Ohio train derailment lawyer issues stark warning to impacted families: 'Don't take the money'

 Nearly two weeks after a train derailed carrying hazardous materials, East Palestine, Ohio residents are grappling with the consequences of the incident. While facing health concerns and a lack of resources, residents were also forced to relocate in the aftermath of the train crash. 

Norfolk Southern, the company whose train crashed, has offered compensation to those who were forced to relocate - but one lawyer warned residents that the offer could come with a catch. 

"We want to get out the word to folks. Do not, if you can afford it, again, emphasizing if you can afford it, do not take this upfront money. But if you do, be aware that these folks might argue later that this is payment in full," Lipson O’Shea Legal Group principal and owner Michael O’Shea said on "Cavuto: Coast to Coast" Wednesday. 

O'Shea explained two types of fees Norfolk Southern is offering for those affected by the train crash. The first is a reimbursement fee to residents within a one-mile radius of the crash site for dislocation costs, covering hotels and other necessities needed following the evacuation. The second is an inconvenience fee. 

O'Shea, a lawyer representing several East Palestine families, encouraged those who can afford it to reject both compensation offers. 

A man takes photos as a black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar / AP Newsroom)

"We're suggesting to folks that can afford it, and again, we recognize that some cannot, that they don't accept either of those two fees, because it might be argued later is a settlement of any claim that they have past, present or future against the railroad for what they did here."

O'Shea shared another rail incident from 2005 where residents were offered "dangle money" or "trickle money." Later, the company argued residents who took the money had settled their claims. 

"If somebody backs into your car and they get out and say I'm sorry and they give you a $100 cash, you take it, put it in your pocket," O'Shea posited. "Then you go back to the repair shop and the repair shop guys, you know, it's going to be $800 to fix the car. And you go back to that person that gave you that 100 bucks, they're going to say no court in satisfaction. I gave you a hundred bucks, you accepted it. You put it in your pocket. You can't come after me for the other, let's say in this in that example, $700."

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Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, says Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg 'needs to do his job.'

O'Shea said Norfolk Southern told him they were going to be transparent that the fees are not considered payment in full, nor would they compromise any claims. O'Shea's "spidey sense" started tingling, though, when the company, according to the lawyer, refused to sign an agreement that "ratifies" what was said about the fees.

O'Shea noted that his "big concern" is helping the residents in Ohio who have been affected by the derailment and continue to suffer due to toxic chemicals now swarming the local environment. While residents have been told by the Environmental Protection Agency and other officials on the scene that it is safe to return home, many have reported ongoing health concerns to people and animals alike.

"Optics can be very deceiving when it comes to toxic chemicals and stuff like that," O'Shea said, noting some of the suspected chemicals present after the crash could have a longer latency period. 

The lawyer described the scene in East Palestine in the aftermath of the crash "like a contagion movie where you couldn't get into certain areas of downtown." 

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House Energy & Commerce Committee member Rep. Bill Johnson discusses the latest on the train derailment tragedy in East Palestine, Ohio, on 'The Evening Edit.'

Apart from health concerns, O'Shea explained how he was focused on helping people with other negative consequences of the incident, including property loss. 

"So those people, you know, regardless of the bodily injury manifestations, which we think will pop up in the years to come, one of the more immediate damages to these folks is their livelihood, their ability to live like they were able to live before the accident."

https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/ohio-train-derailment-lawyer-issues-stark-warning-to-impacted-families-dont-take-the-money

Crushing COVID Claims: Scientific Review Challenges 'Fact' That Masks Reduced Transmissions

 by Jonathan Turley,

A new scientific review raises additional questions over the science behind the mask mandates imposed on the population for years. 

The new scientific review by  12 researchers from leading universities found little support for the claims that masks reduced Covid exposures. 

My interest in the story, as usual, focuses on free speech.

Numerous experts were suspended or banned for challenging these very claims and the media labeled any such critics as dangerous or fringe figures.

Regardless of your ultimate conclusions on the efficacy of masks, there was clearly a scientific basis to challenge the mask policies. Yet, many people were routinely censored on Twitter and other platforms for daring to challenge the official position on masks.

The Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) initially rejected the use of a mask mandate. However, the issue became a political weapon as politicians and the press claimed that questioning masks was anti-science and even unhinged. In April 2020, the CDC reversed its position and called for the masking of the entire population, including children as young as 2 years old.  The mask mandate and other pandemic measures like the closing of schools are now cited as fueling emotional and developmental problems in children.

The closing of schools and businesses was also challenged by some critics as unnecessary. Many of those critics were also censored. It now appears that they may have been right. Many countries did not close schools and did not experience increases in Covid. However, we are now facing alarming drops in testing scores and alarming rises in medical illness among the young.

