CRS (Congressional Research Service Report)

From the Federation of American Scientists, CRS Report on American Jihadists.

Wire Transfers

via Cryptome.

The Feds are gonna give you until 2012 to transfer all that money, I guess the point being, they're expecting a stampede before the cut-off date. Right.

Airplane Pollution

via Fast Company.

Article.

foreign ownership of airlines

WSJ today reporting on foreign ownership question.

Gotta get some money somewhere

Global Governance

Bilderburg Group.?

Anyone see David Byrne's True Stories.? Great Film. Great Song in the church with the preacher singing "Puzzlin' Evidence" as a parade of atomic bombs go off and tanks roll by on a big screen behind him. Foot stompin' music.

You got your CBS
and
your ABC
You got Time and Newsweek
they're the same to me
You got Gulf and Western and your
MasterCard
(Puzzlin' Evidence)!

gobm'nt surveillance

GreenPeace, PETA, etc.

More from CourthouseNews.

Q & A

SWA/Air Tran Merger.

Ground Handling Market

Sure, Open it UP, no security issues there.

SW Border Violence

America As Dream.

From Secrecy News

Debt, Foreclosure & Revocation of Security Clearance.

Plane Finder

There's an App For That.

Coming Soon To An Airport Near You!

Pandemic Detection.

Fake Safety Data

Let's charge somebody (I mean, charge them money).

Hidden Fees

Consumer Travel Alliance attempts to rally travelers in advance of the expiration of the public comment period regarding hidden fees for luggage, etc.

FAQs from MadAsHellAboutHiddenFees.

Progress.


Visit The Consumer Travel Alliance Web Site. Make some noise.

[Federal Register: August 3, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 148)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 45562-45563]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03au10-16]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

14 CFR Parts 234, 244, 250, 253, 259, and 399

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2010-0140]
RIN No. 2105-AD92


Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), Department of Transportation
(DOT).

ACTION: Extension of comment period on proposed rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This action extends the comment period for an NPRM on
enhancing airline passenger protections that was published in the
Federal Register on June 8, 2010. The Department of Transportation is
extending the period for interested persons to submit comments on this
rulemaking from August 9, 2010, to September 23, 2010. This extension
is a result of requests from a number of airline associations, one
airport association, and two airlines to extend the comment period for
the proposal.

DATES: Comments must be received by September 23, 2010. Comments
received after this date will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: You may file comments identified by the docket number DOT-
OST-2010-0140 by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
and follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Room W12-140, Washington, DC
20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET,
Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
Fax: (202) 493-2251.

Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket number
DOT-OST-2010-0140 or the Regulatory Identification Number, RIN No.
2105-AD92, for the rulemaking at the beginning of your comment. All
comments received will be posted without change to

Regulations.
, including any personal information provided.


Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all
comments received in any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment if submitted on behalf
of an association, a business, a labor union, etc.). You may review
DOT's complete Privacy Act statement in the Federal Register published
on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78), or you may visit http://
DocketsInfo.dot.gov.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov or to the street
address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the
docket.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Blane A. Workie or Daeleen Chesley,
Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement and
Proceedings, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave.,
SE., Washington, DC 20590, 202-366-9342 (phone), 202-366-7152 (fax),
blane.workie@dot.gov or daeleen.chesley@dot.gov (e-mail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 8, 2010, the Department published a
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on enhancing airline passenger
protections that proposed to improve the air travel environment for

