonstrators. They might also be precursors to orbital weapons.

Either way, the nimble spacecraft are "intriguing," Dr. Laura Grego, a space expert with the Massachusetts-based Union of Concerned Scientists, told The Daily Beast.

Those who know for sure ... aren't talking. The Russian space agency didn't respond to an email seeking comment -- and has barely mentioned the mystery craft at all since late 2014. The U.S. Air Force, which tracks all the world's satellites, issued the same boilerplate statement it released the first time the Russian satellites started moving around.

"U.S. Strategic Command's ... space component tracks Kosmos-2504 and -2499 ... as well as more than 23,000 man-made, earth-orbiting objects every day," Capt. Nicholas Mercurio, an Air Force spokesman, told The Daily Beast.

The original trio of satellites -- known by their Russian code names Kosmos-2491, Kosmos-2499 and Kosmos-2504 -- seemed to be maneuvering toward specific targets in space when they first began their orbital dances.

Several times in 2014, 2015, and 2016, the roughly 200-pound satellites moved closer and closer to spent stages of the rockets that had delivered them into orbit, approaching to within a few dozen feet of the old booster shells.

That implied that the Kosmos triplets could be inspection satellites capable of closely matching the orbit of another spacecraft and scanning it, or even physically interacting with it in order to repair, modify or dismantle it. The Pentagon calls these "rendezvous and proximity operations."

Indeed, Anatoly Zak, an independent expert on Russian spacecraft, claimed that the mystery-sats might match the dimensions and performance of a known Russian inspection satellite called Yubileiny.

The possible war-time applications of inspection satellites are obvious. “You can probably equip them with lasers, maybe put some explosives on them,” Zak said of the Kosmos triplets in 2015. “If [one] comes very close to some military satellite, it probably can do some harm.”

To be clear, inspection satellites are not new. The U.S. government operates several of them. But secret inspection satellites are rare and potentially problematic, considering how easily they could be converted into weapons.

Moscow took pains to obscure at least one of the Kosmos mystery-sats. The Russian space agency launched Kosmos-2491 aboard a single rocket that also carried three, non-maneuvering communications satellites.

The Russians announced the comms-sats in advance. They didn't mention Kosmos-2491 ... until after foreign and independent spacewatchers saw Kosmos-2491, which they had initially mistaken for debris, move under its own power.

In a brief statement in December 2014, Russian space agency chief Oleg Ostapenko insisted that the maneuverable spacecraft were peaceful in purpose and not, as some feared, “killer satellites.”

Kosmos-2491 has apparently been inactive since late 2014. Kosmos-2499 executed dramatic maneuvers in the spring of 2016 then fell idle until March 2017. Kosmos-2504 orbited like dead weight for nearly two years since performing a close pass on a spent rocket stage in October 2015. Around the same time Kosmos-2499 came back to life, Kosmos-2504 began moving closer to that chunk of old Chinese weather satellite.

The periods of idleness are not insignificant, Grego said, while stressing that she had not verified the details of the Russian satellites' recent movements. "I do find very interesting that the satellite would go dormant for two years and then come back to life to maneuver. That could help the satellite be stealthy."

"One strategy to keep maneuvering satellites stealthy is to pretend they are debris -- i.e., not to have them maneuver at all at first, and then come to life later. To be confident this works, you might want to be able to test if your equipment works after being idle for months or years."

Despite the weirdness of the Kosmos crafts' behavior, Brian Weeden, a space expert at the Secure World Foundation in Colorado, cautioned against assuming the mystery-sats are, or will ever be, weapons.

"In most cases, it's far easier to jam a satellite's communications or hit it with a missile than try and do some sort of destructive co-orbital rendezvous," Weeden told The Daily Beast. "The capability to do rendezvous and proximity operations ... has a whole bunch of applications -- civil, commercial and military."

It's worth noting that one of America's own highly-maneuverable spacecraft, the X-37B robotic mini-shuttle, returned to Earth in early May 2017 after spending 718 days in low orbit -- a record for the type.

The Air Force, which operates the two X-37Bs, has always insisted that the maneuverable mini-shuttles are strictly experimental -- but has otherwise declined to discuss the crafts' missions. Much like the Russians with their patient, maneuverable Kosmos sats.



WHEN MEN RULE UNEQUIVOCALLY, THE RULES CHANGE, AND NOT FOR THE BETTER. WHAT MAN WANTS TO MARRY A 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL? AN IMPOTENT OLD MAN, OR A RAPACIOUS YOUNG ONE. THEY FIND ADULT WOMEN TOO CHALLENGING AND THE NAIVE, SUBMISSIVE WOMAN MORE “FEMININE,” (THUS PRODUCING THEIR IMPOTENCY WITH MATURE AND NORMALLY INDEPENDENT WOMEN.)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/woman-forced-to-marry-her-rapist-as-a-child-fights-florida-law/
By MANUEL BOJORQUEZ CBS NEWS February 2, 2018, 6:42 PM
Woman forced to marry her rapist as a child fights Florida law

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- In Sherry Johnson's wedding photo, she was 11 years old. "How do I understand to know what marriage is about," she said. "I did what my mother said that I had to do."

She also did what a judge said was legal.

Johnson said a judge signed off on the marriage between her and the 20-year-old church deacon who raped her and made her a mother by age 10. She divorced when she was 17 -- then a mother of five.

both-push-in-2-frame-200.jpg
Sherry Johnson in her wedding photo CBS NEWS

"I feel the whole system failed me," Johnson said. "It wasn't just one person. It wasn't just one source."

Johnson is now 58 years old and has spent the last five years trying to get Florida lawmakers to close what she calls loopholes in the law, which puts minors in marriages.

Currently, no state bans marriage before the age of 18. It's estimated nearly a quarter million minors were married in the U.S. from 2000 to 2015. The majority are girls married to adult men, often with significant age differences.

