Free Republic

An Amtrak train that derailed Monday during its inaugural ride on a new line in Washington state was traveling at 80 mph in a 30 mph zone, the National Transportation Safety Board said, citing data recorder information. Bella Dinh-Zarr, an NTSB board member, said at a news conference late Monday that information from the data recorder in the rear locomotive provided information about the train’s speed. ------------- A track chart prepared by the Washington State Department of Transportation shows the maximum speed drops from 79 mph to 30 mph for passenger trains just before the tracks curve to cross Interstate...

There was little sleep the first night. Everyone was too wired with nerves and excitement. They expected the police to barrel in at any moment. The encampment went up on Nov. 17, a guerrilla whirlwind of tents, tarps, wooden pallets and two-by-four studs. In just a few hours, the intersection at Jefferson Street SE and Seventh Avenue in downtown Olympia, Wash., was transformed from a drab piece of asphalt into a hulking structure, somewhere between a refugee camp and a carnival tent. As impressive as the camp was, however, most of the 100 people who collected behind its barricades the...

The Amtrak train that derailed Monday morning on its inaugural trip through a faster railway route was supposed to slow dramatically before entering the curve where the crash occurred. The speed limit at the curve where the train crosses Interstate 5 is 30 miles per hour, said state transportation department spokeswoman Barbara LaBoe, while the speed limit on most of the track is 79 mph. She said speed-limit signs are posted two miles before the lowered speed zone and then just before the zone. “Engineers are trained to slow trains according to posted speeds,” she said. Daniel Konzelman, who was...

DUPONT, Wash. — An Amtrak train that derailed south of Seattle and killed at least three people was going 81 mph moments before it entered a curve where the recommended speed tops out at 30 mph, according to Amtrak and state transportation figures. The train's speed and the posted speed limit are likely to be key points for federal accident investigators, who are trying to determine why the train — on its inaugural run — flew off the rails and caused several rail cars to plunge off a bridge overpass and onto a traffic-clogged interstate.

Mayor Don Anderson and other city officials in Lakewood, southwest of Tacoma, attended a meeting on Dec. 4 on the new project to upgrade tracks, KOMO News reported. Anderson believed it was a matter of time the high-speed train would be involved in a deadly accident.

On Monday morning, an Amtrak train derailed while crossing an overpass in Dupont, Washington. Law enforcement say at least six people are dead and 78 others were injured. Independent journalist Mike Cernovich tweeted an archived link to a now deleted article from “prominent,” far-left website It’s Going Down, on an ANTIFA group bragging about pouring concrete on train tracks in Olympia, WA.

Monday’s deadly Amtrak train derailment appears to have been caused by an object on the railway, according to a government official briefed on the crash. A preliminary investigation suggests maintenance problems are unlikely to blame because the incident took place on brand-new tracks, the official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. At least six people were killed and the death toll is expected to rise, the official said.

Early in the morning of April 20th we poured concrete on the train tracks that lead out of the Port of Olympia to block any trains from using the tracks. We took precautions to notify BNSF (the train company) – we called them and we used wires to send a signal that the tracks were blocked. We did this not to avoid damaging a train, nothing would bring bigger grins to our faces, but to avoid the risk of injuring railway workers. This action was done to disrupt the movement of trains carrying proppants used in natural gas fracturing. These...

A high-speed Amtrak train derailed onto Interstate 5 between Tacoma and Olympia Monday. Casualties and injuries are reported. Drivers are being told to avoid the area and expect alternate routes to be backed up.

(KOMO) — PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - All southbound lanes of Interstate 5 are closed south of Joint Base Lewis-McChord after an Amtrak train derailed and fell off an overpass onto the freeway. Some injuries have been reported. View image on Twitter View image on Twitter Chris Karnes 🌹 @TacomaTransit The train has derailed. Emergency crews are on the scene. Massive damage. People are hurt. 10:01 AM - Dec 18, 2017 24 24 Replies 119 119 Retweets 30 30 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy Motorists are being warned to avoid the area. "I was just shocked," said Peter Zimmerman of...

<p>A household appliance will be the next stepping stone on America’s path to restored greatness. The government is poised to punish many Americans, in the name of protecting a few of them, because, in the government’s opinion, too many of them are choosing to buy foreign-made washing machines for no better reason than that the buyers think they are better. If you are wondering why the government is squandering its dwindling prestige by having opinions about such things, you have not been paying attention to Whirlpool’s demonstration that it is more adept at manipulating Washington than it is at making washing machines.</p>

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement:“Despite the pleas of millions of Americans, President Trump’s FCC voted to change the internet as we know it, and turn it into yet another money-making tool for large corporations. This move is shameful and wrong, and I encourage the many, many people affected by today’s decision—from students and families, to small business owners and the next generation of innovators—to keep fighting back. We will not forget who and what comes first in the Trump/Republican agenda.”