[[Page 45563]]

consumers by: (1) Increasing the number of carriers that are required
to adopt tarmac delay contingency plans and the airports at which they
must adhere to the plan's terms; (2) increasing the number of carriers
that are required to report tarmac delay information to the Department;
(3) expanding the group of carriers that are required to adopt, follow,
and audit customer service plans and establishing minimum standards for
the subjects all carriers must cover in such plans; (4) requiring
carriers to include their contingency plans and customer service plans
in their contracts of carriage; (5) increasing the number of carriers
that must respond to consumer complaints; (6) enhancing protections
afforded passengers in oversales situations, including increasing the
maximum denied boarding compensation airlines must pay to passengers
bumped from flights; (7) strengthening, codifying and clarifying the
Department's enforcement policies concerning air transportation price
advertising practices; (8) requiring carriers to notify consumers of
optional fees related to air transportation and of increases in baggage
fees; (9) prohibiting post-purchase price increases; (10) requiring
carriers to provide passengers timely notice of flight status changes
such as delays and cancellations; (11) prohibiting carriers from
imposing unfair contract of carriage choice-of-forum provisions; and
(12) soliciting comments on options to provide greater access to air
travel for persons with peanut allergies. See 75 FR 32318 (June 8,
2010). Comments on the matters proposed were to be received 60 days
after publication of the NPRM, or by August 9, 2010.


We received requests for an extension of time in the comment period
for this rulemaking by the Airport Council International (ACI),
Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), Association of European
Airlines (AEA), Latin American & Caribbean Air Transport Association
(ALTA), National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC), International Air
Carrier Association (IACA), International Air Transport Association
(IATA) and Societe Air France & KLM Royal Dutch. We also received a
joint statement in support of IATA's request for an extension of the
comment period by the Air Transport Association (ATA), Regional Airline
Association (RAA) and Air Carrier Association of America (ACAA).
According to these requests, the extension of time is needed so the
airlines have sufficient time to review and comment on the extensive
and complex proposed rule. More specifically, the petitioners note,
among other things, the need to consult with multiple offices on the
cost, timing and feasibility of the proposals, the need to analyze any
international law implications, the need to evaluate and respond to the
preliminary regulatory analysis, the need to coordinate and assess
several areas addressed in this proposal against other U.S. Government
proposals or requirements, the need to understand the implications in
this proposal considering its breadth, and the need to address the
various specific issues discussed in the preamble on which comments are
sought but for which there is no corresponding proposed regulatory
text. Most of the petitioners requested an additional 60 days time, a
few requested an additional 90 days time, and one supported an
additional 30 days time.


While we concur with the requests for an extension of the comment
period, we believe that a 90-day or 60-day extension would be
excessive. We have decided to grant an extension of 45 days, or until
September 23, 2010, for the public to comment on the NPRM. In doing so,
we have balanced the stated need for additional time for comments with
the need to proceed expeditiously with this important rulemaking. We
take note of the fact that with the additional 45 days we are granting
here, interested parties will have a total of 105 days to comment on
the proposals, which we believe is adequate time for analysis and
coordination regarding the proposals. Accordingly, the Department finds
that good cause exists to extend the time for comments on the proposed
rule from August 9, 2010, to September 23, 2010. We do not anticipate
any further extension of the comment period for this rulemaking.

Issued this 29th day of July, 2010, in Washington, DC under
authority assigned to me by 14 CFR 385.17(c).
Neil R. Eisner,
Assistant General Counsel, Office of Regulation and Enforcement, U.S.
Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 2010-19123 Filed 8-2-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P

Mad as Hell

Hidden Fees.

Birds & Planes

Glider Practice.

No room to bend into crash position

Grab Ankles.

European Rail Alert

Odd.

Liquid Explosives Detection

Article.

BTS- Airline Data

Data.

PNR-Passenger Name Record

PNR Q & A.

Boeing's Allegedly Illegal Subsidies

So you're alleging what, a non-level playing field, what else is new.?

Progress Notes

Abdulmutallab.

Trust as a Component of Social Capital

Or as Led Zeppelin would say, Immigrant Song.

Shelter in Place after Terrorist Attack Report

Nuc'ler.

We superimpose a radiation fallout model onto a traffic flow model to assess the evacuation versus shelter-in-place decisions after the daytime ground-level detonation of a 10-kt improvised nuclear device in Washington, DC. In our model, 80k people are killed by the prompt effects of blast, burn, and radiation. Of the 360k survivors without access to a vehicle, 42.6k would die if they immediately self-evacuated on foot. Sheltering above ground would save several thousand of these lives and sheltering in a basement (or near the middle of a large building) would save more of them.