The "ugly" reality of child marriage in the U.S.
New York ends child marriage, raising age of consent from 14 to 18
bojorquez-child-marriage-biulk-2-fl-rem63-frame-68153.jpg

Now an adult, Sherry Johnson is fighting laws that allow child marriage CBS NEWS

"People just don't believe that this happens in modern-day America," said Florida Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto.

She sponsored a bill to ban marriage before 18 years old after hearing Johnson's story. We asked her how child marriage happens.

"It is the provision that if a child is under 16, the parents can go before a judge and the judge can give a blessing for that child to be married," Benacquisto said.

"We're responsible for our children and we should protect them," said Johnson.

Florida's Senate unanimously approved the child marriage ban, but it must also clear the House where one exemption would allow pregnant 16 and 17-year-olds to marry, if the partner is no more than two years older. Johnson vows to fight that.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



TRUMP’S USE OF FOX NEWS AS HIS FIRST SOURCE IS CRITICIZED STRONGLY HERE. WELL, I HATE TO BRING THAT UP, BUT MANY, MANY, MANY “CONSERVATIVE” PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY SWEAR BY FOX NEWS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT TRUMP WON BECAUSE A LARGE NUMBER OF AMERICAN VOTERS THINK WHATEVER FOX TELLS THEM TO. THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH AND ITS’ VIEW OF A GOOD CITIZEN IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE. SOME PEOPLE DON’T BELIEVE THAT QUESTIONING IS ALLOWED IN A CHRISTIAN AND A PATRIOT. I JUST DISAGREE TO SUCH A DEGREE, THAT MY ONLY COMMENT ON THAT ATTITUDE IS BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!!!

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/04/opinions/snl-fox-news-trump-opinion-obeidallah/index.html
'SNL' highlights Trump's dangerous reliance on Fox News
Dean Obeidallah
By Dean Obeidallah
Updated 3:55 PM ET, Sun February 4, 2018

VIDEO – First ladies give Melania advice on 'SNL' 01:23
SNL on Trump’s reliance of Fox news Source: CNN

Editors Note: Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM radio's daily program "The Dean Obeidallah Show" and a columnist for The Daily Beast. Follow him @DeanObeidallah. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

(CNN)On "Saturday Night Live," Alec Baldwin, appearing as Donald Trump, delivered what may be the most poignant political message of the year -- about the dangerous role that Fox News plays in informing Trump's outlook on America.

The sketch begins with Baldwin as Trump lying in bed eating McDonald's and calling in to his favorite TV show -- Fox News' "Fox & Friends." He says to "Fox & Friends" co-host Steve Doocy (played by "SNL's" Alex Moffat): "I'm saving the economy, destroying ISIS and, right now, I'm getting my daily intelligence briefing," Baldwin's Trump said.

"Oh, from who?" asked Doocy.

"From you guys," Trump quickly responds.

SNL is wrong -- Trump is far worse than Bush

Even though this line is from a satirical skit, it is no joke. President Trump, the man who has access to the most powerful and sophisticated intelligence apparatus in the world, effectively gets at least part of his intelligence briefing from Fox News. Is it because Trump truly doesn't trust our intelligence agencies, which he has publicly belittled on various occasions? Or maybe he just trusts Fox News more because it has long been on his side?

In any event, the progressive media watchdog Media Matters has documented how Trump, on numerous occasions, has tweeted out the exact points featured on "Fox & Friends" a short time after the segments aired.

Here are just a few examples. On October 19, 2017, "Fox & Friends" did an early morning segment on the Obama administration's Uranium One deal with Russia, in which Fox claimed that Hillary Clinton engaged in wrongdoing to get this deal approved. Well, shortly after that segment aired, Trump tweeted that the "Uranium Deal to Russia with Clinton help" was the biggest story the "Fake media doesn't want to follow."

On December 24, 2017, "Fox & Friends" aired a segment slamming the FBI's Andrew McCabe (who recently announced his was retiring) and his wife's ties to Hillary Clinton allies. Less than an hour later, Trump tweeted about the topic, citing Fox News and then attacking McCabe for his wife's ties to Clinton associates.

The real shock of the Nunes memo

And on January 2, "Fox & Friends" aired a segment about Hillary Clinton's longtime aide Huma Abedin and her alleged violation of security protocols. Not long after, Trump tweeted Abedin should be put in "jail" for her conduct. In response, former Clinton campaign communications director Nick Merrill told ABC News, "As Americans know all too well, there already was an investigation into all things email with no wrongdoing found by anyone. A year into his presidency, you would think Donald Trump would be focused on being president, or at least on his own legal problems."

And the list goes on.

What's truly disturbing about a US president getting his "intelligence" from Fox News is that it's without a doubt a conservative media outlet. And while it does deliver news -- Chris Wallace and Shepard Smith are two examples of anchors who do just that -- its priority is to serve up right-wing red meat that its viewers will enjoy. Consequently, Trump is not learning objective facts from Fox but rather right-wing spin and assuming it's accurate, or not caring about its veracity.

Add to that, Fox News has been caught spreading its own version of "fake news," airing statements that are factually wrong or straight-up lies, as determined by nonpartisan fact checkers. Take Sean Hannity's false claim that the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit is "the most overturned court in the country." It's actually the 6th Circuit. And remember when Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich claimed in May 2017 that it wasn't Russia that gave the emails hacked from the Democratic National Convention to WikiLeaks, but rather slain DNC employee Seth Rich? This claim was also proven entirely false.

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But here's the even scarier part: Going forward Fox News will be doing more than just giving Trump daily "intelligence briefings," it will be showcasing its pro-Trump bias in an even more exaggerated manner. Fox News' Geraldo Rivera admitted as much a few days ago while appearing on Sean Hannity's radio show. Rivera first praised Hannity's rabid defense of Trump, saying that despite Richard Nixon's criminal actions as president, he "never would have been forced to resign if you existed in your current state back in 1972, '73, '74." Rivera then candidly shared his view of what their collective obligation was going forward: "I believe that our prime responsibility now is to unshackle the 45th President of the United States."

