U.S. Department of Transportation Shuts Down 26 Bus Operations in Unprecedented Sweep
U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration / http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/about/news/news-releases/2012/I-95-Bus-Release.aspx
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Year-Long Investigation Finds Network of Curbside Operators Poses “Imminent Hazard” to Public Safety
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced today it has shut down 26 bus operations, declaring them imminent hazards to public safety. This action is the largest single safety crackdown in the agency’s history. Additionally, FMCSA ordered 10 individual bus company owners, managers and employees to cease all passenger transportation operations, which includes selling bus tickets to passengers. The bus companies transported over 1,800 passengers a day along Interstate-95, from New York to Florida.
Following a year-long investigation, FMCSA shut down three primary companies - Apex Bus, Inc., I-95 Coach, Inc. and New Century Travel, Inc. – that oversaw a broad network of other bus companies. The 26 shutdown orders apply to one ticket seller, nine active bus companies, 13 companies already ordered out of service that were continuing to operate, and three companies attempting to apply for operating authority. The various companies are based out of Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Federal safety investigators found all of the carriers had multiple safety violations, including a continuous pattern of using drivers without valid commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) and failure to have alcohol and drug testing programs. In addition, the companies operated vehicles that had not been regularly inspected and repaired. The companies’ drivers also had serious hours-of-service and driver qualification violations.
These many safety deficiencies, individually and in combination, posed a serious safety threat to passengers and motorists on our roadways.
“These aggressive enforcement actions against unsafe bus companies send a clear signal: If you put passengers’ safety at risk, we will shut you down,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. “Safety is and will always be our highest priority.”
“The egregious acts of these carriers put the unsuspecting public at risk, and they must be removed from our highways immediately,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “With the help of multiple state law enforcement partners, we are putting every unsafe bus and truck company on notice to follow the safety laws or be shut down.”
In addition to the Imminent Hazard Orders, FMCSA is taking further steps to ensure the bus companies they shut down today cannot continue to operate under other names. Under a new FMCSA rule, FMCSA has revoked the carriers’ operating authority and linked the active companies to other companies previously placed out of service. This new rule, published in April, expands FMCSA’s authority to take action against unsafe motor carriers that attempt to evade enforcement by “reincarnating” into other forms or by illegally continuing their operations through affiliate companies. FMCSA will continue to work closely with local, state and federal law enforcement officials to ensure these companies remain out of service.
FMCSA began investigating the network of carriers operating along I-95 following a series of deadly bus crashes last spring. FMCSA ordered several bus companies to shut down last summer after a comprehensive compliance review of their operations. The investigation of those operators uncovered additional problems and serious safety violations with other I-95 carriers, and FMCSA investigators have been working diligently ever since to establish the links between the bus networks.
Over the last several years, the DOT has taken aggressive efforts to strengthen motorcoach safety and enforcement. The DOT has doubled the number of bus inspections of the nation's estimated 4,000 passenger bus companies -- from 12,991 in 2005 to 28,982 in 2011. Staying committed to the Motorcoach Safety Action Plan , in January 2010 FMCSA banned texting by commercial drivers, and in November 2011 the agency prohibited commercial drivers from reaching for, holding or dialing a cell phone while operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV). Earlier this year, FMCSA also released the SaferBus mobile app to give travelers a quick way to view a bus company's safety record before buying an interstate ticket or booking group travel.
Earlier this month, FMCSA and its state and local law enforcement partners conducted safety inspections of motorcoaches, tour buses, school buses and other commercial passenger buses in 13 states and the District of Columbia. This effort resulted in over 2,200 safety inspections and the successful removal of 116 CMV drivers and 169 buses from the roadway for substantial safety violations.
Congress is also currently considering surface transportation legislation which, if passed, would adopt several new safety policy proposals to further protect bus customers, including:
- Granting FMCSA greater authority to pursue enforcement action against unsafe “reincarnated” companies by establishing a single national standard for successor liability that eliminates the loophole allowing bus and truck companies that have been shut down for unsafe operations to recreate themselves;
- Eliminating the jurisdictional gap that prevents FMCSA from directly regulating passenger carrier brokers, including ticket sellers that are not also motor carriers;
- Enhancing FMCSA and its state partners’ authority to inspect buses at locations with adequate food, shelter and sanitation facilities for passengers;
- Requiring new passenger carriers to undergo a full safety audit before receiving operating authority; and
- Raising the penalty from $2,200 to $25,000 a day against passenger carriers that attempt to operate without valid USDOT operating authority.
