Washington, D.C.
No Texting, Says DOT
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced on Tuesday that drivers of trucks and buses are subject to heavy penalties if they text while driving. Drivers could face both civil and criminal penalties up to $2,750. Enforcement should be difficult. Distracted driving increases the risk of accidents, perhaps by as much as 20 times, according to he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, FMCSA.
The DOT has launched a distracted driving website to educate the public about the hazard. “We want to make it crystal clear to operators and their employers that texting while driving is the type of unsafe activity that these regulations are intended to prohibit,” said Anne Ferro, administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in a statement.
Industry groups have supported the idea. The Transportation Department and other groups have started an organization called FocusDriven, meant to educate drivers about the dangers of distracted driving.
Washington, D.C.
Obama to Propose Discretionary Spending Freeze
President Obama is proposing a freeze on discretionary government spending. The goal is to slow down the deficit, which has increased sharply. He says the economic downturn was not the only cause of the deficit. The government had failed to pay for policies in recent years. “The result was that the surpluses projected at the beginning of the last administration were transformed into trillions of dollars in deficits that threaten future job creation and economic growth,” Obama said in a statement.
He says the deficit threatens the nation’s future, and the problem can only be solved through bipartisan cooperation. He asked the legislature to create a group to address budget questions across party lines. “With tough choices made together, a commitment to pay for what we spend, and responsible stewardship of our economy, we will be able to lay the foundation for sustainable job creation and economic growth while restoring fiscal sustainability to our nation.”
The Senate rejected the idea of a bipartisan budget task force. Discretionary spending is only a small percentage of the deficit. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that that three-year freeze over the course of 10 years will save on the order of $250 billion. Many government programs are mandated by law.
Washington, D.C.
First Lady Michelle Obama Speaks to Military Spouses
First lady Michelle Obama discussed the proposed fiscal year 2011 budget for military families at the Joint Armed Forces Officers’ Wives’ Luncheon at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C.
Florida
Tongue Drive Wheelchair Debuts on Florida Campus
A revolutionary wheelchair guided by the tongue is now in a clinical trial. When a person becomes quadriplegic after a spinal cord injury, the tongue retains normal movement. The tongue is connected directly to the brain stem.
A Georgia Tech researcher developed a way to steer a wheelchair using tongue gestures in 2008. CNN reported on Tuesday that a college student who was paralyzed in a surfing accident is using the chair. A set of movements disconnects the tongue from steering the wheelchair so that the driver can switch to eating, said the report. A small magnet attached to the tongue signals receptors in a headset the driver wears.
The student is pleased with the driving experience, according to the report.
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