Sure, many are likely saying Fox News has already been doing that. But now we have a Fox host making it crystal clear that's his priority. Here's hoping that when "SNL" returns from a three-week hiatus, it parodies Fox News as a state-run media outlet. It certainly has earned that comedic takedown.



I’M PUTTING THIS IN AS AN INTERESTING LIST OF COMPANIES FOR SOME. I’M NOT ONE WHO HATES COMPANIES, MUCH ANYWAY. I JUST HATE BEHAVIOR, LIKE THAT STRANGE-LOOKING PIRATICAL “PHARMA BRO” -- MARTIN SHKRELI. WHERE IS HE NOW? IN PRISON, I THINK. HERE IS A RECENT INTERVIEW WITH HIM. HE’S FUNNY, BUT NOT DECENT. THE INTERVIEW ARTICLE SAID THAT BERNIE SANDERS REJECTED HIS $2,700 DONATION, SENDING IT TO AN HIV CLINIC INSTEAD. SHKRELI TWEETED: "SO ANGRY AT @BernieSanders I COULD PUNCH A WALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1". NO SENSE OF HUMOR THERE!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/americas-most-hated-companies/
By KATE GIBSON MONEYWATCH February 1, 2018, 2:20 PM
America's most hated companies

Corporate America as a whole is blamed for all sorts of societal ills, from greed on Wall Street to shafting the little guy. But people's scorn can intensify when it comes to individual companies and other organizations, especially after inadvertent missteps or, worse, outright misconduct.

Here's a quick rundown of the 20 most hated U.S. companies, according to 24/7 Wall St., which took customer surveys, employee reviews and news events into account in devising its list:

20. The Weinstein Company. The ouster of co-founder Harvey Weinstein following multiple accounts of sexual abuse hasn't lessened public outrage at the one-time darling of independent film.

19. United Airlines. The Chicago-based carrier is still in the dog house with customers after a video of a passenger being forcibly removed from his seat on an overbooked flight went viral last year.

18. Facebook. The social-media platform's role in the 2016 presidential election has been the subject of much debate, with Facebook hit for being a medium for deceptive ads and fake news.

17. CenturyLink. The telecom, one of the nation's biggest internet and telephone service providers, reportedly gets poor reviews from customers and employees alike.

16. Monsanto. Over the past century, the chemical company has drawn public ire at a lengthy list of harmful products, including DDT, PCBs and Agent Orange. Most recently, it's accused of causing cancer in hundreds exposed to its weed killer, Roundup.

15. Comcast. In a arena known for dissatisfied customers, the provider of internet, TV and phone service fares even worse than its competition in customer satisfaction surveys. Not helping matters, Comcast in 2016 paid $2.3 million to settle claims it charged customers for unauthorized services and equipment.

14. Uber. The ride-sharing app had a difficult time in 2017. Hit by complaints of sexual harassment at the company and a video of its then-CEO Travis Kalanick arguing with an Uber driver, the company last year faced a slew of lawsuit and saw 13 executives resign, including Kalanick.

13. Sears Holdings. The retailer, described in 24/7's ranking as plagued by unhappy customers and employees, plans to shutter more than 100 additional stores through the spring of 2018, with the count of Sears and Kmart stores already down to under 1,300 from 3,467 in 2007.

12. Trump Organization. At this point in time, Donald Trump is the least popular president in U.S. history, with a 35 percent approval rating at the end of December. That disapproval extends to the Trump brand, which includes golf courses, a hotel chain and real estate holdings around the globe.

11. Wells Fargo. The bank's ongoing public relations nightmare began in 2016 with the disclosure that its employees created millions of phony accounts on behalf of unknowing customers, and continued with news last year that Wells Fargo charged late fees on mortgage payments when the bank was to blame, not its customers.

10. Cigna. The insurance industry is not exactly beloved, and allegations of fraud have not helped Cigna's case. Multiple lawsuits allege the company inflated medical costs and overcharged customers.

9. Spirit Airlines. The carrier's no-frills, inexpensive flights come with a cost: low customer satisfaction.

8. Vice Media. The media organization has lately been roiled by allegations of systemic sexual harassment, dating back to 2003.

7. Sprint. The telecom gets knocked for poor customer experiences that could in part be due to service, with Sprint getting low grades for speed and data, as well as calling, texting and overall reliability.

6. Foxconn Technology Group. Many may not know the name, but the company makes and assembles consumer electronics for entities including Apple and Nintendo. It's also caught attention for poor working and living conditions after a series of employee suicides at a compound in China. It recently drew negative press for a planned complex in Wisconsin.

5. Electronic Arts. The video-game maker known for its successful franchises is also viewed poorly by gamers for buying smaller studios or operations for a specific game and then taking away its originality.

4. University of Phoenix. Possibly the country's best-known for-profit college, its parent company, the Apollo Group, has been the focus of federal and state probes alleging it used deceptive practices to recruit students.

3. NFL. The National Football League took more than two decades to acknowledge the long-term impact of head injuries on its players. And while football remains a popular sport, the NFL's viewership fell last year, in part due to controversy over some of its players kneeling during the national anthem to protect racial inequality.

2. Fox Entertainment Group. The parent company of Fox News Channel, the network has a strong right-wing slant. And, while one of the most popular cable channels in the country, it's also one of the most divisive. Fox has also settled multiple sexual harassment claims regarding one of its anchors and the late Fox News CEO and founder Roger Ailes.

1. Equifax. The consumer credit reporting was hit by a massive hack last year, exposing the personal data of more than 145 million Americans and putting them at risk of identity theft. Arguably worse, the company sat on the information for a month before letting the public know.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.