Masks became a major social and political dividing line in politics and the media. Maskless people were chased from stores and denounced in Congress. Then-CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said during a Senate hearing that “face masks are the most important powerful health tool we have.”

However, the new publication reaffirms earlier studies and states that “a new scientific review suggests that widespread masking may have done little to nothing to curb the transmission of COVID.” It added that “wearing a mask may make little to no difference in how many people caught a flu-like illness/COVID-like illness (nine studies; 276,917 people); and probably makes little or no difference in how many people have flu/COVID confirmed by a laboratory test (six studies; 13,919 people).”

It also found little evidence of a difference from wearing better masks and that “wearing N95/P2 respirators probably makes little to no difference in how many people have confirmed flu (five studies; 8407 people); and may make little to no difference in how many people catch a flu-like illness (five studies; 8407 people), or respiratory illness (three studies; 7799 people).”

Again, I expect that these studies will be debated for years. That is a good thing. There are questions raised over the types of studies used and whether randomized studies are sufficient. The point is only that there were countervailing indicators on mask efficacy and a basis to question the mandates. Yet, there was no real debate because of the censorship supported by many Democratic leaders in social media. To question such mandates was declared a public health threat.

The head of the World Health Organization even supported censorship to combat what he called an “infodemic.”

A lawsuit was filed by Missouri and Louisiana and joined by leading experts, including Drs. Jayanta Bhattacharya (Stanford University) and Martin Kulldorff (Harvard University).

Bhattacharya previously objected to the suspension of Dr. Clare Craig after she raised concerns about Pfizer trial documents. Those doctors were the co-authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, which advocated for a more focused Covid response that targeted the most vulnerable population rather than widespread lockdowns and mandates. Many are now questioning the efficacy and cost of the massive lockdown as well as the real value of masks or the rejection of natural immunities as an alternative to vaccination.  Yet, these experts and others were attacked for such views just a year ago. Some found themselves censored on social media for challenging claims of Dr. Fauci and others.

The media has quietly acknowledged the science questioning mask efficacy and school closures without addressing its own role in attacking those who raised these objections. Even raising the lab theory on the origin of Covid 19 (a theory now treated as plausible) was denounced as a conspiracy theory. The science and health reporter for the New York Times, Apoorva Mandavilli,  even denounced the theory as “racist.”

In the meantime, California has moved to potentially strip doctors of their licenses for spreading dissenting views on Covid.

The latest review will not conclusively answer the scientific questions around mask efficacy, but it should answer any lingering questions over the harm of censorship. We never had a serious debate because of the government-corporate-media alliance to snuff out dissenting views on pandemic policies. The result may have been avoidable emotional, economic, and social harm to the population as a whole.

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/crushing-covid-claims-scientific-review-challenges-fact-masks-reduced-transmissions

'Ohio Chernobyl': East Palestine Town Hall Scrapped After Residents Report Health Problems

 Nearly two weeks after a Norfolk Southern Railway freight train with 150 cars (20 of which were carrying hazardous materials) derailed in the small town of East Palestine, Ohio, resulting in a chemical disaster, the extent of the damage to the town and surrounding communities remains unclear. 

On Tuesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine held a press conference for the Feb. 3 derailment. He said Norfolk Southern did not classify the train as a "high hazardous material train" despite multiple cars containing toxic chemical vinyl chloride. 

"This is absurd … Congress needs to take a look at how these things are handled," DeWine said. 

There's already an effort by lawmakers on Capitol Hill and federal agencies to investigate the derailment. Epoch Times noted: 

Key committees in the Republican-controlled House are holding their peace as investigations of the derailment and its environmental impact proceed.

A spokesperson for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, led by Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.), said the committee was talking with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration, and the railroad involved, Norfolk Southern.

"We will continue to monitor the situation and NTSB's ongoing investigation," the spokesperson told The Epoch Times in a Feb. 14 email.

Investigators have uncovered security camera footage 20 miles before East Palestine of the suspected railcar that caused the derailment. Footage shows one of the cars was on fire well before the small town. 

"NTSB investigators have identified and examined the rail car that initiated the derailment. Surveillance video from a residence showed what appears to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment," NTSB wrote on its website.

Michael Graham, a member of the NTSB, told reporters one day after the derailment:

"We're also looking at a lot of different footage that has been provided to the investigators out there to determine if there's some data on footage that we have from videos and cameras that might tell us something more that what might have happened to cause this accident." 

At a follow-on briefing on Feb. 5, Graham said investigators were analyzing locomotive footage. He said the focus was one of the rail car's axles. 

"We have obtained two videos which show preliminary indications of mechanical issues on one of the rail car axles," Graham said. 

