Tag: safety

‘Insulting’: AES sent victims’ family $50 gift card, T-shirt in wake of deadly TN explosion, attorney says

Attorneys for the families of two victims in last year’s deadly munitions plant explosion are condemning Accurate Energetic Systems’ “reckless” behavior before the tragedy and the company’s “insulting” response.

In a Thursday press conference, the legal team representing the families of victims Steven Wright and Reyna Gillahan said Accurate Energetic Systems rejected their $150 million pre-litigation demand. Their rejection came 45 minutes before the attorney’s deadline of Monday afternoon.

“We got an announcement of their defense, which their position is that workers’ compensation in Tennessee is the exclusive remedy for any injury in the workplace,” said attorney Darren Richie.

He said that the $150 million demand on a tight deadline may have seemed “outrageous,” but that was intentional.

“I wanted AES to tell me I was being outrageous. So I could turn around to them and tell them, no, your conduct and behavior, AES, is outrageous,” he said.

The press conference offered new insights into AES’s communication with families in the wake of the deadly explosion and how the victims’ loved ones grieve.

WSMV4 has reached out to AES representatives for comment on these accusations.

AES offers victims’ families ‘insulting’ gift card, shirt

So far, AES has done three things for the victims of the people killed after thousands of pounds of explosives detonated at their Hickman County plant: hosted a barbecue food truck event and sent them a $50 Walmart gift card and a T-shirt with a picture of their deceased loved one, according to Richie.

“Needless to say, that’s insulting,” he said on Thursday.

The lawyer also expressed shock that AES has declined to give families the contact information for their insurance.

“That is a professional courtesy that gets exchanged all the time to facilitate resolution of claims. But they denied it. That shows us how they really feel about their employees,” he said.

He said the team plans to file a lawsuit to demand more from AES.

“And besides saying, oh, I’m sorry, providing some barbecue, gift card, and a t-shirt, they’re acting as if nothing happened. And they’re acting as if they don’t bear any responsibility,” he said. “Well, there’s more than a hundred ways that they bear responsibility here. I want them to step up and take responsibility.”

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Non-Domiciled CDLs Targeted in a New USPS Policy

USPS Plans to Limit Certain Non-Domiciled CDLs in Contract Operations

The U.S. Postal Service has announced plans to tighten safety rules for trucking companies that move mail and freight under contract with the agency. USPS says it plans to phase out the use of drivers with non-domiciled commercial drivers licenses (CDLs) who have not gone through screening by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

The decision connects to wider federal efforts to strengthen roadway safety. It follows a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) interim rule called “Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses.” The DOT rule is meant to improve oversight and documentation for drivers who fall under this licensing category.

What This Means for Trucking Safety

Drivers with non-domiciled CDLs are legally allowed to operate commercial vehicles in the United States but are not necessarily U.S. citizens or permanent residents. These licenses have received more federal attention recently due to concerns about how some states handled verification and paperwork.

USPS stated that reducing the number of unvetted drivers with non-domiciled CDLs in its contracted network may support stronger safety control. The agency said extending additional screening could improve accountability. Only drivers who pass Postal Inspection Service checks would be permitted to continue driving under this new plan.

USPS has not yet announced when this policy may begin. The agency says it plans to work with trucking contractors on a gradual rollout. USPS also did not say how many drivers could be affected or whether the shift could create staffing concerns.

Federal Safety Efforts Connected to Non-Domiciled CDLs

Federal officials have been reviewing how non-domiciled CDLs are issued across the nation. The DOT rule aims to reduce fraud risk and strengthen confidence in CDL documentation systems. Federal leaders have suggested that better control may support safer highways.

USPS said its move is meant to align with these federal safety goals. The agency hopes the added oversight of non-domiciled CDLs may help reduce risk within its transportation network.

The Postal Service relies heavily on highway trucking. According to USPS, about 55,000 truck loads move each day, totaling close to 2 billion miles annually. Due to that scale, even moderate policy adjustments can create effects across many regions and fleets.

Contracted Carriers May Need to Prepare for New Rules

Trucking companies that haul for USPS may need to review records and driver files connected to non-domiciled CDLs when the change takes effect. Carriers with affected drivers may face added screening steps to keep those drivers on postal routes.

USPS has not yet stated whether trucking companies will be required to remove unvetted drivers on their own or if the agency will manage the process directly. It is also not yet clear whether any exceptions may exist.

The impact may vary depending on how many drivers with non-domiciled CDLs operate in different regions. Some areas may see little effect. Others may see changes in driver availability. USPS has stated that the intention is focused on safety rather than reducing service.