I WAS WITH MY HUSBAND ON A ROADTRIP A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN WE SAW A SIGN ANNOUNCING A LICENSE PLATE MUSEUM. TO EACH HIS OWN!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/washing-machine-collector-eaton-colorado/
By STEVE HARTMAN CBS NEWS February 2, 2018, 6:59 PM
Washing machine collector takes a whirl back in time

EATON, Colo. -- In the shadow of the Colorado Rockies, we found a man with a mountainous dilemma: what to do with all the antique washing machines he collected over the years. Lee Maxwell, 87, had to build a warehouse to store all the objects of his obsession.

And there's more -- way more. Behind the warehouse, there's a second warehouse, again filled with nothing but washing machines.

It is one of the largest personal collections -- of anything -- in America.

d3-hartman-otr-washing-machines-0202-frame-1895.jpg
Lee Maxwell CBS NEWS
Lee said it all began, innocently enough, with one Maytag. He had just retired as an electrical engineering professor, and to celebrate he took his wife Barbara on a cross-country motor home trip. They saw the machine at a farm auction in Iowa.

"By the time we got to Maine we had four, and that's where the fur started to fly," Lee said. "She was thinking bad things about me," he said about his wife.

By the time they got home, Lee had a dozen more and a trailer to haul them. Today, there are nearly 1,500 different machines in his collection. He's even got a model of one that was never massed produced, that ran on child labor.

d3-hartman-otr-washing-machines-0202-frame-1223.jpg
A look at Lee Maxwell's washing machine collection CBS NEWS
But what I found most amazing is that he restored all of the machines. He finds them in poor condition and then spends a couple weeks fixing up each one, working up to 10 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We asked Lee what his dilemma is now. "Trying to find a home for them, so the thing can be preserved," he said.

He'd like to find a benefactor, someone who could build a proper museum dedicated to the human ingenuity behind the washing machines we have today. Indeed, you can't leave here without being struck by just how much washing machines have changed over the years.

Men, not so much. We pointed to one machine and asked Lee if he knew how to turn it on. "Absolutely not," he replied.

To contact On the Road, or to send us a story idea, email us: OnTheRoad@cbsnews.com.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



MADDOW MODE


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 2/2/18
For all the hype, Nunes memo delivers sad trombone for Trump
Rachel Maddow points out that despite two weeks of Fox News hype, the Nunes memo is not only underwhelming as a political stunt, it actually undermines the argument it was meant to make for Donald Trump. Duration: 24:46


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 2/2/18
Schiff: Nunes memo damages intel community, trust in Congress
Congressman Adam Schiff, top Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, talks with Rachel Maddow about the damage the Nunes memo has done to the relationship between Congress and the intelligence community. Duration: 6:24


HELP THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 2/1/18
Lawyer overhaul creates intrigue in Mueller's Rick Gates case
Rachel Maddow shares some intriguing new reporting about Paul Manafort co-defendant Rick Gates changing his legal team in his case being prosecuted by Robert Mueller. Duration: 3:10


HELP THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 2/1/18
Nunes memo defense of Carter Page ignores facts of US intel focus
Rebecca Ballhaus, White House reporter for The Wall Street Journal, talks with Rachel Maddow about the focus by U.S. intelligence on Carter Page's ties to Russia before the Trump Russia dossier and after Page had left the Trump campaign. Duration: 4:10


HELP THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 2/1/18
Nunes memo defense of Carter Page ignores facts of US intel focus
Rebecca Ballhaus, White House reporter for The Wall Street Journal, talks with Rachel Maddow about the focus by U.S. intelligence on Carter Page's ties to Russia before the Trump Russia dossier and after Page had left the Trump campaign. Duration: 4:10


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 2/1/18
Lawyer overhaul creates intrigue in Mueller's Rick Gates case
Rachel Maddow shares some intriguing new reporting about Paul Manafort co-defendant Rick Gates changing his legal team in his case being prosecuted by Robert Mueller. Duration: 3:10


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 2/1/18
Trump faith misplaced in memo reportedly focused on Carter Page
Rachel Maddow notes reporting that the subject of the Nunes memo is Carter Page, who has a long history with U.S. intelligence and Russia and unfortunately for Trump is not a sympathetic figure for abuse of surveillance. Duration: 16:48


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 2/1/18
Himes: Nunes memo is a transparent political hit job
Rep. Jim Himes, member of the House Intelligence Committee, talks with Rachel Maddow about Donald Trump and Republican political strategy around the Devin Nunes memo. Duration: 5:33


HELP THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/31/18
Russia spy chiefs met in U.S. with Trump officials last week
Rachel Maddow reports on yet another instance of Americans learning about a meeting between Russians and Trump officials from reporting in Russian media. In this case Russia intelligence officials violating sanctions law to come to the U.S. Duration: 10:42


HELP THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/31/18
Nunes breach could shatter Congress/intelligence relationship
Ken Dilanian, national security reporter for NBC News, talks with Rachel Maddow about the FBI's resistance to the Nunes memo, and new reporting from the New York Times about the Air Force One meeting to draft the cover story for Donald Trump Jr's Trump Tower ... more Duration: 7:56


HELP THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/31/18
Nunes ducks question about staff working with White House on memo
Rachel Maddow reads from the transcript of the House Intelligence Committee's vote to release the Devin Nunes memo and points out that Nunes did not answer whether his staff worked with the White House (again) on this attack on the FBI investigation of Trump. Duration: 6:20


HELP THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/31/18
White House role in Nunes memo scrutinized
Betsy Woodruff, politics reporter for The Daily Beast, talks with Rachel Maddow about questions about whether the staff of Devin Nunes worked with the White House on the anti-FBI memo, and how the memo has turned the Trump DoJ against Trump Republicans. Duration: 8:32


HELP THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/31/18
Scandalized CDC chief joins long list of Trump departures
Rachel Maddow reports on the resignation of CDC chief Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald after conflicts surrounding her purchase of stocks was exposed by Politico, extending an already lengthy list of high-profile departures from the Trump administration. Duration: 3:19