Consumers are also encouraged to report any unsafe bus company, vehicle or driver to the FMCSA through a toll-free hotline 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238) or FMCSA's online National Consumer Complaint Database
The United States and Canada Announce Air Cargo Security Improvements
Department of Homeland Security / www.dhs.gov
OTTAWA—The United States and Canada today (May 31, 2012) announced that both governments have agreed to the mutual recognition of, and cooperation on, air cargo security in both countries. Mr. James D. Nealon, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy on behalf of Transportation Security Administration Administrator John Pistole and the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, made the announcement.
Under the new mutual recognition initiative, cargo shipped on passenger aircraft will be screened at the point of origin and will not need to be rescreened at the border or prior to upload in the other country. With the two countries mutually recognizing each other’s air cargo security programs, the efficiency of screening is improved and the burden on the industry is reduced.
“The mutual recognition of air cargo security programs is just one of the first initiatives in the Beyond the Border Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness Action Plan announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama,” said Deputy Chief of Mission Nealon. “Through this program, we will be able to move goods between U.S. and Canada faster, more efficiently, and most securely.”
“With our vast geography, Canada’s economy relies on the safe and efficient movement of goods by air. Mutual recognition of air cargo security programs will improve efficiency and cut costs for businesses and consumers on both sides of the border,” said Minister Lebel.
In Canada, almost half of all air cargo is shipped on passenger planes, which is the most effective shipping method, considering Canada’s size and unique geography. Last year, approximately 100 billion dollars of goods were imported and exported by air.
The Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness Action Plan, published in December 2011, establishes initiatives to improve the ability to manage security risks in both countries, while reducing the burden on business. The action plan focuses on four areas: addressing threats early; facilitating trade, economic growth and jobs; integrating cross border law enforcement; and strengthening critical infrastructure and cyber security.
For more information, visit here.
Active AD/CVD Cases as of May 15, 2012
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / www.cbp.gov
Active AD/CVD Cases as of May 15, 2012 have been posted to the CBP website at:
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov
Please look under Trade, Priority Trade Issues, Antidumping and Countervailing Duties (ADCVD), ADCVD Program & Guidelines.
The spreadsheet includes active AD/CVD cases and the associated case number, ISO country code, tariff number, and short description of case.
This information alone should not be relied upon in determining whether an AD/CVD case is currently active, or whether merchandise falls under the scope of AD/CVD order. For current AD/CVD information, consult ACE, Department of Commerce Federal Register Notices, and ADDCVD Search on www.CBP.gov
Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Process Open to Public Comment
Committee of Ways and Means / http://waysandmeans.house.gov/
Washington, DC - Today (Thursday, May 24, 2012), the Ways and Means Committee posted approximately 1,300 Miscellaneous Tariff Bills (MTBs) introduced by nearly 80 House Republicans and 60 House Democrats for public comment. A key objective of MTBs is to boost the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers by lowering the cost of imported inputs that are not produced in the United States. Each bill under consideration, along with the accompanying bill description and disclosure form, is available on the website to ensure the open and transparent nature of this process. The public is invited to comment on individual bills by June 22, 2012, through a online comment submission process. The Senate Finance Committee is also commencing its public comment process today.
CBP at JFK Seizes Counterfeit US 100 Dollar Bills at Mail Facility and from Arriving Passenger
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / www.cbp.gov
Jamaica, N.Y. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at John F. Kennedy International Airport seized more than $200,000 in counterfeit 100 dollar bills in two separate seizures.
On May 6th, CBP officers seized $68,000 in counterfeit $100 U.S. bills from Peru arriving at the JFK International Mail Facility. The counterfeit currency was found by CBP officers concealed in file folders and childrens' books. The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made.
On May 8th, CBP officers inspected Ms. Katherine Velez, who had arrived at JFK from Cali, Colombia. During the inspection of her suitcases, CBP officers discovered that the bottom of the bag was unusually thick. CBP officers removed the lining of the luggage and discovered the counterfeit U.S. currency.
Ms. Velez was placed under arrest and a total of $141,200 of counterfeit U.S. currency was seized. She will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the U.S. Eastern District Court of New York.