State attorneys general are now threatening lawsuits against the federal government's repeal of "net neutrality" rules. New York's attorney general says he'll lead a multistate lawsuit to stop the Federal Communications Commission's rollback of rules that guaranteed equal access to the internet. Democrat Eric Schneiderman has been investigating fake public comments submitted to the FCC during the net neutrality comment process. Schneiderman says his analysis shows 2 million comments stole the identities of real Americans, including dead people and children. The Washington state attorney general has likewise vowed to sue over net neutrality.

The top Democrat on the House intelligence committee and a lead proponent of the Russian collusion narrative downplayed expectations there will be any smoking gun evidence showing collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, after months have passed and millions spent in investigations. Back in March, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-WA), in defending the need for investigations, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that there was “circumstantial evidence” of collusion, and that the American people had a right to know whether the circumstantial evidence of collusion is “indicative of more.” But on Sunday, Schiff backed away from the need for any actual...

GOP Rep. Dan Newhouse told C-SPAN viewers that Americans owe an amnesty to roughly 690,000 young illegals who got DACA work-permits from former President Barack Obama. Newhouse appeared on C-SPAN December 7, where he said: I have been part of a group that has been asking and pushing to get this done sooner, preferably by the end of the year, so we can take this off the table and put these young people who are in legal uncertainty, give them some legal certainty in their lives, some continuity. So I think if there is enough urgency here that we should...

A $2 million study on replacing part of Interstate 81 in Syracuse with a tunnel supports what national transportation experts say they have known for years: Tunnels usually are a bad idea.While an I-81 tunnel would be technically feasible, it would be difficult to justify the cost of up to $4.5 billion at a time when few publicly-financed tunnel projects are moving forward, according to four transportation policy experts interviewed by syracuse.com.The few highway tunnel projects approved in recent years have been expensive mega projects, often plagued by delays and cost overruns that have drawn public criticism, the experts said.New York...

Rachel Dolezal is back (but not black) and now this time she’s trying to commercialize her status as an alleged black woman by selling calendars urging people to “get woke.” Dolezal, a white woman claiming to be black, is now selling a 2018 calendar of herself on her personal website. Dolezal’s calendar, which has already sold out, features various pictures of her striking poses with a collection of inspirational quotes Dolezal came up with. “2018 Calendar featuring photos of Rachel Dolezal by four portrait photographers & her own inspirational quotes. With dozens of important birthdays and Black History facts throughout...

Check out the full Kate’s List below: Kathy Steinle Kathy Steinle Rep. Scott Taylor (R-VA) (202) 225-4215 (Facebook) Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) (202) 225-5816 (Facebook) Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) (202) 225-2371 (Facebook) Rep Mark Amodei (R-NV) 202 225-6155 (Facebook) Rep Mike Coffman (R-CO) (202) 225-7882 Facebook Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA)(202) 225-4540 (Facebook) Rep. Mia Love (R-UT) (202) 225-3011 (Facebook) Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) (202) 225-4276 (Facebook) Rep. Peter King (R-NY) (202) 225-7896 (Facebook) Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) (202) 225-2778 (Facebook) Rep. Ryan Costello (R-PA) (202) 225-4315 (Facebook) Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) (202) 225-3761 (Facebook) Rep. John Faso (R-NY) (202) 225-5614...

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, posted to Facebook her call on Franken to resign Click here to see the list of Senators calling on Franken to resign. A top Senate Dem says he expects Franken to resign Thursday shortly after Franken’s office said he would be making an announcement Thursday. Democrat Senator Ron Wyden tweeted,”I expect that Senator Franken will announce his resignation tomorrow. It is the right thing to do given this series of serious allegations.”

Despite its status as a blue state, a special set of entrepreneurs have figured out how to market one of Washinton’s iconic products: Coffee.Perhaps inspired by the “Hooters” model for chicken wings, scantily clad women serve up delicious caffeinated drinks and a smile. The successful business model, however, was drawing concerns that criminal elements were attracted to bikini baristas.In August of this year, one Washington city passed new restrictions on how much skin employees at local bikini barista stands can bare. The ordinance requires that owners of so-called “quick service” food and beverage businesses ensure employees cover “minimum body areas”...