Among survivors of the prompt effects with access to a vehicle, the number of deaths depends on the fraction of people who shelter in a basement rather than self-evacuate in their vehicle: approx. 23.1k people die if 90% shelter in a basement and approx. 54.6k die if 10% shelter.

Sheltering above ground saves approximately half as many lives as sheltering in a basement.

The details related to delayed (i.e., organized) evacuation, search and rescue, decontamination, and situational awareness (via, e.g., telecommunications) have very little impact on the number of casualties.

Although antibiotics and transfusion support have the potential to save about 10k lives (and the number of lives saved from medical care increases with the fraction of people who shelter in basements), the logistical challenge appears to be well beyond current response capabilities. Taken together, our results suggest that the government should initiate an aggressive outreach program to educate citizens and the private sector about the importance of sheltering in place in a basement for at least 12 hours after a terrorist nuclear detonation.

PDF.

Head Scarf Violation of Rights

Airport Security, via courthousenews.

BTS website data

BTS 43-10

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Contact: Dave Smallen

Tel: 202-366-5568




BTS Data Collection Site.

BTS Releases June 2010 Airline Traffic Data;
System Traffic Up 2.3 Percent from June 2009


For data tables, see BTS Air Traffic Release.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today reported in a release of preliminary data that U.S. airlines carried 65.0 million scheduled domestic and international passengers in June 2010. This is a 2.3 percent increase from June 2009 (Table 1). The June 2010 passenger total was 4.4 percent below that of two years ago in June 2008 (Table 2).

BTS, a part of DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, also reported that U.S. airlines carried 1.4 percent more domestic passengers in June 2010than in June 2009. The number of international passengers on U.S. carriers increased 8.4 percent over June 2009 (Tables 7, 13). The June 2010 load factors of 86.2 percent systemwide, 86.3 percent domestic and 85.9 percent international were the highest recorded for any June (Tables 1, 7, 13).

Additional traffic numbers can be found on the BTS website in the Airline Industry box. Click on a link in the column on the right. For more historic numbers, see Traffic on the BTS website.

For the first six months of 2010, the number of scheduled domestic and international passengers on U.S. airlines increased 1.2 percent from the same period in 2009 to 349.5 million (Table 2). The number of passengers declined 8.0 percent from the first six months of 2008 to the first six months of 2010.


U.S. airlines carried 0.7 percent more domestic passengers and 4.3 percent more international passengers in the first six months of 2010 than during the same period in 2009 (Tables 7, 13).

Top Airlines in June

In June, Delta Air Lines carried more total system and international passengers than any other U.S. airline (Tables 4, 16). Southwest Airlines carried the most domestic passengers (Table 10).

During the first six months of 2010, Delta carried more total system and international passengers than any other U.S. airline (Tables 3, 15). Southwest carried the most domestic passengers (Table 9). See notes under airline ranking tables for more details on Delta’s report.

Top Airports in June

In June, more total system and domestic passengers boarded planes at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International than at any other U.S. airport (Tables 6 and 12); and more international passengers boarded U.S. carriers at New York JFK than at any other U.S. airport (Table 18).

During the first six months of 2010, more total system and domestic passengers boarded planes at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International than at any other U.S. airport (Tables 5 and 11); and more international passengers boarded U.S. carriers at Miami International than at any other U.S. airport (Table 17).

Flights Operated

In June, U.S. airlines operated 822,000 scheduled domestic and international flights, down 0.7 percent from the number of flights operated in June 2009 (Table 1). The number of domestic flights decreased 1.2 percent in June from a year earlier while international flights were up 5.9 percent (Tables 7, 13).

