Free Republic

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg vowed the federal government would rebuild the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland on Tuesday, calling it a 'cathedral' of American infrastructure. 'This is no ordinary bridge, this is one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure,' he said. 'It has been part of the skyline of this region longer than many of us has been alive.' He cautioned that the 'path to normalcy' for the Baltimore community after the tragedy 'will not be easy, will not be quick, and will not be inexpensive Buttigieg spoke at a press conference in Baltimore Tuesday afternoon, several...

Guest editorial by Jim Nelles: The video footage of the Singaporean-flagged cargo vessel, the Dali, crashing into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is truly horrifying. Video footage shows the ship’s lights flickering on and off, indicating it lost power shortly before crashing into the bridge’s stanchion. The video also shows black smoke coming from the ship’s exhaust vents, indicating that the crew was trying to restart diesel engines. Unfortunately, eight workers were performing construction on the bridge at the time of collapse, only two of whom were rescued. Given the temperatures of the Patapsco River, they must be...

""Old Joe Biden Says He Took Train Across the Collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge “Many Times” – That’s Odd, Considering the Bridge Does Not Have a Rail Line!""" Joe Biden told reporters on Tuesday that he hade taken the TRAIN over the Francis Scott Key Bridge “many times.” Joe Biden: “About 1:30 a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge which I’ve been over many, many times commuting from the state of Delaware either by train or by car.” That’s odd, considering their is no rail line on the bridge. The bridge was built for automobiles and trucks.

Something went wrong that night aboard the African Neptune, which was 13 minutes out of the Port of Brunswick with a full load of naval stores. The 16-year-old Sidney Lanier Bridge’s center draw spans were open for passage through the Brunswick River. But it became increasingly clear to those waiting in vehicles on the bridge that the U.S. freighter was off course. Also, it was not stopping. Crew members would later attribute the ship’s wayward trek to a “steering failure,” according to an Associated Press report. They dropped anchor in an effort to stop its trajectory toward the Sidney Lanier...

The Port of Baltimore has been brought to a standstill thanks to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, creating risks to the U.S. economy of additional inflation, diminished productive capacity, and larger government deficits.The Port of Baltimore was the 17th busiest port in the nation ranked by total tons in 2021, according to the latest data available from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. It is the fifth largest on the East Coast, outsized by the ports of New York-New Jersey; Virginia; Mobile, Alabama; and Savanah, Georgia. (snip) It was the first in terms of the volume of automobiles...

Can a Civil Engineer weigh in on this?

President Biden vowed Tuesday to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge after it collapsed into the water when a cargo ship rammed into it, echoing what some Maryland officials said earlier but adding that he expects the federal government to foot the bill. “It’s my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect the Congress to support my effort,” Biden said in remarks at the White House. “This is going to take some time, but the people of Baltimore can count on us though to stick with them at every...

During an appearance on CNN on Tuesday, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott asked the media to stop showing footage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s collapse in his city, suggesting the footage could have a detrimental impact on family of victims and people in his city. “Well, it was something out of an action movie,” he said. “It’s something you never think you would see. And being here, right now, looking at it, is even more surreal. And it just makes you think about, again, those families — those individuals that were on that bridge. Those folks, even on that vessel,...

There is no “credible indication” of terrorism involved in the demise of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it snapped at around 01:30 local time Tuesday following a container ship crashing into it. The landmark structure in the U.S. city of Baltimore collapsed into the Patapsco River in the aftermath, however Maryland Governor Wes Moor has made clear “the preliminary investigation points to an accident. We haven’t seen any credible evidence of a terrorist attack.” Special agent Bill DelBagno of the FBI’s Baltimore field office agreed, saying, “the FBI on very first looking at and assessing this matter form an...

The tragedy in Baltimore with the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge is fresh. Brave people are currently searching the dangerous tangled wreckage for any possible survivors and the dead. But where the news media this morning is also talking about the impacts on shipping on the East Coast of the USA and the impacts on traffic on the East Coast it is a valid topic of discussion to consider the next steps. 1. Reopening the Port of Baltimore will be a priority. The NTSB will predictably conduct a speedy investigation and conclude the primary cause of the collapse...

