Myron Levin, the esteemed former investigative reporter for the L.A. Times, has just launched a new non-profit online publication, "Fair Warning" (www.fairwarning.org), which provides indepth investigative coverage of important product and environmental hazard issues.
The current edition addresses ATV hazards and the industry's obstructionist tactics toward regulatory countermeasures; the continuing harm being done by fire-prone GM CK pickup truck fuel tank designs, and numerous other issues of importance.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Looks like a fun Marathon. Very pretty area
Pretzel City Sports Newsletter
New Marathon and Half Marathon in Reading on June 13th
Fast and Fairly Flat, travels along trout stream for much of race
Same site as Grings Mill raceearly entry price break ends March 31
Runners;
Expect to have a lot of fitness stored up from all that training you did for the Kutztown Fools Run, the Lehigh Valley Half, Broad Street, The Garden Spot Village Half & Marathon or the Bob Potts Marathon??? Well, why let it go to waste afterwards by using it on just 5k's?? That's not very smart!. There's a brand new half marathon and full marathon schedule dfor June 13th on one of the prettiest courses in Eastern PA; Grings Mill Park right here in Reading. The event is held by a new race directing company in Reading, with Pretzel City Sports timing the race. Race director and experienced racer Stephan Weiss did a GREAT job heading last year's Blues Cruise 50k for the Pagoda Pacers and I expect him to bring the same level of professionalism to this event as well. An added bonus is that both he and his wife are recognized German Chefs and you will LOVE the grub at the end of this event! The early bird price ends on March 31 so even if you have started training yet, enter now! Here's more on the event from Stephan:
UBER ENDURANCE SPORTS PROUDLY PRESENTS THE 1ST ANNUAL
"½ Sauer ½ Kraut "
Marathon & Half Marathon, Reading PA
SUNDAY, June 13th 2010 8:00 A.M, Limit 750 Runners
Proudly supports Toys for Tots
"No need to run this race in Lederhosen to enjoy the German food at the post race party"
This year some big city Marathons will cost you more than $150 to enter. You probably have to fork over another $200 to get a hotel room that is within 10 miles of the start at best.By setting your alarm clock to 2:00 AM you get a shot at a parking spot somewhat close to the start and you get to "warm up" for another 3 hours until you finally get out of line for the Porta John's.
The ½ Sauer ½ Kraut offers a somewhat different experience. You can park right at the Start/Finish and pick up your number on race day. You will be running on a mostly shaded, flat compacted cinder trail alongside the beautiful Tulpehocken Creek and the Schuylkill River. You will be supported by 13 aid stations (5 for the half), including the Strudelhaus aid station (german pastries) & the Oktoberfest Aid station (alternative energy drinks). Zenzi, the Bavarian waitress will hand out gels at the 12 & 20 mile mark, and you will be fed by 2 professional chefs at the post race festivities, while "Hans" will entertain you with his accordion. A portion of your entry fee will be used to purchase toys for the Toys for Tots organization, but we will also collect new toys donated by Runners on race day.
REGISTRATION/ENTRY Grings Mill Recreation Area, 2083 Tulpehocken Rd, Wyomissing, PA 19610. Reg. opens at 7:00 a.m.,
Race starts: 8:00 (approx.). Fee is $50 ($38 for half) by 3/31, $60 ($45 for half) by 5/31, $70 ($55 for half) after 5/31 and on race day. Please no mail in apps after 5/31, day of race or online registration only.
For more in-depth info on our event, go to www.uberendurancesports.com
YOU GET: Tech. shirt with no advertising, finisher medal, post race food prepared by 2 professional chefs, live music at post race party, accurate wheel measured course, almost no traffic (course is 90% off public roads), 13 (5 for the half) super motivated aid stations, EMT on location , free parking right at start/finish area.
New Marathon and Half Marathon in Reading on June 13th
Fast and Fairly Flat, travels along trout stream for much of race
Same site as Grings Mill raceearly entry price break ends March 31
Runners;
Expect to have a lot of fitness stored up from all that training you did for the Kutztown Fools Run, the Lehigh Valley Half, Broad Street, The Garden Spot Village Half & Marathon or the Bob Potts Marathon??? Well, why let it go to waste afterwards by using it on just 5k's?? That's not very smart!. There's a brand new half marathon and full marathon schedule dfor June 13th on one of the prettiest courses in Eastern PA; Grings Mill Park right here in Reading. The event is held by a new race directing company in Reading, with Pretzel City Sports timing the race. Race director and experienced racer Stephan Weiss did a GREAT job heading last year's Blues Cruise 50k for the Pagoda Pacers and I expect him to bring the same level of professionalism to this event as well. An added bonus is that both he and his wife are recognized German Chefs and you will LOVE the grub at the end of this event! The early bird price ends on March 31 so even if you have started training yet, enter now! Here's more on the event from Stephan:
UBER ENDURANCE SPORTS PROUDLY PRESENTS THE 1ST ANNUAL
"½ Sauer ½ Kraut "
Marathon & Half Marathon, Reading PA
SUNDAY, June 13th 2010 8:00 A.M, Limit 750 Runners
Proudly supports Toys for Tots
"No need to run this race in Lederhosen to enjoy the German food at the post race party"
This year some big city Marathons will cost you more than $150 to enter. You probably have to fork over another $200 to get a hotel room that is within 10 miles of the start at best.By setting your alarm clock to 2:00 AM you get a shot at a parking spot somewhat close to the start and you get to "warm up" for another 3 hours until you finally get out of line for the Porta John's.
