# Omnibus Stupid MFers in the news thread (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 5, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657 "2024-01-05T16:15:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 431
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8601 "2026-09-24T01:25:55Z")
Then those people should buy a battery-powered radio and stick it in the trunk. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8602 "2026-09-24T01:30:32Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’m having trouble imagining how any of those could take out FM radio, satellite radio, TV, and the cell network, but leave high-power AM transmitters intact and functioning. They don’t need to do anything to take out the satellite radio network, as that’s already too unreliable even without the emergency. It takes out FM and the cell network by virtue of being a friggin’ earthquake, tornado, or hurricane. I have no idea what the relevance of TV is supposed to be. AM radio is left intact by virtue of being far enough away that it didn’t take a direct hit, because it’s really long range. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8603 "2026-09-24T01:40:45Z")
And how often is this scenario playing out where a preventable death is being caused by a car not having a built-in AM radio? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8604 "2026-09-24T01:48:36Z")
A problem with the AM radio as emergency notification system is the original federal mandate to have an emergency notification system came in when AM radios were the only kind there were. In cars, at home, or anywhere else. As soon as FM broadcast entertainment radio was invented, many drivers switched to listening to FM instead. There could be emergency alerts blaring on the AM system and FM listeners will never know. Now, with Sirius, streaming, etc., it’s worse. While I’m driving, the odds on me being tuned to an AM station are very, very close to zero. I’m tuned to something else using different tech. FM, Sirius, streaming, YouTube, it doesn’t matter what. It sure ain’t AM. I’m sure not everybody, but in this narrow area my experience probably represents a hefty fraction of everyone who’s not a far-rural dweller or traveller. And if all those other systems can deliver the message “There is an emergency; turn your AM radio to 540” to me, they can equally well deliver whatever content is playing on AM 540. It _is_ nice to keep AM radios in cars until a modern replacement is engineered, mandated, installed, and operational. That’s sound public policy in action. But keeping AM receivers alive when there is no real market for it in order to enable the Feds to skip the hard work of engineering and mandating, well that’s cheap half ass work. So totally typical of the last 20 years of Federal everything, not to mention the absolute shitshow of the last 2. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8605 "2026-09-24T02:03:08Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > And how often is this scenario playing out where a preventable death is being caused by a car not having a built-in AM radio? Never, if all cars have built-in AM radios, of course. If that weren’t the case? Lots. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8606 "2026-09-24T02:04:39Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Well, I’m failing to envision a scenario Allow former FEMA director Pete Gaynor, writing in 2024, to [describe a couple scenarios for you](https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/homeland-security/4486523-the-am-radio-for-every-vehicle-act-will-help-protect-our-emergency-infrastructure/). > [@](#): > > On Feb. 22, millions of Americans [lost complete access](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/02/22/att-cell-service-outage-disasters/72697379007/) to their cellular reception thanks to signal blackouts that crossed the entire country. […] > > Losing cell service for significant periods does not just present work and scheduling inconveniences. It also poses grave threats to public safety. > > During the peak of the Feb. 22 outages, various first responders made this point abundantly clear. The San Francisco Fire Department [expressed](https://www.reuters.com/technology/cellular-outage-us-hits-att-t-mobile-verizon-users-downdetector-shows-2024-02-22/) concern about the lack of reception impacting people’s ability to reach emergency services, as did the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in Florida and countless other emergency managers. > > When disasters strike, the citizenry needs access to life-saving information. Cell towers and internet signals are notorious for going down in such instances. They are extremely vulnerable to bad weather and the traffic spikes that frequently occur in emergencies. […] > > Given today’s political climate, where geopolitical relations remain tenser than at any point in the last two decades, and where cyber attacks and blackouts have become increasingly prominent, protecting Americans’ access to effective public warnings through the NPWS and EAS remains more important than ever. […] > > AM radio is the foundation of both the NPWS and EAS. While other communications platforms like cell and Internet are important to public safety, they have neither the reach nor the resiliency of AM. As was witnessed during the Maui fires and countless other disasters, where there was no power and cell towers quickly became overwhelmed, radio is often the only communication available to those in harm’s way. That is why it has always been the fail-safe communication system public safety leaders rely upon to keep the citizenry safe and informed — and why FEMA has cautioned carmakers away from removing AM. […] > > As the Feb. 22 nationwide cell outage illustrated, even those in America’s largest cities can lose connectivity. The impact of a more nefarious attack on the U.S.’ communications infrastructure would be devastating, and it would be malpractice for the government to allow a few companies to take away its most effective means of keep the public informed. @Smapti, at this point you’re just doubling down on a flimsy strawman argument that was never very reasonable anyway. Nobody’s claiming that other non-AM-radio communication systems won’t **eventually** get information about an emergency to everyone affected by it. The point is that having AM radio as widely and easily accessible as it currently is significantly **increases** the