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23 Popular Hair Dyes Test Positive for Carcinogenic Chemicals: Report

An analysis of 23 popular hair color products sold in the United States found that all of them contained at least one carcinogenic chemical.

The tests were conducted on 21 boxed dyes and two temporary hair chalk products from brands including L’Oreal Paris, Dark & Lovely, Madison Reed, Manic Panic, Revlon, and Clairol, consumer advocacy group Consumer Reports (CR) said in a recently published report.

Product samples were sent to an accredited lab, where the items were tested for heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOC), and phthalates.

“All 23 samples tested positive for dichloromethane (methylene chloride), a volatile chemical widely used in the U.S. for a variety of products, including paint, adhesives, and pharmaceuticals,” CR said.

The chemical “is classified as a probable carcinogen for humans. Its use is restricted in cosmetics and is generally prohibited except for limited applications, such as in certain hair dye formulations.”

Six product samples contained toluene, a chemical toxic to the central nervous system and a lung irritant.

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Florida Cops Pull Dozens of Truck Drivers from Roads – Including Illegal Aliens With ‘Literally No Name’

Florida authorities announced that they recently conducted an enforcement crackdown for commercial trucks, resulting in 176 drivers being removed from service — and a few dozen immigration arrests.

Over the course of four days, Florida Highway Patrol and other agencies examined over 3,300 vehicles, according to a report from WKMG.

They observed many safety issues and tried to resolve them.

“The most dangerous things we see are cracked brakes and broken airlines,” Major Tom Pikul of Florida Highway Patrol told the outlet.

“If there is an air release in a brake line, they have no brakes.”

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass meanwhile said that authorities came across serious identification issues.

“Some of the driver’s licenses that we would find wouldn’t even have a name on the CDL — literally no name,” he revealed.

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Texas Democrat James Talarico Said Having Police in Schools Fuels ‘Culture of Violence’ in Newly Resurfaced Audio

We haven’t heard much lately from James Talarico, the Texas Democrat running for a U.S. Senate seat in November. Perhaps he has been trying to keep a low profile. Every time this guy turns around, a bizarre new video or audio clip of him surfaces somewhere highlighting his utterly bonkers view of Christianity.

Now there is another one.

In this case, Talarico says that having police in schools fuels a culture of violence. This goes directly to the idiotic Democrat idea of defunding the police.

Also, why would anyone object to having more police in schools? It could save lives.

FOX News has details:

Rising Dem Talarico denies anti-cop label after ‘culture of violence’ comments exposed

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is pushing back on the idea that he supports defunding the police, calling it a “flat-out lie.”

Republicans are confronting Talarico with resurfaced comments from a 2019 episode of the Trey Blocker Show, in which he suggests that a heavy police presence in schools without sufficient mental health professionals contributes to a “culture of violence.”

Democrats believe they have a shot at flipping the critical Senate seat blue for the first time in decades. But the GOP hopes to defend its Senate majority by highlighting Talarico’s more controversial stances to undermine his moderate appeal.

The latest to be unearthed is from the 2019 interview, in which Talarico decried plans to increase police officer presence in schools without also placing more emphasis on mental health.

“We’re all concerned about school safety and recent school shootings, and that concern, in some ways, has been channeled unproductively toward militarizing schools and toward kind of leaning into a culture of violence and adding more law enforcement officials into campuses,” he posited.

As a solution, Talarico, a former middle school teacher, touted the first bill he introduced as a member of the Texas House of Representatives, which would have mandated a set ratio of mental health workers for every police officer placed in a school.

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RFK Jr. Updates Guidelines for CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel to Include Risk Assessment

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on April 9 issued a revised charter for a key vaccine advisory panel, expanding its role to emphasize vaccine safety risks and widening the criteria for membership selection.

The new charter came after a judge ruled last month that previous votes from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) were invalid and blocked its new vaccine schedule for children.

The ACIP is a federal advisory committee that provides recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the use of vaccines to control diseases and helps establish immunization schedules for children and adults in the United States.

In the updated charter, signed by Kennedy on March 31 and published on April 9, the panel’s tasks now include advising the CDC on “gaps in vaccine safety research including adverse effects following vaccination.”

The charter says the ACIP will consider the “cumulative effects of vaccines and their constituent components” and engage in “re-analysis of vaccine safety and efficacy” as gaps are identified.

The new charter broadens the membership criteria of potential panelists beyond those with expertise in the use and research of vaccines and immunization practices, specifically adding toxicology and data science.