The ½ Sauer ½ Kraut offers a somewhat different experience. You can park right at the Start/Finish and pick up your number on race day. You will be running on a mostly shaded, flat compacted cinder trail alongside the beautiful Tulpehocken Creek and the Schuylkill River. You will be supported by 13 aid stations (5 for the half), including the Strudelhaus aid station (german pastries) & the Oktoberfest Aid station (alternative energy drinks). Zenzi, the Bavarian waitress will hand out gels at the 12 & 20 mile mark, and you will be fed by 2 professional chefs at the post race festivities, while "Hans" will entertain you with his accordion. A portion of your entry fee will be used to purchase toys for the Toys for Tots organization, but we will also collect new toys donated by Runners on race day.
REGISTRATION/ENTRY Grings Mill Recreation Area, 2083 Tulpehocken Rd, Wyomissing, PA 19610. Reg. opens at 7:00 a.m.,
Race starts: 8:00 (approx.). Fee is $50 ($38 for half) by 3/31, $60 ($45 for half) by 5/31, $70 ($55 for half) after 5/31 and on race day. Please no mail in apps after 5/31, day of race or online registration only.
For more in-depth info on our event, go to www.uberendurancesports.com
YOU GET: Tech. shirt with no advertising, finisher medal, post race food prepared by 2 professional chefs, live music at post race party, accurate wheel measured course, almost no traffic (course is 90% off public roads), 13 (5 for the half) super motivated aid stations, EMT on location , free parking right at start/finish area.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Product Liability Lawsuits Credited with Many Safety Improvements
Product Liability Lawsuits Credited with Many Safety Improvements
The Los Angeles Times reported yesterday on the history of automotive product liability litigation. Tracing the beginnings of the story to the legendary and precedent setting case of McPherson v. Buick Motor Company in 1911, the Times writes that
“lawsuits over the last half-century are credited with such innovations as impact absorbing dashboards and steering columns, and gas tanks that won’t explode on impact.”
The article debunks the right-wing “tort reform” claims, showing the vast safety improvements resulting from product liability cases.
Read the entire L.A. Times Story
The Los Angeles Times reported yesterday on the history of automotive product liability litigation. Tracing the beginnings of the story to the legendary and precedent setting case of McPherson v. Buick Motor Company in 1911, the Times writes that
“lawsuits over the last half-century are credited with such innovations as impact absorbing dashboards and steering columns, and gas tanks that won’t explode on impact.”
The article debunks the right-wing “tort reform” claims, showing the vast safety improvements resulting from product liability cases.
Read the entire L.A. Times Story
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Ex-Toyota Lawyer says Toyota hid damaging documents from victims of unsafe vehicles
Ex-Toyota lawyer says documents prove company hid damaging information - see the story on CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/10/toyota.whistleblower/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/10/toyota.whistleblower/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Toyota Sudden Unintended Acceleration Problems
State Farm Says It Warned Gov't On Toyota
Nation's Largest Auto Insurer Says It Reported Acceleration Problems
KEN THOMAS, Associated Press Writer
POSTED: 8:29 am EST February 9, 2010UPDATED: 9:59 am EST February 9, 2010
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WASHINGTON --
The nation's largest auto insurer said Tuesday it alerted federal safety regulators in late 2007 about a rise in reports of unexpected acceleration in Toyota vehicles, the latest warning sign to emerge about the massive recall.
State Farm insurance said it noticed an uptick in reports of unwanted acceleration in Toyotas from its large customer database and warned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in late 2007. NHTSA officials said the report was reviewed and the agency issued a recall later that month.
NHTSA received complaints about acceleration problems in Toyota vehicles as early as 2003, and congressional investigators are looking into whether the government missed warning signs of the problems. A House committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on Wednesday into the Japanese automaker's recall of about 8.5 million vehicles globally over floor mats which can trap gas pedals, sticking gas pedals and brake problems.
Toyota announced early Tuesday it would recall about 437,000 Prius and other hybrid vehicles to fix brake problems. There have been about 200 complaints in Japan and the U.S. about a delay when the brakes in the Prius were pressed in cold conditions and on some bumpy roads.
The U.S. government has launched an investigation into the Prius. In a statement, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Toyota has acknowledged a safety defect by issuing the Prius recall, which includes 133,000 Prius cars and 14,500 Lexus HS250h vehicles in the United States.
