Julius Genachowski, Chairman of the FCC, is pushing for the rules regarding the use of electronic devices to be relaxed in-flight. In a letter to Michael Huerta, acting administrator of the FAA, he has asked the aviation body to "enable greater use of tablets, e-readers and other portable devices." Electric shavers, hearing aids, portable voice recorders, and pacemakers are, of course, permitted.
This comes a few months after the aviation body announced it would undertake a study on the subject, although it concluded that "voice communications" during the duration of a flight were still verboten. The FAA is still strict about allowing passengers to use their devices during take-off and landing, despite the fact that there is still no evidence that the electronics on personal gadgets are as much a danger to avionic systems as, say, a flock of geese.
Let's start with guns, because there're just so damn many of them. The TSA reports that it's confiscated 821 firearms in 2012 to date (691 of which were loaded). Some were stowed away in creative places, like in a potted plant or inside stuffed animals. Poor Mickey Mouse!
Batman Throwing Stars
Everyone knows that the Batman has his own plane and doesn't need to fly commercial. This faker, caught in San Diego in June, is not Bruce Wayne.
Breast Pumps
The crazy thing about this story wasn't what was stopped from going on a plane, but why. A mother of a 9-month-old was told she couldn't board her plane in Hawaii in February with her breast pump. The reason? Because the milk bottles were empty, KITV reported. The woman embarrassingly had to go to the bathroom to fill the bottles with milk, and the TSA later had to issue an apology.
In Texas, they don't mess around with fake grenades. Officials at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport found a live 40mm explosive grenade in one man's luggage. The guy actually had a good excuse. "It was a soldier who made a mistake and in the end, no charges were filed," the TSA explained.
Gassed-Up Chainsaw
The curious part of this story is that you can fly with a chainsaw, if it's in your checked luggage. But this guy traveling out of Elmira, NY, still had gas in his wood-cutter when he attempted to get it onto a plane in January.
Spear Gun
This was confiscated at North Carolina's Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Cellphone Stun Gun
The TSA finds plenty of stun guns, but this one, masked as a cellphone and uncovered by officials in Indianapolis in June, takes the cake. Insert your "there's an app for that" joke here.
M-80s
An X-ray screening in Philadelphia International Airport reveals one passenger trying to carry on three M-80 fireworks, along with "a water bottle wrapped in black electrical tape and filled with flash powder." Unsurprisingly, the man was arrested.
A Cannonball
Regret that useless souvenir you got on your last vacation? Meet this diver who found an 18th-century, coral-covered cannonball while exploring a ship near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The TSA determined that the projectile was still potentially explosive even after centuries underwater, and had to evacuate the checked baggage area and call in a bomb squad.
What's in the water in Dallas? An old bazooka round was found in a passenger's bag at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. "Not knowing if this was live or inert, Law Enforcement Officers established a 100-foot perimeter around the item and evacuated the baggage area and terminals near the item," the TSA wrote. Five delayed flights later, it was determined to be not live.
Inert Detonator
Obviously, this is scary. In Harrisburg, PA, in June, a passenger "had been at a conference where the items were given out as souvenirs."
Jason Fitz and Frank Schwab join forces to recap the draft in the best way they know how: letter grades! Fitz and Frank discuss all 32 teams division by division as they give a snapshot of how fans should be feeling heading into the 2024 season. The duo have key debates on the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and more.
The first electric vehicle I ever drove was a Tesla Roadster in 2011. It was with great anticipation that I slid behind the wheel of the 2025 Acura ZDX Type S. Sure, it's a midsize SUV, but it wears the Type S moniker, a name reserved only for the most fun-to-drive in the Acura stable. On launch, the ZDX will be available in A-Spec and Type S trims -- both of which come equipped with a 102 kWh battery.
The NFL will allow players to wear protective Guardian Caps during games beginning with the 2024 season. The caps were previously mandated for practices.