speed and reliability of emergency communication. You’re advocating that our regulatory structure should deliberately scrap that current level of accessiblity merely to potentially save auto buyers something like fifty bucks per vehicle. (And the idea that the change would somehow meaningfully undermine right-wing political-entertainment media is ludicrous. Hell, satellite radio nowadays is a huge vehicle for conservative talk shows like SiriusXM Patriot. If you want to discourage garbage propaganda media, re-regulate broadcasting for fairness and accuracy criteria, rather than trying to attack it through (one non-essential component of) its physical technology.) > [@Smapti](#): > > Then those people should buy a battery-powered radio and stick it in the trunk. Like I said, a key feature of effective maximum-reach emergency communication systems is that they should be built-in, not opt-in. All of your tapdancing around the issue with _“well, people can just do this other thing instead!”_ and _“well, suppose the intended communication doesn’t happen!”_ is ignoring the fundamental fact that **the current requirement of AM radio access in cars makes emergency communication more effective, and thus keeps more people safer, than not requiring AM radio access in cars.** Sorry dude, but on issues like these I definitely trust the Biden FEMA’s judgement more than I trust your bee-bonneted layperson’s take on it. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > It _is_ nice to keep AM radios in cars until a modern replacement is engineered, mandated, installed, and operational. That’s sound public policy in action. > > But keeping AM receivers alive when there is no real market for it in order to enable the Feds to skip the hard work of engineering and mandating, well that’s cheap half ass work. Can’t have it both ways, though. If it’s sound public policy to keep AM radios mandatory in cars until that technology is replaced by a more effective equally mandatory form of communication, then it’s not sound public policy to stop making AM mandatory **before** we’ve got a better substitute to make mandatory instead. Don’t just tear down the leaky roof first thing and leave the house exposed while you eventually get around to designing and installing a roof that doesn’t leak. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8607 "2026-09-24T02:16:05Z")
Those 530 AM radio announcements are a godsend for those of us who have to drive over the Hood Canal Bridge in the north part of the Puget Sound. I’ve received very helpful info multiple times. That bridge gets closed frequently, sometimes for emergency purposes, and that’s the best way to find out why and what kind of ETA I’m looking at. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8608 "2026-09-24T03:02:47Z")
[Well, you don’t look…](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/philadelphia-teacher-admits-lying-being-172327001.html) > [@](#): > > A Philadelphia teacher is facing criticism from her fellow colleagues and activists after it was revealed that she fabricated being both Palestinian and Black. > > The Racial Justice Organizing Committee (RJOC) and Philly Educators for Palestine (PEFP) [announced](https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1711597877451755&set=a.576598677618353) over the weekend that it was cutting ties with “one of their long-time members”, Hannah Gann, who “completely lied about her identity and background, claiming at various times to be Palestinian, Tunisian and Black”. > > Members of both organizations met with Gann and questioned her about her background. After over an hour of discussion, Gann “finally admitted she lied”, the joint statement said, adding: "We asked her to publicly acknowledge that she is a white woman of Jewish heritage and an Israeli settler family. [Judge Judy jumps onto the “if you don’t like it, leave” bandwagon, ignoring basic constitutional issues.](https://www.aol.com/articles/judge-judy-says-those-dont-163112000.html) > [@](#): > > [Judge Judy](https://www.foxnews.com/us/judge-judy-warns-danger-prosecutors-dont-retry-lindsay-clancy-murder-trial-ends-mistrial) is doubling down on her love of America, telling people who want to fundamentally change the country to “go somewhere else.” > > During an interview with [USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv-streaming/2026/09/22/judge-judy-judy-sheindlin-tv-special-son-adam-levy-show/91868427007/), Judy Sheindlin, 83, opened up about her views on America and the enduring popularity of her courtroom television persona. > > “I have a house, and I have a home. I consider America my home. America has been good to me. I think that it’s the greatest country in the world,” Sheindlin said. > > “If you don’t like this country, go somewhere else,” she continued. “Don’t come to the greatest country in the world, the most successful country in the world, and say, ‘I want to change it.’ There are other countries that are the something else that you want. Go there. Go there. But don’t come into my home and say, ‘I want to change it.’” ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8609 "2026-09-24T03:08:39Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > @Smapti, at this point you’re just doubling down on a flimsy strawman argument that was never very reasonable anyway. Nobody’s claiming that other non-AM-radio communication systems won’t **eventually** get information about an emergency to everyone affected by it. The point is that having AM radio as widely and easily accessible as it currently is significantly **increases** the speed and reliability of emergency communication. I’m not seeing the leap from “AM radios are nice to have in an emergency” to “Congress must mandate that every motorist have the means to listen to Sean Hannity”, which is the real reason this bill is being pushed. The argument that an AM radio is an indispensable piece of automobile safety equipment is the strawman and they’re not exactly keeping that a secret. > **[Trump Vows to Stop 'Ridiculous' Removal of AM Radio From Cars - Radio Ink](https://radioink.com/2026/05/19/trump-vows-to-stop-ridiculous-removal-of-am-radio-from-cars/)** > > President Trump acknowledged the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act had slipped off his radar during a call-in to 77WABC, then pledged to act on the bipartisan bill. If AM radio is such a critical must-have that no human being should ever be without for any length of time, are we going to mandate AM tuners in cell phones? More people own cell phones than cars. I don’t own a car - I guess I’m doomed when all mass communication grinds to a halt because the aliens have landed and I have no way of knowing because I’m riding the bus like it’s an ordinary day. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8610 "2026-09-24T03:24:01Z")