HELP THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/30/18
Trump White House foot-dragging on implementing Russia sanctions
Rachel Maddow looks at how the Donald Trump administration has been eager to serve the wishes of Russia on the issue of sanctions. Duration: 1:19


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/30/18
McCaskill: Outrageous for Trump to ignore Congress on sanctions
Senator Claire McCaskill talks about the Donald Trump White House defying a wide majority vote by Congress to impose sanctions on Russia and the peculiar change in position by Republicans on Russia and law enforcement. Duration: 6:11


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/30/18
DoJ impotence leaves Mueller poorly defended
Nicolle Wallace makes the argument that Robert Mueller shouldn't be alone in his pursuit of the truth about Donald Trump, but the impotence of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the utter disregard of Republicans for FBI Director Wray have put him in that position. Duration: 2:06



A TRAGEDY AND WHAT APPEARS TO ME TO BE THE MANUFACTURER’S FAULT, EITHER BY INTENTION, FAILURE TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON RESEARCH THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE, OR CARELESSNESS SUCH AS FAILURE TO KEEP RECORDS OF THE CAUSES OF HIGHWAY OR THE SUPPRESSION OF NEGATIVE TEST RESULTS. INJURIES. SEE THE RELATED ARTICLES BELOW.

INSTEAD OF LOOKING INTO THE CAUSE, THE STATE CHARGED THE YOUNG VICTIM’S FAMILY WITH $3,000 TO REPLACE THE (UNMENTIONABLE DESCRIPTIVE TERM) GUARD RAIL. TENNESSEE HAS NOW – PROBABLY DUE TO THE FAMILY’S LAWSUIT – BEGUN THE REMOVAL OF ALL THOSE GUARDRAILS ACROSS THE STATE, CANCELED THEIR CONTRACTS WITH THE COMPANY, AND FURTHER, A NUMBER OF OTHER STATES HAVE FOLLOWED SUIT. ACCORDING TO THIS ARTICLE, THERE ARE ACCIDENTS OF THIS SAME TYPE WHEREVER THE GUARD RAILS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/grieving-dad-buys-super-bowl-ad-west-palm-beach-to-get-trumps-attention/
CBS NEWS February 3, 2018, 11:44 AM
Grieving dad buys Super Bowl ad in Palm Beach to reach Trump

Video – X-Lite guardrail deaths ... guardrail crash lawsuits 2:01

A Tennessee man is hoping to catch President Trump's attention this weekend and raise awareness about a safety issue that changed his family forever. Steve Eimers paid $1,000 to run a message in West Palm Beach during the Super Bowl with the hope that the president is watching from his Mar-a-Lago resort, reports CBS News correspondent Kris Van Cleave.

Eimers' 17-year-old daughter Hannah was killed when she struck an X-LITE guardrail in Tennessee in 2016.

"It was worth taking that shot to see if maybe the president will see this," he said.

Instead of collapsing on itself – as the devices is meant to – police say the rail acted as a spear, penetrating the driver's door, hitting Hannah in the chest and head.

"Nothing prepares you to be the parent of a dead child. And to discover that, well one, the nature of this accident was horrific," Eimers said.

At least 13 deaths nationally may involve X-LITE guardrails including a crash in Tennessee that killed 69-year-old Wilbert Byrd and a 59-year-old man in Missouri. Eimers says federal regulators have been slow to act.

"It's one thing to lose your child to an innocent accident but we lost our daughter to a defective product. And to see the Federal Highway Administration be this dismissive it is – it's insulting," Eimers said.

The Federal Highway Administration says safety is the top priority and points to new, more stringent safety criteria that went into effect in January. But lawsuits claim there are more than 14,000 X-LITE's on U.S. roads nationwide

Since Hannah's death, Tennessee has begun removing its guardrails, complaining of "installation deficiencies." Ten other states now say they too will get rid of the X-LITEs.

In a statement to CBS News, Lindsay Transportation Solutions said the "X-LITE has successfully passed crash and safety tests in accordance with federal standards" and noteed no road safety equipment can prevent injury in every crash scenario.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/04/06/guardrail-end-cap-deaths/100124842/
Controversial guardrails linked to deaths get replaced as death toll climbs
USA TODAY NETWORKTravis Dorman, Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel Published 3:36 p.m. ET April 6, 2017 | Updated 4:57 p.m. ET April 6, 2017

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As Tennessee prepares to spend millions of dollars to remove and replace most 1,700 allegedly defective guardrail ends along state roads, officials in other states have begun confirming deaths tied to the same type of guardrail.

At least seven people have died in six crashes in Tennessee, Missouri and Virginia when their vehicles struck Lindsay X-LITE guardrail ends. In at least five of those crashes, the guardrails impaled vehicles that hit them on interstates with speed limits of 70 mph.

This model of guardrail end has been the subject of controversy since the Tennessee Department of Transportation mistakenly billed 17-year-old Hannah Eimers nearly $3,000 to replace the X-LITE that killed her in a November crash. Since June 2016, X-LITE ends have penetrated three vehicles, killing four people in Tennessee.

In two of those three crashes — which killed Jacob Davison, 18, of Zionville, N.C.; Lauren Beuttel, 21, of Johnson City, Tenn.; and Wilbert Byrd, 69, of Detroit — the guardrails "did not perform as they were intended to," said B.J. Doughty, the department's communications director.

► Related:Tennessee bills teen to replace guardrail that killed her
► Related:Guardrail crash test failed, engineering expert says

In the crash that killed Hannah, the guardrail end performed "exactly the way it was supposed to. ... All three pieces telescoped," Doughty said.

Hannah's car was impaled because of the angle of the crash, she said. The rail went through the driver's side door.

“Rather than telescoping, the guardrail rode up over the hood, crushed the windshield and literally whipped the roof open like a can opener.”

Thomas Curcio, Curcio Bergeron law firm

Most guardrails are constructed of multiple pieces designed to "telescope" or slide into each other when struck, absorbing some of the impact of a crash and preventing the metal end from skewering a vehicle.

