Aviation

EU suspends aircraft emissions trading rules

"The European Union has agreed to suspend its rules that require airlines flying to and from airports in the EU to pay for their carbon emissions. The rules had been unpopular with countries outside Europe such as the US, China and India. Climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard said she had proposed 'stopping the clock for one year'. The EU brought in the Emissions Trading Scheme on 1 January. India and China have been among the most vocal opponents of the ETS, with India banning its airlines from complying with it in April." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEU suspends aircraft emissions trading rules

Poll: Nearly One Third Of Americans Would Accept ‘TSA Body Cavity Search’ in Order to Fly

"A new survey commissioned by Infowars and conducted by Harris Interactive has found that almost one third of American adults would accept a 'TSA body cavity search' in order to fly, with a majority of Americans also feeling a law that would make disobeying a TSA agent in any public place illegal is reasonable. The shock results emphasize the level of indignity Americans are willing to tolerate in order to travel. They also highlight how the TSA’s reputation has remained largely intact despite a series of scandals and widespread criticism from innumerable public figures." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPoll: Nearly One Third Of Americans Would Accept ‘TSA Body Cavity Search’ in Order to Fly

Local TSA workers headed to East Coast

"TSA workers are leaving Thursday to help Sandy survivors. They'll not only be helping the traveling public, but their fellow TSA screeners who are dealing with the aftermath of a storm in their personal lives. The extra help is needed because of the backlog of passengers the airlines have with all the canceled flights over the past three days, and because many of the TSA screeners in the New York City area can't make it to work." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLocal TSA workers headed to East Coast

The Police-State’s Fascist Strength

"1) WidePoint Corporation has been awarded ... contract to provide mobile Telecom Expense Management Services (TEMS) to the TSA. ... approximately $33 million dollars.... 2) 'L-3 Communications Beats Estimates—Key contract wins during the quarter included ... explosives detection and advanced imaging technology systems to the TSA. Funded order backlog was $11.0 billion. 3) Morpho Detection, Inc. received a five-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract from the TSA with a maximum value of $528 million. And this is just one day's gleaning from my Google Alert on the TSA!" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Police-State’s Fascist Strength

No-Fly List Strands Man In Hawaii

"The 34-year-old from Gulfport, Miss., was stranded in the islands this week after being told he was on the FBI's no-fly list during a layover for a military flight from California to Japan. The episode left Hicks scrambling to figure out how he'd get home from Hawaii without being able to fly. How could someone on a list intelligence officials use to inform counterterrorism investigations successfully fly standby on an Air Force flight? He wasn't told why and wondered whether his controversial views on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks played a role. Hicks said he disagrees with the 9/11 Commission's conclusions about the attacks." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNo-Fly List Strands Man In Hawaii

Ben Affleck Defends TSA ‘Dick Grabbing’

"During a recent appearance on Bill Maher's Real Time, actor Ben Affleck defended the TSA's policy of grabbing people's genitals. Affleck probably isn't too fussed about what the TSA do because he is driven straight to the runway to board his private jet - he doesn't even have to go through TSA security!" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBen Affleck Defends TSA ‘Dick Grabbing’

TSA removes X-ray body scanners from major airports

"The Transportation Security Administration has been quietly removing its X-ray body scanners from major airports over the last few weeks and replacing them with machines that radiation experts believe are safer. The TSA says it made the decision not because of safety concerns but to speed up checkpoints at busier airports. The United States remains one of the only countries in the world to X-ray passengers for airport screening. The European Union prohibited the backscatters last year 'in order not to risk jeopardizing citizens’ health and safety.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTSA removes X-ray body scanners from major airports

Watch: Helmet cam recording of jump from the edge of space

"Footage broadcast on Austrian television shows the first moments of daredevil Felix Baumgartner’s 128,000-foot descent to Earth. Baumgartner ascended to the dizzying height inside a capsule attached to an ultra-thin 55-story helium balloon. During the first moments of his jump, Baumgartner began to spin out of control due to the thin atmosphere. The space suit he was wearing was equipped with an emergency parachute that would deploy automatically if he experienced excessive G-force. Luckily, Baumgartner was able to regain control before the parachute automatically deployed and became the first man to reach supersonic speed in a free fall." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWatch: Helmet cam recording of jump from the edge of space