It states that members “shall be selected from authorities who are knowledgeable in the fields of medicine, vaccines, immunization practices, immunology, toxicology, pediatric neurodevelopment, epidemiology, data science, statistical analysis, health economics, recovery from serious vaccine injuries, or public health; have expertise in the use of vaccines or other immunobiologic agents in clinical practice or preventive medicine, have expertise with clinical or laboratory vaccine research, or have expertise in assessment of vaccine safety and efficacy.”

Ronald G. Nahass, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said the revised charter appears to shift ACIP’s focus toward vaccine safety and adverse events, rather than maintaining its traditional approach that considered “the full scope of vaccine data.”

“These changes suggest that routine immunization is unsafe — adding to confusion and increasing vaccine hesitancy,” Nahass said in a statement, warning that the updated charter could lead to lower vaccine uptake.

In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said, “The ACIP charter renewal and its publication are routine statutory requirements and do not signal any broader policy shift.”

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Americans Support Legalizing Marijuana Home Cultivation Amid Concerns About Pesticide-Tainted Products, Poll Shows

Three out of five Americans say it should be legal for people to grow their own marijuana plants at home, according to a new poll that also shows cannabis consumers are broadly concerned about harmful pesticides in the products they consume.

The survey, which was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Royal Queen Seeds (RQS), found that 61 percent of U.S. adults back legalizing marijuana home cultivation, which the company points out is greater than 43 percent of Americans who say they have consumed cannabis—showing that support for the freedom extends beyond those who want to exercise it for themselves.

At the same time, however, 72 percent of consumers are very concerned about pesticides in their cannabis products, while 65 percent say that media coverage of tainted marijuana has made them more likely to want to grow their own instead of buying it.

The poll also found that two-thirds of cannabis consumers (67 percent) would choose cannabis grown without pesticides even if it had lower THC than products that did use agrochemicals.

“Consumers today are more informed and more intentional about what they put into their bodies,” Shai Ramsahai, president of RQS, said in a press release. “Blindly buying products just because of a high THC percentage is a fading trend. People want cannabis they can trust, and many are turning to home cultivation to take control over quality and safety.”

Other findings of the new poll include:

  • More than 3 in 4 cannabis consumers (76 percent) say they prefer the “high” of marijuana over the “buzz” of alcohol.
  • 39 percent of Americans (and 68 percent of cannabis users) would be more impressed if someone brought home-grown marijuana to a dinner party than a bottle of expensive wine.
  • 80 percent of cannabis consumers say their use of marijuana has a broader wellness connection in their habits.

The poll involved interviews from March 17-19 with 2,017 U.S. adults aged 21 and older, among whom 851 have consumed cannabis, and has a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percentage points.

The survey is the latest in a series of polls commissioned by RQS.

Last year, the company found that half of U.S. marijuana consumers said they expected to consume more cannabis under the Trump administration than they have before.

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The biotechnology industry has no right to secrecy

In his column ‘Biosafety Now’, Dr. Simon Wain-Hobson revisits controversial gain-of-function research conducted in 2014, funded by US NIH contract HHSN26620070001, which successfully managed to transfer the H7N1 avian (bird flu) virus from ostriches to ferrets. Once transferred, the virus established itself in the “captive” laboratory ferrets sufficiently to cause airborne transmission to other ferrets without loss of virulence.

H7N1 is as deadly for humans as Ebola, but up until now has been rarely contracted. The implications of a biotechnology research programme which transformed the virus sufficiently to enable airborne transmission between mammals will not be lost on any of our readers. This is just another of the almost pandemics that gain-of-function research regularly creates. As we reported in our article, ‘Government Assurances of Biotech Safety Are Worthless. Here is the Evidence’, exotic gain-of-function experimentation is still continuing around the world to this day, whilst lab escapes are routine. 

However, biotechnology researchers are undaunted by the risks to public health, like Margaret Thatcher, “they are not for changing.” One can only presume that they have confidence that there will be enough body bags to go around when the inevitable next pandemic happens.

The UK Guardian reports that a 51-year-old career criminal, ironically called James Farthing, who won US$167 million in the lottery a year ago, has been arrested three times since for petty theft. He has been unable to change the direction of his life even though he has the material means to do so. “A leopard cannot change its spots.” Nothing could be more true of the mad disregard for risk that has continued on from the pandemic. The NZ Herald records an interview with New Zealand Labour Leader Chris Hipkins, who says he has no regrets that he failed to inform the public of the significant risk of heart disease that teenagers faced following the mRNA covid vaccine. A matter that was flagged by the recent Royal Commission Report. Hipkins excused himself, saying:

“In terms of my conscience, I never communicated medical advice around vaccination. That was always done by relevant health practitioners, including the director-general of health and the director of public health. I did not communicate, at any point, right the way through, that information other than reiterating the high-level messages around making sure you’re making informed decisions and consulting with medical practitioners.”