Thank you, @Monty, for attempting to introduce a couple of other Stupid MFer topics into this thread. And may I just say about AM radios in cars: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRG! Ahem. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8611 "2026-09-24T03:48:14Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > You’re advocating that our regulatory structure should deliberately scrap that current level of accessiblity merely to potentially save auto buyers something like fifty bucks per vehicle. You know what costs less than fifty bucks? > **[Amazon.com: Mini Radio AM FM, Battery Operated Radio with Lanyard, Excellent...](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNJYB79D)** > > Amazon.com: Mini Radio AM FM, Battery Operated Radio with Lanyard, Excellent Reception, Portable Radios AM FM, Transistor Radios : Electronics And you don’t even have to drain your car battery to use it! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8612 "2026-09-24T03:54:59Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > You know what costs less than fifty bucks? The AM radio that’s being mandated. The law prohibits automakers from charging buyers extra for the AM radio. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8613 "2026-09-24T03:56:12Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > The law prohibits automakers from charging buyers extra for the AM radio. _Because they want to subject you to propaganda while you drive._ Meanwhile, per my cite, this rule will cost automakers billions of dollars to redesign models to tolerate AM receivers. You think that’s NOT getting passed on to the consumer? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8614 "2026-09-24T03:56:59Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Because they want to subject you to propaganda while you drive. FUCK. OFF. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8615 "2026-09-24T03:58:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Again: Earthquake. Hurricane. Tornado. It’s not hard to imagine. And not before but after. 9 years ago here in PR. Hurricane Maria. Arrived at dawn 20/9/2017. Took out entire power grid and great big chunks of comms network including microwave relays and FM/TV repeaters. Got big swaths of the island w/o cellular coverage. By 8 pm the only _broadcast_ service left were two AM stations. So for a night, if the whole chain from your nearest cel tower to the fiber cable backbone was not still both physically up and powered, your only info feed WAS AM radio which covered the whole island. It is not inherently a useless or redundant medium. Whether it is wise even so to take what are really industry-protectionist (not safety) legal mandate measures to keep the stations in business is a debatable issue of its own. (And like was said just above, the technology is not to blame for the content, deregulation is.) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8616 "2026-09-24T03:59:37Z")
Calling AM radio obsolete is ignorant. We know who the stupid MFer is. And when pointed out how stupid they are they throw a Trumpian tantrum. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8617 "2026-09-24T04:07:49Z")
BTW prior thread on the whole AM radio issue: > [@AM radio being removed from cars](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-radio-being-removed-from-cars/984081/): > > Lets be clear, the AM part of a car radio is only a couple chips. The radio still needs a FM section, pre-amp and output amplifier. I used to repair car radios. A quick Google finds a NTE1624 chip that includes AM/FM and a power amp in one chip. Amazon sells that chip for $8.83. Link [https://www.amazon.com/NTE-Electronics-NTE1624-Integrated-Circuit/dp/B008BYIQOE](https://www.amazon.com/NTE-Electronics-NTE1624-Integrated-Circuit/dp/B008BYIQOE) I think the greed to remove AM and save a couple bucks in IC chips is appalling. It’s true finding any decent programming on AM is c… ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8618 "2026-09-24T04:12:16Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > And not before but after. 9 years ago here in PR. Hurricane Maria. Arrived at dawn 20/9/2017. Took out entire power grid and great big chunks of comms network including microwave relays and FM/TV repeaters. Got big swaths of the island w/o cellular coverage. By 8 pm the only _broadcast_ service left were two AM stations. So for a night, if the whole chain from your nearest cel tower to the fiber cable backbone was not still both physically up and powered, your only info feed WAS AM radio which covered the whole island. It is not inherently a useless or redundant medium. If there’s no power and I don’t know when I’m going to be able to gas up again, I’m not gonna sitting in the car burning fuel so I can listen to the radio, now am I? I’m gonna be indoors with my $5 portable that runs on D cells. > [@Atamasama](#): > > Calling AM radio obsolete is ignorant. As motor vehicle safety equipment, it is. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8619 "2026-09-24T04:23:38Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > If AM radio is such a critical must-have that no human being should ever be without for any length of time, are we going to mandate AM tuners in cell phones? My previous three cellphones here in China came with AM radio already installed. That seems to no longer be a thing. My current one definitely doesn’t have it. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8620 "2026-09-24T04:29:05Z")
I’m all for a new technology that can provide the same connectivity an AM radio has. Maybe a button that you push that immediately connects to emergency info and plays over car speakers. Of course, it needs to have the widespread connectivity and availabilty that AM radio does. Cell signals and satellite are more limited than AM. Until we have such a thing, AM radio is the most viable source we have and making it mandatory is responsible. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657.md?page=430) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657.md?page=432)