Tennessee transportation officials found the X-LITE model doesn't always work that way when hit at speeds higher than 62.2 mph, the standard crash test speed for guardrail ends.

Instead, in some crashes, the guardrail ends separated from the guardrails and pierced vehicle cabins, according to a letter from Commissioner John Schroer of the Tennessee transportation department to Pamela Kordenbrock, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration's Tennessee branch.

State officials also found installation instructions for X-LITE terminals to be unclear because of "a lack of bolt torque specifications" that "may cause installation deficiencies," the letter reads. Those deficiencies "could result in the terminal performing differently from the original tested conditions."

In other crashes that did not kill those involved, the department found some X-LITE guardrails failed to telescope but didn't pierce vehicles.

The agency is still investigating whether a crash that killed two people when a vehicle hit a guardrail end in Hamblen County involved an X-LITE, Doughty said Wednesday.

► 2015: 'A Beautiful Mind' mathematician John Nash, wife killed in crash

The findings prompted the state agency to begin accepting bids on March 31 for contractors to remove and replace most of the 1,700 to 1,800 X-LITE ends on state roads where speed limits exceed 45 mph. The agency previously estimated the number of guardrails to be closer to 1,000.

The work is included in the department's annual on-call guardrail repair and replacement contract, which is awarded every spring. It costs about $2,000 for labor and materials to replace an X-LITE, so the total cost of the endeavor could top $3.6 million, Doughty said.

An illustration of Hannah Eimers' Nov. 1 fatal crash, included in the Tennessee Highway Patrol's crash report (Photo: Tennessee Highway Patrol)

The contracts will be awarded, region by region, on or before April 30. The work is scheduled to be done by June 30, 2018.

Tennessee's move may be the first of its kind in the nation from a state department of transportation. Other states haven't formally announced plans to follow suit.

In Missouri, at least two people have died in crashes involving X-LITE ends since the state began using them in 2015, according to state design engineer Eric Schrader. At least one of those crashes involved the guardrail end impaling the vehicle.

Schrader was unable to say how many of the end caps are on state roads but said the Missouri Department of Transportation stopped repairing and installing the X-LITE — as well as all guardrails approved under the NCHRP 350 crash standards — in July.

When asked if Missouri might replace the guardrails, Schrader said: "We haven’t taken action yet. But I can’t say that we won’t."

Virginia has fewer than 1,000 X-LITE ends on state roads, and 37 of those were involved in crashes between Oct. 31, 2013, and March 27, 2017, according to spokeswoman Marshall Herman of the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The guardrail end impaled the vehicle in just one of those crashes, killing the driver. Herman didn't immediately specify whether any of the other crashes were fatal.

► 2013: Vine video captures dramatic crash

The woman killed in that crash was Sarah Weinberg, 37, of Alexandria, Va., according to Thomas Curcio, a lawyer that Weinberg's family has retained.

Weinberg was driving Dec. 23 to see her parents for Christmas when she drove off the left side of Interstate 66 near Delaplane, Va., and hit an X-LITE end "almost head-on," Curcio said.

"Rather than telescoping, the guardrail rode up over the hood, crushed the windshield and literally whipped the roof open like a can opener," Curcio said Wednesday. "The second section of guardrail penetrated the firewall, came over the left side of the motor and punched open the driver’s door. She suffered massive head injuries and was killed."

► Related: More states consider toll roads to raise infrastructure dollars

The terminals "are not doing what they're designed to do," he said. "They’re supposed to telescope to absorb the energy and bring the vehicle to a controlled stop, and that’s not what’s happening."

In statements provided by a company representative, Lindsay Corp. (LNN) officials have repeatedly noted the X-LITE model has passed crash and safety tests and the Federal Highway Administration has continued to approve it.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by these tragic accidents," according to a statement from Scott Marion, president of the company's infrastructure division. "For decades, Lindsay Transportation Solutions has made safety our No. 1 priority. ... It is widely recognized that there are impact conditions that exceed the performance expectations of all safety equipment, and equipment’s inability to singly prevent every tragedy does not indicate a flaw or defect."

► Related:World's most dangerous roads

Any crash at more than 70 mph will be devastating, said Tennessee's transportation department spokeswoman, Doughty.

"A guardrail is not something you want to hit," she said. "These devices are not a pillow for you to hit to gently stop your car."*

Follow Travis Dorman on Twitter: @travdorman



SEE THE WEBSITE BELOW FOR A VISUAL AND DESCRIPTIVE REVIEW OF THIS GUARDRAIL SYSTEM. ONE OF THE INTERNET ADS MENTIONS THAT IT GIVES BEST SERVICE AT THE LOWEST PRICE. WITH AN AD LIKE THAT, WHO WOULDN’T SELECT IT?

HOWEVER, BUSINESS BEING WHAT IT IS, AND BUSINESS PEOPLE BEING THE SORT OF PERSONALITIES THAT THEY ARE, THERE IS A GREAT LIKELIHOOD THAT THE BEST PRICE WILL NOT GO ALONG WITH THE BEST SERVICE. WE SHOULD GO TO CONSUMER REPORTS ON AN EXPENSIVE NEW PRODUCT, OR JUST A VERY UNFAMILIAR PRODUCT, AND READ THEIR REVIEWS OF THAT AND SIMILAR PRODUCTS BEFORE WE CHOOSE WHAT IT IS “WORTH.” IF YOUR GOAL IS TO LOOK LIKE AN IMPORTANT PERSON, THEN YOU WILL BUY AT LEAST A CADILLAC, OR AS “HIGH ON THE HOG” AS YOU CAN FINANCE.

MY EXPERIENCE FROM YEARS PAST IS THAT WE BOTH GET WHAT WE GET AND PAY WHAT WE PAY -- INDEPENDENTLY. THERE IS VERY LITTLE HONESTY IN BUSINESS. AS A PRACTICAL MATTER I USUALLY PICK A MID-PRICED OR LOW-PRICED ITEM AND THEN DO RESEARCH ON THAT. AS FOR THE CADILLAC VERSION, I ASSUME IT IS OVERPRICED AND BEING MARKETED TO WANNABES AND FOOLS. I HOPE NOT TO BE EITHER.

