An arrest earlier this week in the Dieselgate scandal brings with it validation that upper Volkswagen Group management were indeed aware the company was fraudulently reporting inflated emissions results. At the time the management group claimed the scandal was the work of a few rogue engineers acting on their own. But,…
I think there are military coup’s happen which do not generate worldwide alarm. On Friday, parts of the Turkish military announced they’d taken over in order to reestablish constitutional order etc. But within a few hours President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reestablished control and was cracking down on the dissidents — and perhaps…
With today’s victory in the New York Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton has reversed the momentum Bernie Sanders achieved with his recent string of wins. In her victory speech this evening Secretary Clinton essentially declared victory, and all but declared she will be the Democratic Party nominee. She called for Sanders supporters…
This morning Islamic Extremists attacked Brussels, with suicide bomb attacks at the Brussels International Airport and in a Subway station near the European Union HQ. This is the latest in a series of attacks on targets in The West, and is probably not the last. It followed the attacks in…
In tonight’s Democratic Party Presidential Debate (hosted by CNN on March 6, 2016) we had another round of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders having a most interesting policy debate. Compare this to the Republican Party debates, the latest one had a long segment concerning penis sizes and manliness, and it’s…
The role of government is to nurture the common good. Really. The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution describes the role of government to “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” Therefore, isn’t it within…
What’s the scope of a local planning commission authority? When that commission is considering construction project approval at an oil refinery to enable five oil trains (each a mile long) arrive per week at that refinery, does the local planning commission have the authority to consider issues outside on-site safety and…
A bill currently before Congress would make it nearly impossible to launch class action lawsuits. The VW Dieselgate scandal is begging for a class action lawsuit by vehicle owners who were all lied to by the Volkswagen Group, and all of whom have suffered economic damage from the scandal. Additionally,…
The Obama Administration has (finally) rejected the Keystone XL pipeline proposal, in a hollow victory for environmentalists who’ve staged this as a key battle in preventing climate catastrophe. While this is an important victory, other news from today’s news feed demonstrates that the oil companies plan to simply take the…
An issue raised our investigation of the Dieselgate scandal is whether independent researchers are allowed to investigate the inner workings of our cars. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was originally enacted to protect the music industry from wholesale copying of digital media, but its application was broadened to protect software…
A draft bill (embedded below) being prepared in the US House Energy and Commerce Committee would increase the penalties for “hacking” cars, and gift automakers with an easy “out” on emissions control regulations. The bill focuses on reforms at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and while it contains a…
In July, the EPA officially opposed proposed copyright rules which would have made it easier for independent researchers to catch Volkswagen’s emissions cheating. Last month, the EPA and CARB accused Volkswagen of cheating on emissions tests by programming VW and Audi 2.0 liter TDI Diesel cars to detect when they’re…
Earlier we saw a report from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) who showed the Dieselgate misbehavior affects not just Volkswagen/Audi 2.0 liter TDI Diesels, but cars from other manufacturers, even ones running on gasoline. That report has gained enough attention that BMW had to respond, since one of its vehicles was…
Is the only way Volkswagen can repair its image is to completely erase Diesel engines from its car line-up, and to completely switch to plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles? That’s what Robert Llewellyn says in this rant. Why is his opinion important? In addition to being an actor, TV show…