Graham added engineers on the train were alerted by a "wayside defect detector shortly before the derailment, indicating a mechanical issue."

"Then an emergency brake application initiated," he continued, adding that a preliminary investigative report was expected within several weeks, though a full probe could take as long as 24 months.

As investigators pinpoint the likely cause of the derailment, the environmental impact of the controlled burn of 20 railcars that contained toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride, ethylhexyl acrylate, and isobutylene, has released what some described as a 'chemical nuclear bomb' that has contaminated the town and other surrounding communities. 

Following the burn, there have been numerous reports of wildlife dying, including fish and frogs in nearby streams.

People have reported that their chickens, dogs, and horses were either sick or died. 

People in East Palestine and surrounding communities have reported various symptoms they can't explain since the burn, according to News 5 Cleveland. 

Therese Vigliotti said she hasn't felt right since the controlled release and burn after train cars derailed more than a week ago.

She sent us a picture of her tongue.

"I noticed my lips were numb, the soft palate of my mouth was numb, my tongue was burning and my throat was burning," Vigliotti said.

We asked what her biggest concern was.

"That I'm going to get cancer and die," Vigliotti said.

Vigliotti doesn't live in East Palestine but rather 15 miles north of the derailment site in Poland, Ohio.

Jim does call the village home.

You can hear train horns from his front porch.

"It used to not bother me hearing, now it does," Jim said.

He too is worried about what he is experiencing.

"I've had a migraine. I've been dizzy, all my mucus membranes irritated. I haven't felt very well since then," Jim said.

And on a long enough timeline. People exposed to vinyl chloride might have an increased risk of developing a rare form of liver cancer (hepatic angiosarcoma), liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), brain and lung cancers, lymphoma, and leukemia. 

And these toxic chemicals have also been identified in the Ohio river, which supplies more than 5 million people with drinking water, according to local news station WLWT. 

"It's not just what was in the tanker cars. It's what happens when they burn and combine. This may be the largest dioxin plume in world history. I know of no more serious release, ever," explained Eric F Coppolino of Planet Waves FM. 

While vinyl chloride is a precursor chemical to making PVC, any time chlorinated compounds burn there will be dioxins created. And dioxin is a manufacturing byproduct of any manufacturing process involving chlorine, from "disinfectants" to the bleaching of paper. There was plenty of dioxin in those tanker cars before they caught fire.

This mess of 14 tanker cars (really, many more, but 14 had vinyl chloride) was then set on fire by the government, apparently to make it easier to clear the railroad tracks. This was the worst possible decision. It has turned many, many miles into what should be no-man's land. But I have not heard of one single test for dioxin being done.

About 60 miles south, the city of Steubenville detected butyl acrylate in their water intake, the same toxic chemical found in East Palestine, according to local news WTRF. 

Recall the Biden administration and other federal officials were silent about the derailment for more than a week. This week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg finally spoke about the incident.

And on Feb. 8 press conference in East Palestine, a NewsNation reporter covering DeWine was arrested. DeWine said this week that the reporter should "never have occurred in the first place." The reporter was merely just trying to report the news. 

There's been a massive lack of transparency since the derailment happened by the government and mainstream media. And we wonder why?

Look at an alleged aerial picture (posted on Reddit) overtop East Palestine during the controlled burn. Maybe this is why?

Meanwhile, environmentalist advocate Erin Brockovich called out the Biden administration to do more for residents of East Palestine:

"The Biden Administration needs to get more involved in this train derailment now. We are counting on you to break the chain of administration after administration to turn a blind eye."

As for Norfolk Southern, they're expected to rack up tens of millions of dollars in costs associated with cleanup and lawsuits. 

"I've had discussions with some people who live right near ground zero who are hesitant to come back."

 "There are people with young children, and they don't know what effects it's going to have," James Wise, a local attorney who filed a class-action lawsuit against the railroad on behalf of some residents, told Bloomberg. 

And you would never guess who is one of the largest shareholders of Norfolk Southern... It's ESG-pusher BlackRock. 

Things that make you go, hmm... 

And by the way, East Palestine scrapped a town hall for tonight as the toxic chemicals are causing illness among residents, according to the Independent.  

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/ohio-chernobyl-east-palestine-town-hall-scrapped-after-residents-report-health-problems

Twitter becomes first social media platform to allow cannabis ads in U.S

 

Twitter on Wednesday became the first social media platform to allow cannabis companies to market their brands and products in the United States.

The company had earlier only allowed advertising for hemp-derived CBD topical products, while other social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok follow a "no cannabis advertising policy" as pot remains illegal at the federal level.

However, more states in the United States are moving towards allowing the sale of recreational cannabis, with 21 already on board.