IN WHAT PERCENTAGE OF CASES DOES THIS KIND OF FAILURE OCCUR? IN WHAT PERCENTAGE DO THEY WORK CORRECTLY AND NO LIFE IS LOST? DO OTHER SYSTEMS EXIST, AND IF SO, HOW DO THEY FUNCTION AND HOW WELL?

http://www.barriersystemsinc.com/xlite-end-terminal
Lindsay Corporation

X-LITE END TERMINAL
REDIRECTIVE, GATING NCHRP 350 TL-3 END TERMINAL

The Redirective, Gating, X-LITE Guardrail End Terminal features excellent impact performance. Utilizing superior engineering design, the X-LITE Guardrail End Terminal provides maximum interchangeably for flared and tangent roadside applications. This results in significant savings in inventory, repair and maintenance costs.

The X-LITE Terminal uses many standard guardrail components and is available with steel posts and wood or composite blockouts.

A mobile friendly installer's guide is also available. The Lindsay Guide App provides resources for teams installing or inspecting Lindsay Transportation products. Each product section contains video demonstrations of proper installation techniques, text supplements when video is unavailable, and final checklists.

The Lindsay Guide Mobile App is available for Apple and Android devices, or online.

X-Lite Impact Head

FEATURES
Maximum interchangeability between tangent and flared applications
Lightweight impact head
Available as a kit or system
710 or 790 mm (28 or 31”) height option

Easy to install
Utilizes many standard guardrail components
X-Lite System

WHERE TO USE
Side of road where a recommended clear zone and recoverable slope is attainable.


LAWSUITS AND REMOVALS

Guardrail End Terminal – THIS IS A DEVICE MADE OF PARTS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO SLIP EASILY INTO ONE ANOTHER ON IMPACT, PROBABLY TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN BEFORE STOPPING IT. IF THEY WORK WELL, THEY SHOULD MAKE THE IMPACT SAFER. IN THIS BRAND AND MODEL THEY HAVE BEEN INSTEAD SPLITTING APART, WITH ONE PART PIERCING THE CAR BODY AND THE DRIVER AT THE SAME TIME. AN ACQUAINTANCE OF MINE YEARS AGO HAD A GUARDRAIL PIERCE HER ABDOMEN, CAUSING HER, AFTER SURGERIES, TO BE RESTRICTED TO A COLOSTOMY BAG. I WONDER IF THIS WAS THE BRAND?

https://www.cohenmilstein.com/case-study/lindsay-x-lite-guardrail-end-terminal-litigation-eimers
Cohen Milstein Toggle navigation
PRACTICE AREA: CATASTROPHIC INJURY & WRONGFUL DEATH UNSAFE & DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS DEFECTIVE GUARDRAILS
Lindsay X-LITE Guardrail End Terminal Litigation: Eimers

On Tuesday, October 24, 2017, attorneys Theodore J. Leopold, Leslie M. Kroeger, and Poorad Razavi filed a wrongful death complaint on behalf of the family of Hannah Eimers against the Lindsay Corporation and several related entities alleging negligence and liability.

Background

On November 1, 2016, Hannah Eimers, 17, was driving her father's 2000 Volvo S80 on Interstate 75 near Niota, Tennessee when the car went off the road, traveled into the median, and hit a Lindsay X-LITE guardrail end terminal on the driver’s side. Instead of the guardrail telescoping* back on impact or re-directing the vehicle, as it should, the guardrail end terminal penetrated the car before impaling and killing Hannah.

On October 26, 2016, just six days before Hannah was killed, the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) removed the Lindsay X-LITE guardrail end terminal from its qualified products list, based upon concerns for potential long-term performance issues of the terminal’s telescoping W-beam slider assembly friction-reduction type system.

The decision to remove the Lindsay X-LITE guardrail end terminal from the state’s qualified products list meant that TDOT would not replace or install new Lindsay X-LITE guardrail terminals. Unfortunately, over 1,000 X-LITE guardrail terminals were allowed to remain on the roads across the state. The same X-LITE guardrail had already been involved in at least three other fatal crashes in Tennessee at the time of Hannah’s death.

Later in 2016, TDOT made the decision to remove the guardrail end terminals entirely from roads where the speed limit is greater than 45 mph. The TDOT has started the process, but it is unclear how long such a massive overhaul project will take.

Many legislators around the country have begun to initiate laws to remove the Lindsay X-LITE guardrails from their roadways. In fact, on May 16, 2017, Cohen Milstein’s Poorad Razavi traveled with Hannah’s father, Stephen Eimers to Albany, New York, the state capital of New York, for a joint press conference with several New York State Senators and Congressional members to address a proposed bill that would completely ban the Lindsay X-LITE from New York and develop a plan to remove the product from state roadways.

Cohen Milstein has been at the forefront of guardrail safety around the U.S. The firm focused extensively on the Trinity guardrail issue and the dangers it posed to travelers. Now, Cohen Milstein is taking the lead on the X-LITE guardrail defect.

"Sadly this is a severe warning to the motoring public that a safety device that is designed to protect, may actually kill," stated Cohen Milstein's Theodore J. Leopold.

Mr. Leopold is leading the X-LITE case investigation and represents the Eimers family, along with Cohen Milstein attorneys Leslie M. Kroeger and Poorad Razavi.

The case is Eimers v. Valmont et al., Case No. 2017-cv-383, in the Circuit Court of McMinn County at Athens, Tennessee.