During the first six months of 2010, U.S. carriers operated 4.7 million domestic and international flights, 1.7 percent fewer than were operated during the same period in 2009 (Table 1). Domestic flights decreased 2.0 percent from the previous year while international flights were up 1.3 percent (Tables 7, 13).

June 2010 Airline Traffic Data.


Airline Employment Data.

Extension of Emergency Powers to President

Obama extends the Emergency Powers invoked by Bush after the 9/11 attacks.


Notice of September 10, 2010


Continuation of the National Emergency With
Respect to Certain Terrorist Attacks

Consistent with section 202(d) of the National
Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1622(d), I am continuing for
1 year the national emergency previously declared on
September 14, 2001, in Proclamation 7463, with respect
to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the
continuing and immediate threat of further attacks on
the United States.

Because the terrorist threat continues, the national
emergency declared on September 14, 2001, and the
powers and authorities adopted to deal with that
emergency must continue in effect beyond September 14,
2010. Therefore, I am continuing in effect for an
additional year the national emergency that was
declared on September 14, 2001, with respect to the
terrorist threat.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register
and transmitted to the Congress.


(Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE,

September 10, 2010.

Trampling on Constitutional Rights

So, what's new.?

Saddle Up

And Bring your chow kettle.

Facial Recognition

Looking for Look Alikes.

Price Fixing Lawsuit

Via Courthousenews.

Lawsuit.

Refusing to Answer Questions & Detention

KnifeTricks.


Hat Tip to Bruce Schneier.

Jet A

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Contact: Dave Smallen

Tel: 202-366-5568

MEDIA ADVISORY


BTS Releases July Airline Fuel Cost and Consumption Data
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), today updated its Airline Fuel Cost and Consumption web page with preliminary July data.

Cost per gallon for U.S. airlines’ scheduled services:

July 2009 $1.90

June 2010 $2.21

July 2010 $2.21



The page provides preliminary industry summaries for May, June and July on individual tables for each month. The preliminary industry numbers are also available on the 2000-present table with comparisons to previous fuel cost and consumption numbers. This table provides scheduled service cost and consumption numbers. Use the “Select a Service” dropdown to see all services or non-scheduled.

The Fuel Cost and Consumption.


Preliminary fuel cost and consumption numbers are industry summaries only. Airline fuel costs may be affected by hedging. The next web update is scheduled for Oct. 13.

Individual airline numbers are available through March on the BTS website. Individual airline numbers for April, May and June will be available with the BTS second quarter financial release scheduled for Sept. 20. Individual airline numbers for July will be available with the BTS third quarter financial release scheduled for Dec. 13.

Family of 9/11 victim Mark Bavis

Lone Settlement Holdout Hopes to Shed Light on Who knew What When.

Permalink.

Immigration In America

Update.

The Evolving Terrorist Threat

From the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Iris Scanners Are Back

Iris Scanner Back (USA Today).



Catherine Zeta Jones beats the eye scanner, Tom Cruise is scanned in Minority Report.

A diverse and more complex threat

Peter Bergen and Bruce Hoffman of the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Scanner Risk

Weighing the Pros and Cons.

Pasties.

14 U.S.Recessions Say

Economy will not recover until housing recovers, so neither will civil aviation.

Sleepy Pilots

SOT's Fastlane Blog.

New Rules, article.

New Rules, 145 pages of 'em.


Chronic Sleep Loss and Accident Rates.

Regional Jets Fly Toward Scrap Heap

Not Cost Effecient.

New Bomb Screening Equipment

Well, I feel better already.

DOT denies antitrust immunity to Delta/Virgin Blue Alliance

Press Release.

US Visit

GAO Report, August 2010.

Loose Change

Did they (the gohbm'nt) know about the attack before hand, (that means Cheney, not Bush, who was a puppet. If they did, did they nonetheless let the attack go forward just as FDR allowed the attack on Pearl Harbor to go forward? FDR knew about the planned attack on Pearl Harbor for a full year prior to the attack. Nothing new here. Ostensibly, FDR allowed the attack on Pearl Harbor to go forward because there was a strong isolationist sentiment among American's after WWI; they didn't want to get involved in stopping Hitler, viewing him as Europe's problem. FDR knew that absent a direct attack on American interests, America would remain on the sidelines, while Hitler goose-stepped across Europe, came to control the seas, and eventually attack the U.S. mainland.