“The responsibilities of a CBP officer are vast,” said Robert E. Perez, Director of CBP’s New York Field Operations. “Despite the multi-faceted challenge our officers encounter everyday, they are ever vigilant in their efforts to protect the United States. These seizures speak to the diverse CBP mission.”
“Partnerships, as we have with CBP at JFK, are essential in preventing counterfeit currency from entering the United States,” said John McQuade, Resident Agent in Charge of the Secret Service’s JFK office. “Cooperation among agencies at JFK, and throughout New York, has allowed us to focus our resources and respond quickly to uncover and prevent counterfeiting and other criminal activity.”
All defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
CBP Officers at the Pharr Bridge Arrest a Houston Man With Over $400,000 in Black Tar Heroin
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / www.cbp.
Pharr, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Pharr International Bridge seized over $400,000 worth of black tar heroin yesterday and arrested a Houston, Texas man.
On May 24, 2012 a 19-year-old United States citizen from Houston arrived at the Pharr/Reynosa International Bridge driving a black 2004 Nissan Maxima. The lone occupant presented a Texas issued driver’s license and a U.S. birth certificate to the CBP officer and was referred to secondary for a more thorough examination. In secondary, officers discovered six packages weighing approximately 3.52 kilograms (7.76 pounds) of alleged black tar heroin which were concealed within the vehicle’s battery. CBP seized the heroin which has an estimated street value of approximately $435,000 and the vehicle.
The traveler was released to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents for further investigation.
On May 22, 2012 CBP officers at the Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge arrested three individuals allegedly attempting to enter the United States utilizing valid documents belonging to other people. The three imposters attempted to enter the U.S. through the pedestrian lanes. Officers arrested a 39-year-old female and a 28-year-old female from Guatemala and a 27-year-old female from El Salvador, all utilizing legal Mexican border crossing cards.
The three female travelers were incarcerated pending appearance before a U.S. Federal Magistrate on criminal charges for violation of U.S. immigration law.
“Once again our officers’ astute awareness and excellent commitment to our mission have yielded positive results,” said Efrain Solis Jr., Port Director, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas. “This deeply concealed load of black tar heroin and the imposters attempting illegal entry were intercepted and kept from crossing our border.”
Skechers Will Pay $40 Million to Settle FTC Charges That It Deceived Consumers with Ads for "Toning Shoes" - - Federal Trade Commission / www.ftc.gov
Consumers Who Bought Shape-ups, Other Toning Shoes Will Be Eligible for Refunds
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FDA Warns consumers About Counterfeit Version of Teva’s Adderall
Food & Drug Administration / www.fda.gov
Tablets purchased on the Internet contain wrong active ingredients
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers and health care professionals about a counterfeit version of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries’ Adderall 30 milligram tablets that is being purchased on the Internet. Adderall, which is approved to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and narcolepsy, is a prescription drug classified as a controlled substance – a class of drugs for which special controls are required for dispensing by pharmacists.
FDA’s preliminary laboratory tests revealed that the counterfeit version of Teva’s Adderall 30 mg tablets contained the wrong active ingredients. Adderall contains four active ingredients – dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate, dextroamphetamine sulfate, and amphetamine sulfate. Instead of these active ingredients, the counterfeit product contained tramadol and acetaminophen, which are ingredients in medicines used to treat acute pain.
Currently on the FDA’s drug shortage list, Adderall is in short supply due to active pharmaceutical ingredient supply issues. Teva continues to release product as it becomes available. Consumers should be extra cautious when buying their medicines from online sources. Rogue websites and distributors may especially target medicines in short supply for counterfeiting.
The counterfeit Adderall tablets are round, white and do not have any type of markings, such as letters or numbers. Any product that resembles the tablets or the packaging in the photos below and claims to be Teva’s Adderall 30 mg tablets should be considered counterfeit. The counterfeit versions of Adderall should be considered as unsafe, ineffective and potentially harmful.
Authentic Adderall 30 mg tablets produced by Teva are round, orange/peach, and scored tablets with “dp” embossed on one side and “30” on the other side of the tablet. Teva’s Adderall 30 mg tablets are packaged only in a 100-count bottle with the National Drug Code (NDC) 0555-0768-02 listed.
Pictures of the counterfeit version of Teva’s Adderall 30 mg tablets and packaging