Of course, the “high-level messaging” that Hipkins is referring to was his constant encouragement for everyone, including school children, to get mRNA vaccines immediately on pain of losing their job or their ability to participate in social activities. If that is not offering medical advice, I don’t know what is. Hipkins appeared before the Royal Commission to answer questions but, incredibly, was allowed to do so in private. 

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MAHA Leaders Demand EPA Protect Americans From Toxic Chemicals

Leaders, farmers and organizations aligned with the Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, movement are calling on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to protect the health of the American public from pesticides, plastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, chemicals that are contributing to infertility, cancer and other chronic diseases.

The 36 MAHA organizations and leaders sent a letter urging the EPA to walk their talk in the forthcoming “Make America Healthy Again” agenda — which may be released any day — with concrete actions that will reduce Americans’ exposure to toxic chemicals, curb the influence of corporations over the agency and address rising rates of chronic disease.

“The American people were promised a Make America Healthy Again agenda that would finally confront the root causes of chronic disease in this country. That must include tackling the toxic chemicals Americans are exposed to every day through pesticides, PFAS, and plastics,” said Vani Hari, Author & Food Activist.

“We desperately need the EPA to put the health of families and children ahead of the interests of chemical companies.”

The letter demands, among other actions, that EPA initiate an emergency review of pesticides that are allowed in the U.S. but banned in the European Union — a policy supported by 87% of Americans.

The groups are also calling for tighter scrutiny of persistent, toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” and better monitoring of microplastics in drinking water.

The MAHA leaders point to industry influence at the EPA as the heart of the failure to protect the public from harmful chemicals.

They noted that revolving-door appointments, industry-funded science and regulatory loopholes have become the norm at the agency. EPA needs to chart a new course, they said, and that means prioritizing human health over the interests of chemical corporations.

“The EPA’s public support for glyphosate and pesticide liability protections in the face of growing evidence of scientific harm by independent scientists is a major betrayal of MAHA’s mission and President Trump’s campaign promise to RFK, Jr. [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] to reign in toxic chemicals in our food system,” said David Murphy, the founder of United We Eat and a longtime advocate for food and agricultural reforms.

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New York’s Governor Seems Indifferent to the Health Consequences of a Steep Tax on Nicotine Pouches

By pushing a 75 percent wholesale tax on nicotine pouches, New York State Budget Director Blake Washington says, Gov. Kathy Hochul is trying to address “a public health concern.” That rationale is absurd on its face, since this tax would sharply raise the cost of a nicotine product that is far less hazardous than cigarettes, perversely discouraging smokers from making a switch that could save their lives.

Hochul, who seems determined to portray a money grab as a benevolent intervention, is either oblivious or indifferent to the health consequences of taxing nicotine patches at the same rate as cigarettes. “We see it as a distinction without a difference,” Washington told reporters in January.

That position ignores the huge difference between inhaling tobacco smoke, which contains myriad toxins and carcinogens, and orally absorbing nicotine from a pouch placed between the lip and gums. Hochul’s framing also contradicts what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said four days before the end of the Biden administration, when it authorized the marketing of Zyn nicotine pouches in two doses and 10 flavors.

That decision was based on the FDA’s determination that “the new products offer greater benefits to population health than risks.” The data, said Matthew Farrelly, director of the Office of Science at the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, “show that these nicotine pouch products meet that bar by benefiting adults who use cigarettes and/or smokeless tobacco products and completely switch to these products.”

Nicotine pouches contain “substantially lower amounts of harmful constituents than cigarettes,” the FDA noted. They therefore offer “a lower-risk alternative for adults who smoke cigarettes.”

How much lower? To give you a sense of the difference, the Royal College of Physicians estimates that “the hazard to health” from e-cigarettes, which likewise do not contain tobacco or burn anything but do require inhalation, “is unlikely to exceed 5% of the harm from smoking tobacco.”

Nicotine pouches “contain far, far fewer harmful constituents compared to traditional tobacco products,” notes Mary Hrywna, a tobacco control specialist at the Rutgers School of Public Health. The FDA’s Zyn decision implicitly acknowledged that nicotine pouches are “much safer than cigarettes,” says Ray Niaura, a professor at New York University’s School of Global Public Health.

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