*MEANING OF “TELESCOPING” IN THIS SENTENCE:

https://www.bing.com/search?q=TELESCOPING+MEANING&form=PRUSEN&mkt=en-us&httpsmsn=1&refig=31d0fb30ca7c4af9a0b2f6fbffa73685&sp=-1&pq=telescoping+meaning&sc=1-19&qs=n&sk=&cvid=31d0fb30ca7c4af9a0b2f6fbffa73685

TELESCOPE -- VERB
tel·e·scope

(with reference to an object made of concentric tubular parts) slide or cause to slide into itself, so that it becomes smaller:
"five steel sections that telescope into one another"
•crush (a vehicle) by the force of an impact.
•condense or conflate so as to occupy less space or time:
"a way of telescoping many events into a relatively brief period"



VIDEO OF PUPPIES BEING SWEET AND CUTE TOGETHER!!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mr-wigglesworth-puppy-bowl-2018-02-04-behind-the-scenes-today/
CBS NEWS February 4, 2018, 12:13 PM
Behind the scenes of "Puppy Bowl"

Last Updated Feb 4, 2018 12:13 PM EST

WOOF is the word of the day at that OTHER sporting event Richard Schlesinger is taking us to...

On this Super Bowl Sunday, of all Sundays, permit us a touch of heresy. With apologies to the Patriots and the Eagles, theirs is not the only game in town.

The penalties of "Puppy Bowl"
Play VIDEO
The penalties of "Puppy Bowl"

This afternoon there is another competition, of sorts: Team Ruff vs. Team Fluff. Ninety puppies playing in the 14th Annual Puppy Bowl, on the Animal Planet cable channel.

Mango and Morris, Boomer and J.Paw are part of the game where the rules are simple and enforced by referee Dan Schachner.

"I always say the rules of Puppy Bowl could fit on, like, one post-it note," Schachner said. "It's basically, drag a chew toy into the end zone. Doesn't matter which end zone! You could play for the other team, we don't care!"

puppy-bowl-touchdown-620.jpg
Touchdown! And there's no end to end-zone antics in "Puppy Bowl." ANIMAL PLANET
Schachner was philosophical: "They're all puppies. They've all got their own agendas. Most of them are not that socialized. They're certainly not housetrained, and we're trying to get them to play a competitive football game."

What could possibly go wrong?

They play on a specially-constructed (and easily-cleaned) field in a Manhattan studio. Like the human game, there are cameras everywhere, and like the human game, the players are sometimes given penalties.

And that's pretty much where the similarity ends. In this game, the players don't curse the ref; they kiss him.

puppy-bowl-player-kisses-the-ref-promo.jpg
A "Puppy Bowl" player makes a very forward pass to referee Dan Schachner. ANIMAL PLANET

But Schachner is more than just the referee. He is providing foster care to one of the players, Biscuit. She's three months old, of "uncertain" pedigree, and like all the dogs in the Puppy Bowl she's looking for a home.

"One-hundred percent of the dogs on Puppy Bowl are from rescue groups and shelters across the country," Schachner said.

"How many of them end up getting adopted?" Schlesinger asked.

"We have a 100% adoption rate. You imagine, we're in a room with these pups and hundreds of volunteers. The chances of them getting adopted are very, very high."

The Puppy Bowl started small, 14 years ago, just a few players in a room in Maryland. Erin Wanner says when it started it was a "hair-brained idea." She is in charge of the Puppy Bowl now, and she has watched it grow.

puppy-bowl-so-cute-promo.jpg
"J.Law" may rule the red carpet, but "J.Paw" rules the Puppy Bowl gridiron. CBS NEWS
"It is a much bigger effort than you can imagine," she said. "We have a whole casting process, including a big wall of puppies. And we're trying to make sure that we get as many shelters represented as we can. And then, of course we need the right mix of puppies."

This year's puppies come from 48 shelters around the country and from Mexico -- where Mango was found, on the streets of Puerto Penasco, by a rescue organization called Compassion Without Borders. He was brought to their shelter in California, before making the trip to the Puppy Bowl -- a trip that would change his life.

Mr. Wigglesworth, who looks to be mostly, if not all, Shar Pei, came from Laurie Johnson's Florida Little Dog Rescue in Orlando. She noted, "Florida is prime football recruiting grounds!"

They recruit a lot of puppies here, too. She has sent more than 40 in four years to the Puppy Bowl.

"It is an honor," Johnson said. "It shows that our rescue is doing rescue the right way. And we like that we're chosen as ambassadors to spread the message of adopting."

puppy-bowl-mr-wigglesworth-promo.jpg
Mr. Wigglesworth received five-yard penalty for excessive snoozing.
Mr. Wigglesworth represented his shelter well, although maybe not exactly as a competitor.

Managing all these dogs is a lot like herding cats.

But it is worth the trouble for Animal Planet. This is the highest-rated show for the channel all year.

And it's worth it for the shelters, too.

Laurie Johnson said that after the Puppy Bowl broadcast, the phone at her shelter will "blow up. We'll get thousands of phone calls on Puppy Bowl day, which is great. And so Clyde may already be adopted, but he's going to help hundreds of other dogs get adopted."

puppy-bowl-fluff-the-puppy-promo.jpg
Players at the Puppy Bowl get something better than a ring - they get a home. CBS NEWS
They call it the "Puppy Bowl effect." "People think you can't get great dogs like this in shelters and rescue, and you can. So we're willing to put the work into Puppy Bowl to get the message out," Johnson said.

This show has been so successful at getting puppies adopted that this year Animal Planet has started the Dog Bowl, so older dogs -- who can be difficult to place -- get a chance for what Mango and the other puppies have now: a permanent home.

Mango is now a world away from Puerto Penasco. He's living with Sydney Baldwin, who worked on the Puppy Bowl -- the only game on TV where there are no losers.

How to watch Puppy Bowl 2018
What: "Puppy Bowl"
Date: February 4, 2018
Time: 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
TV station: Animal Planet
More from Puppy Bowl
"Puppy Bowl XIV Pre-Game Show"
Florida Little Dog Rescue, Orlando, Fla.
Compassion Without Borders International Animal Welfare, Santa Rosa, Calif.

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