Rescue workers in Baltimore are working furiously in an attempt to save the lives of dozens of people who were plunged into the frigid waters of the Patapsco River when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a container ship. Initial reports indicate that at least a dozen cars hit the 47 degree water in addition to a 20 or so construction workers who were working on the bridge at the time. The workers were pouring concrete on to the bridge at the time of crash. At the first press conference around 6:30 am, Baltimore Fire Chief...

The nautical definition of an “allision “ is “the running of one ship upon an object that is stationary., such as a bridge, oil rig, or anchored ship. The distinction between it and a ‘collision’ is that in the latter, both objects (then, generally ships) are moving. Under Maritime law, the moving ship is presumed at fault in an allision. Further, under the Jones Act, persons injured in an allision are automatically due compensation, as are their families, Given the accident today, I figured Freeper vocabulary needed expansion.

The morning silence shattered as the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore met its unexpected fate, crumbling into the sea in a breathtaking cascade of steel and concrete. The collision, captured in a chilling livestream, unfolded with surreal intensity as a towering cargo ship collided with one of the bridge's support beams. Smoke billowed from the vessel, mingling with the chaos as emergency responders raced against time to rescue 20 people plunged into the icy waters below. In the digital realm, the shocking footage spread like wildfire, triggering a wave of disbelief and concern across social media platforms. The Maryland...

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland which crosses the Patapsco River has reportedly Collapsed within the last few minutes after being Struck by a Large Container Ship

Ukraine has taken responsibility for “disabling” a railway bridge in the Russian mainland region of Samara after explosions were seen in the early hours of Monday morning. Apparently continuing with the strategy to take the war closer to home for Russians, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) confirmed “disabling railway bridge in Russia’s Samara region,” state media Ukrinform reported. In a post on social media, the Ukrainian intelligence service wrote: “The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine confirmed the fact that the railway bridge over the Chapayevka River in was disabled.”

A three-vehicle crash left a semi-truck dangling from a bridge in Louisville, Ky., trapping the driver. She was rescued by a firefighter who rappelled down to the cab of the truck. NBC News' Jesse Kirsch reports.

Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters have shut down Manhattan Bridge on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year to demand a 'permanent ceasefire' in Gaza. The New York protest was led by Jewish Voice for Peace, an activist group that describes itself as being the 'largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world' predominantly consisting of people from the faith.

President Joe Biden was criticized for remarks he made in which he falsely stated that he saw a bridge in Pittsburgh collapse. While speaking in Milwaukee on Tuesday, Biden spoke about Bidenomics and later brought up the topic of having seen the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, collapse. The Fern Hollow Bridge, which was built in 1973, collapsed on Jan. 28, 2022, according to the Associated Press. “Pittsburgh is a city of bridges. More bridges in Pittsburgh than any other city in America,” Biden claimed. “I watched that bridge collapse. I got there and saw it collapse,” Biden said...

The Kremlin has claimed it has downed two Ukrainian missiles aimed at Russia's Kerch Bridge to Crimea - as video shows smoke billowing over the crucial link to the annexed peninsula. The 12-mile crossing carries heavy significance for Moscow, both logistically and psychologically, as a key artery for military and civilian supplies and as an assertion of Kremlin control of the peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014. Russia's foreign ministry vowed retaliation for what it called a 'terrorist attack' on the bridge in Crimea.

Only four of the once-Cabinet members for former President Donald Trump publicly said they would support his reelection in 2024, according to a new report. Several strongly oppose his campaign, some are even working against his bid to become the GOP nominee and many didn't respond to requests to comment on his efforts. Former Attorney General Bill Barr has some of those most harsh words for his ex-boss, telling NBC News: 'I have made clear that I strongly oppose Trump for the nomination and will not endorse Trump.' 'I'll jump off that bridge when I get to it,' he added...