Twitter said it will permit cannabis companies to advertise, as long as they have proper license, pass through its approval process, only target jurisdictions where they are licensed to operate and most importantly, do not target people below 21 years.

"This is a pretty massive win for legal cannabis marketers," multistate cannabis and medical marijuana company Cresco Labs said.

Most pot companies were quick to embrace the changes suggested by Twitter. Trulieve Cannabis Corp already launched a multistate campaign on the platform on Wednesday.

"This change speaks to the growing acceptance of cannabis as a mainstream wellness category, and we are hopeful it will serve as a catalyst for other social media platforms to follow suit," said Kate Lynch of Curaleaf, the biggest cannabis company operating in the United States.

After enjoying a sales surge during the early stages of the pandemic, the U.S. cannabis industry showed signs of slowing in the face of regulatory and economic challenges, including falling prices and an illicit market poaching its customers.

Curaleaf recently cut its workforce by 10% and exited majority of its operations in three U.S. states.

https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/CRESCO-LABS-INC-47419087/news/Twitter-becomes-first-social-media-platform-to-allow-cannabis-ads-in-U-S-42998486/

Rubio, Vance question Buttigieg on freight rail oversight in wake of Ohio train derailment

 Republican Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and J.D. Vance (Ohio) on Wednesday questioned Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg over the department’s oversight of the U.S. rail system in the wake of a train derailment in Ohio that has been spilling toxic chemicals since the crash.

“We write to convey our alarm over the Norfolk Southern Railway freight train derailment that occurred in Ohio earlier this month,” the senators wrote in a letter to Buttigieg. “In particular, we request information from the U.S. Department of Transportation regarding its oversight of the United States’ freight train system and, more generally, how it balances building a safe, resilient rail industry across our country in relation to building a hyper-efficient one with minimal direct human input.”

A 150-car train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, causing fires at the site of the pileup and causing chemicals to leak from one of several cars noted to be carrying hazardous materials. Nearby residents were evacuated due to fears of a possible explosion while officials conducted a controlled release to try and alleviate the danger. 

Evacuation orders have since been lifted, but the cancer-causing chemical vinyl chloride and other toxic substances have leaked into nearby air and water, sparking environmental and health concerns.  

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash, but the senators in their letter said “it appears that a mechanical failure in one of the rail cars may have played a critical role.”

Rubio and Vance highlighted that the 150-car train had just a three-member crew to oversee the locomotive’s operations. 

“It is not unreasonable to ask whether a crew of two rail workers, plus one trainee, is able to effectively monitor 150 cars,” they wrote, noting concerns about “this administration’s prioritizing of efficiency over resilience in its national infrastructure and transportation systems.” 

The senators, in their letter, requested the Department of Transportation to respond to a number of questions about the agency’s practices, including the effects of its “precision-scheduled railroading” and its classification system for trains carrying hazardous materials. 

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3859717-rubio-vance-question-buttigieg-on-freight-rail-oversight-in-wake-of-ohio-train-derailment/

Ukraine claims Russian balloons shot down over Kyiv

 Six Russian balloons were spotted over the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, with most shot down by the city’s air defenses, according to Kyiv’s military administration.

It’s unknown when the balloons flew over the city or whether they were carrying reconnaissance equipment, but air sirens were used in Kyiv as the balloons were in the skies, Reuters reported.

“According to information that is now being clarified, these were balloons that move in the air under the propulsion of wind,” possibly with the intent to “detect and exhaust our air defenses,” Kyiv’s military administration wrote on Telegram on Wednesday.  

Ahead of the Ukrainian announcement, the country’s air force spokesperson, Yuriy Ihnat, said Russia could be using balloons to preserve its dwindling stocks of reconnaissance drones, according to Reuters. 

The military administration also claimed that Moscow could be using the balloons to distract Ukrainian air defenses and use up valuable munitions.  

Ukraine is not the only former Soviet state to report Russian objects over its territory in the past few days.

Moldova, which sits to Ukraine’s southwest, on Tuesday reported an unidentified Russian aerial object “resembling a meteorological balloon” in its skies, shutting its airspace for over an hour that day, Reuters reported.  

The speaker of Moldova’s parliament, Igor Grosu, told reporters the aerial object had crossed into northern Moldova from Ukraine. 

And NATO member Romania, which borders Ukraine and Moldova, said Tuesday it had sent jets up after something that looked like a weather balloon was seen in its airspace. 

The balloons are of particular interest given the recent instances of aerial objects spotted in U.S. and Canadian airspace in the past month.  

The United States and Canada shot down three unidentified objects over Alaska, Lake Huron and Canadian territory in the past week, in addition to the massive suspected Chinese spy balloon shot off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4.    

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/3859801-ukraine-claims-russian-balloons-shot-down-over-kyiv/