LaHood said Toyota leaders had assured him they were taking the safety concerns "very seriously" and the transportation agency will "remain in constant communication with Toyota to hold them to that promise." U.S. owners will start receiving letters about the recall next week.
State Farm, meanwhile, said it routinely tracks claim trend information and shares its data with NHTSA. "In the name of safety, we voluntarily and routinely communicate with the appropriate government agencies when we see a product-related claim trend," said spokesman Jeff McCollum in an e-mail.
NHTSA spokeswoman Karen Aldana said State Farm forwarded the agency a Sept. 7, 2007, claim letter to Toyota concerning a crash involving a 2005 Camry. She said the report was reviewed and added to their complaint database.
The agency had been investigating problems with floor mats in Toyota vehicles and later in September 2007, Toyota recalled 55,000 Camry and ES350 vehicles to replace the floor mats.
Toyota officials have apologized for the recalls and vowed to fix customer vehicles. Akio Toyoda, the company's president and grandson of its founder, wrote in an op-ed in the Washington Post on Tuesday that Toyota "has not lived up to the high standards you have come to expect of us" and called the recent spate of problems "the most serious" the company has ever faced.
"We fully understand that we need to more aggressively investigate complaints we hear directly from consumers and move more quickly to address any safety issues we identify," Toyoda wrote.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylc=X3oDMTFpbG40ZnQzBF9TAzM5ODMwMTA0MQRnc3RhdGUDMwRwb3MDNgRzZWMDbndfbG9jYWwEc2xrA3RpdGxl/SIG=14uj07fr1/**http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/local/Orlando/WESH_2_Orlando/SIG=122pln7qe/**http%253A%252F%252Fwww.wesh.com%252Fautomotive%252F22508036%252Fdetail.html
Nation's Largest Auto Insurer Says It Reported Acceleration Problems
KEN THOMAS, Associated Press Writer
POSTED: 8:29 am EST February 9, 2010UPDATED: 9:59 am EST February 9, 2010
Email Print
Comments
(0)
WASHINGTON --
The nation's largest auto insurer said Tuesday it alerted federal safety regulators in late 2007 about a rise in reports of unexpected acceleration in Toyota vehicles, the latest warning sign to emerge about the massive recall.
State Farm insurance said it noticed an uptick in reports of unwanted acceleration in Toyotas from its large customer database and warned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in late 2007. NHTSA officials said the report was reviewed and the agency issued a recall later that month.
NHTSA received complaints about acceleration problems in Toyota vehicles as early as 2003, and congressional investigators are looking into whether the government missed warning signs of the problems. A House committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on Wednesday into the Japanese automaker's recall of about 8.5 million vehicles globally over floor mats which can trap gas pedals, sticking gas pedals and brake problems.
Toyota announced early Tuesday it would recall about 437,000 Prius and other hybrid vehicles to fix brake problems. There have been about 200 complaints in Japan and the U.S. about a delay when the brakes in the Prius were pressed in cold conditions and on some bumpy roads.
The U.S. government has launched an investigation into the Prius. In a statement, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Toyota has acknowledged a safety defect by issuing the Prius recall, which includes 133,000 Prius cars and 14,500 Lexus HS250h vehicles in the United States.
LaHood said Toyota leaders had assured him they were taking the safety concerns "very seriously" and the transportation agency will "remain in constant communication with Toyota to hold them to that promise." U.S. owners will start receiving letters about the recall next week.
State Farm, meanwhile, said it routinely tracks claim trend information and shares its data with NHTSA. "In the name of safety, we voluntarily and routinely communicate with the appropriate government agencies when we see a product-related claim trend," said spokesman Jeff McCollum in an e-mail.
NHTSA spokeswoman Karen Aldana said State Farm forwarded the agency a Sept. 7, 2007, claim letter to Toyota concerning a crash involving a 2005 Camry. She said the report was reviewed and added to their complaint database.
The agency had been investigating problems with floor mats in Toyota vehicles and later in September 2007, Toyota recalled 55,000 Camry and ES350 vehicles to replace the floor mats.
Toyota officials have apologized for the recalls and vowed to fix customer vehicles. Akio Toyoda, the company's president and grandson of its founder, wrote in an op-ed in the Washington Post on Tuesday that Toyota "has not lived up to the high standards you have come to expect of us" and called the recent spate of problems "the most serious" the company has ever faced.
"We fully understand that we need to more aggressively investigate complaints we hear directly from consumers and move more quickly to address any safety issues we identify," Toyoda wrote.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylc=X3oDMTFpbG40ZnQzBF9TAzM5ODMwMTA0MQRnc3RhdGUDMwRwb3MDNgRzZWMDbndfbG9jYWwEc2xrA3RpdGxl/SIG=14uj07fr1/**http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/local/Orlando/WESH_2_Orlando/SIG=122pln7qe/**http%253A%252F%252Fwww.wesh.com%252Fautomotive%252F22508036%252Fdetail.html
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
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