However, where 9/11 is different is in the fortunes to be made by the war profiteers (Cheney/Bush & friends). That good 'ole Military/Industrial Complex that Eisenhower warned us about. Always money to be made by the merchants of death, big money.


Order your copy.

Partial Transcript of O'Reilley Factor Interview with Actor James Woods, who rode with the highjacking crew on Flight 11 in the days before 9/11.


curious.

Immigrant Rights

Because some people still believe that AMERICA is different.

Global Entry

DHS.

Laptop Search at Airport, Litigation

Those pesky defense lawyers, what're you gonna do.?


No. You cannot look at my files!

Bedbug Eradication Tools Collection

From Medline.

Generically Naked

Come on, everybody has the same parts, let's see yours.

How to Disappear

Identifying Monica Lewinsky.



Reclaiming your privacy in a digital, gohbm'nt snoop world.

Entrapment

Because they can't think of these things themselves.

Hat tip to Brue Schneier

Update on Jet Blue F/A

LOOK at my head, dude.!! (I mean the OUTSIDE, it's got a DENT in it!)

Travel Assistance

Measure of Independence.

Airline Fraud Report

Deloitte.

Space Weather

Solar Max.

The Black Swan, why we are blindsided by the statistically remote inevitability.

Snakes on a plane

Why 95.?

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Tricked Out.

Predator Drones

And you thought they were just for war, right.?

We need a beer

Battery Low.

Cell Phone Surveillance

Katz & the 4th Amendment.

Current.

Briefs.

For Academics

Thinking about Terrorism/Civil Liberties.

Updated "Fly(ers) Rights"

DOT 161-10
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-4570

DOT Updates “Fly Rights” Airline Consumer Guide

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today unveiled an updated version of Fly Rights: A Consumer Guide to Air Travel, its popular guide to air travelers’ rights.

“We take the rights of airline passengers very seriously,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Ensuring that the flying public has access to the best possible resources and consumer information is an important part of our mission, and this new version of Fly Rights will help air travelers better understand their rights as consumers.”

Since it was first published in 1973, Fly Rights has provided air travelers with helpful advice on such issues as how to get the best airfare, what to expect when a flight is delayed or canceled, and how to avoid travel scams. The guide provides easy-to-read information on federal airline regulations in a number of areas, including accommodating air travelers with disabilities and rules for bumping and baggage compensation. Fly Rights also contains information on airline safety, air traveler health and how to file official complaints against airlines.

The latest version of Fly Rights released today includes updated information on the Department of Transportation’s new consumer protections, including the three-hour limit on tarmac delays for domestic flights, the requirement for large airlines to display on-time performance information for domestic flights on their websites, and the requirement for airlines to respond to consumer complaints about an air travel experience. It also features new formatting and graphics to make it easier to read. Fly Rights is available online at
Publication on flyers rights.

In addition to Fly Rights, the Department recently developed another guide to assist the flying public. This pamphlet, entitled When Kids Fly Alone, provides air travel tips for parents of unaccompanied minors. When Kids Fly Alone is available online
When Kids Fly Alone pamphlet.

Print copies of both Fly Rights and When Kids Fly Alone may be obtained free of charge from the DOT warehouse by e-mail at

dotwarehouse@dot.gov

or by writing to DOT Warehouse,

3341-Q 75th Ave., Lanham, MD 20785.

Copies also are available in limited bulk quantities to airlines and airports. Please specify item number
X0111A for Fly Rights and
X0176 for When Kids Fly Alone.

Bed Bugs crawl, bite, baffle scientists

More Info on battling the infestations.

More from CDC.